Lest We Forget the Mission and the Message

Lest we forget the mission and the message which the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has to bear to the world, it seems eminently fitting and proper that the membership of this Church, at least a very large number of the brethren and sisters, should come to these semi-annual conferences of the Church, to have that message re-stated, to be impressed with the mission which the Church has to perform to the world. From the beginning, I think it has been very clear to the mind of every individual in the Church, that there was no other organization in all the earth that was capable of doing the work which has been demanded of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Nobody else was nor is equipped to do the work which the Lord in his tender mercy has assigned to this Church. While many organizations are equipped to do good, and do much good, yet there is a distinctive, peculiar work that can be done only by this people. It is not because there is better blood in our ¶

veins. Nor is it because the Lord favors us more than anybody else; but he has at least permitted us to engage in this work, and it is the knowledge and acceptance of the truth that qualifies us. I think that the truthfulness of the statement which the Lord made to the Prophet Joseph Smith, when, in the very inception, it was announced that there was no organization in all the world acceptable to the Lord, norie qualified to do his work, and that it was the good pleasure ot the Lord that, he would reveal and restore the lost truth, the things' necessary to be known, the authority necessary to carry these instructions and that organization in its effectual use in the world, is more and more apparent. We do not stand to condemn our brethren and sisters because they have not done better than they have. Perhaps we, with the same amount of knowledge, could succeed no better than they have. It is not their fault that there has been an apostasy. The fault was with those generations that have gone before, who departed from the truth and left but a fragment of it, and that altered and changed and corrupted. When we think of the mission of the Master, how that it was necessary for him to devote three years of his life, extended purposely that length of time, in order to deliver that message which seemed to be important for the salvation of that generation, and when we think how little of that message has really reached us to this day, the wonder is that men have done as well as they have. ¶

I was reading recently an article written by an eminent divine, who was suggesting a revision of the scriptures and the elimination of those obsolete passages that have come down to us, and he concluded ¶

that we would have a book of about ninety pages left, and about seventeen pages of the very words of the Christ. That is all that comes to us, as he concludes, from the many sermons that He preached. I have often been impressed with the fragmentary character of our New Testament scriptures, and that the part that comes to us does not fully explain all points of doctrine relating to the gospel of the Son of God, and many things are left in such uncertainty, that it is a wonder that men have done as well as they have. I believe that every word that Christ uttered was essential to the salvation of men in that day, and I equally believe that every word he gave then is essential for the salvation of men today; and I believe that if we had all the words of Christ, in all the sermons dealing, evidently, with every act and thing that was necessary to be treated upon, that we would have complete instructions and knowledge as to that plan. I think that the Master must have told the people, for example, on what day they should worship. I do not believe there is any doubt that he gave instructions as to the manner of the administration of the sacrament, or as to the administration of the saving ordinances of the gospel. It was necessary to the people in that day. Hence the apostles, in numerous sermons and discourses and epistles, could freely say that "though an angel from heaven should teach any other doctrine than that which we have preached, let him be accursed." There was no division among the apostles of Christ as to principles and doctrine. Not until these inspired men were put to death, and not until the word of God was corrupted and part of it was lost, did men come to this state of ignorance and lack of knowledge concerning the things of God. And that we have a perfect knowledge of the gospel of Christ with its perfect organization, is not because we have learned it from the scriptures, or that we are wiser than anybody else, and have devised that system. You may, so far as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is concerned, destroy every Bible in the world, and that might apply to the time when the Lord condescended to speak to the Prophet Joseph Smith, and the Church would still stand forth if it were favored with the revelations that did come, just as strong, as clear, as definite upon every proposition as it stands today, for this Church was not built or its foundations laid because of any information that we have obtained from the scripture, and while we regard the scripture with all sacredness and take second place to no one in that regard, yet we say that the Church can produce a Bible at any time when that Church is actuated and inspired by the gifts and power of the Holy Ghost. The men who speak unto us the things of the Lord in our own day, I believe, give unto us that which is just as true as that scripture which has come to us from ancient times. I think that the evidences are appearing, and are multiplying very rapidly, to prove that the world itself is being forced to accept the" decision which the Master made, that the world could not be saved with the fragments of knowledge it then had. These decisions are being reached by learned men. ¶

