In the National Congress of Defense

In the National Congress of Defense, held in the Midnah Temple, Chicago, about six weeks ago, I listened to one Hammerlin, a peasant from Bohemia, who said that he came to this country thirty-seven years ago. His first work here was to drive a mule in a coal mine, but, he said, "today I am president of the foreign newspapers of America, and I am occupying this position together with the great and the educated men of this Nation, in the second city in the greatest country of the world. What other nation under heaven," he continued, "could have given me such a glorious opportunity?" ¶

When I faced this audience, and as I sat in my seat and listened to the testimonies of those who have occupied the pulpit, I have said in my heart : What people or what organization under heaven could give men such a glorious opportu- ¶

nity as that which we enjoy? One of a city and two of a family from every nation in the earth, peasant and otherwise, have been drawn together in this organization and have been given opportunities the like of which could not have been found in any other place in the world. ¶

Continuing, our Bohemian said : "My home in Bohemia, which is seven hundred years old, had been destroyed twice during this great war. It was destroyed first by the Russians and next by the Germans, but I am happy to stand here today and tell you that no matter if it is destroyed and all other homes in my beloved native land, the day will come when peace shall be established in the earth, and democracy rule all people; "for," said he, in his broken language, "Nick has gone and Will vill go." So I say, brethren and sisters, if Nick has gone, with reference to the Russian government, and Will of Germany will go, so also, in the end, Old Nick will go, and truth and righteousness will reign in the earth. ¶

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been established in this day that all mankind who will hear and obey the voice of the Lord might have an equal opportunity, but it seems to me, my brethren and sisters, that our extremity has been God's opportunity to bless us and to lead us into the straight and narrow way. I am reminded of the struggle with the powers of darkness that the Prophet Joseph Smith had in the beginning when he asked the Lord for light and knowledge concerning which way he should go ; I am likewise reminded of his asking the ¶

Father concerning baptism, which was answered by the coming of John the Baptist, under whose direction Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were baptized. Again, when divine assistance was needed, came the glorious visit of Peter, James and John, who bestowed upon them the holy Priesthood and the right to officiate in the name of the Lord in behalf of all the children of men in the earth. ¶

From the very beginning of the Church, it seems to me that when we have gone either as individuals or as a Church to our very limit, divine Providence has stepped in and rendered assistance, until we have grown to understand our dependence upon the Lord and his great love and mercy for his children. I am reminded of the time when I stood in the road, having gone to the limit of my strength in searching for the honest in heart who would receive me into their homes as a messenger of light, my eyes were opened, and I bear witness that God's promises were fulfilled with reference to his missionaries : that he sends his angels before their face to bear them up and to prepare the hearts of the people to receive them. The testimony of all the elders in the mission field is that when they have gone to their limit, and turned to God our Father he has never forsaken them, but has opened the way, leaving impressed upon their hearts the testimony that he is willing to come to the assistance of those who diligently serve him.. So in the history of this great Nation — it seems to me that man's limit has been God's opportunity to come in and guide the ship of state. You remember Christopher Columbus, as ¶

he lay bound in the bottom of his ship, pleaded with his sailors to go on at least three days before they should throw him overboard and start back to Spain. You remember our Pilgrim Fathers were about to sail back from the rock-bound shores of New England, when timely and needed assistance came. You remember, too, Washington at Valley Forge, his soldiers barefooted, his sick men had no medicine, and the well had no food, sent his last appeal to our ministers in France that they must come to his assistance now, that anything they would do in the future would be unavailing; and how this Nation, this experiment in government, was saved in the seeming very last hours by the coming of men and money from France. Again, the spirit of the Lord was upon those who gathered to form the constitution of the United States that liberty might not be banished from the earth, that the divine right that God our Father gave to his children before the world was might be securely established in the last days. ¶

This Government has grown and increased in the earth, in strength, in knowledge, in wisdom and in toleration for their fellow men. Other nations of the earth have partaken freely of the spirit of liberty planted in this goodly land. These liberty-loving nations have now banded themselves together in a mighty struggle to extend and perpetuate this sacred heritage. If we go to the limit of our ability and strength trusting in the Lord we cannot fail, for it seems that God is using these nations who have been the most liberal with respect to government, that the rest of the world might partake of that which ¶

we have enjoyed in such a full measure ; so in our extreme hour heaven will not forsake us. ¶

As citizens of this great government, we have not only enjoyed the liberties that have been implanted in this land of Zion, but as Latter-day Saints who have heard the gospel we have enjoyed another glorious blessing, even the liberty and light of truth that has pointed the way back in to the presence of God our father. From Norway and Sweden and Denmark, from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and the countries of Germany and Holland, and all Christian nations of the world we have come to this land in response to the sound of the gospel of Jesus Christ ; and in our coming we have sung : ¶

