Dans l'une des révélations données au prophète

[FR] of the First Council of Seventy ¶

[FR] There is a saying among the German people that runs like this: "All good things are three." We have in a material way the three dimensions: length, breadth and thickness. We have the three component parts of this mundane sphere: land, water and air; also solids, liquids and gases, the three forms of matter. We have the three classes of heavenly bodies that fill the sidereal universe : suns, planets and satellites. And in a spiritual way it may also be pointed out that we have the three degrees of glory — celestial, terrestrial and telestial, symbolized by the sun, the moon and stars, on account of their comparative brightness. I mention these things, and might mention many more, not because they have, particularly, any bearing upon what I may say, but more because I have another three in mind, to a consideration of which I would like to devote the few moments that I stand before you. ¶

[FR] There are three things which are indispensably important to our wellbeing and are naturally inherent to all mankind. We inherit them from our divine parents. They are divine attributes transmitted to us as the offspring of Deity. They are, in this, like the inalienable rights of man, another three : life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, of which we read in the Declaration of Independence. These three things are emotional qualities of the mind and heart of man and of our natures, that may and should be carefully cultivated ; but they may and often do exist in a very perverted and distorted form — and we are under necessity of choosing between these divine and noble attributes as they are naturally inherent to us, and their ignoble and perverted counterfeits which can only be acquired by ignoble and unnatural effort. It is a question of choice between good and evil. ¶

[FR] These three to which I refer are faith, hope and charity. Whether they be virtues or vices depends upon the form they take. If they assume their natural and hence divine form they are virtues, but if they are perverted or counterfeited then they become vices. Some people regard faith as a weakness, a positive vice. To believe everything you hear, how foolish ! They have simply mistaken credulity, the devil's counterfeit, for faith; they are not alike. Credulity is no more like faith than lust, another devilish counterfeit, is like love. ¶

[FR] All good things are counterfeited. Our government issues currency in various denominations. It is known as the legal tender wherever we may use it, but it is capable of being counterfeited and palmed off on an unwary public sometimes as the genuine thing, but it is counterfeit. They make coins in various denominations, but some devil will obtain a baser metal and gild it over with gold and palm it off for genuine. Religion is sometimes falsely understood. It, too, has its counterfeit. But let us not despise the pure gold of religion because the devil makes a counterfeit of it in hypocrisy. ¶

[FR] What must we believe or in whom must we have faith? are vital questions if we are to choose the true, the genuine faith, and reject the false, the counterfeit. It must be obvious to everyone who thinks that if there is a plan of salvation, a plan whereby mankind can be redeemed from its fallen state and from death and the grave; whereby it can be exalted into a state of never ending joy where sin shall be no more, a state wherein there shall be a continuation of happy associations of loved ones, husbands and wives, parents and children, such plan must, of necessity, emanate from heaven, for only God can give us such salvation. Surely this is something for which we earnestly hope, or as the poet tells us, "A consummation devoutly to be wished." ¶

[FR] Do we hope for salvation or do we only hope for the sordid things of worldly pleasures and the gratification of sensual desires? Therein lies the difference between good and evil hopes. ¶

How then may we learn of such a plan, if plan there be? In answer let me say, only as God shall make it known. There is no other way. And how? By revelation, the very foundation upon which he builds his Église. He reveals his secrets unto his servants the prophets. ¶

