&;: |:jg& T:; ■ ........ .. . .";■;. :';:;.':. ■ ■ ■ ■■.■: ■■..'■ : ■ ; ■■'■ ■■■■■■ ■■ .■ ■■■ :■ * Wwl. fit SB W Wt M % % MARCH, 1944 RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED SALT LAKE CITY 1 . UTAH ly.iK'^TT.'y. *r*' ". • . and I dreamed that dinner came floating in without my moving a finger . • • Isn't it fun to dream about a house where most of the dreary work is done by magic? Well, keep on dreaming . , , for tomorrow many of your wishes are coming true! You'll have a Certified Performance Gas range so wonderful it will be like having a chef in the kitchen ... a Gas refrigerator that keeps foods fresh so long it will save hours of marketing and meal preparation ... a heating unit that cools your home as well as heats it — without a thought from you . . . and oceans of hot water to make everything easier ! All this, and more too, will be possible through the miracle of the blue Gas flame— the flame that cools as well as heats! In the laboratories of the Gas industry, engineers are now developing these wonders . . . making them possible for every type of home. Today Gas speeds war production. Use it wisely. But tomorrow it will make your dream of more comfortable, economical living a reality. It's a dream worth saving for — with every War Bond you can buy. THE FLAME THAT WILL BRIGHTEN YOUR FUTURE... MOUNTAIN FUEL SUPPLY COMPANY Sales offices in Salt Laka City, Ogden and Provo 99 SERVING TWENTY-THREE UTAH COMMUNITIES WAR AND PEACE ARE YOU BUYING ALL THE WAR BONDS YOU CAN? vJ^lPROPHECY vSu ZDr. Charles C*. -Dibble The Aztec codices and histories written shortly after the Conquest agree that the Indian leaders had been oriented years previously to im- pending disaster and misfortune. Proph- ecies by the wise, natural phenomena, and misfortune in military conquest combined to alarm the leaders and leave them filled with anxiety and fearful an- ticipation. In the year 5 Rabbit { 1510) , Monte- zuma, ruler of Mexico, witnessed the appearance of a light in the heavens. Since his astrologers and magicians were unable to quiet his fears and pre- monitions, he decided to consult the learned Nezahualpilli, ruler of Texcoco. Nezahualpilli replied to the ruler of Mexico: Oh, powerful and great lord, I desire not to disturb your peaceful, quiet and generous spirit, but my obligation as servant (lesser ruler) forces me to inform you of a strange and marvelous happening, which, with the permission and consent of the Lord of the heavens, the night, the day, and the air, will occur during your days. You should be informed and forewarned with much care, for I am able to say with certainty that a fews years from now our cities will be destroyed and laid waste; we, our children, and our servants will be vanquished and destroyed. . . . But one thing consoles me considerably: I will not witness these calamities and afflictions for my days are few. I wanted to tell you this before I die, so I leave you this counsel as I would to my own beloved son. As the years passed, the ill omens and natural manifestations multiplied. In the year 1 1 Flint Knife ( 1516) , a comet appeared in the heavens. To the people of the valley of Mexico comets were the sign of the death of a king, or im- pending hunger, pestilence and war. True, many of these happenings may have been given significance after the fateful conquest. However, the Aztecs were sufficiently apprehensive of a com- ing disaster to send Cortez the gold mask of the god Quetzalcoatl, for Quetzalcoatl was to destroy the empire of Montezuma and establish his own rule. MONTEZUMA VIEWS THE COMET OF 1516 What A Difference! -—Because only Honey Bees are made: with genuine Chtiaparral , honey.. „' \ , A They're Fresher! —Because Honey Bees are made in the only cracker factory between Denver and the Pacific :vCoast. :.'.;.; i_^- "'"■■■■■' ■ ■ %*4 W* GRAHAMSbyPURITY VICTORY GARDENING Mmm/tv BON HAM CULTIVATOR Every victory gardener needs one . . . saves two-thirds to four-fifths of the time required for cultivating with a hand hoe . . . and does It better. Ideal for Individual or group projects. ORDER NOW Production Limited by P.W.B. Extremely versatile with interchangeable tools as standard equipment: 5-prong weeder, turn plow, and 10-inch sweep. Other tools on request at small extra cost. Strongly made with wheel frame, tool bar, and shank of elec- trically welded all-steel construction; reinforced steel and hardwood handles; steel bushing for long-wearing hub. For victory gardening, BUT NOT A "VICTORY MODEL"... it's made to .last for years. THE BONHAM CO. C/l^ 222 West 17th South St. Salt Lake City 4, Utah Please send New Model C Cultivator. □ Send C. O. D. (or) rj $ check or money order enclosed. LJ Information NAME - ADDRESS. ORDER DIRECT FROM THE MANUFACTURER OR ASK YOUR HARDWARE OR NURSERY DEALER Money Back Guarantee MARCH, 1944 129 L^kurch of the ^Xt> to be heard April 9th from Salt Lake City. ON Sunday, April 9, the Columbia Broadcasting System's Church of the Air, 11:00 to 11:30 a.m., Mountain War Time, will originate with Ra- dio Station KSL in the tabernacle, on Temple Square, Salt Lake City, as part of the proceed- ings of the general con- ference of the church. Speaker and other de- tails will be announced later. The Church of the Air is heard over CBS stations from coast-to-coast. * Jhe L^c over THE lighthouse be- comes a guide to warn against treacher- ous shoals and hidden reefs, to direct the ship to safe harbor. To a world striving to make port, the lighthouse be- comes a symbol of peaceful waters and of people confidently traveling their courses, free from fear, joyous- ly going their several ways, securely guided by the harbor light- house. The cover is a composite, from a photograph by Cour- sin Black, adapted by Charles Jacobsen. Editors Heber J. Grant John A. Widtsoe Managing Editor Richard L. Evans Associate Editors Marba C. Josephson William Mulder General Manager George Q. Morris Associate Manager Lucy G. Cannon Business Manager John K. Orton National Advertising Representatives Francis M. Mayo, Salt Lake City Edward S. Townsend, San Francisco Dougan and Boile, Chicago and New York Member, Audit Bureau of Circulations [^ j W § Improvement Era " THE GLORY OF GOD IS INTELLIGENCE " "^r^gr'snvoE.''