I have tried to concentrate on some other

I have tried to concentrate on some other subject, my mind has reverted to that one thought, the priesthood, and I am satisfied in my heart that many of us do not realize the responsibility that rests upon us as parents and as men holding the holy Priesthood. Do we read the scripture ? Do we read it in our homes ? Do we read it to our children ? I think the answer is, many of us do not. As ward authorities do we provide work for the young men in our wards? Do we as mothers and fathers see to it that our boys and our girls are reared properly, and that we are rendering every assistance possible in helping the ward authorities to so train our children that they will grow up to be of benefit to the Church ? I am satisfied, through the observation I have been able to make, that the cause of men and women becoming indifferent to this work, in their later years, is due to the fact that their training in their childhood has not been sufficient to give them a strong foundation upon which the remainder of their lives might be built. ¶

I was thinking this morning of the difference in the condition of today and of a few years ago. I remember the time when it was my duty, with others, to clean and oil the lamps on Saturdays, and put them in place ready for the Sabbath meeting. I remember getting up on Sunday morning, going to the meeting house, helping build the fires, then returning home and changing clothes, and getting ready to go to Sunday school. I believe I enjoyed the Sunday school far more than the boys do today, who go to a building which has been cleaned and heated by a janitor who is paid for the service. As one of the speakers said yesterday, wouldn't it be a good thing for us in this day if the boys could have something to do, some responsibility, something to make them feel that there is a place for them in the Church, and a work for them to do — a condition we are growing from? ¶

And again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ, the Son of the living God, and of baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents; for this shall be a law unto the inhabitants of Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized; and their children shall be baptized for the remission of their sins when eight years old, and receive the laying on of the hands, and they shall also teach their children to pray and to walk uprightly before the Lord. And the inhabitants of Zion shall, also, observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy. And the inhabitants of Zion shall, also, remember their labors, inasmuch as they are appointed to labor, in all faithfulness; for the idler shall be had in remembrance before the Lord. Now, I the Lord, am not well pleased with the inhabitants of Zion, for there are idlers among them; and their children are also growing up in wickedness; they also seek not earnestly the riches of eternity, but their eyes are full of greediness. (Doc. and Cov. 68:25-31.) ¶

Let us look into our own lives, my brethren and sisters, and see if these conditions exist to a certain extent right in our midst, and perhaps in our own homes ! If they do, what are we doing to overcome them? What are we doing to build up this Church ? What are we doing to ¶

enjoy in our homes and in our meeting houses that spirit of reverence and of worship spoken of by Bishop Wells? Many of us remain at home on the Sabbath day to do things we choose to do rather than doing the things we know in our hearts the Lord desires us to do. The most important work we can engage in as Latter-day Saints, is the proper training of our children, by precept and example. Let us see to it that they have work to do, and that they are doing that work. ¶

I think that in many of our wards we are permitting the boy scouts to usurp, or assume to do, the duty that should be done by the deacons in the Church . I deplore this fact. Not that I have anything to say against the splendid work of the boy scouts. It is a noble work, and it will make of them better boys, if they follow its teachings. At the same time, I do not care to see them, as scouts, doing the work required of those holding the Priesthood, because the Priesthood is Godgiven. It is God's power conferred upon them through the Holy Ghost by those having authority from God, and it comes to them as their commission, and nothing else can take its place, or should assume to do its work. And O, I do pray, my brethren and sisters, that we will, with all our might, work to the end that our boys will have work to do in the Priesthood. ¶

I remember when I was ordained a teacher, a little fellow fifteen years of age, I was assigned to labor with an elderly brother, a man of experience, a man of judgment and training, who took me with him and taught me things I should know. I accompanied him into the homes of the Saints. I had very little to do except to learn, and O, that experience has been one of the grandest experiences of my life; and I thank God, and I hope I will continue to thank him as long as I live, for the opportunity that I had of laboring with that good man. He was not afraid or ashamed to take a little boy with him into the homes of the Saints where he was going to perform his duty as a teacher. ¶

Just a short time ago my attention was called to a case where a young man had just been ordained a teacher, and was assigned to go with another man of mature years to visit homes of the Saints. This man refused to have the boy accompany him. He said, "I am not going teaching with kids. If you can't give me someone who is worthy, as a companion, I will not go out teaching." I thought, O, my brother, if only you could have had the experience as a boy that I had, you wouldn't have spoken that way ; think of the opportunity you have lost. ■ Where in all the world can we find any one more suited to be a companion than a young man who is "clean, energetic, willing to serve God, and to learn, though he be young in years? ¶

Let us not neglect the youth of Zion. Let us not neglect the boy who has been ordained to the office of a deacon. Let us find work for him to do. The duties of the elder, the priest, the teacher and the deacon, I want to impress them upon you. The duty, not the privilege — this may be done or it may not be done. You can do it. if you please ; you may fail or neglect it if you don't want to do it. Not that, but the duty. O, how many of us have forgotten that word, the duty under the Priesthood. I am not going to take time to read what these duties are. We all know (at least those who have received the Priesthood know) what our duties are; and if we don't know, then we have been ordained unworthily; for no man should be ordained to the Priesthood until he knows what the duties of the Priesthood are. No man is worthy of the Priesthood unless he knows what its duties are, and unless he is willing to work with all his might under that responsibility. Many of us elders, seventies, priests, are failing to do our duty, because we are neglecting those who are teachers and deacons in this Church. ¶

I stood upon the street the day President Wilson was here, and saw troops of boy scouts come up the street. As they passed their scout masters, in every case their hands came to salute, and what respect ! These boys in uniform, the scouts : why do they do this ? Who has taught them to look upon their scout master with such deserved respect? And I thought, what a glorious thing it would be for the boy, a deacon, if he could be taught to offer the president of his deacons' quorums and his counselors such respect. What a glorious thing it would be if, when passing along the street, our deacons, teachers and priests would tip their hats as they pass their bishop or his counselors. How many of them have proper respect for their bishop ? How many of them look upon their bishop as being a man who should have their respect? *I am afraid too few of us have in our hearts this feeling and this spirit ; but I do hope and pray that the day will soon come when every young man in this Church, who has been called to the lesser Priesthood, and honored with that sacred and holy calling, will honor that Priesthood, and will honor the men who bear that Priesthood, and who are called to positions of authority in the wards and stakes. ¶

I would like to see the day come, as Brother Wells said, when boys will have in their hearts at all times, a feeling of reverence for the meeting house and grounds. I would like to see boys taught that it is their duty, when upon the street, or whenever they pass their bishop, out of respect for the Priesthood he bears, to raise their hats to him. Wouldn't it make better boys of them, and wouldn't it make a better man of their bishop? I believe it would. ¶

O, let us feel the responsibility of the Priesthood that rests upon us, my brethren. Let us feel the responsibility that rests upon us of building .upon the foundation that has been laid ; for if we fail in training the youth of Zion, that failure will be charged against us, which I pray God, will not be, and I ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