I Rejoice Exceedingly in the Spirit

I rejoice exceedingly in the spirit that has been manifest in the proclamation of the gospel by the servants of the Lord during this conference. As we meet this afternoon, in this overflow meeting of the conference, under the canopy of heaven, and shadowed by the temple of the living God, I am reminded of the prophetic words of Isaiah when he said that, "it shall come to pass in the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the tops of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it, and many shall say, Come let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, where we will learn of His ways and walk in His paths, for the law shall go forth of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." The object of our Heavenly Father in gathering together His people from the various nations of the earth has been to teach them in His ways. It is true that in the nations where they were born, there is opportunity, for a few of them at least, to learn something of the ways of the Lord. ¶

I am reminded of the remarks of Elder Goddard at the commencement of this meeting, that there are gathered here people from many nations, and we are a few out of the many that heard the glad tidings of great joy that were proclaimed in our fatherland. The question has occurred to me, while sitting here this afternoon, whether the Latterday Saints, generally, who have gathered up to Zion, are as faithful, earnest and devoted in the performance of their religious duties as when they received the light and the truth in the old countries? In the prophecy that I have quoted, we are reminded by Isaiah that the object of gathering was that the people should be taught in the ways of the Lord. In order that we may be properly taught, it is necessary to have authorized teachers; and this leads me to the thought that no man, as stated by Elder Pratt, is competent, of his own wisdom, of his own understanding and learning, to declare the things of God. In contemplating the remarks of Elder McKay yesterday, with regard to the Latter-day Saints being a peculiar people, I am reminded that we are peculiar in this particular, that, unlike all other "orthodox" Christians, we believe that men must be called of God to preach the gospel and officiate in the ordinances thereof. It was declared by the Apostle of old, "How shall they hear without a preacher, and how shall he preach except he be sent?" I draw your attention to the fact that the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world, came not unto mankind claiming any authority of Himself, save that which was given to Him of His Father. He proclaimed, "My doctrine is not mine, but His that sent me, and if any man will do the will of the Father, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of Myself." Surely, if any living being had a right to claim authority for himself, it was the One who purchased the world by the shedding of His own blood ; but He recognized that eternal principle of authority. He knew because He was present in the granu councils of heaven before thisearth was created, when the plan of salvation was formulated. He understood that He had been chosen of the Father, and that council, to be the Redeemer of the world. He glorified in the privilege of coming to earth to perform His mission, but He gave the glory, thanksgiving, and credit unto God the Father, whose will He had come to do. ¶

The Apostles did not call themselves to the ministry. They did not assume to preach the gospel to the children of Judea before they were called. No, they were attending to their duties, their labors and various avocations of life when the Savior went to the sea shore, and while some of them had their nets in the sea, in the very act of catching fish, the Son of God called them to be fishers of men, and thus He selected them from that and other avocations of life. He told them that they had not chosen themselves to be ministers of the gospel, but He had called them, and "as the Father has sent me, even so, send I you." He gave them the commission to go abroad and preach the gospel ; and, being called by the proper authority and power, we find that wherever they went signs followed their ministry, and the seal of heaven was put upon their labors. After the ministry of the Savior had closed, after He had made the great ¶

atonement and sacrifice, and after His resurrection, when all power was given unto Him in heaven and in earth, and He came to reason, counsel, and advise with His disciples, and to teach them concerning the future, in His last instructions He commanded them to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, saying, they that believed on Him, and were baptized with the baptism that He had instituted, should be saved, and they who believed not should be damned. Hence, we see that the Apostles of Jesus Christ were called by divine authority. They received their commission before His death and resurrection, and later, at His last appearance, He gave them power and authority to go into all the world. ¶

I have not the disposition to refer to the subject of the apostasy that followed the ministry of the first apostles of Jesus Christ, but I desire to draw the attention of the Latter-day Saints, and my friends who may not be of us who are present here this afternoon, that through all the ages of darkness, and the ages of reformation, since the advent of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Apostles, until the coming of the Prophet Joseph Smith, no man assumed to say that he had received a visitation from God. No man assumed to say that he had been directly sent of God to preach the gospel, as Jesus proclaimed He was sent, as the apostles proclaimed they were sent, or as any of the other prophets anciently declared they received their commission of God. True it is that there have been many good and noble ones, men who have devoted their lives, men who have sacrificed their time and all they possessed for the progress of the truths that they believed in. I think of the early reformers, of Luther, Knox, Calvin, Wesley and all the army of noble men whom God raised up to prepare the way for the coming of greater and better things, paving the way, so to speak, through those dark ages, that conditions might be favorable for the restoration of His Gospel and Holy Priesthood, and yet these men did not assume, as I say, to have been called of God. ¶