Then hearken unto these messengers of life and salvation, these bearers of the glad tidings of great joy. "Believe on the Lord Jésus-Christ and thou shalt be saved," for as we read still further in holy writ, "God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him shall not perish but have everlasting life." Herein are these three attributes combined, faith, hope and charity. Paul says, "Now faith is the substance (or assurance) of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen ;" but again we read, "Faith is not unto every man, it is the gift of God." Then we may well say it is the assurance which God gives us that our exalted hopes shall be realized. All our hopes of a glorious resurrection, of a future life in celestial glory, are based upon our faith in him, whom God sent into this world, even our Savior, and in his servants and messengers, the prophets and apostles through whom he makes known the glorious plan of life and salvation which dispels the gloom of death and the grave, and fills our hearts with hope. But says one: I have no faith in God and no hope in a future life. How unnatural ! How such a one must have resisted every natural impulse of the heart to have fallen into such an abnormal state of mind ! No faith, no hope. Spiritual deformities. To look upon a man who is deformed or maimed for life, — a dislocated jaw, a broken nose or an eye knocked out — is naturally revolting. How unsightly and ugly ! But not half so hideous or so repulsive is he who is thus physically deformed as he who is spiritually deformed, wanting in these Christian qualities so inherent and natural to all mankind. No faith : he does not ask and hence does not receive ; he does not seek and hence he does not find ; he does not knock and therefore the door is not opened unto him. ¶

[FR] No hope. How unnatural! Pope says: ¶

[FR] "Hope springs eternal in the human breast, Man never is but always to be blessed." ¶

[FR] And another poet, after telling us of the pleasures of hope, exclaims : ¶

[FR] "Cease every joy to glimmer on my mind, But leave, O leave the light of hope behind." ¶

[FR] Young women, you daughters of Zion, who delight in making yourselves look fair, I shall not censure you or find fault, you were created so; but if you would be beautiful indeed then garnish your minds, your inner selves, with these virtues, with faith, hope and charity ; and lift up your souls in grateful adoration to God, the giver of every good. Then shall these virtues permeate your whole being and shine forth in a matchless beauty that may not be acquired in any other way. Young men, cultivate these virtues; then shall godlike nobility be indelibly engraved upon your countenances, and that intelligence which is the glory of God shall fill your souls with joy and gladness even to overflowing. ¶

[FR] "Now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three ; but the greatest of these is charity." Thus writes the Apostle Paul to the Corinthian saints. Then what is charity ? Is it pity? Compassion? Almsgiving? Mercy? Yes, all these, but still more besides. The dictionary defines it as "universal love." The Prophet Joseph Smith says it is "the pure love of Christ." The Savior tells us that all the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul and with all thy mind," and "thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." This then is charity, which is the fulfilment of the law. This is the greatest thing of all. This achieved will sanctify us from all unrighteousness and prepare us for celestial glory. All else is merely the means to this desired end. This then is "that which is perfect," the rest is "that which is in part." Or as Paul further writes to the Corinthians : ¶

[FR] "Charity never faileth : but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail ; whether there be tongues, they shall cease ; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. ¶

[FR] "For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. ¶

[FR] "But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." ¶

For the accomplishment of this end the Évangile of the Lord Jésus-Christ has been revealed, through obedience to which we manifest our faith in him as the Savior of the world and receive the assurance that our hope for a glorious future life will be realized. No other name is given under heaven whereby eternal life, God's greatest gift to man, may be attained, other than the name of the Lord Jésus-Christ the very Son of God, whom he sent into the world to be our Savior. ¶

[FR] Let us then believe in him and cultivate his divine attributes as they are naturally inherent within us, even the true, the genuine, and reject the false, the counterfeit; then shall we grow in the knowledge of God and good works day by day and eventually receive the crown of eternal life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Amen. ¶

Elder David A. Smith

[FR] of the Presiding Bishopric ¶

My frères et sœurs, I assure you I appreciate the privilege of standing before you today. I fully realize that this is a difficult position to occupy. Not that it is difficult to bear testimony of the things of God, but one standing in this position and realizing the great responsibility, fears that he may not do justice to his subject. In the spirit of humility I approach this task and humbly pray our Père céleste that he will bless me in my attempt to address you. ¶

