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Show RELIGIOUS TRAINING TRAIN-ING B. Y. C. (By Trof. N. L. Nelson) Hocontly I bad tho satisfaction of meeting, In a rather intimate way, Aome (our or five hundred of Cache Vallos young men and women. I Bay In a intimate manner, for a reception re-ception of students and teachers at tho beginning of a promising school year Is always an occasion for that frank, open, hearty good will which rarely fallB to glvo tho observer an insight to what Is characteristic in all who take part. In this time honored hon-ored means of gettng together, there is tho significant warmth of the handshake, tho vlbrarit tones of the voice, tho flash Of the eye, the smile and banter, and later the genoral march and the dance all so many mirrors actively reflecting tho soul striving to oxhtblt Its better self. What struck me especially was the notable variety of fine family types In this third generation since- the Pioneers. Evoryone whoso hand I grasped and Into whose eyes I looked look-ed a brief moment or two, was an individual a distinct personality, Just as one should expect from tho strong traits of their grand parents. Occasionally at such functions one meets with heaviness, stolidity, or surplus nnimalltyt but hero tho observer ob-server 'Was Impressed rather with that fluidity 'of movement and ges-turo ges-turo which betokens tho bright, quick mind and-promising 'spiritual endowment. It was. In many ways a unique experience to' me. Surol; Northern Utah may be proud of Jier boys and girls. Noxt came the thought "How are these young people to be handled, so os to realize the splendid promise prom-ise shining from their, eager faces? Tho yoar belongs to them the school and all the power for good that It can muster. Shall we succeed suc-ceed in winning over the majority whole heart and soul to the Kingdom King-dom of God? Or shall wo have to pay heavy tolls to tho social pull, tho movlo pull, and the always present pres-ent pull toward ease and self-indulgence? "Man is that ho may have Joy," says our Father in Heaven. "Man Is, that he may have pleasure," says 1 the Qod of this world. Which shall bo supreme In the lives of these young people during this school year Joy or pleasure? Joy is tho invariable accompaniment accompani-ment of growth and achievement, the exultant surprise of climbing to new vistas, tho glow and warmth of truth-dlscovory, the sensation of enlarged en-larged power when solf conquora self; but especially does joy flood the being when the student "finds" himself a greater discovery than that of Columbus, for it Is ono which happens only when he 'jas found his Father In Heaven, "ThU I Is llfo etornal, to know thee, tnu only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." Pleasure, on the other hand, especially es-pecially when followed as an end In life, is superficial and transitory. As Burns tells us, "Pleasures nro llko popples spread; you setzo the flower tho bloom Is shed." For pleasure is the mere garnishing of this adobo hotel, tho gratifying of app'otltes and carnal desires, the reckless spending of vital powers Including In-cluding money, tho fruit of toll, and tlmo tho gift of God. In Bhort, as a pursuit or serious purpose pleasure pleas-ure yields only diminishing returns which end at last In satiety and disgust. dis-gust. Its brief exhillratlons are, moreovor, purchased at the expense of unraveling or tearing down what better das have knitted together or built up. A monuraont to Its un-tcr un-tcr emptiness might be made from the llfo of tho cowboy or sheep-herder sheep-herder who hoards his $40.00 a month for a whole year In order to have a two weeks bust In the City. Thus wo havo with us today the problem ever present during the mortal probation of etornal spirits. Paul was not tho first teacher of religion, re-ligion, nor tho Inst, to feel anxiety as to tho outcome "Llttlo children" he wroto nffectlonatoly to the Gnla-tians, Gnla-tians, "my spirit travalloth as in birth, till Christ be formed with you.' So also tho teachors n tho B. Y. College. They are keenly anxious that Joy and not more pleasure shall bo tho prevailing motlvo among tho students; and llko Paul they also feci that their doep personal responsibility respon-sibility will bo effectually lifted, only when tho testimony of the, Gospel Gos-pel Is formed within tho hearts of these young people. Thereafter tho Lord 'himself will guide thorn aright,-f aright,-f Ab to other 'Factors of religloU3 I training In tho B, Y. College, they 'are especially auspicious this year. Tho number of teachers Is fully adequate ade-quate to tho needs of the school., They are, moreover, truo Latter Day Saints, men and women to whom Gospol training appeals as the paramount issue in education. Another promising factor is a new I set of theological guides gotten out at tho recent chdrch teachers' summer sum-mer school In Provo, and representing represen-ting tho ripest experience of actual class work In all the church schools and seminaries. These outlines are planned on tho loglal rather than the chronlloglcal order, and every lesson Is supported by material drawn, not only from all the standard stan-dard church works, but also from history, biography, science, and what ever other source affords citation for fact illustration. To say that they are admirable, both for accuracy and for falth-promotlon, Is giving them but mild praise. That our schools aro now functioning func-tioning along linos revoaled so clearly clear-ly to their first great teacher, Dr. Karl G. Maeser, will bo evident from the aims sot forth in ono of these guides, viz: 1. To establish an unshakable testimony of the truthfulness of this Latter Day work. 2. To creato an unquonchablo thirst for more knowledge concerning concern-ing it, 3. To develop a loyalty and devotion devo-tion toward It that can never be questioned. 4. To fix habits of work and conduct, con-duct, and attitudes of mind, that shall always hisuro the carapanlon-ship carapanlon-ship of .the spjrlt of God. That Latter Day Saints may bo counted" upon to stand solidly behind be-hind 4hls great, roljglous training mov.ement," they need only be reminded remin-ded of what. each ono already knows; viz, that our supremo mission In life Is to bring bqck to ,tho (Father tho heavenly spirits entrusted to our caro. To this end everything else in life must bend. Should we forget thltf supreme duty, elthor by reason of neglect, or through centering our ambitions on wealth, human distinction, dis-tinction, or other mundane object, tho reckoning, when these worldly attainments shall bo placed In tho balance against children gone astray, as-tray, can never be a pleasant prospect pros-pect in life, and must forever remain re-main a painful retrospect In eternity. eter-nity. I |