My brethren and sisters, and

My brethren and sisters, and friends: I pray that you will give me your sympathy, your faith and your prayers, that for the short time I may address you, that I may have the Spirit of the Lord, that I may say something to this assemblage that will be profitable. This is a new experience to me, and yet this sight that I see before me ought to be sufficient inspiration to draw forth from the speaker the best that he has to give. This is certainly a most inspiring sight to look upon : thousands of the hosts of Israel who have gathered on these grounds today to hear the word of the Lord. ¶

I have been very much interested during the sessions of this conference. I have been impressed with the thought that it is wonderful that the multitudes from various foreign countries have assembled here to verify and to testify to the divinity of this work and the fulfilment of prophecy. I remember very well, as a small boy listening to two elders from Utah speaking in a gravel pit in Hampshire, England. I remember distinctly the nature of their message to those who came to hear them. Though I was but a small boy at that time, the words which they uttered and the scripture they quoted, made a very deep impression upon my mind. I remember very distinctly one elder repeating that oft-quoted passage of scripture, "Come out of her, O ye my people, that ye receive not of her sins, and partake not of her plagues." I know very well that that message has been declared unto many of the nations of the earth by the elders of the Church in fulfilment of the prophecy contained in the New Testament. Hundreds and thousands have listened to that warning voice, and have gathered from nearly every nation under the sun. I presume if we were to take the time this afternoon to ask of this vast multitude here :. What nations of the earth are represented here ? we would find a large number represented. ¶

"Surely the Lord God doeth nothing but he revealeth his secrets to his servants the prophets." The mission of this Church has been and is to declare this warning message to the nations of the earth. Many have listened to the warning voice, and hundreds and thousands of those who have listened have gathered to this favored land of Joseph, this land that is choice above all other lands. They have come here, and, instead of being in the unfortunate condition of hundreds of thousands in the older countries, they have been permitted to engage in the work of the Lord. They have worked in the temples of the Lord. Their energies have been spent in saving the souls of men, rather than in the destruction of life. ¶

I do not know what would have been my lot had not my father and mother, and other members of our family, heard the warning voice and gathered to Zion. Of one thing I am sure, that I would not have received the blessings that I have received here. Of all people on the face of the earth, we ought to be grateful, my brethren and sisters. Of all people in this beloved country of ours, there are none who can really understand as fully as do we, the glorious benefits of this country of ours, this adopted country of ours ; because, as Latter-day Saints, we have a religious conviction that this nation was established by the inspiration of God our heavenly Father. We believe that its constitution is an inspired document. We have been taught this in our organizations and in all of our gatherings throughout the Church. It is a part of our faith. We are devoted to this country of ours, not merely because of the financial benefits that accrue from being citizens of this great country, and that is no inconsiderable thing, but because we believe that this land, North and South America, has been held in reservation for the gathering place of the House of Israel from all over the world. Here, today, are hundreds and thousands, no doubt, who have either gathered from the old world or are the sons and daughters of those who have come from the old world. ¶

We believe that God intended that upon this land the true principles of liberty, justice, equality, and righteousness should prevail. The Lord knew that in the despotic governments of the world these things could not prevail. He knew what the conditions were : and, according to the words of the Lord spoken through his prophets, this land was dedicated and consecrated and set apart for this particular purpose. We are here in fulfilment of that prophecy. God's Church has been established upon this land. No other land offered the conditions that were necessary ; from the ¶

beginning of this Church up to the present time, Latter-day Saints, consequently, have had a deep and a reverent regard for the government of this land. When I read the other day the message of the President of our beloved country, as he delivered it to Congress, and there as the Chief Executive of this great country, reiterated the very principles which God, through his ancient prophets, had written, my heart rejoiced. I could see that the Lord's word was being fulfilled. ¶

