Millennial Star

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER - DAY SAINTS IN GREAT BRITAIN

Y«^iUft!J!fort of carf^S

Cotp.» Ptan""'a

ouHAM ROAD. *-°-

YORK

CARPETING USED THROUGHOUT THE CHAPELS

The Prophet writes...

The circulation of pornographic pic-
tures, books, magazines, and films
in nearly every community has now
reacned an alarming stage.

Its detrimental effect upon standards
of morality is becoming so serious
that all thoughtful people must unite
to combat it

Financially interested persons, claim-
ing " the right to sell whatever the
public will buy," merchandise their
questionable wares with no regard for
the consequences

The sale of unclean printed matter,
the showing of salacious films, the pre-
sentation of objectionable TV pro-
grammes, and the dissemination of im-
moral material through other means,
have become so offensive that decent
citizenry can no longer remain silent.

Even the sanctity of the home is
invaded as direct-by-mail merchants
thrust their debasing products upon
boys and girls, many of tender years,
whose names they subtly obtain for
their nefarious purposes.

These merchants seem to have no
concern for the morals of the people,
nor for the well-being of the communi-
ties at large which inevitably must
suffer through the crime and corrup-
tion which always results from a
lowering of standards of decency.

We are unalterably opposed to
sexual immorality and to all manner of
obscenity. We proclaim in the strong-
est terms possible against the evil and
wicked designs of men who would
betray virtuous manhood and woman-
hood, enticing them to thoughts and
actions leading to vice, the lowering
of standards of clean living, and the
breaking up of the home.

We call upon the members of the
Church and all other right-thinking
people to join in a concerted move-
ment to fight pornography wherever it
may be found, whether in books and
magazines, on the screen, or in mater-
ials sent through the post office.

We also urge legislators and civil
authorities to do all in their power
to curb this pernicious evil.

Local as well as national processes
may be required to stem this tide, and
yet such action will come only if an
aroused electorate makes its feelings
known.

It seems incredible that elected
officials can be so far misled as to
suppose that they are acting in the
public interest then thoy allow this
debasing condition to continue.

Minorities seeking to make financial

President David O. McKay

gain at the expense of a silent major-
ity should not be permitted to bring
widespread tragedy upon others for
want of a strong expression in defense
of decency.

Every father and mother should be
aroused to the danger, and should de-
mand an immediate termination of this
flagrant vice.

DAVID O. McKAY
HUGH B. BROWN
N. ELDON TANNER
JOSEPH FIELDING SMITH
THORPE B. ISAACSON

April, 1966

M*Mi.

VOLUME 126 NUMBER 4
EDITOR: PRESIDENT O. PRESTON ROBINSON

Seventeen-year-old Gerald Bell, of the managing editor: david boulton

Lowestoft Branch, British Mission, with editorial board: dr. o. p. robinson. d. boulton, a. e. haslem

some of his Aaronic Priesthood certifi- editorial articles /pictures to: 70, queens road, reading. Berkshire

cates. (See Page 112.) subscriptions /payments to: star (finance), zbs london road, mitcham. surrey

Life-blood of the Church

CONTENTS/Aprii 1966

105

The Prophet writes . . .

108

"1 have warned you, and fore-

warn you . . ."

112

... cycles 11 miles and has

never missed a meeting

114

News from the Stakes and

Missions

119

The Church and You and the

Priesthood

Calling

Integrity

Service

Honour

127

Melchizedek Priesthood

128

So you're the new Branch

President

130

Relief Society

Lesson Helps

134

Sunday School

136

The Wonderful World of MIA

138

The Primary Page

140

Letters

Insert: Relief Society Summer

Lessons

The Millennial Star Is the official publication of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints In Great

Britain. Published monthly from 70 Queen's Road,
Reading, Berks. Printed by the Target Press, Reading,
Berks. Subscription rates: £1 per year (Foreign $3). 2s.
per copy. The Star is not responsible for unsolicited
articles, but welcomes contributions.

PRIESTHOOD is the life-blood that flows through the
Church. It is God's power and authority which He
delegates to worthy, selected individuals so that they
might function for him upon the earth.

Priesthood is the power through which the worlds
and all that is in them were created and organised. It is
a force as real and infinitely more powerful than electri-
cal or nuclear energy. When the time comes when we
fully understand it, we will find that it, too, is based
upon natural laws to which God, himself, conforms as
implied in His divine statement, "I, the Lord, am bound
when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say,
ye have no promise."

God's great work, as He has declared, is "To bring
to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." Priest-
hood's chief function is to assist in this great process
and to serve and assist God in His plan to bring his
worthy children back into His presence.

How best can Priesthood bearers perform this
great service? They can live worthily so that the great
power they possess may be magnified and put into
action in their lives. The can set good examples for their
neighbours and others to see and thereby, "Glorify
their Father which is in heaven." They can direct and
maintain ideal home lives for their families. Having
established righteous characters and good home en-
vironments, they can then teach effectively the Gospel
of Jesus Christ to others

Priesthood is power. But, it is power which can be
exercised only on the principles of righteousness,
"only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness
and meekness, and by love unfeigned."

Millennial Star

THE ABUNDANT
LIFE

by Hugh B. Brown

Themes that have provoked
the thoughts of man over
the ages — character, free-
dom, truth, God, science,
religion, morality and eter-
nity. President Brown's per-
ceptive study matured by
wide experience brings to
the reader deeper meaning
and understanding. An elo-
quent testimony to all who
wish to live the abundant
life.

28s -28s - 54s

GIFTS OF THE
SPIRIT

by Duane S. Crowther

The accomplishment author
of two LDS best-sellers,
" Prophecy, Key to the
Future " and " Prophecies
of Joseph Smith," Duane S.
Crowther, in his newest
book, accomplishes a three-
fold goal. First to show that
divine spiritual gifts exist.
Second, to explain the
nature of various spiritual
gifts. And finally, to show
how man can gain the in-
fluence of the Holy Ghost
and the gifts of the spirit
to enrich his own life.

DOCTRINAL NEW

TESTAMENT

COMMENTARY-1

by Bruce R. McConkie

This enlightening new book
will help you understand
the true teachings of the
New Testament. The Book
of Mormon, Doctrine and
Covenants, Pearl of Great
Price and the teachings of
latter-day prophets are
brought into harmony to
cast the light of under-
standing on the full and
true meaning of the New
Testament doctrines. This
first volume deals with the
four Gospels.

Obtainable from Deseret Enterprises Ltd.
288, London Road, Mitcham, Surrey.

April, 1966

Behold, verily,
thus saith the Lord
unto you...

. . :; ,,,-m..

by Dr. Ray H. Barton

President, South West British Mission

THE heading to this article comes
from the verse in which the Lord
states that in consequence of evil
designs that will exist in the hearts of
men in the last days, he warns
and forewarns us. Frankly, I feel that
if the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints had nothing more in it than
the 89th Section of the Doctrine and
Covenants, known as the Word of Wis-
dom, this alone would classify it as the
true Church of Jesus Christ.

As far as we know, there wasn't the
slightest inkling in the mind of Joseph
Smith or any other of the brethren in
the early days of any problem in con-
nection with smoking, nor the use of
tea and coffee.

The effects of alcoholism have long
been known, and over-use ot wine in
early Biblical days is recorded; but its
use has never been commercially ex-
ploited to the extent that it is today.
So since there were no smokers or
coffee or tea drinkers at the time of
Christ, it was most logical that He
should state that in the last days, He
would warn and forewarn us regarding
these evil designs. This revelation,
dealing mainly with the proper mode of
living and the rules for the same, was
given far in advance of anything sug-
gested by scientists. Scientists, there-
fore, without intention on their part,
have become witnesses to the fact that
Joseph Smith spoke by divine inspira-

tion.

The revelation was received Feb-
ruary 27, 1833. It came in answer to
earnest prayer to the Lord for guid-
ance, as a result of the fact that the
small room in which the brethren met,
situated over the Prophet Joseph
Smith's kitchen, was filled with tobacco
smoke and other items of tobacco.
Often when the Prophet entered the
room, he would find himself in a cloud
of smoke and find a soiled floor.

Because of the successful activity
of Satan in the world in convincing
unsuspecting individuals that smoking
and the use of tea and coffee and
alcohol are innocuous, their useage has
greatly multiplied. As a result, the

Millennial Star

proselyting missionaries find a real
road block when they try to present
the third discussion which deals with
the Word of Wisdom, and commit
people to change their ways. The habit-
uation of these things is attested also
in that there are so many relapses by
people who feel that they cannot get
along without continued intake. It's
true that life is a testing ground, and
we should learn by experience; but we
don't have to feel that every one of
life's experiences must be tried. For
example, few people would feel that it
would be desirable to step in front
of a train going 60 miles per hour just
to see how it felt for once. The Word
of Wisdom was given to allow a
healthy spirit to operate in a healthy
body. Since we share in the act of pro-
creation with our Father, He would like
us to have the best and give the best
to our offspring. Now, the Word of
Wisdom is a code which contains nega-
tive and positive aspects; but whether
negative or positive, it is all positive
in the long run.

Some interesting questions have
often been asked missionaries.

QUESTION: Is tea less harmful to
the body than coffee?

ANSWER: No. If anything, tea has
more effect than coffee; although the
two have approximately the same
amount of caffeine. Tea, however, has
tannin, whereas, coffee has some irri-
tating oils. Caffeine is the constituent
of the cola beverages which gives
them their reaction similar to the
coffee and tea drinks. The caffeine acts
as a "whip." It increases and stimu-
lates body responses. It was first dis-
covered by some Monks of Arabia in
the 16th Century who noted that their
sheep, after eating certain berries,
frisked and gambolled all night long.
The Monks who had to spend many
long hours praying on their knees dur-
ing the night, often fell asleep, and
decided to try it. It worked well for
them and kept them awake.

Besides the difficulty in sleeping,
there is a rise in blood pressure and a
more rapid pulse. It is analogous to
"whipping" the body, which temporarily
speeds us the body process, but must

inevitably be followed by a period of
increased fatigue and inefficiency
while the body catches up.

Unfortunately a cup of coffee or tea,
and a cigarette, either with or as a re-
placement for breakfast or other meals
is practically an established institution.

QUESTION: But the church preaches
moderation. Therefore, surely, a few
cups of tea a day won't do any harm

ANSWER: The Church teaches mod-
eration in good things, but abstinence
from bad things. A small dose of
strychnine poison isn't very good for
a person, either.

QUESTION: Don't they sometimes
suggest a cup of tea when someone is
suffering from shock?

ANSWER: Tea is a valuable medicine,
or at least the caffeine content there-
of is useful as a valuable drug in cases
of shock or where resuscitation is
needed; but if a person is habituated
to tea and the body will no longer
respond, then a cup of tea will have no
effect at the time when it is needed in
an emergency.

QUESTION: Why didn't the Lord say
tea and coffee instead of just "hot
drinks?"

ANSWER: The reason "hot drinks"
was used is because tea and coffee
were the common hot drinks that were
used in the days of Joseph Smith.
There is no question but that this is
what was meant because they were
the common hot drinks of the day.
They are probably served more with
meals than any food, with the possible
exception of bread. Neither supplies
calories, unless cream or sugar is
added. They both contain caffeine,
which is a nervous system stimulant.

QUESTION: Is there something about
any drink being too hot?

ANSWER: Yes. something that is too
hot can burn the tissue. Repeated
burns can lead to cancer. People should
not drink any beverage too hot.

QUESTION: Are there any modern
beverages that we know contain harm-
ful drugs or harmful elements?

ANSWER: Yes, the cola beverage;
in general contain caffeine. Caffeine Is
added to water, sugar, sweetening, and
colouring to produce cola beverages.

The reason that they are not mentioned
in the Word of Wisdom is because they
were not present at that day. That is
why the Lord said, "In consequence
of evils and designs which do and will
exist in .the hearts of conspiring men
in the last days, I have warned you,
and forewarn you . , "So we might
even look for newer products to come
out later on. The fact that they con
tain the same drug as the hot drinks
certainly would be warning enough
Whether we take strychine in a pill
form or put it in a beverage or eat it
in candy, it is still the same drug and
has the same effect.

QUESTION: With the widespread use
of tobacco, is there anything good that
can be said for it?

ANSWER: "And again tobacco is not
for the body, neither for the belly and
is not good for man, but is an herb for
bruises and all sick cattle, to be used
with judgment and skill." According
to Dr. Richard Tanner, there are many
tars and residues in tobacco, but the
main known ingredient at the present
time is nicotine, a deadly poison. All
persons who smoke or use tobacco in
any form take into their bodies some
nicotine, whether they inhale or not
because nicotine is absorbed rapidly
from all the mucus membranes includ-
ing the mouth and throat.

Once in the body the nicotine has
many effects. The first time smoking is
attempted by an individual, there is al-
most always an acute toxic reaction
characterised by nausea, vomiting, and
ocasionally diarrhea. If that individual
continues to smoke, he gradually de-
velops a tolerance to the drug so that
acute toxic effects are not noticed.
Nevertheless, nicotine is still having
a marked effect upon the body of that
individual First, it produces an irrita-
tion of the mucus membranes.

Some years ago cigarette companies
began to advertise that their cigarettes
were manufactured in such a manner
as to prevent irritation of the nose,
throat, and accessory organs of the
smokers The United States Federal
Trade Commission through a Federal
Court injunction forced them to discon-
tinue this type of advertising, saying

April. 1966

"in truth and in fact the smoke from
the cigarettes is an irritant to the
mucus membranes of the nose, throat,
the eustachian tube, sinuses, larynges,
and trachea." They further declared
that all popular brands of cigarettes
are very similar and that there is no
significant difference in their nicotine
acid or throat irritant content. So the
cigarette companies were finally re-
duced to claiming that their product
was milder. They cannot claim that
there is no harm, so each has resorted
to the ridiculous claim that their
cigarette is "less harmful."

Secondly, nicotine produces a rather
marked vaso spasm of the peripheral
arteries. This decreases the circulation
of the oxygen bearing blood. Thus,
impaired, you may have gangrene be-
cause of this lack. Amputation of toes,
feet or legs, or less commonly the
fingers and hands has taken place in
this dramatic and tragic disease known
as "Buergers Disease." It occurs in
young men usually, and almost 100 per
cent, of them are smokers. Dr. Tanner
quotes the case of a man in a Chicago
hospital who had lost both hands and
part of both legs, and was unable to
hold a cigarette, yet as long as he
could get someone to light one and put
one in his mouth, he would smoke it.
Here the tobacco habit had become so
strongly fixed that it had become a
greater force than the desire for self-
preservation.

Third, the British Medical Associa-
tion and the American Medical Associa-
tion recently declared that there
seems to be direct evidence that
smoking cigarettes causes heart
damage, especially coronary disease.
It has long been suggested that heart
disease patients should imitate ath-
letes and practice total abstinence. A
study done by the American Cancer
Society and the British Medical Society
has uncovered strong evidence in sup-
port of an idea which for some years
has been gaining strength that there
is a relationship between smoking
cigarettes and cancer, particularly can-
cer of the lung. In 1950, Dr. Everett A.
Graham caused a sensation by an-
nouncing that cigarette tars when

painted on the skin of one strain of
mice had produced a high incidence of
cancer which seemed to bear out what
many investigators had suspected that
there is in tobacco a carcinogenic-
producing factor. Fifteen studies have
all been positive in this connection.
The rate now is 400 per cent, higher
in smokers than in non-smokers.

Dr. Alton Ochsner recently said that
some people maintain these figures
don't mean anything. What do they
want for proof? If we had one-tenth
the evidence that a bridge was unsafe
for traffic as we have the evidence that
cigarette smoking causes lung cancer,
the bridge would be closed and it
would remain closed until we were
certain it was safe. But tax revenues
totalling more than 2i billion dollars
a year kept the United States Federal
Government from cracking down. Dr.
Tanner further states, "As far as filters
are concerned, I am certain that none
of the present filters do any good."
However, the cigarette manufacturers
are not interested in health — only in
selling cigarettes, As I have so often
said, "What they say in their advertis-
ing is that 'our product will kill you,
but not as soon as the other guy's."

Linus Pauling, the atomic expert, has
estimated that every cigarette shortens
a person's life expectancy by 14.4
minutes based on I.B.M. computer
statistics.

