Increased interest in the things of

Increased interest in the things of God — Conditions that need a warning word — Amusements conducted for money dangerous to youth — A knowledge of God and his Son Jesus Christ the best gift that can be bestowed on children — Some dangers to provide against — The Priesthood of God the most precious thing in the world — Conservation now enjoined in all things, but let us not forget to conserve our young manhood and womanhood — Foundation of character to be laid in the home. ¶

We approach the close of a great conference. We have come up to be fed, and we have received the bread of life. I can scarcely hope, my brethren and sisters, to be able to add anything of profit to the splendid instruction and admonition and counsel that have come to us during the sessions of this conference. I feel certain that I could not give to you any principles of the gospel which have not received some attention. With the help of our Father's Spirit, however, I should be pleased if I could make some application of the great truths of the gospel as they have been presented to us. ¶

During the past year I have had the high privilege of going about among the people, participating with them in their meetings and enjoying with them some of the functions of the Church. I have had some little opportunity for observation. My observation is that the people of God are trying more day by day to live according to his word and to keep his commandments. The larger percentage in attendance at the conferences of the Church, as they are held in the various stakes, and in the wards of the Church, give rather striking evidence of an increased interest in the things that pertain to our Father's kingdom. An increase of attention to the various duties which are imposed upon those who hold the priesthood and also upon those who work in the various organizations of the Church, corroborates the notion that we have that the people are in very deed trying more and more to conform their lives to the pattern laid down by the Redeemer of the world. These observations bring much of encouragement and satisfaction to the general authorities of the Church, as I am sure they bring encouragement to all of the people. ¶

We are able to observe, however, from time to time, some few conditions that seem to deserve a warning word and a little caution, and without being guilty of painting a picture that might be considered black or gloomy, I would call to the attention of the Latter-day Saints a few things which, I think, deserve their immediate consideration and which if treated properly may bring something of increased devotion on the part of a large number of the members of the Church. ¶

Perhaps because my work during the past ten or twelve years has been largely devoted to the young people and their interests, my heart goes out particularly to them. I never can forget them. I always see in the young the future of the Church, of the State and of the Nation. I always look to the children as the hope of Israel. They draw out from me the best that is within me and the tenderest thoughts and the greatest desire to be of service, and as I see throughout some of the stakes of the Church conditions which, in my opinion, militate against their welfare, against their growth, against their accomplishment of the great purposes that the Father of us all has in store for them, I feel that it is my duty to call attention to some of these things in the hope that they may be rectified. ¶

Let me give you an example: Only a week or two ago I was in one of the stakes of the Church where a bishop reported to me that within the confines of his ward a resort given over to swimming and dancing, refreshments and other forms of amusement, in attendance upon which there had been counted upon one Sabbath day more than four hundred automobiles loaded with people, and particularly young people; a resort where the children of the Latter-day Saints and the children of other good people were enticed by the things that are made to appeal to them; a resort kept and promoted by a man who has at heart no purpose except to make money and who cares not a farthing for the morals and the welfare of young men and young women; and by the way, that is not an uncommon thing in the amusements of this day. There was a time when the amusements and the entertainments among our people were conducted for the benefit of the people themselves. Unfortunately, they have now in some measure, at least in too large a measure, become commercialized, so that the only thing to which attention is paid is the making of money, irrespective of the fact that disgrace and dishonor may be brought upon those who patronize such places. The example I cite to you is, I believe, an exceptional and an exaggerated case, but I know, as you know, that there are within the Church other places that tend to lead our young people away from their duty, from the path of integrity, wholesomeness, purity, morality that our fathers and our mothers have bidden them tread. So, my brethren and my sisters, I appeal to you to have care for your children and I appeal to the boys and the girls of this Church to live according to the plan of life that is laid down for them in this great and beautiful gospel of ours. ¶

If we can only bring our boys and girls to know and feel the depth and the height and the breadth of this great plan of life which is given to us by the Savior of the world, they will be safe. But, are we making them feel it? Are we giving them the same firm testimony of the truth that has come to us? Are we implanting in their souls a keen desire to live the gospel as they ought to live it? We are not implanting in their hearts that desire when we permit them to partake of the amusements and the sins and the accompanying dangers that come to them from the world. When we let them think that it is more important for them to be in fashion and in style than it is for them to keep the commandments of God we are giving them the opportunity of straying away and of becoming estranged from these great truths and from this great plan of life and salvation. And so I tell you, my brethren and sisters, that there never was a time attendant with greater danger to the youth of Israel than the present time. There never was a time when there were more allurements for them to be led away from the truth. There never was a time when it was harder to make boys and girls believe and feel that the greatest thing in their lives is the gospel, than today. That is my observation. It is my conviction. And it needs all of our courage, all of our strength and consideration and attention to keep our boys and girls in the path of truth. ¶

