Saints Warned to Be Faithful to the End

I hope that the remarks I shall make can be heard by you. I know you are all able to hear our President, and we all rejoiced in the strong testimony that he bore of the truth of the gospel as revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith. I felt thankful that in my heart I could say "Amen" to that testimony. ¶

The Latter-Day Saints Not Recognized by the World as Christians

Ever since I can remember, almost, I have had a testimony of the truth of that which the world calls "Mormonism." I know it is the gospel of Jesus Christ and I know that men upon the earth hold the power of the holy Priesthood, which enables them to perform the ordinances that are given for the salvation of men. How thankful we ought to be that the Lord has given us this knowledge concerning his will and what he wishes us to do. We have not been recognized by the world as being a Christian people; but we do claim that if there be any people upon the earth who believe in Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world, it is the Latter-day Saints. How strange it is, when men have read our articles of faith, that they can believe that the "Mormons" are not Christians! When I say "Christians" I mean those who believe in Jesus Christ. ¶

The Saints Believe Sincerely in Jesus Christ and Try to Obey the Commandments of God

We know that he is the Son of God; we believe in him as the Redeemer of the world and as the Savior of mankind. That we are not Christians is held by the world. In their so-called Christian conventions, they do not wish to hear anything from us. Notwithstanding the fact that they did admit heathens, or men not believing in God, to come and give their religious beliefs to the Convention of Religions, yet they were not willing that we should explain our belief. However, we are trying to reach the hearts of the people. Our missionaries go out by the hundreds and thousands into the world. They seek to reach the people; they go from door to door, patiently enduring the mocking remarks that are made concerning them; and yet ¶

they are always willing to explain what the Lord has given them, and to declare the message which they have for all mankind. ¶

We, brethren and sisters, have received the gospel, and all of us ought to feel that we owe the duty to our heavenly Father and to our fellow men to make known unto them what the Lord.has shown us. We must be careful to so live that the Spirit of the Lord is alive within us. We must try to live according to the commandments that our heavenly Father has given us. We know that they are for the betterment of men. ' ¶

I was pleased to read the remarks of Senator Ashurst and others in the Senate of the United States. I know that what they said concerning this people is true. They knew the truth of these things, and they were brave enough, in spite of the opposition of the world, to speak as they did regarding the Latter-day Saints. There are many others who believe the same, but are afraid to bear their testimony of what they know. I pity such; but I honor those who are brave enough to express what they know to be true concerning a people, even if that people should be like the people of old that Paul tells us "were everywhere spoken against." If they -will search and investigate, they will find that the Latter-day Saints, as a people, try to live their religion, and to keep the commandments of God, that they are prayerful and try to seek the Lord early and late to obtain power and strength from him to carry out that which they know to be right. ¶

The Saints Enjoined to Attend Sacramental Meetings

During the past year we have had much to be grateful for. We are especially thankful to know that the people are living their religion and are showing in their works that they are in earnest. If I should find any fault with our people, it is this, that they should be more attentive to quorum meetings of the Priesthood and to sacrament meetings. In some places there can be but little fault found; while in others, there seems to be some carelessness about attending our meetings. Now, brethren and sisters, we cannot develop in godliness without going to the meetings. We should be present to hear the servants of God and to partake of the Sacrament of the Lord, and renew our covenants with him, showing that we are willing to take upon us his name and keep his commandments. It gives us strength to do so; but by staying away from sacrament meetings, we gradually grow careless, and we think that we cannot be edified by attending them. Do not go to meeting just because a good speaker is going to talk, but go to the meetings as the Lord has commanded that on the Sabbath day we should go to the house of prayer and offer our oblations to the Almighty. Do not let us be lacking in this nor in other duties. ¶

The Lord Blesses Those Who Pay an Honest Tithing

You heard how much had been expended last year for different things to uphold the work of the Church. This shows that the Saints ¶

have attended to the duty of paying their tithing. There are those, however, who ought to be encouraged to obey that law more strictly than they do. We honor those who are honest with the Lord, who pay their tithing which they owe unto him. Those who do so will feel blessed. They are not the ones who complain of how the tithing is spent, but they feel blessed in paying a tenth as the tithing of their income, knowing that the Lord sees what they are doing, and knows their hearts, and they will receive their reward for so doing. We would like to encourage all to obey this law, whether they owe a few cents or many dollars. They should remember the law of tithing and remember that the Lord blesses those who pay an honest tithing, be it little or much. ¶

Warning Against Following False Teachers

There are some who think they are in advance of the rest of the people, and they are trying to strike out in certain different courses. I would like to say to the Latter-day Saints: Let no one deceive you, let no one draw you away from the pale of the Church; for within it there are the servants of the Lord who have been authorized to ad minister unto you and to perform the ordinances of the gospel. You will not find that authority outside of the Church. If one pretends that he is the one "great and mighty," or that he has power to start a new church to improve on this, examine carefully before you take a step away from the Church. You will not be happy if you follow such men. True happiness will come to you if you keep 'the covenants which you have made with the Lord. The covenants that we have made, at the time we were baptized, in holy places, are all for our good to help us to come nearer to the Lord and to know his will. As we have made covenants to do his will, let us not forget what we have promised to do. There is a joy in knowing that we are fulfilling our duty, and there is sorrow in our hearts when we feel that we are not doing it. Of course, by continuing in negligence, our conscience may not smite us so much as at first; but let us all listen to that monitor which the Lord has given us; listen to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit and try to -so live that we may feel, by the Spirit of God that we are acceptable in the sight of the Lord. ¶

