Prevalence of Gospel testimony among

I rejoice exceedingly in having this another opportunity of meeting in general conference. I have enjoyed very much indeed all that has been said thus far during our conference, and I humbly pray that the same good spirit which has characterized the remarks that have been made by those, who have preceded me, may be given me. I do desire most earnestly that what I say may encourage and bless the Latter-day Saints, and that it may be in harmony with what has been ¶

said by those who have preceded me. ¶

I rejoice in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I rejoice in my association with the Latter-day Saints, and the privileges which have come to me in mingling with the people, and in learning of their feelings, of their devotion, of their love of God and for this work in which we are engaged. I rejoice in the abiding testimony of the divinity of the mission of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, which is to be found among the people. The Latter-day Saints know that Jesus was in very deed the Redeemer of the world. They have a positive knowledge that Joseph Smith was chosen of God, and that he was the instrument in the hands of the Lord in establishing again on the earth the plan of life and salvation. They know that he was a true prophet of God ; they have no doubt regarding the divinity of his mission. The men who stand at the head of the various stakes of Zion and the women who preside over the Relief Societies, the principal auxiliary organization among our sisters — as I mingle among them, and also with men and women who preside over the Sabbath Schools in the stakes, and the Mutual Improvement Associations, Religion Classes and Primaries, I find a devotion and love of God and of this work among all of them which is a constant inspiration to me. I rejoice in the rich outpourings of the Spirit of the Lord in our quarterly conferences. I rejoice in the blessings that come to me and to others, as we mingle among the people, in being helped and strengthened in teaching to them the Gospel of Christ. ¶

My heart has been filled with gratitude, especially during the past six months, for what seemed to me to be an increased portion of the Spirit of the Lord, as I mingled among the people in discharge of the duties that devolved upon me. I know of nothing that brings greater joy to the human heart than laboring at home or abroad for the salvation of the souls of men. I know of nothing which gives us a greater love of all that is good, than teaching this Gospel of Jesus Christ. To me, one of the greatest testimonies of the divinity of the mission of our Savior is the joy and happiness that we all experience whenever we testify that He was in very deed the Son of God and the Redeemer of the world. I know of nothing that brings greater joy, except testifying regarding the divinity of the mission of the Savior than to testify regarding the divinity of the mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith. ¶

The three years that I presided over the European mission were in very deed the most pleasurable, the most happy, the most satisfactory years of all my life. When instructing the Elders I told them whenever they seemed to be closed up in their spirits, whenever they seemed to lack ideas to express to the people, if they would only testify that they knew that Jesus was the Redeemer, and then testify regarding the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith, that the Lord would open their mouths and bless them in speaking to the pepole. The testimony of all the Elders with whom I came in contact who had done this was that the Lord did, in very deed, ¶

bless them whenever they testified of the divinity of the mission of our Savior, or when they testified regarding the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Never at other times have I been as abundantly blessed in preaching this Gospel as when I have been talking upon these two themes. I rejoice in the individual testimony of the Latter-day Saints regarding the divinity of this work in which we are engaged. I rejoice in the joy and the happiness that it brings to each and every one of us when we are doing our duty, and laboring for the advancement of the Gospel, at home and abroad. ¶

I rejoice in the peace that cometh to every man — a peace that passeth understanding and my ability to express it — when he is serving God. I wish that I possessed the power to inspire the Latter-day Saints to greater diligence, to greater faithfulness, to a stronger determination to serve God and to keep His commandments. There is but one path of safety to the Latter-day Saints, and that is the path of duty. It is not a testimony, it is not marvelous manifestations, it is not knowing that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true, that it is the plan of salvation, it is not actually knowing that the Savior is the Redeemer, and that Joseph Smith was His prophet, that will save you and me, but it is the keeping of the commandments of God, the living the life of a Latterday Saint. ¶

I have been profoundly impressed upon many occasions, as I have studied the history of the early men in this Church, with the fact that one-half of the first quorum of Apostles fell by the wayside ; that all of the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon, who saw the angel, who heard the voice of God, who heard the Lord testify to them that this work had been translated by the gift and power of God, that the Lord Himself, by His voice from heaven, had told these men to bear witness of this fact — should also fall by the wayside. The same with a majority of the eight witnesses. Oliver Cowdery, who heard the Savior's voice, and beheld a heavenly messenger before the Church was organized, gave a description, which is recorded in the Pearl of Great Price, of his ordination, in connection with the Prophet, to the Aaronic Priesthood, stating it was beyond the language of man to paint the jov and the grandeur that surrounded them upon that occasion. He also had the Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, who lived upon the earth in the days of our Savior, lay their hands upon his head and ordain him to the Melchizedek, or the Higher Priesthood. In the Kirtland Temple, with the Prophet Joseph Smith, he saw the Savior, also Moses, Elias, and Elijah. He had given to him, in connection with the Prophet, every key and every authority of all the dispensations of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, from the earliest time down to the present, and yet by failing to do his duty by failing to keep the commandments of God, this man lost his standing in the Church of Christ. True, he repented and came back. The same is true of Martin Harris. I remember hearing Martin Harris in this building testify to the truth of his testimony regarding the divinity of the Book of Mormon. I also rejoice that, although he never returned to the Church, David Whitmer never varied in bearing this testimony; the very fact that this man, although he bore ¶

this testimony to the day of his death, had no joy, no satisfaction in it, shows that the Spirit giveth life, and the letter killeth. I have met some who have visited David Whitmer, and he told them that it was one of the burdens of his life to have people come there day after day to whom he had to testify regarding his knowledge of the Book of Mormon, and the visit of the angel to him. ¶

There is not a Latter-day Saint living who is keeping the commandments of the Lord, who would not regard it as one of the greatest joys imaginable if he could testify that he had heard the voice of God, and that the Lord had given him a commandment ; and that, in fulfilment of the requirement of the Lord, he had recorded in this testimony : "we bear witness of these things." How we all. would rejoice to be able to bear such a testimony ; provided, we had the Spirit of God ; provided we were so living that it was not a dead letter with us. David Whitmer stopped growing, notwithstanding the manifestations that he had received, when he failed to keep the commandments of God, when he failed to recognize the proper authority in the Church of Christ. ¶

May the Lord bless each and all of us ; and, as we grow in years and increase in understanding, may we grow in the light and knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ, in a determination to serve Him, and keep His commandments ; and may all of us who hold places of responsibility in the Church so order our lives that they may be an inspiration to the people, because of our faithfulness, our diligence, our loyalty to this gospel, and our support of our file leaders, is my prayer, and I ¶

ask it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶

Sister Romania Hyde played a selection on the violin. ¶