Show Editorial THE HEIGHT OF DISCOURTESY By ROSCOE C. C COX Several years ago Maude May Babcock of the University of Utah was giving a reading Lincoln The Man of the Ages or some such title in the former Snow College auditorium in the Noyes Building She had not gone far in her performance when she stopped abruptly Someone in the back of the the- hall was whisper whisper- ing Her face flushed and in the dignified manner manner manner man man- ner which she alone possessed she said calmly calmly calmly calm calm- ly I consider it the height of discourtesy when anyone interrupts a presentation of this nature by talking Needless to say hers her's was the only voice heard from then until her final words Now he belongs to the ages Lieutenant Glen Jensen of Manti ManU was once giving a lecture to a group of soldiers seated on the parade ground at Camp Kearney California California Cali Call fornia when one of the fellows began flipping rocks and and- otherwise causing a disturbance Lt Jensen stopped talking but the man did not stop his antics Then the officer started out calmly at first but ever increasing his intensity intensity intensity sity in giving that enlisted man a checking out of the highest degree finally ending with I consider it a mark of pure ignorance and of outright discourtesy for anyone to interrupt a person giving a lecture In this area we have many who seem to delight in interrupting a teacher in Sunday School priesthood and in other public or club gatherings with qu questions or statements irrelevant irrelevant irrelevant ir ir- ir- ir relevant to the subject matter and thus get the teacher or lecturer confused start a class or group argument that leads only to confusion and the teacher is unable to complete a carefully carefully care care- fully outlined lesson And there are some who get an idea they insist on passing on to a neighbor often in a avery avery very audible whisper which likewise annoys and confuses the teacher as well as those who are trying to listen to the lesson being given Others feel they must comment on every statement made and do so to those sitting around them them- so the other points of the lesson are lost to the commentator and his or her neighbors Yes and there are even some who are discourteous enough to whisper or talk right out loud during a musical rendition throwing everything out of harmony We would highly recommend to everyone to read and read re-read Home Evening Lesson 4 page 46 of the 1967 Family Home Evening Manual put out by the Church of Jesus Christ Christof of Latter-day Latter Saints If the right people would read this lesson Are You Listening and would take it to heart teachers lecturers musicians musicians musicians mu mu- and others would find a much better atmosphere in which to deliver their messages Sometimes it seems that we need a Maude May Babcock or r ra a a Glen Jensen in some of our church and other meetings to impress on others others oth oth- ers that talking or otherwise disturbing when someone is speaking teaching singing etc is indeed the height of discourtesy It would go a long way in bringing to our chapels the reverence that should be shown |