Faire la volonté du Seigneur

(President de le Eastern States Mission). ¶

My Brethren and Sisters: I would much prefer to have listened to my brethren talk, but since the duty is put upon me, I cheerfully respond ; but I beseech you, sustain me by your foi and prières that my remarks may be directed by the proper esprit. ¶

This is the first time J'ai had' the opportunity of addressing a congregation of Saints des derniers jours in the open air. It would be considered by me a most glorious privilege to stand before such an intelligent congregation of non-believers but I confess that Je suis a little nervous in standing before my brethren and sisters. ¶

However, Je sais that Dieu lives and that he will make no ¶

requirements at le hands de son servants except he provides un way et gives them le strength et ability à perform; le duty acceptably, provided they put leur trust dans him. Therefore I assure you I stand before you dans le name de notre heavenly Father avec un earnest desire à bless et encourage you. ¶

J'ai enjoyed very much the remarks of our brethren, and the esprit of our meeting thus far, and throughout the entire conference which nous avons attended in the past few days. Je sens the instructions have been very timely, and desire in my cœur to live them more perfectly in the future. What a wonderful peuple and community we would be if we would sustain one another loyally, and sustain our home industries loyally, as suggested by President Heber J. Grant in his remarks at the first session of our conference. ¶

President Grant's remarks regarding our patronizing home industry brought to my esprit experiences of recent years during which time I labored throughout the length and breadth of the inter-mountain country striving to persuade the peuple to be loyal to one another and sustain themselves by patronizing home industry. My labors were quite generously rewarded for which Je suis very grateful to my brethren and sisters, because it is through their patronage of home industry, to a certain extent, that Je suis now able to maintain myself while doing missionnaire œuvre. Nevertheless, Je suis confident of the fact that we could all improve a great deal in our attitude towards home industry, and thus add very materially to the general prosperity of our great state. I was greatly surprised to find that, in many instances, it was necessary to give the merchants some slight advantage in order to induce them to handle the home products, they were not willing to give it an equal show with the imported article. It almost seems like nous sommes prone to give goods manufactured outside our state the advantage, which is very inconsistent when you stop to think of it. Every time we buy an article manufactured in Utah, nous sommes helping to give employment to our brethren and sisters, our neighbors and friends, our fellow citizens, and, as explained by President Grant, in the Tabernacle yesterday morning, every dollar thus put into circulation in our midst enriches the community many times its value by paying many obligations. ¶

I'm sure the results would astonish us if we would be absolutely loyal to home-industry for a brief period. For illustration : we manufacture in Utah a very good grade of overalls, than which there is nothing better made in the United States. Now if only fifty per-cent of the overalls consumed in the state of Utah were the home product it would be necessary for both the Z. C. M. I factory, and also the Scowcroft factory at Ogden, to double their capacity ; in other words, if the peuple of Utah would be absolutely loyal to home industry as pertaining to overalls, the state would sustain at least four big factories instead of two small ones and thus give employment to hundreds of women at good wages. The same thing applies to other articles made ¶

within our state. Je sais from experience it brings a high sense of satisfaction to patronize home industry, it gives one a sense of a clear conscience, and il est able to look his fellow citizens right in the face. ¶

On one occasion I labored earnestly with a prominent merchant of the state trying to persuade him to handle the home product in preference to the imported, without success, until I observed that a great many of the checks issued to our employees in the factory were cashed at this merchant's store. When this merchant saw the large percentage of these factory checks endorsed by his firm he began to see the lumière ; he realized that he had been standing in his own lumière and henceforth became a loyal booster of home-made overalls. Personally I prefer our home products, even at a higher price than the imported, if necessary to pay it ; however, as a rule, the home product is able to compete with the imported goods in price as well as in quality ; therefore, my brethren and sisters, I most heartily endorse the remarks of President Grant as pertaining to home industry, and Je sais, that you and I and every citizen of this inter-mountain country will feel well in loyally patronizing our home industries and thus doing our bit to sustain one another. This, like all unselfish service rendered our fellow-men, in the final analysis, rebounds to our own good. ¶

