Remarks by Joseph E. Cardon

I rejoice, my brethren and sisters, in the spirit of this conference, and I feel that its influence will be felt throughout all the stakes of Zion. ¶

This is a glorious work in which we are engaged, and the many opportunities that come to us from time to time should qualify us for the great work that rests upon us as Latter-day Saints. I am often asked, as no doubt many of you are: "What is the best news?" And my answer invariably is: "Zion is growing." I cannot give any better news than this truth ; and I believe my statement is verified in the statistics which were read yesterday by our President. I believe that this work will continue to grow and increase in the earth until it shall have filled its glorious destiny. I believe that today its influence and power is being felt throughout all the civilized nations of the earth. The Lord is raising up great men and women not of our faith who are doing much in spreading the glad tidings of great joy, by bringing down the prejudice of the peoples of the world ; and I am grateful to say that never before in the history of this people was there a better feeling among the children of men than at the present time. I believe that this condition will continue to grow, for the light which came into the world over a hundred years ago has constantly increased and it will do so until its power and its influence shall be felt among the nations of the earth. ¶

I regret to say, however, that there seems to be a tendency on the part of the Christian believing peoples in the world to discredit the divine and holy mission of our blessed Redeemer, and we should be all the more constantly engaged in bearing our testimonies to the people of his divine and glorious mission. We know that he is the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world, and that it is his mission to redeem the world from the Fall, and to bring us back into the presence of God, our eternal Father. ¶

The world sat in darkness prior to the coming of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and his testimony to the world has constantly grown until thousands and hundreds of thousands of people can testify, as he testified, that they know that Jesus Christ, is the Redeemer of the world. The Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost, has borne witness to our souls that this is the condition, that this is the truth, and I hope that this truth will never diminish in the; hearts of the Latter-day Saints. It is my desire that we shall continue to bear this testimony unto the peoples of the world until they, too, shall be brought to a knowledge of the truth. This testimony came to this boy prophet when he went and prayed unto the Lord to show him which of all the religious denominations then extant in the world was the right one ; and as he went and bowed humbly before his heavenly Father, the glorious vision that we have been so imbued with all our lives was presented unto him, and the Father and the Son appeared unto this young boy; and the One pointing to the Other, said : "This is my beloved Son. _Hear him." And then this young boy carrie i on a conversation with these heavenly Beings, and again there was revealed unto the children of men the divine truth of the existence of the Father and the Son and the divine truth of their personality. As we entered into the waters of baptism and had hands laid upon us for the gift of the Holy Ghbst, in the own due time of the Lord, we also were able to testify unto the world that we know that Cod lives and that Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of the world. We have been given that testimony, not by flesh and blood, notwithstanding the devotion and the faith of our parents, but this truth was given unto us by the revelation of Almighty God ¶

through the testimony and witness of the Spirit, who is the witness of the Father and the Son unto the children of men. I am grateful today that I can bear to you, my brethren and sisters, this testimony, for I do know: that God lives and that he is overruling for good the destinies of the children of men, and the events that are transpiring in the world today for the consummation of his glorious purposes. I know that Jesus Christ is in very deed the Only Begotten Son of the Father, and that his mission is divine among the children of men ; and it is my desire that this testimony may increase in my soul all the days of my life and that the Latter-day Saints will never allow to creep into their hearts the spirit that is being manifested today among some of the peoples of the world that Christ was not a divine character, that his mission is not divine ; notwithstanding that, they will testify that he was one of the great characters of the history of the world. ¶

I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of the true and the living God, and that his mission in the world is being felt for good among the children of men. I pray that the spirit of this mission may continue to grow in the world until the people of the world may have a similar testimony to our own. I know that his successors in the presidency of this Church are prophets of the true and the living God, and that they have directed the affairs of this Church as the Lord would have them do ; and they have been sustained in their high and holy callings by the masses of the Latter-day Saints ; and I believe that today a splendid condition exists among the Latter-day Saints. While there is much room for improvement, yet the people's faith is growing and increasing in the stakes of Zion. I pray that this may continue to grow until we shall be able to accomplish the high and holy callings to which we have been called, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