Wonderful Organization -- Integrity of the Constitution

"I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me, Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me, I tremble to know that for me he was crucified, That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died. ¶

"I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine, To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine; That he should extend his great love unto such as I, Sufficient to own, to redeem and to justify. ¶

"I think of his hands, pierced and bleeding to pay the debt; Such mercy, such love and devotion, can I forget? No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy-seat, Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet. ¶

"Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me, ¶

Enough to die for me! ¶

Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!" ¶

Last Wednesday morning I had the great pleasure of speaking to the temple workers, and this song was sung by two of the sisters. Perhaps it was the surroundings, perhaps it was the sweet voices, but I never before heard it when it impressed me so; and I thought to myself how wonderful! how wonderful! And that expression may be made by any member of this Church when contemplating the work of God, beginning with the creation of the world, for it was wonderful. The great plan of the Father, the plan of life and death is all wonderful; and it seems to me that a man must have lost all devotion, all respect for power on earth or in heaven when he takes the position that there is no God, that we come to this earth by chance, that the earth was created by chance, and then that we are here the same as any other life, be it plant or animal. I cannot understand any man whose thoughts run in that channel. ¶

Then how wonderful is the regulation of the universe, causing the seasons to come and go. Mankind can depend upon them, but man has no influence over them; all is directed by a higher Power. ¶

I often think of the organization of the Church; how wonderful it is! It was referred to this morning as being compared with the great German army, when Germany had an army. There is no such comparison, for one is of man, the other of God. One was organized for destruction of life, the other organized for the salvation of men's souls. I feel grateful, my brethren and sisters, for the plan of life and salvation. I never forget to thank my heavenly Father that I was born a member of the Church. I never forget to thank him that that birth came through a mother and a father who have acknowledged him as ¶

the King of kings and Lord of lords, and had a testimony that "Mormonism,"if you please, is his divine Church. I never forget to thank him that I was born under the holy covenant, and I know as I know I live, it has had a great influence upon me in my every walk of life. I care not what it may be, business of any name or nature, things pertaining to the gospel of Jesus Christ, I acknowledge to my heavenly Father that I have been benefited more perhaps than I am entitled to by having been born under the everlasting covenant. ¶

What a wonderful thing is this government of ours! How blessed are we that we live under a form of government such as ours. I am one who believes that there is no other form of government in all the world in which "Mormonism,"so-called, could have been established. The religious liberties granted are necessary for the people to live the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fulness. It required just such a form of government as ours. And when I see, as I think I see, the least move upon the part of men claiming to be citizens of this government to destroy the very foundations upon which it stands, to cut from the Constitution of the United States, that which gives and is the bulwark of our liberty, 1 feel that every man and every woman should lift their voices, if necessary cry aloud, against any such action upon the part of any clique or group of people. I thank God for America. I thank him that I was born under the Stars and Stripes. I thank him for the Constitution of the United States. I thank him for the laws and for the institutions created under the Constitution of the United States; and I shall continue to pray with all the fervor at my command to the overruling God of nations in the world to preserve the Constitution of our country, to preserve our country from those without and from those within: America, the most blessed of all lands in the world. ¶

Brother Ballard just referred to the fact that nearly one-half of all the natural resources of the world are found in our America, held, as I have often said, in the hollow of God's hand for ages, that liberty may be planted here and a free government established, that would be an ensample to all other governments of the earth. When I see that there is the least inclination on the part of any one to destroy even a part of the Constitution of the United States, II shall bitterly oppose it. I have no reference now to the few amendments to the Constitution that have been made, they were incidental to the great document itself, and to the principles upon which it was founded. When it comes to destroying the fundamentals, then action must be taken, and the only action that can be taken, is by the people themselves. Power is in your hands, the power is with the people of the country, and I trust, as I believe with all my soul, that the opposition will never be successful, and the Constitution will remain intact in its fundamentals forever. ¶

My brethren and sisters, of all the blessings that I have received from our heavenly Father, and they are many, and I acknowledge them, there are none so dear to me as the fact that I know that Jesus is ¶

the Christ and that God lives, the fact that I am a member of his Church, that I know it was organized by revelation, that it is a power for good in the world, that if the principles of the gospel were acknowledged and adhered to by the peoples of the world, this world of ours would be a better place for God's children to live in. "Oh, the sweet joy this sentence gives: I know that my Redeemer lives." God bless his work, God bless his people. May our heavenly Father watch over our nation, that it may have a powerful influence with all other nations of the world, making them better places for people to live in. Hasten the day when the gospel shall be preached to all the peoples of the earth. Hasten the day, O Father, when thy work will be understood by the peoples of the world, and the honest in heart, wherever they may be, will acknowledge the truth of the same. God grant it, I ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