Mes frères et sœurs, il y avait de la puissance...

Mes frères et sœurs, there were power and inspiration in the song which we have just sung. I appreciate the good singing by the various choirs who have appeared during this conference. I am especially grateful for the singing of the choir this morning, coming as it did from the Logan Institute and from the Utah State University. I am very happy that the program of this great Church provides for the development of choirs and choral groups. ¶

For a few minutes I would like to say something about our missionary effort in the world. This is a missionary Church, and when one becomes a member of it, he is also a missionary. As an introduction I want to read from the first section of the Doctrine et Alliances, which is also a preface, or an introduction, to the revelations which follow. ¶

Said le Lord: "For verily le voice de le Lord est unto all men, et there est none à escape; et there est no eye que shall not neither ear que shall not hear, neither heart que shall not be penetrated. ¶

"And le voice de warning shall be unto all people, by le mouths de my disciples, whom Je have chosen dans these last days. ¶

"And they shall go forth and none shall stay them, for I the Lord have commanded them." (D&A 1:2, 4-5.) The Savior's great commission to his chosen apostles prior to his ascension is similar in all respects to what I have read. Said he: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Évangile to every creature. ¶

"He que believeth et est baptized shall be saved; but he que believeth not shall be damned." (Mark 16:15-16.) Under those solemn injunctions God's work has gone forward dans le earth. ¶

Neither persecution, ridicule, nor bigotry have been able à stop it from progressing. ¶

When Je visited le Canadian Mission a few months ago, Je was told que Elder Orson Hyde opened le mission dans 1833. ¶

The Church was then three years old, after having been organized by six humble men. In le same year Joseph Smith le Prophet et Sidney Rigdon strengthened le mission by their personal ministry. Their first meeting was held dans a store building dans le province de Ontario. The location was pointed out à us as nous visited le place. It est a historical landmark. ¶

The result de que effort was fourteen baptisms. Three years later dans 1836 Apostle Parley P. Pratt went à Toronto. ¶

He had avec him a letter de introduction à John Taylor from a man named Moses Nickerson. Taylor was a minister dans le Methodist Church. Such letters sont now called referrals et sont very effective dans reaching le people. John Taylor et a group de businessmen were holding weekly meetings à study et search pour le truth, using le Bible as a guide. ¶

Parley P. Pratt explained the Évangile to those men, and all but one was converted and baptized. In the same year John E. Page and Orson Hyde returned and converted and baptized six hundred. ¶

Thus le work was begun dans le great country de Canada. ¶

I need not tell you what has happened since those early days. Similar results were obtained in Great Britain, in Scandinavia, in the United States, and elsewhere. In the year 1837, seven years after the Church was organized, Heber C. Kimball, a member of the Twelve, was set apart by the Première Présidence of the Church to preside over a mission to be established in England. Six others, similarly called and set apart, accompanied him. ¶

They were poor, these men, dans le things de le world. They had attended no theological seminary dans preparation pour their ministry, et they were not prominent dans le affairs de men. The following words from President Heber C. Kimball illustrate le spirit under which they did their work. ¶

Humbly President Kimball said: "The idea of such a mission was almost more than I could bear up under. I was almost ready to sink under the burden which was placed upon me. However, all these considerations did not deter me from the path of duty. The moment I understood the will of my Père céleste I felt a determination to go at all hazards, believing that he would support me by his almighty power, and endow me with every qualification that I needed, and although my family was dear to me, and I should have to leave them almost destitute, I felt that the cause of truth, the Évangile of Jésus-Christ, outweighed every other consideraion." (See Heber C. Kimball's Journal, Vol. 7, pp. 10-11.) There, mes frères et sœurs, is an example of magnificent faith. President Kimball was a strong man, full of faith and testimony. He was not easily dismayed. Many of you people who are now listening to me have visited the city of Preston in Lancashire, England. ¶

Some de you have seen le River Ribble, which flows through le city. It was dans que river que nine baptisms were performed, le first dans Europe dans ce dispensation. The baptismal ceremony was witnessed by a crowd de between seven et nine thousand people. Great Britain was being proselyted by great et good men who were humble et God-fearing, but very effective. ¶

In 1840 eight members of the Collège des douze were in England laying the foundation of the work to be done in that prolific field. Among them were Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Wilford Woodruff, and others. Their success was phenomenal. Nothing like it had occurred since Peter, the apostle of the Lord Jésus-Christ, delivered his marvelous sermon on the day of Pentecost. Congregations of religious worshipers joined the Church and accepted the restored Évangile. Many of them immigrated to America, to return as missionaries to their native lands and to make contact with their former neighbors and friends. ¶

Out de their numbers came great leaders like John Taylor, George Q. ¶

Cannon, Charles W. Penrose, Charles W. Nibley, et many others. From Scotland came le McKay family, whose faith et devotion have touched le hearts de thousands dans Zion et on foreign shores. The missionary system de le Church has not failed, nor will it fail. There est no commercial or professional aspect connected avec it. It est a plan de proselyting adopted by le Savior when he sent his disciples out into le world à teach le nations. ¶

Jesus chose humble men à represent him before le world. The same caliber de men has been chosen dans ce dispensation. Humility est a godly virtue. The missionary realizes que he est engaged dans God's work. It est not man's work. ¶

His best qualifications sont his worthiness et a firm et unshakable testimony. ¶

Someone has said, "A testimony supported by two or more witnesses est worth a thousand arguments." Je know que est true. Converts sont a source de strength à le Church. On June 6, 1840 le first company de English converts left their native country pour Nauvoo, Illinois. ¶

Other companies followed dans rapid succession. They arrived dans Nauvoo at a crucial moment when le forces de evil were asserting themselves avec persistent et relentless fury. God est blessing le missionary endeavors de 15,000 missionaries laboring at home et abroad. ¶

He will continue à do so. ¶

God's work will triumph in the earth, and the warning is going forth to the nations. May the Lord inspire us to support the missionary program of this great Church, I humbly pray in the name of Jésus-Christ. Amen. ¶