Truth Abides and Closing Blessing

It is needless for me to tell you good people how grateful I feel that I am able to speak to you at the close of this Conference. As a rule I never put my remarks on paper, but my mind is not working as well the last five or six months as usual, and I therefore asked my secretary, Brother Anderson, to copy quite a number of things that I know off by heart, at least I did before my illness, but I do not know whether I know them today or not, so I am going to read to you. ¶

Quotation from "The Power of Truth"

There is nothing in all the world for which I am so grateful as an absolute knowledge that we, the Latter-day Saints, have the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. I read from William George Jordan's book "The Power of Truth." There are eight articles in the book. One year I distributed 7,500 copies of the first article, autographing them all, to friends. The author says: ¶

Law is the eternal truth of nature -- the unity that always produces identical results under identical conditions. When a man discovers a great truth in Nature he has the key to the understanding of a million phenomena; when he grasps a great truth in morals he has in it the key to his spiritual re-creation. For the individual, there is no such thing as theoretic truth; a great truth that is not absorbed by our whole mind and life, and has not become an inseparable part of our living, is not a real truth to us. If we know the truth and do not live it, our life is -- a lie. * * * ¶

In exact proportion to the basic truth they contain do religions last, become permanent and growing, and satisfy and inspire the hearts of men. Mushrooms of error have a quick growth, but they exhaust their vitality and die; but truth still lives. ¶

The man who makes the acquisition of wealth the goal and ultimatum of his life, seeing it as an end rather than a means to an end, is not true. Why does the world usually make wealth the criterion of success, and riches the synonym of attainment? Real success in life means the individual's conquest of himself; it means "how he has bettered himself," not "how has he bettered his fortune?" The great question of life is not "What have I?" but "What am I?" * * * ¶

Truth is the sun of morality, and, like that lesser sun in the heavens, we can walk by its light, live in its warmth and life, even if we see but a small part of it, and receive but a microscopic fraction of its rays. ¶

Which of the great religions of the world is the real, the final, the absolute truth? ¶

It is the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, again restored to the earth by personal administration of our Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ. ¶

I shall now read what the Lord says -- not what I say. It is not what Joseph Smith said, but what the Lord said to him: ¶

How long can rolling waters remain impure? What power shall stay the heavens? As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course, or to turn it up stream, as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints. ¶

Few Are Chosen

Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen? ¶

Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson: That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness. ¶

That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the Priesthood or the authority of that man. ¶

Behold, ere he is aware he is left unto himself to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God. ¶

Learn by Experience

We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion. ¶

Hence many are called, but few are chosen. ¶

No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; ¶

By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile -- ¶

Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy. ¶

That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death. ¶

A Constant Companion

Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the Priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. ¶

The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever. ¶

These words coming from God I appeal to you people to read and reread. I have read them hundreds of times. They are from Section 121 of the Doctrine and Covenants, and are among the greatest words ever given to the Prophet Joseph Smith as recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants. They were given to him in Liberty Jail shortly after he had been tried and sentenced to be shot, in connection with his brother Hyrum and others, by the State Militia. Thank the Lord for raising up General Doniphan, who declared that he would have nothing to do with such cold-blooded murder, and that he would withdraw his brigade. His remonstrance so alarmed them that they dared not put the decree into execution. ¶

I now read again -- not the words of Joseph Smith, but the words of the Lord given to Joseph Smith: ¶

None to Escape

For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to escape; and there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear neither heart that shall not be penetrated. ¶

And the rebellious shall be pierced with much sorrow; for their iniquities shall be spoken from the housetops and their secret acts shall be revealed. ¶

And the voice of warning shall be unto all people by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days. ¶

And they shall go forth and none shall stay them, for I the Lord have commanded them. ¶

Behold, this is mine authority, and the authority of my servants, and my preface unto the book of my commandments, which I have given them to publish unto you, O inhabitants of the earth. ¶

Wherefore fear and tremble, O ye people, for what I the Lord have decreed in them shall be fulfilled. ¶

To Ends of Earth

And verily I say unto you, that they who go forth, bearing these tidings unto the inhabitants of the earth, to them is power given to seal both on earth and in heaven, the unbelieving and rebellious; ¶

Yea, verily, to seal them up unto the day when the wrath of God shall be poured out upon the wicked without measure -- ¶

Unto the day when the Lord shall come to recompense unto every man according to his work, and measure to every man according to the measure which he has measured to his fellow man. ¶

Wherefore the voice of the Lord is unto the ends of the earth, that all that will hear may hear; ¶

Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come, for the Lord is nigh; ¶

And the anger of the Lord is kindled, and His sword is bathed in heaven, and it shall fall upon the inhabitants of the earth. ¶

And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of His servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people; ¶

Broken Covenant

For they have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant; ¶

They seek not the Lord to establish His righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own God, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon the great, which shall fall. ¶

Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments; ¶

And also gave commandments to others, that they should proclaim these things unto the world; and all this that it might be fulfilled, which was written by the prophets-- ¶

The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh -- ¶

But that every man might speak in the name of God, the Lord, even the Savior of the world; ¶

That faith might also increase in the earth; ¶

That mine everlasting covenant might be established; ¶

Proclaim Fulness

That the fulness of my Gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers. ¶

Behold, I am God and have spoken it; these commandments are of me, and were given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding. ¶

And inasmuch as they erred it might be made known; ¶

And inasmuch as they sought wisdom they might be instructed; ¶

And inasmuch as they sinned they might be chastened, that they might repent; ¶

And inasmuch as they were humble they might be made strong, and blessed from on high, and receive knowledge from time to time. ¶

And after having received the record of the Nephites, yea, even my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., might have power to translate through the mercy of God, by the power of God, the Book of Mormon. ¶

And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have power to lay the foundation of this Church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living Church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the Church collectively and not individually -- ¶

Allows No Sin

For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance; ¶

Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven; ¶

And he that repents not, from him shall be taken even the light which he has received; for my Spirit shall not always strive with man, saith the Lord of Hosts. ¶

And again, verily I say unto you, O inhabitants of the earth; I the Lord am willing to make these things known unto all flesh; ¶

For I am no respecter of persons, and will that all men shall know that the day speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, when peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion. ¶

And also the Lord shall have power over His saints, and shall reign in their midst, and shall come down in judgment upon Idumea, or the world. ¶

Truth Abides

Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled. ¶

What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same. ¶

For behold, and lo, the Lord is God, and the Spirit beareth record, and the record is true, and the truth abideth forever and ever. Amen. ¶

Leaves Blessings

I know as I know that I live, that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, the Redeemer of mankind. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of the true and the living God, and the instrument in the hands of God of again restoring to the earth the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, the plan of life and salvation. I leave my blessing upon the righteous people of all the world. I bless the Latter-day Saints at home and abroad, those holding positions of trust, and those that have gone forth to proclaim the Gospel. I promise them that the Spirit of the Lord shall attend them if they live clean and pure lives. ¶

I thank the Lord for this privilege of bearing my testimony again and making this declaration to the Saints in this Conference assembled. May God's blessings attend you through time and all eternity, is the earnest and sincere prayer of my heart. God bless you. Amen. ¶