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One,  diundhsuL  S&v&nlaiinih. 
SEMI-ANNUAL 

coimcE 

OF  THE  CHURCH  OF  JESUS  CHRIST 
OF  LATTER-DAY  SAINTS 

❖ 

Held  in  the  Tabernacle 
Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

Qdobah,  If,  5  and.  6,  1946 

With  Report  of  Discourses 

Published  by  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 
Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 


Erintcd  In  the  United  Stale*  of  America 


FOR  YOUR  CONSIDERATION 

WE  PRESENT 

J  Jul  Book  jofL  Vft&wwL 

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SALT  LAKE  CITY  10.  UTAH 


The  One  Hundred  Seventeenth  Semi-Annual 
Conference  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 

The  One  Hundred  Seventeenth  Semi-Annual  Conference  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  convened  in  the  great 
Tabernacle,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  Friday,  Saturday,  and  Sunday, 
October  4,  5,  and  6,  1946. 

The  general  sessions  of  the  Conference  were  held  at  10  a.m., 
and  2  p.m.,  Friday,  Saturday,  and  Sunday,  and  the  General  Priest- 
hood meeting  convened  Saturday  evening  at  7:00.  A  report  of  the 
services  at  the  Priesthood  meeting  is  not  included  in  this  Pamphlet. 

Through  the  courtesy  of  Radio  Station  KSL  of  Salt  Lake  City, 
KSUB  of  Cedar  City,  and  Station  KID  of  Idaho  Falls,  Idaho,  the 
proceedings  of  the  general  sessions  of  the  Conference  were  broad- 
cast for  the  benefit  of  the  general  public. 

President  George  Albert  Smith  was  present  and  presided  at 
each  of  the  sessions.  He  also  conducted  the  services  at  each  of  the 
meetings,  with  the  exception  of  the  Saturday  morning  session,  which 
services  were  conducted  by  President  J.  Reuben  Clark,  Jr.,  First 
Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency;  and  the  Saturday  afternoon  ses- 
sion, which  were  conducted  by  President  David  O.  McKay,  Second 
Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency. 

General  Authorities  of  the  Church  Present 

The  First  Presidency:  George  Albert  Smith,  J.  Reuben  Clark, 
Jr.,  and  David  O.  McKay. 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles:  George  F.  Richards, 
Joseph  Fielding  Smith,*  John  A.  Widtsoe,  Joseph  F.  Merrill,  Charles 
A.  Callis,  Albert  E.  Bowen,  Harold  B.  Lee,  Spencer  W.  Kimball,** 
Mark  E.  Petersen,  and  Matthew  Cowley. 

Patriarch  to  the  Church*** 

Assistants  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles:  Marion  G. 
Romney,  Thomas  E.  McKay,  Clifford  E.  Young,  and  Alma  Sonne. 

The  First  Council  of  the  Seventy:  Levi  Edgar  Young,  Antoine 
R.  Ivins,  Richard  L.  Evans,  Oscar  A.  Kirkham,  Seymour  Dilworth 
Young,  Milton  R.  Hunter,  and  Bruce  R.  McConkie.**** 

The  Presiding  Bishopric:  LeGrand  Richards,  Marvin  O.  Ash- 
ton,  and  Joseph  L.  Wirthlin. 

*  Elder  Stephen  L  Richards  absent  because  of  illness. 

**  Elder  Ezra  Taft  Benson  in  Europe,  presiding  over  the  European  Mission. 
***  Elder  Joseph  F.  Smith,  Patriarch  to  the  Church,  absent  because  of  illness. 

*  *  *  *Elder  Bruce  R.  McConkie  was  sustained  as  a  member  of  the  First  Council 
of  Seventy  at  this  Conference  to  succeed  Elder  John  H.  Taylor,  who  passed  away 
May  28,  1946. 


2  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  October  4  First  Day 

Officers  and  Other  Authorities  Present 

Church  Historian  and  Recorder:  Joseph  Fielding  Smith,  and 
A.  William  Lund,  Assistant. 

Members  of  the  General  Committee,  Church  Welfare  Program. 

Members  of  the  Church  Board  of  Education,  Commissioner  of 
Education,  and  Seminary  Superviser. 

Presidents  of  Stakes  and  their  counselors,  Bishops  of  Wards 
and  their  counselors,  Presidents  of  Temples,  Patriarchs,  High  Priests, 
Seventies,  Elders,  General  Stake  and  Ward  officers  of  Auxiliary 
Associations,  from  all  parts  of  the  Church. 

Mission  Presidents:  David  A.  Smith,  Temple  Square,  Salt  Lake 
City,  Utah;  Roy  W.  Doxey,  Eastern  States;  William  H.  Reeder,  Jr., 
New  England;  Creed  Haymond,  Northern  States;  William  L.  Kill- 
pack,  North  Central  States;  Graham  H.  Doxey,  East  Central  States; 
Francis  W.  Brown,  Central  States;  Heber  Meeks,  Southern  States; 
Glenn  G.  Smith,  Texas-Louisiana;  Francis  A.  Child,  Western 
States;  Oscar  W.  McConkie,  California;  Samuel  E.  Bringhurst, 
Northwestern  States;  Octave  W.  Ursenbach,  Canada;  Joseph  Y. 
Card,  Western  Canada;  Arwell  L.  Pierce,  Mexico;  Ralph  William 
Evans,  Navajo-Zuni;  Lorin  F.  Jones,  Spanish-American. 

FIRST  DAY 
MORNING  MEETING 

The  first  meeting  of  the  Conference  was  held  Friday  morning, 
October  4,  at  10  o'clock.  President  George  Albert  Smith  presided 
and  conducted  the  services. 

Every  available  seat  in  the  great  auditorium  and  gallaries  was 
occupied,  and  in  addition  many  were  standing  in  the  aisles  and 
doorways. 

President  George  Albert  Smith: 

This  is  a  beautiful  sight,  the  Tabernacle  filled  to  capacity. 

This  is  the  opening  session  of  the  117th  Semi- Annual  Confer- 
ence of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  We  are  con- 
vened in  the  great  Tabernacle  on  Temple  Square  in  Salt  Lake  City. 

There  are  on  the  stand  this  morning  all  of  the  General  Authori- 
ties of  the  Church,  except  Elder  Stephen  L  Richards  of  the  Council 
of  the  Twelve,  who  is  detained  at  home  by  his  doctor's  orders;  Elder 
Ezra  Taft  Benson,  also  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve,  who  is  in 
Europe  in  charge  of  the  European  Mission;  and  the  Patriarch  to  the 
Church,  also  absent  on  account  of  illness. 

Elder  Joseph  Anderson  is  the  Clerk  of  the  Conference. 

This  full  service  will  be  broadcast  over  Station  KSL,  Salt  Lake 
City,  as  will  also  the  service  this  afternoon  beginning  at  2:00  p.m. 
The  services  tomorrow,  Saturday,  at  10:00  a.m.  and  at  2:00  p.m., 
will  likewise  be  broadcast  over  KSL,  and  also  the  two  services  on 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH  3 


Sunday  at  10:00  a.m.  and  2:00  p.m.  These  same  sessions  will  be 
broadcast  over  KSUB  at  Cedar  City,  and  KID  at  Idaho  Falls  will 
broadcast  the  10:00  a.m.  sessions  each  day.  The  Priesthood  meet- 
ing on  Saturday  evening  will  not  be  broadcast. 

The  singing  today  will  be  by  a  combined  chorus  of  the  Relief 
Society  Singing  Mothers  of  the  Jordan  Valley  Region.  Sister  Flor- 
ence Jepperson  Madsen  is  the  conductor,  and  Elder  Alexander 
Schreiner  is  the  organist.  The  first  song  will  be;  "I  Will  Exalt  Thee, 
O  Lord,"  by  Harrison. 

The  opening  prayer  will  be  offered  by  President  Alando  B.  Bal- 
lantyne  of  the  Southern  Arizona  Stake. 

The  Relief  Society  Singing  Mothers  of  the  Jordan  Valley  Region 
sang:  "I  Will  Exalt  Thee,  O  Lord." 

Elder  Alondo  B.  Ballantyne,  President  of  the  Southern  Arizona 
Stake,  offered  the  invocation. 

The  Relief  Society  Singing  Mothers  sang:  "O  Lord  Most 
Holy,"  Franck. 

PRESIDENT  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH 

I  have  sometimes  said  to  my  friends  in  different  parts  of  the 
world,  when  referring  to  these  great  gatherings,  the  annual  and  semi- 
annual conferences  of  the  Church,  that  they  will  see  no  other  spec- 
tacle like  them  in  all  the  world,  and  I  believe  this  to  be  true. 

Uplift  of  General  Conferences 

These  conferences  offer  the  opportunity  for  the  officers  of  the 
Church  from  all  parts  of  the  world  to  meet  and  to  become  acquainted 
with  one  another,  and  to  be  edified  under  the  influence  of  the  Spirit 
of  the  Lord.  Fortunate  are  we  that  those  who  came  to  this  valley 
in  an  early  day  erected  this  splendid  structure.  There  is  not  any- 
thing like  it  to  be  found  elsewhere,  a  building  that  will  make  com- 
fortable approximately  ten  thousand  people  in  which  all  can  hear 
the  speaker.  Of  course  with  our  modern  devices,  we  can  hear  very 
well. 

We  come  together,  not  just  to  visit,  not  just  to  be  seen;  but  as 
sons  and  daughters  of  the  Living  God,  we  assemble  in  his  name,  and 
he  has  never  failed  to  fulfil  his  promise  made  of  old,  that  when  two 
or  three  shall  meet  together  in  his  name,  he  will  be  there  and  that 
to  bless  them.  And  so  we  look  forward  to  these  gatherings  every 
six  months  and  have  joy  in  being  able  to  go  back  to  our  homes  with 
the  statement  that  the  Lord  was  with  us,  and  blessed  us,  and  we  en- 
joyed the  power  of  his  Spirit. 

Early  Conferences 

Of  course  this  is  only  a  little  handful  of  the  membership  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  compared  to  the  great 


4  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  October  4  First  Day 

number  that  belong  to  it.  The  first  conference  of  the  Church  was 
held  on  June  9,  1830,  and  there  were  eighteen  present.  The  second 
conference  was  held  a  few  months  later  with  about  the  same  number 
present;  then  the  first  annual  conference  of  the  Church  was  held 
June  3,  1831,  just  one  year  later,  and  there  were  present  in  that  con- 
ference forty-three  elders,  ten  priests,  and  ten  teachers,  making  a 
total  of  sixty-three  present. 

In  those  days  the  meetings  were  held  for  the  officers  of  the 
Church,  and  the  public  was  not  generally  invited  to  attend,  but  later 
in  Nauvoo,  it  became  customary  to  invite  the  public,  and  from  that 
time  on,  each  six  months,  the  membership  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  have  been  invited  to  meet  with  the  Lord 
in  a  general  conference  of  such  a  character  as  the  one  we  assemble 
in  this  morning. 

As  I  look  out  into  this  congregation  and  see  the  men  and  women 
who  are  here,  I  recognize  those  that  I  have  known,  many  of  them 
from  my  childhood.  I  have  been  in  many  of  your  homes  and  have 
been  entertained  most  graciously,  when  I  have  been  visiting  the  stakes 
of  Zion  and  the  mission  field.  Every  once  in  a  while  we  are  able  to 
get  together  here  and  enjoy  the  companionship  of  one  another,  and 
more  than  that,  to  feel  the  power  that  comes  from  our  Heavenly 
Father  in  fulfilment  of  his  promise  that  he  will  be  with  us. 

Unsatisfactory  Condition  of  World 

The  conditions  in  the  world  today  are  anything  but  desirable. 
After  nearly  six  thousand  years  of  teaching  by  the  Lord  through  his 
prophets,  the  world  is  still  in  a  pitiable  condition,  with  about  two- 
thirds  of  the  population  not  accepting  the  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac 
and  Jacob.  They  have  their  own  deities  whom  they  worship,  their 
own  false  gods  who  have  kept  them  far  from  the  truth  during  the 
centuries  that  have  elapsed.  Of  the  other  one-third  of  the  popula- 
tion of  this  world,  so-called  Christians,  about  fifty  percent  do  not 
have  membership  in  a  church  or  if  enrolled,  they  are  inactive,  so  that 
it  leaves  a  small  portion  of  the  people  of  the  world  who  have,  after 
all  these  years  of  advice  and  counsel,  taken  advantage  of  their  op- 
portunities. Unless  the  people  of  this  world  hasten  their  repentance 
and  turn  to  the  Lord,  the  conditions  that  we  have  recently  passed 
through  in  this  great  world  war  will  be  intensified  in  wickedness  and 
sorrow.  So  this  morning,  my  dear  brothers  and  sisters — and  I  speak 
that  word  "dear"  with  all  my  heart — I  am  grateful  for  your  fellow- 
ship and  your  companionship.  As  we  meet  together,  how  thankful 
we  ought  to  be,  how  grateful  our  souls  should  be  when  we  contem- 
plate our  surroundings  and  our  wonderful  opportunities! 

.  .  .  Come  out  of  her,  my  people,  that  ye  be  not  partakers  of  her 
sins,  and  that  ye  receive  not  of  her  plagues.  (Rev.  18:4.) 

was  written  about  two  thousand  years  ago, 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH  5 


Spirit  of  Missionary  Service 

The  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  was  restored  in  the  year  1 830,  after 
centuries  of  darkness  had  passed.  When  the  call  was  given,  the 
missionaries  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  went 
out  into  the  world — not  to  criticize  others,  not  to  find  fault,  but  to 
say  to  our  Father's  other  children: 

Keep  all  the  good  that  you  have  received,  keep  all  the  truth  that  you 
have  learned,  all  that  has  come  to  you  in  your  homes,  in  your  institutions 
of  learning,  under  your  many  facilities  for  education,  keep  it  all;  and  then 
let  us  divide  with  you  additional  truths  that  have  been  revealed  by  our 
Heavenly  Father  in  our  day. 

Under  that  ministry,  beginning,  as  I  have  said,  in  that  confer- 
ence when  there  were  only  sixty-three  members  of  the  priesthood 
present,  there  have  been  thousands  upon  thousands  of  missionaries; 
more  than  seventy  thousand  have  gone  out  into  the  world,  and  in  love 
and  kindness  they  have  gone  from  door  to  door  saying  to  our  Father's 
other  children: 

Let  us  reason  with  you;  let  us  explain  to  you  something  that  we  are 
sure  will  make  you  happy  as  it  has  made  us  happy! 

That  is  the  history  of  the  missionary  work  of  the  Church  with 
which  we  are  identified.  Today  we  have  missionaries  scattered  in 
many  parts  of  the  earth;  some  of  them  are  in  the  armed  services  and 
rejoicing  in  their  testimonies,  they  have  been  glad  to  divide  the  truth 
with  those  with  whom  they  came  in  contact. 

Short  Wave  Broadcast  to  Japan 

Just  a  few  weeks  ago  I  was  invited  to  have  a  little  visit  with 
some  of  our  servicemen  who  are  in  Kyoto,  Japan.  One  of  our  brethren 
here  in  the  valley  telephoned  me  he  had  a  licensed  shortwave  sta- 
tion and  said,  "If  you  will  come  down,  Brother  Smith,  I  will  let  you 
talk  to  the  men  and  women  in  the  armed  services  who  are  absent 
from  their  homes  and  are  now  over  there  serving  the  Government 
of  the  United  States."  I  did  not  know  just  what  it  was  going  to  be 
like.  I  went  to  his  little  station,  and  after  a  moment  or  two  he  called 
a  station  and  talked  back  and  forth  with  the  man  at  the  other  end. 
That  was  the  Philippine  Islands,  so  he  said:  "We  are  not  visiting 
with  you  today.  We  are  going  to  visit  Japan."  Then  he  switched 
from  there  to  one  of  the  other  islands  in  the  Pacific  and  told  them 
the  same  thing.  And  then  when  he  was  ready,  after  a  little  conver- 
sation with  the  station  in  Japan,  he  said:  "Now,  Brother  Smith,  there 
are  two  hundred  and  three  members  of  the  Church  that  will  hear 
your  voice  as  soon  as  you  speak." 

So  I  stood  there  for  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  and  talked  to 
them  of  the  blessings  of  God  bestowed  upon  them,  of  their  lives 
being  preserved  during  a  terrible  war,  and  of  the  love  of  those  who 
are  here  waiting  for  their  return.   I  urged  them  to  keep  the  com- 


6  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  October  4  First  Day 

mandments  of  God  and  assured  them  that  there  was  no  other  road 
to  happiness  but  by  keeping  the  commandments  of  God.  I  encour- 
aged them  to  retain  the  fine  records  that  they  had  already  made  and 
to  come  home  clean  and  sweet  to  their  loved  ones  with  the  favor  of 
the  Lord  upon  them.  When  I  had  finished,  they  took  their  turn,  and 
several  of  these  men  said:  "Thank  you,  Brother  Smith.  It  has  been  a 
great  encouragement  to  us  to-  hear  a  voice  from  the  tops  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  one  that  some  of  us  are  familiar  with,  and  to  know  that 
you  are  thinking  of  us  and  are  anxious  for  us.  We  will  not  let  you 
down." 

I  thought  that  was  a  beautiful  experience,  and  that  is  just  one 
of  many  that  we  have.  Personally,  I  have  traveled  more  than  a  mil- 
lion miles  in  the  world  to  divide  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  with  my 
fellowmen,  but  that  was  the  first  time  I  ever  delivered  a  religious 
address  to  a  congregation  seven  thousand  miles  away.  Short-wave 
broadcasting  will  continue  to  improve,  and  it  will  not  be  long  until, 
from  this  pulpit  and  other  places  that  will  be  provided,  the  servants 
of  the  Lord  will  be  able  to  deliver  messages  to  isolated  groups  who 
are  so  far  away  they  cannot  be  reached.  In  that  way  and  other  ways, 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,  the  only  power  of  God  unto 
salvation  in  preparation  for  the  celestial  kingdom,  will  be  heard  in 
all  parts  of  the  world,  and  many  of  you  who  are  here  will  live  to  see 
that  day. 

We  are  here  today  as  a  great  family  waiting  upon  the  Lord.  I  see 
people  in  this  house  who  are  farmers,  mechanics,  who  are  active  in  the 
various  pursuits  of  life.  I  see  those  who  represent  us  in  Washington 
and  at  home.  I  am  glad  to  see  here  those  who  represent  us  as  officers 
in  our  city.  We  are  all  sitting  under  the  same  roof,  without  differ- 
ences, all  having  the  same  opportunity,  and  if  we  have  come  with  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord  resting  upon  us,  each  of  us  will  be  fed  the  bread 
of  life,  not  by  the  individual  who  speaks,  but  by  the  Lord  who  gives 
voice. 

Contributions  of  Relief  Society  Sisters 

I  want  to  congratulate  this  fine  group  of  singers  who  have  sung 
for  us  thus  far.  It  is  lovely  to  know  that  our  sisters  are  so  interested 
in  the  work  of  the  Lord.  I  did  not  have  the  pleasure  of  being  in  this 
hall  yesterday,  but  I  am  informed  that  there  were  as  many  women 
here  in  this  building  as  there  are  today,  or  nearly  so.  The  sisters  are 
active.  I  would  like  to  say  to  you  husbands,  fathers,  and  brothers, 
these  women  in  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  are 
a  great  strength  to  the  Church. 

Yesterday  the  great  national  Relief  Society  of  the  Church,  the 
first  great  women's  organization  and  the  oldest  now  in  existence, 
met  in  conference.  Their  representatives  were  here  from  all  parts 
of  this  country  and  other  countries,  just  as  anxious  to  be  what  our 
Heavenly  Father  would  have  them  be  as  we  who  are  here  today. 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH  7 


Rewards  of  Missionary  Work 

I  am  lifted  up  in  my  heart  today  as  I  look  into  the  faces  of  my 
brethren.  Some  of  them  have  been  in  the  mission  field  for  many,  many 
years.  They  have  remained  away  from  home  and  reared  their  fami- 
lies. They  are  back  to  visit  with  us  in  conference,  and  ready  to  go 
again  if  they  may  be  needed.  That  is  the  spirit  of  the  gfospel  of  Jesus 
Christ.  A  mission  president  who  had  been  away  from  us  about  ten 
years  was  released  and  came  home  recently.  He  and  his  wife  reared 
their  three  children  down  in  the  South  Pacific  among  the  descendants 
of  Father  Lehi.  When  he  came  home,  he  was  glad  to  come  back  to 
this  marvelous  country  that  we  live  in  and  to  associate  with  his  family; 
and  then  when  the  matter  of  going  into  the  mission  field  was  talked 
about  briefly,  he  was  ready  to  turn  around  and  go  right  back. 

That  is  the  spirit  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  labor  without 
a  salary,  to  labor  without  the  comforts  that  we  sometimes  have  at 
home,  but  to  labor  for  the  salvation  of  the  human  family,  to  bring 
our  Father's  other  children  to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth.  The  great 
reward  that  missionaries  expect  as  the  result  of  these  years  of  service 
is  to  have  the  companionship  of  these  men  and  women  that  they  have 
brought  into  the  Church  in  the  world,  the  companionship  of  their 
own  families  that  they  love,  right  here  upon  this  earth  throughout 
the  ages  of  eternity.  ■ 

I  would  like  to  say  to  you  mission  presidents  that  you  are  doing 
a  wonderful  work.  The  Lord  has  blessed  you  and  magnified  you,  and 
the  work  of'  the  Church  has  only  just  begun.  All  of  us  may  have  to 
go  again  and  again  into  the  mission  field,  but  it  is  the  one  way  that 
we  can  lay  up  treasures  in  heaven  and  be  sure  that  they  will  await 
us  when  we  go  to  the  other  side. 

Prayer  for  Saints 

May  the  Lord  add  his  blessing.  May  we  so  live  that  every 
day  of  our  lives  the  world  will  be  better  for  our  having  lived  in  it. 
May  we  so  live  that  our  neighbors  and  friends  will  be  constrained 
to  seek  after  the  wisdom  of  our  Heavenly  Father  and  his  righteous 
purposes  and  thereby  gain  happiness,  not  only  here  but  hereafter. 

I  pray  that  in  our  hearts  and  in  our  homes  there  may  abide  that 
spirit  of  love,  of  patience,  of  kindness,  of  charity,  of  helpfulness 
that  enriches  our  lives  and  that  makes  the  world  brighter  and  better 
because  of  it. 

I  pray  that  we  may  continue  to  rejoice  together  under  the  in- 
fluence of  the  Lord  here  until  the  end  of  the  conference,  and  when 
that  time  comes  that  we  may  go  to  our  homes  renewed  in  our  de- 
termination to  keep  the  commandments  of  the  Lord,  that  our  happi- 
ness may  be  perfected  as  a  result  of  our  righteousness.  If  we  will  do 
that,  then  our  visit  here  will  not  have  been  in  vain.  On  the  contrary, 
it  will  be  a  tremendous  blessing  to  us. 

I  pray  that  the  Lord  will  bless  you  in  your  hearts  and  in  your 


8  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  October  4  First  Day 

homes.  I  pray  for  those  of  our  people  who  are  isolated  in  distant 
lands,  far  from  the  organized  wards  and  branches  of  the  Church, 
many  of  them  almost  alone  in  great  communities.  I  pray  that  the 
Lord  will  bless  them  and  that  they  may  feel  today  the  influences  that 
we  enjoy  here,  and  in  the  due  time  of  our  Heavenly  Father  that  they 
may  be  permitted  to  "come  out  of  her,"  as  the  Lord  indicated  his 
people  should  do,  prior  to  the  winding-up  scene  when  this  earth  will 
be  cleansed  and  purified  by  fire,  when  all  mortality  will  be  taken 
away  and  only  those  who  are  prepared  to  dwell  in  the  celestial  king- 
dom under  the  guidance  of  our  Heavenly  Father,  under  the  leader- 
ship of  our  Lord  and  Master,  Jesus  Christ,  will  be  here.  I  pray  that 
they  and  we  and  all  the  men  and  women  of  the  world  who  have  the 
desire  to  live  righteously  and  are  keeping  the  commandments  of  God 
may  be  among  that  number. 

I  pray  that  our  homes  may  be  sanctified  by  the  righteousness  of 
our  lives,  that  the  adversary  may  have  no  power  to  come  there  and 
dstroy  the  children  of  our  homes  or  those  who  dwell  under  our  roofs. 
If  we  will  honor  God  and  keep  his  commandments,  our  homes  will 
be  sacred,  the  adversary  will  have  no  influence,  and  we  will  live  in 
happiness  and  peace  until  the  winding-up  scene  in  mortality  and  we 
go  to  receive  our  reward  in  immortality. 

God  bless  you;  peace  be  with  you;  joy  and  satisfaction  abide 
with  you  all,  henceforth  and  forever,  I  humbly  pray  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord.  Amen. 

CHANGES  IN  CHURCH  OFFICERS 
STAKE,  WARD  AND  BRANCH  ORGANIZATIONS 
SINCE  LAST  APRIL  CONFERENCE— 1946 

Elder  Joseph  Anderson,  Clerk  of  the  Conference  read  the  fol- 
lowing report: 

New  Mission  Presidents: 

Alma  Sonne  to  succeed  Ezra  Taft  Benson  as  president  of  the 
European  Mission. 

Alma  L.  Peterson  president  of  the  Danish  Mission. 

Walter  Stover  president  of  the  East  German  Mission. 

Francis  W.  Brown  president  of  the  Central  States  Mission,  suc- 
ceeding Thomas  C.  Romney. 

Thomas  W.  Richards  president  of  the  East  Central  States  Mis- 
sion, succeeding  Graham  H.  Doxey. 

Stake  Presidents  Chosen : 

John  Whitaker  Taylor  succeeding  Thomas  J.  Brough,  Lyman 
Stake. 

William  N.  Brotherson  succeeding  Edwin  L.  Murphy,  Moon 
Lake  Stake. 


REPORT  OF  CHANGES 


9 


Virgil  H.  Spongberg  succeeding  C.  Douglas  Barnes,  Long 
Beach  Stake. 

Herman  W.  McCune  succeeding  Will  L.  Hoyt,  Juab  Stake. 
Samuel  A.  Hendricks  succeeding  Thomas  W.  Richards,  Malad 
Stake. 

Golden  D.  Carlston  succeeding  Henry  C.  Jacobs,  North  San- 
pete Stake. 

Lawrence  S.  Burton  succeeding  Samuel  G.  Dye,  Ogden  Stake. 
James  E.  Ririe,  East  Rigby  Stake.  ( New  Stake ) . 
William  Grant  Ovard  succeeding  John  M.  Homer,  Idaho  Falls 
Stake. 

J.  Cleve  Hansen  succeeding  J.  Doyle  Jensen,  Lost  River  Stake. 

Claude  B.  Petersen,  Palo  Alto  Stake.  (New  Stake). 

J.  Byron  Barton  succeeding  Claude  B.  Petersen,  San  Francisco 

Cecil  E.  Hart,  South  Idaho  Falls  Stake.  (New  Stake). 
Douglas  Q.  Cannon  succeeding  W.  Ellis  Bay,  Garfield  Stake. 
William  Bliss  Daniels  succeeding  H.  Roland  Tietjen,  South  Se- 
vier Stake. 

James  H.  Ockey  succeeding  Herman  W.  McCune,  Juab  Stake. 

New  Stakes  Organized'. 

East  Rigby  Stake — organized  from  Rigby  Stake  and  North  Ida- 
ho Falls  Stake,  July  7,  1946,  and  consists  of  Clark,  Garfield,  LaBelle, 
Lorenzo,  Palisade,  Milo,  Rigby  2nd,  Rigby  3rd,  Ririe  and  Shelton 
Wards. 

Palo  Alto  Stake — organized  by  division  of  the  San  Francisco 
Stake,  June  23,  1946,  and  consists  of  Burlingame,  Palo  Alto,  Red- 
wood City,  San  Jose,  San  Mateo  Wards  and  Naglee  Park  and  Willow 
Glenn  Independent  Branches. 

South  Idaho  Falls  Stake — organized  by  a  division  of  the  Idaho 
Falls  Stake,  June  30,  1946,  and  consists  of  Ammon,  Idaho  Falls  3rd 
and  Idaho  Falls  6th  Wards. 

Stakes  Reorganized: 

Rigby  Stake — Clark,  Garfield,  LaBelle,  Lorenzo,  Palisade,  Rigby 
2nd,  Rigby  3rd,  Ririe  Wards  transferred  to  East  Rigby  Stake,  July  8, 
1946,  leaving  Annis,  Grant,  Lewisville,  Menan,  Rigby  1st,  Rigby  4th, 
Roberts,  Terreton  ( formerly  of  North  Idaho  Falls  Stake )  and  Dubois 
and  Hamer  Branches  (formerly  of  North  Idaho*  Falls  Stake)  in  the 
Rigby  Stake. 

San  Francisco  Stake — now  consists  of  Balboa,  Mission,  San 
Francisco,  and  Sunset  Wards. 

Idaho  Falls  Stake — Ammon,  Idaho  Falls  3rd  and  Idaho  Falls  6th 
Wards  transferred  to  the  South  Idaho  Falls  Stake,  June  30,  1946, 
leaving  Idaho  Falls  2nd,  Idaho  Falls  5th,  Iona,  and  Lincoln  Wards 
in  the  Idaho  Falls  Stake. 

North  Idaho  Falls  Stake — Milo  and  Shelton  Wards  transferred 
to  East  Rigby  Stake;  Terreton  Ward  and  Dubois  and  Hamer 


10  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  October  4  First  Day  ' 

Branches  transferred  to  Rigby  Stake  July  7,  1946,  leaving  Coltman, 
Idaho  Falls  1st,  Idaho  Falls  4th,  Idaho  Falls  7th,  Osgood,  and  Ucon 
Wards  in  the  North  Idaho  Falls  Stake. 

Stake  Name  Changed: 

Temple  Stake — name  changed  to  Temple  View  Stake. 

New  Wards  Organized: 

Cardston  3rd  Ward,  Alberta  Stake — formed  by  a  division  of  the 
Cardston  1  st  Ward. 

Cardston  4th  Ward,  Alberta  Stake — formed  by  a  division  of  the 
Cardston  2nd  Ward. 

Boise  5th  Ward,  Boise  Stake — formed  by  a  division  of  Boise 
3rd  Ward. 

LaBrea  Ward,  Los  Angeles  Stake — formed  by  a  division  of  Ad- 
ams, Hollywood  and  Wilshire  Wards. 

Idaho  Falls  9th  Ward,  Idaho  Falls  Stake — formed  by  a  division 
of  Idaho  Falls  5th  Ward. 

Mesa  8th  Ward,  Maricopa  Stake — formed  by  a  division  of 
Mesa  3rd  Ward. 

Alma  Ward,  Maricopa  Stake — formed  by  a  division  of  Mesa 
4th  Ward. 

Fillmore  3rd  Ward,  Millard  Stake — formed  by  a  division  of  Fill- 
more 1st  and  Fillmore  2nd  Wards. 

Park  Ward,  Nebo  Stake — formed  by  a  division  of  the  Payson  1  st 
and  Payson  2nd  Wards. 

Ogden  30th  Ward,  Ogden  Stake — formed  from  parts  of  Ogden 
4th,  6th,  13th,  and  20th  Wards. 

Ogden  31st  Ward,  Ogden  Stake — formed  from  parts  of  Ogden 
4th,  6th,  13th,  and  20th  Wards. 

Duncan  Ward,  Park  Stake — formed  by  a  division  of  the  1st 
Ward. 

Webster  Ward,  Park  Stake — formed  by  a  division  of  the  10th 
Ward. 

Los  Flores  Ward,  Pasadena  Stake — formed  by  a  division  of  the 
Rosemead  Ward. 

Pocatello  14th  Ward,  Pocatello  Stake — formed  by  a  division  of 
Pocatello  2nd  Ward. 

San  Mateo  Ward,  San  Francisco  Stake — formed  by  a  division  of 
Burlingame  Ward.  ( Now  in  Palo  Alto  Stake ) . 

Idaho  Falls  8th  Ward,  South  Idaho  Falls  Stake — formed  by  a 
division  of  Idaho  Falls  6th  Ward  and  part  of  Idaho  Falls  3rd  Ward. 

Arbor  Ward,  Temple  View  Stake — formed  by  a  division  of  Jef- 
ferson and  McKinley  Wards. 

Twin  Falls  3rd  Ward,  Twin  Falls  Stake — formed  by  a  division 
of  Twin  Falls  1  st  Ward. 

Twin  Falls  4th  Ward,  Twin  Falls  Stake — formed  by  a  division 
of  Twin  Falls  2nd  Ward. 


REPORT  OF  CHANGES 


11 


Ogden  32nd  Ward,  Weber  Stake — formed  by  a  division  of  Og- 
den  22nd  Ward. 

Emmett  2nd  Ward,  Weiser  Stake — formed  by  a  division  of 
Emmett  Ward. 

West  Jordan  2nd  Ward,  West  Jordan  Stake — formed  by  a  divis- 
ion of  West  Jordan  Ward. 

Independent  Branches  Made  Wards: 

Henderson  Ward,  Moapa  Stake — formerly  the  Basic  Independ- 
ent Branch. 

Fontana  Ward,  San  Bernardino  Stake — formerly  Fontana  Inde- 
pendent Branch. 

Redlands  Ward,  San  Bernardino  Stake — formerly  Redlands  In- 
dependent Branch. 

Kaimuki  Ward,  Oahu  Stake — formerly  Kaimuki  Independent 
Branch. 

Mission  Branches  Transferred  to  Stake: 

Naglee  Park  Branch,  Palo  Alto  Stake — formerly  of  the  Northern 
California  Mission,  transferred  to  San  Francisco  Stake  and  then  trans- 
ferred to  Palo  Alto  Stake  when  stake  was  organized. 

Willow  Glenn  Branch,  Palo  Alto  Stake — formerly  of  the  North- 
ern California  Mission,  transferred  to  San  Francisco  Stake  and  then 
transferred  to  Palo  Alto  Stake  when  stake  was  organized. 

Walnut  Creek  Branch,  Oakland  Stake — formerly  of  the  North- 
ern California  Mission. 

Independent  Branches  Organized: 

Mountain  Home  Branch,  Boise  Stake — formerly  dependent 
branch. 

Marsing  Branch,  Nampa  Stake — formerly  dependent  branch. 
Kingman  Branch,  Moapa  Stake — formerly  dependent  branch. 
Walnut  Creek  Branch,   Oakland  Stake — formerly  dependent 
branch. 

Ward  Discontinued: 

Garfield  East  and  Garfield  West  Wards,  Oquirrh  Stake — 
merged  and  formed  the  Garfield  Ward  of  the  Oquirrh  Stake. 

Independent  Branches  Discontinued: 

Rains  Branch,  North  Carbon  Stake — disorganized. 

LaSal  Branch,  San  Juan  Stake — disorganized  and  made  depend- 
ent branch  of  the  Monticello  Ward. 

Ward  Name  Changed: 

Grayson  Ward,  San  Juan  Stake — temporarily  called  the  Bland- 
ing  North  Ward. 

Emmett  1st  Ward,  Weiser  Stake — formerly  the  Emmett  Ward 
and  changed  at  time  of  organization  to  Emmett  2nd  Ward. 


12  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  October  4  First  Day 

West  Jordan  1st  Ward,  West  Jordan  Stake — formerly  the  West 
Jordan  Ward  and  changed  at  time  of  organization  of  West  Jordan 
2nd  Ward. 

General  Authorities  Who  Have  Passed  Away: 

Elder  John  H.  Taylor  of  the  First  Council  of  Seventy  passed 
away  May  28,  1946. 

Others: 

Alice  Robinson  Richards,  wife  of  President  George  F.  Richards 
of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles,  died  April  21,  1946. 

May  Anderson,  formerly  president  of  the  General  Board  of  the 
Primary  Association,  died  June  14,  1946. 

The  Relief  Society  Singing  Mothers  and  the  congregation  joined 
in  singing  the  hymn,  "Praise  to  the  Man  Who  Communed  With 
Jehovah,"  by  W.  W.  Phelps,  (Hymn  Book  page  282,  L.D.S.  Hymns 
No.  167.) 

ELDER  JOHN  A.  WIDTSOE 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

My  dear  brethren  and  sisters:  With  you  I  have  listened  with 
great  interest  and  profit  to  the  address  of  the  man  who  stands  at  the 
head  of  the  Church  at  this  time.  I  am  always  glad,  with  you,  to  be 
under  the  leadership  of  inspired  men.  The  world  is  hungering,  I 
believe,  for  that  kind  of  leadership. 

Disturbed  Condition  of  World 

The  world  is  in  a  disturbed  condition.  There  is  discouragement 
everywhere.  No  man  seems  to  see  the  end  from  the  beginning.  I 
have  pondered  in  my  heart  for  some  time  what  my  obligation  is  in 
this  state  of  worldly  confusion.  What  is  the  obligation  of  my  Church, 
the  restored  Church  of  Christ  in  these  latter  days?  Perhaps  all  of 
us  have  entertained  such  thoughts  in  these  unhappy  days. 

There  is  a  world  cry  for  peace;  everybody  wants  peace.  In 
newspapers,  magazines,  books,  from  the  public  platform  come  cries 
for  peace.  As  far  back  as  I  can  remember,  there  has  never  been  such 
a  worldwide  appeal  for  peace  among  the  children  of  men.  Yet  it 
begins  to  look  as  if  we  are  farther  away  from  peace  today  than  we 
were  during  the  heavy  and  difficult  war  years. 

It  is  a  curious  commentary  on  human  nature  that  men  who  cry 
for  peace  look  upon  peace  as  something  that  may  be  picked  as  an 
apple  from  a  tree,  something  that  lies  about  within  easy  reach  of 
humanity.  If  I  pick  an  apple  from  a  tree,  I  have  first  planted  the 
tree,  cared  for  it,  watered  it,  brougt  it  to  maturity.  Then  in  due  time 
I  may  have  the  fruit. 


ELDER  JOHN  A.  WIDTSOE 


13 


So  with  peace.  It  is  not  a  thing  by  itself  to  be  picked  up  casu- 
ally; but  it  is  the  fruit  of  something  precedent.  Like  the  tree,  some- 
thing must  be  planted  and  nourished  and  cared  for,  if  we  are  to 
obtain  peace. 

Peace  Result  of  Obedience  to  Gospel 

It  is  a  marvel  to  thinking  men  that  those  who  write  on  peace  fail 
to  understand  that  it  can  be  obtained  only  by  the  use  of  a  body  of 
principles  which,  if  obeyed,  in  time  would  give  us  peace.  We  can- 
not begin  with  peace;  we  must  begin  with  the  philosophy  or  the 
system  which,  if  accepted  and  honored,  will  lead  to  peace.  Failure 
to  understand  that  seems  to  be  the  error  of  the  nations  at  this  time, 
of  the  organizations  and  conventions  of  nations,  assembled  in  great 
meetings  on  this  side  and  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic.  They  have 
so  far  failed  to  touch  upon  the  foundations  of  peace,  upon  the  issues 
which  are  the  aids  to  peace.  They  clamor  for  the  peace  they  want, 
without  yielding  obedience  to  the  methods  by  which  that  peace  may 
be  obtained. 

The  Latter-day  Saints,  from  the  beginning  of  our  history,  have 
taught  that  the  good  things  of  life,  above  all,  peace,  can  come  only 
through  acceptance  of  the  gospel  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  He  was 
the  Prince  of  Peace.  He  is  the  Prince  of  Peace.  It  is  only  as  the 
men  and  women  of  the  world,  all  children  of  God,  accept  the  gospel 
of  the  Son  of  God  that  peace  shall  come  to  rule  and  reign  and  be 
established  upon  earth.  That  has  been  our  message  from  the  begin- 
ning of  the  restoration  of  the  gospel  in  this  day.  We  still  proclaim 
without  hesitation,  that  there  is  only  one  way  to  peace,  one  way  to 
the  perfect  human  happiness,  the  way  of  the  gospel,  paved  with  the 
principles  that  constitute  the  gospel. 

We  make  a  further  claim,  brethren  and  sisters.  It  is  a  claim  that 
often  makes  us  hesitant  in  stating  it,  because  it  is  so  vast  in  its  mean- 
ing, in  its  implications.  We  claim  that  this  people,  this  Church, 
organized  by  God's  own  voice  in  this  generation,  possesses  the  only 
system  of  truth  containing  all  of  the  gospel  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Then,  by  that  token,  there  can  be  no  full  peace,  no  complete  happi- 
ness upon  earth,  until  the  men  and  women  of  the  world  accept  the 
great  latter-day  message.  We  stand  humbly  before  this  claim,  I 
know,  but  it  is  our  claim.  The  Lord  has  said  so. 

He  has  said  further,  that  the  time  shall  come  in  these  latter  days 
when  every  ear  shall  hear  and  every  eye  shall  see,  and  every  heart 
be  penetrated  by  the  eternal  message  of  the  gospel,  and  that  this 
great  message  shall  be  delivered  by  "the  mouths  of  my  disciples, 
whom  I  have  chosen  in  these  last  days,"  (D.  &  C.  1 :4)  those  spoken 
of  by  President  Smith  in. his  opening  address  to  this  conference. 

Our  Obligation  to  Teach  the  Truth 
Now,  then,  if  all  this  be  true,  in  my  thinking  about  these  things, 


14  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  October  4  ■  First  Day 

there  lies  my  obligation.  It  is  my  divine  obligation  somehow,  through 
my  feeble  efforts,  and  through  yours,  and  through  all  the  members 
of  the  Church,  to  teach  all  the  world  the  truth  of  the  restored  gospel 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  I  must  try  to  plant  this  truth  in  the  hearts 
of  men  and  women.  I  must  contribute  every  day  in  my  way,  as  best 
I  can,  toward  the  teaching  of  the  truth  which  alone  can  bring  peace 
to  our  unhappy  world.  It  is  a  tremendous  obligation  when  we  view 
it  as  a  whole;  but  with  the  help  of  the  Lord  easy  to  meet,  if  we  take 
the  tasks  one  by  one,  always  keeping  our  obligation  in  mind,  as  we 
travel  through  life. 

Missionary  work  must  grow  in  foreign  fields,  as  never  before; 
missionary  work  at  home  must  increase  as  never  before.  We  shall 
employ  every  modern  device — the  telephone,  telegraph,  radio,  print- 
ing press,  the  short  wave  systems  as  mentioned  by  President  Smith, 
and  the  other  devices  that  are  coming.  We  shall  use  them  all  in  our 
attempt  to  win  men  and  women  from  wickedness  to  righteous- 
ness, from  untruth  or  near  truth  to  full  and  complete  truth  which  is 
the  gospel  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

This  Church  is  not  merely  for  me  and  for  you  who  are  in  the 
Church.  I  must  begin  with  myself,  undoubtedly.  My  own  salvation 
comes  first;  but  unless  I  give  of  my  strength  to  the  winning  of  other 
souls  for  God,  my  own  salvation  will  be  incomplete.  That  applies 
to  all  of  us.  It  cannot  be  otherwise  if  we  follow  the  message  given 
us  this  morning  by  our  prophet  and  leader.  We  have  a  calling,  not 
merely  to  build  the  Church  of  Christ,  and  to  save  ourselves  therein, 
but  also  a  commission  to  save  the  whole  world.  We  are,  as  it  were, 
set  apart,  consecrated  for  that  great  purpose.  All  of  Israel  must 
remember,  every  man  or  woman  who  enters  the  waters  of  baptism 
must  keep  in  mind,  and  every  child  that  comes  into  the  Church  must 
be  taught  that  by  the  ordinance  of  baptism  we  accept  the  great  and 
divine  commission  to  serve  the  Lord  in  building  his  Church.  It  will 
then  be  easy  to  keep  the  commandments  of  God,  to  lay  aside  or 
meet  courageously  the  temptations  that  face  us.  To  stand  alone, 
saying  selfishly,  "I  have  received  the  gospel;  it  is  good  to  be  a  Latter- 
day  Saint"  will  not  be  doing  our  duty;  but,  when  we  say,  "Now, 
I  have  received  this  great  blessing.  I  shall  pass  it  on  to  others";  there 
comes  the  flowering  in  the  hearts  of  men  of  the  gospel  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ. 

Commission  to  Supplant  Evil  With  Good 

We  are  not  as  other  people;  we  are  different.  We  are  humble 
accepters  of  the  truth,  yielders  to  God's  will  and  word,  under  a  com- 
mission to  change  the  whole  world,  from  evil  to  good.  It  is  a  great 
commission.  It  has  been  our  commission  from  the  beginning. 

The  great  men  who  led  this  Church '  from  the  beginning  have 
voiced  this  commission  or  calling  to  which  we  are  consecrated.  When 
we  talk  about  this  commission,  about  our  duty  or  obligation,  let  us 
not  forget  the  lesson  of  these  mighty  men.  In  the  midst  of  confusion 


ELDER  JOHN  A.  WIDTSOE 


15 


let  us  look  back  to  the  labors  of  those  who  have  gone  before  us,  our 
fathers  who  founded  the  Church  under  God's  direction,  who  toiled 
from  city  to'  city,  across  the  plains  and  the  desert  to-  build  a  common- 
wealth. They  left  behind  them,  not  necessarily  the  heritage  of 
their  methods,  for  the  world  has  changed,  but  the  heritage  of  their 
undaunted,  unchanging  spirit.  We  must  be  as  eager  to  fulfil  God's 
word  as  they  were  in  their  day.  We  must  do  that,  my  brethren  and 
sisters,  if  we  are  to  fulfil  and  meet  our  full  obligation  in  this  difficult 
age.  To  those  who  catch  the  spirit  of  this  obligation,  of  this  com- 
mission, of  this  calling  to  a  great  people  will  come  strength  to  resist, 
as  I  have  said,  the  temptations  of  the  world.  It  will  be  easy  to  reject 
the  cocktail;  the  cigar  can  be  laid  aside  easily;  to  divide  with  the 
Lord  in  tithing  will  not  seem  difficult;  to-  converse  with  the  Lord  in 
prayer  will  be  a  joyful  experience.  Men  are  changed  and  trans- 
formed who  enter  into  partnership  with  God  in  helping  to  establish 
his  great  cause  upon  the  face  of  the  earth. 

God's  Work  is  Eternal 

This  work  is  not  an  ordinary  cause.  It  is  God's  cause.  It  is  not 
a  cause  for  a  day.  It  is  a  cause  for  the  eternities,  both  gone  and  com- 
ing. We  are  working  out  an  eternal  project,  you  and  I,  all  of  us. 
We  of  today  must  do  as  well  as  those  who  went  before  us,  a  bit 
better  perhaps,  for  new  opportunities  have  come  to  us  in  our  day. 
We  should  do  better  in  this  Church  in  the  cause  of  righteousness 
than  grandfather  or  great-grandfather.  More  light  has  come,  more 
opportunity  is  given,  more  means  are  at  our  command.  We  should 
do  better.  And  we  all,  especially  the  youth  of  the  Church,  should 
dream  about  the  future  of  the  Church,  and  give  our  own  earnest 
endeavors  to  the  fulfilment  of  our  commissions. 

These  are  the  thoughts  that  have  been  running  through  my 
mind,  and  crystalized  during  President  Smith's  address  this  morning. 

