My Dear Brethren And Sisters It...

My dear brethren and sisters: It is with mixed feelings that I greet you this morning, and with all my heart bid you welcome — you who are assembled in the Tabernacle and all who are listening in to this opening session of the 137th Annual Conference of the Church. ¶

I acknowledge with deep gratitude the blessings of the Lord and express profound appreciation to the members of the Church throughout the world for their prayers in my behalf, which have upheld and sustained me. I am grateful for your loyalty and devotion, and I know that our Heavenly Father is pleased with the unselfish service of the officers and teachers of the stakes and wards, and of every man and woman who is helping to advance the cause of truth. You are truly fellow servants of the Lord, and I extend my blessings and love to all of you. ¶

It is a great privilege to join with you and partake of the inspiration of a general conference of the Church. The proceedings will be widely disseminated, and I am pleased to announce that during this conference we will usher in the use of space-age communications in carrying the messages of the gospel. ¶

Satellite to relay conference

For the first time, a radio broadcast of the Sunday morning session of this conference will be sent overseas via the Lani Bird satellite, in orbit 22,000 miles above the Pacific Ocean. This historic broadcast will be heard in Hawaii, its destination, six-tenths of a second after our words are uttered here in the Tabernacle, after traveling over 100,000 miles through space. Thus, we begin to utilize another great communication tool in the work of our Heavenly Father. ¶

It is estimated that the April conference will be seen and heard by the largest audience ever to witness the proceedings of a general conference of the Church. ¶

We are truly living in a marvelous age of history, and the work of the Lord is being carried forward throughout the world in wondrous ways. We acknowledge his goodness and his blessings to this people. ¶

However, as I read in the daily press and national magazines of the conditions that are existing in the world about us, I become greatly concerned. I wonder whether we are so absorbed in our personal and too often selfish pursuits that we have forgotten what God has done for us and what he has said about this country. Have we forgotten the promises he has made which will bring us both peace and victory over evil if we will but accept the Lord at his word? ¶

Forces of evil arrayed

It seems to me that never before have the forces of evil been arrayed in such deadly formation as they are now. Few will question the fact that we are living in critical times and that many people have lost their moorings and are being ". . . tossed to and fro, . . . with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." (Eph. 4:14.) Satan and his forces are attacking the high ideals and sacred standards that protect our spirituality, and, as one of our brethren just recently stated, "He encompasses us round about by encircling us with allurements and temptations which already have destroyed high standards among many people of the world, and by which he now hopes to infiltrate our ranks. ¶

"By making sin popular with the world, he hopes to make it equally popular among us. ¶

"In the world about us, high standards are falling, and lower ones . . . are being set up. Some efforts are being made toward no standards at all." (Editorial, Church News, January 14, 1967.) ¶

Marriage dishonored, moral decline and delinquency

Among the glaring evils of our day are two which seem to be most detrimental and which must be curbed if we would preserve true Christian ideals. These are: first, an increasing tendency to dishonor the marriage vow; and second, the moral decline and the mounting juvenile delinquency. ¶

I am very happy and deeply grateful for the high type of young manhood and womanhood being reared in the Church, and I acknowledge that there are many worthy young men and young women throughout the world. ¶

It is because I adore youth and earnestly desire that their lives be directed along the pathways of righteousness, success, and happiness that I call attention to the threatening dangers that are clearly on the horizon. One cannot help being alarmed to note in local newspapers and national magazines the ever-increasing crime wave. Even children are being corrupted by it, and youth are caught in its whirlpool and are being contaminated overwhelmingly by it. ¶

J. Edgar Hoover, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has repeatedly warned the nation of the spiraling crime wave in this country, calling attention to the fact that youthful offenders are responsible for 72 percent of the total arrests for crime, and that the cost of crime has reached the staggering sum of over 27 billion dollars a year! ¶

I again call attention to Mr. Hoover's statement given at a dinner held in his honor in Chicago, Illinois, on November 24, 1964: ¶

"What a grim and unhappy commentary on the moral climate of this great nation! The moral strength of our nation has decreased alarmingly. We must return to the teachings of God if we are to cure this sickness. These shocking statistics, together with the public's apparent indifference to them, are indicative of the false morality we are tolerating today. It is a false code which is based on the worship of things of man's own creation. It is as imperfect and feeble as a man himself! However captivating to the senses, this type of moral climate cannot give the support nor the strength which is so vital to our national survival. This breakdown in our moral standards can only render us impotent as a people and as a nation." And this is from a man who is probably our nation's leading authority on crime. ¶

