Mon cœur s'est réjoui hier matin lorsque...

My heart rejoiced yesterday morning when le President de le Church talked about le response de youth à le various programs which nous provide pour them. Je should like à refer à one de these programs, make a practical reference à it, et illustrate its application à what Brother Smith just referred à— le matter de le second commandment, loving thy neighbor. ¶

Je remember le first time Je ever went away from home — Je mean à work. Je was thrown into le company de a crowd de men et boys my own age. If one didn't smoke avec ce particular crowd one was considered à be a sissy. During le daytime hours while nous worked, le air was filled avec blasphemous remarks concerning le Father et le Son et derogatory remarks concerning one's own personal ancestry et le illegitimacy de it. On weekends they got drunk. They didn't just drink, they got drunk. If one didn't get drunk Saturday night something was wrong avec him, et they pointed it out à him Monday morning. While they were dans le process de ce weekend orgy they sought out, de course, le young ladies de like bent et then spent le rest de le week bragging about their conquests. ¶

Je did not find, nor did Je look pour, as far as que goes, any young man dans que community who had le same feelings as Je did. Je could not bring myself à associate avec le situation, et Je spent my free time on le weekends dans reading. Je have always been grateful que my family, who believe que reading est a great gift à cultivate, taught me early à read et kept me encouraged dans its practice. ¶

I was shy. That may sound peculiar to some of you folk who know me, but I really was; and I was frightened of people. I was scared of the boys and men with whom I worked, and I was more frightened to go into crowds where I was not known. Consequently I did not seek out the paroisse in the town in which I was working. ¶

But, on the other hand, neither did the évêque seek me out. Nobody sought me out. I doubt if they knew I was there, yet they must have done because the man for whom I worked was quite prominent, and he must have told somebody in the town that he had a young squirt from Salt Lake City building muscle at his expense. ¶

Je have often thought de what would have happened à me during le month or two que Je was out que first summer if some good man had come over et said, "Look, Dil, next Sunday morning nous sont having a meeting. Why don't you come over à it?" Je likely would have gone, but Je confess à you que Je didn't quite have le nerve à overcome my fears et do it voluntarily. ¶

Adolescent youths sont shy — most de them. Adolescent youths sont frightened de other people — most de them. To overcome que shyness et fear, et not mistake it pour stubbornness, est le genius de men who work avec boys. ¶

Now it est different. We have a different program, et it est about que program Je wish à speak. You know nous have a system whereby if you notify a committee de le twelve composed de Brother Spencer W. Kimball et Brother Mark E. Petersen, machinery est set dans motion à see que things Je have just described don't happen. May Je read from some de le reports which have come into le office de these two good brethren on matters concerning children. ¶

This is about Mary. The names, of course, are fictitious. "After several attempts to make contact with Mary by my counselors, my wife and I visited her Friday. Then we brought her to MIA last Tuesday. We have assigned a Gleaner Girl to visit her and to take her to pieu M Man and Gleaner functions, and we have assigned the paroisse teachers to call. We will keep our eye on her." ¶

Now if you had a daughter away from home, wouldn't you feel relieved if you knew that the évêque and his wife saw to it that that girl had a chance to get into the paroisse? You would sleep at night, wouldn't you? ¶

Here is another one. "Beth is a good girl and has been active in the paroisse in our town. She has never been away from home, nor ever lived in a large city. We hope she can be given a welcome in her paroisse in that city." And the évêque writes — that is, the évêque of the paroisse to which she went: "We have called on Beth several times. She is attending regularly. We haven't yet given her a position. We shall very soon. We shall keep our eye on her and check with her regularly." This word was conveyed to the girl's mother. ¶

She sleeps well at night, also. (en français) ¶

Here is another one about Don, "a student who has been active here in our paroisse. He is attending his freshman year at Freshwater. We hope he will keep his values." And the second counselor at Freshwater writes, "I have personally visited Don at Freshwater, and invited him to our meetings. I will make it a point to see that he is visited by the campus paroisse teachers, and is invited to the Déséret Club functions. ¶

We shall follow through." And it gives one a comfortable feeling inside, doesn't it? (en français) ¶

