By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them

Brethren and sisters: As all of you know, this is an extremely important position to hold at this time. None of us come here do so without carefully thinking of what we may have to say, what we would like to say or what we ought to say, and we dread a good deal about it. ¶

You brethren and sisters who are here, and the many more who are listening come because you want comfort, you want encouragement, you want strength, you want instruction relative to your duties as they appear at the present time, and those of us who occupy this position have a great deal of responsibility in that connection. ¶

I have committed to writing a few things that it occurred to me I might say. I hope that any words I may say will give no offense, because it is my thought only to say things that are helpful without complaint or without fault-finding. ¶

By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them

In the early beginning of this dispensation, speaking by revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord said: "Hearken and hear, O ye inhabitants of the earth. Listen ye elders of my Church together, and hear the voice of the Lord ; for he calleth upon all men, and he commandeth all men everywhere to repent." D. & C. 133 :16. ¶

In a former day when the Master lived on the earth, among other things in his great sermon on the Mount he said : "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not everyone that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven ; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Matt. 7 :20, 21. ¶

As an illustration of the meaning in these sayings of Jesus, the Apostle James wrote : "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith and have not works ? Can faith save him ? . . . . Yea, a man may say, thou hast faith, and I have works; shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works Wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead ?" James 2 :14, 18, 20. ¶

And so may we not think of the gospel, the gospel the elders of the Church are called to preach, as being a gospel of faith, repentance, and work? Certain is it that work — an application in our daily lives of the principles we teach — is an essential of our religion. ¶

Latter-day Saints Should Live up to Professions

The thirteenth article of faith proclaims that "we believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men. . . . ." Hence a faithful and worthy Latter-day Saint must be characterized by the virtues named in this article of our faith. Our doctrine of work as an essential of salvation makes this imperative. ¶

Now, to believe, to profess a faith, may be easy; to do, is always more or less difficult, so difficult at times that none of us is perfect in all things. ¶

Satan Seeks to Overcome Saints

Our theology makes clear to us why mortal man fails to reach perfection. Satan is here and ever more or less near each one of us. Further, none of us has entirely succeeded, as Jesus did, in putting Satan completely behind him. In the Middle Ages when knighthood was in flower, fighting men encased themselves in metal armaments. When in combat they would try to strike opponents in the weakest parts of their armor. Satan tries to do the same thing when attempting to overcome us : he tempts us in our most vulnerable places. In other words, he tempts us in ways that are hardest for us to resist. ¶

Satan and his hosts were cast out of heaven after the great rebellion and came down to earth where they have since lived. In consequence, evil is in the world. The devils are here to bring pain and sorrow, distress and suffering, misery and death to the human family. They are here making efforts to thwart and overcome the work of the Lord. This could be most readily done by destroying the Saints of God. Hence wherever the Saints are Satan is not likely to be far away. ¶

To keep these thoughts in mind may be helpful. The situation is such that each one of us must ever be on his guard ready to ward off the attacks of the angels of darkness. ¶

And now another point: our theology teaches us that we once all lived in a pre-mortal spirit world. We are spirit children of God, our Father in heaven. A law of creation in the realm of life is that like begets like. Since intelligence is the glory of our Father, we his children possess at least in embryo a spark of this glorious attribute. We were favored with the high privilege of coming to earth as a necessary step in the long path of eternal progression. But the rate of advancement depends upon us. There is from heaven no compulsion in the matter, for the principle of free agency given by the Father to all his children, operates in the premises. But to please God we must try to develop our intellects and grow in knowledge and understanding, wisdom and power, and cultivate our wills by resisting evil and doing good. ¶

The Golden Rule Not Operating in World Struggles

What do I mean by the expression "doing good ?" The Master made the meaning clear when he gave us the Golden Rule, the rule that applies and makes visible in our lives the observance of the two great commandments, the keeping of which will ornament any human life and render it saintly. ¶

But the chaos existing in the world today is abundant proof that the Golden Rule plays little or no part in the affairs of men or nations. ¶

Looking out into the world, what do we see ? Struggle, struggle and still more struggle — men everywhere striving for position, for mastery, for power, for rule — to get into a position to dictate to their opponents the terms of settlement. So fierce and general have the struggles become that chaotic conditions prevail everywhere — at home as well as abroad. ¶

Overseas it is the struggles of nations that fix our attention. In our own fair land we are disturbed by myriads of strikes and lockouts, industrial disputes, struggles of class against class, groups against groups, parties against parties, etc., in great number. In all of these cases clever propaganda, accompanied by some type of force, are the weapons of the struggles. ¶

To see all of these things makes us fear and tremble for the morrow, for it is evident that a mighty revolution is in progress the end of which will be a profoundly different America from the historic country we received from the founders of the Republic. In those days the patriots fought against taxation without representation, the fight being the spark that set the revolution aflame. Today we fight for representation without taxation. We struggle for all the advantages of a benevolent government, set up by ourselves, made rich by the strong arm of the law seizing whatever it can from him who has. ¶

