The Call to Duty

I have been shivering ever since I left Canada, and I will be glad to get back there, where I can get warm again. I have shivered more since I came into this building than before. ¶

The Lethbridge stake, brethren and sisters, comprises the whole of the north end of the world (laughter.) The southern boundary of the Lethbridge stake is fifteen miles north of the international boundary line, between Canada and the United States. I think the northern boundary of our stake is, perhaps, the southern boundary of South America. We have a very large stake, geographically speaking ; and I believe, if we were able to discover all of our people there, we would have the largest stake in the Church, numerically speaking, because I believe we have in our stake the Ten Tribes. They are up there somewhere, although we haven't found them yet. I received a letter the other day from some member of the Church, asking me to go up into the Peace river country, and organize a branch there. That is about 600 miles north of Lethbridge, and Lethbridge is about 700 miles north of Salt Lake City. We have nine wards and eleven branches in the new stake (Lethbridge), and we have some splendid people. ¶

I rejoice in this great work. I thank the Lord for the opportunity of working in this cause. I have come to/ realize, in the last few years, that men sometimes place high values on things that are not really worth while. Sometimes we are found chasing bubbles. ¶

If you will pardon me, I will refer to a personal experience that I had during the late war. It appealed to me more than anything else I ever had in my life — some things that are really worth while. I had taken a few years in school, in Canada, preparing for military work, at the request of the president of the stake ; and at the outbreak of the war I held a commission in the Canadian army, and it became my duty to put on a uniform, and go and do what little I could during the war. And I had the opportunity of serving, in a weak way, for a little over three years, and during that time I had the opportunity of preaching the gospel of Christ more than I had during my missionary experience in England, some seventeen years ago. And while I was in uniform, I had the oportunity of extending a helping hand to some of our boys. Quite a number of Latter-dav Saint boys went from southern Lethbridge, from our stake there, and some of them did not return. And upon several occasions, while I was in England and France, appeals came to me from some of the boys who had been wounded who were sick in the hospital, asking me to intercede for them with officers higher up to make an appeal, if need be, to His Majesty, the King, asking that they might be returned home while they were convalescing ; asking, perhaps, that they might have leave of absence. And on ¶

several occasions it was my privilege to intercede for the boys and to get favors for them. When in London, one morning, I received a message that some boy wanted to see me in the hospital ; and immediately I thought, here is another boy who would like to return to his mother, who perhaps is asking me to intercede for him with the powers higher up, by reason of the authority that I held as an officer in the army. And as I went in response to that call to the hospital referred to, I believed that I felt just a little pride in my heart because I had the honor of wearing the uniform ; and as I went down to that hospital I believe that my head was working, feeling that I was going in to do a favor to one of my brethren, by virtue of the fact that I held the right to ask for a favor, perhaps, for him from the king. With this feeling I went into the hospital, and -as I was ushered into the little ward where that boy was sick, with a feeble hand he reached out and said, Brother Brown, I sent for you to come and administer to me ; I'm afraid I'm going to die, and I want you to ask God to spare my life that I can return home to my mother. Upon, that occasion it seemed to me my uniform fell from me. All the pride that I had felt in standing in that uniform of the king vanished. And at that moment I was made to realize, that there is an authority, there is a power inestimably greater than any authority or power that can be given by man. And as I laid my hands upon the head of that boy, I interceded for him, not, with the king of England, not with any man, and not by virtue of my authority as an officer in that army. But as I laid my hands upon his head, I said, "In the name of Jesus Christ, and by authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood." ¶

Brethren and sisters, I came to realize that the most valuable thing in this world is the Priesthood of God, the right tot speak and to act in the name of God. And as I stood there, as it were clasping hands with that boy and his Maker, by virtue of the Priesthood that had been given unto me, I forgot any honor that had come to me in tht army. And as I knelt at his bedside, my prayer to God was, that never again in my life would I be found seeking the honors of men, that I would remember that the things that are really worth while in this life come to us through the gospel of Jesu3 Christ. ¶

I thank the Lord for that experience, my brethren and sisters. I bear you my testimony that I know that this work is true. That time, after a vear "over there," when I came and endeavored to raise my voice in defense of this work, I had the joy, the satisfaction, the consolation of testifying to the men of the world, that here in the west there were a people who were living clean lives, who were obeying the commandments of God. ¶

I thank the Lord from the bottom of my heart for the work and' the life of the Prophet Joseph Smith. I thank the Lord for the testimony that I have as to the mission of Brigham Younp". the mission of Lorenzo Snow, of John Taylor, of Wilford Woodruff, of Joseph F'. ¶

Smith ; and I thank the Lord, from the bottom of my heart, for the mission and the life of Heber J. Grant today. I don't want to be classed among the poeple of whom it was said, "You build altars to dead prophets, and you hate the living." I honor today men whom God has called. I pray you, brethren and sisters, to sustain and support these men, for they are ordained of God. ¶

I hope w,e look upon men from a deeper experience, and judge them by that. God looketh upon the heart. He looks into the hearts of these men, and he has honored them, and called them to lead this people. The Lord makes no mistakes. Let us support these men; let us rally round them ; let us let them know that we support them. And let us not be found questioning the wisdom of God in any choice that He makes. Remember what He said to Samuel, when he went down to anoint a king of Israel. When the oldest son of Jesse came up, he said: Why, this is the man; look at him; just a fine looking fellow, he should be king. But the Lord, said Samuel, did not look upon the outward appearance ; God looketh upon the heart. Brethren and sisters, let us remember, let us try to do that. But remember that God alone possesses the perfect power to look into the hearts of men ; and He has chosen these men. May we never be found chasing bubbles. May we get the real value fixed in reference to these men. Let us go for those things that are really worth while in life. ¶

Let us pray God for the spirit of humility and meekness. Let us keep clean, doing the right as God has given us light to see it, and to do your duty. Let us have the courage of our conviction. This work is strong, and it will continue to grow. It must go on. The good ship Zion has set sail, and if any man wishes to jump overboard, he must take the consequence. The good ship will go on. God help us to remember that, and to be true to our covenants, true to the trust that has been given to us, and always found in the line of duty, so that when the call comes, as it came to me on that occasion — the call to duty, we will be worthy and ready to respond. Amen. ¶