Words Inspired by the Holy Spirit Are Scripture and Magnifying Callings

I have greatly rejoiced in the spirit of this conference. We are assembled here, a mighty host of Israel, gathered together from all parts of Zion. We have with us the First Presidency, members of the quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the presiding Patriarch, the Seven Presidents of Seventies, the presiding Bishopric. We have Patriarchs, High Priests, Seventies, Elders, bearers of the lesser Priesthood, and members of the Church in great numbers, who have come up to wait upon the Lord. The heathen would say perhaps: "We have our gods before us. We can see and feel them, and we fall down and worship them. But where is your god?" The answer is that our God is not far away, and certainly He is not beyond the bounds of time and space; but He is a God who hath ears to hear, eyes to see, and a mouth with which He can speak to His people. ¶

We may get a general idea of the character of this work and of this great general conference by the revelations of God which have been given to us in this age of the world. Upon one occasion, in speaking through the Prophet Joseph Smith to Oliver Cowdery, the Lord said: ¶

"If thou art led at any time by the Comforter to speak or teach, or at all times by the way of commandment unto the church, thou mayest do it. ¶

"But thou shalt not write by way of commandment, but by wisdom; "And thou shalt not command him who is at thy head, and at the head of the church; "For I have given him the keys of the mysteries and the revelations which are sealed, until I shall appoint unto them another in his stead." ¶

Upon another occasion the Lord said: ¶

"Hearken, O ye my servants! Ye are not sent forth to be taught, but to teach those things which have been put into your hands by the power of my spirit; and ye are to be taught from on high. ¶

"Sanctify yourselves, and you shall be endowed with power that ye may give even as I have spoken." ¶

Again, the Lord in a revelation to Orson Hyde, speaking of the manner in which the Gospel should be preached to the world, said: ¶

"And behold, and lo, this is an ensample unto all those who were ordained unto this Priesthood, whose mission is appointed unto them to go forth; "And this is the ensample unto them, that they shall speak as they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost. ¶

"And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost, shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord. shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation. ¶

"Behold, this is the promise of the Lord unto you, O ye my servants." ¶

We can see by this, my brethren and sisters, how great is the responsibility resting upon us in this important conference. If the Presidency of the Church and others who may be called upon, shall arise before the congregations of the Saints and speak by the voice of the Comforter, it is the will of the Lord unto us, and we are in duty bound to receive it. How much will we be benefitted by assembling together? Just so far as we lend a willing ear to the counsels which are given. During the conference possibly many principles of interest and importance will be touched upon. The law of tithing has been mentioned here; you may hear something further in relation to it. Is there need of such instruction? Verily there is. I presume there has not been a general conference convened for the last 60 years at which this principle has not been alluded to, and specific instructions given the Latter-day Saints. I grant you that there are many in the Church who are honest with the Lord, and who come up to the spirit of the law; but there are many who do not pay a full tithing— many who sit under the voice of the Priesthood, which is the mind and the will of the Lord, and go straightway from the meeting or the conference and fail to give heed thereto. It may be that the Word of Wisdom will be touched upon, and the importance of its observance set before the people. Is there need of this? Will somebody ask why is this principle again spoken of. Verily, it is not the word of man; it is the word of God to His people; and so long as it goes unobserved by any number of the Latter-day Saints there is need to speak of it. It may be that a word or two of counsel will be given in relation to magnifying the Priesthood. Is there need of such word? I ask the High Priests. Seventies, Elders, and the lesser Priesthood, is there need of something being said concerning the authority and power and sacred character of the Holy Priesthood? You know that there are many who disregard the Priesthood; many who fail to attend their quorum meetings, and consequently fail to catch the spirit of the Priesthood. Only about fifty per cent of those who bear the Priesthood are faithful in attending their quorum meetings, which have been appointed by the Lord, under the counsel and direction of the First Presidency of the Church. The brethren of these various orders of the Priesthood should meet together often, to bear testimony one to another and to be instructed in their duties, that they may exercise this sacred power for the salvation of souls. If any man or woman enters into the celestial kingdom of God, it will be by and through the authority of the Holy Priesthood. If we do not hold that Priesthood, and magnify it, we cannot pass by the angels and the gods. It may be that a few words will be said by some of the speakers in relation to the quorums of the lesser Priesthood. Words of instruction were given last night relative to them. The orders of the lesser Priesthood are very necessary and important in the Church, very needful to its welfare, and placed there by the God of heaven. This is the Church of God, not our Church, and who are we that we shall rise up and say that these quorums of the lesser Priesthood are unnecessary, and that we have too much Priesthood? It is God who has established the Priesthood, and set its bounds and limits. Something may be said in relation to the acting Teachers of the Church, who are called to act as Teachers in the lesser Priesthood. The ordained Teachers are usually young men from fourteen to eighteen or perhaps twenty years of age, who are not of themselves quite qualified to go out and teach the families of the Saints? Hence men are called to be acting Teachers, whose duty it is to take these young men with them in their visits to the people, that they may gain experience and become qualified to perform the functions of their office. If there is any duty neglected in the Priesthood, I think you will find it among the acting Teachers of this Church, who in many places fail to meet this responsibility. ¶

