I Am Deeply Grateful, My Brethren and Sisters

I am deeply grateful, my brethren and sisters, that the Lord has so blessed me in this life that I am counted worthy to stand in this pulpit and speak to the Latter-day Saints in general conference, but I am more grateful that he has blessed me with a testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which has been restored to us in these days, through Joseph Smith the Prophet and those who have followed him. I feel particularly grateful that my fathers heard the sound of the gospel and were thrilled by it, inspired by it, to come to Zion. I am glad for the privilege of being recognized as worthy of representing our people in Idaho. I shall be very glad to carry back to them, if the Lord will give me his Spirit, the messages of this conference. I have been thrilled by the inspiration that has come to us. I remarked, at the close of the first session of this conference, and the instructions of the brethren in regard to keeping sacred the laws of the land and of being true and faithful and full of integrity, that the statements made impressed me very much, and I believe that the instruction is needed to be given to the people in Idaho, the Latter-day Saints who live there as much as it is to the people throughout all the world. I believe that our brethren are inspired. One of the problems of my life has been to understand how it is that the Lord can prompt the thinking of men and inspire them so that they can say his mind and will, so that they can give his words instead of giving the product of their own thinking. It became a question at one time in my life how to exercise faith, what attitude to take. What is the proper attitude that a person must be in, in order that he can be inspired, and that he can hear the voice of the Lord and speak his words to the people? ¶

I realized, as a boy, that it was necessary for one to receive something by direct contact ; that is, for his mind to be guided in such a way that he was not speaking of himself. I afterwards learned through some of the experiences which I had that if a person will have perfect faith and trust and confidence in the Lord, that if he will believe with his whole heart that the Lord will guide and direct him in what he says, he is bound to go forth and do the best he can, and the Lord will see that he makes no mistake in judgment when he is acting in the performance of the duties of his calling. This is my faith and my confidence in the Lord, that he will guide and direct. I do not believe that the judgment of man or the wisdom of man is sufficient to perform the duties of the priesthood in this Church. I believe that it is not possible for men to know what is most needful for the people ; but I believe, my brethren and sisters, that if in humble prayer and thankfulness they approach the Lord, that he will guide them. I have perfect confidence that that has been the case in this conference. May the Lord bless us and help us to accept it in that spirit, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. ¶