Gospel Testimony

"Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety." ¶

This scripture came to my mind and remained with me during Friday and Saturday as I listened to the voices of the inspired servants of God; and especially was it impressed upon my heart during the delivery of that splendid discourse by President Heber J. Grant. ¶

What a beautiful thing it is to forgive and to forget. A poet has said: "To err is human: to forgive is divine." ¶

Israel is blessed with wise counselors and happy is the man and the woman who walks in the path of counsel. The faults we have, the Lord seeks to remove, because thereby our progress in his kingdom is made more rapid. These faults act as a brake on our endeavors and make us fall short of the full measure of success which God has promised to his faithful children. ¶

Unto Joshua, that mighty warrior of old, came God's command to take a certain city. The soldiers were sent against the enemy, but they returned in the confusion of retreat. Upon the ground, upon his face, Joshua prostrated himself and asked God why "Israel turneth their backs before their enemy." The Lord said: "There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you." ¶

The accursed thing was found in the tent of one of Joshua's soldiers. God had commanded those men that when the city of Jericho was taken they were to keep themselves away from the accursed thing in the city. One of the soldiers disobeyed. He took a garment upon which the curse rested. He also took some of the silver and gold which belonged to the Lord, to be used in the holy sanctuary and hid them in his tent. The man was dealt with according to divine injunction, and then the command was repeated: "Go up to Ai." Joshua did so. The city fell into his hands, because the accursed thing had been removed from Israel. ¶

And when we violate a command of the Lord, when we take anything that is forbidden or keep anything that belongs to our Father, it is an accursed thing: it is a brake on our endeavors, and to get rid of this thing is our first duty, so that we may go on in the path toward eternal perfection. ¶

Someone has said, "Blessed is the man who has found his work." Then thrice blessed are the people of God, for unto them hath been given a great work. The mission of this Church is to preach the gospel unto every nation and kindred and tongue and people. So long as a man will work there is hope for him, but when he sinks in despair and refuses to exert himself, then it is hard to save him. One of the shining and great evidences that we are the people of God is that in our hearts and in our lives is the spirit of service. Look at the magnificent work the Latter-day Saints are doing in the world. At great sacrifice, which is sacred unto the Lord, they are sending their sons and their daughters to preach the gospel. The Book of Mormon is being distributed by the tens of thousands. The word of the Lord is being delivered to the world, to the children of our heavenly Father; and the testimonies of the elders, the discourses they deliver, the books, the tracts that they distribute, the sermons that we have heard during this conference, the testimonies of the servants of God upon the isles of the sea, in the north and the south, the east and the west -- all these combine as the loud voice, saying: "Fear God, and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come." That is the mission we are engaged in, and the Lord will bless his people for the sacrifice they are making. ¶

We are a great people. Why?. Is it because we are great in ourselves? No. We recognize that the authority which we profess to hold -- and which we do hold, I testify unto you -- is powerless unless the spirit of service accompanies it. Is not authority, without service, without work, powerless as faith without works? The spirit of service is in our hearts, and this is what is making the people great. It has been said that it is not what we take in this life, but what we give up that makes us rich. And the Latter-day Saints have given, because, in the words of the Savior, it is more blessed to give than to receive; and the great work which the Father has definitely commissioned us to perform is making this people great, through the law of service and of sacrifice, which is the soul of the work in which we are engaged. ¶

If you will permit me, I want to substitute two words in a verse which was written to eulogize the world-famed Yale college. I want to substitute for "old Yale," the words "the Church," and then see if this does not apply to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ¶

"Mother of men, grown strong in giving, ¶

Honor to him thy lights have led, ¶

Rich in the toil of thousands living, ¶

Proud of the deeds of thousands dead, ¶

We, who have felt thy power and known thee, ¶

We, in whose lives thy lights avail, ¶

High in our hearts enshrined, enthrone thee, ¶

Mother of men, The Church." ¶

When the Prophet Joseph Smith was going to his martyrdom, he made a declaration, filled with love and charity, that will go ringing down the ages as one of the noblest truths that ever crossed mortal lips. He said, "If my life is of no value to my friends, it is of none to myself." That truth is the soul of the work of the Lord. It is the truth that is in the heart of President Grant and all the leaders of this Church. It is the truth in the heart of every president that has presided over the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. ¶

Now, brethren and sisters, we are not going about this work blindly. Our vision is clear. The prophet has said, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." But we are blessed with the vision of the Holy Ghost, that guides us into all truth. ¶

On the way to Atlanta from Chattanooga a few weeks ago, I was in conversation with a Baptist minister, a very fine gentleman. He invited me to answer his questions concerning the doctrines of the Church, which I did to the best of my ability, and with a prayer in my heart that the Lord would help me. I said to him, "Do not these great events, this world war, this pestilence, portend some great event such as the second coming of the Son of God?" ¶

"Well," said he, "I think so now, but I did not used to think so; and if any man seven years ago had predicted this world war would ¶

fall upon the world in its destructive fury and awful bloodshed, we would have laughed him to scorn, and then crucified him." ¶

I said, "The world did kill him, for the Prophet Joseph Smith did predict this world war. He was laughed to scorn, and the world killed him; and he went to his doom a martyr for the testimony of Jesus Christ." ¶

Brethren and sisters, thank God for this vision, that we may see our duty clearly and thank God for our prophet, seer, and revelator, who by the mercy and the goodness of God, guides his people, and unto whose counsel we will rally -- because I know and I bear my testimony that the sons and the daughters of this people love the Church -- and will come to her help in the divine mission which God hath commissioned her to perform. ¶

I bear my testimony that we are led by prophets and apostles, wise counselors; and if we will give heed -- which we will do, with the help of the Lord -- to their teachings and counsels, we shall reap eternal life, which is the greatest gift that God can give to man. ¶

The Lord help us to keep firm and faithful unto death, is my earnest prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