There has been no lack of instruction and counsel, from the days of the Prophet Joseph Smith until the present time. Twice a year in these general conferences, four times a year in the Stake conferences, once a year in the ward conferences, and then in the Sacrament meetings, the Priesthood meetings, and on other occasions, instruction, full and complete, covering the whole field, has been given to the Latter-day Saints. But I often think that some of us are like the people of ancient Israel— we are slow to hearken to the voice of the Lord. We acknowledge His hand; we admit the importance of these things, and see the necessity of them: but in many cases fail to carry out counsel, and thereby lose the blessing. I give it to you as my candid judgment that the great success which attended the ministry of Jesus Christ was due to His strict obedience to the will of the Father. I fancy that He sought to teach that lesson in all His life— almost by every word He spoke and everything He did. He was constantly striving to impress upon His disciples that He came not to do His own will, but the will of the Father who sent Him. Do you not remember that even at the age of twelve, when but a lad, upon one occasion he was separated from his parents. They searched for him with great anxiety, and finally discovered him in the temple at Jerusalem, disputing with the learned doctors. His parents chided Him for what appeared to them an act of disobedience in leaving them without their knowledge, and He turned and said, "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" Even at that tender age the spirit of obedience manifested itself, and He gave His earthly parents to understand that He was there to do the will of the Father. When He came to the waters of Jordan to be baptized, John the Baptist forbade Him, feeling that he was not worthy to baptize the Savior. The Savior said, "Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness." In other words, to render obedience to the will of the Father. He who was without sin and without guile went down into the waters of baptism, and when He came up out of the water the heavens were opened and the Holy Ghost descended upon Him in the form of a dove; and a voice came from the heavens, saying, "This Is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Why was the Father well pleased? Because of His obedience; because of His willingness to do that which was required, even though it seemed not to be necessary. Again He was willing to be lifted upon the cross. Did He not say to the Father, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt?" And did He not thus fulfil the will of the Father by His sufferings on the cross? Afterwards He ascended into heaven, and now sits upon the right hand of the Father, glorified, the Lord of life, the Savior of the world a perfect example of obedience! And should we not therefore follow His example, resting as we are under the great responsibility of having received the word of the Lord in relation to the various duties required at our hands? How strict is the commandment of God! Are we not told in the language I have quoted, that the President of this Church is endowed with the keys of the mysteries, and of the revelations which are sealed; but is there time at this conference to talk upon the mysteries? No; we must talk upon the practical things, especially those which are neglected by the Latter-day Saints. Then when the next conference comes we shall doubtless have to talk about the same things, again and again, because of our forgetfulness and our mortality. The President of the Church holds the keys of the revelations which are sealed. Have you forgotten, my brethren and sisters, that part of the plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated are sealed, to come forth in the due time of the Lord? Is this the due time of the Lord? Can we expect that these plates will be unsealed and these mighty revelations brought forth, unless we accept and carry out in our lives the commandments which have been unsealed and transmitted to us in the Book of Mormon, in the Book of Covenants, and in the Holy Bible — these glorious books which are before us, and which should receive our attention and our study, that we may become acquainted with the commandments of the Lord and observe to keep them, that we may prepare ourselves for the great revelations which are to come, and which will come, as the Lord lives. ¶

I rejoice in these things. I know that this is the work of the Lord. I know that His hand is in it, and that His power is with us. I have seen it manifested upon many occasions. I have received many testimonies of the truth of this work. I cannot deny it and never will so long as the Lord will bless me with His Spirit and the power of the Priesthood. It is the work of God; and all who give heed to it, and who go down into the waters of baptism and are baptized for the remission of their sins, have hands laid upon them for the reception of the Holy Ghost, and continue faithful, will receive a knowledge of this work, and shall know, as I know and as you know, that it is the work of the Lord. May God bless you and prosper you abundantly, is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶

Charles Kent rendered, with excellent effect, the beautiful hymn of which the following is the opening verse: ¶

0 my Father, Thou that dwellest In the high and glorious place! ¶

When shall I regain Thy presence, And again behold Thy face? ¶

In Thy holy habitation, Did my spirit once reside; In my first primeval childhood. Was I nurtured near Thy side. ¶