Faithfulness, Sustaining the Authorities, and a Report from Millard Stake

My brethren and sisters, I hope to be led by the influence of the Spirit of the Lord, to be perfectly in tune with His Holy Spirit, that He shall manifest through me something, or some lesson, that He would wish taught. ¶

It is my privilege to preside over a stake of Zion that, from point of territory, is perhaps one of the largest stakes of Zion, but, from the point of population, it is one of the smallest. Our stake boundaries are exactly the same as the boundaries of Millard County. At this time there is hardly a county that is receiving more attention, perhaps not a county receiving more advertising, from the point of available land and water, than is Millard County. All of the waters of the Sevier river have been filed upon, and title obtained and reservoirs prepared for the impounding of that water. We think that, within the next year or two, we will not have to report that Millard Stake is one of the small stakes of Zion in point of population. There is no county within the State of Utah that has as much available land, and as much water that is available to apply upon this land, as the County of Millard. Under the wise direction of those who have charge of these projects, we hope, and believe, that our county will be well populated, that the broad acres, which President Lyman is pleased to term desert, which lies between the eastern and western part of the stake, will be largely cultivated, and be inhabited by good, thrifty citizens. ¶

I was thinking, while the brethren were talking here today, that we could preach a good gospel sermon by the lives of the Latter-day Saints of that stake. I believe that we have not, not to my knowledge, at least, in a population of five thousand souls, one case of immorality at this date. I believe that we are free from the bondage of debt. We are not given to speculation. We have no producing mines, and but few people that leave the farm; as a consequence, our people are of modest means. As a witness to their faithfulness in the payment of tithes, let me make this announcement, that while we have suffered from loss by dams being swept out of the Sevier river, and while we had the responsibility and expense of building an academy which cost about twenty-one thousand dollars, yet the tithes of Millard Stake have increased until the year 1910 is shown to be the best for the payment of tithes in the history of that stake. When we listened to the figures that were given by President Smith, regarding the birth rate among members of the Church, which we were pleased to hear was heavier than among the people of any other country upon the face of the earth, it was gratifying to us to know that Millard Stake really exceeded the splendid record that was made by the Church. ¶

As a people we live in peace and harmony. Only a small percentage of the population of Millard County are not Latter-day Saints, and among the small percentage there is no enmity toward us that I know of. Those that are not of our faith are good citizens, and there are no poor in Millard Stake. The Latter-day Saints, I believe, are recognized by all as neighbors that are honest, true, just, virtuous and benevolent, and that they believe in doing good unto all men. One of the greatest testimonies that I have, that appeals to me, is the fact that we never have a Latter-day Saint who is true and faithful in the discharge of his duty but who is contented and satisfied, and lives in the enjoyment of peace, under the direction and influence of the Spirit of the Lord that gives joy and satisfaction. ¶

I thank the Lord that the rewards for faithfulness in the Church are not all postponed until after the resurrection. I thank the Lord that while we live in hope and faith, and in a knowledge of the glory and blessings that await us in the future, yet the Lord rewards us every day of our lives by the whispering of peace unto our souls, giving us a knowledge of divine approval when our lives are in harmony with the requirements of the gospel. I appreciate this. The Lord teaches us through the gospel that we should lend a helping hand unto the erring, reach out and reclaim them, and save them, if possible. In the beautiful lesson taught in the parable of the prodigal son, we learn that when he had gone off and had wasted his goods, until the day of repentance came, he then thought of that which he had left behind and longed to return unto his father. We can appreciate the spirit of that father when he received the repentant son back, placed his splendid mantle upon him, killed the fatted calf for him, and placed a ring upon his finger. I also appreciate the lesson that is taught in the case of the other son, who had remained at home and who had been faithful, but was somewhat jealous of the attention that had been given to the wayward son, the father said unto the faithful one, "All that I have is thine." So, we learn that it is never too late to repent. We can repent and we will be rewarded for true repentance for returning unto the Lord. But if we never do that which necessitates repentance and returning, all that the Lord has will be given to those who are thus faithful from beginning to end. ¶

I thank the Lord that I have a testimony of the divinity of this work, and I rejoice in the knowledge that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I rejoice also in the knowledge that Brigham Young, and the other presidents of the Church who have died and gone, were prophets. In my faith, I sustain also Joseph F. Smith, the present living head of the Church, as a prophet, seer and revelator. When I lift up my hand to sustain the authorities of the Church, the apostles and the presiding patriarch, as prophets, seers and revelators, I mean, before the Lord and before my brethren, that I sustain them in very deed as such ; and when they speak, under the inspiration of the Spirit of the Lord, I accept it as the voice of the Lord unto me and unto His people. I thank the Lord for all that he has done for us, and pray that His Spirit shall abide with us and lead us in the path of duty. We should teach the gospel by our daily walk in life, for that is the most magnificent sermon that it is possible for us to preach. My words would be of but little value to the Latter-day Saints if I should teach them that the Word of Wisdom is the mind and will of the Lord, if my daily walk in life did not conform to my precepts. I think that the mother's word and influence are seriously affected if she, through any weakness, real or imaginary, feels justified in partaking of tea or coffee, while she admits before her family that such indulgence is contrary to the mind and will of the Lord. It breeds a spirit of disrespect for the revelations of the Lord when we treat any of His requirements or commandments with indifference, or as of little consequence. The Lord desires that we shall prove ourselves the best people upon the face of the earth, having received the truth, that we shall exemplify the truth in our lives. ¶

I have this hope, and I speak now of Millard Stake of Zion, that if those who shall come among us and make their homes with us, shall go upon the irrigation ditches or upon our construction work, that they shall discover that the young men of Millard Stake of Zion, who do such work, do not indulge in profanity, and that they keep the Word of Wisdom. I trust they shall discover that the voice of prayer is heard among those who work daily upon those public works ; that a blessing is said upon the food before it is partaken of. If they go among the families of the people, I hope they shall discover that the father, the mother, the son and the daughter prays. If they purchase from us our farm products, I trust they shall discover that we give two thousand pounds for a ton ; and that we are not dissipated in any way, but that we teach and practice the gospel of Jesus Christ in our daily walk in life. We brand as infamous the lies and misrepresentations that are made against our people. Those who are honest that come into the midst of our people shall see and understand that we have been accused falsely ; they shall discover, that our lives bear witness to our faith in the Lord and the saving power of the gospel ; that they may do so is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