California Mission Report

My brethren and sisters, it is a glorious thing to have the opportunity of coming home once every six months to meet with you in conference assembled and to hear the instructions that come to us from the brethren. The organization of this Church is marvelous, the opportunity it gives its membership to do good work is remarkable, and no one could be a worthy member of it except he or she do good work. ¶

I bring greetings from California. We have 8,558 members in that great mission field, and 106 missionaries every one of whom is enjoying good health. The Lord has indeed been good to us and we are grateful for his blessings. ¶

I was thrilled when President Grant said to us this morning that eighty-three of the stakes of Zion have reported that the)'' are able to take care of their worthy poor. I want to say that the California Mission will take care of its worthy poor. The spirit of the membership of the mission is wonderful. The little branch of Douglas, Arizona, with 264 members, remitted only a few weeks ago a check for five hundred dollars, representing fast offerings which they desired to turn into the mission office that we might have means to help some other branch that is not so favored as are they. Reports from every branch indicate that they are able to provide for their own needs, and I was somewhat chagrined at the report from one branch president in answer to the questions that I sent out : "When the government withholds relief, will you be able to provide for those in your branch?" He replied, "Yes, for when our relief stops we will go back on our farms and earn our own livelihood." ¶

This morning when President Grant spoke of the banker I thought of that instance. I wondered, how could it be possible that Latter-day Saints would sit idly by and eat the bread of the worker? Truly we have led the way. What marvelous editorials have appeared in the papers along the coast, commending the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for its stand ! It has been thrilling to read them. The San Francisco Chronicle said: "If all churches would but follow the lead of the Mormons, there would be no want in the world." ¶

When those who have shall give to those who have not ; when the spirit of greed is overcome ; when selfishness is done away, truly then are we a brotherhood. That of course is what we are as a Church, and faithful members of this Church shall never want. The Lord himself will open the way to provide for all. I am grateful for this move that has been made, I am grateful for the response that has come back to the brethren, that we stand behind them one hundred per cent. I am sure that the various nations of the earth must take notice of what love is accomplishing among the people in Western America. ¶

About eight months ago a gentleman came from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles. He came to talk on "The New Day in Mormonism." I received a telephone invitation to appear at this meeting. When I arrived ¶

there, to my surprise it was composed entirely of Presbyterian ministers, and this good man proceeded to tell them what the Mormons believed, and of all the absurd things I ever heard he uttered them there. I was astonished that in this day such accusations could be made. He talked of blood atonement. He told of a man who worked for Z. C. M. I and disappeared over night, the supposition being, of course, that the Danites had taken him and his life had been sacrificed. I wondered how it was possible that such a thing could be, but there were many other things that were just as ridiculous uttered by this man. ¶

Within the past week, in fact last Sunday, I was pleased to encounter a different spirit. Again I was invited to go to a meeting where a minister was going to talk on the Book of Mormon, "What the other man thinks." Imagine my astonishment when that good man stood up to begin his address, and began reading from the Doctrine and Covenants and the Book of Mormon, and declaring that this scripture was written a hundred years ago, and that the man who wrote it must have been inspired from Almighty God or he could not have said such things. Then he stopped and said: "I am a Presbyterian minister, I am not a member of the Mormon Church," and two or three times during his sermon he stopped to let us know that he was not a Latter-day Saint. ¶

This man was Dr. Carl S. Knopf, dean of the School of Religion of the University of Southern California, where they have some eleven thousand students. He had touched "the hem of the garment" of one of the Apostles of the living God ; he had come under the influence of John A. Widtsoe and so had been changed, for tolerance had crept into his heart and a spirit of f raternalism and a desire to clasp hands with the Latter-day Saints. All who were there were thrilled, and at the close of his sermon, as we went forward to shake hands with him, I told him it was the finest sermon I had heard on Mormonism for a long time. ¶

A woman from Wyoming said : "I came to tell you that what you have said about this people is true. I was opposed to them, I hated the very word 'Mormon', but I was astonished when I went to Utah to live to find that they would come and help me to live and give me sustenance. I have been amazed at what I have seen there, and what you have said here is the absolute truth. They are the kindest people in the world." ¶

At the conclusion of his sermon he uttered a prayer, and one of the missionaries wrote it down. He quoted from Moroni 8th chapter, 9th to 22nd verses, and explained it. He quoted from the Articles of Faith and pointed out in how many instances he could shake hands with us. He quoted from Moroni 9th chapter and 4th verse, and Alma 11th chapter 43rd and 45th verses. This was his prayer : ¶

Our Father, it is just a little difficult to understand why thou hast so made us that we can have these radical differences of opinion and yet at many points have such wonderful ideals and all of us try in our way to follow in the footsteps of the Master, but, our Father, we do pray this, that if that is to be an exercise of good will and faith, if thou hast made us different just so we can exercise charity and love and learn how to love, even without having identical thought .... we would pray that thou give us the spirit of understanding, that we may clasp hands with our ¶

fellow men and even clasping hands with disagreement in some of our fundamental thoughts, yet clasping hands with agreement on some of the great issues. May we stand shoulder to shoulder for those issues and make the world better because we believe mightily in the things of the Spirit. So we pray that those who are Methodists may be good Methodists, and those who are Presbyterians be good Presbyterians, and those who are Mormons be good Mormons. O Father, we realize that in every one of these divisions of thy church there stands the central figure of Jesus Christ, that in every one of these divisions there are many good things. Help us to join together in the exaltation of the good. And now we pray for mercy and peace, the love of good, the faith, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit to be and abide now and always. ¶

Dr. Knopf said : ¶

I am reading from a book, not a cold book from cold library shelves, but I am reading from a book, (holding up the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price) that has been the inspiration of a young man who has now come to the University to teach courses there. When one of the professors came to teach religion he said that only one or two students would not suffice for his attention, that he might just as well close the whole thing up. This young Mormon man said he would be delighted to give all his time if he could save but one, and he would be happy to carry on his class. ¶

The doctor was thrilled at the attitude of this young Mormon, Brother Byron Done, who is taking the place of Dr. Widtsoe. ¶

God bless this Church and its leadership. I know that he is blessing it. I am grateful for the opportunity that has been given to serve in it, and hope that I shall always be worthy of the confidence that has been reposed in me. That God's blessings may be in each and every one of your homes, is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