Report on the Box Elder Stake

(President of Box Elder Stake). ¶

I desire, my brethren and sisters, while I stand before you, that the same sweet influence may direct my mind in the words I utter that has inspired all that has been said and done during this conference, and that has suggested to our brethren who have spoken this afternoon that which would be for our good. I rejoiced very much yesterday morning when the president testified that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints is in a better condition today, spiritually and temporally, and from the standpoint of unity, than it ever was before. When he made that statement, I thought to myself, that so far as my knowledge goes in relation to conditions in the Church, and particularly the stake in which I have the privilege to labor, is concerned, I know that he speaks the truth; and I am very thankful for this condition and for this knowledge. That is only as it should be. While we are to be commended for the condition, still it is nothing more than ought to exist among us as a people. I think of the army of workers that we have in the Church, who are interested, and zealous and faithful in the great labor in which we are engaged. A short time ago I had the privilege to visit one of the wards in our stake, attending a ward conference, and when the Bishop had the ward officers presented, I found in that small ward they had 178 brethren and sisters working as officers in the ward and the respective organizations. Nearly two-fifths of the members of that ward engaged in the Relief Society, in the Sunday School, in the Young Men's and the Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Associations, in the Primary organization, and in the Religion Class, as officers in those organizations. When we can select two-fifths of our people and get them harnessed up in the work of the Lord, and get them to perform the duties required of them in their work good is bound to come out of it, and the Church is going to continue to improve as long as those conditions exist. Now, I think this Church has always been improving ; I believe there has never been a day since it was first organized when this work went backwards. Its course has always been onward and upward. That is its course today, and I have full faith that it will so continue. But, while the condition is as President Smith stated, there is room for further improvement, and we all realize this fact; and in realizing it, I feel that we are determined to do better, to live better lives as Latter-day Saints. If the Lord has permitted us to see and understand our weaknesses, I think we should strive to overcome those weaknesses; and as we individually overcome them we are improving and bettering ourselves. In thus improving ourselves, we are improving the great organization to which we belong. I believe, brethren and sisters, it is very important that we all should be thoroughly conversant with the great organizations of the Church, that we should sustain the authority of the Church, and assist in supporting the Priesthood, and in helping to perform the duties that are required. In line with this thought, I feel that the success of these organizations that I have referred to largely depends upon the thorough conversion of our fathers and mothers to the great work those organizations are performing. For example, I remember a few years ago, in our stake, that many of our people were not converted to Religion Class work. Some of them thought it an unnecessary organization, that we had enough organizations; in fact, that we are over-organized. Well now, since the Religion Class has been operating and working among the people of our stake, parents have begun to see the benefits derived from it, they have seen the blessings that have come to their children in their being taught the eternal principles of life and salvation, in the children being taught to pray, to ask a blessing upon the food, to perform little duties required of them towards their parents, and towards the officers in the ward. They have seen the good that has come from these organizations, and that is coming from them, and they are converted better to that work today than they ever were before. The result is that the Religion Class movement is lunging forward today as it never did before. I believe that we as parents ought to appreciate these various organizations, and encourage our children to sustain them, and patronize and take part in them. If we will do this, these organizations will flourish in the Church, and we will realize their great advantages. ¶

And this also applies to the Priesthood organizations. I feel that if there is any work in which the parents can co-operate with the bishops of the various wards, it is that in relation to the lesser Priesthood. They should encourage their boys to perform the duties required of them by the bishops, and in attending the meetings of their respective organizations. I think, my brethren and sisters, this is a vital point. There is nothing comes closer to us than our children; nothing more important to us than they are, nothing that will ever be of greater worth to us than they. They are our jewels, they are our wealth. Temporal things are not to be compared to them. Our children are given to be ours eternally, under the holy covenant, and it is our duty to interest ourselves in them, to see that they can be ours in honor here and throughout eternity. We cannot do anything better than help to encourage our children, and establish them in the faith, encourage them in performing duties along the lines that are indicated in the respective organizations of the Church. ¶

I think that, as parents, we should unite our work with that of the respective organizations. We should know what they are doing, and in becoming acquainted with them, we might conduct little religion classes in our homes, and there consider the lessons and the work that is being taken up by the Religion Class, the Primary Associations, the Mutual Improvement Associations and the Sunday Schools, and thus show to our children that we are interested in them. If we would do this, and conduct these little devotional exercises in our home, we would plant faith in our children's hearts, and plant confidence in them, in the great work in which we are engaged. They would feel that we are sincere in it, that we are trying to live it, and that we are earnest in our desires that they should live it. ¶

Our children live very much as we want them to. It is our duty as Latter-day Saints to live so that they can see our good works, and be willing to emulate our example. I was impressed sometime ago by a thought that was expressed by the Prophet Joseph Smith, that we cannot be perfect without our children; we cannot enjoy exaltation in the kingdom of God without our children. If we expect to enjoy this exaltation and this glory, we must have our children with us; otherwise we cannot enjoy these blessings to the fullest extent. Now, if we would take up this work, and get our families to unite with these respective organizations in the Church, I believe sincerely that we would accomplish wonderful results, and that this work will continue to grow much more rapidly, perhaps, than it has in the past. ¶

I rejoice in this Gospel; I know that it is the work of God, and I am thankful to my Heavenly Father for this testimony. I feel that, if there is one thing more important than another at the present time for the Latter-day Saints to consider, it is to plant in the hearts of their children a knowledge and a testimony of the divinity of this work. It is important that our children believe they will get it if they will seek it in the way the Lord has directed, and keep His commandments. One thought that gives me great joy in connection with the doctrines of the Church is that they stand the test. The Savior, you know, on one occasion said, "My doctrine is not mine but his that sent me; if any man will do His will he shall know of the doctrine whether it is of God or whether I speak of myself." Our doctrines stand the test; if you will do the will of the Father, in other words, if you will accept the doctrine, and practice it in your daily lives, you will know of the doctrine whether it is true or not. Where is there a man or a woman who has tested the doctrines of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in this world and ever found them wanting? No man who has lived humbly, in accordance with the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, can stand forth and say that they are not true, that they are not of God. Now, let us apply the test, and continue to add one test after the other. I tell you it will do more to establish us and our children in the work of our Heavenly Father than anything else we can do. ¶

May the blessings of Heaven rest upon the people of Zion, and may we rejoice in the great work which is being accomplished, and ever feel to thank our Heavenly Father that this Gospel came to us, and that we are partakers of the same. May we live so that we can be an honor to the work, I ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