Children as a Blessing and Responsibility

I feel very humble in presenting myself before this large congregation after you have heard the splendid instructions and the strong testimonies borne of the truth. I know that you, with me, feel happy in the knowledge that we are not in doubt, but have a testimony of the truth. The Lord has given us an assurance that He has established this work, and that it points out the way which leads to eternal life. I feel very thankful for this testimony. ¶

The subjects that have been treated upon are very timely. Our children are our most precious possession. The Psalmist says : "Children are an heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children of youth. Happy is the man who hath his quiver full of them." Such was the way that that inspired man looked upon children. Do we look upon them in the same way? Of all the people upon the earth we ought to feel blest in the possession of children. We should regard it as a sacred duty to train them aright while they are young, for we are assured that if children are trained in the way they should go, when they grow old they will not depart therefrom. This duty, then, rests upon all the Latter-day Saints, and it is not a duty alone — we should look upon it as a privilege that God has given us to train their young minds, that they may grow up and be an honor to us and become useful members of the Church and Kingdom of God. Good children are among the greatest blessings ; but we must remember that every blessing that God bestows upon us brings also responsibility, and the responsibility of raising our children aright, of guarding them against evil influences, is a great one. With the growing wealth in our community, we find also the growth of evil influences around us. There is much to draw our children away from the right path. Hence, Latter-day Saints we must be on our guard. Do not let us neglect our children. Let us encourage them in their attendance at the sessions of the different institutions in our midst. Let the little ones go to the Primaries. I will say here that our sisters who take such an interest in attending the Primaries will be blest of the Lord, and we feel to bless them; likewise the workers in the Religion Classes. We want our children to learn practical religion, and in these classes is where our brethren and sisters are training them in this direction. We have institutions in our midst that are hardly known, but which are doing a great work in protecting our children from the evil that surrounds them. I refer to the Betterment Committees, composed of men who have been appointed in the different wards to look after the children. They have saved many a one from going astray. I do not believe that the parents are really as much in harmony with them as they ought to be. As the President said, we have such unbounded confidence in our children that we do not think they could do anything wrong; and if one of our brethren should warn us that, perhaps, a boy or a girl of ours is in bad company, some of us are ready to repudiate such a charge ; and the one who speaks to us, and who does it out of the goodness of his heart, we look upon almost as an enemy. We ought not to do this. These men are trying their best to work for the good of our young people. I would say, brethren and sisters, let us all be awake, let us all be on the watchtower ; because if the adversary ever sought to destroy us and our children, he is at the present time ; and what a sorrow it must be to the hearts of parents to see their children leave the faith or go astray. By taking hold of this matter in time, and by devoting more time to our children, much of this could be averted. ¶

The Bureau of Information, here upon this block, is doing an important missionary work. Hundreds of thousands of people come here, and when they see what the Latter-day Saints have accomplished they want to know something concerning this peculiar people — what are their motives? and what are they doing? Our brethren and sisters who labor so unselfishly here, from day to day, are doing a splendid work in enlightening men and women concerning us and our religion. Our missionaries abroad are feeling the result of this work. They go into the houses of strangers, and commence to talk to them about the Gospel, and often they tell the elders that they have been in Salt Lake, and add : "We have been treated kindly by your people ; can we do anything for you ?" Many missionaries have been told, "Come and stay with us ; make our homes your homes, while you are laboring in this district." This has been brought about by these people learning the truth concerning us, while in our midst ; and so I say, Blessed be our workers on the block here, who labor in the service of the Bureau of Information. They are simply telling the truth to those who come here ; and the travelers who visit us, feel that our people are telling what they feel and know, themselves, to be true in regard to their religion. We do not know how much good a word may do. It may open up the way for missionary work in districts of our country where we have not before been able to gain access. It may likewise open the way into foreign lands, for foreigners come here also. When I was at Stockholm this summer, I met one of our missionaries. This young man was once traveling to Denver. On the train he met with, a gentleman who had visited Salt Lake, and when he found out that the young man was a Mormon, he wanted to learn all he could about our people. When he left he gave his address and wanted the young man to correspond with him. The young man was called to go on a mission to Germany. He corresponded with this man, and found out that he was a baron from Finland, and before the missionary went home, this man invited him to take a sail with him in his yacht, around Scandinavia ; but the brother did not have time to do this. I mention this to show you what influence a few words had on a man, even of such standing. He loved the young man, and when he bade him farewell, he was moved to tears. "Now," said he, "send missionaries over to our country, and they will be protected there." We have tried to send missionaries to Finland, but on account of the strict rule of Russia, our elders have not been able to stay there long at a time. However, we have had excellent men and women join the Church there, who have come up here to live with us. This man was moved by what he had heard. He thought there was freedom enough in Finland for men and women to worship God according to the dictates of their conscience, but he did not know how much the Elders had been persecuted there. ¶

I want to say to our brethren and sisters, that during my visit to the different missions of Europe, this summer, I have rejoiced in seeing our missionaries, and the work they are doing. They are filled with holy zeal for the spread of the truth. They are men of whom you can be proud, men that are gaining the love and esteem of all good men with whom they come in contact. As the people of the world see their pure lives and upright conduct, their love for men and their unselfishness in devoting themselves, their time and means, to convert souls unto Christ, they realize that our missionaries could not do this, except they were sincere and had a firm conviction of the truth of the Gospel they proclaim. ¶

The work is progressing, and I hope the time will soon come when those countries where there is no freedom to worship God, as men feel to do, may be given such liberty. I am astonished that an enlightened nation like Germany should still banish men who have done no wrong, who have only tried to show others the way that they know for themselves leads to God. Not many days ago, a young man studying in Berlin — not a missionary— went into our meeting. He was a splendid singer, and sung the songs of Zion to encourage his brethren and sisters; and for this offense he was banished. I think that when this is put in the right light before the government, this policy may be changed, for I cannot believe that judges and men of understanding can look upon it as a just thing. However, persecution has never stopped the work of the Lord. Banishment, arrests and imprisonment will not stop our elders from working among the people. ¶

This work has been established by our heavenly Father, and no opposition can stop it. When there were only six or ten members in the Church, it might have been thought that the adversary could have stopped it, but not even then. It has grown. The influence of the Gospel, as brought forth by the Prophet Joseph Smith, is making its way and is being felt throughout all nations ; the truths revealed through him will yet be accepted by the world. Many there are today who believe in them, though they know not the source whence they came. Truth will prevail, and we look forward to the time when it shall cover the whole earth, and make men free in Christ. Then Christ will come and reign upon the earth ; bring peace unto men ; bind the influences of evil, and introduce a reign of peace. I feel thankful that this faith and hope has been given me, and I know you have it also. May the Lord bless the Latter-day Saints ; bless this work, that it may prosper ; bless His servants with the spirit of their calling, that what they do may further the interests of the Church of Christ, I ask it, in the name of Jesus, Amen. ¶