I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am proud of it. Never was my heart so lifted up in just pride, I think, as it was in this great assembly yesterday when the President of our Church bore that striking testimony of truth that went into the soul of every man and every woman who heard him. I am proud to be identified with this great work. I am proud to bear the name of Jesus Christ. God help me to be worthy of it. I want you, my brethren and sisters, to teach your boys and your girls to be proud of that name, prouder of it than all else in the world that may come to them. It is their salvation. They may hanker after the things of this world, they may spend their lives in trying to attain the comforts and the luxuries and the riches of this life, but I tell you, in the name of Jesus Christ, they will die in spirit if they do not have the gospel of Jesus Christ in their hearts, and all their lives will have been spent in vain, and all their possessions will be as naught and their whole lives will be one great regret and one great sorrow to them. ¶

Therefore, let us give to these boys and girls of ours the testimonies of the truth that we have. Let us be careful of them. As President Lund said in his address, let us have confidence in them, but let us not abuse that confidence. Boys and girls need care. They have not arrived at the age of maturity that enables them always to act wisely for themselves. They need direction, they need supervision, particularly in their play. They can not always be trusted to do the thing that is best for them when they are on their own responsibility. ¶

If I may without giving offense, I should like to suggest to some of you fathers and mothers that you be careful about giving to your boys and girls the unrestricted, unsupervised use of your automobiles and your conveyances. Time after time, as I have traveled over our roads in the night time have I seen automobiles loaded down with boys and girls in positions that would have shamed their parents and that will some day be a shame to them, I tell you we need to be careful. We need to have charge and concern of these precious souls given into our care and our keeping, and that need is only emphasized by modern times. Thousands and thousands of the boys have been called away from the farms. The farmers will be obliged to hire transient help. Hundreds of men will come to our homes in order to do the work that has to be done. We shall welcome their aid, but we will beware of their influence. Let me caution you, let me caution you never to permit your boys and your girls, if you can help it, to associate with men and women whose influence you are not sure is good. ¶

And I want to say to my brethren, my younger brethren, those young men who are now just approaching the prime of life, that it is incumbent upon them that they learn to appreciate the priesthood of God. Thousands of them have had this holy priesthood given to them. Some think that it is cheap because it comes to so many. I tell you it is the most precious thing in this world, and if you will only come to appreciate it and know its full meaning, you will agree that it exceeds in value all else that has ever been given to you, and it will be of greater strength and greater joy and greater satisfaction to you than anything else. Boys appreciate the priesthood of God. It is an honor to be a deacon. It is a high honor to be a priest and to serve in the various functions which are given to that order in the priesthood. It is a great and mighty and ennobling honor to receive the holy Melchizedek priesthood and be ordained an elder. Never do one thing in your lives that will degrade you in that priesthood. I believe that no one can receive that priesthood and fail to honor it, without being held accountable in the sight of our Father. Indeed I sometimes think it would be better if some who have lightly thrown aside this great high privilege and honor and opportunity and authority that has come to them if they had never received it. Their condemnation, I fear, will be all the more severe. ¶

We are talking a lot now about liberty bonds and we are talking a great deal about conservation of food, and saving wheat, and saving all the products of the land, and it is well that we should. We believe in it. We know it is necessary, but I want to say to you, my brethren and sisters, that there is nothing in this wide world that we need to conserve quite so much as the manhood and the womanhood of the nation. Talk about the value of wheat, talk about the value of war munitions, they don't compare with the men, and the women, too, who go to make up the state and the nation. You can not have a great nation without great men and women, and while it is not possible for every one of the citizens of a great nation to achieve high places of distinction, this I always remember, as was once said on this subject by a great writer, that while we may not all be Washingtons, we can all be such men and such women as will uphold and sustain a Washington in the path of duty and the way of glory. We can all teach our sons and daughters the fundamental principles that underlie true citizenship, true honor, true loyalty, and let me tell you that the place to teach loyalty, as we sometimes say about charity, begins at home. The place to teach all boys and girls the value of citizenship and the value of being loyal and honorable in their duties and obligations to state and country is at home by teaching them to receive and honor and obey the people who are placed to preside over them. Never say a word that would detract from the influence of the bishop or of the president of the stake or of any of the elders of the people, and I promise you your boys and your girls will be good citizens of the land. ¶

God help us, my brethren and sisters, to be true to our obligations. Help us to be true to the high name that we bear. God bless us that we may indeed be the Church of Christ, that we may have his Spirit to go out from our midst among our fellows in the land to convince them of the greatness and the efficacy of the work in which we are engaged. And help us to so live that the sermon of our lives may preach the word of God to the whole wide world, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