Mutual Work

CzMutuat Work Introductions to the M. I. A. Slogan 1926-27 "We stand for a testimony of the divine mission of Joseph Smith'' This year's slogan should be presented at our regular weekly meet- ings, and the Standards Committee is suggesting material to be used as introductory settings for the slogan. The introduction and scripture pas- sages for October treated on how to obtain a testimony. The restoration of the gospel is a very important event, and the an- nouncement of that restoration should be considered during November. The committee suggests the following quotations to be read in connection with, the introduction of the slogan in the various organizations for the five weeks of November: The Announcement of the Restoration of the Gospel 1. Doctrine and Covenants 1:17, 18: "Wherefore, I the Lord, know- ing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments; "And also gave commandments to others, that they should proclaim these things unto the world; and all this that it might be fulfilled, which was written by the prophets." 2. Doctrine and Covenants 4:1, 2: "Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men. Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day." 3. II Nephi 3:15, 16: "And his name shall be called after me; and it shall be after the name of his father. And he shall be 'like unto me; for the thing, which the Lord shall bring forth by his hand, by the power of the Lord shall bring my people unto salvation. "Yea, thus proph- esied Joseph: I am sure of this thing, even as I am sure of the promise of Moses; for the Lord hath said unto me, I will preserve thy seed forever." 4. Revelation 14:6: "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people." 5. Doctrine and Covenants 1:1, 2; "Hearken, O ye people of my Church, saith the voice of him who dwells on high, and whose eyes are upon all men; yea, verily I say: Hearken, ye people from afar; and ye that are upon the islands of the sea, listen together. For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to escape; and there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear, neither heart that shall not be penetrated." Eagle Scouts at Granddaddy Lakes The first "Eagles' Flight" to be conducted as a S'ate afL.ir com- menced on August 16, 1926, when Eagle Scouts from various parts of Utah assembled at Stewart's ranch on the upper Provo river, on their way to the Granddaddy lakes country. Logan, Ogden Gateway, Salt Lake and Timpanogos councils were represented. The road led up Wolf Creek canyon toward the divide; thence, down to the North Fork of the Duchesne river and up a one-way road to Savage's ranch, where they camped fci

80 IMPROVEMENT ERA the night. After the routine camp duties were attended to, the scouts held their council fire, and inside the ring of light were eighteen faces, lighted also with joy. Songs and stories formed the evening's program, each council doing its part. Before sunrise the following morning, these eighteen husky Eagle Scouts wended their way up through the aspens, along the stream, through the evergreens, up the trail to the divide. Though they had hiked six miles uphill, there was so much to see that the distance seemed IN NATURE'S SOLITUDES really short; and just before noon they looked down on the basin heavy with timber and spotted with hundreds of lakes. Luncheon was eaten at Grandaddy lake, the largest in the basin; and then the pack train took the lead toward Pine Island lake, which was their destination, and which they reached late that afternoon. After making camp, they tried their skill and luck at fishing, two of the scouts making use of a raft they found

MUTUAL WORK 8 1 there, and some swelled with pride at their bringing in a few fine trout. After supper, preparations were made for another campfire. The following days were filled with continuous excitement and activity — fishing, swimming, exploring, photographing, rafting, playing ball and horseshoes, with hikes to Four Lakes Basin and Wall Lake, and ending each evening with a camp- fire program long to be remembered. Religious services were held on Sun- day, August 22, and the regular scout rites observed. Early Monday morn- ing found them ready to commence their return trip. They stopped again at Savage's ranch, where their equipment was packed on the three cars:, and they were soon speeding rapidly down the canyon road to Stewart's ranch, and then on toward home. — D. Alton Partridge, Eagle Scout Scribe, Provo. What To Do In November Give attention to class leaders. Proper class leadership means a suc- cessful year for M. I. A. Efficiency reports should be in the hands of the General Secretary by November 10. Check on slogan and reading course. By this time the reading course should be at its height. See Slogan introductions in this number. Music- — This is music month in our recreation program. Choose from the following events. 1. Concert. 2. An evening with composers. 3. Musical trip around the world. 4. Opera. 