A Testimony Born of the Centennial Conference

ELDER ALONZO A. HINCKLEY ¶

It is my sincere desire that I shall make a sacred use of the precious time granted to me on this occasion, and that with an eye single to the glory of God I shall bear a faithful testimony to the divinity of this work. ¶

My soul has been made to rejoice exceedingly during the sessions of the recent conference. I have been filled with gratitude and thanksgiving, filled with testimony and good desires; blessed with a determination to offer continued service unto the Lord, praying for a spirit that shall permit me to discern between the essentials and non-essentials and center upon the essentials and offer full service. ¶

I never experienced such a day in my life as the day on which we Opened our centennial conference. I never felt a spirit more thrilling than on that occasion. As I stood with that great body of high priests to bear witness before God that we sustain the General Authorities of the Church in their position as divinely called and appointed leaders, my soul went out in gratitude. As we rent the heavens with the glad shout of hosanna to God and the Lamb, it seemed heavenly. Then in finishing the first session, the President of the Church blessed us not only from the kindness of his heart and the good desires and love that he has for all men (especially for the righteous) and for all who bear rule in the nation, as well as the Latter-day Saints. I thought, this is not just the voice of a kindly man, good and great and noble in his intentions, but this is one speaking by divine authority, and whomsoever he blesses God will bless, for he acts for God in the name of Jesus Christ. ¶

Another week has elapsed, and on this another Sabbath we find ourselves here in worship before the Lord. The message of the centennial has gone forth and will continue its mission in the world. Mormonism, so-called, will be better known now than ever before. We stand in a remarkable position in the world, claiming no descent from or allegiance with any sect or denomination in the world, and every sect and denomination in the world is happy that they are not responsible for our existence. We stand and bear testimony of ourselves that this is verily the Church and Kingdom of God, and that it is founded upon the everlasting and enduring principles of God and is unshakable. We ¶

occupy a position different even from our brethren in that remarkable period, the meridian of time, when the Savior organized his Church and ministered among men. At that period of time it was given unto the authorities to know that while they proclaimed the Gospel with all fervor and with a full knowledge, and sought to bring all men to an understanding of the truth, that while they waged a righteous cause, yet they knew that the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times was yet far ahead. I have been led to believe that this knowledge must have carried with it some sorrow, when they knew there would come a time of dwindling in unbelief, that there would come a time when the true faith should be lost, a time when men should seek for the truth and should not find it. It must have been to them somewhat sorrowful. ¶

But the Lord did not leave them without the knowledge that this Gospel, which is eternal and everlasting, should finally prevail, in the day of the restitution of all things. I have been much impressed with the testimony of Peter, when he talked to those unbelieving Jews. Peter and John, following the Pentecostal outpouring of the Holy Ghost, proceeding in their ministry, had gone to the temple. They saw a lame man who stood before the Gate Beautiful and pleaded for alms. Peter, speaking to him said: "Look on us," and he looked steadfastly into their faces, perhaps expecting alms. Peter said: "Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." And he took him by the hand, and he did arise and did walk; and, rejoicing, entered into the temple with the brethren. ¶

It created consternation, and men gathered to know what had happened. Peter reasoned with them and said: "Why art thou so concerned? Why, is this so wonderful? Why do you look upon us as though it is any power inherent with us ? This Jesus whom you would not release, whom Pilate would have released, but you clamored and demanded that he should release you a murderer, and you pleaded for his crucifixion- — this Jesus has God raised from the dead, and it is through his power that this man stands forth healed." Then Peter said, referring to the betrayal and crucifixion. "I wot that through ignorance ye did it." And he warned them and commanded them to repent. "Repent, ye, therefore!" and he, said unto them, not as he had said on the day of Pentecost, "Repent and be baptized and have the Holy Ghost bestowed upon you," but "Repent ye therefore,... that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you." ¶

Then, through the remission of sins, there was a time coming, I say, it was revealed unto Peter, a great and glorious time when Jesus Christ would come again. For he did say that the heavens must retain him until the restitution of all things spoken by God through all the prophets since the world began. In that time of restitution, when God would send again Jesus Christ, whom the heavens must retain until then, should come into fulfilment of things spoken by all the holy prophets since the world began. ¶

Is it not wonderful, my brethren and sisters, that there should be ¶

a people now living who declare that this is the dispensation, or period wherein Paul declared God should gather together in one all things in Christ Jesus, both in heaven and on earth ? The message of the Latterday Saints is to the world, and this great centennial conference has sent anew the declaration abroad, that this Dispensation of the Fulness of Times has been ushered in; that God has sent again from the heavens Jesus Christ; that he has sent ministering angels, each with his special power and special commission and special authority. He has taken away from the world and removed every superstition, every tradition, every false interpretation, and has established anew the Gospel of Jesus Christ and coupled it, not with any promise of some future time when we shall dwindle in unbelief and be left in darkness, but established his Church, given his own testimony that it shall never be thrown down or given to another people, but that it shall go on and on and on until.it shall fill the whole earth. ¶

This is a period of preparation, this is a period of proclamation. This is a time of warning. The responsibility is given to the Latter-day Saints that as they are warned they shall warn their neighbors, until there shall be no ear that shall not hear, nor eye that shall not see, nor heart that shall not be penetrated. The Gospel is the voice of God to all the world, calling them to repentance, to a godly life; with an assurance that unto all who conform their lives to the requirements of the Gospel there shall be no gift and no blessing that shall be withheld from them. ¶

The Lord himself has said that it is the voice of God; he has called and he says: ¶

"Hear, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth, and rejoice ye inhabitants thereof, for the Lord is God, and beside him there is no Savior." ¶

This is our testimony. This is the testimony of hundreds of thousands of Latter-day Saints who have been brought to a knowledge of the truth, and they who have conformed their lives to all Gospel requirements know that their feet are placed in certain and in sacred paths, and that if they remain faithful they shall be led to salvation and exaltation in the presence of God... ¶

This is my testimony. I rejoice in the leadership of this Church. I bear testimony of the divinity of the lives, mission and labors of the Prophet Joseph Smith and those who have followed him. I rejoice likewise in the goodness that God has manifested in the consideration of his children, that no man has to walk alone, or lean upon the testimony of some one else, but that the Lord gives a testimony to each and every individual who accepts the truth and conforms his life to the requirements of the Gospel. ¶

I bear my testimony as one of the third generation in this Church, that as my grandfathers and grandmothers, as my father and my mother knew, so know I that this is the Church and Kingdom of God and his power unto salvation now and forever. May the Lord help us to be true to the end, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