Mutual Work

M. I. A. and Genealogical Work The following letter, which was sent to a stake president, is self-explanatory: Dear Brother: We were appointed by President Claw- son to answer your letter relative to the proposed genealogical work to be given in connection with the Mutual Improve- ment Association under the new plan. This is to advise you that we have concluded that, so far as the course is con cerned, it is to be furnished by the Genea- logical Society of Utah, and the execution of the work will devolve upon the stake and ward committees of the Genealogical Society; though the time allowed is a por- tion of the M. I. A., and the work is to be given as one of the optional courses for the adult group in this association. The Mutual Improvement Association will be entitled to take credit for attendance for those members who are taking the Gen- ealogical work, but the presentation of the lessons will be left entirely in the hands of the local committee of the Genealogical Society. There must be, therefore, close cooperation and harmony existing between the genealogical workers and the Mutual Improvement people, so that the desirable purposes may be accomplished in giving to those who wish to study genealogy in the ward the opportunity to do so during this M. I. A. period. Trusting this will be satisfactory and that we will have good results come from this new opportunity, we are Sincerely your brethren, Joseph Fielding Smith, Melvin J. Ballard, Special Committee. Sunday Evening Joint Meetings Suggested Program for August 5 For this meeting, it is suggested that the evening be given to a discussion of the cities of the West. They are unique in character, for those founded by the pio- neers usually had broad streets and side- walks, with streams of water running by every home. Trees were planted; gardens made, and every home was virtually a small farm. The houses were built back from the streets, and there was plenty of space between the front fence and the veranda for lawns and flowers. An early- day writer said that every "Mormon" home was a flower garden. Salt Lake City is one of the beautiful cities of the world, and Catherine Fullerton Gerould writes in her book entitled The Aristocratic West: "Of all the people I have known who have been in Salt Lake City, none has ever taken the trouble to say that it is simply one of the most beautiful towns on the planet. * * * "Salt Lake is interesting; and there would be no sense in pretending that it is not the 'Mormon' Church which has given it its interest, as well as much of its beauty, situation apart. Brigham Young, unlike Joseph Smith, the Prophet, was not given much to revelation; but he was assuredly a great pioneer, and a man of powerful and constructive mind. To Brigham Young it is due that the barren valley over which he gazed from the mouth of Emigration canyon is now so densely green with trees; to him we owe the wide and noble streets of the city — never, from the first, allowed to grow up haphazard; he and none other was responsible for the first and promptest irriga- tion of the Western desert. God Himself may have sent the seagulls (it is a penitentiary offense to kill a seagull in Utah) , to save the crops from the locusts and the Saints from starvation; but it was undoubtedly Brigham Young who taught the people that their pros- perity must come from agriculture. * * * "Utah is a very hard-working state, and hard work has taught it what is worth work- ing for. Fine schools; good water supply, comfortable homes."