President Alvin R. Dyer tells the
story about the amnesic smoker: This
carpenter smoked five packs of cigar-
ettes a day and felt that his body had
become accustomed to it, and it would
be dangerous for him to stop. He even
had to get up at night to smoke. He
set his alarm. One day while on con-
struction doing a job, a board slipped
off a platform and struck him on the
head and caused him to be amnesic.
He was taken to the hospital for six
weeks. During this period, he gained
twelve pounds in weight; his. blood
count increased, his blood pressure
subsided and a number of functions
that could be detected by the labora-
tory improved, and his appetite picked
up and all seemed remarkably im-
proved. Naturally being unable to

probe into the man's memory and ask
him questions about his background,
they couldn't decide what was causing
this. Suddenly one day the man re-
gained his memory. He knew who he
was and where his home was all in a
flash. He said, "quick give me a cigar-
ette." The nurse and doctor who were
standing near by suddenly realised
what had happened. They walked up to
him and said, "Sir, we did not know
that you smoked. For 45 days you
haven't taken a cigarette. Your body
has been improving. All functions have
shown marked improvement. We did
not know what to ascribe it to." It was
then that he related the story of his
heavy tobacco consumption and sud-
denly began to realise that it wasn't
as necessary to his health as he
thought it was.

Lately, we have begun to find out
that tobacco-smoking mothers have a
greater loss of their children from
spontaneous abortions than non-
smoking mothers. It is strictly an in-
vitation for trouble for a surgeon to
operate on a man who is a heavy
smoker for an abdonimal or chest sur-
gery.

QUESTION: Why should only wheat
be for man?

ANSWER: The Lord has said that the
other grains are for man, but especially
wheat.

This means that wheat contains a
balanced nutritional element which is
just right for man, but not the way we
usually use it in its refined, half-com-
plete form, watered down with phos-
gene, which is a poison gas designed
to bleach the flour; but 100 per cent,
whole wheat is a beautiful, nutritional,
complete item which in and of itself,
has remarkable promise to supply near-
ly all of the necessary requirements of
man's nutrition in terms of fat, carbo-
hydrate, protein, and important
minerals and vitamins. Other grains are
supposed to be used for other animals,
particularly because they supply the
predominant necessary requirements.
This doesn't mean that we can't eat
corn flakes or rice krispies, or any

/continued on page 140

Millennial Star

From Scotland to the West Country.

The majority of Churches built by the Com-
munity in the last two years from Scotland to
the West Country and including N. Ireland are
clad in facing bricks supplied by E. H. Smith
(London) Ltd.
The company is one of the largest distributing

organisations in the country for bricks of
quality and character.

E. H. SMITH London, LTD.,

ALPERTON, WEMBLEY.—

Telephone: Wembley 8671 (8 lines).

it pays to say 'no'

Responsible motorists have proved it. You can get first-class insurances
at highly favourable terms through Ansvar — the world-wide Insurance
Company for the exclusive benefit of Total Abstainers. Ansvar offer these
special terms : 1 to encourage the continuance of exceptional care and
vigilance on the roads. 2 by such encouragement, to foster and contribute
to greater road safety for all. You will find that other forms of Ansvar
insurance carry ^
similar benefits

And why not — after all

responsible people |
have earned the right I

I ansvar

I MEANS RESPONSIBIUTY
favourable insurance
• for the total abstainer

To : Ansvar Insurance Company Limited,

Ansvar House, London Road. Wembley, Middlesex

Telephone: Wembley 6281

As a Total Abstainer I would like details of Life D
Personal Accident D Private Car D Motor Cycle D
Commercial Vehicle n Private House G Travel D

Tick where appropriate

Name (Block Capitals)

Address

April, 1966

Dean Wilson.

HE British Mission have reason to be proud of two of
their young Priesthood holders — Gerald John Bell, of
Lowestoft, Suffolk, and Dean Thomas Wilson, of Norwich.

Both of these boys are Priests in the Aaronic Priesthood,
and both of them have 100 per cent, records of attendance
at their meetings.

On the front cover of this month's issue of the "Mil-
ennial Star" we have featured Gerald Bell. This year
Gerald will be receiving his 7th successive individual
award. Gerald was five years old when his parents joined
the Church in 1952. He was baptised by his father three
years later. Brother Bell, Senior, is now 1st Counsellor in
the Norwich District Presidency, and Sister Bell is secret-
ary to the British Mission MIA Board.

From the time that Gerald's parents first accepted the
gospel until the present day — almost 14 years — Gerald has
an almost unbroken record of attendance (with a few
exceptions due to illness}, and by this we mean 100 per
cent, attendance at Primary, MIA, Priesthood, Sunday
School and Sacrament meetings. He holds all 100 per cent.
Aaronic Priesthood Awards since receiving the Priesthood,
and this year he will be receiving his Duty to God Award.

When the Bells first joined the Church they lived in
Gorleston and Gerald had to travel 8 miles by bus to the
nearest branch in Lowestoft. The family later moved into
Lowestoft and then Gerald would call on other Priesthood
boys to encourage them to attend the 9 o'clock Priesthood
meetings.

Millennial Star

. ..cycles 11 miles to Church and he's never missed

Gerald now lives in Haddiscoe, eleven miles from Lowes-
toft on the edge of the Norfolk Marshes. He has lived there
for about 18 months and as there are no trains or buses
early Sunday mornings Gerald cycles the 11 miles each
Sunday — and he has never missed a meeting, sometimes
cycling through snow blizzards and rainstorms. Usually he
is early to Church.

Outide the Church, Gerald is an active member of the
St. John Ambulance Brigade, of which his mother is a
Divisional Officer. He works as a salesman in a Lowestoft
Department Store.

Brother Ronald S. Coleby, his Branch President, writes of
him, "He is a great asset to us in the Branch. We know
we can depend on Gerald to be there every Sunday and that
the Sacrament will be properly prepared and later, cleared
in the correct manner and attitude. At present he is serv-
ing as the YMMIA secretary and Aaronic Priesthood
General Secretary."

Of his membership in the Church of Jesus Christ, Gerald
Bell says, "My testimony is the most precious and dear
thing that I hold. I know without a shadow of doubt that
this Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
is true. I know with a deep conviction that Joseph Smith is
a true Prophet of the living God.

"I would like to thank my Heavenly Father for my parents
who brought me up in the Church, who put me on the

right path — the straight and narrow path that will lead
back to my Father in Heaven. I would like to thank my
parents for everything they have given to me — their love
and kindness, their guidance in the Church and in my daily
life.

"My greatest desire is to hold the Melchizedek Priest-
hood like my father, so that I can have eyerythina that a
good Latter-day Saint can have."

The same can be said of Dean Thomas Wilson.

Dean has always been a Latter-day Saint. By that we
mean that he was born into the Church of "goodly parents"
who have served the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints for many years.

He has passed through each stage of progression in the
Priesthood from Deacon to Priest, qualifying for the Aaronic
Priesthood Award in each of the past five years.

Brother Kenneth Warren, the Norwich Branch President,
writes of him, "It is most unusual to find him in any mood
other than his good humoured nature. He is always alert
and ready to accept any assignment. He seems to find an
interest in almost ail the activities that take place in the
Branch.

"The Norwich Branch is fortunate indeed to have such a
fine young man in their midst, and I have no doubt that
within a few years Dean will become just as fine a member
of the Melchizedek Priesthood as he is today of the Aaronic
Priesthood."

April, 1966

News from the Stakes & missions

THE following letter was sent by
President David B. Haight, of the
Scottish Mission, to President David
O. McKay:
Dear President McKay,

You would have been thrilled last
evening if you could have attended the
first meeting held in our new Airdrie
Chapel.

We understand you taught a Sunday
School class in the little Airdrie
Branch while you were in Scotland on
your mission. Airdrie is not far from
Stirling (about halfway between
Glasgow and Edinburgh).

A Sister Graham from Derby, Eng-
land, attended the meeting. Her father
was the Airdrie Branch President for
many, many years and he remembers
you. She related how this little branch
was held together during the war —
it had only three members.

Last evening 500 members and in-
vestigators nearly filled this new
chapel. All the branch leaders and
officers are local members. There are
no branch positions being occupied by
any proselyting missionary.

As the meeting progressed, I
thought of how the Church had pro-
gressed and brought joy and happiness
into the hearts of so many people
since the days when you walked the
unfriendly streets. The members are so
proud of your having been associated
with their branch, knowing you helped
it in its beginnings.

The Saints in Scotland join me in
sending our love, wishes, and warmest
greetings to you.

In a covering letter sent to the "Mil-
lennial Star" with a copy of his letter
to President McKay, President Haight
writes:

By the end of this month we will
have opened 14 newly constructed
chapels: Aberdeen, Airdrie, Ayr, Drum-
chapel, Dumbarton, Dumfries, Dundee
(2), Edinburgh, Hamilton, Johnstone,
Kilmarnock, Kirkcaldy and Paisley.
Another chapel in Greenock, on the

; ■

f r

west coast of Scotland, will be com-
pleted soon.

That letter to President McKay was
dated February 7, 1966.

The following Sunday, February 13,
more than 500 members of the Church
in Edinburgh attended the opening
services in their own new chapel. The
services were presided over by
President Haight, and were conducted
by President Alexander Clark, of the
Edinburgh District, and President
James Thompson, of the Edinburgh
Branch.

One hundred and twenty-six years
ago Missionary labours were begun
in Edinburgh by Elder Orson Pratt. In
fact just outside Edinburgh is a rugged
hill known by the local people as
Arthur's Seat, but called by the mem-
bers of the Church, Pratt's Hill. It was

Joan Farbus — "Ulster Hostess, 1966."

on Pratt's Hill that Elder Pratt pleaded
with the Lord to give him 200 bap-
tisms. Many more than that number
was the answer to his prayer.

As each chapel in Scotland has been
completed, a public "open house" has
been held for two days, during which
people have toured through the build-
ings by the thousands, seeing dis-
plays put on by the auxiliaries and
having the Church Building programme
explained to them.

The highlight of each of these days,
however, has been the showing of the
film from the New York World's Fair,
"Man's Search for Happiness," which
was presented hourly.

At the opening of one of the Scot-
tish chapels, the Lord Provost of the
City . . . while listening to an explana-
tion of the display showing the

Millennial Star

Temples throughout the world and the
reason for Temple work . . . remarked
to the missionary in charge, "I be-
lieve the work you are doing is true."
THE ULSTER HOSTESS, 1966

SISTER JOAN FARBUS of the Irish
Mission recently won a national
competition to find the Ulster Hostess
for 1966. The contest is run by the
British Farm Produce Council and the
Irish Television. The test consisted of
preparing a meal for a transatlantic
visitor using only Ulster produce.

Sister Farbus has been hostess to
many American missionaries, and was
well qualified to enter.

It was a joy — and a boost — to all the
local Saints when she was presented
with the winner's sash on television
after serving the judges with apples
stuffed with spicy pork, cole slaw, cot-
tage cheese, stuffed eggs and potato
salad. The sweet was a marshmallow
meringue with whipped cream and
raspberries (a number of missionaries
now at the BYU will remember this
dishj.

Sister Farbus and her husband
joined the church in 1956. They have
three children, Simone (8), Julian (3)
and Louise (18 months). She has held
many positions, including teacher in
Primary, Sunday School, Relief
Society and MIA. At the time of the
Singing Mothers' tour of Great
Britain she was the District Relief
Society President and arranged their
Irish reception. At present she pre-
sides over the Belfast MIA.

Outside the Church, Sister Farbus
runs a unique cooking organisation
called "Cooks Anonymous." With five
other Relief Society sisters she
travels the province cooking for private

Three pictures from the Irish Mission's
MIA Training Course. Top: A Folk
Dancing instruction period in session.
Centre: Brother Tom Hezeltine open-
ing one session of the course discus-
sion periods. Bottom: Two of the
guests at the Training Course . . .
President Roland L. Jaussi (left),
Irish Mission President, and President
Robert Devenney.

April, 1966

The cast and (left) a scene from the
musical show "The Boyfriend," which
members of the Romford Ward in the
London Stake presented in their new
chapel recently. So successful was the
production, that they have been invited
by the London Stake Presidency to pre-
sent it again for general stake mem-
bers in the Hyde Park Chapel.

parties — anything from an Indian
buffet to a Lord Mayor's banquet. The
organisation refuses to accept any
bookings that would interfere with
their Church work.
ROUND AND ABOUT

ONE of the proselyting mission-
aries in the Northampton Branch,
Elder Mendenhall from Idaho, has
taken on a task that may have resound-
ing results in Northampton for many
years to come ... he is teaching
several of the branch members to play
the organ in the new chapel.

President and Sister Joy F. Dunyon,
the Central British Mission President
and his wife, were among the hundred
guests who filled the Northampton
Chapel to help Brother and Sister Allen

Millennial Star

celebrate at their Silver Wedding
Ball. A dinner and entertainments were
part of the social evening.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints in Northampton has been
asked, along with other religious
groups in the town, to act as a receiv-
ing base for clothing and other articles
being collected for the World Refugee
Fund for the Aged. Naturally, the
Branch members welcomed this oppor-
tunity of helping others outside the
Church.

The Glemm Council (Gleaner/
Laurel-Ensign/M-Men Council) of the
London Stake held their Glemm Day in
February and filled the day with three
exciting events.

The day began with a few hours
hard work on the South London build-
ing site. In the afternoon the Glemms
expended even more energy trying to
keep upright at the Silver Blades Ice
Rink in Streatham.

The highlight of the day, however,
was a dinner held in the Lecture Room
of the Hyde Park Chapel. The menu
was rather unusual, but none of the
food was left. In the evening the
young people joined other members of
the London Stake at a Valentine's Day
Ball, which was put on by the Hyde
Park Ward.

The Glemm Council has been
operating in the London Stake for
about a year, during which time they
have provided some outstanding enter-
tainment for the youth of the Stake.
Among its successes last year were
the Rose Prom, a Tramps' Ball and
Barbecue, a day trip to Windsor
Castle and an organised Guy Fawkes
Night.
STAKE MUSIC FESTIVAL

LONDON'S Hyde Park Chapel Cul-
tural Hall was packed to the
doors with enthusiastic young mem-
bers of the various Stake MIAs for the
Young Artist's Music Festival on
Saturday, February 26.

What was most encouraging was
the fact that more than 20 groups of
artistes took part in the programme,
and the quality of the music presented

Top branch

AT the beginning of this year,
kthe Editor of the "Millen-
nial Star" issued a challenge to
all of the "Star" agents through-
out the British Isles. They were
challenged to DOUBLE the sales
of single copies of the "Star" in
their Wards and Branches
WITHOUT TAKING AWAY ANY
OF THE USUAL YEARLY AND
HALF-YEARLY SUBSCRIBERS.

It was suggested to them that
this challenge would last for
three months; at the end of
which time the agent who had
increased his sales by the
greatest amount WOULD BE
AWARDED A SET OF BOOKS
FOR HIS WARD OR BRANCH
LIBRARY.

For the months from January
to March, the winning agent is
R. Turver, of the York Branch.
Over the period of these first
three months of 1966, President
Turver increased his order from
an original 18 copies to 39
COPIES A MONTH.

This month we have posted to
President Turver a complete set
of "Doctrines of Salvation" (3
volumes), by President Joseph
Fielding Smith.

THIS CHALLENGE IS NOW
OPEN AGAIN FOR THE MONTHS
OF APRIL, MAY AND JUNE. The
Ward or Branch which shows the
greatest increase in sales over
the March order by the end of
June will receive an award for
their Library.

Albans Vocal Group and then sang
three solos.

The Music Festival fell on the 5th
birthday of the London Stake — which
had earlier that day been commemorat-
ed with a Temple outing — and the
surprise of the evening was a slice of
birthday cake for every person in the
hall.
GOLD MEDALLIST

THERE is a saying that you can't
keep a good man down. Sister
Bernice West, of the South-West
British Mission, has proved that this is
no male prerogative.

In private life, Sister Bernice runs a
thriving Ladies' Hairdressing Salon. At
a recent 14-day professional manicure
course organised by the makers of
"Revlon," Sister Bernice was one of
nine girls selected from the profession
to attend.

At the end of the course she was
awarded 1st place, with a rating of
"Excellent," and the judge remarked
that he had awarded her 100 per cent,
extra rating for "going the extra
mile."

In addition to this, Sister Bernice
was awarded a special Gold Medal —
only one of three ever awarded by
"Revlon." Her marks were 900 out of a
possible 900.

