--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Jensen, J. W. 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: "Jensen, J. W., “Reinhard Maeser,” *Improvement Era* 30, no. 1 (November 1926): 24–25." 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: 24 end_page: 25 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. --- # Reinhard Maeser REINHARD MAESER By J. W. Jensen On the morning of Friday, September 17, 1926, Reinhard Maeser. an English teacher at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, called the roll of his first class, and fell to the floor dead. Heart failure was the cause. Never was there a better exemplification of a man's "dying in the harness." It was an ideal ending for a most active and useful life. Reinhard Maeser was seventy-one years of age, having been born in Dresden, Germany, March 19, 1855. His parents were the great educator, the first principal of Brigham Young Academy, Karl Gottfried Maeser, and Anna Meith Maeser. He emigrated to Utah with his par- ents when but a child, and endured many of the privations incident to early Utah life. Th0 greater part of his life was spent as a teacher in the public schools of Provo, the Murdock Academy of Beaver, and Brigham Young University, but he had numerous other interests and held many responsible positions, both civil and ecclesiastic. He was always an active church worker, and filled two missions, one to his native land in 1874-76, and one to Chicago in 1926. In both of these missions he won the love of the Saints with whom he labored. Just before entering his class room for the last time he listened to the kindly greetings sent him through a fellow-worker from the Saints in Chicago. A devout member of the Church, he was always kindly disposed to those about him, enjoyed joking with his friends, and took an active interest in youthful sports and pastimes. He did some temple work after returning from Chicago. While on a temple excursion he was called to speak, and gave expression to the sentiment, "Let us so live that those for whom we are working may be proud of us as their representatives." That reflected the spirit of Reinhard Maeser. So also is reflected that same spirit in a letter to his son on his fortieth birth- day, perhaps the last letter he ever wrote: To Karl: My Dear Boy: — By the time this reaches you, you will have attained to a wonderful period of life — your fortieth year. Just think of it, a son 40 years old! What shall I say to him? Should I not have said already to him all that a father should say? Would anything I now should say have effect upon his life, as if I had said it many years ago? Anyway, I should rather myself live such a life as will say to my children, "Come, follow me," than merely to say a few words that have no meaning in my own life. "When I say to you, Seek the Lord for wisdom, let his holy Spirit be your guiding force in life, I say it because I try to do that very thing myself. When I say to you, be diligent in prayer, I do so because I try to be so myself. If I tell you to be faithful in the observance of the Word of Wisdom, it is because I know what I am talking about. Be honest with the Lord respect- ing your tithes and offerings, for again I know what I am talking about. Be diligent in your associations with the brethren and sisters in their meetings, REINHARD MAESER 2 5 where you can learn of the principles of the gospel, and partake of the sweet influences of the Spirit of God. Train up thos.e children of yours in the fear and admonition of the Lord; teach them the doctrines of the Kingdom, that they may be worthy of eternal life in the kingdom of God. So live, in short, that your children may rise up in years to come and bless your memory for the good things you have given them, and the way of the Lord you have taught them. Be kind, but also be firm for the right. It has taken years of precious times to build up a name that my father, your worthy grandfather, would be proud of — a name that can always be referred to with pride.; it needs only a moment to destroy that for which we have labored these many years. I am happy to know that my children are upholding that worthy name. It has been my aim these many years to do those things that my earthly and my heavenly Father might be well pleased with. I can ask the same of you, which, if you will do, you shall be blessed as no other thing shall bless you. My vacation has now closed and I am ready for work. I have some things to do before school begins, and yesterday President Eggertson told me I should be thinking about getting ready outlines for teacher's work in the stake. Last year I prepared, for all the stake, outlines for ward teaching. Now the year has rolled round and the work of ward teaching is to be renewed and more outlines are required and I am to prepare them, twelve in all, one for each month. Besides this I have a large responsibility in the high priests quorum, in which I am first counselor. The quorum is looking to me for suggestions for the year's work. This is a stake quorum, and therefore re- quires some careful consideration. But then, I should worry. I'd rather wear out than to rust out, and if I can make myself useful, I shall be happy. To serve is, after all, the highest ambition one should have. Karl, I certainly am happy in my labors here in this stake and in our ward. I have the glorious privilege of associating with the best men in the very best way — in councils, in prayer circles, in social ways, in short, in every way that is uplifting and enjoyable; surely the Lord has been kind to me in giving me these great opportunities. I haven't said a word yet about my great pleasure at being one of the members of the faculty of the B. Y. U., a joy that is beyond expression. Oh, the many happy moments I spend in that association. And now, my dear boy, let me tell you the greatest joy of all my life, — it is the fact that my boys and girls are all faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Oh, may they ever prove true to this holy trust, that not one may be found unworthy of a place in the celestial kingdom of our God. I know your mother joins me in this hope and prayer. God bless you, my dear boy, and may you see many happy years yet to come in your life. Make your life a useful one and you shall be blessed, to which end I pray the Lord to bless you in all your righteous undertakings, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. — Your affectionate father, R. Maeser. Provo, Utah. A Thought No other man living in the nineteenth or, so /ar, in the twentieth century ever claimed to have so sure and comprehensive a testimony of the divinity of Jesus Christ as Joseph Smith. No man living who has a testimony approximating Joseph Smith's could or would deny that he was divinely inspired. — Junius F. Wells.