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Show WOMAN'S EXPONENT Woman's Exponent EMMEUNE B. WELLS, Editor and Publisher. in Salt Lake City, Utah. Published Terms: one copy one year, $1.00; one copy six months, 50 cts. No reduction made for clubs. City papers delivered by mail, extra for postage one year, as cts. Advertising rates: Each square, ten lines of nonpanel disspace one time 2.5o; per month, $3.00. A liberal count to regular advertisers. Exponent office Room 507 Templeton, South Temple Street: Business hours from 10 a. m. to 5 p. m., every day, except Sunday. Address all business communications tc Mrs. E. B. WELLS, semi-monthl- y, Salt Lake City. Utah Entered at the Post second-clas- s Office in Salt Lake CUy, L tah, as matter. Salt Lake City, Utah, November i GOVERNOR PROCLAIMS 15, 1902 THANKSGIVING. Iu accordance with the usual custom, Governor Wells today issued his Thanksgiving proclamation, designating Thurs day, Nov. 27, as Thanksgiving day. The proclamation follows in full: PROCLAMATION. Conforming to the revered custom initi ated by the pilgrim fathers, in full accord with the desires of our happy and prosper ous people, and in harmony with the proclamation of the President, I. Heber M. Wells, Governor of the State of Utah. do hereby designate Thursday, the 27th day of November instant, as a day of praise and thanksgiving to God for the countless blessings and benefits showered upon the people of this State. At no time in our history have the material, educational and social comforts of life been so abundantly and universally be stowed as during the year now drawing to its close; nor has the promise and potency of the future seemed so fraught with every earthly blessing. I therefore recommend that the people of this State in their places of worship and at their homes, observe with reverent joy, and with uplitted hearts and with the wide ex tended hands of good fellowship thisThanks giving day. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the great seal of the State of Utah to be hereunto affixed. Done at Salt Lake City this 13th day of November, 1902. Seal Heber M. Wells. the Governor, By J. T. Hammond, Secretary of State. HOW TO CULTIVATE FAITH. The abundant evidence of the truth of work and dispensation seems the Latter-da- y to those who are living in the light of testi mony to preclude all disbelief even in the young and inexperienced, and yet one finds here and there a doubting Thomas, and one marvels that such things can be among the children of the Saints and wonders what should be the remedy ? How should we as parents instil faith into the minds of the young people ? Is there a positive method for preventing unbelief springing up in the minds of the youth of Zion ? Our little children who are trained in the Primary Association to speak, to give expression in what we term testimony bearing, must, it would seem, have greater faith than those who do not have this special opportunity. In the past we may have leit too mucn to the advantages of birth; there was a very prevalent idea that the children ot faithful parents, especially those born in the new and everlasting covenant coma not go wrong; and in many instances this idea has perhaps led to neglect. There was not at all times such constant watchfulness and strenuous exercise of control, as ought to have been maintained in the care of the children of Zion. A sort c.f apathetic faith that was never put in practice, taken for To be a granted on the part of parents. Latter-daSaint one must have living faith, that will help one's daily life; a constant performance of duty will bui!d up faith in the soul and in the character bt cause then we have faith in ourselves; courage is necessary to faith and so is energy, a faith Faith in God without energy is a failure. will help us to commune with Him through His Spirit, it is an active principle. The Book of Doctrine and Covenants has excellent lessons upon this subject that if carfully studied will niturally benefit those Seme whose faith needs strengthening. exertion must come from the individual man or woman, boy or girl. The teacher may poiDt the way, may even illustrate, may by very force of personality inspire others, but there must be a corresponding activity in the student or there will be no beneficial effect. That faith is a gift is frequently urged as an excuse for not seeking to obtain it, and some people seem to have taken it for granted that, as they have not been especially endowed with faith from childhood, it is useless to try to make any great effort in that direction, and go on in their indiffer ence not realizing it is an essential part of life itself. It is a beautiful thing to have that sublime faith which reaches up to heaven and to God and extends into eternity. Every good gift should