^. ^ **■ ^ x^'X'^r^t W'^i^^'^'^'^^'^^'W^rw'w^w'^r^r-^er^. — affij.t^?. il88 ■ ^pr ifffl iiffi jfm mm iilBI M '"to i *gm MARCH, 1944 VOLUME 47, NO. 3 "THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH" Official Organ of the Priesthood Quorums, Mutual Improvement Associations, Department of Education, Music Committee, Ward Teachers, and Other Agencies of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -K Uhe C^aitors j-^aae Avoiding the Rapids Heber J. Grant 139 L^hurch ^reat eatured Church Welfare — An Opportunity ...Marion G. Romney 140 Archaeological Discoveries Illumine the Bible Levi Edgar Young 144 Evidences and Reconciliations; LXXVT — What is the Meaning of Divine Law? John A, Widtsoe 161 Ward Music Guild...- 172 Genealogy: From the Isles of the Sea, Mary M. Home.. 173 Above the Hills, Ora Pate Stewart 1 73 Mutual Messages: Bee Hive in Wartime, Lucy T. Ander- sen _ 1 54 Field Photos 181 These My People, Ethel T. Collyer 149 The Church Moves On 158 Priesthood: Melchizedek 168 Seventy 1 44 Temple Priesthood Project..l68 No-Liquor-Tobacco 169 Aaronic 170 Ward Teaching 171 Special *J~eatu,r>e5 Eliza R. Snow's "Sketch of My Life" LeRoi C. Snow 142 The Consecration Movement of the Middle Fifties — Part II, Conclusion Feramorz Y« Fox 146 Meet Radar — War's Magician Robert M. Hyatt 148 The Spoken Word from Temple Square....Richard L* Evans 150 Pioneer Diary of Eliza R. Snow — Part XIII 152 Bee Hive in Wartime Lucy T. Andersen 154 And It Came to Pass Lucy G* Bloomfield 174 Aztec Prophecy, Charles E. Dibble _ 129 Exploring the Universe, Frank- lin S. Harris, Jr. 131 Telef acts 1 32 Benjamin Franklin on Death.... 133 Old Sing-Lively, Alfred I. Tooke 1 36 The Religious Attitudes of Noted Men, Leon M. Strong 138 Books 156 The Tie That Binds, Fred W. Moeller 143 Homing: Rainy Day Fun, Katherine Dissinger 162 Handy Hints 163 Cook's Corner, Josephine B. Nichols 164 News from the Camps 167 Index to Advertisers 177 Scriptural Crossword Puzzle.... 186 Your Page and Ours 192 C^dlto rials Conference Notice 160 A Matter of Emphasis M. C. J. 160 On Being Determined, Quietly W. M* 160 Stories, l^oetn 1 These My People Ethel T. Collyer 149 Vigil Sadie H. Greenhalgh 157 And it Came to Pass Lucy G. Bloomfield 174 Faith in Spring, Helen Maring..l30 Frontispiece: March, Helen Poem, A Child Sleeping, Paul- Baker Adams 137 ine Chadwell 133 Poem, Land, Marcia Nichols Poetry Page 134, 135 Holden 180 CIRCULATION FOR THIS ISSUE: 90,000 ^jraith in ypnna By Helen Mating There is no imper- manence to spring; It is reiterant like one grown old Repeating stories that he has retold, Remembering them keenly. Like the ring Of songs re-echoed by the hills of light, Spring morning breaks, reverberant from night. Spring morning shines with beauty; and God's power Wakes spring from winter, day from night-time's glower. Our souls keep faith; and in our hearts a prayer Of endless gratitude knows God is there. Executive and Editorial Offices: 50 North Main Street, Salt Lake City 1, Utah. Copyright 1944 by Mu- tual Funds, Inc., a Cor- poration of the Young Men's Mutual Improve- ment Association of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All rights reserved. Subscrip- tion 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 1 103, Act of Oc- tober, 1917, authorized July 2, 1918. The Improvement Era is not responsible for un- solicited manuscripts, but welcomes contributions. All manuscripts must be accompanied by suffi- cient postage for delivery and return. 130 THE IMPROVEMENT ERA By DR. FRANKLIN S. HARRIS, JR. 'TPhe extent of myopia, or short-sight- ■*■ edness, among a people seems to be determined more by race and heredity than by civilization. Among about fourteen thousand patients at the Greifswald Clinic in Germany almost fourteen percent had myopia, while with a similar group in Denmark only five percent. Over half of the Chinese students in China have myopia or about four and one-half times greater than would be found in an American college. There is considerable myopia among Arabs who live in the open air and do no close work whatever. p\uE to expansion and contraction, a steel bridge one thousand feet long will change about half a foot in length between winter and summer. Similar expansion and contraction of a lead roof on the Bristol cathedral caused it to creep down eighteen inches in two years in spite of all efforts to fasten it. In the daytime the lead expanded, and the lower side moved downhill. At night with cooling, the roof contracted, pulling the upper part downhill, since that was easier than moving uphill. > Oats avoid obstacles in the dark by *■* hearing the echoes of the high- pitched sounds they utter as reflected from the obstacles. Some of the sounds are two octaves above the human pitch limit of hearing, two Harvard Univer- sity biologists have found. 4 "RTfosQUiTOS are able to develop from 1V1 -eggS to adults in a cupful of water collected in a hoof print made by a cow, if the water remains for as long as two weeks. Caturn is the lightest of the planets *^ and would float on water, if an ocean large enough could be found for the experiment. 4 rP'HE star Nova Aquilae increased to A 60,000 times its former brightness in a few hours, and then faded to its former faint brightness. 4 /^itric acid, which gives most of the ^ acidity to lemons, cranberries, and currants, has now been discovered to be up to one percent of the hard ma- terial of the bones, probably as a cal- cium salt. Citrates are of service to the body because of their remarkable power of making the otherwise insolu- ble bone salts soluble in water, and it is now known that these bone salts are constantly being replaced. Citrates are formed as one of the in-between pro- (Concluded on page 132) MARCH, 1944 Good ^rf^ FAMILY B V u INSTANT CDDKING Haked WHOLE WHEAT CEREAL Everyone likes its wholly new flavor — its appetizing texture. Mother particu- larly appreciates the time-saving IN- STANT COOKING ZOOM . . . father finds it a hearty meal to start the day . . . and there's no coaxing neces- sary to get the children to eat this deli- cious hot cereal . . . they ask for more! #*& <^. \7~ Authentic Plane Silhouettes on each Handysack LISTEN TO: NEWS on Station KUTA, Salt Lake City, Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. "Dick Tracy" on