With You, My Brothers and Sisters, I...

With you, my brothers and sisters, I take great joy in sustaining, in a real sense, these valiant servants of the Lord who have proven themselves so well in the past. I sustain them in their new positions with all my heart. ¶

After three days and two evenings of hearing the inspiring remarks of the brethren who have addressed us, I can assure you that the only comfort one gets at this stage is the comfort that comes from knowing that that which he thought to say has been more adequately expressed than he could have given it. That is my situation. ¶

I think we have had a most wonderful conference in that there have been sobriety, seriousness of purpose, earnestness of feeling, and it seems to me, a desire on the part of everyone to accept that which has been given us. The words that were given to one of the characters by William Shakespeare seem to express my feeling: ¶

O God, who lends me life, lend me a soul replete with thankfulness. ¶

I hope, my brothers and sisters, that we can go from here, each of us, with "a soul replete with thankfulness" for the abundance of blessings which are ours; for the truth which we have; for the authority to act in the name of the Lord and to officiate in his name, and thereby bring salvation not alone to ourselves but to our loved ones and to all those who will heed the call. ¶

We should be thankful, as I am sure we all are, for these inspired men who lead and direct us in such a splendid way. ¶

If I could condense into a few words the general theme of this conference, it would be something like this: Forsake the vain practices of the world and serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ. ¶

Now, if we can go from here heeding that general thought, this conference will have produced much. I have often wondered why Latter-day Saints should need to be constantly admonished when we can declare in testimony and in truth that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ, that Joseph Smith was an instrument in his hands in restoring the gospel. I have very often thought that that should be sufficient for any of us, and like Adam, as President Clark mentioned this morning, to know what our Father desires should be sufficient. ¶

And as with Adam, so with Abraham— no matter how great the sacrifice, he did not equivocate. He did not hesitate. He did not ask questions. ¶

I hope, my brothers and sisters, that we can approach this in our faith and our determination to serve the Lord. ¶

We are, however, exposed to the philosophies and the practices of the world, and sometimes become intrigued with certain innovations which many people would have us think are the things to do. Therefore, we need to be reminded from time to time of the things which really count, to put first things first, to love the Lord with all our hearts and with all our might and with all our strength. ¶

We Latter-day Saints need not subscribe to those practices which are around us, of which we have been warned in this conference. We need not minimize the religious standards and ideals which have been set up for us to heed and to follow. We need not be "lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God," as Paul has said that many in the world would be in these last days. (II Tim. ¶

3:4.) We need not and should not be "high-minded" nor self-sufficient, but as true Latter-day Saints we should walk humbly before the Lord and remember that he is our God. ¶

If we can be humble and submissive, gentle and easily entreated, we will grow in strength and in stature and be able to meet the vicissitudes of life, and to withstand the "... evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days" ¶

(D. & C. 89:4), as we have been urged to do. ¶

There is an old Spanish proverb which says, He that loseth wealth, loseth much. He that loseth friends, loseth more. But he that loseth spirituality, loseth all. ¶

It seems to me that there is a depression on spiritual things. We are in a worldwide "spiritual depression." As I go about and observe the conduct of many men and women, this seems all the more convincing. And we are told . . . the whole world lieth in sin, and groaneth under darkness and under the bondage of sin. ¶

And by this you may know they are under the bondage of sin, because they come not unto me. ¶

For whoso cometh not unto me is under the bondage of sin. ¶

And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me. (D. & C. 84:49-52.) That was given to the Church in 1832. ¶

I doubt that the world has improved much since then. Maybe we have learned a lot more devilment in the intervening time. I am not sure, but it would appear that way. ¶

Now, my brothers and sisters, through these days of confusion and of doubt, where can we find security? On what foundation can we safely build? ¶

Speaking of the conditions that would exist in these days, a revelation through the Prophet Joseph Smith gave us this assurance: ¶

For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived — verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day. ¶

And the earth shall be given unto them for an inheritance; and they shall multiply and wax strong, and their children shall grow up without sin unto salvation. ¶

For the Lord shall be in their midst, and his glory shall be upon them, and he will be their king and their lawgiver. (Ibid., 45:57-59.) How marvelous it is, my brothers and sisters, to contemplate such a blessing. ¶

It is ours if we will just heed the requirements for it. I very often turn to the scriptures when I speak to these young people, or did do in the temple, in an effort to get them to hold to the course which is good for them, giving them this admonition in the words of Helaman: ¶

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall. (Helaman 5:12.) I commend that to the Latter-day Saints, and to the young people particularly, who are making a struggle to establish themselves in their homes and in their lives as husbands and wives and fathers and mothers, to build upon that sure foundation, for if they do, they cannot fall, and they will not be deceived by the practices of the world. ¶

I sustain the brethren with all my heart. I know that this is the work of the Lord. This is not just another Church. This is the Church of Jesus Christ, and he heads it and directs it through these instruments, these holy men in his hands. ¶

I testify to this, and pledge my allegiance to it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