802 IMPROVEMENT ERA Salt Lake City was surveyed and named within a month after the settlement of the poinccrs on City Creek, July 24, 1847. At General Conference of all the members of the Church, held August 22 of the same year, all the people by vote decided to call their city The City of the Great Salt Lake. For many years it bore this name. "In 1847, Brigbam Young returned to the camps on the Missouri river, where most of his people were still waiting to join in the march overland to Utah. During the winter of 184 7-1848 he left the affairs in the little settlement of the Salt Lake valley to the direction of a stake presidency. Salt Lake City was a stake of Zion. "With the return of President Young in 1848. Salt Lake City was divided into 'wards,' over each of which was placed a bishop. Each 'ward' was a regular division for ecclesiastical and political purposes, and was an independent and progressive corpora- tion under the direction of the bishop. "In 1851, Salt Lake City was chartered by the Territorial legislature, which provided for the first officers of the city to be appointed by the Territorial legislature. The first mayor was Jedcdiah M. Grant. The mayor and city council enacted various laws, which had as an object the beautifying of the city as well as the building and maintenance of good streets. Quoting from the minutes of a meet- ing of the city council held January 1L 1851. we find the following extract in reference to the work of setting out shade-trees: 'An ordinance was presented to the Coun- cil which required holders of lots to set out trees for the improvement of the city in front of their lots within a reasonable time. A dis- cussion ensued, and it was finally recommended that all kinds of beautiful trees be planted, as the Creator had given us a pleasing variety.' "City of Beautiful Streets. — What made Salt Lake beautiful from inception were the broad streets, and sidewalks, and beauti- ful trees and gardens." It will be interesting to give the history of the city in which you live. Have some member tell the story of its settlement, and how it was laid out and named. All cities of early-day Utah and surrounding states were similar in general appearance and survey to Salt Lake City. Dates of Auxiliary Group Conventions for 1928 Held in connection with the Quarterly Conferences Maricopa, Oneida, Panguitch, June 30- July 1 — Benson, Nevada, North Sevier, Tintic, Woodruff, Yellow- stone, Tooele. July 7-8 — Cassia, Curlew, Lost River, Lyman, Malad, Summit, Wayne. July 14-15 — Bannock, Burley, Emery, Hollywood, Twin Falls. Aug. 18-19 — Alberta, Beaver, Blaine, Duchesne, Lethbridge, Roosevelt, Shelley, St. Johns. 25-26 — Bear River, Idaho Falls, Portneuf, Snowflake, South Sevier, Taylor, Teton, Uintah. 1-2 — Big Horn, Garfield, Idaho, Aug. Sept. Raft River, San Francisco. Sept. 8-9 — Bear Lake, Juarez, Kanab, Los Angeles, Parowan, Pocatello, Rigby, South Sanpete, St. Joseph. Sept. 15-16 — Boise, Franklin, Gunnison, Juab, Millard, Moapa, San Juan, Wasatch. Sept. 23-24 — Minidoka, Montpelier. North Sanpete, San Luis, Star Valley, St. George, Union, Young. Sept. 29-30 — Blackfoot, Carbon. Deseret. Fremont, Hyrum. Morgan, Sevier. Program of Auxiliary Group Conventions PUBLIC SESSIONS Saturday, 10 a. m. to 11:30 a. m. Theme: Greater Understanding and Appreciation of Divine Authority Song Service (15 minutes) a. Under direction of Stake Chorister b. "True to the Faith." "Scatter Sunshine."

MUTUAL WORK 803 c. "Prayer is the Soul's Sincere Desire." 2. Prayer. 3. Address of Welcome Stake President 4. Problems of Life: Economic — Social- Moral — Spiritual General Board Member 5. The Prophets and the Problems of Life General Board Member 6. The Priesthood and the Problems of Modern Life General Board Member 7. Closing Song, "Improve the Shining Moments." 8. Preview of the meetings to follow. 9. Benediction. Saturday, 2 p. m. to 3:15 p. m. Theme: The Leisure-time Guidance of Children 1. Song. 2. Prayer. 3. Song. 4. "Time's Most Precious Gift" Primary Representative 5. Foundation Conditions Structure... M. I. A. Representative 6. The Relation of the Primary Pro- gram to Sunday School Work Sunday School Representative 7. Song. 8. Prayer. Sunday Morning, 9 a. m. to 10:20 a. m. The following to be present: Stake presidency, members of the high council, bishops and counselors, presidencies of Priesthood quorums, stake boards and all ward auxiliary officers and teachers Theme: Correlation of the Priesthood with Theological Study and Leisure-time Guidance 1. Song, "Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel." 2. Prayer. 3. The Two-Fold Function of the Priesthood .___. General Representative 4. The Sunday School — An Organiza- tion for Religious Education.... Sunday School General Representative 5. The Primary Association — An Or- ganization for Leisure-time Guidance of Children Primary Association General Representative The M. I. A. — An Organization for the Leisure-time Guidance of Young People and Adults M. I. A. General Representative Closing Song, "Onward, Christian Soldiers." Sunday Morning, 10:30 a. m. to 12 m. 1. Devotional Music (2 minutes). 2. Notices. 3. Singing. 4. Prayer. 5. Singing. 6. Addresses by boy and girl (2y2 minutes each) . 7. Singing. (Sacramental). 8. Prelude. 9. Sacramental Gem. (For the cur- rent month) . 10. Postlude. Church Theological Study Hour *11. Reading. "The Significance of Partaking of the Sacrament." 12. Concert Recitation. (For the cur- rent month) . 13. Song Service. 14. Consideration of Class Work Member of the General Board 15. Report of attendance. 1 6. Brief remarks. 1 7. Singing. 18. Benediction. *Since it is usually impracticable at this session of the conference conveniently to administer the sacrament, that ordinance will be omitted, and in lieu thereof the article named, written by Elder David O- McKay and published in the Millennial Star and the Juvenile Instructor, will be read.

