Keeping the Commandments

I have rejoiced exceedingly in the conference we have had the privilege ¶

of attending—I have been much pleased with the remarks that have been made in this overflow meeting this afternoon; and trust that the remainder of the time I may occupy, I may do so under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit ¶

I love the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ—I love to minister among the Latter-day Saints, and have had exquisite joy in this labor, and particularly have I rejoiced that upon some occasions I have been the instrument in the hands of God in touching the hearts of those who have grown careless and negligent in their duties, and they have seen fit to reform their ways and to be more diligent in His service than they have ever been—It requires a constant warfare on the part of every Latter-day Saint, for him to make a success—We cannot measure the work of God by the things of this world—God tells us in the Doctrine and Covenants there is no gift greater than the gift of salvation—We as Latter-day Saints have all started out for the gift of salvation, and we should so order our lives that when we have finished our work we shall be worthy to go back into the presence of our Father, and be worthy not only to receive exaltation ourselves, but also to receive our wives and our children that have been sealed unto us that we shall possess them—No amount of testimony, no amount of knowledge, even knowledge that this is God's work, will ever save a man so that he will have his wives and his children, but the keeping of the commandments of God will entitle him to that blessing—That is the only way that they can possess them in the next world, for those they have will be taken away, unless they keep the commandments of God ¶

I wish to call your attention to the—many failures that have been made because of failure to keep the commandments—The Lord told Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer that if they labored all their lives in bringing but one soul to the knowledge of God they should have great joy—Notwithstanding this revelation, these men did not remain faithful, notwithstanding these men saw the angel of God; notwithstanding they gave their testimony to the Book of Mormon, in which they declare that they knew that the plates had been translated by the gift and power of God, for "His voice hath declared it unto us; wherefore we know of a surety that the work is true " And again they testify that the angel came down and they beheld and saw the plates and the engravings thereon, and they say: "It is marvelous in our eyes, nevertheless the voice of the Lord commanded us that we should bear record Of it; wherefore, to be obedient unto the commandments of God, we bear testimony of these things—And we know that if we are faithful in Christ we shall rid our garments of the blood of all men, and be found spotless before the judgment seat of Christ, and shall dwell with Him eternally in the heavens " Notwithstanding all this, they failed to keep the commandments of God, and fell by the wayside—Take Sydney Rigdon, who was with Joseph Smith when he received that great vision and revelation wherein it is declared that they saw Jesus Christ who came into the world to bear the sins of the world; and the testimony which they bore of Jesus was: "After the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we zive of Him, that He lives, for we saw Him, even on the right hand of God, and we heard the voice bearing record that He is the only begotten of the Father " And they testify that they saw the angels and those that were sanctified singing praises to God—I say, notwithstanding they saw—the Savior and bore His testimony, this man Sidney Rigdon, fell by the wayside—I say to the Latter-day Saints, no amount of knowledge, no amount of testimony, no amount of sealing in the temples of God to our wives and children will save us; but the keeping of the commandments of God, being honest in our dealings with God and with out fellow men, paying our tithing, obeying the Word of Wisdom and doing our duty as Latter-day Saints — these are the things, and the only things that will save us ¶

What does the Lord say? "Although a man may have many revelations, and have power to do many mighty works, yet if he boasts in his own strength and sets at nought the counsels of God and ¶

follows after the dictates of his own will and carnal desires, he must fail and incur the vengeance of a just God upon him " It is easy for us to fail to be honest with Almighty God in the payment of our tithes and offerings, and to follow the dictates of our own wills—The devil is ready to blind our eyes with the things of this world, and he would gladly rob us of eternal life, the greatest of all gifts—But it is not given to the devil, and no power will ever be given to him to overthrow any Latter-day Saint that is keeping the commandments of God—There is no power given to the adversary of men's souls to destroy us if we are doing our duty—If we are not absolutely honest with God, then we let the bars down, then we have destroyed part of the fortifications by which we are protected, and the devil may come in—But no man has ever lost the testimony of the Gospel, no man has ever turned to the right or to the left, who had the knowledge of the truth, who was attending to his duties, who was keeping the Word of Wisdom, who was paying his tithing, who was responding to the calls and duties of his office and calling in the Church ¶

May God bless us! May the teachings of this conference abide with us, and may God help all of us to be true to Him, is my prayer and desire—I ask it in the name of Jesus—Amen ¶