Special Work of the Seventy and Home Missionary Labor

I feel, my brethren and sisters, that life is too short and our time is too brief to be spent in making apologies or excuses, or for expressing myself as being surprised. I think we ought to educate ourselves not to be surprised at almost anything happening that pertains to our calling in the only holy Melchisedek Priesthood, for we never know where lightning will strike We are not acquainted with those that will be released, or with those that will be sent to the nations of the earth; but we believe that it comes from God. I do know and testify that when a man is appointed to fill a place, notwithstanding the fact that he may not have all the qualifications, nor be endowed so richly as some other man may be, and the people may be surprised at the appointment, yet the Lord is able to qualify him. It is marvelous in my sight how men that are called by divine authority increase in wisdom and knowledge, how they progress, and how well they fill their positions when they have the spirit of their office and calling. Now, brethren, I know what my Priesthood and calling is. I am young in experience, but I know that I am a special witness of the Lord to the nations of the earth, under the direction of the traveling High Council; if I fall short in some directions, if I exhibit weaknesses, I ask the Lord to cause that my integrity and my loyalty and patriotism to the Church of Jesus Christ shall never wane. I do not want to be afraid of man. I want to open my mouth and use the talent which the Lord has given me. What I say may not be in harmony with some men. Those that it is in harmony with, there being a congeniality and an affinity between us, I may be able to reach their hearts. ¶

It is difficult for the First Council of Seventy to talk of anything else but missionary work, because that is our special calling. I desire to call the attention of the Presidents of Stakes and the Bishops of wards to the fact that 50 letters were sent out yesterday, under the direction of the First Council of the Seventy, asking that the first 50 quorums in the Church each furnish two Seventies to fill missions. I think we were explicit enough in telling them the kind of missionaries we wanted, and I hope they have them. While we acknowledge that you cannot grind men over, neither can you li^ their heads, we have asked for men of a certain kind. There are seven presidents to every quorum of Seventy in the Church, and there are 142 quorums, numbering 9,500 Seventies; and if they cannot find 284 missionaries out of the 142 quorums, then I suggest that they sell out and let someone else "tin the business. We desire them to be careful about their morals, about their spiritual, their physical, and financial condition. I wish we could strike out that word "financial;" but we cannot; for if Seventies are in debt, in bondage, they will have to stay noii;r> and pay their debts. That is one of the greatest difficulties we have to meet in calling for missionaries. ¶

Our Brother McMurrin has talked to you about the foreign missionary work, and I desire to corroborate what has been said. There is not an Elder that has ever presided over a mission who would not prefer a young man to a man who is old; but I want to tell you that two young boys can do a lot of mischief in a short time, they intend to do right ,and they try to do right, and the Lord blesses these young men most wonderfully; but where you put two of them together, they are not acquainted with the customs of the people, they are not experienced, and it takes a great deal of wisdom and courage to go among the children of men and have the finger of scorn pointed at you and be as unpopular as a "Mormon" Elder is. Educated as we are, and breathing this mountain air for 20 years, it takes a little training before you can turn the other cheek and treat those kindly who spitefully use you. It takes a little education to learn how precious are the souls of the children of men in Hie sight of God. So we need some older men to put their hands on us younger boys and hold us down. We are a good deal like Peter. I was that way. I would have cut more than one of their ears off, if there had been someone to stick them on again. That is the spirit of young men at first; but after awhile they moderate. You will be surprised how I will moderate in the next ten years; I will be as mild as a summer's morn, because I will commence then to look for death. But I expect to live a number of years yet, and I hope the fire won't entirely burn out of me. I had one of the Apostles tell me, "Brother Kimball, if you don't quit making so much noise, you will burn out." "Well," said I, "I want to burn out, and give room for somebody else, as I believe some men live too long." ¶

I desire to call your attention to a revelation, and I have tried to understand the part which I shall read: ¶

"Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God; "For,Behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh;' wherefore He suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto Him. ¶

"And He hath risen again from the dead, that He might bring all men unto Him, on conditions of repentance; "And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth. ¶

"Wherefore you are called to cry repentance unto this people; "And if it be so that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with Him in the kingdom of my Father? ¶

