The Parable of the Wedding Feast

Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles ¶

I trust that the few moments I occupy I may enjoy the Spirit that comes from our Heavenly Father, that gives to us power to think, to reason, and to teach. ¶

This Conference has been one of great interest to me. My mind has been directed toward so many things that pertain to our work. I have been making notes during the entire period of our meetings, up to now, notes that I trust I may use to refresh my mind when I am in the conferences of the Church, because very many times a suggestion or an idea directs to a portion of the scripture, and when we read it it sounds a little different from what we thought it did, because it has been a long time since we read it, perhaps. ¶

A BLESSED PEOPLE ¶

We are a blessed people. I know of no other people in the world who have more reason to be grateful than we. We have all that the world has in the way of information, education, culture, refinement ; and besides that we have an understanding of the purpose of life: we have the privilege of being identified with the Church of the Lamb of God. ¶

We are wonderfully blessed in the assurance that the Lord gives to us of eternal life, and when we compare the information that we have obtained with that which many of our Father's children in the world have, we are made to realize that much will be expected of us, because unto us much has been given. ¶

It is unique these days to belong to a church, wherein those who are members believe that the Lord speaks through their leaders. When we are instructed by the President of this Church, we believe he tells us what the Lord would have us do. To us it is something" more than just the advice of man. We believe that, and it searches our souls, and we are prompted to renew our determination to be what God would have us be. ¶

I have rejoiced in the fine testimonies that have been borne, in the instructions that we have received. I have had pleasure in shaking hands with many of my brethren and sisters here. These things give me joy, and help to make my life worth living. ¶

While Brother Kimball was speaking of the prophecies of his father, I thought how many men there have been in this Church who have listened to the voices of the prophets of God, and who have lived to see the fulfilment of those prophecies. No other organization that I know of, in the world, lays claim to any such gifts or blessings. ¶

INVESTIGATORS IN THE MISSIONS ¶

I have just returned from the Northern States Mission where I had the pleasure of visiting a number of our larger branches. The development there is very pleasing to me. I have never been in the Northern States before when we had so many comfortable chapels as we have now that have been dedicated to the Lord, and I have never been there before when there was as great a percentage of investigators in the congregations as at this time. ¶

The people of the world are becoming alarmed, but the alarm is only just beginning. Unless the men and women of this nation, and of all nations, turn unto the Lord and keep his commandments, they cannot hope to continue in his favor ; and if his favor is removed from them, then the adversary will do his work. I rejoiced in my visit in the East, to find so many people investigating the Gospel, people who after meeting would say : "I have never attended one of your churches before, but I thought I would like to come, and have enjoyed the service." I have in mind a woman and her husband, who came up after the meeting in Detroit. They had never before attended a Latterday Saint meeting. This woman was delighted to find that there were people on the earth who believe as we do. She listened to the humble missionaries bear their testimony and preach the Gospel, not with great learning, but with the power that is more potent than university training, the witness of our Heavenly Father that they spoke the truth. ¶

We cannot hope to convince the world of the truth of the Gospel if we depend upon the book-learning that we obtain in schools, but we can obtain all that they possess, and then if the Lord continues to bless us we can go on, reaching higher points, understanding greater things that are not understood except by the power of the Lord. ¶

THE PARABLE OF THE WEDDING FEAST ¶

I have opened to the twenty-second chapter of St. Matthew's account of the Savior's teaching, and will read this particular parable : ¶

"And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, ¶

"And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding : and they would not come. ¶

"Again he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. ¶

"But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise : ¶

"And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. ¶

"But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth : and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. ¶

"Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. ¶

"Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. ¶

"So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good : and the wedding was furnished' with guests. ¶

"And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment : ¶

"And he saith unto him, Friend, how earnest thou in hither, not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. ¶

"Then saith the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ¶

"For many are called, but few are chosen." ¶

OUR MINISTRY ¶

How much this is like the world today ! God has restored his Gospel. He has sent his servants into the world. They have called all men to repentance, as far as they could reach them ; have not reviled them or been unkind, but have invited them to come into the wedding feast that the Lord has prepared, and in many cases they have been ignored. People have been too busy to hear the message. The invitation meant nothing to them. They didn't believe in what was being done, and in some cases they have ill-treated those who had come to them in kindness and love. ¶

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of peace. It is not a gospel of contention. We are instructed by the Savior to go into all the world and teach this Gospel unto every creature. That commandment has been given to the Church in this day. We do not go out in our own name or in our own strength, but we offer to our Father's children these precious truths, that are essential for them to understand in order that they may gain the blessing that our Heavenly Father intends. ¶

