The Latter-day Saints a Blessed People

My brothers and sisters, I have been thrilled with the spirit of this conference. I was thrilled in the first session of the conference and with the sessions that have followed. I was greatly thrilled with the broadcast this morning, with the singing of the choir which has never in my judgment been better. I was deeply impressed and thrilled with the singing of the "Singing Mothers." I was thrilled when I looked upon these flowers, these beautiful flowers — a bouquet of Dahlias — because they are the expression of God's creative power, and I am deeply thrilled beyond expression standing here looking into the faces of this great congregation. ¶

There is a power here, my brethren and sisters, and an influence that is overwhelming. ¶

I was deeply thrilled with the Priesthood meeting last evening in this building. Think of it ! — this great Tabernacle filled to overflowing with men of the priesthood, men representing divine authority. What power can stand against the influence of such a representation as we had here last night. ¶

THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS A BLESSED PEOPLE: ¶

I would like to say a few words this afternoon on a great and important subject that is intimately related to a situation in the spirit world affecting the future welfare of a multitude of spirits who once dwelt in the flesh upon the earth. ¶

The great majority of them lived and died without hearing or receiving the Gospel message. The reason is obvious. The true Gospel of Jesus Christ in its fulness and power was not to be found in their day upon the earth. ¶

The Latter-day Saints are a blessed people. Fortunately for them they were permitted to come forth in the flesh in a Gospel dispensation, which Gospel is described by Paul, the apostle, as "the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." ¶

They have the priesthood among them as I have already said, which is divine authority in men. They have a temple (in fact, they have a number of temples) of the Lord, the sanctuary of great and mighty blessings conferred upon the faithful without money and without price. ¶

CLOTHED UPON WITH DIVINE AUTHORITY: ¶

They have a living prophet in their midst, a man who is clothed upon with divine authority, a man who holds the keys of the kingdom of heaven upon earth. And where in the world will we go to find a man of this kind ? How did that authority come to this man ? It came to him very much as it came to Peter. On one certain occasion Jesus said to Peter: "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven : and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." ¶

What great and almighty authority was this? But it constituted Peter a living prophet of God in his day, clothed upon as he was with divine authority. ¶

Very much the same language was used by the Lord in conferring upon Joseph Smith, the prophet, like authority. You will find the words recorded in Section 132, most impressive words, most wonderful words ! The Lord said to Joseph Smith, the prophet : ¶

For I have conferred upon you the keys and power of the priesthood, wherein I restore all things, and make known unto you all things in due time. ¶

And verily, verily, I say unto you, that whatsoever you seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever you bind on earth, in my name and by my word, saith the Lord, it shall be eternally bound in the heavens ; and whosesoever sins you remit on earth shall be remitted eternally in the heavens. ¶

It is such a blessing, my brethren and sisters, that constitutes a man a prophet of God. Surely it must be so. And the blessings of the holy temple of God were restored to the earth. These blessings are dispensed to those who are faithful but cannot be purchased by money. Gold and silver instantly lose their value when compared with these mighty blessings. ¶

ORDINANCES OF LIFE AND SALVATION: ¶

Strangers come and look upon the temple here and marvel at its appearance of strength and beauty. They are eager to go into the temple, to walk through it, to see what is there. If they were permitted to go through it, they would simply see that which constitutes the furniture and furnishings of the temple. It is not the building or furnishings that give it value but it is the ordinances of life and salvation that are performed therein. ¶

Now, brethren and sisters, in the providences of the Lord the splendid blessings of the temple have been given to us while that great group of spirits beyond the veil heretofore mentioned through untoward circumstances are deprived of them. Thus you see their situation is very different from ours. They lived and died at a period when the true Gospel in its fulness and power was not upon the earth and they therefore could not receive it or secure the blessings thereof. ¶

OUR OBLIGATION TO THE DEAD: ¶

Are we not under obligation to do what we can for them since the blessings of salvation both for the living and the dead can only be had through the temple ordinances aclminsitered on the earth? ¶

Surely some plan was needed whereby these blessings could be given to the dead. Happily, a plan was instituted by our Heavenly Father to meet the situation. ¶

The Savior emphasized the vital importance of baptism in the plan of salvation when he said to Nicodemus, (John 3:5) "Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." ¶

When Jesus said "a man," he meant every man (and every woman of course) whether they be living or dead. ¶

THE COMING OF ELIJAH: ¶

Further light is thrown upon this important subject in the last chapter of the Book of Malachi, as follows: ¶

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: ¶

And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. (Malachi 4:5, 6) ¶

Joseph Smith, the prophet, and Oliver Cowdery testify that Elijah, the prophet, appeared in the Kirtland Temple on April 3, 1836, in direct fulfilment of Malachi's prediction, stood before them, and said : ¶

► Behold the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi — testifying that he (Elijah) should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come — ¶

To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse — ¶

Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands ; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors. (D. and C. 110:14, 15, 16) ¶

Since that day the hearts of the fathers in the spirit world have been turned to us their earthly children ; surely our hearts have been turned to them. ¶

THE GATHERING OF GENEALOGY: ¶

The spirit of gathering genealogy is abroad among the nations. Many people are influenced by it. They know not why, but we understand it perfectly. ¶

If we would do the work of our fathers who have gone hence, we must have their genealogy that a proper record can be made of it and laid up in the archives of the Temple. Bear in mind, brethren and sisters and friends, that we are told in holy writ that "for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit." (I Peter, 4:6) ¶

It should also be remembered that when Christ was crucified, his body was laid in the tomb but his pure spirit went into the spirit world. He was not idle there. The record tells us that he preached the Gospel to the spirits in prison. Many of those spirits were doubtless ancestors of people now living. ¶

ORDINANCES PERFORMED IN TEMPLES: ¶

If it is possible for us to bring salvation to them by proxy through the temple ordinances, and it is, ought we not to be up and doing? Well, the Latter-day Saints are working at the problem and something definite has been accomplished. ¶

There are nine temples in the Church, the Kirtland temple, the Nauvoo temple, St. George, Manti, Logan, Salt Lake, the Hawaiian, the Alberta and the Arizona temples. You will be interested to know what has been done in these temples covering the period from Nauvoo days until the present time, or until the end of 1935. The statement follows: ¶

Baptisms: ¶

Endowments: ¶

Ordinations: ¶

Sealings — couples: ¶

Sealings — children: ¶

Adoptions: ¶

Special ordinances: ¶

Living: ¶

Dead: ¶

37,062 ¶

9,740,433 ¶

275,362 ¶

7,104,659 ¶

3,439 ¶

3,021,797 ¶

136,514 ¶

1,305,612 ¶

116,272 ¶

2,156,648 ¶

13,923 ¶

2,338 ¶

14,777 ¶

6,208 or a total of ordinances for the living of 585,764 and for the dead 23,349,280, and a grand total of 23,935,044 ordinations and ordinances for the living and the dead in these temples. ¶

SPIRITS DEPENDING UPON US: ¶

That appears to be a pretty good start. When, however, you think of the great multitude of spirits that depend on their earthly children for help, it is evident that we have hardly touched the problem. ¶

Let me plead with the Latter-day Saints not to forget their temple work. Your ancestors are waiting upon you and have been waiting hundreds of years, anxiously, no doubt, for this work to be done for them. It devolves upon you. What you have received it is up to you to give to others. ¶

God bless you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. ¶

The congregation and Choir sang the hymn, "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet." ¶