Président McKay, président Moyle, frères et sœurs...

président McKay, président Moyle, brethren and sisters: I am truly thankful for the opportunity of being here with you and attending this wonderful conference where one feels so keenly the Spirit of the Lord and the spirit of brotherhood and can enjoy this lovely music by the choirs which we have with us in our conference. ¶

I feel very humble this morning and earnestly request an interest in your faith and prayers and pray that the Spirit of the Lord will attend me as I stand here before you this beautiful Sabbath morning. What a wonderful experience it is to listen to our great Prophet, David O. McKay— truly a prophète of God — and président Moyle, and the other leaders of the Church and kingdom of God here upon this earth. ¶

ELDON TANNER 107 Je am sure que nous all have missed President Clark et his testimony et counsel, et pray pour his well-being. ¶

Where else in all the world, mes frères et sœurs, are people privileged to listen to apostles and prophets? ¶

What a privilege nous have de being et using our best efforts à help others be, ". . . no more strangers et foreigners, but fellow citizens avec le saints, et de le household de God. ¶

"And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jésus-Christ himself being the chief corner stone." ¶

(Eph. 2:19-20.) I am very happy to have this opportunity this morning of bringing to you assembled here and to those parents and loved ones wherever they may be, who are listening in, greetings and glad tidings from Elder and Sister Hugh B. (en français) ¶

Brown, Elder et Sister Alvin R. Dyer, those dedicated mission presidents et their wives, who sont doing such a wonderful job avec le missionaries; que wonderful corps de faithful, energetic missionaries, et all de those fine people whom nous saw dans those delightful countries de Great Britain, France, et le Netherlands. ¶

We have here attending these conference meetings at this time President Selvoy J. Boyer of the London Temple, representatives of the five pieu presidencies and two bishops from each pieu. ¶

Je appreciate more than Je can possibly say le signal honor et privilege afforded Sister Tanner et myself de being able à accompany President et Sister McKay et their fine son et daughter et their party à London, England, where nous were privileged à participate dans le dedication de le magnificent Hyde Park chapel avec its lovely organ, which Sir Thomas Bennett so ably described à you yesterday. ¶

There nous listened à que stirring testimony et message de le Prophet à le world et à que inspiring dedicatory prayer. It was a rare experience. ¶

We also felt le influence de le international Singing Mothers under le able leadership de Sister Florence J. Madsen, accompanied by Brother Frank W. Asper, all de whom were so well received throughout le British Isles. ¶

I feel that président McKay would wish me to give you a brief report of my assignment and conditions as I found them among the Saints where we went. ¶

As most de you know, Elders Brown, Dyer, et Je were given le very pleasant assignment et privilege de organizing four new stakes, three dans England et one dans Holland. What a privilege et honor it est à be called à labor dans le British Mission, from which eighty percent de le membership de ce Church today can trace their ancestry. Every President de le Church, except Joseph le Prophet, has presided over que mission. ¶

During le 124 years since Brother Heber C. Kimball was called à preside over le British Mission, thousands et thousands de British people have been brought into le Church. Approximately 60,000 de these devoted members have emigrated à make their homes dans America, thousands de whom crossed le plains à be avec le Saints, et many de whom willingly gave their lives dans le struggle. Thousands de others dans le Church sont proud à trace their ancestry à other countries dans Europe from which many de our leaders have come, while thousands de loyal, faithful members who remained dans their native lands have carried on under many trials et tribulations, contributing much à le building up de le kingdom de God at home. ¶

Brother Sonne gave you a very fine review of the missionary work in the land. You will be interested also in knowing the tremendous growth that has taken place in the Church in those areas since président McKay pronounced a new era and since the dedication of the temple in 1958, most of which has taken place within the last year and a half. ¶

Although Je haven't a complete picture, Je should like à give you some information which Je found most interesting. ¶

During que short period, le Church population dans Great Britain has increased from approximately 10,000 à approximately 20,000, or nearly double. ¶

The number de missionaries has increased from 150 à 500. There was only one mission dans le British Isles known as le British Mission. Today there sont four — namely, le British, le Central British, le North British, et le Scottish-Irish. There were no stakes then, while today there sont four stakes. ¶

