I Am Happy To Say Something To...

I am happy to say something to my brethren and sisters on this occasion and I sincerely pray for their faith and prayers. We are all interested in the Christian world today. I have the honor of being a member of the American Christian Palestine Committee with the Reverend Bishop Moulton of the Episcopal Church to work for the redemption of Palestine, and its restoration. A few weeks ago we were asked to write about the Constitution of the United States and what it means as a civic document. ¶

To us all, the Constitution of the United States is a very sacred document, and it has never been equaled in the history of the world. ¶

I wish to read a paragraph written ages ago by a famous Greek orator whose name was Isocrates. ¶

"The age in which we live should be distinguished by some glorious enterprise. . . . Let world leaders contrive to put to an end our present troubles. ¶

The treaties of peace are insufficient for their purpose; they may retard, but cannot prevent our misfortunes. We stand in need of some more durable plan, which will forever put to an end our hostilities and unite us by the lasting ties of mutual affection and fidelity." ¶

Quoting the words of Herbert L. ¶

Willett, "The divisions of Christendom today are its most conspicuous reproach, and its chief cause of inefficiency. They present a moral affront to the enterprise inaugurated by Jesus Christ, and constitute the outstanding limitation of its progress. The divided state of the Church is an affront to Christianity. ¶

We wonder if Christianity can survive; we wonder if the Christian groups can fight the evils of the social order of our times." ¶

Only the true Church can furnish the program and power to meet the emergencies that confront the world today. ¶

The Holy Bible is not only the masterpiece of the world's literature, but it is also the most majestic exposition of religion ever given to man. It contains the writings of the inspired prophets of God, and embodies the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord. ¶

It enlightens us on the great themes of revealed religion: man, scripture, salvation, faith, prayer, and immortality. ¶

God reigns in heaven and in earth; he is the rightful King of nations, and the Source of supreme good to men. In his image was man created. Great prophets like Moses, Isaiah, Hosea, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, and Micah were divinely appointed servants, and they wrote the holy scriptures and inspired the peoples of the ancient world to believe in God and to hope for the Redeemer of the world. They had the highest possible knowledge of moral and religious laws. ¶

How one loves to read the Ten Commandments, one of the greatest lessons of the Bible. They were given to Moses, the prophet, hundreds of years before the birth of the Savior. ¶

Then we have such words from the Jewish Talmud which were written soon after the Ten Commandments. Let me quote to you a few sentences which show the dignity of the teachings of ancient Jewish writings. ¶

"The name of the Lord shall be loved through thy treatment of thy fellow man. ¶

"Do God's will as thy own will, submit thy will to his will. ¶

"Be not like servants who serve their master for the sake of reward. ¶

"Thy neighbor's honor must be as dear to thee as thy own. ¶

"Keep aloof from grumbling. ¶

"Do not hate the one who reproves thee. ¶

"If you humble yourself, the Lord will lift you up. ¶

"Pass not judgment upon thy neighbor, until thou has put thyself in his place." ¶

However highly we may estimate the truths we have today, it is for us to understand the gospel. Rudolph Kittel of Leipzig University wrote some years ago: "Some one has got to rise to give to the world the doctrines of Jesus Christ, our Savior, for the world is in need of them." This calls to my mind an experience that some of the actors of the old Salt Lake Theatre had one evening. A noted American actor had just closed the play of Hamlet, and was about to leave to take the train for San Francisco. Standing in the doorway of the so-called "Green Room," ¶

Mr. Clawson, the manager of the old playhouse asked him to say a few words. ¶

Mr. Edwin Booth stopped for a minute or two, then said: "It is seldom I speak in public, but I would like to repeat on this occasion the most beautiful words ever uttered. Bowing his head he said: ¶

"Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. ¶

Thy kingdom come. ¶

Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." ¶

(See Matt. 6:9-10.) With these words from the Lord's Prayer, Booth turned and said "Goodbye" to the few people and walked from the theater to the sidewalk where he took a carriage to the depot. ¶

The Prophet Joseph Smith has done the mightiest work of all: ¶

We first see Joseph Smith in the woods on the frontier of America praying as a child might pray, and the Lord appearing to him. Using the words of the Psalmist, "Grace is poured into thy lips, therefore, God hath blessed thee forever more." With the Father was Jesus the Savior. Joseph heard the voice of God and the divine words: ¶

"This is my Beloved Son." A new day was at hand. From that moment he was heart and mind for the word of the Lord. What a message for our missionaries of today! ¶

He learned that day that the divisions of Christendom are its most conspicuous reproach and the chief cause of its inefficiency. They present a moral affront to the enterprise inaugurated by Jesus Christ, and constitute the outstanding limitation of its progress. ¶

Christianity is weakened by its divisions in facing the problems of today, among which are class hatreds, race antagonisms, blindness to social justice, the lure of vicious literature, crime-instigating narcotics, and the spread of military spirit in the world. ¶

The supreme test of religion is revelation. No religion can be persuasive unless it relies on the principle of revelation. The living Church of Jesus Christ must be revelatory. One readily sees that the very lifeblood of the Church is the principle and potency of redemption. Christianity in its pure sense is the religion of redeemed personality. While all true men reveal God, the complete carrier of revelation can be no other than a chosen personality. ¶

By the power of the Holy Priesthood which he received from heaven, Joseph Smith established our true relationship to God. Out of this grows the salvation of man — his true immortal life. ¶

The nations all bear witness to the need of a light that is not of man. We can give our word to the world that the forces which are to make the world the world it ought to be are now within it. ¶

Thousands, yea millions of people are waiting to hear the voice of our Father in heaven. Millions are turning to God, and we are in these days of world turmoil experiencing a rising tide of understanding and goodwill that is constantly ebbing and flowing among us all. The fact that the movement has been reserved for our day fills us with the deepening sense of our responsibility and duty to make sure that the golden opportunities it offers are not lost. ¶

"It changes everything. ¶

I can see the end of war in this, some day. ¶

I can see the joy of women and little children — some day. ¶

I can see the cities and great spaces of land full of happiness. ¶

I can see love shining in every face. ¶

There shall be no more sin, no pain, no loss, no death — Only life, only God — some day when the world shall have learned." ¶

— Charles Rann Kennedy I pray God to bless us all this day. ¶

Amen. ¶