Report on the Southern States Mission

(President of the Southern States Mission.) My brethren and sisters, I regard myself as being highly honored this day to stand before you for a few moments as the representative of the Southern States mission. I will say, in brief, that the Southern States mission was cut down to its present proportions last June. It now constitutes the states of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and North and South Carolina. There are about 100 Elders laboring there — good, earnest, faithful, hardworking men — your brothers, your sons, your fathers, but not many of your fathers. We would like to have more of the fathers. We have some faithful Saints in the Southern States mission. We also have some good friends, strong and influential. We are concentrating our efforts in the cities, and are meeting with good success. We have the promise of protection by the mayors and chiefs of police, and in most of the cities in which we are laboring, some 19 or 20, we have the privilege of preaching on the streets. It is true that we have some enemies. ¶

It has fallen to my lot to be much among the children of men preaching the Gospel, and I have noted one thing to which I wish to call your attention, by way of comparison, between the God we worship and the God worshiped in the Christian world, and their form of worship. I have visited a good many churches and have listened to their sermons. One of the things that strikes me most forcibly is that they are always talking of a "merciful God," pleading His "wonderful mercies," teaching His "mercies," calling for His "mercies." We seldom if ever hear them talk about anything else, but 'the longsuffering and mercies of God." I want to ask you: Do you often hear the Latter-day Saints talk about the mercies of God? Have you heard a single word thus far during this conference, from the servants of the living God, concerning His mercies? No; and why? Because the Lord has given us something better. Not only is the God of heaven, whom the Latter-day Saints worship, a merciful God, but He is something else. I want to speak of that something else in the view that I take of it. He is a God of justice; furthermore, He is a most munificent giver of great and wonderful gifts. I call your attention to some of those gifts: He gave us a Prophet, in the person of Joseph Smith, to reveal to us His mind and will; He has continued to give us a Prophet to lead and guide us, even to this day. This is certainly a great and wonderful gift. It might well be said among the children of men in the Christian world, "O for a Prophet of the Living God," providing they could only comprehend the great blessing it would be to them. Not only has He given us a Prophet, but Prophets, and further, Apostles; men after his own heart, men of God, filled with the Spirit of God, Prophets of the Most High, to guide and direct us. Are these mercies? No; they are grand and wonderful gifts, gifts such as the world knows nothing of. We are not yet obliged to plead for mercy. Next, we come down to such men as we have been listening to during the sessions of this conference — Presidents of Stakes. They are grand gifts, as are also their counselors and the Bishops, and all the directing officers in the ministry, at home. They are grand gifts whom God has given us to guide us through the dark ways of life, to lead us out of darkness into the glorious light of eternal truth. These are not mercies, they are gifts, such as we do not always appreciate, perhaps. Perhaps we do not always comprehend how great these gifts are; perhaps we do not always revere or treat those men as we should in their lot and calling. Then we have the various ramifications in the Holy Priesthood, which Priesthood is also a wonderful gift, as are the blessings that we derive through its administrations. ¶

I also desire to refer to His favors, because He is a God of favors. It is a favor to be called to the Priesthood as a Teacher, and to be required to labor in that capacity under the direction of any Bishop. It is an especial favor granted to every man who is called to an office in the Holy Priesthood, and to have that Priesthood bestowed upon him. It is a favor from the Lord to be called and sent forth to preach the Gospel in foreign lands, or wherever it may. It is a special blessing that God has given them; and if they will accept it as a favor and feel grateful to the Lord for the same, going forth and magnifying their calling, they will reap great and grand blessings, beyond their present powers to fully comprehend. God bless you. Amen. ¶