A Message of Harmony, Peace and Salvation

I rejoice, my brethren and sisters, in the opportunity afforded me of meeting with the Latter-day Saints in our annual and semi-annual conferences. I recognize in the lives of the Latter-day Saints, who are looked upon as being a peculiar and choice people of the Lord, that there is not the ordinariness that is usually found in professing Christians in the world. I rejoice in knowing that my parents had the courage and fortitude of character to leave the old country and come unto this goodly land as Pioneers, where they could raise their family in the air ¶

of freedom and religious liberty. I rejoice in being made partaker of the numerous blessings of the New and Everlasting Covenant, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as partly ennumerated by Elder Richards this morning. ¶

I have a firm and abidng testimony in the truth of the message which we bear to the world. My heart is made glad on this occasion by having the opportunity of bear- • ing my humble testimony before my brethren and sisters, that I know God lives, and that Jesus is the Christ. I thank the Lord that this Church was not born out of the division and dissension which has been prevalent in the man-made religions, but that it has been born of God, and is sanctioned by Him. ¶

When I spoke here, six month.-, ago, I referred to the passage of scripture found in the second chapter of I Peter, wherein it says that "Ye are a peculiar people, a chosen generation, and a royal priesthood," and said that I rejoiced in the truth of that passage of scripture as applying to the Latter-day Saints. When I returned to New York, 1 found published, in the Christian Statesman, a most scurrilous article with respect to the Latter-day Saints, making ridicule of this statement quoted from the writings of St. Peter, who stood close to the Master in his life's mission. If the Latter-day Saints are not that peculiar people, where will you find them? Where is that peculiar people, that chosen generation, that royal Priesthood? ¶

It seems hardly necessary for the President of the United States to suggest to Latter-day Saints that this day be devoted to prayers for peace, because it has ever been the burden of our message to the world, ¶

ELDER WALTER P. M ON SON. ¶

a message of harmony, peace and salvation. We teach that brother should cease to contend with brother; and hold out our arms in love to all mankind. Amidst persecution and tribulation, we have asked the people of the world to bow at the shrine of Jesus Christ, who loved the world's inhabitants with that wondrous maganimity which impelled Him to give His life that we might live. Nineteen long, warscarred centuries have passed since the humble shepherds upon the plains of Judea, watching their flocks by night, heard the most glorious of anthems sang by an angelic choir. This was called to my mind listening to the last anthem so beautifully rendered by the Emerson Ward choir. The angels sang, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace good will toward men ;" and for nineteen centuries Christians have been singing this song. But. when we look over the Christian world, today, we see practically two-thirds of those who are professed followers of Christ, engaging in deadly conflict with each other, in quest of power, authority and dominion. And so it seems a travesty upon Christianity, to profess peace and engage in war. We find some of those people, who pray for peace have, stood in pulpits, in sacerdotal robes, and stated that " 'Mormonism' is a menace to this nation and the Christian world, unless we can conquer its adherents by means of legislative enactment, we will feel called upon to unsheath our swords and exterminate them." Yet they pray for peace! I wonder how long, O Lord, it will be before all of the Christian world will realize that the. teachings of the gospel of peace are meant not only ¶

to be a beautiful sentiment but also to be put in effect ? ¶

We are a peculiar people, differentiated from other religious denominations in the world, and I thank God most sincerely for the difference. God has raised up this people for a most important and glorious work. It is our special duty to carry the message of life and peace to the world. Where there is strife between father and son, we are to manifest the spirit and power of the Priesthood of Elijah, the Prophet, in that "the hearts of the fathers should be turned unto the children, and the hearts of the children unto the fathers." It is our good pleasure to take the message of divine peace unto those who are not in the enjoyment of that blessing. ¶

There is a power with the Latterday Saints that the world does not perceive. It is that spirit which Jesus, when among His disciples upon the earth, said was necessary to come. He declared "it is expedient for you that I go away, for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you ; but if I depart I will send him unto you." ¶

