Blessings that come through revelation

I pray that the Spirit of the Lord may direct me in the remarks I make. It has been indeed a great blessing to me to have the privilege of attending this general conference of the Church, and listen to the many testimonies that have been borne, and further to listen to our brethren explain and enlarge upon the principles of the gospel that have been given to us in this the dispensation of the fulness of times. We have had enumerated to us in this meeting events that took place in connection with the restoration of the gospel. These things are marvelous and great. Our brethren and sisters who lived in the early history of the Church, had to wonder as to what would be the result of this great move, because it was new to them. We live as those who direct the affairs of business after it has become established, by those who have gone through with the experimental part and have learned to know that it was successful and good. The stocks of corporations become valuable after the corporation has made a success, and paid great dividends; and I look upon this work in that same connection. It has become greater to us because of our seeing the wonderful success that has crowned these events that have been enumerated here in our meeting. If we had not received any advantages because of the visitation of God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ to the world, we might not be as strong in our testimony of its truths. But if as members of the Church we can individually see where we have been greatly blessed because of that event, then our standing in the Church ought to be esteemed much higher by us much more so than if we had lived in the early part of the history of the Church, when it was experimental to a large degree with the people who lived at that time. I have thought often of my case, and wondered what I would have been, had it not been that the glorious visitation was given to the Prophet Joseph Smith, and had not the gospel been restored. In my case, as with many of you, my parents were found in different parts of the world. No other means under heaven, probably, could have found them, and brought them together, and given me birth under such favorable circumstances and conditions as I enjoy. My mother, a little girl in a great city in the old country, was found and brought out into the valleys of these great Rocky mountains where there was great room for development. My father was found in an entirely different part of the world, and brought here by his parents, and united in the house of God, under the New and Everlasting Covenant, for time and eternity, to her, who gave me birth, with which I am pleased and well satisfied. This applies to a very large number of Saints who have been gathered to these valleys and who have had similar history and origin. These things have been brought about by the restoration of the gospel and the establishment of this great work. ¶

Another thing that I want to speak of briefly: in the day that the gospel was restored, our parents and grandparents were groping in darkness to a great extent as to what was the best means of living, whether, for instance, it was proper to partake of stimulants to give them the strength needed for the accomplishment of their work. Light came through the restored gospel, showing that men are better without stimulants, without the use of narcotics, and things that have a tendency to injure and weaken our systems. This truth did not come to us from a scientific source, but through the restored gospel, and by revelation from God. To me there has been nothing that has blessed me more than the words of wisdom that were given through the Prophet of God, who received the visit from the Father and the Son. You apply that to yourselves, as I can apply it to myself. We may contemplate now a great people who have been blessed in their bodies and in their minds, and above all in their spirits, because of the knowledge revealed from heaven in connection with these other great events that took place. ¶

It has been made known to us that our citizenship in this, the United States, is in a government nearest to God, our Father and the government of heaven. Is that any advantage to us to have that faith in these trying circumstances confronting the world at the present time? To me the knowledge and testimony that every effort I put forth to assist our government and its allies in establishing freedom and equal rights among the children of men in the world, are stimulants to me to perform my duty as a citizen of the government of the United States. Is it any advantage to you to have that same knowledge, or that same testimony? I am sure that you all enjoy it as I enjoy it. Is it any advantage for us to know that we went down into the waters of baptism under the hands of our brethren who received of the priesthood that was given unto the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, by divine administration of heavenly beings? It is certainly a blessing to me to believe that I was baptized by one who held the authority of God, and that my sins were remitted because of that baptism, and that through the imposition of hands of those who are in authority I am entitled to the Holy Ghost to direct my every act in life. This is not, as I view it, any longer guess-work, or a matter of wonder as to what the result will be, because I see, as I associate among the children of the Latter-day Saints, men and women in every part of this state and in other states, and in every part of the world, people who have been enlightened through the imposition of hands and the reception of the Holy Ghost. ¶

Is there any one who has a desire to know the things of the Lord that could not accept of these great principles, and see that they were a blessing to them because of having received them? Is it any advantage to me as a husband and a father to know that I was married in the house of God, and that my wife and children were sealed unto me for time and eternity, and that we shall know each other in our family circle throughout eternity? Does that bless us, my brethren and sisters, or are we still in wonderment as to whether that is a good doctrine or not? It seems to me that no man or woman who is honest could deny the very power and effect of such a doctrine as that being taught to the children of men. ¶

Now, as I said, we are not guessing any longer as to what will be the result, but we live in this day when the God of heaven has permitted us to see the result and to know what the effect has been among the children of men. We see here an organization of people who stand wholly and unitedly behind the great cause of the great portion of the world that are fighting for the liberty and the uplift of mankind. I do not know of anything that gave me greater pleasure than to see the unanimous vote of that great gathering of people this morning sustaining and supporting the president of the Church to appropriate all of the means that we could spare from the treasury of the Church to support this great cause. ¶

There are two things that I have a greater appreciation for this day than any others. One is a knowledge of the truthfulness of the gospel, that we are in the light, that we know to that extent that we serve God, and develop within us the Spirit of God and magnify the priesthood that he has given to us, that our lives are acceptable to him, and that we can see that the result is good, that we are made stronger and more perfect and Godlike than without the organization of the Church and the principles of the gospel as they have been given unto us. I believe in this day when our time is required for so many different purpose that we ought to be sure that we do not neglect anything that pertains to the gospel of Christ and our eternal salvation, that we may thus have power within ourselves not only to serve our country in this time of need, but to serve God, and this is one of the great things that I am most pleased for. Another thing is citizenship in this great Government of the United States, and the faith that has come to me that its Constitution is an inspired instrument, and that the Declaration of Independence was never made by man alone. Man would not have had courage and grit to have undertaken such a thing, but it was inspired of God, and the Constitution of the United States is superior to the documents or charters or constitutions of any other government given unto men. This great organization of government is big enough to take in all peoples as rapidly as they are able to come in and enjoy the blessings of it. ¶

I feel that as Saints of God we should realize the great responsibilities that rest upon us in the service of God, and live up to the requirements of the gospel in full, and develop within ourselves the Spirit of God, and a determination to be worthy, true citizens of this great Government, and assist it to the fullest possible extent. ¶

I rejoice in the testimony of the truth of the true gospel, and in the testimony of the truthfulness of the mission of the men who preside in the Church in this day, as well as those who have preceded them, in the past history of the Church. I am glad to feel within my soul, that Joseph F. Smith is a prophet and that he is recognized of the Lord as the head of the only Church recognized of God in the world; and that his brethren who are numbered with him as counselors, apostles, seventies, stake presidents, and bishops, are in line and in harmony with him. I am glad to know for myself that the gospel is true, and that there is power in it to save men from destruction and eternal torment and sufferings. There is no other people in a condition to know and enjoy the great blessings that the Latter-day Saints possess. Let us rejoice in that truth. Let us develop a further knowledge and gain a greater power than we have already gained, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