Genuine Conversion and Gospel Standards

IMPRESSIVE NATIONAL BROADCAST ¶

I do not know that I have ever enjoyed a richer hour, that I have had my emotions stirred with deeper religious conviction than during the hour of our national broadcast this morning. It was an effective introduction to a great conference session, and an outstanding compliment to Professor Anthony C. Lund, director of the choir, Frank Asper, our organist, and also to the devoted, unselfish, and efficient members of this great Tabernacle Choir. ¶

I have thought often and have several times said that music is as important a part of religious worship as is the preaching. Our hearts were surely opened this morning by that hour of unusual music and those calm but impressive words of our radio announcer, Richard Evans. Our souls were thus made ready to receive the stirring messages that followed by President Clark and President Ivins, and by President Rowan of the Texas Mission. ¶

I want to address a few remarks to President Grant: I was ten and he twenty-four when I sat in the gallery of the little meeting house in Tooele and heard him deliver that seven and a half minute address of which he spoke yesterday. He, a beardless youth, was sent to us to be the president of our stake. An outstanding baseball player, he was the hero of the boys then and he has been the hero of the youth of the Church ever since. I said to him this morning : "I do not know that it is so much. President Grant, what you say as what you do that spurs us on and fills us with a determination to try harder." For him at this busy time, in the midst of this great conference, to walk into our Mutual Improvement meeting this morning before eight o'clock (the meeting began at eight) is but an example of the quiet but effective way he has of telling us, by his actions, how intensely interested he is in the advancement, welfare and progress of the young people of the Church. ¶

M. I A. WORK ¶

The work being done by the Mutuals is becoming more and more effective and popular all the time. I was impressed with the confidence in our young folks, the confidence in the Sunday School workers, as expressed by Brother McKay yesterday. And I have already said : ¶

President Grant, I will be glad to borrow a car and furnish the gasoline if you will go with me to any of our stake conferences. I want you to look into the faces of the multitudes of young folks who assemble on Sunday night and see what great and rapid strides the young people are making, what clean, active and satisfactory lives they are living. ¶

I was at Hyrum Stake a week ago where the Mutual Improvement meeting held Sunday night was a music festival. The ward meeting house ¶

was packed with 822 boys and girls. Two choruses came forward, a chorus of boys and a chorus of girls, and then a mixed chorus. My soul was stirred. ¶

At that conference I was handed a message in the form of a picture from President Cardon, of the Cache Stake. No doubt many of you have seen it in the Deseret News. Just think of it — a world 'record there broken! And then some ask if we are doing effective work with our young people. Ninety-six per cent of all the boys of Scout age in the Cache Stake are Scouts, registered and active. God bless the bishops, the stake presidency, the high council, and all who in that stake are thus intensely interested in the welfare, salvation, education, and training of our young people. ¶

While Scouting was adopted as a part of our M. I A. and Priesthood program before the administration of President Grant began, our M Men and Gleaner girl work has all been started since he became president, and with his support and encouragement it has gone over the Church like a prairie fire and as a result we have all these thousands upon thousands of young folks from seventeen to twenty-three who are living in accordance with the standards and ideals of the Church. ¶

Later our Vanguard and Junior Girls with thousands more, ages 15 and 16, became intensely interested in Church activity. Next came our Senior classes — those between the ages of twenty-three and thirty-five. And here again we have brought thousands more into intense M. I A. activity. ¶

An example of the effectiveness of our work is the great music festival which was announced in our morning meeting. Three thousand singers from all over the Church during our June Conference are to practise Friday and Saturday under the direction of Noble Cain, famous Chicago leader, and under his direction the festival will be presented Saturday evening and the chorus will sing Sunday. The whole Church is being stirred by this outstanding national musical event. We anticipate that the national hook-up will give the same general satisfaction as did our program two years ago. ¶

