Of the First Council of Seventy

Of the First Council of Seventy ¶

The sincere prayer in my heart this moment, my brethren and sisters, is that I may be inspired and directed by the Spirit of the Lord to say something to you that will comfort you if you mourn; to say something that will encourage you if you are discouraged. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart * * * and thy neighbor as thyself." If each individual knows and feels this truth to be fundamental and lives it, much of our energy will be released to develop our gifts and spiritual lives. We will be patient with our neighbor's faults and excuse them as we do our own. We will help him; we will be kind to him; we will be strictly honest in our dealings with him. We will live a life that will be an example to him. ¶

We have this afternoon some distinguished visitors from Denmark, sitting in the congregation. We bid them welcome to these services. They may recall that above the gate of the University of Denmark at Copenhagen, there is a beautiful eagle with out-stretched wings. Underneath the eagle is a Latin inscription which in English reads: "The eagle is looking toward the celestial light." A lovely and inspiring thought for the youth of Denmark. So we too, my friends are looking toward the celestial light; we are humbly striving with you toward perfection. ¶

My life's work has brought me into close contact with the youth; with young men and young women in colleges and universities. They wish to talk honestly about what life has meant so far, and what it may mean. They are young, intelligent, cultured people; but many of them are taking no part in a spiritual development for themselves; nor are they helping others in this regard. They need awakening religiously. They need to be shown the way, the truth, and the life; and then be given an opportunity for intelligent expressional activity. They must be converted and filled with a spirit of influencing their friends and companions and associates. Besides, these young people write to me from all nations and tongues for help and information and spiritual guidance. ¶

I meet on this Temple Block mission the travelers, the tourists, the students, the professional people, the humble individual who is out for pleasure. All are eager to hear the message of Christ's Gospel — the brotherly Christian religion. They all want to know the history, and the religion of this people. Preachers and ministers of all Christian sects hear us and invite us to come to their churches in their cities and speak to their congregations. I have had invitations to speak in many cities in the United States and in Europe, Japan, and India. The people who come to us are impressed with our lives, our ideals, our religion; and they want it explained to their followers. They want us to do for them what Paul did for Timothy, when he said: ¶

"Wherefore, I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. ¶

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. ¶

"Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord; * * * but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; ¶

"Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Jesus Christ before the world began." ¶

We are able to speak plainly with the people of the world. We must proclaim religion as a way of life, rather than a set of ethical mandates. As Latter-day Saints, we are not left in doubt concerning the things that really spell value and that endure. Unfortunately, in the religious controversies of the day, secondary issues have been exalted above primary truths. The Gospel of Jesus Christ has primary truths that must forever and ever regulate human souls unto divine guidance. We cannot very well mistake religion so long as it upbuilds and makes the Christian man. "Righteousness anywhere and everywhere is the paramount sovereign and effectual witness of Christian souls." So on this Temple Block where thousands of people come to visit us, we try to show with love for God and his children that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints upholds the witness that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, and that the priesthood of God has been restored in this day. This cannot help being the inextinguishable light to all nations and people. ¶

As missionaries, we proclaim religion as a way of life, rather than a set of ethical mandates. As Latter-day Saints we are not left in doubt concerning the things that really spell value and endure. Unfortunately, in the religious controversies of today, secondary issues have been exalted above primary truths. The Gospel of Jesus Christ has primary truths that must forever regulate souls unto divine guidance. We cannot very well mistake religion so long as it upbuilds and makes the Christian man. The Church of Jesus Christ upholds the witness that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, and that the priesthood of God has been restored in this day. This cannot help being an inextinguishable light to all nations and ages. ¶

I think we should proclaim more and more the standard Church works which are the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. In them do we find the principles of eternal life; and the holy commandments that teach us to love God, and our neighbors as ourselves. "Love your enemies, * * * do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you." In these books do we have the superb procession of idealists which the world needs today. As Latter-day Saints, we should know and keep ever in mind the teachings of the Savior of mankind, and let Jesus Christ be our Guide and our Light. We all realize that life is a struggle, and is filled with so many hardships and pains; so many sorrows and trials. So the supreme power in all this struggle is prayer — the turning to God through Jesus Christ, and adding the force of the eternal to the petty cares of life. ¶

We may well turn to our sacred books from now on more and more, and receive the teachings that they hold for us, for in them do we find eternal life. A word now about our holy books. ¶

The Holy Bible contains the richest and most enlightened thought concerning man and God that has ever been written. The work taken as a whole teaches the fatherhood of God and the great plan of salvation for the human race. God is the Creator of the world and all things therein, and has established through revelation a bond of divine relationship with his children. ¶

