I Think, My Brethren and Sisters, That We Are to Be Congratulated

I think, my brethren and sisters, that we are to be congratulated on this blessed Easter Sabbath morn in having the great privilege and honor as servants of the Lord in his Church, to meet together under such favorable circumstances, knowing that the work of the Lord is spreading, increasing and becoming a great power for righteousness and for the well-being of mankind in the world. ¶

I am mindful that I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ; that my parents heard this word gladly from the elders who were delivering the message of Mormonism ; that they received and accepted it with full purpose of heart, and that they remained faithful and devoted to the end. I am proud of this organization, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the great American Church, the Church that had its birth in the land of freedom, where men's minds were permitted to expand, to debate, to question, to tell their thoughts without let or hindrance, and not where the mind of man, as in some of the older counties, had for ages been so "cribbed, cabined and confined" that it was not safe to advance thought or to express opinion freely and frankly. ¶

I am glad that the birthday of the Church, the 6th day of April, is also the birthday of the nation, for on the 6th day of April, 1789, the two houses of Congress met and, in the way that the Constitution then provided, declared George Washington elected as president and John Adams as vice president of the United States. So we are proud that the Church is American-born and does not have to receive any instructions or orders from any foreign power or potentate whatsoever. ¶

"Freedom and reason make us men. ¶

Take these away, what are we then? Mere animals, and just as well ¶

The beasts may think of heaven or hell." ¶

We live in a land of freedom, and a land of liberty, a glorious land. And in these last days the Lord has established his Church upon the earth for the last time. ¶

Many Signs of the Times

How do we know they are the last days? There are many signs of the times by which we may know of this fact. I haven't time to go into all that fully, but just hastily call your attention to the prophecy of Daniel, twelfth chapter, 4th verse. Speaking of the time of the end he said : "Many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased." Now imagine what there was in the way of running to and fro in his day, and all the succeeding centuries down to the last one hundred years when the revelation from Almighty God came to the Prophet Joseph Smith. There were not many running to and fro in the earth in those days. Now, in contrast, how many run to and fro on the earth, on the sea, under the sea, and in a couple of months from now probably half of the people of the United States of America will be on wheels running to and fro all over the country. What a change, what a marvelous change from the slow old movement of even a hundred years ago or less! ¶

Then again, knowledge, he said, would be increased. How wonderfully has that been fulfilled. It was to be increased in the latter times, as distinctive from the former times. We have books by the millions, newspapers, periodicals, magazines, knowledge on every hand. Then look at the last one hundred years, or one hundred eight years, since the first revelation, the great revelation and manifestation came to the Prophet Joseph Smith. Even the railroad was not in existence in 1820. From that time on, how knowledge has been increased on every hand! Inventions by the tens of thousands, going on and on, until we have the marvelous and wonderful radio — my voice going out now on the air. It goes around the world seven times in a second ! So that people in any part of the United States who are within hearing distance of this ether wave, as we call it, will hear my voice as instantly as you hear it in this building. A marvelous and wonderful invention ! It is not because the mind of man is more acute in this age than in any former ages, for the scientists all agree that the mind of man was quite as acute in the days of Abraham and in the days while the Savior was upon the earth as it is now. But those are not the days and times mentioned in the scriptures, which were called the last days and the fulness of times. ¶

Through the Spirit of the Lord

The Lord, through Joel, the prophet, said: "I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh." The Lord has poured out his spirit upon the people everywhere. And his spirit is intelligence. "The glory of God is intelligence." Any man, even an unbeliever, whose mind is operated upon to invent this or the other for the benefit of mankind, is acted upon by that intelligent influence which we name the Spirit of the Lord, whether it is an Edison or any other man. All intelligence comes from God. In other words, light and truth, as our scriptures say. So that these inventions which have been multiplied in a most marvelous manner, have been brought about through the operation of the spirit of the Lord. ¶

