Honor the Pioneers and Keep the Faith

ELDER GEORGE ALBERT SMITH. ¶

I am honored this morning in being permitted to worship with this wonderful congregation, to find myself numbered among those who are considered worthy to assemble in the name of the Lord. I desire sincerely that the time occupied by me may be profitable to you; and will, therefore, appreciate an interest in your faith and prayers, that I may be led to say the things that will be helpful. ¶

I rejoiced exceedingly during the sessions of yesterday and last evening, and there wells up in my soul a feeling of thanksgiving to him from whom all blessings flow. I am one of those who believe in the teaching of the Bible, that "man was created in the image of God." Last night, as I beheld the beautiful pageant portraying the various ages of the world and conditions that have existed, I felt to thank my Father in heaven that my lot has been cast in this day and with this people. ¶

THE WAY PREPARED ¶

In the Bible we read, in the third chapter of Amos: ¶

"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." ¶

I believe that, and I believe that all down through the ages, as recorded in holy writ, the Lord has vindicated that statement. The preparation for the ushering in of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in this latter dispensation was indicated in the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, and repeated again in the days of the Apostles, and then the foundation was laid for the organization of the government of the United States by men and women who believed in the divine mission of Jesus Christ. The stage was not set hastily; it was preparing through hundreds of years. We who live in this marvelous age may look back and see that throughout the centuries our Heavenly Father has fulfilled his promises to his children, and the people or nation that has observed the laws of God and honored his commandments has been blessed; while those who have been recreant to their opportunity have suffered calamity and in many cases entire destruction. Our Heavenly Father prepared the way for the coming of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which was to precede the second coming of our Lord. ¶

HIS PROMISES FULFILLED. ¶

The Doctrine and Covenants contains several revelations given by the Lord before he organized his Church. Among them was this one — and I call attention to it as evidence that the Lord fulfills his promises. In February, 1829, one hundred and one years ago, this revelation was given through the Prophet to his father. By the way, this revelation was given at a time when the people of the world did not believe in new revelation, when they did not accept the idea that God could speak again from the heavens, and those who believed that he could or would were ridiculed. But the Lord did speak, and this is what he said: ¶

"Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men. ¶

"Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day. ¶

"Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work." ¶

This was before the Church was organized, before the priesthood had been so widely conferred and when men were called to the work in an orderly way. ¶

"For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul; ¶

"And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work. ¶

"Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence. ¶

"Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." ¶

god's church. ¶

A hundred years ago yesterday the Lord commenced this work. He had predicted it himself, and had called attention to the fact that it was to be a marvelous work. No man could have fulfilled that prediction, but our Heavenly Father has fulfilled his promise; and in the year 1830, on the 6th day of April, he organized his Church. I would like to emphasize that, as I believe with all my heart that it is his Church, not the Church of Joseph Smith or of Brigham Young or of John Taylor or of Wilford Woodruff or of Lorenzo Snow or of Jpseph F. Smith or of Heber J. Grant; for while these men have been his faithful representatives upon earth, it is not their Church, but it is the Church of the Redeemer of mankind. ¶

THE LABORERS IN THE VINEYARD. ¶

At that time he gave certain information. I shall not take time to read that (Section 21) but I call attention to the fact that in it the Lord said: ¶

"For behold, I will bless all those who labor in my vineyard with a mighty blessing, and they shall believe on his words, which are given him through me by the Comforter, which manifesteth that Jesus was crucified by sinful men for the sins of the world, yea, for the remission of sins unto the contrite heart." ¶

I call attention to the fact that he made a promise that he would bless all those who labored in his vineyard, and since that time thousands of men and women have gone into the world to advocate the truth. I have met and visited with hundreds, yes, and with thousands of them myself, and I have never heard one bear any other testimony than that the Lord had blessed him and given him great joy when he labored in his service. ¶

I was thinking today of the Smith family, chosen by the Lord to be instrumental in beginning this work. I checked over in my mind the number of the descendants of Asael Smith, the Prophet's grandfather, who have given a portion of their lives in the* mission field. I find that in that family alone more than two hundred years of faithfulness and devotion in advocating the Gospel of Jesus Christ have been thus spent. It is marvelous when you think of what has been accomplished, and how the Lord has fulfilled his promise. ¶

THE WORDS OF THE BOOK. ¶

One hundred and one years ago this very day, Joseph began the translation of the Book of Mormon, and Oliver Cowdery became his scribe. We have a copy of that wonderful book here upon the pulpit. Hundreds of thousands of them have been distributed in the world. Ridiculed though it was at the time, it contains a special promise. I will read that promise. The Prophet Nephi said, as you will find in the thirtieth chapter of the second book of Nephi: ¶

