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SEE PAGE 706
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DECEMBER, 1938
VOLUME 41 NUMBER 12
RETURN POSTAGE GUARftNTFED SALT LAKE CITY. UTAH
" Golden Shell ! " I scream "Go there yourself!" he splutters
Mr. Bruggle can't hardly hear it thunder.
But I didn't know that, the first time he drives in. I flash my "wel- come" smile and he says, "Check the oil."
"You're low," I report, in a min- ute.
"Then I don't need any," he answers.
''No, no"— I shout— "It's way down!"
"Who's a clown?" he frowns back at me.
I sail on, louder, while people passing by stop to listen.
"It's not only low, but you need oil that flows fast. When you start
your engine, if your oil is sluggish, it don't get up out of the crank - case — "
"I am NOT cranky!" he shouts, mad by now.
I struggle on: "Look, you only have to pay 25^ for a quart of Golden Shell Oil— GOLDEN SHELL," I scream.
"You go there yourself," he splutters, and drives off.
That's how I got in bad with Mr. Bruggle and had to write him a letter to explain things. I got a chance to tell him how fast Golden Shell flows, too — without him shoutin' back at me. Now we're good friends, and he calls me the slick salesman — get it?
Sincerely,
ferv-
W
IfZ/Oftf . . .
^A
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'The Glory of God is Intelligence'
DECEMBER, 1938
VOLUME 41
NUMBER 12
"THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH"
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE PRIESTHOOD QUORUMS, MUTUAL IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATIONS, DEPART- MENT OF EDUCATION. MUSIC COMMITTEE. WARD TEACHERS, AND OTHER AGENCIES OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.
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Heber J. |
Grant, |
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John A. |
Widtsoe, Editors |
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Richard L. Evans, |
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Managing |
Editor |
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Marba C |
. Josephson, |
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Associate Editor |
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George Q. |
Morris, General Mgr. |
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Lucy G. Ce |
nnon. Associate Mgr. |
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J. K. Ortor |
, Business Mgr. |
JhsL fodikftdu (poqsL
The "Still Small Voice" Heber J. Grant 712
Evidences and Reconciliations — Part 5 John A. Widtsoe 713
Chastity J. Reuben Clark, Jr. 714
Portrait of a Young Man — Part 2 Rachel Grant Taylor 716
"Thy Neighbor As Thyself" Rufus K. Hardy 718
Britain Looks at the Mormons Richard L. Evans 719
The Story of Our Hymns George D. Pyper
Looking Toward 1947 Rose W. Bennett
The Church in New York City William L. Woolf
Church Moves On : 734
Helping Others to Help Them- selves, William Mulder 737
Priesthood: Melchizedek -742
Ward Teaching 745
Aaronic * 746
Genealogical 748
Mutual Messages: Executives, Tribute to Martha H. Tingey, Heber J. Grant . 749
725
726
728
Christmas Poems 750
Circulation of Library Books,
Aurelia Bennion 750
M Men 751
Gleaners .751
Juniors 752
Bee-Hive 752
Scouts - 753
Field Photos 751, 753
SfuudoL J>&cdu/t£A,
On the Street "Called Straight" Joseph Jacobs 722
The Protestors of Christendom — IX James L. Barker 724
Wine is a Mocker ..Eva Willes Wangsgard 732
Introducing Lionel Banks, Wes- ton Nordgren 708
Exploring the Universe, Frank- lin S. Harris, Jr 709
Homing, What Books Shall I
Give, Marba C. Josephson... .738
Here's How .740
On the Book Rack 741
Index to Advertisers 760
Your Page and Ours ...768
fijdiiouodA,
Gift to Youth— 1938 Richard L. Evans 736
A Christmas Thought ...Marba C. Josephson 736
J>jctwn, (posdJiy, Qjwa&w&iiL (Pju%%Isl
The Return of Solomon Crosley Olive M. Nicholes.720
The Native Blood— Part 2 Albert R. Lyman 723
Commonplace Things Roberta Piatt 731
Frontispiece: Christmas Cycle, Poetry Page 733
Blanche Kendall McKey 71 1 Scriptural Crossword Puzzle. ...766
JhsL QdvsJv
THIS Christmas window by H. Armstrong Roberts suggests the warmth and hospi- tality of Christmas — at which time it is to be hoped there will be none left outside the window, where frost and disappointment chill hearts and spirits as well as the physical man.
706
(DoljouL Jiyww—
How the "still small voice" operates
among the children of God?
Page 712
How old the earth is? Page 713
What the various beliefs are con- cerning the time of creation?.... Page 713
If we may safely outgrow chastity? Page 714
What the London "Daily Express" and Britain's "Cavalcade" have to say about the Mormons? ... Page 719
How the Church is progressing in the ancient city of Damascus? Page 722
Why and where John Huss was burned? Page 724
What beautification steps are being recommended for the West's 1947 celebration? • Page 726
Where the Gospel was first preach- ed in New York City and how the Church operates there today? — Page 728
Why it is said that "Wine is a Mocker"? Page 732
What are "Deseret Industries" and — the "Deseret Clothing Factory"? Page 737
What biography of one of the Pres- idents of the Church will soon be released? - Page 741
What new book is being published containing the writings of Har- rison R. Merrill? . Pages 741, 763
What children's books are recom- mended for Christmas?
Pages 738 to 740
What novel quorum projects are under way? Page 742
EXECUTIVE AND EDITORIAL
OFFICES:
50 North Main Street, Salt Lake City. Utah
Copyright 1938. by the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association Corporation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All rights reserved. Subscription price. $2.00 a year, in advance; 20c Single Copy.
Entered at the Post Office, Salt Lake City. Utah, as second-class matter. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in section 1103, Act of October, 1917. authorized July 2. 1918.
The Improvement Era is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, but welcomes con- tributions. All manuscripts must be accompanied by sufficient postage for delivery and return.
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THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, DECEMBER, 1938
NEW BUS SERVICE
Between Salt Lake City and Payson
Effective December 5, 1938
"LJERE'S big news for Utah travelers! Beginning
^ Monday, December 5, you can travel locally
by Union Pacific bus between any points in Utah
. south of Salt Lake City (including Salt Lake City).
Enjoy the comfort of smoothriding Super-Coaches
Sample LOW FareS on every trip through this territory!
(From Salt Lake City)
American Fork $ .65 Pleasant Grove .70 Provo ...,;:.-;.. .90 Spanish Fork .. 1.10
Payson ±~~ 1.30
Nephi ...„.:.:.... 1.70
Fillmore ._.. 2.90
Cedar City __ 5.00
Las Vegas 8.00
Los Angeles .... 9.95
Portland -~ 13.00
Chicago .. — 24.50
3 convenient schedules daily each way
SOUTHBOUND
Lv. Lv. Lv. Lv. Lv. Lv. Lv. Ar.
Lv. Lv. Lv. Lv. Lv. Lv. Lv. Ar.
Salt Lake City 10:30 a. m. 7:30 p. m.
Provo 11:56 a. m. 8:56 p. m.
Spanish Fork 12:16 p. m. 9:16 p. m.
Payson „12:28 p. m. 9:28 p. m.
Nephi - 1:35 p.m. 10:11p.m.
Cedar City 5:49 p. m. 2:30 a. m.
Las Vegas _ 10:15 p. m. 6:00 a. m.
Los Angeles 6:30 a. m. 2:45 p. m.
NORTHBOUND
Los Angeles 9:00 a. m. 6:00 p. m.
Las Vegas 6:20 p. m. 2:25 a. m.
Cedar City 12:22 a. m. 8:30 a. m.
Nephi 4:11 a. m. 12:59 p. m.
Payson 4:49 a. m. 1:34 p. m.
Spanish Fork 5:01 a. m. 1:46 p. m.
Provo - 5:28 a. m. 2:13 p. m.
Salt Lake City 6:45 a. m. 3:30 p. m.
1:00 a. m. 2:21 a. m. 2:41 a. m. 2:53 a. m. 3:30 a. m. 8:30 a. m. 12:35 p. m. 8:45 p. m.
11:00 p. m. 7:25 a. m. 1:52 p. m. 6:24 p. m. 7:00 p. m. 7:12 p. m. 7:40 p. m. 8:55 p. m.
For other dollar-saving fares and complete bus travel information, see your local Union Pacific bus agents
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STEPHEN G00SS0N (LEFT) FORMER HEAD OF COLUMBIA STUDIOS ART DEPARTMENT, AND LIONEL BANKS (RIGHT) PRESENT HEAD OF COLUMBIA ART DEPARTMENT.
INTRODUCING LIONEL BANKS
By Weston N. Nordgren
You will like Lionel Banks. Soon you will be chatting with him as with an old and valued friend. He puts you at ease. Lionel Banks is the new art department head at Columbia Studios in Hollywood.
He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. His grandfather, Oliver C. Bess, came to Utah with Brigham Young in 1847. His Banks grandparents were among the handcart pioneers. Lionel's early education was obtained from the Lat- ter-day Saints' High School and the University of Utah. The family still maintains Banks Court in Salt Lake City. An Elder, Lionel Banks, now 37, and his wife, the former LaVee Peterson of Richfield, maintain mem- bership in Arlington Ward, Hollywood Stake, with their two sons, Neil, 5, and Robin, 4.
In 1920, Lionel Banks came to the coast and studied at the University of Southern California. After obtaining his degree, he returned to Utah, pur- suing his profession as an architect.
He began motion picture work at Warner Bros. First National Studios on their first sound picture, starring Al Jolson.
The film, "Moby Dick," was largely his work. Many other films have fol- lowed, chief of which is the new mo- tion picture, "You Can't Take It With You." We met him, in fact, through the good offices of Harry McPherson, former Salt Lake newspaper man, now at Columbia, while previewing this film.
He started at Columbia as a sketch artist, taking the job for two weeks. He has been there nine years now; and for the past six years has been Associate to Art Director Stephen Goosson. On July 1, of this year, he succeeded Mr. Goosson as head of Columbia's Art De- partment.
708
fcxplounq^ thsL IAmwqmil
T-Jow does sap get from the roots to *" ■*■ the leaves in a tree? Usually it is said that the sap is pulled upward by suction from the leaves where evapora- tion is going on. Some new interesting work on this problem with tomato roots, that had never been attached to a plant, found enough pressure de- veloped in the roots to send sap to the top of a California big tree, or more than 100 pounds per square inch.
P\oes water have form or structure? Surprising as it may seem, a honey- comb pattern or structure has been found in very cold water which persists as the temperature goes up. Ice, of course, has a definite evident structure, but this pattern persists as the water becomes liquid, with a sort of honey- comb form through which the molecules of water move in and out.
By FRANKLIN S. HARRIS, JR.
P\r. T. J. Case of the University of *-^ Chicago has found that the elec- trical waves given off by the brain can be used to detect scars and tumors in the brain. This may then take the place of the X-ray method where a hole must be drilled into the skull, so that air can take the place of brain fluid, to give shadows on the photo- graphs.
M
Are other living things right or left- ^* handed? The cricket, the grass- hopper and many others draw their bow, which is on the right wing-case over the sounding apparatus on the left wing-case. Nearly all the molluscs, (snails, etc.), that have spiral shells roll their coils from left to right. There are very few of the numerous species which turn from right to left. Zoo tests have found the chances are four to one that a parrot will reach for food with the left claw.
A rhinoceros has no ear for music- — "^ — at least one in the London Zoo tried to charge an orchestra no matter what tune was played. The sea-lions liked everything but jazz. The wolves and jackals responded readily to the music offered. A tune set in a depress- ing minor key caused them to point their noses to the sky and drown out the orchestra. The cheetah enjoyed a fox-trot but showed alarm at Gounod's "Funeral March." Music never failed to bring all the crocodiles out of the ponds onto the banks, where they showed interest with upraised heads. A like effect was obtained with scorpions and spiders. Birds were in no way attracted and some clearly an- noyed.
oscow, Russia, has made a test of a pavement made of black and brown rubber. After nine months of severe traffic conditions the experiment was declared successful. Advantages claimed are: noiselessness, neither ice nor snow remains on it, and it is easy to wash.
An improved whooping tough vac- •** cine is being prepared and tested by the U. S. Public Health Service. Preliminary results are encouraging but careful tests taking another two years will be necessary before the vaccine's effectiveness will be known. Prepared from the Sauer vaccine now used, the new type takes longer to be absorbed by the body, giving a longer time for antibodies to be formed, and in addi- tion needs to be given in only two doses instead of six.
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i ii ■
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, DECEMBER, 1938
■fc • * • •
CHRISTMAS
♦ ♦
AT CHRISTMAS CITY
WE BELIEVE . . . Again, with the arrival of this most joyous time of year, comes a desire from us who strive at Christmas City, to make each season a little happier and a little brighter ... to reiterate anew those ideals which motivate all our ambitions and endeavors.
WE BELIEVE ... in the Spirit of Christmas and in the happiness and joy that comes from giving. We believe that the size of the gift is unimportant, but whatever you give, see that quality is there
WE BELIEVE ... in quality to the very corse, for there is no economy except in quality
WE BELIEVE ... in simplicity and thrill to the beauty and joy that comes from simple things . . . and we have filled our Christmas City with thousands of just such lovable items. .....
WE BELIEVE . . . that a store should be a place where people can select what they want and need from among thousands of items with confidence and ease.
WE BELIEVE ... in rotund Santas, in holly wreaths and in mistletoe ... in Christmas carols and happy greet- ings ... in what we stand for and what we have.
WE APPRECIATE ... the 70 years of public trust which we have enjoyed and we stand today more eager than ever before to serve you. .....
* 710
From a panel by Avard Fairbanks.
CHRISTMAS CYCLE
I
T was myself a little child — alone
Von a Christmas hearth, its glow grown dim.
The soft white flakes upon the window blown,
The tap upon the pane of whitened limb
Had filled my heart with awe — perhaps with fear.
The wind sang shrill; the frozen world was dark;
The candles with no flame had lost their cheer;
I wondered where had flown the meadow lark.
And then a slumbering log awoke to flame — -
The tinsel of the tree sprang glad with light;
And, shadow-soft, I seemed to hear my name
As now a little Christ Child filled my sight —
A sparkling Child with halo like the frost,
And we were friends — with all the shadows lost!
Ill
'T'here were no smiles one glazed December day — Just hush and pain, no word, no tone could reach; Mere chaos, and a heart bowed low. The ray Of friendly Christmas candle, thoughts men preach Fell like dead leaves on grief-drenched eyes and ears. The touch of baby cheek — now marble chill — Was not enough to bring the needed tears; My mind was impotent to wake the will. But when I seemed to see Him in the night And — floating to me on the Christmas chime — I heard my name, His eyes alight, I knew the sleeping babe was ever mine. O wonderment to feel that He was near — "I am the light — " above a tiny bier!
II
Tt was the time of holly and of chimes
When bridal lilies breathed of ecstacy. There was the jargon, too, of boyish rhymes — For never had been seen a bride like me! There were the laces and the gleaming gown, The laughter — and my mother's hidden tear; The winding staircase which I pattered down All radiant to meet the coming year. But when I stood a moment there alone Beside the candles and the log burned low, Like echoes from far years, in gentle tone I heard again my name; I saw the glow Of that same smile. O, little Christ Child dear! In my full world of love I felt you near!
IV
HThe kiss of snow, like velvet on my cheek;
The moon grown faint, and starlight lost in haze; Low chanting from the churches of the meek — The old, old tongue that lived in other days. Far arcs of town, in holiday array, Are gleaming dream-like through a misty lane. As echoes of a carol, sweet and gay, Proclaim His birth again, and yet again. But I, grown old, can hear His whisper low, And I, grown wise, can feel the inner light; O it is good to walk in falling snow And feel the wings of love that lift the night! For life is rich in tides which sweep the years When man may grow toward majesty through tears!
BLANCHE KENDALL McKEY
711
]JhE EDITORS PAGE
JhsL "SiUL Small Oqiol'
By PRESIDENT HEBER J.GRANT
HPhe "still small voice" is given to those who heed it, •*• each for his own comfort and guidance, according to his faithfulness and needs.
I am reminded of some very faith promoting inci- dents in my experience. I was out in Tooele at a quarterly stake conference and the Patriarch of the stake, Brother John Rowberry, had told me many years before of having had a dream (as I remember it, thirty years before ) , in which he was on a great vessel, and every once in a while somebody fell overboard, and he finally fell overboard himself, and when he struggled through the water he came out into the most beautiful country that he had ever seen, and he met Brother Orson Pratt there. He asked Brother Pratt: "Where am I?" and Brother Pratt said: "You are in heaven, Brother Rowberry."
Brother Pratt happened to be out in Tooele at that particular time visiting the various wards in that stake, and Brother Rowberry told him of this dream, praying to the Lord that Brother Pratt would not ask him who the man was that he met in his dream. He did not want to tell him that he, Brother Pratt, had to die first. Brother Pratt said: "I will pray about it and if I get the interpretation I will give it to you."
Just before leaving (he was there several weeks) Brother Pratt said:
"Well, I prayed about your dream, Brother Row- berry, and I got the interpretation. The people on that vessel represented the people of the world. You said that the majority of the people who fell overboard you did not know. If you will write down a list of those you did know in the order in which they fell overboard I promise you that they shall die in that exact order, and I promise you that when you shall go to heaven you shall meet the identical man that you met in your dream, and when you meet him tell him that the dream was from the Lord and the interpretation was also from the Lord through Brother Orson Pratt."
And Brother Rowberry said: "Brother Pratt, I will tell him."
While I was still in Tooele as president of the stake, I received a telegram to the effect that Brother Orson Pratt was in a very serious condition of health and re- questing that we hold a prayer meeting in both Grants- ville and Tooele for his recovery. We did so, and, as we were going into the prayer circle room in Tooele, Brother Rowberry said to me: "Heber, do you remem- ber my dream?" I told him, "Yes." He said: "Well, it is Brother Pratt's turn next." And indeed, that proved to be Brother Pratt's last illness.
Some years later I was out in Tooele at a stake con- ference at which Brother Rowberry was one of the speakers. He was in very good health, although he was an aged man at the time. He spoke with a great deal of power and vigor and expressed his gratitude for the Gospel. After the meeting he said: "Brother Grant, do you remember my dream?" I said, "Yes." He said: "The people have died in the exact order in which they fell off the vessel. They are all gone, and it is my turn next and I am the happiest man in all Tooele County. I am anxious to meet Brother Pratt and to meet your father and other men and women 1 have loved with all my heart. By the way, I will tell your father, Brother Grant, that you are doing very well as an Apostle."
The next time I went to Tooele he had passed on.
Asa baby only six months old my daughter, Lucy, was ■ very, very ill out in Tooele, and I sent for Brother Rowberry to come and administer to her. After he had blessed her he turned to me and said: "Did you get the witness of the spirit that your baby should live?" I said: "No, I did not." He said: "I did, and I know she is going to live. Go to your desk and get a piece of paper and let me give her a Patriarchal blessing."
He gave her a blessing and he made many remarkable promises to her, many of which have been fulfilled to the very letter.
Some time later he met me and he said: "Brother Grant, I want you to come to my office." (He was the Probate Judge out there.) "I have a blessing in my heart for you of a Patriarchal nature." He gave me a most wonderful and marvelous blessing, nearly all of which has been fulfilled to the very letter, and he made the remark: "Brother Grant, I saw something that I dared not put in your blessing." I then had the impression (I was just twenty- four years of age when he made that remark and had not been made an Apostle) that I should live to preside over the Church. I have felt that is what he saw. I never spoke of it in my life until I became the President of the Church, and I tried to persuade myself at that time and through all the following years that it could not be — that I was mistaken. Some of the things Brother Rowberry prom- ised me in that patriarchal blessing I could hardly be- lieve would come true, but they have done so. [ WAS feeling as blue, financially speaking, as I ever •*■ did in my life when my cousin, Anthony W. Ivins, was called to go to Mexico. He had been marvelously successful in running ranches. He and I owned half of a $50,000 ranch that for years paid a 25 per cent divi- dend regularly. The panic had come on, and some institutions in which I had money were not paying dividends. The $12,500 I owned in this ranch was pay- ing the interest at 6 per cent on $50,000 of my debts. I was sitting in the temple, feeling heart-broken (al- though I was one of the committee that nominated Brother Ivins to go into Mexico because I felt im- pressed that he was needed there and that the Lord wanted him to go there ) , when it came to me as plainly as though a voice had declared it: "You have no need of feeling sad because of your cousin's going to Mexico. He is going right where the Lord wants him to go and you shall have the exquisite joy of welcoming him back into this room of the temple as an Apostle of this last dispensation." I immediately shed some tears of joy and gratitude. And this promise also was fulfilled.
