Mormon History Coloring Book, 1923: October, “Improvement in Communication and Transportation”
What an odd theme for the Primary lessons of October 1923! Well, the overall theme for the last four months of the year was “The Latter-day Saints, a Progressive People,” and the motto for October was “He Conquers Who Endures.” That may help us understand the place of this lesson within the study of Church history — which, in the perspective of 1923, was inextricably tied to the development of Salt Lake City.
Ironically, all the ultra-modern images illustrating the magnificent progress of 1923 appear as quaint to us as the pioneer pictures do.
For many long and weary miles,
O’er mountains, deserts, plains,
Came stalwart men and women with
Ox teams and hand-cart trains.
The mail was taken overland
By horses swift and strong
While fresh supplies were carried far
In freighting trains so long.
We now have cars that travel fast,
And trucks built to endure.
These take the place of coach and stage
Because they’re swift and sure.
Because of long and earnest toil
Fair science now assures
Things that are strange and wonderful,
“He conquers, who endures.”
In early days the news was sent
By man and horse alone;
To-day it’s sent by telegraph
And also telephone.
It took men with endurance
Who work with might and main
To drive the spikes and lay the rails
For long, swift railroad trains.
Now you’d need to have something about the internet.
Comment by Steve C. — June 21, 2009 @ 2:04 pm
How’s this for the update:
The world has gotten smaller
With the way messages are sent
From far around the world
instantaneously with e-mail and internet.
Comment by Steve C. — June 21, 2009 @ 2:07 pm
Or –
Now prophets and apostles
Can use the satellite
To send us words of wisdom
And help us choose the right.
Anybody else wanna play?
Comment by Ardis E. Parshall — June 21, 2009 @ 2:25 pm
We think we’ve got it all now
We blog and skype and tweet
A congregation of the ‘nacle
Where navel gazing is so sweet.
We argue what is doctrine
Pass ’round the flogging stick
Yet here I find my faithful kin
In a ward made with no brick.
Comment by Tracy M — June 22, 2009 @ 10:15 pm
Ha! the creators of this coloring book wouldn’t believe it if they could see it.
Comment by Ardis E. Parshall — June 23, 2009 @ 1:29 am
In the 24th Century
When dilitium crystals we’ve got,
To get to general conference we just say,
“Beam me there, Scott.”
Comment by Steve C. — June 23, 2009 @ 12:19 pm
Now that’s forward thinking, Steve!
Comment by Ardis E. Parshall — June 23, 2009 @ 12:33 pm