EPISTLE OF THE GENERAL SUPERINTENDENCY.

To the Officers and Members of the
Young Men's Mutual Improvement
Associations throughout Zion.

DEAR BRETHREN: Once more, through
the blessings of the Lord, we are per-
mitted to address you in writing; and, in
doing so, we rejoice greatly in the bles-
sings of life and liberty with which you
are so abundantly surrounded on this
auspicious occasion. An appropriate
time has been chosen on which to hold
your first General Annual Conference,
for it is eminently befitting that the
young men of Israel should thus honor
the illustrious statesmen, colonizer and
Prophet Brigham Young, by holding
their conference meetings on a day so
near the anniversary of his birth. He
was inspired to organize the Mutual Im-
provement Associations throughout Zion.
With delight you can revere his memory;
for distrust of the young men of Israel
never marred his great mind. In them
he had unbounded confidence, and for
them unlimited love. The Almighty
endowed him with the faculty of reading
men more accurately and more thorough-
ly than most people read books. The
study of human hearts and the analyses
of human minds enabled him to distin-
guish between the good and the bad. By
the inspiration of the Holy Spirit frauds
stood rebuked, while sincere rejoiced
in his presence, and were comforted by
his love. Noting the yearly harvest
of death, and comprehending as few
men comprehend the magnitude of the
great work in which we are engaged, he
fully sensed the responsibility that must
ultimately rest upon you in bearing to a
victorious consummation the Church and
Kingdom of God.

The manner in which you have respond-
ed to his confidence and esteem has
produced the bloom preceding the
growth and ripening of glorious fruit.
Following in his counsels you will not
disappoint his anticipations, for you are
building upon a foundation resting upon
eternal principles. Continue faithful to
the covenants made with the Lord and
each other; give your hearts to God, and
listening ears to the counsels of His Holy
Priesthood, and when the storms beat
upon you and the house you are building
neither shall fall.

As your friends and brethren, we must
earnestly beseech you to avoid the snares
of worldly ambition. Enter not the gates
of pride, within which selfishness weaves
nets to bind the soul. Write upon them
the words inscribed over Dante's Inferno
—"Abandon hope all who enter here."
Thirst for the honors and praises of men
and undue love for the things of this
world are dangerous reefs, upon which
many have wrecked their hopes of eter-
nal life. Pride, wearing the garb of hu-
mility, often prays devoutly, preaches
eloquently; but dwellers in heaven are
as little children, of whom the youth of
Zion should be as an advanced class—
beautiful type of saintly humility and
unsuspicious innocence.

Haughty pride, insolent assumption
and over-reaching ambition come of him
who wrought rebellion in heaven, sowed
strife on earth, and trailed the serpent
through human hearts. Mocking infidel-
ity, atheistic boasts and sneering skep-
ticism are products of a power that reigns
in hell, because it would not serve in
heaven. Light and life, peace and puri-
ty, humility and homage, goodness and
grace, come of God. Misery and
mourning, pride and presumption, dark-
ness and death, come of Satan. Between
them, young men of Zion, you have
chosen well. Henceforth serve him who
made you, and heaven's light shall guide

EPISTLE OF THE GENERAL SUPERINTENDENCY.

To the Officers and Members of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations throughout Zion.

DEAR BRETHREN: Once more, through the blessings of the Lord, we are permitted to address you in writing; and, in doing so, we rejoice greatly in the blessings of life and liberty with which you are so abundantly surrounded on this auspicious occasion. An appropriate time has been chosen on which to hold your first General Annual Conference, for it is eminently befitting that the young men of Israel should thus honor the illustrious statesmen, colonizer and Prophet Brigham Young, by holding their conference meetings on a day so near the anniversary of his birth. He was inspired to organize the Mutual Improvement Associations throughout Zion. With delight you can revere his memory; for distrust of the young men of Israel never marred his great mind. In them he had unbounded confidence, and for them unlimited love. The Almighty endowed him with the faculty of reading men more accurately and more thoroughly than most people read books. The study of human hearts and the analyses of human minds enabled him to distinguish between the good and the bad. By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit frauds stood rebuked, while sincere rejoiced in his presence, and were comforted by his love. Noting the yearly harvest of death, and comprehending as few men comprehend the magnitude of the great work in which we are engaged, he fully sensed the responsibility that must ultimately rest upon you in bearing to a victorious consummation the Church and Kingdom of God.

The manner in which you have responded to his confidence and esteem has produced the bloom preceding the growth and ripening of glorious fruit. Following in his counsels you will not disappoint his anticipations, for you are building upon a foundation resting upon eternal principles. Continue faithful to the covenants made with the Lord and each other; give your hearts to God, and listening ears to the counsels of His Holy Priesthood, and when the storms beat upon you and the house you are building neither shall fall.

As your friends and brethren, we must earnestly beseech you to avoid the snares of worldly ambition. Enter not the gates of pride, within which selfishness weaves nets to bind the soul. Write upon them the words inscribed over Dante's Inferno —"Abandon hope all who enter here." Thirst for the honors and praises of men and undue love for the things of this world are dangerous reefs, upon which many have wrecked their hopes of eternal life. Pride, wearing the garb of humility, often prays devoutly, preaches eloquently; but dwellers in heaven are as little children, of whom the youth of Zion should be as an advanced class— beautiful type of saintly humility and unsuspicious innocence.

Haughty pride, insolent assumption and over-reaching ambition come of him who wrought rebellion in heaven, sowed strife on earth, and trailed the serpent through human hearts. Mocking infidelity, atheistic boasts and sneering skepticism are products of a power that reigns in hell, because it would not serve in heaven. Light and life, peace and purity, humility and homage, goodness and grace, come of God. Misery and mourning, pride and presumption, darkness and death, come of Satan. Between them, young men of Zion, you have chosen well. Henceforth serve him who made you, and heaven's light shall guide