Station KUTA, Monday through Friday, 4:30 p.m. Louis P. Lochner on KDYL, Wednesday through Saturday, 4:00 p.m. "Women in the News" on Station KUTA, Monday through Friday, 10:25 a.m. L. D. S. Training Pays! LOOK AHEAD! Make your business training broad enough for Peace as well as War. Prepare now for the needs — and opportuni- ties— of tomorrow. L.D.S. Business College of- fers you the excellent training and effective employment service. L. D. S. BUSINESS COLLEGE 70 North Main. Salt Lake City 1, Utah Day and Evening ^JhY'&mblem "Sfficicnl School All the Year Vi/herever c/hey Q,o . , . Dear Editor: Canadian Army Overseas I have just been reading a copy of your magazine The Improvement Era, picked up on the field post office. ... I liked particularly your September 1943 article "Something about a Soldier." . . . Signalman W. R. Ruddell 131 ..any hour of the day! THERE'S abetter beginning for the day . . . whenever yours begins. Hotcakes drenched with gold- en, delicious Mapleine Syrup ! Three ways to make it— two of them sugar savers. Get magic Mapleine from your grocer — today ! 3 GRAND WAYS TO MAKE MAPLEINE SYRUP © ^^% sSttf&A. pour 2 cups boiling water over 4 cups sugar add 1 teaspoon Mapleine stir and you have . . . 2 pints Mapleine Syrup boil V/z cups hot water 3 cups corn syrup for 5 minutes add 1 teaspoon Mapleine stir and you have . . . 2 pint heat Mapleine Syrup 1 cup hot water V* cup strained honey 2'/t cups corn syrup Bring to full boil. add 1 teaspoon Maple'ne stir and you have . . . 2 pints Mapleine Syrup IMITATION MAPLE FLAVOR 7U *8xte*zHe&>*7%rt°* vutli/tvi&me ROMANCE PIOMEERLORE # £^m>?*****rzT •**-* *€*««« <4««««««*««<« £H32EEnX3E3ETJ FOR ONE TO COME By Eva Willes Wangsgaard I try to catch on paper what I feel, What makes me angry, sorry, or content: Man's ignorance too arrogant to kneel To wise divinity for complement, His courage and his love and sacrifice, A hill in snow like moire in the wind, Or newly green and damp from melting ice. Or fragrant in the sun and blossom-pinned. I vanish, leaving only what I wrote; And one who follows stumbles on a page Where my heart speaks to his and he will note His own truth-seeking in an earlier age, And shape from mine a lens to speed his own, Strengthened to know he does not seek alone. 1 — ■ m • NEEDS RENOVATING By Mildred Goft WE looked at scores of houses, bright with trees and flowers. Among them all there wasn't one we coveted for ours. This had a splendid furnace, that had a lovely view, And all or them were neat as pins, and glit- tering, and new. At last we saw a house that looked like a neglected child. The window panes were broken, the gar- den going wild. It needed paint and varnish, it needed love and care. It was the one we wanted. We combed its tangled hair, And washed its face, and scrubbed it clean, and mended it, and such. We're glad we bought that little house — it needed us so much. STAR SHADOW By Dorothy Marie Davis The wind is a shy thing, the wind is a fawn; If you surprise it . . . Whisk! it is gone. You never will see it by day, though its track Flattens the lilies, though trees double back. You never will see it by moonlight although You set silver snares everywhere it might go. I have not seen it, but one dark night . . . (The moon just set) ... by a star's wan light I saw wind's shadow on the lake it passed — A slim dim shadow that a star would cast. LET ME FEEL JOY By Drucilla R. Thomas ILJelp me, dear Lord, to know the joy of giving. Help me to give unselfishly what e'er I can. God grant, I shall not be too poor to share my love, To let my strength support a fellow man; E'en though my store of wealth is small I still can know the joy of giving, Through me some darkened soul may see again — And I shall know the joy of living. SPRING By Lalia Mitchell I shall wait the song of thrushes, And of blackbirds in the rushes, I shall wait the brook that rushes down the hillside cool and clear; Soon the violets will greet me And the smile of spring will meet me — I shall know full soon how sweet the first- named season of the year. AS THROUGH A WINDOW By Eugenia Finn Look out on life as through a window filled With all the loveliness of earth and sky; Watch dawn's first promise when the winds are stilled And golden fingers lift and clarify. Find courage in the searching light of noon When visions vanish and the truth is shown; Go bravely forth, although the path be strewn With all the scattered hopes a heart has known. The long day, waning, brings the quiet hour Of reverie and rest when work is done, And one no longer strives for place and power, Content to watch the pageant of the sun. And as the night drifts down and colors fade, Still look on life clear-eyed and unafraid. TIME By Sudie Stuart Hager '*T_Tow I wish I had more time," *■ *• My mother used to say, Til! Grandma, knitting in her chair, Answered her one day: "My dear, you've all the time there is, A king can have no more; Count up the minutes in a dayl Surely an ample store. "Minutes are the seeds of time To be planted in life's field; On you depends the nurturing, On you depends the yield." MARCH WIND By Thelma Ireland The March wind is so awkward, Has no manners, has no grace. It nearly knocks me off my feet And spills rain in my face. THE IMPROVEMENT ERA SPRING SONG By Luacine Fox Today I walked beneath God's sky, I trod the earth he made, And on my head I felt the sun. My eyes were filled with beauty, The beauty of his hands. The air was soft and fragrant With a thousand tiny perfumes from The blossoms being born. Above, a lace of bursting green And tender branches frothed against the sky. And there was loveliness about the path I walked. An unsung song of rapture gushed — A symphony of colors — a rainbow sprayed upon a waiting earth — No headlines, black and white, Of death and hate and suffering. No stark creation conjured up by man's degraded brain. No fearful cry — no horror — no! Not any. of the ugliness, man-born, Could rob my heart of that one moment — When, with all the glad new surge of spring. The blossom-laden air so soft and sweet, The emerald of living grass, the sunshine gold of daffodil, When all these things renewed the faith that in that hour, and come what may, I knew I walked beneath God's sky. WATER MARK By Keith Thomas Around