My Father's Integrity to the Church

My beloved brethren and sisters, I presume many of you would be better acquainted with my father than you are with me, a remark I am led to make after the introduction I have had. My father was one of the early pioneers, one who labored upon the foundation of this beautiful temple. I feel very proud of my father and my mother. When my father was about 14 years of age, he listened to the' testimony of two humble elders in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. He became their fast friend, and a convert to the doctrine. When he went home to acquaint his parents of what he had done, the door was closed in his face; thus demonstrating and proving what the Master said, "He that will not leave father and mother, houses and lands, wives and children for My sake is not worthy of Me." I feel to praise the Lord every day that I live that my father, then a boy, had integrity to stand for the Church, and to stand by the testimony that God the eternal Father had given unto him. I feel that I cannot live long enough in the world to repay my father and mother for what they have done for me, and I feel what little time I have to labor here upon the earth that I want to devote my life and labors and all the Lord has blessed me with, and all He may bless me with in the future, for the upbuilding of His kingdom. ¶

I do not believe in long sermons. I believe that actions speak so much louder than words that we can scarcely hear what we say when placed in comparison with what we do. I remember one of our returned elders, Elder Heber Q. Hale, who has now been placed as president of one of the newly organized stakes, in Boise, Idaho. In giving his report he said he had been away from home upwards of three years, and the greatest sermon he had preached while away was one without words. When he landed in Germany, some of the elders warned him about what he should say and do, especially what he should do, because he could not yet say much. So, when a cup of tea was placed before him, he could not tell the good lady he did not drink tea; he could not explain the reason why. The tea was finally removed, and a cup of coffee placed instead thereof. He could not tell why he did not drink that. Neither could he tell why he did not drink the beer, when that was placed by his plate; but he thus preached one of the most powerful discourses that he preached while upon his mission, and it was one without words, for within a few days Brother Hale had the privilege of leading that good lady and all her family into the waters of baptism. ¶

I remember while in the Southern States a little incident that happened Jn my own experience, if you will pardon a reference to it. After traveling nearly all day without food, we of course were hungry, and we began to try to get entertainment for the night. We overtook a gentleman, and he offered entertainment at his home. We discovered, however, before long, that he was somewhat under the influence of liquor. We did not mind that so much, because we were hungry, and wanted to get a night's entertainment. Before we reached his home, he warned us against his good wife, she did not like the "Mormons." We did not care so much about that, because we had been used to that kind of treatment. He put us into a little room to wait until supper was ready. After supper was made ready, he came and led us across a long piazza, and took us, I think, into one of the old plantation mansions that was used in slavery times, for the dining room was a very narrow, long hall, with a simple table that I think they used years ago in the times of slavery. Seated away on the other end was his good lady and a plate next to hers for him. And down at the other end were two places for the "Mormon" elders. We did not say much, but we preached just the same. Finally the good lady noticed that we did not drink out of the little white cup and saucer. Finally she whispered to her husband. Said he to us: "Don't you gentlemen drink tea?" "No, sir." "What will you take; will you have a cup of coffee?" "No, sir, we do not drink coffee." "Will you have a glass of wine or beer?" "No, sir, we do not drink wine or beer." Then the good lady spoke up and said, "John, I wish you were more like these men." The ice was broken; the sermon had been preached. This lady was a teacher, teaching hygiene to her students, which offered us a splendid opportunity to explain why we did not use these things. Arrangements had been made for the husband to go and get a neighbor to come and stay with her while he went to the club. After supper, the good lady said, "John, you need not go for our neighbor; I am not afraid of such men as these." She took us into her parlor and entertained us royally until about 11 ¶

o'clock while the husband was off at the club. ¶

Another incident. A young man was working one time out in a railroad camp. You who have been there will perhaps appreciate the kind of people who are generally found there. But before this young man was allowed to go, his father said: "Son, you may go provided you will always remember who you are, and what your father and mother have done for you." He consented and went, and of course there were all kinds oif talk, profanity, swearing, chewing tobacco, drinking, telling vulgar stories and such like things. The boss, however, noticed one boy who seemed to be different to all the others. One Sunday, one of the number who had been used to speaking, mounted a table and began to tell all about the "Mormons," and President Brigham Young. Some of them' knew this boy was a "Mormon" and they began to twit him — "Will you stand for that? Why don't you defend yourself and your people?" Perhaps the boy had never preached in his life. They brought him up to the front, and when the boss saw the boy he said : "What! and is he a 'Mormon?' and is it his people you have been talking about? Get down, sir, off that table; you don't need to tell me these people are such a people. If he is a 'Mormon' would to the Lord you were all 'Mormons.' Come down, sir !" The boy had defended his people as Jesus defended Himself when John the Baptist having been cast into prison sent messengers to inquire if he was really the Christ or whether they should look for another. The Savior did not boast at all, who He was, but He merely referred to His life and His labors, and He said, "This will testify to John who I am and what I am." ¶

"Now, I feel, my brethren and sisters, that my time is about up. I am interested in the work of the Lord. My stake is located in southern Idaho. The northern boundary of Utah is our southern line. We are bounded on the south by the Benson stake, on the west by the Malad, on the north by the Pocatello and Bannock, and on the east by the Bear Lake stake ; so you see Oneida is located on the map directly in the center of the earth, and all the important stakes are close by and paying tribute to it (laughter). ¶

We are trying to teach our people the ways of the Lord. We are taking up a labor with our priesthood. We feel that there is no labor that is equally important, or more important than the one devolving upon the teachers, whose duty it is, according to what the Lord says, to be with the Church always and to strengthen them, and to see that no iniquity abounds, no evil speaking, no lying nor backbiting, and that everybody attends to their duties. What a wonderful responsibility ! I used to think the Bishop was the biggest man in all the Church, but I have about concluded that he is not half so big a man as the elder or the teacher, whose duty it is to .see that no iniquity abounds in the Church. There is not much left for the Bishop to do. ¶

I, too, was wonderfully impressed with the discourse of Brother Heber J. Grant yesterday. I stand for prohibition individually. I believe that it will extend to the county, to the state, and to the nation, and it should be world-wide. ¶

I have always maintained that it was a reflection upon Latter-day Saints that saloons should exist in any of our cities or towns. ¶

May the Lord bless Israel. May the Lord bless our fathers and our mothers, whose locks are growing grey, and though they may have a few failings, their integrity, their life's labors stand out in such bold relief to me that I cannot see their failings. The Lord has a wonderful crown of righteousness for our fathers and our mothers, though they may have their weaknesses, and I feel that in order for us to be half as good as our fathers and our mothers, we must be twice as good as we are. ¶

May the Lord bless us. May we be the salt of the earth. We are trying to teach our people that they should live such a life that no man holding a portion of the priesthood could walk down the sidewalk unless he blesses somebody, not in what we shall say, but the very influence that he bears, everybody pointing to him, "There is a man of God ; there is a good man." And so we can let our light so shine that all men may see our good works, and God our Eternal Father will be glad of it. ¶

May we all prove true to the trust. May we feel that we are living today, and while our fathers have fought the good fight, have filled their course, and have done a marvel and a wonder, yet today the responsibility rests upon you and me. How are we making good ? is the question. I feel there never was a time in the history of the Church when it needed stronger men and stronger women than it does today, because of the thousand and one temptations coming in so many ways that our fathers and mothers did not know of. Lucifer in the last days is set loose upon the Latter-day Saints, and his temptations are so nearly like the genuine. There is such duplicity that it is going to deceive the very elect, if it were possible. ¶

The Lord bless us, I ask, in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶

"When I can read by title clear," was sung by Bessie Blair, Lillian Scott and choir. ¶