My heart is filled with gratitude

My heart is filled with gratitude to my heavenly Father for the privilege I have of attending this conference of the Church. I am reminded that coming to conference is becoming a habit with me. I believe that the more we avail ourselves of this privilege the more it will become a habit with all the Latter-day Saints. It is a habit that we should acquire — going to meeting on the Sabbath day. We commence to go to meeting on the Sabbath day when we are small children, because our parents teach us that that is the right thing to do, and as we grow older in life this becomes more and more a habit with us ; and this being the case it causes our faith to grow and increase in the knowledge of the gospel as we grow and advance in years. ¶

We have in the Church teachers, who are required to visit the homes of the Latter-day Saints. As our brother who preceded me was speaking of the faith we have in the future, my mind went directly home to the ward teachers who are required to visit the homes of the Latter-day Saints once every month, to teach them their duty in the Church, to instruct them, to see that there is no iniquity among them, that nobody is suffering, to teach them to pray, that their faith may grow from day to day, to teach them that we should observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy. The Lord has said that we should remember and worship him on the Sabbath day, and assemble together and speak to one another as the Spirit may direct, that we may be edified in the worship of the Lord. We have assembled together on this Sabbath day in the continuation of our conference to worship our heavenly Father. To see so many people who have availed themselves of this privilege makes my heart rejoice, and I rejoice to be one with you in this vast congregation, and to listen to what the servants of the ¶

Lord have to say. It fills my heart with joy to know that we have men inspired of the Lord to teach us the gospel, to show us the way, to mark out for us the directions that will enable us to keep ourselves in tune with the Lord, so that we can walk in the straight and narrow path which will eventually lead us back to life everlasting. These principles have been taught all who have received the gospel, since we first heard the sound thereof. In following our leaders, we find we are walking in the path that will bring us to salvation in the kingdom of our Father. This is what we have sought to do, for we have a desire in our hearts that we may gain something in this life that will be worth while. In order to do that, it requires our whole time and attention. It requires the very best efforts that we can put forth, so that we will be able to perform the duties and labors required of us as Latter-day Saints. It is intended, my brethren and sisters, that we will seek the Lord in youth, in middle age, and in old age, that the spirit of the gospel may ever burn in our hearts, that we can teach it to our children — teach them the principle of faith. We find that it requires faith in the hearts of the Latter-day Saints, to do their work — all the faith that we can muster. This we should cultivate from day to day that we may be able to perform the duties required of us, as the children of our Father. If we continue to do this, we shall finally gain an exaltation in the kingdom of God. ¶

I bear testimony that this is the work of the Lord, that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, raised up in this dispensation to establish ¶

the work of the Lord in the earth, so that faith might be implanted in the hearts of the children of men. This gospel is being proclaimed by the humble elders and handmaidens of the Lord, who are preaching to the world and telling them that the Lord has again established his work and is calling the children of men to repentance, calling upon them to turn from evil and walk in his paths. We are sending our young men and our daughters into the mission field, to preach the truths of the gospel to the inhabitants of the earth. During these troublous times, there are not so many of the elders in the field, but after these disturbing conditions are over, I presume there will be a call for more elders than ever before. So we ought to be prepared for the great future, because there is something for this people yet to perform, because the end is not yet. ¶

May the Lord bless and help us that we may be prepared for any event, and put our trust in God, so that all may be well with us. May the Lord assist us to serve him and keep his commandments, and may we always be found faithful and true to the calling whereunto we have been called, I ask it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶

The choir and congregation sang : "We thank thee, O God, for a prophet." ¶