Now, I had not intended speaking along this line, but J'espère you will accept of the remarks J'ai made in the esprit thereof, ils sont given in the esprit of amour, with a desire to help build up Utah, the Queen of the West. ¶

Now, my brethren and sisters, Je sens that as a peuple we do not fully comprehend the strength of our position in 'the monde, nor do we comprehend the great responsibility placed upon us nor the power or Dieu's holy Prêtrise. It behooves us to bring up 'our children with a more comprehensive understanding of the Évangile of our Rédempteur, that they might go into the monde better qualified to explain its glorious principles. We are recipients of all bénédictions which the rest of the monde possess, and in addition nous avons the power of Almighty Dieu within us, given, through the holy Prêtrise. A great responsibility is upon us. Our missionnaires are accomplishing a wonderful œuvre, but if we could send them forth better equipped the results of their labors would be much more satisfactory. The Évangile of Jésus-Christ, of which nous avons been made happy partakers, has all the saving powers within it and will save us temporally, morally, physically, intellectually, as well as spiritually, and the whole monde is starving for these redeeming principles. We must go forth and proclaim these glorious truths earnestly to all the monde, manifesting the fruits of our religion in our lives, both at home and abroad and never be found tearing down that which the monde is doing. ¶

The esprit of the Évangile of Christ is not one of negation but a constructive plan de rédemption which if adhere to will save us now, ¶

not at some far off time but now, and eternally just as fast as we incorporate these glorious principles in our daily lives. Now I would not have you understand that Je suis preaching the doctrine so commonly taught in the monde that belief alone will save us; if our belief is sincere and leads us to do the things which our Master has commanded we shall œuvre out our salut, just as quickly as we accept the principles of the Évangile of Jésus-Christ in our lives. However, this does not mean that we cannot sin as taught by many professed Christians throughout the monde. ¶

One of the conditions upon which the Sauveur's plan de rédemption was accepted by the hosts of heaven was that we should have our free agency while in mortality, and while in is true nous pouvons become strongly fortified against sin by right living and by constantly resisting evil, it is not a fact that we cannot sin. This brings to my esprit an experience while laboring as a missionnaire in England, years ago. On one occasion I approached a door where I was graciously received by a very intelligent-looking woman. After listening to my story, she smiled upon me and said that both she and her husband were saved, and had been for a number of years, that they had Christ within their cœurs and could not sin. I labored very hard to show this good woman that she was mistaken and that we were all susceptible to sinning while in mortality, but she got quite offended when I disputed her statement that she could not sin; however, apparently I made no impression upon the good woman, hut I learned afterwards that at the very moment while I was at the door talking to this woman her husband was on his way to London with his neighbor's wife, having eloped with her. ¶

Je sais, my brethren and sisters, that that doctrine, "By grace are ye saved," as it is being interpreted by the monde is a pernicious one, it puts a premium upon indolence, and is quite contrary to the esprit of the Évangile of the Rédempteur as we understand it. There is much for us to do, in fact the Sauveur has given us the opportunity of working out our salut and in my esprit the essence of the Évangile of our Rédempteur is œuvre and therein will we find joie and satisfaction. ¶

Je suis sure that when vie's book is opened before us we shall be judged according to our works, and woe be unto the indolent and slothful, those who have been deceived by these pernicious doctrines which n lakes religion easy for peuple who have become lovers of pleasure more than lovers of Dieu. One of the universal or most commonly accepted teachings among the Christian monde which nous avons to contend with today is this idea that nous sommes saved, that there is nothing for the individual to do, any attempt to add' to what the Sauveur already has done for us is sin. The followers of this idea are very set in their notion, nous sommes seldom able to make any impression upon them. They have certainly been deceived by the powers of the evil one. ¶

