The Fruits of Mormonism and Obligations of Parents

The fruits of Mormonism. — Evil men the greatest opponents of the Church. — Obligations of parents. — Faith of Latter-day Saint children. ¶

I feel to praise my Maker this day for the blessing of being permitted to meet with you in this conference of the Church. I have been edified and rejoiced in the remarks that have been made by our brethren, and I crave the same Spirit that they have had to direct my utterance, that what I say may be inspired of our Father and that we may be profited. I am reminded that we are a people who receive much instruction, and I rejoice, as I visit among the Stakes of Zion, to see the improvement that is made along many lines. From this stand I have heard the servants of the Lord advise us to patronize home industries, and I am constrained to ask myself the question. How many Latter-day Saints have remembered that wise counsel? We have been taught to keep the Word of Wisdom. How many of us who are here today are fulfilling that law of our Heavenly Father? I take pleasure in one thing I will name. It has only been a few years since the sisters were invited to uncover their heads in public worship, and I see there are only a few today who have forgotten it. So I think we are making some progress along that line, and I desire to commend our sisters who remember this admonition, very much to the comfort of those who are around them and to the blessing of themselves because of their obedience. ¶

Our Father in heaven has blessed us as a people in a remarkable way. We have been gathered out from the nations of the earth, and have been brought to dwell in this section of His vineyard. As one of those who have been born of Latter-day Saint parentage, I rejoice that I can look all men in the face and say that the teachings of Mormonism have produced blessing to me in this life, and given me promise of eternal life. There are many in the world who misunderstand the mission of the Church of Christ. To such I desire to say that, as far as I am concerned, if there is anything good in life, any virtue, honesty, integrity, fearlessness to do right; if there is a disposition in me to honor my father and my mother, and a desire to sustain the Priesthood of the living God ; if I am disposed to sustain the constitution of this great country that we live in ; if there is in my heart a desire to uphold the great man whom God has honored to preside over the destinies of this nation ; if there is within me love for my fellowmen, and a desire to serve God and keep His commandments, these characteristics have come to me, my friends, by reason of "Mormonism.'' From childhood, I have never been taught to do anything improper, or that would harm one of my heavenly Father's children ; but from infancy I have been taught to acquire industry, sobriety, honesty, integrity, and all virtues possessed by men and women whom God delights to honor and bless. I thank my heavenly Father this day that these teachings have come to me from Him through His faithful servants. ¶

We have listened to instructions from our brethren, and I wonder how many of us will remember to put them into practice. Referring to the 7th chapter of Matthew and the 24th verse, I find the following: ¶

"Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock : ¶

"And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house ; and it fell not ; for it was founded upon a rock. ¶

"And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand : ¶

"And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house ; and it fell : and great was the fall of it." ¶

How many of us, learning the will of the Father, are doing it? How many of us day by day are laying a foundation and building a structure that shall conform to the dignity of the stature of our Master? "Yea, man is the tabernacle of God, even temples ; and whatsoever temple is defiled, God shall destroy that temple." He has given us intelligence and wisdom above our fellowmen. A knowledge of pre-existence has been given to the Latter-day Saints ; a knowledge that we are here because we kept our first estate, and that we have been given the opportunity of gaining eternal life in the presence of our heavenly Father, by keeping our second estate. We will not be judged as our brothers and sisters of the world are judged, but according to the greater opportunities placed in our keeping. We will "be among those who have received the word of the Lord, who have heard His sayings, and if we do them it will be to us eternal life, but if we fail condemnation will result. ¶

Speaking of the virtues that the Church of Jesus Christ is endeavoring to inculcate in its devotees, I am reminded that up to this moment I have never known any really good man or woman in my day to lead a vicious crusade against the followers of our Lord and Master. The Church of Christ is not usually assailed from without by those who are moral in their lives. One of the best evidences to me of the lack of morality in men and women is that the adversary is able to put into their hearts a disposition to tear down the work of our heavenly Father. I say to the boys and girls .of Israel, keep yourselves pure and unspotted from the sins of the world. Be an example of what the Master desired we should be in the midst of the children of men. Magnify the opportunities that our Father has placed in your keeping. If men among us shall try to lead you from the faith of your fathers, examine their lives and you will find mistakes they have made whereby they have been led captive by the evil one. To my mind this is one of the strongest testimonies of the divinity of this work, that evil men constantly oppose it. Good men, and truly great men, possess the Spirit of our Father wherever they may be in the world. They are desirous to build up, and not to tear down, and that should be our mission and labor while we remain upon the earth. Let us so conduct ourselves that men, seeing our good works, may be constrained to glorify our Father which is in heaven. Our missionaries labor day by day among the people of the world. They receive the contumely and hatred of those who misunderstand their mission, and many good people mistakenly drive them from their doors ; but when it comes to outside oppression, vindictiveness and maliciousness, and to wicked, unrelenting persecution of the Latter-day Saints, from the beginning it has been by those who serve the devil, and not those who seek to serve the Lord. So, I raise my warning voice this day to the youth of Zion. Be not deceived when storms of persecution break over your heads. There will be unkind things said in the future as there have been in the past. See that your feet are planted upon the rock. See that you learn the desires of the Master toward you, and, knowing those desires, see to it that you keep His laws and commands. See to it that the purity of your lives shall entitle you to the companionship of the Holv Spirit, because if you are pure and virtuous and upright, the evil one will have no power to destroy you. Bear in mind, my young friends, that this is a serious matter. This life is not given to us as a pastime. There was a solemn purpose in our creation, in the life that God has given to us. Let us study what that purpose is, that we may progress and obtain eternal life. ¶