be sought after,' even it one is not specially gifted by birth or inheritance, and as faith is the first prin-- , ciple essential to salvation, it is the duty of every individual that has come to years of accountability to seek for faith, by prayer, and even by fasting: if doubts arise. Paul in his epistle to the Hebrews has given a lesson upon faith which cannot fail to impress those who read it with an honest heart. The scriptures inspire faith if one reads them with a desire to compre- nenu ineir true meaning; ana certainly the eleventh chapter of Hebrews has in everv verse a truth that is full of the very essence of faith. Paulsavs, speaking of David, Sam uel ana others ot the prophets of old, "Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, out of weakness were made strong." How many weak ones in our day have been made strong through faith? Yea, thousands! But we in this age do not need particularly to go back to the ancients for testU monies, for they are . all around us,.if we would only open our eyes to see, and our hearts to receive them. The very fact of the Latter-daSaints enduring the persecutions and privations that were heaped upon them for years, and finally leaving their homes and possessions, earned through toil and hardship, and coming into a desert land, is an evidence of implicit faith in God and the Latter-da- y work, and the divinity of the mission of Joseph Smith in this y . r y dispensation, that ought to convince every child of the Latter-daySaints, that God is with this people, that His hand has, been over them, and that their iemarkable faith in Him has been their support in passing through every trying ordeal; and certainly it is apparent that by means of toat taith they have wrought wonders in this desert land. The Bible tells us "Faith without works is dead," and believing this land could be made to bear grain and fruits, and that this people would be preserved from famine and want, the pioneers and their followers plowed and planted, implicitly the Lord would give the increase, and though they were told corn and grain could not be raised here, yet Brigham Ycung and those associated with him, had faith to believe that the people would be preserved and Zion would be established; and in fact their faith was almost perfect; for the promises made to the Saints could not fail, if they were obedient to the voice of the Good Shepherd, and to the heavenly vision. Joseph the Prophet had told them of this land in the West where the people might find a resting place, and though the location was not known, yet when Prestdent Young looked upon this barren tract, the Salt Lake valley, the spirit manifested to him that this was the chosen spot where the Lord designed his people to dwell. Notwithstanding testimonies may and do abound, yet it is necessary for each person to cultivate faith and strengthen his own faith by works, and by keeping the commandments of God. Disobedience destroys faith in the soul, but obedience and humility engender faith and promote its growth in the human heart Association, too, has much to do with the strengthening or To keep the weakening of one's faith. company and listen to the murmurings, complaints and doublings of one whose faith is weak, or who has no faith in God or his promises, has a tendency to tear down and destroy the faith of others especially in the young who are easily influenced or susceptible to influences. The. old sayin written our ing, copy books long ago, "Evil communications corrupt good manners," is true, and evil influences are calculated to darken the minds of the young and unsuspecting and lead them away from the truth, and poison their minds with the atmosphere that surrounds them, perhaps imperceptibly, but just as surely .as "would tangible evils the temporal body. Joseph Smith the Prophet said, "The time will come when evil influences will be more An A 1 .1 J J - J man uaugnuus iiuu uiuic iu uc ureaaca contagious diseases;" and yet we as a people do not heed the warning,for to all appear ance that time is fast approaching if it has not already come. We shall need mighty faith to help us to overcome, and whatever can be done by inculcating the principles that will tend to strengthen and cultivate faith should be sought for diligently by Saint. It is said example every Latter-da- y is better than precept and there are those who think that good examples will suffice without much teaching, but we have found the example of good parents is not always sufficient, and teaching sometimes fails, but try both and have faith, and courage and love and the three combined will be a power for good that cannot fail to have a good and lasting effect, if accompanied with prayer and the performance of every human duty, and trust in God, for He hath said, s be-livi- . : A. ng |