I Suppose It Is Unnecessary To Say...

I suppose it is unnecessary to say that this is unscheduled, unprogrammed, unrehearsed, and, as you will soon observe, unprepared. ¶

My mind has been filled with the realization that in 1964 and the year just preceding, we have been receiving as pertinent and important divine direction as has ever been given to the Church in any similar period in its history through the prophet and leader who now presides as the President of this Church. ¶

You may recognize it in some of the developments we know as the correlation program. You have seen it being unraveled bit by bit, and you will see and hear more of it. ¶

One of the first assignments that was given to President Elmer G. Peterson of the Utah State University who served in the church welfare program, he being a member of our agricultural committee with Dr. John A. Widtsoe as the chairman, was some agricultural assignment. ¶

After he had made his report of this assignment, he made this signifcant statement: "Brethren, I have discovered again something that I have always known. The members of this Church are like soldiers in the ranks, and all they need is for someone to give them marching orders." ¶

Four Fields of Priesthood Activity Now that is exactly what is being done. You may not be aware of the fact that there are approximately five hundred specially called, specially trained specialists in four great priesthood fields and in the auxiliary organizations who go out by regular assignments to stake conferences and to regional meetings throughout the entire Church to give specific and definite directions as to the carrying out of the great program which is intended to concentrate the forces of the Lord to meet the challenging opposition of the onslaughts of evil that are so apparent among us. ¶

A week ago yesterday I had a glorious hour with President McKay, as keen and alert and as assured as to this matter of renewing our determination to have a weekly family home night as I have ever seen President McKay. And he said, "We have talked about this thing for fifty years. Now it is time we were doing something about it." Gospel Teaching in the Home Now that something is to be done in four different ways. In the first place there have been prepared a full year's lessons for parents to guide them in the teaching of the gospel in the home. ¶

These lesson manuals will be brought into the home by the home teachers, who will then as their part of the program give helpful suggestions and directions to homes which may need that direction. ¶

Priesthood quorums for the next year will study, every weekly class period, the place of the father in the teaching of the gospel to his own children in the home. And once a month the mothers will have a similar lesson. ¶

Correlation of Lessons As I have read and studied these lessons, I have become aware that tha more nearly we have a weekly home gospel discussion lesson with appropriate activity, the more nearly we will be able to co-ordinate with the Relief Society and Melchizedek Priesthood lessons. ¶

There will be optional lessons suggested for optional home nights on other things that some may care to have to augment the gospel lesson instruction. ¶

As I have thought of home night, I have thought of my own family, and I suppose all of you have as you have been listening. When our eldest daughter was to be married to a fine Latter-day Saint boy, the two mothers were in the corner of the room talking to each other. The mother of our eldest daughter said, "You know, from the time my little girl was born I have been praying that somewhere a mother would be preparing a son worthy to marry my daughter." ¶

And this other mother smiled and said, "Isn't that strange. This is my only son, who is being married to your daughter, and ever since he was born, I too have been praying that somewhere there would be a mother preparing a daughter worthy to meet and to marry my son." ¶

It is that kind of home attention — fathers and mothers preparing daughters and sons who will make us and our homes stronger today. ¶

Priesthood Correlation We said last night to priesthood leaders that we propose to send out for a stake introductory program at one of your stake priesthood meetings shortly after this conference a program to be carried out, and then a film strip of probably seventy frames or more to give specific instructions in the ward where every family may have the chance to be called together and to be given instruction as to the way to carry out the family home night. Now these will be sent out to you and will be your instruction to start the indoctrination period at once so that by January 1 we may be in full gear so far as the weekly home night. ¶

Know the Standard Works of the Church One of the hopes we have is that in this program every boy and girl of deacon age and older will have the four standard works in their private possession, and that on Easter, on birthdays, on Christmas, on New Year's, you make this a part of your family giving to your children, so they may have the joy of personally owning the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price, and from these precious pages begin to be instructed in the ways of the Lord. ¶

As I thought of what we are doing now and its possible impact, the words of the Prophet Micah came, "But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. ¶

"And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." (Mic. 4:1-2.) I say to you Latter-day Saint mothers and fathers that if you will rise to the responsibility of teaching your children in the home — priesthood quorums preparing the fathers, the Relief Society the mothers — the day will soon be dawning when the whole world will come to our doors and will say, "Show us your way that we may walk in your "Covenant One With Another" ¶

And so in final summation as I have been thinking of what has been said, and in carrying out what our noble leader wishes, my prayer is that his heart will have been thrilled, inasmuch as he, perhaps more than any other living individual, past or present, has given the urge to this matter of teaching and living the gospel in the home. And perhaps this is the scripture we should all remember as an admonition from the Lord that strikes to the heart of what we are talking about, "Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly and remember the covenant wherewith ye have covenanted one with another." (D&C 90:24.) I bear you my solemn testimony that I know with all my soul that God today, as well as in times past, is revealing his mind and will to his people, and if we will search diligently, pray always, and be believing, all things shall work to the good of him who remembers the covenants with which he has covenanted one with the other. And so I bear testimony and leave you my blessing in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