I have very much enjoyed this

I have very much enjoyed this conference and the spirit of it, and I know that the Saints will return from these gatherings with a feeling in their souls that the Lord is with his people, the Latter-day Saints, and he is still at the helm. I believe the Lord is pleased with his Church as a whole. I think that will be the opinion of the brethren and sisters who leave this conference, who have been attending faithfully at these meetings. ¶

There has run through the sermons, the addresses, the remarks of the brethren who have spoken, this thread of thought that there will soon be a great spiritual awakening in the world and a great missionary movement in the Church, which will go out from the Church and accomplish more than has ever hitherto been accomplished in its history. I believe in that thought. I have felt that spirit and influence from the day that President Grant was made President of the Church. The world begins to see what we have to give. If I were asked to state what is the greatest need of the world today, I would answer in these words: "The knowledge of God." There be lords many and gods many. Men have ideas of God and godliness in multitudinous forms; but to know the only true and living God — that is the greatest need of all the world today. It is he whom we worship; it is he whom we serve. Within this Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — and only within this Church — is the key of the knowledge of God. Herein is salvation for you and me, and salvation for all the world. In this book, the Doctrine and Covenants, are covenants and commandments, doctrines and principles, which form the only league that will ever enforce peace in all the world. ¶

Herein we are told of the doctrine of obedience, and we try to follow it. We are told of the doctrine of community and social life, and we try to live according to those precepts. The government of the Church, the government of the people, the organization of the Church and of the priesthood quorums supplementing the work of the civil government, is far better and greater in every way than anything that man has ever yet known. There is salvation in it all. No man of himself can teach it. He must have the influence and the spirit of it, and there goes with this work, with these quorums of the priesthood, with these organizations in the wards and branches and stakes and missions, a spirit, an influence and a power that are of God, that man cannot give, that man cannot take away, and of which the world does not know. Therein is the key, as we are told in this book of revelation — the key of knowledge of God whom to know is life eternal. ¶

Organized under this league, this covenant, you have the true organization from the Lord which will bring peace. Oh what peace! A peace that passeth understanding. It is good for my soul; it is good for you and for all mankind. When this is established, we will have a society extending and growing where there will be no I. W. W. or labor troubles. Why? Because in this league and covenant, the doctrine is laid down that the idler shall not eat the bread of the laborer. Everyone shall work and labor according to his strength and his ability. Therein is salvation, and no salvation outside of that. We are told in this league and covenant how we shall conduct ourselves in our homes, as we heard from Elder McKay yesterday; what we shall eat, that is good for us, and what we shall drink or abstain from drinking. We are told that we shall retire early and rise early, and how we shall live, in order to prolong our lives and be strong and healthful. The Lord tells of this in this covenant; for, as the Lord says, if a man is faithful in receiving these priesthoods, and keeping the commandments of the Lord, his body shall be renewed; his strength will be renewed beyond his years, so that he shall live to be aged and strong like President Penrose and President Lund and many others that we have in our community. We are told how to regulate our family life, how to govern and control our children, and teach them how to pray. In all the affairs of life, in all the activities with which we have to do, we may turn to this book, and here find instruction. Here is guidance, here is direction, here is complete salvation, and nowhere else than here. The authority of the Holy Priesthood of the Son of God is here. The Lord whom he has chosen, and as Brother Joseph Fielding Smith said yesterday, a truth that we ought to know and remember always — that no man will ever come to the presidency of this Church unless the Lord wants him to be there. Don't forget that. ¶

Now there is a great work to do. I ask myself: am I doing my share? In the olden times I know our parents went through great trials and made great sacrifices. In the days of the early apostles of this Church they made great sacrifices. Read of the time, in 1838 and '39, when the Lord told the Twelve to go over the great water, to go to England and establish missions. The conditions in which they left their families and the conditions under which they went, and stayed and returned, were all very trying. The sacrifice that our fathers and mothers made in the building up of this country were very great. But are you making any particular sacrifice now? Am I making any particular sacrifice? I do not know that I am. We go out to the conferences and preach here and there, we talk to the Saints; we are well cared for. We have good beds in which to sleep, and when we are hungry we are furnished the best that the land affords, for us to eat. I do not call that much of a sacrifice. ¶

Now, my brethren and sisters, let us ask ourselves the question, and members of this Church everywhere, how much of a sacrifice am I making for the work of the Lord today? Are you? Not very much, as a rule. There is a sister here and there, a widow woman perhaps, here and there, with her son out on a mission. She is working hard to sustain that son, she is making some sacrifice — a thousand times more than I am. Such as she are making sacrifices, but with you and me, and the rest of us, it is different, for we are not sacrificing very much. It is time that we should get it into our hearts that we, too, can make some sacrifice, we, too, can help to do something to build up the kingdom of God. There is a world to save, and herein I repeat, is the plan of salvation, and the only plan, the only salvation for the world is here in this league and covenant, which shall take in all the nations, in time. "For it shall come to pass," says one of old, "that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess" — confess what? "Confess that Jesus is the Christ, to the glory of God the Father." O, I hear it said sometimes: "We have warned the ¶