Mexican Mission Report

I can sympathize with the statement made by Bishop David A. Smith. To sit here expecting to be called at any time during three days and then perhaps not to lie called, or to be called, I think is one of the most trying experiences I have ever gone through in ray life. ¶

Nevertheless, I am very pleased to be here with you this afternoon. I have enjoyed to the fullest the Conference and expect to return to my field of labor strengthened in my faith and testimony to represent you in the mission field in Mexico. ¶

It is with pleasure that I report to you that the mission is growing. We have, I believe, the finest group of missionaries that there has ever been in the Mexican mission. I am sure that the growth ¶

in number during the past year is equaled in the quality of the missionaries. I believe that the Church has never before sent such a uniform, fine group, with so few, practically no problem cases. The mission field has ceased to be what it perhaps once was, a reform school. We are now sending them out, I am happy to report, to preach the Gospel, to teach the truths of the restored Gospel to the world. And they are doing that very thing. ¶

We have been happy during the past year to have a one hundred per cent increase in the number of our missionaries. We wish to thank you parents in Zion and you bishops of wards and presidents of stakes for this hearty cooperation. We beg of you that you continue your cooperation in sending forth missionaries. If the one hundred per cent increase that we have enjoyed in the Mexican mission could be extended to a thousand per cent increase we would still have room to place the missionaries to good advantage. ¶

Our mission is a mission of self-sacrifice, one of unselfish service, a service of love. There is a request that I should like to make to those of you who are sending your boys and girls into the mission field, and that is, that before they are called you imbue them with that spirit, give to them that motive of going forth into the mission field, a motive of service, of taking that which is of utmost value to people and giving it to them that they, in turn, may enter the realm of service and through that service of sacrifice and unselfishness gain blessings for themselves. We find that too often, even today, our missionaries come into the field with the idea of personal achievement, with the idea of personal benefit, with the idea of gaining experience which will better fit them for future life. And while of course this is one of the greatest benefits of missionary work, we take it that even that benefit will be greater if the motive is correct, being that of unselfishly serving our fellowmen, of carrying to them this Gospel, which is of the utmost value, of helping to make the. world a better place in which to live, of verily representing the spirit of this Conference which, I take it, is the spirit of our Church, a spirit exemplified in the talk made by President McKay, that "He who shall find his life shall lose it, yet he who may lose his life for my sake shall find it eternally." ¶

I find, my brothers and sisters, that the conditions in the world today, are indeed nothing more nor less, in my opinion, than the working out of the plans of our Heavenly Father, who will overrule all things in the interest of his work and mark out the ways by which people may be brought to an attitude and a state of mind in which they will accept the Gospel principles. I think this is true universally. The calamities that are befalling our nation, as well as other nations, the political turmoil, the breaking down of some of the powers that have held people. in slavery, — at least spiritual slavery, — for so many years, — all of these things, I take it, are merely placing people in a position in which they may accept of the principles of the Gospel upon hearing it. ¶

My great concern is whether or not I, and those laboring with me in our specific field of labor, shall be able to keep up our end of the bargain and discharge our responsibility of presenting the Gospel to the people as soon as the Lord brings them to an acceptable point of view. I beseech of you, each and every one, to so live your religion that your light may so shine that men seeing your good works may come to glorify our Father which is in heaven. I beseech of you further cooperation in sending your boys and girls into the mission field to carry this message to the people who, according to my belief, are now coming to the mental and spiritual state in which they may accept these saving principles. ¶

I bear you my testimony that I know that God lives. I know that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world, and that the Gospel which he brought to the earth has been restored. I testify to you that our Church today is guided by men who are blessed with the power of revelation, the power to represent our Heavenly Father here upon the earth, and that through them we do receive his mind and will, which is just as binding upon us as though we were to receive it from him direct. Therefore let us be united in sustaining our present authorities and working with them to the accomplishment of the Lord's purposes. ¶

May the Lord bless us to this end, I pray in the name of Jesus, Amen. ¶