Remarks by Serge F. Ballif

My beloved brethren and sisters, I can assure you that my heart and soul have been touched to their very depths with the things we have heard during this conference. ¶

We are here assembled in answer to prayer one hundred years ago, when that boy prophet went into the woods and called upon God. I want to testify to you, my brethren and sisters, that I know beyond all question of doubt that God the Father and Jesus the Redeemer of the world appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith and spoke to him in distinct and clear tones in answer to his question: "Which of all the religions in the world is correct?" The answer came, without a doubt : "They are all wrong," and these words resound throughout the ends of the earth today — that all the other Christian denominations are wrong; they are founded upon a false foundation. ¶

I rejoiced in our first session of this splendid conference, when I heard our president relate the experiences of the past six months, when he told of his dedicating the temple at Cardston. He also related his attendance at a conference in Rotterdam. It was my pleasure to be in attendance at that conference, and at that time I said that I never before had felt the Spirit of the Lord in such power manifested as it was at that time. It was also my good pleasure to be called by the president to attend the conference at Bradford, in England, to which he has made reference, and there again we heard some wonderful testimonies which made an impression upon my soul, which never can be eradicated. I also had the pleasure of accompanying our president through Germany, through Norway, Sweden, and Denmark ; and I also had the pleasure of once being in a room with him at one o'clock in the morning. He called me in, and he took a newspaper and read from it in the light of the midnight ¶

sun. And I have thought: O, what a joy it would have been to me could I have attended that service at Cardston — the dedication of that temple. We have heard that a number of the leading authorities of the Church were present and men from all parts of the Church gathered at that most wonderful gathering. There were the presidency, the prophet who holds the keys, the only man upon the earth who holds the keys and the powers to commune with God for the good and for the advancement of his people here upon the earth. Those keys were conferred upon him when he met there to dedicate that temple. There were not alone these men, living here in the flesh, but I have felt, deep down in my soul, that that great man, our prophet and president, Joseph F. Smith, the great leader Brigham Young, and the Prophet Joseph Smith were present in spirit. Why? Because they are not alone interested in the work of the living here upon the earth, but they know the conditions on the other side, they know that there are thousands who are waiting for the ordinances that will be performed in that sacred temple. The doors will be unlocked and they will be made free through its ordinances. It must have been a grand and glorious vision and sight to see. ¶

In speaking of the services to which President Roberts has referred, this morning, at the Hill Cumorah, I thought when our president said that the prayer offered on that occasion was not recorded, that we are making history today for the unborn generations, and a servant of the Lord, under the inspiration of God, uttered a prayer inspired of Almighty God, and oh, what a joy it would be for generations to come to be able to read that divine instrument. I know, although I did not see the Angel Moroni when he appeared to the Prophet Joseph, that beyond all question of doubt, he did deliver those sacred records to the boy prophet, Joseph Smith. I received a testimony of this before I was born. My mother received the gospel in her native land, and when she passed through the shadows of death to bring me into this world she sealed upon me a testimony of the divinity of the gospel of Jesus Christ. ¶

I rejoice with you, my brethren and sisters, in this great work. If the president will just permit me to do so, I would like to read something. In my meditation after the first session of the conference, these words came to me : ¶

O, stop and tell me, Red Man, Who are you, why you roam, And how you get your living; Have you no God, no home? ¶

With stature straight and portly, And decked in native pride, With feathers, paints and brooches, He willingly replied: ¶

"I once was pleasant Ephraim, ¶

When Jacob for me prayed; But oh, how blessings vanish, ¶

When man from God has strayed ! ¶

O, my brethren and .sisters, those words resound in my soul ! O, now unhappy, how unfortunate is man when he is left unto himself and the Spirit of God is withdrawn from him! ¶

"Before your nation knew us. ¶

Some thousand moons ago, Our fathers fell in darkness, ¶

And wandered to and fro. ¶

'"And long they lived by hunting ¶

Instead of works and arts, And so our race has dwindled ¶

To idle Indian hearts. ¶

''Yet hope within us lingers, ¶

As if the Spirit spoke, He'll come for your redemption, ¶

And break your Gentile yoke. ¶

"And all your captive brothers ¶

From every clime shall come, And quit their savage customs, To live with God at home. ¶

