Comment

First Presidency Message

The recent First Presidency Message by President Spencer W. Kimball represents a calibre of leadership rather rare among men in this or any age because it takes a no-nonsense attitude toward the weaknesses of the flesh. (Ensign, January 1975.) As his historical reference suggests, it probably has never been easy for man in any age to maintain the type of home the Lord expects his servants to maintain. Nevertheless, the choice is clear that civilizations either do things the Lord’s way or else they fall prey to their own disobedience and wayward ways.

It is common for persons in leadership positions to say and do those things that endear themselves to the vanity and pride of the human heart. Therefore, bold leadership such as that exhibited by President Kimball suggests greater love for the welfare of those who follow than for the passing praise gained through a more popular and passive treatment, trying to please egos in or out of the Church. Such an approach also indicates close kinship with the mind and will of the Lord, because greater emphasis and importance is placed upon pleasing the powers of heaven than upon pleasing immediate forces on earth.

Merrill H. Glenn, Jr.
Brigham City, Utah

“Thou Shalt Bear Their Infirmities”

I am writing this out of concern for all chronically ill brothers and sisters in the Church, and in response to the article “Thou Shalt Bear Their Infirmities” (January 1975).

I am a chronically ill sister 26 years of age. I have been ill for the past six years with kidney failure and have had to be on an artificial machine since June 31, 1971. During all this time I’ve never felt that the Lord has or ever will abandon me or anyone else who has to rely on him for strength to raise her head up from the pillow each morning. I could state many ways in which our Heavenly Father has provided me with courage and strength to continue.

Sometimes those who are not chronically ill do not have a true idea of what a chronically ill person does think or what they would enjoy doing. Most people, myself included, really enjoy visits from those who are better off than they are. I broke my hip in March of 1974. Now I must use crutches to walk with and a wheelchair for more distant travel. I haven’t been to a sacrament service meeting for six months. But I truly enjoy having a long conversation with others. I also enjoy hearing all the news from the ward, whether it’s about a brother’s family vacation or a new baby. I have many nonmember friends in whose presence I find much warmth; good talks with them are most rewarding. As for 20–30 minutes to a visit, this depends on whether an individual is up to it or not. If the person is seriously ill, yes, limit the visit. But if a person isn’t very ill or in the hospital or a nursing home, a longer visit would bring much comfort to those who can’t get out. I’ve had to go into the hospital many times, some stays lasting three weeks. Many times the days would come and go without even a roommate to keep the air moving with chatter. Those were very lonely times. If the days were that bad for me, think of those persons worse off than me. Think of how much they would enjoy a bright, cheerful face tomorrow. How about a phone call today!

Rebecca Alice Presley
Selma, Indiana

Supervision the Hard Way

As I was recently paging through the October Ensign I happened to stop at the article entitled “Supervision in Teaching: A Case in Point.” But what had actually caught my eye was a subtitle, “I Learned Supervision the Hard Way.” After reading the whole article I had cause to reflect upon the fine quality of this issue, which, I am sure, is true of all the Ensign issues.

I wholeheartedly believe that the principles of the article can be applied very effectively in any field of supervision. The Ensign is truly an impressive magazine. It is a magazine which upholds a code of ethics above and beyond the common-day ethics of today’s journalists.

William A. Carns
Crown Point, Indiana

Peanut Butter

I enjoy the Ensign and the section entitled “Random Sampler” very much, but felt that one “sampler” in the January 1975 issue may have been a little misleading. I am referring to the question asking if peanut butter is two-thirds lard.

The, respondent answered “no,” and then proceeded to say that it could be up to 3 percent fat other than peanut oil, and that the peanut oil in the peanut butter is “usually” removed and then “hydrogenated,” or saturated.