In the 14th chapter of the Revelation of St. John, we read of the coming of this latter-day work by the hands of an angelic messenger. John the Apostle, the beloved, banished on the Isle of Patmos for the testimony of Jesus, was then the only one remaining upon the earth, the other disciples by this time having gone to the great beyond. The angel of the Lord told him : "Come up and I will show you things that must come to pass hereafter." What did the angel show him? Marvelous things. Among others was this, which was to come to pass after that time : ¶

"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, ¶

"Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him ; for the hour of his judgment is come." ¶

This was to be in the hour of God's judgment — drawing near to the end, you see — in the days spoken of by Joel and Daniel, when knowledge should be increased and many should run to and fro. In other words, in the last days — the set time in which all things are to be consummated. ¶

This Church Stands Alone

In 1820 there was no divinely organized Church of Jesus Christ, with power and authority of the priesthood, on this earth. The organization of the Church did not take effect until some ten years later — April 6th, 1830. From the time of John the Revelator up to 1820, we affirm, we make the positive declaration, we are convinced in our hearts and souls, for we have had it revealed unto us by the power of the Holy Ghost, that there was no organized Church of Jesus Christ upon the earth, with the authority of the priesthood to take a man down into the water and baptize him, that his sins might be remitted, or to lay hands upon his head and confirm him a member, and confer upon him the gift of the Holy Ghost. So that this Church stands alone with respect to that. ¶

We have no contention against any church or any people. There are many, many thousands of good people in the world, millions of them, indeed, who are faithful believers in their own way. But the Church of Christ as an organization — something through which the Lord operates, by his power and spirit — did not exist until this Church was organized. So that we may say that any other church claiming that authority, claiming the authority to bind on earth and it is bound in heaven, is not recognized by the Lord, for he himself has declared that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is "the only true and living Church upon the face of the whole earth." ¶

Not Founded on Men

I know it is claimed that there has been direct succession from Peter, the great apostle. Peter, the president of the Twelve, the head, the leader, than whom in many respects there was no greater apostle. We honor him. The latchet of his shoes, I would say, I am unworthy to unloose. But he was human. This Church is not built upon Peter. It is not the Church of Joseph Smith, nor the Church of Brigham Young, nor the Church of President Grant. It is not founded on men. It was founded by direct revelation from heaven. Let me read what the Lord said with respect to this: ¶

"When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked the disciples, saying: Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am? ¶

"And they said: Some say that thou art John the Baptist; some, Elias ; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. ¶

"He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? ¶

"And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. ¶

"And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. ¶

"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." ¶

What rock? The rock of revelation; for flesh and blood had not told Peter, but it had been revealed to him that Jesus was the Christ. ¶

"I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven." Of course he did. He was the proper man to give them to, the President of the Twelve. ¶

"And whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven ; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. ¶

"Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. ¶

"From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day." ¶

The Human Peter

Now right here, Peter, the human being, on whom was conferred this great authority, just as today by divine appointment, is conferred that same power, on President Heber J. Grant, the president of this Church, a human being like you and me, and like Peter — right at this point I read: "Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him" (Peter the human being, undertaking to rebuke the Savior!) "saying, Be it far from thee, Lord, this shall not be unto thee." We will not allow these men to take you and kill you — no sir. What was the answer of the Savior? ¶

"But he turned, and said unto Peter : Get thee behind me Satan, thou art an offense unto me : for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."— Matt. 16:13-23. ¶

That was the human Peter, as all men are human. Joseph Smith, great as he was, the forerunner, the man chosen probably before the foundations of this earth were laid to usher in the great and last dispensation of the fulness of times, was human. He was Joseph Smith ; he was not God. This Church is not founded on him any more than on Peter, to whom the Savior had to say : "Get thee behind me, Satan." You don't know what you are talking about, Peter. ¶

So I repeat that the rock upon which this Church is founded is the rock of revelation. What is revelation? If you will turn to your Doctrine and Covenants, in the eighth section, you will find this definition of revelation. The Lord speaks to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery : ¶

