My Dear Brothers And Sisters I Am...

• My dear brothers and sisters, I am happy to participate with you in the wonderful spirit of this conference and in the beautiful music and inspirational messages we have listened to. I feel that these messages are particularly applicable at this time. ¶

At The Crossroads

Frequently we hear that our nation is at the crossroads of advancement or fall, and this could well be a correct analysis of the present situation. ¶

Many have twisted moral values to suit themselves, have scoffed at integrity, and have become victims of a feverish tension, lacking the one thing they want most — inner peace. To a considerable extent this nation has behaved like great civilizations of the past when they have become selfindulgent and pleasure ridden, just before they crumbled. ¶

Success Of The Inner Man

But where do we go from here? Do we have a new frontier or goal? ¶

It seems to me that we should seek the success of the inner man, now that our affluent society has furbished the outer man so extensively. ¶

We could search for paths to family harmony, more and better relatedness to God and our fellowmen, and inner ease instead of tension. ¶

Our new frontier and goal might well be that of making a rich and rewarding life. ¶

Let me suggest that we reexamine our standards of right and wrong and determine what standards are best for ourselves and for the common good of our fellowmen. ¶

I am convinced that neither science nor philosophy can satisfactorily answer these questions but that the gospel of Jesus Christ can. ¶

We bear witness to the world that God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ have appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith in this dispensation and restored the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness and that there is a prophet of God on the earth today, our beloved President Joseph Fielding Smith. ¶

Gospel Sets Out Standards

The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan of life and teaches that all men are children of God. The gospel clearly sets out standards of right and wrong. ¶

As an example, in this dispensation the Lord has counseled, "Thou shalt not steal," and "Thou shalt not lie." ¶

(D&C 42:20-21.) These standards require a person to be honest and truthful and respect the property rights of others, and are for the common good of all. ¶

The apostle Paul, in facing a situation somewhat similar to our time, wrote the Roman saints and enumerated several standards, saying, "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: ¶

let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armour of light. ¶

"Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying." (Rom. 13:12-13.) ¶

Importance Of Being Honest

Many times the apostle Paul emphasized the importance of being honest, and his life, in every way, exemplified this great eternal principle. ¶

As we incorporate the gospel principles or standards into our lives, we have the confidence and respect of our fellowmen, enjoy love and harmony in our family relationships, and are blessed with peace of mind. We are indeed living the good life. ¶

The English author Charles Dickens wrote, "We wear the chains we forge in life." How true this is, and how important it is to forge a chain that will bring a rich and rewarding life — and remember that the diminutive chains of habit are generally too small to be felt until they are too strong to be broken. ¶

In forging a strong chain of life, the habit of honesty can well become one of the brightest and strongest links. ¶

There is great power in centering one's attention upon an ideal or principle such as honesty. But in the minds of many the real meaning of honesty, as a moral value, has been terribly twisted. ¶

Honest thinking and honest acting are desperately needed in today's society. ¶

Being True To Self

The dictionary defines honesty as the quality of being truthful, incorruptible, and free from deceit and fraud. ¶

In thinking of honesty, we may first think of our relations with others, but in many respects it is more important to be honest with ourselves. ¶

In the play Hamlet, Shakespeare has his character Polonius saying to his son Laertes, "This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man." (Act 1, sc. 3.) When one accepts the standard of being honest with himself and commits himself to this end, he has made a tremendous step toward happiness and success. ¶

Each of us is endowed with the right to choose good or evil, and we should recognize that men do not succeed, neither are they destroyed by other people or conditions, but rather by their own decisions. ¶

Adoption Of Good Health Habits

Honesty to one's own self embraces good health habits, good work and study habits, a determination to be of some useful service to others, and, as the apostle Paul says, an avoidance of rioting, drunkenness, chambering, wantonness, strife and envying. ¶

