Conference Address

My brothers and sisters, I sincerely trust that I may have your sustaining faith and prayers that what I shall say today will be uplifting, upbuilding, and encouraging. If I cannot achieve that, as an instrument in the hands of the Lord, then my time spent will be wasted. ¶

Testimony of Job ¶

These are troublous times, times that try the souls of all of us. We all need help, even the most happy of us. There is a pall of sorrow, apprehension, and anxiety that overshadows us, and there is only one way in which we can get relief therefrom. Job of old, replying to the cruel accusations of his three friends, said: ¶

For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: ¶

And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: ¶

Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me. (Job 19: 25-27.) ¶

In that great declaration Job gave us a complete picture of Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, the Redeemer, of his death, of his atonement thereby, of his resurrection, all of which were made fully operative upon Job, and even as upon Job, so upon all the rest of mankind. All shall die, all shall lie in the tomb; all shall be resurrected, save only those who may be "caught up" at his coming. That is the message; that knowledge of Job is the knowledge which in these sorrowing days will give us peace and comfort. As the Savior said: ¶

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27.) ¶

We may all have the knowledge which job had. Indeed it is the right not only but the duty of Latter-day Saints to gain that knowledge. As we fail to gain that knowledge, we fail to reap the fruits, enjoy the blessings which the gospel has for us, and they will come to us, that bleSsing, those fruits, if we live as we should. ¶

Testimonies of Former-Day Saints ¶

I have often thought of a number of instance which indicate the possession of that testimony of Job, instances connected with the life of the Savior in the Old World; instances where men and women knew who Jesus was and his mission. One of the earliest, after his birth, following the vision and visit of the shepherds, was that which occurred in the temple when Jesus was taken there to fulfil the requirements of the Mosaic law. There came into the temple, at that time, one Simeon, to whom the Holy Ghost had revealed that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord, Christ. And when he came into the temple and saw the infant Jesus, he took ¶

. . . him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, ¶

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to ¶

thy word: ¶

For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, ¶

Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; ¶

A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. ¶

(Luke 2:28-32.) ¶

Thus to him came a testimony like unto Job's. ¶

Anna on the same occasion, that good women who had dwelt in and about the temple for years, came in and declared that she saw the redemption that was to come to the world. ¶

Shortly after Jesus began his mission, you remember, he chose certain of his apostles, and among them Simon, afterwards called Peter, and Andrew his brother. He had met them before he chose them. But on that day he came by them as they were casting their nets into the sea, for they were fishermen, and he said to them, as apparently they walked out into the water: ¶

. . . Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. (Matt. 4:19.) ¶

And unquestioning, filled with the same testimony which Job had, they put aside their nets and followed Jesus, even until the day, after his death, when Peter and others, thinking the work was done, went fishing. ¶

Faith of the Centurion I think of the experience of the centurion whose servant was ill. Apparently scarcely knowing the Savior, yet he sent to him. telling the Savior, through the Jews whom he sent to carry the message, that his servant was ill and he wanted him healed. Jesus started toward the home, but the centurion sent word to him: ¶

. . . Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: ¶

Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. ¶

For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth, and to another some, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. ¶

and Jesus said to those about him: ¶

I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. (Luke 7:6-9.) ¶

The servant was healed. Another testimony having in it the elements of Job's! ¶

I remember, too, the story of the Greek woman, the Syrophoenician whose daughter was afflicted. The colloquy between the Savior and this woman constitutes, I think, the only instance where a question was put to the Savior to which he did not have some reply. She asked him to heal her daughter. At first he answered her not a word. Then she worshipped him, and he said: ¶

... It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. ¶

She replied: ¶

... Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table. ¶

And Jesus said: ¶

. . . O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. (Matt. 15:26-28.) ¶

She, too, had a testimony like unto Job's. ¶

Peter's Testimony at Caesarea Philippi ¶

And then later comes the incident with Peter, the great Peter, as I estimate him, to whom the Savior gave the name Cephas. After Jesus and the. apostles had been out in Galilee, visiting, they came to the coast of Caesarea Philippi, and, apparently stopping to rest. Jesus said to them, seemingly addressing Peter: ¶

... Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said: ¶

Some say that thou art John the Baptist some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. ¶

He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? ¶

Peter, apparently without hesitation or equivocation, answered, and said: ¶

. . . Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. ¶

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. (Matt. 16:13-17.) ¶

The Blessings of a Testimony ¶

From that time until this, that message has rung down through the centuries, pointing out to us how we may get that comfort and that consolation to which each and every child of God is entitled, and without which we may not be happy or gain our exaltation. That was the testimony that was behind those who founded this Church, from the Prophet Joseph down, and to all that believe, even the last ordained among us. It is the testimony that buoyed up the Saints as they traveled through the wilderness to come to this desert ■ — all through their trials, their tribulations and persecutions in Ohio, Illinois, Missouri; it is the testimony that is buoying up our Saints today in Europe under all their hardships and desolations, and these are as grievous as any that have come to any of the children of men, so far as physical suffering and woe are concerned. Our reports indicate that many, and most in some sections, are without homes. Many, indeed all in some sections, are hungry, and without clothes. Yet they have held to their testimonies, out of which have come cheerfulness and resignation, and faithfulness. They have worshiped the Lord; they have kept his commandments, even under the most dire circumstances. ¶

Things of God Known by Spirit of God ¶

It is our right, as I have already said, it is indeed our duty to gain that testimony for ourselves. Some may scoff, some may doubt, some may declare that our principles are false, but truth is never made error because somebody denies it. I commend to you to read what I had intended myself to read, but there is not time, the eleventh and following verses in the second chapter of I Corinthians, in which Paul says: ¶

For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. (I Cor. 2:11.) ¶

We must be prepared, as Paul there indicates to the Corinthians, to be considered as foolish, for he tells us that the things of God are foolishness to men. But we who have the testimony of the spirit, we know that foolishness rb men may be the greatest wisdom to God; and we know we may enjoy that spiritual blessing and knowledge if we shall but so live that the Holy Ghost may reveal to us the Father and the Son, and the testimony thereof, and bring to us that peace to which I have already referred, which Jesus promised: ¶

Knowledge of God Brings Peace ¶

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27.) ¶

That the Lord will give us this testimony, which I declare to you is my testimony, so that we may live in peace and happiness, that our hearts may be encouraged in this time of stress and trouble, that we may look with confidence to the future, serene and secure in the knowledge that God knows us, that we are his children, and that he will bless us if we keep his commandments, I humbly pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