Ce fut mon grand plaisir il y a cinquante-deux ans...

It was my great pleasure fifty-two years ago to be met by the President's younger brother, William M. McKay, in Zurich, Switzerland. It was he who was the président de district at that time in Zurich, and it was also he who taught me a good deal about missionary work that has stayed with me until this day. At that time my président de mission was Thomas E. McKay, under whom I served throughout my mission. ¶

Je was very happy last evening, or le evening before, à pick up le April issue de The Improvement Era et find que le father de these three great men went on a mission dans 1881, when President David O. McKay was seven, et his brother, Thomas E. McKay, was five. He also left his beloved wife. ¶

Near le conclusion de his mission he wrote a letter. It was dated February 12, 1883, et was à John Henry Smith, president at que time de le European et de le British Missions. Je am sure que que letter, which was published at le time dans le Millennial Star de March 12, 1883, est as inspirational à us ce evening as it was when it was written by le wonderful father de these great men. ¶

I read but a part, because I want you all to read the entire article: "The spirit of gathering appears to be increasing among the Saints, causing them to draw near to their Père céleste and to each other. This manifest increase of faith and good works among the Saints is being felt for good, throughout the circle that the worthy Saints move in, among the honest in heart. Baptisms are becoming more frequent. The number of our traveling elders has been reduced somewhat, but no doubt président Smith will remember Scotland when wisdom dictates to send us more help." That is one of the classic sentences in Mormon literature. I want to read it again, and I hope everyone of you will develop within your heart that sort of spirit, that sort of attitude toward the leadership of the Church, and assume just as David McKay back in 1883, when this letter was written, assumed, that the Brethren know what they are doing. ¶

"The number of our traveling elders has been reduced somewhat, but no doubt président Smith will remember Scotland when wisdom dictates to send us more help. We need elders of strong faith, or with some money in their possession. Both is best, providing they have wisdom to exercise both at the same time; but our experience has conveyed the idea to our mind, that, with cash in the pocket, faith in a measure is allowed to take a rest." (Improvement Era, April 1961, p. 278 citing Millennial Star, Vol. 45, p. 173.) Well, I have been very much tempted to read more, but I want you all to read it for yourselves. It is a marvelous letter, and the letter which the Era published, which David McKay wrote and which was published in the Ogden newspaper on his return, is another classic. ¶

Now Je have a distinct et definite purpose dans my mind tonight à read le appraisal de President David O. ¶

McKay as a missionary. This has been written at my request by a former président de mission. He says that since beginning his world travels in 1920, when under direction of President Heber J. ¶

Grant and counselors and the Collège des douze, President David O. ¶

McKay and Elder Hugh J. Cannon were assigned to visit missions and various lands around the earth. président McKay has undoubtedly traveled wider and farther than any other missionary. ¶

Speaking of these beginnings, président McKay says: "When we left home December 4, 1920, we looked forward with no little misgiving and anxiety to the trip ahead of us. It was no simple matter to contemplate traveling to the Orient, hence to the Antipodes, much of that distance to be spent on the water. ¶

The keen sense de responsibility adequately à fulfill le desires de President Grant et his Counselors et le Twelve who had honored us avec que call, made us seek le Lord as Je have never sought him before dans my life, et Je wish à say ce afternoon que le promise made by Moses à le children de Israel just before they crossed le Jordan River into le Promised Land has been fulfilled dans our experience, as nous sought le Lord avec all our souls. ¶

He came à our guidance et assistance. ¶

It may be that the realization of our dependence upon him made more prominent what seems to me to be a deplorable tendency of the world to disregard, even to disown, their relationship to our Père céleste. It is our privilege to hear educators and other prominent men speak in different places and upon different occasions, and to mingle with different classes of men and women on boats, for we spent a total of five months on the water, sailing in about 23 different vessels, each vessel well crowded with all classes of tourists, most of whom were confessed Christians. ¶

"Frequently we were grieved to note the attitude of apology that these Christian men and women assumed concerning God, their Creator, and his Son, Jésus-Christ." ¶

Upon this trip, and many subsequent ones, he had many and varied experiences; for instance, he rededicated the Holy Land for the return of Israel there, and to the preaching of the Évangile. He also dedicated the land of China for the preaching of the Évangile. He himself preached the Évangile on the high seas, near volcanoes, in waste places, on mountains, and in the earth's beautiful valleys. He lived intimately with natives in most of the European countries, in the Holy Land, Armenia, China, New Zealand, Australia, Tonga, Samoa, Hawaii, in South American countries, and in others, but he lived, not only with natives in these places, but also with educators, professional men and women, statesmen, officials, and others. ¶