this rock the ocean's flock Of waves to pasture climb; The print of teeth reveal beneath How far they reach each time. God bade the tide from land divide And let these markings be For men to find the plan designed Of heaven, earth, and sea. w THE ARTIST By Arthur Wallace Peach hen Mrs. Myers made a pie No moon stood still or sun on high, But with each choice ingredient She made the pie a day's event Her touch upon the pie became In essence all that sealed with fame The art of Michelangelo, Undimmed while ages come and go. When Mr. Myers cut a slice With marked approval, though concise, She knew, as anyone can guess, An artist's crowning happiness! rlea j* IF YOU PRE ailing fflk&A Jr&%$ ww The tightest squeeze this year on the farm front will come at harvest time. Many over-age binders and threshers cannot survive another year. Modern ma- chines must be prepared to carry an extra load. The most urgent S.O.S. will come from storm-lodged grains, soybeans, sorghums, legume and grass seed crops ... all of which can be saved by the versatile All-Crop Harvester. Here's what you can do to get your machine ready for maximum service in your community — +c Schedule your All-Crop immediately for the 24-POINT FARM COMMANDO overhaul by your Allis-Chalmers dealer. This also includes reconditioning the attachments for special crops and replac- ing or rebuilding worn parts. * List your machine on your dealer's official Register as a qualified Farm Commando, available for outside work on neighboring farms. If you are in need of an All -Crop Harvester, there are three ways in which your A-C dealer may help you: (1) Supply you with a new All-Crop; (2) sell you a good reconditioned machine; or (3) place you in touch with an owner whose All -Crop is available for custom work. See him today! If blast furnaces grow cold for lack of scrap iron from the farm, so will gun barrels. For the sake of men in the service from your own home town, turn every piece of idle iron in to the Victory Scrap Bank. Ask your A-C dealer! BUY STIIL MORE WAR BONDS! /els fUtlsA tAeJo4/ K .. ALUS-CHALMERS ■ TRACTOR Dl VI S ION-M ILWAUKE E • U. S. A. ALL-CROP HARVESTER MARCH, 1944 135 WALK TO CHURCH TT'S good for you — and saves your car, gasoline and tires for essential war work transportation. And, remember, your car must have ex- pert care. Frequent check-ups by your Pep 88-Vico station or dealer will help your car to run better and last longer. let Us Help Keep Your Car In Fighting Trim ^r^'' UTAH OIL REFINING COMPANY STATIONS and Dealers in Its Products STILL LEADING CHURCH BEST-SELLERS GOSPEL STANDARDS By President Heber J. Grant Good reading on fundamentals of Mormonism, church ad- ministration, the church and society, Mormon economics — the life and times of the seventh president of the church. $2.25 At bookdealers everywhere Oil SING-LIVELY By ALFRED I. TOOKE IN all the weeks I stayed in the New England village, I never did learn his real name. To old and young, one and all, he was "Old Sing-Lively," and a most appropriate name it was, At almost any time that you passed the barn-like structure that housed the tools and stock-in-trade of his various activities — for he was a sort of com- bination village blacksmith, builder, carpenter, plumber, painter — you would hear his tuneful voice as his song mingled with the melody of the anvil or the saw. It was on Sundays, however, that Old Sing-Lively was in his glory. Morn- ing and evening he was always first at the little schoolhouse that also served as meetinghouse. Others might be re- sponsible for this part or that part of the service, but it was always Old Sing- Lively who took charge of the music. It was always Old Sing-Lively who, at the appointed moments, announced the hymn numbers. It was his voice, mel- lowed by the years, but still deep and clear and resonant, that read the first verse while the congregation "found the place" in their hymn books. And al- ways, after a momentary pause, during which his gaze would sweep the con- gregation, his voice would boom: "Sing lively, now! Sing lively!" Then, clear 136 —Photograph bg H. Armstrong Roberts as a bell, from that powerful throat the melody would flow, for the little school- house boasted neither organ nor piano; indeed it had little need of either, for Old Sing-Lively seemed to find the right key by instinct, and never did he pitch a tune too high or too low for his con- gregation. He dearly loved the livelier tunes, and sometimes, at the end of a verse, if some voice had been guilty of dragging, he would eye the offender reproachful- ly, and again exhort them to "sing live- (Concluded on page 165) THE IMPROVEMENT ERA <^hlarch March is a wild bird Winging, strong and fleet, Into relentless winds, blind To defeat. —Photograph by Jeano Orlando March is a man-child Running swift and free, Head tossed, gay shouts ringing Noisily, March is a willow-bud Affianced to the spring; Wild, gay, modest— Disquieting! By Helen Baker Adams MARCH, 1944 137 Tk Yd^agt\& fiist,3m^ \ Looks a little silly, doesn't it? . . . Actually, we never heard of a woman who locked up her laundry soap with the family sparklers. But the general idea isn't bad. Soap, under war conditions, is a precious article. Every bar that's made contains materials vital to the success of our men in the service. We don't believe any sensible woman needs urging to be careful with soap. To buy just what she needs. To get full value from every ounce. To make every bar last as long as possible . . . especially when she uses Fels-Naptha Soap! THE • /Keilaioud ^tttituaed OF NOTED MEN By LEON M. STRONG IT is said that Robert Ingersoll, re- nowned agnostic orator, shortly be- fore his death, was asked if his friends might use his forceful speeches and writings. He is reported to have said: You are at liberty to use anything you wish, but I pray you to omit any intimations I may have made to the non-existence of God. The late Senator William E. Borah of Idaho adds his bit: I am a believer in the fundamental prin- ciples of religious liberty. If the time ever comes when I have to sacrifice my office for those principles, I shall unhesitatingly do so.1 And again, in a letter to a high school student: I do believe in prayer. I believe in a God who answers prayers." The following is said to be an addi- tion King George of England made to the talk which he broadcast Christmas morning, 1931, in which he quoted Louise Haskins: I said to the man who stood at the gates of the year, "Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown." and he re- plied, "Go forth into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. which shall be to you better than a light and safer than a known way."