I mention these things simply to strengthen our knowledge and faith. The Lord gives to many of us the still, small voice of revelation. It comes as vividly and strongly as though it were with a great sound. It comes to each man, according to his needs and faithful- ness, for guidance in matters that pertain to his own life. And for the Church as a whole it comes to those who have been ordained to speak for the Church as a whole. And this certain knowledge which we have that the guiding influence of the Lord may be felt in all the ways of life, according to our needs and faithfulness, is among the greatest blessings God grants unto men. And with this blessing comes the responsibility to render obedience to the "still small voice".
712
Evidences and reconciliations
X) Aids to Faith in a Modern Day
Tt fotJ • M.I r ±t 1 been left to gradual preaching and human instru-
fflOiV C/LcL JUu tflSL fcJCVujrL? mentality. So in nature, trees, animals, and men
^^ have small beginnings, and require time to attain
HHhis is an ancient question which has occasioned to perfection." ( A. McCaul, "The Mosaic Record
much controversy. There are at least three of Creation," p. 213 in Aids to Faith.)
prevailing answers among faithful Bible-be- Second. The word translated "day" in Genesis
lieving Latter-day Saints. The fact appears to be really means, in the original, an age or undefined
that no man knows the age of the earth. period of time, and is so rendered in several trans-
The first group believe that the earth was created lations of the Bible. Further, the first three "days"
in six days of twenty-four hours each. That is, could not have been days such as we have, for the
the earth was six days old at the coming of Adam, sun and the moon had not yet been placed in the
This view is based upon the literal acceptance of firmament.^ (Genesis, 1:5-19.) Moreover, the
the story of creation as given in King James' word "day" is used frequently throughout the Bible
translation of Genesis. (Gen., Chapter 1; Exodus in a general sense, as "the day of the Lord," the
20: 1 1 . ) According to this belief there was a sue- day of vengeance," "the night is far spent, the day
cession of sudden or catastrophic creative events is at hand."
during this short period of time which led to the Third. Scripture revealed in modern days to the
formation of the earth. The catastrophists contend Prophet Joseph Smith indicates that the word
that the Lord is able through His divine power, if "day" should be understood to mean periods of
He so desires, to form an earth or many earths in time, for in the Abrahamic record of creation, each
short moments of time. They also quote the words creative act is followed by the statement "This was
of Moses as revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, the first or the beginning of that which they called
which follow closely the wording of King James' night and day," "and this was the second time that
translation. (Pearl of Great Price, Moses, 2:1-31.) they called night and day," and so on until "and
The second group hold that each day of crea- they numbered the sixth time." {Pearl of Great
tion was really one thousand years, and that the Price, Abraham, Chapter 4. ) Then, "And the Gods
earth therefore was six thousand years old at the concluded upon the seventh time." (Ibid, 5:3.)
coming of Adam. Those who uphold this view Fourth. Genesis opens with the phrase "In
quote as their support the statement of the Apostle the beginning God created the heavens and the
Peter, "One day is with the Lord as a thousand earth." It is quite agreed by students that the
years, and a thousand years as one day." (2 word "beginning" is indefinite in its significance and
Peter, 3:8.) In defense of this view the statement may mean previous time or even previous eternity,
made by Abraham is also quoted: "The Lord said according to subject — as in John's gospel "Before
unto me, by the Urim and Thummim, that Kolob the world was." (John 17:5.) This is placed by
was after the manner of the Lord, according to its the side of Alma's words "All is as one day with
times and seasons in the revolutions thereof; that God and time only is measured unto men," (Alma,
one revolution was a day unto the Lord, after his 40:8) as indicating that our measurement of time,
manner of reckoning, it being one thousand years with its short days and hours came only with man.
according to the time appointed unto that whereon Fifth. The slow processes of nature, as known
thou standest. This is the reckoning of the Lord's to man, must long have been in operation to lift
time according to the reckoning of Kolob. (Pearl the mountains from lake and sea bottoms, and to
of Great Price, Abraham, 3 :4. ) carve out the valleys. All human experience points
The third group believe that the creation of the to the need of periods of time far beyond six thou-
earth extended over immensely long periods of time, sand years, to fashion the earth as it appears today,
not yet correctly established by revelation or by or as it seems to have been throughout recorded
man's scientific advance, and that the earth there- history.
fore is very old. In support of this view they Sixth. Recent discoveries in the field of radio- marshal several arguments: • activity have furnished a "time-clock" which corn- First. It is admitted that the Lord has power pels the belief that the earth is very old, far beyond to accomplish His work in His own way and time, the former, accepted limits.
"But nature and scripture both teach us that it has Those who upon the above and other views hold
pleased the Lord to work gradually. His purpose that the earth is very old, have attempted to esti-
was to fill the earth with inhabitants, and yet only mate the age of the earth in years. The method is
a single pair was created. ... It is His will that always based on a common principle. The rate at
the whole earth shall be filled with the knowledge which some process is going on at the present day
of Himself; but the diffusion of the knowledge has {Concluded on page 755)
713
CHASTITY
By PRESIDENT J. REUBEN CLARK, JR.
Of the First Presidency
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\X7e must approach and teach our youth as
children of god, with spirits that are to live
throughout eternity, and tell them plainly and
clearly that the laws of god and man demand
THAT THEY SHALL BE CHASTE. If WE TEACH ANYTHING LESS THAN THIS WE SHALL DESTROY OUR YOUTH.
I WANT to say a few words to the parents, to the teachers and to the youth of the Church about a matter that seems to me to be of the most far-reaching importance.
To Moses on Sinai came the law of all time: "Thou shalt not commit adultery." The Master, Jesus Christ, found his most opprobrious term in the phrase, "an adulterous gener- ation." The Lord in his time and in ours, has put adultery and forni- cation side by side. Both are car- dinal sins.
The Church has from the begin- ning demanded of its youth, male and female, one standard only, ab- solute continence until proper mar- riage has legalized and hallowed the sexual relations. To this there is no exception. Man is a biological unit, an animal, but he is more than this, he is the temple of an immortal spirit. That spirit can be defiled by the flesh, and defilement comes when the laws of chastity are violated.
Our very civilization itself is based upon chastity, the sanctity of mar- riage and the holiness of the home. Destroy these and Christian man becomes a brute.
For Latter-day Saints the family relationship continues through eter- nity. It is the loftiest and most sacred human relationship we know. To the chaste young man and young woman beginning the building of a home, there is a trust, a confidence, 714
a joy unspeakable, an all but divine harmony that no other purely human undertaking can bring. The right- ful heritage of such a beginning in life is a life of righteousness that builds upward to eternal life.
To the unchaste who marry there is ahead either a life of distrust, lack of confidence, unhappiness, leading to the divorce court, or a life of promiscuous sexual relationship that ends in misery, disease, and shame. Debauchery never gave birth to good of any kind.
Chastity is fundamental to our life and to our civilization. If the race becomes unchaste, it will perish. Immorality has been basic to the destruction of mighty nations in the past. It will bring to dust the mighty nations of the present.
Every one of us who instructs our youth, in whatever place or position, and in whatever capacity, must teach the young people of today to abstain from unchastity. We must surround our teachings with due and proper reserve and modesty. We must approach and teach the youth as the children of God, with spirits that are to live throughout eternity, and tell them plainly and clearly that the laws of God, and of man also, demand that they live chaste. If we shall teach anything less than this, we will destroy our youth and we will bring ourselves under a con- demnation which is too great to be fathomed by the human mind.
Tn what I have said I include all of
lis parents. How can we parents
face our Maker if we have failed in
one featherweight to meet the duty
which is ours in these matters? And let us not make the mistake — any of us — of assuming that our children are beyond temptation and may not fall. This is a delusion and a snare that will bring us to the very depths. Let every father and every mother, every brother and every sister, stand guard day and night that their loved ones be not seized and carried away by lust.
You young people, may I directly entreat you to be chaste. Please be- lieve me when I say that chastity is worth more than life itself. This is the doctrine my parents taught me; it is truth. Better die chaste than live unchaste. The salvation of your very soul is concerned in this.
I ask you to believe me when I say that whenever a man or woman, young or old, demands as the price of his friendship that you give up the righteous standards of your life, or any of them, that man's friend- ship is not worth the price he asks. You may not trust that friendship. He will cast it off as he does his worn-out coat. Friendship is not now and never was the offspring of debauchery or unrighteousness.
I ask you young women to be- lieve me further when I say that any young man who demands your chastity as the price of his love, is spiritually unclean, and is offering something that is not worth the purchase price. His love will turn to ashes under your touch; it will lead you to misery and shame; and too often it will curse you with dread disease.
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, DECEMBER, 19 3 8
To you young men I say that any woman who comes to you offering her person outside of legal wedlock, is playing the harlot.
The Lord has said in our day: "For I, the Lord, cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allow- ance." (D. and C. 1 :31 ). And to Moses he said that no unclean thing can dwell in the kingdom of God or in his presence. (Moses 6:57.)
Yet there is forgiveness for the sinner who truly repents. God's mercy is just as boundless as his
anxious to forgive, if you shall come with a repentant heart — the repent- ance of a forsaking of sin, and the living of a righteous life, and a con- trite spirit.
To the unbelieving scoffer who says: "All you say merely shows how old and out of date your re- ligion is," — or, as one educator said: "how much your religion is of the kindergarten type" — to the scoffers who say that man has outgrown the old God with His rewards and pun- ishments, His standards, and that
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"pOR I, the Lord, cannot look upon sin with
THE LEAST DEGREE OF ALLOWANCE." DOC. AND
Cov. 1:31.
I have spoken plainly because plain speech is necessary. I have tried not to speak indelicately; I have not spoken lewdly.
Youth, be not disturbed. Be valiant. God^ives. The Gospel is His way of life. Follow the Gospel
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Au^icknt io Aai^ ihaL iku&. hctA. ihai/L JdrwL Afwfout. auiol Qcdn. thkxL io $umL cu bsdi&Jv svai^ than, ihsL otul 'Sod. heat fUwvid&d. JJuitu wilL ih&tf olwayA, AfmaL uniiL %oxL Ahall
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justice. To the woman taken in adultery, condemned to death by the Mosaic law, Jesus said: "Go, and sin no more." But the heart must be ripened in repentance be- fore forgiveness can come, and sor- row alone is not repentance. A new and righteous life must be led.
Church members, young and old, the Lord demands that you be chaste. The Church requires chas- tity from you under penalty of dis- fellowship and excommunication. If any of you have already sinned, your brethren and sisters stand ready and
T ET EVERY FATHER AND EVERY MOTHER, EVERY BROTHER AND
EVERY SISTER, STAND GUARD DAY AND NIGHT THAT THEIR
LOVED ONES BE NOT SEIZED AND CARRIED AWAY IN UNCHASTITY.
man must now create for himself a new God — and this last is at the root of much of the so-called modern philosophy, which considers man as creating his God, not God as creat- ing His children — to these scoffers it is sufficient to say that thus has their kind spoken since Cain tried to find a better way than the one God had provided. Thus will they always speak until God shall close their mouths.
path to eternal life, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." ( John 17:3.) May the Lord give us His spirit, bring home to our hearts the ne- cessity of chastity for every man and every woman, for every boy and every girl, I ask, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. — From an address delivered at the \09th Semi- Annual Conference.
o^§ ®^^o
715
Portrait^
£L
Part Two The Young Family Man
Really to know a man one should also know his wife. Father you have met. Let me introduce you to my mother. For only a few years we were privileged to have her with us, yet so strong and clear-cut was the impression of her vivid, inspiring, dynamic per- sonality that it was, is and always will be a vital part of my innermost being.
Mother's father, Briant String- ham, came west with the first com- pany of Mormon pioneers; her moth- er came later with my grandfather Jedediah M. Grant's company. At the time of the Gold Rush Grand- father Stringham had decided to go to California when he met Brigham Young, who said: "Briant, what are you doing?"
"I'm preparing to go to California. I've sold my shop."
"Well, we'll find something for you right here. You can take care of the Church stock from Arizona to Idaho." .
Headquarters for the Church stock was on Antelope Island. Mother used to tell us of the happy summers spent on what was then called "Church Island." There were an adobe house, an orchard, springs of fresh water, hills to climb, horses to ; ride and a beach of fine sand where they went into the lake to bathe. What more could a child desire — especially when she had a father who said his idea of heaven was "a ten-acre lot filled with chil- dren."
When mother was thirteen those happy, carefree days ended, for her father died, leaving a large family to make their own way in life. Al- though so young, mother felt keenly the ; responsibility of holding the family together, and giving them every possible educational advan- tage. Aunt Louisa A. Badger, who was reared in grandfather String- ham's home, recently wrote of her:
In her girlhood days she had a struggle against poverty, but she went to school determined to make something of herself, and she prepared to be a teacher.
Your grandmother was not a strong woman and had little in a financial way — just a home. She had a knitting machine with which she knit stockings for the stores.
I see Lou now in the kitchen getting break- fast. We all helped, but Lou was the
7\6
YOUNG MAN
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By RACHEL GRANT TAYLOR
THE GRANT BROTHERS, LEFT TO RIGHT, FRONT ROW: JEDEDIAH MORGAN GRANT, JOSEPH HYRUM GRANT, GEORGE SMITH GRANT; BACK ROW: BRIGHAM F. GRANT, HEBER J. GRANT, JOSHUA F. GRANT.
leader. She worked in the morning, sew- ing, washing, getting things done before school time.
She adored your father, and has told me that to her there was nothing lacking in him, that he just met her requirements. She cultivated your father's friends for his sake, and it was not long until they all liked to come to her home. She loved beautiful things, took joy in literature and the drama.
• • •
She could see the right plainly. Her eyes would flash at an untruth and she would say, "That is not so." She could not tolerate anything "put on."
She had a keen brain and executive ability. Her perceptions and desires were all for the fine and good.
When I think of Lou, I see her truthful- ness, love of honesty in word and act. Her religion was life to her.
Such a woman was my mother,
who shared with my father the ex- periences which we here call "The Portrait of a Young Man."
It was not until April, 1881, that Father bought a house in Tooele. He writes:
I gave Brother H. S. Gowans $800.00 to pay Brother John Larsen in full for his residence, $900.00 being the price agreed upon. I had paid Brother Larsen $100.00 while he was in Salt Lake attending con- ference.
The journal tells of a Brother El- der working on the house, and from the record it appears that Father helped him at every opportunity.
While the pages of Father's jour- nal relating to his Church, business and other matters were interesting, the part describing the time our fam- ily moved to Tooele disclosed a phase of his life that was entirely new.
Mother was not very well, and so
Father had the responsibility of
moving. On Wednesday, May 4th.
he writes:
Spent the day at the office and pur- chasing goods to ship to Tooele. Thurs- day and Friday, same.
The book in which the journal is written has many pages devoted to matters other than journal. There are lists of insurance risks, and diagrams of buildings to be insured. On some of the pages I found a list of the things he had purchased to set up housekeeping in the new home.
The first item was knives and forks, $14.00, crossed out, Evi- dently that had been considered too expensive, and some costing $4.75 were chosen. The item of "a bolt of lonsdale," immediately brought with it a picture of a wholesale sup-
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, DECEMBER, 1938
MY MOTHER'S VALIANT EYES By Rachel Grant Taylor
Mother dear, my heart goes back Along the trail of yesteryears, I see again your valiant eyes Although my own are dim with tears.
You could not stay with love to light My way when shadows should arise, But you could leave a gift divine — The memory of your valiant eyes.
When death shall come with beckon- ing hand And free my soul from earthly ties, One boon I crave from out the dusk, Love's greeting from your valiant eyes.
Reprinted by Courtesy of the Relief Society Magazine.
ply of children's dresses, little and big, full-ruffled petticoats, and tuck- yoked, long sleeve nightgowns.
I was amused that the things Fa- ther bought for repairing the house and for garden tools had no price.
Another item that seems to have been eliminated was bed springs, $10.00. I wondered what they sub- stituted; still, with 40 yards of tick- ing, a hair mattress, and 10 pounds of feathers, perhaps the springs could be omitted.
The list follows:
Grater 10
Mustard Spoon
Egg Beater 35
Wringer 7.00
Teaspoons 50
Tablespoons 1 .00
Tin cup 20
Tin Plates 50
3 Tin cups 35
Bread Plate 1.75
Bread Plate 2.00
Dust pan 50
Dust Brush 75
4 lbs. Raisins 1. 00
4 lbs. Currants 50
6 cans Field
Oysters 1.50
8 lbs. Rice 1.00
Tapioca, Pearl 40
6 lb. Box Starch 85
Olive Oil 1. 00
Cheese 1.00
3% lbs. Soap 1.25
Sieve 35
Coaloil Can 50
6 Milk Pans _... 1.50
Sauce Pan 1.00
Water Pail 1.50
Water Pitcher 75
1 doz. Glasses 1.60
Churn ._ 1.20
1 doz. Sauce
dishes 80
Flat Irons 2.75
Tack Hammer 40
Soap 1.00
Salt 20
3 oz. Nutmegs 25
2 pkg. Corn Starch .30
Yeast Powder 50
Rolling Pin 25
Tubs 4.25
Wash Board 35
Clothes Basket 1.50
7 doz. C Pins 50
2 Brooms 80
Sapone 25
Oil Cloth 65
Table Cloth _... 1.05
Crash 1.00
Sheeting C W
Lonsdale 1 bolt
Ticking 40 yards at
20c
1 sack sugar
Shoes Ray 1.25
Shoes wife
Hat 4.50
12 box Matches 50
Stove Blacking 25
3 boxes Shoe
Blacking 25
Shoe Brush 50
Butter Bowl 50
Box Blueing 25
Can Coaloil 2.75
Lamp 4.00
Lamp 75
Lamp .65
1 doz. Plates 1.25
Caster 1.00
2 Veg. Dishes 40
2 Veg. Bakers 1.20
2 Veg. Bakers 60
From Dinwoodey's
Cupboard $28.00
Safe 9.00
Table 14.00
Chairs 6 12.00
Rocking Chair 4.50
Bedstead 8.50
3 Wooden Chairs.. 3.00
Bedstead 12.00
Hair Mattress 12.00
10 lbs. Feathers 7.50
2 Hat Racks 2.00
Looking Glass
Bracket 2.75
Clothes Horse 2.50
Axe and Handle
Hatchet
Rake
Shovel
Spade
Hoe
Fork
Pick
Scythe
Wheelbarrow
250 shingles, 5 boards
9 inches by 14 feet 14 brackets for the posts. 290 feet ceiling lumber. 90 feet moulding.
Saturday, April 30. Took the 7 a. m.
train for Tooele. Went to my house and assisted Brother Elder in working on the same. In the evening went to the Court House and wrote to Tony Ivins.
The week from May 7th to May 14th was occupied principally in moving. Of this Father writes:
Saturday, May 7, 1881. Took morning train for Tooele. Met by Andrew Gow- ans with wagon. He and I loaded a wagon full of household effects and took them to my home in Tooele. Thos. W. Lee and I drove to the depot and helped Andrew to load again. (Went to meeting in Grants- ville.) Returned to Tooele in the evening and helped Brother Elder working on my house.
Monday. Did some little work in un- packing my household effects — balance of day assisted Brother Carl J. Elder in re- pairing my house.
Wednesday, 11, and Thursday, May 12, spent at office and in purchasing house- hold furniture and in packing and moving my effects to the depot to ship to Tooele.
