--- 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: 10 published: 1926-08 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, “Mutual Work,” *Improvement Era* 29, no. 10 (August 1926): 995–998." 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: 995 end_page: 998 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. --- # Mutual Work (^Mutual Work Why "Mormonism" ? Studies for Associations Meeting Weekly During June, July, August and September Three Lessons for August VII — Because of Its Superior Church Organization 1. It is organized according to divine plan. (Doc. and Cov. Sec. 18 and 107.) 2. It is patterned after the plan given in the primitive church. (Acts.) 3. It provides, through its division into stakes and wards, for the effective regulation and management of its government spiritually and temporally. 4. It provides for "helps in government" by establishing the auxiliary associations whereby all ages and groups may be cared for. 5. It gives opportunity for all of its members to render service. Special Problem: Does the calling of "laymen" to the preacher's pulpit make for better or poorer religious services? Questions and contributions from the audience. VIII — Because of Its Health-Promoting Powers 1. It furnishes through the Word of Wisdom a safe and scientific guide for physical well being. 2. It advises proper rest and refreshment for the body. (Doc. and Cov. 88:124.) 3. It admonishes to temperance in &11 lines of activity. 4. It holds the body to be the sacred tabernacle of the spirit. Special Problem: What might be the progress in a decade of a people who would conscientiously live the health program "Mormonism" provides? Questions and contributions by the audience. IX — Because of the Training in Thrift It Offers 1. "The idler shall not have place in the Church." (Doc. and Cov. 75:29.) 2. Development of thrift through colonization; material coopera- tion. 3. Development of thrift through sacrifice for the material upbuild- ing of the Church. 4. Development of thrift through sacrifice for missionary service. 5. Development of thrift through correct ideas of living. Special Problem: How is tithing a thrift developer? Questions and contributions by the audience. To Stake Superintendents In the Sunday evening program for the Fall Convention there is one item, No. 4, "Short Sayings From the Revelations of Joseph Smith," one each to be delivered from memory by three Young Men and three Young Ladies. These sayings are selected and provided by the General Boards and should be in the hands of the three Youn'g Men and the three Young Ladies before the convention is held. It is the duty of the stake superinten- dent to see that these sayings, twelve in number, shall be given to the three Young Men and three Young Ladies who are to take this part, so that each may be thoroughly prepared to give one quotation without hesitation, and in the minute or two that is provided for the purpose. Kindly see that this item 996 IMPROVEMENT ERA and other local parts of your Sunday evening program for the convention are properly prepared. The special music provided in item No. 9 should be given either by an orchestra or by vocal group, and the number selected should be in strict keeping with the theme of the meeting; namely, the slogan: "We stand for a testimony of the divine mission of Joseph Smith." Other numbers to be presented at the evening meeting should be carefully prepared by local singers. The opening exercises and the singing and local talks should occupy about 45 minutes, leaving 45 minutes for the visiting members of the General Boards. What to do in August This is the month for the Fathers and Sons' Outing. With proper preparation, this event may be made one of the most pleasureable and profit- able of the season. Every father, son, and M. I. A. officer should participate. All the M. I. A. forces should be placed back of it, and it should be made a big sucess. Many of the conventions will be held this month. Check on organization. See that your own board and local organizations are complete and in attend- ance at your stake convention. The spiritual power, broader vision and gen- eral information derived from this convention, together with the opportunity of coming into personal contact with General OBoard representatives, will stimulate your entire organization, and make your work easier. Be prepared to present at least one new life member for each ward at the time of the conference convention. These life memberships are great aids in furthering the cause of Mutual Improvement. A little forethought will make it easy for you to present one life membership for each ward at the convention. (See Y. M. M. I. A. Hand Book, p. 65.) Encourage the reading of the books in the Reading Course. Summer is a particularly good time to get the fiction book read. Six minutes a day for a year will educate one in the contents of the Book of Mormon. Read 45 pages at least each month. Reading the Four Gospels The effort that was made by the young people to read the Four Gospels and report on the same in writing, during the past Mutual year, was some- what disappointing, although we believe much good was accomplished. Following are the number of readers from each stake as reported, totaling 671. including three missions: Bear River 1 Raft River 14 Deseret _ 10 Rigby 1 Benson 1 Big Horn 15 Gunnison 40 Juarez 10 Kolob 150 Los Angeles 263 Liberty 1 Maricopa 1 North Davis „__ 1 Moapa 9 Ogden ." 1 Taylor 2 South Sanpete __! 