Growth of the Church

I am looking into the faces of a multitude of people. This great tabernacle is crowded to the limit, every seat is taken and many are standing. I sympathize with those who are standing. Assembled here is a representative body of the membership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — people from 114 stakes of Zion, and among them presidencies of stakes, high councilors, bishoprics of wards, presidencies of quorums of priesthood and of auxiliary organizations. ¶

When I came into the Council of the Twelve, thirty-six years ago, there were less than fifty stakes of Zion. Today there are 114 stakes. Verily Zion is growing. ¶

MUSIC APPRECIATED ¶

Brethren and sisters, I have been thrilled with the spirit of this conference, with the splendid singing we have heard all through, and now, today, the singing of the great Tabernacle Choir. To me it is marvelous and inspiring. ¶

Pardon me if I digress just a moment to speak a word of praise for the fine work accomplished by the Tabernacle Choir, under the direction of Professor Albert J. Southwick, at the San Diego Fair. It wasn't my good fortune to be there, but I have read about it in the newspapers and heard it mentioned by a number of people and know that they accomplished a great and a good work. ¶

OPERATION OF LAWS INESCAPABLE ¶

I was thrilled with the testimony and exhortation of President Heber J. Grant in the opening address of this conference and with that which ¶

was said in all of the addresses that have been delivered thus far. We have had quite a variety of instructions but they have all been appropriate and fitted together very beautifully. President Clark rather emphatically emphasized the power and influence of law, saying that we are living under a reign of law. How true that is ! Wherever we go, or whichever way we turn, we are confronted by the glorious principle of law. Throughout the Church, in all the stakes and wards of Zion you will meet it. As citizens of our great American republic, of Utah, of Salt Lake City, and all the other cities in the land you will be confronted by the operation of law. We cannot escape it. From the moment we are born until we die we will be under the influence of law. ¶

LAW OF FINANCE ¶

Let me remind you, brethren and sisters, that the Latter-day Saints are a practical people. If it is said that they have to do with spiritual things it may be said with equal truth that they also have to do with temporal things. The line that divides the temporal from the spiritual — if such a line there be — has never been discovered. And as touching the temporal, in the beginning of this work the Lord foresaw with clear vision that his Church could not be restored upon the earth and built up upon this land except by and under the principle of law, for indeed he gave to the Church two great and important laws, — the law of Finance and the law of Health. Great and important as is the law of finance, or tithing, as we call it, it was given in brevity and couched in terms so simple that even a child could comprehend it. The language of the law is, in part, as follows: ¶

And they [meaning the Latter-day Saints] shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually; and this shall be a standing iaw unto them forever, for my holy priesthood, saith the Lord. ¶

Very simple, very direct, very much to the point. The observance of this law of finance has in many instances brought temporaf salvation to the Church. In times of prosperity? Yes. In times ot panic and depression? Yes. It is in constant operation under all conditions. It never ceases, because it is to be a standing law to the Church forever, and there is something of spirituality in that thought too. Any member of the Church who has an income and refuses to pay his tithing is not loyal to the cause. The Lord plainly says also in connection with this important law that it is by and through this law that the land ot Zion is to be sanctified. And should the people of the Latter-day Saints fail to observe it, it would not be a land of Zion unto them. ¶

Now this law, upon investigation, has elicited the admiration of many Christian churches and some pastors have desired to introduce it into their communities, but for some reason they cannot succeed; they do not seem to be able to do it, from a lack perhaps of union and cohesion. Brethren and sisters, we should regard it as a privilege as well as a duty ¶

to observe this holy commandment. The best time to pay tithing is when revenue comes into our hands, whether by the week, or the month, or the season. Then we will be very happy at the end of the year to find that our tithing is paid and that our credit with the Lord is not impaired. ¶

RELIEF FROM BONDAGE OF DEBT ¶

Let me beseech of you, brethren and sisters of this great congregation and of the Church, do not forget the Lord and the Lord will not forget you. I apprehend that there are perhaps many in this congregation, and many throughout the Church, who would like to be relieved of the bondage of debt, for it exerts a terrible pressure upon many people. All we have to say in that respect is, pay an honest tithing to the Lord, punctually and regularly, and he will bless you and help you get out of debt, and if that occurs, brethren and sisters, let me say in the language of the late President Joseph F. Smith, "Keep out of debt." ¶

I have been in debt myself, and I am now out of debt, thank the Lord, and I wish to assure you that it brings a very comfortable feeling and is a happy condition to be in. ¶

THE LAW OF HEALTH ¶

Now in respect to the Law of Health. Is it not wonderful that the Lord was so thoughtful in the beginning as to consider the importance of the health of his people. It appears that he looked ahead and with his prophetic eye saw that there was danger, and consequently in his great mercy he gave to us the law of health. We have already heard during the conference some things in regard to this law, but many of you were not present. I will now repeat a paragraph from a revelation on the Word of Wisdom mentioned by President Grant in his address, which is as follows: ¶

Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation. ¶

Then it was that the Lord declared the nature of this law and the requirements that are made by it, and said that strong drinks are not for the use of man, but for the washing of the body; and that hot drinks — meaning tea and coffee — are not for the body nor the belly. Further, that tobacco is not good for man, neither for his body nor his belly. The Lord also points out the things that are good for man, but not all of them. And in respect to these things that are pronounced as being evil, he does not tell us in the revelation why there is evil in them, but time has determined this question. Scientific men have told us that in tobacco there is a deadly poison, and in tea there is a poison ¶

called tannin, in coffee a poison called caffeine. And we know that such must be the case, because these forbidden things are really and substantially narcotics, arid a narcotic is something that is habit-forming. The things that are good for us are not habit-forming. We can take them up or put them down, but these bad habits very often and in most cases become masters of men; the habit is greater and stronger it appears than the individual. ¶

WOMEN SMOKE PUBLICLY ¶

One very serious phase of this matter relating to the use of tobacco is the fact that women and young girls are taking up the habit throughout the nation, and may I say throughout the world, it is marvelous how rapidly the practice has spread, and it is a most serious thing for the Latter-day Saints to consider. Whenever you go in the world at large, in the hotels, in the eating places, in the theatres, and in the lobbies of ballrooms you will find women joining with men in smoking tobacco. And might I be pardoned if I take just a moment to call your attention to the. evil effects of tobacco, because of these poisons that I have mentioned, the tobacco poison is the most dangerous. It is called nicotine and is a deadly poison. ¶

A LADY MISSIONARY'S INFLUENCE ¶

I might here remark that one of the mission presidents reported in our meeting with the mission presidents Wednesday that in one of the cities of his mission a lady missionary was conducting an M. I A. class with a membership of some eight young men not members of the Church, and they appeared to be very enthusiastic in the study. They greatly appreciated the opportunity and thought it was wonderful what was being done by that young woman from Zion. One of them said to her: ¶

"We understand that your Church counsels its members against the use of tobacco. Is that true ?" ¶

She said: "Yes, that is true." ¶

They then said: "All of us use tobacco, but we wish you would help us to overcome the habit." ¶

And she helped them by referring them to the law of health, or Word of Wisdom of our Church, and it was reported that they are succeeding in their effort to overcome the habit. Let me again call to your attention that these young men were non-Mormons. Think of it, reflect upon it. ¶

NOTED OUTSIDERS' VIEWS ON SMOKING ¶

In New York City a certain magistrate said emphatically: "Ninetynine out of one hundred boys between the ages of 10 and 17 who have come before me charged with crime have their fingers disfigured with yellow cigarette stains." ¶

This is what the famous Dr. Jordan says: "The boy who begins cigarette smoking never enters the life of the world. When other boys are taking hold of the world's work he is concerned with the sexton and undertaker." ¶

A thirteen-year old boy, who looked to be about nine, was taken to a hospital for treatment. He was stunted physically, mentally and morally, and the nurse in pity asked, "Who taught you to smoke ?" ¶

"My brother." ¶

"He should be in jail." ¶

"He is," replied the lad. ¶

Elbert Hubbard went down in the sea on the great ship Lusitania. He said: "Never advance the pay of a cigarette smoker; never promote him; never depend on him; never again will he be as much of a man as he is now. His future lies behind him." ¶

Thomas A. Edison: "No man or boy who smokes cigarettes can work in my laboratory. There are enough degenerates in the world without manufacturing more by means of cigarettes." ¶

Dr. Mayo: "I do not smoke, do not approve of smoking, the ablest surgeons, men at the top, do not smoke." ¶

Dr. Kellogg was consulted by a man suffering from a bad case of tobacco heart. He said: "Brother, you must help me, I have just opened business, have thousands of dollars of my friends' money invested, and must make good." The doctor informed him that it was too late. In frantic despair the man cried: "Why didn't I know this before; why didn't someone tell we what tobacco will do to a man ?" ¶

We are telling our congregations and all of our people just what tobacco will do to a man. ¶

TOBACCO AFFECTS MIND ¶

The superintendent of one of our large insane asylums makes the statement that fully fifty per cent of the patients there have lost their intellects through the use of tobacco. ¶

Dr. Poulson tells this story: "A little woman came into my office followed by two strong men, who held a wild-eyed insane youth of seventeen. His mother asked me to investigate and see if there was any hope for the boy. I told her there was none. She broke down and sobbed as if her heart would break. I asked her what had brought her son to that condition? Cigarettes — he smoked more and more until he got to fifty cigarettes a day; then his mind gave way." ¶

I submit to you brethren and sisters that these two great laws, the law of Finance and the law of Health, are essential to the welfare and prosperity and success of this great people, the Latter-day Saints. ¶

May God bless you and us in our efforts to put down these evil things and to uphold the good things in life, is my prayer, and. I ask it in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. ¶