Missionary Work at Home and Abroad

I have no doubt, my brethren and sisters, but that you, with myself, have greatly rejoiced in what we have heard from Presidents Smith and Lund. With those brethren, I join in extending to you a hearty greeting to this conference. When I think that many of you have traveled hundreds, and some of you thousands, of miles to visit this Conference, I feel in my heart to hope you will be amply repaid for your journey. I trust we will keep in mind the good instructions we have already received, and that we will be more diligent and determined to serve the Lord with all our might, mind and strength. Our motto, as I understand it, is "Peace on Earth, and Good Will to Men." Some of you, my brethren, who are present today, are laboring in the nations of the earth, endeavoring to enlighten the minds of those who are in darkness and bring them to a knowledge of the truth. I have no doubt the feeling in your heart all the time is, "Peace on earth, good will to men." While we claim the right to serve the Lord with full purpose of heart, in our own way. we have no wish to deprive others from doing the same. We hope and expect to always have the privilege of serving the Lord as we feel is best, and while we value this privilege ourselves, we extend the same right to everybody on the face of the earth. I rejoice this morning, my brethren and sisters, in the progress of the work, and the good reports we receive from the utmost bounds where our brethren are laboring. There is a gratifying growth and increase everywhere, so far as we can learn. It is remarkable the inquiries that are now being made in relation to the Gospel; and while I rejoice in what the missionaries are doing abroad, I sometimes think what a difference in experience there is right here on this Temple block. Here we have established a bureau of information, and a number of brethren and sisters are called to act as missionaries on this block. Instead of their having to wander up and down the earth seeking for the privilege to distribute tracts or impart information in relation to the Gospel, hundreds and thousands come to them to obtain information; and tens of thousands of books and pamphlets in relation to the Gospel have been distributed by the brethren and sisters who are laboring here. What a change has come over us! I believe that some of you, while traveling abroad, will find the fruits of the labor on this block. Many visitors, if they do not obey the Gospel as a result of the work of the missionaries here, at least become more friendly to the Latter-day Saints than they were before they visited us. ¶

It is a glorious work, brethren and sisters, that we are engaged in; may we never tire of it, but always be willing and faithful in the discharge of every duty that is required of us. I feel thankful that the Lord has preserved my life, and permitted me to meet with you here on the seventy-fourth anniversary of the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If anybody on earth has cause to be thankful I think I have. The Lord has permitted me to live to see almost my eighty-third year, and I am deeply thankful to Him for His goodness. While life shall last I propose to work more energetically and faithfully than I have done hitherto, if the Lord will help me to do it. God bless you all, my brethren and sisters, is my prayer in the name of Jesus, Amen. ¶