Report on the Wayne Stake

(Of Wayne Stake.) My brethren and sisters, I rejoice exceedingly in the spirit that has pervaded all the meetings of this conference. We know, notwithstanding all that may be said to the contrary, that it is the mission of "Mormonism" to save the souls of men. The evidence of this lies in the fact that every action of a Latter-day Saint in life is of an unselfish character. Their energies, thought, and ambition, is to do something good in this world. I was deeply impressed, this morning, with the remarks of Elder Rulon S. Wells. He gave to us, in his brief address, what I think to be the essence, so to speak, of "Mormonism," namely, a life of self-sacrifice. Any person who has been thoroughly converted to the Gospel is converted to this principle, for it is a fundamental truth of true religion. I rejoice that the true history of this people of God testifies that they are indeed what they profess to be, followers of the meek and lowly Nazarene. ¶

It has not been my good fortune to have the experience of the brethren who have addressed us here this afternoon. I think all of them have been blessed with the privilege of being born in the valleys of the mountains, in the Land of Promise. They have been blessed with "Mormon" parents, and have been raised in "Mormon" homes. Perhaps they have never heard or known anything of any religion but "Mormonism," until they attained manhood, and were sent as messengers of truth to the nations, I often regret that I have not had this privilege in my experience in life, yet I rejoice in the knowledge that God is no respecter of persons, and that the Lord loves all His children, wherever they may be upon His footstool. I was impressed by the tender way in which Brother Smoot referred to his mother this morning. I was charmed with the ideal that he had in boyhood, the hope that he might some day have the opportunity of going with his mother to her native country, that she might again behold the scenes of her childhood, and be reminded of the great blessings that God had brought her by compliance with the Gospel. I was raised in one of the large centers of civilization in England. The Gospel came to me in my boyhood. I have passed through some of the experiences that Elder Hart referred to this afternoon, that are common to those who receive the Gospel in other lands ; but the Lord has sustained me through those unpleasant experiences. While it is true that, temporarily, the experiences encountered when we receive the Gospel in the world are indeed to us a hardship, yet as the years roll by, and if we cling to the truth, if we adhere to the principles of righteousness, those apparent sacrifices or disagreeable circumstances become the greatest blessings of our lives. ¶

I rejoice, when I contemplate the present magnitude of the work of God, and remember its small beginning. This should arrest the attention of honest thinking men and women. They should be reminded of the words of the Savior when He said that "a tree is known by its fruits." When we think of all that "Mormonism" has accomplished for this world, and what it is expected to accomplish in the future, it seems to me, if thinking men and women would consider what the Saints have done and are doing, and what our aims are, they would not be deluded into the belief that we are not a people who are striving to serve the Lord. It is true that among the Latter-day Saints there are those who are not as pure in their lives as they should be, according to the professions that they make, but is this not true of every church? Are there not people in every church in the land who do not live up to all the principles and doctrines of their churches, and whose lives are not in harmony with the professions they make ? We say this : wherever there is a man or woman in the Church who is a wrongdoer, he or she is not a true Latter-day Saint. ¶

Reputation is one thing: character is another; and the Lord will judge us according to our character, not by our reputation. When men speak evil of us, we take consolation in the words of the Savior, speaking in the days of old to His disciples, He said, "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad : for great is your reward in heaven : for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." ¶

Let us be sure, my brethren and sisters, that what the world says derogatory to the Latter-day Saints is false, so far as we are concerned individually, and then we need take no concern. The world has never said anything so bad about the Latter-day Saints that has exceeded in hatred and the spirit of animosity, the falsehoods that were uttered against the Son of God. Hence we have consolation in the words that He spoke, for He foreknew that all who would live godly in Christ Jesus, all who would do right, who would decide to keep His commandments, would be in ill repute with the peoples of the world, those who have given themselves over to the sensual pleasures of life, and take delight only in such gratification. ¶

I rejoice in the Gospel because of what it has done for me. I know as I live that God has established it Himself, that, by revelation from the Father and the Son, and the instruction and teaching of angels Joseph Smith, a man of God, established this work, with a foundation so durable that all the persecution that can be waged against it will never shake the edifice, for God is the architect. The work of the Father will spread, and missionaries by thousands will continue to publish this Gospel of peace, righteousness, and good-will unto all the children of men, until the words of the Redeemer shall have been fulfilled. The Gospel shall be preached to every nation, every kindred, every tongue, and every people; and the honest and pure in heart, they who are seeking God, who are in the condition that the prophet of old spoke of when he said that they would run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, will ultimately find it, for God loves the man who is seeking after truth. They may search in different directions, they may go to the various churches that have been established by men, but after a time they will come to the Lord, they will come to the truth, and God will draw them to the fountain of eternal light and righteousness. ¶

Let us take courage, hope and consolation in the promises God has made to us. Let us go home from this conference with an earnest determination in our hearts that we will serve the Lord. Let us reduce to practice every good precept that has been taught us, and be faithful in keeping all the commandments of God; for this is the only way that we can demonstrate our love for God, namely by keeping His commandments. We should do all that in our power lies to be Christlike; emulate Him in our lives and thoughts, and we shall have joy while we live, and be privileged eventually to enjoy the association of the righteous forever. This is what I desire above all other things. I hope that we will take to heart the injunctions given to us and with all our getting get understanding and purity of heart. With all our searching, search for the love of God, and eventually we shall realize, to a greater extent than we now do, what it is to have the love of Christ burning in our hearts. ¶

May God bless you, is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶

A quartet, "Content," was sung by Prof. Charles Kent, Charles S. Martin, Alexander Crawford, and Alvin Keddington. ¶