Remarks

My brethren and sisters, I appreciate the honor that has come to me in being invited to address you for just a few moments, and I sense very keenly the responsibility that rests upon me in occupying this most important position, and I realize, that only through the inspiration of our Father in heaven will I be able to say anything that will tend to benefit, comfort, or build us up in our most holy faith. ¶

I bring to you, my brethren and sisters, greetings from the Saints who dwell in Portneuf stake, who live over the border line, that invisible line which marks the geographical division between the State of Utah and Idaho. Possibly I am a stranger to you, my brethren and sisters, but I feel that we are all brethren and sisters in the great work of the Lord, all children of that great Father in heaven, all actuated by that same spirit, the spirit of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. ¶

I have been coming to the conferences of the Church for many years, but never has the greatness, marvelousness, and the wonders of the work appealed to me as they have throughout the various sessions of this wonderful conference, and truly I realize that the Lord indeed is doing a marvelous and a wonderful work. I feel that the work of the Lord has made wonderful growth and progress since its organization, since those early days which our brethren have referred to here so beautifully this afternoon. When we contemplate the numbers that there are today in the membership of the Church, we can then in a sense realize that it is indeed a "marvelous work and a wonder." When we stop to contemplate the fact that there are today, as President Grant announced in his opening address, 1,700 or more of the young men and women of this Church engaged in missionary labors throughout the world, bearing the message of life and salvation to those who sit in darkness, taking to them the glad tidings that God has again made known his mind and will and restored to earth the authority to administer in the ordinances of his gospel. When we contemplate these things we can realize something of the magnitude of the work that has already been, is being, and will be, accomplished, and I feel that the work of the Lord will make still more rapid strides, if we, the membership of the Church ¶

at home, truly live up to the teachings of the gospel, if we ourselves observe to do the commandments that our Father has given to us, if we magnify the duties that membership in the Church brings to us. I believe that if we do that, as our young men and young women go out into the nations of the earth declaring the word, they will have a stronger, a greater force behind them in the lives of their parents at home, in the power of the example that we are setting here, I feel that it is incumbent upon us to live the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is indeed a great and a marvelous work, and we are indeed a peculiar people. ¶

Some of the characteristics of the Church, we may say, too, are peculiar, and one of those characteristics that appeals to me and that I of times think of, is that it means on our part continual service, and work. There is no place, no time, in our lives when we can sit idly by, but we must continue faithfully in the service of our Master to the end, if we would reap the reward of our faith, and eternal lives in the kingdom of our Father. ¶

I feel that throughout the sessions of this great conference we have had some of the most wonderful, inspirational teachings, speaking and counsel, that have ever been given to the Church. The opening address of President Grant, enunciating the doctrine that it is necessary for us to keep the commandments, to live the laws of the gospel, to be faithful continually, brought into my mind the fact that if we would reap the benefits of the gospel, we must keep the commandments. I feel that while we are gaining numerically, making wonderful progress, there is still a greater work, I may call it an invisible work, that is going on throughout the entire world as a result of the restoration of the gospel. I recall that in that opening address of President Grant, he referred to the coming of Elijah and the fact that the spirit of Elijah has been poured out upon all the world. Over the nations of the world, the people everywhere, has come a spirit of gathering the genealogies of their forefathers. They know not why, he said, but they are inspired through the coming into their hearts of the spirit of Elijah, which causes them to do that work. I feel, too, that many other truths of the gospel are being gradually taken up by various religious denominations of the day; the leaven, in other words, is gradually working, leavening the lump. Notwithstanding our attention has been called to the fact that many of the churches are preaching and advocating that Jesus Christ is not the Only Begotten Son of the Father, we bear testimony that he is; for that truth has been revealed anew to us -- an additional evidence has been brought to us, that he is indeed the Son of God in the flesh. But many are denying that, and it seems to be creeping into the hearts of many, yet there are thousands, yea hundreds of thousands who do believe that he is indeed the Son of God and the Savior of the world, and many of them are gradually adopting the truths of the everlasting gospel. ¶

