With the Statement, Confession Is Good for the Soul

ITH THE STATEMENT, "Confession is good for the soul," just made by President Clark, I can truthfully tell you that I confess to you that I am nervous, frightened, and humble, and I hope this confession will be good for my soul. ¶

President McKay, President Richards, President Clark, my beloved brothers and sisters and friends: As we have listened to this beautiful music today and the music in each session of the conference, it reminds me of the statement, "the song of the righteous is a prayer unto God." (See D. & C. 25:12.) The music has been a prayer unto our Father in heaven, and it certainly has mellowed our souls. I pray the Lord to be with me as I speak to you for a few moments. ¶

We have had another great conference of the Church, certainly a spiritual conference. Our testimonies have been increased. Every meeting has been rich with the Spirit of the Lord. Truly, we have been fed the bread of life; and as we listen to these great sermons, these wonderful addresses, I wonder when we leave here today whether that will be the last that we will think of them. Would it not be well for us, when these addresses are published, to read them again, to spend an evening reading these marvelous addresses to our family? Certainly we recognize that we have listened to the word of the Lord, and it would be well for us, I am sure, if we read and re-read them. ¶

There are so many of our young people who do not get a chance to hear these conferences. I am sure they would thrill if they would read these addresses. ¶

As one of the most humble among you, and one of the weakest, I have long since realized that if I try to do my work without the help of the Lord, I utterly fail, and I know without his blessing I am as nothing. ¶

I sincerely trust that the radio and television audiences have been able to partake of the spirit of this conference. ¶

Certainly there has been a beautiful, sweet spirit here at every session. The spirit of worship, the spirit of reverence, the spirit of thankfulness and gratitude has been here in rich abundance. The Lord has said, "When ye shall meet in my name, I will be in your midst," (see Matt. 18:20; D. & C. 6:32) and that sweet spirit that we have felt here is the Spirit of the Lord. ¶

If the Lord will direct me, I should like to say one or two things on the subject of faith, not from the scientific, technical viewpoint, but just practical, personal, simple faith; faith in God, faith that God lives, and I quote from the Doctrine and Covenants, section 50, verse 24: ¶

That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day. ¶

The Apostle Paul tells us without faith it is impossible to please God, and without faith it is impossible to accomplish anything of real value. (See Heb. 11:6.) In the Doctrine and Covenants, section 14, verse 9, may I quote: Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, who created the heavens and the earth, a light which cannot be hid in darkness. ¶

Faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. ¶

Faith in the mission of Jesus Christ — that mission was for the redemption of you and me and all mankind! How he loved the world! How he suffered and died that we might live and have eternal life, probably God's greatest gift to man. May we have faith in the mission of our beloved Savior, faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ, which has been restored to the earth in our day in its fulness. ¶

Faith in the Prophet Joseph Smith, chosen of the Father and his Son Jesus Christ, to bring forth the restored gospel! ¶

Faith in the mission of the Prophet Joseph! Faith that he actually saw God and his Son, and that he received visitations from heavenly messengers on many occasions! Faith in the life, the devotion, and the mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith! ¶

Faith in the prophets of God since that time up to the present! Faith and knowledge that President David O. McKay is a true prophet of God! Faith that the First Presidency of the Church and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the Patriarch are prophets, seers, and revelators, and servants of God, our Father! ¶

How would you like to have known Moses? How would you like to have known Elijah, Abraham, Peter, James, John, and some of the other great prophets? Oh, we read about them and sometimes we wish we had known these prophets. Have we the faith to recognize and realize that these prophets today are called of the same God who called the prophets of old? Have we the faith to recognize in them that they are special witnesses for Christ? Sometimes I wonder if we get so close to the forest that we cannot see the trees. ¶

I bear you my testimony that I have felt and I know that these men are true prophets of God and that he does reveal his mind and will to them. As I have said before, I have watched decisions now for a number of years, and I want to tell you that the decisions they make are the decisions inspired of the Lord, and they are not their decisions, but they are the decisions of our Father in heaven. ¶

I hope the membership in the Church can accept those decisions as inspired revelations and inspiration. ¶

Faith in the power of the priesthood, the power of God, the power and authority delegated to men and boys to act in the name and in the place of our Father in heaven here upon the earth. How often have we witnessed the power of the priesthood and faith in the sparing of the lives of our loved ones, restoring them to their health, that they could be with us longer. ¶

I want to bear you my testimony that I know that God does hear and answer prayers, and it is through the power of the priesthood and faith that many of our loved ones have been spared, that their health has been restored. I hope we will have the faith to accept this and not take it too much for granted. ¶

Faith in each other! Paul in his writings uses this expression: "For we walk by faith, not by sight." (II Cor. ¶

5:7.) "I would rather walk in the dark with Thee, Than walk alone in the light. ¶

