Brethren And Sisters To Stand In This...

Brethren and Sisters: To stand in this pulpit to address the many thousands who assemble here and the countless thousands who listen to the radio broadcasts is to be greatly humbled by a keen feeling of heavy responsibility to such a vast audience to say something that will be worth listening to. I am comforted, however, in my humility, by the thought that Mormonism, the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, is so fraught with precious truths that any of these we may talk about are worthy of the attention of every one of us — of every normal human being. But are not all Latter-day Saints familiar with these truths, having previously heard them discussed many times? Yes, this may be the case, but if they love them, a restatement or discussion will be listened to with more-or-less satisfaction. At least this is my experience. I hope it is yours. ¶

A Peculiar People

Mormonism, as I have just defined it, is not a Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, or any other faith as taught by other churches. It is characterized by many teachings and doctrines not accepted by other churches. This fact is sometimes indicated by the statement that we are a peculiar people — something of which we are proud yet very humble and grateful for; for we believe and testify that these characteristic teachings are absolutely true because they have come to us through visitations and revelations from heavenly sources — from God and his messengers. ¶

It is trite to say that Mormonism is an everyday religion because it requires its adherents to implement in their daily lives the teaching that faith without works is dead — as the Apostle James stated it; they must practice all those virtues that will make them Saints in very deed. Some of these virtues, however, are considered basic to an acceptable Christian life by all Christian churches. A statement of some of these is found in articles eleven, twelve, and thirteen of our faith and are as follows: ¶

"11. We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may" ¶

— an ideal statement of religious tolerance, something much needed today but denied to millions of human beings in the past. ¶

"12. We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law." ¶

Loyalty to country and obedience to constitutional laws are requirements for full fellowship in our Church. ¶

"13. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men. . . . ¶

It is the emphasis we place upon some of these things — chastity, for example — that makes our moral standards higher than those maintained by some other religious groups. ¶

President George Albert Smith

At this point may I digress a moment to say a word of tribute to our greatly beloved departed President, George Albert Smith. ¶

We have been friends for sixty-two years. Late in the eighties he and I were fellow students during one year at the University of Deseret. Since that time I have been more or less closely associated with him in Church work. For several years we were together in the superintendency of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association in the Salt Lake Stake, when the stake covered the entire Salt Lake County. I have said many times that I have never known a man who I thought tried more sincerely and harder to love everybody than did George Albert Smith. Not that he approved all people did, but the farther off the beam they were, the more he seemed to sympathize with them because of their greater need for help. ¶

Moral Standards

Looking out into the world today, what do we see relative to the moral standards expressed by these three articles of our faith? ¶

No matter in what direction we look, and not going beyond the boundaries of our own country, we see moral conditions are bad, in some places very bad. Wickedness of the blackest and most abominable kinds exists nearly everywhere. I speak of these things only that we may be reminded that it is our duty, as I see it, to minimize and eliminate indulgence in these evils among us insofar as it is in our power. But is there not existent in many places among us a reprehensible indifference and laxity relative to these things? Yet do we not teach tolerance and free agency? is a question sometimes asked. Why interfere with other people's business? This is a Satan-inspired question. We certainly are expected to defend ourselves against the marauder, the robber, the despoiler of the sanctity of our homes and families and the destroyer of things we hold sacred and dear — as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. ¶

Free agency is a priceless, God-given right to every child born in mortality, but it does not include the right to mar, hurt, or destroy the well-being of our fellow men. Did you read recent newspaper statements relative to the existence of vicious narcotic rings which specialize in the teen-age trade and encourage morphine-marijuana parties of boys and girls that sometimes turn into orgies? You have heard, of course, of the countrywide slot machine racket, the income of which amounts annually to billions of dollars; of gambling and horse-race betting — these being other activities where billions are lost. Evils attendant on the consumption of alcoholic beverages (the annual cost in America of these is about eight billion dollars) have also reached an enormous magnitude. To these and many other evils are we not more or less indifferent? ¶

