My Dear Brethren Of The Priesthood Both...

My dear brethren of the priesthood, both you who are assembled in this great auditorium and you out there in the various chapels and meeting places of the Church, it is a thrill to be with you and to be aware of you, to be associated with you. ¶

I am sure you have all been inspired and challenged by the presentation that has been made by four members of the Council of the Twelve tonight who are laboring under the direction of President McKay in formulating a program for the future benefit of the Church. ¶

You will have noted, as I did, that the great emphasis placed by each of these speakers was on teaching. ¶

Some years ago when I was at Brigham Young University, an educator, a doctor of philosophy from another state who had spent a week on the campus as a visitor and part-time instructor, was sitting next to me at a banquet. ¶

Just before he was to leave he said, "I have visited many campuses in my lifetime, and I have seen some wonderful young people, but I wish you would tell me what it is you have here which seems to instill in your young people a burning desire to get an education. I have discovered here an enthusiasm for education that I have never seen before. ¶

In fact, it seems to me very close to religious zeal." He asked me to explain it. ¶

I tried to do so by saying, "It is religious zeal because education is part of the gospel of Jesus Christ as we understand and proclaim it. We believe that a man is saved in the kingdom of God no faster than he gets knowledge, that he cannot be saved in ignorance. ¶

We believe that the glory of God is intelligence, and that every man's glory will be determined by the quality and degree of his intelligence." ¶

He said, "That answers my question, and I'm glad to know that education is a part of your religion." ¶

So tonight these brethren have emphasized the importance of gaining a knowledge of and teaching the gospel. Now, as has been mentioned, as the Church grows, develops, increases — and it is increasing very rapidly — we need more teachers, better organization, and more dedication. ¶

When I visited the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs sometime ago, I stood before a monument of a falcon with spreading wings. At the base of the monument I read these words: ¶

"Man's flight through life is sustained by the power of his knowledge." I was much impressed. This came from the academy where thousands of young men are preparing for flight through air and possibly through space. But it is a challenging thought to all of us that our flight through life will be sustained by the power of our knowledge. Then if you add to that thought the LDS concept that man's standing before God will depend upon his knowledge, his education, his understanding of the gospel of Christ — in short, his intelligence, you will see the wisdom of tonight's emphasis on education. I am wondering whether any man could possibly be happy in the presence of God unless he himself is intelligent, for, as God's glory is intelligence, only to the degree that we achieve intelligence will we be able to stand his glory. ¶

Recently I was in Alaska and visited the base of the interceptor squadron where many of our men are on twentyfour-hour-alert, on guard for all of us and ready to defend us. I saw over the door of the alert room these words: ¶

"Only the spirit of attack borne in a brave heart will bring success to any fighter aircraft no matter how highly developed the aircraft may be." ¶

"Only the spirit of attack borne in a brave heart . . ." — of course, the efficiency of the aircraft is important, but unless the pilot at the controls has the spirit of his mission and the courage to carry out his assignment, it matters not how efficient his craft, he will be vulnerable. ¶

So, brethren, it depends upon us individually as leaders — pilots if you will — how successful our stakes, wards, branches, and missions will be in building the kingdom. The individuals who are charged with the responsibility of leadership must first, themselves, become informed in these various departments to which reference has been made, and then see to it that all in their jurisdiction are properly instructed. ¶

President John Taylor said on one occasion, speaking to the brethren of the priesthood: "If you do not magnify your callings, God will hold you responsible for those you might have saved, had you done your duty." ¶

This is a challenging statement. If I by reason of sins of commission or omission lose what I might have had in the hereafter, I myself must suffer and, doubtless, my loved ones with me. But if I fail in my assignment as a bishop, a stake president, a mission president, or one of the General Authorities of the Church — if any of us fail to teach, lead, direct, and help to save those under our direction and within our jurisdiction, then the Lord will hold us responsible if they are lost as the result of our failure. ¶

I read again the other day from Matthew what Jesus said about the two sons and their father: ¶

". . . what think ye?" said the Master. ¶

"A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work today in my vineyard. ¶

"He answered and said, I will not: ¶

but afterward he repented, and went. ¶

"And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not." ¶

The Savior said, "Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you." — speaking undoubtedly of those who said they would go and did not do it. (See Matthew 21:28-31.) This is, I think, one of the greatest challenges to the men holding the priesthood. The Lord has said to all of us, "Go and serve in my vineyard," ¶

and every one who has been ordained to the priesthood and set apart for his calling has said, "I go," but some go not, and others weary when the day is yet young. ¶

Our challenge tonight then, in support of what has already been said, is that in every ward and stake, mission and branch, in every part of the Church, in all the auxiliaries, we join unitedly and enthusiastically to make the labors of these brethren and those associated with them successful in this great continuing movement for instructing and saving the members of the Church. We are doing a lot in the mission fields, but there is a lot to be done here at home. ¶

Some may feel that in some far-off part of the Church there is not much hope. Sometimes we say, "Well, if you could send us a General Authority more often, we would be more inspired." ¶

The Church is getting too big, as Brother Lee has explained, for the General Authorities to attend all of the conferences. ¶

I am reminded of what happened to a captain of a ship down in the South Atlantic. He had run out of fresh water. His crew were athirst. Another ship hove in sight, and he signalled, "Send us water" and the signal came back, "Let down your buckets, there is fresh water all around you. You are in the Gulf Stream." They let down their buckets and found it was true. They had not realized that the course of the Gulf Stream, driven out into the briny deep, had maintained its virtues, so to speak. They were able to save themselves by that which was all around them, yet they did not know it. ¶

Brethren, there is available to you wherever you are, the blessings, the opportunities, the privileges of teaching the gospel of Christ, if you will let down your bucket into the Gulf Stream of the Holy Spirit which is everywhere. ¶

God help us to do our duty, to be equal to our task, and when we say, "I go," let us be true to the promise that is implied and stay until the end of the day, that when the time shall come that we shall be released from this part of our labors and we go on to greater labors, we may be able to say with the Apostle Paul, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:" (2 Tim. 4:7). This I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