--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Hogensen, J. C. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 32 number: 7 published: 1929-05 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "J. C. Hogensen, “The Home Evening,” *Improvement Era* 32, no. 7 (May 1929): 567–569." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3207unse 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: improvementera3207unse start_page: 567 end_page: 569 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1929-05) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3207unse publication_year: 1929 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 1929, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Home Evening The Home Evening By Prof. J. C. Hogensen, Utah Agricultural College I DESIRE to discuss three phases of the subject: 1st. What is a home? 2nd. Why do we need a home evening? 3rd. How, a home evening? A home is the abiding place of love, joy and happiness. It is the place we like best to be, the place where system and order, one of the first laws of heaven, abide and where peace and love abound. It is the place where the family circle, the unit of civilization, is most sacred and respected. The L. D. S. home should be the greatest and best institution in the world, because it is governed by the sacred laws of the Gospel. It is the place of prayer, where the Holy Spirit dwells. It is the place of unity, where no secrets are to be found, but where frankness and unselfishness fill the air with help- fulness. It is there that perfect union, each for all and all for each, is the rule. If this were true of all our homes, then we would find the vision of Ingersoll fulfilled, wherein he says: "I see a land of happy homes, a land where music's myriad voice is heard, and lips are full of joy and song; a land where no prisoner mourns, no exile pines, a land without the beggar's outstretched hand, without the miser's stone stare. I see a land where labor reaps its true reward, where work and worth go hand in hand, and as I look — life lengthens, joy deepens, love canopies the land, and over all in the bright blue of the heaven shines the bright star of eternal hope." A humble cottage or a palace may each be the home of someone, but neatness, cleanliness, care and repair are always found there. A tumble-down shack, where carelessness and shiftlessness are apparent on every hand, may be a place to eat and sleep, but never a home. Home extends beyond the four walls of the house to the surround- ings. No unkempt, weed-covered yard can ever be part of a real home. It may be an adjunct to a house where people exist, but never to a home. In this day and age most homes where the father and mother have affection and consideration for each other and for their children has a neat appearance, with lawn, flowers, shrubs, and trees. We sometimes hear it said that love makes the home. That is true, but how much easier it is to love and be content when surrounded by the joys and comforts of flowers, shrubs, lawns and trees. God has given us these to enjoy, for our comfort, contentment and happiness. Home today has changed somewhat when compared with what 568 IMPROVEMENT ERA May. 1929 it was a number of years ago. Formerly it was a complete unit, where all the activities of the entire family were continually cen- tered. The father and boys were on the farm, doing chores, and chopping wood. The mother and girls were carding, spinning, weaving, cooking and canning, and the thousand and one little things which our fathers and mothers used to do. Reading, sewing, checker playing were the pastimes in which they usually engaged in the evening around the stove and the coal-oil lamp. Everything was at home with no outside attractions. The principles of the Gospel, the plans of work and the doings of the day just past and the duties of the coming day were timely topics of discussion. Today things have changed, the automobile has eliminated distances; the moving picture, the school and church activities, the clubs and the radio have all contributed to a new order of things. They have enlarged our vision and our circle of activity so that the home today has less influence and more leisure time than it had formerly. In those olden days systematically planned home eve- nings were unnecessary, because they were all home evenings. Today, the Church recommends at least one home evening a month, where all the members of the family can participate and become acquainted with one another, I do not believe that one evening a month is often enough; one evening a week would be much better. I sometimes wonder if our work in public and Church affairs, which takes us away from home and family so much of our time, is really and genuinely worth while, when it causes such loss of association with and consequent neglect of our own families. No man can doubt that our families are our first consideration. We are responsible to the Almighty for them. I believe that everyone can arrange his affairs and systematize his time so that both the Church and his family can receive their proper share of his time, attention and service. Home evenings may be carried out in different ways, accord- ing to the needs, desires and inclinations of the family. There is no set rule nor definite order of things. The programs need not be long nor need they always be the same in the same families. In fact, I think that variety helps to make them more interesting and enjoyable. A home evening should not be spent in feasting nor in dancing or playing cards. Though occasionally a few dances by members of the family may occupy part of the home evening with profit. Music should always be part of the program. Refresh- ments consisting of apples, home-made candy and pop corn, help to make the evening enjoyable. A good home-evening program is one where every member of the family participates. Family singing, in which all participate, should be enjoyed, followed by a pro- gram, some part of which is contributed by each member of the May. '929 THE HOME EVENING 569 family. Quiet heart-to-heart talks are in order and will prove bene- ficial alike to parents and children. Short, concise readings from the scriptures, and sometimes from an interesting book, make a good program. Playing of games, story telling, relating exceptional ex- periences by members of the family are much enjoyed. Good evening programs may be selected from the radio, if care is exercised in keeping tuned-in on that which is elevating and edu- cational, instead of the jazzy, frivolous music of the dance halls. A short program each evening, followed by family prayers, helps to knit the interests of the family together. Most of us fathers and mothers leave too much to the schools and Church organizations. If our sons and daughters are to grow up to be the kind of men and women we desire them to be, every opportunity that is afforded us should be grasped to draw our boys and girls to us. This will help to keep us in their confidence. We must, in our family life, teach by example as well as by precept, and must take time to guide, persuade, and direct the thoughts and actions of our boys and girls. The following poem by Roy Semple House should give par- ents food for thought: A father and his tiny son Crossed a rough street one stormy day; "See, papa," cried the little one, "I stepped in your steps all the way." Ah, random childish hands that deal Quick thrusts no coat of proof could stay, It touched him with a touch of steel, "I stepped in your steps all the way." If this man shirks his manhood's due, And heeds what lying voices say, It is not one who falls, but two — "I stepped in your steps all the way." But they who thrust off greed and fear, Who love and watch, who toil and pray, How their hearts carol when they hear, "I stepped in your steps all the way." May God bless our homes, may he bless us as fathers and mothers with joy and wisdom, may he bless the boys and girls that he has given us, that they and we may all grow and develop into the kind of men and women that our Father would have us be. "Perhaps one of the reasons I have been a target for so little abuse is be- cause I have tried to refrain from abusing other people." — Calvin Coolidge.