' T It is a matter

It is a matter of great satisfaction to me to be present here in this general conference of the Church, and I have been greatly pleased in listening to the words that have been spoken ; and. with all of the rest of my brethren I have rejoiced exceedingly in seeing the face of our beloved President with us here this morning. ¶

Reference was made this morning to the work of the seventies. President Penrose, in his splendid address, spoke of the obligation that rests upon the Church of sending the "Gospel of the Kingdom" to the nations of the earth. President Lund - likewise spoke of this great missionary labor, and the impression has been made upon my mind, as no doubt it has been made upon the minds of all of my brethren who constitute the membership of the Seventies' quorums, who are present here, that the special duty of carrying that message to our Father's children has been laid upon our shoulders. ¶

We live in the day that has been spoken of by the prophets ; we see the signs of the coming of the Son of Man, and of what is called the end of the world. It is no doubt this universal war (the like of which has never been known) that now impresses the minds of men that we live in that wonderful day. After the Savior had been predicting the destruction of the temple, his disciples came to him privately, saying: "Tell us when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" And in reply, after telling of the wars and rumors of wars which preceded the fall of Jerusalem, he said, among other things, "For nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom ; and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places" (Matt. 24:1-7). ¶

And doubtless the apostle John beheld in vision the same eventful day when he declared, "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and' people, saying with a loud voice, "Fear God, and give glory to him ; for the hour of his judgment is come" (Rev. 14:6). ¶

These words have been literally fulfilled, for the nations and the kingdoms of this world have been arrayed against each other in the most gigantic and greatest war the world has ever known. Famines, pestilences and earthquakes have occurred in divers places. Let all men repent and turn to the Lord for indeed "the hour of his judgment is come." ¶

Another sign of the Lord's coming and of the end of the world, given by the Savior himself, was this : "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the ¶

world, for a witness unto all nations ; and then shall the end come" (Matt. 24:14). ¶

And this was the vision of John when he saw the angel fly in the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth. ¶

These words, too, have been fulfilled for the angel came, the everlasting gospel has been restored to earth, and this gospel of the kingdom is being "preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations," and when this labor is completed, "then shall the end come." ¶

In the establishment of this Church the quorums of the Seventy have been organized with the special mission of carrying into effect this obligation, that our Father's children might receive the truth, be brought into the fold, and escape the judgments which are to come. It is well, therefore, for our brethren of the quorums of the Seventies, to understand something of their obligation and of the purpose of these organizations, and the relationship which they bear to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints. It is with the quorums of the Seventies as it is with other quorums — they bear the same relationship to the Church ; they are organized into quorums of the priesthood, to fit and to qualify themselves for their various' lines of service in the upbuilding of the Church of Christ upon the earth. When we are privileged to be at home and associate with our brethren in quorum capacity we are in out training camps, drilling and training ourselves for the service that we are to render to the Church, and when the Church calls us we are expected to respond. Where is our first allegiance? There have ¶

sometimes been misunderstandings existing among the brethren, and some have said, "My first allegiance is to my priesthood, and nobody should interfere or assign me to any duty that in any way interferes with my quorum work in the quorum where I belong." President Joseph F. Smith presides over the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in all the world, at the present time, and when he speaks for the Church, and as the mouthpiece of God unto the people, and if service is required, he may call from any of the quorums of the priesthood men to render the special lines of service and of labor, for which they should have been qualifying and preparing themselves in their training camps. So, if Seventies are needed to preach the gospel to the nations of the earth, the call will come from that source, and being endowed with power from on high, and divinely called, they go forth as witnesses for the Lord and carry the gospel message ; and if any other service is required of those who hold the priesthood or of any member of the Church, all are subject to that call, the call of the Church. ¶

In every stake of Zion there is a president of the stake ; he is the president of the church in that stake ; every institution, every organization, and every member of that stake is under the jurisdiction of that stake president ; for he is the president of the church in that stake of Zion. His jurisdiction, however, is limited to the boundaries of his stake ; and if the service of any man, any membe: of the Church is needed in the work of the ministry, in the building up of the Church, in the work and the labor of that stake of Zion, it is his ¶

prerogative to call, and it is the duty of every member of the Church, be he high priest, seventy, elder, or a member of the lesser priesthood, residing in his stake, to respond to that call. ¶

In every ward there is a bishop. He, besides being a bishop and a common judge in Israel, has been ordained a high priest, and set apart to preside in that ward. He is the president of the church in his ward, and has jurisdiction over every institution and over every member of the Church in his ward and has the right to call them to his aid in behalf of the Church. His jurisdiction is limited to the boundaries of the ward. ¶

It is essential that we should have the priesthood. We cannot do without it. The Church could not perform its labor without the priesthood, for this is the work of God and he has endowed his Church and his servants who hold the priesthood with power from on high giving them the right to officiate in his name, and he recognizes their official acts just precisely the same as if he had performed those acts himself. ¶

So, without the priesthood, the work of the Church could not be done, and therefore the priesthood is paramount ; but the Church, through its presiding authority, directs the labors of the priesthood, and it is the duty of every man who holds that priesthood to respond to the call of the Church. ¶

Our soldier boys have been in their training camps, subject to the call of their Country through the commander-in-chief. They have been qualifying themselves in their drills and in their exercises, that they might become capable and efficient soldiers to battle for life and liberty on the battle fields of France and of Europe. They have been armed with the necessary weapons to carry on the great war for human liberty, and they have learned how to wield those weapons to the greatest advantage. They have been clothed in their Country's uniform, let no others presume to wear it. The call came and now they are fighting the enemies of human liberty, and in doing this they are opening the gospel door to the nations of the earth. This is a part of the work of God, for his design is that his children shall be free indeed, free from oppression, free from tyranny and despotic rule, and therefore they are engaged in the cause of righteousness and truth. Success attend them in their battles and give them a glorious victory over all of their foes ! ¶

And while our enlisted boys in khaki are fighting for civil liberty, let all the priesthood battle for the freedom of the soul against the arch enemy of God, who seeks to enslave the soul, the tyrant that would make us slaves indeed, putting us under the bondage of sin. Let us go into our* training camps, into the quorums of the priesthood ; we have been armed with the shield of faith and the sword of truth. Let us learn by drilling how to wield these weapons that we may successfully combat the powers of evil. We have been clothed with divine authority, the uniform of God's soldiers. Let no others presume to wear it ; and when the Church calls, through the commander-in-chief, let us go forth and battle for the great cause of spiritual liberty, and^God will give success to our arms. ¶

Let the Seventies realize that they are enlisted in the armies of the Lord. They belong to the selective draft, to go forth and fight the battles of the Lord. There may be other volunteers, from the elders' quorums, and from the high priests' quorums, as their circumstances shall allow, but we are in the draft, and let us respond whenever the call shall come to do our duty, and fight the battle of human liberty. God help us to do it, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