Philadelphia, August 30, 1846.

Messrs. J. Taylor and Orson Hyde –

Knowing from your public proceedings, as well as otherwise, that you, and others associated with you, claim the right, and are attempting to use the power of dictating all the affairs of the Church of Jesus Christ in all the world, not under the directions of the first presidency thereof, but independently; I suggest to you the propriety of publicly showing by what means you are authorized to act as leaders to said Church, and offer to publicly discuss that question with you in this city, or any other proper place that will suit your convenience.

Your answer to this, left at the house of Jacob Gibson, on the N.E. corner of Third and Dock streets, near the postoffice, will receive immediate attention.

Yours respectfully,

JAMES J. STRANG.

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Here’s what’s on the page for 1916 in the Mormon family photo album –

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YLMIA, Spokane, Washington . . .

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Special for Redheads

By Hazel K. Todd

Previous episode

Part II

Synopsis: Marian, a young stepmother, is deeply in love with her husband, Bob, and has succeeded in winning the hearts of Patty, the thirteen-year-old daughter, and Robbie, the youngest child. Rusty, the nine-year-old, however, is so antagonistic that Marian doubts if she will ever find a way to let him feel her love.

A clang of buckets being thrown together brought her back from her reverie, back over the weeks to the present. She stood up and walked to the window. The clash of arms had ceased now. A pile of bucket helmets lay at the foot of the clothes pole, and she could see the knights preparing to leave. She watched with envy their goodbyes.

One boy, with numerous brown freckles and a pug nose, slapped Rusty on the back. “See you tomorrow, pal,” he said with perfect confidence at tomorrow’s welcome.

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October

Come while you may!
The woods are gay
With Autumn’s glories glowing;
And through the groves
The pheasant roves,
Where tangled brakes are growing.

Come while you may!
With trilling lay
The woodland thrush will cheer you;
And you may hear,
Low, sweet and clear,
The brooklet’s murmur near you.

Come while you may!
This sunny day
May end the scene of gladness,
Rude winds may tear
The branches bare,
And leave the woods to sadness.

– Juvenile Instructor, 15 October 1898

Few American presidents have been as thoroughly unpopular at the end of their terms as Herbert Hoover, who served from 1929-1933. Unable to stem the economic failures that began with the collapse of Wall Street in his first year in office – brought about by events and policies in existence long before his election – he is unfairly seen as the cause of the Great Depression and remembered in the early 20th century label of “hoovervilles” for homeless camps.

What we too often forget is Hoover’s tremendous success in humanitarian service. He may have saved more human lives than any other person in world history. Hoover headed efforts to feed starving Belgium in World War I and directed the American Relief Administration and led efforts to ameliorate the Russian famine of 1921. He served as a one-man FEMA following the flooding of the Mississippi in 1927, organizing funding and services from private organizations to combat malaria and typhoid in the flood zones. (I recognize, however, that the services of these and other project were far from perfect, especially in matters of racial discrimination.) Following Nazi occupation of Poland and during the term of American neutrality, which ended in December 1941, Hoover created the Commission for Polish Relief (aka “the Hoover Commission”); his similar Finnish Relief Fund aided the citizens of that country, purchasing food supplies in Scandinavia and running the Allied blockade to prevent starvation there. Some 35 million free meals were provided to Finish children in those months.

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Temple Gardener

By Elizabeth S. Gunnell

(In memory of Brother Gustave Hirt,
Salt Lake Temple gardener,
who passed away suddenly on an April day.)

He shepherded each tiny plant
With loving tender care,
And flower-children in gratitude
Shed beauty everywhere.

Within those sacred, hallowed walls
He felt the breath of God;
Forgotten were the cares of day
While hands touched holy sod.

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For background and links to chapters in this series, see here

LESSON X

MEDICAL AND LEGAL PROFESSIONS

Medicine

The lessening of human suffering which has grown out of recent advances in medical science has made our world a very different place than the world lived in by our great-grandparents. A scientific basis has been developed for the study of disease, so that it becomes possible to determine the cause and best treatment of many ailments which throughout untold generations have shortened man’s life in spite of everything he could do. As a result of this newer knowledge, the average length of human life has been doubled in the last few generations. This has come about not by accident, but by ceaseless toil and the intelligent application of the discoveries of science. Does not such achievements stir the admiration of any young man who is anxious himself to live a life of achievement and service?

