Seek for the Best Gifts

My brethren and sisters: This idea of having short speeches and songs interspersed meets my mind exactly. It is an arrangement which seems to please the people. In Boxelder Stake we have our opening exercises, then we have the sacrament, after the sacrament singing again, then a short sermon, then a song, then another short sermon, and after that the concluding exercises; and that generally brings us to half past three, and we close our meeting. This is a custom we follow at all times, except during our conferences, when we go a little beyond that hour. When this meeting shall have closed you will remember that the Temple choir has done a great deal in helping to make it interesting an<3 instructive. ¶

I sat in the Tabernacle and looked out upon the vast congregation of Saints, I was impressed with the remark of President Cannon when he reminded us that the Church had grown from a small beginning, from an organization of six members in the year 1830, to what we witness today. I remember the time when President Young was in our midst, and a large canvas was stretched through the centre of the Tabernacle, and at conference time there were no more people assembled to hear the instructions of the servants of God than we have in this hall today. We now have this congregation and an immense congregation assembled in the Tabernacle, and I see hundreds of people passing back and forth; and there are hundreds of Saints upon the streets of Salt Lake City at this moment walking back and forth, and visiting among their friends. And there are other hundreds of people that could not come to this conference being detained at home owing to the lateness of the season, as they are putting in their seeds, trimming their trees, and putting things in order. We have grown to be a mighty people in the midst of the Rocky Mountains; and the peculiarity of it all is that this people are held together. You go down into the Utah Stake of Zion, meet with ihe people there in conference, and you will find the same spirit prevailing in their midst as we have witnessed at this general conference. If you go up into the Boxelder Stake you will find the same spirit prevailing there. If you go down to Old Mexico and meet with the Saints in that part of the country, there will be the same good spirit of the Gospel; and so in Canada, and in all parts of the Church. How is it that this people are not wandering away into false doctrines and into heresies and becoming darkened in their minds and contending one with another? It is the marvelous power of God that holds them together. I used to wonder, years ago, how it would be when the Church grew in numbers and spread out, filling the land north and south, east and west — how they could be held together and kept as one people having one faith, one baptism and one understanding of the Gospel. There is no power under the heavens that could accomplish this wonderful thing but the power of God; and it is a testimony to me of the truth of this great work. If I saw nothing else about it, this would be convincing to me. We are established in the mountains, and the character of our organization, the character of our teachings, the character of our temporal work, is such that we are attracting the notice of the world; and the rich men, and the learned, and the dignitaries of this world who go forth and visit from place to place, feel that their, journey is not complete until they have visited Zion. They come into our meetings and learn something of our doctrine or organization; they go out upon our streets, visit the lake, and they see that wonderful building there; they go into our Tabernacle and are entertained there by musical selections from the great organ, and observe the remarkable accoustic properties of that building; they go out and look upon our Temple, and they see a building there that is fifty years ahead of the times, and it must surprise them greatly when they learn that that building was commenced in the days of poverty, and in the days of the afflictions of this people. But the grandeur of that building, which is estimated to have cost between three and four million dollars. The beauty of its finish, the richness of its furnishings, are nothing compared to the spirit that you find in that building. Strangers who look upon it and contemplate the work of the Latter-day Saints, have no conception of the spirit that dwells in that holy Temple. When the Saints go into that building they are at first impressed by its surroundings, by the spaciousness of the rooms, and the beauty of the furnishings; but after awhile they forget all that; they have no time to think about the building, they are so deeply impressed by the spirit that is there. A place where they can enter and leave the world behind them. They are not troubled in that house by the cares and the anxieties and the troubles of this world. The world seems to be far beneath them. They have no time to think about it. They are swallowed up in the spirit and power of God. In reflecting, I have been struck with the idea that had it not been for the condescension of God to His servant Joseph Smith the prophet, that magnificent building would be of little use to us, as there would have been no occasion to build it. We could not have used it if we had had it. Its arrangement is such that it would be good for no other purpose except the purpose designed by our Father — the performance of vicarious ordinance work for the living and for the dead. And it is through the blessing, mercy, and condescension of the Lord that we enjoy these blessings, and that we are permitted to go into the house of God; and that we are permitted to receive the Priesthood and go forth and work out our salvation in fear and trembling. ¶

I rejoice in these things, and I am truly thankful to be associated with you in this work of God. I have a desire in my heart to magnify the Priesthood and to follow counsel. I know there is safety in counsel. With the little experience I have had in the world, I have been delivered from many difficulties, I have been protected and shielded from harm, by following advice. I know that my Priesthood, my calling and the authority that God has given unto me, will be of little use in this world except I shall be submissive and willing to follow counsel. Let us reflect upon these things. Let us be wise in our day and generation, that God may be pleased to accept of our labors and crown us heirs with His Saints in His kingdom. I trust that this may be the case, in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