I find much in the 93rd section of the Doctrine and Covenants that gives me joy, and I believe I will read a portion of it. It shows how generous our Father in heaven is to the children of men, that there are no favorites. It indicates that every man and woman who will strive to do the will of the Lord may receive His blessing, whether he be in one portion of our Father's vineyard or another. I read as follows : ¶

"Verily, thus saith the Lord, it shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh their sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that. I am." ¶

This is the word of our Father in heaven to His children in the world. Your mission and mine, my brethren and sisters, is to so teach that doctrine, that our brothers and sisters of the world may be induced to depart from the mistakes they are making, and accept the pure Gospel of our Lord and Master. We find in the same section the information that the Savior did not receive a fulness at once, but grace was given Him for grace. As He overcame He developed and progressed. We ascertain that not only was the Savior in the beginning with the Father, but also that you and I were there. We dwelt there, and by reason of faithfulness, having kept our first estate, we have been permitted to come into this world and receive tabernacles of flesh. The fact that we are living in the flesh is evidence that we did keep our first estate. Now, realizing that there is a great purpose in life, let us learn our duty and do it. Our boys and girls go out among the people of the world, and they labor in kindness and in love to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have not striven to force it upon the human family, but upon us is laid the obligation to teach it in sincerity and in devotion. ¶

Fathers and mothers, are you teaching your children this Gospel? Or do you wait until they grow to manhood and womanhood, only to find that they do not comprehend it? Are you preparing the sons, and daughters God has blessed you with to become messengers of life and salvation among the children of men? Or are you neglecting that sacred opportunity, and permitting them to grow up thoughtless and indifferent regarding these things? I am persuaded that, if there are any children of Latter-day Saint parentage who depart from the faith, they are those who have not understood the meaning of the doctrines of Christ, who have not had instilled into their hearts faith in our heavenly Father, and who do not comprehend that it means eternal life to them to keep His commandments. So I say we should be imbued with the desire to labor and teach our sons and daughters those things that will save them in the presence of our Father. We need not feel anxious about the progress of Zion, for the good old ship will sail proudly on, and those who are faithful and true will land with her safely in the harbor of God, crowned with glory, immortality and eternal life. I have no fear for these aged men and women that have kept the faith. I have no fear for the boys and girls who are walking in obedience to the commandments of the Lord. I have no fear for those not of our faith who are living up to the light that God has blessed them with, because according to the law received so will we be judged and held accountable ; but the Latter-day Saints who knowing the will of our Father have not done it, those who hear the teachings of the Lord from time to time and turn their backs upon them, I fear they will not reach the goal unless they turn and repent with all their hearts. ¶

I feel this afternoon that I look into the faces of a body of men and women who are devoted to the cause of the Master. The question has been asked, Is it possible that the boys and girls that have been reared in these valleys of the mountains would be willing to suffer the hardships, privations and trials that their fathers and mothers endured for the Gospel's sake? Would they leave their homes of comfort to people a new country in the interest of their faith? I say unto you that if our Father has planted in their hearts a knowledge of the divinity of this work as you know it; if faith has been given them by reason of patience and devotion in keeping the commandments of the Lord; if they have been educated to know that Jesus is the Christ and that Joseph Smith was a prophet of the Lord, then I say unto you, Yes ! they would do what their fathers and mothers have done, take their place in the ranks of latter-day Israel, and if it means privation, if it means sickness and distress, or even expatriation from home, there are hundreds and thousands of your sons and daughters who, knowing that this is the Gospel of Christ, would, if need be, seal their testimony with their blood. I am grateful that I have this belief and feeling in regard to the sons and daughters of the Latter-day Saints. President Smith, who stands at our head, is an example to us. All the days of his life he has been faithful and true. No one can put his finger upon an instance where he has wronged any man. The Lord has blessed him, and he has been exalted among men. We would do well to watch his life, and emulate the splendid traits of character that have been manifest in him to so large a degree. He need not feel that the youth are recreant; for I say, as one of the sons of Zion, one of the weakest among you, I believe we stand ready at any time with our faith, our devotion, and all that God has blessed us with, to do His will and keep His commandments, and to sustain those whom He calls to preside over His Church. My belief is strengthened in this by the fact that, as a rule, the boys and girls of the Latter-day Saints go willingly to the mission field. They leave comfortable homes, father and mother, and all that is near and dear to them ; they turn their backs upon creature comforts, and go out into the world to preach Christ and Him crucified. They are ready whenever the call comes, if they have been taught the principles of the Gospel. Are your sons and daughters among those who are thus ready? If they are not, then it behooves you to begin at once the teaching of your children, that they may be willing to magnify this call when it shall come to them. ¶