I would rather walk by faith with Thee, Than walk alone by sight." ¶

Let your blessings come from faith more than by sight. This was evidenced by the words of the Master to Thomas, when he said, . . . because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. (John 20:29.) We need not walk alone nor stumble in the dark, because if our faith is right, it will light our way. Faith is a gift of God. ¶

The brotherhood of Christ is beautiful to behold. Why? Because it is of God. ¶

We have witnessed it here, and we witness it in every session. ¶

Jesus speaking said, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. (Ibid., 11:25-26.) That is the faith of the membership of this Church. ¶

Faith in the principle of prayer! Where would we go and what would we do without the principle of prayer? ¶

A while ago I was thrilled as I attended a stake conference. A young man who was asked to give the invocation lived in an area where there had been considerable drouth. They were worried about moisture, and when he was called upon to pray, among other beautiful and appropriate thoughts, he prayed to the Lord for moisture. That boy had faith, faith in prayer, faith in God, and he was not afraid to ask the Lord for the blessings that they needed. Then, the next week, I was at another conference in the same area where they, too, were worrying about moisture, but during the week they had had considerable moisture, and this young man in his prayer, I do not recall whether it was the invocation or benediction, thanked the Lord for the moisture that had come to them, assuring them that their crops would be matured. ¶

Many of our young people are not here, but I hope as parents we will teach them to pray, that they may be able to take their problems to their Father in heaven. I would feel very bad if I ever learned that my children did not pray for their father or their mother. ¶

I could assure them, as you can, that we pray for them constantly. Certainly, they can do no less than to pray for their parents. Fathers and mothers, do your children pray for you, or are they too modest? I hope the young people will be considerate of their parents. ¶

My father and mother have been dead a long time, but how I would like to shake hands with my dad and tell him how much I love him and feel the callouses on his hands and pick them as I used to when I was a kid, because he was a hard-working farmer and laboring man. But more than that, how I would like to see my mother, how I would like to put my arms around her and thank her for all she did for me. ¶

Do you think I would hesitate today to tell her that I love her? No, no, not if I had a chance. Sometimes young people do not take that opportunity when they have the chance. ¶

Are your children disrespectful to you, parents? Sometime ago I heard a boy refer to his father as the old man, and then I heard him refer to his mother as the old woman. No, I would not speak about my father today that way, nor my mother, and I hope our young people will be taught not to address their father and mother in that way. ¶

When Jesus was on the Mount of Olives with his disciples, he withdrew that he might go and pray in secret to his Father. His heart was heavy; his cross seemed unbearable. He wanted to be alone with his Father; the understanding between Jesus and his Father, the loving trust between father and child; we, too, can have that beautiful relationship as father and child. ¶

Faith that we can receive comfort, strength, and blessings from our heavenly Father through the medium of prayer. ¶

Recently I read these expressions on the subject of "Secret Prayer," and with your permission I should like to read them: ¶

The soul with a broken heart, on bended knees, with head bowed reverently, cannot long remain in the shadows of the night of spiritual blindness. To pray in secret to our divine Father in heaven brings solace to the aching heart, companionship to the lonely, assurance to the oppressed, light to the wayward, power to the weak, strength to the strong, and the calm conviction that God, our eternal Father, lives and that Jesus is the Christ. ¶

What a privilege to shut oneself away from the world and be with God alone in prayer. He knows us for what we really are and not for what we may appear to be. ¶

If we are righteous, he is happy. If we are sinful and we go before him alone, and there in the language of the heart tell him we love him and we want his help in doing right, his divine emotions well up within him, and in his unspeakable majesty and unqualified mercy he takes us in his arms, as it were, and we feel the warmth and the infinite love of his holy person. He waits patiently, but anxiously to breathe his divine essence into the human heart upon its contrite invitation. Oh, that all men could have this experience. ¶

Secret prayer is the prayer of the heart. ¶

Its language is bathed in simplicity. We kneel before our heavenly Father, knowing that before, and as we speak, he knows our every weakness and our every secret desire. ¶

We pray to him in the light of this knowledge. There is no masquerade in secret prayer. (Author unknown.) Youth, keep your faith in God. Do not allow the teachings of the world, despondency, or discouragement cause you to lose your faith in God and in his Son, Jesus Christ. ¶

Men who lose their faith are of all men most unhappy. Youth, you will need great faith. You may not be required to pull a handcart across the plains, but your road may not always be easy, and you will need great faith in God to face the trials of life. Stay close to your Father in heaven and partake of his Spirit through the principle of prayer. ¶

I bear testimony to you that I know God lives, and I know when I live righteously, I can feel his influence, and I know when I waver, the Lord is not pleased. ¶

May the Lord bless us with great faith, that we may live close to him at all times, that we may remember the teachings of this conference, I humbly pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