Church Events

r \ Arrangements have been completed whereby the Young Woman's Journal and the Improvement Era arc to be combined. The announcement made at the June conference of this change, has aroused greater interest than any- thing else which has occurred in M. I. A. circles for many years. Indeed, it is one of the important happenings of the entire Church. This combination goes into effect with the November number. It will result in a consider- able saving to the membership of the Church, and at the same time out- workers will receive, as heretofore, all necessary information concerning their duties in the Priesthood and in the Mutual organizations. Financial gain is not the sole advantage of the amal- gamation. There will be added ability which can not result otherwise than in an improved magazine. Never before in the history of Church periodicals have so many talented men and women signified their willingness to contribute articles. Literary gems of the first water will appear. Subscriptions, to either magazine, which run beyond October will receive the enlarged Era for the unexpired period. All who subscribe for the new magazine before October 10 will become charter sub- scribers and will receive a charter sub- scription certificate. As the November issue is to be a special one and will be in great demand, our readers are urged to send in their subscriptions early, otherwise they may be too late to re- ceive the first number. * * * Sunday, May 26, an event of un- usual interest took place at Scott's Bluff, Nebraska. It was the unveiling of a marker which had been placed on the grave of Rebecca Winters, who died while crossing the plains. Sister Winters was the grandmother of Augusta Winters Grant, wife of Pres- ident Heber J. Grant. Through the courtesy of H. J. Plumbof, general manager of the Oregon Short Line Railroad Co., Pres. Grant and his party enjoyed the pleasure of making the trip to Gering, Nebraska, and re- turn in Mr. Plumhof's private car. Those making the trip, besides Pres. Grant and his wife, were Delia I. Booth, Edith Grant Young and Joseph Anderson, Pres. Grant's secretary. All members of the Church at Scott's Bluff and also the missionaries laboring in that vicinity were guests at the banquet which was given on the evening prior to the unveiling of the marker. Mrs. Grace Anspoker, cousin of Pres. Grant, drove two hundred miles to attend the ceremonies. Sunday, the 26, ten cars, furnished free by the Burlington Route, carried the crowd who wished to attend the services at the grave The story of this pioneer martyr is a beau- tiful and touching one. It will appear in detail, from the pen of Sister Au- gusta Winters Grant, in an early num- ber of the Era. Dr. Franklin S. Harris, president of the Brigham Young University, will sail from New York, on June 22, for Europe, in company with five other scientists. The purpose of their visit is to undertake the planning of a new "Promised Land" for the Jews. To Pres. Harris has come the honor of acting as chairman of this commission, which will work under the direction of the Russian government and the Icor. an organization of Jews in this coun- try which is assisting in this project for the betterment of their people now living in Russia. Dr. Harris has prom- ised to furnish articles to the Era on important matters which come under his observation.