5. Music Drama. It will be recalled that it was stated at our superintendents' luncheon, held at the June conference, that the campaign for the Improvement Era was to be put over during two weeks in October. All the superintendents agreed that it could be done. A canvass was to be made in each ward of every family, which would then entitle the ward to ten in the Efficiency Repor:. The stake which had all its wards do the s me wi 1 also mark ten. Where a complete canvass has not taken place, a final effort should be made to have it done now. A very important item is to see that manuals for all the classes are1 provided; and here let us emphasize the need of having manuals in the Scout class as well as in the Advanced Junior class, and of course in the Senior and Advanced Senior classes. Every class member should be encouraged to read and study them. This year we have an unusually excellent array of manuals, five in number, for the study of the classes of the M. I. A. They are not only valuable for the members of the classes, but for all members of the Church, and are of a religious character throughout, and at the same time written in such a way that they interest everybody who may read. Missionary Work At the Y. M. M. I. A. meeting of the general conference, held Sunday morning at 8 o'clock, October 3, 1926, the general theme was missionary work, and the training of young men in spiritual affairs. Four superintendents, chosen from various stakes of the Church, were first heard. They were, Don Carlos Wood, of the Salt Lake stake; W. L. Van Orden, Benson stake; Clifford E. Young, Alpine stake; and Elias L. Day, Grant stake. They spoke on "The Stake Superintendent, His Obliga- tions and Plans for the Year's Work." Each gave a most inspiring talk, outlining the course of procedure in his stake for the year to come on management, the fund, Era, recreation, class studies, and social events. Their remarks were an inspiration to the whole audience of superintendents and representatives, including stake presidents and bishops from the various stakes and wards of Zion. Speeches followed by Superintendents George Albert Smith, Richard R. Lyman and Melvin J. Ballard; also by Elder Rey L. Pratt, of the First

82 IMPROVEMENT ERA Council of Seventy, who recently returned from the South American mission. Elder Ballard referred especially to the three great responsibilities resting upon the Church; namely, preaching the gospel to all the nations of the earth; caring for and training young and old of the Church, who have' already accepted the gospel, and thus establishing and building the Church here at home; and, third, opening the doors of salvation to the dead. He dwelt especially upon missionary work, the preaching of the gospel, at home and abroad, and the responsibility resting upon the leaders of the Church and its organizations in warning the youth of the world of the restoration of the gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith. He asked all the officers to read the 133rd section of the Doctrine and Covenants, requiring us to preach the gospel to the inhabitants of the earth, that Zion and Jerusalem might be established, from which centers the voice of the Lord should issue. He specifically pointed out the responsibility of the Mutual Improvement As- sociation leaders of their duty to warn their membership of these things and of the calamities to come to the disobedient, and to be instructed from on high that they might walk in the true light, and avoid being delivered over .to darkness. He remarked that the doctrines of the Church are ever sound and can not be attacked, and that it is the duty of the leaders of the Church and of our organization to give information concerning these doc- trines, so that !the young men may be well informed on the gospel, and in addition be clean in their hearts and live with individual testimonies of the truth. The Y. M. M. I. A. program is a rescue program. Let us make this clear to all and be alert with warning voice. Elder Richard R. Lyman complimented the workers and urged continued progression in the work. Elder Rey L. Pratt emphasized the duty and value of leadership, saying that nothing is more needed in the Church today. We must recognize that young people are being influenced on every side by that which tends to destroy their faith in God. This should be counteracted by the very best efforts of our leadership and teaching. Superintendent George Albert Smith spoke of the compliments that eminent men have given the M. I. A. leadership, especially in the field of recreation. He urged the workers not to take too much credit to themselves. He called attention to the rich field there is among the young men and women of the Church for delightful work by those who take an interest in it, and urged that the message of the gospel be carried to the hearts of the boys and girls at home as well as to those out in the world. The contest music for this year, "Prayer Perfect," was sung by a quartette of M Men, under direction of Mrs. Mary Salt of Liberty stake. Superintendent I. E. Riddle, of Parowan, pronounced the benediction. M Men Notice To encourage the reading of the Book of Mormon, the Improvement Era offers a two years' subscription for the best written statement and ap- plication of the story connected with the "Waters of Sebus." The s:ory should give the setting, or environment, and draw a lesson from it all, applic- able to present-day conditions. The story should not be more than five hundred words in length. Writings must be in the hands of the editors of the Era by the 20th of December. One year's subscription to the Era will be given also to each of the writers of the second and third best s'ories. Each paper submitted must give the name and address of the author, and the ward M Men class of which he is a member.