"Now, I would prophesy somewhat more concerning the Jews and the Gentiles; for after the book of which I have spoken shall come forth and be written unto the Gentiles and sealed up again unto the Lord, there shall be many which shall believe the words of the Book." ¶

That statement was in the manuscript in the hands of the printer, and was there with the knowledge of Joseph Smith and his associates who assisted in translating the record. At that very time the people in the neighborhood of Palmyra and Manchester had already declared that they would not buy the book, that its publication would be a failure if they could make it a failure, and the copies that were to come from the press would be wasted. Had that book been written by Joseph Smith himself I am sure that passage would have been deleted, that "many shall believe the words of the book." But it was the word of the Lord, through Nephi. Has that prophecy been fulfilled? What are the facts? The book has been translated and published in fifteen different languages, and is translated in several other languages. Approximately a million people have believed it and accepted it as a sacred record. It has been generously distributed among the children of men. In a hundred years nothing has been discovered that would set aside the statements that are contained therein, and the things that have been uncovered by archaeologists and others have demonstrated the truth of the historical facts contained in the Book of Mormon. One hundred years have passed, and surely many have believed the words of the book. The prophecy has been fulfilled. Our Heavenly Father caused that it should be written, and he always fulfils his promise. ¶

THE LORD WORKING AMONG THE NATIONS ¶

In the same chapter we find the following: ¶

"And it shall come to pass that the Lord shall commence his work among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, to bring about the restoration of his people upon the earth." ¶

Has he fulfilled that promise? If there be anybody in this house past seventy-five years of age who will take the time to think of what has occurred since the Book of Mormon was first published, he will discover that almost every implement, almost every convenience now enjoyed by mankind, has come since the Book of Mormon issued from the press in the year 1830. We are witnesses this. day that in a hundred years this world has made progress along most lines greater than in all the previous centuries since the earth was created and our first parents came upon it. The Lord said he would commence his work among the nations. Man had had his trial; men for thousands of years had worked at it. But when the Lord set his hand and when he began to quicken the minds of men by the inspiration of his holy power men began to work ¶

out wonderful inventions that have changed the entire condition of this world. I say to you that after a hundred years we are living in a new world. But the work of the Lord has only just begun. ¶

Oh, how my soul thrilled last night as I beheld the pageant that was presented before us of the ages that have passed. It was called most forcibly to my attention that we who live in luxury today do not appreciate what our forbears have passed through. The scene of our pioneers toiling across the plains touched my heart, and tears dimmed my eyes as I thought of them under the burning sun's rays and in many cases in the snow; and remembering that my own father was born on the way, I asked myself: Am I living to be worthy of the sacrifices that were made by men and women such as these ? I hope I am. I hope I appreciate this blessing. ¶

GROWTH IN A CENTURY. ¶

This is our Father's work. In a hundred years we have made great progress. Do you realize that in a hundred years after the organization of the Church with six members there has been more than one hundred thousand people converted for each one of those six whose names appear as the organizers of the Church? One hundred thousand for each one in a hundred years. Multiply that by our present membership, and if we should do as well in the next hundred years, considering our present membership, do you know what it would mean? Not three fourths of a million people, but more than seventy billion people would be members of the Church of Jesus Christ. Can you not see how a marvelous work and a wonder has been going forward ? Can you not see how we as individuals have only contributed our mite, but the multitude has united, and the word of the Lord has been disseminated among the children of men; not in a militant way, but in kindness and in love, with a desire to bless all mankind. ¶

GRATITUDE FOR BLESSINGS ¶

If I interpret the spirit of this conference it is a spirit of love, a feeling of thanksgiving to him who is the author of all our blessings. ¶

I stand here today one of the humblest among you, profoundly grateful to my Heavenly Father for my membership in this Church, and for the knowledge that he has given to me of its truth, for my association with these men who are my close companions in life, and for the privilege of mingling with the members of this Church throughout the land. I, too, am thankful for the friendship of great and good men and women throughout the world, who have not yet understood the purpose of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and how I hope and pray that because of our upright lives, by reason of the continued development of this work and of the power of truth as it has been made manifest in the last hundred years, these too may be made to understand, and that they with their children and their children's children may become members of the fold of Christ and receive, an inheritance in his celestial kingdom. ¶

God grant that we who have been so bountifully blessed may hold ¶

up the hands of the servant of the Lord who presides over us; that we may help him not only by our faith and prayers but by loving kindness as opportunity offers; that we may march under the banner that he shall hold aloft as God continues to sustain him as President of the Church, as the prophet of the Lord in these latter days. ¶

I know that God lives. I know that Jesus is the Christ. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of the living God, as I know that I live; and I bear you witness of it in humility and in loving kindness, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. ¶