Welfare Work and Education

I am sure that as good as President Grant is with figures, he would have a difficult problem in trying todetermine how much blood my heart has pumped during this day, and judging from the feeling that came over me when my name was mentioned, the first two seconds, my blood was pumped to a froth. ¶

I remember, a number of years ago while on the train, listening to a discussion between President Lorenzo Snow, President George Q. Cannon and President Joseph F. Smith. They were discussing their missionary experiences and trials that had come to them in their missionary work. To my surprise at that time, they agreed that the hardest thing they had to do was to occupy this position. Having listened to each of them, preach wonderful sermons, I could not understand how this could be, but I can now say that I have lived to appreciate, in a modest way, their feelings, and I believe I have learned that it is a virtue to be desired rather than avoided. For I have discovered that when a man acts in and of himself, in his own strength, he makes mistakes, but when God acts, he makes no mistakes, and He has promised His children that if they humble themselves before Him, His blessings will attend them, and I have found in my short experience nothing that will humble one so effectively as being called to this position. ¶

Merciful and gracious is the Lord, and marvelous is His work. Blessed, indeed, are those of us who have been permitted to take upon us His name, and covenant with Him through the waters of baptism that we are willing to serve Him, that we appreciate the opportunity He has given unto us of again returning into His presence, to enjoy the blessings promised the faithful. While I attended a convention in the East a few years ago, this statement was made: ¶

"Our experience in Europe with the army has taught us that today the people have no love for the old conventional religion. Instead there are selfishness and pettiness. We must do away with the false social distinctions and create a church ideal, fit for our present need, one with social aims worth fighting for, not a mere selfish gospel of safety. Let them lift up the center faiths of the Christian life, let them practice as well as preach fraternity, and draw together in one common cruse." ¶

I want to say to you that in God's Church we have a perfect fraternity. When men learn to live as God would have them live, then are selfishness and pettiness done away with ; but as long as men continue to be selfish and petty, and jealous, then we cannot hope for the perfect Church which God would have. This is a most wonderful work in which we are engaged, and when we learn to obey, when we learn to depend upon God, to take Him at His word, and prepare to receive His blessings, then can we expect the promise. 1 learn a lesson from the stories we read in the Scriptures concerning the preparation of men who have been called to positions of responsibility in this Church and in the Church of God anciently. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Daniel and David, were trained in their youth. They were prepared in their youth, the foundation was laid for the work that would be required of them later in life. The Savior had that experience, and in this day Joseph Smith, in his youth, — having been born of goodly parents, having been taught to have faith in God, finding a difference of opinion in his home, his parents not agreeing as to which church was the church of God, went to the one place where he could reasonably be expected to go to receive the information "he needed. Believing in the Scriptures, having faith, not wavering, he went to God, and having complied with the condition the promise was fulfilled. God the Father and Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, appeared to Him. God the Father, all-powerful, fulfilling His promise, appeared to the boy who, through faith and having complied with the condition, was worthy. But what was the reply when asked which of all the churches was true? "This is my beloved Son, hear Him." God might have answered in further detail but with Him there is order in all things and this was the mission of His Son. ¶

Later, the Angel Moroni, whose mission it was to bring forth the Book of Mormon, which was to open the gate to this, the last dispensation, was sent to counsel, to watch over, to help prepare the boy for the work that he was to do. Later, John the Baptist came to fulfil his mission, it being his right under the direction of Peterjames and John to restore the Aaronic Priesthood, which Priesthood holds the keys of the preparatory gospel, the gospel of faith, repentance and baptism by immersion for the .remission of sins. Then came Peter, James and John who held the right and the power to restore the holy Melchizedek Prieshood, and then the Prophet Elijah who came to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse. ¶

Oh, I thank God that there are in this Church, as President Ivins said, young men who are willing to take upon them the burden of this work, who are willing to labor with all their might for the upbuilding of God's Kingdom on earth, and I know that there are thousands of them in the Church today who can say, as David of old said : "Who is this Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" And then, when ridiculed because oftheir youth, because of their ¶

inexperience, they can answer as he answered : "Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear and took a lamb' out of the flock : and I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth ; and when he arose against me, I caught him by his bearJ. and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear, and this Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God." ¶

Oh, my brethren and sisters, the burden that is resting upon us at this time is that we shall continue to impress upon the hearts of those young men that Spirit, that we shall find work for them to do, that they shall feel the glory and the joy of service, and when we are laboring, as it is expected that we shall labor, when we humble ourselves as it is expected we shall humble ourselves, then will the deacons in this Church be laboring as deacons, assisting the bishops in caring for the meetinghouses, and looking after the poor. Then will those who are ordained to the office of teacher watch over the Church always, and be with and strengthen them, and see that there is no iniquity in the Church, neither hardness with each other, neither lying, backbiting, nor evil speaking; then will those who are ordained to the office of priest be prepared and be willing to preach, teach and expound the principles of the gospel. ¶

We are told that "the field is ripe and ready for harvest." "Wherefore the voice of the Lord is unto the ends of the earth,- that all that will hear may hear. Prepare ye, prepare ye, for that which is to come, for the Lord is nigh, and the anger of the Lord is kindled, and his sword is bathed in heaven, and it shall fall upon the inhabitants of the earth, and the arm of the Lord shall be revealed, and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of His servants ; neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people." ¶

Oh ye that embarked in the service of God, see that ye serve Him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day. God so grant, I numbly pray, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