Closing Address

I feel very grateful for the excellent peace and spirit which has pervaded all our meetings. It is true, we are all engaged in a warfare, and all of us should be valiant warriors in the cause in which we are engaged. Our first enemy we will find within ourselves. It is a good thing to overcome that enemy first, and bring ourselves into subjection to the will of the Father, and into strict obedience to the principles of life and salvation which He has given to the world for the salvation of men. When we shall have conquered ourselves, it will be well for us to wage our war without, against false teachings, false doctrines, false customs, habits and ways, against error, unbelief, the follies of the world that are so prevalent, and against infidelity, and false science under the name of science, and every other thing that strikes at the foundations of the principles set forth in the doctrine of Christ for the redemption of men and the salvation of their souls. ¶

We should war against covetousness, against pride, vanity, haughtiness of spirit, against self-sufficiency, and imagined or supposed almighty power that some people think they possess. God is the greatest man of war of all, and His Son is next unto Him, and their warfare is for the salvation of the souls of men. It would not be necessary for them to use violence or force, nor to permit their children to use violence nor force in order to conquer if they would but humble themselves, and obey the truth. ¶

For, after all, nothing will conquer, nothing will win but the truth ; and so far as the wars that are going on in the world are concerned, we not only want to see peace established among the children of men, but also justice, but above all things, truth, that justice, peace and righteousness may be built upon this foundation and not depend upon the covetousness, pride, vanity, evil desire, and lust for power in men. ¶

That is what we want ; and I pray that the spirit of truth may be poured out upon all men, as well as the spirit of peace. In fact, we will never have peace until we have truth. We will never be able to establish peace on earth and good will until we have drunk at the fountains of righteousness and eternal truth, as God has revealed it to man. ¶

This is my testimony to you, and I desire to emphasize these simple thoughts, and say to all my brethren and sisters: Let us conquer ourselves, and then go to and conquer all the evil that we see around us, as far as we possibly can. And we will do it without using violence ; we will do it without interfering with the agency of men or of women. We will do it by persuasion, by long-suffering, by patience, and by forgiveness and love unfeigned, by which we will win the hearts, the affections and the souls of the children of men to the truth, as God has revealed it to us. We will never have peace, nor justice, nor truth, until we look to the only true fountain for it, and receive from the fountain-head. ¶

God bless you, my brethren and sisters ; I thank you for your attendance, for it has been a strength to us, and it has given us consolation and comfort to see you here and to know that you are here because you love the truth, just as we love it ; and many of you love it even more than some of us know how to love it. For I know of people in the world who are true Latter-day Saints from the very core ; they do not have many things to contend against in themselves, either. It is easy for them to be Latter-day Saints, and truly the children of God, because they love the truth and they live pure lives, many of them. I am satisfied of it. Many there be, however, who have a good deal to fight against within themselves, and some of us are not any better than we ought to be. Such will doubtless gain a great reward if they conquer. ¶

Now, in conclusion, let us go home, those of us who are relieved to go home, carrying with us the spirit of the Gospel, rejoicing that we have the liberty that we enjoy, the liberty to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and according to the promptings of the testimony and of the Spirit of God within us ; and let us abide in the truth. My blessing I give to you. May peace dwell in your hearts. May it abide and abound in your homes. May you be blessed in your outgoings and incomings, when you lie down and rise up, in your basket and in your store, in your business and in all your lawful and worthy transactions of life, and in your ministrations for the salvation of mankind; the Lord bless you in it. ¶

One word more. I wish to say to my sisters, and especially to those who are called to be teachers among their sex: Please set the example before your sisters that God would have them follow. When we teach people to observe the laws of God and to honor the gifts that are bestowed upon them in the covenants of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we don't want you teachers to go out and set an example before your sisters that will destroy their faith in our teachings. I hope you will take that to heart, for it has a meaning to it. I am talking to the teachers among the sisters. We hear it reported, from time to time, that some of the teachers that are sent out among our sisters not only do not set the example that they ought to set, but they set the example that they should not set for our sisters, they teach them by example to break the word of wisdom, rather than to keep it. They teach them to mutilate their garments, rather than to keep them holy and undefiled, by setting the example before them, and we can tell you the names if you want to know. I am not scolding ; I don't want it to be understood that I am finding fault, I am only telling a solemn truth, and I am sorry that I have it to say, but I want it to be distinctly understood. ¶

We see some of our good sisters coming here to the Temple occasionally decorated in the latest and most ridiculous fashions that ever disgraced the human form divine. They do not seem to realize that they are coming to the house of God, and we have to forbid them entrance, or find fault with them, and they go away grieved and say sometimes, "We don't want to go there any more." Why? Because they come unprepared, like the man who was found at the feast without the wedding garment, who also had to be turned out (Matt. 22:1-14). We have to turn them out occasionally, because they will not hearken to the counsel that has been given to them. ¶

May the Lord have mercy upon us, and bless and help us to do our duty in all things, I humbly pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