Condition of the Church

I am indeed delighted to see such a wonderful audience here this morning. It is gratifying to note the interest that has been manifested by the Latter-day Saints in their assembling together, throughout the various stakes of Zion, during the past six months, in fact, during the past year, in their houses of worship, to render thanks to the Lord for his goodness and mercy to them, and to testify of the blessings they have received. ¶

I have prepared some items that I believe will be of interest to this conference. It has been usual, in the opening address, to give some items regarding the condition of the Church. ¶

INCREASED ATTENDANCE AT SACRAMENT MEETINGS. ¶

Our reports show that there has been an increased attendance at our sacrament meetings and fast meetings, all over the Church. I never listen to the revealed prayers: that came from God, to be used in our sacrament meetings, wherein we, through those who administer the sacrament, express our determination to remember our Lord and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and to express our willingness to obey him and to keep the commandments which he has given us but what I rejoice in the inspiration of Joseph Smith, in translating the Book of Mormon, and giving to us those two wonderful sacramental prayers, those two marvelous covenants that all Latter-day Saints make when they assemble together and partake of the sacrament. I rejoice in knowing that there has been an increase in the attendance at these meetings, and also at our fast meetings, where we are able to testify of the many blessings of God to us as a people. I am grateful to our young people for adopting the slogan that they were in favor of developing spiritual growth by attendance at our sacrament meetings. The attendance has increased, and therefore there has been a spiritual growth. ¶

LOCAL MISSIONARY LABORS. ¶

The missionary work which was outlined in our general Priesthood meeting at the last October Conference, has been successfully conducted in most of the stakes and has been the means of doing a great deal of good. This labor is twice blessed. It blesses him that gives and him that receives. Some of the choicest meetings that I have ¶

been permitted to attend, during the last six months, have been gatherings of those who are engaged in missionary work in the various stakes of Zion; and I rejoice to know that many people who have heard the word of God, through these missionaries, have been baptized into the Church. I believe that in proportion to the amount of labor that has been put forth in the various stakes of Zion, of a missionary character, among those who are in our midst, but who know not the gospel, there have been as many, if not more, baptisms than there have been in the missionary fields throughout the different parts of the world. ¶

TEMPLE WORK. ¶

The work in our temples is progressing very satisfactorily; the attendance has been increased, and the great interest throughout the Church in temple work is very encouraging. We are now having four companies daily in the Salt Lake Temple. I think that it was a very wonderful example of the faith of the Latter-day Saints in temple work, when a fast-day was declared and the people were requested, last September, to make donations to aid in the erection of the temple in Arizona, that over one hundred eighteen thousand dollars was collected without one cent of expense, by donation upon the special fast-day set apart for that purpose. Nothing could more conclusively show the loyalty of the Latter-day Saints to that principle of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, revealed again to the earth, namely, the right and the privilege to perform labors in the holy temples of God for those of our ancestors who have passed beyond the veil than to have upon a single fast day throughout this Church one hundred eighteen thousand dollars contributed by the people for the erection of the Arizona Temple. ¶

TEMPLE BLOCK LABORS. ¶

I wish to commend the splendid missionary work done on the Temple Block, under the direction of the Bureau of Information, together with the free organ recitals which are given to the public. The amount of good done by this excellent labor can hardly be estimated. I have met people who have visited the Temple Block, from Salt Lake City to the Hawaiian Islands, and from Salt Lake City to New York, and to San Francisco, and in Canada and other places, and I know from my conversation with them of the splendid impression that has been made upon their minds by coming in contact with those devoted men and women who are working upon the Temple Block here as missionaries. ¶

CHANGES OF OFFICERS IN STAKES AND MISSIONS. ¶

There has been a slight increase in the payment of fast offerings, although there is still room for much improvement in this matter. Since our last Conference there have been two new Stakes organized -- North Sevier stake, with Moroni Lazenby as president and South Sevier stake, with John E. Magleby president. Since our last Conference, John N. Henrie, President of the Panguitch stake, has passed ¶

away. He was a faithful, diligent president of that stake of Zion. ¶

Since our last Conference the following bishops have passed away: Bishop Herbert Beck, of Centerfield ward, South Sanpete stake; Bishop Godfrey Fuhriman, of Providence First ward, Logan stake; Bishop Walter Roberts, of Sutherland ward, Deseret stake, and Bishop Clyde A. Hammond, of Moab ward, San Juan stake. We extend the blessings of the General Authorities to the families of these our brethren, who have been called from us since our last Conference. ¶

The following changes in stake presidencies have been made since our last Conference: Albert Choules has succeeded Don C. Driggs as President of the Teton stake, William J. Henderson has succeeded the late John N. Henrie, as president of the Panguitch stake. Brother Driggs was released with the love and confidence and blessing of his brethren, as the President of the Teton stake. ¶

