The British Mission

I trust, my brethren and sisters, that I may have the Spirit of the Lord to direct my remarks. It is indeed a pleasure for me to be in your midst once again, and to report the splendid condition of the British mission. ¶

I bring to you the greetings of President and Sister Widtsoe, and of President and Sister Douglas. They asked me, as 1 left, that if I were permitted to speak at Conference, to extend to the Saints assembled their good wishes and their blessings. They are doing a wonderful work in that land. The Lord is blessing them in all of their labors. ¶

The Saints throughout the British mission are a wonderful people. They are imbued with the Spirit of God, and are trying to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Elders are a splendid group of young men. I am pleased to report that in all of my missionary experience the greatest joy that came to my heart was to see the Spirit of God take hold of these young men, these boys, so to speak, and make men out of them. As they studied the scripture, as they prayed to God for his help, I could see them grow in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I could see the testimony of the truthfulness of this work rest upon them. As they stood in the halls and upon the street corners, it brought joy to my heart to listen to them bear testimony that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, that this work had been restored by him, and that he had given his life as a testimony of its truthfulness. ¶

I rejoice in the testimony that I have that this is the Church of Jesus Christ ; that within it is the power of everlasting life : that the priesthood of God has been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith to men in this age of the world, and that the keys of this priesthood are vested in the. President of this Church at the present time. I am reminded that on one occasion, at a time when a number of the disciples were leaving the Master, the Savior asked his apostles this question, "Will ye also go away?" Then Peter answered, "Lord to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life." ¶

So I ask, my brethren and sisters, if we should turn from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where would we go, for in this Church, and only in this Church, are the words of eternal life. Here is the power or priesthood which makes the Gospel the power of God ¶

unto salvation. The priesthood is here ; and when men go about reviling the President of the Church they revile the Church to which I belong. I resent it, because I know in my heart that this is the Church of God ; that these men who stand at the head of this Church are inspired of God, are our leaders, and have the words of eternal life. ¶

I rejoice in the testimony that has been given to me that God lives, that Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of mankind, and that through him and only through him can eternal life come unto the children of men. ¶

In the British mission we have established priesthood and genealogical classes, and have all the auxiliaries. I rejoice to report to you that they are doing splendidly in their work. We have 6,640 members of the Church who are divided into 16 districts containing 74 branches. There were, at the end of 1931, 68 Relief Societies, 71 Sunday Schools, 71 Mutuals and 37 Primaries. The Saints rejoice in the privilege of having a patriarch in their midst. Brother Wallis is doing a good work among the people. I am happy to report that last year we had two hundred and forty-five baptisms in that mission. It may seem only a few, but brethren and sisters, the people there are not turning their hearts to God as we would like to see them do. I wish that they would. I wish that they would turn unto him ; that they would come back to him ; that they would follow in his footsteps; that instead of so much belief in man-made philosophies they would come back to the teachings of Christ ; that they would repent and turn unto him. ¶

In conclusion let me plead with the younger members of the Church who may be present, as I am a younger member of the Church, that we devote our lives to service in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ; that we remain loyal to this Church, to the leaders of this Church. The Church will go on, and the only way that we can remain with its progress is to be loyal to it and to continue faithful to all the duties that are assigned unto us. We need not fear for the welfare of this Church. It is the Church of God, and it will go on and on and fill its destiny. Let us, the younger members of the Church, rise up, do our duty, keep the commandments of God, pay our tithes, keep the Word of Wisdom, and God will bless us with a testimony of the truthfulness of this Church and the faithfulness of its leaders, I testify to you, through Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