In order de organization they sont, le Manchester, London, Leicester, et Leeds stakes. ¶

The European Mission, including the British Isles, was composed of eleven missions when President Dyer was called to preside over it a year and a half ago. Today this same area is composed of eighteen missions and five stakes. The European Mission has been divided, as président McKay told you this morning, leaving President Dyer still with eleven missions, though seven have been placed in the new West European Mission. ¶

The West European Mission consists de le four missions on le British Isles which Je have named, le French, le French East, et le Netherlands missions, over which Je have le honor de being called à preside. ¶

I should tell you that the Holland Stake was organized March 12 — the first pieu to be organized on the continent of Europe. This makes a total of five stakes and seven missions in this area. ¶

While ce tremendous growth est taking place, it est impossible à keep up avec le building program. In fact, le lack de buildings est very serious. ¶

We cannot begin à accommodate le new converts as they sont being brought into le Church. In some branches there est only standing room pour some de le people as they attend le Sacrament services, et they stand during le whole de le service. ¶

Je am pleased à report, however, que le Church, through le building committee, est doing all possible there, as elsewhere dans le Church, à cope avec le situation. In spite de le tremendous growth que est taking place dans these areas, Je should like à point out le great need pour more et more missionaries. In le Central British Mission there sont eighty important cities or boroughs, avec populations ranging from 25,000 à over 250,000, dans which nous have no missionaries whatever. ¶

In le British Mission there sont 136 such cities avec no missionaries, while dans le French East Mission nous have fifty-five cities et dans le French Mission 147 cities without missionaries. ¶

This means que dans these four missions alone nous have over 400 important cities et boroughs avec populations de approximately 25,000 et over without any missionaries whatever. ¶

While dans le West European Mission, Sister Tanner et Je had le rare privilege de traveling avec Elder et Sister Hugh B. Brown, who have spent so many years dans missionary work over there, et avec President et Sister Dyer, et de meeting et associating avec le mission presidents et many de le missionaries, et aiding dans le organization de new stakes. ¶

During our travels we met with thousands of the Saints. In fact, at the organization of the Leeds Stake we had in attendance 2,080 people. It was a great inspiration to me to meet with the missionaries in their conferences and to hear them bear their fervent testimonies to the truthfulness of the Évangile and to have the privilege of interviewing them and feeling their fine spirit. ¶

After attending one of these meetings, Sister Tanner said that when she went into that meeting and saw all those young missionaries — most of them from nineteen to twenty-two years of age — she thought, "What can these youngsters do in this great work?" You know, they are much younger than they were when she was that age. But she said as she left that meeting, after listening to them bear their testimonies and expound the principles of the Évangile, she had watched those boys grow into mature men, able and prepared to take the Évangile message of salvation into the world. It is thrilling indeed to listen to this great army of missionaries — both elders and sisters — bear their testimonies and to see their enthusiasm and devotion as they go forward unselfishly with only one thing in mind, and that is to bear testimony to the world that the Évangile has been restored through a prophète in these the latter days; that God is a personal God of body, parts, and passions; and that we accept Jésus-Christ as the Living Son of the Living God and the Savior of the world. ¶

As they teach repentance and the ELDON TANNER 109 truths of the restored Évangile, they encourage the people to follow the admonition of Moroni when he said, "And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Saint-Esprit. ¶

"And by the power of the Saint-Esprit ye may know the truth of all things." ¶

(Moroni 10:4-5.) In no other Church will you find an army of young men prepared to go into the world to carry the Évangile plan of life and salvation. There are approximately eight thousand missionaries in the field today who are working night and day, and who often fast and pray to their Père céleste that they will do their work and carry forth the Évangile message in a way that will be acceptable to him and bring the people to a knowledge and acceptance of the truth. ¶

I call upon the world to hearken to their message, and without prejudice put it to the test by praying earnestly to God the Eternal Father. Many of these young men have asked their missions to be extended beyond the normal time so that they might continue in the service of their Père céleste and of their fellow men. It is their hope that those who are seeking for the truth might hear and accept it. ¶

