--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Evans, John Henry collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 29 number: 10 published: 1926-08 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Evans, John Henry, “The M. I. A. Slogan, 1926–27,” *Improvement Era* 29, no. 10 (August 1926): 978–990." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera29010unse 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: improvementera29010unse start_page: 978 end_page: 990 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1926-08) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera29010unse 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. --- # The M. I. A. Slogan, 1926–27 THE M. I. A. SLOGAN, 1926-27* We Stand for a Testimony of the Divine Mission of Joseph Smith By Elder John A. Widtsoe, of the Council of the Twelve Brethren and sisters: When we contrast the humble beginnings of the Church with this great gathering of M. I. A. workers, we have another evidence that this work is "a marvelous work and a wonder." The testimony meeting held this morning was remarkable. In it there was on exhibition of a wornout theology; rather, it seemed to me as if there streamed forth from every speaker the living power that humanity needs for full happiness in life. I pray that while I stand before you I may not depart from the spirit of this conference, and that I may speak worthily of the slogan that has been "adopted for the next M. I. A. year. A Restorer and Teacher I know of no greater theme than Joseph. Smith, except that of Jesus Christ. Last year our slogan dealt with the divinity of Jesus Christ. This year "We stand for a testimony of the divine mission of Joseph Smith." It is very fitting that this should be our coming slogan, for Joseph Smith claimed to be a restorer of the gospel of Jesus Christ. At no time did he declare that he brought new truth to the world; his mission was to restore and to declare and expound and enlarge the • old truth, which has always belonged to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and most of which, possibly, has been revealed in earlier dispensations. Joseph Smith, while a restorer, was also a great interpreter of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospels which have come to us in the holy Bible are but outlines of the work of the Savior, and of his teachings, and the commentaries by the apostles, which constitute the remaining part of the New Testament, are fragmentary and incomplete. Joseph, the Prophet, came in this day and gave to the world a large and rich interpretation of the gospel of Jesus Christ; he made the teachings of the Savior clear to all, and he showed how the gospel, devised for human joy, may be applied every day in the affairs of mankind. Joseph, the Issue This slogan is particularly fitting, now or at any time, because Joseph Smith is after all the great issue of "Mormonism." Once con- * Sermon delivered in the Assembly Hall, Salt Lake City, at the M. I. A. conference, Sunday morning, June 13, 1926. THE M. I. A. SLOGAN 979 vinced that Joseph Smith was divinely inspired, a person may accept all of "Mormonism," all of the truths that the Prophet revealed to the world. Keen students of "Mormonism," those who have shown them- selves honest and fearless, declare without exception that Joseph Smith .is the central figure of the Church. To Joseph Smith came the mar- velous first vision; upon Joseph Smith the Priesthood was conferred; he translated the Book of Mormon by "the gift and power of God"; it was he who was directed by God to organize the Church; and then, through him was revealed the body of doctrine for the guidance of the Church. Those who have studied him without prejudice, have without exception come to the conclusion that once he is accepted as a man who saw God and who was directed by God, the principles that he taught must also be accepted as being of divine origin. Baffles the Wise The achievements of Joseph Smith are of such a nature, so much greater than those of ordinary men, that they transcend ordinary human powers, and cannot be explained in terms of common ex- perience. In my reading I have found many men, not members of tht Church, who have made that very statement. They have stood baffled before the power of Joseph Smith. We quote frequently the state- ments of Josiah Quincy, famous mayor of Boston, of an illustrious family of Massachusetts, who visited Joseph Smith, in 1844, soon after young Quincy had graduated from Harvard college. In his old age this highly educated man, who had learned to know the world, the nature of greatness and the ways of mortality, told the story of his meeting with Joseph Smith. He closed his story with these words: "I have endeavored to give the details of my visit to the 'Mormon' Prophet with absolute accuracy. If the reader does not know just what to make of Joseph Smith I cannot help him out of the difficulty. I myself stand helpless before the puzzle." Joseph came, untaught by man, into a world which stood in darkness, and did work which cannot be understood or interpreted by common means. This is the man whom we are to consider throughout this year. How to Win a Testimony I assume that my assignment requires that I discuss