I  want  to  bear  this  testimony  to  you  that  as  I  have  traveled 
through  the  world,  and  while  I  have  not  traveled  as  much  as  Presi- 
dent Smith,  I  have  traveled  far  and  wide,  I  have  found  thousands 
of  people  not  acquainted  with  the  gospel;  good,  clean,  wholesome 
people,  walking  in  darkness,  who  are  looking  for  light,  who,  misled 
by  untruths,  are  looking  for  truth,  and  unhappy  because  of  the  un- 
truths handed  to  them  by  tradition.  There  are  a  vast  congregation 
of  men  and  women  throughout  the  world,  in  every  country,  of  every 
creed  and  color,  waiting  for  us  and  our  great  message.  The  field 
is  ripe  unto  harvest. 

Now  I  pray,  my  brethren  and  sisters,  that  we  may  rise  in  oui 
strength,  the  strength  of  Zion,  and  fill  and  fulfil  our  commission. 
Let  us  forget  at  least  a  part  of  the  time  the  daily  duties  that  hold  us 
down,  and  give  ourselves  to  thoughts  and  actions,  in  building  ac- 
tively under  our  great  obligation,  the  great  latter-day  kingdom  of 
God,  the  Almighty  Father.  May  it  be  so,  I  pray  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 


16  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  October  4  First  Dag 

ELDER  THOMAS  E.  McKAY 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

President  Smith,  counselors,  and  my  brethren  and  sisters:  It 
has  been  my  privilege  since  our  return  from  Europe  in  the  spring 
of  1 940,  to  visit  three  of  the  missions  and  nearly  all  the  one  hundred 
and  fifty-eight  stakes  in  the  Church,  and  participate  in  their  quarterly 
conferences.  This  is  an  opportunity  that  I  have  appreciated  very 
much. 

Commendation  for  Good  Work 

It  is  a  fine  thing  for  one  to  keep  busy,  at  least,  it  is  a  fine  thing 
for  me.  Work  is  a  great  blessing.  Someone  has  said  that  even  a 
mule  can't  kick  while  he's  pulling.  It  has  been  very  interesting  as  well 
as  instructive  to  get  better  acquainted  with  you  fine  stake  and  ward 
leaders,  to  see  you  in  action,  to  observe  how  you  do  things,  and  I 
was  going  to  say,  how  some  of  you  don't  do  things,  but  that  wouldn't 
be  fair,  because  all  of  you,  as  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  observe,  are 
doing  a  splendid  job.  Of  course,  some  of  you  are  doing  better  than 
others.  For  example,  in  some  of  the  stakes  we  find  but  very  few 
young  people  in  the  meetings,  not  only  in  our  conferences,  but  also 
in  the  sacrament  meetings,  and  in  other  stakes  nearly  half  of  the 
congregations  are  made  up  of  young  people  of  twenty-one  or  under; 
most  of  them  are  there  because  they  have  been  asked  and  trained 
to  furnish  the  music;  others  have  been  given  definite  assignments. 
In  some  of  the  quarterly  conferences  we  have  had  as  high  as  three 
hundred  young  people,  furnishing  very  excellent  music.  An  Aaronic 
Priesthood  chorus  of  two  hundred  thirty-eight  clear-toned  young 
voices  gave  some  very  choice  selections  in  the  general  priesthood 
session  of  the  conference;  one  of  the  numbers  was  so  outstanding 
they  were  requested  to  repeat  it  in  the  evening  session.  A  number 
of  the  stakes  have  choruses  of  from  fifty  to  two  hundred  fifty  voices 
made  up  entirely  of  Aaronic  Priesthood  members.  In  one  stake,  an 
adult  Aaronic  Priesthood  chorus  furnished  at  least  part  of  the  musi- 
cal program.  May  I  take  this  opportunity  to  compliment  the  Pre- 
siding Bishopric  of  our  Church  upon  the  splendid  efforts  they  are 
putting  forth  in  behalf  of  both  the  boys  and  men  in  the  Aaronic 
Priesthood.  After  they  had  made  a  survey  of  the  Aaronic 
Priesthood  members,  and  it  was  shown  that  there  were  nearly  as 
many  men  (that  is,  men  over  twenty-one),  as  boys  under  twenty- 
one,  they  set  about  to  discover  the  cause — the  source  that  brought 
about  such  a  condition,  and  are  now  trying  to  remove  the  cause. 
They  are  fencing  the  cliff.  Many  of  you  know  the  poem  on  "The 
Fence  or  the  Ambulance,"  that  illustrates  what  I  mean  by  discover- 
ing and  removing  the  source  of  evil. 

"The  Fence  or  the  Ambulance" 
The  community  was  divided  into  two  factions:  one  favoring 


ELDER  THOMAS  E.  McKAY 


17 


the  fence  around  the  cliff;  the  other,  the  ambulance  down  in  the 
valley.  And  the  ambulance,  it  seemed,  had  the  majority;  and  so  they 
put  the  ambulance  down  in  the  valley.  Then  an  old  sage  remarked, 
"It's  a  marvel  to  me  that  people  give  more  attention  to  repairing 
results  than  to  stopping  the  cause,  when  they  had  much  better  aim 
at  prevention." 

"Let  us  stop  at  the  source,  all  this  mischief,"  cried  he, 
"Come,  neighbors  and  friends,  let  us  rally, 
"If  the  cliff  we  will  fence,  we  might  almost  dispense 
"With  the  ambulance  down  in  the  valley." 

"Oh,  he's  a  fanatic,"  the  others  rejoined, 
'  "Dispense  with  the  ambulance,  never! 

"He'd  dispense  with  all  charities,  too,  if  he  could, 
"No,  we'll  support  them  forever." 

But  the  sensible  few  who  are  practical,  too, 
Will  not  bear  with  such  nonsense  much  longer; 
They  believe  that  prevention  is  better  than  cure, 
And  their  party  will  soon  be  the  stronger. 

Better  guide  well  the  young  than  reclaim  them  when  old, 
For  the  voice  of  true  wisdom  is  calling, 
To  rescue  the  fallen  is  good, 

But  it  is  best  to  prevent  other  people  from  falling. 

Better  close  up  the  source  of  temptation  and  crime, 
Than  deliver  from  dungeon  and  galley; 
Better  put  a  strong  fence  around  the  top  of  the  cliff, 
Than  an  ambulance  down  in  the  valley. 

Presiding  Bishopric  Fencing  the  Cliff 

It  is  shown  by  a  survey  made  by  the  Presiding  Bishopric  that 
as  a  rule  the  twelve  boys  in  the  deacon's  quorum  remained  and  were 
worthy  to  be  ordained  teachers,  but  some  of  them  were  lost  as 
teachers,  and  more  of  them  as  priests;  thus,  the  adult  Aaronic  Priest- 
hood group  kept  getting  larger,  and  the  Church  and  the  State  were 
put  to  more  expense  and  trouble  in  furnishing  more  ambulances.  The 
Presiding  Bishopric  is  doing  a  splendid  job  in  removing  the  source 
— in  fencing  the  cliff.  The  bishops  in  the  wards  are  also  carrying 
out  a  program  of  definite  assignments.  The  bishop,  who  is  president 
of  the  priest's  quorum,  receives  the  priests  from  the  teacher's  quorum 
as  a  body,  and  this  group  of  boys  are  made  to  feel  that  they  belong 
to  the  bishop — are  his  special  bodyguard,  and  they  are  prepared  to 
be  recommended  to  be  ordained  elders  in  a  body — not  one  of  them 
left  behind  to  add  to  the  number  of  adult  Aaronic  Priesthood  mem- 
bers, and  the  number  of  ambulances  can  be  reduced. 

Privilege  of  the  Ballot 

It  is  a  fine  thing  to  study  causes.  Ambulances,  so-called,  are 
increasing  in  so  many  ways,  and  they  will  continue  to  do  so  until 
the  sources  are  discovered  and  removed.  The  ballot  is  a  most  con- 


18  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  October  4  First  Day 

venient  method  that  we  have  in  this  great  free  country  of  ours  to 
remove  causes  or  sources  that  make  it  necessary  to  pay  thousands 
of  dollars  for  ambulances  (you  can  name  the  nuisances  that  ambu- 
lances stand  for),  and  may  I  urge  with  all  the  emphasis  possible 
that  every  person  show  his  appreciation  for  his  citizenship  in  this 
land  of  freedom  by  voting  every  time  the  opportunity  presents  itself, 
and  thereby  help  to  keep  this  country  free.  I  feel  so  keenly  about 
this  matter  of  voting  that  I  wish  at  times  when  I  see  the  indifference 
manifest  by  so  many  of  our  people  that  some  penalty  could  be  im- 
posed upon  those  who  neglect  this  God-given  right.  I  feel  that  every 
person  who  is  entitled  to  vote  and  doesn't  do  so  is  not  a  good  loyal 
citizen.  And  especially  is  that  true  of  members  of  the  Church.  They 
are  not  only  not  good  citizens,  but  I  think  that  they  are  not  good 
Latter-day  Saints,  and  should  be  very  much  ashamed. 

It  may  be  wise  for  me,  right  here,  to  get  back  to  the  discussion  of 
"The  Fence  or  the  Ambulance,"  as  exemplified  by  the  Presiding  Bish- 
opric. These  brethren  are  not  only  getting  at  the  source,  taking  care 
of  these  boys,  but  they  are  also  trying  to  offer  a  remedy  for  those  who 
have  already  fallen  over  the  cliff.  They  have  prepared  a  definite 
outline — a  course  of  study — a  book  of  songs —  have  assigned  these 
adult  members  to  see  that  everyone  is  made  comfortable  as  far  as  seat- 
ing and  ventilation  are  concerned.  Many  of  them  are  also  assigned 
to  welfare  projects.  In  one  ward  in  a  southern  stake  that  I  visited, 
every  member  of  the  adult  Aaronic  Priesthood  was  reported  active. 
In  another  stake,  a  ward  sent  down  quite  a  large  group,  eight  men 
who  had  qualified  themselves  as  worthy  of  having  received  the  Mel- 
chizedek  Priesthood,  and  they  came  to  the  temple  in  a  body  and  were 
sealed  to  their  wives  and  their  children  for  eternity,  and  riot  just 
"until  death  do  ye  part." 

Returned  Servicemen 

I  am  very  happy  that  the  Presidency  of  the  Church  appointed 
a  servicemen's  committee  to  look  after  our  one  hundred  thousand 
servicemen.  Prevention  again  is  better  than  cure.  You  can't  estimate 
the  good  that  this  committee  and  the  coordinators  have  accomplished, 
putting  their  arms  around  our  servicemen,  guiding  them  over  danger- 
ous places,  talking  to  them  at  the  crossroads.  I  am  delighted  also  that 
President  Hugh  B.  Brown  has  been  appointed  to  work  at  Brigham 
Young  University  to  continue  his  splendid  work  with  the  servicemen 
and  women.  It  might  be  well  if  such  a  committee  were  appointed  also 
to  look  after  the  hundreds  of  young  people  who  are  scattered  through- 
out the  land,  some  of  them  away  from  organized  wards,  stakes,  or 
branches,  many  of  them  occupying  very  responsible  positions  in  busi- 
ness, politics,  education,  and  various  other  professions.  These  are 
fine  young  men,  intelligent,  and  I  am  sure  that  the  mission  presidents 
would  welcome  men  especially  qualified  to  help  them  in  contacting 


ELDER  MARK  E.  PETERSEN 


19 


these  very  intelligent  young  men  who  in  the  words  of  the  Ancient  in 
Three  Wise  Foots,  have  reached  the  age  of  reason. 

President  Smith — Ambassador  of  Good  Will 

These  young  people  are  surely  worth  saving,  and  I  am  very  de- 
lighted that  President  Smith — our  ambassador  of  good  will — is  lead- 
ing the  way  in  this  respect;  in  his  kind,  tolerant,  sweet  spirit  he  has  put 
himself  out  to  speak  to  many  such  persons.  I  know  personally  of 
two  or  three  who,  because  of  President  Smith's  interest  in  them,  are 
now  using  the  talents  with  which  they  are  abundantly  blessed,  for 
the  Church  instead  of  against  it.  President  Smith,  like  those  presi- 
dents who'  have  preceded  him,  is  the  right  man  in  the  right  place  at 
the  right  time.    He  is  the  prophet  for  us  in  this  day. 

The  Savior  also  set  a  very  splendid  example  for  all  of  us  to  follow. 
Saul,  another  brilliant  young  fellow  who  had  arrived  at  the  age  of 
reason,  was  so  sure  of  himself  that  he  was  persecuting  the  Christians, 
even  assisting  in  the  stoning  of  one  of  the  prophets,  but  that  did  not 
deter  the  Savior  from  extending  his  hand,  speaking  to  Saul,  and 
eventually  Saul  became  Paul,  one  of  the  greatest  of  the  apostles,  the 
great  apostle  to  the  Gentiles.  Our  Lord  also  left  the  ninety  and  nine 
and  found  supreme  joy  in  rescuing  the  lost  one. 

May  God  bless  us  all,  brethren  and  sisters,  with  wisdom,  espec- 
ially you  stake  and  ward  leaders,  in  our  efforts  to  discover  and  re- 
move causes,  sources  of  evil  and  at  the  same  time  keep  working  dili- 
gently to  cure  and  remove  the  evils  that  do  now  exist,  I  pray  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord,  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

ELDER  MARK  E.  PETERSEN 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

Juvenile  Delinquency 

A  man  we  shall  call  Bishop  Brown,  for  the  sake  of  anonymity,  sat 
reading  his  evening  newspaper  and  came  across  one  item  that  especial- 
ly interested  him.  After  reading  it  he  said  to  his  wife  who  sat  near  by, 
"I  see  that  Jones  boy  has  finally  gone  to  jail.  It's  a  wonder  he  didn't 
go  sooner,  considering  the  record  he  had."  And  then  he  recalled 
that  this  Jones  boy,  when  he  used  to  go  to  Church,  was  rather  rowdy 
and  hard  to  handle.  Later  he  became  a  truant  at  high  school,  sluffed 
his  classes  to  go  out  joy  riding  with  the  boys,  and  then  later  with  a 
group  began  to  steal  automobiles.  Then,  one  night  when  the  boys 
were  short  of  money,  a  few  of  them  decided  to  rob  a  store.  It  was 
for  this  crime  that  they  were  being  sent  to  jail.  The  bishop,  turning 
to  his  wife  said,  "It's  certainly  terrible,  isn't  it,  how  the  young  people 
carry  on  these  days?" 

This  was  a  favorite  theme  with  the  bishop.   He  would  talk  about 


20  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  October  4  First  Day 

it  quite  frequently  in  his  Sunday  evening  meetings  and  would  quote 
statistics  to  prove  his  point.  Among  the  statistics  he  would  use  were 
some  like  these: 

The  F.B.I,  reports  that  the  first  six  months  of  1946  show  the 
highest  rate  of  increase  in  crime  in  the  United  States  of  any  period 
since  crime  figures  have  been  compiled  on  a  national  basis.  The 
increase  was  fifty  percent  higher  in  rural  areas  than  in  cities,  contrary 
to  the  prevailing  opinion.  More  arrests  were  made  among  seventeen- 
year-olds  than  in  any  other  age  group.  In  1 945,  arrests  of  boys,  seven- 
teen years  of  age  or  under,  increased  twenty-nine  percent  over  the 
three-year  average  for  the  period  1939  to  1941.  Arrests  of  girls, 
seventeen  or  under,  for  this  same  period  showed  an  increase  of  one 
hundred  and  fifteen  percent. 

What  is  the  picture  in  Utah?  Figures  provided  by  the  state 
child  welfare  department  reveal  that  from  1936  to  1944,  the  number 
of  cases  referred  to  the  juvenile  courts  in  Utah  increased  more  than 
three  hundred  percent.  Stealing  by  juveniles  in  Utah  nearly  doubled 
during  this  period.  Truancy  more  than  doubled.  Children  listed  as 
ungovernable  increased  more  than  four  times,  and  juvenile  traffic 
violations  went  up  twelve  times. 

Whose  children  are  these?  Are  they  yours  or  someone  else's? 
In  the  first  six  months  of  1946,  the  little  town  of  Layton,  Utah,  had 
fifty-one  cases  of  juvenile  delinquency,  serious  enough  to  be  referred 
to  the  juvenile  courts.  Clearfield  had  thirty-three;  Price  had  fifty-one; 
Cedar  City,  thirty-five;  Fillmore,  twenty-two;  Brigham  City,  thirty- 
seven;  Murray,  twenty-seven;  Vernal,  forty;  Provo,  one  hundred 
seventy-eight;  Ogden,  four  hundred  eighty-one;  Salt  Lake  City,  one 
thousand  forty-eight;  and  many  other  cases  distributed  over  the  re- 
maining parts  of  the  state  in  proportion. 

Responsibility  of  Parents  and  Bishops 

When  Bishop  Brown  would  quote  these  figures  to  his  people,  he 
emphasized  the  fact  that  national  authorities  in  child  welfare  declared 
that  a  large  part  of  the  responsibility  for  this  condition  rested  upon 
the  parents,  and  the  bishop  made  a  grand  appeal  to  the  parents  to  im- 
prove their  home  life  in  order  to  hold  on  to  their  children  and  avoid 
as  much  of  this  delinquency  as  possible. 

I  do  not  in  any  way  wish  to  minimize  the  responsibility  of  the 
parents  with  regard  to  their  children,  but  if  Bishop  Brown  had  read 
further  into  the  reports  of  these  national  experts,  he  would  have  dis- 
covered that  these  same  authorities  declare  that  a  large  part  of  the 
responsibility  for  the  juvenile  delinquency  in  America  must  also  be 
borne  by  the  local  leaders  of  various  churches;  that  the  religious  leaders 
of  our  communities  must  shoulder  a  good  part  of  the  responsibility. 
Some  of  the  young  people  who  had  gone  astray  came  from  that  bish- 
op's own  ward.  Did  he  ever  connect  their  delinquency  with  his  own 
work  as  a  bishop?    Did  he  connect  it  at  all  with  the  work  being  done 


ELDER  MARK  E.  PETERSEN 


21 


by  his  Sunday  School,  Primary,  Mutual  Improvement  Associations,  or 
Aaronic  Priesthood  leaders?  Did  he  trace  the  difficulty  in  which 
these  young  people  found  themselves  to  any  failure  on  the  part  of  the 
leadership  of  the  various  organizations  in  his  ward  to  carry  out  suc- 
cessfully the  youth  program  of  the  Church? 

The  good  bishop  forgot  that  his  Aaronic  Priesthood  work  was 
at  a  low  ebb  and  failed  to  reach  a  great  number  of  the  boys  in  his 
ward.  Yet  the  Aaronic  Priesthood  program  is  designed  to  build 
character  and  strength  and  spirituality  in  the  boys  of  the  ward.  When 
boys  are  not  reached  by  it,  they  lose  the  strength  which  the  program 
provides  and  thus  weakened,  some  of  them  fall  into  sin  when  tempta- 
tion comes  along. 

The  good  bishop  also  forgot  that  his  M.I. A.  work  was  very  weak, 
and  like  the  Aaronic  Priesthood  activity  in  the  ward,  failed  to  build 
strength  of  character  among  the  young  people.  And  he  forgot  that 
there  was  very  little  enlistment  work  done  in  his  Sunday  School. 

He  forgot,  too,  that  he  had  failed  to<  adopt  the  Latter-day  Saint 
girls'  program,  because  he  didn't  agree  with  all  of  the  minor  details 
in  it.  And  he  forgot  that  his  ward  provided  little  or  no  recreation  for 
the  young  people,  and  that  all  last  year  it  had  given  only  two  dances 
for  the  young  people  who  like  to  come  there.  During  the  remaining 
fifty  weeks  of  the  year,  the  doors  of  the  recreation  hall  of  that  ward 
were  closed  against  the  young  people  who  would  have  liked  to  go 
there  for  their  dances.  And  yet  that  same  good  bishop  would  stand 
up  on  Sunday  night  and  denounce  some  of  these  young  people  because 
they  went  to  public  dance  halls. 

Did  the  bishop  ever  think  to  ask  how  often  young  people  like  to 
go  out?  Did  he  content  himself  with  two  dances  a  year  when  he  was 
young  and  when  he  went  courting? 

Youth  Needs  Recreation 

Do  you  know,  my  brothers  and  sisters,  that  all  last  year  the  aver- 
age ward  in  this  Church  gave  fewer  than  five  dances  for  the  young 
people  and  that  the  average  stake  gave  only  a  little  more  than  three? 
If  we  put  them  both  together,  then  last  year  there  was  an  average  of 
only  eight  dances  given  under  Church  sponsorship,  to  which  the 
young  people  of  any  given  ward  or  stake  could  go,  and  during  the 
remaining  forty-four  weeks  of  the  year,  our  young  people  had  to  shift 
for  themselves?  And  do  you  know  that  every  summer  when  the 
weather  gets  warm,  except  for  a  few  canyon  or  park  outings,  the 
wards  and  stakes  of  this  Church  very  generally  go  out  of  business 
and  close  their  doors  so  far  as  recreation  is  concerned? 

I  know  that  you  do  not  approve  your  young  people  going  to 
public  dance  halls  where  so  often  liquor  is  available  and  where  fre- 
quently undesirable  elements  are  present.  Yet,  like  Bishop  Brown, 
we  do  so  little  about  it.  Our  young  people  would  far  rather  dance  in 
good  places  with  good  people  to  good  music,  but  they  want  to  do  it 


22  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  October  4  First  Day 

more  than  eight  times  a  year.  Likewise,  our  young  people  enjoy  their 
Fireside  groups,  their  M  Men  and  Gleaner  work,  their  Boy  Scout  and 
Aaronic  Priesthood,  their  Junior  girl  and  Bee  Hive  activity  when 
there  is  an  interested  leadership  present.  But  put  yourselves  in  their 
places.  Which  of  you  would  stay  with  an  organization  that  was  only 
half  alive? 

Souls  Precious  in  the  Sight  of  God 

The  worth  of  souls  is  great  in  the  sight  of  God. 

When  our  young  people  fall,  can  you  count  the  cost  of  it?  Re- 
member there  is  a  price  tag  attached  to  every  evil  deed,  and  that  price 
tag  is  a  big  one.  The  cost  of  sin  is  so  great  that  it  can  hardly  be 
measured  by  mortal  men,  but  it  must  be  counted  in  remorse,  broken 
hearts,  lost  opportunities,  and  lost  souls.  Compare  that  price  with 
the  price  of  well-supervised,  Church-sponsored  recreation.  Com- 
pare that  price  with  the  expenditure  of  time  and  effort  required  to 
conduct  good  M  Men  and  Gleaner  activity,  or  a  good  Boy  Scout, 
Aaronic  Priesthood,  Junior  girl,  or  Bee  Hive  program.  Which  price 
would  you  rather  pay? 

A  wise  man  said: 

Train  up  a  child  in  the  way  he  should  go:  and  when  he  is  old,  he 
will  not  depart  from  it.  (Proverbs  22:6.) 

He  did  not  say,  neglect  the  child  and  let  him  run  the  streets.  Neither 
did  he  say,  forget  the  youth  program  of  the  Church,  and  let  the  chil- 
dren shift  for  themselves.  The  Lord  loves  the  children;  it  was  he 
who  said: 

Suffer  the  little  children  to  come  unto  me,  and  forbid  them  not:  for 
of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  God.  (Mark  10:14.) 

Do  we  ever  forbid  the  children?  When  we  close  the  doors  of 
our  recreation  halls  most  of  the  year,  do  we  forbid  the  children?  When 
we  fail  to  adopt  the  youth  program  of  the  Church,  which  is  specially 
designed  to  bring  the  children  unto  the  Lord,  do  we  forbid  the  chil- 
dren? The  Good  Shepherd  not  only  said,  "Feed  my  sheep,"  but  he 
also  said  with  great  emphasis,  "Feed  my  lambs."  May  we  do  so,  I 
pray  in  Jesus'  name.  Amen. 

ELDER  ANDRE  K.  ANASTASIOU 

Former  President  o[  British  Mission 

I  feel  it  a  great  honor  to  stand  before  the  Presidency  and  general 
authorities  of  the  Church  assembled  in  this  great  building,  together 
with  the  multitude  of  Saints.  ' 

For  twenty-eight  years  I  hoped  and  prayed  to  be  in  Zion  and  to 
be  inside  the  Tabernacle.  This  is  a  great  opportunity  and  I  feel  very 
humble,  indeed,  standing  before  you,  brothers  and  sisters. 

It  was  my  task  to  be  called  to  preside  in  an  acting  position  over 


ELDER  ANDRE  K.  ANASTASIOU  23 


the  British  Mission  from  January  1 0,  1 940  until  May,  1 944 — for  four 
years  and  five  months. 

May  I  take  you  back  to  the  year  1 937  when  the  British  Mission 
of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  was  celebrating 
its  centennial.  It  is  the  oldest  mission  of  the  Church,  the  mission  which 
contributed  eighty-four  per  cent  of  Church  membership,  originally. 
It  was  our  centennial.  Our  late  President,  Heber  J.  Grant,  and  Presi- 
dent J.  Reuben  Clark,  Jr.,  and  Sister  Ruth  May  Fox,  and  many  others, 
came  from  Zion  to  Great  Britian  to  celebrate  our  centennial.  We 
learned  the  day  and  the  hour  when  the  train  would  arrive  in  London, 
at  the  Liverpool  Street  Station,  so  a  group  of  about  twenty  young 
people  of  the  MIA  gathered  to  meet  President  Grant.  After  waiting 
some  time,  the  train  finally  pulled  into  the  station,  and  we  eagerly 
looked  into  the  windows  of  the  carriages  to  see  whether  we  could  find 
President  Grant.  We  were  fortunate  enough  to  be  about  the  middle 
of  the  platform  and  his  carriage  pulled  up  just  about  where  we  stood 
waiting  for  him.  As  we  stood  there,  irresolute  as  to  what  to  do,  one 
of  the  sisters  touched  my  elbow  and  said,  "Go  on  Brother  Anastasiou, 
start,"  and  we  started  singing  "We  Thank  Thee  O  God  for  a  Proph- 
et." We  didn't  care  about  the  porters  and  the  people  pushing  by;  we 
were  so  anxious  to  meet  President  Grant.  We  had  never  seen  him 
before.  We  had  heard  of  him,  we  had  read  his  speeches,  we  had  seen 
his  pictures,  but  to  see  him  in  person  was  a  great  moment  in  our  lives. 
And  so  as  we  sang  that  hymn,  he  came  out  of  the  carriage  alone,  as  I 
remember  it.  He  came  to  our  group,  took  his  hat  off,  and  began  sing- 
ing with  us.  Before  we  finished  singing  he  was  crying.  We  looked 
upon  him:  a  noble  man,  so  humble  in  appearance,  so  simply  dressed 
and  we  felt  he  was  a  servant  of  the  Lord.  I  shall  never  forget  that 
occasion. 

The  great  moment  of  the  Mission  centennial  was  culminated  in 
Rochdale,  Lancashire,  where  we  hired  a  town  hall  and  many  other 
places  for  our  various  conferences  and  meetings.  And  during  the 
three  days  of  jubilee  and  rejoicing,  the  President  of  the  Church 
sounded  the  voice  of  warning.  He  said,"  A  day  will  come  when  every 
missionary  will  be  removed  from  the  British  Isles."  That  was  1937. 
In  1939  Great  Britian  was  again  at  war  and  every  missionary  had  to 
be  removed  from  the  British  Isles,  literally  every  one.  In  World  War 
No  1  there  was  a  skeleton  representation  of  missionaries  from  Zion 
but  on  this  occasion  every  one  had  to  be  removed.  President  Hugh 
B.  Brown  said  to  me:  "My  passport  has  been  cancelled  and  I  have  to 
go."  He  left  London  on  January  10,  at  10:00  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and  we  came  to  London  at  2:00  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  My  coming 
to  the  Mission  headquarters,  brothers  and  sisters,  and  being  called 
to  do  that  work  was  not  unexpected.  Almost  two  years  before  that 
we  lived  in  the  little  village  of  Bookham  in  Surrey.  It  is  a  picturesque 
little  place.  We  had  two  other  little  villages  nearby,  Fetcham  and 
Cookham,  but  we  lived  in  Bookham. 

Often  we  used  to  bring  missionaries  from  London  from  our  near- 


24  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  October  4  First  Day 

est  Branch,  eighteen  miles  away.  We  would  say  to  them:  "Well,  this 
is  Fetcham  and  the  next  is  Bookham  but  we'll  never  take  you  to 
Cookham." 

One  night  while  I  was  working  on  the  translation  of  the  Book 
of  Mormon,  into  the  Russian  language,  my  mind  was  taken  away 
from  my  work.  I  looked  up  into  space,  and  saw  in  my  mind's  eye  that 
we  were  leaving  Bookham  and  going  to  London  and  that  we  were 
entering  the  mission  home;  it  seemed  a  large  home,  and  particularly 
I  noticed  a  wide  stairway,  or  staircase  as  we  call  it.  At  that  time  there 
was  no  large  mission  headquarters  and  no  wide  stairway.  But  by  the 
time  I  was  called  with  my  family  to  take  over  the  responsibility  of 
presiding  with  two  counselors,  the  war  was  upon  us  and  the  mission 
office  was  removed  from  5  Gordon  Square  to  the  southwest  part  of 
London  and  there  we  found  a  large  building,  known  as  Ravenslea, 
and  there,  as  we  entered  the  building,  was  the  wide  stairway.  We 
went  up  that  stairway  and  stayed  there  for  four  years  and  about 
five  months.  I  am  just  reminded  that  President  J.  Reuben  Clark  was 
the  one  to  okeh  the  purchase  of  that  building.  I  remember  taking  him 
in  my  car  to  Lavendar  Hill;  it  was  night,  and  he  went  and  bought  a 
torch,  by  that  I  mean  a  flashlight.  I  took  him  in  my  little  car  to  Raven- 
slea and  we  flashed  around  with  the  flashlight,  and  he  said  finally, 
"Buy  it,  Brother  Anastasiou."  That  was  the  mission  headquarters, 
and  it  is  still  there  now. 

When  the  war  began,  Great  Britian  of  course,  was  unprepared. 
The  "gentleman  with  the  umbrella"  strove  very  valiantly  to  keep 
Britian  out  of  the  war,  but  the  clouds  of  war  hung  very  low.  His 
Christian  endeavor  to  keep  peace  in  Europe  unfortunately  failed, 
because  other  forces  were  too  strong  for  this  kind  Christian  gentle- 
man, Neville  Chamberlain.  But  Great  Britain,  true  to  her  principles 
of  fair  play  and  justice,  kept  her  word  to  another  small  country.  In 
this  case  it  was  Poland;  in  the  last  war  it  was  little  Belgium.  In 
a  dramatic  moment  over  the  BBC,  Neville  Chamberlain  spoke  these 
words,  "Great  Britain  is  again  at  war  with  Germany."  We  were  un- 
prepared, there  was  nothing  we  could  fight  with,  no  planes,  no  guns, 
no  tanks,  nothing  at  all.  The  British  Navy,  of  course  couldn't  be 
taken  ashore.  The  sense  of  duty  for  the  protection  of  small  nations,  for 
taking  care  of  the  underdog,  as  we  say  over  there,  was  the  decision  of 
the  British  people  and  the  British  nation.  So  everybody  was  called 
to  war.  All  our  Church  members,  male  members,  were  liable  to  be 
called  up.  The  first  two  or  three  months  while  we  were  in  London,  we 
anticipated  bombing,  but  the  first  great  task  to-  face  us  was  that  most 
of  our  men  were  being  called  up  for  the  armed  services.  However,  we 
felt  that  we  were  entitled  to  some  privileges  as  ministers  of  religion, 
or  ministers  of  the  Gospel.  I  went  to  the  Ministry  of  Labor  and  Na- 
tional Service  and  appealed  for  exemptions.  I  said  that  we  would  like 
to  be  considered  as  other  demoninations,  who  were  entitled  to  their 
ministers  being  exempt  from  military  service;  not  because  we  do  not 
wish  to  share  in  the  responsibilities  of  our  country,  but  we  need  a 


ELDER  ANDRE  K.  ANASTASIOU  25 


few  men  to  administer  the  affairs  of  the  Church.  Very  tactfully  a 
representative  of  the  Ministry  with  his  secretary  said  to  me:  "Will 
you  please  call  again,  and  we  will  consider  your  case." 

Within  about  seven  days  I  was  back  at  the  Ministry  and  was 
received  by  the  same  gentleman.  And  as  we  sat  he  gravely  looked  at 
me,  and  said:  "Mr.  Anastasiou,  it  is  needless  for  me  to  say  that  the 
King  needs  every  man."  And  as  he  said  that  I  looked  up  at  him  and 
said:  "Every  man  of  our  Church  who  has  been  called  to  service  has 
responded  and  has  gone,  but  may  I  state,  very  respectfully,  that  the 
King  of  Kings  needs  a  few  men  to  carry  out  His  work." 

As  I  said  that  he  looked  up  at  me  and  said:  "You  are  right.  How 
many  men  do  you  need?" 

Within  ten  minutes  the  interview  was  over.  Within  a  week  we 
had  a  letter,  an  official  document  of  the  Minister  of  Labor  and  Na- 
tional Service,  granting  us  exemption  for  all  our  men  in  major  Holy 
Orders,  which  we  knew  to  be  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood.  Those 
in  lesser  Holy  Orders,  the  Aaronic  Priesthood  members,  were  not 
exempted.  So  we  were  able  to  keep  some  of  our  Elders  in  charge  of 
the  branches. 

I  am  reminded  of  the  fact  that  Elder  Joseph  F.  Merrill  remained 
in  Great  Britain  during  the  year  1935,  and  I  believe  '36.  It  was  his 
task  to  remove  all  the  missionaries  from  Zion  from  administering  the 
affairs  of  the  branches.  These  brethren  could  see  what  was  coming. 
When  the  war  was  declared  the  Saints  said:  "Why,  President  Grant's 
prophecy  has  been  fulfilled.  Every  missionary,  for  the  first  time  in  the 
history  of  the  British  Mission,  has  been  removed  from  this  land." 

And  so  we  were  not  unprepared.  Every  branch  was  self-admin- 
istered, and  we  began  to  take  care  of  the  68  branches  under  our  re- 
sponsibility. While  men  clung  to  weapons  of  war  in  defending  their 
country,  in  trying  to  help  Poland  and  other  overrun  nations,  some  of 
us  gave  up  our  work  and  came  and  gave  our  full  time  to  missionary 
work. 

London,  particularly,  and  many  other  large  cities  were  in  danger 
of  destruction.  Bombing  began  and  it  was  very  severe.  Many  people 
perished  by  day  ar\d  by  night.  Latter-day  Saints,  I  imagine,  with  the 
rest  of  the  people  prayed  harder  than  ever  before  to  be  delivered  from 
destruction.  We  spent  nearly  two  years  in  cellars  and  shelters,  hiding 
from  destructive  bombs,  but  I  am  grateful  to  say  that  not  one  Latter- 
day  Saint  perished  in  the  destruction  of  the  cities  of  Great  Britain, 
not  one. 

I  lay  certain  stress  on  "Saints."  May  I  be  permitted  to  say  that 
we  have  defined  some  of  our  Church  members  as  Saints,  Aints  and 
Complaints.  Among  the  Saints,  we  have  not  lost  a  single  one. 

Some  people  said  to  me:  "Brother  Anastasiou,  do  you  mean  to 
tell  us  that  not  one  member  of  the  Church  perished  in  that  terrible 
bombing  of  London?" 

I  said:  "Yes,  it  is  true,  not  one  Latter-day  Saint."  We  lost  one 
family  whose  mother  was  a  member  of  the  church  but  in  name  only. 


26  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  October  4  First  Day 

We  never  knew  her.  We  learned  of  the  destruction  of  herself,  her 
children,  her  husband  and  their  home  by  a  bomb,  and  that  was  the 
first  time  we  knew  that  she  was  a  member  of  the  Church.  She  never 
came  anywhere  near  the  Church.  Her  old  father,  living  in  Manchester, 
sent  us  the  word  that  his  daughter  and  her  whole  family  had  perished 
in  one  of  the  bombing  raids  upon  London.  But  among  faithful  Latter- 
day  Saints  it  was  a  joy  to  see  protection. 

In  some  cases  we  lost  our  furniture,  our  windows,  our  doors,  our 
ceilings  but  not  a  life.  In  the  city  of  Liverpool,  one  of  our  Branch 
Presidents,  Brother  Patey  told  me  a  story  which  I  shall  never  forget: 
One  of  those  five  hundred  pound  bombs  fell  outside  of  his  little  home, 
but  it  did  not  go  off.  The  children  immediately  said:  "Daddy,  it  is  a 
D.A."  A  delay  action  bomb,  and  he  said  to  me:  "We  began  to  pray," 
five  children  and  the  father,  no  mother.  He  is  a  widower.  He  said  they 
all  prayed  so  earnestly  and  when  they  had  finished  praying,  the  chil- 
dren said:  "Daddy,  we  will  be  all  right.  We  will  be  all  right  in  our 
home  tonight." 

And  so  they  went  to  bed,  imagine,  with  that  terrific  bomb  lying 
just  outside  the  door  half  submerged  in  the  ground.  If  it  had  gone  off 
it  would  have  destroyed  probably  forty  or  fifty  houses  and  killed  two 
or  three  hundred  people,  but  the  faith  of  that  little  humble  family  was 
so  wonderful  that  I  shall  never  forget  it. 

The  next  morning  the  A.R.P.  Squad  was  on  the  scene.  The 
whole  neighborhood  was  removed  for  forty-eight  hours  and  the  bomb 
was  finally  taken  away.  When  it  was  successfully  removed  the  people 
were  called  back  to  their  homes. 

On  the  way  back  Brother  Patey  asked  the  foreman  of  the  A.R.P. 
Squad:  "Well,  what  did  you  find?" 

"Mr.  Patey,  we  got  at  the  bomb  outside  of  your  door  and  found 
it  ready  to  explode  at  any  moment.  There  was  nothing  wrong  with  it. 
We  are  puzzled  why  it  did  not  go  off." 

Brother  Patey  knew  in  his  heart  that  it  was  not  a  puzzle,  that 
it  was  not  luck  as  the  man  said  to  him,  "Lucky  people  you  still  have 
your  homes  to  go  back  to."  Brother  Patey  knew  deep  in  his  heart  that 
it  was  the  answer  to  a  humble  prayer  of  a  good  Latter-day  Saint  and 
his  children. 

He  said  to  me:  "I  was  so  anxious  that  our  Branch  records  in 
my  home  would  not  be  destroyed."  That  was  his  anxiety. 

Well,  we  had  regulations  by  the  hundred;  we  Latter-day  Saints, 
condensed  the  principles  of  the  Gospel  into  a  kind  of  pill  form.  We 
said  to  the  Saints:  "Brothers  and  Sisters,  if  you  need  the  protection  of 
the  Lord  you  must  be  true  to  the  principles  of  the  Gospel."  We  said: 
1.  Pray  night  and  morning.  2.  Keep  the  Sabbath  Day  holy.  3.  Go 
to  the  house  of  the  Lord  and  take  the  sacrament  worthily.  Don't  bear 
false  witness  to  it.  4.  Sustain  loyally  the  Church  Authorities.  5. 
Pay  your  tithing  and  fast  offerings.  6.  Keep  the  Word  of  Wisdom, 
and  7.  Do  your  temple  work. 

And  members  adhered  to  this.  We  called  101  full  time  mission- 


ELDER  ANDRE  K.  ANASTASIOU 


27 


aries  and  most  of  them  went  into  the  field  without  a  penny,  and  yet 
everyone  had  the  means.  We  called  425  part-time  missionaries  and 
every  one  gave  us  five  hours  a  week  for  nearly  two  years,  apart  from 
their  regular  work.  Our  missionaries  were  asked  to  preach  the  Gospel 
and  not  to  give  talks.  At  testimony  meetings  we  had  marvelous  in- 
spirational occasions. 

The  police  sometimes  would  come  and  say:  "Don't  you  think 
it  unwise  that  you  should  hold  your  services  while  the  air  raid  is  on? 
Think  of  the  casualities  you  would  sustain  if  a  bomb  were  to  fall  upon 
your  church."  We  said:  "Thank  you,  officer,  we  recognize  the  dan- 
ger but  we  feel  safe  in  a  dedicated  building,"  and  we  never  cancelled  a 
single  service.  Many  of  our  buildings,  of  course,  had  no  windows  and 
no  ceilings.  The  government  saw  that  we  had  roofs  over  our  heads. 
We  had  hardly  any  heat  and  hardly  any  light. 

I  remember  one  testimony  meeting  when  every  Saint  took  one 
minute  to  bear  a  testimony,  and  one  little  old  lady  got  up.  She  said: 
"Brothers  and  sisters,  the  testimony  of  the  Gospel  is  burning  in  my 
bosom."  And  as  she  sat  down,  she  said  to  her  neighbor:  "My  dear, 
my  feet  are  freezing." 

We  went  throughout  the  mission,  in  accordance  with  the  wishes 
of  the  First  Presidency,  once  a  year.  We  called  young  people  to  go 
on  missions,  saying  to  them:  "Brothers  and  sisters,  if  you  will  answer 
the  call  of  your  brethren  it  makes  no  difference  whether  you  have  any 
means  or  not,  the  Lord  will  provide." 

I  must  give  way  in  a  moment,  but  may  I  bear  a  testimony  that 
I  have  seen  the  hand  of  the  Lord  move  among  those  faithful  Latter- 
day  Saints  in  the  British  Isles.  In  Glasgow,  Scotland,  in  1940,  was 
my  first  conference,  and  my  first  visit  to  Scotland.  On  the  front  bench 
there  sat  a  young  lady  with  her  mother  who>  was  deaf  and  dumb  and 
this  young  daughter  used  the  sign  language.  She  said  to  her  mother: 
"The  President  is  calling  us  to  go  on  missions,"  and  her  mother  said 
to  her:  "You  go  on  a  mission." 

And  so  she  came  to  me  after  the  conference  and  said:  "President, 
I  am  willing  to  go  but — ,"  she  dropped  her  eyes,  "but  I  have  no  money." 

I  said:  "Sister  McDonald,  the  Lord  will  open  the  way." 

She  was  set  apart  the  last  thing  on  Sunday  night — and  I  said: 
"I  will  write  to  you  on  Tuesday,  when  I  get  back."  It  took  a  day  to 
get  back  to  London,  to  my  desk,  and  among  the  pile  of  letters  there 
was  the  answer  to  the  promise  given  to  that  sister.  One  faithful  brother 
from  the  army  wrote  to  me  saying:  "President,  I  would  like  to'  take 
care  of  a  missionary  for  six  months.  Here  is  the  check  for  the  first 
month,  and  the  others  will  follow."  All  of  that  money  went  to  that 
sister. 

Time  will  not  permit  me  to  say  much  more,  but  by  the  time  my 
successor  arrived  back  in  Great  Britain,  President  Hugh  B.  Brown, 
we  had  75  branches  in  operation,  everyone  self-sustaining  and  self- 
administered,  and  it  has  been  a  testimony  to  me  that  "the  rights  of 
the  priesthood  are  inseparably  connected  with  the  powers  of  Heaven, 


28  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday.  October  4  First  Day 

but  that  the  powers  of  Heaven  cannot  be  controlled  nor  handled  except 
upon  the  principles  of  righteousness,"  (Doc.  &  Cov.  121:36.)  and 
such  is  my  testimony  to  bear  to  you,  brothers  and  sisters,  that  we  have 
witnessed  the  hand  of  the  Lord  in  our  midst,  by  day  and  by  night, 
and  I  rejoice  in  being  with  you  today  in  Zion. 

There  are  at  least  twenty  or  thirty  young  people  in  Great  Britain 
today  who  were  denied  the  opportunity  to  go  on  missions  because  of 
the  war  work.  Now  they  are  willing  to  go  on  missions  anywhere  in 
the  world  and  the  means  will  be  found  when  they  are  called. 

God  grant  that  we  may  appreciate  the  blessings  of  this  Gospel, 
I  humbly  pray,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

President  George  Albert  Smith: 

Elder  Andre  K.  Anastasiou  of  the  British  Mission  has  just  fin- 
ished speaking. 

The  Singing  Mothers  of  the  Jordan  Valley  Region  will  now  sing 
"The  Twenty-Third  Psalm,"  by  Shubert. 

The  closing  prayer  will  be  offered  by  President  Merrill  N.  War- 
nick  of  the  Timpanogos  Stake,  after  which  this  Conference  will  stand 
adjourned  until  2:00  this  afternoon.  The  afternoon  session  will  be 
broadcast  over  Station  KSL,  Salt  Lake  City,  and  KSUB  at  Cedar  City. 

The  Singing  Mothers  sang:   "The  Twenty-Third  Psalm." 
President  Merrill  N.  Warnick  of  the  Timpanogos  Stake  offered 
the  closing  prayer. 

Conference  adjourned  until  2  p.m. 

FIRST  DAY 
AFTERNOON  MEETING 

Conference  reconvened  at  2  o'clock  P.M.,  Friday,  October  4. 
President  George  Albert  Smith: 

This  is  the  second  session  of  the  1 1 7th  Semi- Annual  Conference 
of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  We  are  convened 
in  the  Tabernacle  on  Temple  Square,  Salt  Lake  City. 

The  house  is  filled  to  overflowing  and  people  standing. 

There  are  present  on  the  stand  this  afternoon  all  of  the  General 
Authorities  of  the  Church,  except  Elder  Stephen  L  Richards  of  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve,  who  is  detained  at  home  under  instruction  of 
his  physician;  Elder  Ezra  Taft  Benson,  also  of  the  Council  of  the 
Twelve,  who  is  in  Europe  in  charge  of  the  European  Mission;  and 
the  Patriarch  to  the  Church,  also  absent  on  account  of  illness. 

The  proceedings  of  this  session  will  be  broadcast  over  KSL  at 
Salt  Lake  City  and  KSUB  at  Cedar  City. 

We  will  begin  the  services  this  afternoon  by  the  combined  chorus 


ELDER  JOSEPH  L.  WIRTHLIN 


29 


of  the  Singing  Mothers  of  the  Jordan  Valley  Region  Relief  Societies 
singing  "In  Thy  Form."  Sister  Florence  Jepperson  Madsen  is  the 
director,  and  Elder  Alexander  Schreiner  is  the  organist. 

The  opening  prayer  will  be  offered  by  President  John  K.  Ed- 
munds of  the  Chicago  Stake. 

The  Relief  Society  Singing  Mothers  of  the  Jordan  Valley  Region 
sang:  "In  Thy  Form." 

President  John  K.  Edmunds  of  the  Chicago  Stake  offered  the 
opening  prayer. 

Singing  by  the  Singing  Mothers:  "My  Redeemer  Lives." 

ELDER  JOSEPH  L.  WIRTHLIN 

Second  Counselor  in  the  Presiding  Bishopric 

I  sincerely  trust,  my  brethren  and  sisters,  that  I  may  enjoy  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord  during  the  moment  or  two  that  I  might  stand  be- 
fore you. 

