An Expression of Gratitude

I sincerely trust, my brothers and sisters, that I might enjoy a portion of the Lord's Spirit in the endeavor to speak to you this morning. It is needless for me to say that I have a feeling of gratitude in my heart for the testimony that the Lord has been kind enough to give to me of the divinity of this great work. I know that Jesus of Nazareth is the ¶

Redeemer of the world, that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and that through him the Gospel of Jesus Christ was restored to the earth in its simplicity and purity. ¶

I am grateful for the parents that are mine ; grateful because they have exemplified in their lives the principles of virtue, integrity and faith. I am grateful to the Lord that he has again established upon the earth the Church organizations, for the Melchizedek Priesthood brought back by Peter, James and John ; the Aaronic Priesthood, restored to the earth through the instrumentality of John the Baptist. I am grateful for the fact that I have a standing and membership in the Church of Jesus Christ. ¶

I think all the achievements we have made as a people have been possible through the fact that we have had in our midst the power of the Priesthood. Brigham Young said: ¶

Much has been said about the power of the Latter-day Saints. Is it the people called Latter-day Saints that have this power, or is it the Priesthood? ¶

He said it is the Priesthood, and if they live according to that Priesthood, they could commence their work here and gain many victories, and be prepared to receive glory, immortality, and eternal life. He made another statement. ¶

The Priesthood of the Son of God which we have in our midst is a perfect order and system of government, and this alone can deliver the human family from all the evils which now afflict its members, and insure them of happiness hereafter. ¶

So Priesthood to me is more than the power of God delegated unto us, whereby we may act as his representatives, it is a perfect system and order of government given to us -through which we may help the human race to solve the problems that now afflict it. One of the greatest differences between this government and the government of men is that we have no desire to take away land or natural resources from any nation or people, but we have a desire to help the human race, teach them the ways of life and righteousness as they have been revealed to us in this day and age. ¶

This government of the Priesthood has departments or divisions through which the work of the Lord is accomplished. One of the most important ones we might call the Department of Education; we find inscribed over the portals of this great department these words: "The glory of God is intelligence." In this department we find many workers. One of the most representative groups of workers is the great missionary corps that goes out into the world preaching the Gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue and people. ¶

There are other workers and teachers, for we are essentially a teaching Church. The great commission given to the Prophet Joseph Smith was to teach the world of the ways and of the principles of the Lord Jesus Christ. Among our own people we have, another corps of teachers whose duty it is to go among the Saints once a month, to exhort, to admonish, and stimulate them to greater activity in this work, and to protect them from the snares of the adversary. ¶

Through the auxiliary organizations of the Church we find a great educational project being carried out, the teaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the boys, girls, men and women of this great Church. ¶

There are other departments in this government of the Priesthood. There is the department of health, the fundamental law of which is the Word of Wisdom, revealed to us through the Prophet Joseph Smith, that we might live in accordance with the atmosphere that is created by the Holy Ghost as he comes to dwell within us. ¶

There is the finance department. Finances are just as essential for the carrying on of the work in this kingdom as they are in any other government or kingdom. The Lord has given us a law whereby we can accumulate the finances to carry on this great work — the law of tithing, a most equitable and just law. He has also given us another law, a law that is necessary for the taking care of our brothers and sisters who find themselves in destitute circumstances, namely the law of fast offerings. Through this law the Lord expects us to provide the means whereby we can carry on the great assignment that has come to us in connection with the Church Welfare program. A law, too, that is fair and equitable when you stop to think that all the Lord asks of us is the value of the two meals we abstain from on the first Sunday of each month. ¶

There is another great department in the government of the Priesthood, a department that we may now call the Welfare department, a department that has been organized for the purpose of taking care of our brethren and sisters who may be in the vale of poverty and need. We have two objectives in this great department : first, to accumulate enough food and fuel, and provide shelter for all of those who may be in need of these necessities. And the other objective in connection with this plan is to provide every man with the right to earn his bread by the sweat of his own brow. As we listened this morning to the reports of some of the stake presidents in relation to the projects that have already been provided for those who need work it was most inspirational, when you stop to think that not far distant from here three Elders quorums went to work on a project comprising some three thousand acres of land. They cultivated some nine hundred acres of it, produced a crop of sixteen thousand bushels of wheat, and in addition to that broke up another six hundred acres which are to be used in 1939. All this is being done for the purpose of providing the necessities of life and labor for our brethren and sisters who are in need. ¶