the method by which the officers of the M. I. A. may help our young people acquire a testimony of the divine mission of Joseph Smith. I know of no way save one by which a testimony, a living, permanent, enduring testimony, may be won by any man. If I have read Joseph Smith aright, I think that in his own life he has given us the key. If we are to obtain a testimony of any truth we must learn to understand that truth; then we must practice it, and before and during the study and practice we must be in close communion with our heavenly Father and 980 IMPROVEMENT ERA pray to him for help. Thus, by prayer, study and practice the testi- mony of the truth will come to us as an inspiration and gift from God. I am of the earnest opinion that if any man will study the life and works of Joseph Smith, will practice that which he taught, and at the same time pray to God for guidance, he will come out of the search with a living testimony of the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith. When a man does his part, then a testimony comes as a gift of God. Naturally, however, a man must desire to know the truth, though it conflict with all his former beliefs, to obtain the precious testimony, the indestructible knowledge, of the truth of the gospel. The High Order of His Life It will help our young people in establishing their testimonies of the divine mission of this great man, to point out that Joseph Smith, viewed at any point, from every angle, in any position, always measures up to the demands of truth, as revealed in human experience. For example, his personal life was that of a prophet. He lived just as the prophets of old have lived, misunderstood, hounded, persecuted, and at last his life was taken. His life reads as do the lives of some of the prophets told in holy writ or elsewhere. His experience was that of every teacher who attempts to turn men and women from their easy paths of near truth into the walks of full truth. Physically, he was a magnificent man; in spirit, in spite of persecution, disaster and poverty, he was kindly and gentlemanly. He was courageous, and he dared to battle for the right. All who knew him have testified to the kindly strength, mingled with undaunted courage, that made him a great soul. He tells how he lived: "Sectarian priests cry out concerning me and ask, 'Why is it that this babbler gets so many followers and retains them?' I answer: 'It is because I possess the principle of love. All that I offer the world is a good heart and a good hand'." Truth, His Weapon and Reward No personal reward such as men usually seek was in his work. The fact that he went through life gladly, meeting difficulties without hesitation, and asking for no personal consideration, is another evidence of his sincerity and his unselfish devotion to that which he held to be the eternal truth. To possess truth was his reward. A man who visited Nauvoo, about 1843, wrote a book about the Prophet in which he said: "If anything can tend to encourage the supposition that Joseph Smith was a sincere enthusiast, and that he had strong and invincible faith in his own high pretensions and divine mission, it is the probability that unless supported by such feelings, he would have renounced the unprofitable and ungrateful task, and sought refuge from persecution and misery in private life and honorable industry. * * * It cannot be denied that he was one THE M. I. A. SLOGAN 981 of the most extraordinary persons of his time * * * whose name, what- ever he may have been whilst living, will take its place among the notabilities of the world." His life was significant to all who met him, because he spoke as one who possessed truth. He declared, over and over again, that his weapon was truth; and in a splendid passage handed down to us he says: "I combat the errors of ages; I meet the violence of mobs; I cope with illegal proceedings from excessive authority; I cut the Gordian knot of powers, and meet the problems of universities, with truth — diamond truth." A Material Builder Joseph Smith was an outstanding material leader. Those who know the history of Kirtland know that a tremendous labor was there accomplished by the Prophet. He founded Nauvoo, the largest city of its time in Illinois, with schools and university and the other factors of civilization. He built temples, and he laid out cities; he planned for the temporal welfare of his people, through agriculture and other industries. He looked into the future and saw, as no other man of his generation, the possibilities of the Great West, and he recog- nized the West as a necessary part in the building of our republic. He asked the government to give him a hundred thousand men for western conquest so that the way might be opened for the settlement of the country beyond the Rocky Mountains. He laid bare before the people of that day the Western development which actually has happened. The Church that he organized, compact and serviceable to all, the manner of its growth and development, the firmness with which the members cling to it, all in the face of furious opposition, come as evidences of the power of the Prophet. Today, men of thought give consideration to the fruits of the Church and admit that its struc- ture is well nigh