The World's Great Need

The World's Great Need

The greatest need of the world today is religion. The greatest need of the people ,of the United States is religion. At this moment mankind needs most the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The heavens have been opened, the voice of the Lord has been heard, the angel spoken of has flown through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come." ¶

To supply this vital need, the Department of Education, under the direction of the Presidency of the Church, has prepared a course in religious instruction to be given side by side with the training of the public schools. ¶

Assignment of Work

To the Primary organization has been assigned the task of giving this religious instruction to the children of the first six grades. In the junior seminaries, religious education is given to the children of the 7th, 8th and 9th grades ; in the seminary, to those who attend high school ; and institutes are being established to give a proper appreciation of religious truth to our sons and daughters who go to college. ¶

Attitude of College Men

The indifference, if not the actual antagonism, toward religion on the part of many who are college-trained, is due primarily to the fact that their religious education has been neglected. Their religious ideals and motives have not been developed along with the growth of ideas and ideals in science, literature, and the arts. Our aim, therefore, is to produce a generation of college men and women who will understand, appreciate, and enjoy Gospel incentives, motives, and ideals, with the same interest, enthusiasm, and devotion that they develop for the new ideas they acquire in science, literature, and art. ¶

Importance of Religious Thought

To any who regard training in science, language, and mathematics as most valuable, I put these questions : Is not religion more weighty than other subjects? Is not character of more consequence than a knowledge of science? Honesty of greater moment than a knowledge of mathematics? Dependability more important than a knowledge of languages ? ¶

Give your children all the training you can in these other subjects, but see to it that along with their school instruction they are given this most valuable branch of education — a study of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, a study of the life and teachings of our Lord and Savior. For ¶

the prime purpose of this line of Gospel education, this training in religion, is to make people happier and better. ¶

Faith Is the Basis

Let me make it clear and definite that religion is not founded primarily on logic ; religion is founded on faith. Faith, like electricity, is hard to define; but, like electricity, it has tremendous power. Faith is that satisfying something which comes into humble human hearts as a result of prayerful life and righteous living. ¶

Affection, like faith, is not based on the logical operations of the human mind. It does not obey the dictates of the will, neither is it controlled hy the rules of logic. ¶

Happiness the Aim

We are endeavoring to teach faith — faith in our fellowmen, faith in God, faith in a life beyond ,the grave. ¶

It is said that the most lonely, lonesome, and unhappy individual is he who says he does not know — the man who has no faith in God, no faith in a life beyond. We are aiming so to bring up our young folks that they will escape the unhappiness of unbelief. And while the faith of which I speak is not often created by reason, nevertheless reason can justify this faith, and can ward off attacks which may be made upon it. In the language of the scripture (Heb. 11 :1), "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." ¶

. Honesty Means Progress

Outstanding among the elements in the Gospel plan is common, every-day honesty. "Wie believe in being honest." ¶

Men who do not keep their word, who fail to fulfil their contracts, or who can scarcely do business without cheating, are men who obstruct the progress and prosperity of the country. ¶

Imagine a community made up of such people. However gifted they might be mentally, they could not prosper ; one man could not trust another. Nothing could be bought or sold without the closest inspection. There could be no cooperation. Everyone would have to spend a great deal of time watching his dishonest neighbors. Honesty, therefore, when it is practised by an entire community, is a great laborsaving device. ¶

Lincoln's chief trait, sail his life long, was honesty. Pervasive honesty was the outstanding mark of his personality. From the beginning to the end it stayed with him. "When other traits seemed to be changing, this universal honesty w&s always there." (Morse.) ¶

Nobility of Honor

Our nation is united in teaching Boy Scouts the value, the nobility, of honesty and of honor. "On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country." This is their chief lesson. ¶

"I .cannot do so in honor." With these words — words which will be remembered forever — King Albert of Belgium refused to let the ¶

German army pass through his country. As long as there are mothers' tongues to teach their children, just so long will mothers hold up with pride and commendation the honor, the honesty, the integrity, of the Belgian people, who, against Itremendous odds, "stood to their guns and maintained their honor, intact and immortal." (Van Dyke.) ¶

Our own Karl G. Maeser had the highest regard for honor. Though a great teacher of science and literature, he was most of all an instructor in the Gospel, a builder of character. He used to say: "'Place me behind prison walls ever so high, ever so thick, ever so strong, yet in some way, at some time, I may escape ; but draw a chalk line around me and have me give my word of honor not to cross it, can I ever escape ? No, never ! I die (first !" / ¶

