Speaking Well of Our Leaders

I have enjoyed exceedingly the sessions of the Conference, that which has been said, and the spirit that has accompanied the brethren who have been making remarks. The thought that has caused me to rejoice very much at this Conference has been that suggested by the words of good cheer and hope that have been given us relative to the beauties of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. I feel that there is, everything that is good, noble, pure and blessed connected with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and I think that we ought to appreciate it, and comprehend it : and we ought to give glory to the Lord for the many blessings that we receive under the teachings that come from the Gospel. ¶

I like the spirit that is optimistic about anything ; I am not impressed with a spirit that is pessimistic. I like to hear things well spoken of, and to hear men and women well spoken of. I have met very few persons in my life but what I could see something good in them, some act they have done that was commendable ; and I have met this kind of a person in the world, who has the happy faculty of seeing the bright side of people's nature, and the good that is in them. How much happier we would be if we would practice this in our lives, and if we would do as Brother Bennion said we should do, speak well of those who preside over us. I think that we should never forget, on the Sabbath day or any other day, to speak about some of the beautiful things that are connected with the Gospel to those that we come in contact with. Especially ought this to be so in our family circles. There is virtue and beauty enough in this Gospel to delight everybody. When I get a little blue, and want to be cheered up, I go to the Scriptures, and I invariably get consolation and happiness reading the life of our Savior, for His life is enough to cause everybody in this world to rejoice, and see the beauties and blessings that life holds forth for us. I frequently take the Bible, or the Book of Mormon, and read of His mission upon this earth, of His ministry, and of His goodness; and it seems like that, in almost every word that He utters, there is a sermon that will benefit us in our lives, and we can at least find something there that will apply to us, for we need building up and increasing in our faith. ¶

I enjoyed the remarks of President Smith, in the beginning of this Conference, wherein he showed forth to this people the beauties of this Gospel and the grand character of the man whom the Lord honored in establishing it here in this generation, the Prophet Joseph Smith ; and when the song was being sung so beautifully by Brother Russell relative to the Prophet Joseph (it happened to be my father, President John Taylor, who wrote this poem) when he said he "loved to dwell on his memory dear," how true that was ! While I have never seen the Prophet Joseph Smith, yet I believe that I have had his personal appearance, even the color of his hair, pictured to me until, if I were an artist today, I believe I could paint his picture from the impression that my father gave me of that grand and noble man, when I was a little fellow at my father's knee, and as I grew older in years, because I dearly loved him. I never heard my father speak of him only as the most noble man that he had ever seen or known. I thank the Lord that he painted this picture to me, for I know from the impressions that he gave me, and from the Spirit of the Lord, that the Prophet Joseph Smith was indeed a prophet of the Lord our God. ¶

I am thankful that, around our fireside, my father was accustomed to magnify the servants of the Lord in our sight, so that we love them, and honor and respect them. I thank the Lord when I look back upon the life of Brigham Young, that I saw in him everything connected with his life that was' meritorious. If I could only practice the things that he taught and exemplified it would make me a good man in life. I delight to know that around our fireside, the Prophet Brigham Young was magnified in our sight until we love his memory, and admire the beautiful characteristics of his soul. It is true also that, at my father's fireside, the other men that have held positions in the Church, were always held up to us as true and good and noble men. ¶

I want to say to this congregation I believe it would be a good thing if we, at our firesides, were to magnify the men who are called to hold positions in the Church over us, so that the young people will be more likely to appreciate them. I testify that you will find enough that is good in these men, you find enough that is praiseworthy, so that you will save your boys and girls if they will be influenced to walk in their footsteps. I think we should follow this practice of seeing the good that is connected with the Gospel and the Priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and not take the statements of the world against our leaders. We should testify, ourselves, to the goodness that is within us, and let our boys and girls who are growing up in these valleys of the mountains know and feel that we have the truth, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, that has been revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith in its purity, and that there is everything in it to save them and make them noble and good, if they will follow in the practice thereof. I do think that it is right and proper that we should always, around our firesides and at our gatherings, speak of that which is good in our leaders, particularly before our children, and we ought not to be guilty of magnifying the faults, or imaginary failings, of these men or women before our children and young people to their detriment or hurt. ¶

We should hold them up before our. young people so that when our boys and girls meet them on the street, or any place they may see them, they will look up to them and respect them. If we will do this, it will be a blessing to our children, and it will be pleasing in the sight of our Heavenly Father. I know, as far as I am concerned, that I have never at any time known men to speak ill of any of our leading brethren, but it has left a bitter taste in my mouth. I have pleasure in standing up for these men, because in them I know I can find virtue and truth, and I have rejoiced when I have stood up in their defense, for I felt like a man in doing so, and I feel that if I would be guilty of speaking evil of and defaming these men I would be a coward. ¶

We should teach this kind of principle in our gatherings, so that the Latter-day Saints who are holding positions in the Church may be sustained, that they may have our faith and prayers, and that our young people should look up unto them with pride and respect. I can remember when I was a little fellow, when President Brigham Young used to take trips down to southern Utah for winter, and come back up here in the spring, with what pleasure, as Sunday school children, we used to line the streets and welcome back the prophet of the Lord. We were taught to look upon him as a prophet, and always honor him as such ; and I feel that this kind of faith should exist throughout the Latter-day Saints in all the world. We should not give credence to the reports of our enemies in connection with this people ; on the other hand, we should take pleasure and happiness in extolling their virtues, and their goodness, so that our boys and girls might point to them with pride, and seeing one of them can point to him and say, "That is an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ," and honor him in his place — "That is the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a noble man." When our boys and girls are taught thus to look at him and see him, they will honor him in his place and in his position. ¶

