people and the country, and, no doubt, the reader will agree with me that the work of laying a foundation in this mission has progressed; that God has abundantly blessed his weak servants; that much has been accomplished-in short, that the Japan mission is a success, in that it is doing much for the spread of truth.

But, is not the mission a premature movement? The inspirations and revelations from God are never premature. Therefore, this mission, having been opened in obedience to a revelation to President Lorenzo Snow, cannot be premature. Some who count, perhaps, on converts only, have said, "The Japanese are evidently not ready for the missionary's testimony. The harvest is not ripe." I answer, "Neither are the missionaries prepared to bear this testimony until they have learned the language, nor reap the harvest until they have obtained a sickle." From what I have written above, the reader will see that the work, so far, has been one of preparation-we are beating the harvest implements into shape; contemporary with this work, the thoughts and aspirations of the Japanese mind and heart are undergoing great changes. Preparing the sickle is just as important as reaping the harvest, and it is being done at a time most opportune. Should we complete this preparation for the harvest before the harvest is ready for us, there is still plenty of work to do, and no time to sit by and say, "premature.". We can put our hands to the plow and plow the field, we can, we must, assist in sowing the seed and raising the crop, if we expect the joy of reaping. The wonderful outpourings of the Holy Spirit on very many important occasions in the history of this mission, especially at the time the land was dedicated for the proclamation of the gospel, prove beyond all doubt, that God ordered the Japan mission, and is sustaining it for the final accomplishment of his righteous will.

In conclusion, let me assure all young men who are expecting at some time a call to go into the vineyard of the Lord, that they need have no dread of an experience in Japan. God is here. Upon every elder who comes forth in faith and works with diligence and humility, the blessings of heaven are poured out in such abundance that the Japanese language becomes a delightful study; and his mission, be it long or short, is a great privilege, a grand opportunity.

Tokyo, Japan, September 5, 1906.

HONOR THY PARENTS.

BY PRESIDENT J. A. MCRAE, OF THE COLORADO MISSION.

Some months ago, while conversing with a gentleman of more than ordinary intelligence, he stated that children owed no debt to parents, "for," said he, "parents are alone responsible for the children being born; and how can they, the children, owe a debt they have never contracted, nor had anything to do in contracting? They are creatures of circumstances, and those who brought these circumstances upon them are alone responsible; if allegiance and honor be due, it must be from parent to child." At the time the remark was made, I gave no particular heed to it, knowing the speaker to be a confirmed bachelor; but, since he is a man who has influence enough in the community to mould the thoughts of his associates, I have later had some serious reflections on the subject. I have since also heard the remark from others, and, too, from children of Latter-day Saint families, and I have wondered if being in the world, and surrounded by worldly influences more than formerly, had made us partakers of the thoughts of worldly men and women.

Is it true that our young men and women have so far lost sight of filial piety as to give place to thoughts inimical to all good forms of government? Such thoughts are anarchistic, pure and simple. Why was it that God wrote with his own finger upon tablets of stone, and thundered from Mount Sinai, "Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee"? Because we are responsible to those who gave us birth, and they are not merely "paying the debt" they owe us by providing food and raiment, shelter and protection, by

sleepless nights and the worry by day from the cradle to the grave, but are placing us more and more under obligations to our parents. Never does the boy or girl get too old to be the constant care and concern of the parents. Then, too, should this statement be true, that children are not responsible to earthly parents, the only logical conclusion to reach is that we are not responsible to God. For we are as truly his children as we are the children of our earthly parents. Certainly no one will say that we owe no allegiance to God, for to him we are indebted for all that we are.

So long as the children of Israel gave heed to that fifth great commandment, they were prospered in the land, but as soon as they transgressed, they began to fall. In the Nephite history, the sons who listened to the counsel of their father were blessed of the Lord. Paul saw these conditions, for he says, "This know, also, that in the last days, perilous times shall come; for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof; from such turn away." Here Paul classes those who are disobedient to parents with all manner of sinners, and places such disobedient before traitors, who are the most despised people on earth. He truly saw our day, and spoke of these conditions, portraying them with a prophetic pen as well as or better than we can do today, even though we are living in the time of the happening of these events. During the days of the ministry of the Savior, he enumerated all the commandments save one, and in speaking of this fifth one, he says, "For God commanded saying, Honor thy father and mother: and he that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, whosoever saith to his father or his mother, it is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites! Well did Esaias prophecy of you saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth and honoreth me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, but in vain they do worship

me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Thus, according to Christ our Lord, the people of his day were in the condition of giving a lip service, and honoring men more than honoring God.

It seems that the pages of history are filled with so many beautiful testimonials that even a fool need not err therein. The teachings of the great men of all ages have been to the end that honor should be due to parents, and great men turn to their parents to learn why they, the children, have been successful. There, and nowhere else, can the answer be found.

In speaking on this subject, I have so far said nothing about the beautiful principle revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith, "Behold I will reveal unto you the Priesthood by the hand of Elijah the Prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord; and he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children. shall turn to their fathers; if it were not so the earth would be utterly wasted at his coming." The promises made to the fathers can only be realized by the obedience of the children. Then the continuation of this subject leads us on and on to the eternal worlds where the parents and children shall again be united, and each will stand in his own sphere, after "each shall have taken. his place in the silent halls of death."

Why should I honor my parents, why should their counsels be heeded? Because God has commanded it; and has blessed me, and has promised to give me this land to live long upon, that it might be well with me; because in the kingdom of my Father I shall have the privilege of again seeing the family ties connected, and each shall occupy his station, none higher because of his pretended wisdom here, but exalted because of his great humility and piety towards earthly and heavenly parents. Paraphrasing the words of the Savior, "How can you love your Father in heaven whom you have not seen, and hate your earthly parents whom you have seen?"

It may be that some of our young men and women slight their parents because it is popular, and because they are afraid to come out and face the opposition. I trust not; and if so, let us tear ourselves loose from such thraldom, and remember that the man