perfect. More and more the power of the Church to help and direct its members in all righteous endeavors is being recog- nized. The Spiritual Teacher However, other men have been of pure character; other men have done great material deeds; other men have built institutions that have lasted throughout the years. Not by such tests is built a testi- mony of the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith. They only confirm the larger truths. His greatness lies in his mission as an incomparable spiritual leader. Four events form the cornerstones of evidence of the divine inspiration of the Prophet Joseph Smith. First, the initial vision, when he was fourteen years old, in which the Lord in person declared to him, "This is my beloved Son, hear Him." At that time in the history of the world God had become an attenuated spirit, spread throughout the universe, nowhere present, everywhere present, nothing in particular and everything in general. 982 IMPROVEMENT ERA In such a theological age the Prophet Joseph Smith declared that he had seen God, a person, who had spoken to him. He taught that men may communicate with God, and that God does speak to his children. It was like a shaft of light in the dark cloud of error. It was a message, whether acknowledged or not by those not of us, which has shaken civilization and mankind since that day in 1820. His testimony is with usi: "It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of Cod, and to know that we can converse with him as one man converses with another." "I know God. I have gazed upon the glory of Cod and the visions of eternity." "The Glory of God is Intelligence." Such knowledge was the dire need of the world. Second, the translation of the Book of Mormon. This Book sets forth that the Lord lets his love rest in more than one place; that all men are his children; that he speaks in many ways and to divers people, according to his own mind and will, and that there are scriptures besides those which have been revealed in the Bible. The Book of Mormon came as a new revelation to the world, in full har- mony with the revelation of God himself to man, in the First Vision. In the Book of Mormon is the pure gospel of the Son of man, freed from the errors of translation and corruption that have attended other such books. The integrity of the Book; its doctrines; its historical data — all form an evidence of its divine origin. Third, the establishment of the Church. It is an organization resting on divine authority, which declares that there is a great purpose running through human life, and that the Lord looks after the work- ing out of that great purpose, and in so doing has ordained men with power and authority to carry out his purposes. Thus, the "Mormon" prophet set up a Church with divine authority, under direct in- struction from the Almighty. Uncertainty was removed; certainty was established; Priesthood traceable to God was restored, and the Church established was God-made, not man-made. Just such a mes- sage was needed by a world with a diversity of churches, representing the personal opinions of the founders. Fourth and finally, the body of doctrine contained in the revela- tions given through the Prophet Joseph Smith, full of wonderful truths, are particularly marvelous because each revelation says or implies: "Thus saith the Lord." They are not the words of Joseph Smith; they are not his opinions;* they are not the doctrines he thought would be good; but they are the words of the Almighty. In them the Lord directs, through the Prophet Joseph, that this is to be done, or that this is the truth. These four cornerstones if properly built upon will enable any honest soul -who prays, then studies and practices the truths they contain, to secure an abiding knowledge of the truth of the mission of Joseph Smith. Each one reveals a power beyond that of man. THE M. I. A. SLOGAN 983 The Doctrinal Teacher Joseph Smith was greatest as a doctrinal teacher. All that he taught is strictly Biblical. Opponents who attempt to unhorse us by quoting the Bible never succeed. Whoever has tried it once, seldom tries it again. The doctrine of the Bible is the doctrine of the restored gospel. Moreover, the doctrine of the restored gospel is a compre- hensive, complete and well organized system of thought, a philosophy; not a set of unrelated doctrinal laws — the Word of Wisdom here, tithing there, something else somewhere else — but a series of prin- ciples which are so held together that they have a beginning and an end, and form one coordinated, complete whole. I know of no other religious system that is so complete, or even approaches the completeness of the "Mormon" doctrine. The Doctrine of Pre-existence Let me illustrate. Within a few years of the time Joseph Smith came into the world, it was held that matter was an evanescent something, here today, anywhere tomorrow, which might even be destroyed. Matter, energy, the things under any name that make our universe were supposed to be transitory. But, about the time the Prophet Joseph Smith came into the world, discovered facts had con- vinced the world that matter is eternal; that energy likewise is indes- tructible; that we live in an everlasting universe, the elements of which will persist, instead