Friday, May 13th. Train for Tooele. Met at depot by Andrew Gowans and wagon. Loaded wagon with household goods. Going to my house we met Brother Peter Gillespie going for a load of my ef- fects. I returned with him. Before we got loaded, Andrew Gowans returned and his load finished all of the goods.
Saturday, May 14th, 1881. Worked un- til train time in house and then went to the depot and met my wife and two chil- dren. Hired Betsy Gowans to work for us. Paid Andrew $4.00 for the hauling of four loads of furniture from the depot. Busy all day putting down carpets.
Next came the days ot getting set- tled and working around the lot.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thurs- day, Friday, May 16-20. The above days I was busy hanging pictures, window cur- tains, working around the house and on my lot. Did my first plowing.
Saturday, May 21. Worked around the house in the morning. In the afternoon my wife and I and also the children drove to Grantsville to get a cow — one of Broth- er Samuelson's for $22.50, delivered in Tooele.
Monday. Worked planting garden until train time. Went to the depot and met my wife's sister Susie Jacobs and her baby. Afternoon spent in gardening.
Saturday, May 28. Took the morning train for Tooele. Mother, Susie Jacobs and two children went with me. Met at the depot by Ephraim Gowans and Richard Lyman. Had a good buggy load. At dinner had all the strawberries we could eat pick- ed from our own lot,
Sunday, May 29. The writing in this journal has all been done today from the third line from the bottom of page 45. I have made memos, in pencil, etc., and should have written the journal daily, but while moving and arranging at Tooele my foun- tain pen gave out and I had no ink at my residence.
Saturday, June 4. Took train for Tooele. Spent day at home cutting lucern and other work. In evening attending meeting for Co-educational Association. After meeting cut lucern for about an hour.
Monday, June 6. Took train for Salt Lake. Before going cut some lucern. It rained quite hard. I raked up the lucern during the rain and got wet through.
Monday to Saturday, June 13 to 18. All the above days I was busy working on
ANTHONY W. IVINS AS A YOUNG MAN
wire doors, screens for windows, cutting lucern and putting same in barn.
Monday, June 20. Got up at four o'clock and worked until 12 o'clock putting lucern in barn. ,>:,■.
have written of Father's ibusy week-ends doing Church work. A record of such a time shows moth- er accompanying him on one of his trips, even though it entailed getting up at 3 a.m.:
Thursday, July 14. Morning at .home, in the evening drove to Lake Point, met mother and we drove to Bishop Edwin Hunter's at Grantsville. Found his wife sick. Bishop and I administered to Sister Hunter. I got a riding horse of the Bishop and rode to John Riches and Alma Hale and John Rowberry's. Asked Alma wheth- er his father understood that we would start for Quincy at 4 a. m. tomorrow. Said yes.
Saturday, July 16. Got up at 3 a. m., fed the team, greased the buggy, and at 4:20 started for Quincy. Wife and children in the buggy with me. Mother, Sister Hale, and one of Brother Hale's sons followed us. We reached Quincy at 9:20. After din- ner at Quincy we drove to the Indian Farm twelve miles south of Quincy. Met Brother Wm. Lee. Had a meeting and then return- ed to Quincy.
Sunday, July 17. Attended Sunday School and afternoon meeting. After meet- ing drove to Grantsville. . . . When within four miles of Grantsville I commenced to walk my team. I wished to wait for the team with mother and Sister Hale. Had to walk about forty-five minutes before they came up. When I found they were all right I drove very rapidly towards Bishop Hunt- er's. I had only left the folks a few min- utes when it commenced to rain and blow and became so dark it was impossible for me to see the road. I had to trust to my team. I could occasionally see the road when it would lightning. It was so dark that I could not see even a dim outline of my horses.
When within a few rods of Wm. R.
Judd's my team stopped. I got out and!
{Continued on page 764)
717
\\
THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF
//
Among the choice gifts from God to mankind is this, that
each person born on earth is an individuality, the like of which has never before come to grace this earth and the like of which will never again be born.
Yet there is a unanimity of pur- pose within the souls of the untold millions who have been born; the purpose of liberty, growth, and an opportunity to work. One who does not feel the thrill of the opportun- ity of life, of the privilege of growth and development and the blessed boon of labor is ill indeed, both mentally and physically.
During the last several years, certain of us have found ourselves unable to do the things we former- ly did, and now lack opportunities to continue on profitably to our- selves and to our families in the channels wherein we were wont to labor.
The Church, ever alert to the welfare of its members, and hav- ing practiced from its inception in 1830 to the present time, the prin- ciple that all men should be profit- ably and continuously employed at some occupation which would bring the necessities of life and the joy of expansion and development, has again through its channels of- fered to all an opportunity to be in- dependent— to maintain their self- respect, and to thank God for the privilege of being able to produce and earn their shelter, food, cloth- ing, cultural advantages, and spir- itual development. In the organiza- tion of the Church there is a provi- sion for every exigency; so, today the quorums of the Priesthood are functioning in a splendid manner for the relief and comfort of those who may be temporarily in unfor- tunate circumstances.
The members of the 187th Quo- rum of Seventy, domiciled in six ecclesiastical wards in the Bear River Stake, met together and de- cided they would aid all those who needed assistance by giving to the individual members of their quo- rum, projects which became sources of pride and accomplishment to the respective members and the quorum.
In the assignment of these proj- ects each man was asked to con- tinue to do the thing he was already 718
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By RUFUS K. HARDY
Of the First Council of the Seventy
TOP: A YOUNG SEVENTY TOPS BEETS FOR THE QUORUM.
CENTER: THIS SEVENTY TAKES CARE OF A QUARTER-ACRE OF BEETS FOR THE QUORUM.
BOTTOM: "WE MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO GATHER THESE APPLES FROM THE GROUND."
engaged in doing. For instance, five hundred bushels of apples were set as the goal for the apple growers of the quorum. Those who raised hogs should raise an additional number, as their individual project. Each cattle raiser would furnish a calf and raise it until it was in prime
condition for fall and winter use. The drovers furnished sheep. Those who grew grain put in a few acres additional, this additional grain to go for the assistance of those who shall need it. The beet growers put in an extra half acre or acre of beets in some neglected corner or weedy place where they had not grown beets before.
In the past, quorum obligations were met by only about 50 per cent of the members. Others felt that they were unable to pay what was asked of them. Now, under this plan of letting each man contribute in the line of his own activity, 96 per cent responded, and have not only furnished enough for all the needs of the quorum, but in addi- tion have supplied means to main- tain missionaries in foreign fields, and, moreover, have an abundance which can be used for the blessing of others outside the quorum who may need it.
In the towns in this stake, for those who do not farm, flower gar- dens were planted, lawns were im- proved, vegetable gardens were tended by those who had only their labor to donate. A contractor in this stake suggested that he had several basements to dig and would turn one or more over to the quo- rum as work projects. Others of the quorum had trucks or teams, while some had only their hands and a willingness to labor. It has been a revelation, not only to the presidents of this quorum, but also to every member of the quorum who has so far responded in this joyous endeavor. It is the sugges- tion of the presidency of this quo- rum that for those who wish to do work for their individual projects and cannot find work for them- selves, it is the duty of the presi- idency to plan a project for them and find the necessary work.
This quorum would like in the fu- ture, with the aid of a fruit drier or a canning center, to take care of all of the products now going to waste in their territory. These (Concluded on page 743)
NEW VICTORIA THEATRE, BRADFORD. ENGLAND, WHERE THE MORMON MILLENNIAL CHORUS SANG FOR ONE WEEK.
Photo by R. P. Evans.
Captain George E. T. Eyston was driving his Thunderbolt over Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats for a new official world record, breaking his own mark of the pre- vious year and the records of all his illustrious predecessors. The writer was at the center of the measured mile, describing speed and more speed for KSL-CBS and an inter- national radio network. Glen Shaw and "Wally" Sandack were cover- ing the end positions at points each six and one-half miles from the center. Great Britain listened through the facilities of the British Broadcasting Company and had an intimate close-up from Utah as her favorite son of speed, the "fastest man on earth,'' garnered more lau- rels for his native land.
Captain Eyston told me that Mrs. Eyston, in her British home, heard the entire proceedings, including the roar of the Thunderbolt's motors as it went through the measured mile, and felt very near the scene, as though a continent and an ocean had been eliminated, which, indeed, they had been, insofar as sound may sub- stitute for sight. Her message came to him by telephone from London to Wendover, Utah, an hour or so after
BRITAIN LOOKS AT
JAe.
MORMONS
"TPhe faith of the Mormons, which began in ridicule now stands in dignity and respect. They have created a worthy and useful institution whose mem- bers do good by teaching and by the example of their upright lives."— From the London "Daily Express/' August 25, 1938.
By RICHARD L EVANS
Of the First Council of Seventy
the international broadcast had been signed off.
Three days previous, the Captain had made another run, a run con- ceded to be faster than the one that was officially counted; but after put- ting everything into it — and besides steel and rubber and gasoline and engineering brains, no one will ever know how much of the man himself goes into those runs — failure of a timing device disqualified the second lap. I interviewed the Captain on the microphone that day, and fully expected that there would emit from him what would have been a thor- oughly justifiable rebuke and tirade against fate, chance, stupidity, negli- gence, the sun, the salt, the weather,
THE CAMERAMAN CATCHES CAPTAIN EYSTONS "THUNDERBOLT" AS IT SPEEDS THROUGH THE MEASURED MILE ON THE BONNEVILLE SALT FLATS IN UTAH.
MORMON STREET MEETING ON THE CUSTOM HOUSE STEPS, BELFAST, IRELAND.
Photo by R. P. Evans.
and all other possible contributory causes. The intense bitterness of his disappointment is not to be de- nied. But, notwithstanding, he smiled affably, and pleasantly greet- ed the radio audience with a jest and with an apology for having kept them waiting so long and for having disappointed them.
That was "cricket" you know! With the better part of three years spent in Great Britain, my estimate of British fair play had already mounted high, but this display of supreme self-control, sportsmanship, and generous conduct topped any- thing I had ever seen.
The day after this brilliant but disqualified run during which Cap- tain Eyston ran north at 347.155 m.p.h. (he later officially established records of 345.49 m.p.h. and 357.5 m.p.h.) a column devoted to edi- torial comment in the London Daily Express, one of the world's great metropolitan newspapers, had this to say under date of August 25, 1938:
Faster and Faster
Captain Eyston drives a car at 347 miles an hour across the salt flats of Utah, so fast that the photographers' planes are left be- hind in his wake. Driving at that speed in- (Concluded on page 758)
JPul (RsdtWlTL 0$,
SOLOMON CROSLEY
'HE STORY OF A MAN WHOSE BETTER SELF HAD GONE AFAR AND SUDDENLY CAME BACK ONE CHRISTMAS.
s
'jlomon Crosley set the two shining milk pails on the table with one hand as he drew a handful of small change and a re- ceipted bill from his pocket with the other.
"Well, there's yer Christmas," he grumbled, slapping the bill and the money down beside the pails.
Mother Molly Crosley wiped her hands on the corner of her brown denim apron and took the blue slip of paper to the kitchen window.
"A new separator?'' she asked, in pleased surprise. "We've need- ed one for months and months."
"Fifteen down and the balance at ten a month. Fur as the egg- money would take it," he snapped.
She gasped, caught at the table for support, her eyes searching his scowling face for some reassurance that her fears were false.
"But the list — the presents for the children?" she pleaded.
"You've been a-grumblin' at leaky buckets and a rattlin' sep'- rator long 'nough. Time ye was takin' some of yer egg-money fer somethin' useful 'stead of blowin' it on gee-gaws fer Christmas."
"Shoes and sweaters and caps are useful," she argued, with trem- bling lips. "There were only a few trifles for Buddy and June."
She could speak no further, but gathered the money into her hand piece by piece, counting it with
By OLIVE
MAIBEN NICHOLES
painstaking care. He stood look- ing at her, the blood slowly mount- ing to his forehead. She looked tired and thin and faded^not much left of her girlish beauty. Only her hair, still like spun silk, rippled over her ears — one tiny, golden crescent curled over her cheek. He longed to kiss it, to take her in his arms, to look with hope into her brim- ming eyes. Why had he done this thing? Why didn't she throw the silver in his face; kick the milk pails out of the door; tear the receipt into bits and stamp them under her feet? His anger mounted like a flame with- in him as he turned on his heel and stumbled into the yard.
Molly watched him go — some- thing akin to love battling against the tumult in her heart. Oh, how long would it be before the miracle would happen! How could he! How could he! The hens were hers; she had cared for them through the stormy spring — through the long, hot days of summer. She had saved every egg, denying herself even one for breakfast, until the two new cases were filled with the precious load. Then, she had made out her list. They would bring her ten dollars apiece at the market- — twen- ty dollars for clothes for her chil- dren, and a tiny bit of Christmas cheer. If she had only gone herself, but that had been impossible. Sol- omon had to pay the taxes and one trip must suffice for many errands.
She straightened herself with an effort and looked across the room where her daughter, Martha, stood cleaning chickens at the kitchen sink. Molly could not see her face but the vigorous jerks of the round, young arms gave evidence enough of the anger and indignation within her. It was getting more difficult each day to stand as a "buffer" be- tween Martha and her father. She
looked wearily at the straight, un- yielding back before she could trust herself to speak.
"There's two-fifty left, and with today's eggs I believe we could manage something for June and Buddy. The boys'll have to wait. They did so want their caps and sweaters for the Festival tomorrow night. Do you think you could ride into town on the bay? He wouldn't spare the boys."
Marty whirled about like a wild thing. "Ma! How could you let him get by with a thing like that? He just gets worse and worse. Why it's — yes, it's four years since he spoke a decent word to anyone."
"Yes," her Mother answered, "It is four years, come March."
Meanwhile, Solomon had entered the stables. Two boys, one fifteen the other thirteen years, were nois- ily cleaning the stalls, jostling each other with their elbows, scuffling and giggling over each pitchfork- load of compost.
"Well, what kind o' party do ya call this?" he demanded, sternly.
"Teachin' Jim the fox trot, Pa. He's purty slow learnin' the steps," laughed the eldest boy, upsetting the younger brother with the fork handle.
Solomon stepped quickly to his son's side and struck him a sting- ing blow across the mouth. The boy staggered against the stall, staring at his father with incredulous amazement,
Solomon stared back, his heart sick within him, then turned and made his way dizzily to the gran- ary. His hands trembled so he could scarcely carry the grain to the horses. When he did finally reach the stable, he leaned heavily against old Major's glossy flanks, racked with fear.
"Whatever made me do that?" he gasped. "I could've spoke and he'd o' listened. Dave's a good boy. It'll be the horses next. I must be goin' crazy."
Molly was busy with the dinner.
720
K&A. °SPZ>^. °/%£?^ °/2%>A '
AND SO IT WAS THAT AN HOUR LATER, THE LOAFERS, BASKING IN THE WARMTH OF THE AIR-TIGHT STOVE, WERE STARTLED ALMOST OUT OF THEIR WITS, WHEN HE WALKED UN- STEADILY INTO PEDERSON'S EMPORIUM. NOT ONCE IN FOUR YEARS HAD HE CROSSED THAT THRESHOLD. NOW HE STOOD THERE, WHITE AND HAGGARD.
Marty setting the table when he entered the kitchen. He pulled up a chair with an impatient gesture. The mother hastened to set the food before him, but the girl walked leisurely back and forth, laying the covers with exasperating slowness. The boys came in. Marty looked at Dave in horrified surprise, caught her father's eyes upon her, and turned away with disgust.
JLhe meal progressed swiftly, each one anxious to be through and away from the im- pending storm. It broke at last, for Marty, rising, turned on her father with reckless fury.
"You can't break me, Pa, as you're doing the rest. I'm of age next week and I'm going away. I'll come back and get Ma, too, some day — a good woman has no right to live in the same house with you."
He was too horrified to speak. He got to his feet with an effort and passed out into the after- noon sunshine. Everything seemed vague, unreal. He stopped at the woodpile and began stacking the cut lengths with minutest detail.
"Better go after another load; be stormin' in a day or so," he muttered. "Do me good to get out in the hills, too."
A few minutes later as he drove the team through the great gates at the end of the lane. Buddy spied him from the sand pile. He ran to- ward the wagon as quickly as his four-year-old legs could carry him, brushing the sand from the chubby little fingers against the patched and faded seat of his little blue overalls.
"Take me, Pa, take me," he beg- ged, coming close to the wagon wheel and holding up his arms to be lifted.
"Pa can't take you this time, Buddy. I'm goin' a long way."
Then, seeing the crestfallen little figure, he whispered, "I'll get a little Christmas tree. Ya know, ya must not see yer Christmas things. Ya can shut the gate fer Pa, too."
Buddy backed obediently away, his face wreathed in smiles. Solo- mon halted his team long enough to see the bar glide into place and the little boy resume his play. He turned in the wagon seat and look- ed behind him at the richness and vastness of his possessions. The two, great, red barns filled to the ridgepoles with the finest hay in
the countryside, the huge silo and rambling sheep-sheds, the numer- ous granaries, bursting with tons of corn and wheat, barley and oats.
A Jersey bull, in his well-built pen, grumbled ominously. A dozen sleek cows lay on the sunny slopes of the pasture beyond. A hundred well-bred sheep cropped leisurely at the dry grass. Only the coops, decayed and tumbling to pieces, broke the pastoral harmony of the scene.
He took his bank book from his pocket and glanced at the latest balance. Not so bad, with the twen- ty new acres all paid for. Hansen had been loath to sell at such a low figure, but the Doctor had warned him that every day's delay meant years from his life. If Turner would sell for three thousand, he would still have a thousand left — enough for the lambing pens and a new pump. Turner was a fool. His land was growing more worthless year by year.
He glanced up from his book, startled to find the object of his so- liloquy before him. He had not meant to take this road, but the horses had turned in at the lower lane while he was busy with his figures. He looked across the fields at John Turner's home, huddled under the sweeping boughs of the ancient elms. Two dilapidated sheds leaned wearily against the gaunt sides of the huge, unpainted barn, almost empty of either straw or hay. A lone cow cropped hun- grily at the lank, dry weeds along the tumble-down fence. Beyond the house lay the impoverished fields, rimmed by the rocky ledge from which gushed the clear waters of the spring. Just beyond the cruel, barbed fence gushed life-giving water — along its course the grass and cress grew freshly green.
(Continued on page 759)
721
\\
0jv ihsL SiM&L CA\ I FH ^TRAIf^HT" by joseph jacobs
V^/'vL-L-LL/ \J I IX/ Vl Vjl * President of the Patestine-Surian
in, (DomaMJUA.
President of the Palestine-Syrian Mission
A
nd the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of judas for one called saul, of Tarsus. . . . Acts 9:11.
for six units, piasters, the cost price." (One U. S. cent is worth 1.75 piasters.)
That is a little high, so we offer him three. Maybe three is too high at that.
THE "STREET CALLED STRAIGHT" IN DAMASCUS.
Recently I went to Damascus, the oldest city in the world, to visit the members of our Church there. There, on the "street called Straight," one becomes viv- idly aware of the difference among customs and people, particularly if one desires to purchase anything: a bar of perfumed soap in this in- stance— oriental perfume, if you please. It is not the artificial per- fume, such as manufactured from drugs or other chemicals, and sold in Paris, but natural perfume, pre- pared from flowers and leaves.
This is the same street to which Apostle Paul was directed by the Lord, to go to the house of one An- anias to have his eyes healed. The street has a high arch or vault of about fifty feet. The street is dimly lighted from small openings or cracks in the arch. There is no side- walk proper, so we walk right through the street wherever we find an opening. The street is anything but straight. Every fifty feet or so there is a small turn.
A little way down on the right side, there are the stores which handle the soap. We glance at it sidewise. Instantly the proprietor is by us, like the spider that has caught a fly in its web. He pleads with us to take the article because of ancient friendship or for the sake of future friendship which we shall have with him. We ask him the price.
