Bearing Witness of the Truth

I sincerely trust, my brethren and sisters, that the same spirit that has actuated the speakers at the morning session, and so far this 'afternoon, may be given to me. My only desire is to bear witness to the truth, to assist in its establishment in the world, and to forward the work of the Church, and the preaching of the Gospel among the nations of the earth. My desire is to see righteousness established among men and selfishness and wickedness done away. ¶

I realize very greatly how dependent I am, as an individual, upon the Lord to assist me and to keep me in the path of duty and from ¶

going off either to the right or to the left, because of the perplexing conditions that exist and the controversies that there are among men. And, if it be hard to live individually in keeping with the truth, so is it hard also to be sure always that a person is teaching the truth. ¶

When Jesus Christ stood before Pilate he was asked whether he be a king, and he said : ¶

"My kingdom is not of this world : if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered unto the Jews; but now is my kingdom not from hence. ¶

"Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king, then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. ¶

"Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?" ¶

As I come in contact with men and things in the world today, it seems to me, my brethren and sisters, that many men are wondering, "What is truth?" The Savior said that he came into the world, and for this purpose was he born, to bear witness of the truth in the world ; and I find joy and consolation and comfort in looking to him for a witness of truth concerning things that perplex me, and I think the world might well do likewise. ¶

Among people who profess to believe in Jesus Christ as the Redeemer of the world and the great Teacher that they in their churches, and according to their creeds, follow, there are controversies over points of doctrine and in regard to the very existence of God and his personality. Still they do not look to him for an answer to that query, "What is truth?" concerning all of these things. The personality of God is a question that is being discussed in a spirit of controversy and has been for many years. Many men deny the existence of God as a personality, as a being, other than a diffused Spirit throughout the immensity of space. ¶

Jesus Christ said that he came to bear witness of the truth, and of that truth he has borne witness unto us. Philip asked him upon one occasion to manifest the Father unto him and his associates, and the Savior seemed a little surprised that such a query should be made after he had been with them, the Twelve, so long and had taught them. He very pointedly said to Philip: "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father." ¶

My brethren and sisters, there is your manifestation and your witness of truth concerning God. It is given by him whose mission it was to bear witness to the truth in the world. Every teaching, then, of the Savior, if it be his mission to bear witness of the truth, is truth, taught to our Father's children for their salvation here upon the earth. "The Gospel of Jesus Christ," Paul says, "is the power of God unto salvation," and this is true. It is the witness of Jesus Christ in the world, of the truth. ¶

The question that is perplexing now, brethren and sisters, is where is the truth in the world today ? We who go out in the world to preach the Gospel come in contact with men who contend tenaciously ¶

that they are teaching the truth, that the church they represent is the true church of God ; that their concept of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost is a true concept; and still we find them differing among themselves, and we differ from all of them, practically speaking, in most of these vital points. So where is the truth today? Since the minds of men have been confused, and men, seemingly, have gone astray from the truth, or at least are confused as to where it is located, has there been a remanifestation of it? ¶

I maintain, my brethren and sisters, that Joseph Smith, as a prophet raised up of God, not equal of course to Jesus Christ in any sense of the word, but in the same spirit, came into the world to bear witness of the truth today, through a restoration of it, just the same as Jesus Christ came into the world to bear witness of the truth when he came ; and in all essential points his witness concurs with the witness of Jesus Christ. . ¶

What was the witness of Joseph Smith, when a mere boy, concerning the personality of God? We all know that there was great confusion in the world at that particular time, and when Joseph Smith went into the woods to pray I doubt that he had a well defined idea or concept of Deity, or at least a concept as well defined as he had after he had so prayed and received a manifestation of the Father. He came from out that forest and boldly declared, to the day of his death, that there came into his presence a being after whose image and in whose likeness he was formed, — in other words, a man, an exalted man, who proclaimed himself to be the Father of another being there also in his presence, they two being in the same likeness ; and he gave command to Joseph Smith to listen to the voice of his Son. ¶

That is the witness of Joseph Smith concerning our Father in heaven — that he is a being with body, parts, and passions, in whose image and likeness mankind is formed. He bears witness that the Son is like him, and he bore witness to the end of his days that such was the truth. From the very moment that he announced these things he was confronted with persecution that was bitter. He no doubt realized that by retracting, and I think was told that should he retract, this persecution would cease. But he bore testimony that he felt like Paul of old must have felt when he saw a vision, when a light enveloped him, when he heard and *saw the Redeemer of the world. Joseph said : ¶

"I know that I have seen a light, and that in that light I saw two personages, and they are God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ; and who am I, that I should deny God, for I know that I know these things, and I know likewise that God knows that I know them." ¶

If we will carefully analyze the teachings of Joseph Smith, not only in this particular but in regard to every principle of the Gospel that through him has been established, we will find that they concur with the witness of truth manifested and established by Jesus Christ when he was among the children of men. So I think that we can well look to this as the means and as the key whereby we may know. ¶

I bear you my witness, my brethren and sisters, that I know that God lives. I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. I know that the Gospel, as restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith, is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the power of God unto salvation, and it will, in its unfolding, answer every query and every problem that confronts the world. I have absolute and abiding faith in these things, and am willing to trust to the Lord. Perhaps a witness has not yet been borne to every truth. There may be marvelous truths yet to be revealed to the children of men, and the Lord, in his own way and through his Spirit, will make these things known to his children as they may be useful unto them. I think that we should search for truth ; we should strive to know it; we should strive to learn it. Only truth can free the world from the errors that are in it today. Only truth can bring about a better condition in the world, and less hatred and strife and bitterness and misery among the children of men. I mean truth if it goes into the hearts of men and men live by the truth. The Savior says: "If you will follow after my words, and believe in them, you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." I maintain that if the truth is planted in the heart of man, and he lives in accordance with the truth as it comes to him through the inspiration of the Lord, that he is willing to pour out on all those who seek him, it will relieve mankind and the human race of all the ills that beset them. ¶

May the Lord help us to appreciate the truth ; and to become free by knowing it and by living in harmony with it, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. ¶