of in one that may go to pieces over night. Our recent scientific discoveries have only confirmed this fundamental law. At the time when this fundamental doctrine was being developed by the thinking men of the world, the theologians and those who fol- lowed them taught that man is not eternal, that he came into his first being when he was born; that was his beginning. The view of the churches on this subject has not changed greatly to this day. In opposition to that general belief, Joseph Smith said: "Man was in the beginning with God;" that is, man lived before he came upon this earth; he is an eternal being — a doctrine which the reason of men is compelling them to accept. He said, "The spirit of man is not a created being. It existed from eternity and will exist throughout eternity. Anything created cannot be eternal." Joseph Smith gave to the world an understanding of the origin of man. The Purpose of Life In the day of the Prophet Joseph Smith, it was understood also that man was placed on earth almost by chance; the Lord, so to speak, flipped him upon earth, there to remain in sorrow and suffer- ing. Life was purposeless. Under divine inspiration, the "Mormon" Prophet objected to this dark and depressing doctrine, conceived in untruth; and he taught that man comes upon earth in conformity with a divine and eternal purpose, one that directs or should direct every 9 84 IMPROVEMENT ERA action of human life. Man comes upon earth as to a school to learn to know the nature of material things. He acquires power by this contact and is made more fitted to continue the eternal journey with God, his Father. How mortal life was glorified by the doctrine of the Book of Mormon: "Adam fell that man might be; and men are, that they might have joy." Into that remarkable sentence may be read the eternal purpose that runs through all human life. The Prophet Joseph Smith, for the first time, in modern days at least, built up a religious system designed to make life joyous and happy on earth and in the hereafter. Thus the gospel contains principles that may be applied in the daily lives of men, such as the Word of Wisdom. (See also D. and C. 88:123-127.) Things of earth as well as of heaven are dear to the Lord, for all are his creations. On one occasion the Prophet said in pursuit of this thought — and the words might well be put high on the banner of the nation: "The cause of human liberty is the cause of God." He did not speak as other men. Life Eternal Finally, to complete the cycle, he laid bare a new conception of man's life hereafter. The churches taught that in the future life, resurrected man should worship and praise near the throne of God. Throughout the eternities with the playing of the harp, and with song, the gloried ones would praise their Lord! It was a static exist- ence. It was not an inviting prospect for intelligent, active beings. The Prophet Joseph came with a different and a better message. The Lord said to him, "This is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." Immortality? Yes, that means eternal. existence — we had heard of^ that before. Eternal life? That was new. Life means action and growth. Eternal life means everlasting action and growth. We had not heard of that before. But how the human heart warmed towards immortality when ac- companied with eternal life! Then in stately words he gave us visions of that life hereafter: "Whatsoever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life will rise with us in the resurrection." "If one man by his diligence obtains more knowledge than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come." "Knowledge saves man, and in the world of spirits no man can be exalted but by knowledge." "Intelligence is the pathway up to the Gods." Thus he taught the cycle of man's life: Man a pre-existent, eternal being, placed on earth for the great purpose of developing, happily, greater fitness for the eternal journey before him, and going into the hereafter to live, to act, to grow, to move upwards — and every step of the journey made progressive by additions to his in- telligent knowledge, which means to act as well as to know. THE M. I. A. SLOGAN 985 A Clatifiet Such doctrines were new when the Prophet lived. The world has now borrowed many of them. Throughout his teachings the Prophet revealed new truth and made old doctrine look as if it were new by making it understandable. He- himself said, "It has always been my province to talk of hidden mysteries, new things for the world." And he said on another occasion, "That which has been hidden from before the foundation of the world is revealed to babes • and sucklings in the last days.'' It would be quite improper tor me on this occasion to take the time to illustrate the divine power of Joseph Smith by the prin- ciples that he taught the Church. I may have time, however, to present a few examples, which have done untold service in this modern world. Continuous Revelation The doctrine of continuous revelation is probably of first importance. He, himself, was guided, from the First Vision to his last day, by divine revelation. He conceived that the Lord will always reveal his will to his children, and guide his organized Church for the benefit of the great plan of