I  am  profoundly  grateful  to  the  Lord  because  in  this  day  and  in 
this  dispensation  he  has  raised  up  a  Prophet  and  prophets  who  have 
followed  him.  Through  these  prophets  he  has  given  his  word  to  us 
that  pertains  to  all  of  the  phases  and  activities  of  life.  I  am  thinking 
particularly  now  of  that  phase  of  our  life  that  has  to  do  with  the  law 
of  the  land.    He  made  it  known  unto  us  through  the  Prophet  Joseph : 

According  to  the  laws  and  constitution  of  the  people,  which  I  have 
suffered  to  be  established,  and  should  be  maintained  for  the  rights  and 
protection  of  all  flesh,  according  to  just  and  holy  principles;  .  .  .  And  for 
this  purpose  have  I  established  the  Constitution  of  this  land,  by  the  hands 
of  wise  men  whom  I  raised  up  unto  this  very  purpose,  and  redeemed  the 
land  by  the  shedding  of  blood.  (D.  &  C.  101:  77,  80.) 

Free  Agency  Vs.  Force 

I  have  thought  many  times  of  the  men  who  were  selected  by  God 
in  Revolutionary  days  to  set  up  a  government,  a  government  predi- 
cated upon  the  great  principle  of  free  agency,  that  principle  which 
was  fought  for  in  the  councils  of  heaven  when  two  of  the  Lord's  sons 
stood  before  him,  one  of  them  advocating  a  plan  whereby  he  would 
redeem  all  of  the  Lord's  children  that  were  to  come  to  the  flew  earth, 
whether  they  desired  redemption  or  not;  and  the  other  one  advocating 
a  plan  that  he  would  extend  to  each  man  his  agency  to  decide  whether 
or  not  he  would  follow  the  commandments  of  God  or  whether  he 
would  follow  the  commandments  of  the  opposite  power.  As  a  result 
of  advocating  these  two  plans,  a  great  war  took  place  in  the  heavens, 
and  Lucifer,  the  Son  of  the  Morning,  was  cast  out;  and  from  that  day 
until  now,  these  two  great  forces  have  been  in  a  gigantic  struggle. 
Jesus  Christ  came  to  earth  and  gave  each  and  every  one  of  us  the 
right  and  the  privilege  to  follow  God's  commandments  as  we  saw  fit, 
while,  on  the  other  hand,  Satan  has  done  all  within  his  power  to  en- 


30  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  October  4  First  Day 

snare  the  souls  of  the  Lord's  children  and  have  them  follow  after  him. 

These  two  philosophies  have  been  found  in  government.  We 
find  that  in  the  days  of  George  Washington,  in  the  day  of  these  wise 
men  that  the  Lord  raised  up  to  found  a  republic,  founded  upon  the 
principle  of  free  agency,  that  there  were  those  who  opposed  the  idea; 
there  were  those  who  fought  against  the  principles  as  advocated  by 
Washington,  Thomas  Jefferson,  and  the  Revolutionary  fathers.  And 
from  that  day  until  this,  the  world  over,  these  two  philosophies  have 
been  struggling  with  each  other.  The  Lord  gave  Joseph  Smith  an- 
other revelation,  one  that  should  be  a  warning  to  all  of  us,  with  refer- 
ence to  the  principle  of  force  as  advocated  by  Lucifer,  for  the  Lord 
said: 

And  again,  I  say  unto  you  that  the  enemy  in  the  secret  chambers 
seeketh  your  lives.  Ye  hear  of  wars  in  far  countries,  and  you  say  that 
there  will  soon  be  great  wars  in  far  countries,  but  ye  know  not  the  hearts 
of  men  in  your  own  land.  (D.  &  C.  38:28,  29.) 

Dangerous  Tendencies  in  Government 

I  am  sure  that  this  revelation,  brothers  and  sisters,  pertains  to 
this  day  and  to  this  time.  While  our  attention  is  attracted  to  foreign 
countries  where  there  have  been  wars  and  where  there  are  still  wars, 
there  are  within  the  very  borders  of  this  great  republic  those  who 
would  change  our  form  of  government  and  who  would  force  upon  us 
the  same  type  of  government  that  Lucifer  advocated  in  the  councils 
of  heaven. 

Now  these  wise  men  that  the  Lord  raised  up  during  the  days  of 
Washington,  Jefferson,  Franklin,  Robert  Morris,  and  Hamilton,  pro- 
vided a  pattern  of  government  for  us  to  follow,  a  pattern  of  govern- 
ment which  has  brought  to  us  numerous  blessings,  a  form  of  govern- 
ment that  has  made  us  the  strongest,  and,  may  I  say,  the  richest 
nation  in  all  the  world,  because  it  has  been  founded  upon  the  principle 
of  free  agency.  Every  individual  has  had  the  right  to  do  the  thing 
that  he  has  wanted  to  do  in  the  fields  of  industry,  agriculture,  or 
whatnot.  He  has  had  the  right  to  worship  God  according  to  the 
dictates  of  his  own  conscience.  He  has  had  the  right  to  own  property. 
He  has  had  the  right  to  speak  as  he  sees  fit,  and  he  has  enjoyed  the 
privilege  of  a  great  and  free  press.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  we  find 
that  the  philosophy  of  the  evil  one  would  teach  us  that,  after  all,  our 
government  should  be  centralized  in  the  hands  of  one  or  two  men. 
Some  advocate  changing  the  form  of  our  government.  They  advo- 
cate regimentation  of  industry  and  labor.  They  advocate  that  de- 
ficit spending  is  the  sure  way  to  prosperity.  They  would  pervert  the 
Constitution.  They  have  endeavored  through  the  various  educa- 
tional systems  of  this  great  country  to  teach  us  doctrines  that  are 
contrary  to  the  doctrines  and  the  principles  upon  which  this  great 
republic  is  founded.  They  would  restrict  us  in  our  religious  worship. 
They  would  disrupt  family  relationships.   And  so  as  we  compare 


ELDER  JOSEPH  L.  WIRTHLIN 


31 


these  two  great  systems,  we  can  readily  see  that  they  are  but  a  carry- 
over from  that  great  battle  which  took  place  in  the  spirit  world. 

When  I  think  of  these  wise  men,  George  Washington  and 
Jefferson  and  Franklin,  I  think  of  men  who  were  servants  of  God, 
raised  up  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  the  Constitution  and  es- 
tablishing this  great  government.  Thomas  Jefferson  was  endowed 
from  on  high  with  prophetic  power.  If  you  will  study  the  Doctrines 
of  Democracy  as  advocated  by  Thomas  Jefferson  one  hundred  thirty 
years  ago,  you  will  find  that  in  many  respects  we  have  departed 
from  the  principles  that  made  us  a  great  and  powerful  nation. 

Jefferson's  Statement  on  Centralized  Government 

Those  who  would  change  our  form  of  government  would  central- 
ize all  its  powers  and  functions  into  the  hands  of  a  few.  Let  us  refer 
to  this  man  of  God,  Thomas  Jefferson,  who  was  raised  up  by  the 
Lord  to  help  establish  this  great  republic.  What  did  Jefferson  say 
with  reference  to  centralized  government? 

Our  country  is  too  large  to  have  all  of  its  affairs  directed  by  a  single 
government,  and  I  do  verily  believe  that  if  the  principle  were  to  prevail 
of  a  common  law  being  in  force  in  the  United  States,  it  would  become  the 
most  corrupt  government  upon  the  earth.  What  an  augmentation  of  the 
field  for  jobbing,  speculating,  plundering,  office-building  and  office-hunting 
would  be  produced  by  an  assumption  of  all  of  the  state  powers  into  the 
hands  of  the  general  government.  The  true  theory  of  our  Constitution  is 
surely  the  wisest  and  best,  that  the  states  are  independent  as  to  everything 
within  themselves,  and  united  as  to  everything  respecting  foreign  nations. 

Over  the  years  that  have  passed,  the  states  have  given  up  many 
of  their  rights  to  the  federal  government.  As  a  result,  we  are  be- 
coming a  closely  supervised  nation  in  many  respects.  This  man  of 
God  understood  this  and  warned  us  and  forewarned  us  to  protect 
our  rights  as  states  and  as  individuals. 

Jefferson  foresaw  the  time  when,  should  we  be  regulated  in  our 
businesses,  in  all  our  endeavors,  there  would  come  a  day  of  famine. 
I  shall  read  to  you  one  of  his  statements:  "Were  we  directed  from 
Washington  when  to  sow  and  when  to  reap,  we  should  soon  want 
bread." 

We  are  living  in  that  very  day.  We  have  seen  the  need  for 
bread;  we  have  seen  the  need  for  meat;  we  have  seen  the  need  for 
sugar;  we  have  seen  the  need  for  many  of  the  necessities  of  life.  I 
am  sure  this  wise  man  of  God  enjoyed  the  inspiration  of  the  spirit  of 
prophecy  when  he  made  the  above  declaration. 

There  are  those  who  would  change  our  form  of  government, 
would  regiment  us  in  all  of  our  endeavors.  It  would  be  only  a  short 
time  when  men  would  be  called  to  perform  work  whether  they  were 
qualified  to  do  it  or  not.  They  would  be  forced  into  the  harness  of 
labor  without  any  opportunity  to  express  their  own  desires.  Serf- 
dom would  soon  dominate  the  lives  of  the  people. 


32  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday.  October  4  First  Day 

And  again,  this  wise  man  of  God  saw  that  if  there  ever  came 
a  time  when  we  were  regimented  that  we  would  lose  our  independ- 
ence, that  we  would  lose  all  the  blessings  that  have  come  to  us  through 
the  Constitution  of  the  United  States.  He  said  this,  in  speaking  of 
regimentation,  which  is  nothing  more  nor  less  than  nazism,  com- 
munism, or  fascism,  which  are  the  forms  of  government  that  have 
shackled  the  peoples  of  Germany,  Russia,  Italy,  and  other  nations. 

Should  we  adopt  foreign  "isms," 

...  it  will  be  as  in  Europe,  where  every  man  must  be  pike  or  gudgeon, 
hammer  or  anvil.  Our  functionaries  and  theirs  are  wares  from  the  same 
workshop,  made  of  the  same  materials,  and  by  the  same  hand.  If  the  states 
look  with  apathy  on  this  silent  descent  of  their  government  into  the  gulf 
which  is  to  swallow  all,  we  have  only  to  weep  over  the  human  character 
formed  uncontrollable  but  by  a  rod  of  iron,  and  the  blasphemers  of  man,  as 
incapable  of  self-government. 

Debt  Brings  Servitude 

Then  there  are  those  who  would  change  our  form  of  govern- 
ment, these  wicked  men  that  the  Lord  spoke  of  in  a  revelation  to 
the  Prophet  Joseph  as  scheming  and  planning  to  do  away  with  what 
the  Lord  had  given  us;  one  of  their  lines  of  attack  is  that  of  per- 
petual debt.  It  may  be  of  some  interest  for  you  to  know,  and  no 
doubt  you  already  know  it,  that  one  of  the  greatest  advocates  of 
one  of  these  "isms,"  Lenin,  the  great  Russian  revolutionist,  said:  "As 
far  as  America  is  concerned,  we  will  let  America  spend  and  spend 
herself  into  bankruptcy,  then  we  will  take  over." 

What  did  Thomas  Jefferson,  this  wise  man  of  ihi  Lord,  say 
with  reference  to  perpetual  debt?  He  said: 

I  am  not  among  those  who  fear  the  people.  They  are  our  dependents 
for  continued  freedom.  And  to  preserve  their  independence,  we  must  not 
let  our  rulers  load  us  with  perpetual  debt.  We  must  make  our  election 
between  economy  and  liberty  or  profusion  and  servitude. 

I  hope  we  have  not  gone  so  far  in  this  nation  of  ours  that  be- 
cause of  the  profusion  which  we  have  had  we  have  brought  upon 
ourselves  servitude. 

Now  is  the  time.  Now  is  the  time  if  we  are  to  preserve  our 
independence  and  liberty  to  let  those  know  in  whose  hands  we  have 
given  the  affairs  of  government,  that  we  are  not  going  to  stand  for 
continued  extravagant  spending,  for  as  surely  as  that  policy  con- 
tinues we  will  face  bankruptcy  and  with  bankruptcy  there  will  come 
that  inevitable,  dreadful  thing  that  we  call  revolution.  And  with 
revolution  comes  the  opportunity  for  those  within  the  borders  of 
our  land  who  would  destroy  our  government,  to  step  in  and  take 
over.  They  would  also  change  our  form  of  government,  and  what 
did  this  wise  man  of  the  Lord,  Thomas  Jefferson,  say  with  reference 
to  this  change? 


ELDER  JOSEPH  L.  WIRT  HUN 


33 


I  said  to  President  Washington  that  if  the  equilibrium  of  the  three 
great  bodies,  legislative,  executive,  and  judiciary,  could  be  preserved,  if 
the  legislature  could  be  kept  independent,  I  should  never  fear  the  result  of 
such  a  government;  but  that  I  could  not  but  be  uneasy  when  I  saw  that 
the  executive  had  swallowed  up  the  legislative  branch.  When  all  govern- 
ment, domestic  and  foreign,  in  little  as  in  great  things,  shall  be  drawn  to 
Washington  as  the  center  of  all  power,  it  will  render  powerless  the  checks 
provided  of  one  government  on  another,  and  will  become  as  venal  and 
oppressive  as  the  government  from  which  we  are  separated. 

Brethren  and  sisters,  these  are  the  words  of  one  of  God's  in- 
spired servants,  one  of  those  whom  he  told  us  through  revelation  he 
had  raised  up  to  help  establish  the  government  of  the  United  States. 

Benefits  of  Freedom 

I  ask  you  to  compare  the  fruits  of  this  great  republic  with  the 
fruits  of  those  nations  where  they  have  accepted  or  had  forced  upon 
them  these  "isms"  of  the  evil  one.  For  example,  in  the  United  States, 
with  roughly  six  percent  of  the  world's  population  in  six  percent  of 
its  area,  America  enjoys  forty-four  percent  of  the  productive  wealth 
of  the  world.  Thirty  million  families  live  in  American  homes  valued 
at  a  hundred  and  two  billion  dollars.  They  cultivate  six  and  a  half 
million  farms  with  an  estimated  value  of  fifty-eight  billion  dollars. 
American  families  enjoy  the  use  of  twenty-five  million  automobiles, 
nineteen  million  telephones,  and  forty-five  million  radios. 

And  so  I  could  go  on  and  point  out  to  you  the  fruits,  the  temporal 
fruits,  that  have  come  to  us  because  we  have  had  the  privilege  of 
living  under  a  government  founded  upon  the  divine  principle  of  free 
agency.  These  figures,  after  all,  brethren  and  sisters,  are  a  tribute  to 
the  wisdom  of  our  system  of  government  with  its  freedom  and  its  in- 
dividual initiative  which  have  always  been  the  urge  to  these  accomp- 
lishments. 

Now  I  ask  you  to  compare  these  accomplishments  and  fruits 
with  those  nations  that  have  adopted  a  system  where  men  and  women 
are  regimented,  where  they  dare  not  express  their  thoughts  nor  have 
the  right  to  worship  God  as  their  conscience  dictates  to  them.  Have 
they  achieved  any  such  results  as  these?  You  and  I  know  that  they 
have  not,  and  they  never  can,  because  so  long  as  the  individual  is 
shackled,  there  will  be  no  opportunity  for  individual  progress.  And 
one  of  the  grand  and  glorious  things  about  our  republic  is  the  fact 
that  it  is  the  individual  that  counts,  and  the  state  is  but  to  serve  him. 
He  does  not  become  a  mere  pawn  of  the  state  and  a  cog  in  a  grieat 
machine;  he  is  the  objective  of  the  government.  And  as  long  as  the 
individual  is  the  objective  of  this  great  government,  you  can  rest 
well  assured  that  we  will  continue  to  make  progress  and  enjoy  all  of 
the  blessings  in  the  future  that  we  have  in  the  past. 

Constitution  Should  be  Appreciated 
It  is  of  vital  importance  that  in  our  homes  we  should  teach  our 


34  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  October  4  First  Day 

children  that  this  great  government  and  its  fundamental  law  were 
given  to  us  by  God,  that  he  inspired  men  who  framed  the  Constitu- 
tion of  the  United  States.  Oh,  I  am  fearful  that  in  our  schools  little 
consideration  is  given  to  the  Constitution!  I  am  fearful  that  our 
young  men  and  our  young  women  are  not  learning  very  much  about 
this  great  republic,  and  that  being  the  case,  it  is  time  that  in  the 
home  we,  as  parents,  take  upon  ourselves  the  responsibility  of  teach- 
ing the  youth  of  the  land  the  very  truth  that  God  revealed  for  the 
establishment  of  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  and  the  organ- 
izing of  our  republic. 

Responsibility  of  Public  Servants 

It  is  time  that  public  servants  should  look  upon  the  matter  of 
serving  in  government  capacity  as  a  great  and  a  sacred  calling,  not 
one  wherein  they  receive  special  benefits  for  themselves,  but  one 
wherein  they  are  willing  to  serve  the  people  to  the  best  advantage. 

Whenever  I  think  of  the  obligation  of  serving  in  government 
capacity,  there  comes  to  mind  one  of  those  old  patriots  who  lived 
shortly  after  the  Revolutionary  War  and  prior  to  the  Civil  War, 
Henry  Clay.  When  he  was  about  ready  to  lay  aside  the  mantle  that 
rested  upon  him  as  one  of  the  servants  of  his  great  state,  he  said: 

I  can  with  unshaken  confidence  appeal  to  the  Divine  Arbiter  for  the 
truth  of  the  declaration  that  I  have  been  influenced  by  no  impure  purpose 
and  no  personal  motive,  have  sought  no  personal  aggrandizement,  but 
that  in  all  of  my  public  acts,  I  have  had  a  full  and  single  eye  and  a  warm 
and  devoted  heart  directed  and  dedicated  to  what,  in  my  best  judgment,  I 
believed  to  be  the  true  interest  of  my  country. 

I  would  to  God  that  every  public  servant  should  have  that  at- 
titude, and  I  am  sure  if  they  had  it,  we  should  receive  a  service  at 
their  hands  which  would  perpetuate  and  preserve  the  great  prin- 
ciples that  this  republic  rests  upon.  We  have  been  blessed  with 
prophets  of  God,  who  from  time  to  time  have  called  our  attention 
to  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  as  being  a  revelation  from 
God. 

Brigham  Young  declared,  and  I  am  sure  he  echoed  the  senti- 
ments of  all  of  us  when  he  said: 

We  need  to  sustain  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  and  all 
righteous  laws.  We  will  cling  to  the  Constitution  of  our  country  and 
to  the  government  that  reveres  that  sacred  charter  of  free  men's  rights 
and,  if  necessary,  pour  out  our  best  blood  for  the  defense  of  every  good 
and  righteous  principle. 

A  Frenchman  whom  I  do  not  know  made  this  statement: 

It  has  been  stated  that  America  is  the  only  country  that  pretends 
to  listen  to  the  teachings  of  its  founders  as  if  they  were  still  alive. 

I  humbly  pray  that  we  will  more  than  pretend  to  hearken  unto 
the  teachings  of  the  founders  of  this  great  nation,  that  we  will  make 


ELDER  JOSEPH  FIELDING  SMITH  35 


their  teachings  a  part  of  our  religion  to  the  end  that  we  will  become  ac- 
quainted with  these  great  men  of  Revolutionary  days  and  revere 
them  and  hold  them  up  as  servants  of  God,  which  I  pray  we  will  all  do, 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

ELDER  JOSEPH  FIELDING  SMITH 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

My  beloved  brethren  and  sisters:  With  the  help  of  the  Lord, 
I  hope  to  present  to  you  one  of  the  most  vital  principles  connected 
with  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  And  in  order  that  I  may  get  it  before 
us  properly,  I  intend  to  read  statements  from  President  Brigham 
Young  and  other  Authorities,  because  their  statements  will  have  far 
greater  weight  than  anything  that  I  might  say.  What  I  am  going  to 
talk  about  is  marriage. 

President  Brigham  Young's  Counsel  on  Marriage 

President  Brigham  Young,  in  giving  a  counsel  to  the  members 
of  the  Church  said: 

When  a  man  and  woman  have  received  their  endowments  and  seal- 
ings,  and  then  had  children  born  to  them  afterwards,  those  children  are 
legal  heirs  to  the  kingdom  and  to  all  its  blessings  and  promises,  and  they 
are  the  only  ones  that  are  on  this  earth.  There  is  not  a  young  man  in  our 
community  who  would  not  be  willing  to  travel  from  here  to  England  to  be 
married  right,  if  he  understood  things  as  they  are;  there  is  not  a  young 
woman  in  our  community,  who  loves  the  gospel  and  wishes  its  blessings, 
that  would  be  married  in  any  other  way;  they  would  live  unmarried  until 
they  .  .  .  were  as  old  as  Sarah  before  she  had  Isaac  born  to  her.  Many  of 
our  brethren  have  married  off  their  children  without  taking  this  into  con- 
sideration, and  thinking  it  a  matter  of  little  importance.  I  wish  we  all 
understood  this  in  the  light  in  which  heaven  understands  it.  {Discourses  of 
Brigham  Young,  pp.  195,  196,  1934  edition.) 

Again: 

Be  careful,  O  ye  mothers  in  Israel,  and  do  not  teach  your  daughters 
in  the  future,  as  many  of  them  have  been  taught,  to  marry  out  of  Israel. 
Woe  to  you  who  do  it;  you  will  lose  your  crowns  as  sure  as  God  lives. 
(Ibid.) 

Now,  I  would  hardly  dare  say  that. 
Again: 

What  was  the  cause  of  the  first,  or  one  of  the  first,  curses  that  came  upon 
Israel?  I  will  tell  you.  One  of  the  first  transgressions  of  the  family  called 
Israel,  was  their  going  to  other  families  or  other  nations  to  select  partners. 
This  was  one  of  the  great  mistakes  made  by  the  children  of  Abraham, 
Isaac  and  Jacob,  for  they  would  go  and  marry  with  other  families,  although 
the  Lord  had  forbidden  them  to  do  so,  and  had  given  them  a  very  strict 
and  stringent  law  on  the  subject.  He  commanded  them  not  to  marry  among 
the  Gentiles,  but  they  did  and  would  do  it.  Inasmuch  as  they  would  not 
do  what  he  required  of  them,  then  he  gave  them  what  I  call  a  portion  of 
the  law  of  carnal  commandments.  This  law  told  them  what  they  might 


36 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Friday.  October  4 


First  Dag 


and  whom  they  might  not  marry.  It  was  referred  to  by  the  Savior  and 
his  apostles,  and  it  was  a  grievous  yoke  to  place  on  the  necks  of  any  people; 
but  as  the  children  of  this  family  would  run  after  Babylon,  and  after  the 
pride  and  the  vanity  and  evils  of  the  world,  and  seek  to  introduce  them 
into  Israel,  the  Lord  saw  fit  to  place  this  burden  upon  them.  (Ibid,  196, 


How  is  it  with  you,  sisters?  Do  you  distinguish  between  a  man  of  God 
and  a  man  of  the  world?  It  is  one  of  the  strangest  things  that  happens  in  my 
existence,  to  think  that  any  man  or  woman  can  love  a  being  that  will  not 
receive  the  truth  of  heaven.  The  love  this  gospel  produces  is  far  above 
the  love  of  women;  it  is  the  love  of  God — the  the  love  of  eternity — of  eter- 
nal lives.  (Ibid.) 


Now  this  from  President  Joseph  F.  Smith: 

I  would  rather  go  myself  to  the  grave  than  to  be  associated  with  a 
wife  outside  of  the  bonds  of  the  new  and  everlasting  covenant.  Now, 
I  hold  it  just  so  sacred;  but  some  members  of  the  Church  do  not  so  re-1 
gard  the  matter.  Some  people  feel  that  it  does  not  make  very  much  dif- 
ference whether  a  girl  marries  a  man  in  the  Church,  full  of  the  faith  of  the 
gospel,  or  an  unbeliever.  Some  of  our  young  people  have  married  outside 
of  the  Church;  but  very  few  of  those  who  have  done  it  have  failed  to 
come  to  grief.  I  would  like  to  see  Latter-day  Saint  men  marry  Latter-day 
Saint  women;  and  Methodists  marry  Methodists,  Catholics  marry  Catholics; 
and  Presbyterians  marry  Presbyterians,  and  so  on  to  the  limit.  Let  them 
keep  within  the  pale  of  their  own  faith  and  church,  and  marry  and  inter- 
marry there,  and  let  the  Latter-day  Saints  do  the  same  thing  in  their 
Church.  Then  we  will  see  who  comes  out  best  in  the  end.  [Gospel 
Doctrine,  p.  380.  1919  edition.) 

This  from  Elder  Orson  Pratt,  which  was  delivered  by  appoint 
ment  and  endorsed  by  President  Brigham  Young: 

We  cannot  feel  justified  in  closing  this  article  on  the  subject  of  mar- 
riage without  saying  a  few  words  to  unmarried  females  in  this  Church. 

( May  I  pause  at  this  point  long  enough  to  say  that  while  he  is 
speaking  to  females,  it  is  just  as  true  of  males,  and  we  could  insert 
that  term  just  as  well  as  to  speak  of  females,  so  keep  that  in  mind.) 

You  will  clearly  perceive,  from  the  revelation  which  God  has  given, 
that  you  can  never  obtain  a  fulness  of  glory,  without  being  married  to  a 
righteous  man  for  time  and  for  all  eternity.  If  you  marry  a  man  who  re- 
ceives not  the  gospel,  you  lay  a  foundation  for  sorrow  in  this  world,  besides 
losing  the  privilege  of  enjoying  the  society  of  a  husband  in  eternity.  You 
forfeit  your  right  to  an  endless  increase  of  immortal  lives.  And  even  the 
children  which  you  may  be  favoured  with  in  this  life,  will  not  be  entrusted 
to  your  charge  in  eternity,  but  you  will  be  left  in  that  world  without  a 
husband,  without  a  family,  without  a  kingdom,  without  any  means  of  en- 
larging yourselves,  being  subject  to  the  principalities  and  powers  who  are 
counted  worthy  of  families,  and  kingdoms,  and  thrones,  and  the  increase  of 
dominions  forever.  To  them  you  will  be  servants  and  angels— that  is, 
provided  that  your  conduct  should  be  such  as  to  secure  this  measure  of 
glory.  Can  it  be  possible  that  any  females,  after  knowing  these  things, 
will  suffer  themselves  to  keep  company  with  persons  out  of  this  Church? 


197.) 
Again: 


Advice  to  Marry  in  the  Church 


ELDER  JOSEPH  FIELDING  SMITH 


37 


It  matters  not  how  great  the  morality  of  such  persons  may  be,  nor  how  kind 
they  may  be  to  you,  they  are  not  numbered  with  the  people  of  God;  they 
are  not  in  the  way  of  salvation,  they  cannot  save  themselves  nor  their 
families,  and  after  what  God  has  revealed  upon  this  subject,  you  cannot 
be  justified,  for  one  moment,  in  keeping  their  company.  It  would  be  in- 
finitely better  for  you  to  suffer  poverty  and  tribulation  with  the  people  of 
God,  than  to  place  yourselves  under  the  power  of  those  who  will  not  em- 
brace the  great  truth  of  heaven.  By  marrying  an  unbeliever,  you  place 
yourselves  in  open  disobedience  to  the  command  of  God  requiring 
his  people  to  gather  together.  Do  you  expect  to  be  saved  in  direct  violation 
of  the  command  of  heaven?  (Millennial  Star,  XV:  584.) 

Only  Covenants  Made  by  God  are  Eternal 

I  have  some  other  quotations  on  another  phase,  but  I  want  to 
refer  now  to  what  the  Lord  has  said  in  a  revelation  to  the  Church. 

Will  I  accept  of  an  offering,  saith  the  Lord,  that  is  not  made  in  my 
name?  Or  will  I  receive  at  your  hands  that  which  I  have  not  appointed? 
And  will  I  appoint  unto  you,  saith  the  Lord,  except  it  be  by  law,  even  as 
I  and  my  Father  ordained  unto  you,  before  the  world  was?  I  am  the  Lord 
thy  God;  and  I  give  unto  you  this  commandment — that  no  man  shall  come 
unto  the  Father  but  by  me  or  by  my  word,  which  is  my  law,  saith  the  Lord. 
And  everything  that  is  in  the  world,  whether  it  be  ordained  of  men,  by 
thrones,  or  principalities,  or  powers,  or  things  of  name,  whatsoever  they 
may  be,  that  are  not  by  me  or  by  my  word,  saith  the  Lord,  shall  be  thrown 
down,  and  shall  not  remain  after  men  are  dead,  neither  in  nor  after  the  re- 
surrection, saith  the  Lord  your  God.  For  whatsoever  things  remain  are 
by  me;  and  whatsoever  things  are  not  by  me  shall  be  shaken  and  destroyed. 
(D.  &  C.  132:9-14.) 

Now,  I  challenge  anybody  on  the  face  of  the  earth  to  disprove 
this  argument.  I  say  it  is  sound.  It  is  common  sense.  It  is  the  gospel 
of  Jesus  Christ.  It  cannot  be  successfully  disputed.  That  being  true, 
then  the  Lord  says: 

Therefore,  if  a  man  marry  him  a  wife  in  the  world,  and  he  marry  her 
not  by  me  nor  by  my  word,  and  he  covenant  with  her  so  long  as  he  is  in 
the  world  and  she  with  him,  their  covenant  and  marriage  are  not  of  force 
when  they  are  dead,  and  when  they  are  out  of  the  world;  therefore,  they 
are  not  bound  by  any  law  when  they  are  out  of  the  world.  Therefore, 
when  they  are  out  of  the  world  they  neither  marry  nor  are  given  in  mar- 
riage; but  'are  appointed  angels  in  heaven;  which  angels  are  ministering 
servants,  to  minister  for  those  who  are  worthy  of  a  far  more,  and  an 
exceeding,  and  an  eternal  weight  of  glory.  (D.  &  C.  132:15,  16.) 

Importance  of  Eternal  Marriage 

There  is  much  more  here,  and  you  are  acquainted  with  it.  I  do 
not  need  to>  read  it,  but  I  want  to  call  your  attention  to  the  fact  that 
a  great  many  of  our  beautiful  girls  and  our  fine  young  men  that 
have  been  born  under  the  covenant  are  being  married  out  of  the 
Church  and  out  of  the  temple  of  God.  Furthermore,  I  have  discov- 
ered by  reading  the  newspapers  that  the  parents  of  many  of  these 
young  people  seem  to  rejoice  in  it,  and  so  they  put  big  articles  and 
fine  pictures  in  the  papers  in  regard  to  the  entertainments,  the  re- 
ceptions, that  are  going  to  be  given,  and  they  seem  to  be  very  proud 


38  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  October  4  ,  First  Day 

of  the  fact  that  their  daughters  are  to  be  married  or  their  sons  are 
to  be  married  and  they  are  going  to  be  married  by  some  minister  of 
some  other  church,  maybe  by  a  bishop  of  this  Church  who  can  only 
marry  them  for  time — he  cannot  marry  them  for  eternity — and  they 
seem  to  be  happy  about  it.  I  do  not  know  how  they  can,  in  the  face 
of  all  that  the  Lord  has  revealed.  For  every  contract,  every  bond, 
every  covenant  that  is  made  that  is  not  according  to  the  Lord's  will 
and  commandment,  and  enforced  by  his  law  will  of  necessity  come 
to  an  end.  These  young  people  who  seem  to  be  so  happy  now,  when 
they  rise  in  the  resurrection,  and  find  themselves  in  the  condition  in 
which  they  will  find  themselves,  then  there  will  be  weeping  and 
wailing  and  gnashing  of  teeth,  bitterness  of  soul,  and  they  have 
brought  it  upon  themselves  because  of  their  lack  of  faith  and  under- 
standing of  the  gospel,  and  from,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  the  encourage- 
ment they  have  received  many  times  from  their  own  parents. 

I  am  quite  satisfied  in  my  own  mind  that  the  parents  are  not 
teaching  their  children  in  the  home  the  importance  of  marriage  as 
the  Lord  has  revealed  it.  Out  in  the  world  they  have  a  false  notion 
about  marriage,  because  they  have  not  the  guidance  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  they  cannot  understand  and  properly  interpret  the 
scriptures. 

The  first  marriage  that  was  ever  performed  in  this  world,  that 
is  on  this  earth,  let  me  say;  not  in  this  world,  but  on  this  earth — was 
performed  before  there  was  any  death.  What  the  Lord  said  in 
answering  the  question  of  the  Jews: 

. .  .  What  therefore  God  hath  joined  together,  let  not  man  put  asunder. 
(Matt.  19:6.) 

means  nothing  more  nor  less  than  this:  that  where  God  joins  in  mar- 
riage, man  cannot  put  it  asunder.  And  the  Lord  never  does  anything 
just  for  time.  Everything  is  for  eternity. 

Temple  for  Worthy  Members 

To  those  who  are  satisfied  with  a  marriage  for  time  only,  I  want 
to  raise  a  warning  voice,  to  both  parents  and  to  the  children  who  have 
that  sort  of  idea.  Of  course  there  are  people  who  are  not  worthy 
to  go  to  the  temple,  and  therefore  should  not  go  to  the  temple.  No 
one  should  go  to  the  temple  except  those  who  are  worthy,  as  the 
Lord  has  said,  "who  have  overcome  by  faith,"  and  are  cleansed  and 
are  just  and  true.  Then  they  can  go  to  the  temple.  If  they  are  un- 
clean, if  they  lack  the  faith,  they  had  better  stay  out  until  they  get 
the  faith  and  are  clean. 

I  wanted  to  say  those  few  things. 

Lord's  Command  to  Multiply 

Now,  just  for  a  moment  or  two  in  regard  to  another  matter 
closely  connected  with  this.  When  young  people  are  married  prop- 


ELDER  MILTON  R.  HUNTER 


39 


erly,  the  Lord  commands  them  to  multiply.  Now  that  is  not  in  ac- 
cord with  the  teachings  of  the  world,  nor  the  practice  of  the  world, 
especially  the  practice,  and  so  I  want  to  read  one  or  two  other  pas- 
sages now;  this  from  President  Young: 

There  are  multitudes  of  pure  and  holy  spirits  waiting  to  take  taber- 
nacles, now  what  is  our  duty? — To  prepare  tabernacles  for  them;  to  take 
a  course  that  will  not  tend  to  drive  those  spirits  into  the  families  of  the 
wicked,  where  they  will  be  trained  in  wickedness,  debauchery,  and  every 
species  of  crime.  It  is  the  duty  of  every  righteous  man  and  woman  to  pre- 
pare tabernacles  for  all  the  spirits  they  can. 

To  check  the  increase  of  our  race  has  its  advocates  among  the  influ- 
ential and  powerful  circles  of  society  in  our  nation  and  in  other  nations. 
The  same  practice  existed  forty-five  years  ago,  and  various  devices  were 
used  by  married  persons  to  prevent  the  expenses  and  responsibilities  of  a 
family  of  children,  which  they  must  have  incurred  had  they  suffered  na- 
ture's laws  to  rule  pre-eminent.  That  which  was  practiced  then  in  fear  and 
against  reproving  conscience,  is  now  boldly  trumpeted  abroad  as  one  of 
the  best  means  of  ameliorating  the  miseries  and  sorrows  of  humanity.  In- 
fanticide is  very  prevalent  in  our  nation.  It  is  a  crime  that  comes  within 
the  purview  of  the  law,  and  is  therefore  not  so  boldly  practised  as  is  the 
other  equally  great  crime,  which,  no  doubt,  to  a  great  extent,  prevents  the 
necessity  of  infanticide.  The  unnatural  style  of  living,  the  extensive  use 
of  narcotics,  the  attempt  to  destroy  and  dry  up  the  fountains  of  life, 
are  fast  destroying  the  American  element  of  the  nation;  it  is  passing  away 
before  the  increase  of  the  more  healthy,  robust,  honest,  and  less  sinful  class 
of  the  people  which  are  pouring  into  the  country  daily  from  the  old  world. 
(Discourses  o{  Bcigham  Young,  p.  197,  1943  edition.) 

Now  I  think  you  bishops,  you  presidents  of  stakes,  and  you 
presidents  of  the  quorums  of  the  priesthood,  ought  to  consider  these 
things  most  carefully,  and  be  prepared  to  teach  the  people  that  which 
the  Lord  would  have  them  taught,  and  when  our  teachers  go  to  visit 
them  in  their  homes,  let  them  teach  the  revelations  of  the  Living  God 
and  magnify  their  callings.  This  I  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen. 

ELDER  MILTON  R.  HUNTER 

Of  the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy 

My  dear  brethren  and  sisters,  it  is  in  deep  humility  that  I  stand 
before  you  today.  I  have  a  prayer  in  my  heart  that  God  will  sustain 
and  be  with  me  on  this  occasion. 

As  a  Man  Thinketh 

The  ancient  statement,  "As  [a  man]  thinketh  in  his  heart,  so 
is  he,"  (Prov.  23:7)  is  a  divine,  sublime,  and  eternal  truth.  Every 
act  that  we  have  committed  and  every  word  that  we  have  spoken 
have  come  about  as  a  result  of  our  thoughts.  Your  character  and  my 
character  today  are  the  results  of  the  complete  sum  of  all  our 
thoughts.  Thus  a  man  is  literally  what  he  thinks.  Every  plant  springs 
forth  from  its  seed.  So  it  is  with  the  deeds  of  man.  Every  one  of  his 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


First  Day 


acts  springs  forth  from  the  hidden  seeds  of  thought.  Our  minds  are  as 
fertile  gardens.  If  we  plant  in  these  gardens  seeds  of  impure  and 
unholy  thoughts,  these  seeds  grow  as  weeds  and  crowd  out  that 
which  is  pure  and  noble.  Under  these  conditions,  our  lives  become 
filled  with  filthy,  ungodly,  and  immoral  actions.  Paul,  the  ancient 
Christian  apostle  to  the  Gentiles,  warned  humanity  against  sowing 
evil  thoughts  which  always  result  in  wicked  deeds. 

Be  not  deceived;  God  is  not  mocked;  for  whatsoever  a  man  soweth, 
that  shall  he  also  reap.  For  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.  (Galatians  6:7,  8.) 

In  my  humble  opinion,  there  is  no  single  passage  of  scripture 
that  would  do  more  toward  saving  the  world  from  misery  and  de- 
struction if  the  human  family  would  heed  its  injunction.  If  all  the 
holy  scriptures  were  suddenly  taken  from  mortal  beings  but  one  single 
passage,  and  if  I  were  asked  to  select  the  passage  which  I  thought 
would  be  of  most  benefit  to  the  human  family,  I  believe  I  would  choose 
that  statement  made  by  Paul.  Furthermore,  I  would  print  that  state- 
ment indelibly  on  a  large  placard  and  hold  it  before  the  eyes  of  the 
people  continuously. 

Human  beings  are  so  prone  to  flatter  each  other  and  to  use  the 
art  of  sophistry  that  a  true  measure  of  character  cannot  always  be 
accurately  ascertained  by  the  words  we  speak.  We  adults  are  not 
as  little  children.  They  are  frank  and  honest  in  expressing  their  opin- 
ions. Perhaps  that  is  one  reason  why  Jesus  declared  that  except  we 
become  as  little  children  we  cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 


The  only  sure  measuring  rod  of  character,  therefore,  is  the  sum- 
total  of  all  our  thoughts.  The  claim  has  been  made  that  if  we  could 
look  into  the  hearts  and  minds  of  boys  and  girls  and  perceive  their 
thoughts — especially  their  thoughts  when  their  minds  are  operating 
undisciplined  away  from  their  daily  assigned  tasks — we  could  have 
a  rather  safe  criterion  by  which  to  judge  their  future  happiness  and 
sorrow.  It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  as  thoughts  blossom  forth  into 
actions,  joy  and  sorrow  are  the  results.  Thus  it  can  be  said  to  a  young 
man  or  to  a  young  woman:  "You  tell  me  your  thoughts,  and  I  will 
tell  you  your  future." 

Jesus,  the  Master  of  life  and  salvation,  proclaimed  that: 

.  .  .  out  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart  the  mouth  speaketh.  A  good 
man  out  of  the  good  treasure  of  the  heart  bringeth  forth  good  things:  and 
an  evil  man  out  of  the  evil  treasure  bringeth  forth  evil  things.  (Matt.  12: 


Since  all  that  is  evil  and  all  that  is  good  in  human  nature  comes 
forth  from  the  heart  of  man,  we  shall  be  held  accountable  before  the 
judgment  seat  of  God  for  all  that  comes  from  the  heart.  In  fact,  the 
gospel  plan  of  salvation  proclaims  that  every  man  and  every  woman 


Character  Sum  Total  of  Thoughts 


34,  35.) 


ELDER  MILTON  R.  HUNTER 


41 


who  have  their  free  agency  to  choose  the  course  that  they  follow 
and  who  are  mentally  sound  and  capable  of  making  choices  are  held 
responsible  for  the  actions  that  they  commit.  God  our  Eternal  Father 
is  both  merciful  and  just.  He  is  very  merciful  in  that  he  gave  to  the 
human  family  the  gospel;  and  to  be  completely  just,  he  requires  each 
of  us  to>  obey  every  word  that  has  come  from  his  mouth. 

Responsible  for  Our  Words  and  Acts 

Alma  the  Younger,  a  great  Nephite  prophet-teacher,  declared 
that  all  men,  women,  and  children  who  come  into  this  mortal  world 
will  eventually  be  "brought  before  the  bar  of  God,  to  be  judged  ac- 
cording to  our  works."  If  we  have  lived  wicked  lives  while  in  mor- 
tality, according  to  this  Nephite  prophet,  at  the  judgment  day: 

.  .  .  our  words  will  condemn  us,  yea,  all  our  works  will  condemn  us; 
we  shall  not  be  found  spotless;  and  our  thoughts  will  also  condemn  us. 
(Alma  12:14.) 

At  the  judgment  day,  so  great  will  be  the  shame  of  those  who 
have  lived  wicked  lives  in  mortality  that  they  will  cry  for  the  moun- 
tains to  fall  upon  them  and  hide  them  from  the  presence  of  God.  But 
this  cannot  be  the  case.  Every  individual  will  have  to  acknowledge 
that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Savior  of  the  world,  and  that  his  judg- 
ments are  just  and  true. 

Alma  was  not  the  only  prophet  of  God  who  declared  that  we 
shall  be  held  responsible  for  every  act  that  we  commit,  for  every 
word  that  we  speak,  and  for  every  thought  that  we  think.  Jesus  who 
is  the  great  Judge,  Law-giver,  and  Savior  of  the  world,  proclaimed 
that  we  shall  be  held  accountable  for  the  secret  thoughts  of  our  hearts. 
He  also  declared: 

I  say  unto  you,  That  every  idle  word  that  men  shall  speak,  they  shall 
give  account  thereof  in  the  day  of  judgment.  For  by  thy  words  thou  shalt 
be  justified,  and  by  thy  words  thou  shalt  be  condemned.  (Matt.  12:36,  37.) 

The  Savior  also  maintained  that  all  of  our  secrets  eventually 
shall  be  made  public.  To  quote  his  exact  words: 

For  there  is  nothing  covered,  that  shall  not  be  revealed;  neither  hid, 
that  shall  not  be  known.  Therefore  whatsoever  ye  have  spoken  in  darkness 
shall  be  heard  in  the  light;  and  that  which  ye  have  spoken  in  the  ear  in 
closets  shall  be  proclaimed  upon  the  housetops.  (Luke  12:2,  3.) 

If  it  is  true  that  our  bad  unspoken  thoughts  are  recorded  against 
us,  will  it  not  be  just  as  true  that  all  our  good  thoughts  unspoken,  the 
kindness,  tenderness,  sympathy,  pity,  love,  beauty,  and  charity  that 
enter  the  breast  and  cause  the  heart  to  throb  with  silent  good,  find 
remembrance  in  the  presence  of  God,  also?  Yes,  I  firmly  believe  that 
all  of  our  good  impulses  and  thoughts  will  find  remembrance  with 
the  Lord  just  as  much  as  will  the  evil  that  we  have  thought,  said,  or 
done;  and  certainly  since  God  is  our  loving  Father,  he  will  remember 


42  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  October  4  First  Dag 

the  good  with  a  greater  degree  of  satisfaction  and  joy  than  he  will 
the  evil. 

Think  Pure  Thoughts 

My  friends,  it  will  pay  high  dividends  for  us  to  guard  our  lips, 
as  James,  the  ancient  Christian  writer,  so  plainly  taught.  "...  If  any 
man  offend  not  in  word,  the  same  is  a  perfect  man,  and  able  also  to 
bridle  the  whole  body."  ...  for  the  tongue  which  is  unbridled  "is  a 
fire,  a  world  of  iniquity."  (James  3:2,  6.) 

If  it  pays  well  to  guard  our  lips,  it  pays  just  as  well  and  even 
better  to  guard  our  thoughts,  for  every  word  that  we  speak  is  pre- 
ceded by  the  thought.  We,  as  Saints  of  the  Most  High,  should  ac- 
custom ourselves  at  all  times  to  think  such  pure  thoughts  that  if  our 
minds  and  hearts  were  laid  open  before  the  world,  nothing  would 
appear  which  when  brought  to  light  would  cause  us  to  blush.  Since 
the  key  to  every  man  is  his  thoughts,  we  should  thoroughly  under- 
stand that  our  habitual  thoughts  will  completely  determine  our  char- 
acter, for  the  soul  is  truly  dyed  by  the  thoughts.  Therefore,  thought 
and  character  are  one.  Our  reputation  is  what  men  believe  us  to 
be,  but  our  character  is  what  God  and  angels  actually  know  of  us. 
The  Lord  gave  us  the  key  in  modern  revelation  by  which  we  can 
build  lives  of  righteousness: 

Let  thy  bowels  also  be  full  of  charity  towards  all  men,  and  to  the 
household  of  faith,  and  let  virtue  garnish  thy  thoughts  unceasingly;  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  un- 
changing 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.) 

If  we  would  do  as  the  Lord  has  commanded,  we  could  rest  as- 
sured of  receiving  blessings  in  great  abundance.  Surely  then  we 
could  sing  with  the  psalmist  of  old: 

Who  shall  ascend  into  the  hill  of  the  Lord?  or  who  shall  stand  in  his 
holy  place?  He  that  hath  clean  hands,  and  a  pure  heart;  who  hath  not 
lifted  up  his  soul  unto  vanity,  nor  sworn  deceitfully.  He  shall  receive  the 
blessing  from  the  Lord,  and  righteousness  from  the  God  of  his  salvation. 
(Psalm  24:3-5.) 

