My brethren and sisters, I pray that the

My brethren and sisters, I pray that the Spirit of the Lord may direct my remarks to you this afternoon. I am in hearty accord with what has been presented to us in our conference, during the last three days. My heart has been filled with gratitude in witnessing the Spirit of the Lord that accompanied the speakers, and to feel the good spirit abiding in the congregations of the people. ¶

When Brother Young spoke this afternoon of what wonderful accomplishments had been made by us as a people, how we had been' in the fore-front in establishing the affirmative organizations before us in the past years, and of the wonderful opportunities that are before us as a people, I could not help but wonder if in the future we are going to be equal to every occasion that shall present itself to us ; and if we are really prepared to assume the responsibility that is upon the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to see to it that the message of Christ, the peace of salvation, shall be carried to the children of the earth ; and whether we are prepared to stand as an ensign to the nations of the earth and the peoples thereof, and show, by the fruits of our labors and the truth that is in us, that we are indeed the children of the Lord our God, worthy of being his servants in proclaiming the word of the Lord to the children of men, and offering unto mankind that peace which comes from God, the eternal Father, and which means exaltation to his children in the earth ! Thinking of this in my own personal life, I wonder if I have measured up to the standard our heavenly Father expects of me, considering the opportunities that the gospel of Christ has presented to me ! I am concerned when I speak about it, wondering if I have lived the proper kind of a life. If I were to go out into the world to proclaim this work of God, and show before the children of men that I am a fruit of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I wonder whether they could see in me a light and an ensign ; and that I could say, I have the truth, follow me. I hesitate, and I am in doubt concerning my own personal life, that I would be equal and measure up to that occasion. And yet, as a people we have accepted this mission and this calling in the earth, to see that the people of the earth are evangelized and warned to accept the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. ¶

What are we doing to bring about that splendid result ? We have been praying and looking forward for years and years, to the time when the doors of the world should be opened to our missionaries. We have only had a scant opportunity to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations of the earth. They would not receive our elders, in many parts of the earth. They have shut their doors against us. But now, it appears, with the freedom that is being extended to the people, brought about by this terrible war, an opportunity is being presented to us to proclaim the gospel to the nations of the earth. I believe our boys and girls will be called out by the thousands in the near future, to stand before the world as an ensign to its peoples. Now, the thought that stirs me is, am I ready for that mission? Are we ready for that call? Are you prepared? Are you in a condition to go out before the children of men, and hold up your head and hands unafraid, unashamed, to declare : "I belong to the body of people known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ; I have kept the commandments of the Lord my God, and I am here to aid in bringing about the gospel mission of peace !" Are you prepared in your own life? Are you preparing your boys and your girls honestly to proclaim that indeed we are an ensign before all the children of men, and are keeping the commandments of the Lord our God? It seems to me that some of us are more anxious about the loaves and fishes — to get rich. We are more anxious to be seen of men in high places, rather than using our ability and strength and power to further the work of the Lord that it may spread in the nations of the earth, that other peoples in the world may have the chance to breathe this freedom, to see this light, to comprehend this understanding, which we enjoy through the fruits of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. ¶

When I think of these things, I feel in my own soul that I am going to try to do better, to repent of the wrong I have done, so order my life that I shall keep the commandments of the Lord my God, so that whenever, or wherever I go the peoples of the world may see in me some good, and behold, in the great message which I proclaim, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, that it bears good fruit. ¶

We owe much, my brethren and sisters, to the mission we have espoused. It behooves us to do right, to seek first the kingdom of God, and to do these things of which I have spoken. We should set our houses in order, put our affairs in shape so that at home, or wherever the Lord shall see fit to call us to go, we may be ready and able to proclaim in doctrine, precept and example this gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. ¶

I believe our boys and girls are going to have a wonderful opportunity in the world. A great responsibility is going to devolve upon them, such as has never devolved upon any of us before; hence, all of us ought to set our lives in order, and see to it that we ourselves are keeping the commandments of God ; that we are clean and sweet and pure ; that we are living such lives that our boys may see within us the principles of righteousness and truth, and that they may have an example to follow that shall be worthy, if they follow in our footsteps. ¶

You will pardon my being personal ; but when I look back on my father's life, in relation to these matters, it is a wonderful inspiration to me, as the lives of your fathers and mothers undoubtedly have been to you. But when I think of the careful training that I had, of the wonderful example that was set before me, in my youth, I feel that it would be inexcusable for me to do that which was not right in my life, because I feel that I had a perfect example to follow. As a boy, however, I have been tempted like other boys ; but my father's life was so free and pure and clean that whenever temptation was presented to me, it seemed like my father rose up before me in majesty, like a monument, and I could not do the wrong which I was tempted to do. I felt that I would bring displeasure upon him, and I know there was nothing in his life that would warrant me in taking a course that would not be acceptable before our Father in heaven. I felt, as I thought of his life, O, I would like to live that kind of a life myself, so that I would be a light in the darkness to my boys and girls ; that I might take a course that my boys might have a straight and 'perfect path to follow, and never go in devious and crooked ways, and so grow up as clean, sweet Latter-day Saints. ¶

