Experience in Seminary Work

of the priesthood, and all the radio audience: I stand before this assembled group today in deep humility, in trembling and weakness. I have no words to express the intense feelings that have completely filled me during the past twenty-four hours. The more I contemplate-the call which has been made upon me the greater the responsibility looms before my mind, and the more I recognize my weakness and incapability in filling this position. I know that without the help of God the. task will be too great, but I do trust and pray with all my heart that I might have his Holy Spirit to be with me, that in this new call I may be a worthy servant in helping to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. I do covenant before my Heavenly Father and before you that I will put forth my very best efforts, that I will give all of my time and talents and anything that God has blessed me with for the upbuilding of his Church and kingdom here upon this earth. ¶

I hope you will pardon me this morning if I say a few things that are personal, but during the past twenty-four hours with such a sudden change coming into my life, my mind has been going back in retrospect over the events of my past life and also of my future. I desire to express, with the help of the Lord, a few of my feelings, a few of my hopes. ¶

Experience in Seminary Work

I have always loved the gospel of Jesus Christ more than anything else in life. I have continuously labored in the Church from my boyhood up, willingly and happily. The gospel and the opportunities to serve in the Church have been the greatest blessing and joy in my life. When I was attending high school seminary under one of our very excellent teachers, Brother William Tew, I made up my mind that if I ever had the opportunity I should like to be a seminary teacher and devote my time and my entire life to teaching the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. With that thought in mind I went on through school. Elder Joseph F. Merrill offered me the opportunity, which I gladly accepted, and in happiness I undertook the work. ¶

I have had the great privilege of spending seventeen years in the Church system of education in the high school seminaries and in the institutes. They have been years of much happiness to me, years I know that have furnished me wonderful opportunities. Throughout that time I have never lost opportunity on any occasion to bear testimony to the students of the truthfulness of the gospel and to try to help them with all evidence possible to gain a testimony of the ¶

gospel; and to gain facts and the proper spirit which will sustain this great Church of our Master to which we belong. ¶

I would like on this occasion to remark to the parents of the young people of the Church and to the First Presidency and to the officers of the Church, that I have found through working with the young people that they are great; they are wonderful; they are filled with the testimony of the gospel; they are just as staunch, just as true, just as faithful, I am sure, as were their parents or their grandparents. I have never seen more faith exhibited in my life by any group of people than I have seen among the young people of our Church with whom I have had the privilege of working. I do not fear for the future of the Church so long as our young people are of this splendid type, and so long as they are filled with the spirit of the gospel and continue living their present type of lives. I am sure that they will take leadership in the Church in due time and carry it on very effectively. I accept the promise made to the Prophet Joseph that the gospel is upon the earth never to be taken from the earth again and never to be given to another people. ¶

We should thank the Presidency of the Church and all those working for this great cause who have made possible our educational system. They foster the great opportunities that we have therein. I speak of that subject definitely this morning because of my close contact for many years with that particular work. I am convinced that the educational program is completely in line with the gospel as revea'led to the Prophet Joseph Smith -- that man "cannot be saved in ignorance"; that "we are saved no faster than we gain knowledge"; that "the glory of God is intelligence." The educational program is also definitely in line with the practices of the Church from the beginning, during pioneer days, and on down to the present time. We are a group of people who know that we must gain knowledge of truth in order that we may progress on to godhood. So I do express my appreciation to the First Presidency and their associates for the privilege I have had of spending seventeen years in that very excellent work and also for all the opportunities that I have had in the Church. ¶

When I completed my doctor's degree in California, I was given the opportunity to teach at the institute in Logan. I was delighted; but when I went down to California and told the professors under whom I had taken my graduate work, they tried to persuade me to not come back to Utah to teach. They wanted me to teach in history, the field.that I had taken my special work in, but I talked to my wife -- who is a very faithful and devout Latter-day Saint and a splendid companion -- and her feelings agreed with mine. We recognized that we had a great opportunity at Logan to help the young people of the Church, and we felt that we wanted to rear our family in Utah, and so we turned our backs upon that suggestion and returned to our home state. We have been very happy in our decision. ¶

Personal Testimonies

Before closing my remarks, I would like to bear my testimony. I know that God lives. I know that Jesus the Christ is his Beloved Son. He is the Savior of the world, the Redeemer, the author of the eternal plan of salvation. I know that God, the Eternal Father, through his only begotten son, restored the gospel upon the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith in our dispensation; that it is the true gospel; that it is the power of God unto salvation. I know that if we live by these eternal principles we shall gain a great reward, even that of eternal life in the kingdom of God. I know that our Heavenly Father is good; that he hears and answers prayers; that he is gracious and kind even beyond our comprehension; and that he delights in blessing those who keep his commandments. The Holy Ghost has borne this testimony to my soul so strongly that I am as sure of these facts as I am that I live. I pray that I may ever live worthy enough to retain this testimony. ¶

Everyone in this audience no doubt has had many experiences which to them have testified to the goodness of God and which have given them a testimony of the truthfulness of the restored gospel. Herein lies the strength of Mormonism. I would like to give an experience or two of mine. ¶

At least twice in my life I was at the point of death and was brought back to life through the power of the priesthood, through the goodness of God. One June day when I was twenty-one years old, I had climbed the hay pole to thread it in order that we might harvest our crop. Just as I had finished, the guy wire broke, and the pole came crashing to the earth. It splintered into many pieces. The hayfork lit with the tines straight up just a few feet from where I lit. Although I fell nearly fifty feet, the only injury that I received was a broken foot. Of course the shock was terrific. I went to bed, and the next day I thought I could get up. I crawled out of bed and immediately everything went black, but through the power of God I was restored to health and strength. ¶

Eleven years later, when I finished my doctor's degree, my physical condition was poor because I had worked very hard. I was teaching seminary in Provo. In November I went to Salt Lake City and had my wisdom teeth extracted. On the way home a storm arose and within twenty-four hours I was seriously ill. A streptococcus infection had settled in my throat, and for the next three weeks I lay at the point of death. The doctor had no hopes that I would recover. The bishop came to our home, and as kindly as he could, told my wife I should not be able to recover. But the seminary teachers I worked with came daily and administered to me. Never once did I have the thought in my mind that I would not get well. I knew there were many things in this world that I was to do yet. In three weeks' time I got out of bed and went back to my schoolroom. It took a year, however, to get the infection out of my system. I am sure that it was through the help and blessings of God that I was restored to life. Upon returning to my school, the students asked me to what I attributed my recovery from such a severe sickness. I testified to them on that occasion, and have done so on many occasions since, that it was through the power of the priesthood and because of the goodness of God that my life was preserved. ¶

I want to bear my testimony today that I know these things are true and that my Heavenly Father has been kind and good to me, blessing me more abundantly than I have deserved. I sincerely hope and pray that I have the full support and the faith of all the members of the Church and the same help from God in the performance of my duties as a member of the First Council of the Seventy. This is my humble prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