We recognize that our body is the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in us, and with such knowledge we should do everything possible to strengthen our bodies. This necessarily means the avoidance of tobacco, liquor, tea, and coffee, the use of drugs and anything that harms or defiles the body. ¶

Likewise, good thoughts that assist one to grow and develop and to be of use and service to his fellowmen stimulate mental and physical health, whereas degrading thoughts built around obscenity, immorality, strife, stealing, cheating, and lying result in ultimate destruction. ¶

To be honest with ourselves, we must adopt good mental and physical health habits as our standards; we know that good health of body and mind contribute to a rich and rewarding life, a clear conscience, and inner peace. ¶

Work And Study Habits

Again, good work and study habits are of major importance in living a rich and rewarding life. ¶

There are some who contend that hard work isn't necessary today in order to be successful and happy, but this is not true. ¶

The gospel plan requires each of us to work out our own salvation, our happiness, growth, and development. ¶

Let me quote a part of a letter written by an anxious father to his son to emphasize this matter: ¶

"My son, remember you have to work. Whether you handle a pick or wheelbarrow, or a set of books, editing a newspaper or writing a funny story, you must work. ¶

"Work gives you appetite for your meals, it lends solidity to your slumber, it gives you an appreciation of a holiday. ¶

"There are young men who do not work but the country is not proud of them. It does not even know their names. So find out what you want to be and do. Take off your coat and make the dust fly. The busier you are the less harm you are apt to get into, the sweeter will be your sleep, the brighter your holidays and the better satisfied the whole world will be with you." (Bob Burdette, in Leaves of Gold.) Good work habits include such qualities as dependability, loyalty to employer, willingness to go the extra mile, and finding happiness and purpose in your work. ¶

Purpose Of Studying

Now, concerning good study habits, let us consider why we read and study: ¶

to be informed, to gain wisdom and knowledge that will be of value to us, to grow and develop. Yes, reading can become a most pleasant and profitable way to regularly spend a portion of our time. ¶

The Lord has told us that "the glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth" (D&C 93:36), and that "it is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance" (D&C 131:6), and "whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection. ¶

"And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come." ¶

(D&C 130:18-19.) ¶

Application Of Bible Truths

Mr. Alfred C. Fuller, the founder of the Fuller Brush Company, had this to say about his study of the Bible: ¶

"What most impressses me as I look backward, is the immense application I have made of Bible truths in my family life. From lack of education, I relied on the Bible as my text book, in every conceivable problem that arose. Only when I deviated from this teaching did I fail. ¶

"He who does not live daily in its guidance is foolish for he is rejecting the greatest source of personal profit that exists in the world. The Bible is the best 'how-to-do-it' book ever compiled and it covers every fundamental that anyone really needs to know." ¶

Let us be honest with ourselves and get into the habit of reading and studying the Bible and the other standard works of the Church as a guide to a rich and rewarding life. ¶

Opportunities To Serve

One of the greatest blessings the Church affords its members is an opportunity for each to serve his fellows in many different ways. We receive great joy, happiness, and individual growth and development by being active in church service. ¶

Let us be honest with ourselves and never turn down an opportunity to serve in building and serving the kingdom of God. ¶

When one is honest with himself, he cannot be unfaithful to his family, unfair to his employer, or disloyal to his God and country. ¶

We should exert our best efforts to accomplish our righteous objectives, utilizing every legitimate means but not permitting ourselves to commit a wrong in our quest for the right. It is better to lose than to win an unjust or dishonest cause. ¶

Use Of Honest Principles

What better, then, can a person learn than honesty? What better can he learn than to use the principle of honesty in doing his best? in learning the best things in life? in reading the best books? in mingling with the best people? in doing the best things? ¶

In so doing we are seeking the success of the inner man and will find family harmony, more and better relatedness to God and our fellowmen, and inner ease instead of inner tension. ¶

Thus we will achieve our new frontier and goal of a rich and rewarding life. ¶

May we commit ourselves to this end, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. ¶

Amen. ¶