[FR] I was greatly impressed this morning with the remarks of President Grant. I had a feeling of joy come over me when he promised that if we would obey the law of tithing God would bless us. I am wondering how many of us are going to take this promise seriously. The Lord has made a similar promise before and has also reminded us that we have many things to do and repent of, for we are not pardoned because we seek to counsel in our own way. (D. and C. 56:13, 14.) Is it not worthwhile to receive these promises sincerely and with faith in their fulfillment through obedience to the laws of God? Surely none of us doubts that President Grant has a right to make this promise, and we should have no doubt that it will be fulfilled. May we take the spirit of this promise to our homes that we may be encouraged and encourage others in attempting to keep the commandments of the Lord. ¶

I was happy to hear President Grant read Section 11 of the Doctrine et Alliances and comment upon it. This section has always been interesting to me. I was attracted to it at first because it is a revelation given through the prophet Joseph Smith to my grandfather. To me this revelation contains a wonderful sermon which in my opinion was not intended for him alone but for all those who receive the priesthood. May I explain why I reached this conclusion? Since the beginning of the Église, men have been chosen and sent into the mission field to preach the Évangile of Jésus-Christ. They have not been chosen because of their educational attainments, but because of their humility and willingness to serve the Lord to the best of their ability. One of the many evidences that this is the work of the Lord is seen in the results of their labors. Very few have failed in their effort and we have no record of an elder, while serving as a missionary, leaving the Église to join another. We have looked upon this condition as being normal and in keeping with the Évangile plan. Many times have I heard Église members say, in some cases as an excuse for not supporting the priesthood quorums, the Sabbath school or the Seminary work, that the Lord does not require men of great learning to preach the Évangile, for he has promised to establish the Évangile through the weak things of the world ; and they point to the success of our missionaries to justify themselves in their failure to take advantage of the many opportunities afforded them to gain a better knowledge of the Évangile of Jésus-Christ, which, with the spirit of humility and faith, qualify them for this service. For faith, humility and knowledge are the weapons to be used in defense of truth and righteousness. Have we been guilty of "counselling in our own way ?" In this interpretation is it not an attempt to justify ourselves? Did the Lord intend to convey to his children the thought that they should wholly depend upon him? Are they not required to prepare themselves by storing up useful knowledge? To my mind these questions are of vital importance to us and I believe a careful examination of the scriptures will convince those in doubt that the Lord expects much of his servants by way of preparation on their part to qualify them to render efficient service, which preparation must come through a sincere desire to gain a knowledge of the Évangile through diligent research carried on in the spirit of faith and humility. ¶

Referring to Section 1 :19 and Section 35 :13 of the Doctrine et Alliances, who are the weak things referred to ? The answer given is he who does not "counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh." How are they to thrash the nations? and the answer "by the power of my Spirit." How are they to receive that power? The words of the Lord to Hyrum Smith in Section 11 give us the answer: "Therefore if you will ask of me you shall receive ; if you will knock it shall be opened unto you." "Seek not for riches but for wisdom; and, behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich." (D. and C. 11 :5, 7.) ¶

[FR] About eight years after this revelation was given the Lord said to Joseph Smith, "Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you, my servant Joseph Smith, I am well pleased with your offering and acknowledgments, which you have made; for unto this end have I raised you up, that I might show forth my wisdom through the weak things of the earth. (D. and C. 124:1.) ¶

We will recall that when the Prophet Joseph Smith was first called to this work he was a boy, unlearned but intelligent and capable of understanding the words of God. He was not a man of letters and had not learned to "counsel his fellowmen nor put his trust in the arm of flesh." Realizing that there was something lacking in the teachings of men and believing in the promises made by God to his children, as recorded in the scriptures, he went to the Lord to ask. His prayers were answered. That weakness, "speaking in the language of men," became strength, showing forth the wisdom of the Lord through the weak things of the earth. And it took years of patient study, intelligent research, and unquestioned faith, to prepare him for this great service. And through him the Lord has given us his word to direct us in our effort to prepare for his service. The following quotation from Doctrine et Alliances 84:106-110 is a notable example: ¶

[FR] "And if any man among you be strong in the Spirit, let him take with him him that is weak, that he may be edified in all meekness, that he may become strong also. ¶

