APPRECIATION FOR BLESSINGS

APPRECIATION FOR BLESSINGS ¶

There are few, if any persons in this congregation who are more truly appreciative than I of the privilege of attending this Conference. Until just recently it was doubtful whether I should be able to do so. This morning I stand before you practically a well man. I thank you, my brethren and sisters, and many friends, for your thoughtful solicitations, your faith and prayers. ¶

I am deeply grateful this morning for President Grant's remarkable improvement in health, I was with him when he went from the California ¶

Mission Home to the St. Vincent's Hospital February 5, and thereafter for ten days or more visited him almost daily. I met in council with him and President Oark March 23 and noted how greatly he had improved. Truly, the Lord has answered the prayers offered in his behalf. He is a great and inspired leader ; and most earnestly we pray for the prolongation of his life, and his enjoyment of health and happiness. ¶

I have been made happy by the messages given by the General Authorities and the Mission Presidents. ¶

With you I rejoiced in the excellent singing of choral groups of young people from the Brigham Young University and the Ricks College. I am thankful that we have these Church schools. I know their power for good. ¶

The service rendered each week by the officers and members of the Tabernacle Choir is to the Church and the nation what the glorious sunshine this morning is to the world — it gives joy and peace to a million hearts. ¶

INCREASE OF ACTIVITY IN THE CHURCH ¶

It is a source of true satisfaction to note the evidences of increased activity throughout the Church — in Priesthood quorums ; in Auxiliary associations ; in the Church Welfare Plan ; in missionary work at home and in the field ; in better Ward teaching ; in Temple work ; in the large number of young people who are participating in Church duties, and who thereby are becoming anchored in the Truth, for it is an evidence of the truth of this work that the more service you render the happier you are. "If ye do, ye shall know" is axiomatic as it pertains to the Gospel. ¶

Brethren and sisters, God bless every one of you for your integrity and devotion to the work of the Lord ! It is an honor and a continual joy to be associated with you in the Church of Jesus Christ. ¶

In my message to you this morning I wish to acknowledge God's kindness and mercy to His children everywhere, and to express my abiding faith in the ultimate triumph of the Gospel, and of the final victory of Right over Wrong. ¶

EVILS OF WAR ¶

Believing this, I am not blind to the fact that in the attitude of mankind generally, Truth seems to be "Forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne.'" ¶

The world is truly in turmoil, and there are those who fear modern civilization is dangerously near destruction. The fact is that since history began strife, wickedness, and war have existed among human beings, who it seems are too selfish and ambitious to learn what is best for them. As indicative of the slow progress of the world in regard especially to the evil of war listen to these extracts taken from accounts of conquests in widely separated eras : ¶

Shrieks and wailing, and every other species of outcry that comes from grief, terror, and despair arose from within (the palace) ; and such spectators as had the heart to look continuously upon the spectacle, could ¶

see wretched men running to and fro, and virgins clinging to altars for protection, and frantic mothers vainly endeavoring to find hiding places for themselves and their helpless children. ¶

That is quoted from a description of the destruction of a city 1200 years before the Christian Era. Now listen to this : ¶

Bodies are not pleasant sights under any circumstances. When they are of young women, torn to pieces by bombs, sometimes without heads or arms or legs, they are horrible to behold. This was sheer horror. ¶

Conquered men in the ruined city were executed. Men and women were driven to the public squares to watch the executions. ¶

That is taken from accounts of eye-witnesses of the bombing of a city in September in the year of our Lord 1939! ¶

Manifestly, there has not been much cessation of man's "inhumanity to man" in 3,000 years ! Notwithstanding this, I believe that Right and Truth will eventually triumph. ¶

COURAGE NEEDED AMIDST CONFLICT ¶

Today as we behold nations grasping at one another's throats, the strong crushing the weak, we are prone to think that righteousness among nations is waning. In our own country, we know that the struggle is still rife between capital and labor ; that enemies to our democratic institutions are becoming more blatant ; we see political demagogues more seemingly successful, drunkenness and immorality still flauntingly defiant ; and we wonder whether mankind is growing better or worse, in private life unemployment, disappointments, adversity, sickness, and sorrow make us discouraged and sometimes despondent. ¶

Still I am confident that Truth will yet prevail, and in that confidence say with the Psalmist : ¶

Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord. ¶

We may take courage in what I believe is a fact, that in the hearts of more millions of honest men and women than ever before in the history of the world, war is abhorrent. War has lost its false glamour and boasted glory. Such an attitude at least keeps alive our hope for the dawning of that day when men "shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." (Isaiah 2:4) ¶

