--- 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: 31 number: 7 published: 1928-05 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "*Improvement Era* 31, no. 7 (May 1928). Salt Lake City: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, May 1928." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3107unse 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: improvementera3107unse curator_note: Internet Archive issue scan; advertising and unpaginated plates omitted. rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1928-05) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3107unse publication_year: 1928 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 1928, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Improvement Era, May 1928 Improvement Era^ Vol. XXXI MAY, 1928 No. 7 Obligation of the Church to all Nations By Elder Melvin J. Ballard, of the Council of the Twelve, and Assistant General Superintendent Y. M. M. I. A. WITH the opening of this gospel dispensation came a realiza- tion of that promise made by John while on the Isle of Patmos, that in the latter days the gospel should be restored to the earth by the coming of another angel. That the true pur- pose of its restoration might be accomplished, it should be preached, John announced, to every nation, kindred, tongue and people. Con- sequently, this became, at once, the first great obligation placed upon the Church. All of its leaders, from the days of the Prophet Joseph to the present time, have recognized its importance, and the Church has spent more in time and means to fulfil this obligation than all its others combined. We have sent approximately sixty thousand missionaries into this service since the organization of the Church. When we compute the cost of sending them to their fields of labor, maintaining them while there, with a reasonable allowance for the value of their services, and the cost of returning them home, it amounts to more than two hundred millions of dollars. There are also to be con- sidered the precious lives, beyond all earthly price, that many of these missionaries have given. Add to this the sacrifice and devotion of the wives and mothers who, in many instances, have taken upon themselves a man's task, and have spent many years of loneliness, and you will recognize a contribution, in loving service to fellow- man, the like of which no other people have ever offered. Our desire is to be obedient unto the Lord, and to please him. At the same time, we are prompted to render this service out of the love we bear for our fellow-men. I had a distinct impression concern- ing the Lord's feelings toward the children of men, while serving as president of the Northwestern States mission. I was attending a conference in Salt Lake City, when the father of a wayward, careless boy requested an interview with me. The boy had violated, not