"Oh, the price. Well, now, isn't that a humiliating question? Who said anything about the price? Can such a thing as price be asked of a brother? Why, for shame! Just 722
take as many bars as your heart de- sires. Why, aren't we brothers? Just help yourself and put them in your brief case."
OUTSIDE VIEW OF THE FAMOUS WINDOW THROUGH WHICH THE APOSTLE PAUL WAS LET DOWN IN A BASKET. SCAFFOLDING IS USED TO SUPPORT THIS ANCIENT RUIN.
Well now, that is something we never thought of. But we insist on knowing the value of the soap to give him something in return.
"Oh, well, if you insist, you may give anything you please."
"Anything?"
No, he will not mention any amount. Just give him what you please and whatever you give will be satisfactory.
"Well, if that is the case we will not take the proffered bar," and we walk on.
"Just a minute, where are you going? Here, this bar of soap is the very special bar which I have been saving for my very select custom- ers, and of course you are one of them. And since you are my very best friend, and insist on giving me something, I will let you have it
"Three units, impossible! Why, friend, the original cost of it is six. And what is more "
Here the merchant will launch upon a long story. He starts from Father Abraham down through all the prophets in the Bible, or Mo- hammed and his successors, then through the New Testament, and swears by every saint mentioned therein to the effect that he will lose money if he lets us have it for even five and one-half units, but for our friendship he will let us have it for that.
We hesitate a little and start to walk off. This time he calls on the souls of his departed ancestors and all the saints that are on the calendar to witness the loss he is suffering by letting us have it for that amount. We are not con- (Concluded on page 756)
THE CITY GATE THROUGH WHICH THE APOSTLE PAUL WAS LED, WHILE BLIND, TO THE HOUSE OF ANANIAS.
JhsL
NATIVE BLOOD
By ALBERT R. LYMAN
Another gripping story comes from out of the southwest by the author of "the Outlaw of Navajo Mountain."
THE STORY THUS PAR: Down in the land of the Navajos, where the great, weird shapes of Monument Valley punctuate the skyline of the Southwest, Yoinsnez and his son and his daughter, Eltceesie, live in a hogan neighboring Husteele and his little son Peejo. But de- spite their neighborliness in all other things there is a bitter rivalry between the two for the capture of a phantom horse — Beleeh thlizhen (blackhorse) — a stallion of Arabian type that appeared full-grown on Husk- aniny Mesa on the Utah-Arizona line, and which defied all efforts for his capture, whether of trickery, stealth, or force. As the occupants of each hogan would attempt his capture, the occupants of the other would lie in wait to see if they were successful. Suddenly, however, the dread influenza struck the hogan of Yoinsnez and crushed the life from his son and prostrated all others. While they were so stricken, Husteele and Peejo sought again to capture Blackhorse — but without success. Then the devastating plague visited the hogan t of Husteele. Ten days later, after Yoinsnez had finally gained strength enough to visit his neighbor, only eleven-year old Peejo was still alive.
Chapter II
S.
'oftened towards his rival by this ghastly scene of death in his rival's hogan, Yoinsnez took Peejo to his own roof and nursed him with tender care. His noloki di- vided her time between her con- valescent Eltceesie and the neigh- bor's son, developing for him some- what of the kind of love expressed by her devoted service.
With the cherished hope of ban- ishing the invisible monster from their neighborhood, Yoinsnez burn- ed Husteele's home with all its dreadful images curled or sprawling around its gray ashes. From his sheepskin by the fire Peejo could see through the doorway the hateful black smoke, and beyond it the mighty hand raised solemnly against the sky-line.
craving for new items of information about Blackhorse; he talked about him; he dreamed about him; he want- ed the mesa king for his own more than he wanted any other value in the world of his narrow acquaint- ance. Naturally enough, he wanted Peejo to tell what he and his father had seen in their last ride on the mesa, but the boy declared they had seen nothing, and he closed his square, childish jaw in unmistakable resolution to say no more about it. Yoinsnez would have been quite ready to believe they had seen noth- ing if something in Pejo's words or in his looks had not given the old man's imagination a strangely curi- ous twist. If something very unusual had not happened on the mesa, then all his intuitions of the years had all gone suddenly wrong. He and his noloki were nursing their rival's son as they would nurse their own, yet that ungrateful son, still jealous of the prize for which his father had so tenaciously contended, was with- holding important facts which they, as his benefactors, deserved to know.
It angered the old man — the fur- rows deepened in displeasure across his retreating forehead, and his long teeth became visible between his parted lips. He couldn't tell just why, even when his trusting noloki asked for his reason, but somehow Peejo's story didn't ring true.
The emergency he had to meet was quite enough without this vex- ing phase of it, for after losing his own son and having no help even from the little girl to tend his own horses and sheep, he had to care for his neighbor's son as well as for his neighbor's sheep and horses. So he put all the horses together and
BOTH HORSE AND MAN ARE STURDY SUR- VIVORS OF THE DESERT AND ITS DESOLATION.
Photo used by courtesy of Harry Goulding.
who runs a trading post in Monument Valley.
all the sheep together as if they were his own. That seemed like the only sensible thing to do, and no one had time or vitality to agi- tate the question of ownership.
As soon as Peejo was able to get up from his sheepskin and stag- ger away from the warmth of the fire, he answered the call of press- ing necessity by helping Eltceesie, the ten-year-old shepherdess, with the restless sheep. His wonted strength had not returned, and he had not exactly been driven to work, but some burning urge of res- olution or wounded pride impelled him to shove past old Yoinsnez without a word and to express his independence by free service and no complaints. His youthful soul was bursting with emotions which must have some form of expres- sion, and he acted out before the old man's frown what he scorned to say in words.
In the cold days of that early spring the hungry flock, the long- legged goats in particular, raced over the hills in frantic resolution to find every green twig or blade within their wide territory. The two children, bare-footed or with ragged moccasins, followed them pantingly yet determinedly mile after mile. This was to them no matter for wonderment or protest; it was but the regular school from which all fit Navajos had to gradu- ate, the hard grill to which their fathers and mothers had subscribed as the necessary proof they were fit to live.
(Continued on page 764)
723
Jim. PROTESTORS OF CHRISTENDOM
CONTINUED
By JAMES L BARKER
Head of the Department of Modern Languages at the University of Utah, and a member of the Gen- eral Board of the Deseret Sunday School Union
THE HUSS MONUMENT, PRAGUE, ERECTED IN 1915 IN HONOR OF JOHN HUSS, THE CZECH REFORMER, WHO WAS BURNED AT THE STAKE IN 1415.
The purpose of the council of Pisa was to effect the unification of the church, to bring about cer- tain reforms that had been long de- sired and which many, both orthodox and unorthodox, had sought to find a means of accomplishing, and to stamp out heresy. John XXIII hoped the council would recognize him as pope and thus bring about unity. In this he was disappointed; the council deposed him and elected another. Reforms were not accomplished. The new pope dissolved the council be- fore any serious reforms were un- dertaken, though the sessions of the council lasted from 1414 to 1418. In the attempt to stamp out heresy, John Huss and Jerome of Prague were burned. Both of them gave their lives to affirm the right of the 724
individual to follow the dictates of his own conscience.
The emperor Sigismund was de- sirous of stamping out heresy in Bo- hemia and sent two knights to invite Huss to appear before the council. He urged his brother, King Wen- ceslaus of Bohemia, to send Huss to Constance; he promised to furnish Huss with a safe-conduct, and "He caused Huss to be informed . . . that he would make sufficient pro- vision for his being heard before the council, and that if he did not sub- mit to the decision of the council, he would send him back unharmed to Bohemia."14
Neander quotes the instrument relating to Huss's journey to and from Constance: "Ut ei transire, stare, morari, redire libere permit- tatis"15 (That there to go, stay, re-
14Neander-Torrey, Church History, vol. IX, II, p. 458:
13Neander-Torrey, Church History, vol. IX, II, p. 458.
main, and return freely thou be permitted." ) and says, "Huss was taken unconditionally under the protection of the emperor and the empire, as it speaks not only of his journey to Constance but also of his return home unharmed from Con- stance."15 The best case for the em- peror and the council is presented by Funk; however it is doubtful if the case is any better for the de- fense: "The safe-conduct granted to Huss by Sigismund promised pro- tection for the journey, for the return journey only on the assumption that it took place. The emperor also, by word of mouth, promised Huss a free hearing, probably even in the case of Huss's refusing to submit to the rul- ing of the council. This promise was, however, not valid according to canon [church] law. The coun- cil claimed a right to deal with Huss [it did so expressly September 25, 1415], in spite of the formal escort provided by the sovereign; on the other hand it dismissed as untenable the view that promises made to here- tics generally are not binding, and the emperor could not gainsay it without endangering the continuance of the assembly. Hence the impos- sibility in which the emperor found himself of fulfilling his verbal prom- ise must absolve him from the im- putation of unfaithfulness."18
Huss could have remained in Bo- hemia, concealed, if not openly, as he and the knight of Chlum main- tained at his hearing, but he con- sidered it to be his duty to defend himself against the charge of heresy. Setting out before receiving the em- peror's safe-conduct, Huss arrived in Constance, November 3, and his friends announced his arrival to John XXIII, who had arrived three days before.
Huss took quarters in the home of a poor widow by the city wall and was surprised to see the pomp of prelates and princes as they arrived in Constance. Immediately Huss's enemies sought to influence the coun- cil against him; among the most ac- tive was Wenzel Tiem whom Huss had opposed in the sale of indul- gences.
Huss stood for the rights of the individual conscience, and the coun- cil, representing the church, for au- thority. Chancellor Gerson and others desired the reformation of the church and were willing to place the council above the pope to secure reform, but they were not willing that private judgment should assert (Continued on page 757)
18Berger in Funk, A Manual of Church History, vol. II, p. 37.
The story of our
HYMNS
The Author
The life of John Henry Newman, the author of "Lead, Kindly Light," is full of gentleness, doubt, courage, and faith. He was born in London, February 21, 1801. His father was a banker and his mother a descendant of the Hugue- nots. As a child he was timid and like many other boys had a super- stitious fear of being left alone in the dark. At the early age of seven he entered a private school; at eight he read Scott's stories in bed at early dawn; at eleven he wrote a drama, and at fourteen a burlesque opera. Music was a part of the Newman family life. He played the violin- cello and "could follow the melody of a complicated symphony." At an early age the spirit of disputation was displayed in the publication of papers called The Spy and the Anti- Spy, each written against the other.
He was converted to the English Church at fifteen, and later wrote "I am still more certain of it than that I have hands and feet." He entered Trinity College, at Oxford, December 14, 1816, and is said to have been "shy, quiet, unattractive, with a timid face in which two eyes blinked behind silver rimmed spec- tacles."
At twenty-eight Newman became vicar of St. Mary's, the University Church at Oxford, and preached for fifteen years. Students flocked to hear him, among whom were Glad- stone and Froude. Gladstone af- terwards said; "His sermons were always read and his eyes were al- ways bent on the book. But take the man as a whole there was a stamp and seal upon him; there was a solemn sweetness and music in his tone; there was a completeness in the figure, taken together with the tone and manner, which made even his delivery singularly attractive." Froude likened him to Julius Caesar,
By GEORGE D. PYPER
General Superintendent of the Deseret Sunday School Union and First Assist- ant Chairman of the Church Music Committee
XXXV.
<&acL, Jtindli^ 3UqPdi
Words by JOHN HENRY NEWMAN
Music by JOHN B. DYKES
LEAD, KINDLY LIGHT By Rev. John H. Newman
LEAD, kindly Light, amid the en- circling gloom, Lead Thou me on! The night is dark, and I am far from
home — Lead Thou me on! Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to
see The distant scene — one step enough
for me.
I was not ever thus, nor prayed that
Thou Shouldst lead me on; I loved to choose and see my path;
but now Lead Thou me on! I loved the garish day, and, spite of
fears, *
Pride ruled my will; remember not
past years!
So long Thy power hath blest me,
sure it still will lead me on, O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and
torrent, till The night is gone, And with the morn those angel faces
smile, Which I have loved long since, and
lost awhile!
and Disraeli classed him "the most remarkable religious teacher to have appeared in England for several cen- turies."
In 1828 began what was termed the Oxford movement into which John Henry Newman was plunged and soon became its central figure. He finally insisted upon a "recogni- tion of an unbroken connection be- tween the primitive church and the church of England." It was during this controversy that he, in Decem- ber, 1 832, took a vacation to South- ern Europe. Along the beautiful Mediterranean coast he became spir- itually disquieted. The Liberal movement fretted him. He longed to get back to England to battle against religious indifference. He fell ill of a fever and when partly recovered took passage from Paler- mo, Sicily, for Marseilles. The ship was becalmed a whole week in the straits of Bonifacio between Sardinia and Corsica, and there at sea, on June 16, 1833, he wrote "Lead, Kindly Light."
Upon his return to England, New- man, resuming his activity in the Liberal fight, gradually argued him- self out of the Church of England, and became a Catholic. He left Oxford in 1845, and journeyed to Rome, where he was ordained a priest with the degree of Doctor of Divinity. In 1854 he was appointed Rector of the Catholic University at Dublin, Ireland.
In 1879, at the age of 76, he was created a Cardinal by Pope Leo XIII. He died in Birmingham, England, August 11, 1890.
The Hymn
Tt is extremely interesting to read
of the unrest, spiritually, among
the people of England and America
during the first half of the nineteenth
century. In England, the Oxford
movement stirred the souls of men.
In America the cry of "lo here and lo
there" caused much excitement and
disquiet among the people. And in
the midst of the great unrest a new
prophet appeared on the religious
(Concluded on page 754)
725
LOOKING
TOWARD
W
HILE
I crossed the Great American Desert by auto- mobile, at fifty miles an hour, my mind reverted to the Pio- neers, walking fifteen miles a day in heat and dust — -tomorrow and tomorrow the desert — their final destination still the desert — in their minds the vivid picture of the com- fortable homes, fruitful fields, and smiling gardens of Nauvoo "The Beautiful." Awaiting them was the almost impossible task of making the barren and forbidden desert blossom like a rose.
Their wise leaders brought seeds of trees, vegetables, and grains. Some of the women brought a few seeds of dearly loved flowers from their forsaken gardens. When the tiny log cabin or adobe house was built, they eagerly planted some of the precious seeds, and more eagerly watched for the tender shoots and opening leaves, seeing in imagina- tion the longed-for blossoms. When they came literally into bloom, their joy was too deep for words, but
1947
By ROSE W. BENNETT
Of the Church Beautification Committee
XT EARLY A CENTURY OF SUBDUING, CULTIVATING, REDEEMING, BEAUTIFYING, SOWING AND REAPING, AND SPREADING OUT OVER THE
BARREN WASTES AND EVEN SO, THERE ARE STILL WASTE PLACES
TO BE REDEEMED AND UNSIGHTLY PLACES TO BE BEAUTIFIED, AS WE LOOK TOWARD THE CENTURY MARK.
labor with our might to redeem and beautify our homes, our churches,
brought tears of thanksgiving and and other public buildings, our com-
love for the soil that responded to the longing for beauty in their weary, hungry, beauty-loving hearts. My mother came from England,
munities, stakes, wards, our high- ways, roads, streets, bridges, ditch banks, recreation centers, parks — whatever needs our care, before the
a land of forests, beautiful parks, hundredth anniversary of the coming
and gardens. From earliest child- hood, I remember her garden. How joyfully she dug, planted, and nur- tured it. She loved the soil, and it responded gladly to her care. Common or rare, everything grew. Her small corner of the desert blos- somed beautifully and gladdened all who looked on it.
Her story is the story of all the Pioneers. As a result, today our desert is clothed in beauty.
Time, the relentless, has told off the years until almost a century has
of the Pioneers. Shall we meet the challenge? Shall all the desert blos- som and be glad? Our answer is yes!
The next question is, how shall we begin? The first step is organ- ization. This step has already been taken by the Church in the Church Welfare Program. The committees
appointed by the presidents of stakes conditions and surroundings, county, and bishops of wards are the ma- city, stake or ward, chinery by which these programs are to be actively promoted in the Church.
The State of Utah has effected a
DESERT LANDSCAPE
From a painting by j. B. Fairbanks.
University of Utah, the B. Y. U. of Provo, our state and federal agencies for roads, forests, etc.
The Forestry Department can help with trees, shrubs, evergreens, etc., that may be available for use in beautification of our local surround- ings.
There are many fine articles in our daily newspapers. (See M. I. A. Adult Department Manual 1938-39 for its beautification project. )
Our next step is to make a thor- ough survey of our own local set-up,
slipped into the past since the com- similar organization for the beauti-
ing of our ancestors into the wilder- ness— a hundred years of subduing, cultivating, redeeming, beautifying, sowing and reaping, growing, and spreading out over the barren wastes.
fication of our communities in com- memoration of the one-hundredth anniversary of the coming of the Pioneers; so there are many agencies
We must list carefully the good and bad, the beautiful and the ugly, the necessary and the useless, the desirable and the undesirable; things to be repaired, things to be destroy- ed. We must catalog all our local natural resources- — where and how they are to be obtained and also our human resources : our leaders — civic^
But there are still waste places to be of our program. Just to mention a
at our disposal for the forwarding religious, recreational, professional;
redeemed and established, com- munities to be renovated, improved, and made more beautiful. Our borders have extended; new com- munities have arisen; much pioneer labor must still be done.
1847-1 947. Soon comes 1 939. Less than nine years remain in which to 726
few:
The state will furnish us with its program, and a list of agencies work- ing on the project.
We have our own comprehensive program, furnished by the Church to stake and ward committees.
The U. S. A. C. of Logan, the
people in every line of endeavor necessary to put over our project. We may organize committees of men and women under the established Church Welfare Committee, and set to work. If we begin with the things that most need improving and beau- tifying, we shall more quickly show the improvement in our community.
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, DECEMBER, 1938
Now for action!
From the survey made and tabu- lated, let us make a comprehensive community program, to include pub- lic buildings, churches, homes, fac- tories, farms, recreational centers, parks, highways, and set committees or organizations to work on the par- ticular work assigned to them.
In the planting of flowers, shrubs, and trees, we should find out what was planted by the Pioneers who first came into our section of the country, and plant some of them again in our gardens, and thus keep alive the spirit and beauty representative of our Pioneers.
"Pvery Pioneer garden had its herb patch near the house where mint, sage, savory, catnip, and many other savory and sweet-scented herbs grew. Often also lavender, lemon plant, sweet-scented gerani- um, old man, and a broad-leafed sweet-scented plant we called "old woman." Then among the flowers one would find sweet rocket, flags, stocks, lady slippers, moss roses, the vivid yellow rose with its sharp, rather bitter perfume. The first settlers must also have used the flowers and shrubs and trees that grew about them.
Thrift and beauty are good com- panions. Nature puts on a new dress each spring. If you can't paint up, whitewash up.
Hedges of currant and other fruit- bearing shrubs could mark the boundaries around the farm, and the division fences between fields, along irrigation ditches, around the home vegetable garden, around the farm buildings, and along the road-side fence. Shrubs, trees, and flowers
FOUNTAIN AND ROCK GARDEN AT THE HOME OF THE AUTHOR, ROSE W. BENNETT.
that are natural in your vicinity could also be planted in this way, and these natural hedges would add the beauty to our fields that makes the European landscape so lovely; and would also provide fruit, as in the Pioneer days. Also, along these hedges we could drop seeds of wild asters — purple and yellow, golden- rod, sunflowers, poppies, larkspur, bachelor's buttons, cosmos and many other flowers you can think of that seed themselves after the first plant- ing. Year after year, they give beauty to the landscape, and afford heaps of cut flowers for home and church decoration.
If you have many rocks about, make a rock garden, or use them for borders about your garden. Stack them in a corner and fill the crevices with soil, and plant them with low growing flowers or creeping plants, ivy, etc. If you have many, and they are large rocks, make your di- vision fences of them; or, if rocks are put in front of fence plantings, they will keep the plants within bounds. Flat rocks make ideal dry paths un- der clothes lines, and if there is lawn to set them in, beauty is also added.
