I Am Thankful To My Heavenly Father For...

I am thankful to my Heavenly Father for the privilege of attending this remarkable conference, for to me it has been a most remarkable one in so many ways. The instructions given, the testimonies borne, the interest shown by the thousands attending each session, and no doubt other thousands listening in by radio, must be most gratifying to all who are interested in the welfare and growth of God's Latter-day work. ¶

WORK NECESSARY FOR PROGRESS OF CHURCH ¶

I pray that what I may say at this time will be acceptable to our Heavenly Father and will inspire in the hearts of the saints a greater determination to serve God, keep his commandments, and work, work, work, to bring about God's great plan as revealed to his Prophet, Joseph, in this the last dispensation, the dispensation of the fulness of times. The lazy, the indolent have little place in carrying forward God's plans. This is so in this age, and has been from the beginning, and will continue to be so until the end. The growth of the Church has not been accomplished by the idler, the fault-finder, the whiner, the mentally or physically unclean, but by the industrious, the faithful, the unselfish, the defenders of its principles, be they poor, well-to-do or wealthy. The gospel of Jesus Christ enters into the every-day life of every one of its adherents. ¶

I often read Solomon's exhortation to the study of wisdom against idleness and things hateful to God. I will read you one statement made by him touching the question of idleness, and it is as true today as when uttered by Solomon: ¶

"Go to the ant, thou sluggard ; consider her ways, and be wise : "Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, ¶

"Provideth her meat in the summer and gathereth her food in the harvest. "How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? ¶

"Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep ; "So shall thy poverty come as one that traveleth, and thy want as an armed man." ¶

For years on the front cover of the "Juvenile Instructor" there appeared these words : "There is no excellence without labor." ¶

The necessity and advantages of work have been stressed in all ages of the world, and I call to mind a revelation given through Joseph Smith, the Prophet, on February 9, 1831, in the presence of twelve elders, and I find in that revelation, Section 42, Paragraph 42, the following: "Thou shalt not be idle, for he that is idle shall not eat the bread nor wear the garments of the laborer." ¶

life's master word ¶

In an address by Dr. William Osler, to a group of young physicians, he made this statement on "Life's Master Word" : ¶

"Though a little one, the master-word looms large in meaning. It is the opening to every portal, the great equalizer in the world, the true philosopher's stone which transmutes all base metal of humanity into gold. The stupid man among you it will make bright, the bright man brilliant, the brilliant student steady. With the magic word in your heart all things are possible, and without it all study is vanity and vexation. The miracles of life are with it ; the blind see by touch, the deaf hear with eyes, the dumb speak with fingers. To the youth it brings hope, to the middle-aged confidence, to the aged repose. True balm of hurt, in its presence the heart of the sorrowful, is lightened and consoled. It is directly responsible for all advances in medicine during the past twenty-five centuries. With it Virchow smote the rock, and the waters of progress gushed out; while in the hands of Pasteur it proved a very talisman, to open to us a new heaven in medicine and a new earth in surgery. Not only has it been the touchstone of progress, but it is the measure of success in everyday life. Not a man before you but is beholden to it for his position here. And, the master-word is WORK, — a little one, as I have said, but fraught with momentous sequences if you can but write it on the tablets of your hearts and bind it upon your foreheads." ¶

Dr. Osler's forceful statement is wonderfully exemplified in the labors and activities of all great pioneers in all ages of the world that we have record of. There are thousands of them, but none greater than those whose lives were dedicated to our Heavenly Father's work and steadfastly lived, labored, and, in many cases became martyrs in its defense. ¶

PAUL, THE WORKER ¶

Consider Paul, the worker. He, by his strenuous activity, his zeal, his industry, must have impressed the people of his age that work or labor was honorable, that it occupies the place it richly deserves. Paul did not consider work a means of making a living, but as an opportunity of making a life. Paul preferred a laborious life to one of ease and pleasure. As all super-men, he rendered a service to mankind. He learned in his later years that work was the real secret of accomplishment, and further, that accomplishment was the real secret of happiness. Having a knowledge of these facts, Paul was able to say: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day." ¶

These were the words of Paul, the militant apostle, after suffering opposition, discouragement, imprisonment, threats of death — still he could tell the world in modesty, but convincingly, that he had met his task squarely and finished it thoroughly. ¶

HEZEKIAH A MAN OF ACTION ¶

I call to mind another remarkable character in the Bible, of whom it is said, "And in every work that he began, he did it with all his heart and prospered." His accomplishments were ordinary — simply one of that age performing his daily tasks unnoticed, but when a problem that he alone could solve came to him, he was aroused by divine enthusiasm. The real object of life was made manifest to him. It was a time for action, courage, determination. His decision would make or mar his career. "Forward" was the word, and Hezekiah obeyed. Life and all he possessed were at stake. He now realized that dreams meant nothing until they became realities. Hezekiah from that moment had no time for making excuses, no time to complain, no time to count the cost. His task was God's call, and it must and shall be accomplished. ¶

