My dear friends, I assure you

My dear friends, I assure you that it is a surprise to me to be called on here today to speak. It reminds me something of a mission field to stand before an audience in the open air. ¶

You who have been on missions in the world will recall that many times you have been asked if you believed in Christ, and you have ¶

believed in Christ, and you have asked, "Then why are you preaching to us? We also believe in Christ. What is the difference between your Church and our church ? You are Christians and we are Christians. Why spend your money and your time to preach to us people here?" ¶

For a moment you wonder, and you stop to think. But if you will think long enough, you will realize the great difference, the wonderful difference. It has been explained here today — the difference of service, the difference between a Church holding the priesthood and a church not holding it. ¶

There is a quotation in the New Testament by Paul to the Corinthians. In it he says, in substance : Some of you have the gift of healing, some will have the gift of prophecy, some of wisdom, some one thing, some another. I often think of that when I attend the meetings of the different churches in the world. No reflection — it is only a matter of a difference of opinion with them — but I often think of it, when I see one man who prays, one man who preaches, one man who blesses, one man who does all in the church. The rest merely stand or sit and listen. ¶

We know that it is service that makes us in this Church. We know that this Church gives us an opportunity to grow, to serve the Lord, to exercise his priesthood. ¶

I am working at the present time at a mining camp, in Tintic. I can bear testimony that this principle of service and of the priesthood is making thousands of good men and women. We have an opportunity there to meet the younger people who come from the "valley towns" as we term them, from your ¶

city, from other cities in this stake and other stakes. They come there and the first thing we do, we get them to meeting. And they do not attend long before they are being encouraged to attend to meetings. They soon become ward teachers. Then you will find them holding the higher priesthood, presiding in the organizations, bishops of the wards, and so on ; they are growing and improving. Now I do not exceed the truth when I say that we have over a thousand at least who are keeping the Word of Wisdom, who hold prayer in their homes, who are good and true to their families, who are growing to be intelligent, good, true, honorable citizens of the United States. And what has done it? I can see the greatest thing that has done it — service in the priesthood, service in the Church. ¶

When I attend other churches, I often think of the young lady who was asked if she could play the piano. She said she did not know, she had never tried. I think of the many people in the world. How do you know that you have the gift of prophecy, as Paul said some have? How do you know that you have the gift of wisdom, the gift of healing, if you never take part? If you never try, if you never cultivate those gifts that God has given you, you will never know it. ¶

I rejoiced when I heard today of the great work that is being done in Mexico and in the mission fields, the work done in other stakes, and think of the work that is being done in the mining camps, in the Tintic mining camp. A few years ago there were very few Latter-day Saints in the Tintic camp. A few years ago it was said that they could not work there, they would ¶

not have them ; but our people now form thirty-five or forty per cent of that population ; and I am thankful to say that they are preaching the gospel by their exemplary lives, by their cleanliness, their purity, their patriotism to our great government. And today our people are requested, almost more than they can attend to, to look after the great things that need looking after during these extraordinary times. ¶

I thank the Lord that I have the privilege to speak to the people on the principles of life and salvation, and rejoice in the greatness of the gospel. I pray God to bless the Latter-day Saints, bless the honest in heart the world over, and I ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. ¶