Priesthood Quorums

PR(ES Alt matters pertaining to the Aaronic Priesthood in this department are prepared under the direction of the Presiding Bishopric. The Lesser Priesthood "And again it shall come to pass that on as many as ye shall baptize with water, ye shall lay your hands, and they shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and shall be looking forth for the signs of my com- ing, and shall know me. Behold, I come quickly. Even so, Amen." Doc. and Cov. 39:23-24. During the summer months the reports of the activities of the Aaronic Priesthood that have reached the office of the Presiding Bishopric have not been very encouraging. A condition that prompts those who bear the holy Priesthood to lay aside the priv- ilege of magnifying that Priesthood during any portion of the year is not of the Lord, and it seems those who partake of this spirit have not grasped the full meaning of the Priesthood and have not partaken of the power thereof. Have you received the gift of the Holy Ghost, which, although promised at the time of confirmation, may never really come to one unless invited through faith and works? For the Holy Ghost has nothing in common with the sluggard or those who fail to magnify their calling in the work of our Lord and Savior. The summer season is now about past. It is hoped that he who has accepted the responsibility of Priesthood service will "Learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence." Doc. and Cov. 107:99. The September topics to be discussed by the members of the Aaronic Priesthood are given for the purpose of encouraging young men to become fully acquainted with the offices of the Church and their functions. One of our active stake presidents at a con- ference sometime ago said: "It is the duty of a father to encourage through active leadership his sons, the duty of a ward bishop to provide some means for such activity and training." The thing that makes such service worth while is having a proper attitude toward the work. One cannot successfully per- form a service which is distasteful or which one is poorly prepared to perform. The purpose of our Priesthood meetings under the new plan is to study carefully these conditions, receive instructions and train- ing, and prepare really to magnify the calling which the Lord has bestowed upon us. The Presiding Bishopric feel that young men can be encouraged to perform labors required of them and that these labors may be made to appeal to them in such a way that they become a joy when properly performed. May we at this time impress this fact upon those who arc charged with the responsibility of directing this work in the stakes and wards. The Value of Statistics The unprecedented progress of modern times has been made possible by keeping records and statistics. With the welfare of humanity at heart it was seen to be un- necessary for a second man to feel his way in the uncharted field; the first man to venture considered he was acting not for himself only, but that he represented man- kind. To this end he kept a record of all he did and all he discovered, that those who followed him could benefit by his experi- ence and carry his work farther. The sum

970 IMPROVEMENT ERA of our civilization might be called the ag- gregate of what individuals have contrib- uted in record form. Men cherishing generous desires to benefit the race have met difficulty and danger, but this would have been in vain without records. They posted signs and directions to guide those who should fol- low, and these things had to be prepared with great accuracy so they could be relied on for safety. The many records and statistics kept by the Church will constitute a tremendous advantage in the progress we are to make. The Church is going forward in a new field; it is likely our present situation, as the Church of Christ, is unprecedented in his- tory, at least we have no adequate records of similar conditions at any former time. Of course we have divine guidance, and we shall reach the predicted goal of ex- cellence for the millennium, but we are required to "study it out in our own minds" and to avail ourselves of every means within our reach to accomplish the work before us. One indispensable means to that end is proper records and statistics. Our destiny cannot be reached without these records, and the more accurate and complete they are kept, the more useful they will be to us in the building up of Zion. These reasons alone would be sufficient grounds for most of the records we keep, but many of our records are kept for a still more important purpose: they have vital bearings on our privileges and activ- ities in the world to come, and should for this reason be compiled and preserved with utmost care. — Albert R. Lyman. being ordained to the Priesthood. He completed the reading of the sacred record before May 29, 1928, the date appointed for his ordination, averaging thirty-five pages a day. He therefore read the book in fifteen days and reports that he enjoyed Reads Book of Mormon A picture of Osmond Staker Olsen is it very much. Not only did he read it, being presented herewith. This twelve year-old lad, a son of Osmond Olsen and Sarah Staker Olsen, of Manti, desired to read the Book of Mormon through before but dd so understandingly and is able tc give a very good account of its contents. He expresses the hope that this will en- courage other boys to do likewise.