nated would be presented to the Church for reception and approval. "And, again, the duty of the President of the office of the High Priesthood is to preside over the whole Church, and to be like unto Moses. Behold, here is wisdom; yea, to be a seer, a revelator, a translator, and a prophet, having all the gifts of God which he bestows upon the Church." (Doc. & Cov. section 107: 91, 92.)

"No person is to be ordained to any office in this Church, where there is a regularly organized branch of the same, without the vote of that Church." (Ibid. section 20: 65.)

"And all things shall be done by common consent in the Church, by much prayer and faith." (Ibid. section 26: 2.)

Authority of John the Baptist.

Where did John the Baptist get his authority to baptize?

"The word of the Lord came unto John the son of Zecharias in the wilderness." (Luke 3: 2.)

"Behold, I [God] send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee," (Mark 1: 2.)

"This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee." (Luke 7: 27. Jesus speaking of John.)

"For he [John] was baptized while he was yet in his childhood, and was ordained by the angel of God at the time he was eight days old unto this power, to overthrow the kingdom of the Jews, and to make straight the way of the Lord before the face of his people, to prepare them for the coming of the Lord." (Doc. & Cov. section 84: 28.)

"John [at the time of Christ] was the only legal administrator holding the keys of power there was on earth. The keys of the kingdom, the power, the glory, had departed from the Jews; and John, the son of Zechariah, by the anointing and decree of heaven, held the keys of power at that time." (Compendium, Gems, page 277.)

New Dispensation of the Gospel:

In order to bring about a new dispensation, is it necessary for the gospel to be taken from the earth? If so, at what time between Adam and Noah was it taken away?

In order that a new dispensation may be rendered necessary, it is not essential that all the priesthood and authority of the old dispensation be taken from the earth. Each dispensation is characterized by its own peculiar powers and labors; and a new one is sometimes rendered necessary when the old one has long since accomplished its work, and new labors are called for. This may be the case, even if some of the authority and principles of the old dispensation still remain on earth. For example, the priesthood held by Adam is traced without interruption down to Noah (Doc. & Cov. section 107: 40-54); and doubtless the principles of faith, and of repentance, and the ordinances of baptism and the bestowing the Holy Ghost were preached and practised during the entire time. But a partial departure from the principles and duties of the Adamic dispensation, and the necessity of a special labor, rendered a new dispensation essential. The keys of this dispensation, and the performance of its distinctive duties, were entrusted to Noah. The Noachian dispensation included the preaching previous to the flood, and the renewal of the covenant; and the repeopling of the earth, and other essential labors after the flood.

The authority of the Melchizedek priesthood is also traced uninterruptedly from Noah to Abraham, and also from Esaias, who lived in the time of Abraham, to Moses, (Doc. & Cov. section 84: 6-17.) Yet during this period three dispensations-the Noachian, the Abrahamic and the Mosaic-were instituted; each being rendered necessary by special conditions, and the need of particular labors. Hence, it is not necessary that all the powers of one dispensation be removed from the earth before another is instituted.

Did the Prophets Hold the Melchizedek Priesthood?

Was the Melchizedek priesthood taken from the earth with Moses? If so, what priesthood did Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah and Isaiah hold; and how was this priesthood conferred upon these men?

In considering this question, the distinction between the priesthood and its keys should be carefully drawn. Priesthood is authority in general, but this generic term does not necessarily include the call to preside over a dispensation, bestowing the

priesthood on one's fellows, and organizing the work of God in its various ramifications. This calling and power is exercised by virtue of the keys of the priesthood. The keys of the Melchizedek priesthood were held and exercised by Moses, but they were taken from the earth with him, because of the unworthiness of the Israelites. (Doc. & Cov. section 84: 19-25; Psalm 81: 11, 12.) So far as we know, the keys of this high priesthood were not held in their fulness by any one between Moses and Messiah; but it does not follow that the general authority and power of the Melchizedek priesthood was not held by individuals who lived during that interval. It would seem impossible for the great works performed by Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Samuel, and others of the prophets to have been done with lesser power than that priesthood; but these men could have held this power and authority without possessing and exercising its keys in their fulness; indeed, we think that this was the case, and that these men held, by special appointment, the power and authority of the Melchizedek priesthood without exercising a fulness of its keys. The Prophet Joseph Smith says: "All the prophets held the Melchizedek priesthood, and were ordained by God himself." (See Compendium, Gems, page 287. Also "Spirit of Elijah," Compendium, pages 281-2.)

