Remarks

My brethren and sisters, it is the greatest event of my life to be called upon to stand here before you and bear my testimony to the work of the Lord, as I have taken part in it in the different parts of the world where I have been called to labor. I feel very timid and humble today, in facing this great audience, for I have not been accustomed to meeting with so many people at one time, but I do feel very grateful to the Lord for the splendid opportunity we have had of meeting in this conference and of listening to the testimonies of those who have been chosen to lead this people. ¶

I have been out in the land of Australia for about four years at this time, and three years some time back, laboring with an excellent ¶

people, a people who have many of the virtues and good qualities that are found among the races in the different parts of the world. They are principally from the British Isles, having gone over to Australia, a very fruitful land, a land capable of supporting many millions of the world's inhabitants; but it has not been consecrated, seemingly, by the Lord. I was listening to the testimonies of Brother Roberts and Brother McMurrin today, in explanation of the work which is being done on this continent, and of the testimony that had been given of the consecration of this land in the early days by the prophets, inspired of the Lord, and of how these prophecies have come to pass and been fulfilled, and I thought of the land of Australia. It seems that that land has no great destiny for the children of men. ¶

There are no traditions about its early inhabitants. When Captain Cook discovered the land he found there a dark-skinned race of people. They were estranged to all other races, it seems, resembling, to some extent, the African, but yet not like them. They were different from any of the other races that he found upon the South Pacific islands, and he considered the land at that time was not inhabitable for the white man. It lay in that condition for many years, until England took charge of it, and that country began to send over their offenders to that part of the world, political transgressors. Men and women who were not in favor, altogether, of the royalty of the English government were sent over, and left in the country of Australia. It is a great continent and is as large as the United States. Our work there is greatly divided. The nearest conference we have to Sidney, the headquarters, is six hundred miles, and the farthest one away is three thousand miles, so that we have to travel six thousand miles to visit the conference in West Australia. We have about eleven hundred members of the Church in that land divided into six conferences, including the Island of Tasmania. ¶

This great country has only a population of about seven million people. It is capable of supporting twice that many, but for some reason the people are not going there. The government of Australia is doing everything it can to induce men to come there, but they will not come in sufficient numbers; while this country of America is doing everything it can to stop them from coming here. So we observe the great difference. Australia is a fruitful land, and one where conditions are better than they are in nearly any other part of the world, but the country cannot get population sufficient to supply the demands, while America, crowded with people to some extent, cannot keep them out. ¶

Brethren and sisters, the words and the blessings of the prophets are sure to come to pass. I was thinking of the blessings which prevailed at the time when Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau. You remember how Jacob bought Esau's birthright, and in order that he might attain to the blessings, he had to deceive his father, Isaac, but he deceived ¶

him and obtained the blessing, and that blessing came to pass. Again, when Jacob was blessing Ephraim and Manasseh, he crossed his hands when blessing those two sons, and while Joseph tried to remove his father's right hand and place it on the head of Manasseh, Jacob said, "No." All of these blessings came to pass, and while some of us think that it was not altogether fair that Jacob should obtain the blessing, yet it was pronounced upon his head by the prophet, a man authorized of God, and sent of God, and it came to pass. And so it was with Jacob when he blessed the sons of Joseph. He blessed them that they should inhabit this great land that we are in, and the Lord has sanctified it by his prophets; and so we find it today the best land, a land where everyone wishes to come, a land where everyone desires to remain, a land where those who have lived here and go away always wish to return again — in fulfilment of the prophecies which have been made and the blessings which have been given by God. ¶

We find that the land of Australia has no great destiny, and because of that, perhaps, the people of the world are not going there. But there is a great people living there, a people who are susceptible to the gospel, a people, however, whose minds have been poisoned against the truth by the stories which are circulated, and by the falsehoods which have been told; but whenever we have opportunity to remove these falsehoods, to show the light that God has given to the world and the gospel plan, and to get men to investigate our message, we have found friends. They do not always receive the gospel. You know it requires quite an effort to receive this gospel, because one has 'to give up a few things of the world; but we have a great many friends in Australia, and the government is friendly towards us. ¶

We undertook to erect a Church there a little over a year and ahalf ago. When we began building, the ministers of the neighborhood in which we were going to locate the Church were very much alarmed, and they got up a huge petition among the people of the neighborhood and the ministers all over the city of Melbourne, a city of a million inhabitants, against the "Mormon"people erecting a Church in Melbourne; and so an investigation was entered into by the government. They called upon us to furnish the evidence of what we intended to do when we had that temple as they called it, erected, for they think that the Latter-day Saints do not build anything but temples. Of course, we had to produce the evidence of what we believed in, and what would take place at this building after we had succeeded in erecting it, and as a result we presented the gospel before the government of Australia, and we preached the gospel to them. They read our gospel publications, they read the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Articles of Faith, and some scientific works by some of our leaders, and those who have written the message of truth to the world in this day; and as a result they told us to go ahead ¶

and build our Church, they did not see any objections whatever. I also had the pleasure of explaining to them the fruits of our gospel wherever our people go. I asked them to investigate what had taken place in Canada where our people had gone and colonized. I asked them to investigate the conditions which prevailed at one time when the "Mormon"people lived in Mexico. I asked them, the question if it should not be right and proper that we might be able to found such colonies and a people who loved liberty and who lived the laws of good government, and who upheld industry, and who lived a temperate, moral life. I asked them if Australia could be injured by a class of people of that kind, and they said: "We want that class of people." I said: "You will find them among the Latter-day Saints, and if you desire further information, come and learn what our purposes are and what our people are wanting to do for the world." So it was not difficult for them to see our position. I also told them that we had been there for forty years or more preaching the gospel, and that we had brought into their country thousands of pounds of money from our own country, for we all pay our own expenses, and we have never asked Australia for one cent of money. I asked them if there was any other set of ministers in all their land who taught the gospel and paid their own way and brought their money into that country? They said: "Why, from a business standpoint you are the most useful men and the best men we have in the country." And so they told us to go ahead and erect our Church, and we did, and we have erected two others since then, and the Lord is opening the way and removing the prejudice. We have had a hard fight with the picture films. They sent pictures all through that country maligning this people, and we had to meet them, and did meet them and succeeded in removing a great deal of the prejudice. ¶

Time will not permit me to go on further telling you any more at this time, but I pray that the Lord will pour out his Spirit upon this people. I know that he will if we will live the gospel. I know that the prayers of these men who have been called to lead Israel are answered. I have seen it demonstrated many times. The elders that come into the field, upon whose heads the authorities of the Church have laid their hands, have those blessings fulfilled to the very letter, and the Lord is with them; The Lord is inspiring and leading and directing this great work. ¶

Now, brethren and sisters, may the Lord continue to bless us, and bless the world that they may hear the gospel, that the predictions that this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world may soon come to pass; for the time of the end is drawing near. May the youth of Zion arise, and may they hold forth and hold up to the high standard of their noble sires. May we still hold up that great example of righteousness and industry and honesty and fidelity which they demonstrated and which has made this people what they are today, ¶

and made possible this great gathering of this conference, I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. ¶