Of the other eight girls— 6 failed,
1 was rated "Good" and 1 rated "Fair."

Sister Bernice is president of the
South-West British Mission MIA
Board, and is a member of the West
European MIA Board.

GENEALOGY

ranged from classical duets to modern
popula:- music, from a German "round"
to Indonesian and Japanese folk
songs, from home-produced folk
music to "songs from the shows."

Each of the artistes in the two-and-a-
half-hour programme was greeted with
loud applause, but none so loudly as
Elder Brown, who sang with the St.

GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH

undertaken in

Cheshire and Lancashire by

BERTRAM MERRELL

(Genealogist)

26 Vale Road, Timperley,

Altrincham, Cheshire

I would like to hire a brother or
sister, living in London, to search
records of genealogical value in
such places as the Guildhall Lib-
rary and some of the local
parishes. Please contact:
Reeves W. Baker,
Box 153,
R.A.F. Lakenheath, Suffolk.

April, 1966

BOAC cares...

about making America seem like next door

When you're next door to something good,
it's easy to go there often. Well, BOAC
makes it easy to go to North America with
58 nights a week out of Britain. No other
airline offers this frequency.

New York, Boston, Detroit, Chicago,
Miami, San Francisco, Montreal and

Toronto. BOAC flies to them all. And
flies out of Britain from three different
points. London, naturally. Manchester,
industriously. Glasgow, cannily. No other
airline offers this coverage.

What does it cost? Well, look at these
14 21 day Economy Class returns: New

York £107. 3s.; Boston £104.133.; Detroit
£126. 2s. And to these places you fly in the
leg-stretching, back-resting, armchair
comfort of the Super VCIO.

Every airline charges the same, but
only BOAC can give you an experience
like this great airliner.

BOAC TAKES GOOD CARE OF YOU _

AND BOAC CUNARD

SERVICES OPERATED FOR BOAC-CUNARD BY BRITiSH OVERSEAS AIRWAYS CORPORATION Wl IH QANTAS & AIR CANADA

April, 1966

No man can assume

the right to speak in the

name of the Lord.

In plain, unmistakable

terms the Church declares

that

a man must be

CMLED

of God, by prophecy,
and by the laying on of
hands, by those who
are in authority'

by PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY

THE question of divine authority is one of the important
factors which distinguish the Church of Jesus Christ
from the Protestant creeds of Christendom.

In plain unmistakable terms the Church declares that "a
man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying
on of hands, by those who are in authority to preach the
gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof." (Fifth
Article of Faith.)

In this declaration the Church but reiterates the words
of one who bore Christ's authority in the Meridian of Time,
and who, in writing upon this very question, said, "And no
man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called
of God, as was Aaron." (Hebrews 5:4.)

Herein lies one secret of the strength of this great latter-
day work. Its origin consists not in the whims, the desires,
or the aspirations of men, but in the order and the will of
Christ himself, the author of our eternal salvation.

If one man could assume the right to speak in the name
of the Lord, other men would have the same privilege.
These many men, all presuming to say, "Thus saith the
Lord," yet not seeing "eye to eye" on important elements

of God's kingdom, the inevitable result would be con-
fusion, and sincere men and women would be driven from,
not attracted to Christ's Church, yet eventually would be
made to suffer for not having obeyed the principles of life
and salvation.

Yet the real cause of their failure to accept these eternal
principles would be the fact that unauthorised men arro-
gated to themselves the right to officiate in things per-
taining to God.

Herein lies the explanation of the discordant condition
existing among jarring creeds in the so-called Christian
world today. Men who have no right so to do are officiating
in the name of Christ. The result, of course, is confusion.
Whatever else may be said of the Prophet Joseph Smith,
the strength of his position in regard to divine authority
must be recognised.

The manner of restoring the priesthood in 1829 is strik-
ingly in keeping with Christ's recognition of authority in
the early Church. When, for example, the stricken Paul
cried, "Lord, what wilt thou have me do?" the Saviour,
although he could have easily told him what to do, recog-
nised the authority he had given to man by saying, "Arise,
and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou
must do." (Acts 9:6.)

In the city of Damascus was one Ananias, who had been
commissioned to act in the name of Christ, and from him
was Paul directed to receive instruction and guidance.

So it was when Christ appeared to the Prophet Joseph.
He did not confer authority direct but recognised John the
Baptist, by whose authority Jesus himself had been bap-
tised, and in the case of the Melchizedek Priesthood, Peter,
James and John, unto whom he had given authority when
he established his Church at Jerusalem.

Thus men were made priests by him who alone has the
right to say who shall officiate in his name. Literally, a
"priest" is a mediator between God and man, and "priest-
hood" is power and authority to administer in the name of
the Lord.

THERE IS NO MORE JUSTIFICATION IN A MAN ARRO-
GATING TO HIMSELF THIS AUTHORITY THAN IN HIS PRE-
SUMING TO TAKE UPON HIMSELF THE RIGHT TO
REPRESENT, AT A FOREIGN COURT, THE BRITISH GOVERN-
MENT. Every document such a one would sign in the name
of the monarch, Parliament would repudiate as a forgery
and would take steps immediately to have the usurper
properly punished.

YET IN THE MATTERS PERTAINING TO THE ETERNAL
LIFE AND HAPPINESS OF THE HUMAN FAMILY, MEN
USURP THE OFFICE OF PRIEST AND MISLEAD WITH IM-
PUNITY MILLIONS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE.

If the world could but realise the full significance of the
angel John's coming again to earth on May 15, 1829, multi-
tudes who are praying for the kingdom of God to be estaD-
lished among men would gratefully join in the commemora-
tion of that heavenly manifestation. Their souls would
respond to the ecstatic joy that Oliver Cowdery expresses

Millennial Star

in his description of that event, as follows ...

"On a sudden, as from the midst of eternity, the voice
of the Redeemer spake peace to us, while the veil was
parted, and the angel of God came clothed with glory, and
delivered the anxiously looked-for message, and the keys
of the gospel of repentance. What joy! what wonder! what
amazement! While the world was racked and distracted —
while millions were groping as the blind for the wall, and
while all men were resting upon uncertainty, as a general
mass, our eyes beheld, our ears heard, as in the 'blaze of
day'; yes, more — above the glitter of the May sunbeam,
which then shed its brilliancy over the face of nature!
Then his voice, though mild, pierced to the centre, and his
words, 'I am thy fellow servant,' dispelled all fear. We
listened, we gazed, we admired! 'Twas the voice of an
angel from glory, 'twas a message from the Most High!
And as we heard we rejoiced, while his love enkindled
upon our souls, and we were wrapped in the vision of the
Almighty! Where was room for doubt? Nowhere; the un-
certainty had fled, doubt had sunk no more to rise, while
fiction and deception had fled forever!"

(Reprinted from the "Millennial Star" 1923.)

Our conduct in

our homes determines our

worthiness to hold

the Priesthood. Almost

any man can make a good

showing when on parade, before

the public, but one's

MIEGHIY

/s tested when
'off-duty'. Let us
honour the Priesthood
in our homes

Authority of God

The Priesthood is the authority of God in heaven to the
sons of man to administer in any of the ordinances of His
house. There never was a man and never will be a man, in
this or any other age of the world, who- has. power and
authority to administer in one of the ordinances of the
House of God, unless he is called of God . . . unless he has
the Holy Priesthood and is administered to by those holding
that authority.

President Wilford Woodruff.

Only legitimate power

What is the Priesthood? It is the rule and government of
God, whether on earth or in the heaven; and it is the only
legitimate power, the only authority that is acknowledged
by Him to rule and regulate the affairs of His Kingdom.
When every wrong thing shall be put right and all usurpers
shall be put down, when He whose right it is to reign shall
take dominion, then nothing but the Priesthood will bear
rule; it alone will sway the sceptre of authority in heaven
and on earth, for this is the legitimacy of God.

President John Taylor.

by PRESIDENT HUGH B. BROWN

I SHOULD like to make a few observations on the res-
ponsibility of all whom God has honoured by per-
mitting them to act for Him.

There is need for courage and constancy in the midst
of perilous and ominous world conditions. As I read of the
Prophet Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail, I am inspired by the
courage and faith which enabled him to carry on in spite of
persistent and bitter persecution throughout his lifetime.
When in Liberty Jail, where he spent many months, in
1839, he felt that he had suffered about all that mortal man
could endure. In an inspired appeal he prayed:

"O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that
covereth thy hiding place?

"How long shall thy hand be stayed, and thine eye, yea
thy pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs
of thy people and of thy servants, and thine ear be pene-
trated with their cries?

"Yea. O Lord, how long shall they suffer these wrongs
and unlawful oppressions, before thine heart shall be soft-
ened toward them?" (D. & C. 121:1-3.)

And the Lord answered, with the understanding born of

April, 1966

experience:

"My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and
thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

"And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on
high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes." (D. & C. 121:
7-8.)

In the 121st Section of the Doctrine and Covenants we
have one of the most beautiful of all revelations:

"Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And
why are they not chosen?

"Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of
this world, and aspire to the honours of men, that they do
not learn this one lesson —

"That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably con-
nected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of
heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the
principles of righteousness.

"That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when
we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our
vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or com
pulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree
of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw them-
selves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is
withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that
man." (D. & C. 121:34-37.)

Brethren of the priesthood, let us never exercise un-
righteous dominion. Let us honour the priesthood in our
own homes, in our attitudes towards our wives and child-
ren, for there as elsewhere "when the Spirit is with-
drawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that
man." The Spirit will not always strive with man but we
should always strive to retain His Spirit in our homes, in
our business, in all that we undertake to do.

We must cleanse and purify our bodies and souls, and try
to be worthy to be called sons of God and to hold the Holy
Priesthood. I read on:

"No power or influence can or ought to be maintained
by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-
suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love un-
feigned;

"By kindness and pure knowledge, which shall greatly
enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile —

"Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men
and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy
thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong
in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priest-
hood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.

"The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and
thy sceptre an unchanging sceptre of righteousness and
truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion,
and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee for
ever and ever. " (D. & C. 121:41, 42, 45, 46.)

I never tire of reading or hearing this scripture because
it is the direct word of the Lord to the men who hold the
priesthood, telling us how to honour it, how to officiate
under it, warning all against unrighteous dominion.

I should like to say to the father that our conduct in our
homes determines in large measure our worthiness to hold
and exercise the priesthood, which is the power of God
delegated to man. Almost any man can make a good show-
ing when on parade, before the public, but one's integrity
is tested when "off duty." The real man is seen and known
in the comparative solitude of the home. An office or title
will not erase a fault nor guarantee a virtue.

True worth is in being, not seeming,
In doing each day that goes by,
Some little good, not in the dreaming,
Of great things to do by and by.

Whatever men say in their blindness,
And in spite of the fancies of youth,
There's nothing so Kingly as kindness,
And nothing so Royal as truth.

Let us never . . .

"... undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride,
our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or
compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any
degree of unrighteousness ..." (D. & C. 121:37.)

The late President Joseph F. Smith wrote, "There is no
office growing out of this priesthood that is or can be
greater than the priesthood itself. It is from the priesthood
that the office derives its authority and power. No office
gives authority to the priesthood. No office adds to the
power of the priesthood, but all offices in the Church derive
their power, their virtue, their authority, from the priest-
hood. The President of the Church carries on as Priesident
by virtue of his priesthood."

And now to you Drethren who preside in the Church, I
should like to say a word — presidents of stakes, presidents
of missions, bishops of wards, all who preside in any capac-
ity— we urge you to recognise and use your counsellors.
You will notice through all the organisation of the Church
our Father in Heaven has provided that each presiding
officer shall have two counsellors. We regret that occa-
ionally we hear of a stake president, a mission president,
a bishop or some presiding officer, who arrogates to him-
self the honours which belong to the office he holds, who
presides in a "one man" dictatorial way, forgetting his
counsellors, neglecting to counsel with them, and thereby
assuming all the honours of the presidency or bishopric
and taking upon himself all the responsibility for decisions
in which his counsellors should share

There is wisdom and safety in counsel. Honour those
with whom and over whom you preside. That we honour
the priesthood and the office in it applies not only to our
attitude toward those who preside over us but toward those
over whom and with whom we preside.

Let us preside with kindness, consideration, and love.

THE AUTHOR

Elder Hugh B. Brown is a member of the First Presidency

of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Millennial Star

Let a man

prove himself before

God and his

fellowman, and he will be

called to a greater

service - indeed

there is no greater

than the Priesthood,
for the Priesthood is
greater than any
office in the Church

by RALPH MOUNT

CONVERSION is the occasion when the influence of the
Holy Spirit moves a receptive heart to respond to its
guidance; when the conscience of man, quickened by that
same spirit, is compelled to recognise his position with
respect to truth, accept it, and apply it to his life.

What effect does this have on the individual. It demands
an alteration in his personal behaviour; it becomes pos-
sible for him, through introspection and reflection on the
pattern of his own behaviour, over the past years of his life,
to see "himself" as others do, and at this particular moment
in his life, "as God does."

However self critical he is, he will still be tempted to
cling to his old ideas, and way of life. Habits formed over
the years are hard to break. Courage born of conviction
provides that breaking point, and a new ideal is created.

He now sees himself as "God wants him to be" and
accordingly seeks baptism into His church. He receives the
Gift of the Holy Ghost, the means by which all inspiration
and knowledge are received. This is his "spiritual birthday,"
the dawn of the day of his salvation From henceforth, if
he remains faithful, he walks "in the light"

Now let this man prove himself before God and his fellow-
men and very soon the opportunity of even greater res-
ponsibilities and blessings will be his. He will be called to
a greater service yet — indeed there is no greater service
than the Priesthood. The Priesthood is greater than any
other office he will ever hold. It is an Eternal calling in an
Eternal church, beside which all other offices — though part
of and associated with it — are of temporary nature only.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the finest 'self help" service
there is, and the only way by which ultimate perfection in
all things may be obtained. It is God's perfect plan for our
perfection; indeed every thing that God has created, is
perfect! To follow this plan faithfully is to achieve ultimate
perfection.

Through the Priesthood ho iearns how to know God and
as a result, how to please Him.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto
salvation — and the part of the Gospel related to power is
in the Priesthood. The Priesthood power of God delegated to
man, to act in His name, the right to receive revelation
from Him, for his own welfare, his home and family and the
various callings he may have in the church.

"No man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving
revelations. The Holy Ghost is a revelator! (History of the
Church Vol. I, p: 338.)

Without the Priesthood there is no revelation, without
revelation there is no authorised church of God.

Upon the shoulders of the Priesthood holder, then, rests
this responsibility, that he, in effect, is the church. Through
him the work of God must be done, it is the right and
privilege of the Priesthood to take the lead in all the
spiritual affairs of the church. God cannot come personally
to the earth to do His work, the earth would be consumed
at His presence. His work must be done by those to whom
He has delegated His authority.

How should the priesthood holder look upon his priest-
hood. The Gospel of Jesus Christ possesses all "revealed
truth," and this is his to obtain by prayerful study, and by
full participation in the programme of the church. Truth is
the rock foundation of every great character. It is the means
by which the Priesthood holder may one day stand among
the "noble and great ones." Its effect on the life of the
individual cannot be over-estimated; it will endure forever
and his own power to endure rests upon the knowledge he
has of it. No man can be saved in ignorance. A knowledge
of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the "power" unto salva-
tion, but it only comes into effect in his life, when it be-
comes HIS LIFE

He is instructed by the Lord to seek wisdom.
"And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach
one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best
books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and
also by faith." (D. & C. 88:111.)

In his home the Priesthood holder must be prepared to
take the lead in all spiritual matters; this is his responsibil-
ity, and one that he cannot disregard — without incurring

April, 1966

greater responsibilities later. He is the presiding authority
in the home and should exercise this authority in rightous-
ness, thus setting his own house in order. Then the Spirit
of God will be present, and evil will find no place therein.

It is his duty to bring up his children in rightousness;
they are his potential converts. Home to the Priesthood
holder and his wife should be regarded as a mission field,
where is wife is his companion and help-mate.

Within the home she has her rights and privileges also,
by delegation from him. There she should take every oppor-
tunity to develop the leadership abilities that she will re-
quire for future service in the church.

