For the education we call life, which only incidentally enables us to gain houses and lands and possessions of many kinds; but, in ways and by methods planned beyond our wisdom, if we accept it, leads us step by step to purity, freedom, and power;

For the scourgings and buffetings that smite and sting when we strive to turn a training for spiritual efficiency into a mere skill in making ourselves comfortable;

For the calls to work and danger that constantly awaken us out of sleep and summon us to those perilous and arduous tasks which make us men;

For the defeat of ambitions and plans which, if realized, would wreck the highest possibilities of our natures;

For the pressure of work and responsibilities which holds us in our places and steadies us under the allurements of ease and luxury;

For the pain that follows upon untruth and impurity, for the thunderbolts that strike us when we break the divine law, for the bitter punishments that overtake and arrest us when we stray into the paths of dishonor;

For the trials which deepen our affections and enlarge our sympathies;

For the sense of the manifold sorrow of humanity which breeds in us infinite compassion and gives us the power of sympathy;

For those deeper experiences which, in hours of anguish, make us aware of the greatness of life and its immortal significance; For the sweetness and happiness of love, the inspiration of duty, the joy of self-denial and service;

For the privilege of forgetting ourselves in devotion and loyalty to others;

For divine love which seeks, not our comfort, but our growth; and spares us no trial if only it can bring out the best in us; For the joy of loving God and the peace of trust in him;

For the companionship of One who has lived through all our

experiences and shown us how to be liberated and enriched by them. Outlook.

WHAT WE CAN DO TO ADVANCE THE RELIGIO WORK.

The special object of the Religio is to interest the young people in the work of the church and to fit them for active duty in its service.

In order to accomplish this purpose, it is evident that there must be some certain method adhered to, whereby the work can be performed systematically and to the best advantage. Our constitution and by-laws provide for this, by assigning to each officer and to each committee specific duties and powers for which they alone are responsible; and the fact must not be lost sight of, that each member also has duties and responsibilities to render an account. A knowledge of what these duties comprise is very essential and yet I doubt if very many of us have a clear understanding of what they

are.

As for myself, I did not realize there was so very much for a member to do until the past week, when I gave a careful reading to the first copy of our constitution and by-laws I ever came in contact with.

Each one has some talent, and it is the duty of each to find and cultivate this talent for the best good. All are capable of taking some part and should make an honest effort to do so.

If assigned to write a paper, asked to recite or sing, or do any other thing, it shows more of the Religio spirit to say, "I'll try," than to say, "I can't"; and when you make a promise, show up at the time appointed, ready to "make good."

In looking the field over it seems to me that our great immediate opportunity and need is for better directed and more united committee work (something which has been sadly lacking in our local, for sometime past, and which is probably the greatest cause of the present low interest in the Religio work).

First on our list of committees is the program committee. Its special field is to take charge of the general exercises of the society, to assign to the members their respective parts of the program, and to give such aid and encouragement as may be necessary to enable each member to fulfill his part in the exercises when called. It requires very good judgment and a large amount of tact to make a success of the programs and I think the present committees are better qualified by previous experience to know what is needed than an amateur. However, I would suggest that they have a follow-up method of keeping posted as to progress, when a member is assigned a part, so as to minimize the chances of a disappointment in case of failure, or rather to prevent the possible failure of the completion in time set. It also seems we have more or less latent talent that could be developed if proper steps were taken.

Upon the lookout committee the success of our Religio largely depends. If we have a wide-awake lookout committee, we have a valuable asset and the success of the society is within reach.

In looking the situation over, it appears that the most important work, like charity, should begin at home, where most of our members seem to have been staying lately. I am not aware how many members are on our rolls, but we should have a larger proportion. out to each session. Those who do attend may be left to the other committees, but those who are absent, and do not attend regularly should be visited, and if possible we should find out why they have not attended.

Wisdom should be used upon visiting them so as not to injure their feelings. Let them know we are interested in them and that we miss them from the society, and if possible get them to attend each session. This is one of the most important duties that falls to the lot of the lookout committee, as well as being perhaps the most disagreeable. The above class of members we always have with us, so that there is always something to do, and if we are not doing our duty we are in as bad a condition as they in neglecting theirs.

Another important duty is to use what influence each may possess in getting the young people among our friends outside the church interested in our societies, and to encourage those who give promise of being good and efficient helpers to become enrolled as members with us.

All future growth depends upon these efforts. A member once enrolled will usually take greater interest, and as the other committees coöperate with their portion of the work, will ofttimes become an active member. When a stranger attends any of our meetings, it is also a duty to make him feel "at home" and try to interest him so he will have a desire to return. There has been much faultfinding on this point in times past, and we should see that we are free from adverse criticism in the future, although perhaps this work more properly belongs to the social committee.