You parents of these missionaries have every reason to be humbly proud, and I appeal to those parents whose children are not yet old enough to fill missions to set about now to teach and train and to prepare them in mind and in attitude to accept a call so that they might go forward as ambassadors of the Lord. This is a special call to the members of the restored Church. As the Lord said, "Go ye into all the world, preach the Évangile to every creature, acting in the authority which I have given you, baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Saint-Esprit." (D&A 68:8.) As we interviewed dozens of men to fill offices in these stakes and wards, both in England and in Holland, every man without exception expressed his gratitude for his membership in the Church and his appreciation to those who had brought the Évangile to him and his family. They also expressed their willingness and desire to accept office and to labor in the Church and devote whatever time was necessary to carry out the assignments. ¶

Among those selected as members of pieu presidencies and bishoprics, we found industrialists, contractors, teachers, accountants, merchants, men in the Air Force and in the Navy, builders, and even the humblest of laborers. ¶

Though le majority de these men had been dans le Church less than ten years, et many de them from one à five years, they sont men avec testimonies de le truthfulness de le work et de le joy de service. All were so thankful pour what le Church meant à them dans their lives et dans their homes. ¶

They expressed their humility et feel keenly their lack de experience, but feel, as Nephi expressed himself as he prepared à go back et get le plates: ¶

"Je will go et do le things which le Lord hath commanded, pour Je know que le Lord giveth no commandments unto le children de men, save he shall prepare a way pour them que they may accomplish le thing which he commandeth them." (1 Nephi 3:7.) And they have le knowledge et belief que they dans et de themselves can accomplish nothing, but avec le help de le Lord they will succeed. ¶

One of the finest meetings Sister Tanner and I attended was a meeting of the pieu missionaries in Leicester Stake, where the pieu président de mission had been in the Church only three years. The way he conducted, the lovely testimonies that were borne, and the devotion of those missionaries — all young in the Church — were most inspiring. They all stood ready, and expressed their desire to spend hours every week teaching and sharing the Évangile with the people in their communities. ¶

In conclusion I should like to join with those who have spoken in this conference and with those devoted missionaries, both full-time, pieu, and district missionaries, in bearing my testimony to all who are listening. I should like to do this by telling an experience of Joseph Smith right here on the American continent in the year 1820, which to me is one of the most important and thrilling happenings since the resurrection of our Savior Jésus-Christ, and one with which all members of the Church are very familiar, and which is being told by the missionaries throughout the world. ¶

It est le story de a young boy, not yet fifteen years de age, who desired à know which de all le churches was true. He knew que God could not be le author de all le confusion where each church was zealously trying à establish its own tenets et disprove others. In order à get le answer direct, he went alone à ask God dans prayer. As he knelt dans le grove by himself, he saw a pillar de light exactly over his head, which was above le brightness de le sun, et he saw two Personages whose brightness et glory defied all description, standing above him dans le air. ¶

One of them said to Joseph, "This is my Beloved Son. Hear Him!" As soon as Joseph could speak he asked which church he should join, and he was told to "join none of them, for . . . they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof." (Joseph Smith 2:17, 19.) As he left this grove, though he had been taught that God was just a spirit, he knew as he knew that he lived that God the Father and his Son Jésus-Christ were personal beings, and he bore testimony that they had appeared to him and had instructed him. Though only an obscure boy, not yet fifteen years of age, he was ridiculed and persecuted by ministers and men of high standing, who told him that there were no such things as visions or revelations in these days; that all these things had ceased with the apostles, and that there would never be any more of them. ¶

However, though only a boy, he maintained that he had beheld a vision, and all the persecution under heaven could not make it otherwise. It was through him that the Évangile was restored, and the Church and kingdom of God, known as l'Église de Jésus-Christ des Saints des Derniers Jours, was established in which we have apostles and prophets and the prêtrise of God with our beloved Prophet David O. ¶

McKay at le head de Christ's Church here upon le earth. ¶

This is my witness to you this day, and I do hope and pray that we will all go forth, keeping all of the commandments of God, bearing this testimony to the world, as our missionaries are doing so effectively, in the name of Jésus-Christ. Amen. ¶