After One Hundred Years, 1830–1930

A f ter One Hundred Years 1830-1930 By the Presiding Bishopric of the Church SYLVESTER Q. CANNON, DAVID A. SMITH and JOHN WELLS "What is the best religion? That which (1) acts most powerfully as a spur to energy, and (2) directs that energy most productively." opposed it. But a Power higher than man has sus- tained it. FROM the human and ordinary viewpoint, the inception of "Mormonism" on April 6, 1830, was anything but im- empowered to translate the ancient pressive. A group of six young engravings; and had been charged men met specifically to form a with the responsibility of organ- church organization. Others were izing the Church. Two of these present to witness that humble be- men had received ordination to the ginning. It took place at the home Holy Priesthood under the hands They are to be found in all states From a few believers in a pioneer section of New York State, the membership has grown by hundreds of thousands until to- day it numbers approximately sev- en hundred thousand members. of a substantial farmer, Peter of celestial beings. So there was Whitmer, in the beautifully lo- no chance or accident in this gath- cated township of Fayette, be- ering. tween Lakes Seneca and Cayuga — two lovely "finger" lakes in west- 'T'HERE were few in sympathy ern New York State. with this movement at that But from another standpoint time. Already prejudice and per- this gathering was charged with potent meaning. Of the six men chosen to inaugurate this organ- ization three had beheld and re- ceived instructions from heavenly messengers, and all had seen and handled the metallic plates con- taining the engravings from which the Book of Mormon had been translated. One had received the visitation of God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son; had been secution were in evidence. Could anyone at that date have viewed with human judgment the future of the organization during the next decade, he would have de- clared that it could not endure the trials, hardships, and mob vi- olence which it was to suffer. Yet, of the Union, in Canada and Mex- ico, in the Polynesian islands of the Pacific, and in nearly all civ- ilized nations of the world. The Church has a healthy growth of membership. It has not lost its humility of spirit. It maintains fully its self-respect. It has ab- solute confidence in the divinity of its doctrines. It is still pioneer- ing— not so much on the frontiers of the country as in the progres- sive spirit and ideals which go hand in hand with a divine doc- trine, adapting itself to the chang- in spite of all the difficulties which ing conditions of civilization with- it has had to meet, the work has out sacrificing the fundamental moved steadily forward. Men principles of truth with which it is have supported it and men have endowed.

476 The Improvement Era for May, 1930 TOURING the century of its ex- -L^ istence, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has ex- ercised a most stimulating and helpful influence upon the lives of its adherents. The acceptance of this faith has led them to control their appetites and to exercise wis- dom in the care of their bodies; to give liberally of their time and means for the welfare of their fel- low-men; to become pioneers, col- onizers and community builders; to rise through education to a higher plane of understanding of material and eternal things; to re- sist the moral temptations common to the world and develop high moral standards; and to learn to work together for the mutual pro- gress of the whole. It is true that there is not the wealth among the Latter-day Saints to be found among various other communities. Neither is there the abject poverty and squal- or to be found elsewhere. There is probably greater equality of cir- cumstances among the "Mormons" than any other organization or community of equal numbers. And there is doubtless greater willing- ness to help one another in dis- tress by personal effort than among other groups. to the ward bishoprics in relieving distress. p ARLY in the history of the Church the welfare of the poor was stressed. The purpose in view was that they should become in- dependent and thus be able to aid in the material as well as the spiritual development of the whole. Idleness was condemned. It was declared that, "he that is idle shall not eat the bread nor wear the garments of the laborer." Rich men who do not give of their substance for the poor are rebuked. Poor men who are greedy, envious and lazy are likewise reproved. The whole spirit and effort of the Church charity organization is to help people in need to become self-supporting. Through the ward bishoprics and Relief Soci- eties, a remarkable work of organ- ized charity has been carried on with no overhead expense. In the Church every cent donated for charity goes directly for the pur- pose intended. Relief Society workers are constantly being trained in the essentials of social welfare, in sympathy and judg- ment, in order to be most helpful T3ECAUSE of the application of the various principles above mentioned to the lives of this peo- ple, our system has been called "material" and "practical." as against the "spiritual" and "the- oretical" principles of other faiths. While it is true that there is much materiality in the influence of this work, yet there is a deep and abid- ing spiritual force that stirs its members to productive action. All members of the Church are encouraged to observe faithfully every principle as true and divine. Yet it is recognized that every member is possessed of free agency. If he does not choose to conform to any doctrine, he is not placed in jeopardy of his fellowship, un- less his actions are such as to bring serious reproach not only upon himself, but also upon the organ- ization as a whole. For instance, the Word of Wisdom advises as to the proper use of foods, and the avoidance of the use of nar- cotics and stimulants, in order to promote bodily vigor and mental development. If every Church member had wisely observed this divine instruction, the community health standard would doubtless have been higher than it is. Yet the carefully kept records of Church membership show how benefits are derived from the ob- servance of these rules. HTHE average death rate through- ■*■ out the Church from infancy to old age is 7.5 per thousand, whereas the average for the reg- istered area of the United States exceeds 11.4, or 52 percent more. When analysis is made of the vari- ous causes of death still more in- teresting information develops. In the case of deaths from cancer of all kinds, the Church record for 1927 was 46.5 per hundred thou- sand as compared with 95.6 for the average of the U. S. Now, it has been determined that the use of stimulants and narcotics is caus- ative of cancer development. Again, in the matter of deaths from nervous diseases, the Church rate was 51.7 as compared with 116.0 for the U. S. average. In this instance, also, it is recognized that the use of certain stimulants injuriously affects the body. Also the infant mortality rate through- out the Church is 40.3 deaths un- der one year per thousand live births, whereas the U. S. average is 65, or 61 % higher. From the very beginning the Latter-day Saints have been com- munity builders of a superior type. From the first movement of the Church in New York to Kirtland, Ohio, up to the present develop- ment, every step has been marked by progressive, fruitful results, Had Joseph Smith not been in- terfered with, he would have built an outstanding city at Independ- ence, Missouri, based upon the best practices of present-day city planning. He had already planned a city there with streets eight rods wide, uniform setbacks for resi- dences, a civic center, etc. Nauvoo was converted from a swampy, undesirable section to become the finest and largest city in Illinois. The substantial, well-designed, colonial homes, fruitful fields, fine streets, water front, temple- crowned hill, and various public and church buildings, all added beauty to the plan. The com- munity development of this entire intermountain region is too well known to require description. The energy and staying qualities of Church members as colonizers are recognized today as very desirable. The boldness of the industrial un- dertakings of the early settlements of Utah is striking. When it is remembered that in those pioneer days such products as paper, silk, woolens, cotton cloth, iron and glass were fabricated, as well as other more common commodities, it is realized how truly home in- dustry was practiced. 13Y the donating of their time and means for the welfare of their fellow-men, the Latter-day Saints have acquired, in a large measure, the spirit of service, which means so much in com- munity welfare. They have trav- eled far and wide at their own ex- pense to make known to others the value of the principles they have espoused. Whether through their efforts, or otherwise, there has, nevertheless, been a marked change for the better during the past hundred years in the spiritual conceptions and attitudes of the civilized world. Then, through