God  has  revealed  to  us  as  Latter-day  Saints  the  true  plan  of  sal- 
vation; therefore,  it  is  not  only  our  opportunity,  but,  according  to 
modern  revelation,  it  is  the  duty  of  each  of  us  to  "serve  him  with  all 
[his]  your  heart,  might,  mind  and  strength,  that  ye  may  stand 
blameless  before  God  at  the  last  day."  (D.  &  C.  4:2)  Let  us  heed 
the  solemn  warning  found  in  Ecclesiastes  which  is  one  of  the  great- 
est statements  in  the  Old  Testament: 

Let  us  hear  the  conclusion  of  the  whole  matter:  Fear  God,  and  keep 
his  commandments:  for  this  is  the  whole  duty  of  man.  For  God  shall  bring 


ELDER  MILTON  R.  HUNTER  43 

every  work  into  judgment,  with  every  secret  thing,  whether  it  be  good, 
or  whether  it  be  evil.  (Ecclesiastes  12:13,  14.)  » 

Roots  of  Sin  in  Our  Thoughts 

Throughout  history,  men  of  God  have  put  forth  strenuous  ef- 
forts to  reform  those  individuals  who  have  strayed  from  the  path 
of  truth  into  the  byways  of  sin.  Repentance  has  been  their  theme. 
It  is  true  that  repentance  is  the  only  pathway  back  from  sin  to  God; 
but  when  one  becomes  steeped  in  iniquity,  repentance  is  a  long  and 
difficult  process.  The  Master  Teacher  had  a  more  keen  insight  into 
the  building  of  character  than  did  any  of  the  other  great  teachers  of 
history.  He  declared: 

Ye  have  heard  that  it  was  said  by  them  of  old  time,  Thou  shalt  not 
commit  adultery:  But  I  say  unto  you,  That  whosoever  looketh  on  a  woman 
to  lust  alter  her  hath  committed  adultery  with  her  already  in  his  heart. 
(Matt.  5:27,  28.) 

In  this  and  similar  statements  Jesus  declared  that  the  roots  of 
sin  lie  in  our  thoughts.  This  being  true,  the  proper  time  to  reform 
people  is  not  after  they  have  formed  thought  habits  but  to  teach 
our  children  while  they  are  in  their  childhood  and  youth  to  think 
no  other  than  pure  and  noble  thoughts.  At  that  time  their  minds 
are  clean  and  pliable,  and  it  is  possible  for  us  more  easily  to  implant 
in  their  hearts  seeds  of  purity,  truth,  and  righteousness.  Surely, 
as  the  writer  of  the  proverb  aptly  stated: 

Train  up  a  child  in  the  way  he  should  go:  and  when  he  is  old,  he  will 
not  depart  from  it.  (Proverbs  22:6.) 

Responsibility  to  Develop  Proper  Habits 

Parents  in  Israel,  a  heavy  responsibility  rests  on  each  of  us 
to  help  our  children  develop  proper  habits  of  thinking.  The  Savior 
has  laid  the  responsibility  on  us  to  be  the  principal  agents  in  teach- 
ing our  children  the  gospel  plan  of  salvation.  I  tremble  when  I 
realize  the  responsibility  that  is  mine  as  a  father.  To  quote  one  of 
the  commandments: 

And  again,  inasmuch  as  parents  have  children  in  Zion,  or  in  any  of 
her  stakes  which  are  organized,  that  teach  them  not  to  understand  the  doc- 
trine of  repentance,  faith  in  Christ  the  Son  of  the  living  God,  and  of  bap- 
tism and  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  by  the  laying  on  of  the  hands,  when 
eight  years  old,  the  sin  be  upon  the  heads  of  the  parents.  For  this  shall  be 
a  law  unto  the  inhabitants  of  Zion,  or  in  any  of  her  stakes  which  are  or- 
ganized. And  their  children  shall  be  baptized  for  the  remission  of  their 
sins  when  eight  years  old,  and  receive  the  laying  on  of  the  hands.  And 
they  shall  also  teach  their  children  to  pray,  and  to  walk  uprightly  before 
the  Lord.    (D.  6  C.  68:25-28.) 

Teachers  throughout  the  Church  who  are  working  in  the  sem- 
inaries and  institutes  of  religion,  in  the  Sunday  Schools,  Primaries, 
and  Priesthood  classes,  your  opportunities  and  responsibilities  are 
as  great  as  any  opportunities  and  responsibilities  that  can  rest  on 


44  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  October  4  First  Day 

the  shoulders  of  men.  In  your  charge  is  given  our  most  priceless 
blessing — our  sons  and  daughters.  It  is  your  duty  and  calling  to 
assist  the  parents  in  Israel  in  planting  in  the  hearts  of  the  youth  of 
the  Church  seeds  of  thought  that  will  shoot  forth  into  deeds  of 
righteousness.  What  greater  calling  could  men  and  women  have 
than  to  be  the  molders  of  character?  May  God  bless  you  in  your 
noble  callings;  and  may  he  continuously  bless  every  one  of  us  that 
we  may  think  pure  and  holy  thoughts,  for  "as  [a  man]  thinketh  in 
his  heart,  so  is  he." 

In  conclusion,  I  desire  to  bear  testimony  that  I  know  that  God 
lives  and  is  indeed  our  Eternal  Father,  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the 
Savior  of  the  world,  and  that  Jospeh  Smith  is  the  Prophet  whom 
God  foreordained  and  sent  into  the  world  in  the  last  days  to  estab- 
lish the  only  true  Church  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  Church  is  endowed 
with  power  from  on  high  to  bring  salvation  to  the  human  family. 
I  also  bear  witness  that  President  George  Albert  Smith  is  also  a 
prophet  of  the  Most  High  and  that  he  holds  the  keys  of  the  priest- 
hood just  as  the  other  holy  prophets  have  done.  I  humbly  pray 
that  God  will  bless  us  all  in  the  name  of  our  Lord  and  Savior,  Jesus 
Christ.  Amen. 


The  Relief  Society  Singing  Mothers  and  the  congregation  joined 
in  singing  the  hymn,  "We  Thank  Thee,  O  God,  for  a  Prophet,"  by 
Norton,  (Hymn  Book  page  152,  L.D.S.  Hymns  page  298.) 

ELDER  CHARLES  A.  CALLIS 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

"1  can  no  more  remember  the  books  that  I  have  read  than  the 
meals  that  I  have  eaten,"  said  Emerson,  "but  they  have  made  me." 
To  countless  thousands,  who  have  basked  in  the  spirit  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  the  truth  that  Joseph  Smith  spoke  comes  home  to  their 
souls.  He  remarked  that  "  a  man  would  get  nearer  to  God  by 
abiding  by  its  [Book  of  Mormon]  precepts,  than  by  any  other  book." 

Teachings  of  Book  of  Mormon 

The  Nephite  record  testifies  in  a  heavenly  spirit  to  the  truth 
that  the  Bible  is  true.  They  are  one  in  God's  hand  to  confound 
false  doctrine  and  to  establish  peace  in  the  hearts  of  men.  This 
sacred  book  tells  us  that  little  children  are  alive  in  Christ.  They 
need  no  baptism  until  they  become  accountable  for  their  actions. 
For  many  years  a  great  many  good  people  believed  in  the  doctrine 
of  "infant  damnation."  They  didn't  understand;  but  the  Book  of 
Mormon  brought  into  the  world,  into  the  hearts  of  men  and  women, 
the  peaceable  thought  that  children,  though  unbaptized,  do  not  go 
to  Hades. 

A  few  years  ago  these  people  met  in  solemn  convention,  and 


ELDER  CHARLES  A.  CALLIS 


45 


the  action  they  took  was  a  credit  to  their  righteousness  and  to  their 
sense  of  the  justice  of  God.  They  passed  a  resolution  repealing  the) 
doctrine  of  "infant  damnation,"  and  what  a  beautiful  thing  they 
did  when  they  made  that  decision  retroactive.  President  Woodrow 
Wilson,  himself  a  member  of  that  great  body  of  good  people  that 
decided  against  the  doctrine  of  "infant  damnation"  and  declared 
"the  decision  retroactive,"  laughed  and  said,  "Think  of  all  those 
dear  little  babies  that  have  been  burning  in  hell  so  long;  now  they 
will  all  be  released." 

The  Book  of  Mormon  teaches  the  nobility  of  service.  What 
is  man  without  work?  Work  is  known  by  the  angels  of  God.  They 
are  immersed  in  its  atmosphere,  and  that  service  is  eternal.  He  is 
a  poor  "Mormon"  elder,  hardly  worth  his  salt,  who  believes  that 
when  he  goes  to  heaven,  he  will  sit  in  inactive,  endless  bliss.  Cen- 
turies before  he  was  born  in  the  flesh,  according  to  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  Jesus  said: 

.  .  .  for  my  work  is  not  yet  finished;  neither  shall  it  be  until  the  end 
of  man,  neither  from  that  time  henceforth  and  forever.  (II  Nephi  29:9.) 

And  in  another  place  he  said: 

For  behold,  this  is  my  work  and  my  glory — to  bring  to  pass  the  im- 
mortality and  eternal  life  of  man.  (Pearl  of  Great  Price,  Moses  1:39.) 

Think  of  it,  brethren  and  sisters,  our  work  is  immortal.  As 
Brigham  Young  said,  "This  life  is  a  part  of  eternity." 

I  think  the  spirit  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  with  respect  to  the 
character  of  Christ's  work  is  wonderful.  It  entrances  the  soul.  One 
of  the  prophets  said  of  him: 

.  .  .  for  it  behooveth  the  great  Creator  that  he  suffereth  himself  to  be- 
come subject  unto  man  in  the  flesh,  and  die  for  all  men,  that  all  men  might 
become  subject  unto  him.  (II  Nephi  9:5.) 

My  brethren  and  sisters,  we  do  become  subject  to  men  in  the 
flesh  by  the  work  of  the  ministry,  but  in  God's  own  due  time  the 
people  will  look  upon  us  as  saviors  upon  Mount  Zion,  and  they 
will  become  subject  in  a  heavenly  way  unto  those  who  taught  them 
the  gospel. 

Noble  Calling  of  Wives  and  Mothers 

I  think  that  the  most  wonderful  being  on  the  earth  is  a  wife 
and  a  mother.  To  be  a  wife  and  a  mother  transcends  in  glory  and 
in  service  all  the  missions  she  can  perform,  that  is,  preaching  mis- 
sions. And  a  mother,  uncrowned  by  any  visible  diadem,  is  crowned 
with  a  diadem  of  affection;  she  becomes  subject  unto  her  children, 
and  by  and  by  they  become  subject  unto  her.  Joaquin  Miller,  the 
poet,  said: 

Beneath  our  forty  stars  is  she 
The  purest  woman,  sweetest,  best, 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

First  Day 

Who  loves  her  spouse  most  ardently 
And  rocks  the  cradle  oftenest: 
Whose  home  is  filled,  whose  heart  is  fed 
With  halo  of  a  baby's  head. 

Economic  System  of  Ancient  America 

The  Book  of  Mormon  teaches  us  a  glorious  economic  system. 
For  nearly  two  centuries  after  the  ascension  of  Christ,  the  people 
were  covered  with  a  mantle  of  the  prosperity  of  Christ.  There  were 
no  poor,  no  rich,  no  one  in  bonds,  and  I  think  that  meant  the  bond- 
age of  debt,  for  debt  is  a  grievous  bondage,  and  we  should  steer 
clear  of  it.  For  two  centuries  they  lived  in  peace;  they  had  no 
strikes;  industrial  disturbances  were  not  known;  but  by  living  the 
spirit  of  industry  by  the  golden  precepts  of  the  Son  of  God  they 
prospered  and  grew  in  the  prosperity  of  Jesus  Christ.  God  hasten 
the  day  when  we  shall  work — the  rich  and  the  poor  in  the  kingdom 
of  peace — submitting  our  troubles  to  arbitration,  for  I  know  that 
deep  down  in  the  hearts  of  the  captains  of  industry  and  also  of 
the  laboring  men,  there  is  an  inherent  desire  to  do  unto  others  as 
they  would  have  others  do  unto  them.  We  let  selfishness  repress 
this  feeling  that  God  has  placed  in  our  hearts. 

Immortality  Taught  in  Book  of  Mormon 

In  the  Book  of  Mormon  we  read  of  the  great  intermediate  state, 
the  great  principle  of  immortality.  Horace  Greeley  lost  a  boy  five 
years  old,  and  he  said  to  a  friend  (I  haven't  time  to  quote  it  all): 

Now  all  that  concerns  me  is  the  evidence  .  .  .  that  we  shall  live  with 
and  know  those  we  loved  here.  ...  If  I  felt  sure  of  the  point  of  identifying 
and  being  with  our  loved  ones  in  the  world  to  come,  I  would  prefer  not 
to  live  long. 

In  our  hearts,  inspired  by  the  Book  of  Mormon,  by  its  holy 
and  matchless  spirit,  and  it  is  the  spirit  of  Christ  which  runs  through 
the  Book  of  Mormon  like  a  golden  thread,  we  know  that  we  shall 
meet  our  loved  ones,  be  recognized  by  them,  and  we  shall  recognize 
them,  and  throughout  eternity,  believing  that  God  is  a  God  of  work, 
we  shall  work  with  him  as  co-laborers. 

A  Presbyterian  minister  caught  this  flash  of  glory  in  service, 
and  in  a  hymn  which  he  composed,  he  said: 

We  serve  no  God  whose  power  is  spent, 

Who  rests  amid  his  firmament. 

Our  God  his  labors  but  begun 

Toils  ever  more  with  powers  unspent. 

God  be  praised  for  the  glory  of  the  resurrection,  the  beauty 
of  eternal  life,  the  knowledge  that  we  shall  live  with  each  other,- 
with  our  wives  and  our  children,  with  our  friends,  and  live  with 
them  in  perfect  understanding.    Did  not  Paul  speak  of  the  whole 
family  in  heaven  and  on  earth?    These  great  sections  are  going  to 


46 

Friday,  October  4 


ELDER  CHARLES  A.  CALLIS 


47 


be  joined  by  the  eternity  and  glory  and  power  of  the  gospel  which 
is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation. 

The  Book  of  Mormon  prophets  give  great  comfort  to  this  na- 
tion. They  declared  that  this  nation  was  set  up  by  the  Almighty 
and  should  be  pre-eminent  among  the  people  of  the  world.  It  is 
pre-eminent  in  glory  and  in  power,  but  alas,  there  are  corroding 
and  corrupting  influences  that  are  trying  to  sap  the  strength  of  this 
great  republic.  This  republic  is  the  house  of  our  fathers,  our  fellow 
citizens,  our  friends,  and  our  brothers,  and  with  them  we  shall  stand, 
by  the  grace  of  God,  to  contest  the  supremacy  of  any  communist 
or  foreign-born  element  who  seeks  to  destroy  the  Constitution. 

New  Witness  That  Jesus  is  the  Christ 

The  testimony  that  the  Book  "of  Mormon  gives  us  last  of  all — 
no.  not  last  of  all — from  the  first  page  to  the  last  page,  is  that  Jesus 
is  the  Christ.  If  we  serve  God,  this  nation  will  survive,  but  listen 
to  this  solemn  warning:  Moroni  told  the  people  of  his  day  that 
this  was  a  land  of  promise,  and  that  God  would  not  suffer  any  nation 
to  dwell  on  this  earth  except  they  serve  him,  for  if  they  departed 
from  him  they  should  be  swept  into  the  oblivion  which  lawlessness 
always  provides. 

Listen  to  Moroni's  warning: 

.  .  .  this  cometh  unto  you,  O  ye  Gentiles,  [this  is  of  our  day  he  is 
speaking]  that  ye  may  know  the  decrees  of  God — that  ye  may  repent, 
and  not  continue  in  your  iniquities  until  the  fulness  come,  that  ye  may  not 
bring  down  the  fulness  of  the  wrath  of  God  upon  you  as  the  inhabitants  of 
the  land  have  hitherto  done.  (Ether  2:11.) 

Here  is  the  warning  of  a  prophet  of  God.  He  gives  a  glorious 
promise  with  this  solemn  warning  attached. 

Fellow  citizens,  shall  we  heed  this  voice  of  warning?  Shall 
we  bend  our  necks  no  more  to  the  bondage,  to  the  yoke  of  sin,  but 
rising  in  the  full  fruition  of  righteousness,  in  the  strength  of  God, 
may  we  stand  before  him,  acceptable  as  a  nation,  correct  in  govern- 
ment, lenient  to  the  poor,  righteous  in  the  sight  of  God;  and,  oh, 
how  happy  we  shall  be,  and  then,  as  Webster  said,  it  shall  not  be 
written  that  this  nation  had  a  "decline  and  fall,"  for  God  is  our 
strength. 

The  spirit  and  the  main  purpose  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  is 

...  to  the  convincing  of  the  Jew  and  Gentile  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ, 
the  Eternal  God,  manifesting  himself  unto  all  nations.  (Book  of  Mormon, 
Title  Page.) 

May  I  humbly  answer  to  this  glorious  declaration  by  testifying 
that  I  know  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  Living  God.  He 
is  the  resurrection  and  the  life,  the  author  and  the  finisher  of  our 
faith,  and  if  we  will  obey  his  commandments,  this  nation  shall  prosper 
and  with  him  all  of  us  shall  go  into  eternal  glory,  is  my  testimony, 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 


48  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  October  4 


First  Day 


ELDER  ALBERT  E.  BOWEN 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

President  Smith,  in  his  opening  address  this  morning,  spoke 
about  the  present  confused  floundering  of  the  world  consequent 
upon  a  waning  devotion  to  fundamental  principles.  Dr.  Widtsoe 
adverted  to  the  same  theme  and  particularly  as  evidenced  by  the 
frustrations  of  men  in  their  gropings  after  a  longed-for  peace  with- 
out adherence  to  the  principles  upon  which  peace  depends.  There 
is  one  exemplification  of  the  drift  away  from  peace  and  a  powerful 
contributing  factor  to  the  prevailing  instability  about  which  I  desire 
to  speak.   I  hope  I  may  do  so  without  offense. 

History  of  Redress  of  Wrongs 

You  all  remember  the  accounts  of  earlier  times  when  men  took 
upon  themselves  the  redress  of  their  own  grievances.  If,  for  ex- 
ample, one  killed  a  member  of  my  family,  I  promptly  went  out  and 
killed  him  or  some  member  of  his  family.  Then  that  family  sought 
revenge  against  me  or  my  family  and  so  the  course  of  reprisal  and 
counter-reprisal  ran,  growing  into  family  and  clan  feuds.  In  like 
manner,  if  one  took  or  damaged  the  property  of  another,  the  in- 
jured one  sought,  through  his  own  means,  to  recover  his  goods  or 
their  equivalent  or  to  visit  punishment  on  his  despoiler.  It  is  easy 
to  see  that  there  could  be  neither  stability  nor  security  under  such  a 
system.  An  orderly,  stable  society  of  individuals  could  not  exist 
under  such  conditions.  It  was  intolerable.  The  remedy,  perhaps  the 
only  remedy,  was  to  enact  public  laws  applicable  to  all  alike  which 
defined  the  rights  of  individuals  and  provided  remedies  for  the 
protection  of  those  rights.  A  law  defined  murder  and  prescribed 
a  penalty  for  him  who  committed  it.  Now  if  a  murder  were  com- 
mitted, it  became  not  a  private  wrong  against  the  murdered  person 
to  be  avenged  by  his  kindred,  but  rather  an  offense  against  the 
state  which  assumed  the  exclusive  right  to  execute  against  the 
offender,  the  retribution  of  the  law.  The  injured  family  may  not 
always  have  been  satisfied  with  results,  but  they  had  to  learn  to 
accept  them.  They  no  longer  had  a  right  to  take  punishment  into 
their  own  hands  and  would  themselves  be  subject  to  penalty  if  they 
did  so.  Similarly  the  law  forbade  theft  and  fixed  the  consequences 
for  its  violation.  So  if  one's  property  were  stolen,  he  did  not 
seek  by  violence  to  recover  it  or  to  punish  the  offender.  The  state 
took  care  of  that  through  its  own  processes.  These  more  serious 
wrongs  were  called  crimes  punishable  by  the  state,  not  for  restitution 
to  the  injured  person,  but  for  the  preservation  of  public  order. 
Other  less  serious  trespasses  were  still  recognized  as  offenses  for 
the  commission  of  which  the  injured  one  might  seek  recompense  to 
himself.  But  his  remedy  was  through  the  processes  established  by 
law  and  not  by  physical  force  or  violence  administered  by  himself. 
Thus,  for  example,  if  one  wrongfully  entered  upon  or  occupied  the 


ELDER  ALBERT  E.  BOW  EN 


49 


land  or  dwelling  of  another,  the  owner  would  file  his  complaint 
with  the  court.  In  orderly  manner  the  cause  would  be  heard  and 
determined,  and  then  the  officers  of  the  law  would  remove  the 
trespasser,  instead  of  the  owner's  seeking  by  violence  to  do  that 
for  himself. 

Justice  Under  Law 

The  finding  of  the  judicial  tribunal  set  up  by  the  law  ultimately 
became  final,  and  the  parties  in  dispute  had  to  abide  by  it.  Thus 
punishment  of  grievances,  or  protection  of  person  and  property, 
was  taken  out  of  the  realm  of  private  feuding  and  reprisals  by 
physical  might  and  put  over  into  the  realm  of  impartial  judicial 
determination  by  reason  and  the  application  of  principles  of  justice. 
This  achievement  marked  a  great  day  in  the  progress  of  civiliza- 
tion. Anarchy  gave  place  to  order,  and  it  became  possible  for 
human  beings  to  live  together  with  a  large  degree  of  stability  and 
freedom  from  haunting  fears.  Without  such  an  accomplishment, 
large  numbers  of  people  could  not  have  lived  together. 

Industrial  Disputes 

By  now,  someone  will  surely  be  asking  what  all  this  has  to  do 
with  the  purpose  of  a  worshiping  assembly  such  as  is  convened 
here  today.  I  will  tell  you.  I  have  presumed  to  present  this  sketchy 
background  for  the  express  purpose  of  drawing  a  parallel  between 
that  and  the  barbaric  methods  we  now  employ  in  our  handling 
of  industrial  disputes.  I  have  no  hesitancy  in  saying  that  the  strike 
is  a  totally  uncivilized  way  of  dealing  with  them.  Strikes  arise 
out  of  disagreements.  Sometimes  the  dispute  is  between  the  em- 
ployer and  his  employees;  sometimes  the  employer  has  nothing  to 
do  with  it,  but  it  is  between  two  different  organized  groups  of  em- 
ployees, each  claiming  the  right  to  negotiate  with  the  employer. 
Sometimes  workers  are  compelled  to  go  on  strike  when  they  have 
no  grievance  at  all  and  would  prefer  to  go  on  working,  but  are 
compelled  to  walk  off  the  job  by  the  orders  of  the  organization  to 
which  they  belong.  Sometimes  they  are  voluntary  members  of 
such  organizations,  but  often  they  are  forced  into  membership 
against  their  will -by  violence  or  threats  of  violence.  Often  they 
are  coerced  into  membership  because  otherwise  they  will  not  be 
permitted  to  work  at  all  or  to  earn  their  daily  bread. 

Employees  claim  that  they  have  long  suffered  injustices  and 
are  now  balancing  accounts,  while  employers  assert  that  the  de- 
mands of  the  workers  are  unreasonable  and  impossible  of  granting. 
Obviously,  neither  party  to  the  dispute  is  in  a  condition  to  make 
an  unbiased  appraisal  of  the  merits  of  these  conflicting  positions. 

I  am  not  here  trying  to  fix  the  blame  or  to  say  who  is  in  the 
right  or  to  what  extent.  But  I  do  say  that  such  a  siuation  breeds 
lawlessness,  eventuates  in  anarchy,  and  will  destroy  any  govern- 


50  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  October  4  First  Day 

ment  or  society  that  does  not  find  an  effective  way  of  dealing  with  it. 

There  is  no  more  excuse  for  permitting  those  with  an  industrial 
complaint,  real  or  fancied,  sincerely  entertained  or  shammed,  to 
cover  up  a  sinister  purpose,  to  take  into  their  own  hands  the  redress- 
ing of  their  own  grievances,  than  there  is  for  permitting  any  private 
individual  to  take  upon  himself  the  satisfaction  of  his  own  wrongs 
of  whatsoever  nature  without  regard  to  the  good  order  and  welfare 
of  the  whole  society. 

There  is  no  more  justification  for  permitting  an  organized  group 
to  stop  a  farmer  carrying  his  own  produce,  the  fruits  of  his  own 
toil,  to  market  and  tip  over  and  break  his  truck  and  destroy  his 
foodstuffs  unless  he  will  take  on  and  pay  another  driver  whom  he 
neither  wants  nor  needs,  than  there  is  for  permitting  a  man  whose 
son  has  been  killed,  perhaps  in  a  brawl,  to  go  out  and  without 
investigation  kill  the  perpetrator  of  the  death. 

There  is  no  greater  right  in  an  organized  body  to  obstruct 
public  streets  or  to  throw  picket  lines  in  front  of  entrances  to  places 
of  work  and  hold  others  out  by  violence,  intimidation,  threat,  and 
injury  than  there  is  in  any  person  whose  property  has  been  stolen 
to  retrieve  it  by  force  of  arms,  killing  or  maiming  if  need  be  in  the 
process. 

Neither  does  it  help  the  cause  any  to  say,  even  though  true, 
that  workers  have  in  the  past  suffered  gross  wrongs.  An  evil  is 
never  cured  by  transferring  the  power  to  perpetrate  it  from  one  set 
of  hands  over  into  the  hands  of  those  on  the  opposite  side.  Wrong 
is  just  as  sinister  and  just  as  fatal  to  orderly  living  when  perpetrated 
by  one  side  to  a  controversy  as  if  perpetrated  by  the  other.  Former 
wrongs  are  not  righted  by  the  commission  of  new  ones  by  the 
other  party. 

Defiance  of  Law  Decried 

Our  method  of  handling  these  industrial  disputes  belongs  to 
the  age  of  barbarism  and  is  a  national  disgrace.  So  long  as  we 
tolerate  law  defiance,  disorder,  private  usurpation  of  the  right  to 
redress  wrongs,  we  have  no  right  to  be  castigating  other  nations 
for  their  delinquencies  or  to  assume  the  role  of  instructor  to  them. 
If  we  cannot  maintain  domestic  order,  how  may  we  hope  to  achieve 
international  order,  or  to  have  persuasive  influence  in  establishing  it? 

The  crying  need  of  this  age  is  for  men  of  stature  and  character 
in  the  seats  of  power — men  who  have  the  intelligence  to  discern 
the  right  and  the  courage  to  pursue  it  without  regard  to  personal 
consequences  to  themselves  or  their  ambitions,  men  who  will  not 
succumb  to  the  lure  of  expediency,  but  who  dare  to  stand  on  prin- 
ciple though  they  stand  alone.  There  are  too  many  favor-currying 
little  men  sloshing  around  in  positions  requiring  big  men  of  un- 
wavering integrity  to  fill  them. 

Why  should  great  cities  be  thrown  into  darkness  and  their 
citizens  exposed  to  the  marauder  because  two  contending  parties 


ELDER  ALBERT  E.  BOW  EN 


choose  to  be  belligerent?  Why  should  water  shipping  and  land 
transportation  be  stopped  and  whole  innocent  populations  be  reduced 
to  hunger  and  cold  and  privation  because  two  private  parties,  or 
perhaps  only  one  of  them,  sets  up  its  imperious  will  regardless  of 
the  good  of  the  law-abiding  public? 

If  laws  are  needed  to  define  the  rights,  privileges,  and  obliga- 
tions of  the  respective  contenders,  let  such  laws  be  passed,  but  let 
them  be  fair,  impartial,  and  unbiased  laws.  You  will  never  cure 
the  evil  with  laws  that  shackle  one  of  the  disputants  while  leaving 
the  other  to  roam  at  large  with  unrestrained  license  to  do  evil.  If 
tribunals  be  needed  to  administer  and  enforce  the  laws,  let  them  be 
impartially  constituted,  not  packed  with  personnel  so  biased  that 
their  decision  may  with  certainty  be  predicted  before  the  cause  is 
heard.  And  when  a  judgment  has  been  rendered  by  a  duly  con- 
stituted tribunal,  let  that  body  not  be  dissolved  and  its  judgment 
vacated  under  pressure  and  another  tribunal  set  up  to  render  the 
kind  of  decision  the  dissatisfied  party  wants.  That  practice  only 
brings  the  whole  system  into  disrepute  and  the  government  itself 
into  contempt. 

The  authority  of  law  must  be  preserved,  orderly  procedure 
maintained,  the  rights  of  the  unoffending  but  suffering  public  made 
secure  regardless  of  the  wishes  of  the  contending  parties  or  the 
pressures  they  may  bring  to  bear. 

Future  Freedom  of  Religion  at  Stake 

Another  reason  for  the  appropriateness  of  this  discussion  here 
is  that  the  whole  future  of  freedom  of  religion  is  at  stake.  There  is 
war  between  the  concept  of  a  free  people  under  a  free  government 
and  totalitarian  government  with  its  inevitable  stifling  of  indivi- 
dual freedom.  That  warfare  involves  religion.  If  the  insufferable 
and  inexcusable  condition  now  prevailing  is  not  corrected,  then  free 
government  will  give  way  to  some  form  of  totalitarianism,  whether 
the  despotism  of  one  man  or  of  a  class  or  group  or  even  of  the  state 
will  not  much  matter.  And  totalitarianism  must  always  destroy  re- 
ligious liberty.  Free  government  as  we  have  known  it,  what  com- 
monly is  spoken  of  as  our  democracy,  is  foundationed  in  the  great 
spiritual  principle  of  the  supreme  importance  of  the  individual  and  the 
divine  derivation  of  the  human  soul.  This  concept  finds  its  highest 
political  exposition  in  the  Declaration  of  Independence  which  pro- 
claims in  words  of  fire  that  men  at  birth,  by  the  creative's  decree 
that  gave  them  being — from  the  mere  circumstance  that  they  are 
men — are  God-endowed  with  certain  rights  which  are  "unalienable" 
and  which  of  right  and  by  force  of  our  basic  law  are  inviolable  and 
which  no  power  on  earth,  not  even  the  government  itself,  may  prop- 
erly infringe.  Among  these  inalienable  and  inviolable  rights  are  the 
right  to  life  and  to  liberty.  The  right  of  man  to  liberty — to  be  free — 
is  thus  made  coordinate  with  the  right  to  life  itself.  The  history  of 
human  struggle  loudly  proclaims  that  life  without  liberty  is  intoler- 


52  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Friday,  October  4  First  Day 

able.  For  a  fulness,  the  two  must  go  together.  These  conceptions  in- 
corporated in  the  immortal  Declaration  are  the  product  of  more  than 
a  century  and  a  half  of  the  teachings  of  the  Christian  religion  out 
of  which  they  must  draw  their  nourishment.  If  this  wellspring  is 
suffered  to  dry  up,  then  individual  freedom  will  wither  and  die. 

Christian  Religion  and  Democracy 

For  it  is  out  of  that  religion  that  the  whole  concept  of  the  com- 
mon brotherhood  of  men  as  the  children  of  the  same  God  derives, 
each  equal  before  the  law.  So  intimately  are  the  two  intertwined  that 
democracy  and  the  Christian  religion  must  survive  or  perish  to- 
gether. Neither  has  worked  perfectly  in  human  hands.  But  the 
failure  of  the  perfect  working  of  the  principles  of  free  government 
probably  is  fairly  in  proportion  to  the  failure  of  men  to  live  the 
Christian  religion.  The  perfect  working  of  the  latter  would  insure 
the  perfect  working  of  the  former.  We  may  not,  except  at  our  peril, 
discard  either  of  them.  Together  they  have  provided  an  atmosphere 
in  which,  in  spite  of  imperfections,  we  have  lived  and  flourished  as 
has  no  other  nation  in  recorded  history.  It  is  important  to  note  that 
in  those  countries  where  freedom  has  perished,  there  has  gone  side 
by  side  with  its  decline,  a  breaking  down  and  denial  of  the  Christian 
religion,  and  in  that  country  where  the  breakdown  has  been  most 
complete,  there  has  been  accomplished  the  most  thorough  regimenta- 
tion of  the  bodies  and  spirits  of  men.  But  a  superficial,  unbelieving 
profession  of  the  Christian'faith  will  not  withstand  the  disintegrating 
forces  at  play  in  the  world  today.  Only  a  genuine,  deep-seated  re- 
ligious conviction  carried  over  into  practice  can  do  that.  The  dis- 
ciples who  established  the  Ancient  Church  were  not  men  who  ra- 
tionalized Jesus  and  his  doctrines  away,  nor  were  satisfied  with  pro- 
claiming him  merely  a  great  ethical  teacher.  When  Jesus  asked  his 
disciples,  "Whom  do  men  say  that  I  am?"  (Mark  8:27.)  Peter  gave 
him  the  various  conjectures  that  men  had  ventured  concerning  him. 
Jesus  then  put  it  to  him  directly,  "But  whom  say  ye  that  I  am?"  Peter 
answered  without  equivocation  or  hesitancy,  "Thou  art  the  Christ, 
the  son  of  the  living  God."  (Matt.  16:13-16.)  That  is  the  kind  of 
living  faith  which  carried  the  Christian  religion  into  ascendancy  in 
the  western  world  and  ultimately  gave  to  the  world  our  democracy. 
It  is  the  only  kind  of  faith  that  can  save  the  world  from  the  un- 
christian doctrine  of  regimentation  and  authoritarian  dominance  over 
the  lives  of  men. 

It  is  that  faith  which  it  is  the  mission  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  to  keep  alive  in  the  hearts  of  men  and  to 
perpetuate  in  this  land. 

President  George  Albert  Smith 

I  hope  it  will  not  interfere  with  what  you  are  thinking  about 
for  me  to  say  it  is  written  by  one  of  old  "choose  you  this  day  whom 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH  53 


ye  will  serve;  *  *  *  but  as  for  me  and  my  house,  we  will  serve  the 
Lord."  To  members  of  the  congregation  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  there  can  be  no  middle  ground.  We  must 
either  serve  God  or  mammon,  and  this  Conference  today  has  en- 
joyed the  influence  of  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  because  we  have  not 
come  here  to  have  our  palates  tickled  or  our  fancies  smoothed  over, 
but  we  have  come  here  in  the  spirit  of  prayer  and  of  thanksgiving 
and  gratitude  to  God.  I  am  grateful  that  we  have  had  this  delightful 
experience  today. 

The  combined  chorus  of  the  Singing  Mothers  of  the  Jordan  Val- 
ley Relief  Societies  will  sing,  "Peace  I  Leave  With  You,"  by 
Roberts. 

The  closing  prayer  will  be  offered  by  President  Howard  S. 
Bennion  of  the  New  York  Stake,  after  which  this  Conference  will 
stand  adjourned  until  10:00  tomorrow  morning,  Saturday,  October 
5.  The  proceedings  of  that  session  will  be  broadcast  over  KSL 
at  Salt  Lake  City,  KSUB  at  Cedar  City,  and  KID  at  Idaho  Falls. 

The  Presiding  Bishopric  will  meet  the  bishoprics  of  the  Church 
in  this  building  at  7:00  this  evening.  Presidencies  of  stakes  and  the 
General  Authorities  are  invited  to  attend. 

Tomorrow,  Saturday  morning,  at  8:00  a.m.  the  General  Weir 
fare  Committee  will  hold  a  meeting  in  the  Tabernacle,  to  which  all 
regional,  stake,  and  ward  Welfare  officers  and  also  all  presidencies 
of  priesthood  quorums  and  teachers  of  Gospel  Doctrine  classes  are 
requested  to  be  present,  and  all  others  are  invited  who  wish  to 
attend. 

The  Relief  Society  Singing  Mothers  sang:  "Peace  I  Leave 
With  You." 

Elder  Howard  S.  Bennion,  President  of  the  New  York  Stake, 
offered  the  closing  prayer. 

Conference  adjourned  until  Saturday  morning,  October  5,  at 
10  o'clock. 

SECOND  DAY 
MORNING  MEETING 

The  third  session  of  the  Conference  convened  Saturday  morn- 
ing, October  5,  and  commenced  promptly  at  10  o'clock. 

President  George  Albert  Smith 

It  is  delightful  to  see  this  great  auditorium  filled  to  overflowing 
again.  I  may  say  for  those  who  may  not  be  able  to  find  seats  or 
standing  room  that  the  Assembly  Hall  is  prepared  to  receive  the 
overflow,  with  amplifiers",  heat  and  everything  comfortable.  It  is 
lovely  to  be  here  this  morning  in  this  great  house  that  has  become 


54  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  5  Second  Day 

sacred  to  us  as  a  result  of  those  who  have  worked  here  and  served 
here  and  who  have  passed  to  the  other  side.  I  am  sure  that  if  they 
can  see  us  this  morning  they  will  be  happy  that  there  are  so  many 
people  coming  to  Conference  when  the  world  is  in  such  distress. 

President  J.  Reuben  Clark,  Jr.,  will  conduct  the  services  of  the 
morning  session. 


President  J.  Reuben  Clark,  Jr. 

This  is  the  third  session  of  the  1 1 7th  Semi-Annual  Conference 
of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  We  are  con- 
vened in  the  Tabernacle  on  Temple  Square,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

There  are  on  the  stand  this  morning  all  of  the  General  Author- 
ities of  the  Church,  except  Elder  Stephen  L  Richards  of  the  Council 
of  the  Twelve,  who  is  detained  at  home  by  his  doctor's  orders;  Elder 
Ezra  Taft  Benson,  also  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve,  who  is  in 
Europe  in  charge  of  the  European  Mission;  and  the  Patriarch  to  the 
Church,  also  absent  on  account  of  illness. 

The  proceedings  of  this  session  will  be  broadcast  over  KSL  at 
Salt  Lake  City,  KSUB  at  Cedar  City  and  KID  at  Idaho  Falls. 

We  will  begin  the  morning  services  by  the  Richfield  Combined 
Choruses  singing:  "How  Excellent  is  Thy  Name."  Elder  Arden 
Peterson  is  the  director  and  Elder  Frank  W.  Asper  is  the  organist. 

The  opening  prayer  will  be  offered  by  President  Edgar  B. 
Brossard  of  the  Washington  Stake. 


The  Richfield  Combined  Choruses  sang:  "How  Excellent  Is 
Thy  Name." 

Elder  Edgar  B.  Brossard,  President  of  the  Washington  Stake, 
offered  the  invocation. 

The  Richfield  Combined  Choruses  sang:  "Beside  Still  Waters," 
by  Hamblen. 

PRESIDENT  LEVI  EDGAR  YOUNG 

Of  the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy 

In  connection  with  the  voices  of  the  servants  of  the  Lord  at 
this  conference,  the  fundamental  to  be  established  in  the  hearts  of 
humanity  for  the  return  of  the  world  to  God  is  the  fact  that  the  gos- 
pel of  Jesus  Christ  is  not  a  system  of  thought  but  a  true  revelation  of 
God.  God  makes  one  man  the  channel  of  communication  to  other 
men.  This  channel  is  never  closed. 

Three  things  have  the  servants  of  God  emphasized  in  this  day: 
the  immortal  appeal  to  fortitude  and  faith;  the  returning  to  God 
through  repentance;  and  holy  baptism  by  immersion  in  the  name  of 
the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost. 

.  .  .  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  [said  Jesus  our  Redeemer]  and  preach 
the  gospel  to  every  creature.  (Mark  16:  15.) 


ELDER  SPENCER  W.  KIMBALL        •     '  55 


A  century  ago,  the  most  majestic  character  of  history  gave  us 
with  other  scriptures,  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants.  In  that  book, 
man  is  carried  to  his  high  destiny.  Man  is  divine.  He  is  in  the 
image  of  God.  He  has  endless  spiritual  power  and  grace.  Herein 
is  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith's  masterful  idea.  The  soul's  relationship 
to  God.  His  was  a  sorrowful  life,  but  he  nurtured  through  all  haz- 
ards the  divine  truths  God  revealed  to  him,  and  finally  came  trium- 
phant when  he  left  us  these  immortal  words: 

And  now,  remember  the  words  of  him  who  is  the  life  and  light  of 
the  world,  your  Redeemer,  your  Lord  and  your  God.  (D.  &  C.  10:70.) 

His  teachings  lead  us  to  the  dominion  of  joy,  as  witnessed  here 
today. 

And  so  my  brethren  of  the  Holy  Priesthood,  go  forth  and  re- 
member: 

He  hath  shewed  thee,  O  man,  what  is  good;  and  what  doth  the  Lord 
require  of  thee,  but  to  do  justly,  and  to  love  mercy,  and  to  walk  humbly 
with  thy  God?  (Micah  6:8.) 

ELDER  SPENCER  W.  KIMBALL 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

My  brothers  and  sisters:  To  preface  my  remarks  may  I  quote 
Paul: 

And  I.  brethren,  when  I  came  to  you,  came  not  with  excellency  of 
speech  or  of  wisdom,  declaring  unto  you  the  testimony  of  God.  For  I 
determined  not  to  know  any  thing  among  you,  save  Jesus  Christ,  and  him 
crucified.  (I  Cor.  2:1-2.) 

Today  I  wish  to  bear  witness  of  Jesus  the  Christ  and  to  quote 
the  word  of  the  Lord. 

I  read  recently  in  a  local  paper  of  a  pastor  of  a  church  in  Illinois, 
who  said  that  he  felt  the  same  reverence  for  Santa  Claus  that  he  did 
for  Jesus  Christ.  He  said: 

I  consider  both  of  them  to  be  folk  tales,  but  in  different  categories. 

He  finds  one  difference,  however;  he  does  not  question  the  fact 
that  "a  man  named  Jesus"  did  exist,  and  he  regards  Santa  Claus  as 
a  "figure  of  the  imagination." 

In  the  magazine,  Time,  in  a  recent  issue,  a  noted  professor  em- 
eritus in  one  of  our  largest  universities,  was  quoted  at  length  on  his 
rationalizing.  To  Jesus  of  Nazareth  he  gives  human  warmth;  a  great 
capacity  for  love;  unusual  understanding.  He  calls  him  a  great  hu- 
manist, a  great  teacher,  a  great  dramatist.  As  a  typical  rationaliza- 
tion, he  explains  that  Lazarus  was  not  dead,  but  was  merely 

.  .  .  brought  "back  to  health"  by  Jesus,  the  power  of  mind  and  learning, 
and  by  the  "therapy  of  his  own  abundant  vitality!" 


56     1     •  GEHERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  5  Second  Day 

Jesus  Lives  Eternally 

I  want  to  bear  testimony  today  that  Jesus  is  not  only  a  great 
teacher,  a  great  humanist,  and  a  great  dramatist,  but  is  in  very  deed, 
the  Son  of  the  Living  God,  the  Creator,  the  Redeemer  of  the  world, 
the  Savior  of  mankind.  I  want  to  testify  further  that  he  not  only 
lived  in  the  Meridian  of  Time  for  approximately  thirty-three  years, 
but  that  he  lived  eternities  before  this,  and  will  live  eternities  be- 
yond it. 

He  first  comes  into  our  knowledge  in  the  pre-existent  state,  when 
with  a  host  of  spirits,  he  stood  before  his  Father  in  solemn  assembly. 

In  the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  was  with  God,  and  the 
Word  was  God.  The  same  was  in  the  beginning  with  God.  (John  1:1,2.) 

Primeval  Gathering 
The  vision  of  this  primeval  gathering  is  recorded  as  follows: 

Now  the  Lord  had  shown  unto  me,  Abraham,  the  intelligences  that 
were  organized  before  the  world  was;  and  among  all  these  there  were 
many  of  the  noble  and  great  ones;  And  God  saw  these  souls  that  they  were 
good,  and  he  stood  in  the  midst  of  them,  and  he  said:  These  I  will  make 
my  rulers;  for  he  stood  among  those  that  were  spirits,  and  he  saw  that 
they  were  good;  and  he  said  unto  me:  Abraham,  thou  are  one  of  them; 
thou  wast  chosen  before  thou  wast  born.  And  there  stood  one  among 
them  that  was  like  unto  God,  and  he  said  unto  those  who  were  with  him: 
We  will  go  down,  for  there  is  space  there,  and  we  will  take  of  these  mater- 
ials, and  we  will  make  an  earth  whereon  these  may  dwell;  And  we  will 
prove  them  herewith,  to  see  if  they  will  do  all  things  whatsoever  the  Lord 
their  God  shall  command  them.  (Pearl  of  Great  Price,  Abraham  3:22-25.) 

And  one  of  the  number  proffered  to  go  down  to  the  earth  and 
by  compulsion,  save  all  men,  but  another  "like  unto  God"  came 
forward  with  a  plan  of  free  agency  by  which  the  plan  of  redemption 
and  exaltation  would  be  offered  by  him  to  the  people  of  the  earth. 
And  this  latter  plan,  proposed  by  Jehovah,  or  Jesus  Christ,  was 
accepted. 

.  .  .  and  the  Word  was  God.  .  .  .  All  things  were  made  by  him;  and 
without  him  was  not  any  thing  made  that  was  made.  (John  1:  1,  3.) 

Jesus  the  Creator 

The  time  finally  came  when  the  earth  was  to  be  created. 

And  then  the  Lord  said:  Let  us  go  down.  And  they  went  down  at  the 
beginning,  and  they,  that  is  the  Gods,  organized  and  formed  the  heavens 
and  the  earth.  (Abraham  4:1.) 

And  Jesus  the  Christ  created  the  earth  and  gave  it  light  and  es- 
tablished upon  it  the  plant  and  animal  life,  and  finally  man,  created 
in  his  image. 

In  confirmation,  he  says  long  centuries  later  to  the  Nephites: 

...  I  am  Jesus  Christ  the  Son  of  God.  I  created  the  heavens  and 
the  earth,  and  all  things  that  in  them  are.  (Ill  Nephi  9:15.) 


ELDER  SPENCER  W.  KIMBALL 


57 


After  the  creation,  the  Redeemer  bears  witness  again  to  Adam: 

And  in  that  day  the  Holy  Ghost  fell  upon  Adam,  which  beareth  re- 
cord of  the  Father  and  the  Son,  saying:  I  am  the  Only  Begotten  of  the 
Father  from  the  beginning,  henceforth  and  forever,  that  as  thou  hast  fallen 
thou  mayest  be  redeemed,  and  all  mankind,  even  as  many  as  will.  (Pearl  of  , 
Great  Price,  Moses  5:9.) 

Redeemer's  Visit  to  Enoch 

Generations  later  the  Redeemer  came  again  to  the  earth  to  visit 
his  choice  servant  and  mighty  leader,  Enoch,  who  because  of  his 
righteousness,  was  permitted  to  hear  the  voice  of  Jehovah.  Enoch 
bowed  himself  to  the  earth  before  the  Lord,  and  spake: 

.  .  .  Why  is  it  that  I  have  found  favor  in  thy  sight,  and  am  but  a 
lad,  and  all  the  people  hate  me;  for  I  am  slow  of  speech;  wherefore  am  I 
thy  servant?  (Moses  6:31.) 

And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Enoch,  and  said  unto  him:  Anoint  thine  eyes 
with  clay,  and  wash  them,  and  thou  shalt  see.  And  he  did  so.  {Ibid,, 
verse  35. ) 

And  he  beheld  the  spirit  world  and  all  creations  not  visible  to 
the  natural  eye.  From  hills  and  high  places,  Enoch  warned  them,  and 

...  no  man  laid  hands  on  him;  ...  for  he  walked  with  god.  (Ibid,, 
verse  39.) 

In  concluding  his  preaching  to  his  people,  he  bore  this  testimony: 

...  I  stood  upon  the  mount,  I  beheld  the  heavens  open,  and  I  was 
clothed  upon  with  glory;  And  I  saw  the  Lord;  and  he  stood  before  my  face, 
and  he  talked  with  me,  even  as  a  man  talketh  one  with  another,  face  to 
face.    (Moses  7:3.  4.) 

