The Lord's Army: Soldiers of the Cross

In the few minutes I occupy I desire to talk about the Lord's army. You know the Lord has an army, "Soldiers of the cross," just as the United States has a regular standing army. The Church of Latter-day Saints has an army of soldiers numbering, approximately, 8,000. They are minute men, so-called. It is their duty to preach the Gospel, continuously, among the children of men. They belong to the regular army of the Church; they are not volunteers; and whenever called by divine authority, to go to the nations of the earth, they are expected to be ready and prepared to go. This army of the Lord's soldiers go out and battle against the kingdom of evil, which Brother Roberts has been talking about. Now, my experience has taught me that the kingdom of evil is not going to lie down quietly while we are kicking it. You will generally find that enemy quite ready for a fight. Whenever these witnesses are moved upon by the Spirit of the Lord to testify that Jesus is the Christ, and Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God, then trouble begins; they need not attack the religions of other churches. I promise every Elder who is called by divine authority to preach the Gospel, if he will testify to those truths he will have all the trouble he can stand. Furthermore, the Elders must now have a little money while traveling else their enemies will make it very uncomfortable for them. I am informed that laws have been passed in cities of the Southern States, where thousands of our Elders formerly traveled without purse or scrip, so that if any of them are now found in cities asking for entertainment, they are placed in prison. I believe that some of our Elders might do good in prison, as the Lord sometimes manifests His power in behalf of imprisoned Elders, and strengthens their testimonies. ¶

I am very much interested in this army of the Lord, and in order to preface my remarks I will read some statements made at our last conference. Following is a quotation from the closing address delivered by President Joseph F. Smith, Oct. 8, 1905. ¶

"I feel like blessing the quorums of the Priesthood, every one of them, from the High Priests to the Deacons. I pray God, my Heavenly Father, to remember them in their organizations, to help them, that they may magnify the Priesthood they hold and do the will of the Father; that the Seventies may be minute men, instant in season and out of season, ready and willing to respond to the calls that are made upon them to go and preach the Gospel to the world. Gather in from the Elders quorums those who have proven themselves worthy and who have gained experience, and make Seventies of them, so that the quorums of the Seventies may be replenished; and the aged ones, whose physical condition will not permit them any longer to do missionary duty in the world, let them be ordained High Priests and Patriarchs, to bless the people and to minister at home. Gather in the strong, the vigorous, the young, the ablebodied who have the spirit of the Gospel in their hearts, to fill the ranks of the Seventies, that we may have ministers to preach the Gospel to the world. They are needed. We cannot now meet the demand." ¶

That is the word of the Lord to the Seventies, and to the Presidents of Stakes, and Bishops of wards. We should search among our young people carefully and advance the worthy ones in the Priesthood, so that we can replenish the Seventies' quorums with good, able-bodied men who are willing to perform the arduous labors connected with preaching the Gospel. This labor is difficult; it is hard upon the Seventies and Elders, for they are sent into all the climates of the earth. They go to the islands of the sea, to malarial districts, or to high altitudes, and unless they are strong and ablebodied, they break down physically. To illustrate, if you send an Elder to Australia, at a cost perhaps of $120, and he is sick with rheumatism or other ailments, and has to return home, all that money is expended and very little accomplished. I think President Smith has told me, personally, that to send men out in the missionary field who are broken down physically, demoralizes the mission. It certainly is a great misfortune to break down physically while on a mission. If you send out a sick Elder with a companion who is healthy, strong and able-bodied, the healthy man is hindered from performing his labors because of the sickness of his partner. If there are easy places the sick Elders have to be sent there, so I think it is sometimes a misfortune to be healthy if you have to go to all the hard places. I say all hail to the aged Seventies who have been faithful, who have labored 70 years perhaps, as Brother Homer Duncan did. He was one of the oldest presidents of Seventy in the Church; he was senior president of the Third quorum for a great many years. He died lately over 90 years old; and he wanted to die a Seventy; there was nothing that could change his mind regarding that matter. ¶

It seems to me that some of the aged Seventies have a wrong conception regarding their change of appointment to High Priests, so that they can labor at home, sleep in their own beds, and be cared for by their families. This is the place for men who are aged, and who have been faithful and diligent witnesses of the Lord. It is not good for them to be out in the world, exposed as our Elders have to be. I am deeply interested in that matter, and desire you to give it consideration. The Seventies are under the direction of the Twelve Apostles, who, when they need assistance in preaching the Gospel, should find such help in the Seventies quorums, instead of any others, according to the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ. But the difficulty is that many of these "soldiers of the cross" are aged, physically disabled, crippled, and therefore unable to go out and perform this labor, and it would not be wisdom to call them. So we need young and healthy men. ¶

I desire to say further that we need a little more discipline, and more attention to the interests of our Seventies. There are seven Presidents over each of those quorums in the Church, and there are now 148 quorums; but there is a difficulty that I think needs to be looked after. The Sunday school numbers about 100,000 in its membership. The Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association about 25,000. These organizations have strong General Boards, and there has been a wonderful labor performed by them. As President Smith stated this morning, it cannot be expressed in a few words what the Sunday Schools, the Mutual Improvement Associations and other auxiliary organizations have accomplished. They have been encouraged, held together, pushed and crowded to their fullest capacity by their energetic and capable officers. The Priesthood quorums should be foremost in this Church, but some of the members have become mentally lazy, and have acted as if they expected their organizations to keep together without effort. The auxiliaries have been urged forward with great enthusiasm, everywhere, from Canada to Mexico, these organizations are to the front. The Priesthood quorums are apparently weary in well doing, and the officers and members seem to think that their organizations can run themselves. They have become lax in their work, and let loose their hold. While the auxiliary organizations have taken the right of way, the Priesthood quorums stand by looking on awe-struck at the great phalanx of young people who are rushing ahead. So the auxiliary organizations are going away up the hill and we, the Priesthood quorums, stand down in the valley and look on. Perhaps you don't like that picture, you men of the Priesthood quorums, but I tell you there is a lot of truth in it. ¶

You owe first allegiance to your quorums and quorum meetings, for there is where you get your authority and power. Why is it that we are different from other men in the world? It is not because we have greater knowledge and information, but because we hold the Priesthood. Why is it that you fathers and mothers permit your 18-year-old boys to go to South Africa, Australia, Germany, or other nations of the earth, notwithstanding you are afraid to trust them out in this city after dark? It is because they hold the Priesthood. Our beardless boys are able to defend the Church of Jesus Christ, and preach the Gospel. They hold divine authority, and under their administration the repentant believer is baptized, receives the remission of sins, and the Holy Ghost is conferred by the laying on of hands. The arm of the Lord is not shortened. These boys are sent out in His service and He has told them to think not of the morrow, of what they shall eat, or what they shall drink, or wherewithal they shall be clothed, for He is amply able to take care of them. There is no great number of men in this Church so carefully looked after, and their lives so well preserved, as are the Elders who preach the Gospel in the world. I am in favor of the Priesthood quorums taking their proper places, and if they do not do it, they ought to be ashamed of themselves, for they have the power and intelligence, and they hold the authority. It puts me in mind of a story, the only one I can think of just now to fit the condition. It may not be just suitable, but I will tell it anyhow: ¶

A negro had a mule which balked, and he could not get it to move; so he went into a drug store and asked the druggist if he had anything that he thought would start the mule. The druggist came out and injected something in the region of the ribs of the mule, and immediately thereafter the negro saw a streak of dust and the animal flying over the hill. He went back to the druggist and said, "How much is it? "Twenty-five cents." "Well," said he, Just put fifty cents worth in me, so I can catch the mule." (Laughter.) ¶