Thousands of our sons have gone into the world. Many have been kindly received, and they have explained the truth, and this mission is still going forward. The feast has been prepared. Our Heavenly Father has provided what is necessary: it has not been done by the wisdom of man. He has sent us, his representatives, into the world, not to drive or coerce, but to invite. "Come follow me," is what the ¶

Savior said, "And I will give you peace." That is what the Gospel teaches, and that is our ministry. ¶

WITHOUT A WEDDING GARMENT ¶

But I am thinking of another group. Here was a man who came into the wedding feast, and when the time came the king or the master saw that he didn't have a wedding garment on. He had ignored the importance of it, apparently. He had come in, not prepared, expecting to participate. He had come to the feast — they had all been bidden to the feast, but I assume that they were supposed to know that only those would be admitted who were properly clothed, and this man was amazed when the question was asked him why he was there in that condition. ¶

The world seems to think that they can come whenever they are ready. Our Father's children do not understand that there is some preparation to be made. The adversary has so deceived them as to make them believe that no preparation is necessary, anything will do, but in this message that the Savior gave in a parable to his associates we are informed that there must be some preparation, and without that preparation no one will be permitted to partake of the more precious gifts of our Heavenly Father. That applies to the membership of this Church who have an idea that because they have been invited, and because their names appear upon the record among those who have been called, there is nothing more for them to do ; men who have been blessed in a financial way ; women who have become prominent in social life. They have forgotten the Lord and are not preparing for the feast to which he has invited them. ¶

NECESSARY PREPARATION FOR THE FEAST ¶

Our Heavenly Father intends that we shall prepare for the wedding feast or we will be excluded. He expects us to continue to store our minds with the truth, and to disseminate that truth as opportunity offers among all his children. The fact that our names appear upon the Church records is no guarantee that we will find our place in the celestial kingdom. Only those who live worthy to be members of that kingdom shall find place there. ¶

In the midst of the unsettled condition, the uncertainty that is in the world, if there ever was a time when we should examine ourselves, to find out if we are doing what the Lord would have us do, it is today ; if there ever was a time when we should be sure that we are in the pathway of eternal life, it is now. We can't slight these opportunities. God will not be mocked. When he has offered to us a gift, when he has placed within our reach a blessing, when he has invited us to partake of a feast and we ignore it, we may be sure that we shall suffer the distress that will come to those who refuse the blessings of the Lord when they are offered. ¶

ONLY BY KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS ¶

This is a good time for the membership of this Church to be ¶

examples to all the world, for the humble among us to seek the Lord, and for those who lack humility to cultivate it. It has been made very plain to us, and there was no distinction made whether men were in the Church or out of it. It was the Savior who taught that, "Unless you are as humble as a little child ye shall not see the kingdom of God." We desire to see that kingdom, don't we? This group of men and women here today, who represent the Church, desire to see and to inherit the kingdom of our Lord, and there is only one way whereby we may obtain that priceless gift, and that is by keeping all the commandments of our Heavenly Father. He does not differentiate ; he does not select any particular group of commandments ; but he teaches us that we must keep all of his commandments. ¶

I say that there is need in all Israel today — there is need for this man addressing you to examine himself — there is need for every one of us to look about ourselves and see wherein we are neglecting our privileges and our duty, for tomorrow may be too late. Today is the acceptable time of the Lord. Let us set our houses in order. Let us love one another. Let us sustain these men whom God has raised up to preside over us. Let us bless them, not only by our lips, but by assisting in every possible way to carry this burden that rests so heavily upon their shoulders. Let us honor these presidents of stakes and these bishops of wards. Pray for and bless them and help them. Let us love one another, that our Heavenly Father may be able to bless us, and he will bless us if we love one another and do good to all his children. ¶

TESTIMONY ¶

I know that God lives. I know that our Heavenly Father has spoken in this day and age of the world, that his Gospel is upon the earth, and while I would not compel any soul to accept it, I pray that we may have power and wisdom and strength to reach out after these neighbors of ours who do not understand the truth. Let us do our duty, and draw them into the fold of the Master, that they, with us, may know that he lives. ¶

Again, I bear my testimony that I know that Jesus is the Christ. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of the Lord. I know that the Gospel for which these gave their lives is the power of God unto salvation, and the only means whereby we shall obtain a place in his celestial kingdom. ¶

That we, with those we love, and as many as we can contact with and influence, may take advantage of our blessings, and accept the invitation to the marriage feast, and when we arrive there be properly clad, that we may go in thereat, that we may rejoice with those who have kept the commandments of God, and enjoy eternal life in his celestial kingdom, I humbly pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. ¶