The  transgressions  of  the  people  of  Enoch's  generation  con- 
tinued unabated,  for  Noah  comes  forth  to  continue  throughout  the 
long  years  of  his  ministry,  a  vigorous  warning  and  preachment 
against  the  sins  of  the  world,  which  had  become  ripe  in  inquiry. 

And  thus  Noah  found  grace  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord;  for  Noah  was  a 
just  man,  and  perfect  in  his  generation;  and  he  walked  with  God.  (Moses 
8:27.) 

Experience  of  Brother  of  Jared 

■ 

Again  at  the  time  of  the  tower  of  Babel,  the  Lord  Jesus  came 
to  earth  when  the  Jaredites  prepared  to  cross  the  ocean  for  the  prom- 
ised land,  now  known  as  America,  and  they  went  into  the  moun- 
tains and  "did  molten  out  of  a  rock  sixteen  small  stones"  (Ether  3: 
1 ) ,  and  the  prophet  entreated  the  Lord  to  touch  these  stones  that 
they  might  shine  forth  in  the  darkness  of  the  enclosed  vessels  to  give 
light  while  they  crossed  the  sea.  And  as  the  Lord  touched  each  stone 

.  .  .  the  veil  was  taken  from  off  the  eyes  of  the  brother  of  Jared,  and 
he  saw  the  finger  of  the  Lord;  and  it  was  as  the  finger  of  a  man,  like  unto 
flesh  and  blood.  (Ether  3:6.) 


58  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  5  Second  Day 

The  prophet  fell  to  the  earth  with  fear  lest  he  should  be  smitten, 

...  for  I  knew  not  that  the  Lord  had  flesh  and  blood.  And  the  Lord 
said  unto  him:  Because  of  thy  faith  thou  hast  seen  that  I  shall  take  upon 
me  flesh  and  blood;  and  never  has  man  come  before  me  with  such  exceed- 
ing faith  as  thou  hast;  for  were  it  not  so  ye  could  not  have  seen  my  finger. 
.  .  .  And  when  he  had  said  these  words,  behold,  the  Lord  showed  himself 
unto  him,  and  said:  .  .  .  Behold,  I  am  he  who  was  prepared  from  the  founda- 
tion of  the  world  to  redeem  my  people.  Behold,  I  am  Jesus  Christ.  .  .  . 
Seest  thou  that  ye  are  created  after  mine  own  image?  .  .  .  Behold,  this 
body,  which  ye  now  behold,  is  the  body  of  my  spirit;  .  .  .  and  even  as  I 
appear  unto  thee  to  be  in  the  spirit  will  I  appear  unto  my  people  in  the 
flesh.  (Ether  3:8,  9,  13-16.) 

Jehovah  Speaks  to  Nephi 

Again  Jehovah  speaks.  Some  centuries  later  in  what  is  known 
as  the  first  year  of  the  Christian  era,  the  people  on  the  American 
continent  were  watching  for  fulfilment  of  prophecy  and  for  the  signs 
of  the  coming  of  the  Messiah.  The  wicked  ones  figured  that  the 
day  had  passed,  but  Nephi,  being  greatly  concerned,  prayed  de- 
voutly unto  the  Lord  all  day,  at  the  end  of  which  there  came  to  him 
the  voice  of  the  Lord,  saying: 

Lift  up  your  head  and  be  of  good  cheer;  for  behold,  the  time  is  at 
hand,  and  on  this  night  shall  the  sign  be  given,  and  on  the  morrow  come 
I  into  the  world,  to  show  unto  the  world  that  I  will  fulfil  all  that  which  I 
have  caused  to  be  spoken  by  the  mouth  of  my  holy  prophets.  (Ill  Nephi 
1:13.) 

And  that  night  the  darkness  did  not  come,  and  two  days  and  a 
night  were  as  one  day,  and  the  righteous  people  knew  that  that  day 
would  see  the  birth  of  the  Savior  of  the  world.  A  new  star  appeared 
as  further  evidence  that  the  Christ  was  born. 

And  the  Word  was  made  flesh,  and  dwelt  among  us.  .  .  .  (John  1:14.) 

Birth  of  Jesus 

And  far  across  the  ocean  in  the  land  of  Judea  that  same  star 
shone  forth  and  led  the  wise  men  from  the  East  to  a  stable  out  of 
Bethlehem.  Here  they  found  a  babe  wrapped  in  swaddling  clothes 
and  lying  in  a  manger.  Mary  had  become  the  mother  of  the  Son  of 
God.  The  shepherds  called  and  paid  homage,  the  angels  sang  hos- 
annas  and  the  Savior  was  born  into  mortality,  into  his  flesh  and  blood 
tabernacle.  And  "his  name  was  called  Jesus."   (Luke  2:21.) 

And  the  child  Jesus  was  presented  in  the  temple  and  blessed  by 
the  righteous  Simeon. 

Little  is  known  of  the  childhood  of  Jesus,  but  it  is  related: 

And  the  child  grew,  and  waxed  strong  in  spirit,  filled  with  wisdom; 
and  the  grace  of  God  was  upon  him.  (Luke  2:40.) 

Again  we  hear  of  him  in  the  temple  at  Jerusalem  at  twelve  years 
of  age: 


ELDER  SPENCER  W.  KIMBALL  59 

And  all  that  heard  him  were  astonished  at  his  understanding  and 
answers.  (Luke  2:47.) 

He  said  to  his  concerned  mother: 

. . .  wist  ye  not  that  I  must  be  about  my  Father's  business?  (Luke  2:49.) 

Of  his  days  of  preparation  we  are  informed: 

And  Jesus  increased  in  wisdom  and  stature,  and  in  favour  with  God 
and  man.  (Luke  2:52.) 

Highlights  of  Mortal  Life  of  Jesus 

The  mortal  life  of  Jesus  Christ  is  well  known  to  us  so  we  men- 
tion only  a  few  highlights  at  this  time. 

John  the  Baptist,  come  from  the  wilderness  and  preached  re- 
pentance. 

Then  cometh  Jesus  from  Galilee  to  Jordan  unto  John,  to  be  baptized 
of  him.  (Matt.  3:13.) 

And  when  Jesus  came  up  out  of  the  water 

.  .  .  the  heavens  were  opned  unto  him,  and  he  saw  the  Spirit  of  God 
descending  like  a  dove,  and  lighting  upon  him:  And  lo  a  voice  from 
heaven,  saying,  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased. 
(Matt.  3:16,  17.) 

We  follow  our  Savior  down  the  dusty  roads  of  Judea  over  the 
rocky  paths  of  the  highlands  and  the  sandy  beaches  of  the  seas, 
into  the  synagogues  to  reprove  and  rebuke,  in  the  byways  to  call  to 
repentance. 

We  find  the  Redeemer  at  the  marriage  at  Cana  turning  water 
into  wine;  at  the  temple  at  Jerusalem  where  with  his  handmade 
scourge  of  small  cords,  he  drove  from  the  temple  the  desecrating 
traders  and  money-changers,  saying  to  the  cowards: 

. .  .  make  not  my  Father's  house  an  house  of  merchandise.  (John  2:16.) 

The  mortal  life  of  the  Lord  was  a  hard  one.  He  said: 

.  .  .  Foxes  have  holes,  and  birds  of  the  air  have  nests;  but  the  Son  of 
man  hath  not  where  to  lay  his  head.  (Luke  9:58.) 

He  was  followed  by  great  multitudes  of  interested  disciples, 
curious  sign-seekers,  and  critical  annoyers  with  always  the  vicious 
lurking  in  the  group,  seeking  his  very  life. 

He  came  unto  his  own,  and  his  own  received  him  not.  (John  1:11.) 

Even  in  his  old  home  town  he  was  not  appreciated,  but  was 
thrust  out  of  the  synagogue,  out  of  the  city,  and  led  to  the  brow  of  the 
hill  to  be  killed,  but  he  escaped. 

And  Jesus,  walking  by  the  sea  of  Galilee,  saw  two  brethren,  Simon 
called  Peter,  and  Andrew  his  brother,  casting  a  net  into  the  sea:  for 
they  were  fishers.  And  he  saith  unto  them,  Follow  me,  and  I  will  make 
you  fishers  of  men.  And  they  straightway  left  their  nets,  and  followed  him. 
(Matt.  4:18-20.) 


60  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday.  October  5  Second  Day 

And  he  saw  James  and  John  mending  their  nets  and  likewise 
called  them  and  subsequently  called  other  eight  from  all  walks  of 
life  to>  lead  his  Church,  and  he  "named  them  apostles." 

Miracles  Performed 

The  numerous  miracles  of  the  Redeemer  brought  him  early  at- 
tention. The  curious  followed  with  wonder;  the  believers  looked  on 
with  awe,  and  because  of  his  increasing  popularity,  his  enemies  fol- 
lowed to  catch  him  in  lawbreaking,  that  they  might  dispose  of  him. 

He  blessed  loaves  arid  fishes  and  fed  thousands  of  hungry  people. 
He  placed  his  fingers  in  the  ears  of  a  deaf  person,  saying  "be  opened," 
and  the  man  heard  clearly.  He  "spit  and  touched"  the  tongue  of 
one  with  an  impediment  in  his  speech,  "and  he  spake  plain."  He 
touched  the  eyes  of  the  blind  saying,  "According  to  your  faith  be  it 
unto  you,  and  their  eyes  were  opened." 

The  multitudes  marveled  saying,  "It  was  never  so  seen  in 
Israel,"  as  he  cast  out  the  devil.  His  enemies  found  him  healing  on 
the  Sabbath  and  accused  him  when  they  heard  him  say  to  the  man 
with  a  withered  hand: 

.  .  .  Stretch  forth  thine  hand.  And  he  stretched  it  forth;  and  it  was 
restored  whole,  like  as  the  other.  (Matt.  12:13.) 

"We  never  saw  it  on  this  fashion,"  the  people  said  as  they  saw 
the  roof  opened,  a  sick  man  let  down  at  the  foot  of  Jesus  and  saw 
him  carry  away  his  bed  at  the  command:  " — take  up  thy  bed  and 
go  thy  way — "  and  "Son,  thy  sins  be  forgiven  thee." 

He  stopped  a  funeral  procession  and  touching  the  bier  of  the 
son  of  the  widow  of  Nain  said,  "Young  man,  I  say  unto  thee,  Arise." 
And  he  that  was  dead  sat  up  and  began  to  speak. 

He  astounded  the  people  when  he  said  to  the  dead  daughter  of 
Jairus,  "Damsel,  I  say  unto  thee  arise."  They  had  laughed  him  to 
scorn,  but  now  they  were  shocked  when  the  damsel  arose  and  walked. 

The  woman  who  for  twelve  years  of  affliction  had  "spent  all 
her  living  on  physicians,  neither  could  be  healed  by  any"  .  .  .  "came 
behind  him  and  touched  the  border  of  his  garment"- — and  immedi- 
ately was  healed. 

Again  he  forgave  the  sinner,  stilled  the  tempest,  cleansed  the 
lepers,  stirred  souls,  and  raised  the  dead;  even  his  friend  Lazarus 
who  was  four  days  dead,  and  "by  this  time  stinketh" — when  the 
voice  of  Jehovah  commanded:   "Lazarus  come  forth." 

Closing  Events  of  Master's  Life 

And  toward  the  end  of  his  ministry: 

.  .  .  Jesus  taketh  Peter,  James,  and  John  his  brother,  and  bringeth  them 
up  into  an  high  mountain  apart,  And  was  transfigured  before  them:  and  his 
face  did  shine  as  the  sun,  and  his  raiment  was  white  as  the  light.  .  .  . 
While  he  yet  spake,  behold,  a  bright  cloud  overshadowed  them;  and  be- 


ELDER  SPENCER  W.  KIMBALL 


61 


hold  a  voice  out  of  the  cloud  which  said,  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom 
I  am  well  pleased;  hear  ye  him.  (Matt.  17:1,  2,  5.) 

Knowing  that  his  hour  had  come  he  repaired  to  the  room  which 
had  been  prepared,  and  there  he  gave  to  his  disciples  the  Last  Sup- 
per, after  which  he  retired  into  the  Garden  of  Gethsemane,  where 
he  poured  out  his  soul  unto  his  Father: 

.  .  .  O  my  Father,  if  this  cup  may  not  pass  away  from  me,  except  I 
drink  it,  thy  will  be  done.  (Matt.  26:42.) 

Then  mobsters  came,  headed  by  the  betrayer. 

They  stripped  him  and  put  on  a  scarlet  robe;  they  pushed  down 
upon  his  head  a  crown  of  thorns,  and  placed  a  reed  in  his  right  hand 
and  bowed  the  knee  and  mocked  and  spit  upon  him,  and  smote  him 
on  the  head,  and  led  him  to  Calvary  to  be  crucified. 

Between  thieves  he  was  nailed  to  the  cross,  and  they  parted  his 
garments. 

Those  that  loved  him  crouched  about  his  feet  and  wept  in  their 
helplessness.  As  his  life  ebbed,  he  called: 

.  .  .  Father,  forgive  them:  for  they  know  not  what  they  do.  (Luke 
23:34.) 

.  .  .  Father,  into  thy  hands  I  commend  my  spirit:  And  having  said  thus, 
he  gave  up  the  ghost.  (Luke  23:46.) 

They  took  his  body  carefully  down,  and  wrapped  it  in  linen  and 
laid  it  in  a  sepulchre. 

The  three  days  ended,  and  Jesus  came  forth  as  he  had  prom- 
ised. His  disciples,  both  women  and  men,  had  been  to  the  tomb  and 
found  it  empty  and  were  surprised,  still  not  comprehending  the  fact 
of  the  resurrection. 

The  same  day  he  appeared  in  the  locked  room  with  his  apostles 
and  revealed  himself  to  them,  convincing  them  that  he  lived  again. 
Many  hundreds  were  similarly  convinced. 

Now  his  Church  was  organized,  the  program  clarified,  and 
leaders  developed  into  whose  hands  he  could  leave  his  kingdom. 
And  when  his  followers  were  gathered  together  in  Jerusalem: 

...  he  was  taken  up;  and  a  cloud  received  him  out  of  their  sight.  And 
while  they  looked  steadfastly  toward  heaven  as  he  went  up,  behold,  two 
men  stood  by  them  in  white  apparel;  Which  also  said,  Ye  men  of  Galilee, 
why  stand  ye  gazing  up  into  heaven?  this  same  Jesus,  which  is  taken  up 
from  you  into  heaven,  shall  so  come  in  like  manner  as  ye  have  seen  him 
go  into  heaven.  (Acts  1:9-11.) 

Christ's  Visitation  to  Western  Hemisphere 

On  the  western  hemisphere,  also,  was  darkness  and  destruc- 
tion, cities  burned,  mountains  leveled,  and  plains  raised,  and  in  the 
suffering  and  lamentations  of  the  people  a  voice  was  heard  among 
the  inhabitants,  explaining  the  disasters  and  saying: 

Behold,  I  am  Jesus  Christ  the  Son  of  God.  I  created  the  heavens 


62  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  5  Second  Day 

and  the  earth,  and  all  things  that  in  them  are.  ...  I  came  unto  my  own, 
and  my  own  received  me  not.  ...  I  am  the  light  and  the  life  of  the  world. 
I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  end.  .  .  .  Behold,  I  have 
come  unto  the  world  to  bring  redemption  unto  the  world,  to  save  the 
world  from  sin.    (Ill  Nephi  9:15,  16,  18,  21.) 

Again  the  Nephites  were  conversing  about  Jesus  Christ,  the 
sign  of  whose  death  had  been  given  to  them,  and  a  small,  pene- 
trating voice  came  out  of  heaven,  which  pierced  them  to  the  very 
soul  and  caused  their  hearts  to  burn,  and  the  voice  again  uttered 
these  memorable  words: 

Behold  my  Beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased,  in  whom  I  have 
glorified  my  name — hear  ye  him.  (Ill  Nephi  11:7.) 

And  as  they  looked  toward  heaven: 

.  .  .  they  saw  a  Man  descending  out  of  heaven;  and  he  was  clothed 
in  a  white  robe;  and  he  came  down  and  stood  in  the  midst  of  them;  and 
...  he  stretched  forth  his  hand  and  spake  unto  the  people  saying :  Behold, 
I  am  Jesus  Christ,  whom  the  prophets  testified  shall  come  into  the  world. 
...  I  have  drunk  out  of  that  bitter  cup  which  the  Father  hath  given  me, 
and  have  glorified  the  Father  in  taking  upon  me  the  sins  of  the  world, 
.  .  .  the  whole  multitude  fell  to  the  earth;  for  they  remembered  that  it  had 
been  prophesied  among  them  that  Christ  should  show  himself  unto  them 
.  .  .  saying  .  .  .  thrust  your  hands  into  my  side  .  .  .  feel  the  prints  of  the 
nails  in  my  hands  and  in  my  feet,  that  ye  may  know  that  I  am  the  God 
of  Israel,  and  the  God  of  the  whole  earth,  and  have  been  slain  for  the 
sins  of  the  world."    (Ill  Nephi  11:8-12,  14.) 

And  all  the  people  felt  the  prints  of  the  nails  and  of  the  sword 

and 

.  .  .  did  know  of  a  surety  and  did  bear  record,  that  it  was  he,  of  whom 
it  was  written  by  the  prophets,  that  should  come.  (Ill  Nephi  11:15.) 

And  they  worshipped  him. 

And  he  organized  his  Church  here,  and  called  his  twelve  apostles 
and  taught  them  the  doctrines  and  blessed  their  children.  He  re- 
stored sight  to  the  blind,  strength  to  the  infirm,  and  wholeness  to 
those  who  were  ill,  and  after  his  impressive  and  continued  appear- 
ances among  them, 

.  .  .  there  came  a  cloud  and  overshadowed  the  multitude  that  they 
could  not  see  Jesus.  And  while  they  were  overshadowed  he  departed  from 
them,  and  ascended  into  heaven.  (Ill  Nephi  18:38,  39.) 

Another  day  he  returned,  and  when  he  blessed  them,  they  were 
transfigured  and  became 

.  .  .  white  as  the  countenance  and  also  the  garments  of  Jesus.  ...  (Ill 
Nephi  19:25.) 

A  third  time  he  retired  to  pray 

And  tongue  cannot  speak  the  words  which  he  prayed,  neither  can 
be  written  by  man  the  words  which  he  prayed.  ...  he  came  again  to  the 
disciples,  and  said  unto  them:  So  great  faith  have  I  never  seen  among 
the  Jews;  wherefore  I  could  not  show  unto  them  so  great  miracles,  be- 
cause of  their  unbelief.   (Ill  Nephi  19:32,  35.) 


ELDER  SPENCER  W.  KIMBALL 


63 


Such  great  faith  was  manifest  by  his  apostles  that  he  touched 
with  his  finger  the  nine  who  were  not  to  tarry.  Again  he  departed 
from  the  earth. 

Vision  Given  to  Joseph  Smith 

And  time  passed  and  the  darkness  of  ages  was  beginning  to 
be  dissipated;  the  new  world  of  America  had  been  discovered,  and 
honorable  God-fearing  people  had  settled  upon  it.  The  war  had 
been  waged  and  freedom  gained,  and  religious  liberty  granted,  and 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  appeared  on  earth  again  to  restore  and  re- 
establish his  kingdom  upon  the  earth,  and  a  young  boy  with  an  open 
and  unbiased  mind,  knelt  one  beautiful  spring  morning  in  a  grove, 
and  prayed  for  light,  and  though  the  evil  power  attempted  to  destroy 
him,  he  was  relieved  by  the  appearance  of  a  pillar  of  light  above 
the  brightness  of  the  sun. 

Joseph  Smith  continues  story: 

...  It  no  sooner  appeared  than  I  found  myself  delivered  from  the 
enemy  which  held  me  bound.  When  the  light  rested  upon  me  I  saw  two 
personages,  whose  brightness  and  glory  defy  all  description,  standing 
above  me  in  the  air.  One  of  them  spake  unto  me,  calling  me  by  name,  and 
said — pointing  to  the  other — "This  is  my  beloved  Son,  hear  him."  (History 
of  the  Church,  Vol.  I,  p.  5.) 

There  followed  warnings,  instructions,  and  commandments  and 
finally,  as  Joseph  says: 

When  I  came  to  myself  again,  I  found  myself  lying  on  my  back,  look- 
infi  up  into  heaven.  (Ibid.,  p.  6.) 

Following  this  vision  came  numerous  other  visitations  from 
heavenly  beings,  in  the  restoration  of  the  gospel  and  the  establishing 
of  his  kingdom  upon  the  earth. 

The  work  went  forward,  the  Church  was  organized,  the  Book 
of  Mormon  was  printed,  the  revelations  were  given,  twelve  apostles 
were  called,  the  temple  in  Kirtland  was  built,  and  during  the  dedi- 
cation of  it  in  1836: 

.  .  .  Joseph  Smith  and  Oliver  Cowdery  retired  to  the  pulpit,  the  veils 
being  dropped,  and  there  bowed  in  silent  prayer.  After  rising  from  their 
knees  the  Savior  appeared  to  them  standing  on  the  breast-work  of  the 
pulpit  and  blessed  them,  accepting  the  building  in  his  name.  (Essentials 
in  Church  History,  pp.  191-192.) 

Testimonies  of  Christ's  Divinity 

And  so,  having  traced  the  appearances  of  the  Redeemer  from 
pre-existence  to  date,  we  look  forward  now  to  his  second  coming  as 
he  promised.  This  promise  will  be  literally  fulfilled  as  were  his  many 
other  promises,  and  in  the  meantime,  we  praise  his  holy  name  and 
serve  him,  and  bear  testimony  of  the  divinity  of  his  mission,  with  the 
prophets  through  the  generations! 


64  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  5  Second  Day 

We  testify  with  John  the  Baptist,  who,  as  he  saw  the  Lord  ap- 
proaching to  him,  saith: 

.  .  .  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the 
world.  (John  1:29.) 

Not  just  a  man  of  human  warmth,  but  the  Lamb  of  God. 

We  bear  witness  with  Nathanael,  an  Israelite  in  whom  was 
no  guile: 

.  .  .  Rabbi,  thou  art  the  Son  of  God;  thou  art  the  King  of  Israel.  (John 
1:49.) 

Not  merely  a  great  teacher,  but  the  very  Son  of  God. 

We  testify  again  with  John  the  Beloved,  who  seeing  Jesus  on 
the  shore,  said  with  conviction,  "It  is  the  Lord!"  not  only  a  great 
humanist,  but  the  Lord  God  of  heaven. 

And  with  Simon  Peter,  who,  when  asked  by  the  Lord,  "But 
whom  say  ye  that  I  am?"  said,  "Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the 
living  God,"  (Matt.  16:15,  16),  and  received  this  statement  from 
the  Savior: 

.  .  .  Blessed  art  thou,  Simon  Bar-jona:  for  flesh  and  blood  hath  not 
reveealed  it  unto  thee,  but  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven.  (Matt.  16:17.) 

And  finally,  we  bear  witness  with  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  who 
was  willing  to  give  his  life  for  his  testimony,  which  comes  to  us 
in  his  own  words  as  follows: 

I  had  actually  seen  a  light,  and  in  the  midst  of  that  light  I  saw  two 
personages,  and  they  did  in  reality  speak  to  me;  ...  I  have  actually  seen 
a  vision,  and  who  am  I  that  I  can  .  .  .  deny  what  I  have  actually  seen? 
For  I  had  seen  a  vision;  I  knew  it,  and  I  knew  that  God  knew  it,  and  I  could 
not  deny  it,  neither  dared  I  do  it,  at  least  I  knew  that  by  so  doing  I  would 
offend  God,  and  come  under  condemnation.  (History  of  the  Church,  Vol. 
I,  pp.  7,  8.) 

I  repeat  my  testimony: 

I  know  that  Jesus,  through  eternities  past  and  future,  is  the 
Creator,  the  Redeemer,  the  Savior,  the  Son  of  God.  I  bear  it  in  his 
holy  name.  Amen. 

ELDER  ANTOINE  R.  IVINS 

Of  the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy 

It'is  a  thrilling  sight,  my  brothers  and  sisters,  to  stand  before  you 
on  this  occasion,  and  I  trust  that  you  will  give  me  your  faith  and 
prayers,  that  the  short  time  I  occupy,  my  words  may  be  directed  by 
the  Spirit  of  God. 

It  is  two  weeks  today  since  Sister  Ivins  and  I  finished  a  tour 
of  the  East  Central  States  Mission  which  was  the  third  mission  that 
I  had  inspected  during  this  season.  I  have  met  the  sons  and  daughters 
of  many  of  you,  and  I  bring  you,  from  them,  a  good  word.  I  want 
to  tell  you  that  they  are  interested  in  their  work,  they  are  devoted  to 


ELDER  ANTOINE  R.  IVINS 


65 


it,  and  they  are  striving  to  the  best  of  their  ability  and  their  utmost 
power  to  teach  and  preach  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  I  pray  that 
you  will  have  faith  in  them,  that  you  will  have  no  misgivings  as  to 
their  future,  for  they  are  in  the  hands  of  God  and  are  striving  to  do 
his  work.  It  was  interesting  to  study  with  them  their  problems,  and 
to  strive  to  help  them  in  the  solution  of  these  problems.  One  of  the 
questions  that  they  confront  most  often,  is  the  statement  of  many 
people,  "We  could  accept  your  teachings  and  the  principles  which 
you  advocate,  if  it  were  not  for  the  supernatural  conditions  that  you 
allege  surrounded  the  birth  of  your  organization." 

World's  Reluctance  to  Accept  Modern  Revelation 

Brother  Kimball  has  told  us  in  the  address  which  he  has  just 
finished,  of  the  mission  of  Jesus  Christ,  of  his  appearance  to  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith.  That  seems  the  hardest  thing  for  Christian 
people  to  accept  when  they  think  of  us,  for  we  allege  in  that  state- 
ment that  Christ  is  actually  the  Son  of  God,  that  God  is  a  separate 
and  distinct  personage  from  Christ,  and  that  man  is  made  in  their 
image.  That  statement  topples  the  Christian  idea  which  prevailed 
at  the  time  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith;  it  had  prevailed  for  ages 
before  him,  and  it  still  prevails.  It  is  the  most  difficult  thing  for  them 
to  accept.  It  is  miraculous  that  God  and  Christ  should  appear  to  a 
human  being.  At  the  same  time,  they  will  tell  you  that  they  accept 
without  reservation  the  statements  of  the  Bible,  and  some  of  them 
will  go  so  far  as  to  tell  you  they  believe  every  word  that  is  in  it. 
When  we  read  it,  we  find  that  one  great  prophet  of  God,  Jacob, 
wrestled  during  the  night  with  an  angel  from  heaven.  That  doesn't 
seem  difficult  to  them.  We  come  down  through  history,  and  we  find 
the  Israelites  in  bondage  in  Egypt,  their  liberation  necessary.  We 
find  that  God,  through  the  faith  of  those  people,  turned  back  the 
waters  of  the  Red  Sea,  so  that  they  walked  through  on  dry  ground, 
and  the  hosts  of  Egypt  which  followed  were  overcome  by  the  return- 
ing waves,  and  the  people  were  thus  liberated.  They  accept  that;  it 
doesn't  seem  beyond  their  powers  of  belief.  Those  people  wander 
on  into  the  desert,  and  they  find  themselves  thirsty.  They  want 
water,  and  Moses  strikes  a  stone  with  his  rod,  the  water  gushing 
forth  to  quench  the  thirst  of  that  unhappy  people.  They  accept  that. 
Then  they  find  themselves  hungry,  and  God  causes  them  to  be  fed 
from  heaven  with  divine  food;  and  they  accept  that.  Again  we  find 
a  prophet  who  is  able  to  call  down  from  heaven  fire  to  consume  those 
who  are  obstructing  the  work  of  God.  And  thus  it  goes.  We  find 
•the  Savior  himself,  praying  to  his  Heavenly  Father  in  Gethsemane. 
These  are  all  miraculous  things,  and  people  accept  them  more  or 
less  as  in  the  ordinary  events  of  the  work  of  God,  but  they  say,  "Now 
why  should  there  be  a  miracle  in  bur  day?"  I  can't  bring  myself  to 
believe  that  those  people  were  in  any  greater  need  of  divine  help 
than  are  people  in  our  day.  I  can't  bring  myself  to  believe,  either, 


66  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  5  Second  Day 

that  they  were  any  more  dear  to  God  their  Heavenly  Father,  as 
his  children,  than  we  and  our  fathers  and  grandfathers.  And  I  can't 
bring  myself  to  believe  that  we  are  any  more  unworthy  of  the  aid 
of  God  than  they  were.  So  to  me,  it  seems  a  more  or  less  proper  thing 
and  a  natural  thing,  that  God  should  so  manifest  himself. 

Personality  of  Deity  Again  Revealed 

To  me  that  is  the  great  and  underlying  reason  for  the  restora- 
tion of  the  gospel  in  the  latter  days — the  fact  that  people  had  come 
to  misunderstand  the  personality  of  God;  they  had  come  to  question 
his  power  of  intervention  in  the  affairs  of  men,  and  it  was  necessary 
that  they  should  be  taught  again  the  things  which  they  were  taught 
in  the  testimony  that  was  given  at  the  baptism  of  Christ,  and  in 
the  testimony  that  was  given  in  the  appearance  of  Christ  to  the 
Nephites.  They  were  again  to  be  taught  that  Christ  is  the  Son  of 
God.  It  is  one  of  the  most  difficult  things  for  sectarian  peoples  to 
accept  because  of  the  indoctrination  that  they  have  received  over 
these  many  generations.  That  is  one  of  the  problems  that  your  boys 
and  your  girls,  young  and  old,  have  to  present^to  the  people  in  the 
mission  fields. 

Many  of  them  have  gone  out,  not  knowing  too  well  these  things, 
sometimes  because  we  at  home  have  failed  to  do  our  full  duty  in  ex- 
plaining these  truths  to  them.  Some  of  us  perchance  depend  upon 
our  Sunday  Schools,  our  Mutuals,  and  our  priesthood  quorums  en- 
tirely for  such  instruction.  But  I  feel  that  it  is  the  duty  of  every 
father  and  every  mother  in  Israel  to  see  that  their  son  and  their  daugh- 
ter know  these  things,  and  to  qualify  them  to  testify  to  the  world  that 
it  is  true,  that  God  came  back  and  visited  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith, 
and  spoke  to  him  thus  bringing  back  to  the  world  the  testimony  as 
to  the  true  personality  of  God.  I  believe  that  they  should  further 
teach  them  the  various  and  sundry  teachings  of  the  Church,  regard- 
ing these  things;  baptism,  repentance,  faith  in  God,  charity  in  their 
lives,  chastity,  and  all  the  virtues  that  go-  to  make  fine  men  and 
women,  SO'  that  those  who  may  be  called  for  missionary  service  shall 
go  into  the  world  fully  convinced  in  their  hearts  that  God  lives;  that 
he  is  the  Father  of  their  spirits;  that  he  is  the  guardian  of  them  all; 
that  he  actually  has  personal  interest  in  our  welfare;  and  that  he 
can  be  sought  in  prayer  for  aid  and  assistance.  If  they  go  into  the 
world  understanding  these  things,  they  will  be  effective  and  efficient 
missionaries  for  the  Church. 

Special  Calling  of  the  Seventies 

I  represent  the  great  body  of  the  priesthood,  whose  purpose  by 
ordination  is  to  disseminate  these  truths.  Many  of  those  men  have 
family  obligations  which  prevent  'them  from  actually  going  into  the 
world  themselves  to  do  this  preaching,  but  they  frequently  have  sons 
and  daughters  who  can  represent  them,  and  I  feel  it  is  their  duty. 


ELDER  JOSEPH  F.  MERRILL 


67 


after  preparing  those  boys  and  girls,  young  men  and  young  women 
for  that  work,  to  present  them,  even  at  a  sacrifice,  if  you  want  to  call 
it  such,  to  the  Church  for  the  short  period  of  time  that  is  required  in 
the  mission  field.  That  is  the  work  of  the  seventy,  to  testify  to  the 
restoration  of  the  gospel;  and  if  they  can't  do  it  personally,  why  can 
they  not  do  it  through  their  sons  and  their  daughters? 

It  is  a  pleasing  thing  to  me  that  there  is  an  increasing  percentage 
of  men  in  the  missions  of  the  world.  It  has  been  our  experience  in 
the  stake  missions,  that  as  the  percentage  of  men  decreased,  the  hours 
required  for  baptism  increased.  It  seems  that  there  is  a  power  in  the 
priesthood  of  God  that  is  neccessary  to  the  ultimate  conversion  of 
men.  And  I  would  like  to  see  this  percentage  increase  beyond  its  pres- 
ent status,  both  in  the  foreign  missions  and  in  the  stake  missions. 
When  our  stake  missions  began,  we  had  a  percentage  of  sixty  from 
the  seventies  quorum,  whose  special  duty  it  is  to  teach,  and  today 
that  percentage  is  as  low  as  thirty-five.  I  personally  would  like  to  see 
that  restored  to  its  original  percentage,  or  better,  so  that  the  seventies 
of  the  Church  will  actually  be  doing  the  work  for  which  they  are  set 
aside  by  ordination. 

Now,  that  is  our  duty;  it  is  the  duty  of  the  Church  to  break 
down  the  unfounded  traditions  of  the  past  and  to  teach  the  restora- 
tion of  the  gospel.  Every  man  who  is  warned  should  warn  his  neigh- 
bor. We  are  doing  a  valiant  work,  but  we  are  likely  not  doing  all 
we  could  and  all  we  ought  to  do  in  this  capacity. 

I  pray  that  God  may  give  us  a  proper  appreciation  of  our  obli- 
gations to  each  other  and  to  the  world,  that  he  may  give  us  a  proper 
understanding  of  the  principles  of  the  gospel,  that  may  enable  us 
to  teach  our  young  men  and  young  women,  our  boys  and  our  girls, 
our  sons  and  daughters,  the  doctrines  upon  which  they  should  rest 
their  faith,  in  such  a  way  as  to  build  up  in  their  hearts  an  undying 
faith  regarding  this  great  work  in  which  we  are  engaged;  so  that 
at  such  time,  when  the  Presidency  of  the  Church  sees  fit  to  ask  them 
for  a  service,  they  may  be  ready  for  it.  May  he  bless  us  all,  that  we 
may  live  more  near  to  him,  that  we  ourselves  may  understand  better 
our  obligations  to  each  other,  that  we  may  be  able  to  purify  our 
thoughts  and  our  emotions  and  our  actions  so-  as  to  be  worthy  re- 
cipients of  the  Spirit  of  God,  I  pray  in  Jesus'  name.  Amen. 

The  Combined  Choruses  and  the  congregation  sang  the  hymn, 
"Redeemer  of  Israel,"  by  Phelps,  (Hymn  Book,  page  194;  L.D.S. 
Hymns,  No.  231.) 

ELDER  JOSEPH  F.  MERRILL 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

My  dear  brethren  and  sisters:  In  the  few  minutes  allotted  me,  I 
shall  not  deliver  a  sermon  or  make  an  address  or  a  speech.  I  propose 
to  make  a  few  remarks  relative  to  a  few  current  matters  that  I  be- 


68  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  5  Second  Day 

lieve  to  be  important.  These  remarks  are  made  to  Latter-day  Saints 
only,  and  on  my  own  responsibility.  Others  may  listen  if  they  care 
to.  But  since  other  people  do  not  believe  our  religious  teachings,  it 
is  hopeless  to  expect  that  they  will  be  influenced  by  anything  I  say 
at  this  time. 

The  Present  Sinful  Condition  of  the  World 

But  to  continue:  We  live  in  a  sinful  world.  Much  wickedness 
abounds.  Crime  is  rampant  and  much  of  it  goes  unpunished,  for 
many  criminals  are  never  even  apprehended.  Lawlessness  is  every- 
where. There  is  also  an  immense  amount  of  wrongdoing  going  on  all 
the  time  that  can  hardly  be  classed  as  wickedness  or  crime.  Selfish- 
ness, greed,  smoking,  drinking,  profanity,  Sabbath  breaking,  are  ex- 
amples. It  is  needless  to  say  that  any  Latter-day  Saint  who  indulges 
in  any  of  these  things,  or  in  many  others  not  mentioned,  is  violating 
his  covenants.  But  since  many  Latter-day  Saints  do  indulge,  to  a 
greater  or  less  extent  in  these  things,  the  need  of  repentance  is  ever 
present  among  us,  and  the  obligation  to  repent  is  much  greater  with 
us  than  it  is  with  other  sinners  who  have  not  covenanted  to  keep  the 
commandments  of  the  Lord. 

For  of  him  unto  whom  much  is  given  much  is  required.  (D.  &  C.  82:3.) 

Need  for  Repentance  Among  Latter-day  Saints 

Regrettable  as  it  may  be,  sinful  indulgences  among  Latter-day 
Saint  people  are  often  a  real  handicap  to  our  stake  missionary  work 
because  non-members  see  so  much  bad  in  many  of  us  that  they  feel 
we  should  first  convert  ourselves.  In  other  words,  they  cannot  hear 
what  we  say  because  what  we  are  rings  so  loudly  in  their  ears.  They 
would  rather  see  a  sermon  any  day  than  hear  one.  Our  principles 
are  lofty,  but  our  indulgences  often  seem  to  belie  our  sincerity,  "for 
a  tree  is  judged  by  its  fruit."  For  example,  we  teach  total  abstinence 
from  the  use  of  narcotics,  and  Utah  is  rightly  regarded  as  a  "Mor- 
mon" state — a  state  wherein  our  people  are  in  the  majority.  Yet, 
reputably  reliable  statistics  show  that  Utah's  people  consume  as  much 
alcoholic  beverage  per  captita  as  is  consumed  on  an  average  per 
capita  in  the  United  States.  According  to  official  figures,  during  the 
fiscal  year  1946,  there  was  paid  in  Utah  for  liquor  and  tobacco,  two 
hundred  eighty  percent  more  than  was  paid  in  the  fiscal  year  1941. 

Yes,  frankness  compels  us  to  admit  that  the  sins  of  the  world 
exist  among  us  to  a  greater  or  less  extent.  For  this  reason,  responsible 
leaders  in  the  Church,  the  stakes,  and  the  wards  are  continually  call- 
ing our  people,  as  well  as  the  people  of  the  world,  to  real,  sincere 
repentance.  Repentance  from  what,  does  someone  ask?  The  answer 
is  obvious:  Turn  away  from  and  do  no  more  those  things  that  are 
out  of  harmony  with  the  teachings  of  the  Master,  Jesus  Christ.  These 
are  summarized  in  two  great  commandments — to 


ELDER  JOSEPH  F.  MERRILL 


69 


.  .  .  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul, 
and  with  all  thy  strength,  and  with  all  thy  mind;  and  thy  neighbor  as 
thyself.  (Luke  10:27.) 

Man  Given  Power  to  Choose  Good  or  Evil 

Why  love  God,  I  was  once  asked.  Because  he  is  our  Father 
who  loves  his  children  dearly  and  is  the  giver  of  every  good  we  have. 
It  is  his  work  and  his  glory  to  bring  to  pass  the  immortality  and  eternal 
life  of  man,  as  he  told  Moses.  Due  to  these  facts,  he  has  given  us  a 
way  of  life  to  follow,  which,  if  we  do,  will  bring  us  great  joy  both 
here  and  hereafter.  But  he  does  not  compel  us  to  pursue  the  way  in- 
dicated. He  has  given  us  our  free  agency  which  we  may  exercise 
without  severe  condemnation  only  so  long  as  we  do  not  infringe 
upon  the  rights  of  our  fellow  men,  and  I  repeat,  only  so  long  as  we 
do  not  infringe  upon  the  rights  of  others.  But  because  of  an  evil 
power  in  the  world  during  the  life  of  the  human  family,  many  of  the 
Father's  children  have  yielded  to  temptation  and  departed  more  or 
less  widely  from  the  ways  of  the  Lord.  In  consequence,  sin,  wick- 
edness, and  crime  have  developed  among  men,  resulting  in  misery 
and  suffering  in  various  degrees,  depending  upon  the  extent  of  the 
departure  from  the  divine  path.  The  Apostle  Paul's  description  of 
the  last  days  certainly  fits  these  times.  He  wrote: 

.  .  .  perilous  times  shall  come.  For  men  shall  be  lovers  of  their  own 
selves,  covetous,  boasters,  proud,  blasphemers,  disobedient  to  parents,  un- 
thankful, unholy,  .  .  .  incontinent,  fierce,  despisers  of  those  that  are  good, 
Traitors,  heady,  highminded,  lovers  of  pleasures  more  than  lovers  of  God. 
(II  Tim.  3:1-4.) 

These  deplorable  conditions  in  the  world  are  now  even  worse 
in  some  respects  than  Paul  described  them.  Because  of  man's  in- 
creasing power  to  control  the  forces  of  nature,  he  has  multiplied  the 
ways  of  injury  both  to  himself  and  to  his  fellow  men.  As  an  example, 
we  now  have  the  atomic  bomb. 

Peace  Can  Come  Through  Following  the  Golden  Rule 

Up  to  this  point,  I  have  spoken  only  in  general  terms  and  have 
said  nothing  new.  Let  me  now  specify  a  little.  The  world  at  the  mo- 
ment is  in  a  critical  and  very  unsettled  condition.  Notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  we  have  just  emerged  from  the  most  widespread  and 
destructive  war  the  world  has  ever  seen,  there  is  little  or  no  evidence 
that  men  have  repented  from  the  sins  that  brought  on  the  war.  The 
inhabitants  long  for  peace,  but  there  is  yet  no  peace,  because  selfish- 
ness and  greed  are  still  dominant,  and  too  many  people  are  deter- 
mined to  get  what  they  want,  using  to  this  end,  any  and  every  means 
within  their  power. 

Some  keen  and  wise  observers  in  this  country  have  recently  as- 
serted that  the  United  States  now  faces  the  most  critical  period  in 
its  history.  Various  groups  of  men  are  striving  to  agree  on  terms  of 


70  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  5  Second  Day 

peace,  but  success  has  not  yet  been  sighted.  The  spirit  of  the  Golden 
Rule  does  not  yet  dominate  the  hearts  and  minds  of  the  negotiators, 
and  so  another  war  may  be  imminent;  it  is  being  talked  of  in  hushed 
terms.  Apparently  it  can  be  avoided  only  if  certain  great  powers 
will  recede  from  positions  they  have  taken.  During  the  recent  war, 
ideals  were  set  up  and  efforts  to  implement  them  are  now  meeting 
with  determined  opposition,  just  as  was  the  case  following  World 
War  I.  This  country  fought  then,  as  it  did  in  the  recent  conflict, 
that  war  should  be  no  more. 

Why  can't  the  same  rules  govern  nations  as  govern  individuals? 
In  civilized  countries,  no  two  men  can  go  at  each  other  with  their 
fists  or  guns  without  subjecting  themselves  to  prosecution  in  a  court. 
Why  can't  a  similar  rule  apply  to  nations?  Why  is  it  legal  to  slay  in 
masses  and  not  in  singles?  Shall  we  not  continue  to  hope  and  pray 
that  efforts  to  outlaw  war  will  soon  succeed?  God  grant  that  this 
may  be  so,  and  that  we  shall  not  have  to  await  the  millennium  for 
this  great  boon! 

The  Repeal  of  Certain  Laws  Urged 

But  international  war  is  not  the  only  danger  we  face.  The  out- 
look internally  is  very  dark.  The  struggle  to  get  more  and  more  for 
less  and  less  seems  to  be  growing  in  intensity  and  is  spreading  to 
more  groups  and  individuals.  In  all  of  this,  the  idea  of  universal 
brotherhood  and  the  Golden  rule  seems  to  be  forgotten.  Furthermore, 
the  fundamental  principle  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  from 
England  giving  the  right  to  the  individual  of  life,  liberty,  and  the 
pursuit  of  happiness  is  currently  violated  in  the  case  of  millions  of 
people,  not  only  by  organizations,  but  in  certain  cases,  I  very  much 
regret  to  say,  apparently  by  the  federal  government  itself.  The  right 
to  labor  is  denied  except  through  membership  in  organizations,  ex- 
empt from  rules  and  regulations  that  govern  individuals  and  indus- 
trial organizations  engaged  in  business.  Equality  before  the  law 
does  not  exist  in  the  relationship  of  employers  and  labor  unions. 
Why  is  this  so?  One  reason  is  because  too>  many  politicians  are  so 
deeply  afflicted  with  the  itch  for  office  that  they  will  do  nothing  that 
is  opposed  by  officers  of  labor  unions.  These  organizations  could  be 
of  great  benefit  to  their  members  and  still  function  within  the  letter 
and  spirit  of  the  divinely  inspired  Constitution  as  it  was  made  by  the 
Fathers  of  our  Republic.  The  "closed-shop"  and  so-called  jurisdic- 
tional and  sympathetic  strikes  should  be  outlawed  at  once  by  the  fed- 
eral government  and  every  state  in  the  American  Union.  Shall 
America  be  as  the  founder-fathers  planned — the  land  of  the  free 
and  the  home  of  the  brave?  If  so,  the  repeal  of  some  laws  and  the 
making  of  better  ones  is  the  need  of  the  hour.  Who  can  deny  it? 

Labor  Strikes  in  America 


Let  us  glance  for  the  moment  at  some  recent  events.  Some 


ELDER  JOSEPH  F.  MERRILL 


71 


months  ago,  a  great  labor  strike  was  called  which  directly  involved 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  people  and  indirectly  the  entire  country. 
An  increase  of  thirty  percent  in  wages  was  demanded  in  order  that 
the  same  take-home  pay,  enjoyed  during  the  war  should  continue. 
But  it  was  requested  that  there  should  be  no>  increase  in  the  cost  of 
living — a  request  impossible  to  implement.  Those  making  these  de- 
mands seemed  to  have  forgotten  that  in  order  to  hasten  war  produc- 
tion, war  workers  were  given  their  wage  demands  and  were  thus 
placed  in  a  highly  favored  class  in  comparison  with  all  other  civilians 
who  received  no  wage  increases.  When  these  workers  returned  to 
civilian  production,  was  it  fair,  right,  and  just  to  continue  this  dis- 
crimination? Remember  that  these  discriminated-against  civilians 
greatly  outnumbered  the  war  workers.  But  even  so,  the  politicians 
know  that  the  majority  of  the  people  are  unorganized  and  that  labor 
unions  hold  the  balance  of  power  in  elections;  hence  their  subservience 
to  labor  unions. 

