Conference Address

My Brethren, I am awed in your presence, and I express my gratitude to my Father in Heaven for my fellowship among the Priesthood of this Church. One cannot be here and not feel that there is strength in Israel, and I am deeply grateful to be ever so small a part of it. And I earnestly ask that my Father in Heaven, through your faith and prayers, added to my own, will give me utterance during the few minutes I shall stand before you here this evening. ¶

I could not help thinking this morning, during President McKay's message, of another verse of scripture that tied in very closely with the one which he reiterated, a verse from the Psalms which mentioned a man who was greatly blessed: ¶

He shall not be afraid of evil tidings. (Psalms 112:7.) ¶

There are many blessings recorded in scripture which are of surpassing worth, but this particular one for our particular day impressed me as being one of the greatest: "He shall not be afraid of evil tidings." ¶

President McKay spoke this morning of the Savior's words, "Let not your hearts be troubled." I believe that in this body of the Priesthood there is less of fear of evil tidings than there is among any like number in all the world; although, it is very difficult not to be afraid of evil tidings. But I am grateful that our faith helps to sustain us in times when evil tidings are being spread about thickly. It is unthinkable that there should be talk of war, earnest talk of it, so soon after the terrible experience this world has been through. I am sure, in my own mind, that no one ever won a war — it is only a question of who lost the least or the most. And our losses in the last war are, by no means, calculated yet. But, again, I am grateful that we have here the faith which enables us to be equal to the prospects that lie before us. ¶

The Costs of War ¶

There came to my desk within a few hours — this morning's mail brought it — just one indication of some of the costs of war which cannot by any means be stated in manpower or in money. One of the results — an appalling result — is the high incidence of divorce. In the United States in the year 1947 — an all-time high — there were six hundred thirteen thousand divorces, as against fifty-five thousand in 1900; and as against about five hundred thousand in 1945. ¶

I think this subject is somewhat on my mind at this moment because of a young couple that called on us some weeks ago. One of our girls from a nearby community had married a young man from the East after a very brief acquaintance, he of another church. They had only been married a few months and they were beginning to have their problems as to which way they should go: he with her, or she with him. And they were earnestly trying to solve their differences. He was much better able to defend his faith than she was — better informed as to the letter of it- — but there was something burning in her heart that made her seemingly immovable, also. ¶

Problem of the Split Home ¶

I believe the problem of the split home in this Church is one of our great problems, one which we have the means and the agencies within our hands to go a long way toward helping to solve — but one which is so far-reaching in its consequences that it affects not only the generation in which it occurs, but all succeeding generations. It is a problem that requires our earnest attention. And I believe that our Ward Teachers and our Stake Missionaries, if they are given proper direction and proper help and manpower and freedom to go about their work and encouragement in it, and if they take their assignments seriously, can do as much or more than any other agency. ¶

As we go about the Wards and Stakes in some areas, particularly in some communities, it is noticeable that there are quite a number of children over nine years of age un-baptized, which means that someone has failed in his assignment — either a parent or a ward or stake or mission officer. It cannot mean anything else. ¶

It is difficult enough in these days to rear a family when parents are solidly united in their ideals and purposes and convictions, and in the things toward which they direct their children. But it makes it virtually impossible to be assured of any satisfactory results when parents are divided on these matters. With a divided house, principles become a matter of contention, rather than of conviction. It is not fair to any child to be pulled between two parents in two different directions, or to be asked to make his choice between two people to both of whom he is bound by ties of authority and love and affection. It makes for confusion and for instability. Too often the home that is divided becomes of home of irreligion; quite often it goes one way or the other, but in neither case is it often very satisfactory. ¶

Sometimes there have been evidences of defection from the faith because people have gone their way in neglect and have been overlooked by us, or because we have wearied of working with them. ¶

When this young couple came to us some weeks ago, we immediately got in touch with a former member of the faith of the young man who had married one of our girls and asked him a number of questions. We asked him, for example, "what would be the attitude of his church if someone were to marry outside or otherwise withdraw himself from activity." He said that that would be the signal for them to be more kindly and more attentive. I wonder if that should not be the cue to our own attitude and action, not only in this, but in many other things. ¶

