Conference Address

My brethren and sisters, I am sure that this will be probably the most difficult task of my experience, if I were not sure that I enjoy the faith and prayers of many of my friends in the audience. ¶

Lest I forget, in the few minutes allotted to me, I should like now to express my gratitude, and that of my family, for the experience that has been ours in recent years, for the privilege of presiding over one of the missions of the Church. ¶

We went to Europe with other brethren and their wives, among the first to return to Europe after the war. It was an interesting time to be there, a difficult time, and we went back to problems that were quite new to mission presidents. These problems, however, with the help of the saints and with the help of the Lord, were solved, and we are glad to report that in Switzerland and in Austria, as well as in other missions which we were privileged to visit, a substantial progress has been made. ¶

Our saints think a very great deal of you over here. Probably somewhere today they are in session, in a conference session, because we usually have conference in early October. A year ago today we were meeting in Vienna, Austria, and I recall that we sent greetings to you at the request of the saints. ¶

They long so much to be among you, to be numbered with the body of the Church, not to be the small minority that they are over there. In fact, their desire to come here constitutes one of the principal problems confronting our missions. I think it is a problem with all the European missions excepting those where conditions are such that they cannot get out, such as Germany. The question of emigration is a very constant problem over there. And there are reasons why they want to emigrate, and I am afraid that many of them will not be denied the privilege of emigrating and joining the body of the Church. First of all, as I suggested, these brethren and sisters, want to belong with you. They want to be with the majority of the Church for once, and not a small, unpopular minority. They want to come over here where they can receive their patriarchal blessings. ¶

They have been very diligent in research work, and they have now the genealogical records of their ancestors. They want to come over here where they have access to the Temples of the Lord, where they can be sealed to one another and attend to the temple work for their forefathers. ¶

They want to come over here, in many instances, and it is always one of the reasons, to improve their economic condition. I think it is a legitimate reason, though we never would encourage them to come over here if that were the principal reason. ¶

And again, they want to come, brethren and sisters, because they want to get away from that constant threat of war. Switzerland has seen the threat of war, the threat of invasion, at various times. Austria has tasted of the dread of war, and they have recognized that war is an ever-present possibility over there. The heavens are never completely free of the clouds of war, the threat of war. We felt that tension at times and felt how necessary it was for us to enjoy the presence of the help of the Lord in the conduct of our mission. ¶

We want to say to you that your missionaries, your sons and daughters who helped us over there, have done a remarkable work. They have done much towards bringing back members of the Church who have become indifferent. In spite of the fact that we lost approximately twenty percent of our active membership through emigration, the attendance has been higher than in several years, and tithe-paying and fast offerings have reached an all-time high in the mission. I attribute that very largely to the help of the missionaries who, first of all, visited the saints, not alone those who come regularly but those who, for a time, had disassociated themselves from the Church. Much good was accomplished as a result of that. ¶

It was a great pleasure to me to learn that President Bringhurst has been able to send missionaries into Austria, something we had not yet accomplished when we left, and I know the enthusiasm with which those people in Austria have received those missionaries. We wish we could be there to help them. ¶

We appreciated the friendly attitude of the officials generally and of the press. Not at any time while we were in Switzerland was a vicious article written against the Mormons in the press of Switzerland. Their attitude was rather one of indifference, friendly indifference, but in no instance did they oppose us openly. The only exception to that was in one or two instances where periodicals, published by church organizations, who resented our presence in their communities, wrote the usual articles against the Church in admonishing their people to have nothing to do with our missionaries. ¶

The officials, generally, were very kind and very helpful, and while we had to deal with individuals and while we had to deal with red tape and bureaucracy there, as much as we would have to at home, generally speaking, we were well received and they gave us what cooperation they could. ¶

I speak, particularly, also of those of our service men and women who are in Europe or who have been in Europe since the occupation. It is hard for you to realize, probably, how much good those people did in associating themselves with the saints in such places as Vienna, Lizst and Salsburg, Austria, and various places in Germany, to give slight help and encouragement to the Saints, and meeting with them in their services, sharing with them their testimonies. These will always be greatly appreciated by the people over there, and I want them to know if they should be in the audience, and their people if they are here, that their work is appreciated; their help over there in the mission field is appreciated. ¶