You had a little foretaste yesterday of the treat that is coming. Just think of it, the chorus of the Liberty Stake alone that sang for us here yesterday filled all of these choir seats — nearly 500 now I understand — and that was but one stake. We have a hundred and four others. When from all of these, a total of a hundred and five, we bring together in this Tabernacle their outstanding singers, we will have to do what we did two years ago, that is, ask the bishops to keep their people in the wards, because there will not be room for them even in this spacious Tabernacle. ¶

Thus I say to President Grant, as a word of encouragement, that he was our hero in the beginning, he is our hero yet. He showed the intensity of his interest in our work when he came this morning to our ¶

early Mutual Improvement meeting. President Grant, we are more than a hundred thousand strong. We stand firmly behind you ! ¶

Now a few words to the rest of you and to those who are listening in. ¶

ARE WE GENUINELY CONVERTED ¶

It is now more than a hundred years since this, the Church of Jesus Christ was organized in these last days by the Prophet Joseph Smith. I am wondering how nearly, with what degree of accuracy, the deeds, the conduct and the lives of our Church members agree with the exalted standards, the principles and ideals of this the Church of the Master. Are we doing genuinely, conscientiously and faithfully the will and carrying out the wishes, instructions and desires of our Father which is in heaven ? ¶

I am going to undertake to draw to your attention a few of the standards of the Church with the hope that each of us for himself will conduct an examination and find out whether or not our lives and conduct satisfy these standards and requirements. If they do not, perhaps we may be induced to try harder to be better and to do better, especially if we have a deep conviction and realization that "the ax is laid unto the root of the trees : therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." (Matt. 3 :10 ; Luke 3:9.) ¶

JUDGING OURSELVES ¶

And how are we to be able to sit in judgment on ourselves, to tell whether or not our acts and conduct, our sense of guilt, will bring into our souls sorrow and regret, yes, a feeling of anguish and remorse ? Concerning this matter St. John in the Book of Revelations says : ¶

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened : and another book was opened, which is the book of life : and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, * * * every man according to his works. (Rev. 20:12-13.) ¶

Thus it is stated clearly that we are to be judged by our works, by our accomplishments, by what we do and not wholly or primarily by what we say. Concerning this important matter Jesus the Son of God himself has said : ¶

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (Matt. 7:21.) ¶

DOING THE WILL OF THE FATHER ¶

It is what we do, it is what we are, it is our actual accomplishments that are going to count most. As I think of these things, I cannot help but wonder if it is possible that even here in our own Church there are some who actually draw near to the Lord with their lips but in their hearts and in their actions and conduct they are far from him. It is not words alone, it is not utterances of the tongue only that count, for to paraphrase slightly those impressive words of the Savior, it is not every ¶

one that saith Lord, Lord who shall enter into the kingdom of heaven ; but he that doeth the will of the Father which is in heaven. ( Matt. 7:21.) ¶

With these preliminary remarks in mind, let us now at the end of a hundred years of our Church activity, apply a few practical tests to ourselves and find out whether or not we are actually believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, if we are genuinely converted, and if we are really living in accordance with the teachings and standards of the Gospel. On this occasion I propose to submit for your consideration only three of our many Church standards and teachings. I do this with a hope that by applying these to our own lives and conduct some of us, perhaps finding ourselves not measuring up to one or more of these three standards, may resolve to struggle a little harder and make our lives and conduct better. ¶

ARE WE HONEST ¶

Our 13th Article of Faith begins with the words : "We believe in being honest." Measured by this first standard, about which I wish to speak, how many who are familiar with us, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, how many who know and who are familiar with our doings and our conduct have a genuine conviction that we are "absolutely honest," that we are living in strict and close conformity with this important requirement, this fundamental teaching of the Church ? ¶

It has been said of Abraham Lincoln by Morse, the historian, that "his chief trait all his life long was' honesty of all kinds and in all things ; not only commonplace, material honesty in dealings, but honesty in language, in purpose, in thought; honesty of mind, so that he could never even practise the most tempting of all deceits, a deceit against himself. This pervasive honesty was' the trait of his identity, which stayed with him from beginning to end, when other traits seemed to be changing, appearing or disappearing, and bewildering the observer of his career. All the while the universal honesty was there." (American Statesmen, Vol. XXV, p. 20— Morse.) ¶