I feel confident that the query was referring to saturated fats, in general, being added to peanut butter—not just animal fats. Vegetable shortenings are primarily saturated and hydrogenated vegetable oils which, when saturated, solidify. What the respondent is saying, then, is that no animal fats are added to peanut butter but, to make the product more aesthetically pleasing, up to 50 percent or one-half may be essentially vegetable shortening. He goes on to list additives such as artificial sweeteners, colorings, flavorings, antioxidants, and preservatives which, in my opinion, no one would claim to have food value and which some claim to be harmful in varying degrees. My point in writing is to hopefully correct a misleading report and to give an alternative to peanut butter lovers like myself.

There are available on the market “old fashioned” brands of peanut butter which lack all or most of the saturated fats (peanut oil is essentially unsaturated), artificial colors, sweeteners and preservatives. They have all the nutritional assets of which the respondent spoke, excepting perhaps some of the added synthetic vitamins. Their only drawback is that the oil sometimes separates and must be stirred into the residue. All of these butters should probably be refrigerated to prevent spoilage. These two facts seem insignificant, however, if one is more concerned about nutritional quality than aesthetics in peanut butter. My own opinion is that these products have a better flavor than their highly processed counterparts and are nutritionally far superior.

Donald J. Fawson
Leeds, Utah

Proper Terminology

An error that has crept in the closing words of the talks or testimonies of some of our members has bothered me for many years. Since it happened twice in our ward yesterday, I wanted to speak up. It is simply this: in closing one’s testimony or talk addressed to the congregation, the youth and adults alike are prone to say, “In the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.”

It is certainly not in the name of the Son of the audience that the talk is terminated. This ending is fine for the closing of a prayer addressed to our Heavenly Father, but for a talk, it should be: “In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.”

Glannin A. Cloward
Clearfield, Utah

For a matter of years I have been perturbed over the incorrect pronunciation of the word quorum! Many persons incorrectly pronounce the word as korum, which is 100 percent wrong!

Look in the dictionary and note that any qu word is pronounced as kw as in quilt, quick, quality, question, quarterly, quantity, quarter, quarrel, queer, quiz, etc. Where qu appears in the body of a word, it is also pronounced as kw, as in acquitted, turquoise, acquainted, etc.

There are a number of other words consistently mispronounced that are commonly used in our Church services. Such words as Melchizedek, patriarchal, Ensign, and baptism are a few. Instead we too often hear “patriotical, Ensn, babtism, and Melkesdick.”

May we start a movement for improvement!

Mrs. Bessie Hepburn
North Hollywood, California

Conference Faces

When I received the November Ensign—the conference issue—I sat down and immediately began to pore through the pictures, being thousands of miles from where those pictures were taken, and I saw page after page of people and faces: smiling, happy faces, faces eager and sincere, honest faces, concerned faces, faces with eyes that smiled, people with hands that helped, and people that loved; people that strive for righteousness, integrity, beauty, and charity; people with faith and love for freedom. Chills went through me in waves as I realized what my people—the Mormons—are in this world where Satan rages in the hearts of men; they are a light which shineth in darkness, a light which cannot be hid. It is such a strength to a missionary in a country far away to see those beautiful Latter-day Saints and the handiwork of years of Mormonism: strong and sturdy sculptured temples, stone monuments erected to our beliefs, halls of worship, hallowed grounds, ancient architecture side by side with modern mammoth towers—a tribute to over 100 years of hard work and sacrifice, a tribute to our forefathers, our parents, our prophet, and our God. Aside from the pictures I don’t need to describe the joy I felt as I read the words of the prophet and the apostles. The entire issue is a masterpiece in Mormonism.

Adrienne Foster
Uruguay Montevideo Mission

The “Sin of the World”

The art and especially the contents of the December issue are a joy to see. The index is a long-needed addition for the use of Sunday School teachers, if they will but use it. The Ensign should be in every home; but more important, it should be read and pondered by every member of the Church.

The beautiful picture on the inside front cover was greatly reduced in value by the misquote of the scriptures (see John 1:29). There must be a significant difference in the “SIN” of the world and the phrase “sins of the world” or the King James version, the Inspired Version, and the American Translation of the Bible would not have used the singular form “sin of the world.”

Cecil E. Tucker
Ogden, Utah

Correct. The verse should have read “sin of the world.”