Conference Address

It is related that an infidel once said to the great Pascal, who was a devout Christian, "If you will prove your religion to me I will try it." ¶

Pascal replied, "If you will try the religion, it will prove itself." ¶

I have the same feeling today with respect to our own religion. I have been inspired by the things that have been said and my soul has also been lifted up because of the wonderful and inspirational music to which we have listened. Under the inspiration of the Lord, I would like to tell you how much there is in our religion, when properly tried, which will prove itself. ¶

Two weeks ago yesterday I was in Boston. A minister attended our services and told us at the close that he had been studying, he and other members of a committee, for many months, the best there is in the religions of the world, and they had selected twenty-two leading Articles of Faith from various churches for what they believe to be a new religion or a new church they are about to found, and that of those twenty-two they had selected nine of the Articles of Faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I wish they had selected the rest of our Articles of Faith and would really accept the truths stated therein. ¶

Would you be better physically? Try the laws of the Lord with respect to health. I never heard any one say that they didn't work well. Would you love your neighbor and treat your fellow men properly? Follow the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ¶

Not long ago a man was speaking to me with reference to the acquiring of wealth. He referred to it as one of the great curses of the world. ¶

I said, "If you would follow the teachings of our church as laid down in the Holy Scriptures, there would be no curse." He asked me for a specific reference. ¶

The second chapter of Jacob, the eighteenth and nineteenth verses, to which I referred him, explain the true motive back of the acquiring of wealth : ¶

But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God ; and after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches if you seek ¶

them, and ye will seek them for the intent to do good, to clothe the naked and to feed the hungry and to liberate the captive and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted. ¶

Can the acquiring of wealth be a curse when that is the motive back of it? The answer is apparent. It is the motive back of the acquiring of wealth, it is the love of money that is the curse, not the acquiring of it for a righteous purpose. Would you seek to know the laws of toleration, of equality? Read the thirtieth chapter of Alma. ¶

And so we might go on through. If the world would accept, if the world could truly understand and follow the admonition of the teachings of the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Bible, then would the solutions of the world's problems appear. The religion is itself its greatest witness. To try it, to know it, to understand it is to have it commended to every thoughtful man and woman. The Book of Mormon and all other inspired writings of the Lord, have within them inherently that which appeals to the best there is in mankind. ¶

When true religion is translated into life, I think it is not boasting to say that it is the greatest influence for good in all the world. Just a few illustrations : ¶

I wonder if I may just read one or two sentences from a letter that I received the other day? We have only one group of missionaries in the Eastern States mission that has engaged in athletic activities during the last winter. That was only supplemental to their missionary work. This letter came to the office the other day entirely unsolicited. Let me read just a verse or two from it. This man says : ¶

Undoubtedly you will appreciate this unsolicited commendation of one of your groups in the mission field. ¶

Later on he says : ¶

These wholly Christian-like young men set up a standard of athletic competition that can never be excelled in these wonderful United States. During their too brief stay with us here in the anthracite coal mining region there seemed to be almost a halo of American sportsmanship surrounding the very beings of these young men. Nothing that I can here say would better express my inner thoughts concerning all of them than to tell you that I shall continue to boast of their friendship and its value to me as one of the priceless possessions of my life. ¶

They probably will be more surprised to learn of this letter than you at the Eastern States mission were to receive it. ¶

Four or five of our young men have been touring a part of our mission lately. In addition to being splendid singers they are fine speakers. In Massachusetts, two weeks ago, they had thirty-nine appointments before business clubs, before ladies' clubs, before Young Men's Christian Associations, before newspaper boards and other organizations. Wherever they have gone we have received from men, who attended and listened to their message, words of commendation. ¶

A few Sundays ago in a conference a fine lady came up at the close of the meeting and expressed great appreciation of the services. ¶

Some one asked her what part of the meeting she enjoyed best. ¶

She said, "Not the main speaker" — !(I was he). ¶

(Laughter.) ¶

"I have," said she, "enjoyed the spirit of these young men and women who have spoken here today. As I saw them, as I heard them, I said, 'Can it be that the religion of which I have heard so much evil, can it be that it has produced these boys and girls ? I would have my son doing the work they are doing if he would. If this is Mormonism we want it in our homes." ¶

I could only say to her, as I say to you in conclusion, "Can water rise above its source?" "Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?" The Gospel of Christ, in which we so devoutly believe, is responsible for the lives of our people. ¶

These young men and women who are in the Eastern States mission and who are in every other mission of the Church come from Mormon homes. Back of every one of them is a Mormon mother, as back of George Washington was a Mary Ball Washington and as back of Abraham Lincoln there was a Nancy Hanks Lincoln. So back of every Mormon missionary is a Mormon mother, a Mormon home, a Mormon father, and the Mormon religion. ¶

Try this religion. It will prove itself. God help us to put it to the test. I say to you parents, you have sent some good boys and girls out into the mission field. Not every one is perfect, but in the main there are no better boys and girls in all the world. God is with them and they are taking their message to the world. ¶

I pray that God will help us to continue to know the truth. I know it and bear solemn testimony to you today of its truthfulness, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