One shrub much recommended for planting in home grounds, church and public grounds, parks, etc.; in fact, any place where a shrub is de- sirable, is the lilac. It is disease- proof, beautiful in blossom, or as a leafy shrub, will grow anywhere, and is not hard to care for. There are many varieties to choose from, and many shades of color — from white, through light purple to almost red. The Persian variety is the most satisfactory of all. There are many other desirable flowering shrubs. Along the ditches that run beside so many of our country roads, let us gather the seeds of the native water
GARDEN PATH BORDERED BY FLOWERS AND SHRUBS, AT THE HOME OF THE AUTHOR, ROSE W. BENNETT.
plants, and systematically plant them at intervals sufficiently close to as- sure a continual stretch of color. Buttercups, monkey flowers — many others you will find there, and, at in- tervals, the lordly cattail, bullrush, kept within bounds, also the lovely Iris (flags) love a ditch bank — and a clear space here and there for health-giving watercress. Beyond the ditch, near the fence, trees, na- tive shrubs, sunflowers, bee flowers (Cleome), goldenrod, wild asters, chicory — the lovely blue flower seen in some localities (blue flowers are rare, and should be cultivated), hollyhocks, cosmos, and castor beans. There should be no ugly va- cant spots about a home.
T et us use all available local re- sources before sending elsewhere for materials. Remember, we are pioneers in our own locality; we are on our metal; resolved to make our community peculiar to itself, and famous for the things of value it has and does — perhaps certain flowers or fruits, livestock, farm products, handicrafts, or other cultural things — homes built of local materials and planted with native trees and shrubs, as far as possible.
As home owners we should first improve and beautify our own homes, and surroundings, and then help our neighbor, if he needs help. We should find a use, through our com- mittees or clubs, for all surplus plants, seeds, and shrubs. Home- grown seeds are fresh and full of life. In saving seeds, it is wise to allow only the first few seed pods to ripen — they are usually the best. Then we should cut off all other (Concluded on page 744) 727
THE CHURCH IN
NEW YORK BAY BETWEEN MANHATTAN AND GOVERNOR'S ISLAND, ABOUT AS IT APPEARED IN PARLEY P. PRATT'S TIME.
FOR a century the Church has met the spiritual and social needs
of its people in the rural West. What has it to offer the urban East? Such was the challenge four years ago, when, after one hundred and four years, the Church organized a stake in the state of its birth. And such continues to be the challenge today, because never before or since has a stake been organized in such a populous or congested area — and here the world will look for an an- swer to this question.
The New York Stake occupies a strip of land and water one hundred miles long by forty wide. It includes all of the city of Greater New York, Metropolitan New Jersey, West- chester County, the whole of Long Island, and draws from the north as far as Stamford, Connecticut. More than four hundred miles of coast line embroider its meandering east- ern boundaries. In spite of its geo- graphic extensiveness, however, the great majority of its members reside within an area twenty miles square, situated in the heart of the metro- politan district.
In this area is concentrated a population of eleven million people. From daybreak till 10 a. m., its three million breadwinners converge on the city's laboring centers by boat, train, trolley, automobile, taxi, ele- vated lines, buses, and subways. From 4 p. m. to 6 p. m., the home- ward journey radiates its human waves in a fan-like pattern back to the city's dwelling places. By 7:30 p. m., the bright lights of Broadway, 728
By WILLIAM L WOOLF
Of the New York Stake Presidency
jpor nearly a century the church has met the spiritual and social needs of its people in the rural west. What has it to offer the urban East? What can it do in the state of its birth — in the world 's greatest metrop- OLIS? The WORLD WILL look for an ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION.
have reached their homes in the morning hours, the sober-headed early workers have started to repeat the inward rush of another day. From dawn to dawn, this rushing to and fro has netted the transportation companies ten million fares, a figure well-designed to maintain strap hanging in top place among New York City's "indoor sports."
But the day has netted more than fares. One hundred thousand vis- itors will have registered in six hun- dred hotels with one hundred fifty thousand rooms. One and a quar- ter million school children will have dodged to school, exposed them- selves to modern education, and ventured home again. The stock exchange will have done a business of $10,000,000. Seventeen million dollars worth of goods will have been manufactured in the city's many factories; and retail stores employing four hundred thousand people will have sold two million dollars worth of goods. Ten million dollars in merchandise, silver, or gold will have been imported or ex- ported through the Lower Bay, and Uncle Sam will have collected on
«ffi>i*sm» chum*.
mmwJt/m^^^^^^^^i^
EXTERIOR, MANHATTAN CHAPEL
like the pulling force of the moon, reverse the human tide, this time to reconverge on the city's amusement places. By 11 p. m., the outbound current is strong again, but before the last lingering outbound revelers
NEW YORK CITY
LOWER NEW YORK TODAY AS SEEN FROM THE BAY
imported goods a half million dol- lars in duties. One murder will have been committed, forty felonies, and two thousand lesser crimes. Three people will have committed suicide; ten to fifteen will have died of alcoholism, and ten times as many from other causes. Two hundred couples will have been married. Three hundred babies will have been born in two hundred hospitals. One hundred fires will have broken out; the city governments will have bor- rowed, or otherwise acquired, three million dollars, and twenty thousand policemen will have had a very busy day.
Among the actors in this pageant of the masses are men and women of every human race. In fact, a for- eign accent is a visitor's first im-
pression of the play. Two and a quarter million descendants of Judah walk the boards, and three hundred thousand who bear the mark of Ham. Of the foreign born, a half million Russians share a bow with half a million men of Italy, and a quarter million sons of Erin balance the stage against a quarter million Poles. In diminishing numbers are Germany's pro- and anti-Nazis, Great Britain's English, Scotch, and Welsh; men from Austria; Nor- wegians, Swedes, and Danes, and representatives of every country on the globe.
Among these teeming millions, not unlike the proverbial needle in a haystack, are two thousand men and women who term themselves Latter-
SECOND PRESIDENCY OF NEW YORK STAKE (LEFT TO RIGHT): WILLIAM L. WOOLF, FIRST COUNSELOR; DR. HARVEY FLETCHER, PRESI- DENT; IVOR SHARP, SECOND COUNSELOR.
day Saints. Of the total population, one in every six thousand is a Mor- mon. If this same ratio prevailed in Utah, Salt Lake City would have twenty, Ogden five, and Logan two.
TX^ho are these two thousand who, living in the world, knowing what it has to offer, are by choice followers of Jesus and believers in a modern prophet? As you may have surmised, their backgrounds are as diverse as those of the people among whom they live, their differ- ences being limited only by their numbers. Among them are to be found descendants of the early Church stalwarts; grandsons or great grandsons of Hyrum Smith, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Jedediah M. Grant, Bishop Edward Partridge, George Q. Cannon, Erastus Snow, Amasa M. Lyman,
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, DECEMBER, 1938
FIRST NEW YORK STAKE PRESIDENCY (LEFT TO RIGHT): HOWARD S. BENNION, FIRST COUN- SELOR; FRED G. TAYLOR, PRESIDENT; HAKON HAGLUND, SECOND COUNSELOR.
the Pratt Brothers, General Wells, and many others. These people, like some thirty per cent, of the New York Stake population, are west- ern born and reared, but New York- ers by adoption. There are also many converts, comprising the American-born or local Saints, and converts from overseas, including Scandinavians, Swiss, Germans, Dutch, Czechs, and others.
Their occupations are as diverse as their backgrounds. Among them are scientists, teachers, engineers, lawyers, doctors, artists, architects, builders, manufacturers, account- ants, stenographers, insurance men, furriers, tailors, restauranteurs, sea- men, superintendents, decorators, promoters, brokers, real estate men, salesmen, inventors, investment ad- visers, bankers, statisticians, econo- mists, buyers, musicians, dancers, actors, taxidermists, authors, clerks, and scores of others. During the week, they ply their trades to earn a living among the city's millions. But on Sunday, they are glad to meet together in an atmosphere en- tirely different, where the law of the brother's keeper supersedes the law of competition, and the law of gain gives way to the golden rule. The meetinghouse is an oasis where the Priesthood takes control, shut- ting out the contentious "isms" of the times — a place, where one's spirit gains new strength feeding on the Word of God, and one quaffs again at the fountain of Him who said, "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst." The New York Stake is a fine example of divergent peoples made one in spirit, in purpose, and in love through the mellowing in- fluence of the Gospel. 730
Here also are located the head- quarters of the Eastern States Mis- sion. A valiant band of crusaders have borne the Gospel standard in New York City, a partial list includ- ing Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, Samuel Brannan, Wilford Wood- ruff, John Taylor, William H. Miles, John Pingree, Samuel W. Richards, Alonzo P. Kesler, William H. Smart, E. H. Snow, John G. McQuarrie,
PARLEY P. PRATT, WHO INTRODUCED THE RESTORED GOSPEL TO NEW YORK CITY
Ben E. Rich, Walter P. Monson, George W. McCune, B. H. Roberts, Henry H. Rolapp, James H. Moyle, Don B. Colton, and Frank Evans. The Mission Home is situated at 155 Riverside Drive, overlooking the famous Hudson River, the inland route to a great continent, and for three centuries the prize of kings. Through this harbor, for a hundred years have passed more Saints im- migrating to America or going to Europe on missions than perhaps all other harbors combined. It was the landing place in Brigham's day of the Nevada, the Arizona, the Wisconsin, the Manhattan, and other famous ships, which brought boatload after boatload of our con-
verted ancestors to American shores. Overlooking its broad expanse. President Frank Evans and Mrs. Evans and an efficient office force are comfortably housed, as they labor to keep the Mission efficient in every respect.
The New York Stake, with which the Mission has no official connec- tion, is divided into four wards, two independent and two dependent branches: Queens, Brooklyn, East Orange, and Manhattan wards, Bay Ridge, Westchester, North Jersey, and Ocean Side branches.
The fourth largest ward is Man- hattan, which shares with the stake a beautiful and spacious chapel in a Broadway hotel at 76th Street. The chapel and church office are rented on a full-time basis, providing great- ly appreciated facilities for union meetings, quarterly conferences, stake president's office, bishop's offices, stake employment office, and all ward functions. Its gymnasium is in constant use, its being the only gymnasium in the stake at all times available to stake membership. It is convenient to Columbia Univer- sity, where several members of the Church are usually enrolled. Man- hattan Ward is about evenly di- vided between unmarried students and young people from the West and converts of German descent. It is fully organized and led the Church last year in fast offerings per capita. It entertains many vis- itors and investigators and spares no effort to conduct programs with appeal to all classes in the great metropolis.
TThese thriving wards and branches
have not been built in a day.
(Continued on page 754)
INTERIOR MANHATTAN WARD CHAPEL
"I
COMMONPLACE
THINGS
would be a cinch," I often told myself. "If I only had something to stimulate my ambition and ability!" I could not, for finan- cial reasons, pack my grip and tour the world until I found the desired spot, circumstance, and condition which would ignite the spark of my ability and hand me over to the world a flaming young novice, to become, in a few years, someone's favorite, well-known author. So I curled up in an old-fashioned armchair, before a big open fireplace, and there, while a drizzling fall rain beat a march time measure on the window-pane, I watched the dying embers slowly cool and crumble to ashes. I'd just have to go on being another com- monplace young woman, because I was tied to a commonplace environ- ment. I pulled the robe snugly around my legs and mourned my plight — the flame of my ambition killed by commonplace things.
My thoughts were just leading me into a very disagreeable mood, when they were interrupted by the sound of footsteps on the porch, followed by a quick knock.
Who could it be? I lifted the latch and opened the door. Peering out into the darkness, I could make out what appeared to be a drenched young lady.
"Are you Babs?" she asked, push- ing back a soaked felt hat.
"Why, yes, I am."
"I'm Thressa McDonald. Carrie Mace told me to stop with you. Carrie's one of my best friends."
"I'm always glad to know a friend of Carrie's. Carrie is one of my best friends, too," I told her, as I helped her off with her luxurious fur coat. "You'd better slip out of those shoes. How did you get so wet?"
"My car stopped down by the bend. It wouldn't budge; so I just bailed out and footed it." She laughed, "I'm always doing some- thing like this."
I soon had her warm and com- fortable. She was a very pretty girl, blonde and with laughing gray eyes. I learned that her father was a big banker in New York, and she the only child. She had met Carrie there and the two had been great friends ever since Carrie had escaped from this "hole" and its commonplace surroundings and had gone to New
A SHORT SHORT STORY
By ROBERTA PLATT
York to live with her wealthy aunt.
"Carrie told me you were one of America's minor authors." She spoke from the depths of the arm- chair.
"You mean she mentioned my whim to write," I corrected.
"Is it just a whim?"
"Well, that's about all it has amounted to."
"But — why?"
"Just this," I waved my hand around the room, "and that out there. There isn't anything to become poetic or literary about. What I need is something inspiring, if you see what I mean."
"I do, and I know." At last some- one understood.
It was with this introduction that the conversation came to center on me and my career. The wind had gone down, the rain had ceased and the clock above the fireplace had doled out the hour of two, before we called our conversation to a close.
"I nearly forgot," Thressa Mc- Donald said as she arose. "Carrie
sent you a letter by me. Here it is." I showed my guest to her room, but I was too excited to go to bed. Tomorrow was nearly here. To- morrow! The day I had always dreamed about. From now on it would be New York for me! New York, bright lights, dressing for din- ners, nights at the opera, and Thres- sa McDonald, the daughter of New York's wealthiest banker. She un- derstood and liked me. She be- lieved in me. I danced up and down the length of the room. I would write, write, write! The things I would see and do would be my inspiration and I would write. What would Carrie think about Thressa's most generous offer? Then I remembered Carrie's letter. Hastily I tore open the envelope. It began:
Dearest Babs,
I'm homesick tonight, so if I get senti- mental just toss me overboard. I don't know what ails me. Aunt Marg says I'm queer. So queer I am— if Aunt Marg says so.
I'm just sick to come home again. I've often wondered if things have changed much. Do the kids still play ball in the vacant lot, and does the old woman still scrape her frying pan?
JfuNNY, Carrie would re- member that. I smiled as I thought of the queer little rock image in the cliff across the fields west of the house. When we were kids we had pictured it as an old lady standing in the doorway scraping out scraps from her frying pan to a busy little dog on the steps. I read on:
Gee, Babs, but wouldn't I like a dollar for every time we've waded the creek, pushed our way through those oaks, and climbed the steep old cliff, only to find that the old lady had gone back in her rock house and closed the door behind her. I'll never forget the time when your disappointment was so great that you dropped that tousled red head of yours in my lap and cried for at least twenty minutes.
Yes, Aunt Marg says I'm queer. She said any twenty-year-old girl who would talk of riding nine miles over a canyon road on a hayrack is a queer person. I wouldn't argue with her. She wouldn't understand about the memories this holds for me.
Do you remember, Babs? It was cool in the evenings after the sun had dropped behind the mountains. I shall never forget the times when your dad lifted us on the wagon. He always fixed us a place with a little hay and a quilt. It was as comfortable as an upholstered car seat, wasn't it? Re- member how we would swing our feet over the edge of the rack, singing as we moved (Concluded on page 756)
731
"WINE IS A MOCKER
//
By EVA WILLES WANGSGARD
"Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging, and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." Proverbs XX: 1.
Ever since the beginnings of his- tory the prophets and teachers of the people have been search- ing for an effective way of combating the evil of beverage alcohol, for its use has always been admittedly an evil. The early method and the most usual has been for the leaders to warn the people against its ill effects and to preach concerning their slackening morals. The Greeks varied this by using the example of an intoxicated slave at a banquet which the young men attended with their elders.
During all this time, alcohol was generally considered by doctors and laymen alike to be a stimulant. This assumption was based chiefly on observation. The person under the influence of alcohol is characterized by a flushed skin and a rapid pulse. These are two symptoms commonly linked with the effects of a stimulant.
Recent investigations, however, have disclosed the fact that these symptoms are produced by the re- laxing of the nerve control, which effect is the reverse of stimulation. In this, as in other ways, "wine is a mocker."
Before we proceed further let us stop to define the words stimulant and narcotic. Obviously, we can neither condemn nor condone a sub- stance intelligently or convincingly until we can prove its nature and its effects on the human system. A stimulant is a drug which will rouse the recipient to activity or which will quicken his action. A narcotic is a depressant, causing relaxation, sleep, and, in sufficient quantities, death. To simplify, we might say that a stimulant renders a person more sensitive and a narcotic makes him less sensitive.
The investigations and experi- ments which this article discusses were conducted in the Nutrition Laboratory of the Carnegie Institute of Washington, D. C, in Boston, Massachusetts, May 28th, 1915. They were the work of Doctor Ray- mond Dodge and Doctor Francis G. Benedict. Their processes and 732
results were published in their book, Psychological Effects of Alcohol, An Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Moderate Doses of Alcohol on a Related Group of N euro-Muscular Processes in Man. This book is now out of print, but may be read at the libraries of the University of Utah and the Utah State Agricultural College and in many other school and public libra- ries throughout the nation.
These scientists felt that there had been a great deal of desultory ex- perimental attention given to alcohol but no exhaustive study as there had been of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. They laid out a plan of pro- cedure two years before they were able to begin their experiments and distributed that plan widely among the scientists of the world. It met with such widespread approval that they knew they had planned to fill a long-felt need. Many eminent scientists, whom they list in their preface, wrote encouraging letters and sent in helpful suggestions.
Of course, they met a great many technical and practical difficulties, but they chose their subjects with great care, eliminated such compli- cations as could be eliminated, and in every way secured as reliable data as is possible to obtain from human subjects in the time they had to devote to the work. They devoted a year to this particular study.
They desired to try their experi- ments on all classes of subjects, i. e., total abstainers, occasional users, moderate drinkers, habitual drinkers who took less than thirty cubic
centimeters per day, and excessive drinkers. Of these, the first and last were the most difficult to secure. With the first group the difficulty lay in getting the abstainer to take a drink, even for experimental pur- poses. With the last group, the dif- ficulty lay in getting the subjects to leave alcohol alone long enough to get a normal reaction. The subjects were required to be of legal age and to be college graduates. The greater number of them were medical stu- dents and young doctors.
Next, it was necessary that the subject be kept in ignorance concern- ing whether or not he had imbibed alcohol. You can readily see that personal opinion would have influ- enced the results had the subject been aware. Therefore, the dosage of alcohol was masked in a bitter drink. On all the experimental days this drink was given, but only on specific days was the alcohol present.
As a standard dose they used thirty cubic centimeters of alcohol. In some experiments this was in- creased. For instance, in a twelve- hour experiment the subject took twelve cubic centimeters every hour for eight hours. In another, the dosage was forty-five cubic centi- meters and in a third and fourth the dosage was one hundred fifty cubic centimeters and two hundred twenty-five, respectively.
All the experiments were con- ducted in a specially constructed laboratory room with uniform light- ing and scientific ventilation.
TThe first experiment consisted in testing the knee-jerk. The stimulus was a sudden blow on the petellar tendon. It was done with a uniform percussion hammer, strik- ing at a uniform place, with the limb in a uniform position. Both the swing of the leg and the time of the response were measured by a scien- tific apparatus. While individuals differed widely in this test and the same individual differed at different times, all these variations were con- sidered and the results were obtained with full understanding of them. The conclusions are that even with the dosage as low as thirty cubic centimeters, the response was slower {Continued on page 743)
TO HARRISON R. MERRILL In Memoriam
By Claire Stewart Boyer
You were the West! Your royal wel- coming To peak and gorge and waterfall and vale Was picturesque and ardent as the tale Of pioneer and redman; you could bring New freedom to the mind whose question- ing Had wearied it, new courage to the frail Heart that had wandered on the downward
trail, New hope to him whose spirit willed to sing!
You are the West! A symbol of its might! A cornerstone of granite that will keep Tradition as an everlasting light Within our lives! You do not lie asleep! You live and walk as always in our sight, Building the West more sure, more true, more deep!