I think of the words of Charles Wesley, who was led, in thinking of the apostolic dispensation, to utter these words, a sentiment of his brother John and of the early reformers : ¶

"O, what an age of golden days, 0, what a choice, peculiar race, Washed in the Lamb's atoning blood, Anointed kings and priests to God." • ¶

What a glorious vision he had of that early dispensation of gospel gifts, and privileges and blessings. And then looking around in the world about him, summing up the faith of all the various religious sects, he says, ¶

"Where shall I wander now to find Successors they have left behind? The faithful, whom we seek in vain, Are 'minished from the sons of men." ¶

And then, in an exhortation to the Christians of that age, he says, ¶

"Ye differing sects who all declare 'Lo, here is Christ,' or 'Christ is there,' Your stronger proofs divinely give And show me where true Christians live." ¶

Yes, if Charles Wesley had lived in these days, we might have thought he was a Latter-day Saint. ¶

At heart, he was a saint of God, but the fulness of light and truth had not then come, though these reformers had a glimpse of it. They had their place in the great work of human redemption, and God will remember them, as He will remember every soul for the good that they do in 'this life. It was left for Joseph Smith, the boy who sought the Lord in the woods, to receive the fulness of authority and power, and the principles of life and truth that should save mankind. ¶

We may, in our skeptical minds, object to the manner and method in which God revealed the truth in the last age, but if there were time, we would show that the way the Lord has worked among the children of men has always been taken exception to by the worldly intelligent, learned, prudent and wise. As the heavens are high above the earth, so are the ways of the Lord higher than the ways of man, and so are His thoughts more profound and deep. We have reason to rejoice and be exceeding glad that God in these last days has again spoken, through His instrument and prophet, Joseph Smith. ¶

My testimony to you, because of the experience that I have had, is that no man is qualified to teach the truth 'unless he be sent of God. He may attempt to teach the truth, may seek to preach the gospel, but the seal and power of God will not and cannot accompany his testimony and his words. The Lord has called men to proclaim His word, by divine authority, and I am sure that, as we have listened to the words of inspiration that have fallen from the lips of the Elders during this conference, our hearts have rejoiced greatly in the God of our salvation. ¶

I desire to say just one word by way of admonition, counsel and exhortation, to the Latter-day Saints that are present here this afternoon. Let us go to our homes with a renewed desire to practice the counsels that are given to us at our conferences, and for that matter, that are given to us every time we meet and listen to the servants of God. Let us be assured that they will never lead us astray, that God is at the helm, that this is His work, that He is inspiring His servants, and that this work will increase and grow, until it fills the whole earth. I rejoice in the beautiful principle that was touched upon by Elder Pratt. The day is hastening on, brethren and sisters, when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of the world, to the glory of God the Father. ¶

I rejoice in the comprehensiveness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, in its saving power ; and I rejoice in the principle that every soul will be judged according to their own works. I thank God for these precious principles, that every man and woman who desires salvation may be saved. "Come unto Christ all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and you shall have rest." Go unto the . Master, ye that are burdened and weary with the cares and trials of life, or even with your sins. Go unto God and confess your faults. Hearken unto the voice of the men whom God has raised up, to whom He has given divine authority, and you shall know that God lives, that Jesus is Christ, the Redeemer of the world, that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, entrusted with power and authority to minister in His name and to delegate that authority to others. As a result of his ¶

ministry, and the authority delegated to the servants whom God has called, this gospel has been carried to the various nations of the earth ; and this afternoon, in this beautiful space, we have the privilege of worshiping God according to the dictates of our conscience. ¶

My brethren and sisters, may God bless us and give us a desire in our hearts to live those principles that we received in our fatherland. May we seek earnestly for the faith that was once delivered to the saints. • May we believe with all our hearts in the gospel of gifts and blessings, the gospel of power and of redeeming grace. I thank God that I can bear testimony to these things, that God has in these last days spoken from heaven, has given divine authority to men, not only to preach His gospel, but to administer in the ordinances thereof, ordinances that bring spiritual and temporal life and salvation. When you look upon me and see the ravages that disease wrought upon me, you look upon a monument of God's saving power and mercy. I bear testimony that God lives, that all the world sooner or later will know this truth and believe it, for every knee shall yet bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ, to the glory of the Father. ¶

May we go home with renewed desires to serve the Lord, to give our life, in His service, and we will have joy in time and glory in eternity. May God grant it, through Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶

Prof. Wm. C. Clive rendered a violin solo, a beautiful arrangement of the old melody, "Home, sweet home." ¶