I remember that, when I was a child, attending the Primary organization in my home town, the good sisters taught us children the beautiful song: ¶

"I think when I read that sweet story of old. ¶

When Jesus was here among men, How He called little children, as lambs, ¶

to His fold. I should like to have been with Him ¶

then; ¶

I wish that His hand had been placed on my head, ¶

And His arm had been thrown about me, ¶

That I might receive His kind look when He said, 'Let the little ones come unto Me.' " O how I used to repoiee in the sentiment of that song. But, by long experience in the service of the Lord, and by the whisperings of that still sweet spirit unto my soul, I am not sure that I would have been more happy had I lived in the days of the Savior than I am today. The Savior said that it was expedient He should go away. Wherein lies the expediency? Is there any example that would confirm that statement in the hearts of the children of men? Let us see. St. Peter, who was so closely associated with the Master in his ministry, was so very impetuous in his nature that he even rebuked the Savior, when the Savior showed him that He would die at the hands of wicked men. Peter said "Be it far from Thee, Lord ; this shall not be unto Thee," and indicated his determination to defend the Master. The Savior rebuked him, and said: "Get thee behind Me, Satan, for thou savourest not the things that be of God but those that be of men." Peter, boasting of his implicit faith, in his impetuosity would have gone still further, but the Savior warned him. Said he : "Verily I say unto thee, that this night before the cock shall crow, thou shalt deny Me thrice." When the Savior was taken b|y wicked men and beaten with staves, a scarlet robe put upon Him in mockery of His authority, and a crown of plaited thorns was put upon His head, when he was spat jtipon, and all manner of indignities heaped upon him, Peter still loving the Savior, followed Him to the inner court where the Jews were heaping these indignities upon Him. As Peter skulked in the shadow of the wall, a little maid pointed her finger, and said : "Here is one that was with Him." Peter said, "You are mistaken ; I knew Him not." At the ¶

third accusation he even cursed and swore, and said he knew not the Master. Then the cock crew, and Peter went out and wept bitterly. ¶

I am not sure that I would have been any stronger than St. Peter in that trying moment, unless there were some power given, such as came upon the great congregation that assembled on the day of Pentecost, when the spirit came like cloven tongues of fire and rested upon the disciples who had gathered together. After Peter had preached that most memorable discourse, proving to the Jews that they had crucified the Lord of glory, they rose with one accord and said, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Then Peter, in the authority of his calling, stepped forward and in the dignity of his leadership in the Church, said : "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, for this promise is unto you and your children, and those that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." O, what a glorious promise is given unto us, even though we are far removed in time and distance from this event which happened on that day of Pentecost! Do you, find any other time in the life of St. Peter when he ever denied the Master? Then, was it not expedient for the disciples that He should go away, that the "spirit which the world cannot receive," might come upon the faithful followers of the meek and lowly Nazarine, which would give them sustaining power by which they could face men and devils, and declare that Jesus was the Christ, the Savior of the world? Therefore, I say that we have 'received an anointing that maketh us that no man need teach us what we should say, for that anointing will inspire us to teach in the same hour what we ought to say. I feel much pity and sorrow for an individual who, in life, has parted company with the influence that is conferred upon men by that Spirit by which we draw nigh unto God and learn of Him and His Son, Jesus Christ. It is the revealing power of God that calmly speaks unto the human heart, and awakens noble sentiments by which man may correct any evil tendencies of his life. ¶

I remember, when I was going to England on a mission, about five years ago, I was very much interested in the sound of the wireless instrument on board the good ship Dominion. It had a peculiar crackling sound; I cannot just describe it. I introduced myself to the operator, and asked him if - he would mind my being in the room while he was receiving a message. He replied, "Not at all, come in my friend." After he had received a message, he took a chamois skin and wiped off a little dust, showing that he regarded the instrument as very precious. I said, "You seem to pay a great deal of care and attention to this instrument." . He said, "Indeed, it is absolutely necessary; if a bit of dust or lint should get on this instrument it might be thrown out of tune. Should we strike a reef, we would be unable to send out our message of distress to some ship for help, that might be near, yet out of sight; or we might be upon the water, and not be in a position to receive a message, by reason of being out of atunement with other wireless instruments on the Atlantic." I went away thinking what a glorious lesson I have learned. ¶

