Remarks

(Presiding Patriarch of the Church) ¶

It is indeed a pleasure and a great privilege to be present here this morning, and to stand before this great audience and bear testimony to the divinity of the work in which we are engaged. I trust that the Spirit of the Lord will direct the few remarks which I may make. ¶

Listening to the revelation which was read by our President this morning, and which was given by the Lord to a kinsman of mine whom the Lord gave responsibility in the early history of the Church in this dispensation, I was touched with the simplicity of the words of our Father to a great grandsire of mine — counsel and advice which is good today for the souls of men. Without referring to the whole revelation I should like to refer to one of the remarkable paragraphs in that important and wonderful revelation. ¶

"Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence." Do you know of any advice or counsel that is not contained in those words? There is one word which may be implied but is not said — no Latter-day Saint can receive the blessings of the Lord without honesty. We must be honest with ourselves, honest with our neighbors, honest with our God, and then we are entitled to his blessings, to the confidence of our neighbors, to the confidence and fellowship of those who are around us. These words of counsel are applicable to all of us as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ¶

In visiting among the people, as it is my privilege, I have discovered that the Lord has been very kind to us as a people. We have struggled through this year which has been and is known to us as one of the dry years, when we have not had sufficient rain and moisture for our needs in many cases; but in the kindness of the Lord conditions have been brought about which have brought us to a very happy condition, for there are none among us who are suffering to the extreme. True there have been many losses, true we have not accomplished all that we might have done; but the Lord has been merciful and I wish to acknowledge his hand, not only in behalf of myself, but in behalf of the people and of the Church, and I praise the Lord in your behalf that He has been mindful of and merciful to us as a people, as individuals and as an organized Church. ¶

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is organized for the last time. It is the kingdom of God that has been set up in the last day never more to be thrown down nor given to another people. It is that organization which was made plain to the great king of Babylon through the instrumentality of the Prophet Daniel; that in the last days the God of heaven should set up a kingdom likened unto a stone cut out of the mountains without hands, that should smite the great beast which the king saw and break it in pieces, and this stone should roll forth and fill the whole earth. The Church of Jesus Christ of ¶

Latter-day Saints is that kingdom of God which has been set up never more to be thrown down nor given to another people. It has not come from men of earthly power or from any earthly or man-made organization. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has neither father nor mother in the earth, for it has not come out of any organization in the earth. It has come in the manner predicted, as a stone cut out of the mountain without hands, for the power, the keys, the authority and all the privileges that come to us to serve in the name of the Lord have come from heaven, through heavenly powers and heavenly messengers. ¶

I bear testimony to you, my brethren and sisters, that I know with all the powers that I have to know, that these heavenly messengers did come to the Prophet Joseph Smith and did restore to the earth all the keys and powers of authority which are in the Church today, and that men are called upon to bear the Holy Priesthood which is the power to officiate in the Church for the Lord, to do his work, to bring about his marvelous work on earth in these the last days. I bear testimony to you, my brethren and sisters, that the power and keys of authority to officiate in the name of the Lord for the salvation of the souls of men both for the living and for the dead are in the Church today. I have seen their marvelous power made manifest. I know that this power rests with the authorities of the Church as they are at present constituted the prophets, apostles, pastors, evangelists, teachers and other men who are called to bear this important responsibility, to bring about the mighty purposes of God in these the last days. I thank the Lord for this testimony. I know it is the truth and I praise the Lord for his kindness and his mercy in bestowing upon his children this plain truth, so that we are not in doubt. We: do not wander in our minds, but we know, like little children, that we have a father, and a mother in heaven, and that we have our loved ones there. We know that if we are true to the teachings, counsels and instructions that are given unto us; that if we are honest and virtuous and faithful, and patient, and diligent, and practice all these other qualities that belong to Latter-day Saints, we shall receive the blessings of the Lord, we shall find that happy clay in the hereafter when we shall be associated with our loved ones, and with the men and women whom God has honored, who have gone before us. Certain powers are in the Church today which, if we are faithful in receiving, will bind us together in families, in the links of brotherhood and fatherhood forever: we will claim a natural relationship, to our fathers and our mothers, and to our brothers and sisters, not for this life only, but for all eternity. These are the keys and the powers and the blessings that will come to us if we will only live worthy lives and be obedient to the teachings and counsels which come to us from our merciful Heavenly Father. ¶

Now brethren and sisters, as a servant of the Lord, in humility I pray God to bless you, and say unto you that he will bless you. He ¶

will continue to bless those whom he has called to preside in this great and important work, from the President of the Church to the least and last one who is or who may be called; whether to labor at home or abroad; for this is God's work and not the work of man or men, and it will roll forth even as Daniel declared when he interpreted the great king's dream that it should in time fill the whole earth. ¶

May God bless you in your homes, may he continue to be mindful of you in your labors, that you may be honest with him in all of the possessions and blessings that came to you, that you may remember the Lord — whether in poverty or wealth, it matters not. The Lord will require only a certain amount from each of us. Let us be true and honest and faithful to the end. I pronounce upon you, my brethren and sisters, and upon the Church, the blessings of the Lord, the blessings of Jesus Christ, for this is his Church, and his blessings will continue with his Church and with his people. I pray that his mercies may continue to attend us, and for his spirit to inspire those who speak and pray and sing, and take other parts in this conference, that we may be encouraged and built up in our faith to return to our homes and abiding places after this conference, inspired and blessed and comforted and sustained to serve God and keep his commandments, and work out his mighty purposes according to his will as it has been made known to us, and may the peace and blessing of the Almighty be upon you all, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