--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 29 number: 5 published: 1926-03 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, “Editor’s Table,” *Improvement Era* 29, no. 5 (March 1926): 502–503." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2905unse 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: improvementera2905unse start_page: 502 end_page: 503 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1926-03) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2905unse 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. --- # Editor’s Table Editors ^Table The Way to Happiness Marriage makes happiness, if entered into in the right way and lived in conformity with the laws of God. Marriage in the world is looked upon as of small importance. The marriage covenant is often considered solely a matter of convenience, easily broken, and is not looked upon as a foundation for lasting happiness. Divorce is talked of as an easy exit from its obligations. Hence, much unhappiness and many broken homes, and very serious consequences for society, not to mention the unfortunate children of such homes. We have received a news cartoon, illustrating the condition in this changing world by two wedding announcements; one is old-fashioned, reading something like this: Mr. and Mrs. Hall announce the marriage of their daughter, Ellen, to Henry, son of Mr. and Mrs. White. Another, showing a fashionable "modern style card," used in these days of divorce and scrambled matrimony, reads: Mr. Jones and Mrs. Smith announce the marriage of their daughter, Mrs. Brown, to James Robinson, son of Mr. Robinson and Mrs. Black. The Latter-day Saints counteract and fight the conditions which make for the "modern style card," so common in the world today, by placing upon marriage a more serious meaning. It is an eternal union designed for ever-lasting joy and companionship; performed in the temple, it endures forever, insuring never-ending family ties. Mar- riage so contracted induces fewer divorces by far than that entered into for time only. This is proved by the statistics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Marriage in the temples is, therefore, one of the most important steps in life to a Latter-day Saint. The Lord, anciently and in modern revelation, has declared its sanctity, as his law unto man. It is so important that he has commanded his people that it should not be entered into for time alone, but for all eternity. If a man marry a wife by the law of God, and she is sealed unto him by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed in the Church, and unto whom the Lord has appointed this power and the keys of the Priesthood, they shall come forth in the first or second resurrection, and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities and powers; and if they abide in the covenant, and do not shed innocent blood, it shall be done unto EDITORS' TABLE 505 them whatsoever the officiating servant of the Lord has promised them, in time and through all eternity. It shall be of full force when they are out of the world, and they shall pass by the angels and gods which are set there to their exaltation and glory in all things. This glory is a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever. In other words, they shall be gods, because they have no end; they shall be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue. But, to receive these blessings, the couple getting married must abide the law appointed for the blessings, and live up to the conditions. The conditions pertain to marriage by proper authority, by one who holds the keys of the Priesthood of God, the President of the Church, or one delegated by him to perform the ceremony in the holy temples of the Lord. Such an ' ordinance is for time and for all eternity. One can readily see, therefore, how important temple marriage is to the young Latter-day Saints. No marriage performed in any other way is per- manent and lasting; it is only until death separates the two; it is of no force when they are out of the world. "It shall be thrown down, and shall not remain after men are dead; neither in, nor after, the resurrec- tion," saith the Lord, God. "For whatsover things remain are by me; and whatsoever things are not by me, shall be broken and destroyed." The young people of the Church, who enter into and comply with this important marriage covenant are forming for themselves one of the strongest supports for happiness that can be obtained, both for this life and for the life to come. Resolved that young people contemplating matrimony shall look into this matter of temple marriages; and enter into the sacred covenants in the right way, that they may be entitled to the richer blessings, and be made happy here and forever. — A. Attendance at Sacrament Meetings From the report of attendance at Sacrament meetings, and the regular ward teaching, for the month of January, 1926, as compiled by the Presiding Bishop's Office, in Bulletin No. 112, we learn the following interesting facts: The average attendance at Sacrament meetings, in 987 wards of the Church, was 21%; wards reporting 100% visited by the ward teacher, 387, an average of 68% of the families were visited; 46% of the ward teachers attended Sacrament meetings; and 24% attended Priesthood meetings; all of the 94 stakes reported. The arrangement of the bulletin was based on the average percentage of ward membership at Sacrament meetings, which ranged from 48%, in Alberta, Canada, to 14% in Summit, Utah.