I Am Sure That No One Knows...

I am sure that no one knows as well as I know how much I need help as I face this congregation here and those who may be listening and looking on the air, and I earnestly hope that I may have it. ¶

I have jotted down from time to time mentally or actually, these past three days, things that I think it might have been well for me to have said at this conference, and I have repeatedly scratched them out as others have said them. They make a rather long list. ¶

I heard some weeks ago a set of figures presented by Brother A. Z. Richards, which I felt deserved wider circulation as a point of historical perspective. I should like to extract a few of these figures from a longer list: ¶

Figures Quoted

When Joseph Smith was born, the population of the United States was about one-half the present population of California. ¶

In 1820, the population of the entire United States was about the population of New York City today. ¶

In 1830, when the Church was organized, New York City was about one-third larger than Salt Lake City is today. ¶

In 1837, when our missionaries first went to Great Britain, New York City was smaller than Denver is today. ¶

In 1847, there were only two United States cities larger than Salt Lake City today; they were New York and Manhattan, both of which are now part of the present greater New York. ¶

When Martin Harris went to New York with the Book of Mormon characters, New York City was only slightly larger than Salt Lake City is today. ¶

Before Nauvoo was abandoned by our people, Washington, D. C, was about the same size as Nauvoo, but Nauvoo had been only three or four years in the making while Washington, D. C. ¶

had been designated as the seat of national government more than a half-century before that time. ¶

I think these latter figures, and others which might be presented here, bring to us with some considerable force the kind of people that our pioneer forefathers were — people of great courage and conviction. I think we can see from these figures, too, something of the basis of the concern of some of their neighbors — with all of the social, religious, political, and economic implications inherent in growth of this people, and the vigor and purpose they displayed in rising repeatedly from their poverty. ¶

Two more figures I think may be of interest to you: In 1850, the population of Utah has been recorded in official records as being about 1 1,380. Three years later our people started building the magnificent temple which now stands to the east of us. ¶

Men of Courage and Faith

In 1860, the population of this state has been recorded as being about 40,273. Three years later than that they began to build the Tabernacle in which we meet today, which, when it was projected, probably would have seated about one out of every five people in the entire state. If we were to do likewise today, proportionately, we should have to project ourselves to the building of an auditorium that would seat considerably more than a hundred thousand people. ¶

Men of courage, men of faith in the future in spite of all the uncertainties and the drivings and the depredations that they experienced, they began again and again, and rose from their poverty again and again, to produce what we see before us and what we are the beneficiaries of. These walls and these buildings on Temple Square are part of the evidence of their purpose and their faith, and I hope and earnestly believe that something of their spirit still lingers here. ¶

Uncertainties Today

Now times have changed, but human nature hasn't changed very much. We face other uncertainties today, and sympathy and appeals for faith and prayers and for encouragement to our young people who face the uncertainties of our generation have been expressed repeatedly in this conference. I should like to add my appeal for faith, for prayers, and for understanding for these young people who live in confusion and suspense, and who wonder when they are going to be relieved of all this uncertainty, when they can settle down, what they can count on for the future, whether to pursue their education and their preparations for professions or to give it all up. ¶

What can they count on? Well, I think it was Heber C. Kimball or one of his associates who said that he had started all over again seven different times and left his home and all behind him. I hope this generation will not be faced with any such extremities, but I do know that we must have faith in the future, and when we see what our forefathers did with what they had, and the conditions under which they did it, I feel sure that we can surmise something of what might be expected of us, and of what might be accomplished by us, in faith, in that unity of which President Clark so often speaks, and in righteous purpose. There is much expected of us with what we have, compared with what our pioneer fathers did with what was theirs. ¶

Year of Anniversaries

They did some other things also: It has been mentioned that this is a year of anniversaries. For one thing, it is the centennial of the University of Deseret, now the University of Utah. The second act of the territorial legislature, as I recall, was the founding of this educational institution. This month we also observe the seventyfifth anniversary of the founding of Brigham Young University. Did the founders of these institutions have their eyes on the future? ¶

They believed in seeking knowledge out of the best books. They believed that "the glory of God is intelligence," and "that whatever principle of intelligence we attain to in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection." (D. & C. 130:18.) And they established institutions of learning wherever they went. The pursuit of learning was an important part of their lives. ¶

