My Brethren And Sisters With You I...

MY BRETHREN AND SISTERS: With yOU I have enjoyed this great conference. The divine words and teachings of President McKay and all the brethren will remain with us, that we may grow in wisdom and truth. ¶

As the brethren have referred to the noble servants who had the revelations of the Lord in the days when the Prophet Joseph Smith lived, I think of an incident that I shall ever hold in my heart and mind. Having been called to preside over the Swiss-Austrian Mission many years ago, I was sent to visit the University of Vienna. I was taken through the library, one of the largest libraries of the world, and the attendant who was escorting me took down a book from a shelf, and opening it, I read the title of it. It was the Principia, written by Sir Isaac Newton in the early part of the eighteenth century, and was known as the greatest scientific work of the world. It was written in Latin, the universal language of science at the time, and was the major guide to the world's scientific thought. "Newton died in peace," says one writer, "and in the knowledge that the fathomless wonders of the universe had been given their shape and their motion by the sure hand of God." ¶

While I was looking at the Principia, my guide took from the shelf another book, which he said was a wonderful work of science. It was the volume on mathematics written by Apostle Orson Pratt. You may imagine my feelings as I read the title. The volume was published in London, and was used in the higher institutions of learning in Germany, Austria, and France. Here they had placed it at the side of the Principia. ¶

I wish to say a few words of gratitude to President McKay and his counselors, and all the brethren who have spoken to us. In these three days of meetings I am sure everyone feels that he has been encouraged and strengthened by what he has heard. I shall not give to you this afternoon any prepared talk but merely express my gratitude for the divine teachings which have come to me as I listened to the words of wisdom and truth. ¶

All of us have had our faith renewed, our testimonies strengthened, our spiritual selves quickened with divine light. ¶

Our paths have been made clearer before us, and we are now resolved to serve more diligently our Lord in righteousness. To refer to the beautiful messages of our Presidency and others, we believe all that God has revealed, and that he will yet reveal many great and important truths pertaining to the Kingdom of God. The ideals of love, of government, of intelligence, have been impressive, and we must contemplate these ideals with our best thoughts, each one of us; put them into practice — our missionaries especially — and our class leaders. Teachers must always remember that in speaking to people, they must convince them that we are interested in the good and mighty things that they believe. ¶

We must in words and demeanor show always the dignity and authority of man, and talk of the noble rank he holds among the works of God. We must act in the worthy power of pure thought and let our ideals prevail. Let us try more diligently to become cultivated men and women. ¶

We have been told to purify ourselves, to come closer to the perfect ideal which Jesus our Redeemer taught. The path is straight before us. We must love God; we must love our neighbor; we must do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Our attention has been called to the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord's Prayer, the birth and resurrection of Jesus Ghrist, our Redeemer. We must have faith in mankind, and the divinity of man should be made known to our children. We must be more determined than ever to fulfil the great task expected of us, to make ourselves better, to make this a better world to live in, and to bring mankind nearer to God. We have been taught that our salvation and the salvation of all mankind is found in the true and everlasting gospel. ¶

President Joseph Young, who was for many years President of the First Council of the Seventy, was chosen by the Prophet Joseph Smith to this important position. He said on one occasion in speaking of the quorums of Seventies: ¶

The most effective way to satisfy one's noble impulses is training one's intelligence, to have a deep faith in Almighty God, and develop a love for Truth. We should give years of study of good books, years of devotion in the search for Truth. The Gospel demands this of brethren holding the priesthood of God. ¶

In his dedicatory prayer in the Kirtland Temple, we have the words of the Prophet Joseph Smith: ¶

. . . seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith. (D & C 88:118.) In this day and age of schools and colleges, what a wonderful saying this is. ¶

Let us remember the words we have heard at this conference and make them a part of our lives, I ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