Testimony Concerning Great Truths

I feel assured this morning that we are to have a most excellent conference because the Spirit of the Lord has been with us and has dictated the words that have been spoken. I trust that for the few moments I stand here I too may be led to say that which will be pleasing in the sight of our Heavenly Father and beneficial to you. ¶

Testimony Concerning Great Truths

I am grateful for a testimony of the Gospel, for a knowledge that Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of the world, the Only Begotten Son of the living God. I know that he came into the world as its Redeemer and as the Savior of men. He brought salvation and exaltation to all who are willing to accept in faithfulness all of his teachings. Moreover, I know that Joseph Smith was called of God and was a prophet, and that he was given divine authority and spoke the truth. To him were the heavens opened. He received a visitation of the Father and the Son and was called to usher in the great last dispensation known as the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times. This dispensation was spoken of by ancient prophets and by the apostles of former times. The ancient prophets looked forward to this dispensation for they knew it was to be the time of the restoration of all things both which are in heaven and which are on earth. This restoration was to come through the sending of the Gospel from heaven with the fulness of the priesthood, and all things were eventually to be set in order according to the will of the Lord. ¶

I am grateful for the Gospel as it has come to us in its simplicity, and in its fulness, with all its power and authority, for the holy priesthood cannot be separated from the Gospel which is the power of God unto salvation. This power has again been brought to men and they have the privilege of worshipping God in spirit and in truth. How grateful I am for this knowledge, and to know that I have been reared in it. All my life it has been my desire to know the truth and to have a testimony which comes from the Spirit of the Lord, and I can say that I know that these things are true. ¶

That We May Not Be Deceived

Our attention has been called this morning to the fact that there are many spirits abroad in the world, that we are to try the spirits. As I understand this it means that we should prove them to know from what source they come. How are we going to prove the spirits and understand which are right and which are wrong unless we ourselves are walking in the light? Unless we have been studying and pondering over the principles of the Gospel we may be deceived. If we have not had in our hearts the spirit of prayer, of ,faith, of humility, and have been obedient to our Eternal Father, then how are we going to distinguish between these spirits and discover what comes from God and what comes from man or from some evil source? ¶

The Lord has marked out the way. He has given us a key to the situation. It was never the intention of our Father in heaven to leave men to grope and feel their way in darkness and that without any light to guide them, and expect them under such conditions to find their way back into his kingdom and into his holy presence. That is not the way of the Lord. All down the ages from the beginning our Father in heaven has shown his kindness for his children and has been willing to give them direction. From the earliest times the heavens have been opened, the Lord has sent messengers from his presence to divinely appointed servants, men holding the authority of the priesthood who have -been commissioned to teach the principles of the Gospel, to warn the people and teach them righteousness ; and these men have received this knowledge, this inspiration and guidance from these messengers from the presence of God. This is true of our own dispensation. There is no need for men to shut their eyes and feel that there is no light only as they may depend upon their reason, for the Lord has always been willing to lead and direct and show the way. He has sent, as I say, messengers from his presence. He has sent revelation. He has commanded that his word be written, that it be published, so that all the people might know it. ¶

Unto All Men

In the very first section of the Doctrine and Covenants there are some very significant things in relation to this matter as the Lord has given it both to the Church and to the world. This revelation, known ¶

as the preface to the Doctrine and Covenants, is the preface by the Son of God himself to this great body of revelation and commandment which has been given to the Church and to the world if they will receive it for their salvation. And it begins as follows: ¶

"Hearken, O ye people of my church, .saith the voice of him who dwells on high, and whose eyes are upon all men; yea, verily I say: Hearken ye people from afar; and ye that are upon the islands of the sea, listen together." ¶

So you see .in this introduction to this preface the Lord calls the members of the Church, the people of the islands of the sea, in foreign lands, in all parts of the earth, to listen, to give heed to the words which he shall speak, that they might receive his truth and come out of darkness. And then he says : ¶

"For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to escape; and there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear, neither heart that shall not be penetrated." ¶

Here or Hereafter

We may wonder how that will come to pass because we understand that with the best efforts we can make in sending forth and publishing this word there are many who do not hear it. Our two thousand missionaries who are scattered over the face of the earth preaching the Gospel are very few in comparison ,with the millions unto whom this Gospel is to be proclaimed. But the Lord will reach the hearts of the people, his word will not fail. And I do not understand even from this wording that it is necessary that every heart be penetrated and every ear hear in this life. But if they have not heard, if this opportunity has not come to them through the preaching of the Elders and through the things that have been published in the word of the Lord that has gone forth by revelation, the opportunity is going to come to them and they must, hear it in the spirit world. ¶

And so the Lord in his kindness and mercy intends to bring these truths of this restored Gospel to every soul living or dead. In this manner every heart shall be penetrated and every ear shall hear. ¶

"And the rebellious shall be pierced with much sorrow ; ^f or their iniquities shall be spoken upon the housetops, and their secret acts shall be revealed. ¶

"And the voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days." ¶

The Lord's Purpose

And then farther on in this revelation the Lord declares : ¶

"Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon, the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments; ¶

"And also gave commandments to others, that they should proclaim these things unto the world; and all this that it might be fulfilled which was written by "the prophets — ¶

"The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh — ¶

"But that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world; ¶

"That faith also might increase in the earth ; "That mine everlasting covenant might be established ; ¶

"That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers. ¶

"Behold, I am God and have spoken it; these commandments are of me, and were given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding." ¶

Search These Things

I have read from this revelation with the idea of impressing' upon our minds the commandment that comes from our Father in heaven through his Son Jesus Christ who is the author of these words, that it is the duty not only of the eldership of this Church but of all the members of this Church to search, these revelations and commandments, that we might know them. The Elder of this Church no matter who he is who is unfamiliar with the word of the Lord as it has come unto us through the proclamation of his Son and through his servants in these latter days, is not magnifying his calling in this Church. Moreover, it is the duty of the members of this Church to make themselves familiar with the revelations as they have been given, and with the commandments as they have been taught in these revelations, or have been presented in them and given to the people, that we might know the truth which makes us free. And if we will study them, if we will put them into practice, if we will keep the commandments of the Lord, we will know the truth and there shall be no weapon formed against us that shall prosper. There shall be no false doctrines, no teaching of men that will deceive us. There are many cults and many false faiths, there are' many strange ideas in the world, but if we will search these revelations then we will be fortified against errors and we will be made strong. False teachings will have no effect upon us for we will know that truth which makes us free. ¶

The word of the Lord which he spoke when in his ministry is just as true today as it was then to this effect, that he who will do the will of the Father shall know of the doctrine, and he will not be led astray; he will not be enticed or overcome by falsehoods and these teachings that prevail in the world which tend to destroy faith in God and his revelations. ¶

"whoso treasureth up my word" ¶

Let me read to you this key that the Lord gave to his disciples when he was in his ministry. Speaking of the last days, the days just preceding his coming he said : ¶

"And whoso treasureth up my word shall not be deceived, for the Son of Man shall come, and he shall send his angels before him with the great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together the remainder of his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." ¶

Now remember, brethren and sisters, if you treasure up the word of the Lord, if you study these revelations, not merely those that are ¶

in the Doctrine and Covenants, but those that are in all the standard works of the Church, and you put into practice the commandments that are here found, you will not be deceived in these perilous times, but you shall have the spirit of discernment and you shall know the truth and shall know falsehood, for you shall have power to know the spirits of men and to understand the Spirit of the Lord. ¶

May we do this I pray, walking in righteousness, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. ¶