"O Babylon, O Babylon, We bid thee farewell, ¶

We're going to the mountains Of Ephraim to dwell." ¶

How could a people, no matter what the nation, be anything but loyal and true who feel, who hold such views ? ¶

In the Northern States mission we have today quite a population of German people. At the outbreak of this war they thought I was hard on them and their nation as to the responsibility for and the outcome of this war, but Americans of German birth who have accepted the gospel should be and are true and loyal to this nation, for it is the land of Zion to them. About three weeks ago, in Milwaukee, during my sermon, the whole audience breathed amen and amen with a spirit of love and devotion to the principles of this government and to the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ that we have never ¶

felt before. They are beginning to reconcile themselves to the fact that this great war is the chastening hand of God upon those who have refused the light of the gospel and the liberties of mankind. Why, I told them that if they had not found sufficient reasons in this government and land of ours to rejoice and praise the Lord and be glad because they are here, surely in the gospel of Jesus Christ they ought and find sufficient to make them sing praises to the God of heaven. Why? Because they had come out of the land of oppression in response to the call of light and truth and liberty of the gospel. They had all received a knowledge from the Lord that this is the land of Zion, a land of freedom, a land choice above all other lands. ¶

Latter-day Saints in Germany, in Holland, in Switzerland, or in any other country in the world, no matter whether they have ever been here or not, feel in their hearts that this is the land of Zion and that God has prepared this nation in order that he might establish his kingdom in the earth, and gather the honest in heart from all nations. The members of this Church now living in Germany ought to feel in their hearts a spirit of loyalty and fidelity to this nation because they have been taught that it has been established by God. Even though they may be numbered soldiers in Germany, fighting under the marshaled power of their Kaiser, yet I feel sure their hearts beat in sympathy for the land of Zion. With my brethren before me, I feel that God our father is at the helm, and while this may be a dark hour in our history, the Lord will come to our rescue in the end. Will will ¶

follow Nick, and after Nick and Will and all others who have usurped the right of man to be free and govern himself, then also the old Nick himself will go. ¶

I rejoice, my brethren and sisters, in my testimony of this gospel. I rejoice to bear witness to you that I know that God our Father lives. I know that he does send his messengers before the face of the missionaries and lead them to the doors of the honest in heart, and in the way of those who are prepared to receive them. I am sure that he will go before the face of all the sons of the Allied nations of the world and grant that victory may perch upon their banners. While we may be scourged and while we may be called upon to offer a sacrifice for these great and glorious blessings we are seeking, nevertheless in the end and in our extremity victory shall be ours. ¶

Some of your sons in Camp Dodge, Iowa, and in Camp Grant, Illinois, and in one or two other camps I have visited, have said to me: Brother Ellsworth, I feel, O so lonesome. I would sooner be a private with the Utah boys than an officer here alone, away from my people. I have said to them invariably : "My good brethren, it may be a little lonesome, but I feel absolutely sure that it is better that you should be here alone as an officer or even as a private, providing you will live your religion and set the example which you should set before your fellow men; for you have been called, and the majority of you have been ordained of God that you might minister in the things of our Father in heaven. I am sure that the way will be opened for you not only to be a soldier but to be a comfort to your comrades. The way will be opened for you to strengthen them and to offer courage to them, and in the end, when peace shall be established, what a wonderful opening there will be for the soldiers from among the Latter-day Saints to go to the soldiers of every state and every city in this glorious land of ours. You will not find a man among the soldiers of Illinois who will ever permit any one to say anything against Utah or the Latter-day Saints, if they have fought side by side or under the leadership of a 'Mormon' officer. What is true of Illinois may be true of every other state in this union, and every country in the world ; for after this great war it shall not be : I am a citizen of this state or that state or the other state, but I am a citizen of America or a citizen of the world." So, I feel that though it may be a lonesome, time for some of our boys, yet if they live their religion, if they keep the commandments of God and keep themselves clean and unspotted from the world and offer themselves as a willing sacrifice, it shall be as the leaven sent out into the world to leaven the lump. Our missionaries who are now preaching the gospel breathe the spirit of war, and sometimes breathe a desire to go out and fight that peace might be hastened in the earth. They are given five days in which to report for military service after finishing in the mission field. Some have even reported a month before being released in order to be ready for a service that must be that the gospel principles might be spread abroad. ¶

The Lord bless our leaders, and may God our Father touch our Prophet with his finger, as it were, ¶

and heal him from his infirmities ; that we may hear his glorious voice and his powerful testimony yet many years. When I heard that he was not well it seemed to me that my very own had been stricken. So I pray, with all Zion, that God will bless him ; that he will bless us all ; that we may keep clean and pure and do our full part that we may be worthy of the glorious opportunities that our Church and our Nation afford, in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶

A sacred solo, entitled, "Sunshine and Rain," was sung by Edna Gottberg. ¶