--- 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: 30 number: 10 published: 1927-08 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, “Editor’s Table,” *Improvement Era* 30, no. 10 (August 1927): 924–925." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera30010unse 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: improvementera30010unse start_page: 924 end_page: 925 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1927-08) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera30010unse publication_year: 1927 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 1927, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Editor’s Table Editors' ^Tahle Reflections At the Wafers of Mormon — There is not a truer or a more sublime conception of religion than expressed by Alma, the elder, in the Book of Mormon, upon the organization of the first "Mormon" Church in America. Alma told the people that if they were desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, they were to express a willingness^ First, to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light; Second, to be willing to mourn with those who mourn; Third, to comfort those who stand in need of comfort; Fourth, to stand as witnesses of God at all times, and in all things, and in all places, even until death. If thiswere the desire of their hearts, they could then be baptized in the name of the Lord as a witness before him that they had entered into a covenant with him to serve him and keep his commandments. These four fundamentals of the Church founded by Alma by the fountain of water in the place called Mormon, about 147 B. C, are in harmony with the truth and sublimity of our Savior's advice: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Also the admonition of James, the brother of Jesus: "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself un- spotted from the world." And the statement of Paul, in his immortal praise of love: "Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth. * * * And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." When Words are Sacred — Speaking over KSL, Elder L. John Nuttall, Jr., of the Brigham Young University, insisted that there should be reason back of faith and prayer, and insisted that words had no sacredness when their significance is not felt. As an illustration, he repeated a current story of the little brother who came home from church and reported that the text was, "You should worry; here EDITORS' TABLE 92 5 comes the quilt." His sister, ashamed, corrected him by saying the text was, "Fear not; the Comforter cometh." That recalls the story of the little Sunday school boy who came home and asked his mother, "What is sidoo?" The mother said, "Sidoo? I don't know what you mean." "Well," he said, "we were singing in the Sunday school, 'Who is on the Lord's sidoo?" Singing the words, "Who is on the Lord's side, who?" did not carry meaning to the childish soul. It is important, therefore, that teachers and singers and all others should know that words have sacredness only when their significance is felt. Idlers, and that means men holding the Priesthood who are not doing their duty, shall be had in remembrance before the Lord. The Lord is not well pleased with them, for, naturally, if they are neglecting their duty, not seeking earnestly the richest of eternity, but having their eyes full of greediness, their children will follow their example, and grow up in neglect and wickedness, which condition ought not to exist, and should be done away from among the Saints. If it is not so, the sin will be upon the heads of the parents, or those who bear the Priesthood. Responsibility — Any man or woman who breaks the law, in the first place, by drinking booze, and who insists on driving a car while crazed, and kills and seriously injures people, should be punished severely and amply by long imprisonment and heavy fines, and by curtailment of all rights of the road for years to come. No jury should be expected to whitewash the outlaws, because of wealth or social standing, by reporting in their findings: No felonious intent. Providence. The good ship Montcalm left Montreal, Canada, July 3, 1927, with many'passengers aboard, bound for Europe. Two days out, at 2 o'clock p. m., as the vessel was making its slow way through a deep fog which had enveloped it for hours, an iceberg sud- denly loomed in view. A collision was unavoidable. With the im- pact, the ship rested on the iceberg, leaning dangerously to one side. There was great consternation among the passengers as the captain ordered the use of the belts, and the crew to lower the life boats. But, as if by miracle, the ship suddenly slid off the ice, righted itself, and slowly continued its regular course, with no further damage, it was later learned, than a broken propeller. There were seventeen Latter- day Saint elders on board, bound for European mission fields: Earl Dee Hone, Brigham City; Cecil Elmo Hart, Rigby, Idaho; Rulon W. Rawson, Ogden; Ray B. West, Jr., Logan; Kenneth R. Hyber, Chandler. Arizona: Wm. M. Burgess, Roosevelt; Leland H. Hill. Wellsville; Jesse C. Nixon, Wayne H. Knight, John Van Haren. Edward J. Smith, John C. C. Jenkins, Walter B. Schulze, Norman W. Forsberg, Vernon L. Stevenson, Byron W. Daynes, Earl H. Wirthlin, Salt Lake City. God be praised and thanked for the preservation of his servants in answer to their petitions and the prayers of his people, as in the past, so now, and forever.