In the Netherlands mission, John I. Lillywhite has been appointed president, to succeed John A. Butterworth. Mark Coombs has been appointed as President of the Tonga mission to succeed Willard L. Smith. J. Wiley Sessions has been appointed president of the South African mission to succeed Nicholas G. Smith. I have received a letter from Brother Sessions announcing his arrival in South Africa. Brother Sessions had been trying for nearly a year to get to South Africa, but on account of the obstructions put in the way by officials, who refused to vise passports and to allow him to go there, we have been under the necessity of keeping Brother Nicholas Groesbeck Smith in that mission another year after we felt that he should have been released. Brother Smith has filled a splendid mission in South Africa and will return with the love and blessings of all the authorities of the Church. ¶

VITAL AND EDUCATIONAL STATISTICS. ¶

Seventy-five per cent of the families of the Church in the Stakes of Zion own their homes. The birth rate of the Church is now 38 per 1,000. The death rate is 9 per 1,000. The marriage rate is 15.5 per 1,000. There has been expended for educational purposes $718,497.19. There has been expended for tabernacle, meeting houses and amusement halls, $346,203.17. ¶

MISSIONARY ACTIVITIES. ¶

There has been expended for missionary activities $511,709.97. This does not take into account the amount expended by the individuals who go upon missions, nor the amount that they lose by giving up their employment to go upon missions. This, I am sure, would be more than two million dollars a year, in addition to this half million dollars. So that the Latter-day Saints, as a people, are giving to the world an object lesson, such as I believe no other people upon the face of the earth are giving of their love of God, that first great commandment given to us, and also the second commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves. When we stop to reflect that a handful of people, ¶

numbering in all parts of the world only five hundred thousand men, women, children and babies, that they are expending $2,500,000 a year in time and means to proclaim the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, with no hope of earthly reward, we find an object lesson of the love of our fellows that I believe cannot be matched, in fact I know it cannot be matched, in all the wide world. ¶

HELP FOR THE POOR. ¶

There has been expended for assistance rendered to the poor, $450,000, of which $110,000 was raised during a single fast day for the relief of the sufferers in Europe, in Armenia and other places. There has been expended for Temple purposes $158,715.29. ¶

I received a splendid letter from the Near East Relief Committee, in New York, which I failed to find this morning; but a day or two ago the following letter was received from Herbert L. Gutterson: ¶

"New York City, March 21st, 1921. "Mr. Heber J. Grant, 47 E. South Temple St., Salt Lake City, Utah. ¶

"Dear Mr. Grant: We are in receipt of your letter of the 16th, addressed to Mr. Hoover, which we wish to acknowledge in his behalf. ¶

"The contribution of $68,318.21 from your Church is a most splendid testimonial to the cause, which was the basis for the formation of the European Relief Council." ¶

"Please accept in the name of the European Relief Council as a body, our most sincere, heartfelt thanks for the contribution from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; and we beg that you will express to them this sentiment and gratitude for their co-operation. "With kindest wishes, we are, ¶

"Very sincerely yours, ¶

"Control Committee. ¶

"By Herbert L. Gutterson." ¶

DEATH OF PRESIDENT ANTHON H. LUND. ¶

Since our last Conference we have suffered the sorrow of parting with one of the Presidency of the Church, President Anthon H. Lund, than whom, from the day of his baptism as a boy in Scandinavia, to the day of his death, no more faithful, diligent, energetic, painstaking, conscientious and intelligent worker have I known in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. President Lund was a man beloved by all. I never heard one soul in my life say anything but good of the late President Anthon H. Lund. His ability and capacity were known to all the General Authorities as that of a great and noble and a true man, a Latter-day Saint to the very core. We mourn his loss. But in the providences of the Lord we feel that he will raise up others to assist in the rolling on of this great work. We had here a most wonderful audience at his funeral, the house being crowded to overflowing, thus showing the love and confidence and the respect of the people for President Lund. ¶

CHANGES IN THE FIRST PRESIDENCY. ¶

I believe that in the promotion of Brother Penrose to be First Counselor in the First Presidency after he has labored from the time that he was a boy, nineteen years of age, for ten long years in his native land, proclaiming the gospel, and returned to that land to fulfil three more missions, a total of over twenty years of missionary work, and then labored here at home constantly with pen and tongue to proclaim the gospel; after his having accomplished all this, I feel sure that the Latter-day Saints rejoice in the promotion of this aged man, now in his ninetieth year, to be the First Counselor in the Presidency of the Church. ¶

I believe that the Latter-day Saints generally have approved in their hearts of the selection of Anthony W. Ivins to be my Second Counselor, to become a member of the Presidency of the Church. We have not yet presented these names but they will be presented before the Conference adjourns. ¶

CHOICE OF A NEW APOSTLE. ¶

I am convinced in my own heart that if President Anthon H. Lund had had the privilege of nominating a man to fill the vacancy caused in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, through his death, and through the promotion of Brother Ivins, that he would have named Brother John A. Widtsoe. The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ has gathered from the British Isles and from the Scandinavian countries many thousands upon thousands of honest, energetic, faithful, loyal, true Latter-day Saints. Scandinavia, second only to the British Isles, has furnished great numbers of converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I believe that the Saints generally approve of those who have been called to these positions. I am; convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Presidency and the Apostles, under the inspiration of the Lord, nominated the proper man to fill the vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and I have absolutely no doubt but what the Latter-day Saints will sanction our having set apart and ordained to the Apostleship Brother John A. Widtsoe. ¶