The Priesthood holder must accept the fact that life is
purposely a trial, a testing ground, a conflict for the spiritual
survival of the family unit. In this matter the injunction
of the Lord is clear, "Watch and pray lest ye enter into
temptation." He should realise, as I am sure most members
of the Priesthood do, that if the "evil one" can divide the
homes of the Saints, he can divide the Wards and the
Stakes; that nothing is defeated from without, but only
from within.

Fasting and prayer, faith and testimony, reverence and
respect, all are nurtured and developed within the home.
These are the assets of success. No parent can pass on
to his children a greater blessing than that of a well
ordered life. The potential for leadership in the spiritual
affairs of God's Kingdom begin in the home. If a man is a
good father, a good husband, he will make a good leader.

If he holds the Melchizedek Priesthood, he should be
WILLING AND ANXIOUS to take his wife and family to the
Temple and be sealed to them for time and eternity.

Then it is his duty to seek out his kindred dead and have
the work done for them through the various services that
are at his disposal with respect to Genealogical work.

In the Ward, he has responsibilities also — and may I
emphasise that the greater the responsibilities he accepts
and lives up to, the greater will the blessing he will receive.
The Lord cannot deny blessings that are merited in right-
ousness.

"I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when
ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." (D. & C. 82:10.)

His greatest responsibility however is in supporting the
Bishop. If there is any person in the church who needs sup-
port and encouragement it is the Bishop of the Ward.

Associated with his Ward duties is his position as a
Home Teacher. This gives ample opportunity for Priest-
hood service, and its predominating purpose is the pre-
vention of inactivity — as well as apply the cure for it. If
this fact is accepted and his duties in this respect carried
out faithfully, it will become an increasingly popular calling.
If we can prevent the rust and corrosion of inactivity among
our fellow brethren and sisters, we shall really be fulfill-
ing the requirements of the first two great commandments

— and upon these two hang all the law and the Prophets, and
I am personally convinced that more blessings come through
living up to their requirements than any other.

By virtue of his Priesthood, every male member of the
church is a missionary. First where he stands, he is a walk-
ing, talking, living example of what the gospel can do for
all who accept its truths and abide by them. There is no
greater proselyting force than personal example. To quote
the words of our Prophet: "We may preach, we may write
and publish books; but the most effective way of preaching
the Gospel to the peoples of the world is by example."

The purpose of the Gospel is to make wicked men, good
men, and good men, even better! The Priesthood gives to
men the right to save souls, and the authority also. But
only knowing the Gospel and living it gives to him the
ability to do so.

Every member of the Priesthood is a link, a vital link,
in the chain that shall one day bind evil for a thousand
years.

"And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the
key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

"And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which
is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years."
(Revelation 20: 1-2.)

The importance of this particular revelation from John
should be fully understood by every member of the Priest-
hood, for they are the links in this chain. In the unity of
the Priesthood lies its greatest individual and collective
power. A chain is no stronger than its weakest link.

On the line of authority held by every member of the
Priesthood are the names of many of the "noble and great
ones" who have gone before us Some of them still dwell
with us to encourage us by their outstanding leadership,
and personal example. Every one of them had, and has,
divine ideals, this makes it a line of inspiration also and
with such incentive we cannot fail.

Heading this line of authority is the one and only name
by which man can be saved and exulted, our Lord and
Saviour, Jesus Christ.

THE AUTHOR

Elder Ralph Mount has been a member of the Church all
his life. He has served in many positions in the Church,
and is currently a member of the London Stake High Council.

The last elder

It it were necessary — though I do not expect the neces-
sity will ever arise — and there was no man left on earth
holding the Melchizedek Priesthood, except an elder, that
elder, by the inspiration of the Spirit of God and by the
direction of the Almighty could proceed, to organise the
Church of Jesus Christ in all its perfection, because he
holds the Melchizedek Priesthood.

President Joseph F. Smith.

Millennial Star

Son, many

wonderful things can

come to those who

five clean lives and receive

the Priesthood.

It is a great honour -

indeed, a greater

than to be awarded
a medal
or gain a prize
at school

by DEREK A. CUTHBERT

YOU'RE a good navigator, David."
I put my arm round the shoulders of my seven and
a half year old son and gave him a hug of appreciation
as we pulled up in front of the St. Alban's Chapel, where
I had a Sabbath Day assignment. We had travelled from
our home in south London, and whenever opportunities such
as this presented themselves I let David navigate and tell
us the turns to take and the road to follow.

Apart from making him keen to look for landmarks and
remember routes, it strengthened the bond between us . . .
and helped me to do a spot of navigating, too, along the
road of life — David's life.

We talked a lot as we drove, about the countryside,
school, food, but especially about the Gospel. With bap-
tism only a signpost away, and the Aaronic Priesthood only
a little further on, I felt the great responsibility and privilege
I had of making straight the path that would lead our son
safely and preparedly to these momentous occasions in
his life.

"Ever heard about the nine steps, Dave?" I asked him
one day as we sped along a country road. "No, Dad," he

grinned, "but it looks as though I soon shall." How right
he was, for we spent the rest of that journey, and many
other journeys too, talking about the nine steps.

"The first step, son, is Faith, like David in the Bible
had when he fought Goliath, and Daniel when he was cast
into the den of lions, and like the boy Joseph had when he
knelt to pray in the grove. Someone who has faith in Jesus
loves Him, wants to be like Him, and do the things He did.

"The second step is Repentance, because when we know
what is right we have to stop doing the things that we
shouldn't do and show that we are really sorry for them.
Then we are ready for the third step which is called Bap-
tism."

David's eyes lit up. "I'm eight in June, Dad. then I can
be baptised and I'll be on the third step."

"Only if you've climbed up the first two. Dave." I re-
plied, but I knew he would make it if we helped him and
guided him. He was eager to learn, but we had to be eager
to teach

We talked about the fourth step, but I guess it was a
little harder for him to visualise the Holy Ghost and what
he could do for him after he was baptised. Th'at would
come; he would get the same burning in his breast as his
parents had experienced when they embraced the Gospel.
How grateful we were to be able to raise our boy in the
Church, and when the time came, to exerise our patriarchal
right to baptise and confirm him.

"What about the next steps, Dad? You've only told me the
first four and I'm there now."

Yes, he was there now, but where would he be at
eighteen, at twenty-eight, at . . "What about the next steps,
Dad? I'm eight now." My reverie ended abruptly as the
question came again. Now we were sitting together on the
beach, throwing stones in the sea, resting after a hectic
race along the sand. How treasured are these teaching
moments that strengthen the bonds of understanding be-
tween father and son.

"The fifth step, Dave, is marked Deacon, and that means
holding the Aaronic Priesthood, and helping the Bishop,
and having the authority and the right to do the Lord's
work. You remember when Jesus went with his parents to
the Temple in Jerusalem when he was twelve. They lost
him. didn't they, and after much searching they found him
conversing with the elders in the Temple. 'Wist ye not that
I must be about my father's business.' he asked them.

"Yes, the Lord has a great work to do here on earth, the
business of setting up His Kingdom, but He can only do this
with the help of those who are willing and worthy to help.
These are the ones to whom the Lord entrusts His Priest-
hood. What a great privilege and blessings it is to be able
to serve the Lord and prepare the way for Him to come
again in all His glory."

Was ! going too fast? I thought.

No, the next four years would slip away and he'd be
"there" again. I realised that a lot of what I was saying
would bounce off rather than penetrate, but David's Sunday

April. 1966

School teachers would help, and so would his Primary
teacher, and those wonderful Home Evening programmes
we enjoy so much. It would all fit in . . . and so would the
sixth, seventh and eighth steps, as we went on to talk
about Teacher, Priest .and Elder, the offices through which
he would progress in the Priesthood.

"It sounds exciting, Dad, to think that I shall be able to
hold the same Priestnood that the people in the Bible had.
Shall 1 have wonderful things happen to me like they did?"

"That's a very good question, Dave, but to answer it I
would like to ask you some questions.

"Don't you think it is wonderful that when the Deacons
pass the Sacrament on Sundays that they are doing the
very thing that the Saviour did at the Last Supper?

"And when the Home Teachers come round, isn't it won-
derful to think that they are helping the Lord to watch
over His Church, just as the Apostle Paul in the Bible said
they should?

"And how about when you were baptisted; remember it
had to be someone holding the Priesthood who baptised
you, just like John the Baptist who baptised Jesus.

"And when you were sick and asked to be administered
co; it was through the laying on of hands by the elders
holding the Priesthood that you were made well.

"Yes, all these wonderful things, and many more, come
to those who live clean lives and receive the Priesthood.
It is indeed a great honour to hold the Priesthood, a
greater honour than to be awarded a medal or gain a prize
at school. We are all sons of God and He is happy when
He sees His sons preparing for the Priesthood as you are
doing."

"How am I going to remember all the steps, Dad?"

"Write them down, son, on a card, and put it in your
top pocket. Just have a peek at it occasionally, and if you
can't understand the speaker in a Sacrament meeting, just
set to learning the nine steps.

"I'll soon know them," he assured me.

And he did, and the ninth step too, which was marked
Temple. And what fine discussions we have had on each
of the steps as his understanding has increased. Pointing
out the various times in the meetings when the Priesthood
was exercised helped to illustrate and exemplify the things
we talked about. Another effective means was to take
stories from the Bible and the Book of Mormon to show
how the Priesthood operated in the lives of those people.
Then there are the thrilling pioneer stories of faith and
devotion and the power of the Priesthood manifest in the
lives of the early saints. David lapped them up; what boy
cannot picture himself as a pioneer on the wild frontier

confronted by all manner of perils'.

But how many boys can face the world around them,
fortified by prayer, both family prayer and private prayer,
and sanctified by partaking of the sacrament worthily and
justified by a desire to serve his Heavenly Father?

Only those who have been taught from early years what
the Lord expects of them, and what high goals they can

attain.

In three months' time David will be twelve, and how he is
looking forward to having the Aaronic Priesthood conferred
upon him and being ordained to the office of Deacon.
No, it won't come as a shock to him, for the Priesthood is
already part of his life; he has seen it in action.

Four years have come and gone in a flash, and so will the
next few with their Teacher, Priest and Elder.

There's a mission ahead, too, and Temple marriage, but
the seeds are already planted and will blossom in due time.

Thank you, Primary, for teaching him the Articles of
Faith and the many other things he will take with him as he
graduates to Mutual. Thank you, Sunday School, for matur-
ing the seed. Thank you, Bishop, for the kindly word of
encouragement and the invitation to join in Aaronic Priest-
hood sporting activities during the vital year. Thank you,
President McKay, for inspiring the Family Home Evenings
where we have helped each other to grow in the Gospel.

Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity of helping one of
your children prepare to hold your Priesthood.

THE AUTHOR

Elder Derek A. Cuthbert is 1st Counsellor to President Joy
F. Ounyon of the Central British Mission Presidency. Elder
Cuthbert was the first president of the Leicester Stake,
and became a member of the London Stake Presidency
when he moved to live in south London.

Everlasting

The Priesthood is everlasting. The Saviour, Moses and
Elias gave the keys to Peter, James and John, on the
mount, when they were transfigured before him. The Priest-
hood is everlasting — without beginning of days or end of
years; without father, mother, etc. If there is no change
of ordinances, there is no change of Priesthood. Wherever
the ordinances of the Gospel are administered, there is the
Priesthood.

Prophet Joseph Smith.

Eternal power

Our Heavenly Father performs all His works — the creation
of worlds, the redemption of worlds — by the power of the
eternal Priesthood. And no man on the earth, from the days
of Father Adam to the present time, has ever had the power
to administer in any of the ordinances of the Gospel of life
and salvation only by the power of the Holy Priesthood.
You will find this to be the case in the whole history of
the prophets of God.

President Wilford Woodruff.

Millennial Star

MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD

by Max A. Bryan

THE LAW OF TITHING

THE law of tithing is of ancient
origin with an early account of its
observance dating from the time of
Abraham and Melchizedek down to the
time of Christ. As Abraham was return-
ing from a victorious battle, he was
met by Melchizedek, king of Salem,
and priest of the most high God, who
blessed him, and to whom Abraham
"gave a tenth part of all." (Heb.
7:1-2.) Jacob, made a promise with
the Lord to pay a tenth of all that
should come unto him: "And of all that
thou shalf give me I will surely give
the tenth unto thee." (Gen. 28:22.)

The commandment given of the Lord
to Moses for the children of Israel was
very clear regarding the payment of
tithing. "And all the tithe of the land,
whether of the seed of the land, or of
the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's: it
is holy unto the Lord . . . And concern-
ing the tithe of the herd, or of the
flock, even of whatsoever passeth
under the rod, the tenth shall be holy
unto the Lord." (Lev. 27:30-32.)

The prophet Malachi was deeply con-
cerned with the people of his day be-
cause of their neglect of this law, and
through him the Lord accused the
people of having robbed Him. He
promised them however, blessings be-
yond their ability to receive if they
would keep the law. "Will a man rob
God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye
say, Wherein have we robbed thee?
In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed
with a curse: for ye have robbed me.
even this whole nation. Bring ye all
the tithes into the storehouse, that
there may be meat in mine house, and
prove me now herewith, saith the Lord
of hosts, if I will not open you the
windows of heaven, and pour you out e
blessing, that there shall not be room
enough to receive it." (Mai. 3:7-10.)

In this, the dispensation of the full-
ness of times, the Lord has again

spoken regarding the law of tithing.
The following revelation was given to
the Prophet Joseph Smith in answer to
prayer, July 8, 1838. "And this shall
be the beginning of the tithing of my
people. And after that those who have
thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth
of all their interest annually; and this
shall be standing law unto them for-
ever, for my holy priesthood, saith the
Lord." (D. & C. 119:3-4.)

This day has been called by the Lord
"a day of sacrifice, and a day for the
tithing of my people; for he that is
tithed shall not be burned at his com-
ing." (D. & C. 64:25.)

The payment of an honest tithing
should be a sacred duty to each mem-
ber of the Church, and understood as a
law that must be kept to have happi-
ness in this life and eternal life here-
after. The question is sometimes
asked: How should I pay my tithing?
The answer is simply stated in the
June 1964 issue of the "Improvement
Era" for those who do not have access
to other of the Church books and publi-
cations. "The paying of the tithing is a
simple matter, even the weakest
among us know what the tenth of a
dollar is. Therefore out of every dollar
we receive as a wage or increase no
matter from what source, one-tenth
part belongs to the Lord, taxes witheld
included. The self-employed person will
take an inventory of his substance,
total his expenses from all sources,
determine his profit, and pay one-tenth
of his "intake" free from expenses to
the Lord " (President Joseph Fielding
Smith.)

Melchizedek Priesthood Ouorums
have as one of their objectives: The
keeping of the Church members in the
way of their full duty and to help them
walk uprightly before the Lord
Ouorum Presidencies and Group
Leaders are responsible for the spirit-

ual and temporal well-being of all over
whom they preside. They are to lead
their quorum members to eternal life
in the celestial kingdom. (Melchizedek
Priesthood Handbook, age 19) There-
fore, in teaching the Gospel of Jesus
Christ to their members, they have the
sacred charge to understand and live
the law of tithing, and by precept and
example teach it to the quorum mem-
bers and their families. The following
are but a few of the benefits derived
from the payment of tithing:

1. Tithing is a law of the Lord unto
his people and must be observed
to fully participate in the pro-
gramme of the Church. Full partici-
pation is required for baptism into
the Church, receiving of and ad-
vancing in the priesthood, receiving
a temple recommend, and to
qualify for an executive or presid-
ing leadership position

2. Tithing is God's way of financing
his Church All members contribute
according to their income and abil-
ity to pay, and share in the bless-
ings of careing for the sick, aged,
and infirm, the widows and home-
less children, and in the building
and maintaining of hospitals,
schools, temples, and Churches.

3. Tithing is the Lord's way of bless-
ing his people. The paying of an
honest tithe is a great developer
of faith and helps one to obtain a
burning testimony of the truthful-
ness of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ and the divine mission of
the Prophet Joseph Smith. Spiritual
power and character development
can be acquired, and the love of
God and fellow men increased
through the observance of the law
of tithing.

Always: remember to: "Honour the
Lord with thy substance, and with the
first fruits of all thine increase.

