Report on the Boxelder Stake and Spiritual Growth

(President of Boxelder Stake.) My brothers and sisters, I most humbly desire that what I shall say to you this afternoon may be directed by the Spirit of the Lord. I have very much rejoiced in being permitted to attend this general conference of the Church; and, beginning with the first meeting and continuing to the present time, I have felt that it was never my privilege to attend a conference of the Church, where I experienced a greater outpouring of the power of God than I have done in this. We frequently hear it stated by our brethren and sisters who attend these conferences that the last conference is always the best. I believe we can testify to that truthfully, in the case of this conference; and I believe further, that this is just as it should be. If the Latter-day Saints are living their religion, as God has required of us that we should, we will be entitled to increased outpourings of His Spirit; consequently each conference we attend will appear to be the best. I have thought that I never witnessed more enthusiasm, nor did I ever notice a more hearty vote for the authorities of our Church than that which was manifest in sustaining them at the conference meeting on last Friday afternoon. It was gratifying to me to see that, when our file leaders are attacked, the rank and file of the Latter-day Saints are ready to resent those attacks by showing to their leaders their loyal support for them. They also must feel gratified in seeing the loyalty, and enthusiasm with which the Latter-day Saints have come to this conference and taken part in its proceedings. I am thankful that I can say that I was born in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, that I was born here in the valleys of the mountains. Under the direction of my parents, it has been my privilege to attend the conferences and meetings which have been held in the locality where I have lived. I have had great interest in reflecting over my past life, and my experiences in connection with this Church, and in considering that which I have heard come from our leaders. It was my privilege to listen to President Brigham Young instruct the Latter-day Saints, and, though I was only a boy, I remember very distinctly a number of the discourses I heard him deliver, and the counsel I heard him give to the Latter-day Saints. Since that time I have heard all of the leaders of the Church, the presidents of the Church, and the Apostles that were associated with them, instruct the Latter-day Saints. I say to you, my brothers and sisters, that during my entire lifetime and experience, I never heard one of those brethren enunciate a doctrine unto the people, that was in any degree degrading, or that, in any respect, would tend to lower the manhood or womanhood of any son or daughter of God. On the other hand, I testify to you, sincerely, that everything I have heard them teach, the principles they have brought before the people, the counsels they have given, have been of a nature to uplift the sons and daughters of God, if they would live in accordance with them. I feel to say, thank God for the men who have stood at the head of this Church, for the leaders whom He has raised up to direct this people. I do not know that there is any greater evidence of the divinity of their work than that which we see at the present time. There never was a time in the history of the Church when it was stronger than it is today; and I believe there never was a time in the Church when we experienced more of the power of God in it than we do today. ¶

I am pleased to say to you that, in the stake where I have the honor to preside. I have never seen a time when the presidency and the High Council of that stake were more united, or more anxious to perform their duties than they are today, anxious to labor among the people, anxious to do their duty and direct in the affairs of that part of the Lord's vineyard. I have been well pleased in noticing, during the recent month or two, the great interest manifest in the opening of our Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement associations. "We have never before seen such devotedness and zeal manifest as we have observed during the opening of this season's work. We hope and expect, to see the same earnestness in relation to the young men's M. I associations when they begin their work, and so also with the quorums of the Priesthood. Now, this all shows to me that there is faith among the Latter-day Saints, they are not dead, they are not waning from their first love of the Gospel, but that it still burns in their hearts, and they are desirous and anxious to do all that lies in their power to perform their duty in building up the kingdom of God. How is it that we occupy this position today, that we are stronger than we ever were before? I bear my testimony that it is because God has raised up great and good men as our leaders, who have been inspired by His Spirit to lead and direct the Latter-day Saints in the way that they should go, and because of our obedience to their teachings and instructions, we have attained the growth and strength that we now witness and enjoy in the Church. ¶

