Civilization Has Not Failed

My brethren and sisters, I sincerely hope that the spirit which has thus far characterized this conference may be continued in what I may say to you today. I trust that whatever I shall say may bring something of hope, of cheer, something to encourage and lead us onward in this great work in which we are engaged. ¶

I should like first to pay a tribute to the wonderful broadcast which we had this morning. I think I can definitely see an improvement in the Choir over even their excellence of six months ago. I congratulate them. To Brother Lund and to Brother Asper I also extend my congratulations ; likewise to Brother Richard L. Evans for his choicely worded announcements. I should like to say to the choir that in my opinion the secret of their success is that they are rendering gratuitous service for the up-building of the culture and the faith, not alone of our people, but of the people of the entire world. ¶

GIVES ENCOURAGEMENT ¶

We ofttimes hear it said that there should be art for art's sake, and I am persuaded that in those great cultural occupations of music and art it is necessary that it shall be art for art's sake, and furthermore that so soon as any individual or organization begins to commercialize itself in art and music it ceases to do the work which otherwise it would do. I say this by way of encouragement to this great Choir, which is so fatihful in the performance of its duty. ¶

Service for service' sake is a great truth. ¶

I wish also to say a few words regarding the great Crusaders who were with us at our last conference, and who have been called hence, Brother James E. Talmage, who was a life-long friend, and Brother Brigham H. Roberts of whom I know through his works. They were great captains of the Lord's hosts. They did a great work; they were armored in truth ; they loved truth for truth's sake ; they did not depend upon the approval of the world for their inspiration nor for their courage. While I am sure they enjoyed the approval of the world, they worked in spite of it. ¶

Sometimes I feel that we are prone to look even as little children for commendation from the world for what we do and what we believe and how we work. It is not a compliment to me for any non-member to tell me that I am a human being. We, the people of the Lord, stand for the greatest principles which have been revealed to humanity. We have no reason to excuse, no cause for apology. ¶

ANTI-CHRIST PREDICTED ¶

Brother Ivins referred this morning to the words of the Savior given in reply to the question of the disciples : "What shall be the sign of thy coming?" and to the fact that great upheavals, political and physical, were predicted, and that anti-Christs should arise. ¶

I wonder, sometimes, if we do not, in considering those things, focus our attention too much upon the physical and political upheavals, and too little upon the other side of that prophecy, the false and anti- Christ. I wonder also whether, when we read these things, we do not think of false personages pretending to be Christ, when perhaps the Savior had some other meaning, because he spoke of the prophets of the anti-Christ. I think he had in mind and wished to warn us against false and vicious teachings. ¶

HERESY PREVAILS ¶

The world today is torn with heresy ; it seems as if the more fantastic the plan and the idea, the more ready we are to listen, and sometimes to follow. It seems to me that we have broken loose from the moorings which we once had, that we have permitted our minds to leave those places in which they found peace and rest and to seek new places where neither peace nor rest is to be found. ¶

What more anti-Christ doctrine could there be than that which we so frequently hear nowadays, that Christianity has failed. How could Christianity fail in this world, because so far as I know, Christianity has not yet been tried. When the world lives the principles which the Savior gave unto us, when the world becomes really and truly Christian, then it will be time enough to cast the score as to whether Christianity has failed or succeeded. An apostate generation may not judge and condemn truth. ¶

CIVILIZATION HAS NOT FAILED ¶

How equally unfortunate, as it seems to me, is that statement that our civilization has failed. We say that usually because some of us unfortunately have not had so much of the material things of life as we once had. Civilization has not failed. It has, in the past, sometimes paused; it has sometimes halted, but looking at the whole course of history it has constantly gone forward, rising from every such pause and every such halt to higher and more glorious levels. It is my faith, my brothers and sisters, that such it will be when our present tribulations are over. ¶

Moreover, there are some of us who go about saying that if this, or that, or the other man-made plan does not succeed, chaos will result. It is my faith, my brothers and sisters, that chaos will come only in the due time of the Lord, and when the world shall have fully and completely rejected his principles and his doctrine. ¶

