--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Widtsoe, John A. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 30 number: 1 published: 1926-11 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Widtsoe, John A., “The Living Prophet,” *Improvement Era* 30, no. 1 (November 1926): 3–8." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3001unse 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: improvementera3001unse start_page: 3 end_page: 8 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1926-11) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3001unse 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 Living Prophet Improvement Era Vol. XXX NOVEMBER, 1926 No. 1 THE LIVING PROPHET By Elder John A. Widtsoe, of the Council of the Twelve The seventieth anniversary of the birth of President Heber J. Grant will occur on November 22, 1926. This notable milestone in life's journey furnishes the people of the Church with another occasion on which to voice their loving appreciation of their great and good leader. The men who have led modern Israel, as general, stake and ward officers, are a mighty evidence of the divine origin and progress of the Church. They have been uniformly men of high intelligence, of single purpose and of spiritual understanding. Were it not so, the remark- able achievements of the Church, temporal, intellectual and spiritual, could not have been accomplished. The presidents of the Church, now seven in number, form an unparalleled succession of unquestioned leaders. Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Wood- ruff, Lorenzo Snow, Joseph F. Smith and Heber J. Grant — each of tremendous stature by every test of greatness, and growing greater with the years. Something more than human wisdom has secured the con- tinuation of such outstanding leadership, from the Prophet Joseph Smith down to the present day. The office itself lifts men into new powers of mind and spirit. Probably no other organization in the long history of the world can show a corresponding unbroken line of pow- erful leaders over seven changes and a period of nearly one hundred years. President Heber J. Grant stands shoulder to shoulder with his predecessors in this noble line. From his very youth he has been a dis- tinguished figure in the affairs of his community. His striking person- ality impels the passing stranger to ask about him. When he speaks, whether in ' private conversation or from the pulpit, he commands attention. His activities have been of large and beneficial interest and Entered at the Post Office, Salt Lake City, Utah, as second class matter. Acceptance foe mailing at special rate of postage provided for in Section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized on July 2, 1918, $2 per annum. Address Room 40 6, Church Office Building, Salt Lake City, Utah. 4 IMPROVEMENT ERA importance to his fellowmcn. Under his administration the Church has maintained a vitality never before exceeded. Withal, he has remained an approachable, friendly and companionable man. His life is marked by simplicity. In retrospect, his three score years and ten, lived in the full light of public life, are without blemish, full of human service and devotion to God. Men who attain true greatness adhere carefully to fundamental, guiding principles. This is notably true in the life of President Grant. Faith ,in God and in his Son, Jesus Christ, and in the restored gospel, has guided him from boyhood. It is quite impossible to understand his notable career unless the guiding power of this faith is taken into account. He has measured all his plans by the gospel standard; if they failed there, they passed beyond his consideration. He has always de- clared his unwavering trust that, by the application of the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ, all the honorable hopes of man may be realized, and that only by conversion to the gospel, by word and deed, can full happiness and lasting peace be won for humanity. Likewise, he has borne witness constantly that he knows that Joseph Smith was divinely ordained to restore in this day the gospel of Jesus Christ, to ex- plain many of its principles and to organize the Church anew. Such beliefs, if used in daily affairs, become guides that of necessity lead men into lives of rich value. Coupled with such fundamental faith are many inborn gifts that have characterized the life of President Grant. A blunt veteran, who has known President Grant since his boyhood, sent him a message the other day, "Tell President Grant I love him," and then he added, "You know, Heber was always a kicker, but never a knocker." That was high tribute: A kicker, but never a knocker! If this subtle dis- tinction were understood and practiced throughout the world, many of our difficulties would vanish overnight. And that is a good description of President Grant in action. A kicker against the false, the shabby, the crooked, the unsound, against evil and sin; a kicker for good, for better things, for new light, for more truth; but never a knocker of institutions, however weak, reared in good faith, or of men who build in honor though they build unwisely. That is, he is a constructive critic; not a destructive one. Some men pull down the house to get at the rats; he saves the house, but destroys the rats. The sturdy loyalty to his brethren, his Church and his God, that resides in the soul of President Grant is well illustrated in this homely comparison of kicker and knocker. The early training of President Grant was of a nature to qualify him for leadership. His father, Jedediah M. Grant, first mayor of Salt Lake City, counselor in the First Presidency, impassioned preacher of righteousness, died when Heber J. Grant was nine days old. The mother, left alone, and without means of support, but of unshakable faith and independent character, made a living for herself and her son by humble tasks; such as, sewing, and taking