Pulpit

Marriage a Divine Institution

Joseph F. Smith, President of the Church

1913 April General Conference·Third Day Closing Session·1913-04-06

If it may not be considered intrusion, I would like to supplement, in a few words, the remarks that have just been made. The house of the Lord is a house of order and not a house of confusion; and that means, that the man is not without the woman in the Lord, neither is the woman without the man in the Lord; and that no man can be saved and exalted in the kingdom of God without the woman, and no woman can reach perfection and exaltation in the kingdom of God, alone. That is what it means. God instituted marriage in the beginning. He made man in His own image and likeness, male and female, and in their creation it was designed that they should be united together in sacred bonds of marriage, and one is not perfect without the other. Furthermore, it means that there is no union for time and eternity that can be consummated outside of the law of God and the order of His house. Men may desire it, they may go through the form of it in this life, but it will be of non effect except it be done and sanctioned by divine authority, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.

It is my pleasure to read to the congregation a message that I have received today from Washington, D.C.:

"April 5th, 1913.

"President Joseph F. Smith:

"I have been thinking all day of home and our general conference. I am with you all in spirit, if not in person. May the spirit of unity, of prayer, of charity, of toleration and loyalty prevail. I ask God's blessings upon our nation, upon our state, and our Church, upon you and the brethren, and upon every honest man.

"Reed Smoot."

This is from New York, April 5th, also:

"President Joseph F. Smith, Salt Lake, Utah: Please accept my most friendly greetings, loyal regards, and faith and prayers for yourself, the brethren, and all the Saints.

"John W. Young."

This is his semi-annual message; and I am glad to receive that much from John W. Young, for he is a son of President Brigham Young; I wish he had the humility, and wisdom, and disposition to come home and live with the Saints.

Cite this talkJoseph F. Smith, "Marriage a Divine Institution," 1913 April General Conference, Third Day Closing Session (1913-04-06). Pulpit Vault, 1913-04-49-joseph-f-smith-remarks-49. Authoritative print text from archive.org.Pulpit Vault, edition of 23 September 2026 (commit 4bdc6ac627).
Elsewhere in the corpus
  1. 1973President Harold B. Lee’s General Priesthood AddressHarold B. Lee¶ 1
  2. 1913Honor to Parentage and the Sanctity of MarriageHyrum M. Smith¶ 1
  3. 1911Telegram from John W. Young Read to the ConferenceJoseph F. Smith¶ 8
  4. 1871Order Spiritual Gifts Temples The New JerusalemOrson Pratt¶ 1
  5. 1974The Marriage That EnduresGordon B. Hinckley¶ 1

Passages elsewhere in the record that speak where this talk speaks — nearest first, found by comparing paragraph texts. Each opens at the cited paragraph.