I tell you it is a noble calling to be known as a true, clean, sweet Latter-day Saint. It will mean salvation and exaltation to any soul who will live that kind of a life, and endure. As a father I feel, and you as fathers feel, how important it is that we set before our boys and girls a perfect example, that they may lead such lives as will guide them to life and salvation, and never be ashamed, at any time, of what they are doing. Every father owes it to the manhood within his boy, that he shall so live that when that boy sees his example, and walks in his footsteps, the boy can hold up his head and hands and say, Thank God, that is my father ! • Any man who lives short of that is not living up to the expectancy of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to the furtherance of the strength and manhood of the boys and girls we are rearing. ¶

I think, too, that as a priesthood, and as men, we owe more of our spirit and strength and ability and power to our boys and girls than we are giving to them. It does not make much difference to you and to me whether we have much in our barns, or have flocks, or herds, or of the world's material things around us, or what the honors of the world may be to us, whether we live in a big house or a little one. It does not mean much to us ; but it does matter much what our boys and girls are doing, and whether they are taking the course that will bring joy and happiness to us all the days of our lives. ¶

What a wonderful happiness comes to a father who sees his boy grow up from infancy to manhood, clean and sweet and pure, with virtue written upon his forehead, and manly acts engraved upon everything that he does upon the earth. Isn't that worth the best efforts we can put forth in this world? ¶

The Lord expects that we shall bring our boys up in the fear, the favor, and the faith of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. I sometimes think that we are more concerned about our flocks and our herds and our riches, and to be seen and honored of men, than we are of the welfare of our children, and that we may have around us boys and girls who are keeping the commandments of the Lord our God. ¶

Sitting in a business house one day, a man passed the store. I was talking with the proprietor of the business, and the man passed the window ; and this passing man was rather "down at the heel," as we say. His trousers were frayed, his hat was a little torn, and his head was bowed down. He looked rather discouraged. As he passed, the business man pointed to him and said, "Brother Taylor, there goes a failure in life." ¶

The remark hurt me a little, and I said, "I don't know ; it depends upon what you call a failure. I think I know the man, perhaps, better than you do. It is true he has not worldly goods about him, and he has, perhaps, lost about all he had of earthly things, as far as wealth goes ; but he has done a wonderful thing in our community.' I know him well. He has been out in the waste places, and subdued them, made them blossom as the rose. He has become a pioneer in this way, and has done all this where he has gone. As soon as a place became so that the people could prosper there, he moved on and tried again ; until he has made many places blossom as the rose. In this community, too, I know he has been a thinker, he has been a reader, he has been a progressive fellow ; and wherever he has lived he has encouraged boys and girls to go to schools and to universities. He has awakened ambition within the hearts of boys and girls. He is a good Latter-day Saint, too, and he has taught men the word of the Lord our God. Not only that, but better than all that, he has gathered around him his boys and girls ; he knows the heart of every one of them, and they know him. They are companions to him, and he is a companion to them. They love him, they honor him, respect him, and he has a splendid, large family. It is true he has not given them much wealth, but every boy and girl that he has is a Latter-day Saint, — a credit to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are clean and sweet boys and girls ! He loves his fellow men; and, you will pardon me, I know you are my friend, but if I were, 'right up against it,' as we say, not knowing where to go for something to eat, and needed a little help, and I just had two friends to go to, that man that you call a failure in life, as between you and him, I would go to that man !" ¶

Said he, "Why, he couldn't help you ; he has nothing to help you with." ¶

"But," said I, "he would divide with me that which he had. I feel that he has been a success and not a failure, he has gained eternal riches, he has stored where moth and rust do not corrupt, nor thieves break through and steal." ¶

I feel, my brethren and sisters, we owe to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that we do the right, that we live lives that will reflect credit upon it, and that we teach our boys and girls the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that we teach them to be clean and ¶

sweet and pure, in the sight of all men, because unless they are clean, all these other things will not amount to much in their lives. ¶

I love the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. I love the Latter-day Saints. I love our boys and our girls ; and O, how I would like to see them measure up in purity, faith, and righteousness, and I am sure they will, because the Lord will so order it that they will meet any requirement, and as they grow older and bigger and stronger they will stand up just like our leaders have done, and become an ensign for the salvation of the children of men, — which I pray may be their lot, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