My Brethren and Sisters: As I Stood Before

My brethren and sisters: As I stood before this conference six months ago, after having been called to preside over the Eastern states mission, I had very little conception of the influence which that mission would have upon my life. In the East we have some thirty-four million people to approach, or seventy or eighty times as many as there are in this state. We have only a comparatively few missionaries to do the work. I went through that mission with Brother Ballard, of the Twelve. He was there with me for twenty-three days. He spoke every day. He made thirty-six talks in the twenty-three days that he was with us, and the wonderful results that came from those meetings, each of which was attended by a great many investigators, are simply marvelous. He was with us in June, and possibly a few days in July. During the months of July and August ninety-nine new converts were baptized into the Church of Christ. We have not been able to keep it up in September. I have just received a telegram to the effect that we had only twenty-one baptisms during September, sixteen of whom were converts. ¶

I feel thankful to the Lord that we had a member of the Twelve with us in that great mission. I am also certain that we do not understand the Eastern states. I know that I did not. I had been in New York not less than twice every year for twenty or twenty-five years, but I did not understand it. There is more distinct evidence of prejudice against the Latter-day Saints in the Eastern states than anywhere else that I can conceive of. We cannot get at them, comparatively speaking. It is difficult in a city of eight or nine millions of people to reach a great many, but we go from door to door and we are reaching some of them. If some of the authorities could stay in the larger cities and communities in the East, from Vermont and New Hampshire down to West Virginia — all of the states lying along the Atlantic coast belonging to the Eastern states mission — if they could stay there a little more and not just go there on a short trip, but do as Brother Ballard did (some of the other apostles no doubt have done the same), and realize the possibilities of that mission, I believe that a whole lot of good could be done. ¶

So far as our missionaries are concerned, I must confess that I did not believe it possible that young men and women whom I knew who went into the Eastern states or any other mission, with the limited knowledge and experience they possessed, could obtain the strength of testimony that they do. But I say to you that 95 per cent of the missionaries who are in the Eastern states sincerely believe all that they tell about the Book of Mormon and about the "Mormon" religion. They have become thoroughly aroused to the fact that they are engaged in the service of God. So far as I know, not a single one of our missionaries is sick. They are all anxious to work, and it is their greatest desire to stay fully two years in the mission. A lady missionary whom I released a little before her time was up, telegraphed me the other day that she would like to find out what was the matter, she wanted to stay her full time. I wired back to her and explained why she should be released. But that is the spirit, and that is the good feeling that there is in the Eastern states mission. ¶

I am very much more gratified today about being called as a missionary in the Church of Christ than I was six months ago. I was rather fearful that the many other things I had done in my lifetime were so different from going into the missionary field, that my attention would be distracted from the work that ought to be done; but the Lord has been with me and I feel that there is not any other thing that interests me in the least so long as I am in New York and doing this work. I have traveled all over the mission now. I have been over ¶

two-thirds of the mission the second time and expect to spend all of my time in getting around among the Saints. Let me say to you here that I am not trying to preach the gospel to the Saints. The missionaries, your boys and girls, are doing that. I cannot preach very much. I say a few words at the end of the meeting, but after such meetings I sit down with the missionary elders and sisters, and we hold a two or three hours' meeting. We do not get up on our feet and talk to one another, but we sit around the table and discuss the situation. I think we have all come to the conclusion that we are all serving the same Master, that we have but one thing to do and that is to see that more people get a knowledge of the truth. I have taken the elders away from the Saints, very largely. I think that they are needed to preach the gospel to those who have not heard it. I have said to the local priesthood in the branches, you take care of the Saints and let the elders preach the gospel. We have had remarkable success in a majority of the branches. I hope to have more success. I hope that we may have a still better year this year than last. Last year was the banner year of the mission. There were two hundred and nineteen converts last year. In the first nine months we baptized one hundred and eighty-three new converts, and we will do better than last year before this year is ended. We are paying comparatively more tithing in the East than you are at home. We are doing wonderful things with the people that are living there. So, no doubt, are all other missionaries. ¶

I feel grateful for the privilege of laboring in the mission. Let me just ask you one thing. There are hundreds of you who have relatives and friends in the East or in other missions. Why don't you write to the elder who presides in the mission where your friend lives, and say to him: "I have a friend, Mr. John A. Jones, living in such a street and such a town ?" and we will ascertain the rest. We will approach them right. We will not try to convert them, we will just go and call on them and try to continue calling on them until we get them interested in the gospel. But we would like to have you help us to the extent of giving us the addresses. Merely John A. Jones, New York, doesn't mean a thing. We have tried it, and can't do a thing with them. But give us John A. Jones, 212 Olive street, New York, and they will be visited. We need you, we are relying upon you. The more than eighty missionaries who are laboring in the Eastern states are the ones who are telling them about the gospel of Christ, as you are living it, and we hope that there may be some success come from their efforts. ¶

I testify to you, as I have done to the people in the East, that the gospel of Christ has been restored. That was an old story with me. I am more than ever confirmed in it, and I proclaim it to the people with whom I come in contact. God bless the Saints at home. It is gratifying to have an opportunity to stand before them occasionally and tell them what we are doing, because that is really what is interesting. ¶

God bless you all is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. ¶