"And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me? ¶

"Behold you have My Gospel before you, and my rock, and my salvation!" ¶

Now, my brethren and sisters, I feel to testify. I believe fervently, after giving it a moment's consideration, the testimony that was borne by President Smith regarding the onward progress of this great work. I believe that it has been established upon the earth, never to be thrown down, nor given to another people. I believe with you, my brethren and sisters, who have a testimony, that your feet are planted upon the rock of salvation, and that you know that Jesus is the Christ. I believe that you will be saved in the kingdom of our Father. I believe that a greater part of you will be true, will be steadfast, will be firm, immoveable and unshaken. You are not dazzled nor bewildered by these allurements that are finding their way among this people. You have got past that. You no longer have on your shoulders young heads; you no longer care for society, worldly society; you no longer hunger after the things of the world. You have been able to stamp under your feet these appetites and these weaknesses that young men have not yet overcome. When you came into the world men were not so bewildered with the things of the world. These things have come with luxury and riches, and you, as has been stated, are becoming rich. I declare to you that we, the sons and daughters of those old pioneers, are becoming effeminate, and we no longer believe that we can do the things our father did. It would be almost a crime to ask me to do the things my father did. I do not think I would do them, though I might if I were called upon to do so. Why, to preach the Gospel without purse or scrip, by some it is believed it cannot be done, even in countries where custom will permit of it. We are being impoverished in order to send our sons upon missions; and if you send some of these married men, who have kept the first commandments of God, which is to multiply and replenish the earth— well, the Bishops do not want them to go, because it means the support of a wife and perhaps thirteen children, if it is in a good healthy country. I do not blame the Bishops, because it is a great responsibility; and there are mighty few men in the country, and less in the cities, that have money in the bank. I have interviewed some of the Seventies of Salt Lake City, and I have seen thirty men in one evening, every one of whom said, in substance, "If I go on a mission, I lose my position, there is no income, and my family are helpless." These things have to be met, and I realize it. I think there is a wonderful missionary work to be done. They have over 1,300 missionaries in the world and among them some very bright young men, with great faith, and they will do a great work, and will speak the languages of the earth by the inspiration of God. ¶

Now, after having referred to you older brethren, how you are fortified and fastened, how faithful you are to keep the commandments of the Lord and pay your tithing, what about your sons and daughters? Are they converted? Are they fastened? Can you handle them? Are there any of you Presidents; of Stakes and Bishops that feel about to falter and say that they are getting beyond your reach? We are doing a great missionary work at home. In every stake of Zion home missionaries are sent out among the people to preach, and we preach, and we preach, and we preach most eloquently. But these boys are not there. Possibly not twenty per cent of them are at your meetings when the home missionaries talk. Of course, there are some exceptions. Now, what are you doing about them? We preach daytimes, and I believe ardently that we sleep too much nights. I remember Brother Lyman saying, 'Young man, how old are you?" "I am over forty." He said, "I thought so, because you commence to hunt for an easy chair even now." At forty we commence to hunt for an easy chair; and so when night approaches, it seems that we parents all go to bed, that we may rest. I rather believe the idea that if the presidents of Stakes and Bishops of wards would appoint missionaries to walk the streets at night, there would be a marvelous work done in Zion. The devil does not do his dirty work in the daytime, when the sun shines; but he is getting so he does. some here under the blazing electric light. Are we going to watch our children? I remember being in a far-off settlement not long ago, where they see few if any of the leading brethren, and yet they number over twelve hundred. They have a great many young people, and when I retired to my bed after the meeting I was kept awake all night long by the boys and girls running the streets of that settlement. I got up towards morning, looked at my watch, and it was then 4 a. m., and they were still roaming the streets. While it may have been harmless and they may have been pure in their intentions, I tell you in the name of Israel's God it is one of the criminal things that are going on in this land. The devil is breathing In the hearts of our young people, and the very air is stagnated in some of our larger cities with the spirit of immorality, and no greater sin can find its way in the hearts of our young people. I tell you, it is your duty and it is my duty to go out as missionaries; not to preach these things from the pulpit, not to talk to our sons and daughters publicly, but privately, and " point out to them in a proper way, the great and abominable evil of secret sin. Some of you in your far-off districts are not burdened with what we call civilization and the things of tho world; but you are menaced, and the greatest danger that menaces you today is immorality, and secret sin. You know how we guard our missionaries. The Elders yesterday pled with a number of missionaries till tears came to my eyes. Oh, brethren, avoid wine and women as you would the gates of hell. Don't allow any woman to take your honor. Don't allow any woman to take your arm. Keep them at arm's length; and as you expect to honorably fulfill your mission and have the Spirit of God burning in your hearts, see to it that there are no courtships, that there are no arrangements made of any kind to -enter into matrimony; but come home clean and pure and sweet before the Lord." As one missionary said, when he returned home from his first mission, he was about to step over his mother's threshold and his mother said, "Hold on, my son, have you come back to me as pure and as good as when you left?" He was able to say, "Mother, I am pure, I am clean and sweet before the .Lord;" and she threw her arms open and took her son in her embrace. ¶

Brethren and sisters, are we going to fortify the youth of Israel and the daughters of Zion, that they can withstand these men who seem to think it is their special mission and that they are justified in coming among our people and ruining our daughters and leading away our young men? God bless you. Amen. ¶