My Brethren And Sisters And Friends Seen...

My brethren and sisters and friends, seen and unseen: I am grateful beyond my power of expression for the blessings of this conference. I have in my pocket a perfectly good manuscript which I feel impressed not to impose upon you today. There is something in my heart I should like to say in the few moments remaining in this meeting. ¶

Like some of my Brethren who have referred to the recent passing of our three beloved associates, I, too, miss them deeply. It may come as somewhat of a surprise to some when I say that Brother Adam S. Bennion, who was older than he appeared, was my teacher. ¶

I am probably younger than I appear, but Brother Bennion was one of the truly great teachers who have touched my life. ¶

For a term at the Alpine summer school, of Brigham Young University, I was fortunate enough to sit at the feet of Adam S. Bennion in a course that I shall never forget — a course in biography. I remember the term paper which he assigned to us. It caused us to turn the searchlight on our own lives. ¶

The subject was "Why I Am What I Am." Under his stimulating direction that group of students searched their souls for the influences that had come into their lives, the examples that had been set them, the temptations that had crossed their paths, and the influences of the Church and of good men and women. I still have that term paper; I am grateful to Brother Bennion that he turned my thoughts inward and made me analyze my own life and the influences which had affected the life of a young man up to that time. I am grateful for the contribution which he made as one of the great teachers of the Church. My life has been enriched. He helped inspire me to seek the good things which I enjoy. ¶

I had the glorious privilege of traveling to stake conferences with Brother Thomas E. McKay. I think I never met a sweeter, more humble, and more beloved man. He was good to be with. ¶

I loved him. My life has been enriched through my association with Thomas E. McKay. ¶

As an MIA worker I was stimulated and inspired as a boy, and later as a stake superintendent of the YMMIA by Brother Oscar A. Kirkham. He had the power to inspire youth and their leaders to noble achievement. I loved him as he loved the youth of the Church. ¶

God bless the memory of these three noble souls whom we miss so much today. The world is a better place to live because they lived in it. I hope to live worthy to meet them in the eternal world. ¶

My brethren and sisters, I love the Church and all that pertains to it. It has been my pleasure in the last few years to mingle with many people in and out of the Church. I am very grateful for the spirit of brotherhood and fellowship which we find in the Church. This spirit is a somewhat intangible thing. It is difficult to describe. But it is real — powerful — sweet. ¶

You have to feel it to appreciate it. ¶

Recently with my wife, two daughters, and members of my staff, I made a world trade trip which took me into fourteen countries. In most of these countries I was very proud and happy to meet members of the Church. They were at the airports to welcome us and bid us farewell as we departed. Several groups came to the embassies to see us. ¶

In far-off Japan it was a joy to join with some four hundred Japanese members of the Church in a Sunday morning service. We rejoiced to have the privilege to meet with our Mormon servicemen, some of whom had traveled a thousand miles to attend meetings on the Sabbath day. I will long remember the meeting with the Saints in Hong Kong, some of them refugees from Red China, and the spirit present as I met with local and full-time missionaries, and mingled with the Saints. We met with groups of the Saints in Turkey, in Greece, in Spain, in France, in England. Yes, even in the country of Jordan we met a family or two of the Saints in a Union Sunday School, a Christian Sunday School attended by many fine people of various faiths. I had the glorious privilege of addressing the group, and I was very pleased to find in the leadership of the Sunday School a member of the Church living the gospel, promoting the kingdom through example and through word of mouth. ¶

I had many pleasant gospel conversations. Good people — heads of states and other high officials in India, Pakistan, Jordan, Israel, Italy, Portugal, and other countries showed sincere interest in the Church and its people. ¶

Much Church literature has been mailed to new-found, good friends around the world. Their hospitality and friendliness will never be forgotten. Although we felt especially close to members of the Church, we were impressed with the fact that people everywhere are essentially good. They long for peace. They love their families and seek to improve themselves and raise their standards of living. I came back with a greater love for all of God's children — for he has truly "made of one blood all nations." ¶

So, my brothers and sisters, as I travel about the world, it is a glorious thing to note how the Church is growing and increasing. One very fine leader of a foreign state, when I asked him if there were any Mormons in his particular capital city, said: "Mr. Secretary, I have traveled a great deal, and I have come to believe that the Mormons are everywhere. Wherever I go, I find them." ¶

