Work Progresses and the Foundation of the Church

It is a pleasure to again have the opportunity of meeting the Latter-day Saints in general conference. I rejoice in the progress of the work of the Lord. ¶

It has been my privilege during the last six months since we were assembled here in this capacity, to visit quite a number of the stakes of Zion and to be in a number of the missions of the Church, and to dedicate a great many chapels and recreational halls in different parts of the Church. ¶

Notwithstanding the great trouble financially all over the world I believe that as a people we are suffering less than are those in other sections of the country, for which I am very grateful to the Lord. ¶

Work Progresses

The work of the Lord is progressing all over the world without any exceptions. We are receiving calls from the presidents of all our missions for additional missionaries. ¶

Our missionary force has been reduced very materially on account of the present financial condition at home and abroad, but the spirit of the work is progressing splendidly, and many of the local people all over the world where we have missions are engaged actively in missionary work; and in many places local people are being installed in presiding positions, thus relieving many of the missionaries from some of the activities that they have heretofore engaged in. I rejoice in the present condition of the Church and the progress it is making. ¶

No Need to Worry

I do not think that we need to worry the least bit about any of the Latter-day Saints suffering on account of lack of food or shelter during these hard times. I am confident beyond the shadow of a doubt that with our system of fast-day donations and the work that is being done by our Relief Society, the bishops in all the various wards, with the help of the auxiliary officers, will be able to look after those who are in real distress. ¶

I am converted to the fact that if the Latter-day Saints as a people would actually do without two or three meals once a month, as prescribed, on fast days, and give the full equivalent to the bishop, thus benefitting their own individual health and that of their families--if they conscientiously paid a full fast day donation, each and every person giving the equivalent of two or three meals one Sunday in each month--it would fully take care of those who are in distressed circumstances. ¶

I rejoice in the fact that from many sections of the country we have received reports that our people, as a rule, who have been honest and conscientious in the mission field, in the payment of their tithes, almost without exception are retaining their employment and are getting along all right financially. ¶

Falsehoods Being Circulated

I do not know that the subject is worthy of my notice, and yet it has been suggested that it might be well to refer to the continued falsifying by some people who have been excommunicated from the Church and are going around distributing papers and documents and publishing papers that are as full of lies as an egg is full of meat. I believe that the very best liars I have any acquaintance with are those who have been cut off from the Church and cast out. They seem to be very active at the present time, making statements that our property is being mortgaged, etc., notwithstanding the fact that there is no Church property mortgaged. Any person could go down to the county court house in any of the counties and find out if the Church's property is mortgaged. There is no part of the property of any one of the wards or stakes in our Church, or of the general Church property, that is mortgaged. ¶

These people talk about the funds of the Church having been used for individual benefit and so on, so I hear. It is only fair to say that I have never taken the trouble to read what they publish in their "New Era." It would be more properly named the "Regular Liar," instead of the "New Era." I have heard that a lie can travel around the world while truth is getting out of bed, but nevertheless truth eventually overtakes the lie and steps on it. ¶

Money Loaned to Sugar Company

The fact remains that the Church has loaned some money to the Sugar Company and it has taken a mortgage for that money, and the loan is well secured. The fact remains that in helping the Sugar Company the Church is helping itself, because the first beet sugar factory ever built in the United States of America with American machinery was built at Lehi, and the Church used its credit and borrowed the money to help build it. Yes, the Church had to borrow the money at that time. Now it does not need to borrow it. The Church is the principal stockholder in the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company, and by lending it some money and taking security on real estate, it is simply protecting its own property. ¶

Penalized for Loyalty

I shall be very happy indeed if in the providence of the Lord there shall be a return of prosperity for the Sugar Company. We are being penalized today in the sugar business because of the loyalty of the people in response to the appeals of the Government when sugar was retailing at 20, 25 and sometimes 30 cents a pound. We built at that time twice as many factories as we can now get beets to operate, and I suppose it is just as well that we could not get the beets during the last year or two to operate all our factories inasmuch as there is no profit in the business. ¶