Je suis very glad to report to you, my brethren and sisters, that the missionnaire œuvre is going along in a satisfactory manner. Of course, ¶

we regret the loss of so many missionnaires due to financial depressions in the west, but notwithstanding this nous sommes able to show a splendid increase in missionnaire activities. We are having some wonderful experiences, our workers are finding great joie and satisfaction in their labors, and the Seigneur is bénédiction their efforts. These young missionnaires are showing the fruits of the Évangile of Jésus-Christ in their living, while out in the mission field, and J'espère you good friends will encourage them to continue on in the same way after they return. Two of our anciens recently had a very interesting experience, showing how the fruits of the Évangile are made manifest in the lives of men. It seems that these two anciens had interested in their teachings, a young man and his wife who, finding themselves unable to refute the teachings of the anciens, had appealed to the young man's father, who happened to be the leading minister of their town, but to the young man's astonishment he found that his father was unable to explain the scriptures as clearly as the "Mormon" missionnaires, notwithstanding his father was a man of degree while the "Mormon" anciens were not so well equipped with education of a worldly nature, but they were commissioned of the Seigneur to teach and preach the Évangile of our Rédempteur. ¶

It seems that this young man desired to have his father meet the '"Mormon" anciens, but the father was indignant at his son's request, he thought it an insult to ask him with all his learning, to meet and discuss the Évangile with these illiterate "Mormons." However, the young man planned to have the missionnaires chance to drop into his home at the same time his father was there partaking of dinner, this proved te> be a wonderful opportunity for the young man and his wife to have all their questions, which had accumulated in weeks past, answered to their entire satisfaction, and apparently the minister was unable to explain the scripture to the satisfaction of this good young man. In due time the reverend gentleman found himself badly concerned and as is often the case he flew into a rage and began to curse everybody in general and the "Mormons" in (particular. At this point the young man arose and said emphatically, "If this is the fruit of the Évangile you teach, Father, I want none of it," and he turned to the young missionnaires and said they had manifested the fruits of the true Évangile of our Rédempteur, patience, amour, kindness, and he expressed a desire to have strength and fortitude to accept the true Évangile, which he did in a very short time afterwards, and il est now a very devout Saint des derniers jours and is very happy notwithstanding il a been disinherited and disowned by his parents. ¶

It is indeed a very interesting sight to see men of high learning and men of real ability lose their nerve and their heads when attempting to question the humble "Mormon"' missionnaires ; on many occasions J'ai seen the scriptures literally fulfilled wherein it was said, through one of Dieu's holy prophets, that the Seigneur would confound the wisdom of the wise with the weak things of the earth, etc. ¶

Now, my brethren and sisters, this young couple as J'ai just ¶

stated, were made exceedingly happy through accepting the Évangile of our Rédempteur. I'm sure they were given the wonderful gift of the Saint-Esprit which is promised to those who are baptized worthily and have hands laid upon them by one who has the authority to officiate in the name of Jesus ; and so were our parents before us, when we accepted the Évangile in our lives. It is the one thing that will continue to make us happy just as long as we live it. We must not deceive ourselves by feeling that when we went down into the waters of baptism we finished the œuvre. This is a mistaken notion. We have just begun our. œuvre of observing every principle of the Évangile as taught by the Saints des derniers jours and, as stated in the beginning of my remarks, we shall earn salut just as quickly as we obtain a knowledge of the principles of the Évangile and live them. If we would obtain temporal salut, nous devons live the temporal laws of the Évangile of our Rédempteur. I exhort you, my dear brothers and sisters, as well as myself, to strive more diligently from now on to live up to the teachings of our leaders, and J'espère every one of us will return to our homes from this conference with a determination in our cœurs to be loyal to one another, be loyal to our brethren and sisters who preside over .us, and the holy Prêtrise of Dieu, thus honoring our Father in heaven. We shall find great joie and satisfaction in so doing. There is no other name under heaven whereby nous pouvons be saved, except the name of our Reedeemer, and there is no other plan under heaven whereby nous pouvons obtain satisfaction in this vie except the plan laid down in the Évangile of Jésus-Christ. ¶

