Government and Religion

My brethren and sisters, if I were to call your attention to that which has more deeply impressed me than anything else pertinent in the world today, it would be the declaration of the scriptures that "To know Thee, the only true and living God is life eternal." That knowledge is the first great need of the world. And next, the declaration of our Savior that the first and great commandment is to "Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. * * * And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." ¶

But what has very, very deeply impressed me is the succeeding declaration, that "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." ¶

If I am right I can think of nothing that develops more the fulfilment of those declarations than being a missionary. The testimony of all who go upon missions with a sincere desire, as they do, to serve the Lord, is that they have never enjoyed themselves more than on their missions. In such service there is a spiritual development and a growth that is invaluable, especially to the young. ¶

I am pleased to say that in the Eastern States Mission our missionaries enjoy, at the present time, exceptional health, and that their labors are resulting in unusual progress. With less than half the missionaries that we have had in times past our baptisms are almost equal in number to what they have heretofore been. If there are those who have resources that they could use, without too great sacrifice, to aid those who are on missions — some of whom are returning because of lack of finances — and to contribute to others who may go upon missions — if they fail to use those resources they are missing an opportunity, for the money will do double the service, apparently, that it has heretofore done. ¶

The world is in confusion. One preacher says that it is standing on its head. Great philosophers are saying that the civilization of this age is upon the precipice of destruction and that unless great changes take place in our social and industrial organizations it will go over the precipice and into destruction, and we will again have the Dark Ages. President Butler of Columbia University has made this declaration recently. Mr. H. G. Wells, the historian, philosopher and scientist, has made the same declaration, and so also have others. ¶

This is a mechanical age, in which the gifts of the creative power of God, as has been declared by another great scientist, so far exceed the wisdsom and the knowledge and the power of man to utilize them that it can hardly be determined whether they are an advantage or a disadvantage. ¶

It is my belief that without greater love of God and of fellow-men our civilization is threatened. We are our brother's keeper. That great law which has governed society so long, the survival of the fittest, does not fit in with the age in which we live. The general level of intelligence is such among mankind that poverty and distress in the midst of abundance and superabundance cannot continue to exist as they do. Hundreds of thousands, I believe millions, are today, in this land of plenty and abundance, suffering from undernourishment. Honest workers, men who are sincere in their desire to provide for themselves and those dependent upon them, are unable to obtain the necessities of life when they abound so greatly, when the plea is now being made that we ¶

should not produce so much. What is the result of this? It is commonly said in New York City and in the great industrial centers of the East, that men who have been receiving salaries of five, ten, fifteen and twenty thousand dollars, are now beggars, and why ? It is because there has been a failure to know God and to obey his laws and to love their neighbors. They have spent that which they have received. ¶

Whatever may be the hope of return of prosperity, of improvement in the business condition of the world, there is today in the great industrial centers of the East an increasing number of those who are dependent upon charity because their resources are being exhausted. ¶

What great organization in the world is doing something to intensify and increase the love of God, the knowledge of God, the real belief in an actual God and Father and Creator, and the love of brother? I have said unhesitatingly, wherever I have gone, that there are no people who are developing those qualities like the Latter-day Saints. That is exhibited in the declarations that we have heard from this stand during this conference, of the contributions that have been made to charity through the fast fund donation. There is nothing more beautiful in society, in any of the organizations of the world, to relieve distress, than is found in that thought. ¶

The tithing, the missionary system, the work in our temples — all are developing a love of fellow-men, a love of God and a nearness to him such, in my opinion, as can be found among no other people. Imperfect as we may be, the groundwork, the foundation is laid, upon which we merely need to build, to erect a social structure that will relieve poverty, that will increase the happiness of man, and that will bring us nearer to that system which the Savior attempted to establish and did establish when he was upon the earth, where there were no rich and no poor; and that which he again revealed in this age to the Prophet Joseph Smith in what we call the United Order. ¶

I can well remember the contest that was going on during my boyhood days to establish the eight-hour labor day system. Men then worked seventy hours a week, no Saturday afternoons off. That fight has been won. And to be brief, today we have in our own great country leaders of industry that are coming to accept not only the eight-hour day, with Saturday afternoon off, but a five-day week with Saturday off. ¶

As I say, with the mechanical devices that are making it possible to satisfy the demands of mankind with less labor, we are approaching the time when there will be more of a Utopian system in the world than it has ever seen before. Impracticable as may be, in the minds of most people, the thought of the establishment of what we have called the "United Order," and little as I feel myself prepared for it — certainly no more than others — yet I believe we are coming to it. We are being driven to it. These institutions that have been established — the fast day contribution, the tithing, the marvelous work of our Relief Society women — are only leading up to it and preparing us for it. ¶

I rejoice when I am able to say in the world that a hundred per cent of that which is contributed to charity by our people goes to charity. I know of no other organization that can make that claim. It is true there is a vast amount of charitable work done gratuitously, but there is no permanent institution established that I know anything about in which there is such a system. ¶

May the Lord bless this great work in which we are engaged, and fit and prepare us for the great events which I believe are pending in the world, and which are in progress — revolutionary changes, changes all over the world. I have no sympathy with the anti-Christian socialism of Russia, or of Europe, but the time is coming when the Latterday Saints will have impressed upon them more and more, and we will see more clearly, the beauties of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as it has been revealed in these the last days, and will sense the responsibility that is upon us. May we realize it. ¶

I want to appeal again to those who have the means to enable them to assist missionaries who are leaving their fields of labor because of their parents' inability to keep them there, that you contribute to the limit, for it is a marvelous work. I have met since I have been here a number of our young people who have returned from their missions. They repeat to me again and again the joy that they have in the work they did, and the blessings that they were enjoying while they were on their missions. They wish that they could go back, and would do so if it were possible. ¶

May this work grow and prosper, especially the missionary work in which I am especially interested. It provides joy and happiness and a satisfaction that I have never experienced in any other work. It enables me to forget self, more than anything else I know of. It cultivates the love of God. It brings us nearer to God. It gives us a clearer comprehension and a deeper conviction of his reality and existence. Those of you who are failing to assist your children on missions and to assist others who are willing to contribute their time are failing in the performance of your duty. ¶

May God help us, I pray, in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