Faith and Works Consistent with Righteous Life

Dear Brethren: I am very happy to be with you in our conference, and I trust that I may contribute to the spirituality of our meetings held during the days of this conference. ¶

Faith and Works Consistent with Righteous Life

We as a people are trying to correlate, and with considerable success, our faith and works, knowing that this type of combination will bring to us the best in life and a better reward in the future life. ¶

It has always seemed strange to me that so many of our friends expect us to live more consistently according to our faith than they expect other people to live their faith. Perhaps it is because they are acquainted with our teachings and know that we emphasize the fact that our salvation is so dependent upon how righteously we live here upon the earth. That well-known saying of the Apostle James, "...shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works" (James 2:18), is consistent, practical, and efficient. ¶

In talking to a visitor one time on Temple Block, he inquired about our religion and asked for an explanation about our faith and our Church. As usual, I commenced immediately to quote from the Articles of Faith and explained about the establishment of the Church. In a short time he made this remark: ¶

I am not concerned particularly with what you believe or have written; I am more concerned as to how efficiently you carry out the things that you believe and have written. ¶

A similar thought was expressed by a musician who had been brought here from the east by the M.I.A. to judge some of our contests at a June conference. On a Friday evening we were at Saltair where the dance festival was being held. The dancers had been well-trained and were so efficient that they could execute the different intricate steps and formation with considerable skill, and because of the precision and order it was very beautiful. In order to see better, the man from the east and some of the rest of us stood on the band stand and watched the demonstration on the dancing floor. A while later, he made this comment: ¶

"The thing I am wondering about is, after seeing all these young people on the floor so perfect in their deportment and their culture, just what will happen when they finish this demonstration and commence to dance the regular dances and act, so to speak, as they please. If I go into your wards ¶

or your stakes, will I find the same type of beauty and culture that I find on the floor tonight? ¶

This same thought is given prominence by the Apostle James in this statement: ¶

If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. (James 2:15, 16, 17.) ¶

When our friends see us in action, doing the things we have been taught to do, their faith and confidence in us increases and is a testimony to them of the worth-whileness of the gospel. ¶

A Practical Demonstration

I remember hearing of a man who was very sick in one of our wards. His crops needed planting. He was the only one on the farm, his boys having gone to war. If he couldn't get out and plant, he would have no crops in the fall. A number of his neighbors and members of his quorum, hearing of his condition, assembled at his farm at a given time with their plows and all other utensils necessary to prepare the ground and plant the: crops. In a short time it was all done, and the brother and his family were assured of the necessary food and money at the harvest time. That was a demonstration of the Gospel in action. ¶

It is just the same in thinking about the Word of Wisdom. I am certain the majority of our boys who are away are living up to the principles of the Word of Wisdom and doing it splendidly. Occasionally we find some boy who may not do this. ¶

An incident was related of one of these boys. We had a young man who had just gone into the army and who had only recently become a member of the Church. He was explaining to a number of other soldiers about the Word of Wisdom and our people living so closely to that part of our faith. An officer came along who was also one of our people and, hearing the discussion, said to this young man: ¶

"I wonder why you want to be so fanatical about these things. I am quite sure that you know as the rest of us know that no one will be shut out of heaven because he smokes a cigaret or takes a drink." ¶

Works Are the Proof of Faith

The splendid testimony of President Grant this morning would rather convince a fellow that it is not so much the one cigaret that is against him but what it leads up to and finishes with. Once we leave the road of right, it is often very difficult to find our way back to it again. ¶

In my visits to some of our wards, I see so many of our meetinghouses not so well-filled at sacrament sessions. We often read in the papers the statement that people are not going to the churches ¶

on Sunday, and because of the lack of attendance many churches are being closed. ¶

I wonder whether we are making the necessary effort to prove to the Lord that we not only have faith but also works in honoring and keeping his holy day sacred. Perhaps we need to repent and indicate to our friends that our religion has the vitality in it not only to keep our meetinghouses open, but also to crowd them with our membership because we love the Lord enough to keep His commandments. ¶

May our Heavenly Father bless us that we may be so consistent in our living that he can say to us, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of the Lord," (Matt. 25:21), I pray in Jesus' name. Amen. ¶