Southern States Mission Report

It is a great pleasure, my brethren and sisters, to meet again with you in a General Conference of the Church. I feel sure that our prayers have been answered, for have we not asked our Father in heaven to enable our leaders to give unto us that which would mark clearly the way in which we should go? ¶

As I listened to President Grant yesterday morning, when he spoke on the Word of Wisdom, I could not help but feel that I hoped the Lord would give him a desire to preach on that principle of the Gospel as long ¶

as he lived, and when he is no longer with us, that the Lord would raise up another who could preach on it with the same power that he does. ¶

I believe that when the Lord announced to the Prophet Joseph Smith that a marvelous work and a wonder was about to come forth among the children of men, that work was to include many important things, one of which I think is the Word of Wisdom. I believe that in that alone we shall always stand out as distinguished from all other religious denominations in the world. While today men are talking of uniting the churches, they never will want to unite with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as long as we are true to that great principle. ¶

Speaking of the marvelous work and wonder that was to come forth, in our mission we try to help the missionaries to grasp the truth of that statement, and to interpret the Gospel in terms of a marvelous work. Referring, for instance, to the Book of Mormon, great stress is laid upon the value of that book as the most tangible evidence of the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Sometimes it seems rather insignificant, when you take the Book in your hand, to think of offering it for fifty cents to the people you meet. Then, when you stop to analyze what it really is, in and of itself, it is a marvelous work and a wonder. ¶

I read an article in a newspaper recently on a visit to this land of the United States by Dr. William A. Kennedy, of Lima, Peru. He was here in the interest of securing financial support for the establishment of a university there to investigate and make research into the early civilization of the Americas, particularly dealing with the civilization of the Incas and the Mayas, and President Herbert Hoover had been asked to serve as one of the directors in this school, for which I understand a franchise has already been issued. ¶

The paper reported that he had been assured of an endowment of $30,000,000, which amount would be increased to sixty or seventy million dollars within the next ten years . ¶

Now, think of that ! The value of the history of the early inhabitants of this land is considered to be worth at least $70,000,000, and we offer them more than they will ever know, after all their research, for the price of fifty cents ! After they have searched all the archives and the discoveries of men, then they will only have a dead record. It will speak only of the past. Whereas the Book of Mormon does not only tell of past civilizations, but it declares in most emphatic terms the ultimate destiny of this great land. Who can read the words of the prophets, and not know that, from the time when God first led his children here, after the destruction of the Tower of Babel, he designated this land as a choice land, choice above all other lands, and from that time until this it has been preserved as in the hollow of his hand, to serve some great destiny. ¶

Read the words of the Book of Mormon, declaring that upon this land the New Jerusalem of the Lord, our God, shall be builded, which shall ultimately be taken to heaven and again return when the earth is purified. Read the promise contained in that Book, that Jesus ¶

Christ is the God of this land and the king thereof ; that every nation that shall lift its hand against this land shall perish, "For I, the Lord, the king of heaven, will be their king." I wonder what the nations of this world would think if they knew that the God of heaven had decreed that he would fortify this land against all other nations. ¶

When we stop to analyze and think what the Book of Mormon contains, in addition to what might be discovered through the expenditure of this $70,000,000, is not this a marvelous work and a wonder ? I would like every missionary in our mission to feel when he approaches a home, offering a Book of Mormon, that he is offering something that is worth more than all the gold and silver of this world. If they read it and are touched by the divine spirit contained in its pages, they certainly cannot help but believe it. ¶

Years ago, when I was doing short-term missionary work in the Eastern States, we were out on the street corner one night, and a young missionary said to me, following the meeting: "Brother Richards, I don't know the Gospel is true." I said: "You don't?" and he said "No." I said: "You take the Book of Mormon and go home and read it, and don't you quit reading it until you know the- Gospel is true." We went out on the street about two weeks later and he stood up in his turn and said: "If the Book of Mormon isn't true, you tell me how Joseph Smith knew that those cities were buried in the depths of the earth out in Central and South America." When he was through I patted him on the back and said : "It works, doesn't it ?" ¶

When I was in Holland a sister came to me whose love for the truth had been somewhat disaffected, even though she had been a former worker in the Church, but through jealousy she had become lukewarm. Following a very inspirational meeting she said: "Brother Richards, tell me how I can get my testimony back." "Well," I said, "I will tell you if you will follow my instruction," and she said she would. I said : "When you can put all malice out of your heart, you go in to your own secret chamber and ask the Lord to reveal unto you the truth of the Book of Mormon, and then you read it chapter by chapter." She said : "I don't need to do that. I already know the Book of Mormon is true." "Then," I said, "you know all the rest of the story that goes with it." ¶

Now, I am grateful, my brethren and sisters, that in the analysis of every phase of our work, to me it is a marvelous work and a wonder. ¶

A young man arrived in the mission field a few months ago. He had had two years of college work. He said that he had received his call two years ago, but it took him that long to make up his mind to accept it. He said : "You know, I am a very practical man. I like to be able to go out in the orchard and pick the pears and eat them, and then I know it is a pear tree." When he was through I said : "Now, my boy, I want to tell you that pears grow on our tree too. Here is the Book of Mormon. With your analytical mind you take the little book, the "Seven Claims of the Book of Mormon," prepared by Dr. Widtsoe and Dr. Harris, and when you have analyzed those claims and the Book of Mormon, you come ¶

back and tell me if there isn't just as tangible proof that that Book is true as the eating of a pear is that the tree is a pear tree." ¶

I met him out in his district about six weeks later and he gave a fine testimony. I put my arm around him, and said : "Have you found any pears on the tree ?" He said: "Oh, forget it, Brother Richards." ¶

Now, my brethren and sisters, I want to say to you that I thank the Lord for my membership in this Church ; and I thank him for every opportunity of service that has come to me. I am on my fourth mission. I have presided twice as a bishop, once as president of a stake, served on two high councils, and I want to testify to yOu that the Lord or this Church owes me nothing. I have been repaid a thousand fold for all I have ever done for the Church, and I hope I shall never falter. ¶

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