What  have  the  great  strikes  of  the  last  several  months  accom- 
plished? Among  other  things,  they  have  impoverished  many  of  the 
members  of  labor  unions  and  it  will  take  years  to  recover  all  the 
wages  lost  during  the  prolonged  strikes;  they  have  increased  the  cost 
of  living  for  everybody;  they  have  brought  labor  unions  into  dis- 
repute; they  have  delayed  the  production  of  much  needed  civilian 
goods;  they  have  brought  unrest,  suffering,  and  uncertainty  into  mil- 
lions of  homes,  and  have  thrown  great  multitudes  on  to  public  relief; 
they  have  brought  indecision  and  trouble  to  the  government,  both 
federal  and  state,  and  have  weakened  the  influence  of  America 
abroad.  The  method  of  the  strike  has  been  the  mass-picket  and  the 
closed  shop.  What  difference,  in  principle,  is  there  between  this 
method  of  holdup  and  that  of  a  gun?  In  both,  force  is  applied.  Then 
are  not  both  methods  forms  of  robbery?  And  is  not  robbery  intoler- 
able to  our  American  way  of  life?  Does  not  freedom  demand  that 
all  forms  of  robbery  shall  be  outlawed?  Shall  not  the  cries  of  a  suf- 
fering people  be  heard  and  relief  be  granted?  Do  we  not  need  states- 
men and  fewer  weak-kneed  politicians  in  public  office?  Shall  the 
selfish  interests  of  a  few  continue  to  prevail  over  the  interests  of  the 
many?  Are  not  the  interests  of  the  public  always  involved  in  strikes 
and  lockouts?  Hence,  does  it  not  appear  that  a  means  of  bringing 
peace  to  management  and  labor  is  an  imperative  need  of  the  hour, 
if  we  are  to  revert  to  the  way  of  life  given  us  by  the  founders  of  our 
Republic — a  way  that  made  our  country  great?  Various  means  to 
this  end  have  been  proposed  by  both  writers  and  speakers;  but  as 
I  see  it,  no  means  of  bringing  permanent  peace  can  succeed  unless 
they  are  characterized  by  the  spirit  of  the  Golden  Rule.  I  discussed 
this  phase  in  a  radio  address  given  last  November,  showing  that 
fairness,  right,  and  justice  must  be  the  basis  of  settlement  to  attain 
permanent  peace.  To  this  end  arbitration  courts  seem  necessary. 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Second  Day 


A  Warning  Against  Communism 


I  would  like  to  call  attention  to  what  appears  evident  to  me — ■ 
the  similarity  of  the  spirit  seen  in  some  phases  of  certain  labor  troubles 
with  that  of  communism  as  it  exists  in  some  parts  of  Europe.  I  again 
remind  you  that  I  am  speaking  to  Latter-day  Saint  people.  I  ask  your 
attention  while  I  read  a  circular  given  to  the  people  of  the  Church 
by  the  First  Presidency  ten  years  ago  and  published  in  The  Improve- 
ment Era  of  August  1936.  It  is  as  follows: 


With  great  regret  we  learn  from  credible  sources,  governmental  and 
others,  that  a  few  Church  members  are  joining,  directly  or  indirectly,  the 
communists  and  are  taking  part  in  their  activities. 

The  Church  does  not  interfere,  and  has  no  intention  of  trying  to  inter- 
fere, with  the  fullest  and  freest  exercise  of  the  political  franchise  of  its 
members,  under  and  within  our  Constitution  which  the  Lord  declared: 
"I  established  ...  by  the  hands  of  wise  men  whom  I  raised  up  unto  this 
very  purpose,"  (D.  &  C.  101:80)  and  which,  as  to  the  principles  thereof, 
the  Prophet  dedicating  the  Kirtland  Temple,  prayed  should  be  "established 
forever." 

But  communism  is  not  a  political  party  nor  a  political  plan  under  the 
Constitution;  it  is  a  system  of  government  that  is  the  opposite  of  our 
Constitutional  government,  and  it  would  be  necessary  to  destroy  our 
government  before  communism  could  be  set  up  in  the  United  States. 

Since  communism,  established,  would  destroy  our  American  Constitu- 
tional government,  to  support  communism  is  treasonable  to  our  free  institu- 
tions, and  no  patriotic  American  citizen  may  become  either  a  communist 
or  supporter  of  communism. 

To  our  Church  members  we  say:  Communism  is  not  the  United  Order, 
and  bears  only  the  most  superficial  resemblance  thereto;  communism  is 
based  upon  intolerance  and  force,  the  United  Order  upon  love  and  freedom 
of  conscience  and  action;  communism  involves  forceful  despoliation  and 
confiscation,  the  United  Order  voluntary  consecration  and  sacrifice. 

Communists  cannot  establish  the  United  Order,  nor  will  communism 
bring  it  about.  The  United  Order  will  be  established  by  the  Lord  in  his 
own  due  time  and  in  accordance  with  the  regular  prescribed  order  of 
the  Church. 

Furthermore,  it  is  charged  by  universal  report,  which  is  not  successfully 
contradicted  or  disproved,  that  communism  undertakes  to  control,  if  not 
indeed  to  proscribe  the  religious  life  of  the  people  living  within  its  jurisdic- 
tion, and  that  it  even  reaches  its  hand  into  the  sanctity  of  the  family 
circle  itself,  disrupting  the  normal  relationship  of  parent  and  child,  all  in 
a  manner  unknown  and  unsanctioned  under  the  Constitutional  guarantees 
under  which  we  in  America  live.  Such  interference  would  be  contrary 
to  the  fundamental  precepts  of  the  gospel  and  to  the  teachings  and  order  of 
the  Church. 

Communism  being  thus  hostile  to  loyal  American  citizenship  and  in- 
compatible with  true  Church  membership,  of  necessity  no  loyal  American 
citizen  and  no  faithful  Church  member  can  be  a  communist. 

We  call  upon  all  Chuch  members  completely  to  eschew  communism. 
The  safety  of  our  divinely  inspired  Constitutional  government  and  the 
welfare  of  our  Church  imperatively  demand  that  communism  shall  have 
no  place  in  America. 


Warning  to  Church  Members 


Heber  J.  Grant 

J.  Reuben  Clark,  Jr. 

David  O.  McKay 


ELDER  MARION  G.  ROMNEY  ♦  73 


I  have  read  this  letter  because  I  feel  the  need  for  it  is  more  evi- 
dent today  than  it  was  ten  years  ago.  The  spirit  of  communism  is 
unquestionably  wholly  foreign  to  the  spirit  of  true  Americanism.  As 
seen  in  the  country  where  it  has  long  been  dominant,  it  is  wholly 
atheistic;  it  denies  the  existence  of  God;  as  frequently  manifested,  it 
is  extremely  cruel  and  inhuman.  Confiscation  and  murder  have  been 
employed  to  reach  its  end.  It  should  be  impossible  to  get  any  Latter- 
day  Saint  to  give  the  least  degree  of  sympathy  to  communism  as  it 
is  manifested  in  Europe. 

Brethren  and  sisters,  there  is  but  one  safe  course  for  us — which 
is  to  be  steadfast,  loyal,  and  true  to  the  Church  and  its  leadership. 
May  the  Lord  help  us  to  be  so,  I  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ, 
our  Lord.  Amen. 

ELDER  MARION  G.  ROMNEY 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

My  brethren  and  sisters:  This  is  a  tremendous  experience  for 
me.  I  know  that  the  importance  of  this  occasion  is  far  above  person- 
alities, but  I  never  get  up  to  address  you  in  general  conference  but 
what  something  happens  to  my  voice,  and  my  spirit,  and  my  body. 

4 

Responsibility  of  Addressing  a  General  Conference 

I  know  the  gospel  is  true.  I  doubt  if  I  shall  know  it  better,  that 
is,  with  more  certainty,  when  I  stand  before  my  Maker  and  give  an 
account  of  the  deeds  done  in  the  flesh.  So  I  am  not  frightened  on 
that  account.  But  somehow  it  seems  that  the  enemy  of  all  righteous- 
ness keeps  suggesting  to  me,  "You  can't  do  it;  you  can't  address  this 
great  congregation  in  conference  assembled." 

I  suppose  the  reason  why  the  responsibility  seems  so  great  is 
that  I  accept,  without  any  reservation  whatever,  the  truth  that  this 
is  a  general  conference  of  the  citizens  of  the  literal  kingdom  of  God. 
I  know  that  the  Redeemer  is  here  in  spirit  today,  and  I  know  that 
the  men  through  whom  he  speaks  to  all  the  rest  of  his  brothers  and 
sisters  now  on  the  earth,  all  of  God's  children,  are  right  behind  me 
on  my  right.  I  know  that  if  the  Savior  should  come  to  earth  today, 
he  would  come  here.  I  know  that  you  know  that,  and  I  know  that 
you  have  come  here  to  get  spiritual  food  and  to  be  built  up  in  your 
faith. 

And  since  I  am  called  to  speak,  I  know  that  I  have  the  responsi- 
bility of  giving  a  message  worthy  of  this  occasion,  and  so  I  pray  that 
while  I  stand  here,  you  will  support  me  with  your  prayers.  I  want 
to  say  something  that  will  be  worth  your  while  and  that  will  help  to 
build  up  God's  kingdom  in  the  earth.  The  thing  I  have  had  in  mind 
to  say  has  been  referred  to  in  almost  every  sermon  given  in  this  great 
conference.  President  George  Albert  Smith  mentitoned  it.  He  said, 
speaking  of  world  conditions,  that  there  is  no  way  to  improve  them 


74    ♦  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  5  Second  Day 

other  than  by  obedience  to  the  plan  the  Lord  has  outlined.  Brother 
Widtsoe  talked  about  the  way  to  peace,  and  as  I  understood  him, 
he  said  there  is  no  way  to  peace  except  through  obedience  to  those 
principles  upon  which  peace  is  founded. 

The  Principle  of  Obedience 

I  want  to  say  a  word  about  the  principle  of  obedience,  and  I 
pray  that  the  Lord  will  bring  the  thoughts  to  my  mind  in  organized 
fashion.  We  who  are  here  have  great  hopes  for  peace  in  this  world 
and  exaltation  in  the  presence  of  God  in  the  world  to  come.  That 
is  our  objective.  We  hope  for  something  more  than  the  rest  of  the 
world  hopes  for  in  this  respect.  We  are  no  better  than  the  rest  of 
the  world,  let  me  say,  except  to  the  degree  to  which  we  accept  the 
commandments  of  the  Lord  and  obey  them.  But  we  have  great  hopes 
that  we  can  gain  an  exaltation  in  the  presence  of  our  Heavenly  Father. 

It  is  my  firm  conviction,  however,  that  the  only  saving  hope  we 
have  in  this  matter,  is  that  hope  which  is  based  upon  a  faith  strong 
enough  to  impel  obedience  to  the  things  which  we  know  are  right. 
I  don't  have  very  much  respect  for  a  man  who  testifies  that  he  has 
faith  in  the  principle  of  tithing,  unless  he  lives  it.  Neither  do  I  think 
his  faith  will  do  him  any  good  unless  he  does  pay  his  tithing.  And 
I  almost  have  contempt  for  the  men  who  say  they  have  faith  in  the 
leadership  of  this  Church,  who  do  not  follow  in  their  living  the  things 
which  the  leadership  of  the  Church  teach  them.  I  refer,  of  course,  to 
the  men  whom  we  sustain  as  prophets,  seers,  and  revelators. 

The  principle  of  obedience  to  the  laws  of  the  gospel  is  funda- 
mental. It  lies  at  the  base.  The  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  learned  it 
very  early  in  his  ministry.  He  learned  it  when  he  went  that  first 
morning,  after  the  visits  of  Moroni,  to  the  Hill  Cumorah.  He  had 
gone  there  under  the  direction  of  the  angel,  who  had  told  him  that 
he  should  have  no  thought  in  mind  other  than  to  bring  to  pass  the 
righteousness  of  God  and  the  accomplishment  of  his  purposes  in  the 
earth.  Joseph's  family  was  very  poor,  and  as  he  walked  toward  the 
hill,  he  thought  about  the  intrinsic  value  of  the  things  that  the  angel 
had  told  him  were  buried  there.  He  wondered  if  the  plates,  or  some- 
thing else  to  be  found  with  them,  could  not  be  used  to  relieve  the 
poverty  of  his  parents  and  their  family.  When  he  uncovered  the 
box  and  saw  the  gold  plates,  he  reached  to  take  them  out  and  re- 
ceived a  shock  that  set  him  back.  He  reached  again  and  received  a 
more  severe  shock.  Then  the  third  time,  thinking  all  he  needed  was 
physical  strength,  he  reached  with  all  his  might  to  take  the  plates 
and  received  still  another  shock  which  sapped  his  strength,  and  he 
cried  out,  "Why  can  I  not  obtain  this  book?"  And  unexpectedly  to 
him,  the  angel  said,  "Because  you  have  not  kept  the  commandments 
of  the  Lord."  And  then  Joseph  received  a  great  manifestation  that 
I  have  not  time  here  to  tell  you  about,  but  it  kept  him  reminded  all 
the  days  of  his  life  that  he  had  to  obey  in  order  to  receive  the  prom- 


ELDER  MARION  G.  ROMNEY 


75 


ised  blessings.  The  angel  told  him  that  he  could  not  get  the  plates 
then,  and  that  he  would  not  be  able  to  get  them  until  he  was  not  only 
willing  to  obey  the  laws  of  God  but  also  was  able  to  do  so. 

Obedience  Brings  Blessings 

That  is  a  great  lesson  we  all  must  learn.  The  Prophet,  later, 
through  the  inspiration  of  the  Lord,  stated  the  principle  thus: 

There  is  a  law,  irrevocably  decreed  in  heaven  before  the  foundations 
of  this  world,  upon  which  all  blessings  are  predicated — And  when  we  ob- 
tain any  blessing  from  God,  it  is  by  obedience  to  that  law  upon  which 
it  is  predicated.  (D.  &  C.  130:20,  21.) 

Our  obedience,  brothers  and  sisters,  must  be  self-impelled.  We 
should  not  render  obedience  because  we  are  forced  to  do  it,  or  be- 
cause the  bishop  is  looking,  or  because  the  General  Authorities  are 
present.  We  must  render  obedience  because  we  love  rightousness 
and  have  a  testimony  of  the  truth  in  our  hearts,  and  because  we  want 
to  go  back  to  our  Father  in  heaven  and  help  take  all  his  children 
with  us. 

Furthermore,  we  ought  to  obey  his  commandments  as  they  are 
given.  We  ought  not  to  twist  and  turn  and  bend  them  to  our  will; 
we  ought  to  obey  them  as  they  come  from  the  mouths  of  these  men 
who  sit  here  on  this  stand,  because  they  speak  for  God.  If  we  do 
not,  our  faith  is  vain. 

Saul  and  the  Amalekites 

Now,  I  want  to  take  an  example  from  the  Old  Testament  scrip- 
ture to  illustrate  what  I  have  in  mind  and  to  help  drive  this  principle 
home.  There  was  a  very  wicked  clan  of  people,  a  nation,  who  lived 
in  the  days  of  Saul,  known  as  the  Amalekites.  They  had  been  wicked 
for  a  long  time.  Even  back  in  the  days  of  Father  Abraham,  they  had 
persecuted  the  people  of  God,  and  he  had  said,  through  his  prophets, 
on  numerous  occasions,  that  when  they  became  ripened  in  iniquity, 
they  should  be  destroyed. 

That  time  came  in  the  days  of  Saul.  Through  the  Prophet  Sam- 
uel, the  Lord  told  Saul  to  go  and  destroy  the  Amalekites,  every  one 
of  them  and  all  their  livestock.  Saul  went  with  his  army  and  de- 
stroyed all  the  people  except  their  king,  Agag,  whom  he  spared  in 
violation  of  the  commandment  of  the  Lord.  He  likewise  destroyed 
all  the  ordinary  livestock,  but  when  he  came  to  the  choice  sheep, 
and  the  cattle,  and  the  failings,  and  the  lambs,  the  pressure  of  the 
people,  who  desired  to  possess  them,  was  so  great  on  Saul  that  he 
yielded  and  took  them  with  him  as  he  returned. 

The  Lord  told  Samuel  what  had  happened,  and  Samuel  went 
out  to  meet  Saul,  who  greated  him  with  the  salutation: 

.  .  .  Blessed  be  thou  of  the  Lord:  I  have  performed  the  commandment 
of  the  Lord.  And  Samuel  said,  What  meaneth  then  this  bleating  of  the 


76  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday.  October  5  Second  Day 

sheep  in  mine  ears,  and  the  lowing  of  the  oxen  which  I  hear?  (I  Sam.  15: 
13,  14.) 

Then  Saul  began  to  justify  himself.  He  argued  that  his  partial  per- 
formance was  a  complete  performance,  and  that  he  had  done  what 
the  Lord  had  asked  him  to  do.  Samuel  called  to  his  attention  that 
when  he  was  humble,  "When  thou  wast  little  in  thine  own  sight," 
he  said,  the  Lord  took  you  out  of  obscurity,  and  raised  you  up,  and 
magnified  you,  and  made  you  king  over  Israel,  and  now  you  have 
chosen  to  disobey  the  commandment  of  the  Lord.  ( See  I  Samuel 
15:17-19.)  Saul  hit  on  the  best  excuse  he  could  find  when  he  said 
that  they  had  brought  the  cattle  and  sheep  and  lambs  and  fallings 
back  to  offer  as  sacrifices  unto  the  Lord.  He  thus  claimed  to  be  re- 
lying on  the  commandment  to  offer  sacrifices. 

And  Samuel  said,  Hath  the  Lord  as  great  delight  in  burnt  offerings 
and  sacrifices,  as  in  obeying  the  voice  of  the  Lord?  Behold,  to  obey  is 
better  than  sacrifice,  and  to  hearken  than  the  fat  of  rams.  For  rebellion  is 
as  the  sin  of  witchcraft,  and  stubbornness  is  as  iniquity  and  idolatry.  Be- 
cause thou  hast  rejected  the  word  of  the  Lord,  he  hath  also  rejected  thee 
from  being  king.  (I  Sam.  15:22,  23.) 

That  brought  something  home  to  Saul.  He  was  being  told  by 
the  prophet  who  had  anointed  him  king,  that  he  had  been  rejected 
because  he  had  not  obeyed  the  Lord.  He  then  showed  some  regrets. 
But  he  did  not  exhibit  that  godly  sorrow  which  worketh  repentance, 
but  rather  the  sorrow  of  the  world  which  worketh  death.  He  asked 
Samuel  to  pray  with  him  that  he  might  again  prevail  with  the  Lord. 
Samuel  said  he  could  not  do  that,  but  at  Saul's  persistent  urging  he 
did  so  without  success,  for  the  Lord  did  not  again  accept  Saul.  You 
know  the  sequel.  Saul  lost  his  kingdom,  and  David  was  chosen  to 
take  his  place. 

Full  Obedience  Required 

Now,  there  are  a  number  of  things  in  this  incident  which  can 
be  applied  in  our  lives  today.  First,  Saul  received  his  directions 
through  the  prophet  living  in  his  day.  We  come  to  conference  to 
receive  directions  from  the  living  prophets  in  our  day.  Second,  Saul 
used  his  own  judgment  as  to  whether  he  would  perform  the  com- 
mandment given  to  him,  and  decided  that  he  would  not  do  it  exactly 
as  he  was  commanded.  And  third,  when  he  was  called  to  account, 
he  prevaricated  about  it.  He  said,  "I  have  done  it." 

There  is  another  very  interesting  thing  about  this  incident. 
When  Samuel  confronted  Saul  with  what  he  had  done,  Saul  said, 
"Because  I  feared  the  people,  ...  [I]  obeyed  their  voice."  That  re- 
minded me  of  the  statement  of  the  Lord  in  the  third  section  of  the 
Doctrine  and  Covenants,  where  he  told  the  Prophet  Joseph  that  he 
should  not  have  yielded  to'  the  persuasions  of  men.  This  revelation 
was  given,  you  will  remember,  after  Martin  Harris  had  lost  the  one 
hundred  and  sixteen  manuscript  pages  of  the  Book  of  Mormon 


ELDER  MARION  G.  ROMNEY 


77 


translation.  With  Saul,  it  was  the  fear  of  the  people,  and  with  the 
Prophet  it  was  the  persuasions  of  men.  The  Prophet  learned  never 
to  yield  again. 

That  is  where  our  temptations  come  from,  my  brothers  and 
sisters.  The  people  around  us  do  not  believe  what  the  prophets  say, 
and  we  yield  to  their  arguments.  I  know,  of  course,  that  there  is 
great  faith  in  Israel,  and  I  suppose  you  do  not  need  this  talk,  but 
there  are  many  people  who  do  need  it. 

The  other  day  I  was  at  a  conference  not  far  from  here,  and  a 
man  stood  up  to  talk,  a  humble  middle-aged  man  who  had  a  house 
full  of  children  to  rear  with  only  a  limited  amount  of  means  with 
which  to  do  it.  He  said,  "I  want  to  tell  you  about  a  letter  I  received 
from  my  mother."  And  this  is  about  what  she  had  written  in  that 
letter:  "My  son,  for  many  years  I  have  been  looking  forward  to 
the  time  when  I  would  reach  my  present  age,  in  order  that  I  might 
receive  an  old  age  pension  so  that  I  would  not  need  to  call  upon  you 
for  support  out  of  your  limited  income.  And  now,  just  as  I  reach  it, 
the  Church  says,  don't  take  it.  I  don't  know  that  I  understand  all 
the  reasons  why  the  Church  says  don't  take  it,  but  I  do  know  that 
the  Church  has  always  been  right.  Therefore,  please  continue  to 
remit  each  month."  And  the  man  said,  "I  am  glad  to  remit." 

Adam's  Implicit  Obedience 

I  liked  that.  I  like  that  spirit  and  that  action.  It  reminded  me  of 
the  obedience  evidenced  by  our  great  progenitor  Adam,  the  first  man. 
He  was  commanded  by  the  Lord,  you  remember,  after  he  and  Eve 
had  left  the  Garden,  that  they  were  to  build  an  altar  and  offer  sacri- 
fice, and  he  did  it.  He  built  an  altar  and  offered  sacrifices,  and  after 
many  days  an  angel  of  the  Lord  stood  by  Adam  and  said, 

.  .  .  Why  dost  thou  offer  sacrifice  unto  the  Lord?  And  Adam  said 
unto  him:  I  know  not,  save  the  Lord  commanded  me.  (Pearl  of  Great 
Price,  Moses  5:6.) 

What  a  lesson!  Here  was  a  man,  a  great  man.  In  our  under- 
standing, he  stands  next  to  the  Redeemer  of  the  world.  He  built 
an  altar  and  killed  the  offering  and  offered  it  on  the  altar  without 
knowing  why  he  did  it.  How  men  have  changed!  Had  Adam  been 
a  modern,  he  would  not  have  offered  that  sacrifice  until  someone 
had  presented  to  him  a  human  argument  which  to  his  mind  justified 
sacrificing  the  animal  rather  than  putting  it  in  his  cold-storage  locker. 

But,  thank  goodness,  Adam  was  not  a  modern.  He  had  faith, 
a  faith  which  impelled  him  to  obey  the  commandment  of  the  Lord, 
and  after  he  had  obeyed  he  learned  why  the  commandment  was  given. 
The  angel  told  him  that  the  sacrifice  was  in  the  similitude  of  the 
sacrifice  of  the  Only  Begotten  of  the  Father,  and  he  taught  him  the 
principles  of  the  gospel,  which  Adam  accepted  and  obeyed,  thereby 
receiving  all  the  blessings  thereof  which  he  never  could  have  re- 
ceived without  that  obedience. 


78  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  5  Second'  Day 

As  Adam  had  to  obey,  so  must  we.  God  help  us  to  listen  to 
his  living  propets  and  get  their  messages  and  obey  them  as  they  are 
given,  that  we  may  gain  the  great  rewards  which  the  Lord  holds 
out  to  us,  I  humbly  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

President  J.  Reuben  Clark,  Jr.* 

We  shall  now  hear  from  Elder  Joseph  Anderson,  the  Clerk  of 
the  Conference,  one  of  the  most  loyal,  devoted  servants  who  work 
in  the  cause  of  the  Lord. 


ELDER  JOSEPH  ANDERSON 

Clerk  of  the  Conference  and  Secretary  to  the  First  Presidency 

My  brethren  and  sisters,  this  is  truly  a  great  honor;  it  is  also 
a  great  shock.  I  have  sat  here  in  these  conferences  for  now  many 
years,  in  fact  I  think  this  is  the  fiftieth  conference  that  I  have  helped 
to  report.  Many  wonderful  messages  have  been  given  to  the  people 
during  that  time.  I  have  been  inspired  by  them  as  you  good  brethren 
and  sisters  have  been.  However,  this  morning,  I  cannot  think  of  a 
single  word  of  any  of  those  messages  that  I  heard.  I  do  feel  sure 
that  the  spirit  of  the  messages  has  continued  with  me| 

It  is  a  great  privilege  to  serve  in  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints.  It  is  a  wonderful  blessing  to  have  a  testimony 
that  this  is  the  true  Gospel  of  Christ.  It  is  marvelous  to  me,  when 
I  look  back  over  the  history  of  the  Church,  to  realize  the  great  prog- 
ress and  accomplishments  that  have  been  made.  This  Church  which 
was  started  a  hundred  and  sixteen  years  ago,  with  only  six  members 
of  an  average  age  of  perhaps  twenty-four  years,  just  young  men, 
today  has  nearly  a  million  members  on  the  rolls.  During  that  time  the 
Lord  has  inspired  the  leadership  of  the  Church.  The  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith  gave  to  us  the  foundation  of  this  Church,  the  fundamental 
doctrines,  none  of  which  we  have  had  to  change.  While  he,  himself, 
was  not  an  educated  man  in  the  sense  that  the  world  looks  upon 
education,  yet  he  drew  to  himself,  to  his  aid,  men  of  great  education, 
men  of  great  ability  and  men  who  had  faith  in  his  leadership. 

Brigham  Young,  who  succeeded  him,  was  raised  up  by  the  Lord 
to  perform  the  great  work  that  he  performed.  He  was  truly  a  man  of 
God.  There  were  those  who  were  willing  to  follow  the  Prophet 
Joseph  who  were  not  willing  to  follow  Brigham  Young.  One  man 
said  of  the  Prophet  Joseph,  "I  could  follow  that  man  to  the  ends  of 
the  world,  but  I  cannot  follow  Brigham  Young."  He  and  some  others 
led  away  groups  from  the  Church,  expecting  to  establish  other 
churches,  but  they  failed.  The  true  and  faifthful  and  devoted  mem- 
bers of  the  Church  followed  Brigham  Young  into  these  valleys  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains.  They  were  willing  to  lay  down  their  lives 
for  the  Gospel  and  for  the  testimony  that  they  had,  for  they  knew  that 
God  had  again  spoken  from  the  heavens.   Many  of  them  did  lay 


ELDER  JOSEPH  ANDERSON 


79 


down  their  lives  as  they  crossed  the  Plains.  These  men,  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith,  Brigham  Young,  and  their  successors,  have  been  truly 
men  of  God,  and  they  have  accomplished  the  work  that  the  Lord 
required  at  their  hands. 

It  has  been  my  good  fortune  to  have  the  privilege  of  becoming 
well  acquainted,  intimately  acquainted,  with  the  leaders  of  this 
Church  in  our  day,  and  I  am  very  grateful  for  that  opportunity.  I 
can  say  to  you,  of  them,  as  I  have  said  of  their  predecessors,  that  they 
are  truly  men  of  God.  When  I  first  came  into  the  office  of  the  First 
Presidency,  President  Heber  J.  Grant  was  the  President,  and  Charles 
W.  Penrose  and  Anthony  W.  Ivins  were  the  Counselors.  It  was 
a  glorious  privilege  to  be  with  those  men,  to  hear  their  counsels  and 
advice.  Since  that  time  they  have  passed  away  and  others  have  come. 

With  President  Grant,  I  have  travelled  from  one  end  of  this 
country  to  the  other  many,  many  times,  and  in  Europe,  in  Canada, 
and  in  the  Hawaiian  Islands  and  other  places.  I  think  I  knew  Presi- 
dent Grant  as  well  as  any  man  knew  him.  I  have  heard  his  testi- 
monies borne  in  this  tabernacle  many  times.  I  have  heard  his  testi- 
mony borne  in  Europe,  and  in  all  these  places  I  have  mentioned. 
I  have  even  heard  him  bear  testimony  to  me  alone,  and  I  think  that  one 
of  the  things  that  will  stand  out  in  my  memory  regarding  President 
Grant,  as  much  as  anything  else,  is  the  strong,  vigorous  testimony 
that  he  bore.  He  knew  that  the  Gospel  is  true,  and  what  I  say  of 
President  Grant  I  can  say  of  President  Smith.  President  Smith  is 
one  of  the  most  kindly,  generous,  lovable  men  that  I  have  ever 
known.  In  fact,  I  do  not  see  how  one  could  be  greater  in  those  respects. 

President  Smith  recently  visited  the  Mexican  Mission,  and  I 
had  the  opportunity  of  going  there  with  him.  I  think  he  accomplished 
a  wonderful  work  in  meeting  with  the  Saints  in  that  mission.  He 
impressed  those  who  had  drifted  away  from  the  Church,  with  the 
truth  of  the  Gospel,  and  I  am  sure  that  a  marvelous  work  was  ac- 
complished by  him  at  that  time.  These  men  who  are  associated 
with  him,  his  Counselors,  the  brethren  of  the  Twelve  and  the  other 
Authorities,  I  bear  testimony  to  you  are  truly  servants  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  Their  only  desire  is  the  welfare  and  blessing  of  this 
people,  and  the  progress  of  the  Church  of  God  upon  the  earth. 

For  me,  it  is  difficult  to  understand  how  anyone  who  claims 
to  be  a  member  of  the  Church,  especially  one  who  holds  the  Priest- 
hood of  God,  can  question  the  counsel  and  inspiration  that  come  from 
these  men.  As  I  say,  I  have  been  with  them  now  over  quite  a  period 
of  time;  I  have  heard  their  counsel,  their  advice,  their  instruction  to 
the  people;  I  have  recognized  the  inspiration  of  the  Lord  to  them. 
I  have  yet  the  first  occasion  to  know  of  when  they  have  been  wrong, 
when  they  have  deliberated  upon  a  matter  and  then  given  instruc- 
tion or  counsel  to  this  people.  I  know  that  the  Lord  is  with  them 
and  I  am  grateful  for  the  privilege  of  serving  them. 

Brethren  and  sisters,  we  have  in  the  Church  inspired  leader- 
ship, the  servants  of  the  living  God.  My  humble  pleading  to  you 


80  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  5  Second  Day 

today  is,  that  you  will  listen  to  their  counsels,  and  that  you  will  fol- 
low their  advice.  I  doubt  that  they  would  have  called  on  me  to 
speak  today  had  they  known  that  I  would  speak  along  the  line  that 
I  have  spoken.  I  feel,  however,  that  I  should  be  remiss  in  my  duty 
if  I  did  not  mention  these  things.  The  Lord  bless  us  and  help  us  to 
carry  on  the  great  work  in  which  we  are  engaged,  help  us  to  sus- 
tain these  brethren  who  stand  at  the  head  of  the  Church,  not  only 
by  our  uplifted  hand  but  by  our  every  act,  I  humbly  pray,  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

President  J.  Reuben  Clark,  Jr.; 

The  Richfield  Combined  Choruses  will  now  sing,  "O  Death, 
Where  is  Thy  Sting?" 

The  closing  prayer  will  be  offered  by  President  Elton  L.  Taylor 
of  the  Carbon  Stake,  after  which  this  Conference  will  stand  ad- 
journed until  2:00  this  afternoon. 

The  proceedings  of  the  afternoon  session  will  be  broadcast  over 
KSL  at  Salt  Lake  City  and  KSUB  at  Cedar  City. 

The  Richfield  Combined  Choruses  sang,  "O  Lord,  Have  Mercy," 
after  which  the  closing  prayer  was  offered  by  Elder  Elton  L.  Taylor, 
President  of  Carbon  Stake. 

Conference  adjourned  until  2  o'clock  p.m. 

SECOND  DAY 

AFTERNOON  MEETING 
-» 

Conference  reconvened  at  2  o'clock  Saturday  afternoon,  October 

5th. 

President  George  Albert  Smith: 

The  time  has  arrived  for  the  beginning  of  our  meeting  this  after- 
noon. The  house  is  filled  to  overflowing  and  people  standing  in  the 
gallery  and  in  the  doorways  in  the  lower  part  of  the  house.  I  would 
like  to  suggest,  brethren  and  sisters,  that  those  of  you  who  can 
squeeze  up  just  one  inch  on  a  bench  will  give  quite  a  number  of 
people  an  opportunity  to  be  seated.  The  Assembly  Hall  is  open 
and  is  also  warmed,  and  the  radio  is  working  over  there. 

President  David  O.  McKay  will  conduct  the  services  this  after- 
noon. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

This  is  the  fourth  session  of  the  1 1 7th  Semi- Annual  Confer- 
ence of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  We  are 
convened  in  the  Tabernacle  on  Temple  Square,  Salt  Lake  City. 


ELDER  RICHARD  L.  EVANS 


81 


There  are  on  the  stand  this  afternoon  all  the  General  Authori- 
ties of  the  Church,  except  Elder  Stephen  L  Richards  of  the  Council 
of  the  Twelve,  who  is  detained  at  home  by  his  doctor's  orders;  Elder 
Ezra  Taft  Besnon,  also  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve,  who  is  in 
Europe  in  charge  of  the  European  Mission;  and  the  Patriarch  to  the 
Church,  also  absent  on  account  of  illness. 

The  proceedings  of  this  session  will  be  broadcast  over  KSL  of 
Salt  Lake  City. 

We  will  begin  the  afternoon  services  by  the  Richfield  Combined 
Choruses  singing:  "Sun  of  My  Soul."  Elder  Arden  Peterson  is  the 
director.  Elder  Frank  W.  Asper  is  the  organist. 

The  opening  prayer  will  be  offered  by  President  Henry  H. 
Rawlings  of  the  Franklin  Stake. 

The  Richfield  Combined  Choruses  sang:  "Sun  of  My  Soul." 
President  Henry  H.  Rawlings  of  the  Franklin  Stake  offered  the 
opening  prayer. 

The  Richfield  Combined  Choruses  sang:  "O  Lord  Have 
Mercy." 

ELDER  RICHARD  L.  EVANS 

Of  the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy 

First  of  all  I  should  like  to  express  my  deep  appreciation  for  my 
membership  in  this  Church,  and  for  my  fellowship  with  you,  my 
brethren  and  sisters. 

A  Tribute  to  John  H.  Taylor 

I  should  like  to  say,  too,  with  what  acute  feelings  I  miss  at 
this  conference,  the  presence  of  my  beloved  associate,  Brother  John 
H.  Taylor.  We  cannot  be  so  closely  or  so  long  associated  with  such 
men,  sitting  in  council  in  a  common  cause,  with  understanding  and 
brotherly  kindness,  without  feeling  that  someone  as  near  as  our  own 
kin  has  gone  from  us.  He  was  a  gentleman  and  a  servant  of  God, 
in  every  noble  meaning  of  these  two  terms. 

Questions  to  be  Asked  of  Ourselves 

My  thoughts  have  been  directed  by  the  remarks  of  several  of 
my  brethren,  into  channels  somewhat  different  from  those  which  I 
at  first  anticipated  following,  and  I  earnestly  hope  that  I  may  bei 
given  utterance  in  talking  my  way  through  some  of  the  things  that 
have  come  to  me  during  these  last  three  sessions. 

I  recall  a  sentence  from  a  magazine  editorial  of  not  so  long  ago, 
in  which  the  writer  asked  the  question,  after  addressing  himself  to 
the  world  in  general  and  to  the  men  and  women  of  America  in  par- 
ticular: "Are  there  any  principles  for  which  you  would  stand  un- 
flinchingly?"  Before  asking  this  clinching  question,  he  invited  at- 


82  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  5  Second  Dag 

tention  to  the  many  acts  of  expediency  and  of  compromise,  and  to 
the  many  motives  which  have  prompted  many  actions  and  many 
decisions  on  the  national  and  international  scene.  "Are  there  any 
principles  for  which  we  would  stand  unflinchingly?"  This  suggests 
a  series  of  questions  which  we  might  well  ask  ourselves: 

Is  there  any  principle  for  which  we  would  give  up  our  comfort, 
our  convenience? 

Is  there  any  principle  for  which  we  would  give  up  some  of  our 
appetites  and  habits? 

Is  there  any  principle  for  which  we  would  give  up  popularity? 

Is  there  any  principle  for  which  we  would  give  up  our  time,  or 
our  property? 

Is  there  any  principle  for  which  we  would  give  up  being  elected 
to  public  office? 

Is  there  any  principle  for  which  we  would  give  up  life  itself? 

Fortunately  generations  of  patriotic  Americans  and  generations 
of  members  of  this  Church  have  answered  these  questions  affirma- 
tively many  times  over,  and  would  again,  I  have  no  doubt.  But  so 
rapid  have  been  the  changes  of  the  years  in  which  we  live,  and  so 
confusing  have  they  been  at  times,  that  I  am  sure  principles  have 
been  confused  with  some  other  things.  And  I  am  afraid  we  have 
sometimes  let  ourselves  be  over-impressed  by  the  appeal  of  the  word 
"change,"  without  discriminating  as  between  good  changes  and  bad 
changes.  We  have  sometimes  let  "change"  come  to  be  synonymous 
with  "progress,"  which  it  is  not.  It  may  be,  but  is  not  necessarily. 

Change  Not  Always  Progress 

As  parents  and  as  advisers  of  youth,  we  often  feel  our  young 
people  strain  at  the  reins  that  wisely  hold  them  back  in  some  things, 
and  one  of  the  perennial  remarks  with  which  we  are  confronted,  one 
which  is  supposed  to  be  an  unanswerable  dictum,  is  the  reminder  that 
"times  have  changed." 

Well,  there  is  no  argument  about  it,  rimes  have  changed,  but 
there  are  a  good  many  things  which  have  not  changed,  and  it  is  our 
responsibility  to  distinguish  between  what  may  change  without  loss, 
and  what  may  change  in  the  name  of  progress — what  changes  are 
not  good  and  do'  not  constitute  progress,  but  rather  retrogression. 
Times  may  have  changed,  but  human  nature  has  not.  Times  may 
have  changed,  but  the  commandments  of  God  have  not,  and  neither 
have  the  consequences  of  disregarding  them. 

Safety  in  Strong  Foundation 

I  recall  having  read  some  time  ago  an  item,  to  me  astounding 
and  almost  unbelievable,  from  an  engineer's  report  as  to  the  physical 
characteristics  of  the  Empire  State  Building — an  item  to  the  effect 
that  in  a  wind  of  high  velocity,  into  the  upper  reaches  of  that  struc- 
ture— perhaps  in  the  topmost  tower — there  has  been  built  such  flexi- 


ELDER  RICHARD  L.  EVANS 


83 


bility  that  it  will  sway  in  an  arc  as  much  as  eight  inches.  As  I  recall, 
it  would  require  about  an  eighty-mile  wind  to  sway  it  to  that  extent, 
and  it  would  move  about  six  and  a  quarter  inches  downwind  and  back 
to  about  an  inch  and  three  quarters  upwind — an  almost  unbelievable 
fact  in  a  great  and  massive  structure  SO'  seemingly  solid.  And  up 
there  it  doesn't  matter.  It  was  built  to  take  it.  But  I  have  often 
thought,  and  have  sometimes  given  utterance  to  the  thought,  what 
would  happen  to  the  Empire  State  Building  if  some  earth  movement 
or  some  super  force  of  some  kind  should  shift  its  foundations  eight 
inches.  It  would  be  but  the  prelude  to  destruction. 

Our  lives  are  lived,  if  we  are  to  follow  the  path  of  safety  and 
if  we  are  to  realize  those  things  of  which  we  are  capable,  on  the  found- 
ational structure  of  the  principles  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  and 
by  this  test  and  standard  all  things  must  be  proved.  Now,  up  in 
the  upper  reaches,  up  in  the  superficial  structure  of  our  lives,  there 
are  many  changes  that  can  occur  without  any  hazard  whatsoever. 
It  really  doesn't  matter  whether  we  wear  double-breasted  or  single- 
breasted  suits,  or  whether  ladies'  shoes  have  holes  in  the  toes  when 
they  buy  them  or  after  they  wear  them  for  awhile.  These  are  the  su- 
perficial changes  which  can  sway  in  the  wind  without  any  damage  to 
the  structure.  But  any  change  which  would  shift  the  basic  principles 
of  our  lives,  must  be  resisted  with  every  legitimate  means  of  resist- 
ance. And  it  is  up  to  us  to  teach  our  youth  these  basic  principles, 
so  that  they  will  be  able  to  discriminate  and  judge  for  themselves  as 
to  what  changes  are  good,  as  to  what  changes  conform  to  the  stand- 
ards of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  and  are  qn  the  road  toward  eternal 
progress  and  what  changes  are  actually  retrogressive.  Those  who 
would  advocate  taking  men  back  to  days  of  serfdom  and  regimenta- 
tion, to  days  before  they  had  won  their  freedom,  and  the  rights  of 
free  men,  are  the  real  reactionaries  of  the  world,  and  they  must 
be  known  for  what  they  are. 

The  Unchangeableness  of  Truth 

I  am  grateful  that  I  belong  to  a  Church  which  will  accept  all 
the  change  of  progress  and  which  is  committed  to  the  principle  of 
eternal  progress.  I  am  grateful  that  I  belong  to  a  Church  which  will 
accept  all  truth,  no  matter  who  discovers  it,  or  where,  or  when.  And 
I  am  also  grateful  for  my  membership  in  a  Church  which  has  within 
it  the  basic  principles  whereby  we  may  judge  the  desirability  or  the 
undesirability,  the  truth  or  the  falsity,  of  the  changes,  the  theories, 
and  all  of  the  other  passing  things  that  come  and  go.  Change  may 
be  progress  or  it  may  be  disintegration.  It  isn't  a  word  to  be  accepted 
without  question,  and  it  is  not  synonymous  with  either  of  these  other 
two  terms.  May  we  help  our  young  people  to  weigh,  and  may  we 
ourselves  weigh  all  things  by  these  standards. 

A  number  of  references  have  been  made  in  this  conference, 
either  by  direct  word  or  implication,  to  those  who  would  change  the 


84  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  5  Second  Day 

principles  of  government  under  which  we  live.  As  I  see  them,  roughly 
they  divide  themselves  into  at  least  three  groups.  There  are  those 
who  have  chronic  "changeitis."  Perhaps  they  were  born  with  it.  It 
does  not  matter  what  it  is,  they're  "agin"  it.  They  are  for  changing 
whatever  is;  and  if  we  should  change  to  meet  their  present  views, 
they  would  have  some  other  views  tomorrow.  There  is  another  group 
who  are  sincerely  deceived,  comparatively  few  in  number,  I  would 
think,  and  there  is  a  third  group,  who  have  their  own  motives,  and 
who  would  use  freedom  to  destroy  freedom.  And  as  they  advocate 
the  regimentation  of  men  and  the  loss  of  liberties,  they  see  them- 
selves as  the  leaders  of  new  movements,  and  not  as  the  regimented. 
In  their  thinking,  they  are  leading  the  parade;  they  are  not  in  the 
rank  and  file.  But  seemingly  they  have  very  little  to  lose  in  a  free 
country,  because  if  they  fail,  they  will  claim  the  prerogatives  and 
protection  of  free  men,  and  will  not  expect  to  be  punished  in  any  man- 
ner. But  if  they  win,  they  shall  gain  power,  so  they  think  or  sup- 
pose, over  other  men's  lives  and  properties  and  all  that  pertains  to 
them. 

Basic  Principles 

But  the  basic  structure  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  ac- 
cepts all  progress,  and  which  accepts  all  truth  is  still  founded  on  two 
cardinal  principles,  among  others:  the  free  agency  of  men,  and  the 
eternal  permanence  of  the  individual;  and  anything  which  is  con- 
trary to  the  operation  or  the  belief  or  the  free  exercise  of  these  two 
basic  principles  is  change  for  the  worse  and  not  for  the  better. 

May  our  lives  be  flexible  enough  to  adjust  ourselves  to  the 
changes  of  our  time  which  are  necessary  or  which  are  not  destructive 
of  basic  principles;  but  may  we  be  solid  enough  in  our  convictions, 
in  our  beliefs,  and  in  our  defense  of  them,  to  withstand  all  attempt 
to  shift  the  foundations  and  bring  the  destruction  that  inevitably 
would  follow. 

Times  have  changed,  but  many  things  have  not.  May  God  help 
us  to  discriminate,  and  help  us  to  help  our  youth  to  do  likewise,  that 
we  may  accept  all  progress  and  resist  all  disintegration  and  reversion 
to  things  from  which  we  have  emerged  and  which  were  bought  at 
great  cost,  I  ask  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

PRESIDENT  J.  REUBEN  CLARK,  JR. 

First  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency 

My  brothers  and  sisters:  In  humility  I  ask  for  your  help  that 
what  I  may  say  today  may  be  in  that  same  sweet  spirit  which  has 
been  with  us  during  this  conference  until  the  present  time. 

As  the  Savior  and  the  apostles  were  on  the  shores  of  the  Sea 
of  Galilee  on  that  early  morning,  Jesus  asked  Peter: 


PRESIDENT  J.  REUBEN  CLARK,  JR.  85 


. . .  lovest  thou  me  more  than  these?  .  .  .  Yea,  Lord;  thou  knowest  that 
I  love  thee.  .  .  .  Feed  my  sheep.  (John  21:15,  16.) 

And  the  only  excuse  and  likewise  the  only  reason  that  any  of  us  have 
for  standing  before  you  in  this  conference  is  that  we  shall  feed  you. 

Brother  Widtsoe  yesterday  made  allusion  to  a  principle,  spoke 
somewhat  about  it,  to  which  I  wish  now  to  refer.  He  spoke  of  our 
duties  and  our  obligations  as  those  who  held  the  truth.  It  is  a  very 
great  blessing,  not  only,  to  have  the  truth,  but  it  imposes  likewise  a 
great  responsibility.  We  of  this  Church  are  possessors  of  the  truth 
in  so  far  as  it  has  been  revealed,  the  ultimate  truth,  and  we  are  the 
possessors  and  custodians  of  the  power  of  the  Holy  Priesthood. 

More  Blessed  to  Give  Than  to  Receive 

We  speak  often,  and  properly,  of  the  great  blessings  which  we 
have,  the  blessings  that  are  given  to  us  by  the  Lord.  But  sometimes 
I  wonder  if  our  thought  may  not  be  mostly  concerned'  with  what 
we  get  instead  of  what  we  give.  In  that  great  sermon  of  Paul  to  the 
elders  of  Ephesus,  he  said  Jesus  had  declared: 

...  It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive.    (Acts  20:35.) 

There  is  something  very  remarkable  about  what  we  have  to 
give  under  the  gospel  plan.  No  matter  how  much  we  give  of  truth, 
of  good  example,  of  righteous  living,  our  stores,  our  blessings  in- 
crease, not  decrease,  by  that  which  we  give  away.  There  are  two 
or  three  miracles  in  the  Bible  that  impress  me  in  this  connection. 
One  was  the  barrel  of  meal  which  Elijah  blessed  after  the  good 
woman  who  owned  it  said  that  if  she  gave  it  to  him  it  would  take  all 
she  had.  That  barrel  of  meal,  blessed  by  Elijah,  did  not  thereafter 
fail.  The  more  she  took  from  it,  the  more  she  had  to  give.  Elisha 
blessed  that  cruse  of  oil  for  the  widow  who  was  in  dire  debt  and 
about  to  lose  her  sons  as  bondmen,  so  that  she  filled  from  that  cruse 
not  alone  the  utensils  which  she  herself  had,  but  those  which,  pur- 
suant to  the  prophet's  orders,  she  went  out  and  borrowed.  All  were 
filled  that  she  could  obtain.  The  Savior  on  the  banks  of  the  Sea  of 
Galilee  fed  five  thousand  with  five  loaves  and  two  little  fishes,  yet 
when  they  had  finished  they  gathered  up  twelve  baskets  full  of  what 
was  left.  So  when  on  the  plain  he  fed  the  four  thousand,  from  seven 
loaves  and  a  few  little  fishes. 