Many citizens are deeply troubled over the increase in crime, the high divorce and illegitimacy rates, the increasing incidents of venereal diseases, the scandals in high office, and other symptoms of private and public dishonesty. ¶

Is there a moral breakdown? Is there cause for alarm? The world is all about us, and the statistics we read about are frightening indeed, and they are a necessary warning. I believe that all loyal Americans are seriously concerned over the immorality, the disregard for law and order that are weakening this great land of ours. ¶

Mission of the Church: to overcome evil

The mission of the Church is to minimize and, if possible, eliminate these evils from the world. It is evident that we are in need of a unifying force to eliminate these evils. Such a uniting force, such an ideal is the gospel of Jesus Christ, as restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. It explains man's life and its purpose and has within it the vital saving elements, noble ideals, and spiritual uplift for which the heart of man is yearning. ¶

Right-thinking, upright men and women everywhere are desirous of eliminating from our communities evil elements that are constantly disintegrating society — the liquor problem with its drunkenness, the narcotic habit with all its attendant evils, immorality, poverty, etc. The Church is seeking to make both home and community environment better and brighter. ¶

The enemy is active. He is cunning and wily, and seeks every opportunity to undermine the foundation of the Church, and strikes wherever it is possible to weaken or to destroy. To every normal person God has given the freedom of choice. Our moral and spiritual progress depends upon the use we make of that freedom. ¶

In the most impressive prayer ever offered, Jesus prayed for his disciples on the night that he faced Gethsemane, saying to his Father — ¶

"And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. . . . ¶

"I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. ¶

"I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil." (John 17:11, 14-15. Italics added.) ¶

Nor did he pray for his disciples alone, but, as he said, "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their [the disciples'] word." (John 17:20.) ¶

In this text is a clear implication of the divine purpose for man's being in this mortal probation. This purpose is expressly stated in the book of Abraham by the Eternal Father to his fellow intelligences as follows: ¶

". . . we will make an earth where these [organized intelligences] may dwell; ¶

"And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them." (Abraham 3:24-25.) ¶

And so our place in this world is divinely appointed. We are not to be out of it. Christ himself prayed that we should not be taken out of it. ¶

There can be little doubt that war and materialistic science have had a deadening effect upon the moral sensibilities of too many of our youth. One critic goes so far as to say, "Self-interest alone remains as a motive, and pleasure as the sole end of life." ¶

Duty to teach and to demonstrate

It is the duty of parents and of the Church not only to teach but also to demonstrate to young people that living a life of truth and moral purity brings joy and happiness, while violations of moral and social laws result only in dissatisfaction, sorrow, and, when carried to extreme, in degradation. ¶

Man has a dual nature — one, related to the earthly or animal life; the other, the spiritual life, akin to the divine. Man's body is but the tabernacle in which his spirit dwells. Too many, far too many, are prone to regard the body as the man and, consequently, to direct their efforts to the gratifying of the body's pleasures, its appetites, its desires, its passions. Too few recognize that the real man is an immortal spirit, which "intelligence or light of truth" was animated as an individual entity before the body was begotten, and that this spiritual entity, with all its distinguishing traits, will continue after the body ceases to respond to its earthly environment. ¶

Whether a man remains satisfied within what we designate the animal world, satisfied with what the animal world will give him, yielding without effort to the whim of his appetites and passions, and slipping further and further into the realm of indulgence, or whether, through self-mastery, he rises toward intellectual, moral, and spiritual enjoyments depends upon the kind of choice he makes every day — nay, every hour of his life. ¶

Man's two creators

"Man has two creators," says William George Jordan, "his God and himself. The first Creator furnishes him the raw materials of his life — the laws and conformity with which he can make that life what he will. The second creator — himself — has marvelous powers he rarely realizes. It is what a man makes of himself that counts." ¶

We need not shut our eyes to the fact that too many of our young folk respond to the call of the physical, because it seems the easy and natural thing to do. Too many are vainly seeking shortcuts to happiness. It should always be kept in mind that that which is most worthwhile in life requires strenuous effort. When a man seeks something for nothing and shuns effort, he is in no position to resist temptation. ¶

Too many prefer to revel on the lower animal plane of life rather than to strive for the higher and better things of life. Persons who condemn their will to the service of their appetites suffer the penalties. Charles Wagner in The Simple Life says of those who have condemned their will to the service of their appetites: "I have been listening to what life says, and have recorded, as I have heard them, some of the truths that resound in every square. Has drinking, inventive as it is of new drinks, found the means of quenching thirst? Not at all. It might rather be called the art of making thirst inextinguishable. Frank libertinage, does it deaden the sting of the senses? No, it envenoms it, converts natural desire into a morbid obsession and makes it the dominant passion. Let your needs rule you, pamper them, and you will see them multiply like insects in the sun. The more you give them, the more they demand. He is senseless who seeks for happiness in material prosperity alone." ¶