MUTUAL WORK S3 'The Picture with a Story" The judges chosen to select the winners from the twenty-eight poems received in this contest, have decided the merits of the poems as follows: First — "Fond Recollections," by Josephine Mower, Springville, Utah. Second — "Desire," by Mabel Jarvis, St. George, Utah. Third — "The Pioneer Heart," by Christen Hansen, Mink Creek, Idaho. Fourth — "As a Day Comes and Goes," by Owen Woodruff Bunker, 358 East First South, Salt Lake City. Utah. The names and addresses have been- sent to the author of "The Picture With a Story," and the prizes have been forwarded to the winners. The poems will be published in a future number of the Improvement Era. New Y. M. M. I. A. Superintendents The following superintendents have been appointed: Nevada — The new stake has chosen John E. Horton as superintendent. His address is McGill, Nevada. Pioneer — Edward H. Sorenson, 929 California Avenue, Salt Lake City, Utah. Canadian Mission — President Joseph Quinney, Jr., 36 Ferndale Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Northwestern States Mission — Orville H. Stanfield, 264 East 25th Street, Portland, Oregon. Gunnison — Charles E. Embley, Centerfield, Utah, vice Christian A. Peterson, ordained bishop of the ward. Picking Beans We are informed by Victor Lindblad, Scout Executive, Cache Valley Council Boy Scouts of America, that picking beans affords an excellent op- portunity for boys to earn money for their Winter schooling. The picture shows scouts out picking beans in the bean patches of Cache valley. The boys are organized into small groups, under leadership, and receive two cents a pound for the picking. The scouts are from various troops of the Council.

84 IMPROVEMENT ERA Current Events A Study for the M. I. A. Advanced Senior Classes 1926-1927 (Prepared by the Advanced Senior Committee) LESSONS FOR NOVEMBER, 1926 1 — POLITICS AND INDUSTRY 1. The League. Reference: Time, September 20 „ 1926. The Seventh Assembly of the League of Nations convened at Geneva last week, and voted Germany within the League, and at the same time it proposed that the coun- cil be enlarged by three semi-permanent seats. After some protests to the semi-permanent seats, forty-eight affirmative votes were cast and President Nintchitch of Jugoslavia announced that Germany had been unanimously elected to membership in the League of Nations and to a permanent seat on the League Council. As soon as Berlin got the news, forthwith the Ger- man delegation, headed by Foreign Minister Stresemann and Count von Bernstorff, left for Geneva. (See October Era, p. 1213.) After the German delegation had been greeted by President Nintchitch, Herr Stresemann made the following speech: "Today Germany enters into the circle of states, to some of which she has been attached by untroubled ties of friendship; whereas, others were allied against her during the Great War. It surely is an event of historical importance that Germany and thece latter states are now brought together within the League of Nations for permanent and pacific cooperation. "The Divine Architect of the World has not created mankind as a homogeneous whole. He has made nations of the different racec. "But it cannot be the purpose of a divine-world order that men should direct their supreme national energies against one another, thus ever thrusting back the general progress of civilization." When Herr Stresemann had finished, Aristide Briand, Foreign Minister of France, ascended the Tribune: "Away," he said, "with rifles, machine guns, and cannon! Make way for peace! "Gentlemen, today means peace. Germany and France are here to cay, 'C'.esf finil' (It is finished!) "The fact that you Germans and we French are now here together in this Assembly, speaking the same words of optimism, does not mean, that all of our differences have been removed. * * * But now we shall confront them in a new spirit which guarantees us against another conflict. * * * "If, as Dr. Stresemann says, there is a divine plan in which war has no place, he must admit that in the past this sometimes has been lost sight of. Let us hope that the divine plan will now be carried out. "Arbitrage — that word has now all its prestige and all its force. Treaties of arbitration follow one another. One people after another promises not to fight any more. "That is the spirit which the League of Nations is spreading and that is why peoples should aid and protect the League. "With the League, peace. Without the League, risks of bloody war." Questions: Where and by whom was the League of Nations conceived? What is its purpose? How many countries have joined it? Where and how often does it meet? What is the spirit of the League that Briand mentions? Discuss the League pro and con. Look up other magazines. 