Notwithstanding I have spent

Notwithstanding I have spent three years of my life upon a foreign mission, calling men unto repentance and bearing witness to the divinity of the work of the Lord, and that I am the father of fourteen children, one of my boys being now in a foreign clime proclaiming this same gospel, yet I am undergoing for the first time in my life, right now, the experience of speaking to a congregation in the ¶

open, and I tremble in every part of my body. I feel and sense the need of help and inspiration, and I pray that the Lord will be my helper and my inspirer. ¶

I cannot hope to rise to any heights to proclaim the beauties of the everlasting gospel, but I can express my gratitude unto the Lord that he has blessed me with ears to hear, with a heart to understand, with willing feet to follow, and willing hands to serve, and has impressed upon my soul the veritable fact that in this the dispensation of the fulness of times he has really spoken from the heaven and restored the everlasting gospel. ¶

I sometimes think that it is impossible for us as Latter-day Saints to quite sense fully the wonderful facts that have actually transpired ; the facts that the Lord did speak with Joseph the Prophet face to face, that he did introduce his Son Jesus Christ, and invited Joseph to hear him ; that he did teach him through the ministering of angels, and that Moroni, for four successive years, did teach the prophet as a father would a son — except on a greater scale, as a servant from the Almighty, from the heavens above, would teach one of the children of the Lord, to prepare him for this great work. ¶

I have often wondered how marvelous it must appear to all when they think of this wonderful message. Though the prophet had listened to the voice of the Lord, though he had listened to the voice of the Savior, though he had been taught by the angel Moroni, yet so far he never ventured to organize the Church. He never ran before he was told to go, he never spoke without the voice of authority. And when the Lord did reveal unto him that the priesthood should be restored, and when he did manifest unto Joseph and Oliver that John the Baptist should come, then what a wonderful work Joseph set about to do ! Do we appreciate it that he who, at his death, carried the keys of baptism by immersion, that that very being, resurrected, revived again, should come to men living in this dispensation and place his hands upon their heads, call them fellow servants, and restore unto them the priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the gospel of repentance and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins ? And that he should give unto them the promise that it should not be taken again from the earth until the sons of Levi should offer again an offering in righteousness unto the Lord ? Still no organization ! Then Joseph waited for the promised visitation of the very men who under the hands of the Messiah himself had received their commission, Peter, James and John, who should come and upon the banks of the Susquehannah river, ordain them to the Melchizedek priesthood. Then they received authority and power, and then, under the direction of the Lord, the right time came and the Church was organized. Then men were commissioned. And that is the reason that we have the courage to say that there is no other church under heaven, good though it may proclaim itself, having the whole and the complete truth, and the authority to preach it and to officiate in the ordinances of the gospel. That is the bold message that we deliver to this world, without apology, for when the Lord spoke he said that his Church was the only Church with whom he was well pleased. ¶

Now, my brethren and sisters, this is my knowledge, your knowledge, and that which enables us to carry conviction wherever we go. We speak in no uncertain terms, for the Lord has spoken to our soul, has given us a testimony, so that we do not have to say, we hope, we believe. We do not proclaim a philosophy of men, but we speak with certainty, and say that through the mercy of the Lord the gospel has been restored, we bear witness that we have a testimony of its divinity. ¶

Now that these perilous times are upon us, are we moved ? are we distressed? One of my sons walked up to me the other day and said, "Father, what about this 'Reply to the call of your country' ? What shall I do? I do not want to be sent, I would rather go." I said, "My son, look at your mother, look at your father, look at your brothers and sisters and all, and sense what you are asking. Then do not expect from me that I shall ever offer a word of discouragement to you, for you live in this blessed land of liberty. Here we have had our home, here we have had peace, here we are blessed ; and as a citizen you must answer, and answer understandingly what it means. Go if you feel you must go, like your brother abroad proclaiming the gospel. Go in the same spirit, if you feel it. Go when you are needed, go where you are needed." ¶

Those are my convictions, this is my spirit, this is my feeling today : I love my fellow men. In the early days of a mission, when I was in the Netherlands and could not speak nor understand, and I ¶

had left my family and all — when I walked the streets of a great city and looked into the faces of those honest people, I thought, Oh, if I could but open my mouth and speak unto you what I feel, deliver unto you the message that I carry, how happy I would be ! ¶

We do not have to go off to Holland, to any country. Even in the stake where I preside, the Deseret stake, men are gathering by the hundreds, thousands, strangers within our midst, who have never heard this gospel yet. I commend unto you this little thought : One man, coming into our midst, sat beside a good bishop, and a good minister said to that man, "Are you letting your children go to this 'Mormon' Sabbath School?" ¶

"Yes," he said, "they are going." ¶

The minister said, "Beware. Do not have them tainted with this 'Mormon' spirit." ¶

He said, "I have lived beside this man and watched him every day since I have come. Whenever I want a wagon it is available. When anything is to be brought from the store to the country, that good man proffers to bring it for me. These little lessons carry conviction to me that the bishop is a good man. I know nothing of that man but good. I hear nothing from my children but good. Call it 'Mormonism,' call it whatever you choose. The name will not affect it. The fruits are good." ¶

So I say, our mission is not only to proclaim, but to live as witnesses who have received the truth, and who love the truth. And if we live the truth, my brethren, and sisters, no man can come within the circle of our influence without being impressed with the fact — somewhat ¶

after the same spirit as the disciples, when the Master met them on the way to Emmaus, and when they walked with him. The Scripture says, "Their eyes were holden," and when he came in and broke bread with them, then they beheld, and it was revealed unto them positively who it was. Then, in counseling with them, they said, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked with us?" So it will be with you, so it will be with me, so it will be with every man who, having received the light, walks in the light. ¶

As the beloved disciple John said concerning Jesus, "Ye who have received the light walk in the light, as he walked in the light," and his spirit will characterize you, and its influence will be felt wherever you go. The Lord bless us to live righteously, and living so our lives and good works will be seen by others, that they shall be led to glorify God. ¶

It is my joy to bear testimony that I know the truth of these things without a doubt. I thank God for the teachings of a good father and a good mother. I have never been beset with doubt, but I can stand up before my own children as my father did before me, and say, "I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and that you are members of the true Church. Live it as your grand-father lived it. Live it as I hope you see your father live it. Live it as sure as the authorities of the Church live it, and be happy forever more." ¶

God bless us and help us to do it, I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