During all of his days, even from his boyhood in the Kentucky cabin, through to the end of his life in the White House, Abraham Lincoln was known by his intimates as "Honest Abe." But as honest as was Lincoln, I have said repeatedly in public and in private, that he was no more frank, no more honest, and no more conscientious in his life and in his dealings with his fellowmen than is our own President Heber J. Grant. Like Lincoln, President Grant's outstanding and unchangeable quality, that from which he, in his life and conduct never varies, is absolute honesty. ¶

This absolute honesty in word, in deed, in thought, has been also the outstanding characteristic in the life of every president of the Church. These men so lived and so conducted themselves that they had nothing to conceal. Their lives were like the contents of an open book. Such men say what they mean and mean what they say. Their outstanding characteristic is dependability. ¶

Are you, who are listening to my voice, honest as Lincoln was honest ? Are you honest as President Grant is, and as other presidents of the Church have been, honest? Or are we, some of us even members of the ¶

Church, inclined at times and under some unusual conditions to say with our lips what we do not feel or believe or know down deep in our inmost hearts to be the truth ? In other words, are we honest, absolutely so ? ¶

ARE THERE ROBBERS AMONG US ¶

Do you think, for example, that if a careful examination were conducted that we could find any among us who have robbed anybody? Remember it has been said of a whole nation, "Ye have robbed God." And when the people of that nation exclaimed, "Wherein have we robbed thee?" the answer came promptly, "In tithes and in offerings." (Malachi 3:8-9.) ¶

DUES TO THE CHURCH AND TO THE LORD ¶

Among you good folks who make up this multitude that I am addressing in this historic Tabernacle and among those who are hearing my words over the radio, are there some who have not settled in full with the Lord ? Are there some who have not paid their dues to the Church ? If so, do we in our heart of hearts sincerely believe in being honest in our dealings, honest with our fellowmen, honest with ourselves and honest with the Lord ? And if we so believe, do we actually practise or live in accordance with this belief? Are we practically and earnestly and seriously religious? Are we genuinely converted? Have we actually shown fruits of repentance and righteous living ? Have we fed the hungry and clothed the naked ? Have we visited the fatherless and the widows in their affliction? Have our hearts gone out in sympathy to the unemployed, or when the hungry have called for bread have we with hardness in our hearts merely handed them a stone? ¶

REAL WORSHIP ¶

Do we partake of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper regularly each week and do we partake of it worthily? This is the second standard about which I wish to speak. It is a teaching of the Church and a practise of the faithful, as the scriptures say, to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, and with all our souls, and with all our minds. (Matt. 22 :37.) We are expected to have faith in our Heavenly Father and to worship him ; we are instructed to go to our several places of worship on Sunday and there partake of the Sacrament — the bread and the water — in memory of the broken body and the shed blood of the Master. Are there some here today and others within the sound of my voice who are generally regarded as being good Church folks who do not take advantage of the opportunity to go regularly each Sunday to their respective wards and there with bowed heads and prayerful hearts in the Sacrament meetingenjoy genuine worship? ¶

In these days of depression, the down-hearted, the sick, those who are discouraged, the weary and the heavy laden will do well to go to their respective ward chapels and there receive comfort, consolation, blessing and encouragement. We are told in the Doctrine and Covenants, Section 59 : ¶

Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things. ¶

Thou shalt offer a sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in righteousness, even that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. ¶

And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day ; for verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High. (D. & C. 59:7-10.) ¶

It has been said that no human tongue can speak words whose message is equal in importance to partaking worthily of the Lord's Supper. If we are neglecting to take advantage of this outstanding blessing, are we converted ? Are we genuine Latter-day Saints ? ¶

Thirdly: Let us measure ourselves by another Church standard, that of watching and praying "unceasingly." The Master said, "Pray that ye enter not into temptation." (Luke 22:40.) The Bible says distinctly, "pray without ceasing." (Thess. 5:17.) "Watch and pray," the Master said again, "that ye enter not into temptation, the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak." (Matt. 26:41.) ¶