Why America Has Prospered

Our country has had a growth and prosperity no other country has ever known. These unusual blessings have come because of honor, honesty, dependability — qualities which religious training brought into the lives of the people. ¶

While many of our countrymen who are rich ridicule religion, a wise man (Babson) has said that these same prosperous Americans are indebted for all they possess to the family prayers once held daily in the homes of their fathers. ¶

Sobriety Indispensable

Next to honesty, one of the most important elements in the Gospel is sobriety. ¶

"In the rudimentary state of society," says Carver, "where each individual worked and acted most of the time alone, and where, therefore, there was little interdependence, drunkenness was not so vicious as it has now become. But in our interlocking civilization, no personal habit or vice, except lying, so unfits a man for useful service as does drunkenness. If you had to take your choice between riding behind a locomotive engineer addicted to drunkenness, and addicted to any other vice, there is not much doubt as to which you would choose. ¶

"Apply a similar test to anyone in any other responsible position, and you will reach the conclusion that the person who is addicted to drink is about the least dependable, and the least desirable, citizen you can name. There are fewer places where he is of use and more places where he is a menace than is the case with the victims of almost any other vice." ¶

The High Virtues

Honor, honesty, dependability, sobriety — these rank high among the virtues. Living in accordance with them has brought to our country a growth, a prosperity, unknown to other nations. ¶

Before taking public office in state or nation, every official is required solemnly to swear that he will support, obey, and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of his own State. ¶

It is said that among our public officials there are some who hold their hands toward high heaven and take this sacred oath of office one day, and break their solemn pledge the next. The story of Washington and the cherry tree told to every American child, the honesty ¶

of Abraham Lincoln told to every American youth, the Boy Scout oath, the honor of King Albert of Belgium, the sterling worth and character of our own Dr. Maeser — these in the past have been the standards of our country. Have our ideals changed ? Have we given up these old-fashioned virtues? Do some public officials have no regard for the most solemn oath that public men can take ? Are there officials who regard the Constitution of the United States as only a scrap of paper,? Can this nation — the land of Washington, Franklin, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Wilson — the nation founded on honor, honesty, and dependability — can it endure if this undermining of its very foundation continues? I say it cannot. Nothing enduring can be built upon falsehood. Without honor, without honesty, without dependability, no nation can stand. ¶

A Pledge to Our Country

I have personally made a solemn public pledge not to participate in any function, social or otherwise, where the law is broken — I refer particularly to the prohibition law ; and furthermore I am working on a program whose purpose is to seek out those who also are willing to invite good citizens to come to the support of the Constitution of the United States. ¶

You who are willing to cooperate are invited to get signatures to the following pledge : ¶

I hereby pledge to the Republic of the United States and to myself : ¶

1. Not to participate in any function, social or otherwise, where the law is broken. ¶

2. Not knowingly to cast my vote for any candidate who does not live in accordance with the law. ¶

What One Individual May Accomplish

The influence of a single person who will live in accordance with the law and who will work to get others to do likewise is effective and far-reaching. ¶

A few examples : ¶

"Mr. Chairman, since I stand with Abraham Lincoln for the law," said one committee member, "and, further, since I have pledged myself, as have President and Mrs. Hoover, not to participate in any function iwhere the law is broken, if you are going to serve liquor on this occasion, I shall ask to be excused from this meeting." ¶

The liquor was not served. ¶

"But just a minute," said one of those who had been invited. "I do not desire to create a scene at your fine ;dinner, nor do 1 i.wish to make myself appear ridiculous or non-appreciative; therefore, if liquor is to be served, I shall ask lyou now !to excuse me, since I cannot in honor participate in a function where the law is broken." ¶

No liquor was served. ¶

A Whole Convention Responds

At a convention recently, where nearly a thousand delegates were ¶

registered, wine was served in unlimited quantities. Before the next convention, one member wrote the following to the officials of the organization: "I am for the law. I appeal to you to recommend to the Society that at our next meeting we pass a resolution informing the people of the United States that this Society stands for the Constitution and the laws of our country ; and that, while some of our members may not like the Prohibition law, yet while it remains on our statute books we pledge ourselves to live in accordance with its provisions and to assist the President and other officials in their efforts to enforce it." ¶

No liquor was in evidence at the next convention. ¶

If one prominent business or social leader who breaks the law were placed behind prison bars, this one act would create for the law an immediate respect so strong that it would reform a whole city. ¶

A Call to Patriots

Thus, "in these last days," and "from the top of the mountains," as a representative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I appeal to the people of the country to come to the support of the Constitution of the United States. ¶

And in accordance with the motto of our nation may we in God so trust that "government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth." ¶