Joseph Smith and the Gospel's Leaven

My beloved brethren and sisters, I desire very much that you may assist me by your faith and prayers. I endorse the remarks of my brethren this afternoon, and also the remarks and teachings to which we have listened during this general conference. I rejoice with you in a testimony that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, that he was led by the spirit and power of inspiration. When he went into a retired place to plead with the Lord for wisdom and understanding, he was the only person we know anything about, in that day and time, that approached God in such faith and humility that the Father responded to him and answered his prayer. "When he had gained knowledge and understanding, through his faith and humility and in answer to prayer, the inspiration of the Lord came upon him, and he was given the prophetic ministry that continued with him through all the remaining portion of his life, and that qualified him to organize the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was always true to his calling and ministry. How impressive is the thought expressed in the beautiful words we read or sing in connection with one of our Sunday school hymns, -- ¶

"Oh, what rapture filled his bosom, for he saw the living God." ¶

And now, my brethren and sisters, his life's history is before us, an open book that we can read and understand, and we may profit thereby if we desire to do so. All of those chosen by him were not true to him, nor true to the faith. If he had been lacking in the power and spirit of a prophet of God, do you think he would dare to have said to such men as Oliver Cowdery and Sidney Rigdon, men of learning of the world, who stood by him and assisted in the organization of the apostolic and other quorums of the Priesthood, "Step aside, you have lost the spirit of your calling and ministry, the Church can no longer fellowship you, and we have no further use for your administrations." This was the course that he felt obliged to take; and the servants of the Lord in all their ministry from that time to the present have arrayed themselves upon the side of right, of truth, and eternal justice, and whether alone or with many to ¶

sustain them, they take that stand. And so they continue today before the eyes of the world, ministers of the Lord. The president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Prophet, Seer and Revelator, to the Church, and his brethren who associate with him are endowed with the same power and the same prophetic ministry. ¶

I am reminded of a conversation I had with a gentleman recently, while traveling to the north. He was speaking of the Book of Mormon. He said he had read some portions of it. He was a lawyer from the state of Wyoming, and a tolerably well enlightened man, so far as I could judge. He said, "I don't believe that the Prophet found the golden plates, and translated the Book of Mormon from those plates." "Well," I said, "what is your belief about the matter?" He replied, "I believe that he was inspired to write the Book of Mormon just the same as Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were inspired to write their history of the Lord's mission in the earth." I said, "That is a pretty good thought, and, for a man that does not understand the facts, I think your position might be considered fairly consistent; you are without a knowledge of the truth, however." He thanked me and went on his way. ¶

I read an account of an incident recently, to which I will call your attention, being reminded of it by the remarks of brethren who have preceded me. A physician was seeking his son, who had returned to his home from a foreign land, and they met in the city of New York. The Father took the boy to his home of course, and he said: "We will draw a curtain over the wassail of that night," meaning that they spent it in libations to Bacchus, which Brother Wells failed to mention, the god of the wine cup. They wished to draw a curtain over that night, so that we would not know about their revelry. A son of mine recently returned from a mission to the countries of Germany and Switzerland, after an absence of three years. I met him at the depot and welcomed him home. That night we did not have any wine nor strong drink, neither were there cigars passed around. There was no "smoker," as they term it, established, but we got down on our knees before God, just as many of you have done, and offered up a prayer of thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God that another of His sons had gone to proclaim the Gospel, gone to foreign lands on a mission of life and truth to the nations of the earth, and had come home pure and spotless as when he left his father's house. That is the kind of a celebration we gave. ¶

This people, of necessity, stand upon a higher plane than the people of the world occupy today, because of the knowledge which God has given unto us, and because of the ministration of Prophets and Apostles, whom we have with us today. We must perforce accentuate the principles of truth in which we believe, and although the majority of mankind do not love us, do not have any fellowship for us, this does not change our position, and does not change our responsibility. We cannot go down to their level. If we could make them see the position we occupy, we might say, "Please pardon us, we cannot come down to your level, but if you will allow us, we will raise you up to the higher plane. Your statesmen may become mightier men, because, if they will keep the commandments of God, they will be filled with greater ability to benefit and bless mankind. We say to your tradesmen, and railroad men, and to all the great moving spirits of the earth, If you will obey the Gospel, the Lord will fit and prepare you better to perform every duty that is laid upon you, as business men of the world, and as statesmen." ¶

I remember reading in the Pearl of Great Price, and in other revelations of the Lord, how the Lord stood in the midst of the spirits that inhabited the eternal worlds, and it is written, the Lord saw some that were choice, and He said, "These I will make my rulers." And He has made of these choice spirits His rulers of the world. More especially has He sent those spirits in this age and time to inhabit tabernacles and ¶

to be numbered among His ministers in this Church and kingdom that He has established on the earth. Among those great spirits were numbered the Prophet Joseph, and those brethren who have followed in the same sacred and prophetic ministry. ¶

No wonder the Lord said "They are good, and of these I will make my rulers." He has kept His word; and we have among us today some of those choice spirits, and they are ruling and guiding and directing the destinies of this people and the destinies of mankind throughout the earth; for, in spite of opposition to the Church of Jesus Christ and the doctrines that lead to life eternal, the leaven of the Gospel is being felt from one end of Christianity to the other. A few years ago I remember hearing some minister of the Gospel, so styled, preach to his fellow men that hell was full of little infants who had not been baptized, and that all mankind who did not submit to be sprinkled in the church would lose all chances of redemption, and would burn in hell forever. What heresy, what vile principles these are. But the people of the world, and even the ministers of the gospels that they teach, are now inclined to leave these heresies out of their doctrines, and are preaching today and adopting a better principle, a principle taught by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, when he said, "Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." The ministers are beginning to realize the truth of this saying, because the servants of the Lord have accentuated it, and declared that children are innocent until they are eight years of age, and are saved in His kingdom in this condition of innocency, without baptism. ¶

Consider also the principle of baptism for the dead, that sacred principle that goes beyond the narrow limits of life in this world. I remember President Peery, who was at one time President of the Weber Stake of Zion, said to me: "Brother Young, ¶

when I heard the gospel of baptism for the dead set forth by one of the Elders, in my native state, my heart was touched, and I could have bowed down and kissed his feet, because he opened to me a new life, a new world, and I was caught in the gospel net. I can testify too," said he, "from that very moment, the intelligence of the Holy Spirit illuminated my mind, and I learned that Jesus is the Christ and that Joseph was His chosen prophet." ¶

All these glorious principles, my brethren and sisters, are before us, and we are striving to live by them; and although the world does not endorse us, or love us, we must do our whole duty. ¶

May the Lord bless you, and give you power to be faithful and true unto the end of your days, for He has said truly, "Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life." Amen. ¶