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For background and links to chapters in this series, see here

LESSON XXII

EFFICIENCY IN WORK

“Folks who never do any more than they get paid for, never get paid for any more than they do.” – Elbert Hubbard.

it has only been a few years since the idea of scientific management was worked out by Taylor for a number of industries. Since that time the whole fabric of American business has had so thoroughly woven into the necessity for efficiency in all of its operations that it is now considered a disgrace to conduct any industrial organization without subjecting all of its processes to the most careful study in order to eliminate every possible waste.

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For background and links to chapters in this series, see here

LESSON XXIII

SOME VOCATIONAL PROBLEMS

A sane view of industrial problems is a great aid to the young man about to enter his vocation. After becoming a workman or an employer of workmen it is very easy to become antagonistic toward capital or toward labor, according to which position one holds: the laborer very often hears terrible stories about slave-driving practices used by employers, and reads flaming labor papers decrying the crooked dealings of capitalists and legislators. On the other hand if a person associates with the employers he is likely to hear much about laborers who rob their employers by “soldiering” on the job, by wilfully destroying machinery, and by other unfair practices. The young man should understand that most of this suspicion and hatred is unfounded; that most working men do their work as honestly as they know how, and that most employers or capitalists try to be as fair with their employees as they can. The exceptions to the rule are not normal men and women, anymore than thieves and murderers are usual. Of course it is well to be prepared to meet these exceptional cases, but it is wrong to allow the thoughts of them to warp the mind so that the joy and happiness of life is driven out by hatred and suspicion. The present lesson is intended to point out to the young man that industrial conditions are not in the horrible state that radicals may try to make him believe when he enters his vocation.

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For background and links to chapters in this series, see here

LESSON XXIV

THE VOCATIONAL OUTLOOK

Now that we are about to complete the lessons with the relation of the young man to his vocation, let us take a little time in summing up to see just what the situation is as it affects each one of us. What have we learned during the course? What is our attitude toward the various vocations? What are the conditions in which each of us finds himself vocationally/ what are we going to do about preparing ourselves for our chosen work? What is going to be our attitude toward helping all of our associates and friends to become well situated vocationally?

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From the Relief Society Magazine, 1953 –

Special for Redheads

By Hazel K. Todd

Part I

Through her blue, ruffled kitchen curtains, Marian could see the medieval army of nine-year-olds, their grotesque wooden swords flourishing in the air as they lined up for combat. And although she could have walked out the door and saluted the proud leader in a few short steps, yet she knew, with discouraging assurance, she would still be a million miles from reaching him.

“Ready, charge!” shouted Rusty, the knight in command, with his bucket head pointing into the air, and a lock of his red hair waving in the summer breeze through a hole in the helmet. Her eyes followed while the army swooped down with vigorous onslaught onto the unsuspecting clothesline poles. She watched the scramble of arms and legs and bucket heads segregate into separate boys.

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I know absolutely nothing about a “military suffrage bill” issued from “division headquarters” in San Jose, California in 1872. Nor do I know a thing about the “True Army of the Republic” which the writer of the following letter claimed to represent.

I do know a nut when I see one, though.

Hon. Sir!

It appears that his Exelency Gov. Wood has resolved to call togather the [Utah] Ter. Legislature. We have recommended to his serious consideration the (Military Suffrage Bill) as isued from the division headquarters “ie” (San Jose Cal.) Aug 18th 1872. We presume your Reverence is familiar with the principles involved and we hope for your harty cooperation and perhaps history will recor[d] that in Utah the grand principiles of organization so potent in war were for the first time adopted in peace Our council have under consideration ways & means for the revival of the (Common Law right of Trial by Combat) believing it would hold base and oppressive men in wholsome check & often prevent war

Very Truly,

(See here for background)

From 1958 –

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For background, see here
previous episode
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Obvious

On taking her defective toaster to the repair shop, the dignified dowager was told: “You’ve got a short circuit here, ma’am.”

“Then lengthen it for me, please,” the lady instructed him crisply.

To a Turn

The customer at the lunch counter was struggling valiantly with his not-so-choice cube steak. Finally he put down his knife, glared at the design left by the scoring machine, and said to the proprietor:

“It’s a shame to fry a tire that still has this much tread on it!”

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