YOUNG WOMAN'S JOURNAL Organ of the Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Associations. Vol. XXXIII SEPTEMBER, 1922 On the Use of Tobacco No. 9 Vote for no candidate who will not declare his willingness to retain the anti-cigarette law on the statutes By President Heber J. Grant The Anti-Cigarette Law Ought to be Enforced-not Repealed I rejoice that nearly all of the splendid slogans that we have had for many years past, have been carried into activity by the Mutual Im provement Associations. One of these slogans reads, "We stand for the non-use and non-sale of tobacco." I believe that every one within the sound of my voice stands for the State law against the cigarette. Therefore, I appeal to the body of our young men and young women, the great majority of whom are endowed with the franchise, (perhaps we might very wisely pledge ourselves here tonight) to vote during the coming election for no candidate for the Legislature, who will not publicly announce himself or herself in favor of allowing the anti-cigarette law to remain on the statute books. [Applause.] Many say it ought to be repealed because it is not obeyed; I say it ought to be enforced, not repealed. There is sufficient power in this audience alone, if all persons within the sound of my voice should utilize their power and ability, to prevent that law from being repealed. An address given at the M. I. A. Conference, June 10, 1922. Nothing is more detrimental to the physical and moral growth of a boy than the use of the cigarette. Every full grown man, who uses the cigarette, places an object lesson before the boy which he ought not to do. It should be the aim of all men, ard of all women, for that matter, to place proper examples before youth. No matter what his religious convictions may be, every man should have an ambition to make his life worthy of emulation and his public and private record worthy of being followed, and if followed, of benefit to youth. It is natural for young men and women to imitate and to be influenced by their daily associates. I know of many splendid young men who have entered the employ of intelligent and bright men but with moral standards not of the highest, who, because of the capacity and the ability of their employers to make money, have followed their examples in things contrary to the teachings of their parents, contrary to the revelations of the Lord. With few exceptions, young men who have so done have made complete failures of their lives some of them morally as well as financially. Danger of Aping Bad Habits I want to say that the young "Mormon" boy who apes the habits of those not of our faith is in greater danger of making a moral and financial wreck of himself, than the boy who has not been trained as our boys have been trained. The "Mormon" boy who has been taught by the precept and the example of his parents to leave alone tea, coffee, tobacco, and liquor, when he fails to do so is breaking one of the Ten Commandments-viz., "Honor thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." I have heard of men, not of our faith, in this city, who have said, "The 'Mormon' boy who makes no pretentions to live up to 'Mormon' standards, who imagines that he is strengthening himself with the non-'Mormons,' by aping their habits of drinking and smoking, is making a mistake. No man who goes contrary to the teachNo ings of his parents strengthens himself with any intelligent man." I know from personal experience, as I grew up in a non-"Mormon" office, where every man was not of our faith, that my living up to the teachings of my dear departed mother gave me a standing with those men that I could not have had if I had disregarded her teachings. Some of those men with whom I was then associated have made complete wrecks of their lives, but I know of no "Mormon" boy who has lived up to the standards of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ but who has made friends, has progressed, and has had power, physically, intellectually, and morally, with "Mormon," Jew, and Gentile. I know that the teachings that I received from my mother, and which I obeyed, were the very best capital and the very finest start in life, that I could have had. The Promise of the Lord to the I Α I call to mind one of my dearest friends in this city, who died younger than I am, with a tobacco heart. I call to mind many young men unwilling to keep the commandments cally compared with many of their of the Lord, who were strong physiassociates, who are weak today while their associates who have obeyed the law are strong and vigorous. No more wonderful, or marvelous promise made by God can be found than the promise made to you and to me obeys the Word of Wisdom: and to every Latter-day Saint who "And all Saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel, and marrow to their bones, and shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; and shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint; and I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them." Think of it! What is greater than wisdom from God? What is the first great thing that men desire? Health. Where is an individual who does not desire life? Wonderful beyond my power or ability to tell are these promises of health ard life made to us by God, if we will only leave alone the things that destroy our body, mind, and the finer instincts of our nature. Smoking Destroys the Gentler The average man who becomes a smoker, smokes nearly all of the gentler instincts out of his composition. I went to a banquet the other night, and I took along my wife, for I wanted