Righteousness Exalteth a Nation: Tribute to the Founders of the Church

After listening to the eloquent remarks which have just been made, and thinking of the many good things which have been said during the sessions of this conference, I feel very much as Alexander expressed himself at the death of his father, Philip, that there was nothing more left to be done; because it does seem to me that the doctrines of the gospel of Christ, that the ideals which it holds up to us, and which we are all expected to seek after and to emulate, have been so fully expounded that no man or woman who has been present need leave this assembly, this great conference gathering, in doubt as to his duty or her duty as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For me to attempt to continue the subject treated by Elder Whitney would be like coming down from Point Lookout, on the Emigration Canyon railroad, into Liberty Park, in order that we might view the beauties of this valley. But his remarks have suggested one thought, a thought to which I shall venture to give a few moments discussion, and in order to emphasize it I will first read this brief verse from Proverbs, "Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." ¶

I would like to amplify that and say that as righteousness exalteth a nation, so it exalteth a community, so it exalteth an individual: and as sin is a reproach to any people, so is sin a reproach to any individual. The one outstanding characteristic in the life of Orson Pratt — and when I refer to Orson Pratt I refer also to those men with whom he was associated, and with whom he labored^— the one thing which has always appealed to me, the one thing which stands out in bold relief above all others, is the righteousness of their lives. They were not sinful men, but men who sought to do God's will, men who loved the Lord with all their hearts, men who devoted their lives to the welfare of humanity, because they loved their fellow man. To sin is to transgress the laws of God, and this they did not do. To sin is to be disobedient to the divine will, and this they did not do. To sin is to violate the command of God, either in purpose or in conduct ; this they did not do. To sin is to perform any act which we know to be wrong, or to leave undone any known duty. ¶

I love the memory of these men, the memory of the men who founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, men whose history has been written into the pages of the history of this Church, and the men who are now associated with it, directing its destinies, and managing its affairs, because I know them to be righteous men, and I know that God will exalt them. I know that He will exalt and magnify His people because of righteousness, not that righteousness prevails perhaps to the degree that it might, not that we are all entirely free from sin, not that we all do the will of the Father as we ought, not that there are not some of us who violate the command of God in purpose and in conduct, — but I sincerely believe, and that belief is the result of careful observation as I associate with the people, the great masses of Latter-day Saints are like these men, these historic men whose memory we hold so dear. They are righteous men and women. ¶

Let me appeal to you, my brethren and sisters, you Latter-day Saints who are here this afternoon, that you remember this scripture which I have read, the far reaching importance of it, the effect upon the lives of individuals, communities and nations of works of righteousness, its effect for good, and the far reaching effect of evil, of transgression of the law of God, of sinful practices of sinful acts. If my brethren and sisters could think of this important question as I think of it, I feel certain that there would not be a soul in the Church whose resolution would not be to serve the Lord their God, and if there are sins, if there are those who have transgressed, thank the Lord for the doctrine of repentance, for He has provided that sinful men and women, men and women who have transgressed His laws may repent and receive a remission of their sins. I believe you will all agree with me that the tendency of the world at large is towards transgression of God's laws. Men and women are inclined to be sinful, and sin shuts us out from the presence of God and results in spiritual blindness and death, and so must we have continued forever, had not the Lord in His mercy, through the atonement of His Son Jesus Christ, provided that through repentance from sin we may be forgiven, and our sins be blotted out and remembered against us no more. We may thus be reestablished in the faith of our fathers, and in the fellowship of our brethren and our sisters. Christ taught repentance from sin. John the Baptist proclaimed repentance, called upon people to forsake their sinful habits, to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and he declared to them that He who should come after, who was greater than he, would baptize them with fire and with the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of the Lord which fortifies us against sin when we have received it. And so the transgressor is not left without hope of everlasting life. It is only required of him that he come back to the Lord in humility, that he come back to Him in faith, that he repent of his wrongdoing. This it was which brought joy to the father of the prodigal son, not that he had been a transgressor, not that he had wasted his substance, not that he had consorted with wicked men and women. This did not make him better, far from it, but when repentance came to his heart and he returned and said, "Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and I am no longer worthy to be called thy son. I am willing to come back as thy servant, to serve thee henceforth, only that I may be forgiven." The heart of the father was touched. Why? Because this my son who was dead, this my son who had gone away from the truth, my son who had forgotten the Lord, forgotten me his father, is alive again. He has repented of his sins, he has seen his error, he has come back to me, and I forgive him with all my heart. And he rejoiced, just as the good shepherd rejoiced who, leaving the ninety-nine sheep which he had •carefully gathered into the fold, went out into the storm and sleet of the mountain to look for the one lamb which had been lost, and when ¶