in boarders. The lad THE LIVING PROPHET 5 received stern training, to which his ambition and fiery spirit responded. The mother toiled for him; she stood pretty much alone; — well, he would rectify all that; he would do things; his mother should be relieved of toil; the fortunes of his father's house should be restored; he would yet compel success to wait upon him! Thus, ambition was nurtured, and determination to succeed became fixed within him. He reached out early for a place in the affairs of men, and won material success at an age when most youths are yet in the play-day of life. The guiding principles of his life stood him in stead from the begin- ning of his career. During these youthful days, when his unusual abilities and sterling character began to impress those who employed him, he showed the quality of persistence, which has> marked his whole career. Boys played marbles then as now; he determined to excel in the game; he soon led his playmates in skillful playing. Baseball held his youthful atten- tion; he resolved to be worthy of playing with the winning team, and in time he helped win what we could now call the state championship. He decided to become an expert penman, and in time took the diploma for excellence in penmanship at the State Fair. Each of these and other achievements was preceded by long, persistent practice, which helped form his vigorous character. Ambition and perseverance remove life's obstacles. However, when first place had been secured, these minor activities! were largely laid aside. It was the discipline of self-control and of doing one's very best that the young man sought. President Grant has ever been mindful of relative values, and he has not allowed himself to become submerged permanently in the minor issues of life. Naturally, a young man of such faith, fidelity, ambition and perseverance, attracts attention. When just under twenty-four years of age, he was called to be the president of the Tooele stake of Zion. To this calling he gave his utmost endeavors. His time, strength and means were spent in behalf of the people who had been placed under his care. Then, about two years later, he was called into the Council of Twelve Apostles. As he had been one of the youngest stake presi- dents, so he was one of the youngest men called to the apostleship. When these calls came, the powers of President Grant were maturing. He stood on the threshold of what promised to be the most successful financial career in the State. That which the world holds of highest value lay, as it were, within his grasp. The call of the Church implied probable sacrifice of worldly success; yet his choice was never in doubt. Was not the Master's work of first importance? So, this man, who now leads the Church, laid down the common ambition of men; took upon himself the burden of human lives; and, instead of accumulating dollars, set out to spend his life in saving souls for the cause of God. He did not view his decision as a sacrifice. He recog- nized that service to God is man's greatest opportunity. Humbly, he wondered if he were worthy of so great a calling. He was bowed 6 IMPROVEMENT ERA down with the feeling of his own weakness in standing before God and men as a special witness of the Lord, Jesus Christ, until a com- forting assurance came to him one day in the wilderness. Is not this a lesson to us all? Do we give freely of ourselves to God's latter-day cause? Do we understand the relative value of the opportunities of life? Into the work of the ministry he entered with full zest. His indefatigable labors among the stakes of -Zion are known to young and old. He preached .righteousness with a direct courage and frank- ness never surpassed. His financial affairs tumbled to the ground at times; but the spiritual leader, Heber J. Grant, never wavered from the course of his duty. When large public questions arose, answer- able by the laws of the gospel, he did not hesitate to take sides. And when he fights, he fights to the finish. As a believer in the Word of Wisdom, he fought for prohibition until it was won; first in the state, and later in the nation. No one man did more to win prohi- bition for Utah than did President Grant. Here, again, his life is a lesson to all. Safety lies in directing all our actions by the gospel rule. He was called to open the Japanese mission; and was successful in laying foundations upon which much useful work was done, and more will be done. He served as president of the European mission, and ad- ministered well the affairs of the Church in Europe, and won the abiding love and confidence of the elders who labored with him. As a general officer of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associa- tion, he spared no effort to advance the welfare of the membership of the Association. He has an energizing touch. People follow his leadership. Intelligence, courage and devotion have carried his labors to success. In the midst of the consuming, spiritual duties of his office, he has always kept close to the temporal affairs of the people. His business genius and experience have been used more for the benefit of the people than for himself. The value of this training has often been evident, as in the panic of 1893, but especially in the hard years ,after the war, when several important industrial enterprises were about to fail, to the great distress of the people scattered far and wide over the Church. Then the financial courage and acumen of President Grant saved these institutions from failure. The Church as a whole has prospered materially under his wise understanding of the" intricacies of business. Every man who can be accounted great, particularly in the spiritual domain, .responds quickly and deeply to the world of creative, artistic, and aesthetic impulses. This is notably true of President Grant. Astigmatic eyes made reading painful in his early days; yet he has read and reads much more than the average man, and