My dear brethren and sisters, we

My dear brethren and sisters, we have gathered from our respective homes to attend this General Conference of the Church. Eighty-five and a half years have passed since the Lord, through the agency of the youthful Prophet Joseph Smith organized His Church in this dispensation. Marvelous progress has been made during the past, under the guiding care of the Almighty, but great as the development has been, we may look for and should expect to behold greater works than these, in the unfolding of the possibilities of the future, when those who are now careless, and indifferent to the responsibility of membership, and the obligations of the Priesthood, shall awaken to the same righteous zeal, and intelligent efficiency in their religious duties that is manifest by the leaders in Israel, and by thousands of good, faithful men and women in all of the wards and stakes of Zion, as well as in the missions. Men are reaching out after greater efficiency in all the secular affairs of life, as the Church is urging its members to more zealous application and nobler results. ¶

We were favored in this city, a few days ago, with a visit by Mr. Harold Bell Wright, the renowned author, who, in an address before the Bonneville Club, took for his theme, "The Royal Family of Tomorrow." After referring to the world war now in progress, and which is being sustained under the present systems of men and nations, where faith and love are alike being destroyed, and selfishness and pride have obscured the more important considerations of life, he said that the "future bore significant evidences of the approach of a New Royalty in which man would aim at an efficiency that would involve the study of man, an efficiency that meant greater service to humanity." ¶

We sincerely hope that this statement is well founded, for it is a well known fact of history that man has ever been mans' most deadly foe. When we consider that "God is the Father of the spirits of all flesh" it is easy to confess that the race should be a truly royal family, bound together in bonds of fellowship and righteousness. ¶

The pitiable condition of men in the religious world, was portrayed in an address delivered some months prior to the commencement of the present European war, by Lord Winston Churchill, home secretary of the British government in which he says: ¶

"The extreme restlessness seen everywhere is the sign of a great spiritual wave in history," and adds: "Most of us are like boys with cold hands, looking on at the 'game.' We . don't understand it. Perhaps it looks ridiculous to us. We are at cross purposes, with no anchorage of love or anything abiding. We want a religion. Perhaps we are waiting for a new one. We'd plunge into life, into usefulness, if only we knew what life were; but we don't know. The conception of Christianity given us in our youth has failed to satisfy us. We are unable to say with the conviction of our fathers: 'This is the absolute truth.' The science and agnostic critics of the past have riddled that religion. We want to know! Whither shall we turn for a religion, a sanction, a guide to life? We start off on our modern Pilgrims' Progress, to seek after God, if happily we may find Him." Then he states: "That the religion chosen must have a positive militant righteousness, called the 'New Patriotism,' and will involve, when adopted, heart and soul, a change in the motive of life. It will require a life of sacrifice. Not selfishness and acquisition. There must be a new birth. Man must become his brother's keeper. It must acknowledge the problems of evil, and grapple with them. A striking note of this 'New Patriotism' is openmindedness; teachableness, and hence a capacity for growth. Its greatest enemies are those with closed minds; the Pharisees of today, who neither 'enter in' themselves, nor permit others to do so. It involves the principle of individual worth, and individual responsibility. We must trust those whom God trusts, in this divine scheme, and love our neighbor as ourself." ¶

As Latter-day Saints, we recognize the beauty and logic of this statement, and we hasten to offer to all these modern "Pilgrims," that religion for which they are seeking, for it is to be found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as revealed to Joseph, the Prophet of this last dispensation. And while the time allotted to me, at this Conference, will not permit me to enter upon this inviting phase of the subject, I will just say, that "Mormonism," so called, embraces every principle and quality sought for by the honest in heart. This is the "absolute truth," and the stone which the builders have rejected is ready to become the chief corner stone in the structure of man's eternal salvation. It is the divine scheme, and the only scheme, that will eliminate war, and envy, and strife and bitterness from among men and prepare the earth and her inhabitants for the rule of righteousness soon to be ushered into the world. We invite all men to look into the merits of this new, yet old religion. ¶

I will only say, in conclusion, that the thought to be gathered from the utterances of the noted gentleman in these quotations, and which I desire to leave with you, is the possibility of greater efficiency and more extensive service in the Church of Christ. Each of us, as officers and members of the Church should labor diligently in the service of our fellow men, with faith and prayer and study, that our efforts may be directed with intelligence, and balanced with wisdom, and sustained with unfaltering faith and devoted love, so that the larger results may be achieved in this glorious cause. ¶

God has given to His Church the most perfect organization in the world, and has made it possible for us to render the highest order of intelligent service, with divine authority to officiate in His name, therefore the responsibility rests with us, as to the quantity and the quality of the services rendered. There can be no more distinguished "royalty" than to honor our kinship with God, and no higher quality of "patriotism" than to devote our lives to the accomplishment of His purposes in the earth. May the Lord help us to so live and labor, is my humble prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶

Rain commenced falling heavily, and the service was closed by prayer by Elder Benjamin Goddard. ¶

In the Tabernacle. ¶

Conference was resumed at 2 p. m. ¶

President Joseph F. Smith called the meeting to order, and stated that overflow meetings are to be held in the Assembly Hall and in front of the Bureau of Information, this afternoon. ¶

The Tabernacle choir, and visiting choristers, sang the "Hallelujah Chorus." ¶

The invocation was offered by ¶