Conference Address

My brethren and sisters, this is truly a great honor; it is also a great shock. I have sat here in these conferences for now many years, in fact I think this is the fiftieth conference that I have helped to report. Many wonderful messages have been given to the people during that time. I have been inspired by them as you good brethren and sisters have been. However, this morning, I cannot think of a single word of any of those messages that I heard. I do feel sure that the spirit of the messages has continued with me. ¶

It is a great privilege to serve in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is a wonderful blessing to have a testimony that this is the true Gospel of Christ. It is marvelous to me, when I look back over the history of the Church, to realize the great progress and accomplishments that have been made. This Church which was started a hundred and sixteen years ago, with only six members of an average age of perhaps twenty-four years, just young men, today has nearly a million members on the rolls. During that time the Lord has inspired the leadership of the Church. The Prophet Joseph Smith gave to us the foundation of this Church, the fundamental doctrines, none of which we have had to change. While he, himself, was not an educated man in the sense that the world looks upon education, yet he drew to himself, to his aid, men of great education, men of great ability and men who had faith in his leadership. ¶

Brigham Young, who succeeded him, was raised up by the Lord to perform the great work that he performed. He was truly a man of God. There were those who were willing to follow the Prophet Joseph who were not willing to follow Brigham Young. One man said of the Prophet Joseph, "I could follow that man to the ends of the world, but I cannot follow Brigham Young." He and some others led away groups from the Church, expecting to establish other churches, but they failed. The true and faithful and devoted members of the Church followed Brigham Young into these valleys of the Rocky Mountains. They were willing to lay down their lives for the Gospel and for the testimony that they had, for they knew that God had again spoken from the heavens. Many of them did lay ¶

down their lives as they crossed the Plains. These men, the Prophet Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and their successors, have been truly men of God, and they have accomplished the work that the Lord required at their hands. ¶

It has been my good fortune to have the privilege of becoming well acquainted, intimately acquainted, with the leaders of this Church in our day, and I am very grateful for that opportunity. I can say to you, of them, as I have said of their predecessors, that they are truly men of God. When I first came into the office of the First Presidency, President Heber J. Grant was the President, and Charles W. Penrose and Anthony W. Ivins were the Counselors. It was a glorious privilege to be with those men, to hear their counsels and advice. Since that time they have passed away and others have come. ¶

With President Grant, I have travelled from one end of this country to the other many, many times, and in Europe, in Canada, and in the Hawaiian Islands and other places. I think I knew President Grant as well as any man knew him. I have heard his testimonies borne in this tabernacle many times. I have heard his testimony borne in Europe, and in all these places I have mentioned. I have even heard him bear testimony to me alone, and I think that one of the things that will stand out in my memory regarding President Grant, as much as anything else, is the strong, vigorous testimony that he bore. He knew that the Gospel is true, and what I say of President Grant I can say of President Smith. President Smith is one of the most kindly, generous, lovable men that I have ever known. In fact, I do not see how one could be greater in those respects. ¶

President Smith recently visited the Mexican Mission, and I had the opportunity of going there with him. I think he accomplished a wonderful work in meeting with the Saints in that mission. He impressed those who had drifted away from the Church, with the truth of the Gospel, and I am sure that a marvelous work was accomplished by him at that time. These men who are associated with him, his Counselors, the brethren of the Twelve and the other Authorities, I bear testimony to you are truly servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. Their only desire is the welfare and blessing of this people, and the progress of the Church of God upon the earth. ¶

For me, it is difficult to understand how anyone who claims to be a member of the Church, especially one who holds the Priesthood of God, can question the counsel and inspiration that come from these men. As I say, I have been with them now over quite a period of time; I have heard their counsel, their advice, their instruction to the people; I have recognized the inspiration of the Lord to them. I have yet the first occasion to know of when they have been wrong, when they have deliberated upon a matter and then given instruction or counsel to this people. I know that the Lord is with them and I am grateful for the privilege of serving them. ¶

Brethren and sisters, we have in the Church inspired leadership, the servants of the living God. My humble pleading to you ¶

today is, that you will listen to their counsels, and that you will follow their advice. I doubt that they would have called on me to speak today had they known that I would speak along the line that I have spoken. I feel, however, that I should be remiss in my duty if I did not mention these things. The Lord bless us and help us to carry on the great work in which we are engaged, help us to sustain these brethren who stand at the head of the Church, not only by our uplifted hand but by our every act, I humbly pray, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