April. 1966

So youre the new Branch President

Spreading the load

by the South London Ward Bishopric

THE old proverb tells us that "two
heads are better than one." In
more recent time, the Lord has desig-
nated that, in fact, three heads are the
best combination for the good running
of the Church, of a Stake, of Ward or
Branch, or of an Auxiliary. For this
reason each Bishop or Branch Presid-
ent has TWO counsellors to share with
him in the organisation and control
of auxiliaries and in the building up of
the kingdom of God in their special
corner of His vineyard.

Too often we hear of Bishops and
Branch Presidents adopting a dictator-
ial attitude in their Branch; keeping
all the controls in their own hands;
never relinquishing any of the respon-
sibility to their Counsellors or to the
auxiliary heads which they have called.

We know from sad experience of
Counsellors who have had the fire of
enthusiasm dampened out by being
given a task to perform only to find
later that the Branch President went
on to carry it out himself.

THE TRUE ART OF LEADERSHIP IS
DELEGATION.

We often hear the expression used
by the controllers of our electricity or
gas supply, "Spreading the load." This
should be the maxim of every Bishop
and Branch President. NO ONE MAN IS
CAPABLE OF RUNNING ALL OF THE
PROGRAMMES SET UP BY THE
CHURCH BY HIMSELF. HE MUST
"SPREAD THE LOAD." HE MUST DELE-
GATE SOME OF HIS AUTHORITY TO
HIS COUNSELLORS AND THE AUXIL-
IARY HEADS.

What do we mean by delegation?

There are three basic concepts funda-
mental to the art. of delegation ...
Authority, Responsibility, Accounta-
bility.

AUTHORITY: Each one of you, as the
Branch President, has been given
authority to act in the name of the
Church in the Branch over which you
are the head. While you are running
your Branch efficiently the Church will
not interfere. When you delegate some
of that duty to your Counsellors, you
delegate some of your authority . . .
you give your Counsellors the
AUTHORITY to act on your behalf. Just
as the Church would never interfere
with your authority, neither should
you, in turn, neutralise the authority of
your Counsellors.

Imagine, for instance, what would
happen to a Branch if the District
Presidency were constantly changing
the instructions given by a Branch
President to his Branch members. In
next to no time, the members would
lose faith in their Branch President.
Whenever he asked them to do some-
thing, they would say to themselves,
"I won't do that until I find out what
the District Presidency has to say
about it."

Such is the lot, also, of the Coun-
sellor, who, invested with authority by
his Branch President, is never given
the opportunity of carrying out a pro-
gramme without having his authority
undermined.

And so the first principle of delega-
tion is NEVER, EVER UNDERMINE THE
AUTHORITY OF YOUR COUNSELLORS
OR THE AUXILIARY HEAD TO WHOM
YOU HAVE GIVEN THE AUTHORITY
TO ACT ON YOUR BEHALF. ...

Of course, your choice of Counsel-
lors is important. They should be
supremely reliable, otherwise your
trust in them becomes misplaced.

RESPONSIBILITY: Although you give
to your Counsellors the task of watch-

ing over one or other of the auxiliaries
and acting on your behalf in the or-
ganisation and control of those auxilia-
ries, this does not mean that you no
longer have any responsibility for the
good running of that auxiliary. You, as
the Branch President, CANNOT
TRANSFER COMPLETELY TO YOUR
COUNSELLORS THE FULL RESPONSIB-
ILITY FOR THE RUNNING OF AN
AUXILIARY. After all, you are fully
responsible to the Church for the good
order of your Branch. In other words,
if anything goes wrong "you carry the
can."

BUT, and this is important, JUST
BECAUSE YOU ARE FINALLY RES-
PONSIBLE SHOULD NOT MEAN THAT
YOU GIVE NO RESPONSIBILITY TO
YOUR COUNSELLORS. MAKE THEM
FULLY RESPONSIBLE TO YOU.

Also a good line of communication

Millennial Star

must always be maintained. Because
authority and responsibility have been
delegated, this does not mean that
you have "passed the baby" and you
can now forget about it. The Counsel-
lor in the Branch Presidency should
know what is going on in the auxilia-

ries for which he is responsible . . .
not by exerting his "authority," but by
being present at meetings — prepara-
tion and planning meetings, prayer
meetings — and by keeping his ears
and eyes open, by having informed
talks with officers and by making sug-
gestions. YOUR PRESENCE AND
INTEREST IN THEM GIVES THEM A
FEELING OF CONFIDENCE IN THEM-
SELVES AND IN YOUR SUPPORT.

And this brings us to the third con-
cept of delegation — ACCOUNTABIL-
ITY.

Accountability means that the per-
son to whom you give authority and
responsibility must answer to you for
the conduct of his affairs. Thus, if you
make a Counsellor responsible for an
auxiliary, he is accountable to YOU for
the success or failure of that auxiliary.

Now this is the THEORY of delega-

tion. How does it work in practice?
Let's go into this in detail.

As a Branch Presidency, you should
adopt from the outset the attitude that
you are all three "Presidents," each
one fully responsible for the organisa-
tion and running of a portion of the
Church programme. The Branch Presi-
dent assigns each of his two Counsel-
lors specific departments of the pro-
gramme as their responsibility . . . one
Counsellor, for instance, being placed
in charge of the Sunday School and
Primary (this is a good combination,
since these two auxiliaries have close
connections in the teaching of young
children), and the other having control
of the MIA, Scouts and the Branch
Budget programmes.

This leaves the Branch President
specifically responsible for the Relief
Society (and he is the only 'member
of the Branch priesthood who has the
right to attend Relief Society meet-
ings) and — his most important calling
— the Aaronic Priesthood.

Within these specific fields, each
member of the Presidency has com-
plete control and is fully responsible
for the good order of the auxiliaries.
The Counsellor has the authority to
effect changes in the teaching staff,
the secretaries and the directors in the
auxiliary for which he is responsible
without necessarily having first to
bring them to the notice of the Branch
President.

Naturally, at any one of the weekly
Branch Presidency meetings, these
changes are reported and noted in the
minutes of the meeting. Comments and
reasons are specified, and approval
given. Should a Counsellor feel that
changes should be made in the presid-
ency of an auxiliary, he has the author-
ity to make preliminary moves
(possibly a discussion with Stake or
District leaders who could be helpful
in leading the Counsellor to make the
right decision), but he is expected to
discuss these major changes with the
full Presidency. However, since he
should be close to the problem and
know all the facts, his suggested
changes would usually be adopted . . .
unless either of the other members of
the Presidency know of any reason

/continued on page 140

April, 1966

RELIEF SOCIETY

by Christine H. Robinson

Summer lessons

Last year, for the first time, a
unified summer Relief Society
lesson programme was widely followed
throughout the British Isles. Most of
the Societies in stakes and missions
that followed this suggested pro-
gramme found that it brought them
many blessings and advantages. Many
letters and comments were received
confirming that the programme:

a. Provided a means of continuity
which had been lacking in pre-
vious years. Relief Society atten-
dance, like many other things
becomes a habit. When we did
not hold regular Relief Society
meetings during the summer
months, it required a considerable
amount of momentum to get the
programme going again in the
autumn.

b. Enabled the Societies to assist
importantly in fellowshipping new
converts who were baptized
during the summer months.

c. Provided a means for expanding
the Relief Society programme
into areas which might not other-
wise have been possible, i.e. our
lessons on nutrition helped the
sisters to count calories and im-
prove their diets and our pro-
gramme of physical exercises
were received with enthusiasm.
Several of our Societies held
sewing classes and demonstra-
tions in which many of the sisters
made clothing for themselves for
the first time.

d. Provided the opportunity for
sisters who were relatively new
in the church to enlarge their
Gospel knowledge and to partici-
pate each month in testimony
bearing.

1966 Summer Programme

Again this year following the advice
and counsel of our supervisors Presi-
dents Mark E. Petersen and Bruce R.
McConkie, summer lessons will be
offered.

The lessons being planned are:

1. Theology The Book of Mormon
covering 1 Nephi and the first part
of 2 Nephi. This will cover the
period of time when Lehi and his
family left Jerusalem, found the
promised land and covers Lehi's
blessings upon his children before
he passed away.

All of us need to enlarge our know-
ledge of the Book of Mormon. The
summer months should provide an
opportunity for us to engage in
some intensive study of this won-
derful book. We hope also it will
encourage many of our members
to continue reading this scripture
and to become really acquainted
with it.

2. Visiting Teacher Messages Book of
Mormon Gems of Truth. The Visit-
ing Teacher messages for the

summer will be taken from the
Book of Mormon and will cover
such subjects as: 1. Giving service
to one another; 2. Following the
words of Christ; 3. The Lord will
comfort our troubled hearts if we
are faithful; 4. Importance of re-
fraining from judging one another.
These Visiting Teacher messages
will tie in with the Theology
lessons and will help to provide
another course of study on the
Book of Mormon which in the
Prophet Joseph Smith's own words
is " . . . the most correct of any
book on earth and the keystone of-

our religion."

3. Literature Latter-day Saint Church
History. For our literature lessons
this summer we shall study Latter-
day Saint Church History from the
first vision to the organization of
the Church. These lessons will
include, " The Vision ". " Cumorah
and the Golden Book ", " Ancient
Plates " and " Witnesses ".

This brief introduction to Church
history will tie in very well with
the Theology lessons and with the
Visiting Teacher messages.

4. Social Science Essentials for
Happy Family Living. The Social
Science lessons will cover such
topics as the sacredness of home
and family ties, training our child-
ren in spirituality, the place of the
mother and father in the home and
family co-operation.

Lessons to appear in " Millennial Star "

All of these lessons will be available
to members of Relief Society through
the " Millennial Star ". It is suggested
that Relief Society Presidents en-
courage members who are not now
subscribers to make sure they have
access to this fine magazine. By estab-
lished policy, some of the missions
have given permission to each branch
and district to provide two subscrip-
tions for their Societies from regular
Relief Society funds.
Work Meeting Lessons and Activities

The Work Meeting lessons will
appear as usual in the Relief Society
magazine and will be a continuation
of the present lessons " Development
through Home Making Education ".

As you plan your monthly Work
Meeting activities you will find it ad-
vantageous to select a project which

Millennial Star

can be completed during the summer
months, i.e. You might like to arrange
for a course in first aid to be given
by a professional. You could contact
your local hospital or St. John Ambu-
lance for such a person.

Those of you who have not taken
sewing classes recently might like to
arrange for a special project in this
area.

The summer months are also an
ideal time to arrange visits to factory,
bakery, butcher shop, telephone ex-
change, local stately homes, palaces,
and other such trips which are both
interesting and educational.

Summer Visiting Teaching

The summer period is a particularly
appropriate time to re-organize, re-
activate and revitalize the Visiting
Teaching programme. Days are long,
habits of regular Visiting Teaching
formed during the summer will tend
to carry over during the rest of the
year. All of our sisters need to ex-
perience the feeling of friendship and
personal interest which the Visiting
Teacher programme makes possible.
The summer months are an ideal time
for the ward or branch presidencies
of Relief Societies to visit the sisters
in their homes. The ward or branch
president of Relief Society and one
of her counsellors might like to visit
the sisters in the various Visiting
Teacher districts by taking a district
each month. This will make it possible
for them to cover four districts during
the summer.

Let us employ these wonderful
summer months to make our Relief
Societies even more effective.

:.jSih4£j*jaP££'°:'-&

'§

. ._

Discourses of the Prophet Joseph Smith

by Alma P. Burton

A stimulating and beautiful addition to every LDS home library;
greatly enlarged and completely revised. Here are the words of
the Prophet Joseph on subjects of vital importance, both spiritual
and temporal.

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CHILDREN

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UNDERSTANDING
CHILDREN

by Roy DeVerl Willey

Comprehensive guide to a proper
derstanding of the behaviour
children; will help teachers

of
and

INSPIRATIONAL TALKS
FOR YOUTH

by Preston Nibley

A compilation of talks given by the
General Authorities of the Church;
especially designed to help the youth

parents to create a deeper and more of the Church gain a firmer grasp of
effective relationship between them- the principles and doctrines of the
selves and their children.

35s Church

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tteserct Book

Obtainable from Deseret Enterprises Ltd.
288, London Road, Mitcham, Surrey.

LESSON HELPS

VISITING TEACHING

Message 72: "He That Seeketh Me Early Shall Find Me,
and Shall Not Be Forsaken." (D. & C. 88:83.)
Objective: To stress the importance of seeking and finding
the Lord as early as possible.

1. THOUGHTS FOR DISCUSSION.

a. We must seek the Lord to find him.

b. Blessings come through seeking and finding the
Lord early in life.

c. Many great leaders in the Lord's work sought and
found the Lord early in their lives.

d. Mothers have a responsibility to teach children at
an early age to seek the Lord earnestly and dili-
gently.

2. PROCEDURE SUGGESTIONS.

a. Discuss thought No. A including question No. A.

b. List on the blackboard the blessings that come
through praying to the Lord early in life.

c. Assign a sister to give a brief account of a great
leader who sought the Lord early in life (Jesus,
Joseph Smith, David, Samuel, Solomon).

d. Discuss thought No. D, and include question No. D.

3. APPLICATION.

It is the duty of the mother to teach love of the gospel
to the children in the home at an early age.

4. QUESTIONS THAT MAY LEAD TO DISCUSSION.

a. Why is it necessary to seek the Lord?

b. What blessings come through praying to the Lord
early in life?

c. Why did the Lord call many of his great leaders
early in life?

d. Why is it important that we teach our children to
seek the Lord early?

THEOLOGY

Lesson 72: The First Presidency — Keys of the Kingdom —

(Text D. & C. 90, 91 & 92.)

Objective: To understand the place of the keys of the Priest-
hood in the gospel plan.
1. LESSON AT A GLANCE.

a. Tne keys of tne Hriestnood form the power to direct
tne use or tne mesinooa. Witnout tnese keys tne
Lora s Uiiurch wouia not oe a kingdom ot order.

b. Tnere is oniy one man at a time on earth who is
allowed to use all of tne keys, to receive revelation

and direct tne activities ot tne Church. Preparation
has been made for the orderly passing on of the
keys.

c. The Priesthood ordination gives the power to act.
However, to use this authority consent must be
given by the presiding officer.

d. The advice given to the brethren in verses 17, 18
and 24 are equally suitable in our lives.

e. Joseph Smith was instructed that it was "not need-
ful" to translate the Apocrypha. ISec. 9.)

3 MAKING THE LESSON LIVE.

The latter part of Section 90 and Sections 91 and 92
should not take much class time. It might be well to
make two minute assignments to three sisters to make
brief short comments on the last part of Section 90
and Sections 91 and 92.

4. HOW TO APPLY THE LESSON.

The more we learn of our duties in the Church and grow
in understanding, the more we see wherein we may
make our lives better and happier.

SOCIAL SCIENCE

Lesson 17: Two Worlds as One.

Objective: To point out the need of sharing ones world in
the bettering of human relationship.

1. LESSON AT A GLANCE.

This lesson points out how natural differences in the
respective roles of man and woman tend to create two
distinct worlds of interest. It also gives some sugges-
tions for unifying their lives and shows that gospel
living is the most important factor in molding and main-
taining their two worlds as one.

2. POINTS TO STRESS.

a. It is important that all couples (1) recognise the
forces that tend to separate man and wife; (2)
take positive steps to keep their companionship
close and rewarding.

b. Both husband and wife must recognise the need to
make wise adjustments.

c. All couples should reserve some time for private
discussions of family problems and of their own
personal goals.

d. The willingness to share one's world has meaning
in the relationships other than that of husband and
wife. For instance, the mature woman living alone
may enrich her life by a wise sharing of interest
with neighbours or with close friends.

3. SUGGESTED LESSON DEVELOPMENT.

a. This lesson may be deveiopea tnrough discussion

and by special assignment.
Suggested scripture reference:

And if a kingdom cannot be divided against itself, that
kingdom cannot stand.
And if a house be divided against itself, that house can-

Millennial Star

not stand. (Mark 3:24-25.)

c. The many case studies used in the lesson to illus-
trate an ideal or a problem, might be assigned to in-
dividual members for oral reading in the class. The
class leader would guide the discussion through
questions which would help to bring a solution to
the problem.

c. Make these case studies live.

LITERATURE NO 2

APART of human nature that some find difficult to
overcome is that section of our thoughts that leads us
to find fault with our fellow saints, to gossip about them",
to say unkind things about them behind their backs. Natur-
ally, we are all striving to become perfect, for this was the
commandment given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ. Never-
theless, there is still a small portion of backbiting left in
our Wards and Branches, and this small portion can spread
like a cancer to destroy the whole Branch.