TO "H. R. M."
By Catherine Maughan, one of his students
HE shook you by the hand and searched your soul And found whatever good it had And was your friend. You felt his joy and sense and poetry, Resolved to know him better And were glad.
"A genial figure from our school
Is missing. Hope to see him soon again,"
The paper says.
And then,
"He's dead," they say.
"He's gone . . ."
But by-and-by our grief will pass, And leave us thoughtfulness, and thankful- ness For knowing him.
We'll wonder if perchance he sees us yet,- — And try for worthwhile things.
His life has added something to our halls. His memory can never pass away.
LUXEMBOURG GARDENS, CHRISTMAS DAY
(From a book to be published in December, "Paris Cycle.")
By Ruth Harwood
A feeling of utter peace pervades the ** gardens today. The sun has come forth to give a golden benediction, and the birds are joining with their own Christmas carols.
The bare trees are a delicate network against the sky. The blue mist, so typical of Paris, blends the tiniest twigs into a phantom winter foliage of it's own.
This is a season of silence and searching; a time when roots are pushing deep into the primal earth, and empty twigs are sentient with their prophecy of leaves.
Thoughts of perfume and of opened petals are but dim dreams along the misty vistas of tomorrow.
WINGS
By Maud Merritt
IF I could grow a pair of wings I'd fly up to the stars, Stop in for tea with Venus, And play croquet with Mars.
I'd beg a ring from Saturn And from Jupiter a moon
And search the music of the spheres To copy off a tune.
I'd snatch a bit of Heaven's blue
To tie around my waist While seeing if the Milky Way
Was seasoned to my taste.
I'd steal a bit of star-dust To use in making wishes
And cut a lining from a cloud . . . To help me wash the dishes.
And yet ... I wonder if those wings Would tangle up my apron-strings?
« ■♦ ■
A PRAYER SONNET By Olive C.Wehr
Dear God, O let me not one hour forget How very soon my little candle's light May flicker out within the waiting night, And leave the pattern all unfinished yet! There is no time to falter, nor to fret, Nor waste the precious hours in vain
delight, Nor yet in thoughtless word of pride or
spite, With life's one challenge evaded or half met!
But, remembering the utter preciousness Of every hour, O may I grow serene And big, apart from every pettiness! May I, with hands and thoughts both strong
and clean, But weave into my tiny life's design That immortal pattern of the plan divine.
CHRISTMAS PLEA
By Christie Lund Coles
Again tonight I hear the Christmas bells; I see the snow like jewels on the earth; I watch the quiet stars; emotion wells Within me at remembrance of His birth, Remembrance of the message that He
brought Of peace and love, of brotherhood's good
will; The simple, ageless truths His mercy taught That in the soul of man re-echo still.
And yet, we plan our wars, we contemplate Their inhumanities, their lust, their greed, Their awful deadly ministry of hate, Forgetful of man's pitiable need.
Oh, Men of Nations, let His memory still Make brotherhood a dream we must fulfill.
MOTHER OF A MISSIONARY
(A Sonnet)
By Linda S. Fletcher
too, would sing, as Hannah sang of old *■# Unto the Lord of Hosts, the Mighty One, When sacrificingly she brought her son Unto the Temple's scarlet, purple, gold; And sing as Mary, when to her unrolled The precious knowledge of what God had
done, And joy of matchless motherhood she'd won, Though sword would pierce and anguish
her enfold! For as these two, with dedicating heart, Unto Thy Temple, I my son have brought, To yield him to Thy service with this
prayer: May Samuel's hearing ear of him be part, To be like Mary's Son, his ev'ry thought, Then songs of praise my heart will humbly
share!
Photo by Lionel Green.
YOUTH SPEAKS By Delia Adams Leitnev
Adventuring with Jesus, A challenge to my soul To pioneer the places Where sin seems to control. The vast domains where evil Entrenched forbids the light, Forboding, threatening, harming All efforts for the right.
But oh, the call insistent Brings fortitude to dare To take the Gospel message And prove the power of prayer. Christ leads and I will follow, Nor fear the hosts of sin: I go forth in His courage New victories to win.
FRAUDS By Alda Fugal Gardner
JUTethinks Dame Nature's quite like man,
■"■!■ She loves to play a joke
And cover up unseemly things
Beneath a lovely cloak.
Last night my yard was quite a sight,
It wouldn't bear inspection,
But with the dawn it glistened bright
In snowy white deception.
733
Photo Courtesy Deseret News.
THIS INFORMAL STUDY OF THE COUNCIL OF THE TWELVE TAKEN AT THE OCTOBER CONFERENCE SHOWS THE QUORUM ON ONE OF THOSE INFREQUENT OCCASIONS WHEN ALL ARE PRESENT Front row, left to right : Joseph Fielding Smith, George Albert Smith, Rudger Clawson, Reed Smoot, George F. Richards, Stephen L. Richards. Back row, left to right: Richard R. Lyman, Melvin J. Ballard, John A. Widtsoe, Joseph F. Merrill, Charles A. Callis, Albert E. Bowen, and extreme right: Sylvester Q. Cannon, associate.
Photo Courtesy Deseret News. MISSION PRESIDENTS AT THE OCTOBER CONFERENCE
Left to right, front row: Orlando C. Williams, Spanish American; L. Eugene Neff, Palmyra Bureau of Information; Frank Evans, Eastern States; Elias S. Woodruff, Central States; A. Lorenzo Anderson, Mexican; Merrill D. Clayson, Southern States.
Second row: William W. Seegmiller, Western States; EIRay L. Christiansen, Texas, W. Aird Macdonald, California; David A. Smith, Canadian; William T. Tew, Jr., East Central States.
Third row: Carl F. Eyring, New England; David A. Broadbent, North Central States; Preston Nibley, Northwestern States; Harold W. Pratt, former president Mexican Mission; B. S. Hinckley, Northern States.
foim-On
known as the "scribbler," Brother Dean has written numerous poems, and spent two-and-a-half years in Hawaii setting them to native music for an eventual song collection. The father of 22 chil- dren, 67 grandchildren, and 23 great- grandchildren, Brother Dean has kept a diary, now numbering 60 volumes, since he was nineteen. His motto is "Promptness is a virtue."
SHELLEY STAKE HONORS FOUNDER OF SAMOAN MISSION
A tribute to his life-long service in ■^ the Church was paid Joseph H. Dean, 83-year-old founder of the Samoan Mission, when on Sunday, Oc- tober 30, members of the Shelley Stake 734
M. I. A. honored him with a pageant in which were re-enacted scenes from his own life. Born in Taunton, Eng- land, Brother Dean emigrated to Mor- gan, Utah in 1860, via sailing vessel and ox team. He served a first mission to Hawaii in 1877 and in 1887 opened up the work in Samoa. Affectionately
JOSEPH H. DEAN
DR. WIDTSOE IN HAWAII "T\r. John A. Widtsoe of the Council of the Twelve was assigned to at- tend the Oahu Stake Conference held in Honolulu, Hawaii, October 29 and 30, 1938, and appointed to investigate and report on educational facilities and other Church business. Dr. Widtsoe, accompanied by Mrs. Widtsoe, sailed from Los Angeles aboard the S. 5. Matsonia, October 20, 1938. ADMINISTRATION BUILDING RISING ON CENTRAL STOREHOUSE BUILDING PROJECT
'T'he newest addition to the cluster of buildings rising on the eight-acre tract at 7th West and 7th South streets in Salt Lake City and known as the Central Storehouse Building Project of the Church Welfare Plan, is the Admin- istration Building, now under construc- tion. The structure, which will house the offices and the distributing facilities for the Salt Lake Region and at the same time provide storage space for surplus commodities from other regions to be handled by the General Commit- tee, will be ready for occupation some- time in February or March of 1939. Employing from fifty to seventy work- ers daily, the structure is the fourth unit to be built in connection with this project: a root cellar with a 30-carload storage capacity is already in use; a completely equipped cannery will be occupied early in December depend- ing on the completion of the heating plant. The accompanying sketch by Fetzer and Fetzer, architects, indicates that beauty has not been sacrificed to utility, and when completed, the build- ing should attract many more than the hundreds who from far and near have already visited the project.
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, DECEMBER, 1938
ADMINISTRATION BUILDING OF THE CENTRAL STOREHOUSE BUILDING PROJECT
TWO NEW PRIMARY GENERAL BOARD OFFICERS CHOSEN
TITrs. Margaret H. Stromness, J-VA formerly superintendent of the Granite Stake Primary, and Mrs. Ruth Wood Higginbotham, formerly a mem- ber of the Ensign Stake Board, were chosen by Superintendent May Ander- son to the Primary General Board on November 1, 1938.
Both of these women come well quali- fied to their posts, for each of them has had long service in the Primary work.
BUSINESS ASSOCIATES ARRANGE DINNER FOR PRESIDENT GRANT
Cix-hundred-fifty invitations have *^ been issued for a dinner, and pro- gram honoring President Heber J. Grant, arranged by his business asso- ciates, for Wednesday evening, No- vember 23rd, in the Hotel Utah, Salt Lake City. The list of invited guests includes leaders of business, industry, and the professions, from throughout the inland west and the nation. Mem- bers of the General Committee in charge of arrangements are: John F. Fitzpatrick, Chairman; Gus P. Back- man, Orval W. Adams, David D. Mof- fat, E. O. Howard, Harold H. Bennett, Richard L. Evans, George Gadsby, J. J. Kelly, Wendell Smoot, Elias A, Smith, Nelson W. Aldrich, Guy R. Toombes, Julian M. Bamberger and Robert L. Judd.
Further details of this occasion, given as the President begins his 83rd year, will be noted in next month's Era.
JOSEPH F. SMITH FAMILY ASSOCIATION HONORS FOUNDER
/Commemorating the one-hundredth ^ anniversary since the birth of their illustrious forefather, Joseph Fielding Smith, sixth president of the Church, who was born on November 13, 1838 and died November 19, 1918, members of the Joseph F. Smith Family Asso- ciation gathered at the Lion House Saturday evening, November 12, for a turkey dinner followed by a memorial program.
MISSIONARIES RETURN TO ORIGINAL FIELDS
HPhe missionaries who left Germany
and Czechoslovakia during the crit- ical period of the Czech-German set- tlements have returned to their various fields of labor according to word that has been received in the First Presi- dency's office from the mission presi- dents in both countries.
DON CARLOS YOUNG PASSES
Joseph Don Carlos Young, 83 years of age, last surviving son of President Brigham Young, answered the call of death October 19th.
For 50 years and up to two or three years ago, Brother Young served as the official architect of the Church. The Bishop's Building and the Church Of- fice Building are monumental structures of his designing.
Brother Young had given much time in service to the Church both in the mission field and at home. He was a member of the original High Council of Salt Lake Stake.
Sunday, October 2, 1938.
President Heber J. Grant dedicated the Logan Institute, which is adjacent to the U. S. A. C. at Logan, Utah.
Sunday, October 16, 1938.
President Heber J. Grant was the principal speaker at a meeting held in the Eighteenth Ward, Ensign Stake, commemorating the thirty-two years of service performed by Bishop Thomas A. Clawson and his counselors, John A. Evans, L. T. Whitney, and Ezra T. Stevenson, and the ward clerk, Ernest D. Schettler.
Monday, October 17, 1938.
Special exercises at the Brigham Young University marked the sixty- third anniversary of the founding of this institution.
Sunday, October 23, 1938.
George A. Christensen was sustained as the Bishop of the 27th Ward, Ensign Stake, succeedng Joel Richards.
Elder Charles A. Callis dedicated the new chapel in the Reynolds Branch, Malad Stake.
Monday, October 24, 1938.
Nicholas Roosevelt, in his book en- titled A New Birth of Freedom, lauds the Mormon Pioneers and states that the country in order to save its freedom must return to the same cour- age, endurance, and self-sacrifice as possessed by the Mormon Pioneers.
Sunday, October 30, 1938.
Floyd L. Weed was sustained as Bishop of the 26th Ward, Pioneer Stake, succeeding Leonard C. Rueckert.
The Sugar House Ward, Highland Stake, was reorganized with Ernest A. Nelson as Bishop, succeeding George W. Burbidge.
MISSIONARIES LEAVING FOR THE FIELD FROM THE SALT LAKE MISSIONARY HOME ARRIVED OCTOBER 24, 1938— DEPARTED NOVEMBER 3, 1938
Left to right, first row: Newel C. McMillan, E. Raymond Horsley, Margaret E. Hardy, Kay Cheney, Mildred Hansen, Doris Porter, Dorothy Hurst, J. Le Grande Shupe, Sherman Turner.
Second row: Pres. Don. B. Colton, Morris Rowley, Dean G. Huntsman, Edith Bair, Mrs. Beulah J. Farnsworth, Gladys Heileson, Sue Carmen Jennings, Milton J. Rasmussen, Andrew B. Shumway, Instructor William E. Barrett.
Third row: Melvin J. Hogge, Dennis Farnsworth, Jr., Warren S. Ottley, Glen L. Rudd, Emily Anderson, Sister Don B. Colton, Norma Anne Haymore, Merrill Biddulph, Grant F. Taylor, Deloy Leavitt, Vern H. Jensen.
Fourth row: Daniel Leatham, William F. Bundy, Kart D. Reeder, Ray J. Kirkland, Johtv A. Hopkin, Grant W. Cooley, J. Marcell Pitcher, Joel ft. Huff, Dellis Johnson, George F. Swenson.
Fifth row: Howard L. Lund, Edwin H. Smart, Philip J. Dixon, Stephen R. Davis, Morris L. Mickelson, Gerald W. Smith, Royal D. Anderson, Clyde W. Fowler, G. Venoy Gay.
Sixth row: Douglas N. Thompson, Charles S. Anderson, Don F. Robertson, Eric I. Bundy, Clark 0- Thompson, Donald B. Garrick, Theo. H. Richards, Max W. Simkins, A. William Lake, Delmar Braegger.
Seventh row: Sherman Douglas Park, J. Ray Bryan, Dehlin A. Erickson, Niels J. Anderson, Wendelt K. Young, Earl M. Fitzgerald, Harold W. Tadje, G. Watson Eatough, Joseph E. Bateman
Eighth row: Junior D. Carson, Howard L. Randall, Glen M. Acomb, Martelt Bodell, Homer Krrkham, Marion J. Evertson, Phil C. Dana, Dwight Dana, H. John Madsen, F. Alan Spencer.
Ninth row: Junior Thomas Lundgreen, Clyde Hart, William E. Toone.
735
fcdihfimL
•$if>L io yojdk-1938
Again we approach that heart-warming, soul- cheering time of year at which we commem- orate anew the birth of the Savior of mankind. But with the coming of the Christmas season we find ourselves still facing the realities of life as we always have in the past, and as we shall continue to do as long as life shall last.
The seasoned traveler has learned to accept these realities — even to welcome them — for the glory of conquest and the thrill of overcoming, for he knows that without hills to climb and broken country to traverse, dull, deteriorating monotony sets in.
But with youth it may be different. The all- engrossing business of education and preparation has in most cases kept his attention from the actual battle of life, wherein a man does what he does and becomes what he becomes by his own effort.
Then comes youth's awakening, and, as with all awakenings, the fading of many dreams. There comes a day when we realize that we can no longer conscientiously accept the support of others, and winning our own support is more difficult than it appeared to be from the sidelines. No longer can we be content with merely being the son of some- one. We must establish our own identity and rear our own families, and the responsibilities which seemed so natural to our parents take on new mag- nitude. No longer can we afford to be students only. We must become teachers. No longer may we devote ourselves wholly to the theoretical. We must venture into the practical. No longer is the world waiting for us to prepare for life. It is waiting for us to live it, to face its realities, to solve its problems, to improve its conditions, and to do for the next generation that which has been done for us, with such improvements as would be ex- pected because of time and cumulative experience.
And so comes the awakening that brings us face to face with reality. The job is not easy. Who but a weakling would wish that it were? The prob- lems have not all been solved. Who but a dullard would want them to be? The future is unpre- dictable. Read your history! — when wasn't it? The world is so greatly changing. Be thankful for that — so long as our principles and ideals and ulti- mate destination do not change with it; progress is change. Livelihood is not secure. It's up to us to make it secure.
So run the objections and the answers to those objections, which became articulate in the mind of the writer while acting on a committee of Presi- dent Grant's business associates. They were pre- paring to honor him at a banquet as he begins the 83rd year of his life, and it became necessary to pre- pare a: program statement that would typify the life of this great leader. From due process of thought there came these obvious conclusions :
To look, at. this man now one might be lead to suppose that the1 obstacles of his life had faded away before him. It would be possible to believe that the rough places had been easily traversed by his determined stride, that success had c6me with moderate effort, that Providence had spared him much of life's travail. The flawless performance of a master
musician looks easy, too, and in our enjoyment of his art, we sometimes close our thoughts to the toil and heartbreak, the faith and vision, that mark the upward course. This man is great, not because he has been spared the hardships of life, but because he has overcome them. Providence gave him strength, not ease; courage, not protection; faith, not a favored lot; integrity, not freedom from temptation.
It is well remembered that a look back through the years of Heber J. Grant now, presents a much different picture from the view he had when he was at the other end looking this way. We know now what he was destined to become, but he knew then only that life must be lived honorably and industriously, in order that a widowed mother might be cared for, that a family might be reared, and that the Lord, his Maker, might, at that day when all shall stand before Him, say "Well done."
And from these thoughts we offer our gift to youth for Christmas 1938 — and for all the years and generations to come: If life is not what it ought to be, it is yours to make it what it should be. Change whatever you wish to change, within the limits of truth, noble ideals, and fundamental principles, and your own generation, and genera- tions yet unborn, will rise to call you blessed.
— R. L. E.
(L QhhidlmaiL, JJwucfhL
"Plying snow and holly berries, clearer sight and keener minds — all are indications of the Christ- mas season. The exuberance of spring has ebbed; the languor of summer has vanished; the haze of autumn has cleared; and the vigor of winter sends new blood coursing through our veins.
Clearer sight and keener minds should stimulate clearer and keener insight into the fundamentals of living. Those who live and work with young peo- ple should turn their eyes critically inward, par- ticularly at this season, and let the mind register truly what the eye sees. Crying needs in the world today demand our best thinking and clear vision in directing these young folk. They must be shown the only way of life. They are now embarking on their journey. Their vessel may be ever so seaworthy, but there are those external forces which will assail them unless we keep the lighthouse of our love burning brightly. Fogs of despair will arise around them, but the beam of our light can penetrate the mists; cross-currents of worldly beliefs will sweep over them from every direction and make them lose their way, unless we have given them the true course to follow; waves of disbelief will buffet them from the charted way, unless we have provided them with the com- pass of faith; reefs of ignorance will offer hazards unless we have given them the sure knowledge of true principles; the tides of indolence may sweep their frail barks into a backwash and stagnation unless we keep the lighthouse of our and their faith replenished from the Giver of Eternal Light and Life.
At this season when our thoughts are turned naturally to Him in whose name we call upon the Father of us all, let us resolve that we will chart our own and others' courses more clearly, that we may follow in the way He showed and reach the harbor where He awaits those who sail the true course.- — M. C. ].
736
HELPING OTHERS
lo HEL
THEMSELV
By WILLIAM MULDER
"pROM the numerous fronts throughout the Church where ward, stake, and regional groups are pushing forward in a major offensive against material need and spiritual depression comes the heartening report that operations float- ing the banner of the Church Welfare Plan are realizing with no small success the three-fold objective of caring for the immediate wants of the needy, find- ing the jobless permanent employment, and progressively improving existing conditions.
Placing confidence in the program at large and enthusiasm in the particular project in hand, Priesthood quorums, Relief Societies, specially organized groups, and individuals have in a total of 1,065 projects during 1938 produced 794,000 cans of vegetables, 230,000 cans of fruit, 23,000 lbs. dried fruits, 990,000 lbs. of root and leaf vegetables, 18,000 sacks of potatoes, 18,660 sacks of flour, 325 sacks of dry beans, the equivalent of 1,552 sacks of sugar in sugar beets, 2,000 gallons of sorghum, 100 cases of canned meat, and 27,000 lbs. of fresh meat. There have been produced several carloads of coal and several of wood, and the number of articles of clothing made at the sewing centers runs into many thousands. Some 3,943 individuals have been as- sisted to find employment in regular channels of trade, while another 2677 have been employed on Church Wel- fare projects.
