--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Hewer, A. C. Dean collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 29 number: 4 published: 1926-02 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Hewer, A. C. Dean, “Life Weaving,” *Improvement Era* 29, no. 4 (February 1926): 365–366." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2904unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera2904unse start_page: 365 end_page: 366 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1926-02) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2904unse publication_year: 1926 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1926, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Life Weaving LIFE WEAVING By A. C. Dean Hewer We are weaving with our daily actions, in words, and thoughts, a pattern that some day we are to be lifted up high enough to look down on as a whole, and see how it looks when finished. We shall be able to see where we made blunders, not quite under- standing the work we had to do, and other times where we substituted our own design instead of keeping to the one set us by our Teacher. One day we have a blue thread given us for hope, but what is the use of hoping when everything is sure to go wrong, as it always does? And so in parts the choice blue thread is left out. Yet hope should spring eternal in the human breast. The guard on a train shows a green flag or light, to signify that "all is well, go ahead." Sometimes we forget who is our guard, and we grow afraid, and the green strand gets tangled at that place, and does not look so smooth as it should. Red is danger, a sign for our protection, (to warn us to be careful also) . The red blood sprinkled at the doors of the Israelites, kept the destroyer from entering at the doors of the Israelites, kept the destroyer from entering their homes; and so protected them from losing their first-born sons. But the red part has been left out of our pattern in places, leaving a way open for temptation to enter. We forgot that the blood of Jesus Christ was shed for us, and so here the pattern became very spoiled, and to look at it means pain in remembrance. Between all the varied colors lies a darker shade to keep them from clashing, or looking discordant while the design is worked in. That is our daily-being-alive part of the pattern, the background of the canvas as it were. But to give vivid life and tone there are two threads to use, to throw into relief the whole, one of silver, one of gold. The silver one is to keep ourselves unspotted from the world; not to listen to an unclean tale or jest, any more than to live un- cleanly. Every time an impure thought crosses our minds the glisten- ing whiteness of our silver thread is gone; and if we act impurely then how much more is its shining whiteness lost to view. Oh, the pity of it! We may control our erring tongues in measure; but our thoughts run loosely, touching on some tale we have heard that leaves a dark stain on the cleanness of our minds. Until we see, as it were, with the eye of God, the work we have 3 66 IMPROVEMENT ERA done, and find our lovely silver thread discolored and woven all awry, we do not realize how often we have erred in this way. The chief thread of all is the shining golden strand of prayer. Without that one running in and out, and along by all the rest, we can achieve no success. "Pray without ceasing," said Paul who knew the mind of God. Not always is it necessary to enter our secret chamber and bend our knees before we can pray to our Father in Heaven. "Prayer is the soul's sincere desire Unuttered, or expressed. The upward glancing of an eye." So that, "through all our day," we can live, and move, and have our being before the Lord in prayer. How important the gold thread of prayer is in the design of our life, Jesus knew, for he taught his disciples that "men ought always to pray and not faint." Yet how often the golden thread is dimmed, or left out al- together, we see with regret as we look back upon our life which was at the beginning the fair gift of God. In one place the brightness shines with a radiance almost divine, Oh, yes! it was here we had such sorrow that unless we prayed unceasingly we could not have endured the pain of it; or, so it seemed at the time, but now we understand that suffering made us walk softly, and hold our heavenly Father's hand, afraid to let go, which is the way he would have us do at all times. Let those of us who have not finished our weaving take heed, and keep the work as perfect as we can from now onward, so that joy, rather than regret, shall fill our beings when we at last are al- lowed to look upon the completed design by God our father. Hobart, Tasmania /Dream On, O Youth Dream on, O youth! dream on! nor fear the morrow Will bring a hindrance of your firm desire, But ever bless the fate that granted power To kindle your creative self with fire. For dreams are insights into future glories, And hope eternal springs within the breast; Hope on, O youth! Hope on! in all endeavors, Its magic wand is helpful in the quest. Olympian heights may shine out far before you. Doubt not your strength to scale the rugged peak, For latent powers wait your each requirement, To lift you to the goal that you may seek. And ne'er forget the wondrous gifts within you, For you may be as God now is some day. With faith renewed, work on, nor shun the dreaming, And to your soul 'twill point the better way. Raymond, Canada. HELEN KIMBALL ORGILL