My Brethren And Sisters I Have Been...

My brethren and sisters: I have been impressed as you have by the proceedings of this conference, and I was particularly impressed by the wonderful sermon delivered here this morning by President David O. McKay. I hope the Latter-day Saints will remember that sermon and will cherish it as long as they live. ¶

I quote from Psalm nineteen: ¶

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. ¶

"Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. ¶

"There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard." (Psalm 19:1-3.) ¶

An Overruling Providence

The testimony of nature is strong and convincing regarding the existence of an overruling Providence. One need but look into the sky and see the sun, the moon, and the stars and observe their regularity as they glide through space. I have always been impressed with the majesty of the universe. We see enough of it to be profoundly touched by its grandeur and vastness. ¶

There is no confusion in nature. ¶

Every one of its manifestations is a solemn declaration of a supreme power, a supreme knowledge, and a supreme design. It is not the result of chance, for the Creator is the source of intelligence and order. And intelligence is his glory, and it operates perfectly and is in harmony with established law. I see all this, and I am sustained by an "unfaltering trust." ¶

God's Handiwork

I look around me, and I see the green fields, the flowers, the trees, and the shrubbery, and in the autumn, I see the earth illuminated with red and gold before nature goes to rest. I witness God's handiwork. It bears the mark of a superior intelligence which is beyond my meager comprehension. ¶

I can conscientiously conclude that there is a divine plan which provides for man's future when and where mortality ends. I can join with the prophets and seers in the revelations from God and accept them as God's commandments. I am not a stranger, wandering aimlessly without purpose. ¶

I am a child of God, and I see evidences of his existence all around me. ¶

In other words, I believe in God. I do not serve and worship him blindly. ¶

I trust him. He hears and answers my prayers. He sustains me in emergencies and comes to my rescue in times of need. ¶

I realize that a mastermind has planned and made tangible all these things. They are gifts from him to his children. The Lord has given them freely regardless of their obedience. ¶

It is a manifestation of his love for his sons and daughters. ¶

How are the gifts received? Some receive them with thanksgiving, some with scorn, and some deny the existence of the giver. Others fail to recognize and identify this giver. They "knew him not" (John 1:10), for they are absorbed in materialistic aspirations so characteristic of our day. ¶

I read St. John's testimony regarding this giver and creator of all things. ¶

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ¶

"All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. ¶

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (Ibid., 1:1, 3, 14.) The above quotation answers the question: Who is the Creator? Paul the Apostle is even more explicit in his letter to the Colossians. In speaking of Jesus, he says: "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, . . ." (Col. 1:16.) ¶

Benefactor of the Human Race

Jesus, therefore, becomes the greatest benefactor of the human race. There is no one with whom he can be compared. He gave his life that we might live and enjoy the blessings of eternity. ¶

He offered the plan by which we may enter his kingdom and receive the exaltation promised to the faithful. ¶

Those who deny his place in the eternal program of things are victims of deception and darkness. If Jesus Christ is not the Creator and Savior, the New Testament is fiction and not history, and the testimonies of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are figments of the imagination — false and unfounded. The same can be said of Peter's positive and fervent testimony regarding the man he called Lord and Master, and of the restored gospel and the divine calling of Joseph Smith the prophet of the latter days. ¶

Peace on Earth

But they were not mistaken. All of them, without exception, gave their testimonies as eyewitnesses. We may deny him and fail to recognize his preeminence in nature and in a world of strife, contention, and corruption, but he is a reality. Millions of men have assailed him, and millions are indifferent to him, but he cannot be expelled. He cannot be eliminated by the sophistries of intellectuals or the bigotry of the ignorant. His name and his works of righteousness are secure on the pages of history. He came with a message of peace and goodwill. His program is the only thing that will end war and bloodshed. I hope we will remember that. He demonstrated his love for humanity, a love that knew no bounds and a devotion that has no parallel. ¶

On this very day, in the blaze of the twentieth century since his birth, we need him more than ever. Nations and individuals need to be comforted by something outside and above the avarice and greed of men. All the world is in search of peace. International councils are in session in an attempt to avoid war. So far as the casual observer can see, no headway has been made. We are still groping in the darkness. ¶

Goodwill to Men

Members of the true Church are aware that Jesus Christ is the Creator of heaven and earth and is the way to peace on earth and goodwill to men. ¶

They marvel at the beauty of his creations, and they accept his divine leadership and agree with Paul the Apostle that Jesus is also the author of the plan of life and salvation. ¶

"Mormonism" declares to all the world that Jesus Christ lived upon the earth in the meridian of time; that he preached the Sermon on the Mount to a small group of friends and followers who had gathered on a mountainside to hear him; that he performed many mighty miracles; that he was born of the virgin Mary; that he was crucified on the cross by his enemies who were inspired by disgruntled religious leaders of his day; that he arose the third day from a borrowed grave where he was buried; and finally that he is the Son of God, the Messiah, about whom the prophets of Israel spoke. ¶

His Church Restored

"Mormonism" also declares that he chose twelve apostles to be his representatives and witnesses, that he commissioned them to preach the gospel of the kingdom which he had taught them during his three years of ministry among them. And that same gospel was restored to earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith. This restored gospel makes life in all of its aspects worth living. It gives beauty, significance, and purpose to man's sojourn in mortality and fills him with courage and conviction and satisfies his spiritual longings. ¶

May we live the gospel. May we introduce it into our lives, and may we not forget to remember that Jesus Christ is the Creator and Ruler of all things, I pray in his name. Amen. ¶