I am sure that whenever the time comes that sugar will sell at reasonable prices, so that the farmers can get a little more money for raising beets, some of our idle factories can be opened, and there will be an increase of prosperity for the farmers and the people generally, if this industry can only grow and increase. ¶

Personal Profit Denied

The original sugar factory was built by Wilford Woodruff and his associates and friends mainly for the benefit of the farmers, so that they might have an increased variety of crops. That was the only object. ¶

The idea that businesses have been established by the Church for the individual profit of men who are connected with the leadership of the Church is absolutely false. Many of us borrowed money and put it into that factory at the request of President Woodruff and lost the money that we invested. ¶

I know something about it individually because I personally borrowed a large sum of money, bought stock, paid interest on it for five years and then sold the stock for less than one half of what it cost. I gained a whole lot of experience financially out of it and have never recovered, so far as the Sugar Company is concerned. I thought I would make this much of an explanation. ¶

Satisfied with Status

I remember delivering a sermon here nearly a year ago--perhaps it was longer ago than that, I do not remember the exact date--in which I referred to the fact that some people had said that if the Mormons would only do away with their belief in Joseph Smith and his prophecies they might now really, with the progress they are making and the changes they are making, etc., be counted in the Christian family. ¶

Inasmuch as the Church to which you and I belong is the Church of Jesus Christ, established by the Savior himself through the instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph Smith, I do not think we need to worry about being admitted into the various Christian denominations. The one thing that you and I need to worry about, and the only thing, is with regard to keeping the commandments of the Lord, living our religion as Latter-day Saints. ¶

True Latter-Day Saints

I am sure that the man who is honestly and conscientiously observing the Word of Wisdom, who is a full and honest tithe-payer, and attends to his meetings and his family and secret prayers, such a man need not worry about anything that might be said concerning this Church by apostate Mormons or anyone else. ¶

A true Latter-day Saint is living a life that is above reproach. He is living a life that stamps him in the eyes of all honest, conscientious people as a man worthy of respect and one who can be relied upon, because the true Latter-day Saint believes in God and in Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the world. He believes in sustaining the laws of God and the laws of his country, and in living a virtuous, true, upright life. No man can be a true Latter-day Saint without being worthy of the confidence of all men, without regard to whether they believe as he does or have any respect for his beliefs. ¶

Changes Among General Authorities

There have been some changes made since our last conference. As you all know, Brother Orson F. Whitney, one of the Council of the Twelve, and Elder Rey L. Pratt, one of the First Council of Seventy and president of the Mexican mission, have passed away. They were two outstanding preachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, men of great ability in proclaiming the Gospel and men of great personal inspiration. They lived lives that brought honor and respect to them and thereby honor and respect to the people that they represented as general officials. ¶

The Presidency and Apostles have nominated, as you know, although they have not yet been ordained and set apart, Brother Joseph F. Merrill and Brother Antoine R. Ivins to fill the positions made vacant by the death of these two stalwart workers in the Church. The other changes are as follows: ¶

Changes in Stake and Mission Officers Since Last April Conference

Stake Presidents Appointed

LeGrand Richards has been appointed president of the Hollywood stake to succeed George W. McCune. ¶

Hyrum B. Calder has been appointed president of the Uintah stake to succeed Wallace Calder. ¶

Peter J. Ricks has been appointed president of the Fremont stake to succeed George S. Romney. ¶

Joseph R. Christiansen has been appointed president of the Moroni stake to succeed James L. Nielson. ¶

We wish to say that Brothers George W. McCune, Wallace Calder, George S. Romney and James L. Nielson have all labored diligently and faithfully in the positions they have occupied and they have been honorably released. ¶

New Mission Presidents

George S. Romney has been appointed president of the Northern States mission to succeed Noah S. Pond, who has been honorably released after having filled a splendid mission. ¶