* President Franklin D. Roosevelt has been quoted in a prominent daily paper as follows: There comes a time in the affairs of men when they must prepare to defend not their homes only, but the tenets of their faith and humanity on which their churches and their government and their very civilization are founded.* Robert E. Lee, the courageous but tranquil-souled man of the Southern armies, wrote a letter when the fortunes of the South were at very low ebb. What he wrote was characteristic of his life. Here is an extract from his letter: We are all in the hands of a kind God who will do for us what is best, and more than we deserve, and we have only to endeavor to deserve more and to do our duty to him and to ourselves. May we all deserve his mercy, his care, and his protec- tion.* iLibertg, Vol. 35, No. 2. p. 27 aLetter on file with the present writer 'Troth Magazine, 1941 *New York Times. January 8, 1939 ^Robert E. Lee— Man and Soldier, by Thomo» Nelson Page, Charles Scribners and Sons, 1934, p. 624 THE IMPROVEMENT ERA ^Tuoldma the r\apldi a me /\api £5u J-^redident ^J4eber /j. Ljrant i heard of a man, who was at a great banquet, speaking to another regarding the faith of the Latter-day Saints. He said, "Why, the Mormon people, those who live their religion, do not use tea, coffee, tobacco, or liquor." The other man said, "I do not believe a word of it." The first man replied, "It is true." These two non-Mormons were sitting at one of the tables at this banquet. Along came a member of the church. The man who was defending the Mormons said, "There comes a Mormon. He is going to take a seat with us. I'll bet you. he won't drink coffee." The bet was accepted. The Mormon drank the coffee! When they came out, the one who lost his bet said, "I have no further use for that man, who, professing to believe that God gave a revelation through Joseph Smith, telling the people to leave such things alone, yet comes here and publicly disobeys the teachings of his prophet. I have trusted that man, but I will quit trusting him." We carry upon our shoulders the reputation, so to speak, of the church, every one of us. The young men and young women of today who think they are being smart by getting a little wine and a little liquor in their homes, and doing that which the Lord tells them not to do, are laying a foundation that will lead to their destruction eventually. They cannot go on breaking the commandments of the Lord without getting into the rapids. And what are the rapids? The rapids of moderate drinking, nine times out of ten, lead to excessive drinking, and excessive drinking leads to the destruction of body and of mind and of faith. Any Latter-day Saint who actually believes in the commandments contained in the Doc- trine and Covenants must have no regard for advancement in life when he fails to keep what is known as the Word of Wisdom, which was given to us, not by commandment, but for our temporal salvation. There is absolutely no benefit to any human being derived from break- ing the Word of Wisdom, but there is everything for his benefit, morally, intellectually, physically, and spiritually in obeying it. What does the Lord say to those who obey his commandments? And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the command- ments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones; And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint. And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. May every father and mother so order -their lives that their example will be an inspira- tion to their children. May all realize that every Latter-day Saint carries, to a certain extent, upon his or her shoulders the reputation of the church of Christ. May the Lord, our Father in heaven, help each and every Latter-day Saint to become familiar with the commandments of the Lord as contained in the Doctrine and Covenants; to become familiar with the history and the dealings of God with Joseph Smith, with the marvel- ous inspiration of the living God to him who was the founder, under God, of the church of Christ. Above all, may each Latter-day Saint live the gospel so that its truth will be proclaimed by his example. Jke L^ditord f^c aae f MARCH, 1944 139 A friend of mine recently asked, in substance, the following ques- tions : "Why, in these times while we are so short of help and so over- worked, does the church welfare com- mittee urge the production of so much clothing, food, fuel, and other commod- ities; why the erection of these many bishops' storehouses; why acquire properties and develop permanent proj- ects? Is there really a need for them? Isn't this just an unnecessary burden laid upon the backs of the people?" It is my conviction, born of experi- ence, that a prayerful study of what the Lord's living prophets have said, to- gether with what has been done about the welfare plan since 1936, will con- vince the most skeptical that it is not a burden but an opportunity; the way by which we may apply the divine com- mand, "Thou shaft love thy neighbor as thyself." (Lev. 19:18.) Part of the Gospel At the outset, let us be conscious that the church welfare plan is wholly a church program. It is part of the gos- pel of Jesus Christ and therefore it must be understood, as are all other phases of the gospel, by the spirit of God and not by the spirit of man. We accept as a matter of course and without reservation the fact that we are brothers and sisters, "begotten sons and daughters unto God," as it is stated in the revelation. (D. & C. 76:24. ) This involves the whole doctrine of pre-ex- istence; our antemortal spirit life; the gospel plan as evolved there; our ac- ceptance of it; the purpose for the crea- tion, and the peopling of the earth. These fundamentals I shall not discuss here, but understanding them, we know the truth of the declaration, /, the Lord, stretched