There are other projects in connection with this Welfare department. Projects to rehabilitate our people in their attitude toward the government, in their attitude toward work, and in their attitude toward the Church. In this great government of the Priesthood we find that there is a recreational department represented by the Mutual organizations, that provides wholesome recreation for the people of the Church. ¶

We could go on and mention many other departments in connection with this great Priesthood government. But there are two relationships that I should like to draw to your attention. The first is the relationship which we have in connection with the business world. Brother Albert E. Bowen has already mentioned something in relation to it. Those of us who are members of the Priesthood government, who hold the Priesthood of God, should remember that in all of our dealings with the business world we should be honest, fair and square in our dealings. Brigham Young said upon one occasion : ¶

Men who are vessels of the Holy Priesthood, are charged with words of eternal life for the world and have tried continually in their words and actions and daily deportment to do honor to the great dignity of their calling and office as ministers and representatives of the Most High. ' ¶

It would seem to me that members of the Priesthood of God are servants and officers in this government, and should remember to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our shops, in our stores, in our factories, and on our farms, and every day of our lives as well as on Sunday. ¶

Then there is another relationship that we have, the relationship with the governments of the earth. We believe in obeying the laws of all governments. May I say that one of our Articles of Faith points out to us : ¶

We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law. ¶

We believe that, and this is the relationship that should exist between us and all nations, regardless of where we may live; as the Priesthood and the government of the Lord Jesus Christ we have a definite responsibility in connection with the Constitution of these United States. I am sure if there is a people in all the world that appreciates the Constitution it is this people, for under this divine instrument it was possible for Joseph Smith to bring into existence the Churcli of Jesus Christ, in a nation where there are equal rights, the right to worship God according to the dictates of one's conscience. ¶

We should at all times be willing to sustain the great Bill of Rights in our own country, to sustain and uphold the laws here. I firmly believe that Brigham Young was a prophet of Almighty God. I think that he spoke under the inspiration of the Lord's Spirit. I want to read to you an excerpt from one of his sermons, wherein he laid upon the shoulders of the Priesthood of this Church some very definite responsibilities relative to the fundamental law of our country. He said : ¶

I expect to see the day when the Elders of Israel will protect and sustain civil and religious liberty, and every constitutional right bequeathed to us by our fathers. ¶

He said these rights would go out in connection with the Gospel for the salvation of all nations, and added : ¶

I shall see this whether I live or whether I die. I do not lift up my voice against the great and glorious government guaranteed to every citizen by our Constitution, but against those administrators who trample the Constitution and just laws under their feet. ¶

We see from this prophecy, uttered by a prophet of God that there will yet devolve upon the Priesthood of this Church the responsibility of protecting the rights and the Constitution of our great country. ¶

This Priesthood government, this perfect system of government, as Brigham Young calls it, is headed today by a prophet of God, a man who has the right, the authority and keys to receive from our Heavenly Father his mind and will in relationship to his Church here upon earth. He in turn is surrounded by Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, who have the same rights and privileges as the Apostles of old, so that the leadership of this great Church comes under the immediate and divine direction of our Heavenly Father. ¶

What does all of this mean to you and to me? Do we appreciate the Priesthood ? I would say to you that it is the greatest gift that God has ever given unto mankind, and if we have appreciation in our hearts let us render that appreciation in deeds of service. When the Bishop calls upon us to go block teaching let us consider that it is a high call, be glad to go and admonish, counsel and exhort the Saints. It matters not what our call in the Priesthood may be, whatever it is it comes to us because we are servants of God, and we should receive the call with gladness, and with the thought in mind that after the work has been finished we will be recipients of great blessings. ¶

Therefore, let us approach our Priesthood activities and responsibilities with willing hearts and without any reservations. The Lord Jesus Christ has made a promise to those who will serve willingly and gladly, for he said : ¶

Verily I say unto you, that there is no man that has left home, or parents, or brothers, or wife, or children for the Kingdom of God's sake who shall not receive manifold more at the present time and in the worlds to come, even life everlasting. ¶

May we appreciate the Priesthood of God ; if we do leave our homes and our businesses for the kingdom's sake, let us remember that our blessings will be life everlasting, which I hope will be the blessing of each and every one of us, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