We fight against being taxed, but demand more and more of the benefits that taxes provide. Is this not a struggle to get something for nothing, at least to get more and more for less and less ? ¶

We listen to smooth-tongued demagogues, accept as truth their wild vagaries and enthusiastically follow their cunning and selfish leadership. Why? Is it not in the hope of getting for ourselves more and more for less and less ? We become adherents of various groups, pay membership dues, sometimes participate in disturbances, and. engage in various other kinds of activities. Why? Is it not in the hope of getting more and more for less and less ? ¶

In all of these things do we stop to ask ourselves if our conduct squares with the thirteenth article of our faith ? We profess to hate communism and fascism and stoutly deny that we would give the slightest support to either of these isms. Do we ever stop to think that in many respects these isms have much in common and that many of the things we do are heartily supported by communists who see in them an application of communistic principles? We are willing to overthrow some of our established methods and institutions, apparently without realizing that in so doing we take step after step that brings us nearer and nearer to communistic objectives. ¶

Our moral standards appear also to be changing, in many respects becoming weaker and lower. This is perhaps more apparent in our group and national conduct than in our individual actions. Of what group or nation can it be longer said it's word is as good as its bond? During recent years we have seen nations default on their pledges, fail in their promises and entirely ignore their solemn commitments. The situation has become so bad that nations today put little or no trust in each other's commitments. The United States, China, Abyssinia, Czechoslovakia, many private investors, and others have learned this to their sorrow. ¶

Two years ago a great industrial disturbance of the Pacific Coast began about this time of the year. It continued for 98 days, and cost, it was said, about seven hundred millions of dollars. What came out of it? Ill-will, misery and hatred. What was the weapon used in the struggle? Force. And force is, and always has been, the weapon of Satan and his helpers. It was the weapon he proposed in the great council in heaven that he would use to save all the Father's children. It is the weapon still used by all the Father's children who permit themselves to be influenced by this crafty enemy of all righteousness. ¶

Now, brethren and sisters, I refer to these things because I think our attention should be called to them. To me the outlook is anything but pleasant. If I see aright, we are traveling towards more and more chaotic conditions. Selfishness in the individual and in his group relations appear to be getting more and more pronounced. And where selfishness is strong love is weak. These two qualities cannot be boon companions nor dwell together in harmony. ¶

Needless, almost, to say this to Latter-day Saints. We readily grant it is true. But do we profess love and practice selfishness ? Few people among us today sympathize with communism, an ism of selfishness. But does this not make the situation all the more dangerous, when what we do establishes communistic principles? ¶

I said selfishness — that quality of character that demands more and more for less and less — and love cannot dwell together in harmony. I mean of course that type of love that finds application in the Golden Rule. Neither can love and injustice go hand in hand. The great Welfare Program of the Church seeks to exalt love and subdue selfishness. Would that this Godly plan were more widely in operation ! ¶

Force as an instrument in human relations is absolutely banned by the teachings of the Master. Satan's proposal to use it to bring back to heaven all the earth-children of the Father was rejected and the* doctrine of free agency proclaimed. In Christ's Church compulsion of the human will is unknown. ¶

Duty of the Latter-day Saints

Now, my brethren and sisters, I have used the word selfishness in its most general sense, not as applicable to you fine men and women who are here, the cream of the Church, the officers of the Church, the leaders in all the departments of the Church. In your lives you are as a light set upon a hill, but I am speaking of conditions in general, and what would I have us do, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ? I would have us do what I think we ought to do. ¶

Now I use that word "think." The Lord has given us intelligence, as his spirit children we possess it for a purpose, and I think he has given it to us to be used. I think, brethren and sisters, in this chaotic world in which we are living that it behooves each one of us to use all of the intelligence that God has given us ; study all propositions that come to us ; study every appeal that is made ; study everything that is proposed, and with God's help, on our bended knees, seeking his guidance and the inspiration of his Spirit, try to find out what he would have us do, and when we can determine that conscientiously, to the; very best of our ability, act accordingly. But in our actions we may, if we care to, get some guidance if we will look to the head of the Church. We held up our hands here the other morning to support President Grant as a prophet, seer, and revelator. Are we willing to follow him, and to follow his advice, and to take his suggestions, or will we let them pass into one ear and out of the other? Not you, brethren and sisters, who are here, but some members of the Church who are not here, some possibly who may be listening at this moment to what is being said here. ¶

I think, my brethren and sisters, we ought to be consistent. I think the Lord expects us to be consistent. We are to be sincere in the professions of our faith and make our conduct square with our professions. If we do that, brethren and sisters, the people of this Church will stand up and we will be a light to all the world. There will be, so far as we are concerned, a peace and a security, there will be a love among us, there will be no class distinction, we will all be brothers and sisters, we will all be devoted to each other's interests, and we will be loyal and true to the leadership of this Church. ¶

May God help us to be that, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. ¶