The Texas Mission

My brethren and sisters, I feel grateful to my Heavenly Father for this opportunity of being associated with you and enjoying with you this wonderful Conference. ¶

As I look over the strength of the Church and observe that all the General Authorities whom we love, revere and sustain are here, and that we have had an opportunity of listening to the inspired words as they have come from the lips of these living oracles of God, my heart has swelled with gratitude. I feel indeed grateful to my Heavenly Father for the many blessings that have come to me in my life. ¶

It has been my pleasure to labor for ten and one-half years in a Stake of Zion, and during that period I have learned to love and revere each and every one of these brethren whom we sustain as our General Authorities. I have learned to respect and admire those who stand at the head of the various auxiliary organizations, and I feel greatly honored of our Heavenly Father in being called at this time to help carry this work into the nations of the world. ¶

I am happy to say to you, brethren and sisters, that I bring greetings from the Saints and missionaries of the Texas Mission. Our Mission comprises the States of Texas and Louisiana. The Mission covers approximately 314,402 square miles, or is about as large as Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Nevada. We have 22,990 square miles more than Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Ohio combined. Within the State of Texas we have 253 counties, fifty-seven of which are larger than the State of Rhode Island. And yet in that great field I find that the people generally speaking are anxious to meet the servants of Almighty God, and I am happy, my brethren and sisters, to say to you that each and every missionary laboring in that field is enjoying good health; that they are all enjoying the spirit of their calling; that they are laboring zealously and earnestly to disseminate the Gospel truths; and that the people are receiving their message in a very fine way. ¶

I am happy to be with you, and I bear you my testimony in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that I know that this is the Gospel of Jesus Christ; that I know that he lives, that God our Father actually exists, and that we have been created in his image. ¶

May the Lord bless you and may he bless us. May you in Zion so live that the tourists as they come into our country may see that you are absolutely sincere, that you are genuine in the things that you believe; and then I am sure you will make it more pleasant and more fruitful for the missionaries in the world. God bless you all, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