The Signs of the Times

I assure you, my brethren and sisters, I feel most humble in standing here before this vast congregation and as I reflect upon the great miracle that we have witnessed this morning, in the broadcast from this building, which has gone out over the world. I feel grateful for every blessing that comes to me and to us, as members of the Church, through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We believe in peace. We preach peace. I hope we are living in peace. ¶

Men's Hearts Failing Them

After listening to the sayings of some of the world's great leaders and thinkers, as their expressions have been presented by some of the speakers at this conference, I am impressed -with the fact that the hearts of men are failing them. I think that is quite evident. We see it in publications in the newspapers and magazines and in the expressions of the people. The hearts of men are failing them. Fear has come upon the people of the earth. ¶

Responsibility for the Depression

One of the brethren yesterday stated that practically every speaker up to that time said something about the depression. I suppose I will not be out of place if I too say something about it. I would like to place the blame for it where it belongs. It is so easy for humankind to blame somebody else for their own mistakes, and so easy for us, because of our human nature, to take credit when the thing that is accomplished is something that pleases and benefits. But we never want to shoulder a responsibility for our mistakes that do not please, and so we endeavor to place that kind of responsibility somewhere else and on others. ¶

When the children of Israel came out of Egypt they were led by Moses as he was directed of the Lord. Constantly they murmured against him when they found themselves confronting difficulties, and wanted to go back to Egypt to their tasks and to their tribulation. ¶

Now, brethren and sisters, let us shoulder our own responsibilities, and not endeavor to place them somewhere else. The responsibility for this depression is partly mine ; it is partly yours. It is the fault of the farmer, of the merchant, of the educator, the business man, the professional man — in fact, men in all walks of life. That is where the responsibility belongs. And why? Because of a failure to heed the ¶

commandments of God. I say it is partly mine. It is mine insofar as I may have failed to heed the commandments. It is mine wherein I may have failed to follow the counsels that have been given from this pulpit for many years. It is your fault because you too, perhaps, have failed to heed those counsels. It is the fault of the whole world, because they have refused to hear the word of God, to heed the Warnings that have come from him, not only through ancient prophets and apostles but in the words that have been declared from time to time by modern prophets. ¶

Have Forsaken God

The world today is full of selfishness, greed, the desire to possess. For many years we have been living extravagantly. Our wants have been supplied — not our needs alone, but our wants — and we have wanted much. Most of us have been able to obtain them, and now a time comes when we find ourselves somewhat curtailed, hedged around about, not having so many privileges, and our desires are not so fully granted, and so we begin to complain. But we should get rid of our selfishness and greed, our desire to possess that which is beyond the needs and blessings which are really ours. ¶

It is time for men to humble themselves, to repent and seek the Lord. I think the general theme of this conference has been that of repentance. I think it is most timely. I have been crying repentance up and down through the stakes of Zion for years. I think it is needed. ¶

Depression has come because we have forsaken God. Now, I am not speaking of the Latter-day Saints when I say that. I make this saying have general application. The people of this nation, and the people of other nations, have forsaken the Lord. We have violated his laws. We have failed to hearken to his promises. We have not considered ,that we were under obligation to keep his commandments, and the laws of the land as well as the laws of God are not respected. The Sabbath day has become a day of pleasure, a day of boisterous conduct, a day in which the worship of God has departed, and the worship of pleasure has ,taken its place. I am sorry to say that many of the Latter-day Saints are guilty of this. We should repent. ¶

Now, I am going to speak plainly. I have spoken plainly about this. I think it is a disgrace to our cities and to our state when playgrounds in this city and other cities are dedicated by city officials on the Sabbath day, and this day desecrated by ball games and other amusements. I think it is a disgrace to' the state when the state fair is opened on the Sabbath day. Now, this is not done because of the love of God. It isn't because we have in our hearts the love of him and a desire to keep his commandments that such has taken place. It is because of greed, the love of money, and because we have drifted from the truth, from the spirit of humility, and from those commandments which have been given to us for our eternal guidance. The Lord has spoken. He has spoken in these days and he has spoken in times of old. We should profit by the experiences of others. We ought ¶

to profit by the examples that have been set before us in ancient days, but it seems we will not do it. ¶

The Warning Voice

Now, we hear occasionally somebody make the statement that things are as bad as they could be, that they could not be worse. I want to tell you they could be worse, a great deal worse. If I read the signs of the times we have not suffered yet as much as we are going to suffer, unless we repent. ¶

From this stand men have prophesied in the name of the Lord for many decades. President Brigham Young, President John Taylor, President Wilford Woodruff, and others of our leading brethren and presidents of the Church, have raised the warning voice. They have called attention to these present conditions. The Lord has also prophesied of these things, and they have been mentioned by ancient seers and prophets. We have had ample warning. We have been told of the calamities that are coming. We have been taught how we might avoid them, how we might be protected, if we would only hear the counsels that come to us, heed the testimony of truth. If we fail, we cannot escape. ¶