To pray without ceasing is a practise that should be followed particularly by the youth of our nation today ; in these times our young folks are surrounded with pitfalls, yes, with unusual temptations practically everywhere and practically all the time. The words of the Savior ought to be kept constantly ringing in their ears : "Wlhy sleep ye ? Rise and pray lest ye enter into temptation." (Luke 22:46.) ¶

PRAYING ¶

"Seek ye the Lord" is another admonition that applies also to the people of these days. Those whose lives are well-nigh completed, those who have had long years of experience and know with certainty what things are and what things are not worth while — these are they who ought to call out to the youth of today : "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found." Today is the time to call ; tomorrow may be too late. O youth of our nation, "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found. Call ye upon him while he is near." (Isaiah 55 :6.) ¶

Measured by this standard of praying, of family prayers and of secret prayers, how well do you and I measure up? Christ himself says. "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will g*ive you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me ; for I am meek and lowly in heart : and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matt. 11 28-30.) With what degree of regularity and earnestness do we in prayer struggle to put ourselves in harmony with that matchless power, the power of God, that power which comes into human hearts and lives as a result of prayerfulness and righteous living. ¶

I realize that many who have paid little or no attention to religion, ridicule the idea that the light of heaven may shine into human hearts and souls as it shone into the lives of Saul of Tarsus and Joseph Smith, or that it may bring into a human heart a conviction like that which enabled Paul to stand before Agrippa and say, "I saw a vision. I saw a light." ¶

But here are Joseph Smith's own words : ¶

However, it was nevertheless a fact that I had beheld a vision. I have thought since, that I felt much like Paul, when he made his defense before King Agrippa, and related the account of the vision he had when he saw a light, and heard a voice ; but still there were but a few who believed him ; some said he was dishonest, others said he was mad ; and he was ridiculed and reviled. But all this did not destroy the reality of his vision. He had seen a vision, he knew he had, and all the persecution under heaven could not make it otherwise; and though they should persecute him unto death, yet he knew, and would know to his latest breath, that he had both seen a light and heard a voice speaking unto him, and all the world could not make him think or believe otherwise. So it was with me." (Pearl of Great Price, p. 49.) ¶

Experiences like these, it seems, can be understood and most of them can be experienced and enjoyed only through the power of faith. A satisfying knowledge or faith concerning things spiritual cannot come merely through logic or reason, for these come only as a result of righteous, prayerful, religious living. The following familiar words from the Holy Book explain briefly and clearly what I mean : ¶

If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. (John 7:17.) ¶

If we are losing faith, if it seems our prayers are unanswered, let us reflect upon these words which the Lord has given to us in Section 101 of the Doctrine and Covenants : ¶

In the day of their peace they esteemed lightly my counsel ; but, in the day of their trouble, of necessity they feel after me. They were slow to hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; therefore, the Lord their God is slow to hearken unto their prayers, to answer them in the day of their trouble. (D. & C. 101 :7-8.) ¶

I have mentioned but three of the standards of the Church. Measured by these, are you and am I doing the will of our Heavenly Father ? If we are, the promise says it is our right to know whether or not there is life beyond the grave ; whether the doctrines advocated are true, or whether these doctrines are false. ¶

SUMMARY ¶

Referring specifically again to the three standards which I have named, let me ask: ¶

1. Are we honest, absolutely so? Do we deal justly, honestly and charitably with our fellowmen ? Do we pay our tithes and pay our offerings fully ? ¶

2. Are we participating in that intense worship which comes from attending our Sacrament meetings and from partaking worthily of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper? ¶

3. Are we participating in family and secret prayers, earnestly, honestly and with regularity ? Are we praying always ? ¶

Humbly I pray that by the power of God we may be able as a result of our living in accordance with these and other standards of the Church to have faith, to understand, to know and to have a testimony concerning the divinity of the doctrines of the Church and the effectiveness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. ¶