T sincerely trust, my brethren and

I sincerely trust, my brethren and sisters, that the few moments I occupy this morning I mav be assisted by the Spirit of the Lord, and I therefore ask an interest in your ¶

faith and prayers, that his Spirit may be with me and with you, and that we may be mutually benefited by what I may say. ¶

I am grateful to my heavenly Father for the privilege I have had to come up to this conference ; and we, I think, as a people, should be grateful to him for the blessings we have already received in this conference. I acknowledge the hand of the Lord, and I believe firmly that the sincere prayers of the Saints in behalf of our beloved President have been answered in his behalf, and the Lord has permitted him, after a long illness, to stand again before the people and give them counsel and advice. ¶

A reference has been made by the brethren who have spoken in the sessions held in the tabernacle to the missionary work, and the missionary obligation that rests upon the people of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This gospel of the kingdom must by us be preached to every nation, kindred and tongue. We have heard it declared in unmistakable terms that the gospel as it stands revealed in the earth today through the Prophet Joseph Smith, and the Church as organized through his instrumentality, are the very gospel and the very Church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We recognize good wherever we find it, but we declare with boldness that the power to preach the gospel and to officiate in all of the ordinances thereof exists only with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Now that being the case, it seems that we should sense the responsibility that rests upon us to carry the gospel-message to the untold millions of the Lord's children who yet sit in darkness among the nations of ¶

the earth. "God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform," and who knows but what the mighty conflict being' waged in the world today is the Lord's way of preparing for the further spread of the gospel even among peoples who up to date have not been able to hear it, in nations where the elders of the Church have been debarred from carrying the gospel message of peace and salvation? ¶

Brethren and sisters, a thing that it seems to me we should realize and sense is the fact that our Father in heaven is just as much the Father of the heathen races, of the benighted tribes and races of the earth, and of all people upon the earth, as he is our Father. I call your attention to the writings of Paul to Timothy. "I exhort, therefore, that first of all supplications, prayers and giving of thanks be made for all men, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God, our Savior, who will have all men to be saved, and come into the knowledge of the truth." We see therein that the Lord does not design and desire only one portion or part of his people, or one nation of his children to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth ; but he wishes all to be saved. We are prone to think, just as the Jews of old thought, that we are the only favored people upon the face of the earth in the sight of the Lord. And the Jews were a favored race. And so today the blood of Israel as gathered out among the peoples of the Latter-day Saints are highly favored of the Lord. But I want to bear you my testimony that, just as the Jews fell into disfavor when they disobeyed the one God whom they worshiped, so might we, if we should turn our backs upon the Holv One of Israel, and if we reject the teachings of his gospel and cease to live by the things that he has given unto men. A lesson was given to Peter, the chief of the apostles, in times of old in the conversion of Cornelius, a Gentile, and after Peter had witnessed the manifestations of the Holy Spirit as poured out upon this man and his family, "then Peter opened his mouth and said, of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted of him." Now this is just as true today as it was then. And this gospel of the kingdom is being preached in all the earth, among all people and among all men, to search out those who will accept it and who will live according to his commandments. And I want to tell you that it makes no difference what blood flows in our veins, only those who accept the Lord and live humbly before him, in harmony with him and his commandments, will be favored of the Lord and accepted of him and be saved in his kingdom. Nationally, at least, we are learning the same great lesson. There was a time when the people of this great country of ours were termed Irish-Americans and many other kinds of hyphenated Americans. Down in the section of the country where I am doing missionary work the politicians always count upon the Mexican vote, for I will say in passing that we have hundreds and thousands of Mexicans, or people of Mexican blood, in the United States, who are native-born American citizens. But this great world conflict will eradicate that spirit that is predominant in certain sections of the country. ¶

I want to believe, and do, that when this war is over we will all be in a political sense just as the Nephites and Lamanites were in a religious sense after the advent of the Savior among them. Where before there had been jarring sects and parties known as Nephites and Lamanites, Zoramites and other "ites," after the Savior had come and taught them the gospel of truth, and after they had been chastened by the terrible judgments of God upon them, those who escaped turned from their wickedness and from their evil contentions and became a united people, and they were no longer known as Nephites or Lamanites but were all known as the Church of Christ. And so, I believe that in this country of ours after the war is over all who live here will be true Americans, and there will be no German-Americans, Irish-Americans, Mexicans, or the like, but we will all be known as full fledged American citizens. ¶

I had the opportunity a short time ago of speaking at the service held in honor of the first boy that fell from the county where I now live. Upon the stand sat his aged father, eleven years a cripple from rheumatism. He was of Scandinavian origin and could scarcely speak the English langauge, but that boy of his in the spirit of true Americanism volunteered with the first that served their country and he gave his life in defense of the spirit of Americanism. Can we say he was less an American because of his Scandinavian blood? I can indeed say that he was a true American. At the close of the meeting, word came in that another young man, who a few months before had left a bride of eight months and his aged parents, had also been killed. That boy was a Mexican from just below where I live, yet ¶

no man will be able to say that he was not a true American, and no father or mother can offer a greater sacrifice for freedom than did his. And can any wife be more faithful to her country than that one who sent her husband away to defend that country? So we see that in our country's hour of need men of different bloods faithfully spring side by side to her defence and by their lives and deeds they make themselves true Americans. ¶

So also it is in the Church. Deeds, and not blood, determine our right to be called Saints of God. Away down there in Mexico our native Mexican brethren and sisters, although for four years left alone, continue to meet together and praise, the Lord and testify of his goodness and that the gospel is true. They are living their religion and keeping the commandments of the Lord as they understand them. Are they any less worthy to be called the Saints of God because of their blood? I recall a man down in Mexico who was drafted into the army and forced to leave everything he had and to leave his family destitute. After having been away about a year, during which time he received a daily pittance of twenty-five cents from which he had to feed and clothe himself, he wrote to me and asked "Where shall I send my tithing?" On learning where to send it he sent a tithing of the pittance he had received while in the army. Is his offering less acceptable, or is he less a member of the Church, or less worthy of receiving an inheritance in the kingdom of God because of his blood? I want to tell you that such is not the case. God is no respecter of persons, ¶

then why should we be? But this thing he does require of Jew and Gentile, and of every nation whatsoever, and it is due from all those who may be found among all nations, that they live the gospel and live according to its requirements, and when the Savior comes there will be a universal brotherhood of man and we shall not look down upon a man because of his blood or his station, but he shall be measured according to his worth. ¶

I wish to testify, in conclusion, that I know that the gospel is true. I know that it has been established upon the earth for the salvation of all men, and I know that your sons who are in the mission field bearing their humble testimony and teaching this gospel are just as loyal to their country as are your sons who are in the army, and those sons of yours out there are not in any way hiding behind their ecclesiastical calling to avoid a duty in the armies of their country. They have received a classification and have been assigned a special work by the Government of the United States which recognizes the necessity of doing just the work that they are doing, and when the United States needs them and wishes to call them in they are willing to serve their country in freedom's cause wherever they may be called. ¶

May the Lord bless us in our endeavors to serve humanity I ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