FYI:
For Your Information

Elders G. Homer Durham, James M. Paramore, and Richard G. Scott have been called to the First Quorum of the Seventy. The calls were announced during April 1977 general conference.

Elder Durham has been active in national and educational fields and has served the Church through his previous callings as Regional Representative, president of the Salt Lake Central Stake, and chairman of the adult committee on the Sunday School general board. He and his wife, Eudora Widtsoe Durham, have three children and 18 grandchildren.

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Elder G. Homer Durham

Elder Paramore previously served as the mission president of the France-Belgium Mission, president of the Orem Sharon West Stake, and Regional Representative. He and his wife, Helen Heslington Paramore, have six children.

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Elder James M. Paramore

Elder Scott and his wife, Jeanene Watkins Scott, and their five children were living in Tennessee at the time of his calling. He also has been a Regional Representative and mission president. His mission was served in the Argentine North Mission. Elder Scott is a nuclear engineer and has worked on nuclear power sources such as the power plant in Shipping Port, Pennsylvania.

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Elder Richard G. Scott

It seems obvious from the title of this new book by Roy W. Doxey that it is a book concerning the law of tithing. What is not obvious from the title is that it is a very concise, well-organized discussion through explained quotes taken from scriptures and living prophets. Intermixed are inspirational and encouraging stories concerning the blessings of obedience to the law.

“I shall always remember the faith of an old Maori brother in New Zealand. As the missionaries came to his humble little fishing shack located well off the beaten track, he hurried to find an envelope containing the money and letter to the missionaries. This fine brother didn’t have the ability to read the letter when it arrived, for it was written in English and his tongue was Maori, but he could read the financial figures contained in it, and he recognized the letterhead as being from the mission office. He thought the mission needed the cash amount mentioned for some special purpose, and he had it all ready for the missionaries. After translating the letter for him, it was now clear that the letter merely confirmed his annual tithing settlement and stated the total amount paid for the previous year. His faith was such that he stood ready to pay the same amount all over again if the Lord’s servants needed it for the work.” (Robert L. Simpson, Conference Report, April 1966, p. 52.)

Brother Doxey’s book covers such topics as the history of tithing, what it actually is, what it is used for, and how we can and should approach our own attitude toward the law. Since tithing is a fundamental principle of the Church, it would possibly be an ideal book for investigators, new members, and youth who are beginning to earn money of their own.

Sharing was not just a one-time thing for the Taylorsville Fourth Ward Young Women (Taylorsville Utah West Stake). They made it happen all year long and culminated their efforts in an Evening for Sharing.

Such events are suggested as part of the Young Women calendar each year. “One of the great rewards of accomplishment comes when a song, a talent, a thought, a few moments of time, an experience, or something created can be shared. Many things are of little worth until they are shared.” (Behold Thy Handmaiden, Guidelines for Adult Leaders, p. 8.) The idea is to provide young women in their own wards and stakes with opportunities to share what they have accomplished throughout the past year.

The young women themselves were the planners and did all the work for their Evening for Sharing. They decided that they would like to share their love for life, family, country, and church and created presentations of music, dance, readings, and displays. During the presentations, each class president gave a special award and thanked her adviser for all she had done for their class. Also, awards and gifts were given to the bishopric, Young Women president, secretary, and the sister who served on the service and activities committee. A gift was also given to the second-year Laurels who were leaving the program.

Pictures had been taken of the combined activities and service projects that had taken place throughout the year. Each class took pictures and kept mementos of their own special events. Such collections were displayed on tables around the cultural hall. The tables showed the end result of some of the goals the girls had set in each of the six areas of focus. They also showed hobbies, talents, and contributions the girls had made in other areas such as school, home, church, and community.

Christie Gailey, the Laurel class president, said, “It was good to see how everyone helped to make it a special night and also how everyone got a chance to do what they wanted to do.”

Jana Packer, a Mia Maid, felt that “it gave us a chance to look at other hobbies and talents, and if we wanted to learn how to do some things, we could ask them to show us.”