his love of books is an exquisite commentary on his character. True to his generous nature, the very essence of his life, he likes to pass on to others that which he finds good. Consequently, he has become the greatest giver of good books ever known in the Church. The responsibilities of his THE LIVING PROPHET 7 youth made it impossible for him to secure an extended school educa- tion; but his support has ever been given to schools and other means by which knowledge of truth may become easily available to all. The Latter-day Saints University and the University of Utah both have received substantial gifts from him for the assistance of worthy students who find themselves without sufficient funds to continue their work. And, these endowments were made in the day of his own financial dis- tress! Under his administration the funds of the Church have been used most liberally to foster education. Works of painting and sculpture have ever appealed to him. The artists of the Church and State have had in him a strong and active friend, and they testify to the help he has given them in money and encouragement. At one time President Grant controlled one of the daily newspapers of Salt Lake City, and has always given support to popular education through the public press. He loves Nature in her many moods, and has helped make the beauty spots of the West more available to the people. His soul responds to beauty. But, his greatest love has always been humanity. The children of his heavenly Father have been his life's concern. They do him wrong who class him primarily as one interested in temporal affairs. Since his early call into the ministry, his every act has been influenced by his spiritual mission. This love has manifested itself, not merely in a general concern for all mankind, but in a care for individuals. The poor and the needy have always received of his bounty. The. quick response of his heart to those in distress is a commonplace among his associates. Money has been given, as also the personal help that the strong may give the weak. President Grant is generous to a fault, charitable to the full limit of his power, and naturally, therefore, true to his friends and loving to his family. He stands in his high office with love in his soul for all people, urging upon all men to cast out selfish desire. At the conference just closed, the spirit of his address was not merely that we as a people might be prospered, but that we as a people might give of our strength to bring the good tidings of the gospel to all the world. This is not a biographical sketch; nor does space permit a com- prehensive study of the man who, under the direction of the Almighty, now leads the Church. Some years ago his colleagues among the general authorities were asked to write tributes to his character. They said that he was full of faith in God, full of love for his fellowmen, sympathetic, generous and charitable, direct, frank and truthful, courageous, sagacious and persevering, punctual, practical and energetic, a splendid organizer, and, above all, a real man. That is the best description, a real man; for it is neither flattery nor fulsome praise to say that, in the providences of the Lord, a man of vision and breadth, a rounded man, with such varied interests and ex- periences that he can sense the needs of our complex world, stands at the head of the Church. He is not a faultless man. In fact, the people 8 IMPROVEMENT ERA rejoice that with his virtues he is human, so that he may recognize human needs. But, the test of manhood is whether the virtues over- shadow the faults; and in the case of this man the virtues are many and large, and the faults few and small. Heber J. Grant stands as president, prophet, seer and revelator of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To the people of the Church he is the mouthpiece of God. He bears aloft the easign of truth before the Church and all nations. His testimony of the divinity of Jesus Christ and of the restored gospel pierces the soul with its thrill- ing earnestness. Under his leadership the Church is moving onward rapidly. Faith abounds among the people. The teachings that come from the mouth of the Prophet are being followed with benefit to the members of the Church. The evidence of inspiration accompanies his official acts. The people of the Church understand that the Lord ac- complishes his purposes through earthly instruments — men and women — often weak and imperfect; but that if leaders and people support one another, and render obedience to the revealed law, all that may be said or done will be overruled for the good of the great latter-day cause. It is a joy to know that those who are called to lead Israel meet human and divine standards. Those who are closely associated with Presi- \ dent Grant know, and do so testify, that, when in the exercise of his calling, he towers in judgment and power far above the greatest of his colleagues. This is a marvelous testimony to the presence of the power of God that has directed this people from the beginning. The Church is grateful for the life, example and presence of President Grant. He has given his life and strength, his all, to the cause of the Church. His reward on earth is the love and prayers of a mighty people. May his life be lengthened out, and his labors continue to be joyful! Thanksgiving Thank God for the wind-swept commons. And the gold of the Autumn sun, For the frost that opens the chestnuts, And the joy of a task well done. Thank God for the fluttering snow flakes Which blanket the freezing earth, For the little, white-breasted snow birds That welcome Winter's birth. Thank God for abundant harvest. The sunset of garnering's day, The fireglow that cheers the evening, And turns dull care away. Thank God for friendships proving, For the smile of a little child, For the love that endures through Autumn And Winter's snow — high piled. ock Island, Illinois. A. HENDERSON.