My Brethren And Sisters I Have Been...

My brethren and sisters, I have been deeply impressed by the stirring and sublime messages which have come to us during this conference, also by the singing of the choirs — for singing, after all, is surely a part of divine worship. ¶

Someone has said that the best evidence of Christ's divinity is Christ himself. ¶

A few years ago I made some notes which I headed, "Jesus Christ — a Reality." I had two reasons for making the notes. One was that I had just read an article entitled "Jesus Christ— a Myth," ¶

and the other was the reading of a summary in a Denver newspaper of some sermons delivered on the previous Sunday. One of the ministers, according to the report, made the following statement: "It matters not to me whether the historical Jesus lived or not so long as I have access to the philosophy of life which is attributed to him." ¶

The protestant minister who made this statement, it appears, is willing to teach Christianity without Christ. By so doing he removes the greatest and strongest incentive to live a Christlike life. But Jesus cannot be disposed of in any such flippant and thoughtless manner. He still lives not only in the hearts of mankind but also on the pages of history, and he is still the most beautiful and attractive personality in human history. ¶

It was Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll who said many years ago: "For the man Jesus, I have the profoundest admiration. I gladly pay to him the homage of my tears; but for Jesus as the Son of God, I will have nothing to do with him." ¶

I submit to you, my brethren and sisters, that the statement made by Mr. ¶

Ingersoll is not one whit more unchristian than that made by the minister who occupied a Christian pulpit. It is said that when Ingersoll died many of the preachers in Christendom searched in their vocabularies for words that sting and bite with which to execrate his memory. ¶

It is reported that Napoleon once said, "Is it not amazing that the ambitious dreams of Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Napoleon Bonaparte should vanish into thin air and a Jewish peasant should extend a crucified hand across the pages of history and control the destinies of the human family?" ¶

Some of you will recall that a few years ago H. G. Wells, the historian, was asked to write down the names of six characters in world history, who, in his opinion, had wielded the greatest influence for good among the children of men. Without any pause or hesitation he quickly wrote the name Jesus of Nazareth. He then remarked: "But I am not a Christian. I am a writer of history." He then put down four more names, all of which I have forgotten. ¶

But he ended the list with the name, Abraham Lincoln, who presided over this nation during the crucial days of the Civil War. ¶

It was Lincoln who said: "I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have. I stand with a man who is right, and I stand with him as long as he is right, but I part company with him when he is wrong." I have always regarded Abraham Lincoln as our greatest statesman who exemplified Christian ideals in his management of the nation. ¶

As intimated by these men, Jesus stands alone even among the world's greatest like a tall majestic mountain which lifts its form above the hills and valleys. There is no one with whom he can be compared. We readily classify all leaders who have achieved and won fame in music, in art, in literature, in statesmanship, and even in militarism, but we cannot put Jesus with any group. ¶

History has accounted for most men. ¶

The intellectual activity of the sixteenth century, for instance, produced Shakespeare, Milton, and many others. ¶

The struggle and desire for freedom in the eighteenth century made men like Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Patrick Henry, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and others. ¶

The wild robber spirit of the east produced Alexander the Great. But who, except the believer, will account for Jesus? He came out of a city noted for ignorance, yet he rose to intellectual and spiritual heights. He lived in a period of hatred and bigotry, yet he personified love and goodwill. His name and fame have been remembered, and yet he wrote no book to keep alive his memory. His gospel of salvation was entrusted to a few humble men whom he trained for three years and sent forth to proclaim his truths. These men, judged by worldly standards, were meek and lowly and without influence in the recognized circles of their day. ¶

Discussion of Jesus has filled volumes. ¶

His memory is everywhere. He takes a place midmost in history and is the central figure around which events are woven. Strangely enough, he is both loved and hated. There are people on earth today who would crucify him the second time were he to come again. ¶

A determined effort was made to blot him out completely, yet he lives in the hearts of men and women the world over. Many have died for him and there are many who would die for him today if it were necessary. He is slowly but surely conquering the world. His contemporaries, like Pontius Pilate and Herod the Great, would probably have been forgotten were it not for their association and connection with him during their lives. ¶

What is the position of the Church with respect to this great, outstanding character about whom we have heard so much today? This morning we heard a wonderful and powerful sermon delivered by President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., concerning Christ's resurrection, his last three days on the earth, and the atonement he wrought out on Calvary. ¶

There are those who claim to be followers of the Nazarine who deny, ridicule, and endeavor to explain away the great miracles connected with his ministry among men. To them we say, "Christianity is either history or nothing." To deny Christ's divinity is to turn one's back on the integrity and reliability of many scriptural declarations and to question the revelations of God. ¶

Mormonism declares that Jesus Christ lived upon the earth, that he mingled with men, that he preached his powerful Sermon on the Mount to a small group of friends and associates who gathered on a mountainside, that he performed mighty miracles, that he was born of the Virgin Mary, that he was put to death on the cross by his enemies, that he arose from the grave on the third day after his crucifixion, and finally, that he is the Son of God. Mormonism also declares that he chose twelve apostles, that he commissioned them to preach the gospel of salvation which he had taught them, and that like him they performed many miracles in his name and established his Church upon the earth. ¶

May we always remember him and keep all the commandments which he has given us, I pray in his name. Amen. ¶