This is the first time in my life

This is the first time in my life that I have had the privilege of talking to an audience of this kind outdoors. It generally gives me heart-failure to stand before a congregation to try to expound the principles of eternal truth to them. It is not that I am ashamed of the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, because, I can say as Paul said, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, because I know it is the power of God unto salvation;" so, as I have stated, it is not because I am ashamed of the testimony that I have of the Gospel that makes me fear when I am called to bear it before a congregation. ¶

I feel to thank the Lord today, my brothers and sisters, that my parents were converted to the principles of the Gospel in their native land, and that they saw fit, through the prompting of the Holy Spirit, to yield obedience to the Gospel, to leave their native land, and to gather where the Lord has appointed for the gathering of Israel. I feel thankful today when I read of what is going on in their native land, thankful that they were converted to the Gospel and to the principle of the gathering, and that they came to this country where their children have been brought up and nurtured in the principles of eternal truth. ¶

I have never seen the time in my life, although I have been amongst a great many people who have not had much use for the Gospel, for the Latter-day Saints, or for any of their teachings, but I have never in my life seen the time when I felt that I needed to hang my head in shame because I was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have always held my head up, and felt to thank the Lord that that great privilege has come to me. ¶

While I have not had the privilege of going out into the world as a missionary, I have had some experience in working in the Gospel at home; but it has always been in a presiding capacity, and being backward in public speaking, I have always called on others to do the talking. Nevertheless, as I have told you, I have a testimony of the Gospel, and I have never seen the time when I was afraid to bear it to outsiders or anyone else. I know that the principles of the Gospel are true. When we take into consideration the principles that are taught to us today by our Church leaders, we find that they compare favorably with the teachings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as has been explained to us this afternoon. ¶

May the Lord bless us, my brothers and sisters, that we may realize the position that we hold, and that in every action of our life the world may see our good works and glorify our Father which is in heaven, are the blessings I ask, in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