I Sincerely Ask for an Interest in...

1 sincerely ask for an interest in your faith and prayers, my brothers and sisters, and hope that part of the Tabernacle dedicatory prayer pertaining to the speakers, may also be enjoyed by me. ¶

An important duty of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is to assist its members to attain the full measure of their possibilities and powers. ¶

This would give great strength to the Church and bring joy and happiness to the membership of the Church. ¶

As sons and daughters of God, created in his image and likeness, possessing, however imperfectly, his characteristics and attributes, we should nevertheless be inspired to perfect ourselves and become like him. The duty therefore of each of us is to develop and prepare ourselves to become worthy children of an Eternal Father. ¶

The Church provides every opportunity for us to use our God-given talents, gifts, and powers. However, we must learn obedience to authority and to keep all the commandments of God. ¶

The Prophet Joseph said of the Savior, that he suffered temptations but gave no heed to them. And Paul, writing to the Hebrew saints said that in all points he was tempted as we are, yet without sin. The Savior perfected himself through obedience and by obedience became the author of eternal salvation. ¶

There must be on our part a willingness to accept responsibility in all faithfulness and devotion; it makes possible the attainment of our divine heritage and blessings. ¶

The Lord said to the Prophet Joseph Smith: ¶

. . . men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward. (D. & C. ¶

58:27-28.) The right of free agency and choice belongs to all of us, but God holds us accountable for our individual acts. ¶

The Lord has placed Prophets, Apostles, and teachers in his Church to interpret and point the way for his people and all the world in spiritual and temporal matters. Safety is in following divinely appointed leadership and counsel. The rights and powers of these leaders stem from the Savior himself, and each can trace his priesthood and authority through an unbroken chain to this divine source. ¶

The keys of this power and authority center in the president of the High Priesthood of the Church. It is not given to any other man to so represent God here upon the earth. The Lord expects his people to unite and follow under this leadership and not permit themselves to be tossed about by those who would find fault or would claim revelation and teach contrary to what God has revealed to his chosen prophets. ¶

The Latter-day Saints need to be careful that they do not become persuaded to false ideas and teachers. There are some among us who seize upon one or more appealing principle, truth, or law, then twist it to their own desire or profit until they become all-consuming obsessions with them. They are not satisfied or content to hold these views to themselves, but with Satan's encouragement, desire to entice others to their way of thinking; they seek followers and persuade not only those who are weak and unfaithful, but also many of the faithful are deceived. Somehow they forget or fail to understand that this Church is not built upon one principle, or one law, or one truth, but the true gospel is built upon many principles, laws and truths, complete acceptance and obedience to which is necessary to give us joy, happiness, satisfaction, and eternal glory. ¶

Many of these people pledge allegiance to the Church, yet they separate themselves from Church meetings and encourage others to do likewise. Those who follow them become children of evil, lose their faith and testimony, and the history of such followers is that if they do not repent, they are excommunicated from the Church. ¶

Satan is employing every method to deceive not only non-members of the Church, but also particularly those who are members. Each of us must be careful that we are not out of harmony, that we enjoy daily the guidance of the Holy Spirit of God in our lives. ¶

The Lord has said, . . . the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people; For they have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant; They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own God, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall. (Ibid. 1:14-16.) Every person who goes contrary to the Church and says that the brethren are fallen or are out of the way or are teaching false doctrines, unless he repents will never in this life or eternity realize the full measure of his possibilities and powers. God will not suffer his Church, established for the last time in this the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times when a restitution of all things is to be accomplished, to be led by a fallen prophet, or by someone whom he does not want. ¶

The Prophet Joseph Smith, in a letter to William W. Phelps, quoted Section eighty-five of the Doctrine and Covenants, and, commenting upon the mission of the one mighty and strong, said: ¶

Now Brother William, if what I have said is true, how careful men ought to be what they do in the last days, lest they are cut short in their expectations and they that think they stand, should fall, because they keep not the Lord's commandments. ¶

In The Deseret News of November 13, 1905, President Joseph F. Smith and his Counselors, commenting on this statement, said: ¶

Perhaps no other passage in the revelations of the Lord in this dispensation has given rise to so much speculation as this one ... the Church of Christ and of the Saints is completely organized, and that when the man who shall be called upon to divide unto the Saints their inheritances comes, he will be designated by the inspiration of the Lord to the proper authorities of the Church, appointed and sustained according to the order provided for the government of the Church. ¶

