Endorses Church Security Plan

I feel to express gratitude for my membership in the Church. I know that Joseph Smith communed with Jehovah ; that the Lord spoke to him and gave him commandment to organize the Church and to establish his truth once again in its fulness in the earth. I am grateful for all that has come through that restoration, the knowledge, the faith and the understanding which I have of the Gospel — and I say knowledge, because I have that knowledge. ¶

ENDORSES CHURCH SECURITY PLAN ¶

Just a word I desire to say in endorsement of the Plan which has been spoken of at other sessions of this conference, looking after the interests of the members of the Church. Some have said that this is new. I look upon it as a return to that which is old, which is always new when it is true, for that which is true never becomes old, but it is a return to first principles. I hope that it will lead us in love, in the spirit of sympathy, fellowship and brotherly love, to have the interest in our feliowmen that we ought to have, and increase in our hearts a desire to keep the commandments of the Lord and walk in the light as we understand that light, that we may be constantly guided by his Spirit. ¶

OBSERVATIONS REGARDING TOLERANCE AND BROADMINDEDNESS ¶

I would like for a few minutes to offer a few observations in regard to the question of tolerance and broadmindedness. We hear so much in these days about being tolerant and broadminded. I suppose the world will never know how many crimes have been committed through a misinterpretation and misunderstanding of these terms. Satan is very "broadminded," extremely so as long as he can get people to do evil and avoid the truth. He will teach any kind of theory, or principle, or doctrine, if it doesn't conform to the fundamental things of life — the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He is even willing to teach some truth if he can join that truth with error, and by teaching the error with the truth lead men astray. This is how broadminded he is, and that is how the apostasy came about in the primitive church. The Lord has given to man his agency. That is a divine principle — it is inherent, born with us. We have it because the Lord gave it to us in the spirit world. It is the only principle upon which exaltation can come. It is the only principle upon which rewards can be given in righteousness. Satan's plan in the beginning was to compel. He said he would save all men and not one soul should be lost. Surely he would do it if the Father would give him the honor and the glory. But who wants salvation when it comes through compulsion, if we haven't the power within ourselves to choose and to act according to the dictates of conscience? What would salvation mean to you if you were compelled? And so, that great gift of agency has been given to men. By it we may climb to the heights, we may enter the kingdom of God to sit on the throne and be exalted as sons and daughters of God, but we must be obedient. ¶

Tolerance is not indulgence. I think sometimes the terms have been confused. We must not get so broadminded that we would throw over the fundamental things of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I heard of one man — and I think he filled a mission — who made the statement, as the report comes to me, that in this enlightened age the Church of Jesus Christ should get away from the narrow idea that baptism for the remission of sins in water is essential to salvation ; that we should be broader than that. ¶

AN ANTHROPOMORPHIC GOD ¶

Another man, with similar views, made the statement, so the report comes to me, that we shall have to cease believing in the anthropomorphic God ; we must quit thinking of God as being in the form in which man is made. He ridiculed the idea by saying, "Can we worship a God who has to eat, who has to sleep, who has to take a bath?" Of course, in thinking of God as a person, in whose image we are created, we do not necessarily have to think of him as having to conform to all the conditions of mortal existence to which we, under present conditions, are forced to subscribe. But is there anything wrong in thinking of a God who eats ? He did eat and has promised to eat again. What is wrong in it ? He bathes, at least in fire, so he tells us. We are his ofT-spring, and he ¶

has given us commandments to serve him in the name of his only Begotten Son as sons and daughters unto God. ¶

BOUND BY LAW ¶

Moreover, we know, because it has been revealed, that all kingdoms have a law given, and that includes the kingdom of God. It is not something that stands apart from all other kingdoms in this regard, and he himself has said: "Unto every kingdom is given a law; and unto every law there are certain bounds also and conditions. All beings who abide not in those conditions are not justified." ¶

The Lord is very tolerant, yet he declares that we are bound by law, and if we violate the law we are not justified, and must remain filthy still. You might just as well try to destroy the law of gravity, or say it is useless, that it has filled its purpose and is worn out, as to say that baptism is not essential to salvation. I believe in being tolerant, but I believe that that tolerance will teach me to observe and keep the law and constantly abide in it, and not to make excuses for my wrong doing by saying I am broadminded. ¶

EVERY MAN'S PRIVILEGE ¶

"We claim the privilege of worshipping Almighty God according to the dictates of our conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may." ¶

I am willing to defend any man in the privilege which is his by his agency. If he wants to worship a cat, or a dog, the sun, or the moon, a crocodile, or a bull — and men have done all these things — that is his privilege. But it is also my privilege and right to try to teach him to do better and to accept a better worship. I will defend him in his rights, and at the same time endeavor to teach him that he may see more clearly and walk in the light of truth. ¶

The Prophet Joseph Smith once said: "The Saints can testify whether I am willing to lay down my life for my brethren. If it has been demonstrated that I have been willing to die for a Mormon, I am able to declare before Heaven that I am just as ready to die in defense of the rights of a Presbyterian, a Baptist, or a good man in any other denomination, for the same principle that would trample upon the rights of the Latter-day Saints would trample upon the rights of the Roman Catholics or upon any other denominations that may be unpopular and too weak to defend themselves." ¶

ONLY THROUGH COMPLIANCE WITH FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS ¶

I believe in that doctrine. At the same time I am satisfied and I know that the kingdom of God is governed by a definite, fixed law, that cannot be controverted. We cannot change it because we perhaps become modern and say we are broadminded, as some people understand broadmindedness and tolerance to be. It doesn't change the fact in the least that if we would receive the kingdom of God and enter into its exaltation, we must comply with the fundamental truths, the laws upon which that kingdom is established. We have them, we are the advocates of these principles, they are in our keeping. Why, bless your soul, the whole world ought to come to us with songs of everlasting joy, singing their hosannas to embrace the truth ; but I wonder sometimes if we do not stress a little too much the fact that they today are receiving us in kindness. Let us not pat ourselves upon the back too much because we have little opposition. I see a danger in it; but let us go on keeping the commandments of the Lord in humility and truth, and teaching the people the correct principles, drawing them to us by our lives as well as by our precepts. And so I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. ¶