Western States Mission Report

Sincerely do I pray for the spirit of this occasion. Like my brethren, who have spoken, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for I realize it is the power of God unto salvation unto all those who obey it. I have felt all my life that I need make no apology for my religion. We have nothing to be ashamed of and court the fullest and freest investigation of all its principles and practices. The world, with all its strife, turmoil, bitterness and confusion, needs the gospel of Christ to bring peace again to the earth, and I am happy to play my little part in testifying to the restoration of that gospel, in this dispensation, through the instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph Smith. I have felt in my heart of hearts that we have a definite message for the world, and that the world is in need of that message. While Elder Jensen was speaking I remembered the words of Josiah Quincy, who visited the Prophet Joseph Smith just forty-four days prior to his martyrdom at Carthage, Illinois, and published in his Figures of the Past, this: ¶

"It is by no means improbable that some future text book, for the use of generations yet unborn, will contain a question something like this: What historical American of the 19th century has exerted the most powerful influence upon the destiny of his countrymen? It is by no means impossible that the answer to that interrogatory may be thus written; Joseph Smith, the 'Mormon' Prophet. And the reply, absurd as it doubtless seems to most men now living, may be an obvious commonplace to their descendants. History abounds in surprises and paradoxes quite as startling as this. The man who established a religion in this age of free debate, who was, and is today, accepted by hundreds of thousands as a direct emissary from the Most High -- 'Such a rare human being is not to be disposed of by pelting his memory with unsavory epithets. Fanatic, impostor, charlatan, he may have been, but those hard names, furnish no solution to the problems he presents to us. Fanatics and impostors are living and dying every day, and their memory ¶

is buried with them; but the wonderful influence which this founder of religion exerted and still exerts, throws him into relief before us, not as a rogue to be criminated, but as a phenomenon to be explained. The vital questions Americans are asking one another today have to do with this man and with what he has left us." ¶

Such a text book has not yet been written, but the vital questions the world is asking today, have to do with this thing called "Mormonism." It is becoming a real nightmare to some of them, but the vile epithets they hurl are hurting it not at all. Its power and influence are being extended in every part of the land, thinking men and women are listening to the testimony of the servants of God, a knowledge of its great truths is coming into their lives, and some of the very best among them are yielding obedience to its principles. The promise made by the Redeemer of the world to those who accept the gospel and obey its teachings, namely: ¶

"My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself." John 7:16-17; ¶

is being realized. They are sure it is true, and that it is the power of God unto salvation. I was reading, a few days ago, an article that appeared in the Denver Post, one of the leading newspapers of the western states, entitled, "The Churches Have Failed to Find the True God," "Religion Has Succeeded in Creating Everything but Real Deity." Alfred W. Martin, associate leader of the Society of Ethical Culture, addressing a New York audience, according to the New York World, has this to say: ¶

"The spectacle of leading representatives of Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and the rest, each claiming that his religion will be the religion of the future, makes the claim, ridiculous and absurd. No less absurd would be the claim that the ethical movement, with its inadequate name and its deepest religious issues not yet fully worked out, will hold the future. Rather is the ethical movement an instrument for finding a satisfying religion. In the search for it the movement originated forty-five years ago, and it is still searching. The most that can rightly be claimed for it is that it will make important contributions to the religion of the future, notably by its doctrine of morality. A futile and thankless task it would be to attempt a description of the religion of the future. Of this much, however, we may feel certain, namely, that the religion of the future will not be either the Ethical Culture Movement as we know it today, nor any of the existing religions." ¶

I do not know if Mr. Martin is acquainted with the Church of Jesus Christ, commonly called "Mormon," but I want to bear testimony that this is the one Church that will hold the future, with its adequate name, "The Church of Jesus Christ," with all its fundamental and deepest religious issues, principles, and doctrines fully worked out by its author, Jesus of Nazareth, and stated in definite, positive, concrete terms by the Prophet Joseph Smith, the leaders of the Church, and the elders ¶

who are promulgating its truths in the world; and is the one gospel that removes doubt, fear and anxiety, and brings the satisfying feeling of peace, joy and contentment to the soul. I am happy to know we are not classed, as a rule, among the so-called Christian churches; that we are not apostate from the Catholic church, nor a product of the great reformation. Our bitterest enemies and severest critics have never accused us of coming from either source. We stand out in bold relief before the world, as the one church claiming to be the Church of Jesus Christ, and of receiving our authority and appointment to preach the gospel from the Foundation of all Truth. Resurrected beings having visited the earth and conferred upon Joseph Smith the holy Priesthood, which gave him the right to organize the Church of Christ in the earth, which he did, April 6, 1830. I want to leave my testimony with you that the church of the future will be the Church organized by the Prophet Joseph Smith, in the dispensation in which we live, and that it will go forward in power and might until, it shall accomplish its mission and destiny in the earth. That mission and destiny is to preach the gospel of repentance and bear witness of the life and ministry of the Son of God. ¶

