I Have Listened with Interest

I have listened with interest to the remarks of the brethren who have preceded me, and I trust that the few moments I stand here, I may enjoy the same spirit that directed their words. ¶

These brethren have alluded to the interest that some people are taking in our religion, who are not of our faith, and it reminded me of the remark of the Savior when He said, "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations : and then shall the end come." There is no question but that honorable men and women of the earth will, sooner or later, according to their day and time, listen to the teachings of the elders of Israel, for the gospel they teach is the "gospel of the kingdom" that was preached by the Savior. It is destined to attract the attention of the world, and they will listen respectfully to the proclamation made by ' elders of the "Mormon" Church. ¶

The world understands -"Mormonism" better today than ever before. When men take a stand of opposition now, and criticize the acts of the "Mormon" people, it usually happens that their antagonism makes friends for us. We need not be afraid, for the Lord Almighty is the author of what is called "Mormonism." He stands behind it because He revealed it unto the children of men through the Prophet Joseph Smith, and it will resound through this earth, until every man and woman under heaven shall have a chance to receive or reject this gospel of the Savior of the world. ¶

The Lord revealed unto the Prophet Joseph Smith this principle, that no man can be saved in ignorance, and that, before men should stand before the judgment bar of God, every man or woman, either in this world or after departing, will have the privilege of understanding the gospel of the Redeemer, so that they may be able to accept or reject it. I listened to a sermon, delivered a short time ago by a noted divine of the Presbyterian church. He took for his subject the "Country Church." He stated that in company with some ¶

companions in the ministry, he had been holding a conference, and in that conference the subject of the country church was considered, and they deliberated upon the best methods to reach the people in the country. He said they were sadly neglected. They are a fine class of people, men and women who are producers, able to pay their debts and to support a minister, and who would do so if they had the chance. But he criticised their ministers this way : he said they preferred to live in the cities. When a certain district in the country wanted to have religious services, they sent to the city for one of the ministers to come clown there and hold service with them on the selected Sunday. He said that a woman living in the country might just as well send to town for a dress, or a man living in the country might just as well send for a suit of clothes already made up, and take chances on the fit. He said the ministers in the church must mingle with the people, labor with them, live with them, and thus create an interest among them. He declared that the Church in the world that is growing fastest is the "Mormon" Church, there is 'no church that equals it. He further said, they had preachers generally that appealed to men, and that their missionaries visited the country districts frequently, and their churches were filled wherever they went. ¶

My brethren and sisters, I cite you this for the reason, it is evidence that the world is taking notice of "Mormonism," and taking notice of the labors of the Elders of Israel out in the world, and the growth of the "Mormon" people. This gentleman did not understand that the Elders have within their ¶

hearts and within their minds a knowledge that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ, and that "Mormonism" is the Gospel of the Redeemer by which man may be saved in the presence of Almighty God. Moses, in speaking to ancient Israel, said, "The secret things belong unto the Lord, our God; but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." The Lord revealed unto the Prophet Joseph Smith the true condition of affairs as they existed in the religious World. He told him that he should not join any of the denominations extant at that time, that they had a form of godliness but they denied the power thereof, that while they honored God with their lips their hearts were far from Him. Joseph Smith was God's authorized agent in restoring the gospel to mankind. When we go out into the world, and preach in the country churches that have been neglected by the ministers of the world, we gather the honest hearted men and women everywhere that the gospel message reaches. The Savior said, "My sheep hear my voice, and a stranger they will not follow, and they come unto .me." So when the Elders go into country districts, and upon the streets of cities, and wherever they may have the opportunit)r to preach, men and women of the character named by the Savior thus hear His message, and a stranger they will not follow. It is not to be wondered at that people of the world are "beginning to take notice of "Mormonism." We aie making friends in every land and clime in this world today; we are becoming better known. ¶

I had a conversation a short time ago with a gentleman who lives in Pueblo, Colorado, in President Herrick's mission field. He is president of one of the great banks in that country. In speaking of the apostate to whom Brother Herrick referred, he said, "We know the Mormon people, and we know that writer wants to organize us into some kind of a club to fight you people, but," said he, "we know the Mormon people too well ; and he received no encouragement there." I say to our brethren, we need not be afraid to go on missions, if we live our religion. When men are called to go into the nations of the earth to1 preach the gospel they should cheerfully respond. The Lord will open up the way for them to go into the world, and successfully proclaim the message that the Father and the Son delivered to the Prophet Joseph Smith. They can fearlessly declare that God lives, that He has a body, that He is able to speak ; to see ; to hear ; to walk arid talk ; that He is in very deed the true and living God. There are people in this world who profess Christianity, thousands of them, who are teaching today that God has not a body, that He is a spirit without body, parts or passions. The Lord has revealed the truth about Himself unto ancient and latter-day Israel. This important truth has been given unto us as a weapon to overcome the error which the adversary has disseminated, and gives every one a chance to use the free agency that God has given unto His children. ¶

I am sure that there are many people in the world who love the truth. There is faith in the earth, and since the davs of the Prophet Toseph Smith faith has increased. In support of this statement I will relate an incident that happened a ¶

short time ago. A certain jury that had been sitting in a case, and were to decide whether a man was to> be hanged or not, before they rendered their decision, they went into their room and there those twelve men knelt down and prayed unto the Father that they might render a true and a just decision. I say that I believe faith is increasing in the world, and that many men and women will yet join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, because of that faith. They will go down into the waters of baptism as soon as they are converted. The duty of preaching the gospel unto the children of men is ours as long as the Lord permits us to live on the earth, and remain faithful unto Him. ¶

The statement recorded by Moses in the twenty-ninth chapter and twenty-ninth verse of Deuteronomy is correct. We know that it is wrong for us to use intoxicating drinks ; it is wrong for us to defraud ; or to commit sin of any kind. If we observe that which the Lord has revealed unto us, we will not err, we will respond better to the will of the Master. The Lord has sent His servants in the earth ; it is just the same as though He had Himself laid hands upon the heads of those who preside in this Church. When the Lord called Edward Partridge into the ministry as a bishop in the Church, He said* (36th section of the Doctrine and Covenants) : "I will lay my hand upon your head by my servant Sidney Rigdon." There was an ensample. This work that the Lord revealed unto the Prophet Joseph Smith will stand, and the principles thereof are given to aid in accomplishing His work. The men and the women who go forth and preach the principles of the gospel, at home or abroad, are assisting the Lord. We have a work to perform for the Lord each day. ¶

It ought never to be said of any man in the Church, that he ever raised his voice against the bishop, or against any of the presiding officers of the Church. In the days when Israel demanded a king, and said: "We want to be like these other people who live in the land ; we want a king, we demand of you a king," the Prophet Samuel was troubled, and he knelt down and prayed unto the Lord and asked what he should do. And the Lord said unto him : "They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them." The Lord has revealed many things unto us. We hear them in our homes, in our conferences, in our Sabbath day meetings and elsewhere, and we ought to be familiar with them. The Lord has given unto us much knowledge, and therein is power that we might be able to withstand the attacks of the adversary, though those attacks be as numerous as the microbes that have been alluded to by other speakers. ¶

I pray that the Lord will bless us, latter-day Israel, that we may have faith to overcome our weaknesses, and that we may be true men at home or abroad, and live as the Lord requires us, that no man nor set of men may justly condemn us. The Lord bless you. Amen. ¶