The Lord's Preface and the Restoration

On the first day of November, 1831, the Prophet Joseph Smith received a revelation. That revelation came to be Section one of the Doctrine, and Covenants. It stands as the Lord's preface to that great and wonderful book. I desire to read briefly from this section, beginning with verse two, as follows: ¶

For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to escape; and there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear, neither heart that shall not be penetrated. ¶

And the rebellious shall be pierced with much sorrow; for their iniquities shall be spoken upon the housetops, and their secret acts shall be revealed. ¶

And the voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days. ¶

And they shall go forth and none shall stay them, for I the Lord have commanded them. ¶

Behold, this is mine authority, and the authority of my servants, and my preface unto the book of my commandments, which I have given them to publish unto you, O inhabitants of the earth. ¶

This represents the challenge to the present dispensation. We carry the glad tidings to God's children in all the earth. I am grateful to be in that field of service which has to do with the carrying of the voice of warning to the people of the world. I am grateful to be associated with the calling of the priesthood, that gives me the responsibility as well as the blessings and inspiration associated with the life of a missionary. ¶

I am happy to have followed, in the North Central States Mission, the work of President John G. Allred and President Arthur Welling. They were both able and courageous men, champions of truth. Elder Welling, my immediate predecessor, did a wonderful work in that mission, and has many friends. His testimony has been borne up and down those states and two Provinces of Canada, wherever opportunity was afforded. I am grateful for the spirit which he left there, for the companionship which he gave me, as I was introduced into that mission some nine months ago. ¶

The people have not forgotten the blessing and service which came to them through the association of Elder Melvin J. Ballard, on his trip through the mission in June and July of last year. They are inquiring when again they shall have the blessing and companionship of another member of the General Authorities of the Church. They send to you, my brethren of the General Authorities of the Church, their love, their devotion and their spirit of loyalty. They are grateful for membership in this Church, and have attempted to show that gratitude in the past year in many ways, one of which is marked more particularly by the payment of tithes, to the extent of an increase of fifty-five per cent over the year previous. They are rallying to support the truths of this dispensation, the ideals and ambitions of the standards of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ¶

We have associated there with us some sixty missionaries, your sons and daughters, and they are doing a service of which we are proud, and of which you too, I am sure, are proud. They are reflecting the homes from which they came. They are reflecting the teachings they have received in the organizations of the Church, in the wards and stakes of Zion in which they have lived. They are going forward according to the commandments of the Lord in this dispensation, two by two, bearing their testimonies with fortitude and purpose, and are thinking always of the things which they may be able to accomplish to magnify their callings and to bring credit and joy to our Father in heaven and to the Church. ¶

We have in the North Central States Mission five full-term missionaries who are in other parts of the world, and one who has this day appeared preparatory to a missionary training course, that he too might go to the foreign land of Norway and bear his testimony in the land of his birth, among his own people. ¶

The work is progressing in the North Central States Mission. The Lord has been kind to us, and merciful, inspiring our missionaries to diligence, even a new diligence, we believe, in the service of the Church. They are finding many people who are interested in hearing the story of the Gospel, and are opening their homes, in many instances, to cottage meetings and to conversations. They are really interested in knowing that for which the Latter-day Saint missionary stands, and the cause which he represents. ¶

. In the northern part of North Dakota, one of our special missionaries, Brother Armin Hill, a teacher in one of the state schools there, has developed an interesting situation. He found friendship among the young people of a certain church. They invited him to assist them, which he has done using a good deal of our M. I A. program. Just recently, through the illness of the minister of the church, Brother Hill has been appointed temporarily in charge of the congregation, with pretty much of a free hand to teach and do the things which he desires to do. ¶

We have had opportunity recently to go upon the grounds adjacent to the University of Minnesota, and there meet with a hundred or more young people, students of that university, at their invitation, to explain to them the background of faith and the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. ¶

We are grateful for all of these opportunities, and see the hand of the Lord in the ministry of the missionaries in our mission. ¶

The State of Minnesota and some parts of the country in its vicinity have particularly impressed us as being a field where people are religious. There are three hundred and twenty-five churches in the city of Minneapolis. They have a system of week-day religious education, which is interesting to us, in which our own children are able to participate. There is a state law in Minnesota which provides three hours of released time from the schools each week for the use of religious education. This has interested me, especially since I have been associated in this work at home. ¶

The Lord has opened the way for men and women to be happy, to serve him and each other, and to rejoice in the great privileges that have come in this dispensation, but our hearts must be, right. ¶

I am reminded of a little story, an incident rather, related by an author, Preston Bradley. He tells of a young child disturbing her father during the reading of his morning newspaper. He, turned to her, taking a piece of that paper upon which was a map of the world, torn in pieces, and said: "Now, my daughter, see if you can put that together." She did so in such a brief period of time that he was surprised. So he questioned her, he said: "How could you do it?" She said-: "Why, Daddy, on the other side of the paper was a picture of a man. I put the man together and the world came out all right." ¶

Perhaps after all there is something of a challenge in that incident. At least, I have accepted it myself as a missionary. This good old world of ours, if we can put the men together properly it will come out all right. And so the missionaries of the North Central States Mission are attempting, in their humble way, to find their place among mankind, and so to inspire them with the privileges and opportunities of living the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to the end that they and all of us may contribute to the happiness, and the simplification of these many complex problems in our social and political life of today. ¶

May God bless you, my brethren and sisters, especially you parents of missionaries, struggling in your efforts to maintain them there. We have many testimonies of the assistance of the Lord in connection with that work financially. May you not tire. May you be not discouraged. Your sons and daughters are doing a work that will fully justify every effort you can make for them in the cause of righteousness. ¶

I desire to bring to this conference, to you, my brethren and sisters, the love and appreciation of the missionaries and Saints of that mission, and to the Authorities of this Church, those who labor so diligently in this work. We have trust and confidence in them. I give it to you at this time as their message, asking God's blessing upon all. I do it in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. ¶