I am reminded of the story of the prodigal son. Certainly we must distinguish between a man who is in full duty and who is mindful of all his obligations and the man who has stepped over the line in the wrong direction. There is a distinction between them, and we cannot help but be mindful of it. But certainly, also, we must do our best to bring those who have wavered into activity with us again. The brother of the prodigal son, for whom there was no feast made, was somewhat unhappy about it, but his father explained to him that his inheritance was assured, but when the penitent sinner returned it was cause for rejoicing, and a feast was made, and he was welcomed back warmly. ¶

I hope, my brethren, that we will keep a consciousness of our responsibility toward these children who are not baptized, who are of us, and toward these families that pull in different directions, toward all those who by every natural reason should be in full fellowship with us, but who will go elsewhere if we do not have time for them, as will our children if we do not have time for them. They will find activity, they will find companionship, they will find their place in some social circle, in some group. And if we do not have time for them, it will be in some group not of our choosing, and perhaps not to our liking. ¶

Qualifications for Seventies ¶

I should like to say one word on another subject, just for a moment, concerning the Seventies, and appeal to you Presidents of Stakes to assure yourselves of the worthiness of those whom you recommend to us to become Seventies, before you send in their recommendations, because you know them and we do not. And we of the First Council feel, and I think our other brethren here are in accord with us — and if they are not theirs is the opportunity and right to modify our views — we feel that any man who is recommended to be ordained a Seventy should comply with the standards of the Church in all particulars. We feel that, generally speaking, there is no reason why a man should be made anything other than an Elder, if he is already an Elder, unless there is some particular function for him to perform and unless he has the qualifications and the worthiness to perform that function. We are not interested, generally speaking — and there may admittedly be justification for exceptions for which we shall ask you to take the responsibility with us — merely in multiplying Seventies or Seventies' Quorums. We are interested in men who are students of the gospel, who are capable of proclaiming it, and who have an interest and a willingness along these lines. And we ask you, our brethren the Stake Presidents, to take responsibility in these matters for us, if you will, as you send in these names for recommendation. ¶

Story on Statistics ¶

I should like to close with one story, and I think maybe this is a good time to tell it. It is my favorite story on statistics. I have told it in a number of places. It is not my story, but it belongs to Brother Roscoe Eardley, and if I violate the spirit of it I believe he is here and he can correct me — I may violate the statistics, but not the spirit, I hope. Knowing of my interest in the subject, he stopped me one day and said, "I have the latest story on statistics for you. We were coming from California by automobile and we had all been over the road a number of times and were somewhat bored with it, and. as travelers often do to pass time, we began counting service stations. And we counted one for almost every mile along that almost eight hundred mile journey. But that is not the story. We were so busy counting service stations that we ran out of gas!" ¶

I did not sympathize with him too much because he had already told me there was one service station for about every mile. Then he said, "That's statistics for you. Where we ran out it was about fifteen miles to the nearest gas pump!" ¶

Now I hope, brethren, in all our activities and responsibilities in this Church, that we do not become so absorbed in our statistics that we presume they are the end rather than merely the indicators, the barometer rather than the storm. What is on paper means nothing except as it is a symbol of what happens in the life of a man or a woman or a boy or a girl. ¶

May God help us to discharge our obligations as members of the Priesthood of this Church, and help us to bring every man into activity. It is much better that three men should hold three jobs than that one good man should hold three jobs. ¶

I should like to close by expressing my gratitude for my assignments in this Church, for the glorious experience I am having on Temple Square and in my other obligations. Even though they are arduous, I am grateful for them and ask the blessings of my Father in Heaven in helping me as I ask for His blessings in helping you to discharge every obligation. And I bear witness unto you of the conviction of my soul as concerning this being the work of God, our Father in Heaven, as to the divine calling of the Prophet, Joseph Smith, and the divinity of the Lord, Jesus Christ, and I do it in His name. Amen. ¶