Fruits of the Gospel in the Southern States

ELDER CHARLES A. CALLIS ¶

President of the Southern States Mission ¶

One of the great outstanding characteristics of the Latter-day Saints is their love for God and fellowmen. This sublime love finds its perfection in God our Heavenly Father. ¶

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. ¶

"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." (John 3:16-17.) ¶

The power to suffer and the will to sacrifice is always encased in great love, and surely only God could have suffered as he did in sending his Only Begotten Son into the world to be slain for the sins of the world. ¶

The Lord Jesus Christ suffered so much, that he, the greatest of ¶

all, even God, sweat great drops of blood, that men might not suffer if they would repent. If the Savior had not come into the world and endured the suffering of death there would have been no redemption for mankind. ¶

We see this love for God and fellowmen manifested and expressed in the lives of all the holy prophets of God. Think of Abinadi, the Book of Mormon prophet, who, knowing that he was going to certain death, voluntarily delivered himself into the hands of wicked men that he might declare unto them the word of God. The evil priests clamored that he be slain and Abinadi suffered death by fire because he would not deny the commandments of God. His last words were: "O God, receive my soul." He sealed the truth of his words by his death. ¶

We think of Alma, the high priest, resigning the office of chief judge of the Nephite nation to go and preach repentance to the people. We remember that the three sons of Mosiah refused a kingdom in order that they might preach the word of God to a hardened and ferocious people. And this inspiration, this great love, for where there is great love there is the will to sacrifice and to suffer, was found in the Prophet Joseph Smith, who said: "If my life is of no value to my friends, it is of no value to myself." This same spirit, I testify to you, has been most nobly expressed in the lives of all the successors to the Prophet of God. ¶

I repeat, my brethren and sisters, where there is great love for the Lord and his children, there is also great love and the will to sacrifice and to suffer. This work has made the Latter-day Saints great because it is a great work. Substituting two words in a famous college song, the sentiment in that song may be applied to this Church. ¶

"Mother of men grown strong in giving, Honor to him thy lights have led. Rich in the toil of thousands living; Proud of the deeds of thousands dead." We who have felt thy power, and known thee: We in whose lives thy lights avail, High in our hearts, enshrine, enthrone thee, Mother of men— the Church." ¶

Truly the Church is the mother of men. ¶

That soul-reviving blessing from our beloved President, Sunday morning, thrilled home to our hearts, and we, the people of Israel, love our leader. We proclaim that we ask the blessings of God upon our prophet, and upon all the General Authorities of the Church, for with them, by the help of the Most High, we propose to go on to the glorious consummation of the work of God. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. ¶