Acceptance of New Apostle

It is thrilling to me, my brothers and sisters, to see this tabernacle filled again at a general conference of the Church. It is a glorious sight to behold. ¶

Acceptance of New Apostle

I should like to express first of all my earnest appreciation for the appointment of Brother Matthew Cowley as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. I heard him voice his testimony day before yesterday in the temple, with the mission presidents, and was thrilled with the conviction of it. I must confess that several months ago I had his name on a list which I was preparing for another purpose. ¶

A Tribute to the President of the Church Since this is an unusual day in Church history, one on which we have sat in solemn assembly and sustained a President of the Church, I should like to express to you my conviction and state to you my acceptance of him as a prophet of the living God, and of all of his predecessors; and likewise my testimony of the divinity of this work and of the divinity of Jesus the Christ. I should like to echo also some of the things that have already been said concerning President George Albert Smith, borne out in my own experience with him, as to his kindly consideration for all his brethren and all his fellow men. He is considerate and loving and kindly under all circumstances, and on all occasions in my experience, and I am grateful for the privilege of associating with him. ¶

There has been a phrase running through my mind — a phrase as to the perishability of the opportunities for teaching our children. I say perishable because they are opportunities which pass quickly and which never come again. On many occasions I have been impressed with the fact that some of those who were teachers, and even deacons, when the recent war first broke in Europe, have since fought and died for their country. It would be impossible to say what the critical year of a boy's or a girl's life is. Indeed, it would be impossible to say what the critical year of a man's life is. All the years are or may be critical years in our lives; but I feel sure that as parents if we should become too busy or too preoccupied in any single year to keep close to our children, to keep counsel with them, we might find that that was a critical year, and that we had missed a perishable opportunity. They grow up so quickly, these youngsters of ours, and teaching cannot be safely postponed, and loving counsel and close contact with them are essential at all times. ¶

Knowledge of Things Past Important to Youth

Often I think we assume that our children know more than they do know concerning the ideals which mean so much in our lives, and concerning the principles and the reasons therefor. Because we have lived longer and have learned the reasons for some of these things, we may assume that they likewise know the reasons for them, but frequently they do not. I was particularly impressed with this fact, one day, as I had a casual meeting with a young man in a shop where there were photographs on display of old Salt Lake City scenes. He was a young man whom I had set apart for missionary service, who had returned, was married, was rearing a family, and was then in army uniform, serving his country. I happened to see a picture of the old Salt Lake Theater and made some comments concerning it, as to my own impressions and memories of it, and there appeared on his face a rather unresponsive expression. Finally he said, "You know, Brother Evans, I don't remember the Salt Lake Theater.", ¶

Well, it astounded me. Here was a young man, having taken his place in the world, having assumed his obligations in life, who had no memory of something which was for long years one of the great institutions of this community, even up to and including my own arrival at manhood — and yet he had grown up in this community. I began to think back and to count back the years to the time when that glorious old structure was torn down, and I found that indeed he may well not have remembered it. He was probably not more than three or four years old when it was removed. ¶

As it is with physical structures, so it is also with principles, with traditions, with events of history. Things which shape our beliefs and give foundation and stability and meaning to the glorious truths and safeguards in the lives of our parents and grandparents, and in our own lives, we too often assume will somehow, automatically, become understood by our children as we understand them; but, unless we do our duty in passing on a knowledge of these things, we shall find that the next generation have grown up without a knowledge of them. ¶

And this isn't true only of the principles and traditions and truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ, but it is likewise true of the principles that govern this nation, and of the reasons for which they were established and the difficulties by which they were established — why they were fought for and died for, and how precious they are, and why we must be everlastingly vigilant to preserve them. These young people of ours have heard of the Constitution of the United States, of course. They know it to be an historic document with considerable significance, but, unless we find a way to teach them, they may grow up missing something of its significance as a living instrument of freedom and they may unfortunately be led to think that some of the old fallacies and ancient evils are new and smartly modern principles to be tried and followed. They may not know that such fallacies have been tried over and over again by foolish and unwise peoples in generations past, much to their sorrow and regret. ¶

A Plea for Unity in the Home

I plead not only for the constant teaching of our children, and for close association with them, but for unity in our homes as concerning what we teach them, so that parents may not be divided before their children. Our youth will grow up in confusion if parents are in any wise divided in "hat they stand for and in what they present to their children i« their impressionable years. It is not uncommon to see a child "shop" between a mother and a father, picking his time and his purpose where he thinks he will find the greatest leniency at the moment. And while there must be a sympathetic understanding of the point of view of our young people, we must not be inclined to give in to them on things which we know to be improper or unwise — not even if they confront us with the age-old argument that all the other mothers and fathers are letting their children do it. It is a difficult argument to meet, but one which must be firmly and wisely met. ¶

I am grateful, my brethren and sisters, for my membership in this Church, for my fellowship with you. May God's blessings be with us in our homes, and in all that we undertake in life, and may we not let the opportunities that we have to counsel with our children perish without our having made the most of them, I ask, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