tion. The reason therefor is that there is a tendency to depart, in some respects, from them, especially from the keynote of the whole situation, namely: The establishment in the youth of individual testimony of the truth and magnitude of the latter-day work. To some extent we have developed the gifts within the young people, and to a much greater extent have cultivated knowledge, and instructed them in many commendable and worthy things, but there is a perceptible lack of that devotional feeling in our associations which is characteristic of a worshiping assembly. Our associations are very mechanical, and are often conducted in a way that has a tendency to irreverence. Having, in our Manual, classified and outlined information for our main guide, we forget that the keynote of our associations should be the worship of the Lord. We have stirring activity, and friendly bustle, and a conversational and familiar atmosphere, which are all very good in their place, and are important in our associations, but they lack the quality of reverence which is the first essential of that public worship which inspires a testimony of the gospel. Have you gone into our associations and noticed the mechanical way in which they are opened; in which the praying is done; in which the strict and prompt machinery is put into motion, and the collegiate air that permeates the reading of the exercises? It is this to which the Board desire me especially to call attention, and it is this that we desire to warn our presidents and superintendents against. That is, against making these entirely the atmosphere of our associations; with it, there should be that devotional spirit which should penetrate all the hearts and bend them to the inspiration of the Spirit of God, so that in all things, whether in joy or sorrow, whether in difficulty or prosperity, whether surrounded by clouds of darkness or by the sunshine of hope and peace, when the young people shall gather, they may still feel that nothing can separate them from the love of God and the faith that should permeate the soul of every true Latter-day Saint. That they might, in other words, be able to exclaim with the learned apostle: "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Everyone should gather, feeling that all which God doeth is good; and while we cannot explain, perhaps, to our own satisfaction, what he is, nor entirely what his purposes are, that we may yet have faith in him, and know that righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne, and with confidence meet every doubt that may arise; and, like the old Hebrew mind, impatient of direct principles, but with super-abundant confidence, meet every doubt by saying, my heart has felt that God rules over all, and that he whispers peace and consolation and comfort to every worshiping soul. Knowledge is good in its place. It is very important that we should understand the principles of the gospel, be able to make a logical argument upon them, and prove everything that we believe from the scriptures or from modern revelation. It is very important that we have order and system and arrangement, classification, and all these items of machinery that are used in the room of the teacher; but, above and beyond all these, we should inculcate that faith in God which argument can never inculcate, nor logic establish; and our associations should partake so of the spirit of devotion that every boy who attends there might be able to exclaim in the midst of all seeming conflict of doctrine: There is a God who rules over all events, and who will bring the best out of the worst, who whispers to every soul, bruised and smitten to the earth with sorrow and grief, it is better further on. It is better that they should have such a faith than that they should have all knowledge without that faith, for it will help them to bear all things, and to establish them firmly in the faith of the living God, in which, with all our knowing, at last we must anchor. It is impossible to establish faith entirely by argument or logic; the Spirit of the living God must give the testimony, and it is that Spirit which we should cultivate to a greater extent in our associations; that feeling of worship and devotion that arises from a contrite spirit and an humble heart. It is important, perhaps, to be able to answer all the questions that arise in the mind of the unbeliever and the skeptic, but it is essential to have faith in God. It is important, perhaps, to answer all the arguments that are brought up against divine revelation, and against the organization of our Church, and the divine calling of the Prophet Joseph Smith, but it is essential that the spirit of testimony shall satisfy the heart of every individual that these things are true, without which no man ever will be quite satisfied, for these are things that no argument can thoroughly establish, but the peace and inspiration of the Lord can establish the truth in the heart of every person who devoutly comes to God, nothing doubting. "Well, what do you suggest that we do?" you say. I have no instructions on this point from the Board, and must therefore leave it with each president to devise means that shall inspire his association with devotion and worship. I would suggest that the officer go to God for wisdom and inspiration in his task; that reverence for the place, and for the name of the Lord, and for the priesthood, be required; that order be more strictly enforced; that testimonies be heard; that light devotional exercises be introduced, like standing and repeating in concert a short verse from the Bible: "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, for my yoke is easy and my burden light." "He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me." (John xiv: 21.) "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the strong man glory in his might. Let not the rich man glory in his riches, but let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth God who doth exercise loving kindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth" (Jeremiah ix: 23, 24); that tuneful gospel hymns be sung; that, in prayer, the head be bowed and the eyes closed; that silent devotion, in which it be required that the mind in all silence shall dwell upon the Savior and his love for us, be for a moment engaged in by the class; that the class teacher leave no opportunity unimproved to impress the love of God upon the minds of his pupils, their absolute dependence upon him, the beauty of his laws and his handiwork, as well in the storm, the earthquake, the black cloud, the lightning, the sunshine and the season, as in the law that rounds the dewdrop and shapes the lines of leaf and flower and fruit, and gives to man his reason. I would also suggest that greater interest in each other be taken, that a closer social relation exist between the president and the officers and members; that there be fewer formal pro grams, and more occasions where the Spirit of God may be given free scope, rather than the fixed, mechanical, unchangeable program formed in the same mold all season long; more inspiration and spirit; and, without demolishing system, less mathematical, stereotyped precision and sameness in your method of conducting the general exercises. And then when you fail to awaken the true devotional feeling with all this, that you again turn to the Lord and ask him earnestly to inspire you to teach the youth true reverence, love and devotion for God and his cause, and he will open new ways, and give you wisdom for your task; for, under these conditions, "he giveth unto all men liberally and upbraideth not." TRUTH. FOR THE IMPROVEMENT ERA. Truth, like its author, God, is ever bright; -George W. Crocheron. ARE THE JAREDITES AN EXTINCT PEOPLE? BY A. W. IVINS, PRESIDENT OF THE JUAREZ STAKE OF ZION, MEXICO The antiquities, mythology and traditions of the American Indians, have always been interesting studies to the writer; and, in his investigations, many corroborative evidences of the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon have been encountered. It is a well-established fact that the Indians of Mexico, at the time of the conquest, had a written language, and that many manuscripts were found among them which were preserved with the most jealous care, and which, if still in existence, might throw great light on the history of the Aztecs, which is now shrouded in darkness. Unfortunately, in their zeal to obliterate the Mexican civilization, which was in some respects in advance of their own, and to bury in oblivion every memory of the past, Cortez and his followers gathered all of the Aztec writings, and, piling them in the public square in the City of Mexico, burned them. A decree was promulgated making it a capital offense to retain in one's possession any written manuscript of Aztec origin; and thus, almost the entire written history of the people was destroyed. In isolated places, however, manuscripts were preserved, some of which may now be seen in the National Museum, at Mexico. Prof. August Le Plongeon, whose researches have probably been more elaborate and thorough than those made by any other man, tells us that the Mayas of Yucatan had a written language; and what is of greatest interest to us, he says, "The ancient Maya hieratic alphabet discovered by me is as near alike to the ancient hieratic alphabet of the Egyptians as two alphabets can possibly be." (See Sacred Mysteries among the Mayas and Quiches, |