Beehive JoLynn Stewart said, “Our class likes to dance and have fun, and we really liked being able to make up our own dance for the program. I didn’t think we were going to make it in time, but we did. It was fun.”

“It made me feel really good inside to be able to give a tribute to my mother on the program,” said Melissa Hemsley.

There are many different ways of sharing. Girls can share silently by quietly and unboisterously serving, befriending, building, and setting a good example; or girls can share outwardly by bearing their testimony and by sharing the gospel wherever they are. They can share by making food or articles and then giving them as gifts to someone who needs them. Or they can share by demonstrating a music, art, or literary talent. There is no end to the ways a girl can share. In Taylorsville, young women shared their time and talents for more than just one evening; that one evening was just simple recognition for hundreds of hours of thoughtful service.

Rarely can we have an accurate picture of some future event; but it may be possible to get some idea through the experiences of others. Becoming a full-time missionary in the Church is one of the most anticipated events in the life of a young person; yet sometimes all they really know about it is that the last returned missionary stood in sacrament meeting and said, “It was the best two years of my life.”

“The best two years of your life” may also realistically be the “very hardest two years of your life.” But with prayer and some knowledgeable preparation, you can become better equipped for challenges that may come and can better serve the Lord as a well-adjusted, hardworking, companion-loving missionary. Elder Dunn’s book, Prepare Now to Succeed on Your Mission, is a very practical, uplifting, informative book covering what you need to know about your mission call. Think of the different kinds of foods, surroundings, people, and work that will face you in the mission field, and then begin reading how to face these with a positive attitude and deliberate action.

Elder Dunn starts right in the beginning with how a mission call is obtained. Next he discusses the qualifications of a full-time missionary: his personal capability, worthiness, financial standing, and honest desire. He is very practical in telling you that not everything is easy, but he also includes the uplifting encouragement attested to by letter excerpts written by a missionary while in the field. Your testimony of the gospel and the Book of Mormon are paramount, and the book discusses what will be expected of you while teaching the gospel. The book even includes information for those who are left at home waiting for the return of the missionary—how to fully and righteously support him or her while he serves the Lord with full might, mind, and strength.

The all-LDS Orem, Utah, High School a cappella choir was one of a number of outstanding musical groups invited to participate in the Bicentennial Parade of American Music in Washington, D.C., during the nation’s 200th anniversary celebration. While they were on the 12-day tour, the group emphasized its 100 percent Mormon background by bearing testimonies and giving away several hundred copies of the Book of Mormon.

Plans for the trip began several months before as students and their parents worked to gather the $36,000 needed to finance the trip for the 88 singers and their director, Ed Sandgren. They worked six days a week to prepare the numbers they were to present in the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and elsewhere.

Early on a Wednesday morning the students met at the Salt Lake International Airport and boarded their flight for Washington, D.C. That afternoon they were taken to the Annandale Virginia Stake Center where they set up their equipment and had a short rehearsal. After dining with their host families, the members presented their first east coast concert.

Thursday morning they toured the nation’s capital, then gave their concert at the Kennedy Center. The next day they were guests at a performance of an originally written presentation about Joseph Smith’s First Vision given by a non-LDS school. A cappella members said the presentation was fairly accurate. The school’s religion teacher was given a Book of Mormon in appreciation.

The youth had a chance to show their religion in action that afternoon at a special luncheon in the Rayburn House Office Building when every member of the choir turned over their coffee cups. “The waiters made several rounds in the area to fill our cups, but found none to fill,” one student reported. “They had very puzzled expressions on their faces.” The restaurant had to send out for more milk to satisfy the individual demands at the luncheon.

Tours and concerts at Philadelphia, New York City, and in New Jersey were included in the 12-day trip.