804 IMPROVEMENT ERA Sunday Afternoon, 2 p. m. Regular Quarterly Conference Session Sunday Evening, 7:30 p. m. M. /. A. Meeting Music. "The Abundant Life Through the Wholesome Use of Leisure-Time" ._. General Representative Music. 4. The Slogan: "We Stand for Law, for the People who Live it, and the Officers who Enforce it." General Representative 5. Music. SUNDAY SCHOOL MEETINGS Saturday, 11:30 a. m. to 12:30 p. m. Conference of the General Board mem- bers with stake superintendency and secre- tary and representatives of the stake pres- idency, high council and bishops. Discussion of the questionnaire report of the stake superintendent. and Saturday, 3:20 p. m. to 4:30 p. m. Meeting of the stake board and ward superintendencies with representative of the General Board, stake presidency, high council and bishops. Opening Exercises. The Faculty of the Sunday School General Board Member The Course of Study General Board Member 4. The Sunday School in Session General Board Member 5. The Priesthood and the Sunday School General Board Member 6. Local Problems Discussion led by General Board Member 7. Preview of meetings to follow. 8. Closing exercises. Public Session: Sunday, 10:30 a. m. to 12 m. Church Theological Study Hour. (See Program of Public Sessions) . M. I. A. MEETINGS Saturday, 11:30 a. m. to 12:30 p. m. Conference of general representatives, with stake executives and stake boards and representatives of stake presidency, high council and bishoprics. (Joint) . 1. M. I. A. -Priesthood Plan. 2. New Organization Plan. 3. Executive Problems. Saturday, 3:20 p. m. to 4:30 p. m. General representatives, stake boards, ward presidents and all other ward of- ficers available; also representatives of stake presidency, high council and bish- oprics. (Joint) . All topics treated by General Board Mem- bers. 1 . The Music Program. 2. The Community Activity Com- mittee. Fields of Study — Year- Round Program — Book — Project — Slogan Cooperation. 3. The Adult Department. Special Field of Study — The Program — The Book — Projects in Citizenship. 4. The M Men-Gleaners Joint Pro- gram.

MUTUAL WORK 805 Y. M. M. I. A. General representative, all stake and ward workers and representatives of stake presidency, high council and bishoprics. Saturday, 7:30 p. m. to 8:30 p. M. Y. L. M. I. A. General representative, all stake and ward officers and representatives of stake presidency, high council and bishoprics. All topics treated by General Board Mem- bers. 1. M MEN: Special Field of Study — The Code — The Course of Study — The Project — The Book — S 1 o g a n Cooperation — Special Social and Ath- letic Features. 2. The Vanguards and Boy Scouts: The Special Field of Study — The Re- lationship of the Priesthood-M. I. A. Plan to Scouting — The Program for the Vanguards — Projects — Books. 3. The Era — The Fund — Life Member- ship. All topics treated by General Board Mem- bers. 1. The GLEANER: Special Field of Study — The Program (Courses of Study, Activities) — The Project — The Sheaf — The Book — Slogan Coopera- tion. 2. THE JUNIORS: Special field of Study — The Program (Studies, Activities) — The Project — The Standard — The Book — Slogan Cooperation. 3. Bee-Hive Girls — Special Field of Study — The Program — The Project — The Book. Saturday, 8:30 p. m. to 10:00 p. m. General representatives, stake and ward DEMONSTRATIONS: officers of the priesthood and all auxiliary 1. The Tuesday Evening M. I. A. workers. Meeting^ 2. A Friday Evening Program. PRIMARY ASSOCIATION MEETINGS* Saturday, 11:30 a. m. to 12:30 p. m. STAKE BOARD MEETING: Representatives 1. Our Assignment — of the stake presidency, high council a. What it is; and bishoprics invited to be present. b. What it Means to Us General Board Member Saturday, 3:20 p. m. to 4:30 p. m. Stake and Ward Officers: Repre- sentatives of the stake presidency, high council, and bishoprics invited to be present. 1. The New Plan. 2. How It May Operate In — a. Stakes; b. Wards General Board Member Saturday, 7:30 p. m. to 8:30 p. M. STAKE AND WARD OFFICERS (Available) 1. Concrete Illustrations of Leisure-time Activities. ♦Note: Arrangements will be made for an executive meeting.