Standing for Truth

I will read the platform on which I stand as a member of the Church. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ¶

One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. ¶

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And he gave some, apostles ; and some, prophets ; and some, evangelists ; and some, pastors and teachers ; ¶

For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. ¶

Till we all come in the unity of faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. (Ephesians 4) ¶

On August 6, 1842, Joseph Smith prophesied to the Saints : ¶

Some of you will live to go and assist in making settlements and build cities and see the Saints become a mighty people in the midst of the Rocky Mountains. ¶

The Prophet Joseph Smith gave instructions to the Apostles at the last meeting prior to their leaving on missions : ¶

I have sealed upon your heads all the keys of the kingdom of God. I have sealed upon you every key, power and principle that the God of heaven has revealed unto me. ¶

President Brigham Young said after the martyrdom of the Prophet : Thank God, the keys of the kingdom are here. President Woodruff said : ¶

We have already revelations enough to lead this Church into the Celestial kingdom of God. We are not without revelation. The heavens are full of it and so also is the priesthood of God. ¶

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is established and perfectly organized, and the keys will remain with the Church until the coming of the Son of Man, which means until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the cl'ouds of heaven, to reward every man according to the deeds done in the body. ¶

The machinery of the Church is working perfectly : Semi-annual, stake, and ward conferences are being held ; auxiliary organizations are doing their part as helps in the Church. The people are taught and fully instructed. ¶

Thank God we have in our Church men whom God hath chosen, who have a genius for expression, and who are so vivid that when such men talk to people they repent of their sins and serve God and keep his commandments. ¶

Our Eternal Father, the Ruler of the Universe, is working for his children daily. He is rolling up the sun of morning, making wheat, and fruit and vegetables grow ; keeping our hearts and lungs going ; carrying water from the ocean and sprinkling it Over the land. In short, he too goes on loving again and again as long as we live, and he too finds joy in service to his children who are thankless and unappreciative most of the time.' ¶

Jesus Christ in his ministry could have built up a kingdom. He ¶

could have built cities, temples, tabernacles, and ivory palaces, had armies and navies, and forcefully proclaimed himself a king, a ruler. He could have won the crowds, could have filled his time with appointments with rich and influential folk, who would have contributed to the establishment of a temporal kingdom. ¶

Jesus Christ taught the people a simpler way. Some of the outstanding wayside ministries of Jesus, some of the incidents which reveal Christ's methods of teaching, were his conversation with the woman at the well, his approval of Mary's lavish outpouring of the precious ointment in expression of her love, the turning of the water unto wine, the healing of Simon's wife's mother, the washing of the disciples' feet, the stilling of the storm-tossed waves. ¶

Jesus took time to heal the sick and to bless, to talk with the heart-weary, to comfort the discouraged. His time was largely spent in kindly "wayside ministries" and it was not counted as wasted time. ¶

We can hardly think of Jesus Christ as feeling himself interrupted by the sick and weary who at eventide crowded around the house where he tarried. ¶

The visit from the rich young ruler, the midnight meeting with Nicodemus, the time of the service at the wedding feast, are just as important as are those incidents where he preaches to the crowds or feeds the hungry multitudes. ¶

The more we think of and study Christ's way of living and preaching the more we are impressed that there was a lack of fixed formalities or haste in his plan of work. There were no false standards of time, no statistics, no wrong estimates of the great importance of numbers. His mission was to minister to seeking hearts anywhere and at any time. The only time, so far as we know, that Jesus excluded himself was when he went aside alone to pray. ¶

How strikingly in contrast with our modern conception of the value of time, and of organization, and of efficiency, which so completely fills our days with one pressing engagement after another, running hither and thither, until we have little or no time to minister to the needy, the hungry, the naked, the disconsolate ones who are ever with us. It would almost seem that materialism and selfishness and greed have nearly driven out of us that Christlike spirit. ¶

We as Latter-day Saints, holding the Priesthood as we do, should become more intimately acquainted with Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, the Life, and let Christ's spirit of self-forgetfulness and service take possession of us and "seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness." ¶

It is disquieting to talk about it. ¶

"Many are called and few are chosen." ¶

The people who were in a hurry crucified Christ. What was Christ thinking about when he was nailed to the cross ? ¶

