Immediate Revelation and Testimony

My brethren and sisters, it is very inspiring to me to observe the congregating of the Latter-day Saints at a general conference of the Church. It increases my faith and causes me to rejoice, because it is an evidence of the fact that God is with His people. It is a manifestation of the love that is in the hearts of the people for the precious truths of the everlasting Gospel. It is an evidence that the Gospel is bearing fruit among the Latter-day Saints, and that a people is being raised up with a desire to know the will and the mind of the Lord. They come from the far north and the far south, from the east and the west, and from all the Stakes of Zion. Representatives from all the settlements of the Latter-day Saints, have come up hither to worship the Lord our God, and to be taught in His ways. ¶

Of course there is plenty of room for improvement; but I do not know of a people who have so great a desire in their hearts to overcome their weaknesses and imperfections, and to grow in the knowledge of God, as do the Latter-day Saints. We are probably the only people who believe in immediate revelation from God; at least, I have never come in contact with any other community that so generally believes that God manifests His divine will to the individual man or woman, and that through the observance of the laws which have been revealed, and the commandments which have been given, we can grow in the knowledge of our Heavenly Father. I do not know another community that is seeking to gain salvation by inculcating the doctrine that "this is eternal life; To know Thee, the only true and living God." We are the only people I am acquainted with who are endeavoring to come to a knowledge of God, in order that we might indeed obtain eternal life. In evidence of this desire, the people come up from all parts of Zion to hear the living oracles of God, those who have been called and ordained to stand at the head of this people and to deliver unto them the word of the Lord. When I observe the great concourse, not only in this building, but in the large Tabernacle, and out in the open air on this block, as referred to by Brother McMurrin, and see our streets literally thronged with the multitudes who have come to the city of the center stake of Zion, that they might be taught in the ways of the Lord, I tell you, my brethren and sisters, it is an inspiring occasion to me; and it fills me with a desire and with an ambition to know more, and to advance and grow in the knowledge of God. It thrills my whole being, from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet, because I realize that these feelings not only fill my bosom, but they are in the hearts of this great multitude of Latter-day Saints. ¶

"By their fruits ye shall know them." What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ doing for us? In what manner are we being bettered by yielding obedience to the laws of God, as contained in the principles of the Gospel, and as made known to us through His servants from time to time? Are we refraining from those things that are forbidden, and are we seeking to do works of righteousness. I believe that a great and glorious work is being accomplished in this direction among the Latter-day Saints, and that there is a desire in their hearts to overcome their petty weaknesses and faults. ¶

A short time ago I had occasion, which I frequently have, of talking to my own boys. I desired to show them the difference between an honest man and a thief. You know, of course, that there is a great deal of difference between these two propositions, and how easy it is to learn to distinguish the two men. You may see a man walking along the street, a man who is known for his good works, and you know him by his every day conduct, and some will say, "There goes an honest man." Now, how did they find out that he was an honest man? There are a great many men of whom we do not bear this testimony. We do not feel at liberty to speak of some men and say that they are honest men, simply from the fact that they have never been caught in doing a dishonest deed, not by any means. A great many thieves have not been detected. There are many men and women who are dishonest, and yet they have never been convicted, for it has never been found out by anyone; but, because of something in their conduct and lives, no one would ever say of them that they are honest. With the honest man it is different; there is something in his character that manifests itself. Honesty oozes out of his very being. You can see in every act of his life that he is honest and upright. He does not do anything in a stealthy manner; it is not born in him, and it does not manifest itself in his daily life. It is the Gospel that is developing these traits of character in the Latter-day Saints. It is the observance of the law of tithing that is helping to develop noble attributes in the children of men. We learn to overcome our selfishness and greed for gain, inasmuch as we live according to the laws of the Gospel. That is what the Gospel will do for us. By observing those principles which our Father has revealed to us we are enabled to show the positive features of honesty, and not the negative features of dishonesty. We live above the law when we manifest honesty, integrity and virtue; these attributes are characteristics of Latter-day Saints. That is the effect the Gospel is having upon all those who are striving to live up to its divine teachings. I rejoice in this Gospel that we have received, for the reason that it lifts us up and brings us nearer to our Father in heaven; and when these fruits are being made manifest among the Latter-day Saints we have cause to rejoice. ¶