Joseph L. Townsend realised this when, as he was labour-
ing in the superintendency of a large Sunday School, he
heard a number of fault-finding remarks among the people.
It occurred to him how much finer it would be if he could
hear kind words spoken more often. With this thought in
mind he wrote a song which has been translated into many
languages . . . "Let us oft speak kind words." Some have
called this his best sermon: it is said to have stopped the
gossiping tongues of the people in his home town and pro-
duced a kindlier feeling.

Let us oft speak kinds to each other

At home or wher-e're we may be:

Like the warblings of birds on the heather,

The tones will be welcome and free.

They'll gladden the heart that's repining,

Give courage and hope from above,

And where the dark clouds hide the shining,

Let in the bright sunlight of love.

There is probably no phase of Mormon history or theo'ogy
that has not been developed in songs and hymns. This
tendency is nowhere more strikingly shown than in the
songs of Joseph Townsend, for they cover the subjects of
love, fealty, valour, rewards, reverence, restoration, the
Lord's bounty, adoration of the Saviour, and many other
themes.

O the kind words we give shall in memory live

And sunshine forever impart;

Let us oft speak kind words to each other,

Kind words are sweet tones of the heart.

The whole range of Joseph Townsend's writings is de-
veloped along these lines — of kind words, of sunshine,
of sweet tones of the heart. Whether he was writing a
Sacrament hymn, such as "Reverently and Meekly Now,"
or music for a funeral such as "0 What Songs of the

Heart," or the powerful theme of "The Iron Rod," which was
based on Lehi's dream in the Book of Mormon, whatever
he was writing Joseph Townsend found beauty and love in
the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Equally as beautiful as the poetry of "Let us oft speak
kind words," is the delicate music of Ebenezer Beesley.

Brother Beesley caught the spirit of the song and fitted
it to a melody that has captured the hearts of Latter-day
Saints throughout the world.

Brother Beesley was born at Bicester in Oxfordshire on
December 14, 1840. As a child he developed a great talent
for music, a talent that first became evident when he was
only two years old. The meeting of the Wesleyan Choir
in the home of his parents naturally helped in the develop-
ment of his talent.

At the age of six some influential ladies offered to have
him trained as a choir boy at St. George's Chapel at
Windsor. But he was the only living child of his parents
and they refused to part with him. Probably that refusal
was inspired, for it changed the whole course of the lives
of the Beesley family. Within a few short years they had
accepted the teachings of the missionaries and had joined
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Ebenezer,
himself, was baptised on September 22, 1849 . . . and thus
another beautiful talent was added to the strength of the
Church. The Beesley family emigrated to Utah in 1859.

Brother Beesley was soon thrown headlong into the
world of music in the Church. He lead the singing of his
Ward Sunday School; he revised and prepared music for
the "Juvenile Instructor;" he directed his Ward Choir, he
was studying the violin under Professors C. J. Thomas and
George Careless, a fellow Englishman; he was busy com-
posing Sunday School music, and compiling song books for
the Sunday School and the MIA.

Indeed, his life was full. And then in 1880 he was called
to direct the Salt Lake Tabernacle Choir, and for more
than nine years he directed the destinies of that great
organisation. In this he joined other British musicians and
composers — such as George Careless and Evan Stephens —
who have had the privilege of directing this great choir in
the past.

Like the warblings of birds on the heather,

The tones will be welcome and free.

Like the murmur of cool, pleasant fountains,

The fall in sweet cadences near.

These words describe perfectly the gentleness of
Brother Beesley's music for the song which we are studying
this month.

LESSON PRESENTATION SUGGESTIONS
"1. Have the sisters sing the song "Let lis oft speak kind

words "
2. Discuss the purpose behind the writing of the song;

what does it mean; what does it tell us; is it applicable

in our lives today.

PRAYER is a source of spiritual
power and mental peace. It is our
most sincere expression faith in
God and in His promises that if we
ask, we will receive, if we knock, it
will be opened unto us.

Dr. Alexis Carrel describes prayer as
"The most powerful form of energy
that one can generate. The influence of
prayer on the human mind and body
can be measured in terms of increased
physical boyancy, greater intellectual
vigour, moral stamina and deeper un-
derstanding of the realities underlying
human relationships."

In talking with His disciples at the
last supper, Jesus exhorted them to
abide in Him so that He might abide
in them. He used the illustration of
the vine and its branches pointing out
to His disciples that He was the vine
and they the branches. "As the branch
cannot bear fruit of itself except it
abide in the vine; no more can ye,
except ye abide in me," He said. He
then warned them that "without me ye
can do nothing." (John 15:4, 5.)
We Need the Lord's Spirit

In our Sunday Schools, as we fulfil
our great responsibility of teaching the
Gospel of Jesus Christ, we cannot
expect to be successful unless we
have the Lord's spirit with us. Without
Him we can do nothing. We depend on
Him and upon His guidance. Conse-
quently, the atmosphere of our Sunday
School must be a spiritual one and our
attitudes as Sunday School officers and
teachers must be solidly welded in
Christ.

What steps can we take to assure
this spiritual atmosphere? How best
can we prepare ourselves to be worthy
of the precence of His spirit. The Sun-
day School plan shows us the way.
We should never attempt to conduct a
Sunday School without first having
met in a prayer meeting.
The Grayer Meeting

The Sunday School handbook in-
structs us that the prayer meeting
should precede every Sunday School
session and should be attended by all
officers and teachers. We are not re-
quired to hold a separate meeting for
the Junior Sunday School. All officers
and teachers of the Sunday School
should meet together at least 20
minutes before the Sunday School con-

SUNDAYSCHOOL

by President O. Preston Robinson

venes and the prayer meeting should
not be held for more than 10 minutes
— thus allowing all officers and
teachers to take their places so that
preludial music can begin on time and
the Sundav School can convene
promptly as scheduled.
A Spiritual Atmosphere

The fundamental purpose of the
Sunday School meeting is to set a
spiritual atmosphere for the Sunday
School session. Its basic purpose is for
the officers and teachers to kneel to-
gether and ask the Lord for the
presence or His spirit throughout the
Sunday School session. However, ac-
cording to the handbook this short

PRAYER

meeting can be used for last-minute
instructions and announcements by the
superintendency. It should be used for
a recitation of the sacrament gems for
the entire group, for the presentation
of an inspirational thought or a read-
ing of scripture and for the prayer it-
self. Kneeling during this prayer is
recommended. This humble posture
will help all in attendance to dismiss
from their minds worldly thoughts and
worries, to concentrate on their res-
ponsibilities as Sunday School leaders
and to invite the spirit of the Lord to
be with them.

Prayer and the help that comes from
it can be the most effective tool that

Millennial Star

a Sunday School worker can possess.
One of the greatest obstacles to suc-
cessful Sunday School operation is the
lack of humility. Sincere prayer is the
essence of humility. It forces us to
recognise our dependence upon the
spirit of the Lord and helps us to put
in the background any thoughts or con-
cerns which might possibly divert us
from the important work we have to do
in Sunday School administration and
teaching. Prayer helps us to put our
spirits in tune with the whisperings of
the Holy Ghost. Prayer helps us also
to make new resolves to keep the com-
mandments and to order our lives in
tune with our Lord's teachings.
The Prayer Meeting Habit

There is only one way to make sure
that prayer meetings are held regular-
ly. This is to hold them regularly and
on time. Every Sunday School officer
and teacher should know that a speci-
fic time each Sunday morning a prayer
meeting will be held. They should know
that they are expected to attend this
meeting and that the obligation is just
as definite and certain as is the obliga-
tion for them to meet their other ad-
ministrative or teaching assignments.
When they form the prayer meeting
attendance habit, they will be prompt
and regular.

Regular and habitual attendance at
prayer meeting can have a remarkable
beneficial effect upon the lives of all
Sunday School workers.

Prayer is the soul's sincere desire.
It is the influence which will notice-
ably and profoundly affect lives. It
brings to those who pray regularly a
tranquility of bearing, even a facial and
bodily repose that can be developed in
no other way. It helps man to see him-
self as he is — in reality a son of God.
It helps to uncover weaknesses and
magnify strengths. In truth, it is a
source of power.

Let every Sunday School administra-
tor be diligent and conscientious in
holding regular prayer meetings and
let every Sunday School worker be
regular and punctual in attendance
This meeting, more than anything else
can set the stage for a successful
Sunday School operation. Let us re-
member, the importance of the Lord's
spirit. For without Him we can do
nothing.

April, 1966

THE
JOHN COMPTON
ORGAN CO. LTD

Over the last 60 years the John Compton Organ Company have
built up an enviable reputation as builders of outstanding instru-
ments. In the early 1930's they produced their first pipeless
organ — an instrument which made musical history at the time
and one which still continues to do so in 1966.
Compton organs employ an electro-mechanical tone generator,
they never require tuning and combine the maximum reliability
with the minimum of maintenance. They are in regular use all
over the World, from Iceland to tropical Africa. All Compton
organs are covered by a seven year guarantee.
The John Compton Organ Company have recently been appoint-
ed the sole suppliers of organs in the United Kingdom to the
Purchasing Authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints and already instruments have been installed in the
London Temple and many Stake and District Centres. Very
favourable financial arrangements have been made with the
Church headquarters and full details will be supplied on re-
quest to the office of:

The Purchasing Agent,

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,

Haredon House,

London Road, North Cheam, Surrey.

The John Compton Organ
Company Ltd.

Chase Road, North Acton, London, N.W.10 (Tel.: ELGar 6666)

The Wonderful World of MIA

by President & Sister Ray H. Barton

Good speakers are not born

CONTRARY to generally accepted
thought, good speakers are not
born; they are developed. They grow
and learn through experience. If you
don't believe this, think of a new born
baby. None of them can speak. They
learn to develop their speech through
practice, stumbling, stammering, stud-
dering, haltingly, hesitantly, progres-
sively, and are able to develop into the
mature type of speaker they become.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints offers untold opportunities
to any young person to develop to
become a speaker. True, the inherent
qualities vary from person to person,
but all can become good speakers.

Therefore, speaking in any of our
church activities should be recognised
by everyone as a golden opportunity.
The MIA especially gives chance for
self expression.

Fair warning: No Latter-day Saint boy
or girl or man or woman can escape
from being invited to (1) offer a
prayer, (2) bear his testimony, (3) in-
troduce a subject to a class, (4) make
an announcement or report, (5) tell a
class of his experience, (6) defend
his beliefs, his principles, his points of
view, (7) express his own convictions,
his personal feelings for or against a
question, (8) make a short talk in
some auxiliary class or priesthood
quorum, or (9) speak in a meeting at
a Ward/Branch Conference, Stake/
District Conference, or a Youth Con-
ference or fireside.

The purpose of the speaker in any of
these doings is, whether he is con-

scious of it or not, to motivate those

who hear.

How to go about it:

A. Determine the purpose of your
talk. Before preparing your talk
decide:

1. What the audience will be.

2. What type of meeting it is.

3. What the occasion is.

4. What the specific purpose of
the talk will be.

5. Remember, good talks are short
talks.

B. Anatomy of a Talk. A talk has
natural divisions:

1. The Introduction.

2. The statement of what you in
tend to talk about.

3. The body of the talk.

4. The conclusion.

THE INTRODUCTION. The introduc-
tion might deal with an initial state-
ment with impact, a short scriptural
quotation, a brief story of a national
or world event, a reasonable challenge,
a quick statement of local circumstan-
ces, a striking question.

A STATEMENT. A statement of what
you will talk about must be short and
to the point and cover the ground you
have in mind; for example, "I believe
our youth today have more problems to
face than their parents did"
"What are the fundamental values in
our society that we should be most
grateful for?" . . . "This afternoon I
would like to share with you a peculiar
promise in my life, and its unexpected
and unusual fulfillment."

THE BODY. The meat of what you

will say is the sum of your search for
material, your knowledge and experi-
ence, and your long hours of prepara-
tion. This is the portion of your talk
where, if necessary, you may wish to
use notes. Speak in a friendly, casual,
conversational manner, with sincere
conviction and enthusiasm.

THE CONSLUSION. It is always best
when it is short. It comes unannounced
and leaves a sweet after-taste and
positive attitude.
General hints:

1. Make your opening an attention
getter. Make it the sharp, clear punch
of what you have to say.

2. Be sure and finish with a good
conclusion, and you're almost sure to
guarantee an excellent talk.

3. Compliment and commend your
audience.

4. Be for something rather than
against something.

5. Play down yourself. Avoid "I"
trouble.

6. Humanise your talk. Relate it to
people and characters.

7. Keep your eyes on the audience.

8. Look at all your listeners.

9. "For instances" are magic. Use
them frequently; they can relate the
idea to a story; they can relate famous
people to the idea; they can relate the
idea to historical events; they can en-
hance the idea with colourful analo-
gies; and they can underscore the
idea with dramatised statistics.

Also, pure magic and spice for your
talk are:

1. Short, short stories and appro-

Millennial Star

priate humour.

2. Parables, quotes, and compari-
sons.

3. Illustrated techniques.

4. Pauses, phrasing.

5. Unique visual aids.
Remember to keep in mind the

differences in the skills, backgrounds
and experiences of your audience. Talk
to the average personality.

Most important of all — don't apolo-
gise. Don't say, "I didn't know I was
going to have to get up and talk," or
"pardon me" or "I've forgotten my
point," or "I have more prepared, but
I see my time is up," or "Oh, I just
can't think of that word." Actually your
talk might be going over and the
people might think you're really good.
Don't tell your audience otherwise.
Helpful Tips:

1. Preparation precedes perform-
ance. Straighten your beads first and
then polish their brilliance.

2. Pearls are more precious be-
cause of quality than their size.

3. The longer the spoke, the bigger
the tire. Big wheels are vanishing.

4. Any form of oratory is old
fashioned.

5. The final and most important
point of preparation — get down on your
knees and pray to your Father in
Heaven for guidance and inspiration.
You are entitled to the Spirit of the
Holy Ghost and its inspiration.
Helps:

1. MIA Speech Director's Guide,
1965-1966.

2. The Best Red Book. (This is an
MIA pocket-size first aid manual for
all who have been or may be invited to
best. It is absolutely indispensable,
give a talk and who desire to do their

3. You Can Learn to Speak, by
Royal L. Garff, PHD.

Throughout the year, there will be
many golden opportunities to speak,
both in the girls' and boys' programme,
and the speech directors stand ready
to assist. The speech directors should
go into the classroom and will be pres-
ent in the classroom, when outlined to
give lessons and helps.

DOUBLE CAUTION. Make sure your
conclusion is indeed the end.

Have you
booked

For a place at one of the two MIA Leadership Training Courses for 1966.

THE FIRST is at Lilleshall Hall, near Newport in Shropshire, from 18th— 25th

June. Accommodation for 66. Fee, £10 10s. Deposit, £1.

THE SECOND is at Inverclyde, Largs, Scotland, from 30th July — 6th August.

Accommodation for 90. Fee, £10 10s. Deposit, £1.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND? All MIA Executives, Leaders, Branch Presidents,

Bishops and all Youth interested in MIA activities.

SUBJECTS: Keep-fit, Basketball, Campcraft (for the sisters), Football, Minor

Games, Volleyball, Archery, Folk Dancing, Athletics, MIA Administration.

To: T. W. Hezseltine, Anstey's Lea, 153 Spring Lane, Lambley, Nottingham.

Name of Course: Name of Applicant:

Address:

Age (if under 21): Stake/Mission:

Ward/Branch: Office held:

Subjects interested in:

Deposit enclosed:

Signature of Parent or Guardian (if under 21):

Please enclose a stamped addressed envelope.

Hurry!

April. 1966

THE PRIMARY PAGE

by Eileen R. Dunyon

ACTING THE PART

TAKE me for a walk," said a small
mechanical voice when Gillian
pulled the cord on the back of Chatty
Cathy's neck. Gillian smiled happily
and picking her doll up into her arms
walked out the door, down to the gate
and then back into the house again.

Again Gillian pulled the cord and
this time the music-box-voice chimed,
"Comb my hair." And Gillian hurried
to get the small comb and brush and
do as the doll requested.

Gillian was playing "Let's Pretend."
She was the Mother and Chatty Cathy
was her little girl.