Of particular interest to the choir was their concert in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. It was an overcast day, and the room where they sang was gloomy because the main source of light was through several windows near the top of the structure. Then, as the choir began “The Lord’s Prayer,” the sun broke through the clouds and streamed through the windows. No sooner had the group finished than the sun again disappeared behind the thick clouds.

Many times on their tour people asked where they were from. When they answered that they were from Utah, the next question usually was, “Are you part of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir?”

The spirit of the group inspired a number of nonmembers, including a clergyman, who after hearing them sing said, “They’ve certainly made my week.”

The missionary spirit was strong in the all-LDS choir. One member gave out 38 copies of the Book of Mormon, another 14. The tour was a chance to proselyte and to rehearse, not only music but for full-time missions planned to begin in the next few years.

A seminary open house by students in the Bonneville Seminary near Ogden, Utah, resulted in 126 referrals in just one evening, with 30 new families receiving lessons from stake and full-time missionaries.

“We had one baptism just a few days after the program.” That was the happy report of seminary instructor and program coordinator Richard Jackson. He said that when the program, which was centered around the mission of the Savior, was introduced to the students, the reaction was overwhelming. “We needed 60 students to participate and got nearly 200.”

The program depicted scenes from the Savior’s life, the restoration, and family home evenings. “We have seven families studying the gospel as a result of the family home evening section alone.”

The seminary students staffed the presentations, ran the lights and sounds, and helped as missionary aides. Six rooms in the building were used, and the only problem seemed to be that too many people turned out for the event!

One helper, sophomore Matthew Bell, said, “It’s great knowing you’re part of a program to help bring your friends into the Church.”

Lenore Scholfield, also a sophomore, said, “The program made me want to share the truth with my friends.”

Nancy Havens, a junior, said, “It helped me to talk with my friends about the Church. I know several who came and appeared to really be interested.”

Mitchell Halverson, who worked as a missionary aide, said, “Working on the program gave me a sense of responsibility and strengthened my testimony.”

Program participants noted that about three weeks were spent preparing the various scenes and coordinating the sound and lighting. Extensive use was made of seminary materials. Special showings of The First Vision were used to enhance the program.

A fireside was held the Sunday before the open house to acquaint students with ways to contact their friends concerning the activity. Other help came through local radio and newspaper coverage of the open house.

The three goals for the program were to put Christ into Christmas, help members realize the importance of missionary work, and share the gospel with nonmember friends. The open house was so successful that plans are being made to turn it into an annual event each December.

You remember that it’s something about people getting eaten by crocodiles, it was a talk by Elder Boyd K. Packer, and it would be perfect for your talk in sacrament meeting.

And then there was something about pondering the scriptures, and it wasn’t preposterous … or something like that. You want to read that again.

You let thoughts of hiding cookies in a couch trickle through your thinking, too. It was a story about older people and how really special they can be. You sure could use that for a presentation on service in opening exercises next week, couldn’t you?

Well … those articles were printed in the New Era sometime last year. You can remember that much. That’s only 12 issues, 600 pages plus 48 (counting inside and outside covers). Looking at an average New Era page and guessing that it holds about 300 words, that only makes approximately 180,000 words—give or take a few thousand words—to search through. Now if you can scan one page in one minute then it will only take you …

Why not just get an index for 1976!

The New Era Index for 1976 is available with listings by subject, title, author, and department. It’s great to have for looking up references before a talk, or a seminary report, finding something for a presentation, or just finding a favorite article. You can order individual indexes for the New Era from 1971 to 1976 at 25 cents for each year. Also available are hard back binders ($4.00 each) to hold one year’s New Eras. And if you’re missing any back issues, many of these are available for 40 cents. The indexes, binders, and past issues may be bought from Magazine Subscriptions, 50 East North Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150.

Elder Alvin R. Dyer passed away on March 6, 1977. He was a man who dedicated himself to doing the work of the Lord. Elder Dyer was a man of many talents and interests who loved action. From missionary work to the handball courts, he showed his intense approach to life. His broad experience in Church service and in many other fields gave him the background to write many inspirational books, among which are the Refiner’s Fire, the Fallacy, Who Am I?, and This Age of Confusion; but more especially he dwelled on missionary service in his writings and published the Challenge, the Meaning of Truth, and the Lord Speaketh.

