The First Word of Wisdom Exhibit

Tke First Word of Wisdom Exhibit THE Word of Wisdom — its principles and results — forms one of the most pop- ular exhibits in the International Hygiene Exhibition at Dresden, Germany. Thousands visit the exhibit daily; receive Word of Wisdom information and tracts from the missionary attendants, and the large visitors' book is rapidly filling up with names and addresses of persons who desire further information. This may be both startling and pleasant news to the Latter-day Saints, who have so long found it difficult to present to the world the precious truths that they pos- sess. '"PHE exposition itself is unique. It is dedicated to one thing: The preservation and improvement of human health. It is built around the monumental Museum of Hy- giene, the finest in the world, in a vast park of shady trees, green lawns and colorful flower beds. In aim as in beauty it is unsur- By DR. JOHN A. WIDTSOE President of the European Missions passed by any of the several ex- positions held this year in Europe. The exhibitors from all countries have conformed in spirit to the ideals of the exposition. No Euro- pean spectacle is more worth see- ing. This is the second exposition of the kind. The first, which was held, also in Dresden, in 1911, was a pioneer in bringing hygienic instruction to the masses of the people. An outgrowth of the ex- hibition of 1911 was the establish- ment of the state-supported Mu- seum of Hygiene, a marvel of com- pleteness and impressiveness in teaching the principles of good health. The whole world received inspiration from the original good health exposition. HT HE Word of Wisdom found its * way naturally into this mag- nificent display of the world's hy- gienic knowledge. The Relief So- cieties of the German-Austrian Mission were studying the Word of Wisdom. Sister Hyrum W. Valentine, the wife of the mission president, in search of suitable ma- terial, met Dr. M. Vogel, scien- tific director of the Museum of Hygiene, and had the opportunity of explaining to him the Word of Wisdom as a guide to health. The man of science became interested to the point of publishing in the Museum popular bulletin a brief account of the Word of Wisdom written by Sister Valentine. WHEN the 1930 Hygiene Ex- position was projected, someone mooted the possibility of a Word of Wisdom display. The idea then took root, but little more. At Thanksgiving time, 1 929, the writer and President Ed- ward P. Kimball, President Val- entine's successor, talked over the

14 The Improvement Era for November, 1930 I I 1 matter with Hon. A. T. Haeberle, U. S. Consul at Dresden, a friend of the Valentines, and a fine type of broadminded, intelligent public official. Correspondence ensued, and at last in late January, 1930, the Church was formally invited to make the exhibit. Dr. Vogel's knowledge of the Word of Wis- dom removed scientific opposition; Consul Haeberle's intervention brought action; and the tolerant attitude of the directors of the exhibition yielded the final invita- tion. The president of the Euro- pean Mission was made one of the honorary committee of the Expo- sition, and the president of the German-Austrian Mission, a Dres- den resident, was invited to par- ticipate in the notable functions connected with the opening of the Exposition. A WORD OF WISDOM ex- ^^ hibit had not been made be- fore. This was a pioneer effort. A study was made of existing ex- positions; Elder Reed W. Farns- worth of the Netherlands Mission was called to Liverpool for con- sultation, then sent to Dresden, where in collaboration with Ren- dall N. Mabey, Hellmuth Plath and William I. Palmer, and under the vigilant direction of President Edward P. Kimball, the booth was constructed. At the same time, the writer compiled the necessary vital statistics and wrote the de- sired tracts, which are published in English and German. 'T'HE exhibit is effectively located * at the front entrance of the League of Nations' building, near the rooms devoted to the Inter- national Red Cross. Through the open door the illuminated main wall is observed. The lighted sun — the Word of Wisdom — is rising from the sea of ignorance, and radiating from it are the rewards of the Word of Wisdom — health, long life, wisdom, etc. The rays are lighted alternately, with fine effect. In the middle of the floor stands a large globe, slowly ro- tating, and showing in brilliantly lighted spots the points on earth where the Church is teaching the Word of Wisdom. On the left side wall is a moving, endless, lighted ribbon which tells the story of the Word of Wisdom; and on the opposite wall is a large com- parative statement of the physical, educational and moral conditions among the Latter-day Saints, showing the results of the Word of Wisdom. Photographs, charts and several posters, drawn by El- der J. Blaine Freestone of the British Mission, cover the open spaces on the walls. The flags of the nations in which the Church is delivering its message form a fine frieze under the ceiling. The two tables carry tracts and books; and chairs are provided for the weary. pLDERS Serge F. Glade and ■Lj Kersey C. Riter of the Ger- man-Austrian Mission have been in attendance since the opening of the exposition in the third week in May. Elders Hermann Kluwe and Otto Baer of the Swiss-Ger- man Mission have been in attend- ance since about the first of Au- gust, when the increased attendance made the work too heavy for two men. As far as possible the visit- ors are taken through the exhibit in groups and addressed by the attendants. Great interest is man- ifested in the exhibit by all. Prom- inent professional people from all parts of the earth have made favor- able comments upon this method of preserving human health. In- vitations have been received to give Word of Wisdom information in other lands. As high as 30,000 have passed through the exhibit in one day; the average is near 5,000; about 120,000 tracts were distrib- uted the first two months. '"THE principles of the Word ol Wisdom correspond to the best findings of science and do not sur- prise the professional man; though they interest greatly the layman. But the results of the practice of the Word of Wisdom, imperfectly as the Latter-day Saints have prac- ticed it, are astounding to all, par- ticularly as the hygienic system known as the Word of Wisdom has been tested for nearly one hun- dred years by a group of people now numbering nearly three quarters of a million people. It is the greatest health experiment in history. (Continued on page 41)