It is in humility, my brethren

It is in humility, my brethren and sisters, that I stand before you for a few moments, this afternoon, and I trust that the spirit of truth will direct my utterances while I am here. ¶

I am grateful for the opportunity I have of attending the general conference of the Church, coming here and listening to the testimonies of President Smith and of the leading brethren who are associated with him, who are the leaders of the Latter-day Saints. I esteem this a great privilege, my brethren and sisters, and I rejoice that I can come here and worship the Lord with you, and partake with you of the Spirit of the Lord enjoyed upon these occasions. ¶

I am grateful for the testimony that I have concerning the great Latter-day work and its divinity, and I pray that it shall be an abiding one. I hope and pray that my light in life during the remainder of my sojourn upon the earth shall be among the Latter-day Saints, because I love the truth. I love the associations of my brethren and sisters. I love the association of those whom the Lord has called to preside over his people. ¶

I believe that if there has ever been a soul who spoke as one having authority, it is the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the man who stands at the head of this great work at the present time. I believe that he is indeed the servant of the true and living God. I believe also that the Presidency, the Twelve, and the seven presidents of Seventy are men after the Lord's own heart, who have been chosen to direct his work in the earth. I rejoice in listening to the words of encouragement and instruction from these our beloved brethren, and I am thankful that I have been born of goodly parents, who in their own native land had sufficient faith to come to these valleys of the mountains, and that as their son I have been privileged to be reared in the gospel covenant. I pray that I may always be found doing the things which are right and pleasing before our Maker. ¶

I am reminded of a saying of President Lincoln. During a critical time that confronted him and the Nation, some clergymen came into his office, and in conversation with him one of them said : "Mr. President, do you think that the Lord is upon our side?" President Lincoln replied to this effect : "That is not a matter that concerns me so much ; but the thing that concerns me most of all is, are we upon the Lord's side?" I think that that statement can be applied to us as Latter-day Saints. I think the thing that concerns us most of all, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints is, Are we upon the Lord's side ? We have been brought into the Church, we have had faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we have repented of our sins, and have gone down into the waters of baptism, and have had hands laid upon our heads for the reception of the Holy Ghost. We have entered that straight and narrow path that will lead men back unto the Father. Having done this, it is for us to follow the admonitions given : add to our faith virtue ; and to virtue, ¶

knowledge ; and to knowledge, temperance, and to temperance, brotherly kindness. The apostle says that if these things abound in us then we will not be barren nor unfruitful. But, further, he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off, and he has forgotten that he has been purged of his own sins. So, in our lives, if we undertake to follow the path which the Lord has marked out for us, and fail to follow after the admonitions of our leaders, I feel then that we are on a path that leads to destruction, and are not on the Lord's side. But if we are continually adding to our faith works, doing those things that the Lord points out for us, then I believe we may feel that we are on the Lord's side. As we are told in the old scriptures, the Lord's arm is not short, that he will not save, nor his ear heavy that he will not hear, but if you are divided from your God it is because of your iniquities. So it is with us. ¶

I bear witness to you that if we are faithful, and not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, but will bear witness of the truth of this great work, as we have opportunity from time to time, the Lord will hear our prayers, inasmuch as we ask not amiss. ¶

I remember one of the brethren attending our conference some time ago relating an instance of a man who had lived among our people most of his life, and upon his death bed the elders of the Church were called upon to administer cheer and the necessaries of life unto him. In the course of their conversation they related to him the mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith, the gospel of the Redeemer, and what the Latter-day Saints were endeavoring to accomplish in the earth. Though this man had lived among our people most of his life, he had never known our doctrines, having never taken advantage of listening to the servants of the Lord. Neither had the brethren and sisters who were his associates taken advantage of their opportunities to explain to him the principles of truth. And this man, upon his deathbed, demanded of them the reason why they had not been faithful and diligent in warning him and others who were in similar condition, of the judgments that were to come and of the blessings that were in store for those who obey the commandments of the Father ! I wonder if there are others among us who are in a similar condition. I wonder if we are neglecting our opportunities and failing to teach our brethren and sisters not of our faith, of the blessings that are in store for them, provided they accept the gospel and live according to its teachings. I feel that many times we neglect the responsibilities placed upon us. Not that we are ashamed of the work that the Lord has given us, because I believe there are not many of us who are afraid to bear our testimonies concerning the prophet Joseph Smith, or who are afraid to speak of the gospel, and of the great work that the Latter-day Saints are endeavoring to accomplish in the earth. But in some instances we are negligent and careless towards our neighbors who know not of the blessings in store for them provided they accept the truth. ¶

So I pray we will avail ourselves of the opportunities God has given us, that we may rid our garments of the blood of all men, and when we shall appear before our Maker, we will have done our duty toward the children of men; having explained upon every available and proper occasion the message of eternal truth, that men everywhere may be left without excuse in the day of the coming of the Lord. ¶

You remember the responsibility placed upon one of the prophets in olden times, referred to by Ezekiel the prophet. The word of the Lord to that prophet was to this effect: "Son of man, I have set thee a watchman over the house of Israel ; therefore thou shalt hear the word of the Lord at my mouth, and warn them from me. When I say unto the wicked, thou shalt surely die, if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked of his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thy hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it, if he do not turn from his way he shall die in his iniquity, but thou hast delivered thy soul." I believe that these words can be applied to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and to the members thereof. ¶

Any one can bear testimony that the leaders of this people are taking advantage of their opportunity to send men to go out and officiate in the name of the Lord for the benefit and the salvation of the souls of men. ¶

I rejoice in such a work, and that I am a member of a Church that is looking after the interests of my soul and your soul and my neighbor's soul. The leaders of this people are going from the north to the south, and from the east to the west, organizing the people into stakes, wards and branches, and bringing about the purposes of the Lord. Everywhere responsibility is being placed upon men and women, and the people are being warned that this is the day of repentance. I hope and pray that we shall always be proud of the name that we bear among the children of men. ¶

I well remember the words of President B. H. Roberts, in his last speech before Congress, when he had been denied his seat there. He said : "I shall walk the earth with head erect, and with brow undaunted.'' These words to me are most beautiful, and I think they should enter deep into the minds of the Latter-day Saints, the sentiment that they will walk the earth proud of the name that they have among the children of men, proud that they are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ¶

I thank the Lord for the organization of the Church, and for prophets and apostles to lead Israel, and that we are trying to keep the commandments of the Lord. I rejoice always in the truth. I have a testimony that God lives, that Jesus Christ was indeed his Son, that Joseph Smith was indeed the prophet of the true and living God, and that the men who preside over the Church are men called of God to lead this people in the dispensation of the fulness of times. I pray that we shall be true unto the sacred covenants we have made, and I ask it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