Church Review Historical Edition/Vol. 4/No. 1

Church Review Historical Edition/Vol. 4/No. 1/pg. 66

Page 66<br><br>Since he has been superintendent of the school he has made it one of the largest evangelical schools in Utah, and probably for more than the last year the school has been the largest Sunday [PHOTO: J. L. LOAR.] school of Utah. He graduated in law at Ann Arbor in 1887; was two years prosecuting attorney of Thomas county, Kansas, and since he came to Ogden has been successful in the practice of his chosen profession.<br><br> Prof. J. A. Smith,<br><br> Secretary and treasurer of the Utah State Sunday School association, was born in Ohio in 1848, moved to Iowa in 1854, thence to Nebraska in 1875, and to Ogden, Utah, in 1891. He was educated in the public schools, and at the Iowa Central and the Iowa Wesleyan [PHOTO: J. A. SMITH.] universities. He has been engaged in educational work for over twenty-five years, and a Sunday school superintendent for seventeen years. He was for two years a member of the Nebraska State Board of Educational Council, and is now president of the Inter-mountain Collegiate Institute and Business College of Ogden. <br><br>STATE EPWORTH LEAGUE.<br><br> The Epworth League is the organization of young people for Christian work in the Methodist Episcopal church. Its motto is "Look up, lift up" and its prominent sentiment is a desire for a "league offensive and defensive with every soldier of Jesus Christ," and while it "lives to make our own church a power in the land," it "lives also to love every other church which exalts our Christ." It was organized May 14, 1889, at Cleveland, Ohio, by representatives of five young people's societies then existing in the Methodist church. No society then organized was found to be adapted to all the varied needs of a universal organization in our church, because no society provided for the forbidding of certain worldly amusements deemed injurious by our church, and for "heart purity" in a special sense and the close connectional idea, and the existence of five different societies all struggling for supremacy was a condition to be deplored. The necessity for a new organization was imperative, and the result of the effort has proved most satisfactory to nearly all the Methodist churches in America, for in six years more than one million members have enlisted in the grand army of young people to advance the Kingdom of Christ our Lord. Utah Methodists are quick to recognize the good qualities in anything and so the new organization soon found friends in this fertile field and chapters were formed. The Utah Epworth League Association was organized June 15, 1892. Seven senior and three junior leagues joined in the organization with a total membership of 524. The first convention was held in the First Methodist Episcopal church of Salt Lake City at the above date. Dr. Iliff was chosen chairman and E. E. Carr secretary. J. L. Loar was elected president and G. H. Bradford secretary for the ensuing year. The second convention met in Ogden June 19, 1893. Vital questions concerning Christian work among the young people were considered and much help and inspiration received both by these and by the Pentecostal meetings conducted by Dr. S. A. Keen. The third convention was held in the First M. E. church, Salt Lake City, June 12, 1894. In the absence of Mr. Schroll, E. E. Pelz was elected secretary. Quite a good increase in the numbers of chapters and members was reported. An interesting program was carried out. E. G. Hunt was elected president and E. E. Pelz secretary for the next year. The fourth annual convention was held in Iliff M. E. church, Salt Lake City, June 18, 1895. The attendance was large and the interest excellent. The topics were vital and ably treated. Much help [PHOTO: E. E. PELZ] was received from the addresses of Dr. Leonard, Dr. Payne and Bishop Foss, E. G. Hunt was re-elected president and E. E. Pelz secretary. Much of good is expected to result from the Union of Leagues of the five churches in Salt Lake City. They are banded together to strengthen one another in every good work and especially in the endeavor to promote temperance, the suppression of vice and the securing and supporting of good government in our city. As to the effect of the league where young people are united in heart and moved by a Christian spirit, as in the case in most chapters, the value of the organization can hardly be estimated. It bids fair to become everywhere the strong right arm of the church. May the blessing of God attend it. <br><br>Epworth League Union of Salt Lake.<br><br> This union was organized in May, 1895, at a meeting of members from the five Epworth Leagues of the city, which [PHOTO: T. R. EATON.] was held in the parlors of the First M. E. church. The officers consist of a president, T. R. Eaton, and secretary and treasurer, J. E. Jayne. These two together with the representatives from each of the other leagues not represented by an officer, constitute the executive committee. The union, consisting of the leagues of the five Methodist churches of the city, now numbers about 350 members, and its object is to increase the interest and spirituality of all the leagues by union meetings, and also be united efforts in different lines to promote the cause of Christianity in the city. [PHOTO: J. E. JAYNE.]<br><br> YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.<br><br> The Young Men's Christian Association is one of the most recent of the great religious movements of the world. It is a work by young men for young men, un-sectarian and carried on, not in rivalry with, but auxiliary to the work of Christian churches. Every officer and every director of its various parts must be a member of an evangelical Christian church. It offers all its advantages, except voting and the