There is a wireless instrument within us ; a principle by which we receive messages from our heavenly Father for our guidance, for our comfort and safety. I wonder if we keep our wireless instruments clean and polished. And there I made a firm resolve, and repeated it aloud, "I would rather lose my life than have my spiritual wireless become soiled and injured." I trust that a similar resolve is incorporated in the prayer of all Latter-day Saints, that they may always keep themselves in harmony with that Spirit which leads in the true path, and which says, "This is the way, walk ye in it;" that the wireless instruments of our souls may be kept so clean and pure, and in such perfect attunement with the refined influences of the Spirit of God, that we may be said to be in accord with it, and derive the invaluable and life-giving influences that flow from it for our guidance, our comfort and our everlasting good. ¶

There comes to my mind a passage of scripture, found in the 68th section of the Doctrine and Covenants, and I often turn to this passage and read it to the elders who ¶

1 • • • 1 labor under my direction in the ¶

Eastern States, and I think it is a splendid thing for the Priesthood at home also to read it occasionally, because in it there is comforting power that makes you feel that you are among the chosen people of the Lord : ¶

"My servant Orson Hyde was called by his ordinance to proclaim the everlasting Gospel by the Spirit of the living God, from people to people, and from land to land, in the congregations of the wicked, in their synagogues, reasoning with and explaining all scripture unto them. ;And behold and lo, this is an ensample unto all those who are ordained unto this Priesthood, whose mission is appointed unto them, to go forth; and this it an ensample unto them, that they shall speak as they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost, and whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvaton: behold, this is the promise of the Lord unto you, O ye my servants; wherefore be of good cheer, and do not fear, for behold, I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of Me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come. This is the word of the Lord unto you my servant, Orson Hyde, and also unto My servant Luke Johnson, and unto My servant Lyman Johnson unto My servant William E. Mc'Lellan, and unto all the faithful Elders of My Church." ¶

Then, we have reason to trust the power that God has promised unto us ; if we will depend upon Him for the truth, or for the utterance of truth. He will not desert us, but will teach us in the same hour what we shall say. I fear that sometimes we are following the example of the world, that we are preparing our sermons ahead of time, instead of turning a prayerful heart and mind unto our heavenly Father, asking Him to indite the words that we might utter, that the humble prayer of some individual who may hear might be answered, as though our words were flowing from the lips of the Lord Himself. Is there not a point of differentiation with the world in this? ¶

There comes to my mind a circumstance that happened; within the last six months, in the Eastern States mission, where some of your sons, or husbands, perhaps, may be laboring. The scripture just read says, "Wherefore, be of good cheer, ¶