From the corner of the room came
the sound of a clanging bell. A large,
red toy fire engine prepared to extin-
guish a fire. The tall ladder swung into
place, the sturdy hose was connected
and uncoiled. A tiny stream of water
poured from a miniature pail to
douse the flames and save the house
that was supposedly burning down.
Colin was playing "Let's Pretend."

As long as there are children who
are learning about life, the desire to
play the role of someone else will be
important, for this is the way that
children learn quickest and most
effectively. They become the mouse,
the elephant, the mother, the father,
the bishop, the tennis champion, or the
missionary that they have been reading
or learning about when they play that
they are this person.

Because make-believe is so import-
ant and real to children it is one of
the most interesting ways of teaching.
Rather than the teacher only telling
the story or lesson, if the children are
allowed to become the characters in
the story and actually act out their
roles the teachings will never be for-
gotten.

Read your Primary lesson for the
coming week and see if your presenta-
tion could be more interesting by
dramatising one of the stories. If this
is the children's first experience with
dramatising stories in the classroom
move slowly and allow them enough
time to get the feel of the play and
the fun that it is to perform. They may
need to be shown how to act like the

Millennial Star

different characters if they have not
dramatised before. As this procedure
is repeated the children will soon feel
free to play the characters and will be
able to make up their own actions and
conversation after you have told the
story.

1. Choose a story or incident that
is short, with plenty of action
for the children to perform.

2. Know the story so well that you
can tell it without reference to
the book.

3. Tell the story with much expres-
sion. Lower your voice to a mere
whisper. Then raise your voice in
the exciting parts. The more
dramatically you tell the story,
the better the children will be
able to dramatise it.

4. After the story has been told re-
view the main events with the
sequence on the blackboard if
you are teaching older children.

5. Choose the characters. Usually
it is best to make-believe with a
story that has only a few
characters. The rest of the child-
ren can be rocks, trees, clouds,
flowers, doors, furniture, etc.

6. The teacher assists the children
reminding them of the actions,
helping them with dialogue until
they are assured of what they
wish to say. They probably will
enjoy playing the story several
times until they can go through
it smoothly.

7. Sometimes it is effective for the
teacher to do all of the talking
and the children selected for the
various characters to do the ac-
tions.

8. With children who are old enough
to read well, the teacher might
take a story from the lesson
book, rewrite it into a play and
bring parts for all of the children
to read. Following the make-
believe part of the lesson, the
teacher would then make applica-
tion of the play to the purpose of
the lesson.

A Story to Dramatise

(1) Ralph was fast asleep. His eyes

were closed tightly, his hands were
tucked under his cheek. Slowly he
opened first one eye and then the
other. What was that noise he could
hear? He put his hand to his ear to
listen more intently. Yes. It was rain-
ing! It was raining again. He could
hear the rain tapping and splashing on
the roof.

He stretched, yawned, climbed out of
bed and hurried down the stairs to the
warm kitchen where his mother was
preparing breakfast.

(2) Mother seemed happy this
morning. She was humming a cheery
song as she worked. It sounded like
"If You Chance To Meet A Frown."
She stirred the porridge with one hand
and turned the bacon with the other.

(3) "Mother? Mum, stop singing
and listen to what's happening out-
side. It's raining again and this is the
day I promised Brother Jones I'd help
him clean up the flower beds and the
lawns around the Church. I can't pos-
sibly work out in such a downpour."
Ralph sat down dejectedly and began
tieing his shoe laces. "No. I simply
couldn't be expected to work outside
in this kind of weather."

(4) Mum brought the porridge to
the table and placed a steaming bowl
in front of Ralph. It smelled so good.
He picked up his spoon and was just
ready to taste the first bite when a
loud knock sounded on the kitchen
door. Mrs. Evans opened the door to
see who was calling at this early
hour.

There stood Clive with his hands in
his pockets, his eyes twinkling, and
tiny rain drops trickling off from the
end of his nose. "Good morning," he
cried gaily. "Let's go."

(5) But it's raining," exclaimed
Ralph. "Surely you aren't going to work
on the wet lawns at the church in this
heavy storm."

"Oh, a little rain won't hurt you. Be-
sides, we're all going fishing this after-
noon. Had you forgotten?" Clive was
eager to be going.

"That's right." Ralph hurriedly
finished his porridge, pushed his chair
back from the table, and put on his

coat and hat. "Let's go. If it's dry
enough to go fishing, its dry enough
to work for the Lord."
Helps for Dramatising

1 Ask the children to listen for the
action and words of the characters and
be thinking who they would like to be
as you tell the story. They are: Ralph
(or Ruth if you are teaching girls).
Ralph's mother, Mrs. Evans, and Clive
(or Josie. if yours is a girl's class) to
be chosen.

2. Choose the chacters. Read para-
graph 1 again and let the person who
will play Ralph do the actions it des-
cribes.

3. Read paragraph 2 and let the
child who will be the mother act out
her part.

4. Go over paragraphs 1 and 2 again
so the children have the actions well
in mind.

5. Read paragraph 3. Have Ralph
and Mother act it out and speak what-
ever words they wish to tell the tale.
They do not need to be the same
words as are written in the story.

6. Read paragraph 4. Let mother do
the actions suggested.

7. Read paragraph 5. Help Ralph and
Clive to work out the conversation.
Let them repeat it two or three times
so they will remember it.

8. Present the ."Let's Pretend"
story. Read as far as paragraph 3 — the
children do the actions. Children act
out paragraph 3. Read paragraph 4 —
children do the actions. Children act
out the rest of the story.

9. Do the play a second time.
Choose different children to act out
the roles.

Let's keep Primary a happy time.
Let's be sure it is a learning time and
an experiencing time. Remember that
children remember best those things
that they not only hear but also see
and do. Through the use of dramatisa-
tions, or "Let's Pretend" in the class-
room the purpose of the lesson can be
emphasised, there will be a greater
interest and variety and the children
will feel a part of the group and that
they are needed to make the class a
success.

April, 1966

[litters

MAY I thank you for a very inspir-
ing Church publication. We
eagerly await the arrival of each
"Star" in our home, and without being
too biased about it consider that the
"Star" is the best of our Church maga-
zines.

I find, however, that a typical Eng-
lish failing is to criticise wrongly our
American brethren (see Brother Ross's
letter. Page 73, March issue) in that
when we receive Church programmes
we tend to classify them as "Ameri-
can" rather than think of them as in-
spired revelations of the Lord through
Church leaders — regardless of what
country the leader comes from.

I wonder if you could clarify an item
for me on Page 95 in the March issue,
in the article "So you're the new
Branch President." In connection with
the calling of officers and teachers,
the article states that "IT IS ALWAYS
THE BRANCH PRESIDENT WHO AP-
PROACHES AND CALLS THE PERSON
TO OFFICE."

The Primary Handbook, Page 69,
states that this is to be done by the
"Bishopric," as does the Sunday School
Handbook, Page 17. The Sunday School
Handbook goes one step further in
that it states that a member of the
Superintendency may offer the call
when requested to by the Bishopric.
Within our unit in Derby Ward, the
Counsellor responsible for the auxiliary
usually offers the call.

When it comes to Church procedure
I'm rather a stickler for correct detail,
as it is so easy for one person's ideas
to become established procedure over
the years and the divine instructions
gradually watered down to become
man's interpretations.

You may not agree, but it is only
costing me a 4d. stamp to air my
views. Again, thank you for a very
much improved "Millennial Star," may
you continue to inspire and encourage
the saints as the Lord prepares us for
His returns.

STUART R. HILTON,
BISHOPRIC, DERBY WARD.

Editor's note: The Branch President is
the person who holds all the keys of
authority within the branch of the
Church over which he has been called
to preside. But, in order to carry out
the programmes of the Church, he
delegates a portion of his authority to
his two Counsellors and to the various
auxiliary heads. (See this month's
article, Page 128). On the point of
"calling" an officer, the call is AL-
WAYS THE RESPONSIBILITY of the
Branch President, but he may delegate
the actual task of "making the call" to
whichever one of his Counsellors is
responsible for the auxiliary. No
auxiliary president or superintendent
has the authority to CALL AN OFFICER
in his auxiliary. He may, however, on
the authority of his Branch President,
call a teacher— BUT ONLY WITH THE
APPROVAL OF THE BRANCH PRESI-
DENCY. "Branch Presidents choose
their auxiliary heads . . . Other officers
and teachers are NOMINATED by the
organisation heads concerned. Follow-
ing INTERVIEW AND APPROVAL BY
THE BRANCH PRESIDENCY ... these
officers may all be set apart by the
Branch Presidency." (Handbook of In-
structions for Districts and Branches,
Page 42.)

FRANKLY I can find no fault with
the "Star;" it caters for the inter-
ests of all adult members and this is
especially true of the sections devoted
to the various auxiliary organisations
and of the Lesson Helps. Members'
opinions are expressed on the
"Letters" page, and our activities well
recounted in the "News from the
Stakes and Missions." The articles by
the General Authorities — counselling,
exhorting, admonishing and instructing
us — are excellent in reminding us of
the powerful and divine leadership
under which we thrive.

Thus I feel that any improvements
that could be made to the "Star"
would only be in minor details, such
as were suggested in "Letters" in the

January issue, i.e., interviews with
British members, etc.

It seems to me that the various
series of instructive articles provide
the constant "change" that is neces-
sary to stimulate interest.

SYLVIA NEALE,
WELFORD ROAD,
NORTHAMPTON.

MY letter is NOT a testimony, in
fact you could call it the exact
epposite, as I am an "ex-member" of
ine Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
uay Saints. After not hearing anything
or the Church for the last three or four
months, it was quite an experience to
have the "Star" delivered to my home
this morning.

Most people in the Church think it
would be quite easy to go back to
being "normal" again after being a
Mormon. Let me emphasise IT IS NOT.
Underneath you are never the same
again.

In my case I believe in the Church
completely . . . even the one thing that
made me leave the Church, I am quite
leady to admit may be true. But be-
cause of my background, my upbring-
ing and my life in general, I cannot
accept the Church's teachings on the
negro. Over the months many fine and
dedicated elders have talked to me on
tne subject and I have read most of
tne available literature. But none of
this makes any difference.

Recently I moved from my home
town of Widnes to a country district.
My home town had a small struggling
branch and testimonies were always
being tested, yet these people kept on
smiling. My family and I have many
wonderful memories of the people
there.

May I through your pages thank all

those people at home — their struggles

will be worth it for in the end the

Mormon Church must triumph

CAROL BATE,

PAYNTON, CHESHIRE.

Millennial Star

Dr. BARTON/ 'continued

/ have warned you
and forewarn you

other cerial made from grains; but we
get a very useful, all-round balance
from wheat.

QUESTION: Does the Word of Wis-
dom indicate that even today in the
land of plenty we should still eat meat
sparingly?

ANSWER: Meat is a wonderful
source of protein, the building blocks
of the body. In times of growth or sick-
ness or winter, meat should be eaten
in moderation. Actually, very little
meat is necessary during the summer
months; being protein, it is used for
the replacement of worn muscle and
other tissues. When we glut with it,
we overcharge our systems with pro-
tein. Your own native desires and tem-
perament will tell you that you don't
want or desire as much meat during
the hot summer months as you do in
the winter. I say "your own native
desire" unless this desire is thrown
out of kilter by gluttony in the first
place and stretching the stomach
muscles and obesity which creates
false signals and appetites.

Now this brings up the subject of
overeating, a question I feel very
strongly about. Overeating is a cardinal
sin and breaks the Word of Wisdom,
just as much as some of the other

things we can do. It certainly can
cause a great strain on our bodies by
depositing fat which causes pressure
and crowding and greater demands on
the heart.

"For the sake of health, medicines
are taken by weight and measure; so
ought food to be, or by some similar
rule." (Skelton.)

The trouble with overeating is the
damage it can do to your body. It can
literally wear you out years ahead of
time. If you can imagine carrying a 25
or 50 pound bag of sand on your
shoulders all the time, you can imagine
the extra weight that you are carrying
around and what it is doing to you in
terms of fatigue.

When you reduce weight, you liter-
ally throw this bag of sand off your
shoulders. Such liberated people joy-
fully exclaim how good and active they
feel and how much more energy they
have.

Included is adequate rest and regular
hours. Section 88 says, "Retire to thy
bed early, that ye may not be weary;
arise early, that your bodies and your
minds may be invigorated." In addi-
tion to the night of sleep, one should
have the Sabbath Day, one day out of
the seven, set apart as a day of rest

so the body and the mind and the
spirit can be rejuvenated.

It all boils down to the Biblical
quotation from I Corinthians 3:16-17:
"Know ye not that ye are the temple of
God, and that the Spirit of God dwel-
leth in you? If any man defile the
temple of God, him shall God destroy;
for the temple of God is holy, which
temple ye are." This is an accurate
description of the view of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
concerning the relationship of the mor-
tal body to the spirit.

In conclusion, the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints offers a per-
fect plan for happiness in this world
for temporal salvation. Since the spirit
is a part of the tabernacle, obviously
spiritual salvation is tied up with this.
This also involves the world to come.
This plan involves a constant striving
for perfection. It does not mean that
we have to live out of the world in an
attempt to humiliate the body, but live
in the world, yet not partake of world-
liness. It requires us to be constantly
in control of physical passions and to
avoid all things which would be harm-
ful either to the body or the spirit.
Thus, our souls will always be ready
to serve Him and our fellowmen.

SO YOU RE THE NEW BRANCH PRESSDENT/contmued

why a person should not be called.

And so within your Presidency you
act as three "Presidents." This attitude
should be explained very carefully to
the Branch members, and in the event
of any problems arising they should
be instructed to see whichever mem-
ber of the Presidency is responsible.
Should a member go direct to the
Branch President, he will ask, "Have
you seen my Counsellor about this?
He is responsible for that auxiliary,
and will be able to answer your prob-
lem."

The Branch Presidency is like a

three-legged stool. Remove a leg and
the stool collapses. If the Branch
President realises this, he will under-
stand how important his Counsellors
are and will give them the respect
and trust those "two legs" deserve.

Does this take away any of the
authority of the Brancn President? We
feel not. In fact the reverse is usually
the case. The Presidency are recog-
nised as a team, the Branch members
see them as three "Presidents" and a
feeling of strength and security is
established.

In this way you build up a pyramid
of strength in your Branch, with a
foundation of members who know
where they stand in connection with
their officers and teachers.

You also establish a direct line of
authority, which, if followed, keeps the
Branch running smoothly.

One last thought, and a quote by
Dr. Kenneth C. Hutchin in the February
1966 issue of "Family Doctor":

"The surest way to get a coronary?
Carry all the responsibility on your own
shoulders and never trust anyone else
to do, or think, of anything."

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Relief

Summer
Les

JUNI

Visiting Teaching

SERVICE

Message I — " When ye are in the ser-
vice of your fellow beings ye are only
in the service of your God."

(Mosiah 2:17)

Objective: To show that service to the
Lord and service to our fellow men
are synonymous.

Ofttimes we unconsciously make a
distinction between serving the
Lord and serving our fellow men, when,
i in reality, they are one and the same.
We think of attending our meetings,
paying tithing, saying our prayers, and
fulfilling assignments in Church posi-
tions as belonging to the service of
the Lord, while, on the other hand,
tending the baby of a tired mother,
encouraging a despondent widow,
taking some delicacy to an invalid
across the street, appear to us as
simply being a good neighbour. We
mistakenly feel that service to the Lord
is in a different category, removed
from our contacts with mere human
beings in the mundane affairs of daily
living. Why cannot we see that service
rendered to our neighbours and asso-
ciates is of the selfsame fabric as
service to God? Yet the Lord has told
us this is so.