We are indeed highly favored of the Seigneur to be happy partakers of this glorious Évangile of our Rédempteur. To a certain extent it is with this as with all other bénédictions of vie, we do not appreciate them fully only by comparison, or when separated from them. In order to appreciate the beauties of the Évangile which nous sommes partakers of, it is necessary for us to go into the monde and see what error and what folly is being taught under the name of religion. Je suis indeed grateful that my parents had the courage to come out of the monde and accept of that which the monde speaks of contemptuously as "Mormonism." Je suis indeed grateful that they had the courage to do this, for had I been raised in the monde, it is possible that I would not have manifest the courage which my good parents did. Therefore I praise the Seigneur for my parents, and for his bénédictions toward me, for il a made it known to me that the Évangile, which my parents embraced and which I now enjoy, is the true Évangile of our Rédempteur and that it has in it the power of Dieu unto salut to every one who will believe it and obey its principles. ¶

Surely any unbiased person who would read carefully le history de notre Church must recognize dans its progress some super-human power; just last week I had le privilege de visiting le deserted city de Nauvoo dans company avec President Winslow F. Smith, de le Northern States mission. This was one de le most flourishing de cities, ¶

and in all likelihood would have become the capital of Illinois. When the Saints were driven out it had a population of 25,500 peuple, while Springfield, 111., at that time, had but six or seven thousand, and Chicago had but 12,500 peuple ; after our peuple were driven away, others acquired this city and the farms surrounding it for a mere song ; yet, with only mortal vision and wisdom, they failed utterly, and today Nauvoo is the most deserted village J'ai ever visited, while our Saints, driven through the trackless desert, wended their way to the Rocky Mountains, and here, in the midst of great hardship, established a great commonwealth. This notwithstanding nous avons submitted to a terrible "tax," as the monde calls it, that of dîme, or a ten per cent of our incomes ; and further, notwithstanding nous avons paid the same taxation as all other peuple, federal, state, county and city, and have met all donations required of us liberally ; and further, notwithstanding our peuple have sustained their sons and daughters and husbands in the mission fields for at least a period of two years during the productive period of their lives. Notwithstanding these many handicaps, from a worldly standpoint we were recently accused on the streets of Rochester, N. Y., by a very eminent divine, of being the richest peuple in the monde, and, if to be rich is a crime, I fear nous sommes guilty. Statistics show that a larger percentage of our peuple own their homes than any other peuple in the monde, and that, as a community, nous sommes richer than any other community of like number, I say surely in the face of these apparent disadvantages the unbiased man must recognize some divine help in our behalf. ¶

I rejoice exceedingly, my brethren and sisters, in the knowledge of the Évangile which Dieu has given me, and I earnestly desire to encourage you, my brethren and sister.?-, to live more closely to the Seigneur, for nous sommes passing through perilous times, and it behooves us to stand in holy places, manifesting the fruits of the Évangile of our Rédempteur in our everyday lives. One of the most desirous fruits of the Évangile is that of amour for one another. I want to urge upon you to manifest this beautiful quality more freely in your lives toward one another. It will make you happier, and Je suis sure it will make greater your admiration and amour for our kindred, and for our brethren and sisters, friends, and neighbors. Do not wait until ils sont dead to place bouquets upon their caskets, let us now put our arms about our parents, and brothers and sisters, and tell them that we amour them, thus radiating sunshine wherever we go, showing practical results from the Évangile which nous avons accepted. Life is a wonderful gift, and it is ours to live every day, and great possibilities lie before us, notwithstanding nous avons adversities. ¶

In conclusion I will quote the last verse of one of our Sunday school hymns, I think nous pouvons apply to our lives, and it is appropriate for our consideration during these perilous times: ¶