Leonidas D. Mecham has been appointed acting president of the Australian mission to succeed Clarence H. Tingey, who has returned from Australia in the enjoyment of health after filling a most splendid mission. ¶

Francis Salzner has been appointed president of the Swiss and German mission to succeed Fred Tadje. Sister Tadje has returned from the mission and Brother Tadje will undoubtedly come after his successor has been installed. ¶

New Temple President

William M. Waddoups has been appointed president of the Hawaiian temple, to succeed Castle H. Murphy, who is president of the Hawaiian mission, and who was also directing the affairs of the temple. We considered it wisdom to have Brother Waddoups return to Hawaii, where he has labored for so many years and so faithfully, to preside over the temple there. ¶

New Wards Organized

Burbank ward, Hollywood stake. Salmon ward, Lost River stake. Elysian Park ward, Hollywood stake. Pasadena ward, Hollywood stake. ¶

Stake President Who Has Passed Away

James P. Jensen, president of the San Luis stake, Colorado, has passed away after an honorable, faithful presidency there. ¶

Bishops Who Have Passed Away During the Past Six Months

Harold Winterton, Woodland ward in the Summit stake, by an auto accident. ¶

Lawrence Gates of the Antimony ward, Garfield stake. ¶

The Foundation of the Church

Coming back to the suggestion that we as Latter-day Saints do away with faith in Joseph Smith, I want to announce, as I stated on the occasion referred to, that the moment any individual or individuals shall lose faith in the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith, that minute they are not entitled to be called Latter-day Saints. The whole foundation of this Church rests firmly upon the inspiration of the living God through Joseph Smith the Prophet. ¶

When I hear the song-- ¶

"We thank thee, O God, for a prophet To guide us in these latter days," ¶

I never feel as though it applies to me. I never hear it but that I feel it applies to that man who was the instrument in the hands of God of restoring again to the earth the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, the plan of life and salvation, the pearl of great price, that which is of more value than everything else in all the world, namely, the plan which if you and I live it will bring us back into the presence of God our Heavenly Father, to dwell there in joy and peace eternally. ¶

Truth Evidenced

When anybody talks about Joseph Smith not being a prophet he should look into the great and remarkable prophecies that he uttered. He should read the marvelous and wonderful revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants which the Lord has given to us through him. I am sure when people realize that the war of the rebellion was foretold and prophesied of by him, and that he gave the world a solution, so to speak, of the difficulties which brought about the war, advocating the sale of the public lands of the country to purchase the slaves as England had done, they must recognize that he was inspired of the Lord. ¶

Puzzles Writer

I remember very distinctly that in the book entitled "Figures of the Past" the man who wrote it said he could not account for Joseph Smith and intimated that he must have been partially insane. He said he had visited a place where the insane were kept, and I suppose he was on a par with the man who said that Joseph Smith received his revelations at the time he was in epileptic fits. Joseph Smith was one of the stalwarts physically. He was an athlete, a very strong man. ¶

The wisdom of the wise shall be confounded. This same man goes on to say, in paying tribute to Joseph Smith, that of all the men he had ever met, Elisha R. Potter of Rhode Island and Joseph Smith seemed best endowed with "that kingly faculty which directs as by divine right feeble and confused souls looking for guidance." He went on to say that great credit had been given to Ralph Waldo Emerson as being a statesman ahead of his day because of his advocating the sale of the public lands for the purchase of the slaves; but he said, "What shall we say of the Mormon prophet who advocated the same thing eleven years previously, when the heavens were clear and tranquil?" At the time Ralph Waldo Emerson advocated this course there were war clouds in the heavens. ¶

Superiority Admitted

We say that Joseph Smith was a prophet of the living God and that he gave to the people a solution that would have saved that terrible fratricidal war between the Northern and Southern States. ¶

