Testimony

My brethren and sisters: I have greatly rejoiced during this conference in the splendid music that we have heard, and in the admonitions and counsel that we have received from the servants of the Lord who have addressed us. The spirit of humility, peace, and love that has actuated the speakers has certainly made me rejoice that we live in. this day and age of the world when the gospel has been revealed, and that we have the privilege of living and enjoying the splendid privileges that are ours, as Latter-day Saints. We rejoice in these privileges, my brethren and sisters, and I feel to honor the ¶

Lord and to keep his commandments, and feel that our spirits are in tune with the inspiration that we have received from the brethren in authority in the Church. I hope we all feel grateful for these blessings, and that these things will spur us on to live nearer to the Lord in the future than we have in the past. ¶

In our stake of Zion we have been doing some little missionary work the past year among the people. Special missionaries have been called; and in visiting among the Latter-day Saints, we found too many people in our stake of Zion who did not pray in their families, nor teach prayer in their homes, consequently their children were not becoming accustomed to pray. I fear this condition is too prevalent among us as Latter-day Saints, and consequently many of us have not the spirit of humility and love for the gospel of Jesus Christ that we ought to have burning in our souls. We also found too many who were not observing the Word of Wisdom, as we have heard in this conference. We found that too many of our acting teachers in the stake were not observing this commandment. When they went into the homes of the Latter-day Saints they could not teach this principle, because they were not observing it themselves. As a rule we found our young people living nearer up to this principle than many of our older brethren and sisters. Hence we have found it necessary to take up this labor among the people in our stake of Zion. I testify to you that we have met with splendid results. We have talked over the reports received from different wards, two or three times now. We find a little improvement each time these reports come in, and the brethren and sisters will say, "you shall not have to report again that we are not observing this splendid law." ¶

As we have heard during this conference, this is a splendid law for the Latter-day Saints, and it has been preached to us now, as we have heard from Brother Lyman, for eighty years, and yet I fear that we are no nearer, perhaps, in observing this law than we were many years ago. To me it is a glorious principle. It is both our temporal salvation and financial. ¶

I attended the fair last Saturday, and saw a great many blessings that the Lord has showered upon us, in our crops and in our herds; we can almost produce everything that we need here in this state -- beautiful fruits and vegetables and everything else that we need. It seems to me that there should not be an excuse for not living well up to the Word of Wisdom. One can always single out a man who is addicted to tobacco. He is not particular about his person, as a general rule. Hence we ought to take heed to this counsel so often received from the brethren and sisters who live in harmony with this law. ¶

I remember Brother Francis M. Lyman came to our stake on one occasion, and said: "Now, Latter-day Saints, come out this afternoon, and I will teach you how to get rich." Well, we had a pretty good turn-out of the people and he told them: "No matter what you make, what you produce, put away 25 cents every day, and you will ¶

see how it will amount up, and you will prosper and the Lord will be with you and bless you." ¶

This has been a prosperous year for the Latter-day Saints. We have enjoyed prosperity, and we have enjoyed the blessings of the Lord generally, and the only way that I can feel satisfied is by remembering the Lord and giving unto him that which belongs to him in tithes and offerings. ¶

I feel grateful for the privilege we enjoy as Latter-day Saints. The spirit of peace, love and union, I pray may be increased among us, that we may have a desire to keep the commandments, and live in harmony with the knowledge we have received and the privileges thai we enjoy. I pray that the Lord will bless us and inspire our minds, that we may live according to these practical principles of the gospel, which is my prayer, and I ask it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶

The anthem "Hosannah" was rendered by the choir. ¶