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Elder Alvin R. Dyer

In his early manhood he owned his own business, but when called to full-time Church service, he sold the business and devoted himself totally to the Lord’s work. While serving as president of the Church’s Central States Mission in April 1958, Elder Dyer was called to be first assistant to the General Superintendent of the Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Association. After seven months he became an Assistant to the Council of the Twelve. He presided over the European Mission with headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, from 1960 to 1962. He was ordained an apostle on October 5, 1967, and served in the First Presidency from April 6, 1968, until the death of President David O. McKay on January 18, 1970. He served as an Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles from 1958 to 1968, and from 1970 to 1976. Elder Dyer was called as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy on October 1,1976.

Elder Dyer was born January 1, 1903, in Salt Lake City—one of 13 children born to Alfred Robert and Harriet Walsch Dyer. He married May Elizabeth Jackson in the Salt Lake Temple, and they had two children, Gloria May Klein and Brent Rulon Dyer.

He was athletically minded, always working to keep himself in top physical condition. He played high school basketball, and at one time bowled in major league circles. He loved to play handball. The exhibition handball court at the Deseret Gymnasium in Salt Lake City has been named the Dyer Court in honor of him. Following his first mission he had an opportunity to play professional baseball, but the offer was declined because of Church responsibilities.

It is said of him that he was a great organizer, that he had the ability to see the overall picture without becoming involved with unimportant details. His devotion to the Church and unselfish service to people proved him a beloved friend and exemplary Church servant. Funeral services were held in the Assembly Hall on Temple Square on March 9, 1977.

It is not often that the New Era reviews a book that does not relate directly to the Church, but Without Fear or Favor is not the usual type of book. What is found within the book by Leroy F. Harlow, professor of organization and management at Brigham Young University, is a sound philosophy of work, honesty, and moral integrity.

Brother Harlow’s book, subtitled Odyssey of a City Manager, is perhaps one of the finest explanations of the role of local U.S. government and the need for all citizens, including those of pre-voting age, to help in determining just what local government should do for its citizens.

He takes the reader from Oregon to Minnesota, to South Dakota, back to Minnesota, then to Florida where the city manager has to fight gambling, crime, political favoritism, inertia of citizens, incompetence, dishonesty, and immoral attitudes in order to give local residents honest government.

Brother Harlow also tells the reader what he can do to ensure that his government is responsive to public needs. Over and over again he emphasizes that a local government must be accountable to its citizens, and that citizens have a right to know just what their government services are costing them.

This book would be valuable to every student taking a high school government class, as well as to those concerned about where their tax dollars are going. The book is highly readable, not a dull tome on government.

Blake Heinze, a teacher in the Selah Ward, Yakima Washington Stake, achieved many outstanding awards during his first year of cross-country running. Blake is a freshman at Selah High School, which has an enrollment of just over 900 students.

Blake placed second in his flight at the Richland Invitational. In the state AA competition, Blake took second for the Selah team and seventh overall. He was the only freshman in the top 15 finishers. Approximately 120 harriers ran at state.

In AAU regional competition in Spokane, Blake again came in second, behind a four-year runner, and went on to National AAU competition in St. Louis, Missouri. There he came in 22nd out of 90 starters. The boys ran in freezing 20 degree F. weather.

The high school team practices both mornings and after school, but Blake finds time to attend seminary, run his four-mile workouts, and still be to school by 8:30 weekday mornings.

In addition to his love of sports, Blake is a member of the high school band. He was a starter on the ninth grade basketball team and will participate in track during the spring.

Blake is currently first counselor in the teachers quorum, has been president and second counselor in the deacons quorum, and is a regular attender in priesthood, Sunday School, sacrament meeting, and activity night.