He goes on to say: ¶

"Such a rare human being is not to be disposed of by pelting his memory with unsavory epithets. Fanatic, imposter, charlatan, he may have been; but these hard names furnish no solution to the problems he presents to us. Fanatics and imposters are living and dying every day and their memory is buried with them; but the wonderful influence which this founder of a religion exerted and still exerts throws him into relief before us, not as a rogue to be incriminated, but as a phenomenon to be explained." ¶

He also says that with hundreds of thousands believing that he is an emissary from the Most High God we cannot dispose of him by ridiculing his name. ¶

A Mighty People

All the lies that are being told about the people today are as nothing in comparison with those that were told about the prophet. He taught the people that we would be driven from city to city, county to county, state to state and finally beyond the confines of the United States, and that we would become a great and a mighty people in the midst of the Rocky Mountains. He said the day would come when not only a city, a county or a state would be arrayed against this handful of people called Mormons, but that the day would come when the whole United States would be arrayed against them. ¶

And we have lived to see these statements fulfilled. We have become a mighty people. We have over a thousand wards and independent branches from Canada on the north to Mexico on the south. We have more than nine hundred branches in the missions throughout the world. We have splendid edifices in our wards and branches from Canada to Mexico. We have some magnificent temples that have been erected from Canada on the north to Arizona on the south, and one splendid temple way off in the Hawaiian Islands. ¶

The work of the Lord is progressing, the people are growing in faith and a love of the truth, in absolute testimony that Joseph Smith was in very deed a prophet of the true and the living God. ¶

During the Past One Hundred Years

This Gospel has been proclaimed now for over one hundred years all over the world, in every land and every clime where religious liberty has been granted, and it has gathered out people from every denomination under heaven; and as I have remarked in my public addresses, I know of no missionary in my entire experience, although we have at times had more than two thousand in the field, that has ever returned to announce that he had found that some other religion, in England, in Ireland, or some other part of the world, was the truth, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our missionaries have come home during the past one hundred years with increased testimony of the divinity of the mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith. ¶

We have lived to see the issuing of an exterminating order by the governor of a state to expel the Latter-day Saints; we have lived to see the army of the United States of America, because of the lies of runaway judges, come against this people. We have lived to see the property of the Church both real and personal, confiscated by the highest tribunal, under the acts of Congress; and I have picked up the paper time and time again during the litigation for the return of our property and have read in bold headlines, "The United States of America versus the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," and have laid down the paper and thanked God that the United States had placed the stamp of divinity upon the utterances of the prophet of the living God. ¶

Example Quoted

Stephen A. Douglas, believing absolutely that he had within his grasp the presidency of the United States, that he would be overwhelmingly elected, presumed to say that we had destroying angels, that we were in league with the Indians, that we were in rebellion against the government, that we were setting up a kingdom of our own here with Brigham Young at the head of it. Then he was reminded by The Deseret News that the Prophet Joseph Smith had said to him when he was an obscure country judge: ¶

"Judge Douglas, the day will come when you will aspire to the presidency of the United States, and if you ever lift your voice against my people you shall be disappointed in your ambitions, you shall die a broken-hearted, disappointed man, and the conversation of this day will stick to you until the day of your death." ¶

Defies Statement

He defied that statement. When? He defied that utterance of the Prophet when he felt sure that he would be elected president, and this was at a time when we did not have a single vote in the electoral college for the presidency of the United States. We were a territory without a vote and there was no occasion for this man to make the speech that he did unless he felt in his heart that he could brand Joseph Smith as a false prophet. But instead of branding him as such he brought forth one of the strongest evidences of the divine mission of Joseph Smith. ¶

May the Lord bless us during our conference sessions. May the light and inspiration of his Spirit attend us. May we, one and all, seek every day of our lives to fully live up to the requirements of the Gospel. And I can promise you that if you do so, peace, prosperity and happiness physically, intellectually, and, above all, spiritually, will attend you. I ask this blessing in the name of Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen. ¶