The Lord is abundantly blessing us in these mountain fastnesses. Our cattle and sheep are upon a thousand hills. The grain crop this year has been bounteous. Our sons and daughters live in more comfortable homes than did their parents. All over this land the good word goes out that Zion prospers, all is well ! But let us not be lulled to sleep, let us not be deceived by the abundance of good things of this world ; for what doth it profit a man though he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul ? Let not the object of our creation be overlooked ; but let us labor for the salvation of our souls while we are blessed with creature comforts. Let us put forth our energy to save those who do not understand the truth. Let us live together in an undivided bond of love and union, that those who live in the world may look to Zion and see there men and women who serve the Lord and keep His commandments. While we have weaknesses, and make mistakes, while some transgress the laws of the Lord from time to time, I have never seen a people (and I have traveled through the world considerably ) that I thought lived so near to our heavenly Father as the Latter-day Saints do. I have never seen a people willing to make so many sacrifices for the Gospel's sake. So I am grateful to my heavenly Father that I was born of Latter-day Saint parentage. I am thankful that my ancestors were honored of the Lord by being inspired to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am grateful that your ancestors also received light and blessings from our Father; for it is indeed a blessing to receive that inspiration. ¶

Now, while we live and labor let us magnify our calling. Let no man be found recreant to his opportunities. Let us not turn our backs upon the blessings of the Lord, but day by day go faithfully on blessing our father's children. We have no hard feelings toward any of our fellowmen ; we have no occasion to. If they misunderstand us, misquote us, and persecute us, we should remember they are in the hands of the Lord, who has said, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay," and who further has said, "I will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is expected to forgive all men." So when we partake of the sacrament of the Lord's supper, as we do from time to time, let us purge from our hearts all feeling of unkindness toward one another and toward our brothers and sisters who are not of our faith. Let us labor day by day that our Father may bless us. If we have His Holy Spirit, the people with whom we come in contact will feel it, because it will permeate the atmosphere in which we live, and they will partake of it and drink it in, even though they may not desire so to do. Let us magnify the Lord by keeping His commandments. Let us popularize His work by laboring to build it up and extend it among the children of men. Let us magnify one another by speaking good only, and by strengthening the hands of those who are weak, and assisting those who are less patient than ourselves. ¶

I rejoice this day that there are so many of the general authorities here, and that our Father has poured out His blessings upon us so abundantly in this conference. I pray that the influence and spirit of this gathering may go to the furthermost stakes of Zion, that it may be from one end of the land to the other, that there may be an awakening among the Latter-day Saints ; that we may not take it for granted that those who live among us understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but that we may teach it to them, and teaching it, that we ourselves may receive a strengthening of our testimony. ¶

I know this is the work of the Lord, that Jesus was indeed our Savior, and that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of the Lord. I know those who have succeeded him have been men of God, who have honored the calling placed upon them. I know that our Father is blessing Zion at this time, and the man who holds the keys today is honored by all good men and women, wherever they may be in the wide world, who understand him. I feel this day to say to you, my brethren and sisters, that we will do well to live so that other men and women seeing us may feel to compliment the work of our Father, realizing by our conduct that we are members of the Church of Christ, they may feel to say, there is a good people. If we live up to the teachings of the Church, if we will keep all the commandments of our Father, men and women can say nothing else of us, because we will be the best people that live upon the earth. I believe we are that already, but there is room for improvement. Let us make this improvement ; let us honor the Lord, honor the principles and opportunities He has granted us, and be a blessing to His children wheresoever they may be. I pray that His blessing may be in your hearts and in your homes, that your sons and daughters may be worshipers of the living God, that they may keep His commandments, and grow up to bear the names you have given them in honor among the children of men ; that wherever they may go the light of the Spirit of the Lord may beam from their faces, bearing evidence of their integrity, their virtue and their worth. That this may be your privilege and mine, that we may work here to prepare for that great future life, and receive in the end from our heavenly Father that welcome plaudit, "Well done, good and faithful servant," is the prayer of your co-laborer, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