You have all been impressed by the terrible war which is now being waged in Europe. We have heard ¶

of it in this conference. Is it not one of the greatest evidences of the statement of Jesus Christ to the Prophet Joseph Smith, that the world had but a form of godliness and not the power thereof? Is that power of godliness in the Roman Catholic church? Look at it today, with its hundreds of thousands of adherents in the war, represented in the soldiers of Italy, who are receiving the sacraments of that church and the benedictions and blessings of the priests of that church in opposing and slaying their Catholic brethren of Austria — no power within that church to make its adherents brothers, much less is there power in Protestantism to save those great nations from flying at each other's throats. But don't blame the poor soldiers, threefifths of whom are supposed to be Christian men. What is the example of their leaders? ¶

You will remember that an effort was made by one of our American philanthropists, who was actuated by high motives, to bring about an end to this terrible struggle, and so, in order to accomplish this he selected a lot of very fine Christian men and women who were also actuated by the best Christian motives, to go from court to court, and by their high standard and influence to impress the neutral nations with a desire to join them in a movement for the cessation of hostilities and a settlement upon a Christian basis of their existing troubles. We all know the result. ¶

One of the eminent divines of this country who was a member of the company, said recently of that movement, "We went to end the war in Europe, but we started more than one war of our own. We breathed the air of suspicion and ¶

jealousy, and we carried that feeling with us right to the court at Stockholm. The awful influence that had been at work was still with us. The strife in the trenches could not be more bitter, and its hatred more deadly than the strife and the hatred of our conference." And yet these were picked men who have had all the benefits Christianity has to offer, and yet this was the spirit that they manifested ; and "as with the priest so with the people." So don't blame the people. I say were it not for "Mormonism," I would feel that the world had little hope to save itself and preserve faith in God and in Christ. There is a growing lack of faith on the part of the ministers and of members of the various churches in the world, a desertion from the old creeds. Now I do not say this to rejoice in their failures. God knows that I sorrow because the truth has been lost to the world, and I do not rejoice because my brethren and sisters of other denominations have failed, but thank God that inasmuch as they lack something they are coming to acknowledge it and they must go to God for it, even as Joseph did. And unless men will turn to him, all their speculations are in vain. One word from him is more precious than all the philosophies and theories of all the men in the world. Men, I say, are acknowledging that they are in need of something more than they have. I have here a statement made by one of the leading ministers in the city of Portland, and indeed one of the most eminent men of his day, a broad-minded and liberal man. I have listened to him on a number of occasions. He is a man of great experience and stands, I think, far in advance of the membership of ¶

his denomination. At a meeting which was attended by a number of the most prominent divines, held July 23, 1916, at the University of Oregon, the Rev. Dr. J. H. Boyd in the opening address at an international conference, said : "I cannot see a ray of hope for the present organizations that are attempting religion, though there is a big hope for true religion." ¶

That is true, for we have witnessed the hundreds and thousands of men who are turning to Christian science and other things, seeking for the truth if haply they may find it. "Having eyes they see not, and having ears they hear not, and hearts they cannot understand." And yet I believe down in their hearts there is a great hungering and thirsting after truth, and men are running up and down the earth seeking truth. They will find it some day, in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This minister also said : ¶

"Already there are signs pointing to a broader movement, but they are not within the denominational lines. The old-time Presbyterians would rather see Christianity go down than give up a bit of their creed. There is no cohesive church of Jesus Christ in this state. There is no leadership to bring the denominations together. Little communities have been crowded with churches, and what do we find — ministers shifting from parish to parish m search of bread. No preacher can fulfil his mission when he is only in a community for a year or two years. Under our present system of creeds I cannot see a sign of anything that is going to help. Statistics are a failure in giving the situation." ¶

That is just what the Lord Jesus Christ saw and told the Prophet Joseph Smith in the very beginning of this work, and that is why "Mormonism" is in the world. O how my heart rejoices to see how men are beginning to recognize that there is truth in the declaration that the Lord Jesus has made, for there is hope when men begin to see. My heart goes out to them, for I have discovered hundreds and thousands who are honest and God-fearing; but while we stand upon the firm rock or the unsinkable ship, where there is no danger of wreckage, out in the maelstrom are many millions who are driven hither and thither, and my heart goes out to rescue them, to save them, and to bring them to the knowledge of this glorious truth, for it is the thing that the world needs, and the world ultimately will receive it. ¶