[FR] "Therefore, take with you those who are ordained unto the lesser priesthood, and send them before you to make appointments, and to prepare the way, and to fill appointments that you yourselves are not able to fill. ¶

"Behold, this is the way that mine apostles, in ancient days, built up my Église unto me. ¶

[FR] "Therefore, let every man stand in his own office, and labor in his own calling; and let not the head say unto the feet it hath no need of the feet; for without feet how shall the body be able to stand? ¶

[FR] "Also the body hath need of every member, that all may be edified together, that the system may be kept perfect." ¶

[FR] It would appear that many of us have neglected to follow this instruction. ¶

[FR] "And I give unto you a commandment that you shall teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom. ¶

"Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the Évangile, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand." ¶

[FR] "And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom ; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom ; seek learning, even by study and also by faith." (D. and C. 88:77-79; 118.) ¶

This quotation also gives us a better understanding of the need of preparation for service in his great Église. ¶

[FR] The time is limited; it would therefore be unwise to comment longer upon these passages. May I therefore read a few passages from the Bible having a bearing upon this subject? Let us consider Paul's advice to Timothy. ¶

[FR] "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; ¶

[FR] "That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate ; ¶

[FR] "Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. ¶

[FR] "O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called : ¶

[FR] "Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen." (I Tim. 6:17-21.) ¶

[FR] "It is a faithful saying : For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him : ¶

[FR] "If we suffer, we shall also reign with him : if we deny him, he also will deny us: ¶

[FR] "If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful : he cannot deny himself. ¶

[FR] "Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. ¶

[FR] "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. ¶

[FR] "But shun profane and vain babblings : for they will increase unto more ungodliness." (II Tim. 2:11-16.) ¶

[FR] Also Paul's instructions to the Corinthians found in I Cor. 1:17-31. ¶

"For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Évangile : not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. ¶

[FR] "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. ¶

[FR] "For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. ¶

[FR] "Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? ¶

[FR] "For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God. it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. ¶

[FR] "For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom : ¶

[FR] "But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness ; ¶

[FR] "But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. ¶

[FR] "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men ; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. ¶

[FR] "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called : ¶

[FR] "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; ¶

[FR] "And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are : ¶

[FR] "That no flesh should glory in his presence. ¶

[FR] "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: ¶

[FR] "That, according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." ¶

[FR] Solomon calls our attention to the need of such training for we read in Proverbs 1 :2-7 : ¶

[FR] "To know wisdom and instruction ; to perceive the words of understanding ; ¶

[FR] "To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; ¶

[FR] "To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. ¶

[FR] "A wise man will hear, and will increase learning ; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels : ¶

[FR] "To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. ¶

[FR] "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction." ¶

Now, mes frères et sœurs, it seems to me the Lord has given us his plan in clearness, and our duty is clearly defined and definite. Ample provision has been made available for such training for all who should be prepared to engage in the work of the Lord. For years we have urged that young men serve as Ward Teachers that they might have an opportunity to discuss Évangile principles in the homes of the saints, thus applying in actual service the information gained through study in their quorum and auxiliary meetings. We have also urged that we carry out the commandment of the Lord in requiring the priest to "preach, teach, expound, exhort and baptize." It is such experiences that give to those who go into the mission field a burning testimony of the Évangile, and which sometimes, I am sorry to say, some lose after their return, because of lack of proper Église activity and spiritual food. How much more successful would the work be if all missionaries were sent out with the training and testimony found in those who return. In certain sections this is being done. Why not in all? Surely we are left without excuse when we fail, and how much easier would be the task for the mission presidents who are constantly pleading for missionaries, as well as for the missionary himself, if such interest were taken in him before his departure. ¶

[FR] "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (II Tim. 1 :7.) ¶

May the Lord bless you. I rejoice in his great work. I am thankful to him that I bear his holy priesthood and that I am permitted to labor with you in this great cause. May God bless us and help us to carry on this great work and responsibility which he has placed upon us, I pray in the name of Jésus-Christ. Amen. ¶