The Word of Wisdom, is a wonderful and great law of life, simple truths of living I oftimes term it, which our Father in heaven so mercifully revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith to guide us in our daily lives that we might be physically strong, that we might be spiritually awake and strong. Those wonderful principles enunciated in that, are being adopted by the scientists and men of wisdom throughout the length and breadth of the earth, and today many of our foremost men of science, men of ability along many lines, are advocating the living of those simple rules of life, the abstaining from strong drink, from tobacco, from tea and from coffee, and from using meat to excess -- adopting those great truths that were made known to the Prophet Joseph Smith in the early history of the Church. So likewise are they adopting many other of the truths of the gospel, and so I feel that, by and by, in the providences of our Father in heaven, that the converts to the Church will be more numerous than they are at the present time. I feel that in the near future they will flock to the standard of Christ by the thousands. And this brings home to us the necessity on our part of living the gospel and teaching our children the wonderful truths of it, that they may grow up in the fear and admonition of the Lord, full of faith and the knowledge of the gospel that they may proclaim its wondrous truths to the nations and be capable and able ministers of the word. ¶

It was a wonderful address we had this morning from Elder Richards, relative to the youth of Israel. I never before listened to such a wonderful discourse upon that particular theme. He handled it so beautifully! It touched my heart. I have always felt, and I feel now, that we owe to our children a good and proper example. The great truth has come into my life, that example goes much farther than precept. O it is easy to talk to them; it is easy to tell them, do this, and do that, but it is a difficult thing, sometimes, to live the principles which we advocate. Our daily lives should be such, that our children can follow in our footsteps. We should live the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by our example teach it to our children. If we would have them observe the Word of Wisdom, I feel that we should observe it. If we would have them honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy, I feel that we should honor the Sabbath day. If we expect them to grow up full of faith and integrity and active in the Church, our lives must be such that they will lead our children into activity. ¶

I was never before so stirred in my life as I was some six months ago with the address of President Grant, when it was published in one of the periodicals. It appealed to me so strongly that I am going to read an extract to you: ¶

This was toward the conclusion of that wonderful address. He says: ¶

"I desire to read just two paragraphs from the prayer given at the dedication of the Alberta temple: ¶

"'We thank thee, O Father, for the knowledge which we possess that thou dost live and that thy Son Jesus Christ is our Redeemer and our Savior, and that thy servant Joseph Smith, Junior, was and is a prophet of the true and the living God. And, O Father, may we ever be true and faithful to the gospel of thy Son, Jesus Christ, revealed through thy son Joseph. We especially pray thee, O Father in heaven, to bless the youth of thy people in Zion and in all the world. Shield them from the adversary and from wicked and designing men. Keep the youth of thy people, O Father, in the straight and the narrow path that leads to thee. Preserve them from the pitfalls and snares that are laid for their feet. O, Father, may our children grow up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord Jesus Christ. Give unto them a testimony of the divinity of this work, as thou hast given it unto us, and preserve them in purity and in the truth.' " ¶

Then he added, " And I say unto you, O fathers in Israel: if you will set an example by being honest before God in the payment of your tithes, if you will observe the Word of Wisdom, if you will observe your family and your secret prayers, God will give you strength to preserve the youth of Zion, as mentioned in this supplication. May the Lord bless us and pour out upon us richly his Holy Spirit during this conference, is my prayer, and I ask it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen." ¶

That which appeals to me in this is that we desire that our children grow up in purity, that they be active men and women in the Church, honorable members of the communities where they live. Here are the words of the living prophet, pointing out to us how we may be successful. Our children are dearer to us than all the world; they are the most precious jewels that our Father in heaven could give us. We love them. We would give our very lives for them, and here are a few simple rules of life for their preservation, if we will but observe these rules, the prophet said we will be successful in rearing our children in purity and deliver them from the pitfalls that constantly beset their paths. If we will observe the law of tithing honestly before God and before our children, if we will faithfully observe our family and secret prayers, and if we will faithfully observe the Word of Wisdom -- the prophet says we shall have power and strength to preserve our children in purity. That is one of the greatest promises that has ever been made to us, and I have faith in it, I believe it, my brethren and sisters, and I want to bear my testimony that if you will keep the commandments of God and observe to do them, you will be successful in the rearing of your children. ¶

In conclusion, I bear testimony to the truth of the great work in which we are engaged. I know that it is of God, that in this day and age of the world he came from heaven to earth and visited the prophet Joseph Smith, and that other messengers came to Joseph under the direction of our Father in heaven, and restored the gospel in all its purity, with all its power, keys, and authority -- all that is necessary for the salvation, and exaltation of all the children of men. ¶

May God bless you, my brethren and sisters. May you appreciate the blessing of membership in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen. ¶