The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-07-12
Fellow Christian Endeavorers:


sounding blows of hammer and chisel
as in another platform, plank is fitted
to plank
Our Christian Endeavor platform
was built for is at the beginning by
/ Providence. Its strength has been re-
vealed by our history.
My task is an easy one, for 1 only
need write in words what l believe God
has written in deeds.
If 1 do not state our platform cor
rectly, do not ask you to stand upon
But if I read our history Alright these
are its chief planks:
First. Our covenant prayer-meeting
pledge the Magma Charta of Chris
tan Endeavor
Second. Our conservation meeting
| guaranteeing the spiritual character of
the society.
Third. Our commissioning to
each active member some specific and
definite work 'for Christ and the
church.
Fourth. Our INSTRUMENTATION
and international fellowship, based up
on our UNCONVENTIONAL and national
loyalty.
| Fifth. Our individual independence
and self-government free from control
of united society, state or local union,
convention OF coIHillltee, all Oh WHICH
exists for fellowship and inspiration,
not for legislation.
| Sixth. Our individual subordination
as societies to our own churches, of
| which we claim to be integral, organic,
inseparable, part
Seventh Our Christian citizenship
plank-Our country for Christ, but, as
a society, no entangling political al
liances. Our missionary plank-Christ
for the world.
Eighth Our ultimate purpose-to
deepen the spiritual life and raise the
religious standards of young people the
world over.
For fifteen years Christian Endeavor
has built up its platform. The history
of the society which has wrought out
in practice these principles may be
| briefly summarized, SO far as words
and figures can summarize a move
ment, as follows:
Forty-six thousand societies have
been formed.
Five millions of Endeavorers have
been enrolled, of which more than two
millions seven hundred thousand are
! today members.
Two millions of Others Endeavorers
in all but name, have probably been
enrolled in purely UNCONVENTIONAL soci-
| cites.
Ten million Endeavor meetings have
| been held
! Five million copies of our constitu-
ton have undoubtedly been printed, in
forty different languages. and at least
fifteen million copies of the pledge.
Over one million of our associate
members have come into the evangel-
zeal churches connected with fifty de-
nominations, Influenced in part, at
least by the Christian Endeavor socie-
ty; and it is certain that over two mil
lions of dollars have been given in be-
| nevolence through UNCONVENTIONAL and
church channels.
But, all! is it? Not unless we secure
the future by learning the lessons of
the past. The future stretches before
us-ten times fifteen years of Christian
! Fndeavor, please God, and ten times
that. We stand yet at the beginnings,
fellow Endeavorers. The stream is yet
near its source. Our concern should be
not TO defect it into any channels of
our own choosing. Let God choose it's
way and direct discourse, as he has
done these fifteen years, and then the
future, too is secure. We hav but one
lamp by which our feet are guided
and that IS the lamp of experience :"
BY the past what does God teach US
for the future?
Let us try, as best I may, to draw
out the lessons. Christian Endeavor
as our platform shows, is a practical
paradox, a reconciler of irreconcilables
1t has married opposites. 1t has
brought into an harmonious family,
ideas which have been thought to be
mutually exclusive. I am tempted to
consider this the most important work
of Christian Endeavor, in the future as
in the past.
Our platform specifies some of the
banns that have been proclaimed by
Christian Endeavor.
First. 1t has married the ideas of
UNCONVENTIONAL fidelity and fellowship
between denominations, and has writ
ten on the door-posts of the home thus
formed: Fidelity and Fellowship, one
and inseparable''
! These ideas have been thought by
/ many to be inconsistent, if not hostile,
one 70 the other. Hence, many eccle-
siastics are today afraid of our fellow
! ship because they believe it will weak
en- our fidelity. Christian Endeavor,
sooner or later, will show them the
groundlessness of their fears
By combining these disassociated
ideas, Christian Endeavor has created
new idea. which has required new
word-a word which is found only in
the very latest electromagnetic word
observation-disclosures; denomina-
tionalism which is not sectarianism on
the one side or care-nothing-ism on the
other. Mind your prefixes, Christian
Endeavors; not ''un,'' nor "non," but
Inter"
Closely linked with this idea of In
DETERMINATIONS fellowship is that
other great idea of International fell
loWship. Look at these intertWined
flags! They tell their own story. They
tell of our intense love for our own
t1ag-the Stars and Stripes, "Old Clio
ry," if we live in the United States;
/ the Union Jack, if we live in Canada or
Great Britain. Interlinked as they are,
| they tell of our worldwide brother
hood. Our society is an arbitration
meeting which never adjourns, peace
with-honor convention that is always
in session. On these banners is written:
Loyalty and Brotherhood, one and In
| separable."
Second. Again, if our platform is
correct, Christian Endeavor stands for
a self-governed society that is yet
wholly governed by it's own church. T
know of no way of developing RESPONSE
bility except by bearing responsibility.
! That man and that society will always
be a dwarf and wealling that is ever
managed by some one else. In COM
parison with such man, Mr.. Caudle
behind the bed curtain will be inde-
pendent and self-respecting.
Each society of Christian Endeavor
is in sense Independent. 1t works out
it's own problems. 1t is responsible for
its own success or failure. It lives or
dies according to it's own inherent
worth. 1t manages it's own affairs. 1t
elects its own officers. 1t plans it's
own campaigns. But it is always sub
ordinate to it's own church, and seeks
to find out and obey the wishes of it's
own church and pastor.