Loyalty of the Youth and the Arduous Labors of the First Presidency

The young people of the Church loyal to it and to the authorities.— Futile efforts of the opponents of God's work.— Arduousi labors of the First Presidency.— Trials necessary.— The Saints will be faithful, and victorious. ¶

I desire, my brothers and sisters, to express my gratitude to my Heavenly Father for the privilege I have of standing before this immense congregation of Latter-day Saints, and expressing to them, in the few moments I have at my command, some of the thoughts that have passed through my mind during this conference. I am indeed thankful for my standing in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am indeed thankful for the position occupied today in the world's affairs by the Church and by the people; and "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation." I believe with all my soul, and with all the understanding that God has given me. that this is His work, and that it is designed to redeem the earth, to bring light unto its inhabitants, to make people better, and to make this planet a fit place for the second corning of the Lord and Master. ¶

I have had a great deal of pleasure in visiting the different parts of our state, mingling with the people, seeing the conditions surrounding them, and noting their loyalty to the work of God. Brother John Henry Smith, in speaking of the loyalty of the gray-haired men and women before him, touched my heart. I also say that, not only are they loyal to this work, but, if I am any judge, the young people are just as loyal to the authorities and to the institutions of the Church as were our fathers in the past, and as they are today. Our brethren have been testifying to the loyalty which is manifest in our church towards the authorities, and especially towards the presidency. I feel like testifying to you. and to all. that this great work of God is in the hands of honest, upright. God-fearing men. Assaults are made upon us from all sides. Many claim that they are not assailing the "Mormon" people, nor the principles of the Gospel which they believe, but it is the leaders they are condemning mid finding fault with. They are also trying to bring distrust of the authorities into the minds of the Latter-da* Saints. Why are they assailing the principle of tithing? Why are they trying to make you believe that every cent paid by you, for the forwarding of God's work upon this earth, is being handled by dishonest men and being spent, not for the work Uself, but for the aggrandizement and personal benefit of men? If I had the power to reach the heart of every honest Latter-day Saint, and if I had the confidence of every soul that heart my voice, I would testify to this fact, that, as far as the tithing of the Church is concerned, not one farthing is spent wrongfully, or is diverted from the channel in which it was intended to be used. O, how natural it is for our opponents to try to advance some argument that may bring distrust into the minds of people, and cause apostasy in our midst. They think they have found a condemning argument in the collection and use of tithing, and, in calling attention to it, they rely on the appeals they make to the selfishness of the people. But the evil one today plainly sees and knows as well as, or perhaps *better than, we do, that this great work of God is moving on, spreading in foreign lands, and reaching to the farthest ends of the world. It is therefore natural for his emissaries to cry "fraud, fraud." We. are informed that the Church is building meetinghouses and establishing headquarters upon the islands of the sea, and in all the great countries of Europe. Respectable, places of worship, and homes for presidents of missions, are also being established in some of the. principal cities of our great country. The Devi! sees these things going on, and he knows there must be something done to retard the work if possible, and inciting the. cry of "fraud, fraud," is one way he has of attacking it. He thinks by this to bring distrust into the minds of the people; but he will fail in this just as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow morning. I believe that the Latter-day Saints, who have the Spirit of God in them, never had more confidence in a man, or set of men, than they have in the presidency of the Church today. I wish that every one could read the heart and understand the thoughts of the presidency, and all others who are trying, in their humble way, to lead and direct the affairs of this people. I feel that if it were possible for you to do so, you would not only love them as you have in the past, but you would have for them still greater love; and the confidence you would have in them would be such that you could pray for them with all your soul, and uphold them, and ask the blessings of God upon them in the important work they are trying to accomplish in this dispensation. ¶

Some people think, as I have heard it expressed, inspired from the source of all misrepresentation and falsehood, that the. president of the Church does not work, and that he and his counselors do not give the attention they should to the work of the Lord. I wish that these men had more physical strength than they have, for I testify to you that it is strained to the utmost. I go into their office and I see almost an arm full or mail brought in several times a day. 1 find President Winder, eighty-three years old, reading aloud almost every letter, and, with the President of the Church, and the other counselor, attending to every little detail that is brought to their notice from all parts of this great Church. While speaking upon this subject, I feel to ask the brethren here, who hold leading positions in the Church, as well as all members in the different stakes of Zion who write letters to the presidency, if it is absolutely necessary for you to write, make the letters as short as you can, but do not write unless it is necessary. I would advise the people to first go to their Bishop, and, if possible, get from him the advice and counsel they need; if unable to get it from him, then apply to the presidency of the stake, and, if it becomes absolutely necessary to appeal to the First Presidency, make the communication just as short as possible, for those brethren are worked almost to death. I feel like asking the good people of the Church to bear this in mind when they are tempted to write long letters to the Presidency. I have absolute confidence in the majority of the young people of the Church and in their understanding of the truth of the Gospel. Being born in the Covenant and reared among the Saints, I have absolute confidence that they are net going to be tricked or turned aside by misrepresentations. I feel that, when they stop to consider and compare things as they are today with condition? of the past, they will be led to say that, as far as they are concerned, they will be loyal and true to the fathers and mothers who gave them birth. ¶

My brethren and sisters, I hope you will never be discouraged, and never feel that God is going to abandon this people, for He never will as long as we are prayerful and feel in our souls to do His will, according to the wisdom and light He has given us. I have thought a great deal lately of the history of the Church, and I have wondered sometimes whether our position as a people is any different today than it has been from the beginning of the. Church. As I study the history of the people, I find that it is about the same as it always has been, with but few exceptions. Whenever there is a great advance, and when the evil one sees the Church progressing a little more rapidly than usual, it arouses him to greater action. I read here the word of the Lord to Joseph the Prophet, while he was in Liberty Jail, Clay County, Missouri, March, 1839. At that time prospects looked very black to him. He, the Prophet of God, was being hounded on every hand, and every kind of a charge being made against him. His heart was heavy. He was pondering how it was that these things should come to a man who was trying to serve the good Master, and while in that condition of mind the Lord gave unto him these words: ¶

"And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good." ¶

I believe with all my heart that our trials are given us for the same purpose. We are to be a tried people. "We are to be thrice tried, as the Saints of old. I believe that all trials are given to us for experience, just as the Lord permitted them to be given to Joseph in the early days of the church. At this same time the Lord said to him, "Thy people shall never be turned against thee by the testimony of traitors." I say to you, President Joseph F. Smith, that the Saints in this vast congregation (and they are but representative of the communities in which they live) will never turn against thee by the testimony of traitors. ¶

My brethren and sisters, all I care for is that we may live as God wants us to live, observing all the requirements made of us, and performing the duty that is incumbent upon us, then all will be well, as sure as He has spoken from the heavens. As I travel among the people and see the feeling of loyalty and truth existing, I feel in my soul to say, God bless the Latter-day Saints in all their interests, in their basket and in their store. God bless them with strong testimony, that they may know the voice of the true shepherd. I feel in my soul that they will know it. No matter what transpires, or who may come in our midst thinking there will be a falling away from the Church, and that they may succeed in gathering in the lost ones. I say there never was a time when the people testified with more fervency, and with a deeper feeling of love for our heavenly Father and His work, than they do at the present moment. I bear my testimony to you that this work is the work of God, and He will make it triumphant in the end; we will love it, and be loyal to it, and its interests; and we will be loyal to every institution upon the earth that has for its object the advancement of mankind. We will continue to be good citizens of this nation; we will uphold and pray for it. We will be true men and true women to our Church, to our country, and to our God. May God bless you, I ask it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