Obedience to Truth

I sincerely ask an interest in your faith and prayers. I desire to speak to you under the influence of the Holy Spirit, for any other influence would not edify us. I rejoice in seeing this large attendance at our conference. It manifests to us that the Saints are desirous of coming together and receiving the word of the Lord. ¶

I was very much interested this morning in the remarks of our brethren who spoke to us. President Smith told us to be free, and not to be the slaves of sin. On one occasion, our Savior, in addressing the Jews who believed on Him, said to them, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." They said to Him, "We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?" Jesus answered them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin." In other words, the slave of sin. The Lord has commanded us that we shall loose the bands of wickedness and break every yoke. Now, we want to enjoy the blessing embodied in the words of Jesus: "The truth shall make you free." The Lord wants us to be free. In fact, one of the objects of our coming upon the earth was to be made free, and to learn the right use of freedom, or free agency. The Lord does not want us to be slaves, or even servants, in the sense of being in bondage; but He wants us to be His free sons and daughters. He wants us to learn the right use of free agency. The man who abstains from sin and from indulgence in sinful pleasures is not a servant or slave; he is a free man. Too many there are who do not understand this, and who lack the moral courage to use their free agency and do that which they know to be right. Too many there are who are afraid of what others shall say. Latter-day Saints, be not afraid of what others' may say; but be afraid of what He who knows the inmost thoughts of your hearts shall think and judge of you. The man who chooses to continue in the word of Christ, not only in the hearing but in the doing of it, though it may deprive him of the good opinion of many, shall know the truth, and the truth shall make him free indeed. We should examine ourselves, and find out whether the truth has made us free, or whether we be still slaves to those influences that we know are not of God. Are we doing the things which God has forbidden? If so, it is time for us to loose the bands of wickedness and break every yoke. It is time for us to get out of bondage, and feel within ourselves that we are free indeed. ¶

When the Gospel was first preached to us we were full of doubt and darkness. By obeying the word of God we received an assurance that we had made a covenant with Him, and that He had accepted us. Doubt and darkness left us. The light of the Holy Spirit filled our whole beings, and we felt that we were free. Have we continued to be free like this? Have we not, in too many instances, yielded to temptation and indulged in that from which we had covenanted to keep ourselves free? I am afraid that too many of us will find this in our history. My exhortation is, Let us learn to know ourselves, and to know how we stand with our Heavenly Father; and, knowing this, so shape our course that we can gain His favor. ¶

We rejoice in the fact that the work of God is growing in the earth, and that He has been with His servants in their labors to promulgate the glad tidings of salvation unto men. Our missionaries have gone to nearly all lands, and are proclaiming the will of our Heavenly Father and telling men that the time is quickly approaching when Christ will come the second time. When He came the first time, He descended below all things that He might redeem mankind, but He will come in glory to the earth, with His holy angels, to meet His Saints. That time is approaching. Much will have to be done, no doubt, before Christ will come to reign upon the earth. How long it will be we do not know; but we know this: the work in which we are engaged is the preparatory work for His coming. We call upon the whole world to repent, to turn unto God, to have faith in Him, to keep His commandments, and do the things which He has ordained for salvation; then lead such lives that they can say in truth that they have taken upon them the name of Christ. ¶

We, the Latter-day Saints, partake of the Sacrament Sunday after Sunday, and every time we do this we make a covenant with the Lord that we will take upon us the name of Christ, and always remember Him, and keep His commandments. This covenant should not be an idle one. We should not lightly partake of the holy emblems of the flesh and blood of Christ; but in partaking we should form a strong resolve in our minds that we will do these things which the one who blesses the bread and the contents of the cup pronounces. When we say amen to his words, we make them our own, and we should show in our lives that we mean to keep the covenant which we make. ¶

The Gospel of Christ as revealed unto us is the same as formerly. When John was shown that an angel should come with the Gospel, he was not told that it should be a new Gospel, but it was the "everlasting" Gospel—always new, and yet everlasting; the same Gospel, with no change in it. How thankful we are, brethren and sisters, that the Lord has been so gracious unto us that we have heard the glad tidings of the Gospel and received a testimony of its truth. Let us show our gratefulness unto our Heavenly Father by keeping His commandments and performing every duty required of us. It is the surest way to happiness; in fact, there is no other way by which we can be happy than by keeping the comandments of God. Choose any other way; feel in your hearts that you can do as you please—you have your free agency—and it will not be long till you find that the words of the Master are true when He said, "Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin." There is nothing that grows quicker upon anyone than indulgence in sin. It shows a person how weak he is. Those who are sunk in degradation will at times remember when they were innocent and good, and then wish they were back in that state; but when they attempt to get there they feel how weak they are, for they have become the slaves of sin. This should not be the case with us. After we have made covenants with the Lord, we should show ourselves strong enough to carry them out. ¶

The Lord, through the Prophet Joseph Smith, instructed His people to abstain from certain things in their diet, and if they would do it, certain blessings were promised. If I should ask you, Do you believe the Prophet received that revelation from God? I know you would say, Yes; and yet, how many of us are there who do not keep it? I allude now to the Word of Wisdom. Is it hard to keep? Yes, to those who have indulged in the things forbidden. They have found that the bands have become so strong that they can hardly break them. But the Lord commands us to do this. Let us show that we have strength. If we have it not, let us pray our Heavenly Father for strength to withstand these things, so that we can feel in our hearts that we are trying to live according to the commandments of God. Science gives evidence that the counsels given in that revelation are true and for man's best good. Now, as we believe not only that it is a word of wisdom, but that it is the will of God, let us resolve that we will keep it. Abstain from the use of tobacco, which is so hurtful to the constitution of man. Abstain from strong drinks, and from the use of tea and coffee and the excessive use of meat. Whatever there is in that commandment, let us make it the rule of our lives. Will we regret doing this? I remember my uncle said to me when I would not take these things—and he happened to offer me nearly every one of them—"It may be the best not to use them, but you are losing many pleasures in life by abstaining from them." I do not feel that this is the case. If we have not accustomed ourselves to them, we will not miss them. Those who have accustomed themselves to the use of such things and abstain from them will feel a greater self-respect and more strength to overcome other weaknesses. ¶

My counsel to the Latter-day Saints is to keep the Word of Wisdom, also to remember their covenants, lead holy and pure lives, and keep the commandments as contained in the law and given in the Gospel. Remember the poor, keep the Sabbath day holy, pay your fast offerings, and let not your donations to sustain the poor be forgotten. Remember your tithing, and every duty required at your hands; and if you do, you can approach our Heavenly Father in confidence and trust, like a child to its natural parent, and ask for the things you desire, and they will be yours. God bless you all. Amen. ¶