"Then joy will fill your bosoms, And blessings crown our days, ¶

To live in pure religion, ¶

And sing our Maker's praise." ¶

I want to say a word, my brethren and sisters, about the Swiss and German mission. I believe that it is one of the greatest missions in all the world. I believe that the blood of Israel is found in rich abundance in those lands. There are ninety millions of people in Germany, Austria, Hungary, Poland, and the borders of Russia. It has been my pleasure to travel over that land and. I want to say that God has touched the hearts of those people ; he has prepared them ; they have gone through the burning siege of persecution; they have suffered ; and I want to say that the poor people in Germany today are suffering, they are going through an ordeal that few people in the world have gone through. The rich are growing richer; but the poor, honest people, many of them, I fear, will be hungering before another year passes by. I am in touch with President Tadje, of the Swiss and German mission, a good, faithful servant of the Lord. In that mission we have thirteen conferences, and he is visiting them. He has been in very poor health for a short time, but today his health is restored and he is traveling among those conferences and increasing the numbers, and the great thing that he needs today is help. The people are ready, they are waiting for the gospel. Oh, if we could just go through that land — the borders of Russia and all through that country! Those people are impregnated with the blood of Israel. They are waiting for the message, and we are living in the last dispensation, the dispensation of the fulness of times, when God has spoken, and he has called us, and our mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, to warn the world and establish his ' kingdom here upon the earth. Oh, my brethren, let us help these people! They are hungering and thirsting, they are traveling from sea to sea and hunting for the word of God. ¶

I want to say just a few words about our missionaries. Those boys over there are working with all the might and strength and power they have. God qualifies and fits them for their mission. The Lord transforms them when they come into the mission field as humble elders, faithful and true to their covenants. I want to endorse the remarks of President Roberts. I know through experience, beyond the question of doubt, that the best way to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ is the way that our Maker, the lowly Master, without a place to lay his head, proclaimed his mission among his children I am convinced that if your sons will go into the mission field, depending upon God and not upon their pocket-books, 1 promise you that the Lord will come to them, he will come to their rescue : he will bless them and provide them with food and with every necessity of life. ¶

The other day I met a person here in the city and he said : "Well, it is a mighty nice thing to go out on a mission and draw a big salary and have a good time, like you have." ¶

I want to testify to you that this is not a Church with a hired ministry. I have been in the mission-field in 1890, 1904 and 1920. I have spent twelve years of my life in the mission field, and I never have received one penny of salary, not one penny. The Lord has blessed me. He has raised up friends to minister to my wants, and I want it understood, absolutely, so far as I know, .so far' as f am concerned, there is no paid ministry in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But, on the contrary, when a man goes into the mission field depending upon the Lord, he will bless him and raise up friends and give him money and clothing, all that he needs. I know it, I demonstrated it in this last mission. We had many elders there who went from month to month, depending upon the Lord to take care of them. I hope Brother Stoff is here in this house — one of our missionaries who depended upon the Lord. At one time he was called to go several hundred miles. He hadn't a penny in his pocket, and he said : How can I go and attend that conference ? He did not ask me, but he went direct to the Lord, and the Lord knew his condition, and he prayed to him: "O Father, I am called to fill a mission; open the ¶

way for me." Two days passed by and no answer came to his prayer. The third day he started out. He said : I am going if I have to walk. He met a man, as he left the building, who said : "Where are you going?" ¶

"I am going to a conference." ¶

He put his hand in his pocket and gave him. I think, two hundred marks. It was not very much, but it was more than enough to pay his way. How did that happen? Was that a chance? Was that luck? No, there is no such thing as chance and luck. The Lord sent that man in answer to his prayer and he administered to his wants and made it possible for him to go and attend that conference. Give the Lord a chance and he will bless his servants. This is his work, and! he has set his hand to accomplish it here in the earth. God bless you. Amen. ¶