We are in a time of great stress. I say a truism, something that you all know, when I tell you that some of us are somewhat in want. Many of us have lost the garnerings of a lifetime. Some of us know not how to turn to meet our obligations. Some of us wonder from where will come the necessities of life during this coming winter. Brother Stephen L. Richards yesterday assured us of his sympathy, and I can assure you of my sympathy. I can assure you of the sympathy of all the brethren in these, your trying times. I can assure you that they sorrow with you over your privations. I can assure you that what they can do they will do. ¶

But, brethren and sisters, there is a certain side of this depression that I wish to bring to your attention. For example : Report has reached us that a man having a hundred tons of hay, two hundred head of cattle, four milk cows, several pigs and a flock of chickens, last year accepted relief. ¶

NECESSITIES ONLY PROVIDED ¶

My brethren and sisters, relief is not for those who are in that situation. Report has also come to me that in some cases in making this recent survey, those making it have been told to urge the people to report all they could think of that they needed. Relief can not be carried out on that plan. In this relief work we must look forward not to the maximum of our desires, nor necessarily the maximum of what we have had. Those in need must look forward to the minimum of their needs. We can not take care of the situation on any other plan. The whole people are not in a position to bestow luxury, or even the full comforts to those in distress. If those suffering can be helped from actual want, they will have as much as the whole people can do. ¶

Brother Grant referred, in his opening remarks, to relief from the government. I approach this subject with a great deal of feeling and strong conviction. The thought that we should get all we can from the government because everybody else is getting it, is unworthy of us as American citizens. It will debauch us. Judged by my standards it is wicked, and followed out it will destroy us. The government of the United States has not and can not supply the funds necessary to carry on relief work on that basis. We must be as careful with government funds as with our own or as with the Church's. Patriotism, loyalty, decency, everything demands that such shall be our course. ¶

COUNTRY NEXT TO GOD ¶

My brethren and sisters, I want to endorse every word that President Ivins said this morning regarding our government. If I know my own mind and heart, next to God, the author of my being, comes my country. It has been my honor and my privilege to serve it in some more or less minor capacities, and if the providences of the Lord shall so order, 1 stand ready to serve it again. ¶

This government of ours was established under the inspiration of the Lord. We as a people need our government. We must have the safeguards which the Constitution throws around us — freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom of conscience. It has been my opportunity during my life to stand near to some of those who are called great. It has been my opportunity to work among those who will always work in subordinate capacities in the government. I want to say to you, my brethren and sisters, in all earnestness, that I have yet to see the man, however great he was, that I would wish to see become a dictator. Dictators are not for America, and the doctrine that dictators should rule us comes from an evil source. ¶

COURAGE REQUIRED OF PIONEERS ¶

As I contemplate our condition today, and contemplate the condition of the pioneers when they came into these valleys, I can but wonder what they would have thought of our fears, our apprehensions, our complaints. When I think that their first winter was spent here with scarcely enough to carry them through, and with no help nearer than a thousand miles by ox team ; when I think of the following spring when they had to eat roots to maintain themselves ; when I think of the fear that must have been in their hearts when they saw the locusts come in hordes to destroy their crops ; when I think of how we are situated, with an actual sufficiency, if not an abundance, with communications open and free, housed, clothed and possibilities of being fed, it seems that we should take courage, we should hold up our heads, we should return our thanks to our Heavenly Father for all of his goodness and mercy unto us. Think how fortunate the pioneers would have thought themselves to be if they had been placed as are we. We should appreciate the Lord's blessings, because he does not always bless those who fail in their appreciation, and our prayers should be not alone asking for what we want, but expressing gratitude for what we have. And after all, my brethren and sisters, the temporal things of life, food and clothing, and shelter, amount to very little, if we have enough for our actual wants. It is only the great eternal truths that count, and we have those truths, and we have a knowledge that they are true. We know that by Hving the truth we shall have eternal life in the world to come. Peter in his first epistle says : ¶

"For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away; ¶

"But the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this1 is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you." ¶

May the Lord bless us, may he let his Spirit hover over us, may he give us peace and courage and confidence, may he enable us to see the blessings of what we have in order that we may hold them, instead of flying to conditions of which we have no knowledge, may he be with us individually and collectively, may he make of us a beacon in the world to lead all to the true light of the Savior, I humbly pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