(President of the Southern States

(President of the Southern States Mission.) ¶

My brethren and sisters: I know that the mission presidents are grateful to President Grant for his complimentary expressions of love and confidence with reference to the retiring mission presidents. From my heart — and I speak also for my companions — I can truthfully say that we have the deepest and sincerest love and confidence for the President of the Church, because we know that he is affectionately disposed towards the missionaries, and to all the people of God, and to the children of men generally. ¶

God's truth is marching on in the world. Through his servants, our heavenly Father is opening many effectual doors for the preaching of the gospel. The articles being published in many of the newspapers of the country — which articles are contributed by Elder James E. Talmage, of the Council of the Twelve — are being widely read. They are being read by statesmen and business men who are not easily reached by the traveling elders. A short time ago a newspaper in the south published a sermon delivered in this building, by Elder Orson F. Whitney. The sermon was received with great favor by the non-members of the Church. It created much interest in the gospel, and the state historical society of the state in which the newspaper is published, requested that I forward to them the standard works of the Church and such other information as would enlighten the people of the state generally upon the doctrines of the Church. ¶

"The swift messengers are treading Thy high courts where princes dwell, ¶

And thy glorious light is spreading, Zion prospers, all is well." ¶

The Apostle Paul said : "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." ¶

My brethren and sisters, the missionaries who go forth into the world are imbued with deep love for the children of men. This love may be called the spirit of their mission, and when an elder chances by neglect to lose that spirit, he becomes indeed as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal ; but thank God the cases where this misfortune occurs are few and far between. ¶

The Psalmist David said: "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver." Why? Because as David said: "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple." The souls of these missionaries who go forth to preach the gospel are converted, and the souls of the Latter-day Saints are converted. They stand on a secure and firm foundation. ¶

Someone has said that we are sons, not pets ; that we are to be treated with kindness, but not spoiled. So, my brethren and sisters, the experiences through which the Lord permits us to pass, or those experiences through which he leads us, will ultimately result in our good ; for, as the Apostle Paul said, "The Lord will make all things work together for good, to those who love him." The Latterday Saints are a great people because they believe, as the Savior said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." It is not that which we receive which makes us great, but it is that which we give ; and the spirit of sacrifice manifested by the members of this Church, is the spirit that makes them great in the sight of God, great in the sight of good men and good women, and a power — an evangelizing power of great good in all the world. ¶

The Apostle Paul was told by the Lord that he must go before Caesar, and he embarked on a ship to accomplish that perilous journey. He counseled the captain of the ship to stay in a certain place that winter because, there was danger in leaving that place : but this man did not obey his counsel, and the way of the counsel-breaker is hard. A certain navigator was asked by a passenger on a ship if he knew where the rocks were, "No," said ¶

he, "But I know where they are not." That is the safe guide, — not to look for sin, not to look for those evils, but to tread the path of life, the path of counsel, where we know that these sins and evils are not. Well, they disobeyed Paul's counsel, but the Lord told him that his life and the life of the passengers of the ship would be saved. The ship's crew became fearful for their safety and they were about to abandon the ship, and leave it with its precious cargo to its fate ; but Paul said to the centurion, speaking of the officers and the crew. "Except these abide in the ship, we cannot be saved." There is the lesson : except the apostles and prophets abide in the ship of Zion, we cannot be saved ; for God has placed these men in his Church for the edification of his people, for perfecting them in the doctrines of Jesus Christ, for bringing the people to the unity of the faith. These men have been endowed with powers to perform sacred ordinances for the living and for the dead — which the Latter-day Saints regard as essential to their salvation, and without these men we cannot be saved in the fulness of salvation, in the enjoyment of the great boon of eternal life. The Church is built upon the foundation of prophets and apostles, Jesus Christ, himself, being the chief cornerstone. ¶

Once in a certain harbor a mighty tempest arose and the commander wanted to get his fleet out in the open sea, away from the rocky and barren shores so that he would not be destroyed. The tempest knocked those ships about, and sailors were washed overboard. While the storm was raging with great fury, the commander at the most critical moment ordered the ¶

band to play the Star Spangled Banner. As the strains of that immortal national anthem went over the storm-tossed sea, the sailors took heart, they fought with redoubled energy, they battled with the elements with renewed strength, and those sailors, drowning in the sea, with the last vestige of their strength, raised their hands and voices in praise of the flag and the Star Spangled Banner, the music of which was comforting their souls. In this Church, where stand the First Presidency and the Twelve, there is solid ground. On ether grounds are sinking sands. There need be no doubt. These servants of God whom we love will always sound the true notes, they will always cause the music of the gospel to be sounded to the comforting and the salvation of the children of God. The poet's prayer, "God give us men," has been answered. He gave this nation men who went to a foreign shore and palsied the strong arm of autocracy. He has placed in this Church men of counsel, men of God, true shepherds of the people. God bless these men that they may ever remain in the ship of Zion, in the Church, to our comfort and salvation ; and may we sustain them, with loving and loyal hearts, is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