I Am Very Grateful For The Message...

I am very grateful for the message from President McKay and pray that the blessings of the Spirit of the Lord may continue with him that he may be raised and be able to meet with us again. ¶

Father Asked Me to Read The Book of Mormon When I was a small boy, too young to hold the Aaronic Priesthood, my father placed a copy of the Book of Mormon in my hands with the request that I read it. I received this Nephite record with thanksgiving and applied myself to the task which had been assigned to me. There are certain passages that have been stamped upon my mind, and I have never forgotten them. ¶

One of these is in the 27th chapter of 3rd Nephi, verses 19 and 20. It is the word of our Redeemer to the Nephites as he taught them after his resurrection. It is as follows: ¶

"And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end. ¶

"Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day." ¶

The other passage is in the 10th verse of chapter 41 in the book of Alma and is as follows: ¶

"Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. ¶

Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness." ¶

Fundamental Teachings of the Prophets These two passages I have tried to follow all the days of my life, and I have felt to thank the Lord for this counsel and guidance, and I have endeavored to stamp these sayings on the minds of many others. What a wonderful guide these teachings can be to us if we can get them firmly fixed in our minds! ¶

These thoughts are of course not peculiar to the Book of Mormon. They are fundamental teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ and have been expressed many times by the prophets of old and our Redeemer when they were upon the earth. It is a fact beyond successful dispute that no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of God and obtain what is known as eternal life. This is to say that the Redeemer of this world, through the great sacrifice which he made, opened the graves and restored all mortal things, both mankind, fowls of the air, fishes of the sea, and every creature that partook of death through the "fall" of Adam. ¶

In the 5th chapter of John, verses 28 and 29, we have the definite statement of our Redeemer proclaiming this truth as follows: ¶

"Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, "And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." ¶

"Old Things Shall Pass Away" ¶

Permit me to quote some other passages of scripture from the revelations that have come to us by divine decree in this dispensation. This is from the Doctrine and Covenants, section 29, verses 22 to 25: ¶

"And again verily, verily, I say unto you that when the thousand years are ended, and men again begin to deny their God, then will I spare the earth but for a little season; "And the end shall come, and the heaven and the earth shall be consumed and pass away, and there shall be a new heaven and a new earth. ¶

"For all old things shall pass away, and all things shall become new, even the heaven and the earth, and all the fulness thereof, both meni and beasts, the fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea; "And not one hair, neither mote, shall be lost, for it is the workmanship of mine hand." ¶

Again the Lord spoke to the Prophet Joseph Smith in a revelation in answer to the question: ¶

"Q. What are we to understand by the four beasts, spoken of in the same verse? (See Rev. 4:6.) "A. They are figurative expressions, used by the Revelator, John, in describing heaven, the paradise of God, the happiness of man, and of beasts, and of creeping things, and of the fowls of the air; that which is spiritual being in the likeness of that which is temporal; and that which is temporal in the likeness of that which is spiritual; the spirit of man in the likeness of his person, as also the spirit of the beast, and every other creature which God has created." (D&C 77:2.) The Resurrection A Complete Restoration There is a strange doctrine in the world concerning the resurrection even among those who believe there will be a reuniting of the spirit and body, which is to the effect that only the righteous will come forth to receive rewards of exaltation. This, however, is a misunderstanding. Through the atonement wrought by the Son of God, our Savior, the resurrection is a complete restoration of all things mortal, even of this earth itself on which we stand. The earth is to be purified and become the abode of the righteous. Peter understood this doctrine and in his second epistle made the following statement: ¶

"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. ¶

"Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, "Looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? ¶

"Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." ¶

(2 Peter 3:10-13.) Earth to Receive Resurrection from Mortality Let us not misunderstand this expression. The new heaven and new earth will be the same heaven and the same earth on which we now sojourn, for this earth is to receive the resurrection after this day of mortality and be the abode of the righteous in eternity. Without the revelations of the Lord given to men, this truth would not be made known. ¶