I believe that we are but demonstrators and teachers. We have not been called here, my brethren and sisters, one of a city and two of a family, to enjoy all these blessings alone. We have only been brought here to be trained to carry this message to the world, to preach it by our lives, so that men might be attracted to it. And while I would not give up one of the young men who come into the mission field — I thoroughly enjoy them and appreciate them, but many are not prepared to meet some of the people in the world who are hungering and thirsting after righteousness. What about the lawyers, the doctors and the bankers whom our young men cannot reach? What are you lawyers going to do about your brothers of the fraternity in the world? What are you doctors and bankers going to do? I want to say to you that the responsibility of carrying the message of the gospel to the lawyers, doctors, bankers, and professional men ¶

largely devolves upon the men of their class in this Church ; and if they cannot go for long term missions they should go for short term missions, and if they should lose the opportunity of fulfiling these missions I believe a responsibility will rest upon their shoulders for failing to do their part. We want you out in the mission field. Of course it is proper to have homes, to be well provided for, even to enjoy the luxuries; but do not forget that all material blessings are but a means to an end. Do not forget that the possession of the things of this life should not be the end, but a means to assist us to demonstrate to the world that there is power in the gospel of Christ, and assist us to bear this message to a sinking world who today need it worse than anything else. And I want to say to you that no family in this Church will ever stand secure in the possession of their privileges, nor in the realization of the blessings which have been pronounced upon their heads, unless they do their duty in carrying this message to the world. . So, you brethren who have been upon missions may take home the responsibility of preaching the gospel again, for the demands for laborers in the field will be greater than ever before. It is an hour of preparedness. It is an hour when the brethren and sisters should be thoroughly alert, not boastful, but feeling the consciousness of the responsibility that rests upon us, accept it, lest we should fall short and others come in and take our places. ¶

There is some objection on the part of the world to this Church, because they think we are dominated. I recall a statement that was made in the world's citizenship conference, a few years ago, by Dr. ¶

Coyle, with whom I had a rather heated controversy, and he finally, I am glad to say, deserted his position and refused to defend his attack. He said: ¶

"I hold, and shall show, that 'Mormonism,' by its organization, its claims, its teachings and its practices, is a menace to which, as Americans, as patriots and as Christians, we cannot be indifferent. First of all, because of its system. It is the most completely centralized, the most compact and most unified religious body in the world. As a piece of ecclesiastical machinery there is nothing to compare with it." ¶

No less a person than the VicePresident of the United States said last year: ¶

"We insist on being efficient people, and we also insist on being free, but we cannot be both. We must take our choice. The German empire and the 'Mormon' Church are two of the most efficient organizations on earth, but in both the individual is subservient to the (Organization. I hope some way may be devised by which we can become more efficient and yet retain our freedom." ¶

I ask you, and you can each answer for yourselves: Do you feel that you are slaves? Do you feel you are dominated and dictated to by any one? Are the missionaries compelled to go into the field? Why, they are the freest men on earth. Yet here is efficiency. Some may say, it is not possible for us to have efficiency and yet freedom. But they know but little of the power of the Holy Ghost who gives a common understanding to all who receive him and he makes them one. This is a power that is lacking in the world. Men may even adopt the doctrines and the ordinances of the gospel of Christ, but still there will be something ¶

lacking. You may manufacture artificial heat and light, but plants or animals, when made to depend upon that light will dwindle and die. For there is something else that comes from the sun in addition to light and heat. It also sends life forth into all things. So the organization may be ever so perfect, but still there is something more than form needed. There must be life. It is the gift and power of the Holy Ghost that has "touched the hearts of the Latter-day Saints that makes them do this wonderful thing. I say to you that I am absolutely free. No one has ever dictated to me. I go cheerfully into the world. I have done it with all my heart ; freely I have done it. No man has compelled me. And I thank God that I have the good sense to use my will and my judgment to do that which I conceive is best for me, best for my fellow men, and in keeping with what I feel to be the will of the Lord. I have done it as you have done it, with my whole heart, with perfect freedom. We will continue to do it, my brethren and sisters, and we will yet demonstrate to the world that we can have the most efficient organization and still be free. If men can devise systems, that seem to be good, and that by the power and wisdom of men, then what should the kingdom of God be ? It should be more perfect than all, even as the heavens are higher than the earth. We should expect the Church of God to be the most complete and that nothing on earth can compare with it. This Church is that, even in the judgment of our enemy. . ¶

Let us live our religion. Let us recognize the fact that the work of God to be done in the earth is not yet finished. The greatest, the grandest part of it all lies yet in the future, and it affects every man, woman and child in the whole world. May God help us to see this, and prepare ourselves to be demonstrators of the word and preachers of it acceptable to God, and to the salvation of the souls of all of our Father's children, I pray, in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