How inconsistent it is, my brothers and sisters, for our enemies to say to the body of the Church, "You are all right, you people are all right; those who are wrong are the leaders of the Church. It is that body of men we are after, that we desire to pull down, because they have transgressed; but you are going in the right path, everything is well with you; the leaders are the ones that have stepped to one side." How ridiculous and inconsistent it is for anybody to make that kind of statement. We are what we are today, as the body of the Church, because we have accepted the counsels and teachings of our leaders; and, if we had only lived closer to their councils and teachings, as a Church, we would have been much stronger today even than we are. I say to you that if we will continue in the future to abide by their counsels we will become a strong and mighty people. I am thankful for the testimony I have in relation to the divinity of this work, and for the standing I have in the Church of Christ today; and I feel that this is something every Latter-day Saint must appreciate. We certainly must admit that the Church has been a great blessing to us and that through our allegiance to that Church, and affiliation with it. we have received many great and wonderful blessings. We know that those who are living their religion today in this Church, and who are endeavoring to keep the commandments of God, are not the disgruntled ones, they are not the ones who are complaining about the authorities of the Church. We find that those who are making complaints, and expressing dissatisfaction are those who have not kept the counsels and admonitions of God that have come to the people through our leaders. Nor are they the ones who have lived in accordance with the Gospel as it has been made known to us. ¶

We know, those of us who have obeyed the doctrine, that great blessings come to us through obedience to the law of tithing. In connection with this I say it is not they who pay their tithes who are complaining today in relation to the principle of tithing. It is not they who are fearful as to the handling of their tithing, or as to whether it is properly distributed or not. You will find, upon investigation, that those who are finding fault, who are making these complaints, are those who fail to pay their tithes. I believe this principle is attacked because our enemies think they can have more influence with some of the weak members of the Church. They have an idea that if you attack or touch the pocket of a man, you can appeal to him by virtue of that supposed fact and may thus succeed in turning him away from the church, and get him to refuse to lend his support. Those who have tested this principle, who have proven this doctrine, will not be influenced by that sophistry. That kind of argument will not appeal to them, because they have proven the doctrine for themselves; they know that it is true, and that blessings are poured out in obedience to that principle, as God has promised that they would be. They are blessed, not only in a spiritual way, but they are also blessed temporally. They are satisfied and contented, and acknowledge to their Father that they have been built up spiritually and temporally through obedience to that law; not only by the observance of that law but every other law pertaining to the Gospel of Jesus Christ as we have accepted it. If we will thus prove the doctrine, brethren and sisters, put it to the test, we will never apostatize from the Church. They who apostatize and leave the Church are they who have failed to prove the doctrine, and who have not got faith in it. We may increase our faith by putting these principles into daily practice, thus testing them, and finding out for ourselves whether they are true or not. I testify to you, that my experience, short as it has been in the Church, is this, that whenever I have obeyed a principle of the gospel and put it to the test, I have never had any doubt in my mind in relation to the divinity of that principle. These principles are divine, and eternal, and if you practice them in humility, in accordance with the spirit of the Gospel, you will have a testimony of the divinity of the work. ¶

As I said before I thank God for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I thank God that I am permitted to live in the day and dispensation of the world when He raised up a prophet, and when He and His Son came to earth, and visited and did commune with that boy, and counseled and instructed him, and continued to instruct him until the result was the complete organization of the Church. I thank God for this, my brethren and sisters, and for the testimony I have that I know this is the work of God. Let us progress, let us be faithful, upright and God-fearing in that which we have to do. Let us serve the Lord. Let us uphold one another and the authorities who preside over us. I feel that when a man attacks the President of this Church he attacks me. I feel that when President Joseph F. Smith is villified and belittled by those who are our enemies, I also am attacked and belittled, and they are trying to besmirch my character, for the reason that I am instrumental, as one of the members of the Church, in helping to support and sustain President Joseph F. Smith in his position. And I feel that when he is attacked, it is my duty, and it is your duty— or when any of his brethren are attacked, who stand close to him— it is our duty, as supporters, who have held up our hands to sustain them in positions they occupy, to lift up our voices in their defense. May the peace and blessings of heaven continue to abide with us, as Latter-day Saints; may we have strength to perform our duties; if we will do so there never will be a time in the Church but what greater blessings and greater things than we have yet experienced will be poured out upon us. And that this blessing may follow in our behalf I ask in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