Conference Address

Like Brother Romney, I have spent some time in preparing a speech. However, a little different from his circumstances, I haven't been able to get the spirit to give that speech. I think when President McKay spoke my name my heart skipped a couple of beats, and I haven't been able to catch up with it yet. ¶

Power of the Priesthood ¶

I have always been impressed with the assemblies in these conferences, ever since I was a small child. I have enjoyed very much especially the priesthood meetings, and as I look out over this audience here today and see this gathering of men in the body of the hall who are all holders of the priesthood, backed by their wives or their sweethearts, or the other members of their families, I am inspired with the power that lies behind them. We have been reminded of the power of twelve men who in the earlier days did a powerful work upon the earth. Today we have twelve men with the same power and the same authority, the same message, the same responsibility given to them. Not only do we have the twelve men but we also have thousands and hundreds of thousands of brethren in the Church holding the same priesthood, the same power to go out and gather the people of the earth and give to them that same power, that they may receive a testimony of the divinity of the gospel, that they might also catch the spirit of the Lord and progress and work out their salvation. ¶

This power of the priesthood is more than that. It is the power to represent Jesus Christ, and all that the men do within the authority and power of that priesthood is just the same as if Jesus Christ himself were there personally doing it; that means in all the administrations and all the ordinations and in all the other activities which they perform. We readily accept it when we tell the deacons and the priests and those of the Aaronic Priesthood that they are representing Jesus Christ when they administer the sacrament and pass it to the congregation. We readily accept it in the various ordinations performed by those holding the Melchizedek Priesthood; but to me the power of the priesthood reaches much farther than that. We have also the patriarchs who are sitting over there, who are a representation of the patriarchs in the Church. I think we have about a third of the patriarchs, maybe less, represented in this group, who also have the power to lay their hands on your heads, if you desire it. and pronounce blessings upon your heads, and with such power that the Lord will accept of those blessings, and, through your activities and through your efforts to fulfill those blessings, the Lord himself shall sanction those blessings to your good. It goes even farther than that, to me. We have had many in our Church who have prophesied, told us of things to come in the future and which have come to pass. We have heard much during this conference of the prophecies of the Prophet Joseph Smith, which have been true prophecies, and prophecies are being made all the time today, not so outstanding probably as those that Joseph Smith gave in the beginning, but we are given warning, and are given counsel and advice and told that if we don't follow it, we will reap the penalty or reward in accordance to our actions and our deeds. To me the power of the priesthood goes even farther than that. The power of the priesthood is the same power which Christ used in creating the earth. The limits of the power of the priesthood are endless. The power of the priesthood, if used correctly, under the proper inspiration, may command the elements, and they shall obey in accordance to the will of the Lord. ¶

Miraculous Healings through Priesthood ¶

Last Wednesday we heard several of the mission presidents bear testimony in the temple meeting, of the ministrations which have been miraculously accepted, that healings were made almost immediately, some were immediate, that the power of the Lord is being poured out upon this people all over this earth in the same manner. Through the administration of those who hold the priesthood even the elements of the earth obey. The power of the priesthood is the power of Christ, which he had to create the earth and all that lives on it. Now if Christ has delegated that power to us, and we use it correctly with faith, then why should we hesitate to administer to the sick? Why should we hesitate to call upon his help? Why should we hesitate to call upon the elders at any time we need the power of the Lord with us? ¶

Experiments with Atomic Bomb ¶

We have taught since the beginning of this dispensation the doctrine of the indestructibility of matter, and during the war I had the experience of working in the plant which produced the materials for the atomic bomb. We were working, you might say, with an invisible ray, because we took the material, put it through a certain process which made it invisible to the eye. Then it was caught again in a separated condition, separating the U235 and U238 and other elements of uranium. As a result of using those materials, elements of the earth were dissipated into the air. The steel tower for instance upon which the first atomic bomb was exploded, vaporized; that steel tower was dissipated into the atmosphere. We didn't return it, but none of it has been destroyed. It has just been broken up into a different form. The atmosphere is full of materials, and wherever there is one law given, there is a reverse law or contrary law. We have learned the law that we may break up the elements of the earth, to a great extent. ¶

Priesthood Exercised through Faith ¶

The power of the priesthood is the power to call upon God who knows the reverse law, and in accordance to his will, he will exercise his power to call together the elements or to put them into action for our benefit. By such process beyond our mortal control and beyond our knowledge, the sick can be healed; the blind can be made to see; the deaf can be made to hear. God has those powers, and he has given them to us through the power of the priesthood. How can we strengthen that faith which we have that will help us to use that power, for we cannot use the power of the priesthood correctly without faith. Our faith and our testimony are strengthened day by day in our actions and in our deeds. We have had called to our attention, during this conference, many of the ways by which we can strengthen our testimony and strengthen our faith. We will go away from this conference remembering little of the words that were spoken, but if we can instil into ourselves the desire to get out and do more for our fellow men and our fellow workers, we have gained the purpose of these conferences, and with the help of the Lord we shall work harder and go farther and progress faster in the work of the Lord here in the earth. ¶

In closing let me quote a poem which expresses the thought of how we can strengthen our testimony and our faith that we might use the power of the Lord and have it with us more abundantly: ¶

OTHERS ¶

Lord, let me live from day to day ¶

In such a self-forgetful way That even when I kneel to pray, ¶

My prayers will be for Others. ¶

Help me in all the work I do ¶

To ever be sincere and true And know that all I do for you ¶

Must needs be done for — Others. ¶

Let "self" be crucified and slain ¶

And buried deep; and all in vain May efforts be to rise again ¶

Unless to live for — Others. ¶

And when my work on earth is done And my new work in heaven's begun, ¶

May I forget the crown I've won While thinking still of — Others. ¶

Others, Lord, yes others, ¶

Let this my motto be; Help me to live for others, ¶

That I may live like thee. ¶

— C. D. Meigs ¶

I bear you my testimony, by brothers and sisters, that I know this is the work of the Lord and that this power of the priesthood which has been given to this people is truly the power of God. If we will continue to live as he has taught us, it shall be a source of happiness and joy to us all and shall enable us to accomplish the duties required of us from day to day in our lives. I bear you this testimony in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