And  so  it  is  with  God's  spiritual  blessings  to  us.  We  have  the 
truth;  we  possess  the  priesthood;  both  are  given  into  our  care.  We 
are  responsible  for  the  use  we  make  of  them.  We  are  expected  to 
give  out  of  our  store  all  that  we  possibly  can  give  away,  and  in  pro- 
portion as  we  give  unto  others,  we  become  thereby  more  and  more 
enriched  ourselves.  "It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive."  I 
repeat,  as  possessors  of  truth,  our  mission  is  to  minister  therefrom 
to  others.  And  the  more  of  truth  we  give  away,  the  more  we  shall 
have.  The  more  we  righteously  use  the  priesthood,  the  greater  its 
powers  will  grow  in  us. 


86  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  5  Second  Day 

Principles  Governing  in  Times  of  War 

As  all  of  you  were,  I  am.  sure,  I,  too,  was  much  impressed  yester- 
day by  the  talk  which  Brother  Bowen  gave.  As  he  proceeded,  I 
thought  perhaps  it  might  be  useful  (and  if  I  did  not  think  it  would, 
I  would  not  proceed)  if  I  were  to  trace  out  very  briefly  and  imper- 
fectly some  of  the  principles  governing  the  intercourse  of  nations  in 
times  of  war.  We  have  fallen  just  as  far  in  our  concepts  there,  as  in 
the  respects  to  which  Brother  Bowen  referred.  Brother  Romney  this 
morning  referred  to  one  of  the  terrible  incidents  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment history  where  the  Lord,  not  man,  commanded  the  imposition 
by  Israel  of  a  penalty  of  the  extermination  of  a  people.  In  the  early 
history  of  the  world,  wars  of  extermination  or  enslavement  were 
more  or  less  the  rule.  However,  when  the  Roman  Empire  became 
all  powerful,  it  adopted  more  temperate  rules;  it  had  more  humane 
feelings  about  war,  its  deceits,  stratagems,  and  artifices.  A  certain 
honor  was  observed  towards  enemies,  so  much  so,  indeed,  that  it  is 
said  that  on  one  occasion  the  Romans  declined  to  recognize  one  of 
their  generals  in  a  victory  he  had  won  by  using  bribery.  On  an- 
other occasion  they  declined  to  take  advantage  of  an  offer  made  to 
them  that  by  the  use  of  poison  they  could  accomplish  the  destruc- 
tion of  certain  of  their  enemies. 


Hugo  Grottos'  Work  on  International  Law 

However,  after  the  fall  of  the  Roman  Empire,  the  world  fell 
into  the  Dark  Ages,  and  then  apparently  every  excess  that  could  be 
invented  by  man  was  practised  as  nations  went  to  war.  Things 
became  so  bad  that  finally  at  about  the  period  of  the  Reformation, 
men's  consciences  became  shocked  at  man's  inhumanity  to  man,  and 
they  began  to  try  to  see  if  something  could  not  be  done  to  bring 
more  humanity  into  the  conduct  of  war.  Along  in  the  late  fifteen 
hundreds  a  very  great  Dutchman  was  born,  Hugo  Grotius,  who,  in 
the  course  of  his  life,  prepared  the  first  great  work  on  international 
law.  In  the  preface  to  that  monumental  work  which  has  stood  as 
the  great  classic  from  that  time  until  this  (and  you  cannot  reach 
much  farther  back  when  you  go  into  international  law  of  the  modern 
time,  than  Grotius ) ,  as  I  say,  in  his  preface,  he  made  this  statement 
of  the  reasons  why  he  wrote  this  treatise: 

I  saw  prevailing  throughout  the  Christian  world  a  license  in  making 
war  of  which  even  barbarous  nations  would  have  been  ashamed;  recourse 
being  had  to  arms  for  slight  reasons  or  no  reasons;  and  when  arms  were 
once  taken  up,  all  reverence  for  divine  and  human  law  was  thrown  away, 
just  as  if  'men  were  thenceforth  authorized  to  commit  all  crimes  without 
restraint. 

Because  of  this  condition  Grotius  wrote  his  work  De  Jure  Belli 
ef  Pads,  which  was  the  beginning  of  the  bringing  into  war  of  some- 
thing of  humanity,  if  humanity  may  be  properly  spoken  of  in  con- 
nection with  war. 


PRESIDENT  ].  REUBEN  CLARK,  JR. 


87 


First,  an  effort  was  made  to  draw  the  distinction  between  com- 
batants and  non-combatants.  War  was  to  be  waged  between  armies 
and  not  between  civilian  peoples.  Statesmen  and  nations  sought  to 
relieve  non-combatants  from  the  woes,  cruelties,  and  horrors  of  war. 
Old  men,  women,  children,  the  decrepit  and  infirm  were  to  be  pro- 
tected, not  slaughtered.  Many  other  humanizing  elements  came  in, 
relating  to  prisoners  of  war  and  the  treatment  of  wounded. 

Principle  of  Neutrality 

When  our  nation  was  formed,  we  contributed  to  the  world 
some  great  principles,  among  the  greatest  being  that  of  neutrality, 
the  intent  thereof  being  to  confine  the  war  conflagration  in  as  narrow 
a  space  as  possible  with  the  purpose  of  providing  that  the  peoples 
of  the  nations  that  were  not  fighting  might  conduct  their  intercourse 
as  usual.  The  miseries  and  woes  of  war  were  not  to  be  inflicted  upon 
innocent,  disinterested  peoples.  We  came  to  the  brink  of  war  in 
the  last  years  of  the  eighteenth  century  to  maintain  this  principle  as 
applied  to  ourselves.  The  effort  was  to  make  it  impossible  to  have 
what  we  have  now  come  to  glorify  as  "global  war"  and  "total  war." 
We  then  knew  such  a  war  was  a  curse. 

Rules  Governing  Civil  War 

Then  came  our  own  Civil  War.  Up  until  that  time  there  never 
had  been  a  written  code  of  rules  governing  war  between  nations; 
and  up  until  that  time  civil  war  was  a  war  by  traitors;  those  who 
were  taken  as  prisoners  of  war  were  treated  as  traitors.  But  Francis 
Lieber,  a  political  refugee  from  Germany,  drew  up  for  Lincoln  what 
were  known  as  "General  Orders  100,"  which  went  out  to  the  Fed- 
eral armies  in  the  field,  and  thereafter  governed  the  conduct  of  our 
armies  in  the  Civil  War.  These  rules  went  further  than  any  prac- 
tice of  nations  up  until  that  time  in  international  war.  These  rules 
forbade  the  bombardment,  without  notice,  of  places  where  there  were 
civilian  peoples.  It  provided  for  the  protection  of  museums,  of  li- 
braries, of  scientific  institutions.  These  were  to  be  saved  from  the 
ravages  and  destruction  of  war.  Undefended  towns  were  not  to 
be  attacked.  Civilians  were  to  be  spared.  Old  men,  women,  and 
children,  the  wounded,  all  were  to  receive  the  maximum  possible 
protection.  As  time  went  on  and  as  a  result  of  that  code,  other  codes 
were  framed  by  various  international  conferences,  notably  The 
Hague  conferences  of  1899  and  1907.  Furthermore,  they  provided 
certain  inhibitions  on  the  waging  of  war  which  I  think  you  might 
be  interested  in  hearing  me  name.  They  adopted  a  declaration  pro- 
hibiting the  dropping  of  projectiles  from  balloons;  they  provided  that 
poison  gases  should  not  be  used;  that  poison  itself  should  not  be 
used.  They  repeated  the  prohibitions  that  undefended  towns  should 
not  be  bombarded.  Family  honor  was  to  be  respected;  pillage  and 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Second  Day 


rape  and  arson  and  the  whole  train  of  like  crimes  that  we  read  so 
much  about  today  were  forbidden. 


Then  came  World  War  1 ,  and  we  began  to  sag  back  into  bar- 
barism. World  War  II  followed.  All  distinctions  between  com- 
batants and  non-combatants  disappeared.  This  was  inevitably  so, 
if  they  used  the  kind  of  weapons  they  employed.  So  we  had  de- 
stroyed in  England  many  towns,  some  of  those  suffering  most  being 
Sheffield,  H"H.  Manchester,  Coventry,  and  London.  There  were 
many  towns  in  Germany  equally  destroyed,  including  Berlin,  and 
particularly  Dresden,  and  as  to  this  last  city,  some  of  our  people, 
Americans,  are  affirming  that  the  bombardment  of  Dresden  (where 
it  is  said  we  killed  in  two  nights  more  than  two  hundred  fifty  thou- 
sand people,  men,  women  and  children,  including  wounded  who  had 
been  collected  there)  was  in  violation  of  a  tacit  understanding  that 
if  Germany  would  leave  Oxford  and  Cambridge  alone,  we  would 
not  touch  Dresden.  I  do  not  know  how  true  this  report  is;  but  we 
know  the  result. 


Now  do  not  forget  that  all  of  the  nations  had  prepared  before 
World  War  II  to  use  aircraft;  they  had  already  used  submarines  in 
World  War  I;  and  we  in  this  area  know  we  were  prepared  to  use  poi- 
son gases.  Then  as  the  crowning  savagery  of  the  war,  we  Americans 
wiped  out  hundreds  of  thousands  of  civilian  population  with  the 
atom  bomb  in  Japan,  few  if  any  of  the  ordinary  civilians  being  any 
more  responsible  for  the  war  than  were  we,  and  perhaps  most  of 
them  no  more  aiding  Japan  in  the  war  than  we  were  aiding  America. 
Military  men  are  now  saying  that  the  atom  bomb  was  a  mistake.  It 
was  more  than  that:  it  was  a  world  tragedy.  Thus  we  have  lost 
all  that  we  gained  during  the  years  from  Grotius  (1625)  to  1912. 
And  the  worst  of  this  atomic  bomb  tragedy  is  not  that  not  only  did 
the  people  of  the  United  States  not  rise  up  in  protest  against  this 
savagery,  not  only  did  it  not  shock  us  to  read  of  this  wholesale  de- 
struction of  men,  women,  and  children,  and  cripples,  but  that  it  ac- 
tually drew  from  the  nation  at  large  a  general  approval  of  this  fiend- 
ish butchery. 

The  other  day  there  appeared  in  the  New  York  Times,  it  may 
have  appeared  here,  too,  but  I  have  it  from  the  New  York  Times,  an 
article  which  I  shall  read  to  you. 

A  new  super-deadly  poison,  the  most  potent  known  to  man,  has  been 
developed  by  the  special  projects  division  of  the  United  States  Chemical 
Warfare  Service.  [That  is,  it  is  officially  developed.] 

An  innocent-looking  crystaline  toxin,  the  poison  is  so  powerful  that 
an  inch-cube  size  of  it,  roughly  an  ounce,  could  kill  every  person  living 
in  the  United  States  and  Canada,  silently  and  swiftly. 
"If  World  War  III  comes.which  we  pray  will  never  happen,  it  will  be  a 


World  Wars  I  and  II 


Tragedy  of  Use  of  Atom  Bomb 


PRESIDENT  J.  REUBEN  CLARK,  JR. 


89 


war  in  which  most  people  may  die  from  silent,  insidious,  anti-human 
weapons  that  make  no  sound,  give  no  warning,  destroy  no  forts  or  ships  or 
cities,  but  can  wipe  out  human  beings  by  the  millions,"  Dr.  Gerald  Wendt 
of  New  York  City,  editorial  director  of  Science  Illustrated  magazine,  de- 
clared in  a  General  Electric  Science  Forum  address. 

Dr.  Wendt  said:  "The  United  States  has  already  spent  $50,000,000  in 
research  on  it,  a  small  sum  compared  with  the  cost  of  radar  and  the  atomic 
bomb.  Most  startling  are  two  facts:  These  killers  are  invisible,  micro- 
scopic in  size,  capable  of  spreading  to  reach  every  living  enemy";  [I 
wonder  how  we  are  going  to  direct  these  killers  so  that  they  will  work 
only  on  the  enemy.]  "and  they  can  be  easily  and  cheaply  prepared  by  any 
belligerent  whoi  has  as  much  as  a  brewery  and  the  skill  to  operate  it. 

"If  any  small  nation  is  competent  in  biological  warfare,  a  large  nation, 
even  with  atomic  bombs,  may  be  helpless  against  it." 

There  are  other  new  biological  weapons,  Dr.  Wendt  asserted,  that 
"operate  through  the  slow  agony  of  starvation.  It  is  the  attack  on  plants 
and  animals." 

Protest  Against  Savage  Methods 

Thus  we  in  America  are  now  deliberately  searching  out  and 
developing  the  most  savage,  murderous  means  of  exterminating 
peoples  that  Satan  can  plant  in  our  minds.  We  do  it  not  only  shame- 
lessly, but  with  a  boast.  God  will  not  forgive  us  for  this. 

If  we  are  to  avoid  extermination,  if  the  world  is  not  to  be  wiped 
out,  we  must  find  some  way  to  curb  the  fiendish  ingenuity  of  men  who 
have  apparently  no  fear  of  God,  man,  or  the  devil,  and  who  are  will- 
ing to  plot  and  plan  and  invent  instrumentalities  that  will  wipe  out  all 
the  flesh  of  the  earth.  And,  as  one  American  citizen  of  one  hundred 
thirty  millions,  as  one  in  one  billion  population  of  the  world,  I  protest 
with  all  of  the  energy  I  possess  against  this  fiendish  activity,  and  as 
an  American  citizen,  I  call  upon  our  government  and  its  agencies  to 
see  that  these  unholy  experimentations  are  stopped,  and  that  some- 
how we  get  into'  the  minds  of  our  war-minded  general  staff  and  its 
satellites,  and  into  the  general  staffs  of  all  the  world,  a  proper  re- 
spect for  human  life. 

May  God  give  us  the  strength  to  stand  in  these  times  of  stress 
and  trial  and  crisis.  May  he  give  us  the  wisdom  and  the  inspiration 
to  put  hate  out  of  our  hearts,  a  hate  that  is  consuming  us.  May  he 
give  us  the  power  as  a  people  so  to  bring  our  influence  to  bear  that 
men,  mankind,  may  be  saved,  I  humbly  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus. 
Amen. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

We  have  in  the  congregation  today  several  returned  mission 
presidents,  some  of  whom  have  returned  from  their  fields  of  labor 
as  long  ago  as  1943,  and  others  since  that  time.  We  have  not  had 
an  opportunity  heretofore  to  hear  from  them,  but  we  shall  have  an 
opportunity  to  hear  from  a  few  this  afternoon. 

Elder  John  F.  Bowman  will  please  come  to  the  rostrum  after 
the  Richfield  Combined  Choruses  and  congregation  sing  "Come,  O 
Thou  King  of  Kings." 


90  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  5  Second  Day 

The  Richfield  Combined  Choruses  and  the  congregation  sang: 
"Come,  O  Thou  King  of  Kings." 

ELDER  JOHN  F.  BOWMAN 

Former  President  of  the  Central  States  Mission 

It  is  a  thrilling  experience,  my  brothers  and  sisters,  to  see  this 
great  congregation  from  this  point.  I  had  just  about  forgotten  many 
things  about  my  mission  and  concluded  probably  I  would  never  be 
called  upon  to  report  my  activities  in  the  mission  field.  I  want  to  say 
now,  however,  that  that  experience  for  a  little  over  four  years  in 
the  Central  States  Mission  was  the  most  thrilling  experience  in  about 
fifty  or  fifty-five  years  of  active  service  in  the  Church.  It  was  a  great 
thing  to  labor  with  your  sons  and  daughters  in  the  ministry  and  to 
learn  of  their  faith  and  their  ability  to  bring  this  great  message  of 
righteousness  and  salvation  to  those  who  sit  in  darkness.  Through 
their  humble  efforts,  while  Sister  Bowman  and  I  presided  over  that 
mission,  the  membership  of  the  mission  increased  from  a  few  over 
six  thousand  to  about  eighty-two  or  eighty-three  hundred.  Over 
two  thousand  of  that  number  were  converts  to  the  faith  as  a  result 
of  the  humble,  inspired  efforts  of  the  fine  young  men  and  women 
who  labored  in  that  mission. 

It  was  a  thrilling  experience  for  us  to  live  and  to  labor  in  that 
particular  mission,  one  of  the  most  interesting  places  in  all  the 
world  and  one  of  the  most  important.  There  are  many  things  con- 
cerning that  part  of  the  United  States  that  many  of  us,  especially 
the  younger  generations  probably  have  forgotten  all  about,  or  never 
knew.  We  lived  in  Independence,  Jackson  County,  Missouri,  which 
was  on  the  western  borders  of  civilization,  at  the  time  our  Saints 
first  went  there.  It  is  east  of  the  Missouri  River,  which  was  the 
borderland  of  the  Lamanites  who  lived  beyond  that  river  to'  the  west. 
In  those  parts  we  have  learned,  through  the  inspiration  of  God  to 
his  servant,  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  that  the  Lord  God  Almighty 
planted  His  Garden,  the  Garden  of  Eden.  That  always  thrilled  us 
while  we  lived  there.  That  was  a  sacred,  hallowed,  holy  spot  to  us 
because  the  great  beginnings  of  the  world  were  there,  and  not  on 
the  eastern  hemisphere,  where  it  is  commonly  thought  that  they 
were.  Of  course  we  undoubtedly  have  in  mind  that  in  that  day  the 
earth  had  not  been  divided,  that  the  earth  was  divided  in  the  days 
of  Peleg  and  as  I  remember  it,  that  probably  was  a  hundred  fifty 
or  two  hundred  years,  after  the  flood.  But  the  Garden  of  Eden  was 
planted  in  what  is  known  now  as  Jackson  County,  and  the  Lord 
God  Almighty  placed  his  great  servant,  Adam,  in  that  garden  and 
later  gave  him  his  wife,  Eve,  with  the  commandment  that  they  should 
multiply  and  replenish  the  earth,  that  of  all  of  the  trees  of  that 
garden  they  might  freely  partake,  but  of  the  tree  of  the  knowledge 
of  good  and  evil  they  should  not  partake,  but  in  the  event  that  they 


ELDER  JOHN  F.  BOWMAN 


91 


did  partake  of  it,  in  the  day  that  they  should  eat  thereof,  they  should 
surely  die. 

It  was  an  interesting  thing  to  us  to  know  that  that  happened 
there,  that  they  did  partake  of  the  forbidden  fruit,  and  as  a  result 
they  were  driven  out  of  the  garden,  and  there  was  brought  about 
what  we  commonly  know  as  the  fall  of  man.  After  they  were  driven 
out  of  that  beautitful  place,  Eve  found  that  she  was  about  to  become 
the  mother  of  a  child,  and  they  rejoiced  before  the  Lord,  that  now 
they  evidently  were  in  a  condition  to  fulfill  that  great  commandment 
for  which  they  were  sent  upon  the  earth,  to  multiply  and  replenish 
the  earth,  and  they  rejoiced  before  the  Lord  because  of  that  bless- 
ing which  was  now  to  come  to  them.  They  went  out  of  the  garden, 
and  it  is  interesting  to  know,  as  we  understood  it  there  and  as  I 
understand  it  now,  that  they  went  not  far  away.  They  traveled 
north-easterly,  for  about  seventy-five  miles,  and  there  they  lived  in 
Adam-ondi-Ahman  of  which  you  read  in  the  revelations  of  the  Church, 
and  that  was  the  land  where  Adam  and  Eve  dwelt.  They  may  have 
traveled  far,  and  possibly  lived  at  times  in  the  country  that  is  now 
looked  upon  as  the  place  where  the  race  started,  in  the  Orient,  but 
in  the  valley  of  Adam-ondi-Ahman  is  where  Adam  dwelt,  and  when 
he  was  nine  hundred  twenty-seven  years  old,  stooped  with  age,  he 
called  his  faithful  followers  together  in  that  valley  to  receive  an  ac- 
counting of  their  stewardships  and  to  bless  them,  and  on  that  oc- 
casion, certainly  the  most  important  gathering  that  had  been  held 
in  the  history  of  the  world  up  to  that  time,  Our  Lord  and  Savior, 
Jesus  Christ,  appeared  at  that  point  upon  this  land,  to  bless  Adam 
and  comfort  him  in  his  old  age,  and  Adam  told  his  people  what 
would  happen,  down  to  the  end  of  the  world.  Those  things  are 
written,  and  in  the  future,  probably  not  the  far-distant  future,  we 
will  have  the  history  of  the  world,  written  in  advance  by  Adam  which 
will  undoubtedly  be  a  great  blessing  to  us.  There,  three  years  later, 
Adam  died,  probably  at  Adam-ondi-Ahman,  and  was  buried  there. 
That  makes  that  a  very  sacred  place  and  one  of  tremendous  interest. 
There,  we  understand  from  the  prophecies  of  the  ancient  prophets 
and  the  modern  prophets  and  revelators  of  our  Church,  Adam  will 
sit  as  the  Ancient  of  days  upon  his  throne,  and  a  thousand  times  a 
thousand  will  come  there  to  pay  homage  to  him  and  ten  thousand 
times  ten  thousand  will  come  there  to  receive  judgment  at  his  hand. 
Our  Lord  and  Savior,  Jesus  Christ,  will  appear  at  that  point  and 
through  the  great  conclave  of  Priesthood  leadership  that  will  be 
called  into  conference  at  that  point  in  the  next  few  years,  we  are 
inclined  to  think,  our  Lord  and  Savior,  Jesus  Christ,  will  appear  and 
there  he  will  be  crowned  King  of  Kings  and  Lord  of  Lords,  the  reign 
of  Satan  will  be  terminated  and  the  kingdoms  of  this  earth  shall 
become  the  kingdoms  of  our  God  and  His  Christ,  and  He  shall  reign 
with  his  people  forever  and  forever.  Those  are  things  of  tremendous 
importance  to  us,  and  in  that  land  you  are  reminded  of  them.  I  was 
glad  to  learn  on  a  trip  there  about  two  months  ago,  shortly  after 


92  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday.  October  5  Second  Day 

President  Smith  had  been  there,  that  he  reminded  the  people  of  the 
tremendous  things  that  are  to  happen  there,  the  great  things  that 
have  happened  there  and  that  the  great  Temple  of  the  Lord,  the 
new  Jerusalem  is  to  be  established  in  that  part.  One  of  the  greatest 
buildings  that  has  ever  been  erected  in  the  history  of  the  world  will 
be  established  in  Independence,  Jackson  County,  Missouri,  and 
the  glory  of  God  will  rest  upon  it  as  a  pillar  of  cloud  by  day  and 
a  pillar  of  fire  by  night,  and  from  that  center  will  reign  our  Lord 
and  Savior,  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  law  will  go  forth  from  Zion  as  the 
word  of  the  Lord  will  go  forth  from  Jerusalem. 

We  are  thankful  that  we  had  the  opportunity  to  labor  there  in 
that  holy  land,  in  that  sacred  place,  because  of  the  tremendous  things 
that  happened  there  and  because  of  the  tremendous  things  that  are 
to  take  place.  These  things  will  happen  there,  my  brothers  and 
sisters  you  will  find  them  written  in  the  revelations.  We  haven't 
been  excused  from  the  great  responsibility  of  building  up  the  center 
place  of  Zion.  Many  of  us  think  that  we  have  the  center  place  of 
Zion  here.  It  is  the  center  place  now;  these  stakes  will  never  be  dis- 
rupted, but  that  is  the  center  place  of  Zion,  under  the  revelations, 
and  that  is  where  the  great  Temple  will  be  built  and  people  will  be 
called  there  in  the  due  time  of  the  Lord  to  build  up  that  place,  pre- 
paratory to  the  coming  of  our  Lord  and  Savior,  Jesus  Christ. 

Now  let  me  remind  you  of  one  thing  in  closing.  From  this  pul- 
pit, in  1898,  President  Snow,  the  Prophet,  Seer  and  Revelator  of 
the  Church  at  that  time,  in  answering  some  of  the  questions  that 
were  arising  in  the  minds  of  the  people  as  to  whether  they  had  been 
discharged  from  their  responsibility  pertaining  to  the  building  up 
of  the  center  place  of  Zion,  told  the  people:  "We  are  not  going  back 
to  Jackson  County  today,  nor  next  week,  nor  next  month,  but  I  testify 
to  you  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  that  we  will  go  back  there,  and  there 
are  many,  there  are  hundreds,"  and  then  he  repeated  it,  "yes,  hun- 
dreds sitting  in  this  congregation  who  will  live  in  the  flesh  to  go  back 
to  Jackson  County  to  assist  in  building  the  Temple.  "This  is  im- 
portant to  us  in  that  it  indicates  to  us  the  nearness  of  the  coming  of 
our  Lord,  and  the  best  council  that  I  can  think  of  to  give  to  myself, 
to  my  family,  and  to  you,  my  brethren  and  sisters,  is  the  council  that 
our  Lord  and  Savior  gave  to  his  apostles,  when  they  asked  him  when 
these  things  would  be,  that  Christ  was  speaking  of  that  would  hap- 
pen at  the  end  of  the  world,  and  he  stated,  to  watch  and  pray  that 
ye  be  not  taken  as  a  thief  in  the  night. 

May  the  Lord  help  us  to  measure  up  to  our  responsibilities  of 
carrying  forward  this  great  work,  to  preach  this  Gospel  in  all  the 
world  as  a  witness  unto  all  nations  as  we  are  undertaking  to  do  it 
now,  with  the  realization  that  when  we  have  filled  our  responsibility, 
then  the  end  will  come  and  our  Lord  and  Savior,  Jesus  Christ,  will 
come  to  reign  personally  upon  the  earth  for  a  thousand  years.  May 
the  Lord  help  us  to  do  it,  I  humbly  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  Amen. 


ELDER  WILLIAM  P.  WHITAKER  93 


ELDER  WILLIAM  P.  WHITAKER 

Former  President  of  Southern  States  Mission 

I  am  truly  grateful  for  this  day,  my  brethren  and  sisters.  For 
about  six  years,  since  I  was  appointed  President  of  the  Southern 
States  Mission,  I  have  squirmed  on  my  seat  down  there,  expecting 
I  might  be  called  to  this  position.  Now  I  have  in  mind,  the  oppor- 
tunity of  sitting  in  the  audience  and  listening  to  these  wonderful 
conferences,  as  you  brothers  and  sisters  now  sit. 

I  have  enjoyed  greatly  everything  which  has  been  said  and 
done  in  this  conference,  as  I  do  always  in  the  conferences  when  I 
am  privileged  to  attend.  It  was  a  great  blessing  which  came  to 
Sister  Whitaker  and  me  to  be  called  into  the  Southern  States  Mis- 
sion for  a  second  time.  Thirty  years  ago,  we  filled  our  first  mission 
in  the  Southern  States,  soon  after  having  been  married,  and 
were  met  there  by  President  and  Sister  Callis,  who  opened  their 
arms  and  welcomed  us,  at  a  time  in  our  lives  when  we  needed  just 
such  a  welcome  as  they  gave  to  us.  We  learned  to  love  those  dear 
people  as  we  have  learned  to  love  few  people  in  our  lives.  We 
see  the  great  blessings  which  have  come  to  the  Southern  States  Mis- 
sion bcause  of  their  services.  It  was  a  great  privilege  to  follow  such 
men  as  President  Callis,  President  LeGrand  Richards,  President 
Merrill  D.  Clayson,  and  others  who  had  been  there. 

During  the  last  three  years  we  were  there,  that  great  mission 
grew  from  about  twenty-two  thousand  members  to  more  than 
twenty-five  thousand.  A  little  in  excess  of  eleven  hundred  baptisms 
each  year.  Only  you  who  have  been  in  the  Southern  States  can 
realize  the  kind  of  converts  which  are  made  in  that  mission.  We  have 
many  of  them  here  today.  Many  of  them  are  among  the  leaders  of 
this  Church.  Many  of  them  are  there  on  the  old  battlegrounds, 
spending  their  entire  lives  in  preaching  the  Gospel  to  those  whom 
they  meet  from  day  to  day.  I  have  often  said  it  would  be  very  dif- 
ficult to  go  many  blocks  in  that  great  mission  without  finding  some 
person  who  would  be  willing  and  ready  to  hand  you  a  tract  and  bear 
his  testimony  to  you. 

There  were  92  branches  in  that  mission  when  I  left,  several  hun- 
dred Sunday  Schools  and  several  hundred  Primary  Associations. 
Many  of  these  Sunday  Schools  and  Primaries  are  out  in  remote  sec- 
tions where  only  a  few  families  may  participate,  but  our  members 
are  active  in  inviting  their  neighbors  and  their  neighbors'  children 
to  attend.  In  that  way  the  Gospel  is  being  preached  in  a  way  that 
would  astonish  most  of  you. 

It  was  a  great  blessing  to  us  to  receive  some  450  of  your  boys 
and  girls  as  missionaries,  every  one  a  splendid  young  man  or  woman, 
young  men  and  women  whose  only  desire  was  to  serve  God  and  do 
the  thing  which  they  were  called  to  do.  A  great  blessing  came  into 
our  lives  when  we  became  personally  acquainted  with  each  one  of 
the  General  Authorities  of  this  Church.  I  have  often  said  that  if  no 


94  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  5  Second  Day 

reward  came  to  us  other  than  just  becoming  personally  acquainted 
with  the  General  Authorities  of  this  Church  we  should  be  amply  re- 
warded for  the  time  we  spent  as  missionaries. 

May  God  bless  these  great  men  who  have  been  called,  ordained 
and  sustained  to  lead,  guide  and  direct  His  Church  here  upon  the 
earth  in  this,  the  last  dispensation.  I  bear  testimony  to  you  that  they 
are  indeed  prophets  and  apostles;  they  are  indeed  chosen  servants 
of  our  Father  in  heaven,  that  they  hold  the  power  and  the  priest- 
hood that  was  held  by  the  ancient  apostles  and  prophets,  and  that 
they  have  been  truly  and  divinely  commissioned  to  perform  their 
great  mission. 

May  God  continue  to  bless  President  Meeks  and  those  mis- 
sionaries who  continue  to  serve  in  the  South.  May  He  bless  that 
wonderful  people  there,  who  open  their  homes  and  their  hearts  to 
the  missionaries  as  they  come  to  them,  I  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Amen. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

The  speaker  to  whom  you  have  just  listened  is  President  Wil- 
liam P.  Whitaker,  who  served  in  the  Southern  States.  We  will  now 
hear  from  Elder  George  F.  Richards,  Jr.,  who  served  a  few  years 
ago  in  the  North  Central  States. 

We  see  in  the  audience  Emile  C.  Dunn  who  has  but  recently 
been  released,  but  who  by  appointment  antedates  any  of  these 
brethren.  Brother  Dunn  will  follow  Brother  Richards. 

ELDER  GEORGE  F.  RICHARDS,  JR. 

Former  President  of  North  Central  States  Mission 

It  would  be  difficult  for  anyone  to  occupy  this  position,  before 
such  a  vast  audience  and  on  such  a  glorious  occasion,  without  sensing 
deeply  the  responsibility  of  the  few  moments  which  might  be  used. 
In  humility  I  appear  before  you  at  this  time,  and  express  sincere 
gratitude  for  the  great  experiences,  privileges  and  blessings  that 
Sister  Richards  and  I  enjoyed  with  your  missionaries  and  the  Latter- 
day  Saints  in  the  mission  field,  and  for  the  special  privilege  which  is 
incident  to  a  mission  abroad. 

My  brethren  and  sisters,  the  mission  to  which  we  were  sent 
was  in  a  splendid  condition  when  we  inherited  it.  Sister  Richards  and 
I  always  wondered  if  we  might,  through  our  faith  and  prayers  and 
work,  carry  it  on  as  well  as  the  former  President,  Brother  David  A. 
Broadbent  and  his  good  wife  had  done;  and  we  have  lived  to  see 
the  work  progressing  further  since  we  left  the  mission  field,  under  the 
leadership  of  President  William  L.  Killpack. 

I  often  said  in  the  field,  and  also  since  returning  home,  that 
the  authorities  of  this  Church  sent  to  us  the  very  cream  of  the  young 
men  and  women  of  the  Church  to  serve  as  missionaries,  and  we  shall 


ELDER  GEORGE  F.  RICHARDS,  JR. 


95 


always  feel  that  way  about  it.  Their  faith,  their  devotion,  their  wis- 
dom and  the  knowledge  they  acquired,  together  with  the  Spirit  of 
the  Lord  that  gave  them  power  to  preach  the  Gospel  and  admin- 
ister the  ordinances,  have  been  a  very  great  inspiration  to  us.  We 
had  about  two  hundred  and  fifty-five  missionaries  during  our  ex- 
perience. Our  territory  was  large.  The  membership  of  the  Church 
was  about  three  thousand  when  we  were  appointed  and  did  not 
change  materially  during  the  time  we  were  there,  but  we  accom- 
plished some  fine  things.  The  Lord  was  with  us,  and  I  want  to  say 
to  you,  my  brethren  and  sisters,  as  President  McKay  said  in  instruct- 
ing us  before  we  went  out,  that  no  one  can  accomplish  anything  in 
this  work,  the  Master's  work,  without  His  help,  without  enjoying 
the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  and  the  sustaining  influence  of  him  who  re- 
stored this  Gospel  in  this  dispensation  of  the  fulness  of  times. 

The  Lord  sometimes  lets  us  wait  a  long  time  for  the  answer  to 
our  prayers.  He  has  let  me  wait  a  long  time,  but  in  every  instance 
when  I  needed  Him — and  I  need  Him  all  the  time  and  on  special 
occasions — He  has  waited  until  I  almost  despaired  but  then  came 
through  with  a  full  measure  of  support.  I  thank  God  for  this  in  our 
missionary  experience. 

There  could  be  no  choicer  people  in  the  world  than  those  good 
Latter-day  Saints  of  the  North  Central  States  Mission.  I  thought 
while  I  was  there  and  I  still  feel  that  if  some  of  us  at  home  could 
see  the  way  the  Saints  live  in  the  missions  they  would  be  ashamed 
that  they  do  not  take  better  advantage  of  the  opportunities  which 
are  theirs  here  with  the  body  of  the  Church.  The  members  who 
served  locally  as  missionaries,  and  all  who  helped  the  work  of  the 
Lord  there,  were  wonderful  people  of  whom  we  are  very,  very  proud 
indeed. 

My  brothers  and  sisters,  I  have  been  deeply  impressed  by  the 
words  spoken  in  this  conference  session.  When  President  Bowman 
referred  to  the  location  where  he  presided,  I  thought,  too,  of  the  in- 
stance of  record  in  scripture  of  our  Father  Adam  who  was  offering 
sacrifice.  The  scripture  says:  "After  many  days  an  angel  of  the 
Lord  appeared  unto  him  and  asked  why  he  offered  sacrifice,  and 
Adam  answered  and  said  unto  him,  I  know  not  save  God  hath  com- 
manded me." 

I  wish  every  Latter-day  Saint  could  get  the  import  of  that 
answer.  Then  the  angel  went  on  to  say:  "And  this  thing  is  a  simili- 
tude of  the  sacrifice  of  the  Only  Begotten  of  the  Father  which  is  full 
of  grace  and  truth;  wherefore,  thou  shalt  do  all  that  thou  doest  in  the 
name  of  the  Son,  and  thou  shalt  repent  and  call  upon  God  in  the 
name  of  the  Son  forevermore." 

That  is  the  message  given  to  Adam;  it  is  a  message  we  bear 
to  the  world;  it  is  a  message  we  should  give  unto  ourselves  and  live 
by  it.  If  we  order  our  lives  so  that  we  will  have  the  blessings  of  the 
Lord  and  the  Savior's  approval  upon  our  actions  we  shall  not  need 
to  worry  as  to  whether  or  not  there  will  be  a  place  for  us  in  the 


96  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  5  Second  Day 

mansions  of  our  Heavenly  Father  when  we  have  completed  our  work 
here;  nor  shall  we  need  to  be  concerned  about  whether  or  not  life 
will  be  sweet  and  joyful  as  long  as  we  are  permitted  to  live  and 
serve  in  mortality. 

I  know  the  Gospel  is  true,  my  brethren  and  sisters.  I  know  that 
God  lives  and  I  have  borne  testimony  to  the  Prophet's  experience, 
that  glorious  revelation  of  the  Father  and  the  Son,  and  also  to  the 
vitality  of  the  Church  brought  down  through  the  various  leaders  to 
the  present  time.  God  bless  our  leaders  and  may  we  be  willing  al- 
ways to  listen  to  their  counsel  and  to  live  accordingly,  that  thus  we 
may  expect  an  eternal  reward  worthy  of  those  who  are  good  and 
true.  May  this  be  our  desert,  justifiably,  I  humbly  pray,  in  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

The  speaker  to  whom  you  have  just  listened  is  President  George 
F.  Richards,  Jr.,  formerly  President  of  the  North  Central  States 
Mission.  We  shall  now  go  with  Elder  Emile  C.  Dunn  to  one  of  our 
Polynesian  Missions,  the  Tongan  Mission,  where  Brother  Dunn  and 
his  faithful  wife  have  served  ten  successive  years. 

ELDER  EMILE  C.  DUNN 

Former  President  of  Tongan  Mission 

Your  faces  look  almost  too  white.  If  they  were  brown  I  would 
feel  more  at  ease  in  talking  to  you. 

I  have  spent  the  last  ten  years  trying  to  teach  people  who  are 
honest  in  heart  those  things  which  our  Father  in  Heaven  desires 
that  they  should  be  taught.  It  was  in  1936,  March  12th,  that  we  ar- 
rived in  the  Tongan  Mission.  Brother  Wiberg  was  there.  He  had 
been  there  for  two  years  alone. 

We  were  happy  to  arrive  in  Tonga,  and  the  Saints  were  ready 
with  a  feast,  as  the  Saints  of  the  Pacific  Islands  often  do,  a  feast 
as  a  farewell  for  the  mission  president  who  was  leaving  and  a  feast 
for  the  new  comers.  They  accepted  us  with  open  arms.  They  seemed 
happy  to  see  us,  and  Sister  Dunn  and  I  were  happy  to  see  them. 

In  going  to  an  island  mission  there  is  the  problem  of  learning  the 
language.  All  missionaries  have  to  learn  the  language  before  they 
are  of  much  value  to  the  people  there  and  to  the  Church.  Sister 
Dunn  did  all  she  could  while  learning  the  language,  helped  me  in 
writing  and  other  things,  and  became  acquainted  with  the  Saints. 

I  wish  to  tell  you  a  few  things  about  the  physical  aspects  of  the 
Tongan  Mission.  It  covers  a  space  of  six  hundred  miles  and  none 
of  the  islands  is  so  large  but  what  you  could  walk  the  length  of  the 
island  in  a  day.  Tongatapu  is  35  miles  long  and  5  miles  wide,  and 
in  the  Happai  group  there  are  over  a  hundred  islands.  In  the  Vava'u 
group  there  is  one  large  island  that  is  so  cut  up  with  water  that  it 


ELDER  EMILE  C.  DUNN 


97 


is  much  quicker  to  get  from  one  part  of  the  island  to  another  with  a 
boat  than  it  is  to  go  around.  Then  we  have  two  other  islands  which 
are  new  to  the  Church.  In  1939  I  felt  impressed  to  send  a  missionary 
to  Kepples  Island  Niuatoputapu.  It  was  during  a  conference.  I  called 
two  men,  one  young  man  and  one  older  man,  to  go  to  this  island,, 
and  I  said,  "Gather  all  the  genealogy  you  can  from  that  island  and 
try  and  convert  some  of  the  people." 

They  went  over  there  and  two  months  later  we  received  a  wire- 
less that  four  people  had  been  baptized.  The  next  February,  I  got 
on  a  boat  and  went  over  there,  not  thinking  of  how  I  was  going  to 
get  back.  I  went  over  on  a  large  steamer  and  went  ashore.  After  I 
got  ashore  there  were  two  sailboats  there.  I  found  that  they  were 
going  around  by  Niuafo'ou  and  I  concluded  I  had  better  stay  there 
rather  than  go  to  Niuafo'ou  which  was  another  200  miles  west  and 
then  it  would  be  220  miles  back  to  Vava'u.  I  thought  I  would  rather 
wait  and  go  back  160  miles  straight  south.  So  I  stayed  there.  It  was 
not  until  April  that  I  was  able  to  get  off  the  island  again,  but  during 
that  time  I  visited  every  home  on  the  island  and  copied  all  of  the 
dates  of  birth,  all  of  the  marriage  dates  and  the  dates  of  death  from 
1 888  on  that  island,  and  those  were  the  first  records  I  could  find  be- 
cause they  had  had  a  hurricane  and  water  had  destroyed  all  of  their 
previous  records. 

We  have  found  since  that  my  time  spent  there,  through  the  provi- 
dence of  the  Lord  in  keeping  me  there,  was  most  profitable.  Those 
records  have  been  more  valuable  to  the  people  in  the  Tongan  Mis- 
sion than  any  we  have  had,  because  many  of  the  people  go  back  to 
this  island  of  Niuatoputapu  where  they  stop.  Then  Niuatoputapu 
was  the  collecting  place  of  the  people  from  'Uvea  Samoa  and  Ni'ua 
and  Niuafo'ou.  They  seemed  to  collect  on  this  island,  as  it  was  in 
the  center,  and  we  found  that  from  there  a  lot  of  our  genealogy  to 
these  other  countries  could  be  traced. 

In  1938  we  were  favored  with  a  visit  from  Brother,  now  Presi- 
dent, George  Albert  Smith.  He  arrived  in  Tongatapu  early  in  the 
morning.  A  three-day  conference  was  scheduled.  Before  we  started 
the  first  meeting  Brother  Smith  said  to  me:  "Brother  Dunn,  what 
is  our  program?" 

I  said:  "We  are  going  to  try  and  visit  every  person  in  the 
Tongan  Mission." 

He  said:  "Are  they  all  here  in  Nuku'alofa?" 

I  said:  "Not  any  of  the  other  islands  are  here." 

He  said,  "It  will  be  difficult  to  go  out  from  this  island.  I  thought 
you  would  have  all  of  the  people  here  in  Tongatapu." 

I  asked  President  Smith,  "Did  you  come  to  see  those  who  are 
wealthy,  those  who  are  strong  in  body,  those  who  are  able  to  travel 
around,  or  did  you  come  to  see  everyone  who  is  a  member  of  the 
Church,  and  to  contact  all  those  who  are  not  so  fortunate,  who  are 
not  able  to  go  so  far  in  sailboats?" 

He  said:  "I  want  to  see  them  all." 


98  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday.  October  5  Second  Day 

We  had  our  conference  in  Nuku'alofa,  then  we  got  on  a  boat — 
I  imagine  it  looked  rather  small  to  Brother  Smith;  the  length  of  it 
was  about  half  the  width  of  this  building.  It  rocked  back  and  forth 
when  it  got  out  on  the  sea.  We  gave  Brother  Smith  the  bunk  that  was 
crosswise  in  the  boat  and  he  lay  there  and  the  waves  rocked  him  to 
sleep.  The  next  morning  he  awoke  and  said:  "Why,  we  have  soon 
made  the  trip  up  here  to  Ha'apai." 

Then  we  went  on  to  Vava'u  and  the  Saints  came  to  conference. 
Those  who  could  not  walk  were  hauled  on  trucks;  those  who  could 
not  see  could  get  there  and  hear.  Those  who  were  weak  in  the  faith, 
too  weak  to  have  travelled  two  hundred  miles  on  a  little  sailboat,  were 
able  to  get  there,  and  the  house,  the  Peter  Pan  Theatre,  was  filled 
to  capacity. 

If  any  person  wants  to  feel  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  he  just  needs 
to  stand  by  the  side  of  the  pulpit  and  translate  word  for  word  the 
message  of  a  prophet  of  the  Lord,  when  he  stands  before  the  Saints 
and  proclaims  the  Gospel  to  them  through  the  inspiration  of  God.  If 
you  do  not  soften  before  the  Lord  in  that  situation,  then  you  cannot 
be  softened.  I  never  felt  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  so  much  in  my  life 
as  when  I  was  translating  for  Brother  Smith,  and  saw  those  Saints 
just  drink  it  in. 

I  feel  greatly  privileged  through  my  missionary  experiences. 
President  McKay  came  to  Tonga  in  1921.  I  had  the  privilege  of 
listening  to  him  talk  to  the  Saints  there  for  almost  a  week.  I  listened 
to  these  two  brethren  talk  about  the  Southern  States  Mission.  I  have 
always  had  a  little  feeling  in  my  heart  that  I  would  like  to  go  to  the 
Southern  States,  simply  because  I  was  called  there.  My  first  mis- 
sionary call  was  to  the  Southern  States,  but  my  father,  who  was  called 
to  Samoa  in  1894,  was  unable  to  go.  I  always  felt  from  the  sorrow 
that  was  in  his  heart  that  he  was  not  able  to  fill  that  mission,  that 
he  would  like  me  to  go  there,  so  when  the  call  came  to  the  Southern 
States  I  asked  President  Grant  if  I  might  be  privileged  to  go  to  Tonga 
or  some  of  the  South  Sea  Islands.  I  told  him  why,  and  he  gave  me 
that  privilege. 

I  have  not  regretted  my  missions  in  Tonga.  I  spent  four  years 
there  from  1920  to  1924.  This  time  it  has  been  ten  short  years,  and  the 
longer  you  stay  the  shorter  they  get.  It  seems  like  we  would  just  get 
one  yearly  report  out,  send  it  to  Zion,  visit  the  mission  a  couple  of 
times,  teach  the  school  for  a  little  while,  and  there  was  another  report 
on  your  hands.  I  could  have  stayed  there  for  another  ten  years  and 
I  am  sure  that  each  year  would  have  been  shorter.  I  have  not,  as  the 
Tongans  say  "fiu."  That  means,  had  enough.  I  have  not  had  enough 
of  missionary  work.  I  can  see  too  many  situations  in  this  world  that 
need  missionaries. 

In  those  islands,  there  are  Tonga,  and  Samoa,  right  out  there 
in  the  middle  of  thousands  of  islands  that  have  never  been  touched. 
I  am  very  grateful  that  the  missionaries  were  sent  from  New  Zea- 
land over  to  Rara-Tonga,  because  President  Grant  wrote  me  at  one 


ELDER  EMILE  C.  DUNN 


99 


time  and  said:  "Brother  Dunn,  we  would  like  to  have  you  go  over 
to  Rara-Tonga  and  open  up  the  work  over  there." 

Rara-Tonga  is  an  isolated  place  from  Tonga.  The  two  names 
go  together  but  if  you  hear  the  names,  Rara-Tonga  is  riot  Tonga. 
It  is  Maori  because  they  have  the  "r"  and  we  have  the  "1."  In  Tonga 
we  call  it  Lalo-Tonga.  In  Maori  they  say  Raro-Tonga.  So,  take 
the  "r"  from  New  Zealand  and  they  speak  nearer  the  same  language. 

