Remarks by Joseph Quinney Jr.

(President of the Canadian Mission) ¶

My dear brethren and sisters. If there was ever a time in my life when I was in need of the power of the Spirit of God it is at present. As I have sat and listened during the sessions of this conference to the many testimonies that have been given by the brethren who have occupied the time, I have been convinced more and more of the greatness of the wonderful institution of which we have become members. I have been convinced more than ever before as I have listened to these testimonies that this great Latter-day work deals with and provides for the material as well as the spiritual salvation of the children of men. ¶

I have had the honor of being called to preside over one of the great missions of the Church. During the last month I have been introduced into the various conferences comprising the Canadian mission, in connection and in company with President Nephi Jensen, who preceded me in this work. He has been generous in his introduction of me into the different branches, to the different elders, to the Saints and to the people of that great dominion. I want to say here that President Jensen and his wife have indeed done a glorious work, have laid a splendid foundation upon which to build in that great country. It has been my privilege to visit nearly all of the missions of the Church in the world, but I believe that I can say without any fear of contradiction that my introduction now into the mission field has brought me in contact with young men and women who are more desirous of promulgating this great and mighty truth, the gospel of Jesus Christ, ¶

in power and in strength to those with whom they come in contact, than any others I have met at any other time of my life. I have found during my lahors among them for this short period of time a most splendid attitude, a fine spirit. ¶

They are actuated by a strong desire of equipping themselves with a knowledge and with a testimony of this great and mighty work, and I feel to praise God, my eternal Father, for the opportunity that has come to me in being worthy of carrying this great message of truth to an unbelieving world, to leave with them my testimony concerning the divinity of this work. I am grateful to God, my eternal Father, that he has permitted me to come in contact with elders who are imbued with the Spirit of our heavenly Father. When I associate with them and witness their dispositions in proclaiming this gospel and their endeavor to have a testimony come to them concerning the divinity of this work, I want to tell you that it is worth all the means, all the money and all the time, that one can give in listening to these young men and women bear their testimony concerning the divinity of this great and mighty work. I have known them, when they have received this testimony, to testify that God lives ; that the fulfilment of the prophecy has taken place that came to John the Revelator while he was upon the Isle of Patmos, namely, that Irs vision was opened, and he made this proclamation in the way of prophecy to the generations of all time, that he saw another angel flying through the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell upon the earth, to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. These young men and women bear this testimony with power and strength that can not be misunderstood, and when they take it with the spirit of humility and prayer into the homes of the honest in heart there comes a joy unspeakable, because it is taken there with that conviction that those who listen to them mistake not, and many there are now who are accepting this humble testimony and the message they have to bring. ¶

My brethren and sisters, to me there is nothing so fine and beautiful as knowing that this is the work of God. There is nothing so beautiful and .so fine as feeling that it is the work of God, and when I read of and hear repeated, time and time again, the visitation of the Angel Moroni to the Prophet Joseph Smith, there comes to me a testimony that there is nothing in the gospel of Christ that is negative, but on the other hand everything is positive. If we analyze carefully each visit that this angel made to the Prophet Joseph Smith we will discover that he was absolutely positive in the message that he delivered to him. The second time that he came to him, we are told that the words were identical with the first message that was delivered to him ; likewise the third message ; all were repeated with the same power, with the same authority, with the same influence, the same glory, that it convinced to that extent the Prophet Joseph Smith that he was to be used as the instrumentality in bringing about the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And it seems to me, as I read and hear these things repeated, that so positive was the angel Moroni in the delivery of this message that he wanted to impress more perfectly upon the mind of this young man the importance of this latter-day work, that he appeared to him again the following day and gave him the exact message that he had given him the night previous with the same power and the same authority that there was no mistaking any message that he did deliver and the purpose of it. repeated, that so positive was the angel Moroni in the delivery of this message that he wanted to impress more perfectly upon the mind of this young man the importance of this latter-day work, that he appeared to him again the following day and gave him the exact message that he had given him the night previous with the same power and the same authority that there was no mistaking any message that he did deliver and the purpose of it. ¶

My hrethren and sisters, I want to bear my testimony today that I know, as I know that I live, that God, my eternal Father, lives and that Jesus Christ is his only begotten Son in the flesh. I stand here as a living manifestation of his great and mighty power. Had it not been for the Priesthood of God it would not have been my privilege to live upon the earth at this time and I feel that there is an obligation resting upon me, as a servant of Almighty God, to leave a testimony wherever I go, wherever the opportunity affords to give it to the children of men; and I know, with just as much certainty as I know that God lives, that Joseph Smith was his prophet, that he was used as the instrumentality of God in establishing this great and mighty work here upon the earth in this day and time, and blessed is he or she who has the opportunity and the privilege of taking this gospel of Jesus Christ into the nations of the earth. ¶

God bless us to the end that we will cherish the testimonies that have been given to us during this conference that we might devote our time and our talent and all that we have in the establishment of God's mighty purposes upon this earth, is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