It was our great privilege to be so located in Europe, at the crossroads of Western Europe where it was possible from time to time to see the presidents of other missions, and I tell you it was a privilege that we will not soon forget, a privilege of great value to us, to meet these wonderful men and women who are in charge of the missions of the Church in Europe, from President Benson who was there first. President Sonne, on down to every single one whose association we enjoyed over there on occasion. They are men of God, they are diligent workers for the Church and they are doing a great good over there. Our hearts are with them though we have been away from them for some six months. ¶

Now, just a word about the welfare which you have sent over there. Since we are among the first to come back you have a right to know that your welfare that you have given, very often at a sacrifice, has accomplished great good among the people. Fortunately, it was not necessary for us to use any of that in Switzerland, though it was necessary for us to send substantial amounts into Austria, particularly in the larger cities such as Vienna, but we saw it go into Germany and we saw how it was distributed there, under the able leadership* of President Wunderlich. Practically all of it had to be distributed in West Germany because it was not possible to get into East Germany behind the iron curtain, except that it be turned over to the Russian occupation forces for them to distribute as they saw fit. ¶

As we were preparing to leave, the last large shipment of welfare supplies that had come was taken into East Germany through Czechoslovakia. I say it has been distributed through the able leadership of President and Sister Wunderlich and their helpers. ¶

Your work has been appreciated and effort has been made in all the branches of Europe to get our brethren and sisters over, there to understand that that relief, that welfare, has not come to them from your surplus, but that in very many instances it represents an actual sacrifice on your part. We tried to get them to understand that and to appreciate it. We reminded them that in many instances, some of them were better off than some of the men and women who contributed to their welfare. ¶

We admire and love the saints in Switzerland and Austria very much. Occasionally we heard the complaint that they were second class members of the Church, but brethren and sisters, let me assure you that they are not, by any interpretation of the word, second class members of our Church. What they meant by that was that they were deprived of access to the temples of the Lord. They were deprived of the privilege of having their patriarchal blessings, of doing their own temple work, of being members with you of the body, the majority of the Church, but they are true and faithful members, and only those could be classed as second class members who have made themselves second class, as some of us over here do, by failure to live up to the standards and precepts of the Church. ¶

The mission is in good hands in the hands of President and Sister Bringhurst. We have every confidence that the mission will continue to progress and develop. They have able leaders, every single branch in Switzerland and Austria was under the leadership of local brethren, and every organization, every auxiliary organization had its local leadership, so that our missionaries were left free to preach the gospel. They all did a splendid job. ¶

We are most appreciative of the opportunity we had of serving and we do hope that our influence will have been felt for good wherever we went. We appreciate the cooperation we had from officials, both the Swiss and the occupation authorities representing our government. Without exception they were helpful and kind to us. ¶

Now, in closing, I should like to call attention to the writer, O. Henry. On his deathbed, O. Henry was reported to have requested that his bed would be moved close to the window. He remarked: "I don't want to go home in the dark." ¶

I think that is why we are here today, brethren and sisters, we are seeking light today. We do not want to anticipate a future in darkness, and today we are receiving from the mouths of these General Authorities, the light which will make life pleasant for us, which will make life safe for us, which will make the future more secure. ¶

And then to repeat a part of a prayer which was given in the United States Senate: "Help us Lord to do what is right when we want to but do not know what is right, but help us especially, Lord, to do what is right when we know very well what it is and don't want to do it." ¶

Now, my prayer, brethren and sisters, is that we will adhere strictly and closely to the admonitions of these great leaders of ours. There will be times when the Spirit of the Lord will not be with us, when we cannot count upon its accompaniment, because of our own faults, because of the nature of our own lives. We are safe in depending upon the leadership and the guidance of these men who live close to him, and who do appreciate and who do enjoy his constant presence. And that we may do that is my prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