There are many men who are dishonest and many who are thieves. Now, I would not like to accuse a young man who works in a store of being a thief simply because he may put his hand into a barrel of nuts and take and eat one of them. If that young man should do that in the presence of his employer, it might probably be said that he received the silent consent of his employer; but, if he waits for an opportunity when no one is looking, and takes and eats one of those nuts, that is the act of a thief. If a person, with the intent to deceive and to rob, and with such thoughts in his heart, takes that which does not belong to him, it is a stealthy act, and he is a thief. Many persons have developed this quality, though they may not have been detected and arrested; they are thieves; everybody acquainted and familiar with such an individual will feel there is something in his nature that debars confidence. You cannot trust him. An employer would not entrust him with his money, or give him the control of his business. ¶

Now, we have been reading in the papers recently of people called shoplifters, who enter into stores and, when no one is looking, will put an article under their cloak or secrete it in some manner and carry it off. One "lady" that I heard of took a beautiful and valuable hat, worth about $30 from a certain dry goods establishment, without being seen. The hat was missed the same night, and all the clerks were asked if they had sold it, but they said they had not. The following Sunday one of the employes of the store discovered a lady at church with this identical hat upon her head. Next Monday morning it was reported, and a bill for $30 was sent to the lady, and a check came back very promptly indeed. I might mention the fact to the ladies that there are some advantages in taking your hats off in church. (Laughter.) I would not like to infer, though, that there are ladies here who have on hats that do not belong to them. That is one instance in which a thief came to light. There are others who are suspected of doing the same thing. Why? Because there is something in their conduct that does not inspire confidence. ¶

Now, the Gospel teaches us to love honesty for honesty's sake, to love virtue for virtue's sake, and to exhibit the positive qualities that go to make up our individual characters. A person who has this reputation and the confidence of the people, and in whom you can see the manifestations of honesty on every hand, will be trusted, and no one will suspect him of doing anything wrong; they would think it absolutely impossible for a person of that kind to be guilty of a dishonest act. That is what I like to see demonstrated and exhibited among the Latter-day Saints. ¶

I also have a testimony that this is the work of the Lord in which we are engaged. I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet sent of God. Everywhere we see the evidence of his divine mission. A few of those evidences were pointed out by Elder McMurrin here, and I was very much pleased with the testimony he bore. Such a testimony can be enjoyed by all of us. How grateful we ought to feel to our Heavenly Father, we who have been born under the new and everlasting covenant, for the great privilege we have had, and for the blessings we enjoy. I, too, am grateful that my parents embraced the Gospel and came out to the land of Zion; and that they sacrificed all they had in the world and identified themselves with the people of God. I am proud of the fact that my father yielded obedience to the principles of the Gospel. I am proud of the heritage he has given to me. O how I wish I could make others feel the same as I do regarding the privilege of being born in Zion. ¶

Have we obtained the testimonies that we have from our parents? No. The testimonies that we have gained have come through the inspiration of the Spirit of God, "For no man knoweth the things of God but by the Spirit of God that is in him." A few days ago I was conversing with a brother, a good Latter-day Saints, at least I had always considered him a good Latter-day Saint, and he is generally reputed to be one—and he told me, much to my astonishment, that he was rather skeptical as to the Latter-day Saints having a knowledge that this is the work of God. He said, "we get up and bear testimony that we know that this is the work of God, that we know Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God; but I am a little skeptical on that point." He further said, "When I went on my mission I made it a point never to say that I knew these things to be true." I said: Well, brother, some men have come to an absolute knowledge of those things. "Well, possibly," said he, "but I hardly think they have." We got to talking of the sons of perdition, and he said he did not believe that Judas knew that Jesus was the Christ. I said, Perhaps not; but Peter knew it, because our Father had revealed it to him, and if Peter had done what Judas did, there is no question but what he would have become a son of perdition. Then, I said, there was also the Prophet Joseph Smith who saw the Father and the Son. He said, "I am a little skeptical about that." I was astonished. This man, claiming to be a Latter-day Saint, felt that he could not believe that with all his heart. He said that when he was on his mission he only testified once that these things were true; he said he could not help himself on that occasion. He stated to me that he believed with all his heart that this was the work of God; that he was willing to die for it, if necessary, and to do anything on earth to further it; but he said he would not say he knew the Gospel was true. On the occasion referred to he said he could not help it; he felt in his whole being that if he did not declare that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God he would be damned. I told him he would have been damned if he had not borne this testimony, and that the reason he felt and spoke as he did was because he had the Spirit of God, for no man could know that without he had the Spirit of God. I took it for granted he would thus learn that the reason he does not know it now is because he has not the Spirit of God. ¶

My brethren and sisters, let us live in such a way and manner that we may enjoy the Spirit of God at all times, that we may have a testimony of the truth, and never doubt that the Father and the Son appeared to the Prophet Joseph at the beginning of this great latter-day work. We ought to feel grateful in our hearts that this testimony is with us. May God help us to be faithful to the end, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