PEACE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST ¶

How utterly foolish men are to quarrel, fight, and cause misery, destruction, and death when the gifts of a divine and loving Father are all around us for the asking — are already in our possession if we would but recognize them. Christ's invitation is still extended to all peoples : ¶

Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ¶

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find lest unlo your souls. ¶

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11 :28, 30.) ¶

I am as sure as that I am speaking to you that the peace and happiness of mankind lie in the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Redeemer and Savior. As Peter declared 1900 years ago, so I testify to the world today that there is "none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." ¶

The principles of the Gospel are the surest, safest guide to mortal man. Christ is the light to humanity. In that light man sees his way clearly. When it is rejected, the soul of man stumbles in darkness. No person, no group, no nation can achieve true success without following Him who said : ¶

I am the light of the world ; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12.) ¶

It is a sad thing when individuals and nations extinguish that light — when Christ and His Gospel are supplanted by the law of the jungle and the strength of the sword. The chief tragedy in the world at the present time is its disbelief in God's goodness, and its lack of faith in the teachings and doctrines of the Gospel. ¶

To all who believe in a living, personal God and His divine Truth, life can be so delightful and beautiful. ¶

THE BLESSING OF LIFE ¶

As a matter of fact, it's glorious just to be alive. Joy, even ecstasy, can be experienced in the consciousness of existence. There is supreme satisfaction in sensing one's individual entity, and in realizing that that entity is part of God's great creative plan. There are none so poor, none so rich, sick or maimed who may not be conscious of this relationship. ¶

I know that for not a few of us the true joy of living is overcast by trials, failures, worries, and perplexities incident to making a living and attempting to achieve success. Tear-bedimmed eyes are often blind to the beauties that surround us. Life sometimes seems a parched and barren desert, when, as a matter of fact, there is comfort even happiness within our grasp if we could or would but reach for it. ¶

It is possible for us to learn with Stanton that— ¶

This world o' God's is brighter than ¶

We ever dream or know ; Its burdens' growin' lighter — ¶

An' it's love that makes 'em so ! An' I'm thankful that I'm livin' ¶

Where love's blessedness I see, 'Neath a Heaven that's forgivin' ¶

Where the bells ring 'Home' to me ! ¶

The Lord has given us life, and eternal life is His greatest gift to man. ¶

THE BLESSINGS OF FELLOWSHIP ¶

Among life's sweetest blessings is fellowship with men and women whose ideals and aspirations are high and noble. Next to a sense of a kinship with God comes the helpfulness, encouragement, and inspiration of friends. Friendship is a sacred possession. As air, water and sunshine to flowers, trees, and verdure, so smiles, sympathy and love of friends to the daily life of man. "To live, laugh, love one's friends, and be loved by them is to bask in the sunshine of life." One of the principal reasons which the Lord had for establishing His Church is to give all persons high and low, rich and poor, strong and feeble an opportunity to associate with their fellowmen in an atmosphere of uplifting, religious fellowship. This may be found in Priesthood quorums, Auxiliaries, Sacrament meetings. He who neglects these opportunities, who fails to take advantage of them, to that extent starves his own soul. Who among you who were numbered among the more than 9,000 in attendance at the General Priesthood meeting last night did not thrill in the realization of your being one in that great brotherhood of Christ. To what spiritual heights true fellowship may lift us may be glimpsed by John the Beloved's ecstatic remark: "I know that I have passed from death unto life, because I love the brethren." ¶

FREE AGENCY A GIFT FROM GOD ¶

But the gift which I desire more particularly to call to your attention this morning is a principle of the Gospel too seldom emphasized, but which is a blessing co-existent with man's creation. I refer to the fundamental principle of the Gospel, Free Agency. References in the Scriptures show that this principle is (1) essential to man's salvation; and, (2) may become a measuring rod by which the actions of men, of organizations, of nations may be judged. ¶

Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves — to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life. (II Nephi 10:23.) ¶

For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves. (Doctrine and Covenants 104:17.) ¶

Behold, here is the agency of man, and here is the condemnation of man; because that which was from the beginning is plainly manifest unto them, and they receive not the light. (Doctrine and Covenants 93:31.) ¶

Therefore it is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another. And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood. (Doctrine and Covenants 101 :79, 80.) ¶

Again : ¶

My independence is sacred to me— it is a portion of that same Deity that rules in the Heavens. There is not a being upon the face of the earth who is made in the image of God, who stands erect and is organized as God is, that should be deprived of the free exercise of his agency so far as he does not infringe upon others' rights, save by good advice and a good example. (Brigham Young.) ¶

It is true that faith is an essential principle in all progress, not spiritual progress only, but to all progress. But next to faith as an essential to man's advancement is Free Agency. ¶