out the heavens, and built the earth, my very handiwork; and all things therein are mine. And it is my purpose to provide [or my saints, for all things are mine. But it must needs be done in mine own way. (D. & C. 104:14- 16. Italics author's.) We who, through the waters of bap- tism, have covenanted with the Lord that we are willing to take upon us the name of his Son and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given us, have been united in the bonds of Christ and are under solemn obligation to assist the Lord in caring for his Saints, our "brethren in the Lord" (Alma 17:2), and we must do it in the Lord's "own way." Based on Love The Savior admonished us to love one another. Following his great dis- course about love and unity being characteristic of the gospel of Christ, he referred to love and unity among his followers as being convincing evidence to the world that the Father had sent him. This love for one another is al- ways present in the church of Jesus Christ. It is found wherever church members meet. Particularly is it notice- able away from the main bodies of the 140 CHURCH WELFARE & ca m nffanon kj. /\otnneu ASSISTANT MANAGING DIRECTOR GENERAL CHURCH WELFARE COMMITTEE, AND ASSISTANT TO THE TWELVE church in strange lands. It is felt in the grip of the hand and in the understand- ing greeting. It approaches its highest expression in the giving of encourage- ment and assistance in time of need by neighbor to neighbor in the spirit of true charity, which "is the pure love of Christ." (Mor. 7:47.) The amount of assistance thus bestowed by individ- ual members of the church will never be known, for it is given without the right hand knowing what the left hand does. But certainly it is very great. There is hardly one among us who has not been at some time on the giving and then again on the receiving end. President Grant has set a splendid example in the exercise of this virtue. His unbounded love for his fellow men he has repeatedly demonstrated, by paying here a widow's mortgage, and there the debt of an oppressed man; he has supplied sustenance to numerous in- dividuals and families in their hour of need, while hosts of men and women testify that in their most lonely days of sorrow and grief he has cheered their lives by giving encouragement and com- fort in a friendly visit. We would do well to emulate his example. Concerted Effort Needed Notwithstanding, however, the wide- spread worthy practice of bestowing private charities, there is no assurance that all church members will be cared for thereby. There must be order and united effort in bringing about this ob- jective, as there is in all things divine. Says the Prophet Joseph Smith : The greatest temporal and spiritual blessings, which always come from faith- fulness and concerted effort, never attend in- dividual exertion or enterprise. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 183. Italics added.) The welfare plan affords the opportu- nity for that united, orderly, "concerted effort." Bishops' Responsibility As early as 1832, the Lord by revela- ^* tion put the responsibility for look- ing after the poor upon the bishop of the church. (D. & C. 84:112.) Earlier in the same year, he specified that "the storehouse shall be kept by the con- secrations of the church; and the wid- ows and orphans shall be provided for, as also the poor." (D. & C. 83:6.) To meet this charge partially, there has grown up in the church by common consent the practice of abstaining from two meals on the first Sunday of each month and giving the equivalent thereof to the bishop. This is the fast offering. It is used by the bishop in caring for the needy. Fast Offerings The church membership, as shown by the statistical report given at the gen- eral conference, April 1943, was 917,- 715. Assuming the average value of meals to be 15c and that all members strictly observed the fast and con- tributed an honest fast offering, the con- tribution would be 30c per capita per month, $3.60 per year, or an annual total of $3,303,774.00. This would go far toward eliminating actual need and no one would be the poorer because the offering given would be saved by the fasting, while the church would be in- finitely richer spiritually. Unfortunately, the offerings placed in the bishops' hands have not always been sufficient to meet the needs of his peo- ple. A survey made in September 1935, revealed the fact "that 17.9 percent of the entire church membership received relief, or a total of 88,460 persons; that 80,247 persons (16.3 percent) received relief from the county and 8,213 (1.6 percent) received relief from church funds." (Message on relief by the first presidency, April 1936.) Observance of the monthly fast and payment of an honest fast offering is urged under the welfare plan, and in addition thereto the program calls for the production of food, fuel, clothing, and other necessities of life. Annual Church Welfare Budget Each year a list of these necessities, which has come to be known as the an- nual church welfare budget, is pre- pared under the direction of the gen- eral church welfare committee. The quantities are based on the anticipated need. The budget is broken down to the welfare regions of the church, and then to the stakes in the region, and finally to the wards, priesthood quo- rums, and other units within the stakes for production. This budget, when it is produced, is put in the hands of the bishops of the church and placed in bishops' storehouses. Thus, in discharg- ing their responsibilities to the poor of the church, the bishops have two sources of supply: the fast offerings and the welfare budget. An effort is being THE IMPROVEMENT ERA an OPPORTUNITY made to widen the production base so that we shall as nearly as may be pro- duce all of life's necessities. An Aim of Church Welfare One of the aims of church welfare is to see that each church member who will accept the program and subscribe to it and who, by the efforts of himself and his family, is unable to care for him- self, shall be cared for "according to his family, according to his circumstances and his wants and needs." (D. & C. 51 : 3. ) Important as is the achievement of this objective, it is of less consequence than is the manner in which it is to be reached, for