So long as that Church remains in the earth — and we have assurance from the Lord that it will remain in the earth forever — the Saints need look for nothing of God's appointing that will be erratic or irregular, or that smacks of starting over afresh, or that would ignore or overthrow the established order of things. The Saints should remember that they are living in the dispensation of the fulness of times when the Church is established in the earth for the last days and for the last time and that God's Church is a Church of order or law, and that there is no place for anarchy in it. ¶

And then in Gospel Doctrine, President Joseph F. Smith says: ¶

If any man in that position [speaking of the one who holds the keys of the high priesthood of the Church] should become unfaithful God would remove him out of his place. I testify in the name of Israel's God that he will not suffer the head of the Church, whom he has chosen to stand at the head, to transgress his laws and apostatize; the moment he should take a course that would in time lead to it, God would take him away. Why? Because to suffer a wicked man to occupy that position would be to allow, as it were, the fountain to be corrupted, which is something he will never permit. {Gospel Doctrine, pp. 44-45.) The Prophet Joseph Smith made this important statement: ¶

I will give you one of the Keys of the mysteries of the Kingdom. It is an eternal principle, that has existed with God from all eternity: That man who rises up to condemn others, finding fault with the Church, saying that they are out of the way, while he himself is righteous, then know assuredly, that that man is on the high road to apostasy; and if he does not repent, will apostatize, as God lives. (D.H.C. ¶

Vol. 3, p. 385.) In Section 121 of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord said to the Prophet, Cursed are all those that shall lift up the heel against mine anointed, saith the Lord, and cry they have sinned when they have not sinned before me, saith the Lord, but have done that which was meet in mine eyes, and which I commanded them. ¶

But those who cry transgression do it because they are the servants of sin, and are the children of disobedience themselves. ¶

(D. & C. 121:16-7.) I testify to you, my brothers and sisters, that your leaders are doing that which is meet in the eyes of God. They may have their faults and their failings, but when it comes to devotion to their high calling in this Church and kingdom, there is no question but what they are doing all within their power to set forward the interests of the Church, and the interests of the people of the Church. And this leadership, my brothers and sisters, must stand firm, and teach all truths, and all principles and all laws that God has revealed. ¶

God has not given to man the authority to change eternal truths, principles, or laws. If people are honest, and surely no person can be honest unless he keeps the commandments of God, they will expect their leaders without equivocation to defend and teach the commandments of God as revealed; otherwise they would not accept them as leaders; they would not follow them; they would not respect them, for such vacillating leadership would not be acceptable to the body of the Church. ¶

There are those who might say: ¶

. . . Eat, drink and be merry; nevertheless, fear God, he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God. (II Nephi 28:8.) Do we, my brothers and sisters, want to belong to that kind of Church or accept those who teach that kind of doctrine? Is there hope, is there satisfaction in following such teachings? ¶

Surely God would not rob justice. ¶

Those who break his laws must suffer the penalty for broken law. The Lord, we are told, does not look upon sin with the least degree of allowance. If God cannot, can we — and justify ourselves or others for such doings? ¶

The Lord said to the Prophet in Section 132 of the Doctrine and Covenants: ¶

For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing, and the conditions thereof, as were instituted from before the foundation of the world. (D. & C. ¶

132:5.) And those who fail to obey set themselves up for temptation and evil. Again Satan is ever alert to his opportunities to deceive and to lead the people of this Church astray, for he knows the power of this Church, its destiny and purpose in the earth, and he will do all that he can to see that the work does not prosper. ¶

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, we need to be faithful, we need to support our leaders. And when we go to our bishops and our stake presidents for counsel, let us accept it, for God will prosper us as we follow the leadership of those appointed to preside over us. ¶

If we attain, therefore, the full measure of our possibilities and powers, we must obey and follow leadership and keep all the commandments of God. If we can keep with us the spirit of the gospel, which is light and truth, then it will not be too difficult for us to obey and follow the leadership that God has called and appointed to direct his people. ¶

May our Heavenly Father bless us, give us the strength that we require, keep us true to the faith and faithful in our responsibilities, I humbly pray, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