Northern States Mission Report

(President of the Northern States Mission.) ¶

We are met today in our General Conference, and this particular conference, in the spring of the year, brings to our minds the wonderful experience that the boy Joseph Smith had 101 years ago. As I ponder the glorious revelation that was vouchsafed to him, and look back upon the early days of his ministry, I sometimes wonder if he. in his wildest fancies, in his greatest hopes and ambitions, dreamed that, in the short space of one century, conferences of the Church would be held where there would be in attendance thousands and tens of thousands of its members. To me these gatherings are a testimony that the work is of our heavenly Father, that it has his sanction, and that that which we are doing and striving to do has his hearty approval. He is blessing us and sustaining us in our efforts to do that which he gave to his children, through the Prophet Joseph Smith, at the beginning of the last century. Nowhere in the world is there a gathering of people comparable with these conference meetings held in Salt Lake City today, and for the next two or three days. Nowhere in the world is there such a gathering of men and women giving their all for the great work of the Master. Nowhere on earth will you find the body of men bearing the Priesthood of the living God, that you find here in Zion, on the occasion of these conferences. The power, the influence, and the spirit of these gatherings, are carried into all the world by the men and women, who come here and attend these meetings. ¶

It is a wonderful thing to know that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, and to know that, in this day and age, a mighty work has been begun, and that we, the children of our Father, are active in this great work. ¶

I rejoice with you, my brethren and sisters, in the privilege of being here and bearing my testimony. I am grateful for the opportunity of being as helpful as I can, in the work of the Lord. I trust that in coming together we have done so with one thought only, and that is to strengthen ourselves, to build ourselves up, so that when we go back to our homes, to our wards, to our stakes, to our various activities, we will take with us a stronger testimony, and a firmer determination to do the1 work that God has placed in our hands. We make wonderful claims to the world. In fact, there is no body of religious worshipers making a claim that compares with ours. We stand aloof from all the world, and in our aloofness, we maintain a position that is true or false. If it is true, and we know that it is, we have taken upon ourselves the most tremendous responsibility that any people upon the face of the earth has been called to bear. We declare to the world that with us, in our Church alone, in our organization, is the power of the Priesthood of the living God. We declare to the world that with us alone there rests the right to officiate in the name of Him on high; ¶

and, in this declaration, we place before the world something that, sooner or later, it must acknowledge. Individually there is responsibility. We cannot live careless lives, failing to walk uprightly before our heavenly Father, and, at the same time, hope to convince the world of the great claims we make. We make bold declaration in our articles of faith; yet something plain and understandable. We say to the world: "We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost. We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression. We believe that through the atonement of Christ all mankind may be saved; by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. We believe that these first principles and ordinances are: first, faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ; second, repentance; third, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands, by those who are in authority, to preach the gospel, and administer in the ordinances thereof. We believe in the same organization that existed in the primitive church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, etc. We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, etc. We believe the Bible to be the word of God, as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. We believe all that God has revealed, all that he does now reveal, and we believe that he will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the kingdom of God." ¶

It is that old fashioned religion, which we declare; that religion that God gave in the beginning. It is the plan of salvation to his children. It is the same religion that he has given, time and time again. It is, in fact, the same plan, with the same laws, the same ordinances, the same gifts and blessings, that he gave through his Son, Jesus Christ, when he was here fulfilling his earthly mission. We believe these things, and we declare them to the world. We go forth, giving our time, our means, and sacrificing, that the world may know them. Then, brethren and sisters, with this belief, there rests upon us the responsibility of living so that the world by our lives, and by our fruits, will see that we really do believe the things that we declare, and not only say that we do. Our responsibility is of the greatest, individually and collectively, and we will stand before the judgment seat of our heavenly Father, and we will be judged according to that which we will do. We will be judged according to that which we know. When the time comes that we will be called to stand before the great "white throne," "the books" will be opened, and righteous judgment will be meted out. We will be called to answer for the degree in which we have fulfilled our mission, and done our duty here on the earth. ¶

Your sons and your daughters, your boys and your girls, are going into the world by the hundreds and by the thousands. They are ¶

declaring this message. They are working hard. They are sacrificing, they are meeting opposition, they are taking the revilings, and the scoffs, and the scorn of the world. Why? Because they know that this thing is true. Are you, my brethren, and sisters, supporting them? Are you back of them with your faith and prayers? Are you sending them words of encouragement? If you are not, you are not doing your part in bearing the responsibility. Are you criticising the priesthood? Are you, in your homes, speaking evil of the men who are called to preside in your ward, in your stake, or in the Church at large? Are you sharing with these men, in the mission field, fully their responsibility? If you are not, then there is room for improvement, and" you will be called to answer before the throne of our Father, when the time comes that you shall be judged. I testify to you that, this being a divine work, we dare not do anything, or say anything that will retard its onward progress. It is the work of our heavenly Father, who is God Jesus Christ is his son, and, in this age, he has raised up a prophet to do a great and mighty work, and to you and to me has come the duty of sharing the responsibility of the work. Let us bear it. Let us sustain the authorities of the Church. Let us magnify every calling that comes to us, and live our religion in the home, so that when our boy or our girl goes into the mission field, he or she will go from a home where God has been served, and where his religion has been lived. Then when our boy, on a mission, writes letters home and bears testimony of the joy he has in his labors, our own joy will be greater, and we will feel fully comforted for the sacrifice we make for him, and for the Church. ¶

My brethren and sisters, it is a wonderful thing to hold membership in the Church, and to bear the Priesthood of the living God. Can you conceive of anything more glorious? Why, we may die tomorrow. We will all be called some day; this may be our last. Are our lives right? Have we ordered them and lived them so that if our call should come, we are ready? Can we say we have done our duty? ¶

I rejoice in this privilege of meeting with you. I rejoice in the men that God has placed over us to lead us in this work. I sustain and support them with my whole heart and soul. They are the choicest men of this world today. Their hearts and souls are in this work. Let us be loyal, let us be true; let us remember that this is God's work, and that it will triumph. If we hold fast, we will triumph with it. If we fall aside, we will not be greatly missed, and the Church will go on just the same, but the day will come that we will feel keenly our loss. ¶

May God bless us and preserve us; may he prosper us; may his work roll on; may this great Latter-day gospel be preached to all the world, that no man can say that he has not heard that Jesus is the Christ, and that God has spoken from the heavens, and begun again his mighty work here upon the earth. My testimony is that the gospel is true, that the missionary work will go forward, that mankind will be warned, and that upon you and me rests a responsibility to do our part in bringing to pass God's purposes. May we do our part nobly and well, that we may be worthy of the choice blessings of our Father. God bless you. Amen. ¶