The Spanish-American Mission

My brethren and sisters : Following in Brother Broadbent's steps, I can say amen to his opening remarks. I wish to say that I am happy to be with you and I have thrilled to the testimonies we have heard this morning, and particularly was I thrilled again by the voice of our prophet leader and by his testimony. I feel that his vigor, his clear-cut testimony, and his quoting of the scriptures to us are a challenge to every member of this Church, and particularly to the missionaries and those who hope to be missionaries. I feel also that his life is an example to all of us, which we can well follow, and we know that he has reaped the benefit of the scripture in the statement that "Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven." ¶

And if we in a small measure would enjoy the blessings of our Heavenly Father while we are here upon this earth we should also follow that injunction, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness ; and all these things shall be added unto you." ¶

I wish to report that the missionaries — sixty-three of them, your sons and daughters — in the Spanish-American Mission are well and happy in their work. We have enjoyed better health so far this year in the mission than at any other time since I have presided over it, and for this we are grateful. Their testimonies are growing, they are becoming more useful day by day, and by the blessings of our Heavenly Father the work is going forward among those with whom we are laboring. The Branches and Sunday Schools of the mission are being strengthened, they are being better organized, the people feel a new strength, a new desire to go forward in the work of the Lord, and they are happy in the work. It is a pleasure above all else that I have enjoyed to represent the Church in a mission in the world, and it is a pleasure for your sons and daughters to preach the Gospel of the Lord and Master, that others may be brought to a knowledge of the same. ¶

We depend on your faith and prayers at home, and the report we have received this morning of the growth and the strength of this Church will be an added inspiration and stimulus to us to carry on in the work ¶

that is before us. We have often heard it preached that after this life we would sit on a golden throne and play a golden harp or sing songs, and while we know that this is not so, I do hope that there will be "Singing Mothers" in heaven, because I have been inspired this morning by their songs and by the spirit of the same. In some of the missions we have a lack of choirs that are properly trained. Ofttimes the missionaries are unable to sing the songs of Zion as we would love to have them do, to carry the spirit that comes through singing, but we are trying to develop the talents that are natural to our people, and where there is a large enough congregation in our Branches we are developing that part of the work. ¶

The Lord has poured out his Spirit upon us, and recently in a tour of the mission we reached over three thousand people who are not members of the Church, and were able to preach the Gospel to them. The work of the mission quartet was outstanding, and it has opened the doors of many hundreds of people to our missionaries. The missionaries report that in nearly every instance the doors are open to them, and all we need is more missionaries to help take care of the work, to preach the Gospel to those who are anxiously awaiting it. I feel with you that the motto of this people is, onward and forward, in a progressive movement that is natural and normal, although I believe it will be more phenomenal in the future than it has been in the past. ¶

I wish to leave with you my testimony that I know that God lives, that his Only Begotten Son was the Christ, sent to the earth to redeem mankind, and that only by living the commandments that he gave us will we be saved. I also bear you my testimony that our leaders are inspired men, that they are placed here in authority over us, that they are doing the work that God intended that they should do, and that if we will only follow their counsel and advice we will be in the way of salvation. This I leave with you humbly in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