salvation. By personal visits, by the voice of angels, by the teaching of the holy Spirit, the Lord will ever be in communion with the children of men. The volume of scripture is never full. As the needs of progressive man arise, the Lord will give his help. In fact, every man must have the spirit of revelation if he is to win salvation. He said: "Salvation cannot come without revelation; it is in vain for any man to minister without it. No man is a minister of Jesus Christ without being a prophet. No man can be a minister of Jesus Christ except he has the testimony of Jesus, and this is the spirit of prophecy." What a world of light in that one paragraph! The Doctrine of Progression Throughout the system of truth taught by Joseph Smith runs the doctrine of progression. Man does not stand still. He either descends or ascends; either progresses or retrogrades. Man's destiny, if he will, is eternal progression. In words that seem blasphemous human progression: "God himself was once as we are now; and is an exalted man; for Adam was created in the very fashion, image and likeness of God." Man's destiny is a God-like one. We need not worry about evolution. We have the true doctrine. The "Mormon" Prophet set forth the eternal law of progression. Eternal Punishment The doctrine of Joseph Smith concerning eternal punishment shows well his tremendous spiritual power. He cleared up the mystery to those who are blind to spiritual truth, he set forth the law of 986 IMPROVEMENT ERA of the ages. Priests had terrorized people into believing in God, into going to church, by threatening them with eternal burnings in sulphur- ous hell. That is not Christianity. There is no fear in the gospel. The gospel is based on love. Joseph Smith denounced this doctrine of the burning hell. He said: "Eternal punishment is God's punish- ment; endless punishment is God's punishment." That is>, God is the master, he will punish according to the eternal laws which he uses in dealing with his children. On another occasion the Prophet said: "A man is his own tormentor and his own condemner. Hence the saying, They shall go into a lake that burns with fire and brimstone. The torment of disappointment in the mind of man is as exquisite as a lake burning with fire and brimstone." The mind of the Prophet Joseph Smith was as clear as crystal. He cleared up the difficulties of the ages. Foretelling Events A prophet is a teacher of truth. He also, under the inspiration of God, foretells events and anticipates the discoveries of men. Such power becomes an evidence of the truthfulness of a prophet's message. Joseph Smith foretold many events, some of which have occurred and others that are yet in the future. His prophecy concerning the war between the Northern and the Southern states is the best known and perhaps the most striking. In 1833, he prophesied that the war would come; that it would begin in South Carolina and that it would cause much bloodshed and draw many nations into battle. It fore- shadowed clearly the late Great War among the most powerful nations of the world. Nearly thirty years later, the prophecy on the Civil War was literally fulfilled. On another occasion he prophesied that the Church would move westward and become a great people among the Rocky Mountains. Several years afterwards, and after the Prophet's martyrdom, this prophecy was also fulfilled, and the expansion and power of the Latter- day Saints in the valleys of the Rocky Mountains are but additional fulfilments of the prophecy. Of himself he said, before the Church was organized, and when it seemed most improbable that he should ever become widely known, that he should be spoken of for good and evil in all the world. Perhaps no man of the nineteenth century has been more devoutly loved, or thoroughly hated, than has Joseph Smith. Books by the thousands refer to him; millions of people have taken sides for or against him. The prophecy has been fulfilled in every particular. A large number of other prophecies have had like fulfilment. Brother Nephi L. Morris has brought several of these together in his book. Prophecies of Joseph Smith and their Fulfilment, which this year is on our reading course. THE M. L A. SLOGAN 987 Anticipating Discovery Likewise did Joseph Smith anticipate many of the fundamental discoveries that have changed immeasurably the conditions of modern life. As already said, he based his teachings on the doctrine of the eternal duration of the essentials of the universe. To him the things about him were real. He said, "The elements are eternal, and spirit and matter, inseparably united, receive a fulness of joy." Modern discovery has moved rapidly towards the confirmation of this statement. In a day when superstition had not yet loosed *its hold upon people, Joseph Smith laid down the doctrine of cause and effect, the foundation stone of modern science, as operative everywhere, in theology as well as in physics. He said, "There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated — and when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated." The Prophet taught, before science had really accepted it, the fundamentals of the structure and content of the universe. In the Word of Wisdom he laid down laws for bodily health