The Spirit of Revelation

"Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart. ¶

"Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation; behold, this is the spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground." ¶

Do we have revelations today? Is President Grant guided by revelation? Certainly, just in that kind of way, ready to receive the promptings of the Spirit of the Lord as they shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost. Have we the same power and the same opportunity to receive the spirit of revelation? Certainly we have. Why, every member of this Church, every last one who is living as he should, keeping the commandments of God, receives that testimony, and is thereby founded upon that rock which flesh and blood hath not delivered unto him, but which our Father in heaven has revealed. And upon this rock he builds his Church. ¶

There isn't time to go into further discussion of this matter. I will have to hurry, but I want to read what St. Paul said in his first epistle to the Corinthians (2nd chapter, 1st to 5th verses) in respect to the resurrection of Christ, and I think it fits me and fits every member of the Priesthood, in going out to proclaim the gospel, to stick just to the one great text. ¶

What Paul Said

"When I came to you, I came not with excellency of speech, or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God." ¶

We are not depending so much on excellency of speech, though we are glad to hear it. ¶

"For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. ¶

"And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. ¶

"And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power. ¶

"That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." ¶

That is Mormonism. Stick to the one message — Jesus Christ and him crucified; Joseph Smith receiving the everlasting gospel from angelic beings, as John on the Isle of Patmos declared, coming at the time of the end when all these things are being fulfilled. ¶

Covenants With House of Israel

Just one other citation that I want to give you and then I am through. In the Book of Mormon we have a prophecy of the time of the end. You will find it in the 14th chapter of First Nephi. I haven't the time to read the whole chapter: ¶

"And it came to pass that when the angel had spoken these words, he said unto me : Rememberest thou the covenants of the Father unto the house of Israel ?" — the covenants that had been made unto Abraham not yet fulfilled, but in the way of fulfillment. The time is here, the covenants are being fulfilled. General Allenby, in the World War, marched into Palestine and freed that country from its oppressors, and since then that work has been going on. That is what the angel a thousand years ago asked Nephi in that question : ¶

"Rememberest thou the covenants of the Father unto the house of Israel? I said unto him, Yea. ¶

"And it came to pass that he said unto me: Look, and behold that great and abominable church, which is the mother of abominations, whose foundation is the devil." ¶

I now skip some verses to hurry on. ¶

"And it came to pass that I beheld that the wrath of God was poured out upon the great and abominable church, insomuch that there were wars and rumors of wars among all the nations and kindreds of the earth." ¶

The First World War

Let me call your attention to this fact, that until the World War, all the nations and kindreds of the earth had never been involved in one great war before. ¶

When Columbus discovered America, he found the new world. So prior to that time all the nations and all the kindreds of the earth could not be involved in war together. Since 1492 we have the most accurate history of all the wars, and all the nations and kindreds of the earth were for the first time involved in this great struggle. ¶

"And as there began to be wars and rumors of wars among all the nations which belonged to the mother of abominations the angel spake unto me, saying : Behold, the wrath of God is upon the mother of harlots ; and behold, thou seest all these things — ¶

"And when the day cometh that the wrath of God is poured out upon the mother of harlots, which is the great and abominable church of all the earth, whose foundation is the devil, then, at that day, the work of the Father shall commence, in preparing the way for the fulfilling of his covenants, which he hath made to his people who are of the house of Israel." ¶

Now the question will come : Define that Church. What Church is it? The Lord defines it so you can tell. Find any church that is great, that is abominable, whose foundation is the devil, and upon which the wrath of God is poured out in the last days, and then you have it. I can't define it any other way. ¶

The Lord help us to know, by the power of revelation, that this is his Church, that it is not founded upon Peter or Paul or Joseph or Heber, or any other human being, but only upon the power and authority of the living God, and upon the solid rock of revelation from Almighty God. Amen. ¶