Testimony and Service

ELDER GEORGE D. PYPER ¶

My brethren and sisters: I regret very much that I was absent from the meeting this morning when President Grant called me. Not that I desired to speak, by any means, but because I always like to be found in my place when called for. ¶

I was just informed by a friend as I came on the platform that he had never heard a more splendid introduction to anyone who was absent than that given me by President Grant this morning. Probably it was well that I was absent as I have never in my life been called to face a wonderful general conference, and the shock might have proved fatal. ¶

However, I am glad to stand before you, my brethren and sisters, and say that I myself am not entitled to all the credit for the production of "The Message of the Ages." There have been some wonderful helpers. We have had the cooperation of the Presidency of the Church and the leading authorities, of Elder George Albert Smith and the ¶

Centennial committee; a wonderful cooperation all along the line. The names of the Pageant committee are as follows: W. O. Robinson and Junius F. Wells of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association general board; Elbert H. Eastmond, director of art of the Brigham Young University, Provo; Charlotte Stewart, Salt Lake City's recreational superintendent; Irma Felt Bitner of the Granite stake committee; Ann Nebeker of the general Primary Association board; Anthony C. Lund, director of the Salt Lake Tabernacle choir; Tracy Y. Cannon, Tabernacle organist; Lester Hinchcliff, director of the Ogden Tabernacle choir; Leroy Robertson, a young musician of the Brigham Young University, Provo, who composed the motif and some of the incidental music and orchestrations connected with the pageant, who unfortunately is ill and in California, and has not been able to hear his own work; Bertha A. Kleinman, secretary of the Arizona Temple; Frank W. Asper, Tabernacle organist; and A. Hamer Reiser, of the Deseret Sunday School Union Board, who has acted as secretary. ¶

I may say for your information that the majority of the committee have been working on the pageant for over six months in organizing the plot, selecting the scriptural texts from the Bible, Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. About the first of January, the Centennial committee sent for Sister Bertha A. Kleinman of Mesa, Arizona, who spent one month with the committee; and together we worked out the pageant as you now have it. We believe and hope that it may be a foundation for a Latter-day Saint mission play, that might be produced on the Tabernacle block at stated periods. ¶

Thanks are due to those who have assisted in many other ways — Joseph D. C. and Cannon Young, the architects of the Church, who drew the plans for building this wonderful platform, as far as I know the greatest stage now in existence, except those that have been specially built for great spectacles. It is interesting to note that all of this has been done with love and reverence for this great building. Howard McKean, a splendid man, built the platform. I said to him, "Howard, be careful not to mar these pulpits." He said, "You do not need to warn me, Brother Pyper. I have such a reverence for this house that not a nail shall be driven where it can be avoided." ¶

And so all the work has been done in that spirit. Brother M. A. Strand put in for us a wonderful electric system. It is rather thrilling to me to know that part of the switchboard used is the old switchboard of the Salt Lake Theatre which I installed there nearly thirty years ago. We met with many problems in the work, but with our united efforts, they were overcome. It was one of these that I was helping to solve this morning when called for by the President. ¶

I do not know how many missionaries are abroad in the world today, but it may be interesting to you to learn that we have approximately fifteen hundred men and women working in this pageant, and every one of them is a missionary. If you could get among them and hear their expressions and partake of their enthusiasm you would be surprised — at least you would be happy as I have been. Anything they can do to ¶

further the cause of truth they are happy in doing. Their only interest is the glory of God and the furtherance of his work upon the earth. ¶

I walked home with a man yesterday who said: "'The Message of the Ages'has strengthened my faith." And I believe it is the feeling of all the members of our committee that if the production does that, if it strengthens the faith of the people in any way their greatest hopes and wishes will be realized. ¶

There are many more connected with the production that I should like'to name, but time will not permit. ¶

I want to bear my testimony, my brethren and sisters, to the work of the Lord. I know that God lives, because I have felt his presence and he has been my refuge and comfort, as has been sung today, in time of trouble and tribulation. I know that Jesus is the Christ because I have felt the warmth of his love. I know that this Gospel of the latter days is true because of the blessings it has brought to me and mine in this life and the assurances it has given me concerning the life to come. My greatest desire now is that the few years I may have left upon this earth I may devote to his glory and the furtherance of his cause. For this I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