It is said that one Roman emperor offered a reward to anybody who would invent a new pleasure. Nero set Rome on fire for the mere pleasure of a new form of diversion. Rome fell because of extravagance, luxury, and dissipation. In personal, as in national life, these are unfailing signs of decline and decay. Truly, ". . . he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." (Gal. 6:8.) ¶

In their yearning for a good time, young people are often tempted to indulge in the things that appeal only to the baser side of humanity, five of the most common of which are: (1) vulgarity and obscenity; (2) drinking and the using of narcotics and now the vicious LSD drug, especially among the young; (3) unchastity; (4) disloyalty; and (5) irreverence. ¶

It is right, indeed, essential, to the happiness of our young people that they meet in social parties, but it is an indication of low morals when for entertainment they must resort to physical stimulation and debasement. Such indulgence weakens and degrades character, discredits the family name, robs the future wife or husband of a priceless treasure, and sows seeds that will ripen into bitter fruit and marital suspicion, unhappiness, and divorce. A girl who sacrifices self-respect for social popularity debases true womanhood. A spotless character, founded upon the ability to say "no" in the presence of those who mock and jeer, wins the respect and love of men and women whose opinion is most worthwhile. Drinking, using narcotics, and lewd parties form an environment in which the moral sense becomes dulled, and unbridled passion holds sway. It then becomes easy to take the final step downward in moral disgrace. ¶

Church dedicated to one moral standard

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints there is but one standard of morality. No young man has any more right to sow his wild oats in youth than has a young girl. He who is unchaste in young manhood is untrue to a trust given to him by the parents of the girl, and she who is unchaste in maidenhood is untrue to her future husband and lays the foundation of unhappiness in the home, suspicion, and discord. Do not worry about these teachers who encourage promiscuity and self-gratification. Just keep in mind this eternal truth, that chastity is a virtue to be prized as one of life's noblest achievements. ¶

In this day when modesty is thrust into the background, and chastity is considered an outmoded virtue, I appeal to parents especially, and to my fellow teachers, both in and out of the Church, to teach youth to keep their souls unmarred and unsullied from this and other debasing sins, the consequences of which will smite and haunt them intimately until their conscience is seared and their character becomes sordid. A chaste, not a profligate, life is the source of virile manhood. The test of true womanhood comes when the woman stands innocent at the court of chastity. All qualities are crowned by this most precious virtue of beautiful womanhood. It is the most vital part of the foundation of a happy married life and is the source of strength and perpetuity of the race. ¶

Spiritual attributes distinguish nobility of man

Health, happiness, peace of mind, and character come through self-restraint. The only thing that places man above the beast of the field is his possession of spiritual gifts. Man's earthly existence is but a test as to whether he will concentrate his efforts, his mind, his soul, upon things which will contribute to the comfort and gratification of his physical instincts and passions, or whether he will make his life's aims and purposes the acquisition of spiritual qualities. ¶

The Savior's constant desire and effort were to implant in the mind right thoughts, pure motives, noble ideals, knowing full well that right words and actions would inevitably follow. He taught, and modern physiology and psychology confirm, that hate and jealousy and other evil passions destroy a man's physical vigor and efficiency. ¶

No man can disobey the word of God and not suffer by so doing. What a man continually thinks about determines his actions in times of opportunity and stress. A man's reaction to his appetites and impulses when they are aroused gives the measure of that man's character. In these reactions are revealed the man's power to govern or his forced servility to yield. ¶

Brethren and sisters, spirituality is the consciousness of victory over self, and of communion with the Infinite. Spirituality impels one to conquer difficulties and acquire more and more strength. To feel one's faculties unfolding and truth expanding the soul is one of life's sublimest experiences. ¶

Being "honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men" are attributes that contribute to spirituality, the highest acquisition of the soul. It is the divine in man, the supreme, crowning gift that makes him king of all created things, the one final quality that makes him tower above all other animals. ¶

Divine is that admonition and promise given to the Prophet Joseph Smith: ¶

"Let virtue garnish thy thoughts"

". . . let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly [a wonderful statement]; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. ¶

"The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever." (D&C 121:45-46.) ¶

God help us to keep that admonition, and to follow the ideals of the Church established by direct revelation in this day, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