Fulfilment of Prophecies

I sat in this building at a general conference of the Church many years ago, in the days of President Wilford Woodruff, when he made a statement that I happen to have with me. Let me read it. President Wilford Woodruff was filled with the Spirit of the Lord. This happened on the 4th day of October, in the year 1896. It was not the first time he had mentioned this matter, for he had mentioned it in 1893, and it became a theme in which he was very much interested and to which he gave expression in each, of his discourses, practically, until the time of his death. These are his words : ¶

"The revelations that are in the Bible, the predictions of the patriarchs and prophets who saw by vision and revelation the last dispensation and fulness of times, plainly tell us what is to come to pass. The 49th chapter of Isaiah is having its fulfilment. I have often said in my preachings, if the world want to know what is coming to pass, let them read the revelations of St. John; read of the judgments of God that are going to overtake the world in the last dispensation; read the papers and see what is taking place in our own nation and in the nations of the earth, and what does it all mean? It means the commencement of the fulfilment of what the prophets of God have predicted. In the Doctrine and Covenants there are many revelations given through the mouth of the Prophet of God. These revelations will all have their fulfilment, as the Lord lives, and no power can hinder it. In one of the revelations the Lord told Joseph Smith : ¶

" 'Behold, verily I say unto you, the angels are crying unto the Lord day and night, who are ready and waiting to be sent forth to reap down the fields : ¶

" 'But the Lord saith unto them. Pluck not up the tares while the blade is yet tender (for verily your faith is weak), lest you destroy the wheat also. ¶

" 'Therefore let the wheat and the tares grow together until the harvest is fully ripe; then ye shall first gather out the wheat from among the tares, and after the gathering of the wheat, behold and lo, the tares are bound in bundles, and the field remaineth to be burned,' ¶

"I want to bear testimony to this congregation, and to the heavens and the earth, that the day is come when those angels are privileged to go forth and commence their work. They are laboring in the United States of America; they are laboring among the nations of the earth; and they will continue. We need not marvel or wonder at anything that is transpiring in the earth. The world do not comprehend the revelations of God. They did not in the days of the Jews ; yet all that the prophets had spoken concerning them came to pass. So in our day these things will come to pass. I heard the Prophet Joseph bear his testimony to these events that would transpire in the earth. * * * We cannot draw a veil over the events that await this generation. No man that is inspired by the Spirit and power of God can close his ears, his eyes, or his lips, to these things. * * * There are many events before us and at our door, and they follow each other in quick succession. No power on earth or under the earth can stay the fulfilment of these things. You can hardly see them with your eyes, hear them with your tears, and feel them with your spirits. And when these strange things take place, no man should marvel and wonder at them, because they are in the great program. They have been decreed by Almighty God, and these things are only the beginning of sorrows." ¶

The Signs of the Times

On another occasion President Wilford Woodruff said : ¶

"What are the signs of the times? Do the Latter-day Saints comprehend them? This is a fast age. The Lord is going to cut his work short in righteousness. Read these revelations, for they contain the history of what is going to pass in the earth." ¶

He then quoted the parable of the Wheat and the Tares, and continued : ¶

"What is the matter with the world today? What has created this change that we see coming over the world? Why these terrible judgments? What is the meaning of all these mighty events that are taking place? The meaning is, these angels that have been held for many years in the temple of our God have got their liberty to go out and commence their mission and their work in the earth, and they are here today in the earth. I feel bold in saying this to the Latter-day Saints. There is a meaning in these judgments. The word of the Lord cannot fall unfulfilled. If you want to know what is coming to pass, read the revelations of St. John; read the Book of Mormon and the book of Doctrine and Covenants; and these things are at our doors. What is the matter with this nation? Thousands of men striking, mobs rising up and destroying property, and tribulation prevailing! I want to say that you will all find before you are many years older that Utah is a pretty good place to live in. ¶

"So far as temporal matters are concerned, we have got to go to work and provide for ourselves. The day will come when, as we have been told, we shall all see the necessity of making our own shoes and clothing and raising our own food, and uniting together to carry out the purposes of the Lord. We will be preserved in the mountains of Israel in the day of God's judgment. I therefore say to you, my brethren and sisters, prepare for that which is to come." ¶

Before His Second Coming

This time of trouble has not come yet; but it is on the way. I also have here — I cannot take time to read it — a statement from President John Taylor, in which he bears witness to these things, and to the sayings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, that there shall be bloodshed and trouble in this land beyond anything that we have yet seen, because of the wickedness of the people. Do not think that we have reached a condition where things could not be worse. Unless there is repentance they will be worse. And so I cry repentance to this people, to the Latter-day Saints, to the people of this nation, and to the nations of the earth everywhere. ¶

In conclusion I give you this to think about, from the words of our Lord, written in regard to the times in which we are living, the times preceding his second coming. It is found in the twenty-first chapter of Luke. ¶

"Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. ¶

"And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. ¶

"For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. ¶

"Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." ¶

This is a good thing for us to think about as members of the Church, and I read this warning to us. May the Lord guide us, and may we repent. May we keep his commandments and walk in holiness, I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