which only in recent days have been worked out by science. In many other domains of thought did he make announcements that have been confirmed by the laborious studies of man. Nowhere has he been, found in error. His mind swept the heavens, penetrated space, and conceived the eternal laws which govern our lives of multitudinous detail. The Fruits of Motmonism Turning now from the teachings and labors of Joseph Smith to the results of his work, we find like evidence of divine inspiration. The Church has now been organized nearly one hundred years. It is possible to measure its effects upon human lives. Indeed, the Church is designed for man's good, his whole good, and unless it improves the lives of those who obey its requirements, it has little reason for existing. Latter-day Saints, in spite of the persecution that has followed them, are a happy people, perhaps the happiest in the world. I re- member one of the great men of the nation who, in a little "Mormon" meeting house, looked into a congregation of old people. His emotions were touched as he saw with the eye of experience the record of clean lives and constant happiness, written upon the furrowed faces. "These are happy people," said he, "it must be the result of your religion." Intelligent happiness, that is the best fruit of "Mormonism." Such happiness comes from obedience to law. Dr. Franklin S. Harris and Mr. N. I. Butt have only recently made a statistical study of the effects of the gospel on human lives. Their book, The Fruits of Motmonism, is convincing evidence of the divine mission of Joseph Smith. Naturally, a religion founded on the possession of intelligence m IMPROVEMENT ERA would rank high in education. It has not been easy to secure leisure for study, for the Church has had to move from place to place under the pressure of persecution, and when it came West it had to pioneer the most forbidding part of the country. Food and clothes and shelter were the first stern necessities. Yet, in the wilderness, schools were founded, a university was established in 1850, the oldest west of the Missouri. Today the "Mormon" people stand among the foremost in literacy and school attendance — 87 per cent of the children of school age attend school, as against 71% in the whole United States. Utah has one college student for every 99, while the United States has one college student for every 212 persons of population. The Word of Wisdom has taught correct habits of living. As a result, the "Mormon" birth rate is high and the death rate is lower than for the United States. In the matter of chastity, the "Mormon" people stand highest among the states of the Union. During the war nearly 2,000 students of the University of Utah were examined physi- cally for army service. Only two were afflicted with venerial disease, and one of the two had only recently come into the state. Insanity is low among the Latter-day Saints; crime is lower than in practically any other state under similar conditions. "Mormons" form about 62 per cent of the population of the state of Utah; only 29 per cent of the inmates of the Utah state penitentiary are "Mor- mons" or of "Mormon" descent. Loyalty to God, Church and Country is a fundamental doctrine in the teachings of Joseph Smith. The effects of this doctrine were shown in the late war when Utah stood at or near the head of the states in the practical expression of assistance to the Government in the hour of need. When the people were driven into the wilderness, they tackled the problems of reclamation, colonization and settlement, with the use of the principles of the gospel. They were so eminently successful that effective colonization is always coupled with "Mormonism." In practical affairs they have succeeded greatly. Prosperous in temporal affairs, happy in spirit, healthy, chaste, intelligent, law abiding and patriotic — the members of the Church of Jesus Christ, re-established in this day of restoration through the instrumentality of Joseph Smith, are perhaps the best evidence of the fact that Joseph Smith taught the truth and engaged in a work far beyond his mortal power to accomplish. The Prophet's Followers Not least, though last of the evidences I shall mention for the divine mission of Joseph Smith, is the character of the men and women who have chosen to follow Joseph Smith as a divinely inspired prophet. The Prophet himself came of New England stock. Many of his early followers were of the same stock. They were people whose emotions were not easily aroused, who wanted to know the THE M. I. A. SLOGAN 989 truth for themselves, and who did not propose to be stampeded by a Charlatan. The evidence shows that the early converts as well as the later ones weighed carefully the validity of the Prophet's claims before joining the Church. The revival spirit was absent. Miracles were not offered to make converts-. Those who joined the Church were earnest seekers after truth, God-fearing people who desired the whole gospel of Jesus Christ, people who went to God in prayer for assistance in their search. They were- fearless men and women who, once knowledge had come to them, dared to face persecution, banishment from loved ones, and the contempt of the world, for the sake of the pearl of great price, the