Thoughts on the First Vision and What Followed

There has been some reference here today to the first vision of the Prophet Joseph, which we look upon as the dawn of this last dispensation, the dispensation of the fulness of times. It was indeed the beginning, the very initiating of this work; and the Lord chose an instrument, not learned and educated, but a man who was willing to do that which he should be commanded to do. He had full faith in the Lord and was ever ready to offer himself and his time for the upbuilding of this work. We just sang a beautiful hymn about him. He did accomplish a great work during the short time that was given ¶

him to live, after the Church was organized and those years preceding the organization of the Church. How much we rejoice to read what he did! He was poor, he had to work for his living, and yet the great task of translating the Book of Mormon was given unto him. Some have thought: "Well now, the Lord owns everything; why did he not bestow enough upon the Prophet so that he could do his work more easily?" Not so; the Lord gave him a task to do and he gave him his Spirit also that he might have strength to do it. He raised up friends to the Prophet who were willing to help, even with their temporal means -- such a man as Martin Harris, such men as David Whitmer and Oliver Cowdery. They came to his help before the Church was organized. Full of faith, they were willing to assist him, and with this help, the Prophet was enabled to translate those ancient writings and to publish the Book of Mormon unto the world. Many have studied that book and have tried to find some fault with it. Now, in reading it, we see that it covers a period of about a thousand years, relating to the Lamanites and Nephites, and a much longer time to those who left the Tower of Babel, the people of Jared and his brother. Yet by the search of critics they have not been able to find any anachronism or wrong time in its chronology. The whole book is a unit, although it was written by a number of writers. They were inspired by the Lord, as were those who wrote the holy Scriptures, called the Bible. The holy Scriptures called the Book of Mormon were written by different men, prophets of the Lord, and they were all true men. The book is a unit as to doctrine and as to the spirit that goes through it. ¶

I have referred to the men who helped the Prophet Joseph. They bore a strong testimony concerning the truth of that book. They knew they had seen the engravings that were on the plates. They knew that they were translated correctly, because a voice from heaven had so declared, and an angel from heaven had shown these things unto them. After that these men could not say that Joseph Smith had deceived them. They knew for themselves that the testimony which now appears in the front of the book was true. Notwithstanding the fact that these men became careless, and some fell into transgression and were cut off from the Church, yet they continued to bear a truthful testimony of what they had written in that book. Two of them came back into the Church. ¶

One of them, David Whitmer, remained outside of the Church until his death; but hundreds of visitors came to him, knowing that he was not what they called a "Mormon;" that is, that he did not belong to* the Church, and they thought they would get what they desired as the truth from him; but he was always ready to bear the testimony that he saw the plates, and even on his death bed he bore that testimony. ¶

Martin Harris, we know, came here and from this stand has borne his testimony to the truth of the translation of the Book of Mormon from ancient plates. ¶

Oliver Cowdery came to the Church when it was at its lowest ¶

ebb, I may say, when it looked as if the Church was not able to continue as a Church; for the people had been driven into the wilderness, and several divisions had taken place and members had been scattered; but he came to the little branch at Council Bluffs and asked simply that he might become a member of the Church. He did not join the Church to become a leading member in it or to hold a big office. He came because he did not dare to die outside of the pale of the Church, and he did not live many months afterward. But he bore the testimony to that congregation that the gospel is true, that he had seen angels, that Joseph and he had been ordained to the Priesthood, both the Aaronic and the Melchizedek Priesthood. This testimony he bore to them and he asked forgiveness for the past and, like any other member who had been excommunicated, he asked, penitently that he might come into the Church and become a member with the rest of them. ¶

While, as it has been said, three of the witnesses left the Church, yet they always bore that faithful testimony that the Book of Mormon was true. They had helped in the translation and in the publishing of the book, and it is before the world. Oh, how many glorious truths it contains! It is indeed an inspired work, and what the Prophet Joseph received and gave unto us we all bear the testimony is true; and while some people may have thought they were new doctrines, because they were not understood by the world, we have found them to be true principles, and since that time we have proved them to be such. ¶