July, 1929 CHURCH EVENTS 791 Primary-Religion Class Consoli- dation— The letter of the First Presi- dency that follows will be read with interest — and we surmise with satis- faction— throughout the Church. The union of Primary and Religion Class was effected, it will be seen, in order to insure unity of effort on the part of all concerned and provide opportunity for an effective week-day program in religious class work and training for all our school children from kinder- garten to the senior high school. It is believed the name "Junior Semi- nary" will appeal to junior high school students and that this institution will satisfactorily fill the "tragic gap" — the ninth grade — in the week-day re- ligious program of the Church. This is the letter: May 29. 1929 To Presidencies of Stakes. Dear Brethren: Please be advised that we have approved the recommendations of the General Church Board of Education that the Primary and Religion Classes of the Church for the children of the elementary grades of the public schools, kinder- garten to the sixth grade, inclusive, shall be consolidated and the work be carried on under the auspices of the Primary Association which, it has been decided, shall hereafter be known as the Primary-Religion Class of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This organization is given the responsibility of con- ducting week-day classes in religion for the children of these elementary grades, in general about ages five to twelve, inclusive. Further, the General Church Board of Edu- cation, through the Department of Education, is given the responsibility of conducting week- day religion class work for the children of the Church beginning with the seventh grade of our public schools, in general about ages twelve and up. These classes, it has been decided, shall be known as junior seminary classes. Again, until otherwise determined, the Pri- mary-Religion Class organization shall have jurisdiction of the Seagull Girls, ages twelve to fourteen, for leisure-time activities, other than theological studies. In other words, these girls are assigned to the junior seminaries for week-day religion class work. The purpose of these approved recommenda- tions is to insure harmony and cooperation in providing week-day religious instruction for all our children by making only one organi- zation at a time responsible for week-day religion class work. It is hoped that you and all others concerned will heartily support the plan and aid in carrying it out. All reasonable efforts should be made to have all children of the Church attend, where feasible, a week-day. as well as a Sunday, class to receive religious instructions. Further information regarding the details of this suggested change may be had by applying to Joseph F. Merrill. Commissioner of Educa tion. or Sister May Anderson. President of the Primary Association. Sincerely Your Brethren, Heber J. Grant. A. W. loins. C. W. Nibley, First Presidency. * * * Among the number of aged and faithful Church members who have died during recent weeks was Mrs. Mary Wilcox, one of the early con- verts to "Mormonism." She was in her 98th year, having been born in Whitbay, Upper Canada, June 6, 1831, and died in Mt. Pleasant. Utah. May 16, 1929. The Gospel was brought to her by Parley P. Pratt, and she and other members of the family readily accepted it, and after- wards moved to Missouri where they shared in the persecution which was heaped upon the Saints. She drove a yoke of cattle from Winter Quarters to Salt Lake valley, arriving here Sep- tember 29, 1847, in Elder John Tay- lor's company. On one occasion Pres- ident Taylor said to her: "Sister Mary, it isn't within the lids of any history where another girl your age has taken as active a part as you have on this journey. You shall live as long as life is desirable, and you shall become the mother of a great pos- terity." She was later married to John Henry Wilcox, and eleven children were born to them. It was a source of pride with her that she had a pos- terity of more than 500. Sister Wil- cox was a witness to the cricket inva- sion, and participated in the dangers of Indian uprisings, endured poverty and privation, assisted her father in getting logs from the canyon for their first cabin and made the adobes for the chimney. * * * David Cazier, for nearly three- quarters of a century a resident of

792 IMPROVEMENT ERA July. 1929 Nephi, Utah, died on the 1 9th of May, at the age of 95. He fought in the Walker and Black Hawk Indian wars and participated in the Echo Canyon campaign, filled missions at home and abroad and was one of the stalwarts of his community. * * * Another of the early settlers to pass on was George Hand, who died at Sandy, Utah, May 27, at the age of eighty years. He participated in the ceremonies at Promontory point when the two railroads which joined the East and West were connected. Brother Hand was an active worker in the Church. Erastus Perry Bingham, eighty-three years old, and a pioneer of Weber County, died in Ogden, June 4. His life, like that of all other pioneers, was an eventful one, full of what now ap- pears to be romance and drama, but which at the time were colorless hard- ships. He leaves a large posterity of children, grandchildren and great- grandchildren. * * * Mrs. Elizabeth Robert Owens, the oldest resident of Franklin county. Idaho, died June 3, at the age of 94 years. Coming from Wales, where she and her family joined the Church, she crossed the plains in Col. Seth M. Blair's company. Cholera broke out in this company when it was well on its way and many of the travelers died. She, too, leaves a large posterity of grandchildren, great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. Soren Peter Sorenson, died May 26 in his 89th year. He was one of the early settlers of Sanpete County, was an Indian fighter, a scout, an ex- press rider and served the people espe- cially in their amusements, being an expert dancer. Even at his advanced age, during the past winter, he enter- tained the people with his fancy step- dancing. Temples For man to build a temple made with hands, The noblest tree that in the forest stands Must fall before the woodman's axe and saw; Destroying forms, to build anew, is Cosmic Law. Man's body is his temple, built by thought, For every virile thought must leave its trace; Some day each soul shall ask, What hast thou wrought? Can we this urgent question, fearless, face? But "On the Heights" a nobler Temple stands, Not built by mortal thought or human hands; In which no sound of axe or tool was heard — 'Twas spoken into Being by the Word. With these two temples blended into one, Attained is evolution's goal — the Real; God's work and man's on this earth being done, With other stars, God sets on this His seal. Los Angeles, Cal. HERBERT L. JAMES