Great prophets like Moses, Isaiah, Hosea, Micah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel sought to raise the spiritual life of the times in which they lived. They inspired the people of their countries to believe in God, and to hope for a Redeemer of the world. ¶

The Bible tells of people who became acquainted with each other through international commerce and trade with foreign civilization. It tells about the industrial and civic life of peoples of ancient days, and how they kept alive a monotheism, and morality based on belief in God. They had the highest possible idea of God, who gave to his servants the highest knowledge of moral and religious laws. The New Testament comprises the writings of the Apostles and disciples of Jesus Christ our Lord. These divinely inspired men taught the Kingdom of God and its coming: the Fatherhood of God and the infinite value of the human soul and the higher righteousness and the law of love. These are all to be obtained by obeying the laws and commandments of God, which are fundamentally, faith in God the eternal Father, and in his Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost; the principles of repentance and holy baptism by immersion by one having divine authority; and the conferring of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands by one holding the priesthood of God. The Bible teaches the sanctity of the Church, because only through the incorporation of religion with the Church does religion gain a full actuality for man. The Bible is the first of the standard works of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints. ¶

The Book of Mormon teaches that the same Semitic institutions which the forefathers of the American Indians had in their native country in Asia were brought to America, and under new environment and conditions, were developed in this land. Like the Bible, the Book of Mormon makes God and immortality subjects of faith; and public and private righteousness matters of practice. It identifies God with the principle of morality, and goes farther by identifying God with the story of human progress and life, in which mankind is redeemed from evil. It teaches the deeper consciousness between the Almighty and the individual soul, and unfolds the divine purpose in the rise, fall, and progress of nations. ¶

The Book of Mormon tells how the ancient peoples of America built cities and developed a rich religious and political life, and in time how Jesus the Christ gave his teachings to the people, just as his message of salvation was given to the Jews, Greeks, and Romans. The Church of Christ was established on this continent, and his holy priesthood given to those who were chosen for his work. Prophets wrote the history of the people, and their most important message is that God is the Father and Creator of the world and mankind. ¶

The religious teaching of the Book of Mormon is monotheistic, and embodies the revelations of God to his people on this the American continent. Likeness to God is its supreme aim, and the highest duty of man is, "Ye shall be perfect, even as your Heavenly Father is perfect." ¶

The Pearl of Great Price embodies the visions of Moses as revealed to Joseph Smith the Prophet in 1830. It also comprises the Book of Abraham which is a translation of some ancient records from the catacombs of Egypt, to which are added the writings of Joseph Smith concerning his first vision and revelation, and his baptism and ordination. The principal part of the Book of Moses treats of the work of God in the creation of the world and of man. God is the Creator of the Universe and the Father of the race, and in God's image man is created. ¶

The teachings of the Pearl of Great Price are in complete harmony with the Holy Bible. Man has fallen below his higher self and the divine principle of the moral law has been lost. There is the same pure monotheism, the same personal conception and moral character of God; and his command to his children to recognize the supremacy of the law of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. It shows the importance of the lofty conception of one living God, who reveals himself to man and enters into gracious relation with him as God and Father. ¶

The Pearl of Great Price gives the true idea of the nature of God. It shows how God became an intense reality in the minds of the ancient Hebrews; and the sublime central thought of the book is that man does not search after God alone, but God draws graciously near to man and manifests himself in person and by his holy influence. ¶

The Doctrine and Covenants contains the revelations of God the Father to Joseph Smith and other prophets of God in this dispensation. It was first published in 1835. It tells about the restoration of the plan of God in the salvation of the human race. It is largely ethical in its message, and, like the Book of Mormon, makes public and private righteousness matters of practice. The book opens by telling of a mighty work that is about to be ushered into the world. This is the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, with the giving to man of the holy priesthood of God, the Aaronic and Melchizedek, as it existed in the days of the prophets of Israel and at the time of Christ. The outstanding truth of the book is that God is identified as the Father of the race, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ is restored in this day with all its gifts and blessings. It puts the principle of righteousness through obedience to the plan of salvation into the foreground; and all its teachings grow out of the principle that for man to attain the highest development he must place his faith in God the eternal Father, and in his Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost, and receive by divine authority the priesthood of God. It also emphasizes the importance of man's spiritual life, and his great mission on earth; as well as the glory of immortality and the power of eternal progression in the hereafter. ¶

May we go on with life more unafraid, and come to a realization of our best selves. I pray God's blessing upon us all. Amen. ¶