EARLY in September there will be is-
sued by the General Superintendency a
Manual or Reference Book for the
coming year's work in the Young Men's
Associations. It will be comprehensive
in its nature, will include many of the les-
sons heretofore published in THE CON-
TRIBUTOR and is designed to assist stake
superintendents and ward presidents in
carrying on in a uniform manner the
various Mutual Improvement organiza-
tions of the Church. The book will be
a necessary text-book for every officer
and will include names of general officers,
of stake superintendents, annual circu-
lar letter of General Superintendency,
instructions to superintendents, presidents
and members, diagrams, bibliography and
index, and a thorough course for one
year in theology, history, science and
literature. The plan for the year's course
is marked out in twenty-five lectures on
each of the subjects named. Under the
heading of theology appear lectures on
the Gospel with full analysis of B. H.
Roberts' work. Under history is given
lectures on the Bible, Book of Mormon,
New Testament, the Church, Cannon's
Life of Nephi, and England; Under
science, Talmage's First Book of Nature,
and civil government; under literature,
Readings from Irving, and references to
American literature generally.
The Manual is not merely an an-
nouncement of the year's work, but is
of itself educational in character and
if studied and properly used, will go far
towards placing every association organ-
ized in successful operation.
The annual letter of the General
Superintendency announcing the Manual
and the season's work is as follows:
To the Stake Officers of the Y.M.M.I.A.:
DEAR BRETHREN: In addressing our
annual letter to you, we take pleasure in
introducing this Manual which under our
appointment and direction has been
carefully compiled by Assistant General
Superintendent Milton H. Hardy, and
Stake Superintendent George H. Brim-
hall.
You will therefore make it a guide for
this year's work, and each one not only
become acquainted with, but practically
apply the specific instructions addressed
to him. In this way, your work being
systematic, will be more progressive and
successful than heretofore.
By reference to our former circular
letters, you will see the consistency
and necessity of our making the follow-
ing inquiries and suggestions:
How many of your Associations began
their regular weekly meetings early last
year, as suggested?
How many of your officers, stake and
ward, secured a set of, and became
acquainted with the contents of the first
year's series, M.I.A. Reading Course,
in order to be able to lead in that work
this year?
In how many of your Associations were
music classes organized and conducted
according to plan of general music direc-
tor, as given in the current numbers of
THE CONTRIBUTOR?
Have you in each ward of your stake
a Young Men's Mutual Improvement
Association?
Is your Stake Superintendency com-
plete?
Did you hold Stake Council meetings,
and prepare for the general work of the
stake, for stake officers' meetings, stake
conferences, your missionaries, your
public lectures, stake recreations, and
all other matters pertaining to the super-
intending of the work?
Did you hold stake officers' meetings?
Did you hold your half-yearly stake
conferences?
Did you visit officially each Associa-
tion in your stake twice last year.
Did you examine the records of each
Association in your stake last year?
Did you make any provision for public
lectures under auspices of the M.I A.
of your wards last year?
EARLY in September there will be issued by the General Superintendency a
Manual or Reference Book for the
coming year's work in the Young Men's
Associations. It will be comprehensive
in its nature, will include many of the lessons heretofore published in THE CONTRIBUTOR and is designed to assist stake
superintendents and ward presidents in
carrying on in a uniform manner the
various Mutual Improvement organizations of the Church. The book will be
a necessary text-book for every officer
and will include names of general officers,
of stake superintendents, annual circular letter of General Superintendency,
instructions to superintendents, presidents
and members, diagrams, bibliography and
index, and a thorough course for one
year in theology, history, science and
literature. The plan for the year's course
is marked out in twenty-five lectures on
each of the subjects named. Under the
heading of theology appear lectures on
the Gospel with full analysis of B. H.
Roberts' work. Under history is given
lectures on the Bible, Book of Mormon,
New Testament, the Church, Cannon's
Life of Nephi, and England; Under
science, Talmage's First Book of Nature,
and civil government; under literature,
Readings from Irving, and references to
American literature generally.
The Manual is not merely an announcement of the year's work, but is
of itself educational in character and
if studied and properly used, will go far
towards placing every association organized in successful operation.
The annual letter of the General
Superintendency announcing the Manual
and the season's work is as follows:
To the Stake Officers of the Y.M.M.I.A.:
DEAR BRETHREN: In addressing our
annual letter to you, we take pleasure in
introducing this Manual which under our
appointment and direction has been
carefully compiled by Assistant General
Superintendent Milton H. Hardy, and
Stake Superintendent George H. Brimhall.
You will therefore make it a guide for
this year's work, and each one not only
become acquainted with, but practically
apply the specific instructions addressed
to him. In this way, your work being
systematic, will be more progressive and
successful than heretofore.
By reference to our former circular
letters, you will see the consistency
and necessity of our making the following inquiries and suggestions:
How many of your Associations began
their regular weekly meetings early last
year, as suggested?
How many of your officers, stake and
ward, secured a set of, and became
acquainted with the contents of the first
year's series, M.I.A. Reading Course,
in order to be able to lead in that work
this year?
In how many of your Associations were
music classes organized and conducted
according to plan of general music director, as given in the current numbers of
THE CONTRIBUTOR?
Have you in each ward of your stake
a Young Men's Mutual Improvement
Association?
Is your Stake Superintendency complete?
Did you hold Stake Council meetings,
and prepare for the general work of the
stake, for stake officers' meetings, stake
conferences, your missionaries, your
public lectures, stake recreations, and
all other matters pertaining to the superintending of the work?
Did you hold stake officers' meetings?
Did you hold your half-yearly stake
conferences?
Did you visit officially each Association in your stake twice last year.
Did you examine the records of each
Association in your stake last year?
Did you make any provision for public
lectures under auspices of the M.I A.
of your wards last year?
"Circular to the YMMIA stake officers, September 1891," p. 1, The Wilford Woodruff Papers, accessed April 24, 2024, https://www.wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/p/0OlL