Futility of Opposition to the Church and the Gathering of the Jews

My brethren and sisters, I rejoice this morning in being present at this conference, and was happy in the reflection that the attendance upon the opening session was the largest I had ever witnessed. I was also happy in the testimony of President Smith concerning the spiritual condition of the Saints of God. It is indeed a glorious truth, when it can be said that the Latter-day Saints are in a better condition spiritually, morally and financially than they have ever been in before. I rejoiced to think that, notwithstanding all the efforts that have been made to retard the progress of God's work, it is larger, more prosperous, better established in the earth now than at any former period of its existence. ¶

This afternoon, when the choir sang this beautiful hymn they have just closed, I almost regretted that the desire for brevity would not permit them to go on with at least one or two of the other verses; for this song of Zion seems particularly adapted to the present condition of the Saints and the spirit of this conference. Listen to two or three of the other verses of this . hymn : ¶

What though our rights have been assailed? ¶

"What though by foes we've been despoiled? ¶

Jehovah's promise has not failed, Jehovah's purpose is not foiled. ¶

His work is moving on apace, And great events are rolling forth; The kingdom of the latter days — The "little stone"— must fill the earth. ¶

Though Satan rage, 'tis all in vain; The words the ancient Prophets spoke, Sure as the throne of God remain, Nor men nor devils can revoke. ¶

I say that I am happy in the reflection that the work of God, notwithstanding all the storms of opposition it has met, moves on apace in the earth, with a force that is irresistible; and I cannot help but rejoice just a little — the brethren must excuse me if there is just a little worldliness in my makeup, enough at least to rejoice in the failure of those who have assailed the work of God. Truly, it must be just a little humiliating to them when they see all their purposes thwarted, and every storm they start passes over the Saints only to leave them the stronger and the more confirmed in their faith. I cannot help but exult just a little at this condition of things. ¶

I rejoiced in the testimony of the brethren when they declared that the work of God was more prosperous in the foreign missions than it had ever been before, and that new doors were being opened for the proclamation of the Gospel. All these reflections made this forenoon a happy day to me, and I rejoiced in the glorious work of God and in the contemplation of its greatness and its stability, and especially since I received renewed assurances that it would remain in the earth until all that has been decreed concerning it will be realized. ¶

But these reflections, brought to my mind by the remarks of the brethren, caused me to extend my thoughts a little beyond the limits of their remarks, and I contemplated some of the movements that are taking place outside of the lines of our Church membership. I called to mind the promise of the Lord that He would bring to pass His great purposes among all the nations of the earth. And while the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is given a prominent part in this great drama of the last days, it is not the only force nor the only means that the Lord has employed to bring to pass those things of which His prophets in ancient times have testified. I desire to call your attention to a prophecy found in the Book of Mormon: ¶

"And it shall come to pass that the Jews which are scattered, also shall begin to believe in Christ; and they shall begin to gather in upon the face of the land; and as many as shall believe in Christ shall also become a delightsome people. ¶

"And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall commence His work among all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, to bring about the restoration of his people upon the earth." ¶

These are the words of the First Nephi. I wish to read; in connection with them, the words of the Lord Jesus Christ to the Nephites on the occasion of His visiting them after His resurrection from the dead and departure from His disciples at Jerusalem. After portraying the blessings that would be granted unto the Gentiles that should inhabit this promised land— the land of America — He refers to the promises that have been made to the house of Israel, and says: ¶

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, all these things shall surely come to pass [namely, the gathering of Israel, and especially the restoration of the Jews to the land of Palestine], even as the Father hath commanded me. Then shall this covenant which the Father hath covenanted with his people, be fulfilled: and then shall Jerusalem be inhabited again with my people, and it shall be the land of their inheritance. ¶

"And, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you a sign, that ye may know the time when these things shall be about to take place, that I shall gather in from their long dispersion, my people, O house of Israel, and shall establish again among them my Zion. ¶

"And when these things come to pass, that thy seed [referring to the' seed of the Nephites and the Lamanites] 'shall begin to know these things' [namely, that Jesus is the Christ, and that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation] 'it shall be a sign unto them, that they may know that the work of the Father hath already commenced unto the fulfilling of the covenant which he hath made unto the people who are of the house of Isreal.' "And then shall the work of the Father commence at that day, even when this Gospel shall be preached among the remnant of this people. Verily I say unto you, at that day shall the work of the Father commence among all the dispersed of my people; yea, even the tribes which have been lost, which the Father hath led away out of Jerusalem. ¶

"Tea, the work shall commence among all the dispersed of my people, with the Father, to prepare the way whereby they may come unto me, that they may call on the Father in my name; "Yea, and then shall the work commence, with the Father, among all nations, in preparing the way whereby His people may be gathered home to the land of their inheritance." ¶

