From The People Then No Man Would...

(Dr. Don Lind, LDS astronaut, missionary, jet pilot, scientist, was called on and spoke extemporaneously at the priesthood meeting at general conference, April 1967. These are his remarks.) ¶

Brethren, it is an honor to be with you this evening. ¶

It is amazing what irrelevant ideas come to your mind as you are walking up that flight of stairs. The thing I was thinking about was the fact that a great amount of our training is involved in such things as riding centrifuges, when you have a great variety of sensors attached rather painfully to your body to give the doctor a monitor of your pulse rate, heart beat, and general physical condition. As I was climbing the stairs I was grateful that I wasn't being monitored, because I think I exceeded a number of limits. If lying on an Apollo couch is as disturbing as sitting in that little green chair, we may have to postpone a launch. ¶

Brethren, it is a pleasure to be with you. I enjoyed greatly the first half of this meeting, as well as the afternoon session. I was grateful for the opportunity to come and be with you for conference. It has been inspiring. ¶

When I was in grade school, a number of movies were made about great square-rigged whaling vessels. I always felt at that age in my life that I had been born at the wrong time, that I should have been born back in the days of the whaling vessels; but since I have grown a bit older, and hopefully a little wiser, I have decided that this is the time in the world's history that I am most grateful for being alive, not only for having the opportunity of participating in one of the most exciting adventures I think mankind has attempted, but also the opportunity of being born at a time when the Gospel is here upon the earth, in going to the particular home to which I was assigned. ¶

I would not be here today if it were not for my parents. ¶

The words that were spoken about the responsibility of fathers and parents in general this evening touched my heart in my responsibility to my family, but I also marvel at the wonderful job that my father and my mother did for me. I, with Nephi, can say that I have come of goodly parents. I would never have made the astronaut program, nor would I be a priesthood bearer in the Church, if it had not been for my father and my mother, and I thank them for it. ¶

I am grateful for this gospel. I have been in situations when religion was not necessarily the most popular topic of conversation. I have been in situations involving my schooling when people expressed openly the idea that religion was fairytale, was legend, was myth, was only for those who were not sufficiently well educated to get along without it; and obviously I did not agree. ¶

I have been in situations where the principles that we hold have not been lived, if even believed, and I have been grateful for the strength that I received in my home, and grateful for the strength that a testimony of the gospel gave me in those situations. The gospel means more to me than my life, more to me than anything that I would be capable of describing. I don't know how to express in words the feeling of what my testimony of the gospel means to me. ¶

Brethren, it is an honor to be with you as a member of this priesthood. I have marveled at the strength it can give one in various situations. I have a testimony that God lives, and that, strangely enough, is a fact I am afraid most of the world do not share with us. There are a great many who wonder whether God really lives at all. ¶

I wasn't in the Sacred Grove with Joseph Smith, but I have just as strong a conviction of the fact that he saw God and talked with him face to face as I have the conviction of something I got my doctoral dissertation on, the existence of pi-mesons. I haven't seen pi-mesons either, but I accept their existence on secondary evidence. And on secondary evidence I believe that Joseph Smith saw God in the Sacred Grove; and that is a great strength in my life. ¶

I believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet, that he received revelations. Scientifically I believe it because I think it would be just too difficult to forge the Book of Mormon, if for no other reason. I do not think it could be done by a man with Joseph Smith's education. So I believe the Book of Mormon is an evidence that Joseph Smith has to be a prophet of our Lord. I am grateful too that we have a prophet living today to guide and direct the Church. ¶

Brethren, let me repeat once more, it is a pleasure to be with you, because I couldn't be with you if I did not hold the priesthood, which I hold dear. Brethren, I bear you my testimony that the gospel is true; I am grateful to be a member of this Church, and I do this in the name of Jesus Christ. ¶

Amen. ¶