Remarks

"If I were a voice, a persuasive voice, That could travel the whole world through, ¶

I'd fly on the beams of the morning light,. ¶

And speak to men with a gentle might, ¶

And tell them to be true. ¶

"I'd fly, I!d fly, o'er land and sea, Wherever a human heart might be, Telling a tale, or singing a song, In praise of the right, in blame of the wrong." ¶

My brethren and sisters, I feel that such is the spirit of the Latterday Saints. Our mission here upon this earth is to preach righteousness. ¶

Coming as I do from the Maricopa stake of Zion, we may have conditions there that are different from some of other stakes. We have a ward there made up of Indians, or Lamanites, and I want to say something in regard to that people. We find that they are the most faithful Saints that we have. For the last ten or twelve years they have been setting an example to us in many things. A report that we had some time ago from that ward shows that one hundred per cent of the members observe the Word of Wisdom and that for the last ten or twelve years they have done one hundred per cent ward teaching; that they set an example in attendance at sacramental meetings, some coming a great distance, walking several miles to attend their meetings. ¶

A little over a year ago we held a conference with them. These good people are not hypocritical. When we asked them to sustain the bishopric, four of the Lamanite women voted against the bishopric. But when we asked them why, after the meeting, they said they would ¶

like to meet with the stake presidency and tell them why. So we made an appointment with them. They came and they said, it is because the bishopric did not see that the ward teachers did their full duty. The ward teachers went to their homes, and as they saw them out in their fields, they would say, "How are you today?"and if we said we were all right, they would say, "Well, we must be going on, so we can make one hundred per cent." ¶

Then we asked them what they should do? ¶

"Why,"they said, "they should ask us to come into the house, they should sing with us, and pray with us, and then a subject should be assigned to them, and they should treat that subject and tell us something about the gospel, and about Jesus." ¶

We asked them if they would not give the bishopric another chance to make good? ¶

"Why,"they said, "an Indian does not forget, and it is hard for an Indian to forgive." ¶

I showed them the necessity of forgiving the bishopric and giving them another chance. They finally said they would, and so the bishopric, who were there and heard what they had to say, promised this people that they would do good work among them, and that the ward teachers would do their full duty. Later on, these sisters came and reported to us that the bishopric was doing an excellent work. The result of that is that the people have been visited in the Indian ward every month faithfully, not only by the teachers but by the bishopric. Last year we had thirteen converts made in that ward. We feel that it has resulted from the excellent work done by these good sisters who made their report. ¶

We are very much favored in the Maricopa stake of Zion in having the privilege of having a temple built in our midst. The work is progressing nicely. We are going to have a wonderful temple there in that pleasant climate, an excellent place for many of the people in this northern country to go in the winter time and do their temple work. This is going to be a very beautiful building, it will probably be a year before it is entirely completed, but it will be something that the entire Church can be proud of. A great deal of good is being done there at the present time. People are coming from all parts of the world to visit that temple, as it is near the main highway from ocean to ocean, and we have a great many visitors. A great many tourists come to that land in the winter time, and they all desire to visit the temple and see the wonderful work done there. It is a great credit to our Church. ¶

My brethren and sisters, this is a wonderful work and the Lord is at the helm, and he is blessing us greatly. We ought to be the best people in all the world. I want to bear testimony to you that I know that the gospel is true, and that this is the Lord's work, and I pray God to bless each and every one of us, that we may be faithful and true to it, which I ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