eternal truth, that they had found. Strong men gathered around the Prophet, yet he was always the greatest among the members of the Church. He was a man of little worldly learning, yet he taught the learned; he was poor in this world's goods, yet he directed the wealthy; he was despised in life, failed to win honor among men, and at last was murdered as one who menaced the welfare of society; yet thinking men, rich in fame or power or money, followed him and now follow him humbly and rejoice in his doctrine. The successors of Joseph Smith are but examples of the men who constitute the Church. Brigham Young, valiant and able, who, though he saw the Book of Mormon three weeks after its publication, did not join the Church until two years later, when he was thoroughly convinced of its truth, always said that he was but a follower of Joseph Smith. John. Taylor, thoughtful, scholarly, independent, followed the Prophet gladly. Wilford Woodruff, loyal, earnest, per- sistent, found his chief joy in testifying to the divinity of Joseph Smith's mission. Lorenzo Snow, with an appealing personality and versed in many fields, did the same. Joseph F. Smith, courageous lover of truth, forceful and intelligent, looked upon his prophet-uncle with unfaltering devotion. Heber J. Grant, courageous, devoted, eminent in the abilities that the world rewards with gifts and honor, has spent his life in the incessant preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ as restored by Joseph Smith. Any one of these men could have made for himself, by the use of his high mental endowments, an exalted and honored place among men. Instead, they accepted willingly the mis- understanding and near-contempt of the world, that they might follow in the footsteps of Joseph Smith. Conclusion Many tests may be applied to determine the divinity of the work of Joseph Smith. The Lord desires that men shall know for themselves of his truth. Whatever test may be applied, the "Mormon" Prophet stands out as a marvelous personage. His own claim alone explains him. He said, "I am a rough stone. The sound of the chisel and the hammer was not heard on me until the Lord took me in 990 IMPROVEMENT ERA President George Q. Cannon voiced our feeling toward the Prophet: "The Prophet was only a man; but he was a good man, an inspired man, a better man than he could have been without the inspiration of his Master, Christ. In all his actions he was fearless as an angel of light. Not in all that has ever been written or said of him by friend or foe is there one word to impugn the magnificent physical bravery and moral courage of Joseph Smith. Withal he was meek and gentle as a little child. Disciplined by the Spirit of God which was his constant monitor, he put away from him alike the fear of men and the ambitions of the world." I bear you my testimony, my brethren and sisters, that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God; that his mission was divine; that he sought God; that God spoke to him; that he did the work the Lord commanded him to do; that we are engaged in God's great work, and that if with prayerful hearts we will study the teachings of Joseph Smith and practice the principles that he taught, then throughout Zion this year we shall have a new witness of the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith. May God bless us, I pray in the name of Jesius Christ. Amen. The Liahona, the Elders' Journal, published bi-weekly under the auspices of the missions of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in America, by Zion's Printing 8 Publishing Company, Independence, Jack- son county, Missouri, began its twenty-fourth volume with June 29, 1926. It appears in a new dress of beautiful type, and with interesting contents, which witness that the everlasting gospel has been restored to the earth; furthermore, that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints possesses the authority, gifts and blessings enjoyed by the primitive church. Elder Hugh Ireland, the editor, in his editorial greeting, says: "It is the mission of this journal to hear witness that the heavenly messenger seen in vision by the beloved Apostle has delivered his message and restored the everlasting gospel to the earth. The message is one of great significance to all people. Through it a true knowledge of God has been restored to the earth; the way of salvation has been made clear again, and the place and purpose of all the principles and ordinances of the gospel have been divinely revealed. * * * The laws and ordin- ances of the gospel have been revealed anew, and all who will receive and obey them shall receive the Holy Ghost, with its accompanying gifts and blessings. This is the exclusive possession of the true Church of Christ and distinguishes it from all other churches on the earth. To bear witness of the truth, as God has restored it through his chosen servants in these latter days, is the mission of this journal." A fiew dispensation is about to begin, according! to a statement jmade in London, June 27. 1926, by Mrs. Annie Besant, and a Hindu youth, Krishamurti, is the prophet through whom it is to be ushered in. On one occasion, Dec. 28, 1924, Christ has spoken through him, and he will do so again, says khe lady.