Young Men Should Be Prepared for the Ministry

I feel, my brethren and sisters, in standing before this great assembly of people that I occupy a very responsible position. The words spoken by Apostle Merrill come home to me with considerable force, that when one stands up to claim the attention of so many people, he certainly needs the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that the time may be spent profitably. The time of the people should not be wasted through men speaking by their own wisdom and without the inspiration of the Lord. I sincerely pray that that spirit may direct me in the few words that I speak, and that I may have the sympathy and the faith and prayers of this great congregation of Latter-day Saints. ¶

I have rejoiced exceedingly in the meetings of this conference and in the glorious instructions that have been given by the servants of the Lord, as they have been moved upon by the power of the Holy Ghost. I thank the Lord that in my heart there is a response to the teachings that have been given by the various speakers, and that I feel in my soul that I am in full accord with, the doctrines that have been announced; that I sustain them, and that I can bear testimony to their truth and to their great value to this people. I feel that there could have been no man or woman attend the assemblies of this conference without feeling that he or she has received instructions from the Lord, and has come away with a determination to improve in the future with the assistance of God. I know my own heart has had feelings of this nature. I have felt that I would endeavor to do better, that I would pay attention to the hints that have been thrown out and to the doctrines that have been given and try to keep the commandments of the Lord more fully. There is a splendid opportunity for all Latter-day Saints to accomplish a great amount of good. We heard here this morning and we all ¶

understand it, that the responsibility of preaching this glorious Gospel, which has been revealed by our Father in Heaven, rests upon this people, particularly upon those who bear the authority of the Holy Priesthood. When we think of the vast field that opens up before us, of the millions of people who know nothing concerning the glad news that God has sent to His children on the earth, we should be anxious to qualify ourselves for these duties and responsibilities. ¶

I feel that greater attention should be given to the young men who are growing up in our midst. There should be greater anxiety upon the part of fathers and mothers and of men who are in authority, to train them in the principles of the Gospel, that when they leave their homes and go out into the world to preach the Gospel, they may be qualified for that labor, that none of them may be in the condition of some who have declared that they never studied the Gospel, that they did not know where to find certain books of the Holy Scriptures, and that they had never prayed publicly in their lives, not even in the family circle. I rejoice that there are opportunities abounding on every hand, if the people will take advantage of them to educate their sons and daughters in the principles of the Gospel and to prepare them for this serious responsibility that must come upon them in the future. We have many schools organized that are under the control of the Latter-day Saints, where the principles that are so dear to us are taught to the students. I feel that all the people should give encouragement to these worthy institutions. They should send their sons and daughters to be educated under the influence of the Gospel, that they may grow up with an understanding of its principles and be capable of defending them when they go out among the people. I believe that in one particular we could make very great improvement, and that is in a musical way. As I listened to the solo that was rendered here this afternoon by Elder Ensign, who has recently returned from missionary labor, I felt in my heart that the power and ability that he has in this direc- ¶

tion has been as of great worth to him in the preaching of the Gospel as a knowledge of the scriptures. If greater attention were given to this subject of the training of young men and of young women also, how to sing the songs of Zion, it would be of great worth to the missions to which they go. I think that if Mission Presidents who are in this congregation were asked, they would bear testimony that they would rather have men sent into their missions who could sing well and who could teach others to sing, even though they could not preach at all. This has been my experience in the European Mission, particularly in Great Britain. The young men who could sing the songs of Zion in a proper and pleasing manner were always in demand. They carried an influence with them that made them welcome at the homes of the people. They attracted attention upon the streets and they found good congregations to preach to, and they were able to do a great deal more good through being able to sing well than they otherwise would have done. Wonderful things can be accomplished in this direction. Prof. Stephens, I believe, at times has had thousands of students under his direction, training the youth of this Stake of Zion particularly, to sing the songs of Zion. Other musical directors could follow this example. They should persuade young men to join their choirs, to form glee clubs, and to prepare themselves in this way to make a good impression on the people when they go out to preach the Gospel. ¶

I do not feel, my brethren and sisters, that it would be proper for me to occupy more of your time; but I do rejoice in this Gospel. I thank God with all my heart that I have been born and reared in the midst of the Latter-day Saints. I testify before you that this work is of God; that there is power and salvation within it; that it has been revealed by the God of Heaven for the benefit and blessing of the people. I pray God that we may be stirred up as a people; that we may believe that there is a Prophet in the midst of Israel and that the God of Heaven has spoken to him and has commanded him to warn this people of the error of their ways and to point ¶

out to them the way in which they should walk, that they may be blessed of the Lord. Let us receive the counsel given; let us believe the word of the Lord; let us sustain His servants, and let us awake to the responsibilities that rest upon us and follow in that straight path that will bring us everlasting life. May God bless us and help us to live aright all the days of our lives, is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