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/ "^«»*• t% .**-i ^wss^ ^^i*' \n '-!#** .-•^- mL j%Ji 1^: 'Ml*'-' .mm^%-. ix i^' :!f^^te"--. ^^- W"«t Summer School at BYU is an exciting blend of educational opportunity, excellent weather and stunning scenery, with a wealth of recreational activities. Programs are offered on both graduate and undergraduate levels. The faculty is often augmented by distinguished guest instructors. Summer workshops, seminars and conferences find specialists from all over the country in attendance. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS May 30 — Admission Application Due June 9-12 — Education Week June 15 — Registration July 17 — First Term Ends July 18 — Second Term Registration July 24 — Pioneer Day State Holiday August 21 — Second Term Ends August 21 — Summer Convocation A summer of opportunity at BYU! Write to Summer School Director for free catalog. Si*-^-^ ~ BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY Provo, Utah 84601 On the Cover: This month we commemorate the 150th anniversary of the First Vision, which was experienced by the boy prophet, Joseph Smith, in the spring of 1820 in western New York. There, after gaining The Voice of the Church April 1970 Volume 73, Number 4 confidence in the declaration of James —"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God"—the 14-year-old youth Special Features turned to prayer in his quest to know 2 Editor's Page: "For Thus Shall My Church Be Called," President Joseph "which of all the sects was right." The Fielding Smith beautiful painting reproduced on our 4 Eight Contemporary Accounts of Joseph Smith's First Vision: What Do front cover is used widely by the We Learn from Them? Dr. James B. Allen Church Information Service in visitors 16 The House Where the Church Was Organized, Dr. Richard Lloyd centers throughout the world. The Anderson Historian, M. artist is Ken Riley. 26 Elder Howard W. Hunter, Church Jay Todd Of special interest is the photograph 28 A Festival of Mormon Art H. Greenhaigh below of President Joseph F. Smith, 31 How Far Is Heaven? Sadie nephew of the Prophet and father of 38 I Knew Courage, Jean Hart 2: Marriage Dr. J. Joel President Joseph Fielding Smith, as he 64 A Happier Marriage, Part Enjoy Your Moments, Call visited the Sacred Grove in the early and Audra Moss 1900s. 68 The Message, Dwane J. Sykes 79 A New Look at the Pearl of Great Price: Part 11, The Sacrifice of Sarah, Dr. Hugh Nibley Regular Features 54 Presiding Bishop's Page: The Presiding Bishop Talks to Youth About Success, Bishop John H. Vandenberg 56 Today's Family: Jessie Evans Smith: the Wife of a Prophet, Eleanor Knowles 61 Research & Review: Achievements of Latter-day Saint Women, Dr. Leonard J. Arrington 66 The LDS Scene 70 Buffs and Rebuffs 72 The Church Moves On 75 These Times: Organization, Dr. G. Homer Durham 96 End of an Era 13, 71, 73, 74, 80 The Spoken Word, Richard L. Evans Era of Youth Marion D. Hanks and Elaine Cannon, 42 What It's Like to Be Young in Norway 45 ! Had to Find Out for Myself, Val Stephens 46 If I Were a Junior in High School, I'd ... , Dr. Lynn Eric Johnson 47 Thoughts of the Newest Deacon, Steve Barrett 48 Make the Ideal Real, Elaine Cannon 49 Do We Need the "Shock" Troops? From Newsweek 50 The Present Is Here, Thomas Lee Monson 52 You Cannot Run Away From Law, Owen Jacobs Fiction, Poetry 32 Dickie Bird, I'm Sorry, Mickey A. Goodwin 25, 71, 72 Poetry Joseph Fielding Smith, Richard L. Evans. Editors; Doyle L. Green, Managing Editor; Jay M, Todd, Assistant Managing Editor; Eleanor Knowles, Copy Editor; Mabel Jones Gabbott, Manuscript Editor; Albert L. Zobell, Jr., Research Editor; William T, Sykes, Editorial Associate; G. Homer Durham, Hugh Nibley, Albert L. Payne, Truman G. Madsen, Elliott Landau, Leonard Arrington, Contributing Editors; Marion D. Hanks, Era of Youth Editor; Elaine Cannon, Era of Youth Associate Editor; Ralph Reynolds, Art Director; Norman Price, Staff Artist. W. Jay Eldredge, General Manager; Florence S. Jacobsen, Associate General Manager; Verl F. Scott, Business Manager; A. Glen Snarr, Circulation Manager; S. Glenn Smith, Advertising Representative, ©General Superintendent, Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1970; published by the Mutual Improvement Associations. All rights reserved. Entered at the Post Office, Salt Lake City, Utah, as second class matter. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in section 1103, Act of October 1917, authorized July 2. 