In every quarter steps have been taken toward the permanent rehabili- tation of the lives of men and women through the establishment of their eco- nomic independence. Several leading projects illustrate the productive nature of the program.
Deseret Industries
Most unique is the recently founded Deseret Industries, a salvage and manu- facturing enterprise patterned after the nationally known "Goodwill Indus- tries." This project is designed to help others help themselves by putting to work those who would have difficulty finding employment in private in- dustry. Local response to the insti- tution's appeal for merchandise which could be re-conditioned and sold again has been so overwhelming that the two story warehouse and basement at 342 West Second South in Salt Lake is filled with furniture and stoves, clothing and rags, books and papers, toys, shoes, antiques, and a hundred and one other items. These materials were gathered in a systematic canvas- sing of the stakes under the motto, "Waste nothing, save everything." To-
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-v>
FULL-SIZED BURLAP BAGS SUCH AS THIS ARE AVAILABLE FOR EVERY HOWIE THAT DESIRES TO COOPERATE. WHEN THEY ARE FILLED WITH DISCARDED ARTICLES, DESERET IN- DUSTRIES WILL CALL FOR THEM.
day three trim trucks are kept busy making daily pick-ups of voluntary donations. Homes are supplied with a bag and an attached postal card which is filled out with proper directions for calling, and mailed to the Industries when the bag, as a depository for dis- carded but usable articles, is filled.
At the Deseret Industries plant itself a staff of workers that has grown from five to forty-five is engaged in pro- cessing the materials: clothes are sorted according to 24 classifications and are washed or dry-cleaned, mended, and pressed; stoves are rebuilt; furniture re- finished; mattresses recovered; shoes repaired; tons of paper and rags baled and shipped. Everything is salvaged, from kindling wood to antiques, and finally finds its way at a moderate evalu- ation to one of the three stores now being operated at 342 West Second South, 432 South State, and 60 Richards Street, all in Salt Lake City. Clean, well-stocked, and open for business to the general public, these stores are being visited by rich and poor alike, and a carefully kept daily progress chart in- dicates the amount of merchandise sold, though less than the amount of donated goods, is steadily increasing. Deseret Industries is rapidly moving toward a self-supporting basis.
Deseret Clothing Factory
Manufacturing L. D. S. garments un- der the "Authorized Pattern" label is the Security Knitting Mills at 36 South Main Street, also in Salt Lake City. Employing a varied number of workers, the factory has been operating under
the Salt Lake Region, the garments being distributed in the main through the regional storehouse. But in the future this project will come under the joint supervision of the General Com- mittee and the Salt Lake Regional Council, to be known as the Deseret Clothing Factory.
Central Storehouse Building Project
Within a few months the offices and bishop's storehouse of the Salt Lake Re- gion will be housed in the new center now under construction at 749 West 7th South known as the Central Store- house Building Project. It is so-called because not only will it be the storing, processing, and distributing head- quarters for the stakes of the Salt Lake Region, but there will be located one of the General Committee storage cen- ters and from there shipment of surplus commodities to other regions will be made. (See detailed description, paqe 734.) F y
Work in Other Regions
While these projects have created considerable public interest and may be considered as representative of the scope and purpose of Welfare work in its major proportions, other regions have been promoting worthwhile proj- ects.
In Juab Stake there has been the Dog Valley Farm Project; in southern Utah the Virgin River Temple Cottage proj- ect to build seven modern cottages near the St. George Temple for aged temple workers; in Juab, Nebo, and Woodruff stakes, sawmill projects to supply ma- terials for homes for those engaged on the project and also for Church build- ings; in Idaho, the proposed Eastern Idaho' Regional Storehouse to be built by Welfare labor chiefly from native materials; in Salt Lake the digging, pre- paring, and shipping of celery, and in Sharon the Sharon-Utah cannery which kept from ten to forty workers em- ployed most of the summer.
It is not necessary to multiply sta- tistics, however revealing they may be in themselves. A monthly reading of the column "Quorum Projects" (see page 742) will indicate to just what extent the Welfare Plan is giving a practical demonstration of benefits that result when mouths are fed and souls nourished in a productive plan of having the worker produce that which he uses.
737
WHAT BOOKS SHALL ! GIVE THE CHILDREN FOR CHRISTMAS?
FOR THE VERY YOUNG:
Little Pancho
(Told and drawn by Leo Politi,
Viking Press, New York, 1938.
$.50.)
Little Pancho, like many little boys when told not to do a thing, imme- diately set out to do it. He went into the jungle where he lost his hat and his way and generally mixed himself in all kinds of trouble. The pictures are unusual since they deal with a Mexican mother and her child.
The Black Pup
(Anne Brooks, illustrated, Viking
Press, New York, 1938. 63 pages.
$1.50.)
THE book with its clever illustrations will offer many an hour's entertainment, especially when the pup, who especially dis- liked kittens, defended them against an airdale.
Gloomy the Camel
(Story and pictures by Grace Paull,
Viking Press, New York, 1938. $1.50.)
Although Grace Paull is well-known for her illustrations, this is her first ap- pearance as an author. The conclusion that Gloomy found happiness only after he had learned usefulness is a welcome message to old and young today.
Little Toad
(Frances Margaret Fox, illustrated,
Viking Press, New York. 79 pages.
$1.00.)
Tracing the life story of a toad from the egg to the tadpole, toadlet, and finally a full-grown toad is interestingly and truth- fully told, for the author is a teacher who had the material verified by authorities This book can profitably be read to any age group.
Three Tales From Grimm (Illustrated by Brunhild Schlotter, Macmillan Company, New York, 1938. $1.75.)
This exquisite book including the three stories: The Sleeping Beauty, The Froq Prince, and Mother Hulda, was printed in Germany. Grimm is always interesting for children and in this newly dressed ver- sion with its truly lovely illustrations, it will be more than a welcome addition to the children's bookshelf.
Bobbie and Jock and the Mailman (Charles J. Finger, illustrated, Henry Holt and Company, New York. 156 pages. $2.00.)
For children from 6 to 10, this book with its clever illustrations and its story of a little girl's vacation on the farm will prove of Interest. Her experience of getting lost and found again and learning that "the longest way round is the shortest way home" makes interesting reading.
738
By MARBA C JOSEPHSON
Buttons
( Tom Robinson, illustrated by Beggy
Bacon, Viking Press, New York.
$2.00.)
Who wouldn't be interested in a ragged, moth-eaten kitten who proved to an unfriendly world that he could make his way without asking for too many favors? Buttons is an adorable cat to introduce into any home, both for the story, which by the way is given twice, and for the illustrations, which a child will be delighted to linger over. Naturally, we hate to turn moralist, but in this story introduced into our present world, there is something of Aesop.
Quito Express
(Ludwig Bemelmans, illustrated, Viking Press, New York, 1938. 47 pages. $1.00.)
Anew way for even the youngest to study geography is given in Qufro Ex* press, a story about Pedro of Ecuador, who climbed on a train and was lost for a day or two, but had a good time because the conductor liked little boys.
FOR THE MIDDLE-AGED YOUNGSTER:
Child of the Deep (John E. Williamson and Frances Jenkins Olcott, illustrated with photographs, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1938. 116 pages. $2.25.)
Next best to going underseas is reading from experienced underseas people who took a little girl with them constantly when they went on their expeditions. Many pictures are reproduced, several in full color. The natural history included in this book will be welcomed by many adults who have always been curious themselves about how the sea and its people look.
V
K
Forest Neighbors (Edith M. Patch and Caroll L. Fenton, illustrated, Macmillan, New York, 1938. 192 pages. $1.50.)
Any child will find in this book a wealth of material to satisfy his natural curi- osity concerning nature. The moose, the red fox, the snowshoe hare, the lynx, the white-tailed deer are among the animals treated; the redstart, the chickadee, the waxwing among the birds discussed. The book will serve to renew old acquaintances and to introduce many new ones.
Yinka-Tu the Yak
( Alice A. Lide, illustrated by Kurt
Wiese, Viking Press, 1938.
63 pages. $2.00.)
The adventures of Tibetan Sifan with his Yinka-Tu on the broad planes of China make interesting reading. Add to the story, the illustrations of Kurt Wiese and you have a book that any parent will be proud to give the children and that any child will adore to own. The customs and some of the history of Tibet are woven into the story.
One Winter
( Martin Gale, illustrated, Viking Press, New York, 1938. 204 pages. $1.75.)
Jinnie Bradford's experiences in a board- ing school with her friend Migs and their ponies will fascinate young readers. The clever line drawings of Margaret Van Doren will also attract favorable attention, while of course the maple syrup story will satisfy the sweet tooth of all young people.
FOR THE ADOLESCENT:
Honey of the Nile ( Erick Berry, illustrated, Oxford University Press, New York, 1938. 224 pages. $2.00.)
When Egypt "was the center of the world, and the Nile, a green ribbon through the golden sands, the artery of Egypt" is the setting for this book. Both the material and the illustrations have been carefully checked by Egyptologists for their accuracy. The story deals with the young king Tutankh Amun; his wife, Ankhes; Kem, a young priest of Amun Re and keeper of the bees; and Hanofre, faithful handmaid Ankhes; and unfolds many dramatic in- cidents in the lives of the young king and queen who are historical characters.
Penn
(Elizabeth Janet Gray, illustrated, Viking Press, New York, 1938. 260 pages. $2.50.)
Completely engrossing and of great value is this biography of one of the founders of early America, written by one who has proved her worth in other notable biog- raphies. From Penn's parentage and early life, we get an insight into English history which is so prominent in shaping the destiny of America. The story is that of a coura- geous fighter who dared stand by his beliefs in spite of many imprisonments and great family pressure.
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, DECEMBER, 1938
Seventeen Chimneys
(Theodore A. Harper, Viking Press,
New York, 1938. 270 pages. $2.00.)
Robert Cornish after his father's failure was left to make his way the best he could. For one year he worked in the lonely bush country of New Zealand where he learned the valuable lesson of patience. "Seventeen Chimneys" was the symbol of his lost heritage. There are some mys- teries which will intensify the interest for adolescent boys and girls.
The Little American Girl (Marjorie H. Alee, illustrated, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1938. 237 pages. $2.00.)
The three-fold duty of Sarah Ann Reid, who was unexpectedly given the op- portunity of going to Paris as "house- daughter" at the Quaker International Center, was to learn French as a living language, to get acquainted with all kinds of people, and to grow up. Her experiences on shipboard and after she arrived in Paris make every page seem too short.
Blocking Back
(B. J. Chute, Macmillan Company,
New York, 1938. 266 pages. $1.75.)
What boy wouldn't get a thrill from attending a boys' school and being intimately associated with football? Well, Jerry Le Van didn't — at first, because he had been sent much against his will to Washburn instead of Harmeer which he had desired to attend. But when he had his lesson forced down his throat, his eyes opened to many new things and he found that teamwork is the basis of both life and football.
Fire in the Ice
(A. D. Divine, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1938. 254 pages. $2.00.)
Ever since Melville told the story of Moby Dick, much interest has centered in whales and the whaling industry. When Alan Pierce sailed on a modern whaling ex- pedition with Aslaksen, an experienced sailing man, he made a friend and learned many things that a year on land would not have taught him. A full-blooded adventure story, Fire in the Ice will help while away a few winter evenings.
Josie and Joe
(Ruth G. Plowhead, illustrated, Caxton Printers, Ltd., Caldwell, Idaho, 1938. 262 pages. $2.50.)
IDENTICAL twins in everything except that one was a girl and the other a boy, Josie and Joe Dawne had many a gay time to- gether, for Josie could do things that a boy did as well or even better than Joe. She was as eager a student of the Cub manual as Joe. But much as Joe liked his sister, he still felt that there were some things that girls should not do. This left Josie quite disconsolate until she learned that there are things that girls can do which are as in- teresting and difficult to do as those boys choose. Her experiences in the Top Notch Club which taught her how to sew and can fruit and the other exploits of this hoydenish girl will make good reading dur- ing the Christmas holidays.
{Concluded on page 740)
Don't Serve SKIMPY Breakfasts !
[:■_
ile£X^fe
V\0 you start your husband *—' off to work and your children off to school with a real energy breakfast — a breakfast that will provide lots of nourishment— lots of pep and energy? In other words— a Globe PANCAKE breakfast? Working people and school children often skimp on lunches — don't skimp their breakfasts too! Serve your family satisfying pancakes for breakfast. Make them the quick, easy, THRIFTY way — with Globe "Al" Pancake and Waffle Flour. This special pancake flour contains lots of buttermilk for extra richness and flavor. How good these "Al" pancakes taste on cold mornings, with syrup or honey trickling down the sides. Globe "Al" Pancake and Waffle Flour is the choice of thou- sands of smart women because it's so quick and easy to use and it is always the same! You can make three "Al" pan- cakes [or a penny! Buy Globe "Al" tomorrow — serve nour- ishing pancake breakfasts. See what a hit they make with your family!
\\
//
GLOBE "A1
PANCAKE & WAFFLE FLOUR
739
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, DECEMBER, 1938
Barefoot and the Friendly Road (Jack Tinker, illustrated by the author, Viking Press, New York. $1.00.)
The poetry of this little book will serve to make young and old alike revel in it, for the friendly road is a symbol of the wandering that all of us have the urge to do.
Gray Wolf
(Rutherford Montgomery, Houghton
Mifflin, Boston, 1938. 186 pages.
$2.25.)
Dramatically told from the wolf's point of view, this book will serve to give information concerning the habits and life of the gray wolves who brought so much worry to the cattlemen in the early days of the west. The story deals particularly with Speed, the wisest of these gray wolves, who long escaped man but finally met his match in Treon, an Indian hunter.
Shadow Plays and How to
Produce Them
(Winifred H. Mills and Louise
M. Dunn, Doubleday Doran and
Company, New York. 188 pages.
$2.00.)
Although children in the home usually want to have shadow plays, this re- viewer's guess is that the older members of the family will find much of enjoyment and growth if they too will read this book. The actual dramatizations of several plays is given and the illustrations to go with them. Part Two is shadow plays with music — and good music also, while Part Three deals with human shadow plays.
The book is a really careful study of this form of entertainment and should offer a solution to the eternal question both of adults and children, "What shall we do?"
Jungle River
( Howard Pease, illustrated, Double- day Doran and Company, New York, 1938. 295 pages. $2.00.)
This book for high school age boys and girls will answer their constant search for the unusual and the exciting.
In this, his latest book, he deals with the adventures of Don Carter in New Guinea when he set out to find his father, reported lost, believed dead, following an airplane crash.
The Scarlet Oak (Cornelia Meigs, illustrated, Mac- millan Company, New York, 1938. 198 pages. $2.00.)
This book for children of ten to fourteen by a recognized author deals with America in 1817 when Joseph Bonaparte found refuge here after fleeing from Italy. The mystery that is woven about his living in this country will make delightful reading.
The Book of Original Plays and How to Give Them ( Horace J. Gardner and Bonneviere Arnaud, J. B. Lippicott Company, Philadelphia, 1938. 414 pages. $2.50.)
This book contains ten plays and a pageant which have been planned and written for groups of all ages to use in school or church organizations. Equally important, however, is the information given on the preparation for the presenta-
740
tion of a drama. The first chapter, called "Off-stage Activities," deals with the or- ganization for the successful staging a play. The second chapter, "On-stage Activities," gives instructions to the director; "Back- stage Activities" instructs those who handle che show. It also includes some helpful in- formation on make-up. Part V is on the Pageant.
Rifles for Washington
( Elsie Singmaster, illustrated, Houghton
Mifflin, Boston, 1938. 321 pages.
$2.25.)
The story of a young man who refused to be left out of the War of Independ- ence, told from the common soldier's point of view, is unusual. Miss Singmaster has done a masterful job in putting on to paper the intimate details which make this book valuable historically.
The Far-Distant Oxus (Katherine Hull and Pamela Whitlock, Macmillan Company, New York, 1938. 320 pages. $2.00.)
This book "by children, about children, and for children" (actual quotation from the authors' letter) will make any adult understand that this is no ordinary child's book to be relegated to children alone. The girls, 15 and 16, who began the book a year ago, reveal many things that leaders of girls would do well to discover. In the first place, they are not sentimental about nature: they accept it and love it; in the second place, they like action and adventure and introduce plenty of both; in the third place, they have a fine disregard for money: and they have a good time with a very little of it.
The story deals with the activities of three children who go for a vacation to the West Country moors of England and there learn many things.
Knowing Yourself and Others (Donald McLean, Henry Holt and Co., New York, 1938. 267 pages.)
This text dealing with mental hygiene, which young people between ten and eighteen will enjoy reading, will be wel- comed by many parents and teachers. The author has had wide experience as clinical psychologist consultant of the Institute of Family Relations in Los Angeles. He bases his work on the three drives analyzed by William I. Thomas in his book, The lln~ adjusted Girl; the three drives being: the security, the response, and the recognition drives. Each person wants to make his life certain, hence, the security drive; each wants to be loved, therefore the response drive; moreover, one wants to be important to other beings and have their respect, hence, the recognition drive.
The Golden Book of the Dutch Navigators (Hendrick Willem Van Loon, D. Appleton-Century Co., New York. 333 pages. $2.50.)
Van Loon (pronounced like lone) has brought much to the young, yes, and the old, people of America, through his in- tensely vitalized books. In this book, a revised reprint from 1916, he does much to impart to history the breath of ro- mance. He has made historical figures walk into the lives of present-day young boys and girls. With a gusto born from his love of freedom which is inherent from his Dutch ancestry, he arouses a similar love for good government based on freedom of choice.
<H&/ulSl 3iow—
For the holidays what could be nicer than a Spicy Spice Cake — unless it's two of them. Globe Mills tells us how it is done, and it's so easy, and the results are so ef- fective that I'm sure we shall all be spicing up the Christmas season.
Here it is:
2% c. Globe "Al" Cake Flour
1 t. soda lk t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
V2 t. each of cloves, nutmeg, all- spice.
V2 c. butter or substitute
IV2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. buttermilk
1 t. vanilla
Sift flour once, measure, add soda, salt, and spices, and sift three times. Cream butter, add 1 c. of sugar gradually and cream thor- oughly. Beat eggs slightly and add the rest of the sugar to them; mix well. Add to butter and sugar mixture. Add small amount of flour mixture, mix well, then add a little milk. Continue in this man- ner until flour and milk are used, beating batter hard after each ad- dition. Add vanilla. Bake in a loaf pan in a moderate oven (350 degrees) 50 to 60 minutes. Pour Chocolate Icing over the top and decorate with halves of walnuts.
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IT. S. Patent No. 2,078,972
"LIFE OF JOSEPH F. SMITH"
Sixth President o£ the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith
While we have not yet had an opportunity to review this book, we wish to invite attention to it here, because it is hoped that it will be off the press for the Christmas trade, and many undoubtedly will wish to give it consideration in their selection of Christmas gifts. This is the life story of the remarkable man who was left fatherless at the age of six, in scenes of tribulation and dark persecution, by the martyrdom of his father, Hy- rum Smith, and who later became the sixth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The book is compiled and edited by his son, Joseph Fielding Smith, of the Council of the Twelve, who writes in his introduction:
"This volume is prepared primarily for the benefit of the descendants of President Joseph F. Smith, and then, for the benefit of all those who are interested in his life's labors and who have joined with him in assisting to bring to pass and to establish in the earth, the 'cause of Zion'."
More will be said of this volume later— R. L. E.
Utah Pioneering, An
Autobiography
(Andrew M. Israelsen, Deseret
News Press, Salt Lake City, 1938.
328 pages. $3.50.)