"There is safety in thought, but great danger in the expression of one's thoughts." The idea some have is to think and study but keep still and not talk. That is, you just sit on the fence and be a cud-chewing ¶

cow and watch the procession go by. You listen and hearken and let knowledge sink into your soul, just as a sponge absorbs water, and answer in monosyllables. Some wise men never express a thought. Why? Because they trust in the arm of flesh. Fear creeps into their hearts. ¶

That is to say, you assume an air of owlish wisdom and get a plastercast expression on your face and conclude that silence and mental dryness are indicative of wisdom, but such people seldom if ever get a bright idea in their heads or a generous sentiment in their hearts. Such men are half-way men. In a million years they couldn't prophesy. If God put the words into their mouths fear of criticism and misunderstanding would put them to silence. Heber C. Kimball in 1848, or near that time, prophesied that goods would be sold on the main street of Salt Lake City as cheap as in New York. ¶

Arthur Henry Young believes "that thought is the most sacred thing in the world." Of what use is thought if there is no way of giving expression to thought? There never was genius without inspiration. ¶

In a revelation to Joseph Smith in 1831 the Lord said : ¶

But with some I am not well pleased, for they will not open their mouths, but they hide the talent which I have given unto them, because of the fear of man. Wo unto such, for mine anger is kindled against them. ¶

And it shall oome to pass', if they are not more faithful unto me, it shall be taken away, even that which they have. (Doctrine and Covenants 60:2-3) ¶

This ought to be an ensample unto all those who are ordained to the holy Priesthood and moved upon by the Holy Ghost, and more especially to those whose mission is appointed unto them to preach the Gospel. Because the instruction is that "they shall speak as they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost." ¶

And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of 'the Lord unto salvation. ¶

Behold, this is the promise of the Lord unto you, O ye my servant?, (Doctrine and Covenants 68:3-4) ¶

President Wilford Woodruff said : ¶

There is not a man on God's footstool that is sent forth into the world to preach the Gospel but ought to have the Spirit of the Lord upon him and the revelation of God to him. The holy Priesthood and power of God does not stop with the prophet, seer, revelator, Apostle, or just leading men of the Church, ¶

The reason for this is, that every man who is honored by holding this holy Priesthood and receives an appointment under the hands of those having authority, the Holy Ghost should be with him. That is, if he lives his religion and does his duty and lives a clean life. ¶

Brother Woodruff continues : ¶

The Bible is all right. The Book of Mormon is' all right. The Doctrine and Covenants is all right, and they proclaim the word of God. But the holy priesthood is not confined to these books ; that is, the revelations of G^d did not cease when these books were written. ¶

Heber C. Kimball expressed a thought when he said : ¶

I do not know that this can be found in the Bible, but it is just as good and ¶

true. ¶

Thought, with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is to the Latter-day Saints the most sacred thing in the world. Oliver Cowdery, however gifted, did not understand the great secret of thought and study. He supposed that the Lord would give it unto him when he took no thought save it was to ask. But the Word of the Lord came to him : ¶

Behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind ; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you ; therefore you shall feel that it is right. ¶

Jesus gives a perfect answer : ¶

My doctrine is not mine, but His that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. ¶

"Ask, and it shall be given you ; seek and ye shall find ; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. ¶

We have men who can look into the future. Men of vision is what the world needs. Three thousand years ago it was written: "Where there is no vision the people perish." ¶

Today, at the dawn of the twentieth century, we, as Latter-day Saints, are in sore need of a vision of the future which will uplift us above and beyond the petty, sordid interests of the moment, viz : That money devil, intemperance, and immorality, are some of the evils which are lying right across the highway of our future. It is riches, automobiles, oriental rugs, fashion, social functions, class distinction, and other worldly things that appeal to our covetousness more than just doing right, for they are advertised better and have a stronger appeal to our sordid natures. ¶

Brethren and sisters, I have been in this work a long time. I pray God that I may have his Spirit always. There is only one way for me to get out of this Church, and that is by doing wrong. I hope I shall never live long enough or say anything that there will be taken from me that which I have. God bless you, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