Striking Evidence of Friendship, Fast Offerings, and Avoidance of Debt

My dear brothers and sisters, it is indeed an inspiring sight this Sabbath morning to see this building so well filled with people who have come to hear the word of the Lord. I am thankful for the privilege of speaking this morning and bearing my humble testimony to the work of the Lord Jesus Christ that has been established in these last days. I am thankful that I am in harmony with the Presidency of this Church, and with the members of the quorum of the Twelve. I hope I am in harmony with every Latter-day Saint. ¶

If I had been called upon to speak yesterday, I felt in my soul that I would liked to have spoken upon the subject that is causing so much comment in the newspapers of the United States— the subject of blood atonement; but as Brother Ben E. Rich spoke upon it and explained to a certain extent the position of our Church in reference to it, I will be content in saying that I endorse every word uttered by him on that point, and I ask every Latter-day Saint to read his remarks. I was proud of all the men who spoke here yesterday, and who bore their testimonies to the work of God. I noticed that the most of them were young men, born in the church of Jesus Christ, and of parents who had suffered the hardships of the early days, and I was delighted with all of them for the testimonies which they bore that Jesus was the Christ and that this was the Church of Christ. When Brother Rich stood here and testified that he had not received his testimony from his father, but from God, I was happy in the knowledge that there were thousands of young men born in this Church who could bear the same testimony; and I know that the world loves a man who is true to his convictions and fearless in defending the right, wherever he may be. ¶

About three weeks ago I received a letter from one of the largest wholesale houses of Cincinnati, In which they stated to me that they had met Brother Ben E. Rich (for they called him "brother") and had offered him a place in their establishment for his headquarters, and that they would do all they could to help him along. I wrote an acknowledgment to that letter and told them I wanted them to take good care of him, for he was one of the noble sons of God, and whatever they did for him would indeed be appreciated by me. I know that I have hundreds of staunch friends outside our Church, and I believe there are hundreds and thousands of staunch friends to the Latter-day Saints. Whenever a man goes into the world and is not afraid to bear testimony and speak in defense of the principles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I tell you that honest men respect such a one for so doing'. ¶

I desire to call the attention of the people to a question that has come to my notice in traveling through the different Stakes of Zion, and that is in regard to fast offerings. I am pleased to state here that there are a number of the Stakes of Zion that have no poor within their borders, so I have been informed in meeting with them; but they have thought that, because they had no poor, it was unnecessary for them to collect fast offerings. To all such Stakes I want to say that it is a requirement of the Church that the Saints observe the fast day each month and that the food saved by abstaining from meals that day should be given to the poor of God's Church. If this were universally followed, there would be no one lacking food in all Zion. The requirement made by the Church in relation to fast day offerings should be adhered to by every member of this Church. It may be asked, What shall be done with the offerings in Stakes where there are no poor? I have told the Presidents of Stakes and Bishops of wards that in the Salt Lake Stake and other large Stakes there are hundreds of poor that need to be fed and clothed, and could be with ease if all the Saints paid their fast offerings as they should. If the Bishops will only notify the President of the Church that they have an accumulation of fast offerings he can tell them where to send it, and it will be put to good use. The poor people who congregate in the large cities can be helped by it. ¶

While I am on this subject, I desire to call the attention of the Bishops of the Church to some things I have noticed in regard to the distribution of the fast offerings, which, in my opinion, should be corrected. In one ward not long ago I was looking upon a list of the names of those who were helped from the fast day offerings. Standing at the head of the list was a man who had never in his life paid a dollar in any form to the Church of Jesus Christ, and he was a man who had been placed by the people in positions that brought him a deal of means every year. He lived for years in that Stake of Zion drawing a princely salary, but forgot to pay his tithes and offerings; and now that adversity has overtaken him he is ready to come and ask that the fast offerings be given to him, and seems to feel that he has a greater claim upon them than some faithful Latter-day Saints who perhaps are suffering more than he, but who may not call upon the Bishop so persistently as he does. I believe with all my heart in looking after the poor, no matter what their condition may be; but I ask you Bishops and the people to first remember those that remember God in the days of their prosperity. I trust that every one who asks aid from the fast offerings will be worthy of it and will have a rightful claim upon the offerings of the people. ¶

In many parts of the Church, especially in the outlying districts, the fast offerings are mostly paid in flour and produce of various kinds, and where such is the case, I would ask the Bishops to have the Deacons call upon the people every month for these offerings, and let them take what they gather to a place where it will be kept and cared for. In this way let the people be reminded every month of the requirement that is made of them. I understand that in Salt Lake City and one or two other large towns where they handle nothing but cash, the offerings are paid at the fast meeting. Where it can be done in this way, it is all well and good; but in the great majority of the wards of the Church we feel that the Bishops should see that the Deacons collect the fast offerings. ¶

I also desire to call another thing" to the attention of this vast audience, and I would that my voice could reach every home in Utah and wherever the people of God live. I refer how to the practice of running in debt. I ask the people of the Church of Christ to get out of debt, if they are in debt; and if they are out of debt, to stay out. Everybody has employment now, money is plentiful, the banks being full of it, and it is easy to borrow; but I ask my brethren and sisters to remember one fact, which is considered as much a truth in business as any truth of the Gospel is religiously, and that is this: Failures are not made in times of depression. In hard times men's creditors try to make them pay up and crowd them pretty closely, and while a failure may occur in hard times the cause of it began in prosperous times, when credit was easy. I ask those who are in debt, to get out of debt while these prosperous times are upon us. Speculation is rife in the land; men are reaching out all over, and, I am afraid, reaching farther than they can gather; and the people here as well as in other parts of the country need to be warned against this tendency. I ask the Saints, as the President of the Church asked the Priesthood last night, to get out of debt, and keep out of debt. I want to say to the wives of the Church: Whenever your husband asks you to place a mortgage upon your home— the shelter of yourself and children— if it be not to save his honor, do not sign the mortgage. If he insists upon it, plead with him for your home and the home of your children. Fathers, I say to you, wherever you have a piece of land in Zion, I trust that you will not sell it. Do not sell your inheritance. Do not sell the farm that you have worked on. If you are getting old, divide it up with the boys and keep them at home. I wish that every farm in this land was farmed as it should be, and every corner attended to. I have often said that if the sugar factory in Utah county had done nothing else than to learn our farmers how to farm, it had proved a blessing to the people of Utah. I say so now. I ask the farmers to see that every foot of their land is cultivated, instead of some of it going to weeds, and then you will not have to have your boys hunting new places and getting from under your influence. ¶

I ask God's blessing upon this great multitude, and upon His Church and people, wherever they may be upon the face of the earth. My prayer is that that blessing shall be upon them, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