His statement called to mind an incident when we first moved to Washington, back in 1939 or 1940. I had gone to my office early to get some work done before the telephones started ringing. I had just seated myself at the desk when the telephone rang. The man at the other end said, "I would like to have lunch with you today. I am a stranger to you, but I have something that is very urgent." I consented reluctantly, and a few hours later we faced each other across a luncheon table at a downtown hotel. ¶

He said, "I suppose you wonder why I have invited you here." Then he added: "Last week as I came out of a luncheon meeting in Chicago, I told some of my business associates that I had been given the responsibility of coming down to Washington, D. C, to establish an office and employ a man to represent our corporation." Then he listed some of the assets in his great business organization. He said, "I began telling my associates of the kind of young man I would like to represent us in this office in Washington. First of all, I said to my associates, I wanted a man of sterling character. You know, where there isn't character there isn't much that is worth while. I would like a man who is honest, a man of real integrity, a man who lives a clean life, who is clean morally, who, if married, is a devoted husband, and who, if unmarried, is not chasing lewd women." ¶

He said, "I would like a man who doesn't drink, and if possible I would prefer to get a man who doesn't even smoke. One of my business associates spoke up and said, Well, what you want is a returned Mormon missionary.' I had heard of your Church," he said. "In fact, I recall two young men in dark suits calling at our home some months ago. As I rode down here on the train last night, I decided that maybe a returned Mormon missionary was exactly what I needed. Why not? So as I registered at the hotel here last night I said to the man at the desk, 'Are there any Mormons in Washington?' And the man at the desk said, 'I don't know, I suppose there are. They seem to be everywhere. But Mr. Bush, the manager, is here, and I'll ask him.' He asked Mr. Bush and gave me your name. ¶

Now that is why I have invited you here. Can you give me the names of three or four young men who meet the standards which I have just outlined?" ¶

Well, of course it was not difficult to give him the names of three or four or a dozen who fully met the standards he outlined. I mention this, my brethren and sisters and friends, because in the Church we have certain standards, standards of living, standards of morality, standards of character which are coming to be well known to the world. ¶

These standards are admired. People with such standards are sought after. ¶

These standards are based upon true, eternal principles. They are eternal verities. ¶

In the Church we have no fear that any future discovery of new truths will ever be in conflict with these standards — with any fundamental basic principle which we advocate in the gospel. Truth is always consistent. This fact gives to us, as members of the Church, a feeling of great security, a feeling of peace, a feeling of assurance. We know beyond any question that the truths which we advocate, the truths of the gospel restored to the earth through the Prophet Joseph, are in very deed the truths of heaven. These truths will always be consistent with the discovery of any new truths, whether discovered in the laboratory, through research of the scientist, or whether revealed from heaven through prophets of God. Time is always on the side of truth. ¶

I am grateful for this assurance. I am grateful for the knowledge which I have regarding the purpose of life, regarding the meaning of life, regarding the truths of the restored gospel. At this Easter season I would like to join my testimony to the testimonies of my Brethren which have already been borne, and those that will be borne in the remaining sessions of this conference. ¶

In a world filled with doubt I am grateful for the knowledge which I have that God lives, that Jesus is in very deed the Redeemer of the world, the Savior of mankind; that that beautiful story which President Clark related here this morning is in very deed the account of the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus the Christ, the Redeemer of mankind. I am humbly grateful for the knowledge that I have that God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ, as glorified beings have again come to this earth in our day, in this dispensation; that they did in very deed appear unto the boy prophet, the boy Joseph, in the Sacred Grove in 1820. ¶

This was the most glorious manifestation of God the Father and the Son of which we have record. It is, no doubt, the most glorious and most important event that has transpired in this world since the resurrection of the Master. ¶

It is of world-wide significance. ¶

I testify to you, my brethren and sisters and friends, that Joseph Smith was and is a Prophet of the Living God, an instrument in the hands of God in revealing to earth again the truths of the everlasting gospel, in bringing back the priesthood, the authority to act in God's name. ¶

I am grateful for the privilege of living in this day when the gospel is again upon the earth in its purity, in its fulness, and that we are permitted to enjoy the fruits of the gospel through membership in the Church and kingdom of God. This is the Church of Jesus Christ. He stands at its head. We serve him in striving to build up his kingdom, and in promoting the cause of truth throughout all the world. ¶

God bless us, my brethren and sisters, and hasten the day when the gospel will touch the lives and the hearts of all God's children in all lands, that they too may know of the sweets of the gospel, and the blessing of a testimony of the truth, I humbly pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