The Saints pray for the President and

What a splendid conference we have had, and what wonderful testimonies have been given, and what a rich outpouring of the Spirit of the Lord has attended those who have addressed this conference. During the few moments that I stand before you today I pray the blessings of heaven to be with me. I want the people to know that my whole being has been in tune with the testimonies that have been borne and the admonitions that have been given, and I thank my Father in heaven for the privilege I have had of being with you at this conference. ¶

My heart rejoiced when President Smith, in his opening statement to this conference, said that the Church never was in a better condition spiritually and temporally than it is today. My brethren and sisters, I believe that God intends that as the people grow in the spiritual things of life so shall they be blessed with the temporal things of life. We have heard many testimonies during this conference of the wonderful prosperity of the people of Utah, and I am so thankful for it. I am thankful to my heavenly Father that our country is enjoying peace, and as far as I am concerned, I believe that there has not been a moment that our country was in danger of becoming involved in this wicked and unjustifiable European war. I have been taught all my life, and so have you, to pray for the rulers of the world, to pray for the President of the United States, to pray for the lawmakers of all countries, and particularly our own; to pray for the governors of states, the legislatures of states and all who make and administer the law: but, my brethren and sisters, that does not mean that we must approve of all that men do in those positions. It is our right to ask our heavenly Father to give all men wisdom and judgment. I measured my words when I said that I do not believe that there has been a moment that our country was in danger of becoming involved in this wicked and unjustifiable European war. There are so many ¶

reasons for this that I haven't the time this afternoon to even mention a tithe of them, but first and above all is the fact that there are a hundred million of American people that are opposed to war. And again, I believe when the true history of the war is written, after the close of the war, it will be found that the greed for expansion of territory, the ambition for greater power, and not least, if the last that T mention, a desire to control the commerce of the world will be recorded as the fundamental reasons for the war. We should thank our Creator that our country, the one in which our liberties are so well protected, has no ambition to rule the world by force; that it has more interest in the commerce of its own country than it has to control the commerce of the world, and that her people do not want another foot of land of any foreign power. ¶

I believe what has been testified to in relation to the prosperity of the people today. I wish that it had come through some other way than through the channels of murder and war ; and I now call the attention of the people to the fact that this horrible massacre of human beings must cease before long, and when it does the products of our state and of the intermountain country will not be so highly prized, and will not bring in dollars and cents what they are bringing today. And I plead with all that while this prosperity exists, unfortunate as the cause of it is, that you save a part of your gains for the future. I am deeply sensitive of the jealousy I have for the growth and development and thrift of my country and my Church, and I desired to speak upon the subject of thrift, but I haven't time to discuss it at length. ¶

I must be content with the time at my disposal, to present the question as it were in headlines, and let every one present make the argument for himself. ¶

In speaking of thrift I mean thrift in its broadest sense, the kind that makes better men, better women, better children, thrift that will build a better nation. We often mistake what thrift means. It means more than the mere saving of money. It means prosperity, good husbandry, good farming, economical management, frugality. It means individual efficiency. It means order and system. It means character building in its broadest sense, morally, temporally and spiritually. The thrift that I desire to impress upon you today does not mean stinginess ; it does not mean miserliness, nor does it mean upon the other hand a wild extravagance ; rather would I say that it means a walk of life between the two that I believe our heavenly Father intended His children to follow. Thrift and thriving mean the same thing. A farmer who lets his broken fences go unrepaired, his farm implements remain in the field all winter is not a thrifty farmer. A wife who throws into the garbage can enough food to feed another family, which often is the case, is not a thrifty woman. And do you know, my brethren and sisters, that it is estimated that there is wasted through the garbage cans of the United States over a billion dollars a year. There is enough in that one statement to make a sermon. I remember preaching a sermon, years ago, upon the waste of the swillbarrel and many told me it was greatly appreciated. Remember that leakage and waste are the universal enemies of all forms of thrift and progress. We find it in smoking, we find it in drinking, we find in homes that we enter thousands of little things going to waste for want of immediate care. I never see such waste but that I think, "A stitch in time saves nine." I wish that every one fully understood the true significance of that statement. Thrift never despises little beginnings. ¶

One day President McKinley and Mark Hanna were entering a street car. It was when McKinley was a congressman, and just after he had secured the passage of the McKinley tariff bill through the House of Representatives ; and as they stepped on a car Mr. McKinley paid ten cents for tickets for himself and Mark Hanna. As soon as they sat down Hanna turned to McKinley and said : "I wish that I could make a tariff bill such as you passed through the House today, yet I think you are the most wasteful man that I ever knew." McKinley asked him why. "Why," Hanna said, "you could have bought six tickets for a quarter, and you paid ten cents for two of them, a clear loss of nearly twenty per cent. No wonder you have been poor all your life." ¶

Remember the first hundred dollars that you save will be the hardest for you to acquire. To do so sometimes requires self-sacrifice and it always requires self-control. ¶

Now, my brothers and sisters, I have trespassed on the time alloted me already. I wish that I had time to discuss fully the question of thrift. I would like to have the principle of thrift made a part of your lives; for the Lord has promised that His people should be blessed as no other people in temporal affairs as well as spiritually ; ¶

and remember this, that "God helps those who help themselves." I trust that the Latter-day Saints will by honesty, energy and thrift help themselves that our heavenly Father can better help them. ¶

I want to leave with you my testimony ; for I know that this is the work of the Lord. I never felt prouder of my standing in the Church than I do today. I never felt a stronger desire to accomplish all that God would have me accomplish than I do at this moment ; and I pray that His blessing may be upon all the people, not only the Latter-day Saints, but all the honest in heart throughout the world and may peace come to the world in the Lord's own due time ; may the European war be overruled for good and the people of the world be ultimately blessed through it. God knows how this can be brought about. May peace ever be with us is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