The lookout committee should also see that harmony exists between the members and endeavor to bring about a reconciliation where offense has occurred.

There are three other of the more important committees not yet touched on, and we have already taken more space than was intended at first, so will briefly outline what is expected of each.

The duty of the relief committee is to do what it can to cheer and aid the sick and destitute, including the bestowal of material comforts, if necessary and possible, and to coöperate with the church authorities in cases of this kind.

The social committee is interested with the duty of promoting acquaintance and good fellowship among members, to welcome strangers and visitors to our meetings, and to provide entertainments and socials as good judgment directs.

The good literature committee might be called the advertising medium of the society, its special purpose being to do all it can to encourage the reading of the church publications, as well as other good books and magazines, and to promote the general accumulation of the church literature. In this brief paper we could only touch, in a general way, some lines along which room for improve

ment appears to exist and which are in need of immediate attention. CALVIN SEARS.

(Read before the Boston, Massachusetts, local.)

A LITTLE HUMOR NOW AND THEN.

A man will run as fast as he can to cross a railroad track in front of a train. Then he will watch it till it goes out of sight. Then he will walk leisurely away. He seems to be all right and probably is. That is a man. A woman in a street-car will open a satchel and take out a purse, take out a dime and close the purse, open the satchel, put in the purse, close the satchel and lock both ends. Then she will give the dime to a conductor, who will give her a nickel back. Then she will open the satchel and take out the purse, put in the nickel, close the purse, open the satchel and put in the purse, close the satchel and lock both ends. Then she will feel for the buckle at the back of her belt.-Kansas City Journal.

BUSINESS; YOURS AND MINE.

"Nobody's business, but my own!" How often we hear this statement made as an excuse for not taking the advice of wellmeaning friends as to quitting some bad habit! Our weaker brother uses tobacco, drinks, plays cards, "shoots craps," dances, and indulges all the baser passions to his heart's content, and finally to its discontent; or perhaps he confines his false liberty to dancing, card-playing, and a few other harmless (so called) pastimes, and does not care to have you mention the propriety or impropriety of his course to him; and if you are not careful, he will probably answer you with the above statement.

But, now, is it true that it is nobody's business but his own? In one sense it may be. God has given man his free agency and allows him the privilege of choosing right and life, or wrong and death. That is, if he chooses the good and does right, he reaps eternal life and peace and happiness; and if he rejects the good and chooses the evil, he must reap the consequences sooner or later. For there is no true happiness only in doing right. We may mistake excitement of worldly pleasures and other sensual pleasures for happiness for a time; but we soon see its shallowness and vanity, when perhaps our attachment to it has engendered its pride into our lives to such an extent that we have not the strength or courage to throw off its powerful influence over us.

Granting, for argument's sake, that it is none of my business what you do, just so you do not infringe upon my rights-not considering the influence your course may have upon my younger brothers, sisters, and friends-it then leaves it as "your business." Now I will state "my business" and that of every other truth-loving Religian, Sunday-school scholar, and church member, which is to warn you of the wrath to come, and of the consequences

that you will have to take if you choose and continue in a downward course, and to show you the way to obtain that peace of mind that every human heart longs for.

Now, dear Religians, turn with me to the third chapter of Ezekiel, seventeenth to twenty-first verses. The Lord is speaking to his servant. "Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul." Here we are plainly told a part of the "business" that we should look after.

Having learned the necessity of looking after "our business,' the next step is to learn how, and what will be the most effectual line of action. Before I begin on this, I wish to state that I have no hopes of exhausting the subject, but will feel well repaid for my effort if I succeed in drawing or provoking some of our experienced and talented members to give us the benefit of their useful store of knowledge on this most important subject. I believe that a human heart beats in every man's breast; and that his actions are controlled mostly by prejudices and sympathies which are fed by the kind of education he receives as he goes through life's uneven journey. Each and every one of us exerts a greater or less influence of some kind on every person with whom we come in contact, directly or indirectly, and it is so far-reaching that no one can limit its possibilities. In fact, I believe influence to be a part of the spiritual or unseen forces. Who knows how much good a godly example accomplishes in this vain world of ours? Hence, the Savior's admonition, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." And as Paul says, "Let your moderation be known unto all men." But we must have the "light" and "moderation" with which to "glorify" our "Father which is in heaven," before we can expect its influence to be felt and realized by our fellow men. The Savior's admonition direct to us is that "no one can assist in this work, except he shall be humble and full of love, having faith, hope, and charity, being temperate in all things"; and "put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good; yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously, and this is my Spirit." (Doctrine and Covenants 11:4; 10: 6.) The Lord, speaking to Oliver Cowdery, tells him to "admonish him [Joseph] in his faults and also receive admonition