The Liquor Problem

The National Safety Council and other agencies repeatedly warn that alcohol is responsible for large numbers of our accidents, troubles, sorrows, and deaths. Then why do we consume alcoholic beverages? To what extent is this indulgence due to advertising? ¶

The brewers are reportedly doing a good sales promotion job. Just now they are hammering at reaching a consumption of one hundred million barrels of beer a year and are looking forward to 120 million barrels. Much of this consumption they want in the home, for it is there they can best develop the use of beer by women and young people. So it is said, brewers are giving a great deal of attention to the principles of store-selling. Most beer advertising is directed to the home, exploiting the great interest in television; also extensive use is made of the pictures of young girls on billboards. This invasion of the home to advertise beer by means of the radio and television has, of course, met with vigorous denunciation. ¶

What can we do about it? This is a problem that every home should try to solve. Let us not forget the warning divinely given us in the Doctrine and Covenants and "evils and designs do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days." Loyalty to our doctrines and principles demands that we shall be alerted and active in keeping evils and wickedness as far from us and our fellow men as we can. Let us not forget, but act. ¶

Relations With Fellowmen

There is another class of evils that I desire to refer to — evils that permeate relations with our fellow men. When asked by the lawyer which is the great commandment in the law, Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. ¶

This is the first and great commandment. ¶

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. (Matt. 22:37-39.) We accept another statement of Jesus as being another version of the second commandment. It is as follows: ¶

. . . whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. (Ibid., 7:12.) In this streamlined age we call the statement of this law The Golden Rule. This rule is also obviously implied in the thirteenth article of our faith. ¶

To what extent do we live the Golden Rule in all of our relations with our fellows? ¶

Immediately following the outbreak of the Korean war in June 1950, the price of foods and many other things began to go up — not that the cost of production had risen so soon. Then why? ¶

Almost simultaneously, or even before this in some cases, a demand for an increase of wages was made by the leaders of some organized labor groups. Why? Did the Golden Rule motivate those responsible for raises in price of commodities, or those who clamored for increased wages? ¶

Greed and Selfishness

Oh, but, it is said, the law of supply and demand governs these things. To say that this is true is an outrage on the ordinarily accepted meaning of the word law as is applied to the phenomena of nature or to enactments of legally constituted human groups authorized to make enactments. To be plain and frank, does not the law of supply and demand mean, as practised in commercial affairs, "Get all you can for what you have to sell, whether it be commodities or labor or services"? And are not greed and selfishness among the real motivating and dominating forces operating in all our commercial affairs whether they be big or little, whether the participants be businessmen, professional men, or laboring men? ¶

We complain of inflation — rising costs that deflate or lessen the purchasing power of the dollar. In the last analysis are not selfishness and greed responsible for inflation? Who in the U. S. is injured by inflation? Everyone who has bought a government bond (about eighty million people), everyone who has a savings account, an insurance policy, or a pension (at least one hundred million people), everyone who works for wages or a salary that does not rise, percentage-wise, as fast as the cost of living goes up (about sixty-two million people), and all other people except the very few who are paying off debts incurred years ago. Then to avoid injuring people, should not more than ninety-nine percent of us, even as a matter of self-interest, and more importantly, all of us who want to be honest and believe in the Golden Rule, do all we can to stop inflation? ¶

Our country is facing one of the most critical periods in its history. Selfishness and greed are tearing it asunder. The devil is riding high and shouting in Satanic glee at the utter foolishness displayed on all levels, in all grades and ranks of human society. ¶

In this country we are rapidly preparing for war (to defend ourselves is perhaps the better expression), arming ourselves with the most destructive means and implements that human ingenuity can devise. The amazing advances made in the discovery and implementation of the forces of nature are miraculous marvels of the modern world. These are due to the achievements of research scientists and ingenious inventors. What advances have we made in the realms of social science? The art of living agreeably with one another — our fellow men — the finest of all human arts, is still in its infancy. ¶