Notwithstanding that almost unsurmountable difficulties crossed his path, he never wavered in his determination to accomplish the work. No matter what happened, he had his work to do. Nothing could swerve him from it — he had learned the lesson that "There is no excellence without labor." He had not time to envy the success of others. He had a vocation to master. He had found his place. He believed implicitly in hard work. It is no wonder he never experienced drudgery, discontent, dissatisfaction. ¶

The characters of Paul and Hezekiah were just the opposite from that of the unfaithful servant who went away and hid his talent in the earth. In the latter case excuses were submitted for honest effort, no doubt whining because he was not forging ahead, always waiting for somebody to help him, ever watching the clock or listening for the whistle to blow, imagining that his pathway was strewn with difficulties and joining in the chorus of the army of failures and wails, "I've never had a chance ; there's no use trying." ¶

Too many people are quitters. They are always looking for bargains, discounts, short-cuts to success, rather than facing life's problems squarely. Some are good starters, but poor finishers. Edgar A. Guest expresses the tragedy of many a life as follows: ¶

"How do you tackle your work each day? ¶

Are you scared of the job you find? Do you grapple the task that comes your way ¶

With a confident, easy mind ? Do you stand right up to the work ahead. ¶

Or fearfully pause to view it? Do you start to toil with a sense of dread, ¶

Or feel that you're going to do it?" ¶

THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF A PROPHET ¶

I now call to mind a more modern servant of God, one chosen by our Heavenly Father to open this gospel dispensation. See what he accomplished through direct instructions and assistance from our Heavenly Father and his Son, Jesus Christ, as well as other ordained personages, having the authority to confer upon him the necessary powers to organize again the Church of Jesus Christ with all of its powers, authority and blessings, enjoyed by the Church over which the Savior presided during his mortal life. I refer to the Prophet Joseph Smith. Let me recite to you some of the things the Prophet Joseph Smith accomplished before he was thirty-nine years of age. ¶

He had seen the Father and the Son, and had held eight conversations with the Prophet Moroni. He had received the Aaronic priesthood from John the Baptist and the Melchizedek priesthood from the apostles, Peter, James, and John. He had translated the Book of Mormon by the power of God, and had had it printed and in circulation among the people of the nation. Joseph Smith had organized the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by instruction from heaven, and had received a number of revelations from God. He had received the keys from Elijah, turning the hearts of the children to the fathers, and from Moses he had received the keys of the gathering. He had communicated with Elias, who committed to him the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, and had planned two temples, one at Kirtland and one at Nauvoo. Before he was twenty-five years of age he had received nearly two hundred revelations from God and had translated the Book of Abraham from rolls of papyrus written by Abraham himself while he was in Egypt, which came from the catacombs of Egypt. He had received revelations and visions of the writings of Moses as contained in the Pearl of Great Price giving, among other things, a minute account of the rebellion in heaven and of the creation. ¶

THE NEED OF PERSEVERANCE ¶

What is needed by the saints today is more of that particular brand of perseverance which makes one unable to rest while important things are half accomplished, and urges him to keep up the pace until the course is run. We must be more than average workers. We must do something more than average work. "My son," said Bob Burdette, "you have to work. Whether you handle pick or wheelbarrow or a set of books, digging ditches or editing a newspaper, ringing an auction bell or writing funny things, you must work. Don't be afraid of killing yourself by over-working on the sunny side of thirty. Men die sometimes, but it is because they quit at nine p. m. and don't go home until two a. m. It's the intervals that kill, my son. * * * Take off your coat and make dust in the world. The busier you are, the less harm you are apt to get into, the sweeter will be your sleep, the brighter your holidays, and the better satisfied the whole world will be with you." "Keep your boys busy," said Brigham Young, "even if you have to have them dig a hole and fill it up again." Remember, "an idle brain is the devil's workshop." ¶

When a boy, Kipling accompanied his father on a sea voyage. The father was lying on his bed when a frightened sailor rushed to his door crying, "Your son ! Your son !" The frightened father sprang, to his feet exclaiming, "What is the matter?" "He has climbed out on the foreyard and if he lets go he will be drowned." "Oh, is that all ?" replied Kipling, Sr., as he lay down again. "He won't let go." ¶

I call to mind a statement of Alexander Hamilton, one of America's most brilliant statesmen, as follows: "People called me talented, but all the talent I have is the ability for hard work, and through that has come all the success I have ever attained." ¶

Robert Louis Stevenson upon one occasion said, "I know what pleasure is, for I have done good work." ¶

We all remember the inspired words of M. D. Babcock, when she said: ¶

"We are not here to play, to dream, to drift; We have hard work to do, and loads to lift : Shun not the struggle ; face it ; 'tis God's gift." ¶

This gospel shall be preached to every kindred, tongue and people, and God is fast preparing the way for its accomplishment. We are living in the last dispensation — the beginning of the end. Give us wisdom and strength, O Father, that we may work for its advancement and not weary. ¶

I know that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of the living God ; that Joseph Smith was called of God and under divine instruction organized the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This Church will never be destroyed nor given to another people. Father, we thank thee for this conference; sanctify all that has been said and done to the advancement of thy Church and its mission on earth, I ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