Remarks by Frank Y. Taylor

I trust the Lord will inspire the few remarks that I may make on this occasion. I was delighted, and my being was thrilled with happiness, in the free and inspirational talk that was given this morning by our President. While listening to the remarks made, in the forenoon session, as well as this afternoon, I felt that I have a duty devolving upon me as the president of a stake of' Zion, to carry this message back to the people in our stake. It is true that only a .small part of the Saints can gather in these conferences. The great mass of the people are at home, and the strength and the efficacy of this work, in this conference, will be felt, I am sure, if the representatives who are gathered here will take the message given, and the spirit thereof, to their respective people at home. I feel that I should call the priesthood of our stake together and in a humble way impress them with the importance and dignity of the messages that we have been listening to, and will listen to, during the sessions of this conference. ¶

I sense very deeply the responsibility that rests upon me as a Latter-day Saint, and when I remember the covenants that I have made ¶

with the Lord, and recognize my membership in this Church, I almost tremble in the fear that I am not measuring' up to that which the Lord expects of me as a member of this Church. ¶

As a high priest in the Church, I should live a life that would be well worthy of imitation by all the people who live in our midst. I would like the high priests in our stake of Zion to cleanse themselves, to purify themselves, and put themselves in harmony with the divine will of our Father in heaven, so that they may enjoy every grace, gift and power pertaining to their high and holy calling in the Church, and stand as watchmen upon the towers of Zion, so that every boy and every girl observing their lives, and things that they do before their fellow men, can see hope and good cheer, and go on and do the things that are pleasing in the sight of God the eternal Father. ¶

I believe the seventies living in our midst should so order their lives that they may enjoy the spirit of that office and calling, and have a desire within their hearts to proclaim the word of the Lord to all who will give heed to their warning voice and the testimony that they have in their hearts. I realize that right in our wards, in our own communities, there are people who. I am sure, are hungering after the word of God. When seventies are called to a holy calling, it appears to me that they should so order their lives that they may always have within their hearts and souls, a burning witness of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, of the mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the work that we are engaged in, and be in the front ranks always in the purity of their lives, in their example, and in delivering the word of the Lord that may come to them to bear off this message, both at home and abroad, and be magnified in the sight of all men in carrying this message. ¶

I would like to see the elders in our midst stand as a home guard, keeping the commandments of God, and ordering their lives so that they also may give hope, courage, and inspiration to their neighbors ; that their neighbors may see in the work of the Lord, and in the lives of those who hold this holy Priesthood, an example that they will feel to follow after, and see in the work of the Lord those things which will convince them of its divinity ; and that the children and the people at home, will see the power, the strength, and the inspiration that emanate from men who hold the Priesthood of God. ¶

I know it is pleasing in the sight of the Lord that men who hold this Priesthood should magnify it for the salvation of the children of men. I hope our boys of the Lesser Priesthood will see in the lives and examples of the elders in the Church, something that they can emulate and follow after, as they witness their acts and their deeds in the Church ; that they may be led to go on and keep the commandments of our eternal Father. I hope that no man who holds the Priesthood will ever be a stumbling block to any boy who has a desire in his heart to keep the commandments of God. ¶

After hearing what I have listened to this day, especially from the President of the Church, I feel that I want to go back to my stake of Zion and try, with all the power that the Lord gives me, to ¶

build up our people in the faith of the Church of Jesus Christ, to have them keep the commandments and do that which is right in the sight of the Lord. ¶

There was reference made here by one of the brethren to our homes. I believe that I need to set my house in order. I believe that the people in this Church need to set their houses in order, and that their homes should be houses of prayer, where the Scripture is read, where the word of God is given, that the boys and girls may grow up under the fear of our Father in heaven, and worship him in our homes. I think that our auxiliary organizations are doing a wonderful work, which is accomplishing great good in the midst of Israel, and yet the Lord expects me, and you, as fathers in this Church, to be responsible for the faith of our boys and girls. I was pleased with the remarks of one of our brethren in speaking of what he termed our "home evening." I think we should return to good old principles again, and have our homes as places of worship, where the Lord may be exalted and his word taught, and the -right example set. I believe that we would not have so many of our boys wandering away from the influence, touch and power of their fathers, if we would gather them close together with us in our homes, more often than we do, and not depend too much upon the Mutuals and upon the Sunday schools and other organizations. The Lord has said that he will hold us responsible for the conduct of our children, and none of us will be held blameless unless we do our full duty along the lines of teaching them the way of the Lord. Our children are more valuable to us than our flocks and our herds, our bank accounts, and the honors of men. No man will be honored before God who neglects his children, and he will hold us responsible as to how we teach and how we are directing them. I feel, furthermore, in regard to our home evenings, that in these gatherings we ought to have worship of God the eternal Father, in view, and they should be occasions when the father can know his boy John, and John may know his father ; where the parents may get up close to their children, so that there shall be such harmony, peace and love, as the Lord intends should exist in our midst. Furthermore, I believe that too many of us send our boys to Mutual, too many of us send our boys and girls to Sunday school, too many of us send our boys and girls to the amusement places, instead of going with them, we do not go to chaperon them, to be in touch with them, and find out what they are doing. In a measure we could give dignity and grace and inspiration to places of this kind if the fathers and mothers would put aside their earthly affairs and mingle more with their loved ones. In the future we should then have, growing up in the Church, glorious and well behaved boys, and beautiful and amenable girls, who would glorify the work of the Lord. May the blessings of our Father in heaven abide with us, that we may accomplish his purposes. May we return to our stakes and wards, carrying to our membership, the message of our inspired leader who stands as the representative of God upon the earth, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