Opening Remarks

I feel very thankful that my life has been preserved to attend another semi-annual conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I hope and trust that while we are together our hearts may be lifted in prayer to God, and that we may enjoy His Holy Spirit and the revelations of heaven; that what may be said while we are assembled together during our conference may be according to the mind of God. ¶

I feel that of all people under heaven, we have the greatest reason to rejoice before the Lord that we have lived in a day and generation when the God of Israel has set His hand to establish His Kingdom, to gather together His people, to build up Zion, to carry out the great purposes which the Lord has promised and given by revelation through the mouths of inspired men—Prophets, Patriarchs and Apostles—since the world began. I rejoice in the Gospel of Jesus Christ; I always have since I have been made acquainted with it. ¶

It has been my lot and privilege to be associated with the Latter-day Saints for over fifty years. I have seen the afflictions, the tribulations, the persecutions through which this people have been called to pass from their organization until the present day. But we have everything to encourage us as the Saints of God, as those who have entered into covenant with Him, obeyed His commandments, and walked in the ordinances of His house. The Lord has never in any dispensation or generation failed to carry out His purposes and His works; and of all the generation and dispensations that God has given to men, this last and great dispensation—the greatest of all dispensations—has been revealed to the human family. ¶

The Kingdom has been revealed, the Church of Jesus Christ has been organized, the Zion of God has been inaugurated, the people of God have been called together; and in all the troubles and trials through which we, as a people, have been called to pass, there has been no power that has stayed the hand of God or thwarted His purposes with regard to the carrying out of His principles or those which have been revealed unto the Latter-day Saints. ¶

The Lord has called—commencing with Joseph Smith, the Prophet of God—Apostles and Prophets, Patriarchs and Elders, High Priests and Seventies in these last days to go forth and warn the world. We have been under the necessity of doing this. As the Lord told Ezekiel, He sent him as a watchman unto the House of Israel; He told him what the consequences would be if he did not fulfil his mission and do his duty—that the blood of that generation of the House of Israel would be required at his hands. So the God of heaven ordained when He raised up Joseph Smith the Prophet to organize the Church and Kingdom. He stood as a watchman on the walls of Zion unto this generation. There are 30,000 people, I suppose, today dwelling in these hills of Israel who hold some portion of the Holy Priesthood. it is our duty to warn the world; we have been called to do this; we would have been under condemnation if we had not fulfilled that duty; and so the Church and Kingdom of God have grown until the present day. ¶

With regard to our future, it is in the hands of God, who holds the destiny of this people and of all men in His own hands. I would say to the Latter-day Saints. Fear not; lay your burdens upon the Lord, and He will not fail us. He will not fail in carrying out all His purposes and all His promises unto us. The Zion of God will arise, and so will the glory and power of God, and we shall be prepared as a bride for the coming of the bridegroom. ¶

Let our hearts be raised to God while we are assembled together in this Conference, that we may have His Holy Spirit with us continually. ¶