Now, I have said that I rejoiced in the reflections that the remarks of the brethren called to mind in reviewing the conditions of the Church of Christ; in its growth at home, and in the increasing opportunities for proclaiming the truth of God abroad. But I rejoice also in those events that are taking place among the nations, in which a people enlightened by the revelations of the Lord through this Book of Mormon may see the hand of God and receive the assurance that the work of the Lord, not only within the boundary lines of the Church, but among all nations, is going on to its glorious consummation. ¶

Let me call attention to just one of these movements. The civilized world was thrilled with horror some five or six years ago by the atrocities perpetrated upon the Jews in Russia; and because of the oppression inflicted upon them a world of sympathy was called forth for that suffering people. Civilization cried out against the conduct of their oppressors. "Various questions were agitated concerning the Jews, and various movements were spoken of to bring to pass their deliverance out of that land. One man suggested that it might be a propitious time to establish the Jews in the ancient land of Palestine — a mere suggestion from Dr. Theodore Herzl. A short time ago — namely, "in the month of December, 1901 — we were surprised to learn that the suggestion had been acted upon and the movement it inaugurated had grown to such proportions that at a conference held in the City of Basle, Switzerland, there were more than one thousand representatives of the Zionist movement, which has for its object the colonization of the Jews in Jerusalem, and the re-establishment of the Jews as a nation; in fact, it is the ambition of this organization to have the Jews resume the broken thread of their national existence. At this conference, at which Dr. Herzl presided, he reported that the Su tan of Turkey, within whose dominions the land of Judea is now enclosed, was friendly disposed towards the colonization movement on the part of the Jews, and regarded them as desirable colonists, and intimated very clearly, so this man reported, that there would be no serious obstacle presented to the attainment of the ambition of this organization. So far as his government was concerned. Israel Zangwill, in the month of October, announced that out of several millions of dollars that would be necessary for the purchase of the land of Palestine, more than one million had been subscribed by three or four donors. At a conference of this same organization, held in the City of Chicago, at which there were representatives from ten states, and more than 2,000 people present, it was represented that there were more than 134,O00 shareholders in the colonization trust that proposed the settlement of the Jews in Palestine. I remember noting some few years ago, from the British consular reports, thhat there were but from 10,000 to 15,000 Jews in the land of Palestine; but later reports state that there are from 60.000 to 80,000 located in the land of Judea now. More than 134 societies, whose chief aim is the accomplishment of this purpose, exist within the United States alone, and the movement is gaining impetus and growing larger, and it begins to look like a settled fact that Judah's face is turned toward the land of his fathers. ¶

It would be interesting, if time would permit, to go into further explanation concerning this movement; but all I can do upon this occasion is to thus briefly call your attention to it, and also to the fact that the promise of the Father to that people begins to take the form of fulfillment. ¶

The passage I first read to you includes these words: ¶

"And it shall come to pass that the Jews which are scattered, shall also begin to believe in Christ; and they shall begin to gather in upon the face of the land; and as many as shall believe in Christ shall also become a delightsome people." ¶

The change of sentiment that seems to be taking place among the Jews concerning Jesus of Nazareth, is indeed remarkable. It is true that they refuse to regard Him as the Son of God; but if they have not yet brought their faith up to that high point, they have at least begun to honor Jesus Christ as one of the first of their race, and to be proud of the great peasant-teacher of Judea, as is evidenced by the expressions of many of their leading men. But to this other point in the passage under consideration: ¶

"And it shall come to pass that the Lord shall commence his work among all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, to bring about the restoration of his people upon he earth." ¶

One thing connected with the great latter-day work that has always had a wonderful influence upon my own mind has been the largeness of it, the greatness of it. I recognize in "Mormonism" one of the great world-movements for the accomplishment of the mighty purposes of God. It is connected with all the other great world-movements that are bringing to pass the revolutions now going on in the earth; the uplifting of one nation and the putting down of another; the enlightened policies of administration of governments by which the liberties of the people are extended; the destruction of isolation which has hitherto separated great empires of people from the commercial and social contact with other nations are all movements which have connection with "Mormonism." The work of scientists and inventors resulting in making the earth a network of railroads and telegraph lines, and converting the oceans, once a terror to man, into merely convenient highways of commerce, together with the establishment of those systems of communication which bring all parts of the world into immediate touch with one another. All these things, I repeat, have a relationship to "Mormonism," in that they are means by which physical conditions are being brought into existence that will co-ordinate with those spiritual and moral conditions which "Mormonism" will yet establish, and will bring to pass, the realization of the world's hope for that reign of peace and righteousness called the millennium. ¶

I thought perhaps that by calling your attention to things outside the lines so far reached by the remarks of my brethren, might increase your joy and lift up your hearts in gratitude to the Lord for allowing us to be connected with a work so glorious, so immense; a work that reaches backward into the past, that fills entirely the present, and that will shape the destiny, of the human race. I thank God for the bigness of His work, for its successes at home and abroad, and for the indications to be seen in the revolutions going on about us that God's spirit is working among all people, to bring to pass the accomplishment of His great designs. ¶

May the Lord bless you, Amen. ¶