This is the self-told story of a man who was born in Norway, 350 miles north of the Arctic Circle, and who came to Utah with his parents, at the age of seven, for the Gospel. The account, arranged for publication by the author's son, Dr. O. W. Israelsen of the Utah State Agricultural College, was written after the author was seventy years of age. The book, like its author, has stirring color and rugged in- dividuality. It shows with unforgettable force the type of men and women who came out of northern Europe in response to the missionary activities of the Church, the type of men and women who have pioneered the West, who have earned their own way and helped others, who have been the backbone of the Church and the stalwarts of the nation. Utah Pioneering is not the history of anything in particular, but it breathes the spirit of those material and spiritual fundamentals without which we are a lost people. To quote the book's editor: "The author is a man of faith and also a man of action. His is the faith that enables men to live abundantly in spite of the most adverse circumstances — the faith which would enrich the lives of millions today by banishing fear and sustaining courage." — R. L. E.
With Tongue in Cheek
(Kathryn Kay, Circle Publishing Co.,
Hollywood, 1938. 85 pages. $2.00.)
To many of her friends in the West, Kathryn Kay, formerly of Salt Lake
City and now of Los Angeles, may better be known as Kathryn Worsley. Her book, With Tongue in Cheek, is a collection of original verse, humorously illustrated, at- tractively presented, and easily read. The mood varies from light-hearted common sense, to barbed flippancy, to poignant senti- ment, to biting satire. One gets the im- pression that the author has stepped aside to look at life with amused and half-closed eyes, thereby to write of things and people in general with part jest and part dead- seriousness. Entertainment, with a dash or two of sterner stuff, is how we see it.
— R. L. E.
. . . and Tell of Time (Laura Krey, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 712 pages.
$2.75.)
HPitled from The Bacchae by Euri- pides, this book uses time as its protagonist, thereby creating an ex- tremely readable and wholesome novel, centered in Texas of the Reconstruc- tion period.
The ideals implanted into the lives of the Darcy family: ideals of helpful- ness, industry, and integrity, are made attractive and worthy of emulation. The story is based on a well-seasoned, rounded conception of life.
The story, although as in life it must consider parents and grandparents, deals with the romance of Cavin and Lucina Darcy in meeting the changed situation which the Civil War had caused in the attitude towards the negroes, the carpet-baggers, and in the rewinning of the land to cultivation. In the lives of this couple and their children, their nieces, nephews, and
MOST of our readers will be de- lighted to know that the best of what Harrison R. Merrill has written will be included in a special volume to be available on or before December 15. This volume takes its title, Leave My Spirit Here, from Prof. Merrill's well-known poem, "Let This Be Heaven."
The books will be available at $1.00 a copy plus postage. See coupon, page 764.
their friends, is depicted the strong sense of heritage and parentage that is conducive of consistent and stable growth. — M. C. J.
Yukon Voyage
Unofficial Log of the Steamer Yukoner (Walter R. Curtin; Caxton Printers, Ltd., Caldwell, Idaho, 1938. 299 pages. $3.50.)
"Decreating the romantic Alaska of **■ the bonanza days of 1897, the au- thor from the pages of his log has spun a good yarn which makes the blood course faster through the reader's veins. The book offers a new note in that we see a different picture of some of those who sought adventure and wealth in the far north. The author and two women met together each night to read aloud from good books, and they began with Paradise Lost!
The pictures, authentic ones of the period, revivify the history of the times and intensify the interest of the narra- tive.—M. C. /.
Save Time and Money"
by concentrating your Christmas shopping efforts here. You will be delighted by the variety of gifts we have on display.
Radios, Moving Picture Equipment, Copper, Brass, Pottery and Glass Ware, Leather Goods, Clocks, Book Ends, Fountain Pens, Stationery, Games, Per- sonalized Greeting Cards for every occasion. — and BOOKS of every description.
Books for Children, Books for Youth, Books for All Ages — Fic- tion, Classics, Biography, Standard Works, Reference Books, L. D. S. Church Literature, Bibles, Books for Everyone!
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DESERET BOOK COMPANY
44 East South Temple — Salt Lake City, Utah
741
CONDUCTED BY THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD COMMITTEE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE TWELVE — JOSEPH FIELDING SMITH, CHAIRMAN; MELVIN J. BALLARD, JOHN A. WIDTSOE, AND JOSEPH F. MERRILL
PRIESTHOOD AND CHURCH WELFARE
A gain we invite attention to the new ■*"*■ 1939 course of study for all Mel- chizedek Priesthood groups. This course, to be considered throughout the Church, is designed to promote the spiritual and material welfare of the Church as a whole. It is timely; it is vital; it is informative and stimulating. Much good will result from its con-
sideration by the Priesthood quorums of the Church.
Again this year it is urgently desired that a copy of the course of study be in the hands of every member of the Melchizedek Priesthood. Copies may be ordered individually or in quantities through the Deseret Book Company, Salt Lake City.
ANTI-LIQUOR-TOBACCO COLUMN
QUORUM PROJECTS
REMINDERS
T etters and reports from the field in- J-' dicate various stages of progress of the Anti-liquor-tobacco campaign. Probably every stake will have its com- mittees fully organized and actively at work before this number of the Era reaches the field. But due to the changes in chairmanship and member- ship of some of the committees it may be well to remind all committee mem- bers again that information and sug- gestions relative to' the campaign have been given in this column from month to month during several months past. We advise all new members (and old ones are not forbidden to review them) to read these, beginning with the Feb- ruary, 1938, issue of the Era.
System Needed
In order to reach the objectives of the campaign, systematic work will be needed. All who hold the Priesthood — Melchizedek and Aaronic — may read the campaign literature with profit and are expected to do so. The same may be said of all other members of the Church old enough to read with under- standing. Hence at least one copy of Alcohol Talks to Youth, Nicotine on the Air, and The Word of Wisdom in Practical Terms should be in every home. That this may be the case many more copies of each booklet will yet have to be sent out. Hence the com- mittees should distribute this literature systematically — keep a record of those receiving it, of those who have read it, and their reaction to it. This will require much careful work by the committees, for it means one or more personal contacts with every one ex- pected to read the literature. Hence, every one working in the campaign should operate according to a plan and keep a record of what he does. This will be necessary in order to know when all have been reached and that accuracy may characterize the required reports to the stake and general committees.
Will all committee chairmen give prompt attention to these matters? (See also "Wine Is A Mocker," page 732.) 742
WHAT THE PRIESTHOOD IS DOING THROUGHOUT THE CHURCH
Ogden Stake
201 st Quorum of Seventy
'"Phe death in November, 1936, of A Frank A. Purrington of the 13th Ward left his family with a small sum of money and the serious issue of how to establish their economic independ- ence. The immediate problem was how to invest the small inheritance to give greatest future security. It would not last long if simply spent for living expenses.
Collaboration of the fatherless fam- ily with the Priesthood quorum of which Bro. Purrington had been a member resulted in a plan to convert the Pur- rington homestead into three apart- ments, with the quorum, under the di- rection of the Bishopric and the im- mediate supervision of Senior President Norman D. Moffett, an experienced builder, voluntarily assuming the labor of the remodeling.
A pooling of talents ranging from legal services in administering the prop- erty to skilled and unskilled labor in the actual building, found the project under way one month after Bro. Pur- rington's decease. The basement was excavated to provide room for a heat- ing plant and fruit cellar, and within eight weeks a four-room apartment was created out of the rear screen porch, kitchen, and bedroom, providing quarters for the Purrington family. In due time two other apartments were completed, and to date have been con- tinuously rented out, one for $35.00 and the other for $32.50 monthly. The pro- ject when completed represented a total of 1922 hours of donated labor and $42.75 in cash contributions. With other quorums and outside groups aid- ing the project, an estimated construc- tion cost of $2,846.19 was reduced to an actual expenditure of $1,874.80.
Services such as obtaining material at cost, hauling gravel, borrowing a cement-mixer, laying linoleum, painting,
brick-laying, and the planning and supervision of the work indicate the variety of ways in which the quorum by willing and intelligent cooperation completed a project that is a first quality job in every way and that established the permanent economic in- dependence of a widow and her family.
San Juan Stake
Gives Account of Activities.
Blanding Ward High Priests — The quorum harvested 190 bushels of wheat on twelve acres, and about 130 lbs. per acre from fourteen acres of beans. They have planted fourteen acres of fall wheat and are working with the Elders on four barrels of cider for vinegar from drop apples.
125r7* Quorum of Seventy — We have stored 600 bushels of barley and have paid all the expenses incidental to raising and harvesting the crop.
265th Quorum of Seventy — This quorum of only seventeen members has four acres of potatoes that are doing well.
1st Quorum of Elders — We harvest- ed 4,000 lbs. of beans from our crop. Out of this amount we gave 1,000 lbs. for the rental of the farm. We also have twenty acres of fall wheat that is up in good condition, and eighteen acres for summer planting. In addi- tion to this we have furnished labor on the Church project and are working with the High Priests of Blanding Ward on the vinegar project.
2nd Quorum of Elders — All the Priesthood groups of the Monticello ward worked together on projects : We have two acres of potatoes that have not been harvested yet; two brethren turned in 45 bushels of wheat each; two brethren are raising one pig each; one brother is supervising the raising of some turkeys and one brother con- tributed cash for his share of the pro- ject.
Moab — The Elders held a dance to raise funds to complete a home building project. They took in $73 and the ex- penses amounted to less than $25, leav- ing a profit of over $50 for the fund.
Bear River Stake Mission
From a report by President Warren E. Hansen the following items of historical and faith-promoting interest are noted:
"Each one of our active mission- aries has been doing some special and effective work during the summer. Most outstanding was the work done by all missionaries of District No. 2 in estab- lishing the Branch at Promontory. Other accomplishments are as follows: Six members have quit bad habits and have been ordained Elders, with two more working for that now. There
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, DECEMBER, 1938
have been five temple marriages and fifty people have been brought into ac- tivity who were doing nothing in the Church. Another missionary and his wife turned their bridge club into a temple club. The women made temple clothes for all and they have gone to the temple at least once a month, hav- ing a supper after.
"One missionary headed a committee to get inactive tolks to Sunday School. They report having people out that had not been inside a church in twenty years.
"Another stake missionary had his teeth extracted and did not like to meet people. So he started a correspondence with distant relatives. He reports that two of them have read several tracts and are now nearly through with the Book of Mormon."
Woodruff Stake
Ath. Quorum of Elders.
The officers have during the past summer and spring sponsored the dig- ging of five graves in the Evanston Second Ward, three of which were for the members of the quorum or their families, and two of which were for those who held no Priesthood. The quorum does not solicit this work, ex- cept in cases where they know that the members are not in a position to pay for this service by the sexton.
The quorum also repaired the house of the widow of one of its deceased members and the results of this project are helping members to see what the Church is trying to do in getting quo- rum members to help one another.
4th Quorum of Elders, Emmett Ward, Boise Stake:
This quorum has been very successful with the canning project they undertook. They have several hundred cans of cherries and several hundred cans of apricots. In place of an agricultural project each member of the quorum has been assessed $2.00.
MONTHLY REPORT OF THE L. D. S. STAKE MISSIONS
Made by The First Council of the Seventy to The Council of the Twelve Apostles For the Month of September, 1938
Thy Neighbor As Thyself
(Concluded from page 718)
products would not go into compe- tition with our commercial factories but would be used as a means of enriching the lives of the less fortu- nate.
HThe Presidency of the 187th Quo- X rum— H. Dean Hall, Willard L. Wood, Warren E. Hansen, Glenn M. Severson, Chester Boss, Mervin L. Nielson, and Glen W. Busen- bark — suggest emphatically that no one should be eligible for any help if he does nothing to help himself and the group. They know from their past experience that, through the individual projects which
Missionary Activities Sept.
1938
1. Evenings or part days spent in missionary work „ _ 6,573
2. Hours spent in missionary work — _ 14,594
3. Number of calls made _ 11,382
4. Number of first invitations in _ 4,277
5. Number of revisits 4,791
6. Number of Gospel conversations - _ 11,482
7. Number of standard Church works distributed (Does not include Books of Mormon reported under Item No. 10) _ - _ _ _ 260
8. Number of other books distributed 728
9. Number of tracts and pamphlets distributed - _ „ _ 15,548
10. Copies of Book of Mormon actually sold 131
11. Number of hall meetings held by missionaries _ „ 247
12. Number of cottage meetings held by missionaries _ 448
13. Number of missionaries who attended cottage and hall meetings _ 1,617
14. Number of investigators present at cottage and hall meetings 2,259
15. Number of baptisms as a result of missionary work „ 145
(1) Of people over 15 years of age _ 63
(2) Of people under 15 years of age:
a. Both of whose parents are members .. 36
b. Others under 15 years of age 33
Classification not designated .. 1 3
16. Number of inactive members of Church brought into activity through stake missionary service during the month _ _ 229
Additional Information
Number of stakes in Church _ _ 124
Number of stake missions organized _ „„ 119
Missionaries Actively Engaged
Number of stakes reporting , 97
Number of districts „ _ 362
Elders _.. _ _ _ 238
Seventies _ „ _ „ 1,274
High Priests _ - _ _ _ 236
Women _ _ _ _ _ 344
Sept. 1937 4,498
10,127 8,849 3,386 2,556 8,788
275
356
12,484
96
186
418
1,820
1,750
110
Total
2,092
247
118 113
90 299 229 923 226 239
1.617
each member has undertaken and faithfully matured, their eyes are more open to greater opportunities around them and that they are far better able to take care of them- selves because they have proved that one cannot bless a brother without receiving an even greater blessing for himself. With this plan adopted, the responsibility is placed squarely upon the shoulders of the individual. It gives each one a chance to think for himself and the opportunity to do original things and develop the great gift which came from God and with which he was born — individuality.
Those who are working under this plan are not looking for some- one to hand them gratuitously what they require, but with honor, dig- nity, and pride they receive when need arises, because they have pro- duced. The channels of the Priest- hood are the sources through which spiritual and temporal blessings have been given and will continue to be bestowed upon the children of men.
If every quorum of the Church had a project similar to the one in Bear River Stake, the difficult times with which we are beset would be behind us and nothing but joy and thanksgiving would abide in the hearts of all.
r~c>
Wine Is A Mocker
(Continued from page 732)
and the swing arc was less on the days when alcohol was given than on normal days. As far then as the reflex action of the petellar is concerned alcohol acts as a narcotic.
The second experiment was on the reflex action of the eyelid. A delicate apparatus measured both the time and movement as in the petellar reflex. Again, the conclu- sion is that alcohol acts as a narcotic or reflex action. (Simplest Neural Arcs ) .
"(1 ) Eye-reaction to a suddenly appearing peripheral stimulus is a thoroughly practiced part of an in- dividual's response to his spatial en- vironment. It samples his spatial adjustments.
"(2) Speech-reaction to visual word stimuli is a thoroughly prac- ticed part of the individual's re- sponse to his social environment. It samples the elaborate mental com- plex of the speech associations, in one of its primitive and most firmly established phases."
Therefore they conducted espe- cially arranged experiments in these two fields. At the conclusion of the two, Doctor Benedict wrote: "In general one must conclude that a dose of forty-five cubic centimeters of alcohol clearly increases the la- tency of the eye-reactions." Con- cerning the word-reaction experi- ment: "The average change of latency due to the ingestion of alco- (Concluded on page 744) 743
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, DECEMBER, 1938
Wine Is A Mocker
{Concluded from page 743)
hoi is about three per cent. In view of all our precautions and the re- liability of our technique, this must be regarded as evidence for a real though slight tendency of moderate doses of alcohol to increase the latency of word-reaction."
If, then, both eye- and word- reactions are slowed down by the ingestion of alcohol, again we have evidence that it is a narcotic.
An interesting experiment in motor co-ordinations was tried. It involved the movement of the finger and the response of the eye. The subject was seated in a steamer chair, near the recording-camera of a string galvanometer. A stand with an adjustable arm rest was so placed that the subject's right arm was comfortably supported with the hand near the edge of the recording- camera table, but slightly above the level of its top. The palm of the hand rested against the verticle wedge - shaped support, against which it was held by the flexible but regular pressure of a broad elastic band. The sharp edge of this wedge rested against the palm of the sub- ject's hand, leaving the digits en- tirely free to move in a horizontal plane. In a relaxed position, the upper phalanx of the middle finger should be perpendicular to the face of the recording-camera, so that when it was attached to the record- ing levers there would be as little lateral movement of the levers as possible. The operator was careful that there should be no unnatural or forced position of the hand or fingers and that the arm was com- fortable.
"\X7*hile the subject sat in a half- reclining position in the steamer chair, with electrodes in position, and connected, for recording his electro-cardigram as in word-re- action movements, a normal pulse movement was taken without finger movements. Immediately after this record, a combined pulse- and finger- movement record was taken as fol- lows: When the record started, the operator said "go," in time with a Jaquet clock beating seconds. After eight seconds the operator gave the signal "stop." After a sixty second rest, but without dis- turbing the position of the subject's arm or finger, a second finger-move- ment record was taken like the first. The standard instructions, given before each experiment, were as fol- lows: At a given signal "go," move 744
the middle finger back and forth as fast as you can until you receive the signal "stop."
The eye-movements were meas- ured from photographic records.
The net result of this phase of the experimentation is that the velocity of the eye-movements and the speed of the reciprocal innervation of the finger are both regularly decreased by the ingestion of alcohol. As far as these processes are an indication of the adequacy of motor-coordina- tion, the effect of alcohol on motor- coordination is depressive. The ex- periments indicate a widespread im- pairment of motor-coordination as a result of moderate doses of al- cohol.
In an experiment undertaken to find out if the acceleration of the pulse which accompanies the inges- tion of alcohol was, as is generally supposed, an indication of stimula- tion, the experimenters came to the conclusion that the effect was caused by a partial paralysis of the cardio- inhibitory mechanism, or more sim- ply, the partial paralysis of the heart muscles which control the flow of blood.
Another experiment v/hich was undertaken to determine the sub- ject's sensitivity to an electric cur- rent, provided the following conclu- sion: "The average sensitivity to electrical stimulation is decreased by moderate doses of alcohol."
Of all the experiments, the one concerning eye-movements was con- sidered by Doctors Dodge and Benedict to be of the greatest im- portance since the eye-movement is the one most removed from the sub- ject's will.
In conclusion we may say that the results of all the experiments under- taken prove that the effect of alcohol on the neuro-muscular process in man is narcotic. It immediately ren- ders futile the general practice of trying to stimulate a person by the administration of alcohol. During all these centuries we have been mocked by wine. Are we content to be deceived forever?
What can be done about it? That is a problem for the whole people to decide. First, we must arouse public interest and educate the public. When all the people are of one mind on a subject, great and far-reaching are the results. For instance, not all babies are born liking mush for breakfast in America and soup for supper in France. These phenomena are simply national customs. A sim- ilar attitude toward total abstinence would work wonders in any country.
Looking Toward 1947
(Concluded from page 727)
seed pods or withered flowers, and insure a much longer season of bloom in our gardens. We should gather the seeds as soon as ripe, and name and put them away until planting time.
Fall is the time to prepare the garden for winter rest and spring blooming. Dig, plow, fertilize. Make changes in the garden bor- ders or flower beds, paths, etc. If you have new plans, put some of them into operation now — the more work we do in the garden in the fall, the less we shall disturb it in the spring, when all it wants to do is bloom and be beautiful. Now is the time to mend fences, remove dead plants, shrubs, trees, to clear away all rubbish, especially from corners and out-of-the-way places, to clean and put away all tools.
We should plant bulbs, transplant trees and shrubs, divide plants. We must plant hardy seeds, such as lark- spurs, bachelor's buttons, California poppies, Shirley poppies, cosmos, for early spring blooming now. We could prepare the compost pits — two, at least — for the stowing away of grass cuttings, leaves, and all garden trimmings, vegetable leaves, etc., so that you may have the precious soil they resolve themselves into. Never waste anything that will make soil. Soil — good soil — is very difficult to get these days,