Acceptance of Truth

I am aware today, not only of those who are facing uncertainties in the armed forces, to whom our hearts and prayers go out, but of those who are pursuing knowledge in institutions of learning, who sometimes run into areas of confusion and seeming conflict in their pursuits. I am grateful to belong to a Church that has committed itself to the acceptance of all truth, that encourages its people to pursue truth and to push farther and farther the frontiers of human knowledge. And I am grateful also (and I have said this before) that the things I don't understand don't destroy my faith in the things that I do understand. ¶

There is so much that men don't know that we can afford to wait for all the answers where there seem to be areas of conflict and confusion in the pursuit of knowledge. ¶

Observations at Mt. Palomar

I was reading recently an article on the new telescopes lately put into service on Mount Palomar, California — the Schmidt telescope, a smaller one of rather radical design with forty-eight-inch lens and the much larger one with a 200-inch lens. Since early 1949, so says the writer, the smaller of these two telescopes has provided new clues on the creation of the universe," "has already revealed hundreds of thousands of island universes and millions of stars . . . which had never been seen before," and can see and photograph "clear, undistorted distances of three hundred million light years away or about two thousand billion-billion miles!" And the larger telescope penetrates about a billion light years away! ¶

"What is man that thou art mindful of him!" ¶

And shall we say that these millions of stars that have just been "seen" within recent months did not exist before we could see them with the aid of these more acute instruments? I think we should ask ourselves some of the questions that were asked of Job by the Voice out of the whirlwind, and see how many we can answer, when we run into some of these areas of seeming conflict. If we were to sit down and list those things which have been discovered even in our own generation, which were not before known, and then think of infinity and of all that is not yet known by man, we should be humble indeed in our small knowledge, even the most learned among us. ¶

Cling to Eternal Verities

I should like to say to our young people: Keep your lives wellbalanced. Pursuing any narrow field of knowledge or activity to the exclusion of all others will reach a point of diminishing returns. ¶

Give some of your time to the things of the spirit, and always reserve some of your means to the purposes of your Father in heaven. ¶

Look broadly as well as intently, and keep your lives well-balanced in your pursuits. ¶

I would say today to those who are in the classroom, to farmers in the field, to the laborers in factories, to men pursuing professions, to young men in military service, to all of us in life, whatever the discouragements, whatever the seeming areas of conflict and confusion, whatever the infinite area of things we don't understand, cling to these eternal verities always: that God lives, that men were made in his image, that life is purposeful, that men are immortal. Cling to the commandments and give observance to them and to the knowledge that it is our Father's plan and purpose to bring immortality and eternal life to man. If we will cling to these eternal verities in simplicity and truth and keep our lives wellbalanced in all our pursuits, we shall reach a glorious end, with ever-growing knowledge. By all means seek knowledge out of the best books, in all fields of thought and learning that are constructive, and, if possible, it would be wonderful to push the frontiers of knowledge beyond where they are now. But always keep lives wellbalanced and reserve some time for the things of the spirit. ¶

Pursue Purposes of Life

Now as to this discouragement and confusion: I think the enemy of men's souls wouldn't care too much what means he used to render our lives ineffective, just so long as he did render them ineffective. I don't think he would care too much whether it was by indolence or indifference or by withholding willing work, or by doubt, or by discouragement, or by uncertainty — so long as he could render us ineffective, it would please him. And it must be our purpose to see that we pursue our purposes regardless of the things we don't know which we hope sometime to know. It must be our purpose to pursue with all earnestness every righteous purpose. ¶

No matter how much we may be discouraged or how often we are set back, we must begin again and again, if necessary, and earnestly pursue the purposes of life, full of faith for the future. ¶

Enduring to the end is exceedingly important. Pursuing the opportunities and the duties of every day is exceedingly important, and repenting while there is still time to repent is also exceedingly important. ¶

Prayer For Youth

I hope that we may set our lives in order, and that our Father will bless these young people of ours, whether they be called to the service of their country or whatever in righteousness they may be called upon to do, and give them strength and faith, and let them be of good courage, and help them to keep their lives well-balanced and always to keep their feet firmly on solid rock. May he bless all of us with all our problems, with our families, with our professions, with our work, and with all that is ours to undertake in life. ¶

I wish to express to you the conviction in my soul as to the reality of those things which have been spoken of here in this conference, that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, that the gospel has been restored, that it has within it the answers to the problems that beset this generation, and the only answers to permanent peace. May we pursue it in unity and with righteous purpose, ever keeping the commandments and bringing our young people with us, full of faith, understanding, and courage. I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