The history of the world with all its contention and strife is largely an account of man's effort to free himself from bondage and usurpation, or to protect himself in the freedom he possessed. ¶

DANGERS SEEN IN CERTAIN TYPES OF GOVERNMENT ¶

In the light of the principle of Free Agency, it is not difficult to distinguish between the right and the wrong system of government. It is not difficult to tell when an organization transcends its bounds, and becomes despotic. How the people's rights may be curtailed by legislation here in the United States is emphasized in a timely editorial printed in the March 15th issue of the Los Angeles Times under the caption "The March of Absolutism." ¶

"Absolutism in politics," it says: ¶

May be defined as "a system of government in which public power is vested in some person or persons, unchecked and uncontrolled by any law, institution, constitutional device or coordinate body." The American system, on the other hand, insists on the separation of powers, legislative, executive, and judicial, and the freedom of the individual. It demands and maintains the supremacy of the law. This means that what is done officially must conform to law, exactly as much as what is done unofficially by private individuals. ¶

The administrative commission is a radical departure from the American system. It measurably and sometimes wholly consolidates the three separate powers of government and clothes its metabers with uncontrolled power to hear, to adjudicate, and to punish. In other words, it makes us subject to "some person or persons" who are free to act without the restraint of any law, guided solely by their own discretion. No one who has had any experience with an administrative commission will challenge this. ¶

What else do we find in the totalitarian governments of Europe? There, it is simply the placing of this power in the hands of one man, a Hitler or a Stalin, the area of whose government is practically unlimited. The limitation of the area within which a given commission operates does not change the power ; it is, within the designated limits, despotic, that is, absolute. Recent Federal labor practice forbids the employer's resort to the courts until a commission has determined the matter, and the disposition of the authorities is to be chary of any review by the courts. Under some circumstances the employer is even denied access to the board; he must stand aside, his business tied up, until one of the contending labor organizations invokes the board's action. ¶

In the courts, like all other litigants, employer and employee are treated as equals. If either has infringed the rights of the other, the wronged is entitled to reparation, to be placed as near as may be in the position he had before the injury. The administrative commission is a departure from this in both principle and practice. It attempts the appraisal of what it calls social values, exalts the claims and values of labor above business and sets the interests of the labor organization above the interests of the individual workingman. It is a complete abandonment of the Anglo-American legal tradition. ¶

FREEDOM A GLORIOUS PRIVILEGE ¶

To live in a land in which each individual has the right to life and liberty is a glorious privilege. ¶

If any man in this country prefers a government ruled by a dictator, he should go where the dictator rules ; but here in the United States of America the people believe in a government as Abraham Lincoln declared, "of the people, by the people, and for the people." ¶

It is well ever to keep in mind the fact that the State exists for the individual ; not the individual for the State. Jesus sought to perfect society by perfecting the individual, and only by the exercising of Free Agency can the individual even approach perfection. ¶

Man's Free Agency is an eternal principle of progress, and any form of government that curtails or inhibits its free exercise is wrong — Satan's plan in the beginning was one of coercion, and it was rejected, because he sought to destroy the agency of man which God had given him. ¶

When a man uses this God-given right to encroach upon the rights of another, he commits a wrong. Liberty becomes license, and the man a transgressor. It is the function of the State to curtail the violator, and to protect the violated. ¶

A WARNING TO LATTER-DAY SAINTS ¶

Latter-day Saints should avoid affiliation with any committee, any group, any union that would, through coercion or force, deprive a person of the free exercise of his or her freedom of choice. It is understood, of course, that any person is free to join a union, when to do so favors his best interests ; but no one should be compelled to join, or be deprived of any right as a citizen, including the right to honest labor, if he chooses not to become a member of a union or specially organized group. ¶

FAITH IN GOD BRINGS PEACE ¶

Yes, we are living in turbulent times, the most distressing phase of which is the rejection of Christ by the leaders and dictators of some European nations. But if you have faith in God you must believe as David Starr Jordan has aptly said, "in the final inevitable triumph of Truth," and I bear witness to the world in all sincerity that the Gospel of Jesus Christ as restored to the Prophet Joseph Smith is true and embraces all Truth. Paraphrasing the author just quoted, keep the principles of the Gospel as your guide, your companion, your ally and inspiration, and you will tingle with the consciousness of your kinship with the Infinite, and all petty trials, sorrows, and sufferings of life will fade away as temporary harmless visions seen in a dream. ¶

My God give us courage to choose the right, ability to appreciate the good things of life, and power faithfully to serve Him and our fellowmen, I humbly pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ¶