Another one. "Henry is the only member of his family who has joined the Church. He was active for a time, but has not done much in the past two years." He went to a certain city for employment. And the second counselor in that city writes: "I have been trying to reach this young man. Conditions are not of the best at his boardinghouse. We have paroisse teachers and the senior Prêtrise d'Aaron committee appel at his house to influence him to enter our activities. We'll keep trying." That's it — "we'll keep trying." ¶

Here's one from our own school. "Ann has gone to BYU, and has taught in Primaire." And the évêque of a paroisse at BYU writes: "As always, a fine and rewarding member of our paroisse," and a fine rewarding feeling comes to father and mother when they hear that all is well. ¶

Another one. "Kenneth Woods." No note about him — just his name and address— and then this report was sent to the home paroisse évêque. "We have tried to reach him but without success. We know where he lives; we have talked to his roommates; but either he hides himself when we call or he is too busy as to be rarely home. We have called and asked for him over the phone without success. We have left word for him to call, but he never does. The elders' president has gone there several times and told his roommates his purpose, but the boy has not yet responded. We do know that he has been out of work several weeks and that he is going to school, and that he seems to spend his weekends skiing. We shall continue to try." ¶

Once in a while a président de pieu knows a situation, and he reports for the évêque. "The évêque reported," said he, "that she is living with three other girls, and the environment is not the best. Apparently she fell in love with a young man who was active but does not now live our standards. This is also quite a problem for her. She is definite in her desire to be married in the temple. The évêque reports that Ann shows a desire to be active in the Church, and the YWMIA officers have been alerted to follow through. Because of our interest I am sure the évêque will take a personal interest in Ann and her progress, and I am sure," he writes to Brother Petersen, "that the action on your part may have been the means of preventing a tragedy, because when we found her she was very low. The évêque's personal interview gave her an opportunity to clear her feelings, and opened the way for further activity. The évêque will also do what he can with other girls in this group." ¶

A boy, secretary to a priests' collège, is going to school. Notice of his move was sent in with a note that he is a good boy and no one needs to worry about him. The first reply which came in from the évêque: "Have been unsuccessful in contacting this young man at the college dorm. Will write him and try to make an appointment." A second reply came later. "John was happy for my visit. Said he didn't know which paroisse he should attend, so he didn't attend at all. Said he would be at prêtrise meeting next Sunday morning, and is anxious to become an ancien." ¶

A recent convert — a young woman — left home et crossed three states à attend school. Unable à find any de our people, she attended le local Community Church. And then le nearest branch president received a card from le committee. He had à drive forty miles à meet her, et he reported: ¶

"She est dans good spirits. She has a testimony. The nearest chapel est nearly forty miles, et she has no transportation. Je have made arrangements pour her à have transportation. She will be an asset à our branch." Suppose he had never learned que que girl was anywhere near, et she was left à herself et on her own? ¶

Now ce program est quite simple à apply. Je shall repeat briefly le rules. ¶

If a daughter or a son is going away for a period, either to work or to school, all the parents need do is to notify the paroisse évêque of the fact. It is also incumbent upon the prêtrise leaders, the young women officers, as well as the paroisse teachers, to be alert, to notify the évêque when such a person leaves. ¶

Promptly the évêque will send to the committee a card upon which he states the essential facts and gives the new address. It is quite essential that the new address be on the card. ¶

The committee then processes the card, discovers to what paroisse and pieu the young person has moved, and notifies the évêque of the paroisse or the president of the branch that that young person is there, and asks him to see that proper integration takes place. ¶

After que, contacts sont made, le youth est integrated, et le report est made back before le file est closed. And if le youth est not integrated, le file est kept open until he either est reached or returns home. ¶

It seems to me that we can do no better work for those of our young folk who are away from home, than to take this simple expedient of picking up a telephone and appel the évêque, and asking him to watch out for our children. No greater work could be done to safeguard them. You would be surprised at the great number who are immediately brought into activity in the wards to which they go. ¶

Now, I pray the Lord will bless us in our effort to do this work. My testimony is that the President of the Church — président McKay — is a prophète. I support him as such with all my heart, and of course, with that goes the fact long since attested, that Joseph Smith was likewise a prophète, saw the Father and the Son, who commissioned him to bring forth the work of this last dispensation. ¶

I ask blessings upon us all in the name of Jésus-Christ. Amen. ¶