The Brigham Young University Combined Choruses...

The Brigham Young University Combined Choruses have furnished the music for this session and this morning's session. We wish to express our appreciation to these young men and women of Brigham Young University. We know that they have spent many hours in practice in the weeks that have gone by so that we could enjoy their inspirational singing. We thank you young folks for the efforts you have put forth. We are grateful for the inspiration that you have given this conference, including all who have been listening in to this program. We are proud of you! We have reason to be proud of all our young people with a few exceptions. ¶

I have frequently said, and I repeat, we have confidence in our young folks. It is our duty as adults and their parents to set them a proper example in the home and in society. It is our responsibility to impress our children with our sincerity in our belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Never should parents teach one thing about the gospel and do another. Children are very susceptible to insincerity. ¶

Yes, we thank you young folk for the effort you have put forth. May our Heavenly Father protect you as you go back to your homes, and may he ever bless you for the unselfish service you have rendered. We shall cherish the memory of your inspirational singing that you have given us this day. ¶

I should like to express, also, our appreciation to the approximately 2,000 singers from Utah, California, and Oregon who have presented special music for this general conference — two thousand singers who have furnished music for the Primary conference sessions, for the priesthood meeting, and Sunday School conference! Freely have they given of their time and talents to help make this conference a success. Many of them traveled at their own expense. Let me just repeat the groups: ¶

Saturday night in this tabernacle, we had the Portland Stake priesthood chorus at the priesthood meeting, under the direction of Elder Bruce Kelly. Fifty-three thousand members of the priesthood heard their inspirational singing Saturday night over a closed circuit in 244 buildings throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. ¶

On Sunday, we had the Tabernacle Choir at the Sunday sessions, under the direction of Elder Richard P. Condie. You remember that inspiring day. ¶

On Monday, the Mormon Choir of Southern California sang at the two sessions under the direction of Elder H. Frederick Davis. ¶

Monday night, in the Tabernacle, we had the Salt Lake Valley Regional Mission Choir, at the missionary meeting. This small chorus under the direction of Elder Rudy Mueller, sang hymns in the different tongues. ¶

Today, the Brigham Young University Combined Choruses, under the direction of Dr. Newell B. Weight and Don L. Earl, furnished the singing. We are the recipients of inspiration and blessing from these various groups. While we thank the members from Brigham Young University, we are not unmindful of all the others. ¶

I wish also to express appreciation and gratitude to all who have in any way contributed to the success of this great conference. First, to the General Authorities we express deep appreciation for the inspirational messages they have given us. The latest conference is always said to be the best, but really this has been the best conference I think we have ever held. ¶

I should like to express appreciation to the public press and the reporters for their fair and accurate reports throughout the sessions of the conference. ¶

Third, in your behalf, I express appreciation for the co-operation of the city officials; the city traffic officers, especially, in their expert handling of the increased traffic; to the fire department, on hand for any emergency; to the Red Cross members, whom you see around, ready to take care of anybody who might suddenly be taken ill. ¶

I have mentioned already our ushers who have rendered service in seating the great audiences of these conference sessions. ¶

We must not forget to thank the radio and television stations. Throughout our own city and the nation they have carried the sessions of this conference, and have been the means of permitting untold thousands of people to hear the conference proceedings — the most extensive television and radio coverage ever given the Church. ¶

Again, we express appreciation for the lovely flowers that have beautified this building during our assemblies — scores of members of the Church have spent many hours in picking these flowers and in getting them ready for shipment to Salt Lake City. Ten thousand sweet peas were gathered under the direction of David M. Hansen of Mesa, Arizona, with the aid of the youth of the Mesa seminaries. Members of the Church in the Phoenix stakes sent a quantity of stocks. The Southern States Mission sent some thirty dozen gladioli. The Oakland-Berkeley Stake sent cala lilies, and the Tacoma Stake sent fifty dozen daffodils, through the kindness and generosity of Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival, Inc., Tacoma, Washington. ¶

One day, two men were walking near Emmaus, a town not far from Jerusalem, and a man suddenly appeared by their side. They did not recognize him. After he left them, they said, "Did not our heart burn within us . . . ?" (Luke 24:32.) Luke tells us about that incident, after he had inquired of many people who had had some intimacy with Jesus. ¶

I think that there are many in this congregation, and I hope many who have been listening over radio and television who have had their hearts "burn within them" as they have listened not only to the inspirational singing, but to the sublime testimonies, and I hope as their hearts have burned within them, that they realized the message that went into their hearts. I hope they have an inkling, at least, of the divine truth that they are sons of God, and that that burning within them was just a touch of harmony between them and the infinite, the Spirit of God which will enlighten our minds, quicken our understandings, and bring all things to our remembrance. ¶

If we were just animals, we should never have a feeling of that kind. That is evidence that man has a greater destiny than just a mere animal life. That is a touch of the spirit! Every man who has sensed that has a testimony himself and every woman also has a testimony herself, that man is a dual being. He has a body, just as all other animals have. But he has something that comes only from his Father in heaven, and he is entitled, is susceptible to whisperings, susceptible to influences from his Divine Parent, through the Holy Ghost, the medium between us and God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. ¶

This has been in a remarkable manner, an outstanding spiritual conference. I should like to say a word about that; it came to me last evening: The highest acquisition of the soul we have experienced — the spiritual, the divine in man; the supreme crowning gift that makes him king of all created beings. Spirituality is the consciousness of victory over self, the consciousness of being above the passions, whether in anger or jealousy or envy, or hatred. To feel that you can be above those animal-like feelings, is to experience spirituality, and every man and woman whose heart burned when he or she heard the testimony of these brethren, experienced that spirituality. ¶

It is the realization of communion with Deity. No higher attainment can be reached than that. ¶

Remember what Paul said? "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. ¶

"For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. ¶

"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery (the Revised Version leaves that out, but it does not leave out fornication), fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness. ¶

". . . hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, . . . heresies (I am not reading it all), ¶

"Envyings, . . . drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. ¶

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, ¶

"Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. ¶

"And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. ¶

"If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." (Gal. 5:1, 16, 17, 19-25.) ¶

We have had testimonies during this conference, the testimony of the Spirit, that we are children of our Father. We have had testimony that God is a living Being. We have had testimony that Christ is at the head of his Church. Have you not felt that testimony? We have had testimony of the Spirit that he has revealed in this dispensation the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Prophet Joseph Smith. Have you not felt that, too, this conference? We have never held a greater conference. ¶

I bear you that testimony that I know whereof I speak; that we must live in the spirit and get power thereby to overcome the lusts of the flesh as enumerated here by a man who knew. And you know, and the happier you will be if you live above the flesh. Conquer the animal within you when you are tempted to scold or find fault with your wife or with your husband. Control your tempers if prompted to deal unjustly with a wayward child. Young men and young women, conquer your own desires and obey your parents. Do not think that they are old-fashioned. They are more experienced than you. Love them, be kind to them. ¶

God bless those who have given the messages of this conference. They have risen to heights sublime. ¶

May he bless us all that we may go home with a firmer resolve than we have ever had before to live the gospel of Jesus Christ; to be kind to our neighbors, honest in our dealings, so that men seeing our good works may be led to glorify our Father which is in heaven, I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