I rejoice to have the opportunity of again

I rejoice to have the opportunity of again meeting with the Saints in general conference. I am very grateful for this splendid audience, considering the inclemency of the weather. I most earnestly pray that while we are assembled here together the prayer that has been offered may be answered and we may have a rich outpouring of the Spirit of the Lord, that those who address us, those who offer prayers and those who sing for us may be inspired and blessed of our Heavenly Father. ¶

It has been one of the joys of my life to attend, from my childhood days until the present time, the general conferences of the Church, and to partake of the remarkable and wonderful blessings that have come to us from those who have been called upon to speak. ¶

It is customary at our annual conferences to give some information regarding the condition of the Church financially and otherwise. ¶

MISSIONARY WORK

I rejoice to say that our missionary work all over the world is progressing favorably, and that from every mission we have earnest appeals for more missionaries. The work is very great and we do not have as many laborers as we would like to have, notwithstanding there are more than 2,000 missionaries out in the world today proclaiming the Gospel. ¶

CHURCH EXPENDITURES

The items that I thought would be of special interest to the conference I have prepared: ¶

Stake and Ward Purposes — During the past year the Church has expended more than $1,200,000 for the erection of ward and stake buildings. The people themselves have contributed for this same purpose over $1,000,000. ¶

Had the means been available we could have expended as much more, by responding to all the calls that have come to us for funds with which to construct church edifices. But inasmuch as the tithes of the people have not increased in proportion to the applications for funds (in fact the tithes have increased very little, while the expenditures have increased over $500,000) we have been unable to do all that we should have liked to do. ¶

Up until about twelve years ago no more than $300,000 in any one year was ever contributed by the Church to assist in building meeting houses. ¶

Education — There has been expended more than $900,000 for the construction and operation of Church schools, seminaries, and the two institutes that have been erected. ¶

Missions — For the maintenance and operation of missions and for the erection of places of worship and other buildings in the missions, there has been expended over $900,000. ¶

Charity — The total expenditure for charity rendered by the Church, including disbursements from fast offerings, and assistance rendered by the Relief Societies, is more than $800,000. ¶

Missionary Work — Various wards have assisted the missionaries by contributions of over $100,000, principally for the purpose of sending them to their fields of labor. ¶

More than 2,000 missionaries have been sustained in the mission field at the expense of their families, at an average cost per missionary of at least $40 per month, or $960,000 a year; to say nothing about the value of the missionaries' time, which I am sure would be more than double this amount, as they could earn on an average more than twice their expenses. ¶

SEMINARIES VERSUS CHURCH SCHOOLS

There are today 12,500 students in our seminaries and 3,800 students in our Church schools. It is costing more than twice as much to support the 3,800 students in the Church schools as it is to support the 12,500 students in the seminaries. It costs over ten times as much per capita to give the same amount of religious instruction in our Church schools as is given in our seminaries. ¶

It is only fair to say that the religious instruction given in our seminaries is equally as extensive and as thorough as that given in our Church schools. We have appeals from all over the Church, whereever Church schools are located, that we do not close these institutions. The people in each stake feel that their particular school is the one that ought not to be closed. While we are expending more now and have done so for the past three years than all the tithes paid by the people in the various stakes of Zion from Canada to Mexico, it is an impossibility to further extend our seminary system — which has been greatly expanded in the last three years — and still continue our Church schools. When you stop to reflect that its only costs a little less than one-tenth as much to educate our young people religiously in the seminaries as it does in the Church schools you will realize that we are justified in curtailing our schools and in enlarging our seminaries — when we can give for the same amount as much if not a little more religious education to ten people in a seminary as we can give to one person in a school. We would be delighted if it were possible not only to keep each and every one of our Church schools operating, but to have more of them. I am sure that figuratively speaking it breaks the hearts of the presidency and of each and all of the general authorities of the Church to close any one of the Church schools. We appreciate the wonderful labors that have been accomplished and the wonderful good that has been done in these schools, but we cannot, without facing a deficit, continue to expend three or four times as much money for building meeting houses and Church schools with only a very slight increase in our tithes. ¶

Because of these facts we would like the people to understand that in closing Church schools and opening seminaries we shall be able to give religious instruction to about ten times as many students. ¶

STATISTICAL AND OTHER REPORTS COMPILED FROM THE CHURCH RECORDS FOR THE YEAR 1928

We have at the present time: stakes in Zion, 101; wards, 938; independent branches, 74; dependent branches, 36; total wards and branches in the stakes of Zion, from Canada to Mexico, 1048; missions, 27; mission branches, 813. ¶

CHURCH GROWTH

Children blessed and entered on the records of the Church in the stakes and missions — 19,223 ¶