it must be accomplished in such a way as to do away with the curse of idleness, the evils of a dole, and so as to develop independence, in- dustry, thrift and self-respect amongst our people. (See "Message of the First Presidency to the Church." October general conference, 1936.) That there is sore need for such a program is evi- denced by the following incidents all brought to our attention recently. The Need Demonstrated A stake president proposed to pur- "**■ chase a small plot of ground with a building on one corner which might be used for a bishops' storehouse. He ex- plained that it was planned to build a coop for a few chickens, a corral and sheds for a cow, and grow a garden on the remaining portion. An inquiry brought the explanation that a brother residing next door would operate it, that he was existing without fear of starvation on public "assistance," but that he was the most miserable man in the world because he had nothing to do. Another stake president, a banker, was visited at his office by a brother de- siring to withdraw the money he had on deposit in the bank. The brother made the request that the money be given to him in private. The president did not say how much it was, but he did say that it was a sizeable roll of currency in rather large denominations, and he said further that within a few days this brother's name appeared on the list of recipients of public assistance. In one of the most fertile valleys of the intermountain country, a woman ap- proached a member of a stake presi- dency, a lawyer, and asked if he would help get her land back. Upon being in- terrogated, she gave the following ex- planation : I had a valuable sixty-acre irrigated farm which I conveyed to my married daughter in order that I might get government assist- ance. My daughter recently died and the title passed to her husband. He refuses to acknowledge my ownership. The following is from the governor's message to the 1943 Utah Legislature, as it appeared in the press January 12, 1943. He was discussing the state wel- fare program. In the Ogden area, . . . the budget for a widowed mother and two children is about $45 per month. . . . On being placed on re- lief that mother is informed by the case worker that she will be allowed that amount each month provided that she and the mem- bers of her family receive no income or as- sistance from any other source. Now, if during the summer months one of her children should get a part-time job cutting a neighbor's lawn and earn $10 per month . . . the rules say that the case worker must immediately reduce the family grant by $10 per month. The child's earnings must, therefore, go into the family budget. After the summer is SALT LAKE REGIONAL BISHOPS' STOREHOUSE AND GRAIN ELEVATOR, SALT LAKE CTY, UTAH — Photograph courtesy Deseret Book Company MARCH, 1944 ended and the industrious child returns to school and his income of $10 per month stops, the rules of the past have required that a new investigation be made before the cut can be restored. Cases are numer- ous where it has taken from six weeks to three months for a cut once made to be restored. Under such circumstances the widowed mother knows that her family will be in want for a period if anyone of them works, so she is forced to teach her children not to be industrious and to depend on the state for a living. If there were only one example the problem would not be so serious, but there are hundreds of children in this state who are being so trained and taught because of a welfare philosophy that is being spon- sored by our laws. . . . Take another example. Let us assume that the budget for an old person is $30 per month. If such a one should keep a cow or have a small garden, the case worker, often inexperienced in the art of figuring net in- comes, would be required to decide the value of the cow or garden to client and reduce his grant in that amount. Consequently the recipient soon discovers that it does not pay to be industrious so he wastes his life. . . . Such a system is a good one to keep peo- ple on relief perpetually and to furnish a lot of opportunities for social workers to teach clients how to make their meager incomes stretch through the month, but it is a system that is training thousands of citizens In the belief that industry and personal independ- ence does not pay. (Italics added.) The above incidents and quotations are at random from many which could be cited. They illustrate the character decay in progress in our midst, encour- aged and fostered by the false philos- ophies, panaceas, and practices of the times. A few more decades of training children to grow up in idleness; of en- couraging sons and daughters to take from their fathers and mothers their meager means of support and, while de- vouring it, to turn their parents on the public domain to live as best they can as public charges; of condoning the fraudulent practice of men and women disposing of property and making false representations in order to qualify for government dole; and of teaching all the people that the government owes them economic security from the "cradle to the grave" — a few more de- cades of such training and practices, I say — and we shall have lost the virtues of free, independent, self-sustaining men. We shall merit no more than slavery into which we shall have sunk. Some Things We Cannot Afford HPhere are some things to which we A have a legal right but which we can- not afford, and the acceptance of pub- lic relief is one of them. It requires too great a sacrifice in self-respect and in political, temporal, and spiritual in- dependence. It requires too great a sacrifice in industry and thrift, those sterling virtues possessed by the people who built our nation and established us in these mountain valleys. For these reasons, we could not afford to accept public relief, even though we might be assured that it will always be available. We have, however, no such assurance. ( Continued on page 1 89 ) 141 (L*liza /\. J5k now 5 w Sketch of I ast summer, Dr. D. Sterling Wheel- wright and his wife did much re- ■J search gathering early western poetry. They spent some time in our church library and then went to the great Bancroft Library of the Univer- sity of California at Berkeley. In