he found it he came back rejoicing because he had found that which was lost. ¶

Christ bore witness to us that there was greater rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who shall repent and come back to the Lord, than over ninety-nine just men who need no repentance. He did not mean by that to depreciate the value of righteousness and the appreciation in which God our Father holds righteous men and women who have been faithful all their lives, but to illustrate the awful condition of a fallen soul ; to illustrate the condition of one who denies God and gives way to sin, and is left without hope of everlasting life. When such a one returns it is like one redeemed from the dead. So, my brethren and sisters, men and women, our Father has placed us here that we may preach repentance to our fellows, extend the hand of sympathy to those who are in error, that we may redeem, if in our power it lies, the sinner in our midst, and bring him back into the fold of Christ. This characterized the lives of the men who founded this Church. This characterized the lives of all men and women who have believed in Jesus Christ as the Redeemer of the world, and it ought to characterize the life of every Latter-day Saint. ¶

As I contemplate the truths of the gospel which have been expounded at this conference, this conviction comes to me, that I must be a righteous man, and yet I must not be a self-righteous man. I must be righteous in humility before the Lord, never glorying in my own strength, lest I fall. I must be a charitable man, and yet I must, be just, for whenever my charity shall prompt me to subvert justice, that which is righteous and right, I have perverted that great command of the Almighty. I must be tolerant in my views, but my tolerance must not lead me to indulgence, or to approve of indulgence in others. I must tolerate them in righteousness, in that which has the approval of the Lord and all good men, but not farther than that, for the Lord cannot look upon sin with any degree of allowance. I must be temperate, and teach others temperance. I must be truthful and teach truth to other people. I must be liberal, but I must not be extravagant, because that would be displeasing to the Lord. I must be an industrious man, laboring, striving after those things which are necessary in order that my wants and the wants of my family and the necessities of the Church of which I am a member may be provided for ; but in my industry, in my desire to acquire and accumulate I must not be selfish. I must not seek to unrighteously possess myself of that which belongs to another, but carefully consider the welfare, the rights, property rights of my brethren and sisters. I may be ambitious, for the Lord desires that we shall strive for better things ; but my ambition, the accomplishment of my own purposes must never be at the expense of that which properly belongs to my fellows. I must not destroy or tear down in order that I may build myself up, but in humility labor, accepting that which comes to me with gratitude to the Lord, seeking to add to it by righteous means. I must be charitable ; I must love my fellow .men ; I must seek to administer to him. In other words, I must do just what this passage of scripture says I ought to do. I must endeavor in my life to be governed by principles of righteousness and not transgress either in purpose or in conduct the commandments of the Lord my God. ¶

Now, my brethren and sisters, if we can all go out with this truth fixed in our hearts, resolved that as the Lord gives us strength so will we become, if we are not already, so will we continue who are already, to be righteous men and women, fearing to do wrong, daring always to do that which is right, advocating the truth, with our faces firmly but not aggressively set against evil of all kinds, that we may not be intense partisans, but that we may with firmness, consistency, and humility continue true to the commandments which God has given us, advocating them in the world and exemplifying them in our lives. Then, the Lord will always be with us, and He will magnify and exalt us, and He will make us what He desires that this Church shall be, a light to all the world, setting examples worthy of emulation, that other men and women, seeing them, may be led to glorify the name of God our Father and to repent of their sins and keep His commandments. To this end may the Lord bless us and help us, I pray through Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