Children baptized in the stakes and missions — 15,073 ¶

Converts baptized and entered on the records of the stakes and missions — 5,040 ¶

Number of long-term missionaries from Zion December 31, 1928 — 1,941 ¶

Number of short-term missionaries from Zion, December 31, 1928 — 160 ¶

Number of local missionaries — 95 ¶

Total number of missionaries on foreign missions — 2,197 ¶

Number engaged in missionary work in stakes — 838 ¶

Total missionaries — 3,035 ¶

Number of missionaries who received training at the Missionary Home — 929 ¶

Persons recommended to the temples — 51,222 ¶

SOCIAL STATISTICS

Birth rate, 29.9 per thousand. ¶

Marriage rate, 14.7 per thousand. ¶

Death rate, 7.8 per thousand. ¶

Families owning their own homes, 70 per cent. ¶

These figures speak very well for the Church. The first great commandment of the Lord, given to our first parents, was to multiply and replenish the earth. When it comes to the death rate, we have one of the lowest of any people, showing that we must be observing the laws of health — and the laws of health are the laws of God. ¶

I have often said in my public addresses out in the world that when it comes to vital statistics, such as a high birth rate, a low death rate, a low insanity rate, a low divorce rate, in fact all the vital statistics that go to show that a people are a worthy and good people, we are making no apology to any one upon the face of the earth. ¶

CHANGES IN STAKE AND MISSION OFFICERS SINCE OUR LAST CONFERENCE

William H. Richards has been released as president of the Malad stake, and Thomas W. Richards appointed to succeed him. ¶

William T. Jack has been released as president of the Cassia stake, and Charles S. Clark appointed to succeed him. ¶

C. Alvin Orme has been released as president of the Tooele stake, and Alfred L. Hanks appointed to succeed him. ¶

George A. Little has been released as president of the Oquirrh stake, and Harry Edward Sutton appointed to succeed him. ¶

William H. Mendenhall has been released as president of the Bannock stake and M. Ezra Sorensen appointed to succeed him. ¶

All of these brethren who have been released have labored with zeal, with energy and with determination for the advancement of the people in those stakes, and they retire with the love and blessing and confidence of the General Authorities of the Church. ¶

MISSION PRESIDENTS APPOINTED

A. William Lund has been appointed president of the British mission. ¶

Heretofore the British mission has been under the direct jurisdiction of the president of the European mission, he presiding over all of the missions in Europe and also being the actual head of the British mission. There are now two missions, one presided over by Elder John A. Widtsoe, which includes all of the missions in Europe, among them being the British mission, presided over by Brother Lund. We have received very good reports for the brief time since this division took place. ¶

Samuel Martin has been released as president of the South African mission, and Don Mack Dalton appointed to succeed him. ¶

Lorenzo W. Anderson has been released as president of the Norwegian mission, and Hyrum D. Jensen appointed to succeed him. Brother Jensen, I believe, left yesterday for his field of labor. He would have liked very much to be here at this conference, but on account of the early sailing of the steamship, he left yesterday. ¶

Alma G. Burton has been released as president of the Tahitian mission, and George W. Burbidge appointed to succeed him. Brother Burton has not yet left for home. ¶

James H. Moyle has been appointed to succeed Brother Henry H. Rolapp as president of the Eastern States mission. ¶

Miles L. Jones has been appointed president of the East Central States mission, a new mission, which includes a part of the territory heretofore belonging to the Southern States mission, presided over by Brother Charles A. Callis, and the state of West Virginia formerly being a part of the Eastern States mission. ¶

New Ward Organisations — Mount Trumbull ward, St. George stake. ¶

Lincoln ward, Granite stake. ¶

Bishop, who has passed away during the past six months — Frank R. Smith of the Hillspring ward, Alberta stake. ¶

Mission president who has passed away during the past six months — Joseph W. Booth of the Armenian mission. ¶

We regret that the circumstances are such that up to date we have been unable to secure permission to bring the body of Brother Booth home, but we expect to secure permission to do so at some later date. ¶

CHURCH INSTITUTES

Speaking of education in our seminaries, we rejoice in the erection during the past year of an institute at Moscow, Idaho, where the young Latter-day Saints who are attending the University of Idaho can receive education religiously. We rejoice that only last Sunday an institute was dedicated where the young people attending the Agricultural college at Logan can have the opportunity of receiving religious training. ¶

IMPORTANCE OF RELIGIOUS TRAINING

One of the outstanding characters in the United States of America is Honorable James J. Davis, Secretary of Labor. He has this to say regarding religious training: ¶

"Morality needs a religious base. A man can not be truly moral unless he is at the same time deeply religious. * * * ¶