in- troducing himself, as I recall his con- versation with me later, he said the pur- pose of his visit was to collect the best early western poetry. He was prompt- ly told that there is but one outstanding, early pioneer western poet- — Eliza R. Snow of the Mormon church. To his great surprise, he was then shown a large collection of her writings. In this collection is "A Sketch of My Life," by Eliza R. Snow, written at Mr. Bancroft's request. She assisted him in gathering material for his History of Utah. I believe no one at church head- quarters knew anything about this production from my aunt's pen until Dr. Wheelwright told me of it. After some correspondence with Mrs. Eleanor Bancroft, assistant to the director of the Bancroft Library, she kindly had a photostatic copy made of the entire -forty-nine large folio pages, of the different styles of favorite antes. When quite young, I commenced writrmg for publication in various journals, which I continued for several years, over assumed signatures — wishing to be useful as a writer,. and unknown as an author. I was early taught to respect the Bible, and in Sabbath schools recited much of the New Testament — at times reciting seven of the long chapters in the Gospels, at a lesson. My heart yearned for the gifts and mani- festations of which those ancient apostles testified. Sometimes I wished I had lived when Jesus Christ was on the earth, that I might have witnessed the power of God manifested through the Gospel. But alas! the time of such manifestations was gone forever, so said the clergy. I listened to Alexander Campbell with deep interest, and became interested in the ancient Prophets. He and Walter Scott and Sidney Rigdon were frequent visitors at my father's house. They assisted me in my Bible studies. When I heard of Joseph Smith as a Prophet of God revealing the Gospel again, it was what my soul hungered for, but I thought it too good to be true. Soon after this the most impressive testi- monies I had ever heard were given by two of the witnesses to the Book of Mormon. Aunt Eliza was baptized by the Prophet Joseph Smith, April 5, 1835. To sketch- beautifully written in Aunt Eliza's own quote further: ha5d- ill,,,. In the spring of 1836, I taught a select The manuscript is a valuable addition school for young ladies, and boarded with to the information we already have the Prophet's family. January, 1837, by about this noted Mormon poetess, writ- solicitation, I resided in the family of Joseph Ztl l*i tided, /5eJt>l^ &,<$*& jL*.a/,/w# di t/t. &>+*-<* *ten* t***ftZu* ei$J)k4t} £U$t£Mjit. Smith, and taught his family school, and had ample opportunity to mark his daily walk and conversation as a Prophet of God. er, organizer, and leader among women. Some of the most important experiences in her life are told here for the first ""The sketch, as will be seen from the Here she gives an impressive char- accompanying photostats, is signed acter sketch of Joseph Smith. Then she Eliza R. Snow Smith. It is indexed in the Bancroft Library as Eliza Smith, not Snow. Many of the incidents and ex- periences told in this manuscript are en- tirely new. We have no other record of them. Others throw new light on facts recorded elsewhere. The follow- ing is quoted from the writing : My mother considered a practical knowl- edge of housekeeping the best and most ef- ficient foundation on which to build a magnificent structure of womanly accom- plishments. My parents carefully imprest on the minds of their children, that useful labor is honorable — idleness and waste of time disgraceful and sinful. Book-studies and schooling were ever present. I was partial to poetical works, and when very young frequently made attempts at imitation 142 ELIZA R. SNOW, TAKEN FROM A STEEL ENGRAVING tells of the Kirtland persecution, the migration to Missouri, of the sufferings and persecution and the move to Quin- cy, Illinois, where she wrote several ar- ticles for the press over the nom-de- plume of "A Mormon Girl." This is while the Prophet was in Liberty Jail. When the Saints commenced gather- ing in Commerce ( afterwards Nauvoo ) , Aunt Eliza accepted an invitation to teach Sidney Rigdon's family school. She tells of the "building and occupa- tion of Nauvoo," of her marriage to the Prophet Joseph Smith, and living with his family in the Mansion House, and of the organization of the Relief So- ciety. The awful tragedy of the martyr- dom is vividly pictured. Following an account of the persecu- 0 Ol4AAtji^xJk-*-i'C y **n-**s*-*x. urh*-i** 7 o^tt*7 t&jC, THE IMPROVEMENT ERA My Life // (& oLef\oi C. __V Banorpft Library Uniw.a it y of C al if omia _| Elixa Smith Sketch of my Lif- J now tions and sufferings of the Saints in Nauvoo, Aunt Eliza tells of the evacua- tion of that beautiful city by the Saints and then begins the story of the Pioneer journey across Iowa to Council Bluffs, the building of Winter Quarters, the sojourn there during the winter of 1 846 and '47, and the long and difficult jour- ney in 1847 to the Salt Lake Valley. This account is a vivid synopsis of Aunt Eliza's Pioneer Diary which has been appearing in The Improvement Era since March 1943. Pollowing the arrival in the valley, ■*■* Aunt Eliza writes a brief biography of the rest of her life up to within three years of her death. She writes: Our first winter in the mountains was delightful. Most of us were houseless: and what the result would have been, had that and in the fall, my half was a half-bushel of beautiful potatoes. Public meetings were held in the "Lord's parlor," i.e., out of doors, plenty of room for new-comers, with suf- ficient ground-floor to sit or stand upon. These are but disconnected sentences from about thirty pages of the manu- script, following which Aunt Eliza tells of her appointment by President Brig- ham Young to reorganize the Relief So- ciety of the church in Salt Lake City and then "to assist the bishops to or- ganize branches of the society in their respective wards. Then President Young gave me another mission — to in- struct the sisters throughout the church. I could not then form an adequate esti- mate of the magnitude of the work. In 1876 I was called upon to report the charitable work of Utah women, in the Fair in Philadelphia. ... In 1867 I or- >««.; //Uvu. ttu. t^*