God's Message to the World and obtaining a Testimony

In listening to the testimonies and the instructions that have been given at this conference my heart has been full' of thanksgiving and praise to God, our Eternal Father for His loving kindness and tender mercy unto us His children. It is wonderful the knowledge that has been brought to the earth in the restoration of the everlasting Gospel, which was rejected 1800 years ago by the Jews and by the Gentiles. How highly we are favored to have the privilege of living upon the earth in the dispensation of the fulness of times, which was spoken of by all the prophets who foresaw the wonderful work that was to be done in the last days in the establishment of the righteousness of God upon the earth! "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved," is the message that we have been carrying to the people, with signs following the true believer. The restoration of the Priesthood of the Son of God and the authority to preach His Gospel and to administer in the ordinances of His house, has made it possible for all the children of our Father to obtain light and truth, if they desire it; for we are equal before the Lord as His children, and we all have the privilege of understanding the principles of life and salvation, no matter what our circumstances or position may be in life. The Lord hath said, "Look unto me, all ye ends of the earth, and be ye saved; for I am God, and beside me there is no Savior." ¶

The Latter-day Saints are called by the world "Mormons;" the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is called the "Mormon" Church. Why it should be so is a question. Mormon had nothing to do with the organization of this Church. The Lord Jesus Christ organized it. It is not the "Mormon" Church; it is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Those who embrace the doctrine of the Son of God are called Saints. Eighteen hundred years ago the members of the Church of Christ were called Saints. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Saints in Rome, to the Saints in Corinth. How came they to be Saints? Simply because they accepted Jesus Christ and believed in His doctrine. The Lord Jesus himself said: "My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine." It has been manifested at this conference, in the testimonies that have been borne by these living oracles, that they know that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, and that He has commenced His marvelous work and a wonder. I am not surprised that the wisdom of the wise perishes and the understanding of the prudent is hid, when they call the Church of Christ the "Mormon" Church. Please tell me where is the justification for calling the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ in this dispensation "Mormons," and the doctrine taught by the Latter-day Saints "Mormonism." I have never heard a justifiable reason why it should be so. It is done, under the influence of anti-Christ, for the purpose of impressing upon people that this is not the Church of Christ. Those who embrace the Gospel are called Saints, because they are true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ and in His doctrine. ¶

We worship the living and true God, our glorious Creator, in the name of Jesus Christ. We have accepted of the atonement; we have repented of our sins, and have been baptized by immersion for the remission of sins, to fulfil all righteousness, and that we might be born of the water; we have been sanctified in the precious blood of Christ, which follows the water, and we have received the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, and we have obtained a living testimony. This makes us peculiar. We have come out of the world and taken up the cross of Christ; we advocate His doctrines, and we know that they are true, for we have tested them. Every man and every woman who has ever accepted the doctrine of Christ in all humility and meekness, seeing light and truth from our Father in heaven, and has lived the principles of the Gospel, has obtained a living testimony that it is true. It shows us that the Lord is no respecter of persons, but every member of the Church of Christ has a right to knowledge, light and intelligence, and to know that the doctrine of Christ is true, by the revelations of Almighty God. We know that the Lord has established His Church upon the rock of revelation, and we know, as Daniel of old knew, that there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets. We know that the spirit of prophecy is in the Church, because we are continually hearing prophecies and seeing them fulfilled. The Apostles, under the direction of the Presidency of the Church, set apart missionaries to go and preach the Gospel to the nations, where they themselves have already been, and where they have given their testimony concerning this people and the restoration of the everlasting Gospel; and the predictions they utter upon the heads of those who are thus set apart are verified. The missionaries come back like the ancient seventy, who returned rejoicing in the power of God that had been made manifest in their administrations, even devils being subject to them. The Lord Jesus Christ told them not to rejoice so much in that as that their names were written in the Lamb's book of life. To have our names written in the Lamb's book of life is everything to us. But it is necessary that individually we work out our own salvation, and be in harmony with the eternal principles of the everlasting Gospel of the Son of God. The Lord Jesus Christ said unto His disciples anciently, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Believeth what? Believeth in the Lord Jesus Christ, in the atonement, in the resurrection, in holding communication with the heavens, in the spirit of revelation, in putting our trust in .God, in doing good, in fulfilling our individual missions, and being in obedience to the principles of the Gospel. This is .the only way by which we can obtain a knowledge of the truth. The Savior said, "No man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal Him." We are living testators that the Lord has restored to the earth this knowledge and made it possible for us to understand the things of God, , because we have the fellowship of the Holy Ghost. We declare these glad tidings of great joy to the people, calling upon them to repent, to worship the living and true God, and to obey the Gospel of the Son of God, that they may be put in possession of this priceless knowledge, that they may be delivered from ignorance, priestcraft, error, superstition, and the darkness that covers the earth and the gross darkness the minds of the people, by having the fellowship of the Spirit of God and being taught of His ways, that they may walk in His paths. ¶

After fifty years experience in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I do know most assuredly that God lives. I do know most assuredly that Jesus is the Christ. I do know most assuredly that the signs follow the true believer, and that the doctrine of the Father, taught by the Son is true. No man has ever accepted this Gospel and lived its principles, but has been satisfied and has obtained a knowledge that it is true. This is a glorious opportunity for mankind. The Lord Jesus Christ is coming in flaming fire, with ten thousand of His angels, to take vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospel of the Son of God. This Gospel is being preached by His authority. It is not the work of man, it is the work of God. This wonderful gathering that has been brought to pass has been accomplished by our Father in heaven, who is doing His own work. I thought the other day, when Apostle Grant was telling us of two being baptized in Japan, that is the way the Lord generally commences His work, the Lord Jesus Christ and John the Baptist in their dispensations, and in these last days Joseph Smith, Jr., and Oliver Cowdery, in the dispensation of the fullness of times. Jesus declared that no man could come unto Him except the Father drew him. All glory to God our Eternal Father that we have been drawn into His fold; that we had the moral courage to come out of the popular religions of the world and to take up the cross of Christ. We have been rewarded. The Father has given unto us a living testimony concerning this work, and we know that these principles are true. We say to all the world, Repent, obey the Gospel, receive the remission of your sins, become sanctified through the precious blood of Jesus Christ, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and be one with us in our glorious brotherhood in Christ Jesus, adopted into the family of our Father in heaven. God bless you, my beloved brethren and sisters. Let us _be encouraged; for I can bear testimony to the truth of the expression of our beloved President, that the Saints are improving, increasing in righteousness and in good works. I know it from my labors among the people. The power and Spirit of God rests upon me when visiting the Stakes of Zion under the direction of the Presidency, and I know the freedom we enjoy and the hearty reception we receive. I say, God bless you forever; and all glory, power, might, majesty and dominion be ascribed to God and the Lamb forever! Even so, amen. ¶