I want to read another item that appeared in the same paper on the same day. It is from Rabbi Louis J. Kopal, of Buffalo, New York, speaking of the mockery of present-day religion, he said: ¶

''The mockery of present-day religion is the pathetic feat that we seem not to be profiting from the experiences of the centuries, that we seem not to heed the lesson of how and why religion failed to prevent the world war, but rather are slumping back into the smug and fruitless religious life of pre-war days. The war evidenced the fact that religion had succeeded in creating everything but God. All the peoples of the earth have sought to find God, but they have each and every one failed. The way of the Jew has failed, the way of the Christian has failed, the way of the Catholic has failed, the way of the Protestant has failed. They have failed and failed ignobly, and the moral maelstrom, the spiritual chaos, the social reactionism of the moment is the child of their creation. Because religion has proved itself to have created everything but the reality of God in life. Religion will fail again unless God becomes to us more than a name, an idea, a fetish, a prayer, a Cathedral, a Church or Synagogue. ¶

"Let us prove our sincerity by closing our Churches and Synagogues and Cathedrals until we are ready to make our practice consistent with our profession. Such sincerity may bring a religion that is real. Sincerity will remove the shallow sham, the menacing mockery of present day religion, and bring God to America." ¶

That is a terrible arraignment of the religious world, but it is in keeping with the words of the master to the Prophet Joseph Smith, in the woods of New York, when the boy was told to join none of the existing sects; that they had a form of Godliness, but denied the power thereof; taught for doctrines the commandments of men; draw near with their lips while their hearts were far from him. Why have the churches failed to find God, and to make him a part of their lives? It is because they have created their own gods, made their own ¶

deities instead of worshiping the God of the Bible. To all of them he is incomprehensible, unfathomable, unintelligible, and to thinking people it is no mystery why the Jew, the Catholic, the Christian and Protestant have failed to find him. ¶

The Latter-day Saints have a definite and positive message for the world on this subject, declaring unto the world that the God of the Bible is a personal being, we ourselves being fashioned in his image: that Christ was God, manifest in the flesh, the exact counterpart of his Father, both of them being intelligible and in a measure at least, understandable. The people of the earth will continue their search without success until they are willing to acknowledge the great truth expressed in the first revelation given to Joseph Smith, in the personal appearance of the Father and the Son. Then it was that God came to America, and I say to you, my brethren and sisters, in the face of the statements I have read from the learned gentlemen, both of whom are prominent in the religious world, there is need of the elders of the Church of Christ in every part of the earth to proclaim the God of heaven, and testify to the divine mission of his Son, Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified for the sins of the world. They have the same commission as the disciples of old, and bear witness of the great plan of redemption wrought out on Calvary by the Redeemer of the world for the salvation of the human family. From one end of our mission to the other, the elders are faithful in bearing witness to these things, and to the restoration of the gospel, through the Prophet Joseph Smith, in this day and age of the world. They are not afraid to lay down the gauntlet and declare unto men and women everywhere, that if they will accept the truth, yield obedience to the gospel, repent of their sins and be baptized by immersion for the remission of their sins, they shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. This witness of God will manifest that we speak not of ourselves, that the doctrines are not ours, but his that sent us. It will reveal unto them the truth of all things, and by it they may come to know God and his Son, Jesus Christ. i ¶

The world at large is without this great gift, they deny its power, not believing in present-day revelation. Paul, the apostle, writing to the Corinthian saints declared unto them: ¶

"Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." (I Cor. 12:3.) ¶

The Savior himself declared to the people in his day, in the wonderful prayer recorded in St. John 17: ¶

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." ¶

Since all the peoples of the world have sought to find God, it is ¶

really interesting to discover in his word how we may come to a knowledge of him and his Son; and since a knowledge of them is necessary, if we obtain eternal life, and we can only obtain that knowledge by and through the revelations of the Holy Ghost, it is absolutely essential that men and women be in possession of this gift of God. They can receive it only upon obedience to the fundamentals of the gospel, and in no other way. ¶

I rejoice that these truths have become a part of our lives, that God is more to us than a name, an idea, a prayer, or a church, and that we are in no way responsible for the menacing mockery of present-day religions. ¶

I pray that God will be with us as his children, that we may have power to live the principles of the gospel, be consistent with our profession, exemplary in our conduct, that in reality we may be the salt of the earth, the leaven that will leaven the whole lump, putting our light upon a hill, where it can be seen, and not under a bushel -- that others seeing our good works may be led to glorify the God of heaven. ¶

I testify to you in the name of the Master that I know, as I know I live, that this work in which we are engaged is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, that it was restored to earth through the instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph Smith, that it will fill its mission and destiny in the earth, and that no power under high heaven can stay its progress. God hath spoken it, and he will not be mocked. It will go forward until it shall fill the whole earth; men and women in every clime will recognize in it the truth of heaven. I pray that the peace of our Father may be with you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