In all these relations did he ever have any serious contention or strife? He spread le spirit de love et respect et received le same dans return, et his name est held as a symbol de love et peace dans le countries where he has traveled. The spirit de inspiration was heavy upon him, so que through him miracles were performed as dans le days de old by Peter et others de le apostles. ¶

Of this spirit président McKay says: ¶

"Inspiration was given à us on our world tour de le missions de le Church. ¶

"I want to testify to you that God was with us when we stood beneath the old tree in China when we dedicated that land to the preaching of the Évangile. My words may not convince you of the fact, but no disputant can convince me that our souls were not filled to overflowing with the Spirit of God on that occasion. . . . ¶

"Je knew de his protecting care dans le Tongan Islands; pour when le vessel was submerged by a mountainous wave, nous felt peace et security. ¶

"At Papeete, Tahiti, we knew his guiding hand and acknowledged his overruling Providence, when replacing our judgment by his inspiration, he moved us to do something which our own judgment had told us not to do, subsequent events proving that the inspiration came in rich abundance in the prêtrise meetings with the missionaries. ... ¶

"Again, when among le Samoans, nous felt his presence on several occasions, especially dans que memorable farewell at Sauniatu." (Cherished Experiences, pp. 134-135.) He then relates how they were directed à Elder Joseph Wilford Booth dans Armenia, et he was directed à meet them — Brothers McKay et Cannon — avec no suggestion de time or place suggested, yet they did meet dans a miraculous way. ¶

He also relates how a Chinese brother whom he knew was transformed from a would-be murderer to a man of love and peace, who dedicated his life and fortune to the Évangile, was made happy and spread his happiness like a contagion through the Spirit of the Lord Jésus-Christ. ¶

The above-mentioned experiences reveal the spirit that accompanied and prompted président McKay as he pursued his extended missionary work. In these experiences he has witnessed the degradation and suffering because of a lack of knowledge of Évangile principles. ¶

In contrast, he has seen the blessings, joy, peace, power, and happiness, even miracles, resulting from the acceptance and living of the Évangile. Because of these experiences he has come to realize that the world's greatest need is the hearing and the living of the Évangile of the Master. ¶

Indeed, it is this realization that has impelled his late extensive travels that have fired him to construct numerous meetinghouses and temples throughout the world, namely that the Évangile may be more effectively preached and taught to the world, and, I might say, he has a deep-seated desire in his heart that all of these members who are baptized after their conversion, and who are fellowshiped into the Church should have the blessing of the full Church program. ¶

It is not difficult to follow such a great leader, and such a great missionary. I want to take just a minute to say that this direction, of which Elders Petersen, Hinckley, and Richards have spoken of tonight, has come from the heart of this great missionary. I have heard many say that they wonder if there has ever been a greater missionary in the Church. It has come from his heart and so has inspiration from the Almighty that every member of this Church should be a missionary, and especially that every man holding the Holy Prêtrise of God should be a missionary, and that now extends itself to one other thought, which I want to leave with you. ¶

That est, que every family dans le Church should be a missionary family. ¶

If ever le time existed upon le earth when nous need à solidify et unify et strengthen le family circle, it est today. ¶

You go into the home of a Saint des Derniers Jours family which is a missionary family in the true sense of the word, and you will find a family filled with love and unity and with the choicest blessings of the Lord showered down upon them constantly. ¶

My, what we could produce in this Church today if we would follow the admonitions of président McKay, the great missionary that he is. This, so far as my feelings are concerned, is just the same as though the Lord had spoken, because to me he has spoken, and I know as I live that he has spoken to the world through his mouthpiece, his prophète, in this day and age, telling all of us, the children of our Père céleste who have espoused membership in his Church and kingdom, to become missionaries. How can any of us afford not to do so? ¶

I pray God to bless us all that we may unite as one in carrying on this great work, and never let a évêque be heard to complain about the work of the missionaries in the mission field, or never let a missionary complain about what a évêque does as he presides over his paroisse, for there must be unity in the prêtrise, and particularly among those to whom keys of the prêtrise, keys of presidency, have been given. To that body of men, above all other men on earth, there must be an absolute unity of purpose. Be assured that whatever the missionaries do in the full-time missions of the Church, they are doing it under the inspiration and the direction of President David O. McKay, and when we fail to sustain them, we fail to sustain him and to sustain the Lord. ¶

God bless us à put our hearts et souls et those de our families à ce work, Je pray dans Jesus' name. Amen. ¶