President Joseph F. Smith introduced the speaker, saying

President Joseph F. Smith introduced the speaker, saying that Elder Watts had been a faithful missionary with him many years ago. Elder Watts said : ¶

My brethren and sisters: I rejoice in the privilege of attending this conference and, as President Smith has said, I labored with him the greater part of two years in the British mission. I learned to love him as dearly as I ever loved any man in my life, and I have never seen one moment that I felt to slacken that love. I proved when I was in that mission that he was a man who has the interest of the human family at heart. I think no man that ever lived has a greater interest in the human family than has President Smith today. I have been acquainted with all the presidents who ever stood at the head of the Church of God, from the Prophet Joseph Smith down to the present time, and I know, brethren and sisters, that they are men of God. I have been personally acquainted with all, I have listened to their talk from time to time and, as Jesus says, "My sheep know my voice and a stranger they will not follow." ¶

We have had the voice of the Lord, the voice of the true shepherd, delivered unto us during this conference, and I bear testimony to it. When I heard one of the brethren here speak in regard to the character of those of our brethren who have stood at the head of the kingdom of God here upon the earth, it stirred within me a desire to say something on this occasion, and I want to refer more especially to our president at the present time, because the Lord revealed to me, through most unmistakable terms, that he would be the man to stand at the head of this Church. I had a desire for many years to see him come to the head of the Church, because I could see in him the integrity of the Prophet Joseph; but when he was chosen out of the Twelve to become one of the counselors to President Taylor, I thought my hopes were blasted and that he would never get there, because I had noticed that when a president died, the counselors returned to their positions in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. I made it a matter of prayer, brethren and sisters, on a good many different occasions, that the Lord would show me, and one day the ¶

Lord revealed it to me. The Spirit of the Lord spoke to me in an audible voice and said: "When the time comes that he should stand at the head of the Twelve, he will be the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." This was the testimony that was given to me through the inspiration of the Almighty, and I bear it to you truthfully before high heaven. I know that he is the man. I do not say this because he is here to hear it. I have said it many times before among people where I have spoken in different parts of this .state, or to this people. ¶

We are here, my brethren and sisters, in fulfilment of prophecy, and we are just what the Prophet Joseph said we would be. We have become a great and mighty people, and the people of the world are coming to us. They will continue to come to us, and we will become the head and not the tail. ¶

May God bless us, brethren and sisters, and bless the Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and every one who has to take an active part in the building up of the kingdom of God, is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