4 Woodruff 20 Tooele 85 Young 6 Blackfoot 1 Holland ___._ 1 Blaine 3 Norway _ 13 Cassia \ 10 Western States 3 Jordan (Jun. Girls) 2 Franklin 3 Total 671 MUTUAL WORK 997 A total of 30 essays were! received from fourteen stakes and three mis- sions, as follows: Bear River 1 Benson 1 Deseret 1 Gunnison 5 Jordan (Jun. Girls) 2 Kolob Liberty North Davis Ogden Blackfoot Raft River 2 Rigby 1 Maricopa 1 Taylor 2 Holland 1 Norway 6 Western States 2 Total 3 0 The essay winner in each stake and mission follows: Stake Name Ward 3ear River Russel C. Capener, Garland, Utah Riverside Benson Thomas Last, Lewiston, Utah First ward Deseret Eugene Gardner, Delta, Utah First ward Gunnison Vernon Ferre, Hamilton, Utah iamilton Jordan (2 Essays, both by Junior Girls who did good work.) Kolob John Wainwright, Springville, Utah Second ward Liberty Junius S. Romney, Salt Lake City Yale ward Morth Davis Ove C. Inkley, Layton, Utah West Layton Ogden H. Martin Larson, North Ogden, Utah North Ogden Blackfoot Jesse Simmons, Blackfoot, Idaho Groveland Raft River Jos. A. Kimber, Grouse Creek, Utah Grouse Creek Rigby Reuel Chandler, Rigby, Idaho First ward Maricopa W. L. Shumway, Phoenix, Arizona Taylor Geo. Fairbanks, Raymond, Canada Second ward Holland H. J. Riet, Schoutenstraat 54, Rotterdam, Holland Norway Bjorn Halversen, Bergen, Norway Western States Martin C. Peterson, Lincoln, Nebraska In the judgment of the judges, the award of the first prize in the stakes goes to Jos. A. Kimber, Raft River stake, Grouse Creek ward. The judges give honorable mention to Borghild Neilsen, secretary of the Norwegian mission, for translating six essays and transmitting them to the M. I. A. headquarters; the essays were written in different conferences of the misssion. We believe that many more young people read the Four Gospels than were reported. It appears that many of the stake officers were delinquent in following the matter up, and even in making it known to the various organizations throughout the Church; hence, the inadequate report. Recognition, in the form of New Testaments for the winning essay writers, as well as for all who wrote essays, will be provided; and the an- nouncements and presentations will be made in the conventions this Fall, in the various stakes. The winning Church essay follows, and the reasons for choosing this essay are given by one of the judges, whose opinion was approved and coin- cided in by the other two. He wrote: "Joseph A. Kimber finds in the Four Gospels that Jesus is a divine person, * "I. Because of his miraculous birth; "2. Because of his supernatural wisdom, even as a boy; "3. Because of his ministry on earth: (a) The manner of his teaching, (b) The subject matter thereof; as, for instance, the Sermon on the Mount, (c) 998 IMPROVEMENT BRA The miracles that he performed that confirmed his teachings. "4. Because of the universal application of his work; "5. Because of the agreement of his teachings with revelations that we, as Latter-day Saints, have received. "That is really an admirable outline of the subject of the essay. The author's diction, perhaps, is not attractive; but his style is simple, and does not lack clearness. He has no 'conclusion' to his essay, and that is a literary defect; but, on the whole, his essay is the best." The winning essay follows: A Marvelous Work and a Wonder Jesus Christ, the basic character in the Four Gospels, was a divine person. His birth, as the account gives it, was somewhat out of the ordinary. Any other child, born under similar circumstances, would have been looked down upon. Joseph would have kept the secret of the Child's birth as long as possible had not the angel appeared to him and told him who the Child was. At the age of twelve he showed more intelligence than the ordinary boy; and, again, when he started his ministry, and during the remainder of his life on earth, Jesus proved, beyond a doubt that both he and the work in which he was engaged were divine. His manner of expression and his way of explaining things were uncommon, and the truths he expounded have never been equalled by orduiary man, before or since. The Savior's Sermon on the Mount is a masterpiece of truth, with far-reaching effect on the lives of mankind. The application of these prin- ciples in the lives of so many millions proves his divinity, because it is beyond the power of mortal man to work such wonders in the lives of so many. The work of all the great reformers combined hasn't equalled his. Though their work has helped many, the work of Jesus Christ reaches all mankind, both the living and the dead. No other person has had so broad a field of labor. Aside from proving to my mind that Jesus Christ was divine, comparing trie Four Gospels with our Church literature proves that we have the same Gospel today, with the same gifts, powers and blessings, which is evidence that the work of Joseph Smith, the latter-day prophet, is also divine. Great Improvement in Victoria Elder Raymond Kneall, secretary of the Victoria conference, Australia, gives an account of the general conference held in the chapel at East Melbourne, with President Charles H. Hyde and Sister Hyde present. There were one hundred people in attendance in the afternoon, and ap- proximately one hundred fifteen in the evening. Great improvement in the status of the conference was announced, and a good spirit prevailed through- out, with many excellent addresses and musical numbers. Elder Harold White was released from the position of conference president, and Elder C. Gloyd Cowley sustained as such. The Victorian Saints send their greetings through the Improvement Era, and strictly express their appre- ciation of the fine magazine. Elders of the Victorian conference, Australia, are- Harold D. White, outgoing conference president; J. Cash Smith; Delbert G. Ence; Reuel E. Christensen; Geo. H. Bennett; Henry A. Tilly; Donald J. Howard; C. Gloyd Cowley, conference president; J. Wm. Christensen; J. Wesley Glenn. '