j ¶

the second vision and vicarious work for the dead. ¶

At the second vision that the Prophet Joseph received, when the angel Moroni came to him and told him about the Book of Mormon, <:r rather the plates that were concealed in the Hill Cumorah, he also told him things that Joseph, perhaps, could not fully understand; and. in crder, tbr.t the young man might not forget what he was told, the angel repeated thtm three times, spending the whole night with him. Among the things that were revealed to him was the principle of vicarious work for the dead, and the principle of the gathering of the people, principles of our Church that are unique to it. These were given by the angel Moroni. He also read from the book of Malachi about the hearts of children being turned to their fathers, and the fathers' hearts to the children. He read to him the eleventh chapter of Isaiah, which refers to the gathering; and other principles he explained to the young man. Today we have heard read how much has been given for temples and for temple buildings, and this shows that the Latter-day Saints believe in the principle revealed to the Prophet Joseph as early as 1823. And just before his death, how interested he was m this work! He saw the great necessity that there was for the Saints to turn their hearts to the fathers, so as to avoid the curse that otherwise would come upon the earth. We have felt this todav We have gone into the temples, we have labored for our dead and ¶

we have had the witness in our souls that the Lord accepted of the work. Many people have told me what they have heard and seen in the temples. Names have been given to them of persons they had forgotten, who wanted their work done. How interested the people have been in searching for their genealogies! We must thank the genealogists of the world also, because they have come to our help. They have spent a great deal of money in publishing genealogies, especially here in the United States; also in England. They have begun the same work in other countries, too. The spirit is upon them; their hearts are turning to their fathers. I know they do not believe in the necessity of doing work for them, but we believe that it is a necessity; and it is a joy and blessing to us to do this. ¶

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Today we celebrate the resurrection of our Savior. This is indeed one of the most hope-inspiring events that ever took place. Men have believed in life after death, but the real truth that there is such a thing as a resurrection was given by our Savior.. The testimony has come to us that many saw him after he was resurrected. Some have argued that the resurrection is not possible; that we have never seen a person who has come back to us from another world, nor have we seen any who has seen such a person, and they argue that, therefore, it cannot be possible that anybody was ever resurrected. ¶

Now, if we are to judge only by what we have experienced ourselves, I fear our knowing would be very small. We take the sayings of men, the writings of men and we believe what they have said and written. By this means we have extended our field of knowledge. It would be a very narrow conception to argue that thingsr that we have not seen cannot be true. We have the testimony of twelve men who saw the Savior after his resurrection. We have the testimony that five hundred men beheld him at one time. Ten times he was seen after his resurrection. His apostles and disciples felt very downhearted when they saw that he suffered death on the cross; but they rejoiced when the testimony came to them that he was risen, and especially when they saw him, when they could feel of him and listen to his words. These men went out into the world preaching Christ and him crucified. They were not afraid to bear that testimony to the world. You might say that twelve men could conspire to tell a lie, but we have never heard of a number of men doing so, when they were promised only martyrdom and no honor among the people, also that they should be brought up before judges, and be jailed and scourged for their testimonies -- you have never heard of men conspiring together with such a future before them, if that which they declared was not true. But they knew it was true. Peter, though he did falter once and denied the Savior, was still a brave man. He never faltered after Jesus had given him the mission to look after the Saints, to feed his lambs and sheep. More than thirty years he continued to labor and all the time knowing that Jesus had told him how ¶

GEN II RAL CO Nl ERE N CE. ¶

he should die; that he would have to suffer martyrdom. He did not say it in those words, but he told him that another should gird him and. carry him whither he would not. He alluded to the death which Peter would suffer. When it came to the real point, Peter went gladly, only he said at the very last moment, according to the legend, that he was not worthy to die as the Savior had died on the cross, and he asked that he might be crucified with his head down. Of course, this is a legendary story that has come to us, but it shows us that he suffered death; and his life was given as a witness of the truth that he had proclaimed all the way through. ¶

Paul had been a persecutor of the Saints, but was converted by the vision of the Savior on the way to Damascus; he knew then that Jesus of Nazareth, the man who had been crucified, was indeed the Son of God, and he bravely continued his labors until at last he too gave his life in defense of the truth. These men saw the Savior. Thomas, the doubter, was not willing to take the testimony of his brethren, the apostles; but Jesus appeared where he was and told him to feel of the wounds. Then Thomas declared that he was the Lord. He was willing then to believe. Jesus gave him a gentle rebuke by saying: "Blessed are those who believe, though they have not seen." ¶

We believe many things that we have not seen, many things that have come to us by the Spirit of God, and they have been made as plain to us as knowledge obtained by our five senses could be. We have received, by the Spirit witnessing to our spirit, the truth of these heavenly things that have been given to us. ¶

The Saints Warned to Be Faithful to the End

Brethren and sisters, let us continue to be faithful, whatever it shall cost. Remember the long eternity before us, and that by being faithful in keeping the Lord's commandments and keeping our covenants, the celestial glory will be obtainable by us. Let us not forfeit the great opportunity the Lord has given us, but remember that he sees us; we walk as in his sight, and he knows us. We cannot deceive him. Let us walk honestly and uprightly before him and then, brethren and sisters, I know that the great object for which we are striving shall be obtained by us-- an entrance into the celestial kingdom and a return to our heavenly Father will be our lot God bless you all. Amen. ¶

Miss Louise Watson, Miss Edna Gothberg, and Lola Edwards sang the trio, "Lift Thine Eyes," (Mendelssohn.) ¶