1918. Subscription price $3.00 a year, in advance; multiple subscriptions, 2 years, $5.75; 3 years, $8.25; each succeeding year, $2.50 added to the three-year price; 35c single copy except special issues. Thirty days' notice required for change of address. When ordering a change, please include your address label from a recent issue of the magazine; address changes cannot be made unless the old address, as well as the new one, is included. The improvement Era welcomes contributions but is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts. Manuscripts must be accom- panied by sufficient postage for delivery and return. Payment is made upon acceptance. Advertising: The Era is pleased to carry advertisements of interest to readers, but doing so does not imply Church endorsement of the advertiser or his product. Official organ of the Priesthood Quorums, Mutual Improvement Associations, Home Teaching Committee, Music Committee, Church School System, and other agencies of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Improvement Era, 79 South State, Salt Lake City, Utah 84111 The Editor's Rige 99 "ForThusShall MyChurch Be Called By President Joseph Fielding Smith • April 6 marks the 140th anniversary of the organiza- The officers of the Church will gather for sessions tion of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of general conference beginning Saturday, April 4, in this the dispensation of the fulness of times. and continuing through Monday, April 6. We desire People often ask why the members of the Church to have you share in the knowledge of the proceedings are called saints. The Latter-day Saints should be all of those days, through attendance at the Tabernacle that their name implies. They should live free from in person, through hstening to or viewing the proceed- sin; their lives should be in strict harmony with the ings by radio and television, or through reading the principles of the gospel. They should live "by every reports of the conference published in the Era and word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." elsewhere. We invite your faith and prayers in behalf (Matt. 4:4; Deut. 8:3.) Thus they are commanded. of the general conference. However, in accepting the title of saints they are One hundred and forty years! As you know, I have not arrogant, pretentious, or self-righteous. They did been involved for many years in keeping the history not choose the name; it was given them by divine of the Church. It is a thrill to reread the records con- commandment. It is the Lord who said: "For thus cerning the humble beginnings of this church. The shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was or- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." That ganized at Fayette, Seneca County, New York, at the the members might be properly impressed with the home of Peter Whitmer, Sr., on April 6, 1830, with significance of this title, there follows this admonition: six members: Joseph Smith, Jr., Oliver Cowdery, "Verily I say unto you all: Arise and shine forth, that Hyrum Smith, Peter Whitmer, Jr., Samuel H. Smith, thy light may be a standard for the nations." (D&C and. David Whitmer. These six members, who had 115:4-5.) previously been baptized, were baptized again on the In accepting this title. Latter-day Saints are con- day of the organization. forming to the custom that prevailed among the people "Having opened the meeting by solemn prayer to of God in past ages of the earth. The members of our Heavenly Father," wrote the Prophet Joseph the Church in the days of Peter and Paul were called Smith, "we proceeded, according to previous command- saints. "And it came to pass, as Peter passed through- ment, to call on our brethren to know whether they out all quarters, he came down also to the saints accepted us as their teachers in all the things of the which dwelt at Lydda." (Acts 9:32.) Paul wrote: Kingdom of God, and whether they were satisfied "To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be that we should proceed and be organized as a Church saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, according to said commandment which we had re- and the Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom. 1:7.) It is clear, ceived. To these several propositions they consented then, that the members of the Church today are con- by a unanimous vote. I then laid my hands upon forming to the custom of former times, for they are Oliver Cowdery, and ordained him an Elder of the called in these last days by commandment "to be 'Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints'; after saints," members of the Church of Jesus Christ. which he ordained me also to the office of an Elder ) of the said Church. We then took bread, blessed it, Then the Church moved to Kirtland, Ohio, where and brake it with them; also wine, blessed it, and conference was convened in June 1831. There the drank it with them.
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