As parents we know our feelings
when someone befriends our child who
is in difficulty. We feel as grateful as
though he had befriended us. So it is
with our Heavenly Father. When one
of us befriends another of his children,
it is the same as though we rendered
that service unto him. The more we
do to bring joy and righteousness into
the lives of his children, our brothers

and sisters, the more we lift each
other up the ladder toward perfection
the more we are serving our Maker.
Henry Van Dyke, in the " Other Wise
Man ", aptly illustrates this great truth.
According to the story, the " other
wise man " used his three precious
jewels, intended as gifts for the
Messiah, to minister to the needs of
a sick stranger, to save a baby boy
from certain death, and to free a young
woman from the bondage of debt. " I
have spent for man that which was
meant for God," Artaban said sadly.
He searched thirty-three years for his
King and finally neared Golgotha as
Christ was hanging on the cross.
Buildings were shaken from their
foundations by the force of the ensuing
earthquake, and Artaban was struck
down by a piece of falling tile. As he
lay dying, his lips moved as if answer-
ing someone. " Not so, my Lord. For
when saw I thee an hungered and fed
thee? Or thirsty and gave thee drink?
Three and thirty years have I looked for
thee; but I have never seen thy face,
nor ministered to thee, my King."
Then, we are told, he ceased speaking,
and a sweet voice was heard saying,
" Inasmuch as thou hast done it unto
one of the least of these thy brethren,
thou hast done it unto me."

Theology

'I WILL GO..

Lesson 1 — Lehi Leaves Jerusalem

Reference: The Book of Mormon, 1
Nephi, Chapters 1-4.

Visual Aids: Map of the world or a

globe.

Pictures: Jerusalem.

OUR story begins in Jerusalem, 600
years before Christ was born.
Jerusalem was a beautiful city. It was
a busy city. Many people lived there.

Some of them had great riches. They
had beautiful homes, large herds of
sheep and cattle and much gold and
silver. They had everything they
needed to make them a happy people.

At one time the people believed in
God. They believed that he was their
Heavenly Father who loved them and
blessed them. They worshiped him
and obeyed his laws and command-
ments. However, as the people become
more wealthy many forgot the bless-
ings God had given them. They stopped
worshiping him and attending their
religious services. They became greedy
and selfish and wicked. Our Heavenly
Father sent prophets to preach to the
people and to encourage them to re-
pent and to live better lives. But the
wicked would not listen to the
prophets and continued in their
wicked ways.

In the city of Jerusalem lived a man
named Lehi. Lehi was rich and success-
ful. He also was kind and good. He
loved the Lord and kept his command-
ments.

One day while Lehi was praying, the
Spirit of the Lord gave him a message
for the people of Jerusalem and in a
vision showed him how the entire
city of Jerusalem and all its people
would be destroyed or carried away as
slaves, if they did not repent. Lehi was
very sad with what he saw and he
feared for the safety of the people.

After the vision he went up and
down the streets preaching and warn-

ing the people; but they paid no atten-
tion to him. They refused to listen to

his warning. Indeed, they became so
angry that they planned to kill him.

The Lord told Lehi to take his family
and go into the winderness for safety
before Jerusalem was destroyed.

Lehi told his family what the Lord
had commanded him to do. Sariah, his
wife, and his two younger sons, Nephi
and Sam, believed Lehi and were wil-
ling to obey the Lord and follow their
father into the wilderness. But Laman
and Lemuel, the older 50ns, hated to
leave their friends and their good
times in Jerusalem

They travelled into the wilderness
for three days, going south from Jeru-
salem over rocks and desert sands
until they came to a small green valley
near the shore of the Red Sea. There
they pitched their tents and prepared
to rest for a time.

Lehi built an altar and offered up a
sacrifice to the Lord, and thanked Him
for His goodness in bringing them out
of Jerusalem before its destruction.

One day while they were resting in
the wilderness, the Lord commanded
Lehi to send his sons back to Jerusa-
lem for the brass plates which con-
tained the records of their forefathers.
It was necessary that Lehi have these
brass plates because they contained
the scriptures as well as their family
history and genealogy. They also
needed the records in order to pre-
serve their language and remember
how to read and to write. These brass
plates were like a book to us and were
being kept by a relative named Laban,
a rich but wicked man.

When Laman and Lemuel were asked
to return to Jerusalem they began to
grumble. They said it was impossible

to return to Jerusalem and it would be
a useless journey because Laban would
not give them the brass plates. But
Nephi did not complain. He said: "I
will go and do the things which the
Lord hath commanded, for I know that
the Lord giveth no commandments un-
to the children of men, save he shall
prepare a way for them that they may
accomplish the thing which he com-
mandeth them." These words made
Lehi happy and he was grateful when,
at last, his four sons consented to re-
turn for the records.

Back through the deserts and hot
sun the brothers went toward Jerusa-
lem. Arriving at the house of Laban
they drew lots to see which one would
go in and ask for the plates. The lot
fell on Laman. He was gone but a short
time when he ran back in great fear
and told his brothers that Laban had
called him a robber and had driven
him out of the house saying he would
never consent to part with the records
and that he would surely kill him if he
returned again.

Nephi would not be discouraged. He
said. "We will not go down unto our
father in the wilderness until we have
accomplished the thing which the Lord
hath commanded us." Then Nephi told
them that he had an idea. They should
go back to their own home in Jerusa-
lem and get some of the gold and
silver and precious things which they
had left there. They would then give
these to Laban in return for the brass
plates.

Quickly the four sons returned to
their old home and filled their arms
with gold and silver and precious
things. They went again to Laban and
begged him to exchange the plates for
their property. The things were lovely

and Laban wanted them badly, but he
grew angry and ordered his servants
to use swords and clubs to drive the
brothers away. They were forced to
flee for their lives, leaving their
property behind.

Back in a safe hiding place Leman
and Lemuel were furious. They were
so angry they fell upon Nephi and beat
him. Then an angel of the Lord ap-
peared and scolded them for being so
cruel to their younger brother. The
angel told them to return to Jerusalem
and try again to get the records.

At the gates of Jerusalem Nephi
told his brothers to hide in the dark-
ness and he would creep to Laban's
house for the plates. He was led by
the Spirit and did not know ahead of
time what he would do. As he came
near the house of Laban he saw a man
lying on the ground in a drunken
stupor. It was Laban with his sword
and dressed in his armour. Nephi
looked at Laban's sword. Then he was
constrained by the Spirit to take
Laban's sword and kill Laban. Nephi
hesitated to do this for he had never
killed anyone. But the Spirit told him
the Lord had delivered Laban into his
hands and he must slay him, that it
was better that one man should die
than that a whole nation should forget
their God. Nephi realised they must
have the precious records so they and
their children would know the com-
mandments of the Lord which were
written on the brass plates.

So Nephi did as he was commanded.
Then he dressed himself in Laban's
clothes and armour, and ordered
Zoram, Laban's servant, in the voice of
Laban, to give him the brass plates.
He went with Zoram into the house
and carefully got the plates and car-

ried them out. He ordered Zoram to
go with him outside the walls of Jeru-
salem. Zoram was frightened and
would have run away when he saw
Nephi's brothers but Nephi told him
not to be afraid, that he would not
harm him, but would make him a free
man if he would leave Jerusalem with
them and go into the wilderness.
Zoram believed Nephi and trusted him.
So he and the four sons of Lehi re-
turned to the tent of Lehi in the wilder-
ness carrying the precious records
with them.

It was the faith and persistence of
Nephi that resulted in obtaining the
brass plates which contained the
genealogy of Lehi's ancestors and the
commandments of the Lord. Nephi fully
believed that if God wanted his father
to have those records he would make
it possible to obtain them. He didn't
doubt for one minute that he and his
brothers would be successful in their
errand.
Application of Lesson

This story teaches us two very im-
portant things:

First: that any task the Lord asks us
to perform, any service he asks us to
do in the Church, is possible for us
to do if we have faith.

Secondly: we learn from this story
the importance of keeping records.

Literature

FIRST VISION

Lesson 1 — The First Vision.

Objective: To learn something of the
background of the Smith family and to
appreciate the reality and importance

of the first vision.

N the year 1820 there lived in

New York a boy whose name was
Joseph Smith. At this time he was not
yet fifteen, for he had been born just
two days before the Christmas of
1805. That event took place in Sharon
Windsor county, Vermont.

His parents were Joseph and Lucy
(Mack) Smith. The father's ancestors
had come to America from a town near
London, in England, and the mother's
from Inverness, Scotland.

The Smiths had not always lived in
New York. Their home before this was
in Vermont, where Joseph, the son,
was born. There they owned a farm,
but failure of crops through drought
for three years in succession had
forced them to look for another place
to live. In Manchester they bought
another farm. This change of homes
took place in 1815, when the boy was
ten years old, God had thus brought
the family to where Joseph's work for
him was to be.

Secondly: we learn from this story
the importance of keeping records.

Now, the people in this part of New
York State were religious at heart. That
is to say, they believed in God, in the
Bible, and in another life after this.
Most of them belonged to one of the
three churches in the place, the Pres-
byterian, the Baptist, or the Methodist.
But sometimes they were careless, like
other folk elsewhere. Religion did not
mean very much to many of them, be-
cause they used just words instead of
deeds. And so it became necessary,
every once in a while, for them to be
"revived" in the religious spirit. The
parents of Joseph, while religious and
believers in the Bible, never had be-
longed to any church, although the

mother had been baptised.

Usually in those days people were
"revived" after they had become spirit-
ually dead, in special meetings held
for this purpose. A preacher would be
brought from another town, and this
man would hold "revival meetings,"
often in the woods.

To these "revivals" men and women
and children would come from near
and far. Sometimes there would be as
many as ten thousand persons at the
same "revival." They brought with
them enough food to last a week or
ten days, and during this time they
lived in tents and wagons. It was such
a "revival" as this that took place in
Manchester in the spring of 1820.

Since some of the family had joined
the Presbyterian Church, Joseph was
greatly troubled as to what he should
do. For, after the meetings were over,
he believed he ought to become a
member of some church. But he did
not know which church to join. One
church, for instance, asked its con-
verts to be baptised by immersion,
while another permitted them to be
sprinkled. Joseph saw clearly that both
forms could not be right. So he could
not make up his mind.

Then, one day, he read the Epistle
of James (1:5, 6): "If any of you lack
wisdom, let him ask of God, that
giveth to all men liberally, and up-
braideth not; and it shall be given him.
But let him ask in faith, nothing waver-
ing. For he that wavereth is like a
wave of the sea driven with the wind
and tossed. For let not that man think
that he shall receive any thing of the
Lord."

This passage exactly fitted his case.
He lacked wisdom, for he did not know
what to do. And here was a promise

that he should receive — if he had
faith. So he went out into the woods
not far from his home, where he could
be alone. It was a beautiful spring
morning. The leaves were out, the air
was fresh, and everything was still.

We can easily believe how fright-
ened he was. Although he had often
prayed in his heart, this was the first
time he had ever attempted to pray
aloud. For he had determined to use
his voice in this prayer. Kneeling on
the soft earth, he began to pour out
his thoughts and desires to God.

Then something strange happened.
Darkness overwhelmed him — real, thick
darkness. Then, too, all of a sudden,
he could not speak. An unseen power
took hold of him. It was a terrible
thing. But he had presence of mind
enough to pray in his heart — this time
it was that he might be delivered from
this wicked power which was trying to
destroy him. Just at the moment when
he was about to give up, he saw above
him in the sky a brilliant light. At once
the evil power left him. Meantime the
light continued to come nearer, till it
surrounded the tree tops, and he
thought they would be set on fire.

"When the light rested upon me,"
Joseph tells us, "I aw two Personages,
whose brightness and glory defy all
description, standing above me in the
air. One of them spoke unto me, call-
ing me by name and said, pointing to
the other — 'This is my beloved Son,
Hear him.'

"My object in going to inquire of the
Lord was to know which of all the
sects was right — and which I should
join. I was answered that I must join
none of them, for they were all
wrong."

Joseph was also told that the people

drew near to God with their lips, but
their hearts were far from him. The
preachers taught the doctrines of men,
not the doctrines of God. And they
had the form of godliness, but denied
the power of God. He was again for-
biden to join with any of them.

These two personages were God the
Father and his Son, Jesus Christ.

Joseph told the vision to his family
and to some of his close friends.
Soon, Joseph found himself the
centre of unfavourable attention. His
neighbours ridiculed and reviled him,
and the preachers warned their con-
gregations against him. But Joseph was
undaunted. He said of his experience:

"... I had actually seen a light, and
in the midst of that light I saw two
Personages, and they did in reality
speak to me; and though I was hated
and persecuted for saying that I had
seen a vision, yet it was true; and
while they were persecuting me, re-
viling me, and speaking all manner of
evil against me falsely for so saying,
I was led to say in my heart: Why per-
secute me for telling the truth? I have
actually seen a vision; and who am I
that I can withstand God? ... I had
seen a vision; and I knew it, and I
knew that God knew it, and I could
not deny it, neither dared I ..."

So far as the question of the
churches was concerned, Joseph had
now got his 'mind satisfied. He had
learned several things about religion.
For one thing, he had learned that
God would answer prayer, no matter
how humble the person. The heavens
were not sealed against men, in spite
of what the churches taught. And then,
for still another thing, he had learned
that man had really been made in the
image of God and that Jesus Christ

had truly risen from the dead. He had
learned, too, that the Bible could be
depended upon, that it was an inspired
book. We shall learn, as we go on with
these lessons, what use Joseph made
of these truths.
Questions for Discussion

1. Where and when was Joseph Smith
born? Who were his parents?

2. Where is Palmyra? Where is
Cumorah? (Study map.)

3. What is a religious revival for? Tell
something about the one in Man-
chester. How was Joseph affected
by the revival?

4. Relate the First Vision. What truths
do we learn from this vision?

5. Read or sing the hymn "Oh, how
Lovely was the Morning," and ex-
plain why this hymn was chosen
in connection with the lesson.

Social Science

MARRIAGE

Lesson I: The Family the basic unit

of society.
Objective: To understand more fully

the sacredness of home and family

ties.
Visual Aids: Pictures of a happy family

gathering, will help to visualize this

group and its importance.
Suggested Song: " O My Father ".

n the teachings of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the
family is considered of greatest im-
portance. The marriage covenant is
sacred and should be entered into only
after serious and prayerful considera-
tion. It is generally considered that the
family is the basic organization of
society. It was so designed by God.

The home is the cradle of civilization.
The strength of a nation depends upon
the strength of its individual homes.
The strength and effectiveness of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints depends upon the strength of
our individual homes.
Mother Love

We know our Father in heaven loves
us and is concerned for our happiness.
We all come into the world as little
helpless infants, unable to do anything
for ourselves. We must be kept warm,
well fed, comfortable, well and happy.
Most mothers would sacrifice their
own comfort or their very lives for the
well-being of their children.

Father Love

In the family the father's love is
also important and when a husband
and wife are bound together in the
holy bonds of marriage, with an under-
standing of the responsibility of each
for the other, we have the organization
which God has designed for the best
good of all his children.

It has been said that parenthood is
next to godhood. Another oft repeated
saying is that " God could not be
everywhere and so he gave us
mothers."

Dangers that threaten family life

The sacredness of the marriage
covenant is threatened as there are
those who fail to live up to their
covenants and resort to divorce. We
have all seen the tragedy which comes
when the father and mother cease to
love each other, when they first begin
to criticize and say unkind things to
each other. Sometimes they take in-
terest in another man or woman, not
their spouse. Sorrow comes at once
into the home The children very
quickly realize that something is wrong.
They are frightened and feel insecure.
Usually there is fault with both father

and mother, and they should talk to-
gether and try to find out what is
happening and when they no longer
love each other as they did at first.
Sometimes it is the fault of the mother
who nags and complains to her hus-
band all the time. Or maybe she does
not take care of the house and family
as she should. Maybe she lets herself
get untidy, and does not try to stay
attractive. There may be fault with the
man, too. Maybe he is lazy and does
not provide food for his family. Some-
times the dreadful curse of alcohol
enters in to break up the home. The
man sometimes takes an interest in
another woman. They should talk things
over in a kindly way and both
recognize their mistakes and proceed
at once to correct the mistakes. They
should always realize what a very
serious matter it is to break up the
family. It is a sin against the children.
They always suffer most when parents
insist on divorce. It has been said that
" when harmony, mutual consideration
and trust pass out of the home, hell
enters it ".

Always remember that " marriage is
ordained of God" (D & C 49:15). The
family unit may be maintained through-
out eternity if the marriage is per-
formed in the holy temple and if we
keep God's commandments and are
true to our covenants. The Melchizedek
Priesthood held by the father in the
family is the greatest authority, for it
can be traced bach to Jesus Christ
and then through the Prophet Joseph
Smith to the father in the home. Hus-
band and wife must be true to each
other. They must be kind and con-
siderate and patient with each other
so that their love for each other will
continue forever. Remember the great
responsibility parents have to their
children. We must be true to them.
God has commanded us.