--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Tanner, E. Pingree collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 29 number: 12 published: 1926-10 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Tanner, E. Pingree, “United Order,” *Improvement Era* 29, no. 12 (October 1926): 1189–1191." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera29012unse 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: improvementera29012unse start_page: 1189 end_page: 1191 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1926-10) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera29012unse 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. --- # United Order UNITED ORDER By E. Pingree Tanner I have just completed reading a historical sketch of the Hutterian Communities, and have been wonderfully impressed with how the Lord has sustained them in their community life, even though they have not as yet partaken of the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Springing into existence at the time of the reformation, under the able leadership of Jacob Hutter of Zurich, Switzerland, at the beginning of the 16th century, their history was for the ensuing 250 years one of extreme persecution; but not even the executioner's knife, or the dreadful tortures which were rife at this period of history, was able to deter them from their religious convictions, chief among which was that they should enjoy all their worldly possessions in common. It is true that under the strain of persecution many would yield and return to the Mother (Catholic) church, but during all their expulsions in Switzerland, Austria-Hungary, Germany and Russia, enough remained loyal to the teachings of Jacob Hutter to keep their identity intact, till finally, in 1874, they followed the example of many other worthy patriots, and came to the Land of America, (Zion) , the asylum for the oppressed, and have enjoyed a thrifty growth since. During the past two centuries many well meaning men, fired by a zeal to bring about the true brotherhood of man on the earth, have experimented with community life. The communities have pros- pered for a few years, then died -a natural death. Not so with the community life started by Jacob Hutter; for over 400 years it has been kept intact, and today they have 26 colonies; 12 in Alberta, 9 in Manitoba, and 5 in South Dakota. Surely the Lord has been mindful of them, even though they have not as yet accepted the gospel. He lead most of them to locate among the "Mormon" settlements of South Alberta, when persecution during the great war, on account of their religious belief that they should not take up arms, caused them to leave South Dakota. The future may yet reveal the hand dealing of the Lord in their behalf in guiding their footsteps to Southern Alberta, where 10,000 Latter-day Saints enjoy the blessings of the gospel, and where the only temple in the British Empire is located. One of their brightest young men, (Peter Wiph), attended high school in Magrath to qualify to teach in his colony, but being fired with a desire for more education wanted to attend a university; and on the advice of the principal of the school decided to attend the Brigham Young University, at Provo. and according to a letter the 1190 IMPROVEMENT ERA writer received from Brother Harris, President of the University, he is going to make good. One cannot read of their community life, or observe the true motives that underlie their religious convictions, without being won- derfully impressed with the idea of the "United Order," and also realize how far in advance true community life will be realized at some future date among the Latter-day Saints, when done under the direction and accompanied by the Divine power of the Priesthood. Absurd as it may seem to some, yet, the "United Order," I think, will be. practiced among the Latter-day Saints, under Divine direction, and will be an unqualified success when the Lord again designs to put the Higher Law in operation among his people. The United Order is not new to the people of the world. It caused a cooperation and oneness to exist among the people of Enoch, so that the Lord came and dwelt among them, and the Lord called his people Zion because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness, and there were no poor among them. (Pearl of Great Price, Moses, 7:16-18.) A most wonderful condition of peace and happiness existed among the Nephites on this continent, as found recorded in IV Nephi. Therefore there were no rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free and partakers of the heavenly gift. The Lord has said through modern revelation, that if we are not equal in earthly things we cannot be equal in obtaining heavenly things. He has also spoken in unqualified terms with regard to the status of the idler, whom some believe would benefit by a system of com- munity life. "Thou shalt not be idle, for he that is idle shall not eat the bread, nor wear the garments of the laborer." (Doctrine and Cove- nants 42:42.) Also; the idler shall not have place in the Church except he re- pents and mends his ways. A system of stewardship will be inaugurated with the "United Order," through which each person will be accountable unto the Lord for the property he has received by consecration. Property will not then be known as mine and thine, but our's and the Lord's, and indeed the work of the Lord in the earth will be greatly accelerated under such a system. The varied and graded vocations will still exist, there will be laborers whose Qualifications fit them for physical toil, managers who have proved their ability to manage and direct, teachers, mechanics, authors, sculptors, painters, etc., working in harmony for the advance- ment of all concerned. The tithing system, or lesser law, is and has been wonderfully instrumental in furthering the purposes of the Lord in the earth. Through its agency, temples have been erected to the Lord, hundreds of houses of worship have been built, Church schools have been built, and maintained for the advancement of education in Zion, and UNITED ORDER 1191 in many other ways do we see the beneficent results of the tithing system, but when the "United Order," or higher law, is established in Zion under the direction of the proper authority, it will do for the Saints and Church all that tithing has done, and besides will tend to further eliminate selfishness, and will foster ideals, and virtues, which will culminate in that glorious state of peace and happiness which poets have written about, and great minds in all ages have looked forward to. Surely we are living in a most wonderful period of the world's history. Do we appreciate our privileges and blessings, and are we living the lesser law sufficiently perfect to entitle us to graduation to the higher law when it is ushered in? Magrath, Aha, Canada Evidence I sat beside a mountain stream, And listened to it travel; I watched a spider spin his web And thread on thread unravel; I watched the sun sink o'er the lake With red and golden shimmer; I saw the stars on milky trail That dance or stay or glimmer; I saw a bird go flying south To save him from the cold, And to me came that happy thought, So new and yet so old — "Around us all, encircling all, Is some, safe, guiding power. Oh, trust! there's one who watches all, A friend in every hour!" Salt Lake City GERTIE GIBBS Suffering If all our lives were filled with joy and bliss, And nothing ever came to mar our days, If all the hours were bright and none amiss, If all our deeds brought love and grace and praise The heights, the depths, the sadly trodden ways, We would not know, and hence we could not feel The heartaches of our sick and saddened friends, Nor help them through their days of woe and weal. "TVs suffering that makes us tried and true as steel. Mt. Pleasant, Utah ALBERTA JACOBS.