Neither would we have knowledge of the final glory to which this earth will be assigned. Even now, where men are without divine guidance and revelation, this truth is unknown. Darkness Covered the Earth I am very grateful to my Father in heaven for the privilege that has been granted to me to come into this world in this dispensation when once again the fulness of the gospel has been revealed. I have been grateful and have thanked the Lord many times for the privilege which came to me to live in the present dispensation and that I was not born two or three hundred years ago during the great period when the fulness of the gospel was not had among men and they were running, as the scriptures say, "to and fro" seeking for the truth which could not be found because of the deep spiritual darkness which covered the entire earth. This condition was not the fault of the Lord but the fault of mankind, for they had been offered the fulness of the gospel, but in course of time they refused to have it, and their teachers turned away and caused to enter into the Church false doctrines and false ordinances and, worse than all, a false conception in relation to God our Eternal Father and his Son Jesus Christ. ¶

It was a day when there was not one left in mortality with the divine power to officiate in the vital and saving ordinances of the gospel — a day when false teachings, false ordinances, and false instructors came upon the scene. This condition left the entire Christian world in a state of confusion, without divine inspiration, so that the notion prevailed universally that the heavens were closed. ¶

Contact with the Father and his Beloved Son had ceased, and the angels for a long, long past had ceased to visit mortal man on the face of the earth. Under such conditions it was a natural thought encouraged by clergy that our Eternal Father had ceased to commune with his children on the earth. Moreover, the false notion became prevalent that mortal man was left with the teachings of the Bible and that it contained all of the revelation that mankind needed to insure his salvation in the kingdom of God. Under such conditions and practice no doubt Satan rejoiced; false teachers arose, and the people, no matter how devout they were, found themselves in spiritual darkness. Moreover, for a long time the edict went forth that mortal men who had not been prepared for the clergy should not seek for knowledge or search the scriptures, for this was the sole responsibility of the clergy. Therefore I am exceedingly grateful for the Prophet Joseph Smith and the coming of the Father and the Son to him and their directing him in the course he should take. Moreover, I am thankful that the time came for the restoration of divine truth and the power of the Holy Priesthood so that the inhabitants of the world could find the path to eternal life, and the ordinances of the Holy Priesthood could again be exercised in behalf of the salvation of all mankind. ¶

The Plan of Salvation Heaven's Gift to Mankind On January 22, 1834, the Prophet Joseph Smith said: ¶

"The great plan of salvation is a theme which ought to occupy our strict attention, and be regarded as one of heaven's best gifts to mankind. No consideration whatever ought to deter us from showing ourselves approved in the sight of God, according to His divine requirement. Men not infrequently forget that they are dependent upon heaven for every blessing which they are permitted to enjoy, and that for every opportunity granted them they are to give an account. You know, brethren, that when the Master in the Savior's parable of the stewards called his servants before him he gave them several talents to improve on while he should tarry abroad for a little season, and when he returned he called for an accounting. So it is now. ¶

Our Master is absent only for a little season, and at the end of it He will call each to render an account; and where the five talents were bestowed, ten will be required; and he that has made no improvement will be cast out as an unprofitable servant, while the faithful will enjoy everlasting honors. Therefore we earnestly implore the grace of our Father to rest upon you, through Jesus Christ His Son, that you may not faint in the hour of temptation, nor be overcome in the time of persecution." (DHC 2, 23-24.) I would like to quote a few remarks of divine truth from the lips of President David O. McKay, taken from Gospel Ideals, p. 383. ¶

"No man can disobey the word of God and not suffer for so doing. No sin, however secret, can escape retribution. True, you may lie and not be detected; you may violate virtue without it being known by any who would scandalize you; yet you cannot escape the judgment that follows such transgression. The lie is lodged in the recesses of your mind, an impairment of your character that will reflect sometime, somehow in your countenance or bearing. Your moral turpitude, though only you, your accomplice, and God may ever know it, will canker your soul." ¶

I will close my remarks by reading a poem which I think is very appropriate, entitled "The Guy in the Mirror." ¶

When you get what you want in your struggle for self, And the world makes you king for a day, Then go to the mirror and look at yourself And see what that guy has to say. ¶

For it isn't a man's father, or mother, or wife, Whose judgment upon him must pass; The feller whose verdict counts most in his life Is the guy staring back from the glass. ¶

He's the feller to please, never mind all the rest For he's with you clear up to the end. ¶

And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test, If the guy in the glass is your friend. ¶

You may be like Jack Horner and 'chisel' a plum, And think you're a wonderful guy, But the man in the glass says you're only a bum, If you can't look him straight in the eye. ¶

You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years, And get pats on the back as you pass, But your final reward will be heartaches or tears If you've cheated the guy in the glass. ¶

May the Lord bless you, my good brethren and sisters, and all, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