Conference Address

My dear brothers and sisters, I am happy to be here this afternoon with you. I believe my name has been called out more than that of any other mission president, since my return from the mission field in 1940. It seems that during the sessions that I have been in attendance I have not been called upon to speak, and when I have been away my name has been called. ¶

I read the inscription in the Central Union Church in the City of Honolulu. When the architect was preparing the church he wanted an inscription of not to exceed twenty letters which would be appropriate for all meetings, under all circumstances, with all nationalities of people, meetings such as we have today at Easter time, Christmas programs, wedding receptions, etc. The one that was given, and that hangs under the cross at this time is "Love Never Faileth." ¶

My experience has led me, as President Grant used to say, in "far-off" Japan. In 1921 Sister Robertson and I went into the mission field after the return of President David O. McKay and Brother Hugh J. Cannon from their trip around the world, when they visited the Japanese Mission. We went, together with other young couples, to assist with the work there. It was very hard and I think many times the Japanese people have been condemned because they did not accept the gospel, but I feel that the missionaries were partly responsible for this. You heard many times President Grant make the expression that he learned the Japanese language but the people couldn't understand their own language when he spoke it. This, I think, was true of most of the missionaries. However, I think that the mission was closed for a purpose in 1924 when we returned home. I feel that the Lord knew what was going to transpire and he called the missionaries home and ordered the mission closed temporarily. Later on we find that the other denominations throughout the world who were proselyting in Japan were forced to close their missions and' return to America at great loss and sacrifice. I am sure that people did not realize the true heart of the Japanese people, and especially they could not foresee what is going on amongst them at the present time. ¶

I returned to Japan in 1939 while the war was still on with China, and I found there at that time a number of the children and some ol the relatives of the saints who joined the church during the time that President Grant was there — from President Grant's time up until the close of the mission, they had been waiting for baptism. I had the privilege at that time and the blessing of baptizing fourteen people, one of them a lady sixty-seven years old, a sister of one of the saints and a daughter of one of the members. I baptized children of the saints who had been very faithful during our time. ¶

When we went into the Hawaiian Islands we found a different situation entirely. We found that the people had become more closely associated with other groups of people. They spoke the English language and they were very eager to learn, and we contacted them from a different standpoint than we had formerly done. We tried to reach the mothers and fathers in Japan. In Hawaii we reach the fathers and mothers through the children, and today there are between five and six hundred Japanese members of the Church who are as faithful as any members we have. ¶

I was thrilled in talking with President McKay while I was in the hospital, after my return, when he returned from dedicating the tabernacle in the Hawaiian Islands, to hear him tell of the experience of a lady, Sister Okemuto who, with her family, became the first family of the Japanese nation to come into the Church as a unit. She spoke to the subject: "What the gospel means to me as a mother," and she said, "I had been taught as a child that my spirit was eternal, that I would come back to this life, but that spirit would enter into a different form of life, and I would be rewarded according to my living. I had tried to live a righteous life as I had been taught by my parents, especially my mother", but she said, "today, since I have accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ, I understand that I will come back to this life as a mother, that I shall be a mother eternally, and that I will continue on if I am obedient to the principles of the gospel which I have been taught, throughout eternity and progress and have added joy and happiness together with my family." That's what the gospel has done for the people in the islands. I have heard no more fervent and sincere and interesting testimony borne than I have heard given by Japanese people. ¶

The greatest miracle in the Church, my brothers and sisters, to me is not the healing of the sick. It is not making the blind to see nor causing the lame to walk. The greatest testimony to me is to see a soul brought from the depths of darkness wherein he or she has had no light and understanding of the true and living God nor of his or her relationship to Him, brought unto a knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to see the transformation, the rehabilitation, the complete making over of an individual, the change in the facial expression and in the person's whole attitude toward life. They become better mothers and better fathers. They become better citizens, better sisters and better brothers. Our love, my brothers and sisters, must not be distorted because of race or color or creed. If we are to be the people that we are intended to be, we must have love for all people. We are God's children. I heard Roger W. Babson say in the City of Honolulu that the Japanese people are as kind and hospitable as any people he had ever seen. They are laboring under a condition which is as bad or worse than was the condition under Stalin or Hitler at their worst. That was before Stalin became one of our allies. These people are a kind and hospitable people and while we were in the cities of Japan I had no fear for my wife or for the missionaries or myself. They were a law-abiding people, kind and hospitable, and I love them. Some of my best friends in this life are those people and I have seen the gospel touch their lives. I know how faithful and true and sincere and loving and kind they are, and I know of their testimonies, that no more sincere and strong testimonies are given in this church than are borne by those people. There are brethren in this audience, of the General Authorities, who know that this is true. ¶

I hope and pray that the blessings of the Lord will be with us, my brothers and sisters, that we will have no fear in going wherever we are called, and that we will be happy and willing to go. I know we can go. I know the circumstances under which I went into the mission field the first time, and I know that the Lord blessed us and that we were able to perform that service. ¶

I spoke at a farewell of a missionary just recently, called into that mission in the Hawaiian Islands. He had just come out of the military service of his country. He had nothing but hatred and distrust for that people, and he couldn't understand why he was called to go there. I talked to him and I talked at the farewell and told the people if that boy did not love the people there when he was with them in his missionary activity, he himself would be at fault. He wrote back not so long ago to the bishop and said that he could not love a people more than he did those people and he was happy that he had been called to that mission. ¶

We should all be ready and willing to go whenever and wherever the call comes, and be willing to give of our time and our means to support this great Church. ¶

I bear you my testimony, my brothers and sisters, that I know this gospel is true. I know that God lives. I know that this is his work. I have seen its influence in the lives of the people, and unless we have love and apply it every day of our lives to our brothers and sisters, regardless of who they are ,we are not living the gospel of Jesus Christ. "Love never faileth," and it will give us great returns and great rewards for our efforts. ¶

Let me relate one little incident before I close. I would like to tell you how the Lord directs our efforts, if we are willing. I traveled for seven days on the water. I entered the City of Yokohama in 1939, with nearly a million people. I was trying to find an address. I was in a rickshaw and as we went along inquiring along the way and stopped opposite a public bath a young lady about nineteen or twenty years old came out of that institution and started in the opposite direction to which I was going. Contrary to all customs of etiquette in Japan, this lady came across the street to inquire what it was I wanted, and I asked for the name of a certain person and she said: "That is my mother." I traveled for seven days and was in a city of a million people and this girl, at the very minute that I came to this point came out before me. Was I being led? It was the key to my whole visit there, because through this family I received the addresses of other people and was able to contact them. ¶

My brothers and sisters, let us so live that we might have the inspiration and guidance of our Father in Heaven at all times to direct our efforts, I pray and ask the blessings of the Lord to be upon you, and all, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. ¶