Gratitude for the Blessings of the Gospel

I am very grateful, my brethren and sisters, for the privilege of attending this conference, for the opportunity of association with you, and for the privilege of hearing the splendid instructions that have been given unto us in the sessions of this conference. This morning, while I address you for a few moments, I greatly desire that I may have the Spirit of the Lord to suggest unto me something that may be of value to those that have assembled here, and that I may have your faith and prayers to this end. ¶

I am very grateful for . a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and that He has revealed unto us in this dispensation the fulness of the everlasting gospel, with all its ordinances and blessings. The Church has been greatly prospered and blessed, in that so great a multitude of people have been brought together in these mountain vales, and for the prosperity of the work of the Lord, which bears testimony unto us that the Lord has answered the wishes of His servants, and the predictions of his Prophets have come to pass in these latter days. ¶

It is but a short time since the Lord spoke from the heavens unto his servant the Prophet Joseph, and revealed unto him the things that He was about to accomplish in the earth; and through him the gospel in its fulness, with all its gifts and blessings, has been bestowed upon thousands of the children of men in the earth. The predictions of His servants have been verified, which is a great testimony unto us ; part of that fulfillment we see here today in the great gatherings that are now in session in this conference. ¶

We have been partakers of the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have yielded obedience to the first principles thereof, having faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in God, the Eternal Father, having repented of our sins, showing that we desired to come near unto the Father; and we have received the ordinance of baptism for the remission of our sins, and the laying on of hands for the gift -of the Holy Ghost. We have also participated in all other blessings that have been given unto the Saints. I believe that there is a unanimous feeling among our people that these principles are essential unto salvation, that it needs be that we yield obedience to them in order to enter into the kingdom of our Father, that we might become members of the Church of Christ. We are united, I believe, in regard to all the principles and ordinances of the gospel that have been revealed. Naturally we feel that there is much that is required of us as Latter-day Saints, after receiving all these blessings, the living according to gospel laws, living up to these principles in our every day life. ¶

We covenant with God, our Heavenly Father, that we will do ¶

His will, that we will keep the commandments that He has given unto us, and by reason of yielding obedience to these requirements it is expected of us that our lives will conform to the principles revealed from heaven, not only outward ordinances, but in all the labors and duties that devolve upon us, and that are made known unto us from day to day by the servants of the Lord. Honorable lives ought to be led by 'us, absolute honesty with our fellow men, with all the world, that our light may thus shine forth to the inhabitants of the earth that they may really see our good works and glorify our Father. In these things, my brethren and sisters ; living every day acording to the gospel, speaks volumes and is more impressive than word can tell. Performing our duties, whether home or abroad, preaching the gospel, delivering the message we have received to those that do not know nor understand the things of the Lord, these duties rest upon us as Latterday Saints. Also the building up of the Church of Christ at home— and how can this be done? It can be done by our good works, in remembering our tithes and our offerings unto the Lord, that we might be like unto Jacob of old, when he made ' a covenant with the Lord that, if He would pour out His blessings upon him, he would give unto Him that which belonged to Him, even one-tenth of all that the Lord should bless him with. We as Latter-day Saints should observe fully this command of the Lord, this revelation given unto us in these the latter days, that it be not a halfhearted deceiving of ourselves and the Lord, by reason of our unfaithfulness in this particular. ¶

The duties of Latter-day Saints include laboring for the betterment of mankind at home in our stakes of Zion, in the wards thereof, performing our duties as Latter-day Saints, servants and hand maidens of the Lord, that our lives may be clean, upright, and honorable before God and all men. To observe and keep holy the Sabbath day is enjoined upon us. I am sorry to say that there are those that profess to be Latter-day Saints who do not faithfully observe this command of the Lord, in gathering to the house of worship upon that day and holding sacred that which the Lord has commanded us to do. I feel that, unless we more strictly observe this duty, the Spirit of the Lord will in a great measure withdraw from us. When we fail to offer prayers unto our Father in Heaven, in the house of God and in our homes the Spirit of the Lord will be withdrawn, and a spirit of darkness come over us. ¶

I am persuaded that, unless we observe the commandments of the Lord, there is great danger of our losing His Spirit, and our minds consequently become darkened. We have found that, by reason of not observing these things in the time and season thereof, it leads to finding fault with those whom God has chosen to preside in the midst of His people, therefore we need to carefully observe all these commandments of the Lord. ¶

We also owe a great and important duty unto our kindred dead. The gospel of Jesus Christ is being preached not' only to the living but also to the dead, and it is a sacred duty of Latter-day Saints that they also perform the ordiances that are required to redeem the dead. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not narrowed up to the few people who ¶

have obeyed it in life, but it extends to all the human family, to all of God's children that will accept its conditions in the spirit world. In this dispensation and time the Lord has graciously permitted us to rear temples wherein the ordinances necessary to the salvation of the dead may be attended to. I sometimes think that we do not fully appreciate all these blessings that we enjoy. ¶

I hope and pray that the spirit of the gospel of Christ may rest abundantly upon the Saints, that the spirit of temple work, may rest upon them, that they may diligently accomplish this work that is required at their hands, because, as the Scripture says, we cannot be made perfect without our ancestors, neither can they be made perfect without us. Therefore, this is a great responsibility that is resting upon us as Latter-day Saints. I contemplate with great pleasure and satisfaction what the Lord has done to open the way for His people to obtain their genealogies in the various lands of the earth, and in our glorious country, how that the Lord has moved upon the children of men to prepare the records of their kindred. It seems to me that this ought to be greatly appreciated by us. This spirit is manifest in all the nations of the earth, in every civilized land men are being moved upon to accomplished this work. We know and understand the great importance of this thing. We ought to be thankful for it, and while the day lasts we ought to be workers, because the time will come when no man can work along this line. Therefore, while it is today, it is our duty as well as our privilege to accomplish what we can for the salvation of our kindred dead, because we know that the Savior of the world laid the foundation of this work. We read of Him going to the spirit world, and preaching to the spirits that were in prison, those that were disobedient in times past, being given another opportunity to receive the Gospel message that He delivered to the living, and afterward delivered to the dead likewise. We know the reasons for these things. We know that this should be, because the dead will be judged just the same as the living, and we are privileged to do this glorious work for them vicariously. ¶

I feel, my brethren and sisters, to ask the Lord to bless us to this end. May we do our full duty. May we uphold and sustain God's servants. I bear you my testimony that they are in the right place, and that they are inspired of Almighty God. I thank my Father in heaven for them, and may His blessing be upon us, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