HEARTY RESPONSE TO INSTRUCTIONS AT LAST CONFERENCE. ¶

I rejoice in what I believe has been a response to the speeches made here six months ago. The keynote of our Conference at that time was to obey the commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ, to have in our hearts a love of God, a love of our fellows, to have in our hearts the spirit of forgiveness and of long-suffering, to have in our hearts a desire to do those things that would be pleasing and acceptable to our heavenly Father; and I feel grateful that, during the past six months, there has been a spiritual growth. I believe that there has been a better feeling, that some of the animosities that were existing six months ago, because of political differences, have disappeared, now that men ¶

have had time, figuratively speaking, to "cool off." I would rejoice beyond all the power which God has given me to express my feelings, if the Latter-day Saints could express their opinions in times of political campaigns without animosity, without vindictiveness, that they could simply proclaim those principles in which they believe, without indulging in personalities. ¶

CHANGE OF SENTIMENT FAVORING THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS. ¶

I think that we as a people have very great cause to rejoice in the era of good will and fellowship that is existing today for us as a people, among those not of our faith, in comparison with the conditions that existed some years ago. I do not know of any single thing that has happened in my experience, during the long time that I have been one of the General Authorities of the Church, that has impressed me more profoundly with the change of sentiment towards the latterday Saints than the reception that was accorded to me in December last when I went to Kansas City and delivered a speech upon the accomplishments of "Mormonism." When I reflect upon the fact that in the leading hotel: in that wonderful and progressive city -- (I don't know that all of the people here, in fact I feel sure that perhaps the majority of those here are not aware of the fact that although *that city is only one-half as large as St. Louis, its bank clearings are larger than those of St. Louis, that in some particular items they stand first, in commerce, among all the cities of the United States; and I do not know whether you are aware of the fact that they have one paper there that is conceded to be one of the six leading newspapers of the United States, the Kansas City Star) -- I was permitted to stand up within ten miles of Independence, the place from which the Latter-day Saints were expelled, by an expulsion and exterminating order of the Governor of the State, Governor Boggs, and to proclaim the accomplishments of the Latter-day Saints; to relate the prophecies of Joseph Smith, to give to those men that were there assembled -- over three hundred of the leading influential business men of the city -- the testimony of Josiah Quincy regarding the Prophet Joseph Smith; to repeat to them the great Pioneer hymn, "Come, come, ye Saints;" to relate the hardships, the drivings and the persecutions of the Latter-day Saints and to have that body of representative men receive that address with approval, applaud it in many places, and many of them come to me after the meeting and shake hands and congratulate me upon the address; and to have some of the members of the Board of Directors of that great club -- the Knife and Fork Club of Kansas City -- (which I have been informed is the second greatest dinner club in the United States, the Gridiron of Washington standing first) to have them say that they hoped for a return date so that they could hear more of our people; and then stop to reflect upon the fact that the Prophet and his followers, in the early days, were expelled from ¶

Missouri; that many of them were murdered; that all kinds of crimes were committed upon the people; that their property was confiscated; that we have never received anything for our property that belonged to us in that section, that today some of the valuable country that we traveled over there is the very property that our people owned, (for when you follow up many abstracts of valuable property you will find that the title centers in the bishop of the "Mormon" Church, and only because of lapse of time have people secured a proper title to these lands, and not because it was ever paid for) -- I say to stop and reflect that the drivings and the persecutions of the Latter-day Saints, of which no tongue can tell and no pen can paint the conditions; and then to realize that there is a feeling in that community now, among the people residing in the very place, so to speak, from which President Joseph Smith, the Prophet of the living God, and others were driven out; to be invited to go there and be asked to talk of the accomplishments of "Mormonism," and to have that talk received, with open arms, shows the most wonderful change of sentiment. ¶

A short time ago the editor and publisher of the Coast Banker a paper that has a circulation all over the Twelfth Federal Reserve banking district, asked me to write ah article on the accomplishments of our people. I did not have time to write the article, but I sent him my speech delivered before the Knife and Fork Club, and told him if that would fill the bill, I would be very glad indeed to have him publish it. Of course, I realized it was a very long speech, because I talked pretty rapidly and I talked for fifty-seven minutes, but he published all that I said. He published, besides, an introduction of such a character that I am very proud of it. I thanked him kindly, when I met him, for this introduction to my speech. ¶

Now, I pray the Lord to bless the Latter-day Saints. I pray the Lord that we may remember that same keynote that was given here six months ago -- keep the commandments of the Lord. Why, you know, if we can just remember those first two great things, to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, with all our might, with all our mind, with all our strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves, we are sure to walk in that straight and narrow path that shall lead us to life eternal. God bless you one and all, and all Israel, and all the honest, the world over, is my prayer, and I ask it in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. ¶