My brethren and sisters, I deem

My brethren and sisters, I deem this a great privilege, and an honor to me personally, to be called by the President to occupy this position this afternoon. I can assure you that if I say anything that will be for our benefit the Lord will be responsible for it, and not me personally. It is very unexpected on my part to be honored with this call; and I might state farther that I have been suffering with a severe cold the past week, and I fear that I will not be able to. satisfactorily occupy the time ; but I pray that the Lord will be with us, that I may enjoy His help while I say a few words to you. ¶

It was surely a great inspiration to me this morning to sit in the congregation and look in the faces of those on the stand, whom the Lord has chosen in this dispensation to have charge of His work in the earth ; and to be called to occupy this position this afternoon, and face this vast audience, to me it is an added inspiration. It is a wonderful testimony to the Latter-day Saints to note the many representative people that have come from different parts of the earth, and do come to attend these general conferences, the business meetings of this great Church. The loyalty and devotion of those who have been selected to occupy positions in the Church is wonderful to me. ¶

I could not help but reflect upon some things that were stated this morning by the President, and probably one statement of his that appealed to me and caused me to reflect more than any other was when he stated that the time had come when the adversaries' efforts toward this people were growing weaker all the time. I can bear testimony to this statement my brethren and sisters. I come from the state of Idaho, where I have lived for over twenty years ; I have seen the day there when a Latter-day Saint was not permitted to enjoy nor to exercise the privileges of citizenship, on account of his religion. I have seen, exhibited there, on the part of the enemies of this people, the greatest bitterness and antagonism I believe that existed anywhere since the Later-day Saints came to these valleys. I am glad, my brethren and sisters, to state in your hearing today that the bitterness, antagonism and unfriendly feeling have practically disappeared from our state, and our neighbors and friends with us are glad that it has gone, that it has left us. I want to say farther that our neighbors honor us for our sincerity of purpose, and our devotion to our religion, for our energetic efforts in furthering the principles of the Gospel in the parts of the state where we reside. We now have a high classed lot of people in Idaho who are not members of our Church, and they are willing and glad to meet with us, to enter into counsel with us to consider things, ways and means that are for the uplifting of the citizenship, for the inauguration and establishment of laws that would be for the betterment of all mankind. We are grateful and thankful that this condition prevails now. ¶

The section of the country which the Latter-day Saints occupy, in that state, I believe is growing and progressing more rapidly than any other section where they live in these Western States. We are glad of this, and I believe that the people there are beginning to appreciate more fully the blessings of the Lord toward them, and the way that they are being prospered in their efforts, than they have done heretofore. We are grateful and thankful for this condition. ¶

I want to say, my brethren and sisters, that I am proud to hold a membership in this Church. I have a testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel. I know that the Lord is with us and that if we will continue to put forth our efforts for the establishment of truth in the earth, if we will go forward and battle against evil in the future as we have in the past, the time will come when truth and righteousness will conquer evil, and we will enjoy more fully the Spirit of the Lord, and peace and happiness will be in our midst more extensively. ¶

I pray the blessings of the Lord upon this Church, upon those who have charge of its affairs, those who have been placed in authority, I hope and pray that they will have the Spirit of the Lord continually, that we may receive from them counsel and advice that will be for our good, and take it home to those over whom we preside, that they also may be benefitted by hearing the word of God, even if it does come second handed. I pray that the Lord will be with all who are occupying responsible positions, with the elders that go abroad, that they may continue to uphold the dignity of this Church, and that they may defend its principles loyally, and in a manner that will be acceptable in the sight of the Lord, in the future as they have in the past ; that His blessings will precede them, and that they will be rewarded with the testimony of His work. May His testimony abide with us, may we have faith continually, and may we seek unto the Lord for guidance at all times, that we may receive the blessings that are in store for faithful Latter-day Saints, is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