My brethren and sisters, we need not fear as to what the outcome of this Nation in her present struggle or conflict with other nations may be ; because, so long as this government shall stand for the principles of liberty and justice, freedom in its true sense, and will acknowledge God the eternal Father as the giver of all good, and defend those principles, God has declared, and you may read it in the Book of Mormon, that he will fight her battles, he will guard her interests, he will take care of her, and he will fight the battles of Zion ! I have no fear so far as this Nation is concerned, just as long as it will remain true and faithful to those sacred principles. Loyal and patriotic as they may be, no other people in this great country of ours has the deepseated conviction that we have. It is a part of our faith, it is a part of that which we have been taught and believe with all of our hearts to be the very truth. As a nation, God will protect us, because this is his selected spot. It is the spot to which all of Israel will gather. ¶

The Lord will also gather the Jews to Jerusalem, just as truly as Israel will gather here, and the word of the Lord will go forth from Jerusalem, and the law of the Lord will go forth from Zion. When I read the newspapers and see how the Holy Land on the eastern continent is gradually being prepared by reason of this terrible catastrophe which has befallen the nations through their disobedience, I can see how the way is being prepared for the return of the Jews to Jerusalem. When I saw that wonderful achievement wrought in Russia, in so short a time, whereby religious freedom and the liberty of the press was granted to that downtrodden people, and when I heard of the thousands and thousands of the Jewish race who were being freed from bondage and slavery, I thought I could see again how the people of those countries were bringing to pass the predictions of the servants of the Lord. ¶

So, if we are faithful and watchful and prayerful, we can see the hand dealings of God every day of our lives. We can see the fulfilment of prophecy every day of our lives. I never knew so many prophecies of the servants of God to be fulfilled in so short a time, as have been in the last few years. ¶

We should rejoice that we are in possession of these things, in the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants. See what the Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph. Read Section I of the Doctrine and Covenants, the preface to the book, where the Lord declares that the mission of this Church is to go into the nations of the earth and warn them of the judgment that is to come, and the wars and tribulations to come upon the nations of the earth. These conditions that prevail in the European countries today are but the natural result of the disobedience and the wickedness of the people, and that is why ¶

the Lord has made known to the nations through his prophets what would come to pass. He foresaw their wickedness, he knew what would be the result of their disobedience, and many of the honest in heart, many of the House of Israel, have been gathered out by reason of listening to the warning voice of the servants of God. ¶

Let us remain true and faithful, let us rejoice in the thought that we are members of the Church of Christ restored in our day. Let us esteem it the greatest blessing that could come to us, and along with that ,let us rejoice in the blessed thought that we too are citizens of the greatest and the noblest and the best government upon the face of the land, the government under which the Church of Christ exists ; and we, the Latter-day Saints, believing as we do, will be among the foremost of the citizenship of this country of ours in defending the principles for which it stands, of proclaiming liberty to all people. ¶

I am one who is simple-minded enough to believe that God Almighty has already fought the battles of our government. I believe God was with this country at the time of the Revolution. I do not think that without the blessing and the aid of our heavenly Father, so great a work would have been accomplished as was done then. And following right down, I believe that God was with our navy at Manila when that wonderful victory was gained by this country. Why? Because this country was defending those sacred principles for which this country stands, and because of which God said that he would fight her battles. I have no fear so long as we stand for those sacred principles, so long as we shall not deviate from them, so long as we shall not fight for conquest or aggrandizement, but for the extension of those sacred principles necessary for the alleviation of the condition of the people of the world. Just so long shall we be protected by Divine Providence. ¶

This is my testimony to you, my brethren and sisters. I am thankful that I am a Latter-day Saint. I want to be true to the covenants that I have made ; and we want the world to know, and everyone in this country to know, that there are no more faithful, loyal people upon this land, or people who have a higher regard for the principles of this government, or will do more to maintain those principles, than will the Latter-day Saints. We believe in the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and this is the message that he delivered to this people. Through him we have received this knowledge, and because of it we believe that we will be foremost in the defense of these things. ¶

May God help us to be true and faithful as members of his Church, and when we are true and faithful Latter-day Saints, we are the highest type of American citizenship that can be produced. May God help us to be so! Amen. ¶