The Improvement Era for May, 1930 477 the donations made, the extensive building of churches, temples, and other community buildings has been made possible. The observ- ance of the principle of tithing has promoted greater financial integrity and honesty on the part of those obeying this law. The influence of "Mor monism" has helped men and women to resist moral temptation and main- tain clean lives. The sacredness of marriage and the responsibility of parenthood have been stressed as fundamental principles. The Lat- ter-day Saints realize that children born to parents who have married with real love in their hearts, prove to be a cementing bond. Further, the solemnization of marriage for eternity, as well as for this life, in the temples, makes for a higher appreciation of that sacred relation. HTHE record of Church marriages -*- is 14 per thousand as com- pared with 10.6 for the U. S. average, or 32% higher. In spite of the worldly trend toward di- vorce, the divorce rate of Church members is 55 per 100,000 as com- pared with 136 for the U. S. average, or 40% of the latter. The divorces following temple marri- ages are only about one-third of the total Church divorces. Comparative evidences of health and morality on the part of par- ents are indicated by the stillbirth rate. No records have been kept by the Church of this nature, but Utah and Idaho, where most of the Church members live, show the lowest records in the Union — 2.4 per 100 live births as against 3.9 for the U. S. average, which is 62% higher. Further, in the matter of illegitimate births, Utah and Idaho are again the lowest, each showing 8.7 per thousand births as compared with 28.0 for the U. S. average. This latter is over three times as great. The Latter-day Saints recog- nize the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. They stand for liberty consistent with the rights of others. They are opposed to any spirit of inter- ference with the rights, life or lib- erty of others. In their hearts is no spirit of warfare or contention with their fellow-men. They have been taught to renounce war and proclaim peace. They uphold the constitution of the nation and the state. They submit to the civil laws of the governments un- der which they live. AN interesting phase of Church -**■ government not often encoun- tered is the system of courts. These are employed only as a last resort in cases of transgression of moral laws, or serious infringements of Church doctrine. Such courts are without fees or attorneys, and the rights of the accused and accuser are fully protected. There are no expenses and no technicalities. Jus- tice and equity are the purposes sought in every instance. Finally, at the threshold of the second century of the Gospel resto- ration, the Church looks forward with faith and confidence in its mission to promote righteousness, peace and joy among men. Those Who Passed on the Torch MEMORIAL DAY, set apart in 1868 by General John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, as a day sacred to the memory of the soldiers who died in the Civil War, is one of our most signifi- cant and beautiful days — a day that none, young or old, should regard lightly. It is a day filled to the brim with tender memories; it is, or should be, a day not only for decoration of the graves of our dead, but one of tenderest love and consecration to the high ideals and aims which lie at the root of our American Government. "When the May has culled her flowers for the summer waiting long, And the breath of early roses woos the hedges into song, Comes the throb of martial music and the banners in the street And the marching of the millions bearing garlands fair and sweet — 'Tis the Sabbath of the Nation, 'tis the floral feast of May! In remembrance of our heroes We keep Memorial Day." (Sherwood) . By L. D. STEARNS A .LTHOUGH it is a national holiday, Memorial Day is not observed on the same date by all the states. The Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi observance falls on the 26th of April, while North and South Car- olina set aside May 10th for the same purpose, and a few of the others states observe June 6th. In late years the memory of those who have died at sea has been honored by casting flowers on the ocean. T HE custom of dec- orating the graves of the dead with flowers was common in Egypt, Greece and Rome at an early date, and such noted orators as Pericles delivered orations to the memory of the soldier dead. The early Greeks believed that special bliss was the reward of those whose lives were given in service for the country, and both flowers and olives were placed on their graves. If the flowers grew well they believed it was a sign that the soul had found happiness and peace. The Roman ceremony occurred in February, and lasted eight days. The temples were closed during this time, and graves were covered with flowers ; memo- rial arches, in honor of the heroes, were erected and handsomely dec- orated. ALTHOUGH origi- nally set apart to honor the fallen soldiers of the Civil War the scope (Continued on page 528)