Age is No Excuse and Book of Mormon Evidences

Age no excuse for non-observance of Word of Wisdom.— Utah should be exemplary temperance state. — Doctrines in Book of Mormon are evidences of its divinity. — A key note to success. ¶

It is always a pleasure to me to meet with the Latter-day Saints, and I have listened with interest and attention to what has been said by the brethren that have preceded me today. I earnestly desire that, in occupying the remainder of the time at this session of our conference, that the light and inspiration of the Holy Spirit may be and abide with me, that what I say may be of benefit to those who are here assembled. I have never had any desire in my heart in standing before the Latter-day Saints other than that I might be able to say something that would be for their good, for their benefit, and that Would be calculated in its nature to encourage them and to fix in their hearts a desire and a determination, to be more faithful, more diligent more energetic in the discharge of the duties that devolve upon them in the future of their lives than they have been in the past. ¶

I feel to be charitable to fathers and mothers who have been breakers of the Word of Wisdom; but there is just one little item I want to call attention to, and that is, if our fathers and mothers were in the church, and were six years old when the Word of Wisdom was given, they would now be 81 years old, because it was given over 75 years ago, and it seems to me that a child six years of age might have imbided the spirit of the Word of Wisdom. So our charity will have to be, to a certain extent, mixed with justice, and with a determination to impress upon the minds of those who are aged that there is greater necessity for them to observe the Word of Wisdom because they are aged and therefore more in need of the blessings of the Lord. Now, I realize that the Word of Wisdom was not orginally given by way of a commandment and that many have taken advantage of that fact. I was only a boy, however, when President Brigham Y/oung announced that from that time forward it was a commandmient to the people ; and I rejoice that it seems to be coming now with greater force than it has been in the past. ¶

Many years ago when I first heard a political speech, by a member of Congress from the east, in the Salt Lake theatre, my heart was filled with joy and gratitude as he announced that Utah stood fourth in the entire nation on the question of education. He said there was a map in the capitol building at Washington, which as education grew in this country, was painted white; that it was all black originally, and in proportion to the advance of education in the various States and Territories it was changed and made white. He told us then that there were but three spots upon that map whiter than Utah. At that time w;e were still a Territory, and had received none of the public lands and government 'moneys for educational purposes. Today, as I understand it, when it comes to literacy, there is only one State ahead of us. Some two or three months ago I noticed a map in the Improvement Era, indicating where the sale of whiskey ruled supreme, or was curtailed, it was painted black where liquor was not curtailed. I found that Utah was one of the six States painted black, and that there were forty states ahead of us. I feel that if there is any spot upon the face of the earth that should be first, and that should set an example before all the world in the matter of temperance it is Utah. If we had kept the Word of Wisdom, as we should have done, Utah today would have the credit of standing as a leader in temperance. ¶

I confess there is something in being at the head that has always favorably impressed me. When a young man I was struck by the saying of a friend that he would sooner be the head of a mouse than the tail of a lion. Today he is one of the leading men in the community. There is a great deal in a man or a community in aspiring to be at the head; there is much in making up our minds as Latter-day Saints, that we and our families will serve the Lord and keep His commandments, and set examples before all people worthy of their imitation, and that shall characterize and stamp us as in very deed servants and Saints of God. I rejoiced excedingly, many years ago, over a quarter of a century, in fact, when I was called to be one of the Apostles, to receive a letter from a man who had known me many years, stating that he had always believed the Latter-day Saint leaders were dishonest, and that they were imposing upon the people ; but now that I had been chosen to be one of the leaders he had changed his mind, and he owed them an apology, he now believed they were honest men. He said, "I have known you from a boy, and I know that you are honest, and now I know these men must be honest or they wouldn't invite you into their private councils, where you would know all that was going on, because if they were dishonest they would know that you would expose their wrong-doing." I rejoiced in having this kind of an expression from this man. There is a great deal, my friends, in the statement of Josh Billings. He says, we must not judge a man by his relatives, because he can't help them ; they are crowded on to him. But, judge a man by the company he keeps, because he picks his own. Now let us pick our own company, and be sure that it is good, and let us set examples before all men that shall be worthy of imitation. Let us make up our minds that we will serve God. ¶

I rejoice in the wonderful spirit of the Book of Mormon. I believe that it is one of the greatest missionaries in the hands of the Elder that it is possible for him to have. I believe that no man can open that book and read it with a prayerful heart, and ask God, in the name of Jesus Christ, for a testimony regarding its divinity, but what the Lord will mainfest unto him by His Spirit the truth of the book. Now that is the promise made in the book itself, and God has performed it ; he has done it in thousands of cases. There is a mark of divinity on this book; and I maintain that no man can read, for instance, the 36th chapter, the commandments of Alma to his son Helaman, without receiving an impression of this kind. It is claimed by some that this book was written as a novel. I maintain that a man ought to have his head tapped for the simples who would undertake to say that any one would be idiotic enough to write a book like the Book of Mormon as a novel, hoping to sell it to the people. I maintain that no man can read that chapter, wherein this great man says: "My son, give ear to my words, for I swear unto you, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God, ye shall prosper in the land." Also: "For ye ought to know as I do know, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land ; and ye ought to know also, that inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of God, ye shall be cut off from His presence. Now this is according to his word." And again the words we find in the 29th chapter of this same prophet, saying : ¶

"O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people; yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance, and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth. ****** I ought not to harrow up in my desires, the firm decree of a just God, for I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, according- to their, wills ; whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction." ¶

Read all the 29th chapter, and the 36th chapter of Alma. I know them nearly by heart, because I have read them so often; and I maintain that no man can read those two chapters and then believe for one minute that any man was idotic enough to write them, hoping to sell the book as a novel. It is the outpouring of an honest heart. It is the outpouring of a heart that desires the salvation of all mankind. This man Alma verily desired that he could have the voice of an angel to cry repentance unto all the ends of the earth. This man desired that his son should serve God; and he confesses in the 36th chapter that he had been guilty of waywardness in his youth. He confesses his wrongdoings, that he went with the sons of King Mosiah trying to destroy the Church of God. He confesses that an angel of God came and stopped them by the way, and commanded them if they would be saved themselves to seek not to destroy the Church of God ; and he says that he erred unto God for repentance, and that, after feeling the depth of sorrow and humility, he was forgiven. These are the outpourings of a Prophet of God. No man can read the life of the Prophet Nephi, as recorded in this book without being a better man, if he reads it with an honest heart and a desire to learn. I read the Book of Mormon when I was a young man, and the one character among all others that I fell in love with was Nephi, a mian who never complained, who was never discouraged, who was never despondent; a man who had for his guiding star the conviction manifest in the remark he made to his father on returning from seeing that wonderful vision, when his father desired him to go up to Jerusalem for the record of Laban. He said, "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save He shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." And he went up with his brethren, and Laban refused to deliver the plates. Then they took all their wealth and offered it to Laban, and he again refused to give them the plates, and sought to take their lives. Then his brothers desired to go back to their father and his tent in the wilderness, but Nephi said, "We will not go back until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord has commanded us." And when Laban had stolen their gold and silver and driven them out, the brothers beat Nephi, but the angel of God appeared and commanded them to desist, and told them to go up again to Jerusalem and God would deliver Laban into their hands. But after the angel had departed his brothers began to murmlur and said : "How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands? Behold, he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty ; then why not us ?" But Nephi answered them : ¶

"Come, let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord ; for behold he is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands." "Let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord." That, O ye Latter-day Saints, is the key-note for success in any labor that God gives to us. Let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of God. ¶

May God bless us; may we be true and faithful in keeping His commandments. I ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