2. Barriers between France and Germany Continue to Exist Regardless of Germany's Entering the League. — Reference: See article Salt Lake Tribune, September 26, 1926, by Frank H. Simonds. "How has Germany's entrance affected the League?" That is a ques- tion on many lips. Some think that as a result of it the crisis! of the

MUTUAL WORK 85 League has ibeen reached and that it is destined to enter a period of real! decline. That it is not as democratic as reported — that is, a democratic institution made up of great and small powers each of which were in- dependent; but rather an institution where the great powers exercise a con- trolling influence over the small ones, the result being that the small powers are disappointed. Germany doubtless entered the League to obtain the evacuation of the Sarre and Rhineland, to seek the return of the Danzig corridor, together with Upper Silesia. In other words, to serve her own ends. She believes she can fight better for her interests in the League than out. France, on the other hand, has assented to Germany's admission because she believes that Germany, under the influence of the League, in which France is strong and has many friends, can best be opposed. That is, she can, lose less with Germany in, than without. Each one is for number one first. Questions: If the above is true, are the words of conciliation between Minister Stresemann of Germany and Minister Briand of France at the last Assembly of the League sincere? Has each country an ulterior pur- pose in entering the League, or a sincere desire for permanent peace and good will between nations, or both? Discuss by consulting other references. 3. German and French Industrial Combine — References: Salt Lake Tribune, September 26, 1926; article by Wm. Bird. "From now on it looks as if the two great continental powers must be dealt with as one. The iron of Lorraine and the coal of the Sarre — perhaps eventually of Upper Silesia as well — are united, and together they constitute a machine shop second to the United States alone." Questions: When this economic cooperation of France and Germany is completed and becomes a working reality, how is it going to affect continental Europe? How England? How America? Why has France forsaken her allies on the south and east, as well as on the wect? Will she benefit more by the new combine? If so, how? II.— ART AND LITERATURE Olga Samoroff, able Russian pianist, lately returned from Europe, and, writing for the New York Evening Post in an article for that paper, declares that Europe, the great center of musical culture, has lost her musical prestige. She says it is sad to see this condition and laments it very much. "On the human side," she says, "poverty is the rule, and actual misery only too frequent among musicians, while on the artistic side, the activities of concert halls and operas, filled as they are with memories of past glories, force upon the observer the conclusion that art is hopelessly dependent upon economic prosperity. "A large percentage of composers, performers, and teachers who make our musical life what it is today, are Europeans, and the fundamentals of the whole art as we know it today, are European. But America is without doubt the centre and seat of achievement in musical performance. "The standards in Europe have lowered because bf the (inferior music there produced, and the audiences have already deteriorated in quality. The cultured class have not the money for concerts and operas, and the others cannot discriminate between the good and the mediocre music." Has America really become the music centre? If so, will Europe leave her in undisputed possession of this coveted title? What would be the cause of such a change? — See Time. September 13, 192 6. It is interesting to note in an article by Clifford Smith in the Inter- national Book Review of the Literary Digest, that through a questionaire sent out by Mr. Clarence E. Cason, it is affirmed that Charles Dickens is still one of the most widely read authors in the United States. A leading bookseller reports that he sells more sets of Charles Dickens than anv

