Monuments to Spirituality

After almost a lifetime of acquaintance with Adam S. Bennion, I want to assure him and assure you that I can support him in his new position one hundred percent. I am sure with his intellectual talents, the faith that he has in God, that he will add greatly to the strength of the Church. ¶

In listening to the reports of the twenty-five or more mission presidents, I noted that each one paid a glowing tribute to his wife. Certainly these sisters and the others of the Church are doing a wonderful work and, incidentally, are equal to any occasion, and possibly I may be pardoned if I tell a little experience that would prove this to the brethren. ¶

On one occasion a small boy returned from Sunday School where apparently they had been talking about the Darwinian theory, and as he entered the home, he said, "Mother, am I descended from a monkey?" She said, "I don't know, Jimmy, I didn't know your father's folks very well." ¶

If I may enjoy an interest in your feelings and the Spirit of the Lord for a few minutes, I would like to speak upon a subject that I have chosen to call "Monuments to Spirituality." First I would like to make mention of the new temple under construction in Los Angeles. It was my privilege just a week ago this morning, after attending a conference in the Los Angeles Stake, to be shown through the construction work there by Elder Soren Jacobsen, directly in charge of building operations. And I think that he must have had in mind the spirit of the ancient prophet who said, "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it," (Psalms 127:1) for you will be interested to know that every morning before they start work, he calls the workmen together and there have a word of prayer. I'm sure that that practice is going to pay dividends in finer construction and certainly a greater interest in the work. And I was happy to notice that during the hour and a half I spent going through those workings I never saw one man loafing, nor anyone using tobacco, and I never heard one man profaning. Now, that may not always be the case, but at least we hope that it might be. ¶

As I have traveled through a number of the stakes of Zion, I have been thrilled and impressed with the wonderful new buildings that have been erected in the wards and stakes. Indeed they constitute a source of pride to every Latter-day Saint, and they are a credit to the community, and a still greater credit to the Church. They all have a spire pointing heavenward, indicating that they are houses of the Lord. They are well designed and built of fine materials. After the landscaping of the grounds around them, they are an inspiration and incentive for all the members of our Church living in those communities to beautify their own places. ¶

As you enter these buildings, you are thrilled with the wonderful facilities for worship, classwork, and recreation provided for the old and young alike. ¶

The chapel, recreation hall, and all other rooms are so artistically decorated, with the colors of the walls, drapes, and floor coverings blending into such an attractive picture, that you know expert attention has been given to these items. ¶

The building of these lovely edifices has afforded the opportunity of bringing into activity many of the inactive members of the Church. I think it is safe to say that because of the construction since the war of these nine hundred or more buildings that have been dedicated or are ready for dedication or are now under construction, that in each case there have been at least ten or twelve inactive men brought into the Church, and that would mean at least 10,000 families, formerly inactive in the Church, now active and enjoying the great blessings of the gospel. ¶

This building program hasn't been confined to the stakes and wards but has spread out into the mission fields, in all parts of the foreign lands, except behind the "iron curtain," and the isles of the sea. I know that every mission president present here today and those still out in the foreign fields can testify that these new places, and those that have been purchased, providing lovely places in which to meet, have been a great help to them in the proselyting work. You have no idea how wonderful it is for a missionary after working with certain investigators to be able to invite them into a suitable place in which to worship. ¶

I was asked by the president of the Western Canadian Mission as I met him the other day to please tell my brother that the prophecy which he made at the time he dedicated the beautiful chapel up in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, in which he stated, "This building will be a missionary of the Church," has been literally fulfilled, and that many prominent people of that rapidly growing city are becoming interested in the Church. ¶

Over in the British Mission a number of years ago, I understand that consideration was given to the closing of the Scottish District because there were only a very few converts being made there. During the last three years there has been an average of seventy-five to a hundred baptisms, and I think to a great extent it is because of the fine, suitable places of worship owned by the Church now in the cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, and Aberdeen. ¶

Just a short time ago I had the privilege of interviewing a returned missionary from France, and he told me that he attended the last baptismal service held in that mission and that a number of those that were baptized first got their interest in the Church because of the fine building that the Church now owns in Paris. ¶

It has been stated that each fine building is equal to ten missionaries. If this is the case, then there have been added 9,000 or more silent but effective "preachers of righteousness" to the force. ¶

These buildings, my brethren and sisters, are all made possible by the payment of tithes and contributions of cash and labor by the membership of the Church, and I say unto you, God bless you, my brethren and sisters, for your faith and for your generosity. Also I am sure that we're all grateful and often go to our knees in prayer in appreciation to the Lord for the First Presidency of our Church, for their foresight and their wisdom in inaugurating this great building program of the Church. We have been growing rapidly, spiritually, and it became necessary to grow in a physical way to take care of the membership of the Church. ¶

Possibly it may not be considered inappropriate to say a word about the building department of the Church under the direction of Elder Howard J. McKean and his associates. They have caused these monuments to spirituality and faith to be erected with good designs, excellent materials, and fine workmanship. Because they are practical builders, they have been able to effect substantial savings to the Church and to the wards and stakes. Great faith has been manifested by the bishops, stake presidents, and local building committees in undertaking the construction of these lovely buildings. A faith-promoting volume could be written about the rich experiences that have come to them. The blessings of the Lord have known no bounds. It would seem that the spirit of the pioneer builders had returned, for they built by faith. As an outstanding example, may I mention about this Tabernacle in which we are now worshiping. It is 150 feet wide by 250 feet long and 70 feet high. It was built between 1863 and 1867 when no finished materials or bolts or steel nails or modern tools were available. They had only the timbers of the nearby canyons and very crude tools and machinery. Under these conditions, it took strong faith to undertake the erection of this unusual elliptical roof. The lattice trusses fitted together with wooden pegs and cowhide must span 150 feet. The least spreading of the trusses would kick out the stone piers below. A prominent engineer of the east, after examining this roof on the inside, stated that it constituted the greatest demonstration of faith that he had seen in any construction. ¶

Now, my brethren and sisters, and especially you bishops and stake and mission presidents, we now rejoice in and are grateful for these beautiful buildings. May I make just a few suggestions to you? In the first place, let us keep them all clean and in order and maintain them in good condition. ¶

Then let's encourage all of our people to show respect and reverence to them as houses of the Lord. Above everything else, let us follow the advice just given by Elder Moyle: Let us serve as leaders in the wards, and stakes, and missions in these buildings, in the spirit of love and kindness. Let us carry on our work as the Master says, "Serve each other in love," in such a way that no offenses can be taken by anyone. Finally, though it may not be possible to have neon signs at the top of all of these spires as I would like to see, with these words: "Jesus is the Christ," let us hope that the testimonies of the leaders and members alike bear witness of this great truth and this work is of God, and that the gospel as established in the last days is for the salvation of all honest people throughout the world. ¶

And then again, let us invite all visitors to come to these places and assure them that they will never be embarrassed by having a collection plate passed before them. Freely we have received, and freely we give unto the world. God bless you all, my brethren and sisters, I humbly pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