Appendages to the Melchizedek Priesthood.

Doc. & Cov. 84: 29, "Again, the offices of elder and bishop are necessary appendages belonging to the higher priesthood." Does this mean that an elder does not hold the high priesthood? If so, why not?

It does not mean that an elder does not hold the high priesthood; on the contrary, an elder holds the Melchizedek priesthood, (Doc. & Cov. section 107: 7) just as does a seventy, high priest or an apostle. (See ERA vol. 4, page 394.) The elder's authority is specifically defined in section 107: 10, 11, 12 Doc.& Cov., but the title is also a general one, applying to all who hold the high priesthood, in which latter case the regular offices, such as apostle, high priest, seventy, define the specific duties.

The office of bishop is an appendage to the high priesthood, because no one but a literal descendant of Aaron can act as a

bishop unless he is a high priest in the Melchizedek priesthood. (Doc. & Cov. section 106: 69, 71.) The office of elder is an appendage to the high priesthood in the same way that teachers and deacons are appendages to the Aaronic priesthood (Doc. & Cov. section 34: 30;) and as all other authorities or offices in the Church are appendages to the Melchizedek priesthood (Doc. & Cov. section 107: 5); or as the Aaronic priesthood as a whole is an appendage to the Melchizedek priesthood. (Doc. & Cov. section 107: 14.)

SECRETARIES OF GENERAL BOARD Y. M. M. I. A.

The IMPROVEMENT ERA begins the publication of portraits and sketches of the General Secretaries of the Y. M. M. I. A. in this number, by presenting a good likeness of Dr. Milton H. Hardy, to whom the cause of mutual improvement is greatly indebted for many good ideas, and many years of careful and conscientious labor. When the organizations were first effected, in 1875, there was no thought of a general board. The persons chosen to organize the associations worked separately, and by consent Dr. Hardy acted as their secretary. It soon became apparent, however, that a general body was necessary to most effectively accomplish the best results; and, as a step towards the organization of a General Board, Dr. Hardy, who was among the organizers of our associations, was chosen Territorial Secretary. This was done at a conference held in Salt Lake City, on April 8, 1876. When the board (or central committee then called) was finally organized, on the eighth of December, 1876, Dr. Hardy was chosen as first assistant or counselor to Superintendent or President Junius F. Wells, with Rodney C. Badger as second assistant, Mathoni W. Pratt, treasurer; and John Nicholson, secretary, with Richard W. Young and George F. Gibbs, assistant secretaries. While Dr. Hardy can not, therefore, be called the first General Secretary of the Board, he deserves place in this series as first general or territorial Secretary of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations. Dr. Hardy has continued to work vigorously in the cause,

and is at present a valued member of the General Board, though unable, owing to his business duties as Medical Superintendent of the State Insane Asylum, Provo, to take such an active part in the work as he did in the early years. The manual idea was first effectively put to practical use in our associations by the outlines made by Drs. Hardy and Brimhall, for the Contributor; the first manual, issued in 1891, was largely written, introduced and explained by Dr. Hardy, who is a man preeminently endowed with the power of organization, classification and arrangement. He has a place for everything, and everything in a place. As teacher, county superintendent of schools, churchman, organizer, physician, and a man of splendid character and good deeds, he stands out a prominent example-a modest and worthy workman.

A portrait of the first Secretary of the General Board, Elder John Nicholson, with a sketch by Orson F. Whitney, will appear in the next number of the ERA.

ANNOUNCEMENTS.

The "Era" Story.

In response to the notice offering $50 for the best story suitable for the ERA, five manuscripts have been received: "The Great Key," by Acorn; "A Week in a Box Canyon," by Henry James; "Florry," by East Lynne; "Satan's Shafts," by Ramondo; and "The Baby Elephant," by Uno Hu. The editors have selected a committee of three readers, and as soon as it shall be decided which story is the best, and most suitable for our magazine, announcement will be made, and the publication will begin. A Thrilling Narrative.

"Tiger Hunting in India," is the title of a thrilling narrative which Col. R. M. Bryce Thomas, on request, has kindly written for the boys of Utah, and which will appear in the March number of the ERA. Col. Thomas speaks from personal experience. He is a retired officer in the British army who has had over thirty years' service in the Empire, passing from military duty to administrative duty in the interior states of India, in which land he has spent the