86 IMPROVEMENT ERA other author, a statement more or less in agreement with testimony from others who are in a position to know who's who in the book world. The opposite is true of his contemporaries. Dickens is as much read as he ever was. if not more: but there is less interest as time goes on in Thackeray, Scott and George Eliot. Records of booksellers and agents would indicate that the circulation of the novels of Dickens is about fifty per cent above that of the average standard fiction. "Dickens has just been proved a twentieth century best seller, while the average Victorian novel carries a foreign, unappetizing flavor to twentieth century palates. "How can we explain the extraordinary vitality of his work? Not in his pathoj, nor in his style. We cannot explain the inexplicable. The secret of Dickens is the secret of all genius. He created a world of his own and filled it with the creatures of his imagination. A vivid world, a world unforgetable, as intensely human, for all its grote^queries and exaggerations, as the world we live in. A world of Micawber, Captain Cuttle, Squeers, Picksniff, Pickwick, Sam Weller and Uriah Heep. Worlds of that sort do not pass with the passing century." Have you read Dickens? What do you consider his charm? What is his greatest literary merit? What reforms were the result of his writings? What makes Dickens and his contemporaries live in the memories of the people? Let Dickens speak for himself. Ill— SCIENCE AND INVENTION We all have what is called a human aura; it is sometimes called the etheric double, or etheric body. Attempts to photograph the aura have not been successful. An illuminating article on this phenomenon appears in Science and Invention magazine of July, 1926, p 203. What is the Aura? Is it seemingly related to our emotions? Has our health anything- to do with the etheric self? A machine is being used to determine whether a person is telling the truth or not. Science and Invention magazine, July, 1926, page 224. Discuss the probable effects of measuring morals by machinery. What is your judgment of the $21,000 challenge made by the magazine, Science and Invention, October number, 1926, page 503? What is the relative value of freshly cooked foods and warmed-over foods? Are vitamines in food destroyed by long cooking? (See Literary Digest, Sept. 25, 1926, p. 220.) May eggs be infected by what the hen eats? Will intoxicants cau;e less drunkenness because they are made at home? Which is more dangerous, the home- brewed beer and the home-made wine or the commercially prepared beer and wine? Does nature care any more for human beings than she does for the lower animals? ("The Danger of Home Brew," Literary Digest, September 25, 1926, p. 24.) Is it a good thing to discuss one's misfortunes? Can joy of work or love be "commanded any more than appetite can? What would Dr. Redtenbacker substitute for force in education, family life and civilization? (See "The Failure of Force in Education," Literary Digest, September 11, 1926, page 20.) Herbert Hoover has recently said that the entire banking fraternity does not perform the service" to mankind in a year that Faraday, long since dead, performs every day. Who was Faraday? Who is Herbert Hoover? Who organized the National Academy of Science? Who are the members of this academy? How is it supported? Why is it perhaps the best invest- ment of our government from a money-making point of view? (See article, "The Money Value of a Scientist" by French Strother, in the Reader's Digest for October, 1926, p. 331, or The World's Work, September, 1926.) "Modern discovery makes the miraculous mote credible than less so. As far as communication from unbridgcd space is concerned this offers no difficulty to the age of wireless. As radio was unknown until recently, other means of communication from mind to mind, not yet understood, may in the future be discovered. (Fron» Scientific Monthly, September, 1926, p. 196.)