Preaching Without Purse or Scrip in Raleigh

I do not happen to be one of the fortunate ones whom Brother Goddard referred to as being accustomed to out-door speaking. My experience along that line has been very limited. I spent a little more than three years in the mission field, and had the privilege only once of speaking to an out-door audience. But the result of that experience was very similar to that related by the brethren who have preceded me. Two Elders of our conference, who were choice men, clean, pure, virtuous, and faithful, and honest before God and man, were selected to bear the message of the Redeemer to the people who resided in the City of Raleigh, North Carolina. They were counseled to travel without purse and without scrip, to deliver that message without price, neither teaching for hire nor divining for money; and because they traveled in this manner, as did the disciples of the Master, they were imprisoned by the city authorities, and finally driven from the city. Later, President Lyman and Apostle Cowley visited our conference, and they counseled that we try it again. This time it fell to the lot of a very good Elder and myself to undertake this mission, without purse, and without scrip. We did this, and called upon the same city authorities, whom we found very bitter and antagonistic toward us and the cause that we had the honor to represent. They advised us that not only the same treatment that was accorded our dear brethren would be given to us, but harsher methods would be resorted to unless we refrained from preaching the Gospel as we believed it, in the city of Raleigh. We reminded them of the fact that we were American citizens and intended to insist upon our rights as such. We desired to become conversant with the ordinances, which we did ; and we complied strictly with them — as Latter-day Saints are accustomed to doing — living the law of the land and of God. We went in fasting and prayer, and the Lord most wonderfully opened up the way for us. As a result of the first meeting which we held, under adverse circumstances and conditions, at the conclusion of the meeting, we had invitations extended to us to share the hospitality of the good people, and to preach the Gospel, as we believed it, in some of the homes of the people. Without going into detail, and in order to make a long story short, it resulted, while I was there with my brethren, in the organization of a Sabbath School, and in the baptism of a number of heads of families— I think more than a score. That was the condition I had the pleasure of leaving the city in, after the experiences that we had. It was simply the blessings of the Lord, we knew it, we saw how He opened up the way, and we gave to Him the honor and the praise. ¶

My brethren and sisters, and friends, I have very much enjoyed the testimonies of our dear brethren, and listening to the beautiful teachings that God has seen fit to impart to us through His servants, at the various sessions of this Conference. To me, so far as I have been privileged to listen to them, it has been a veritable spiritual feast ; and I most earnestly hope and pray that it will give to us such a renewed determination to serve the Lord, in spirit and in truth, that we will manifest in our every day life that we love Him, and appreciate what He has done for us, by living more closely in harmony with His holy laws and requirements. ¶

I have been very highly pleased with the beautiful eulogies that I have listened to from my brethren, paid to our beloved Redeemer and His life's work and mission in the earth. Today, throughout all the Christian world, services are being conducted commemorative of the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I do not recall the exact words of the Prophet Isaiah, but he testified to the fact that Jesus really took upon Himself our sins, the sins of the whole world ; that He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows ; that with our iniquities was He bruised, and with His stripes are we healed. I remember, as you do, the occasion in the Garden of Gethsemane, when Judas Iscariot had accomplished his ;work of betrayal of his Master, when the soldiers of the high priests surrounded the Lord and His disciples, and were about to lay hold upon Him. You remember, Peter drew his sword and smote off the ear of one of the high priests' servants, but Jesus chided him for this and said, "Knowest thou not that even now I can call down more than twelve legions of angels? But thus it must be that my Father's will might be fulfilled?" The whole thought and purpose was, "Father, not my will but Thy will be done." This act, this testimony of His, in connection with many others, and, in fact, all the incidents of His life and teaching, goes to demonstrate clearly that it was a voluntary act on His part. "Greater love hath no man than this, that he will lay down his life for his friend." Now Jesus not only did this, but more. He bore our cross, He carried our sorrows, and took upon Himself our sins, as John testifies, "the sins of the whole world," and He suffered as no mortal man could suffer. I take it that the finite mind cannot even commence to comprehend the sufferings that He endured ; no wonder that He sweat great drops of blood. ¶

I glorify the name of Jesus Christ as my Redeemer. I praise Him, and feel to love Him for what He has done for me and you, and for all the children of men, through His glorious atonement, whereby He gained the victory over the grave, with the result that we will all be resurrected from the tomb. Paul says that "as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." I remember the words recorded by John the Revelator, in the twentieth chapter of Revelations— how he goes on to explain about the resurrection of the just, that they are to live upon the earth, with their Redeemer, for a thousand years. At the expiration of that time, the general resurrection shall take place — and he says, "I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works ; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them, and every man was judged according to his works." Therefore, we see how far-reaching is the effect of the atonement of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. ¶

The question that arises in my mind is whether or not our hearts are really in tune with our expressions in offering praise to Jesus, our Lord? Are we guilty, any of us, of worshiping Him with our mouths, doing Him honor with our lips, and yet having our hearts far from Him? There have been people thus guilty, and it is possible that some are in that frame of mind today. The point that I desired to make was this : there is no question as to the love of Jesus for us, but there is a question, perhaps, as to our true devotion and love for Him, and our appreciation of what He has done for us. Now, the way we can manifest that love, the only way we can truly and fully manifest it is to live according to the laws and requirements which He, as the author of the plan of life and salvation, has laid down for our guidance. He says, "Not everyone that saith unto me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven." He says, many shall come to Him in that day and say they once prophesied in His name, in His name cast out devils, and done many other wonderful works, and then will He profess unto them, "I never knew you : depart from me, ye workers of iniquity." "Wherefore," says He, "Everyone who heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock, and the rain descended and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock; but everyone who heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand, and the rain descended and the floods came and the wind blew and beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall thereof." The people marveled at His teachings, for they said He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes, who were so imbued with the thought, and argument, and doctrine that all that was necessary was to confess God with our lips in order to be saved. He taught them a different doctrine. He taught them as one having authority, that if they were to enjoy the blessings which He, through His atonement, had placed within the reach of everyone of the sons and daughters of Adam, they must comply with the teachings which He had laid down for their guidance. "Though he were a son," says Paul, "yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered, and being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey them." He said, "Peter, lovest thou me? Then feed my lambs." On another occasion He. said, "If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments." John testifies that hereby we may know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. ''But," says he, "He that saith he knoweth Him and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in him." Now, then, this is the way in which we can manifest to God the Father, through Jesus Christ, His Son, our love and appreciation of their love for us. He gave , His only Begotten Son that all who would believe on Him might be saved, providing they would believe with that faith which James, the apostle, characterizes as a living faith, an active faith, a faith that is not dead — because it is associated with works. He says, "Ye believe that there is one God. Ye do well. The devils also believe, and they tremble. But yet, know thou, O vain man, that faith without works is dead, even as the body without the spirit is dead." ¶

I am proud to be able to say to you that the people of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day i Saints believe in this living, active, vitalizing faith that will bring salvation in the presence of God. We believe in a practical religion, in doing as well as in saying things. I have a testimony, my brethren and sisters, that God lives, and that Jesus is indeed the Christ, the Redeemer of the world. I have a testimony abiding in my heart, for which I am deeply grateful, that Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of the living God, and that all who will obey the teachings of the Gospel, will find it verily, as Paul testified, "The power of God unto salvation." May this salvation be our lot, and that of all the honest in heart, is my earnest prayer for one and all in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