and do not fear, for I, the Lord, am with you." Two humble Elders were traveling in the country during the month of July, and there were people trying to circumvent our influence and the progress of the Church there, saying all manner of evil against us falsely. These two Elders, one night, about ten o'clock, were seeking some kind hearted Christian who would shelter them for the night. There was a lady engaged on the lecture platform, going from city to city, in that section, warning the people against the preaching of the "Mormon" Elders. These two young men from Utah, unwittingly, called at the house where this lady was staying, and asked for entertainment. The man of the house met them, and, turning to those within the house, he said: "Here are two 'Mormon' Elders now ; speak of the devil and he is close by." His wfe said, "Call them in, I would like to look at a 'Mormon,' " and he called them in. The woman lecturer said to them, "I am out on an errand against you. I am surprised that you should befoul our Christian atmosphere by your presence, and now I wanted to have a look at you." After she had looked at them for a moment, she went out of the room, suspiciously satisfied. They were then told they could not remain, but were called in only as objects of scorn. One of the Elders said : "My good friend, we are very tired, we have traveled all day without dinner or supper, we feel that we can't go any further. Do you have any objections to our sleeping in your barn tonight?" He said: "I suppose there is no objection to your going out to sleep in the barn where the cattle are, and I will give you two quilts." They went out into the barn, into a hay mow, and spread the quilts. Before retiring to rest, the two Elders lifted up their voices in .song, singing "Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear," including the second verse: ''Why should we mourn, or think our lot is hard? Tis not so, all is well," etc. Then they knelt down and prayed that the blessing of the Lord might be upon the owner of the place, that he might always hold his property in peace for administering unto the wants of God's servants. When they had finished praying, they heard some one outside the barn : the man and his wife, and the woman who had come to lecture against them, had stolen out to see what manner of mischief the "Mormon" Elders might do, and they heard the sermon of their lives, with the result that the woman who was once so bitterly opposed to us is now investigating the Gospel. I want to tell you that fidelity to truth does not lie within man's" power alone, it is the upholding and sustaining power of God that brings a realization of divine blessings. ¶

Another instance: There were two Elders laboring in a city in Pennsylvania; the parents of one of them are not members of the Church, he being the only one of the family who has accepted the Gospel. The two faithful youngelders were beginning to hold a meeting upon the street, and a sectarian minister, standing off to one side, saw them. He had made his threat that they would hold no meetings on the streets of that city, as long as he breathed the breath of life. One of the elders, a mere boy of 19 or 20, stepped out and commenced preaching, and the minister, who was acting in the double capacity of spiritual adviser and spy, called on a policeman to come and ¶

arrest the young man. Responding, the policeman took the young elder by the arm with a vise-like grip. The young man silently prayed, "O God give me courage that I may not cry out for pain." He was taken off toward the police station. When they had walked through the streets about a block and a half, the young man, in boyish innocence, looked up and said: "I suppose this city is thoroughly Christianized." The policeman was deeply affected and said: "My young ' fellow, I am sorry that I have to do this ; I am not responsible for this indignity that is brought to you." "No," said the young man, "you are not responsible, but -that minister who stood on the sidewalk did not tell you to pinch my arm till it is black and blue." And he added, as it became certain that he was going to jail, "Is there anyone else in there?" "O yes, there are several." The youthful "Mormon" missionary then said it would be the crowningeffort of his mission to have the privilege of preaching the Gospel to spirits in prison. While the policeman was taking this elder to jail, his companion, notwithstanding his being alone, went out and began preaching, and another policeman took him to jail. The two elders were put in a cell together. After they had been there about two hours, during which time a consultation had been held on the outside by the officers, an automobile was brought, and they were taken to the outskirts of the town, where they were told that they must never come back again. The young man said, "My right to liberty is" written on the face of the Constitution of the United States, which has always protected the innocent and held evil doers in subjection. I have been sent by the authority of the Lord to deliver His word to the people of this town, and I will suit myself whether I come back again or not." The elders then turned and walked back to the city. Now there is a glorious prospect in that city of organizing and building up a most splendid branch of the Church. ¶

I tell you, when the powers of darkness come, while our elders are in the line of their duty they stand up as giants in spiritual strength and endurance. I praise the Lord that the third and fourth generations of the pioneers of this people are valiant, and worthy the names which they bear. ¶

May God bless us with His Holy Spirit, that the strengthening and consoling power thereof may be distilled upon our hearts, that we may love each other, that we may extend help and sympathy to those who have made mistakes in life, and helpful forgiveness to all mankind. I praise the Lord that Lie has planted in our hearts the desire for that peace about which the angelic choir sang. May God bless us with His Holy Spirit always, that we may realize the true position which we hold in the world, and ever, with the strength and fortitude that comes from the power of the Almighty, be willing to proclaim to the world that God really has spoken from the heavens, and that we are truly His ambassadors ; which may God grant unto us all, I ask in the name of Jesus Christ. ¶

Amen. ¶