Discourse

President Joseph F. Smith, said it was gratifying to behold so many people gathered together in that Tabernacle at the opening of the Sixty-second anniversary of the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He trusted that the blessings of the Lord might be poured out upon all present, and that not one person who attended Conference would suffer in health by reason of the inclement weather. After expressing the hope that the Latter-day Saints in this city would open their houses to the visiting brethren and sisters on this occasion, and extend to them all the hospitality within their power, the speaker remarked that we were not in every respect just as we used to be. There was a time, he said, when the Saints rejoiced exceedingly in hospitality; it was at a period when there were not many rich among us. Now, however, that we had abundance, when many were rich and had ample homes, our visiting friends at Conference were under the necessity of obtaining lodgings at the hotels. Whether this was because we were less hospitable than formerly, or because the people were growing so numerous on the outside that the few inside were unable to entertain them was a question that they must answer for themselves. But he hoped the day would never come when the Latter-day Saints would feel inhospitable toward their brethren and sisters, the people of God, or towards the stranger within our gates; for hospitality, kindness, charity and love were some of the characteristics of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It behooved the Saints always, and under all circumstances, to be kind to their neighbors, true to their friends, to beware of their enemies, to be humble and submissive unto God, devoted to His cause and alive to their own salvation. ¶

Our salvation was the great object we had in view in gathering to Zion and embracing the principles of the Gospel which had been restored to the earth in this dispensation through the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brethren. Anything that would detract from that object and from our pursuit in that direction should be carefully avoided, while every principle that tended to advance us should be constantly sought after. ¶

The Latter-day Saints were said to be a peculiar people. In some respects perhaps they were, but in many respects, it seemed to him, they very much resembled the rest of the world. If we had received a knowledge or proof of those principles which emanated from God, and of which the rest of mankind were destitute, then so far as the Saints observed them, lived up to them, and were true and faithful unto them, they were distinct and peculiar from all other people. But with this exception they were like the rest of the world. How far we deserved credit that was not due to all mankind besides would depend upon our adherence to those superior principles of light, truth and knowledge which we had received in this dispensation of the Gospel which the world had not yet received. There were hundreds of thousands of people on the earth today who were as honest in every particular as the Latter-day Saints, who were quite as sincere, just as earnest in their faith, in their religion and as devoted to God. He had, however, in the course of his experience, met many who did not believe at all in Mormonism, who did not believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the Latter-day Saints believed it, and who were so prejudiced against them that it seemed impossible to open their eyes to the truth; yet they were more consistent according to their faith, according to their ideas of religion, and in their duty to God, more earnest and devoted than hundreds, aye, thousands, of those who professed to be Latter-day Saints and to have received the Holy Ghost. He had seen people who had such faith and such love for Jesus Christ, the Son of God, that they would not allow an ornament or an image in their house, nor even a picture to hang upon the walls, for fear that their thoughts, desires, and affections should be drawn from the great object they had in view—the worship of God. And yet they were not Latter-day Saints; neither could they be convinced as to their error with regard to their religious belief. He had asked himself often what would be the condition of this this class of people when they came to be judged “for the deeds done in the body.” While they had the privilege of hearing the Gospel preached in their lifetime, yet because of the superstition in which they had been brought up, because of the traditions of their forefathers, of the prejudices that had been begotten in the minds of the people generally concerning new revelations and new religions, they closed their ears against the truth as revealed by God in these latter days. ¶

The point to which he wished to draw attention was in regard to this thought. How would it be with the Latter-day Saints who had received the fulness of the everlasting Gospel and the ordinances appertaining thereto, but who were not sincere in their religion, who proved by their acts that they were not generous and kind to their brother and their neighbor, who were not honest in their professions and promises, who did not honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy, who used strong drinks and tobacco, who violated the Word of Wisdom and the law of God as revealed unto them, who were not charitable but judged their brother harshly, who were willing under some circumstances and in some cases even to wreck the kingdom of God on earth, as it were, and betray their brethren into the hands of their enemies out of spite, out of a feeling rankling in their bosom, and who were in every sense of the word anything but good Christians, to say nothing about being Latter-day Saints. He asked, what would be their condition when they stood before the bar of God “to give an account of the deeds done in the body.” Without attempting to answer this, he would assume that the condition of the heathen and the unbelieving, those who had never known God but had rejected the truth because of ignorance and superstition, would stand higher and receive a greater and more eternal weight of glory than such Latter-day Saints as he had mentioned; because when men and women descended to such conduct they ceased to be Latter-day Saints; they cut themselves off from the presence of the Father, from His mercy, and from the rights and blessings which He had in store for the faithful. Yet some of them had a standing with their brethren. They called themselves Latter-day Saints and would feel very much offended if told that they were not entitled to all the ordinances of the holy Gospel. We were all weak and erring creatures, and liable to do those things which were displeasing to God; we ought not to do these things with our eyes open, when we knew better. Little acts made up the sum total of our existence on earth. The speaker, in passing, urged a strict observance of the Sabbath day, and said that lying was an abomination in the sight of God. A man must not take advantage of his neighbor to wrong him in order to build himself up at another’s expense; he must not try to injure his character or stigmatize him in any way, because the Bible taught him different. Latter-day Saints must not do this, or they would bring down upon their heads the condemnation of God. ¶

The speaker next touched upon the importance of prayer and the keeping of all God’s commandments. Zion could only be built up on the principles of truth and righteousness. Men could not help to build up Zion who were hypocrites, liars, thieves, adulterers, whoremongers, or otherwise wicked in their hearts; neither could they have any lot or part in Zion when it should be built up. Therefore it behooved us as Latter-day Saints to remember what we had covenanted with God to do, and to do it. ¶

Some of those who knew him thought that he was a radical sort of person; that he was austere, somewhat harsh, perhaps, and exacting; but he believed there was not another man in Israel who was more ready to extend the hand of forgiveness and charity towards one who erred and made mistakes in regard to the matters on which he had been speaking, than Joseph F. Smith. ¶

The speaker here read from the Sixth Lecture on Faith, (Book of Doc. and Cov.) to show that exaltation in the Kingdom of God is only attainable by strict conformity with the law of self sacrifice—the giving up of all earthly interests and even life itself if necessary, for the sake of the truth. Only in this way can a man know that he is accepted of God and take hold of eternal life. ¶

Having dwelt upon the subject of love to God and to our neighbor, President Smith touched on that of faith. He instanced the cases of Job and Abraham, both of whom he said stood the severe test made by God in order to prove the sincerity of their love for Him. Later the Son of God Himself was put to the test, and later still the Apostles of Jesus Christ were subjected to torture, and even death, in order to prove whether they had the love of God in their hearts. Let the Latter-day Saints, he said, apply the test also and ask themselves the question, “Am I in a position to endure such tests of faith as these and not flinch?” God help us to live our religion, for it is good, it is righteous, pure and Godlike; for it emanated from God. ¶