her to hear the splendid speeches; but she did not hear them, because a man, in the form of a gentleman, who sat at the table, next to her, smoked continually in her face. Of course, it made her sick, and she had to go home before she had heard any of the talks. This man did not know what he was doing. If his ser sibilities had not been dulled by smoking, he would not have thought of doing such a thing. No true gentleman, in my judgment, would ever smoke in the presence of ladies unless the ladies requested him to do So. Yet the ladies are at times to blame. You know some of them smoke. Time and time again while I was the President of the European mis sion, traveling in "No Smoker" cars, a fellow passenger would pull out his pipe, and when I would say, "Hold on; this is a non-smoker," he would answer, "Well, I have asked the ladies, and they do not object." "Well,” I would say, "they are probably used to it; I am not. There are more compartments on this train for smokers than for non-smokers, and I have come into a non-smoking compartment, you will please put your pipe in your pocket. When we get to the next station, I have not the slightest objection to your getting out and going where you belong." I have had more than one lady become angry because I would not let a man smoke in my presence. I am sorry to say that the habit of smoking is growing among the ladies. If they keep it up long enough, the finer feeling of womanhood will disappear, no question about it. A Billion Dollars a Year for "We stand for thrift and economy." Ore billion dollars a year is spent for cigarettes in these United States of America one dollar a miunte for every minute from the birth of the Savior until today; one dollar a minute burned up, destroyed. Think of it, a billion dollars in a single year for cigarettes alone. Three billion dollars are expended for cigarsmore money than is spent in the United States for education; and yet we talk about the awful burden of education! I believe, firmly, that, if the Latter-day Saints had never used tea or coffee, or tobacco or beer or any liquor, if they had saved the money wasted in such things, and put it out at interest, the Latter-day Saints would today have ten times as much money as all the money in all the banks in Utah. Moreover, every dollar spent to break the Word of Wisdom goes away from our locality. Salvation in Obedience "There is a law irrevocably decreed in heaven, before the foundation of the world, upon which all blessings are predicated, and when we receive any blessing from the Lord, it is by obedience to the law upon which it is predicated." And when a person apostatizes it is because he disobeys the laws of God. Incidentally I might remark that many people who have been cut off from the Church, are teaching that the authorities of the Church do not treat them right, and that the authorities lack sympathy. Men cut off from the Church for sin, who say that they are all right, are liars pure and simple. You and simple. You young people, do not listen to those who have defied the laws of God and have been excommunicated--they are liars, and unless they repent, they will have to pay for their lies. "Obedience is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." A Personal Illustration "There is a law irrevocably decreed in heaven," and when we get a blessing, it is by obedience to a law. I read in the paper twenty-odd years ago, "Heber J. Grant will probably die"-with my picture in the paper. When I was getting well, the nurse in the hospital said, “Mr. Grant, you are going to get well. There were nine doctors present when you were operated upon. Eight of them said you had to die, there was no chance for you to live. But one of them said, 'I believe he will pull through.' I said, "Will you invite that one to come and see me? I do not care to meet the other eight." When he came I said, "Doctor, the nurse has told me that of the nine doctors pres ent when I was operated upon, you were the only one who said I would pull through. I would like to know why you disagreed with the other eight." He was a Southerner, and he said, "Mr. Grant, ah just took a chance, suh; ah just took a chance." I said, "Why did you take a chance?" "Well," he said, "Suh, I have felt the pulse of hundreds and thousands of gentlemen under operations, suh, but I nevah felt a pulse just like yours, suh. Your heart never missed one single beat fo' one hour and three quarters, suh, while you were under the knife, suh, and I said, that heart will pull him through." What was the strength of that heart? No tea, tobacco, or liquor had given me the tobacco heart, or had weakened the engine within me to fight disease. I was told by my family physician soon after that operation to send for my shorthand clerk and make my last statement for I could not live. I had made a bargain with that doctor just before going to the hospital. I had told him that I was a ruined man financially; that, looking at it naturally, I would never live long enough to pay my debts. I told him that I would like to write a letter to my creditors, if it was certain that I had to die and that I would like to write another letter to my family and friends to leave with them my testimony of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. I said, "If there is one chance in fifty that I can get well after this operation, you keep still, and I will take that chance, and with the blessings of the Lord I will get well. But if you know, after the operation, that I must die, you tell me, and I will send for my shorthand clerk, and I will write those two let |