"Men may say what they will, but we shall never have a morality that respects the rights and integrity of others unless our morality has a religious sanction. To put morality on anything but a religious basis is to build on sand. It is religion that gives vision, strength, inspiration, and without it we are nothing. * * * ¶

"I have children of my own, and I want them to grow up into men and women who believe that religion has a genuine message for them, as it has for me. I don't want them to develop into atheists and materialists. If there is no truth in the teachings of religion that have come down to us, of what earthly use would life be? If the world were under the control of blind forces operating without any direction, if there were no plan behind the creation of the world and man, and if after our little span of life here we were to lie down for eternity in a dreamless sleep, then I do not see what inspiration life would have for any of us. * * * ¶

"It is the plants we prize that need our care. So it is with the young. Nobody needs to train his son to be vicious. Let him go without training, and he will be that of his own accord. But virtue has to be cultivated, and we can never succeed in that if we let go our hold on religion. ¶

"No nation ever lived and prospered without a religious faith of some sort. * * * ¶

"No people has ever found a purely intellectual education enough in itself. A man may be ever so highly cultivated and still be a bad citizen. One of the greatest scholars of his day, Lord Bacon, took bribes as a judge on the bench, and eventually found himself a prisoner in the Tower of London. Probably the poet went too far in his indictment, but we see the wit in the judgment he passed on the man, as 'Brightest, wisest, meanest of mankind.' * * * ¶

"As institutions where facts may be learned, our schools are worthy of all praise. But facts are not everything. They are not even the most important things in life. One might pack into his head every fact to be known, and yet never even glimpse the kingdom of truth. ¶

"I would plead for a conception of education large enough to take into itself everything that deepens the human consciousness, that inspires the human soul, and gives one a vision of the eternities. This, a moral education, to use the word in the highest sense, will do. As every historian can show, morals divorced from religion are sorry affairs without any point. But morals not so divorced can rise to the height that religion itself has attained." ¶

STATEMENT BY COOLIDGE

Ex-President Coolidge made the following statements: ¶

"Our doctrine of equality and liberty, and humanity and charity, comes from our belief in the brotherhood of man through the fatherhood of God. The whole foundation of enlightened civilization, in government, in society, and in business, rests on religion. Unless our people are thoroughly instructed in its great truths they are not fitted either to understand our institutions or to provide them with adequate support. For our independent colleges and secondary schools to be neglectful of their responsibilities in this direction is to turn their graduates loose with simply an increased capacity to prey upon each other. Such a dereliction of duty would put in jeopardy the whole fabric of society. For our chartered institutions of learning to turn back to the material and neglect the spiritual would be treason, not only to the cause for which they were founded but to man and to God." ¶

"We cannot remind ourselves too often that our right to be free, the support of our principles of justice, our obligations to each other in our domestic affairs, and our duty to humanity abroad, the confidence in each other necessary to support our social and economic relations, and finally, the fabric of our government itself, all rest on religion. ¶

"Its importance cannot be stressed too often or emphasized too much." ¶

THE VALUE OF THE GOSPEL

I believe that I can say without fear of contradiction that we as a people demonstrate by our actions that our religion is dearer to us and of more actual value than is the religion of any other people in the world to them. Where can you find a people, 2,000 persons of whom are giving their time and their attention without money and without price, laboring to bring others to a knowledge of the Gospel? I am sure that we realize the force of the statement made in that wonderful and remarkable revelation given to David Whitmer and Oliver Cowdery: ¶

"Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God; ¶

"For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him. ¶

"And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance. ¶

"And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth! ¶

"Wherefore, you are called to cry repentance unto this people. ¶

"And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! ¶

"And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me in the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!" ¶

We are bringing many souls unto a knowledge of the Gospel. I rejoice beyond all the power which God has given me to express my feelings, that the Latter-day Saints in every land and in every clime, all over the wide world wherever the Gospel has gone, have been blessed with a testimony, with a knowledge of the divinity of the work in which we are engaged. I never have heard and never expect to hear the song, "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet, to Guide Us in These Latter Days," but what my heart goes out in gratitude to God for choosing that wonderful young man, Joseph Smith, to restore to the earth again the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, the plan of life and salvation. I rejoice that the missionaries who have been going out to proclaim this Gospel for ninety-nine long years have gone out under the inspiration of the living God, that they have declared that which they knew to be true; and that in every nation under heaven where the Gospel has gone, honest men and honest women, in answer to their own prayers and their supplications to God, have been blessed with the light and the knowledge of the Gospel, and of the divinity of the mission of Joseph Smith the prophet. ¶

May God bless us during our assembly here today, and inspire all those who shall speak to us, is my humble prayer and I ask it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