I feel that it would be a splendid thing if, in all the households of the Church, all the people would honor those who preside in the Church, particularly in regard to our Bishops, men who are laboring faithfully and truly for the good of the people, who have no other object or purpose in view only the salvation of souls and the good of the people, How a Bishop would rejoice, and how he would enjoy his ministry, if all the people living within his ward would continually be patting him on the back and saying good things of him. He may have done many good things, but many of us are so critical that we observe only the bad thing that we imagine he has done ; if he stubs his toe he is sure to be noticed. We should set an example by which these men should be magnified in their position in the minds of the people. I was in one ward where the young people had been taught to take off their hats when they met the Bishop, and I thought how respectful it was when they met the Bishop on the street that they doffed their hats to the Priesthood — not to the man who occupied that place so much, but to the position and Priesthood that he held. I felt that they honored him in his place, and I tell you this Bishop had joy and happiness in his ministry, and he felt that the people were backing him as they should do. We owe it to them, my brethren and sisters, that we sustain, honor, and respect them, and that we labor with them to the very best advantage we can for the advancement of the work of the Lord. ¶

I think it is a splendid habit to get into, to say good things of our people, to say good things of our country, of our nation. I was recently visiting a stake of Zion where the president of the stake has the happy faculty of seeing the pleasant side of everything in his stake, of the soil, of the people, of the horses and cows, of the climate and everything there is. I rejoiced to see that he had that kind of a spirit. I was recently in one of his meetings, and he pointed to a young man, and said, "Do you see that young man there?" "Yes." "He is the finest baritone singer in Utah," Pointing to another he said, "There isn't the equal of that young lady in playing the piano." And he saw the virtues of all of his people. He was visiting my home a while ago. He had a horse. He said, "Do you see that horse; it is the best puller in all our county." He had the habit of saying good things, and of seeing the good in all that surrounded him. The result is that he sees the good that is in his people, and the nice things in all the young folks around him, and he is not accustomed to pointing out their faults and mistakes. I am sure there is enough virtue and goodness in people's lives here upon the earth that might make us happy all the time, if we will see it. There is enough virtue in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ that we can have much pleasure in our lives if we will contemplate it and point it out. ¶

I think the Latter-day Saints ought to be reading these Scriptures at their fireside. They ought to be reading the history of the Prophet Joseph Smith, so that our boys and girls may comprehend the goodness that was in him, and not be taken up with the falsehoods that are told about him by the people of the world, as well as about others of our leaders, which we read in newspapers, magazines and so on. I feel that we should offset this by showing up the virtue and the goodness of things around them. This should apply to our home, and all of our daily surroundings. What a beautiful home it should be, where the father is accustomed to appreciate the beauty, pleasure, and happiness of his wife, and speak of it to his children, and magnify in his home, at his fireside, the virtues and graces of his wife. What a splendid thing it is when the wife is accustomed to stand up in defense of the husband, and speak of him in honor before the children, so that the children shall be accustomed to look upon their father with pride, to look up to him as the choicest and best and most noble man in the wide world. If we will do that, the Spirit of God will be in that home, peace will abide there, and the blessings of our Heavenly Father will attend the inmates in that which they have. There is goodness and virtue enough in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Within these valleys of the mountains there is enough good soil and good principles for all of us, if we will only accustom ourselves to seeing them, happiness may thereby radiate from us all around. I like to see a man honor his home and honor his people. I like to see a man that is "for Utah." When I go out from here, I tell you I feel thankful when I re-cross the line and return to the home of my birth. I am for Utah ; I am for the valleys of the mountains ; I am for the Latter-day Saints ; I am for the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and I am for all that is virtuous and good and true and noble in the world. I hope that I will not be guilty of pulling down my country; I hope that I will not be found guilty of speaking against those who preside in the nation ; I hope I will not be guilty of pulling down those who preside in the state, or the city wherein I dwell. I can find enough virtue and goodness in them so that I can magnify them and help them out in their positions in my humble way, and I believe that this is what the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ expects of us. It is expected that the Latter-day Saints shall be happy in the land where they dwell. It is expected that they shall dwell in peace and happiness with their neighbors and friends. I hope that they will always seek to find in their neighbors, and in their friends, and in the land where they dwell goodness and virtue ; if they will, they will always be possessed of happiness within their soul. ¶

I hope that the Lord will give us of His Spirit, the spirit of this Conference, that we may go to our homes and speak good of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and that we may see and speak of the virtue in those who preside over us. I am sure that we can see splendid character in the man that presides over us at the present time. I love to be in his society. I love to see his pleasant countenance, and to observe his kindness and his exemplary life. I know that he is a man of God, worthy of our faith and worthy of the support and defense of every man in Israel. I stand up for him ; I feel proud of him, from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet, and so with the others of our leaders in this Church. I feel proud that we have a man to preside over us who is like the Prophet Joseph Smith. I am proud of our young men, our Utah boys. I don't care where these boys may be found, whether upon the sea or upon the plains, or upon the mountains, or wherever their footsteps may take them, every boy that belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ will hold up his head and say, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ." They feel that it has power and spirit within it, and feel proud that they belong to such an organization, and that they are associated with such a people as this. ¶

May the peace and blessings of God abide with us. and may we have a testimony ever burning within our souls, that this is the truth. I know that Jesus is the Christ ; I know that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God, and that this work that we are engaged in is God's work, and will never fail. In the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