The Golden Rule

How can the dangers threatening America, internally and externally, and all the world, for that matter, be overcome, and peace reign everywhere supreme? The answer is short; it is simple. Let every human being repent and live the Golden Rule. This means to keep the two great commandments. Then the threat of war would vanish, troubles would disappear; wickedness would cease, and righteousness prevail. There is not a sane person in all the world who can successfully controvert this truth. Then why do we not repent and let the Golden Rule govern our lives? Who has the answer? Mormonism has it; you have it; Satan has it, and he will not repent. And myriads of our fellow men will not repent either because Satan has them in his power. So peace will not come to the earth and be worldwide until Satan is bound. But the millennium is coming — the Lord has said it. But when it will come, no man knoweth, for neither the day nor the hour has yet been revealed. ¶

However, brethren and sisters, it is your duty and mine, the duty of everyone who believes in God and his righteous purposes to try, try, try to bring the Golden Rule into our lives. This we can do measurably well with the Lord's help, that he will readily give to each of us if we worthily seek it. ¶

Let me recite two actual occurrences relative to the Golden Rule. ¶

Years ago, the winter in Cache Valley was long, and an acute shortage of hay resulted. A Church official was told by his farm manager that they could spare several tons of hay and that the going price was fifteen dollars a ton. The manager was told to ask only eight dollars a ton, that being the reasonable cost of production. I told of this occurrence in the last October conference. ¶

Another one: Years ago an eight-room house in Salt Lake City was sold on a monthly instalment plan. About two years later the purchaser said he would have to give up the contract, not being able, because of financial reverses, to continue it, and he was moving out into a three-room shack. The vendor asked the man to estimate the equity his two years' payments had made in the house, the vendor telling him that the excess payments would be gladly returned. The man insisted that his monthly payments had only been reasonable rent. He refused to accept any refunds. Notwithstanding the provisions of the contract to the contrary, both parties to the arrangement were actuated by the spirit of the Golden Rule. ¶

Need to Repent

I said we have several characteristic teachings and doctrines. ¶

To these we are converted, and we readily accept them. But to implement them in our lives is something else. We are human beings and have more or less inherited the weaknesses of the flesh among which are unworthiness, selfishness, and greed. Further, we are so enmeshed in worldly ways of doing things in the conduct of our businesses and ways of making a living, that we find the easiest way to get along is to do as the world does. In so doing we may grievously sin by departing more or less widely from the standards of the Golden Rule. To the extent that we do this, we need to repent. ¶

What have selfishness and greed done? They have brought on all the major wars in history, resulting in the misery, suffering, and death of countless millions of human beings and the loss of billions of property dollars. They have brought wickedness, crime, debauchery, loss of freedom, and slavery to every part of the earth. ¶

Need of the Hour

Because of the things I have mentioned and several others, this country is facing a very critical situation. What is the great need of the hour? The answer of course is, as I have already stated, repentance. And repentance is a call that has been made from this pulpit many, many times. Current threatening conditions are not likely to improve much unless more-or-less repentance takes place. ¶

And while complete repentance may not be expected until Satan is bound, there is one source of trouble that I think can be removed, and all lovers of America should demand its removal — the more-or-less continuous dispute between management and labor relative to wages, working conditions, etc. Lockouts, strikes, and mass picketing should be outlawed. In all disputes of the type indicated, the public has a vital interest which the law should protect. How can this be done? My answer is by compulsory arbitration. It is unlawful for individuals to settle their differences by fighting with fists, knives, or pistols. Courts are set up to which they may go for a peaceful settlement, and this, even though the public may have no interest in the settlement. But the public always has an interest in how labor-management disputes are settled. To settle peacefully such disputes on a basis of what is fair, right, and just to all concerned, can a better agency be found than a qualified, competent arbitration court? ¶

Yes, the public should demand that such courts be set up. ¶

As I see it, if wise, compulsory arbitration courts had always been functioning during the past dozen years or so, there would have been but little if any inflation. This country would have prospered to a greater degree than it has, and the outlook for America would be much brighter than it is today. ¶

Brethren and sisters, we who have covenanted in the waters of baptism and at the sacrament table to keep God's commandments are in honor bound to be true to these obligations. I pray that with the Lord's help we may always have the desire, the strength and the courage to be true to our faith. This I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