Remarks

One of the main reasons that we all so thoroughly enjoyed the chorus to which we have just listened is because of the almost perfect harmony of the voices. Not a discord did we hear. And I pray that the same harmony may continue in our midst during the time I shall stand before you; and to the end that this harmony may exist, and we may each be in tune with the Spirit of God, I trust that each one present will offer up silently a prayer that we may receive a message that will be of benefit to us. We are God's children. He lives; he is in very deed our Father. He loves us. He has a message for us because of his love. And I do pray, and I have continued to pray in my heart since President Grant announced this morning that I was to be one of the speakers, that I may be instrumental in the hands of our Father in saying something that will be of value to us. ¶

I am grateful for my membership in this Church. I am grateful for the association of such men as our leaders. I am grateful for the association of you, my brethren and sisters, and for your loyalty to the Church. I am grateful for the loyalty of this Church to the Constitution of this great country of ours. And if there is one truth more than another that I should like to emphasize this afternoon, it is the necessity for this loyalty. An undivided and an unselfish loyalty is essential to success in any line; I do not care whether it is in a religious line, civic line, in business, or what not; to succeed one must be loyal. And I say again, I am thankful for the loyalty of the so-called "Mormon" people, to the laws of this country. ¶

I often like to contemplate in connection with this theme of obedience, of loyalty, the experience of Samuel and Saul -- Samuel the humble prophet of the Lord; Saul the great general, large in stature, we are told, broad-minded, a big man. Saul, as king of Israel, was called and told through the humble prophet, Samuel, to go into the cities of the Amalekites and destroy them -- not to spare any. Saul gathered his armies together and in obedience to that command went among the Amalekites, but he did not carry out the instructions of the humble prophet entirely. He spared the king, Agag, and some of the fat cattle and sheep. "Why," he thought, "of course, the prophet told me to destroy everything, but he does not know the conditions that exist here; if he did, perhaps he would not have told me to destroy everything. Why not spare these fat animals and take them back; offer sacrifices; make a showing?" ¶

When the word came to Samuel the prophet, he was sad, we are told, and went out to meet Saul on the return of the victorious armies; and he asked Saul what it meant, this lowing of cattle and bleating of sheep. "Why," Saul said, "I brought them back to offer sacrifice to the Lord." And, O those wonderful words that Samuel gave utterance to, "Obedience is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams!" ¶

There are Sauls in our midst today, perhaps, who think that in the wards they know more than the bishops. "The bishop is only a boy, only a young man. Others are here full of experience. They know better than the bishop what the ward needs." No; you do not, brethren or sisters. The bishop, no matter how young he is, no matter how inexperienced he is, has been called and set apart by the authorities of God, our heavenly Father. It is our duty to give those in authority, whether bishop, president of the Relief Society, or Primary, the superintendent of the Sunday school, or the Young Men, or what not -- it is our duty to give that officer undivided and unselfish loyalty, if we wish to succeed in this Church. ¶

In the history of the Church, from the beginning, this truth is well illustrated. There were those in the days of the Prophet who knew more than he did. were better educated, had more experience, and were not in a position to give that undivided cooperation that was essential. And what became of them? So it was in the days of President Brigham Young. There were those who knew more than he did; he is not the man for the presidency of the Church, they said. But what happened to them? You can go on through the history of the Church. It is full of examples of those who were not big enough -- I say big enough, to give undivided and unselfish loyalty. ¶

To be loyal is the only safe course to pursue. What is true of the individual is true of the community, is true of the nation. We are told in one of our Articles of Faith that we believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law. There are some among us, I am sorry to say, who seem to be wavering at the present time with reference to honoring, obeying, and sustaining certain laws. "It is alright," they say, as one of the brethren quoted from President Grant, "to sustain those laws when they do not come in conflict with our business or with our appetites; otherwise they are not good for us!" ¶

I am thankful, I repeat again, for the loyalty of the "Mormon" people in sustaining the prohibition law, and I am sorry that some, apparently, from what they say and from their actions, are wavering. Let us, as a people, be loyal in support of those laws. They are constitutional, have been so declared. And it is the safe course, as far as the people of this Church are concerned, to honor, sustain, and obey those laws, whether we like them or not. And I want to tell you that it is the safe course for this nation to follow. When individuals or a community or a nation select only those laws that suit them, and obey them and break those other laws, they are in a dangerous position. When a constitutional amendment prohibiting slavery was passed, there were those who were not ready to sustain and uphold that amendment, just as there are those now who are not ready and willing to uphold and sustain the Constitution of the United States. The Volstead act is a part now of the Constitution of this nation, and is so declared by a large majority of the people of this great nation, and it is the duty of this nation to uphold and honor and sustain the Constitution. ¶

God help us, brethren and sisters, to be loyal, to be true, that we may succeed as individuals, as a community, and as a nation, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