(President of the Northern States

(President of the Northern States Mission.) ¶

In listening to the testimonies that have been borne during this conference, I feel that I have been benefited and I feel more than ever before the responsibility of the calling that has come to me. I have never doubted the divinity of "Mormonism," so-called. I have never doubted the standing of the men called to preside. I have never hesitated to give unto them the ¶

greatest support that I have had, and I feel, in standing here today, to bear my testimony to you, my brethren and sisters and friends, that I do so with the support of these men that I have supported. ¶

Today in coming to this meeting I met a friend on the car who said : "How do you like to tear up home and go away?" I said: "I don't like it from the idea of tearing up home, but I do like it when it is in the line of my duty." I have always felt, my brethren and sisters, that the mission work of our Church is a source of its great strength. I have felt, ever since my experience in the mission field, fourteen years ago, that I was a better man for having gone and for having labored, and have said, time and time again, if no soul under heaven was benefited by my missionary experience, I, myself, was benefited, for I had joy, comfort and happiness and I had brought unto me an appreciation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints that could have come to me in no other manner. ¶

I tell you, my brethren and sisters, that ours is essentially a missionary Church; that unto us, a little handful of people, compared with the inhabitants of the earth, has been given the responsibility and the calling of preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ unto the whole world; and I tell you, my brethren and sisters, and I say it in earnestness and in candor, that the members here at home who are not doing their duty, who are not striving to teach by precept, by example, to those with whom they come in contact, are not measuring up to the full measure of their calling, and they are not getting the joy out of life that they are entitled to. ¶

My work in life, since coming home from the mission field, has taken "me into many of the stakes of Zion, and I have always made it a rule to attend service wherever I have been, and have found in the services where I have gone that the Spirit, the same that I knew in the mission field, was to be found. I have felt when called upon to speak to the Saints that I have spoken with the same freedom and the same help that I enjoyed while in the mission field, and I say this now, and in all candor, that I have enjoyed' it. I have met many people not of our faith and have rejoiced that I had the knowledge to talk to them fairly intelligently on the principles which we believe in. ¶

I say, my brethren and sisters, there are too many of us inclined to stand back. I love to say with Paul: "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth." I feel this in my very being, I rejoice in it, and I take pleasure in every opportunity, regardless of who the person may be, of talking on the principles of the gospel, as I believe them. It brings me joy, and I see it gives them light, it opens their eyes, and I know of occasions where people have been turned toward us and our people through my weak effort. I don't mean by this, brethren and sisters, that every time we meet with a person accidentally we must immediately burden him with the principles of the gospel, but I do mean that every time the opportunity presents itself by some person putting "that little question that comes," that we should be ready, and not only ready, but willing to let that person know what "Mormonism" is and where we stand in regard to the Church. ¶

If we will cultivate faith, if we will humiliate ourselves, if we will strive to do our duty, if we will study and prepare our minds, when that opportunity does come we will be ready, and our readiness and our 'doing will surprise us and, as I 'have said before, give us far greater joy than we have ever dreamed of. Only a month or two ago I stayed in a hotel in a neighboring state until one o'clock in the morning talking our religion with a man who had never heard it, and I tell you, brethren and sisters, it was a pleasure, it was a joy, when that man said to me: "I am mighty glad that the things that I had heard of your Church are not true. I like you, I like your way, and I am going down into your state when I get nearer to it sometime and see what you have really done there." Now, that is only one opportunity. We have them every day or two and the opportunity is here right in our own state. Those of our associates whom we meet would be glad and willing to learn if we would put the question up to them in such a manner that they could not resist it. As we are walking along the street, one can say: "Why, there is that building, one of the oldest buildings in our town, that was built by so and so," and immediately the opportunity is there for a little explanation. ¶

Brethren and sisters, it is the greatest work in the world. There is absolutely no sacrifice that we can make that we should consider too great, in working in the vineyard of the Lord. It is the greatest thing on earth, and right now, today, is our time, the opportunity is ours, and not only the opportunity but the responsibility is ours to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations of the earth. I thank the Lord that I have been called again to go into the mission field, and I pray that I may be worthy, that I may measure up to the standard, that I may go forth in humility and with prayerful heart, that I may study and learn, and that I may follow brother Ellsworth in the work and carry it on as well as he has done in the mission field. ¶

I support the brethren who have been called and whom we have sustained. I am back of them in their every act. I do not question them. I am confident that they are servants of the living God, and the little help that I may give will be as nothing, but it is there, and it is theirs. I want to do my share, and I believe in doing this, that they will support me, that they will help me; and, though I will be some distance from here, from the center stake, that their spirit and their prayers will be with me and help me. And, so, my brethren and sisters, I pray God to help us to appreciate our calling and our responsibility. I pray that he may give us his Spirit, that through it we may work and never tire, that our efforts shall never cease until the gospel of Jesus Christ shall be proclaimed to every man and woman and child on the earth ; and, brethren and sisters, if we will do our share God will bless us and make us happy. I ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