It  would  have  taken  me  on  a  trip  to  Samoa,  New  Zealand,  back  to 
Rara-Tonga,  and  then  back  to  New  Zealand  and  back  to  Samoa  to 
return  to  Tonga.  That  would  make  about  two  thousand  miles,  or  a 
little  more,  to  get  there  and  four  thousand  miles  to  get  back,  so  I 
wrote  and  told  them  the  situation,  that  I  could  only  go  over  there 
once  in  six  months,  and  I  felt  that  if  it  could  be  worked  from  New 
Zealand,  it  would  be  easier  to  take  care  of.  They  did  change  and 
send  missionaries  from  New  Zealand  and  I  understand  now  that 
there  are  29  Saints  in  Rara-Tonga.  It  is  quite  a  relief  to  me  because 
I  felt  that  there  was  a  load  on  me,  that  I  had  not  completed  a  job 
that  had  been  given  to  me. 

While  I  was  in  New  Zealand  I  tried  to  fix  it  up  for  them.  I  went 
to  New  Zealand  looking  for  a  missionary  for  Tonga.  The  young 
man  had  married  a  Canadian  girl  and  had  gone  through  the  Temple 
seven  times  in  Canada  before  going  back  to  New  Zealand,  and  this 
young  man  was  so  desirous  of  going  on  a  mission  before  they  went 
back  to  Canada  that  he  said:  "I  would  certainly  like  to  go  to  Tonga 
or  some  place  on  a  mission." 

I  said:  "Well,  I  am  not  the  mission  president  any  longer,  but 
I  can  certainly  speak  to  the  mission  president,  and  they  need  mis* 
sionaries  in  Tonga  very  much." 

So  I  spoke  to  the  mission  president  and  he  asked:  "Are  you 
speaking  for  a  missionary  for  Tonga  or  for  Rara-Tonga?" 

I  said:  "I  don't  care,  Brother.  I  have  interest  in  Rara-Tonga. 
If  you  will  send  those  people  over  there  I  will  be  very  happy."  I  hope 
that  some  day  they  will  go  over  there. 

I  am  grateful  for  the  opportunities  that  have  come  to  me  to  be 
in  Tonga,  in  the  Pacific  Islands,  and  I  am  sure  that  any  missionary 
who  might  go  into  the  islands  would  be  happy  to  have  the  op- 
portunity of  being  there.  There  is  one  island  near  Samoa  and  near 
Tonga  that  has  not  been  opened  up  yet.  That  is  the  Niue  Island 
and  they  should  have  missionaries.  Then  we  have  planned  on  open- 
ing Rara-Tonga  up.  That  is  one  out  of  about  nine  islands  there. 
Then  in  the  Savage  group  there  are  several  islands;  we  have  never 
had  missionaries  on  Fiji  and  the  people  on  the  islands  all  through 
the  Solomons  have  never  had  the  Gospel  preached  to  them. 

We  say  that  we  have  two  thousand  missionaries.  Two  thou- 
sand missionaries  will  never  take  care  of  the  work  when  we  start 
to  work  in  Asia.  Asia  is  a  big  country.  We  have  not  been  in  China 
lately;  we  have  not  been  in  Japan  lately.  And  when  were  we  in 
Russia?  There  is  missionary  work  to  be  done.  The  Gospel  of  the 


100  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday.  October  5  Second  Day 

Kingdom  shall  be  preached  to  "every  nation,  kindred,  tongue  and 
people,  and  then  the  end  shall  come."  • 

We  have  heard  about  Jackson  County,  but  Jackson  County 
cannot  be  settled  and  the  work  finished  until  we  have  preached  the 
Gospel  to  every  kindred,  tongue  and  people  upon  this  earth.  Who 
is  going  to  do  that?  You  and  I,  our  sons  and  our  daughters,  and 
those  who  are  honest  in  heart  who  will  go  out  in  the  world,  and 
spend  their  time,  who  will  take  their  money  and  will  devote  their 
life  unto  God. 

May  the  Lord  bless  us  and  help  us  that  our  testimonies  will  grow. 
I  wish  to  bear  my  testimony  to  you,  brethren  and  sisters,  that  the 
Lord  will  bless  those  who  are  honest  in  heart,  especially  those  who 
are  humble  and  prayerful,  those  who  pay  unto  Him  one  tenth  of  that 
which  He  gives  us. 

When  I  went  into  the  mission  field  the  good  Saints  of  Tonga 
were  struggling  along,  trying  to  run  their  mission.  The  mission 
presidents  had  done  all  they  could.  Since  that  time  prosperity  has 
come  to  the  country  and  they  have  been  able  to  get  out  of  debt.  Now 
they  support  themselves.  During  the  time  we  were  there,  tithing 
was  preached  to  the  Saints  and  many  paid  an  honest  tithing.  I  am 
sure  that  they  were  blessed  because  of  paying  their  tithes  and  their 
offerings  unto  the  Lord.  I  am  a  staunch  believer  in  being  honest  in 
paying  our  tithes  and  offerings  and  I  am  sure  the  Lord  will  take  care 
of  us  if  we  do  that. 

President  Smith  has  asked  me  to  mention  one  thing.  While 
President  Smith  was  in  Tonga  we  asked  him  to  help  us  to  get  the 
Book  of  Mormon  translated  into  the  Tongan  language.  He  has  given 
us  a  lot  of  assistance.  While  he  was  there  he  said:  "I  will  try  and 
do  my  best  to  get  the  sanction  of  the  Church  Authorities  to  let  you 
translate  the  Book  of  Mormon,  Brother  Dunn." 

Of  course  I  could  have  translated  the  Book  of  Mormon,  and 
there  has  been  a  lot  of  credit  given  me  for  translating  of  the  Book 
of  Mormon.  I  am  not  due  all  the  credit  that  is  written  on  the  front 
page  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  in  Tongan.  I  am  not  due  all  that  credit. 
There  is  one  young  man  to  whom  is  due  that  credit.  He  is  Brother 
Ermel  J.  Morton.  I  found  I  had  so  many  duties  that  my  translation 
was  going  very  slowly  and  so  in  one  conference  I  gave  Brother 
Morton  the  assignment  to  translate  the  Book  of  Mormon.  After 
his  translations  and  my  translations  were  completed,  we  would  com- 
pare the  two  and  put  them  together.  Brother  Morton  was  through 
so  quickly  that  my  translations  did  not  amount  to  much. 

Of  course  I  worked  with  Brother  Morton  and  we  corrected  it 
and  sent  it  to  Zion  and  we  thought  that  it  should  be  printed  at  that 
time.  Our  translation,  no  doubt,  was  not  just  what  it  should  have 
been  so  it  was  changed  a  bit  and  sent  back  to  me,  and  then  was  re- 
turned again.  It  seemed  as  if  there  were  a  lot  of  stalling,  that  there 
were  a  lot  of  things  being  done  that  could  have  been  avoided,  but  I 
know  now  it  was  not  that.  It  was  not  the  will  of  our  Father  that 


PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY 


101 


those  things  should  be  printed  as  they  were,  because  since  that  time 
the  Tongan  language  has  taken  a  radical  change.  They  have  put 
in  all  of.  the  glottal  stops,  they  have  put  in  "ng"  instead  of  a  "g,"  they 
have  thrown  out  the  "B"  and  put  all  "p's"  and  several  other  things 
have  been  changed  in  the  language.  After  all  those  changes  were 
made,  then  Brother  Morton  copied  the  Book  of  Mormon  into  the 
proper  language  and  today  we  have  it.  I  was  very  happy  to  receive 
the  Book  of  Mormon  in  Tongan  before  I  left,  to  present  to  the  Queen 
and  some  of  the  people  there,  and  a  shipment  of  the  Book  of  Mormon 
no  doubt  has  arrived  there  before  now. 

When  those  Saints  receive  that  they  will  have  a  testimony  to 
bear  to  other  people  and  they  will  have  something  that  the  people 
can  see,  something  they  can  read,  and  I  am  sure  that  the  Book  of 
Mormon  will  convert  a  lot  of  those  fine  people. 

The  Tongan  people,  as  a  whole,  and  the  Samoan  people,  are 
not  against  the  Church.  Some  of  the  leaders  and  others  are  agitating 
some  things  among  them,  but,  really,  if  you  talk  to  the  Tongans  they 
are  interested  in  knowing  the  history  of  their  ancestors;  they  are 
interested  in  the  Gospel;  they  are  interested  in  knowing  the  truth, 
and  if  we  were  to  say  that  they  are  a  fine  people,  every  word  of  it 
is  true. 

The  Sabbath  day  is  the  Sabbath  day  in  Tonga.  If  any  man 
would  work  he  would  be  shunned  by  all  the  people.  There  is  no 
work  done.  The  entire  nation  is  at  rest  on  the  Sabbath  day.  I  am 
very  thankful  to  the  Lord  that  they  are  not  as  wealthy  as  some 
other  people  and  they  have  to  live  on  the  land  that  the  Lord  has 
given  them  and  they  are  humble. 

May  the  Lord  bless  us  all,  I  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

We  shall  ask  Brother  Dunn  to  bear  his  testimony  for  two  min- 
utes in  the  Tongan  language. 

(Brother  Dunn  bore  his  testimony  in  the  Tongan  language.) 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

I  dare  say  there  are  not  a  few  Polynesian  missionaries  in  this 
audience  who  could  understand  what  President  Dunn  has  said. 
There  is  a  kinship  among  those  nations  called  the  Polynesian  nations, 
the  Hawaiian,  Samoan,  Maori,  Tahitian,  and  those  of  our  elders  who 
have  been  down  to  these  other  missions  undoubtedly  understood  some 
of  what  Brother  Dunn  said. 

After  the  singing,  President  Leon  H.  Swenson  of  the  Nampa 
Stake  will  offer  the  closing  prayer,  after  which  the  Conference  will 
stand  adjourned  until  10:00  tomorrow  morning.  However,  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  practice  of  the  Church,  the  general  meeting  of  the 


102  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  5  Second  Dag 

Priesthood  of  the  Church  will  be  held  tonight  in  this  Tabernacle 
beginning  at  7:00. 

Tomorrow,  Sunday  morning,  at  8:30,  Elder  Matthew  Cowley 
of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  will  speak  on  the  Columbia  Church  of 
the  Air  Service.  Those  desiring  to  attend  this  service  should  be  in 
their  seats  by  8: 15  a.m.  The  doors  will  be  closed  during  this  broad- 
cast. 

The  Tabernacle  Choir  broadcast  will  begin  at  9:30  and  continue 
until  10:00  a.m.  Those  attending  this  broadcast  should  be  in  their 
seats  by  9:15  a.m.  The  doors  will  be  closed  during  this  broadcast 
also.  The  regular  session  of  the  Conference  will  begin  at  10:00  to- 
morrow morning,  immediately  following  the  Tabernacle  Choir 
broadcast. 

We  thank  these  choice  young  men  and  young  women  who  have 
furnished  the  music  this  afternoon  and  who  have  rendered  such  ex- 
cellent service  in  this  impressive  hour. 

The  Richfield  Combined  Choruses  will  now  sing,  "Send  Forth 
Thy  Spirit." 


The  Richfield  Combined  Choruses  sang:  "Send  Forth  Thy 
Spirit." 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

May  we  caution  everyone  to  walk  cautiously,  drive  carefully, 
and  watch  the  lights. 

President  Leon  H.  Swenson  of  the  Nampa  Stake  will  offer  the 
benediction. 


Elder  Leon  H.  Swenson,  President  of  the  Nampa  Stake,  of- 
fered the  closing  prayer. 

Conference  adjourned  until  Sunday  morning,  October  6th. 

CHURCH  OF  THE  AIR 

The  Churh  of  the  Air  program  was  presented  Sunday  morning, 
October  6,  at  8:30,  over  Radio  Station  KSL  and  the  Columbia  Broad- 
casting System. 

The  Tabernacle  Choir,  under  the  direction  of  J.  Spencer  Corn- 
wall, provided  the  music  for  the  service.  Alexander  Schreiner  was 
at  the  organ.  Richard  L.  Evans  was  the  announcer. 

The  Choir  sang  as  an  opening  number:  "Come  Thou  Glorious 
Day  of  Promise" — Smyth. 

As  a  second  number  the  Choir  sang  a  hymn  by  Roger  Quilter: 
"Lead  Us,  Heavenly  Father." 

The  speaker  was  Elder  Matthew  Cowley,  who  delivered  the 
following  address: 


ELDER  MATTHEW  COWLEY 


103 


ELDER  MATTHEW  COWLEY 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

As  one  reads  the  signs  of  the  times  there  comes  a  certain  con- 
viction that  the  redemption  of  man  comes  not  from  the  kingdoms  of 
the  earth;  that  if  the  race  is  to  ascend  from  the  valley  of  darkness 
into  which  it  has  been  cast  by  "man's  inhumanity  to  man,"  it  will  do 
so  only  by  seeking  a  power  outside  and  beyond  the  limitations  and 
wisdom  of  the  world. 

Mankind  Responsible  for  the  Evils  of  the  World 

Granting  that  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth  are  sincere  in  their 
present  efforts  to  seek  deliverance  from  the  forces  which  persist  in 
striking  at  the  very  existence  of  humanity,  if  proof  may  be  found  in 
precedents,  then  it  may  not  be  presumptuous  to  say  that  their  efforts 
are  doomed  to  failure.  The  outlook,  to  say  the  least,  is  not  encour- 
aging. 

The  perverted  use  of  man's  free  agency,  arising  as  it  does  from 
a  false  sense  of  values,  has  brought  down  upon  all  earthly  king- 
doms, with  crushing  impact,  the  fears  and  frustrations  which  now 
beset  them.  The  God  of  the  universe,  who  "ordereth  all  things  well," 
did  not  design,  neither  did  he  desire,  that  the  destiny  of  man  should 
be  so  fearful  and  awesome. 

.  The  evils  that  men  do  are  of  their  own  making.  God  always 
proposes  that  the  divine  impulses  implanted  within  man  be  released 
to  reach  out  to  the  divine  beyond;  but  man,  much  to  his  own  sorrow, 
too  often  disposes  otherwise. 

During  the  tragic  days  of  the  recent  war,  when  men's  hearts 
were  failing  them,  and  the  road  to  victory  seemed  so  long  and  haz- 
ardous, rulers  of  nations  and  kings  of  the  earth  appointed  days  of 
prayer,  when  their  subjects  and  citizenry  were  enjoined  to  cry  unto 
the  Almighty  for  mercy  and  help. 

From  desperation  and  anxiety  came  these  spontaneous  expres- 
sions of  the  nobler  impulses  which  are  inherent  within  the  human 
heart.  When  men,  however,  thus  seek  divine  assistance,  from  neces- 
sity rather  than  from  practice,  they  may  but  seek  in  vain.  At  such 
times  the  will  of  God  may  be  identical  with  the  desires  of  men,  but 
this,  more  often  than  not,  is  coincidental  rather  than  the  result  of  in- 
frequent prayers.  But  notwithstanding  his  intermittent  prayers,  the 
fact  that  man  prays  at  all  is  to  some,  convincing  evidence  that  there 
is  a  power  beyond  himself  which  brings  him  to  his  knees  in  his  hour 
of  despair. 

Seeking  the  Kingdom  of  God 

The  most  urgent  need  of  our  time  is  for  that  same  power  to 
govern  in  the  affairs  of  nations,  to  the  end  that  peace  will  dwell  reg- 


104  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  5  Second  Day 

nant  in  the  hearts  of  all  men.  Without  some  manifestation  of  the 
divine  power, 

...  the  wisdom,  of  their  wise  men  shall  perish,  and  the  understanding 
of  their  prudent  men  shall  be  hid.  (Isaiah  29: 14.) 

With  it,  "the  kingdom  of  God  is  at  hand." 

In  that  memorable  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  the  Master  set  forth 
in  the  Beatitudes,  some  of  the  conditions  upon  which  citizenship  in 
the  kingdom  of  God  is  predicated.  And  in  continuing  he  said: 

seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  his  righteousness;  and  all  these 
things  shall  be  added  unto  you.  (Matt.  6:33.) 

The  promise  here  is  that  those  who  seek  the  kingdom  of  God,  will 
find  righteousness,  and  that  all  things  should  be  added  unto  them. 

The  kingdoms  of  this  earth  are  not,  in  and  of  themselves,  right- 
eous kingdoms.  Within  them,  however,  there  are  many  righteous 
souls  who  have  found,  by  earnest  seeking,  the  kingdom  of  God  in 
the  midst  of  evil. 

In  teaching  his  disciples  to  pray,  Jesus  said: 

After  this  manner  therefore  pray  ye:  Our  Father  which  art  in  heaven, 
Hallowed  be  thy  name.  Thy  kingdom  come.  Thy  will  be  done  in  earth, 

as  it  is  in  heaven.  (Matt.  6:9,  10.) 

This  prayer  suggests  the  coming  of  a  kingdom  which  was  not 
to  be  set  up  during  Christ's  mortal  existence;  for  while  Jesus  so- 
journed among  men  the  will  of  God  was  not  done  in  the  earth  as  it 
is  in  heaven.  And  this  is  not  the  same  kingdom  as  the  one  referred 
to  when  he  said:  "The  kingdom  of  God  is  at  hand.  Repent  ye  and 
believe  the  gospel,"  as  this  kingdom  of  God  he  did  establish  during 
his  earthly  ministry. 

The  Interpretation  of  Nebuchadnezzar's  Dream 

In  the  interpretation  of  the  human  image  dream  of  Nebuchad- 
nezzar, king  of  Babylon,  the  Prophet  Daniel  foretold  the  establish- 
ment of  four  great  kingdoms,  each  of  which  would  be  of  empire 
proportions.  Also  he  divined  the  breaking  up  of  the  last  of  these 
world  powers  into'  many  kingdoms.  And  then  he  prophesied  as 
follows : 

And  in  the  days  of  these  kings  shall  the  God  of  heaven  set  up  a 
kingdom,  which  shall  never  be  destroyed:  and  the  kingdom  shall  not  be 
left  to  other  people,  but  it  shall  break  in  pieces  and  consume  all  these 
kingdoms,  and  it  shall  stand  for  ever.    (Daniel  2:44.) 

This,  no  doubt,  is  the  kingdom  for  the  coming  of  which,  Jesus 
taught  his  listeners  to  pray;  and  when  God's  will  would  be  done  in 
the  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven.  This  then  would  be  a  kingdom  of  heaven. 

As  a  matter  of  historical  record,  the  Meridian  of  Time  was  not 
in  the  days  of  these  kings  when  the  God  of  heaven  shall  set  up  a 
kingdom,  never  to  be  destroyed.   (See  Daniel  2:44.) 


ELDER  MATTHEW  COWLEY 


105 


Instead,  Christ's  life  and  ministry  were  during  that  period  when 
the  fourth  of  the  great  kingdoms  of  Nebuchadnezzar's  monarchy 
vision  was  a  world  empire.  Indeed  it  was  by  order  of  a  tribunal  of 
that  empire  that  the  Son  of  God  was  crucified.  Had  the  heavenly 
kingdom  of  Daniel's  prophecy  been  established  in  the  Meridian  of 
Time,  Christ  would  have  reigned  over  it  as  King  of  kings  and  Lord 
of  lords;  and  certainly  his  crown  would  not  have  been  one  of  thorns. 

So  that  Jesus  in  teaching  his  followers  to  pray:  "Thy  kingdom 
come.  Thy  will  be  done  in  earth,  as  in  heaven,"  foresaw,  as  did 
Daniel,  the  coming  of  a  kingdom  which  would  stand  forever  and  whose 
king  would  not  be  crucified. 

Christ's  Teachings  Regarding  the  Kingdom  of  God 

The  kingdom  about  which  the  Master  spoke  when  he  said: 

.  .  .  The  time  is  fulfilled,  and  the  kingdom  of  God  is  at  hand:  repent 
ye,  and  believe  the  gospel,  (Mark  1:15.) 

is  a  kingdom  of  God  which  is  at  hand  whenever  the  priesthood  of 
God  is  upon  the  earth,  as  it  was  in  the  Meridian  of  Time.  Of  this 
kingdom  it  has  been  said: 

.  .  .  strait  is  the  gate,  and  narrow  is  the  way,  .  .  .  and  few  there  be 
that  find  it.  (Matt.  7:14.) 

The  Pharisees  demanding  of  Jesus  when  the  kingdom  of  God 
should  come  were  answered  as  follows: 

.  .  .  The  kingdom  of  God  cometh  not  with  observation:  Neither  shall 
they  say,  Lo  here!  or,  lo  there!  for,  behold,  the  kingdom  of  God  is  within 
you.    (Luke  17:20,  21.) 

Strange  words  these:  the  kingdom  of  God  is  within  you,  yet  it 
cometh  not  with  observation! 

In  one  of  his  epistles  to  the  Corinthians,  the  Apostle  Paul  wrote 

that: 

.  .  .  the  things  which  are  seen  are  temporal;  but  the  things  which 
are  not  seen  are  eternal.  (II  Cor.  4:18.) 

The  universe  holds  within  it  many  forces  or  kingdoms  of  power, 
which  come  not  with  observation,  and  yet  man  converts  these  hidden 
forces  to  his  own  use  and  purpose,  and  he  knows,  without  question- 
ing, that  these  forces  are  eternal.  The  elements,  for  instance,  which 
are  transmitting  the  sound  of  my  voice  to  many  distant  points  do 
not  come  within  my  observation,  neither  does  the  power  which  sets 
them  in  motion  come  with  observation,  yet  no  one  questions  the 
existence  of  that  power. 

Christ  went  about  healing  the  sick,  restoring  vision  to  the  blind 
and  hearing  to  the  deaf;  making  the  lame  to  walk  and  cleansing  the 
leper.  These  gifts  of  the  spirit  and  powers  of  his  priesthood  were 
made  manifest  throughout  his  ministry.  These  powers,  like  the  air 


106  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday,  October  5  Second  Day 

waves  in  the  kingdom  of  the  radio,  were  powers  that  could  not  be 
seen,  but  they  could  be  set  in  motion  for  the  good  of  mankind. 

In  the  baptism  by  John  to  which  Jesus  submitted  himself,  be- 
cause, as  he  said: 

.  . .  for  thus  it  becometh  us  to  fulfil  all  righteousness,  (Matt.  3:15) 

whatever  agency  or  force  the  water  set  in  motion  to  the  end  that 
righteousness  would  be  fulfilled,  could  not  be  seen,  but  the  Father's 
voice  of  approval  came  down  from  the  heavens,  saying: 

. . .  This  is  ray  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased.  (Matt.  3:17.) 

Of  those  who  sought  the  kingdom  of  God,  Christ  required  com- 
plete conversion,  or  the  second  birth  as  explained  by  him  to  Nico- 
demus:  "The  kingdom  of  God  is  within  you";  therefore,  conversion 
must  needs  come  from  within.  And  by  conversion  the  kingdom  of 
God  within  man  impels  him  to  reach  out  for  the  guidance  and  tuition 
of  the  organized  kingdom  of  God  with  which  he  will  seek  affiliation. 

If  the  kingdom  within  man  does  not  impel  him  to  an  earnest 
quest  for  the  established  kingdom  among  men,  then  the  kingdom 
within  has  not  attained  unto  its  fullest  expression.  - 

"Seek,  and  ye  shall  find,"  said  the  Master. 

The  Power  Within  the  Kingdom  of  God 

The  kingdom  of  God  would  be  a  New  Order,  and  yet  it  would 
not  be  elusive.  It  would  become  known  to  all  who  would  reach  down 
wtihin  themselves  and  discover  that  other  kingdom  which  "cometh 
not  with  observation." 

It  would  be  both  corporate  and  spiritual,  and  be  endowed  with 
power  and  gifts  which  would  be  available  to  all  members.  It  would 
be  the  body  of  Christ.  It  would  be  his  Church.  And  it  would  pro- 
vide a  design  for  living  that  would  make  for  righteousness  in  the 
earth.  Both  its  principles  of  faith  and  form  of  organization  would  be 
eternal,  unchangeable,  and  indispensable  to  God's  purposes  in  the 
regeneration  of  men. 

In  the  redemption  of  souls,  efficacy  would  obtain  only  in  "One 
Lord,  one  faith,  one  baptism,"  and  the  gospel  of  the  kingdom  would 
be  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation.  In  the  corporate  organization  of 
his  Church,  he  would  give 

.  .  .  some,  apostles;  and  some,  prophets;  and  some,  evangelists;  and 
some,  pastors  and  teachers;  For  the  perfecting  of  the  saints,  for  the 
work  of  the  ministry,  for  the  edifying  of  the  body  of  Christ:  Till  we  all 
come  in  the  unity  of  the  faith,  and  of  the  knowledge  of  the  Son  of  God, 
unto  a  perfect  man,  unto  the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the  fulness  of 
Christ:  That  we  henceforth  be  no  more  children,  tossed  to  and  fro,  and 
carried  about  with  every  wind  of  doctrine.  (Eph.  4:11-14.) 

God  would  not  withhold  his  will  from  the  priesthood  of  the 
kingdom,  because,  as  the  Prophet  Amos  said: 


ELDER  MATTHEW  COWLEY 


107 


Surely  the  Lord  God  will  do  nothing,  but  he  revealeth  his  secret 
unto  his  servants  the  prophets.  Amos  3:7.) 

•  Divine  revelation  would  be  the  foundation  rock  of  the  Church, 
for  hath  it  not  been  said  that: 

Where  there  is  no  vision,  the  people  perish.  (Prov.  29:18.) ) 

And  did  not  Christ  promise  to  be  with  his  organized  kingdom  even 
unto  the  end,  if  men  would  but  "believe  and  be  baptized"  and  "all 
nations  be  taught  to  observe  whatsoever  he  commanded."  . 

God  would  call  men  to  the  ministry  in  his  kingdom.  They  would 
not  if  they  could  and  could  not  if  they  would,  arrogate  the  authority 
unto  themselves. 

And  no  man  taketh  this  honour  unto  himself,  but  he  that  is  called 
of  God,  as  was  Aaron.  (Hebrews  5:4.) 

The  works  that  Christ  did,  his  authorized  ministry  would  do 
also.  And  greater  works  would  they  do  because  he  must  go  to  his 
Father. 

After  his  departure,  the  Father  would  send  the  Comforter,  which 
is  the  Holy  Ghost,  to  all  those  who  would  seek  the  kingdom.  It  would 
come  as  a  gift  to  the  repentant  and  the  baptized — just  as  Peter  had 
promised  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  in  these  words : 

.  .  .  Repent,  and  be  baptized  every  one  of  you  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ  for  the  remission  of  sins,  and  ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  (Acts  2:38.) 

Admonition  to  Seek  First  the  Kingdom  of  God 

So,  in  brief,  these  are  some  of  the  principles  of  faith  and  dis- 
tinguishing marks  of  God's  kingdom  among  men. 

To  seek  this  kingdom  should  be  man's  first  concern.  As  someone 
has  said:  "We  have  tried  Christianity  for  two  thousand  years,  now 
let  us  try  the  religion  of  Christ." 

Peace  cannot  come  in  our  time;  nor  in  any  time,  if,  as  the  founda- 
tion thereof  the  kingdom  of  God  is  ignored.  Neither  will  men  nor  na- 
tions be  lifted  from  the  "Serbonian  Bog"  of  a  sordid  and  selfish  world, 
until  they  "seek  .  .  .  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  his  righteousness." 
This  is  the  only  way  out. 

The  old  Hawaiians  knew  whereof  they  spoke  when  they  adopted 
as  a  motto  of  government  these  words:  "lla  mau  keea  o  ka  aina  i  ka 
pono."  "The  strength  of  the  land  is  in  righteousness."  In  other  words, 
it  is  "righteousness  that  exalteth  a  nation." 

The  world  cannot  be  set  right  unless  man  becomes  right.  Con- 
fucius understood  this  procedure  when  he  said: 

Their  hearts  being  rectified,  their  own  selves  were  cultivated;  their 
own  selves  being  cultivated,  their  families  were  regulated.  Their  families 
being  regulated  then  states  were  rightly  governed.  Their  states  being 
rightly  governed,  the  whole  empire  was  made  tranquil  and  happy. 


108  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Saturday.  October  5  Second  Day 

Without  starting  with  the  individual,  peace  could  never  be- 
come international.  As  with  Confucius,  so  with  Christ:  "Ye  must  be 
born  again."  This  is  the  way,  and  there  is  none  other.  It  is  irrefrag- 
able and  eternal;  and  the  call  still  rings  down  from  the  Mount  as 
it  did  nearly  two  thousand  years  ago: 

.  .  .  seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  his  righteousness;  and  all 
these  things  shall  be  added  unto  you.  (Matt.  6:33.) 

.  .  .  The  time  is  fulfilled,  and  the  kingdom  of  God  is  at  hand:  repent 
•       ye,  and  believe  the  gospel.  (Mark  1:15.) 


The  Choir  sang  the  hymn,  "God  Be  With  You." 


THIRD  DAY 
MORNING  MEETING 

Preliminary  to  the  commencement  of  the  fifth  session  of  the 
General  Conference,  which  convened  at  10  o'clock  a.m.,  Sunday, 
October  6,  the  regular  Sunday  morning  nation-wide  Tabernacle 
Choir  and  Organ  Broadcast  was  presented  from  9:30  to  10  a.m.  The 
large  Tabernacle  was  crowded  to  capacity  long  before  the  hour  ar- 
rived for  the  presentation  of  the  broadcast,  people  from  all  over  the 
Church  having  assembled  to  listen  to  this  radio  program  and  the  ses- 
sion of  the  General  Conference  which  was  to  follow.  In  addition, 
the  Assembly  Hall  was  crowded  to  capacity,  and  hundreds  of  others 
assembled  on  the  Tabernacle  grounds,  loud-speaking  equipment 
having  been  installed  in  the  Assembly  Hall  and  on  the  grounds,  that 
those  who  were  unable  to  find  accomodation  in  the  Tabernacle  could 
listen  to  the  services  as  they  were  broadcast  from  the  Tabernacle. 

TABERNACLE  CHOIR  AND  ORGAN  BROADCAST 

From  9:30  to  10:00  a.m.  the  regular  Sunday  morning  nation-wide 
broadcast  of  choral  and  organ  music  and  brief  spoken  comment  was 
presented  by  the  Tabernacle  Choir  and  Organ,  and  broadcast  through 
the  courtesy  and  facilities  of  the  Columbia  Broadcasting  System's 
coast-to-coast  network,  throughout  the  United  States.  The  broad- 
cast, written  and  announced  by  Elder  Richard  L.  Evans,  originated 
with  radio  station  KSL,  Salt  Lake  City  and  was  as  follows : 

(Organ  began  playing  "As  the  Dew,"  and  then  on  signal  the 
organ  and  choir  broke  into  "Gently  Raise,"  singing  words  to  end  of 
second  line,  and  humming  to  end  of  verse  for  announcer's  back- 
ground. ) 

Announcer:  Again  with  music  and  the  spoken  word,  we  welcome 
you  to  the  crossroads  of  the  West,  as  another  week  of  life  begins 
for  all  men. 


TABERNACLE  CHOIR  AND  ORGAN  BROADCAST  1 09 


At  this  hour  the  Columbia  Broadcasting  System  and  its  affiliated 
stations  bring  you  another  presentation  in  the  1 8th  year  of  this  broad- 
cast from  Temple  Square  in  Salt  Lake  City,  with  J.  Spencer  Cornwall 
conducting  the  Tabernacle  choir,  Alexander  Schreiner  at  the  Tab- 
ernacle organ,  and  the  spoken  word  by  Richard  Evans. 

We  begin  with  "Les  Preludes"  by  Franz  Liszt,  with  choral  ar- 
rangement by  Bruno  Reibold.  The  words  by  Peter  W.  Dykema  are 
based  upon  Lamartine's  Meditations  Poetiques— words  that  ponder 
ageless  questions:  Whence  is  our  life?  What  stills  all  strife?  Why, 
then,  comes  pain?  Whence  peace  with  its  blessings?  We  hear  "Pre- 
ludes to  Eternity!" 

(Choir  sang  "Preludes  to  Eternity" — Liszt) 

Announcer:  As  we  present  Alexander  Schreiner,  Tabernacle 
organist,  from  Temple  Square  today,  we  turn  to  the  moving  and  melo- 
dic phrases  of  the  "Finale  from  the  First  Symphony"  by  Louis  Vierne. ) 

(Organ  presents  "Finale  from  the  First  Symphony.") 

Announcer:  This  hour  from  Temple  Square  continues  with  a 
hymn  by  Thomas  Mclntyre  with  words  written  by  Eliza  R.  Snow, 
sung  by  the  Tabernacle  choir,  "How  Great  the  Wisdom  and  the  Love." 

(Choir  sang  "How  Great  the  Wisdom" — Mclntyre) 

Announcer:  There  is  an  old  and  simple  truth  so  commonplace 
as  to  be  frequently  ignored,  but  so  vital  that  it  never  should  be.  It  is 
the  truth  that  knowledge  alone  won't  save  us.  There  are  infinite  ex- 
amples of  this,  some  of  which  we  mention  merely  to  indicate  the  in- 
exhaustability  of  those  we  do  not  mention:  A  man  may  know  how 
to  take  nourishment,  but  if  he  doesn't,  he  will  starve.  A  man  may  know 
how  to  breathe,  but  if  he  doesn't  he  will  die.  These  simplest  of  illu- 
strations are  basic  to  life  itself,  and  in  principle,  to  most  of  our  troubles, 
for  it  is  probable  that  there  is  not  one  among  us  who  does  not  know 
better  than  he  sometimes  does.  It  is  probable,  for  example,  that  there 
are  few  doctors  who  live  as  well  as  they  are  capable  of  telling  their 
patients  how  to  live.  It  is  probable  that  there  are  few  teachers  but 
who  can  expound  what  to  do  better  than  they  sometimes  make  a  prac- 
tice of  doing.  It  is  probable  that  there  are  few  private  or  public  ad- 
visers but  who  can  tell  the  world  how  to  get  out  of  its  difficulties 
better  than  they  can  keep  their  own  affairs  out  of  difficulties.  It  is 
probable  that  no  people,  no  generation  ever  found  themselves  in  serious 
trouble  without  some  knowledge,  some  intuition,  some  warning  voice 
as  to  the  consequences  of  the  course  they  were  pursuing.  Of  course 
there  are  times  when  men  do  perish  for  lack  of  knowledge,  but  more 
often  it  isn't  what  we  don't  know  that  gets  us  into  trouble,  but  what 
we  do  know  and  ignore.  There  are  many  seemingly  "smart  people" 
who  seem  to  know  all  the  "answers."  But  "smartness"  so-called  may 
be  of  the  kind  that  is  akin  to  wisdom  or  it  may  be  merely  the  brilliant 
stupidity  of  those  who  think  that  "knowing  the  answers"  gives  them 
immunity  froin  the  rules  of  life  and  from  the  consequences  of  break- 
ing the  rules.  But  again,  merely  "knowing  the  answers"  won't  save 
anyone.  It  has  been  scripturally  recorded  and  long  since  accepted 


110  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  6  Third  Dug 

that  "Where  there  is  no  vision,  the  people  perish."  (Proverbs  29:18.) 
But  where  there  is  vision,  and  it  is  disregarded,  they  perish  also — and 
with  greater  condemnation.  What  good  is  vision,  what  good  is  all 
the  experience  of  mankind,  and  all  the  word  of  God,  and  all  the  record 
of  the  ages,  if  knowing  it  all,  we  leave  it  out  of  our  living  lives?  What 
this  world  needs  is  not  merely  more  men  who  know  the  "answers," 
but  also  more  men  who  have  the  good  sense  to  practice  what  they 
know. 

(Without  announcement  organ  presented  "Behold  the  Great 
Redeemer  Die — Careless. ) 

Announcer:  We  have  heard  from  the  Tabernacle  organ  one  of 
the  hymns  of  George  Careless:  "Behold  the  Great  Redeemer  Die." 

And  now  in  closing  this  day  from  Temple  Square,  we  turn  to 
another  of  the  hymn  arrangements  of  J.  Spencer  Cornwall,  with  the 
music  of  Haydn,  and  the  words  of  Robert  Grant:  "To  Nations  long 
dark  Thy  light  shall  be  shown;  Their  worship  and  vows  shall  come 
to  Thy  throne,  Thy  truth  and  Thy  judgment  shall  spread  all  abroad, 
'Till  earth's  every  people  confess  Thee  their  God." — "O  Worship 
the  King." 

(Choir  sang  "O  Worship  the  King" — Haydn) 

Announcer:  Until  we  beckon  your  thoughts  again  unto  the  hills, 
may  peace  be  with  you,  this  day — and  always. 

This  concludes  the  898th  presentation  of  this  broadcast  from  the 
Mormon  Tabernacle  on  Temple  Square,  brought  to  you  by  the  Col- 
umbia network  and  its  affiliated  stations,  originating  with  Radio  Sta- 
tion KSL  in  Salt  Lake  City,  at  the  Crossroads  of  the  West. 

J.  Spencer  Cornwall  conducted  the  singing  of  the  Tabernacle 
choir.  Alexander  Schreiner  was  at  the  organ.  The  spoken  word  by 
Richard  Evans. 


Immediately  following  the  conclusion  of  the  Choir  and  Organ 
Broadcast,  the  Conference  session  commenced. 

President  George  Albert  Smith: 

We  will  commence  the  Conference  session  this  morning.  This  is 
the  fifth  session  of  the  1 1 7th  Semi- Annual  Conference  of  the  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  We  are  convened  in  the  Tab- 
ernacle on  Temple  Square,  Salt  Lake  City.  The  usual  broadcast  has 
just  been  finished.  The  house  is  packed  to  suffocation.  People  are 
standing  all  around  in  the  aisles  and  doorways.  The  Assembly  Hall 
is  occupied  by  a  large  audience,  equipped  with  amplifiers  and  every 
other  convenience. 

There  are  present  on  the  stand  this  morning  all  the  General  Au- 
thorities of  the  Church,  except  Elder  Stephen  L  Richards,  who  is 
detained  at  home  by  his  doctor's  orders;  Elder  Ezra  Taft  Benson, 
acting  as  President  of  the  European  Mission;  and  the  Patriarch  to 
the  Church,  also  absent  on  account  of  illness. 


PRESIDENT,  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH 


111 


The  proceedings  of  this  session  will  be  broadcast  over  KSL  of 
Salt  Lake  City,  KSUB  of  Cedar  City,  and  KID  at  Idaho  Falls. 

We  will  begin  this  morning's  session  by  the  Tabernacle  Choir 
and  congregation  singing  "Come,  Come  Ye  Saints,"  Hymn  book  page 
47,  L.D.S.  Hymns  194. 

I  think  this  a  fine  opportunity  for  the  people  who  are  here  to  help 
the  Choir  and  let  us  sing  this  great  hymn  that  has  been  sung  so  many 
times  in  all  parts  of  the  world.  Elder  J.  Spencer  Cornwall  will  be  in 
charge  of  the  Choir  as  director,  and  Elder  Alexander  Schreiner  is 
the  organist. 

The  opening  prayer  will  be  offered  by  President  Carl  A.  Patten 
of  the  Santaquin-Tintic  Stake  of  Zion. 

The  Choir  and  congregation  sang  the  hymn:  "Come,  Come, 
Ye  Saints,"  (Hymn  Book,  page  47,  L.D.S.  Hymns  No.  194.) 

Elder  Carl  A.  Patten,  President  of  the  Santaquin-Tintic  Stake, 
offered  the  invocation. 

President  George  Albert  Smith: 

We  have  a  message  from  President  Selvoy  J.  Boyer  of  the  British 
Mission : 

"Sparkhill,  Birmingham,  England 
50  Elders  and  600  Saints  send  greetings  from  British 
Mission  Conference,  Birmingham,  England  to  loved  ones 
and  friends  assembled  in  Zion.  All  is  well. 

Pres.  Selvoy  J.  Boyer." 

I  am  sure  many  of  those  in  this  audience  are  familiar  with  the 
place  from  which  this  message  comes  and  remember  with  love  many 
of  those  who  are  sending  it. 

The  Tabernacle  Choir  will  now  sing,  "Holiness  Becometh  the 
House  of  the  Lord,"  by  Stephens,  after  which  President  David  O. 
McKay  of  the  First  Presidency  will  address  us. 

The  Tabernacle  Choir  sang:  "Holiness  Becometh  the  House 
of  the  Lord,"  by  Stephens. 

President  George  Albert  Smith: 

I  want  to  have  you  folks  see  this  boy  here,  87  years  young — ■ 
George  Margetts.  He  has  attended  every  Conference  that  has  been 
held  here  for  64  years,  as  the  chief  usher  most  of  the  time,  and  he  is 
always  on  hand  smiling,  with  some  kind  of  flower  for  some  of  the 
Brethren. 

PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY 

Second  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency 

"I  charge  thee,"  wrote  Paul  to  Timothy,  "before  God,  and  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  ...  Preach  the  word;  be  instant  in  season,  out  of 


112  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  6  Third  Day 

season;  reprove,  rebuke,  exhort  with  all  longsuffering."  (II  Tim.  4: 
1,2.) 

In  the  same  letter  he  prophetically  declared  "that  in  the  last  days 
perilous  times  shall  come.  For  men  shall  be  lovers  of  their  own  selves, 
.  .  .  lovers  of  pleasures  more  than  lovers  of  God;  Having  a  form  of 
godliness,  but  denying  the  power  thereof.  ( II  Tim.  3: 1,  2,  4,  5. ) 

It  is  in  the  spirit  of  Paul's  charge  and  prophecy  that  I  approach 
the  subject  of  safeguards  against  delinquency  of  youth.  In  naming 
these  safeguards  I  have  nothing  new  to  offer.  You  have  heard  them 
mentioned  frequently,  but  I  think  as  with  the  gospel  principles,  it 
is  fitting  that  we  be  active  in  season  and  out  of  season,  that  we  reprove, 
rebuke,  exhort,  admonish,  with  all  long-suffering  as  we  contemplate 
the  rising  crime  wave  and  bring  home  to  each  of  us,  if  possible,  the 
realization  that  greater  diligence  is  needed. 

Few  will  question  that  we  are  living  in  perilous  times,  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.) 

A  short  time  ago,  a  commission  on  evangelism,  appointed  by  the 
archbishops  of  Canterbury  and  York,  made  a  report  revealing  some 
astounding  facts  on  the  present-day  status  of  "Christian"  England. 
The  report  said: 

The  present  irrelevance  of  the  Church  in  the  life  and  thought  of 
the  community  in  general  is  apparent  from  two  symptoms  which  admit 
of  no  dispute.  These  are  ( 1 )  the  widespread  decline  in  Church  going; 
and  (2)  the  collapse  of  Christian  moral  standards. 

Associated  with  this  was  the  statement  that  only  from  ten  to 
fifteen  percent  of  the  population  are  closely  linked  to  any  Christian 
church. 

Commenting  upon  this  report,  one  of  the  daily  papers  in  England 
said,  among  other  things: 

Youth  is  largely  indifferent  to  Christianity — finding  in  religion  no 
relevance  to  life,  and  inj  life  itself  no  meaning.  If  we  inquire  what  it  is 
that  has  caused  these  alarming  symptoms  of  national  decline  and  fall, 
the  answer  is  that  our  generation  has  succumbed  to  the  age-long  delusion 
of  a  self-sufficient  humanism  which  puts  man  (not  God)  in  the  center  of 
his  world,  and  regards  man  (not  God)  as  the  standard  of  reference. 
The  worst,  however,  is  not  yet  told,  for  the  Church  itself  has  become 
infected  with  the  spirit  of  the  age,  and  has  thereby  lost  its  vision,  its 
vitality  and  its  spiritual  authority.  The  real  problem  is  not  the  ninety 
percent  which  stand  outside  the  churches,  but  the  ten  percent  inside  the 
churches,  so  many  of  whom  are  only  half  converted  and  ill-instructed. 

Truly  it  would  seem  that  men  and  women  are  either  groping 
blindly  for  the  truth  or  have  become  lovers  of  pleasure  more  than 
lovers  of  God,  having  a  form  of  godliness,  but  denying  the  power 
thereof. 

Among  the  glaring  evil  products  of  the  war  and  postwar  periods 


PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY  1 13 


are  two  which  seem  to  me  to  be  most  portentous  and  which  should  be 
curbed  if  we  would  preserve  true  Christian  ideals.  These  are:  first, 
an  increasing  tendency  to  dishonor  the  marriage  vow;  and,  second, 
the  upswing  in  juvenile  delinquency.  Careful  research  would  un- 
doubtedly disclose  a  close  relationship  between  these  two  unwhole- 
some social  conditions. 

Marriage  Looseness  and  Infidelity 

As  evidence  of  the  first,  we  need  only  to  glance  at  the  number 
of  divorces  even  among  temple  marriages,  mentioned  impressively 
in  his  appeal  last  evening  by  President  George  Albert  Smith.  In  the 
country  at  large,  one  out  of  every  five  marriages  are  separated  hy  the 
ever-grinding  divorce  mill.  Recent  statistics  disclose  that  we  now  have 
one  out  of  three. 

Bearing  tragic  witness  to  the  lessening  regard  for  purity  in  mar- 
riage is  the  large  number  of  so-called  war  brides  whose  husbands 
have  returned  to  face  broken  promises  and  tragic  instances  of  in- 
fidelity. 

Juvenile  Delinquency 

But  it  is  to  the  ever-increasing  crime  wave  that  I  desire  to  call 
attention  this  morning.  Children  are  being  corrupted  by  it;  youth  are 
caught  in  its  whirlpool,  and  are  being  contaminated  overwhelmingly 
by  it.  According  to  the  director  of  the  Federal  Bureau  of  Inves- 
tigation, 

...  it  is  mounting  in  intensity.  It  is  growing  in  severity.  It  is 
not  isolated.    It  is  nationwide. 

Referring  to  conditions  during  the  war,  he  comments: 

There  was  the  spirit  of  wartime  abandon,  for  example,  with  its  last- 
fling  philosophy  which  provided  justification  to  less  resolute  wills  to 
violate  the  conventions  of  society.  Lessons  in  school  became  secondary. 
Girls  sacrificed  virtue  on  a  false  shrine  of  patriotism.  Arrests  for  pros- 
titution increased  three  hundred  seventy-five  percent,  disorderly  conduct 
three  hundred  fifty-seven  percent,  and  drunkness  and  driving  while  in- 
toxicated one  hundred  seventy-four  percent  among  girls  under  eighteen 
in  the  wartime  years.  To  those  who  were  not  grounded  in  fundamentals, 
established  values  disappeared,  and  an  attitude  of  impermanence  super- 
seded individual  responsibility.  Conflicts  between  liberty  and  license 
manifested  themselves  in  wrongdoing.  Personal  responsibility  in  too 
many  homes  has  become  archaic  and  old  fashioned. 

The  passing  parade  of  crime  presents  a  sordid  spectacle. 

Out  of  each  one  thousand  marching  in  this  endless  parade,  five  hun- 
dred twenty-one  have  marched  before  to  a  prior  arrest,  and  two  hundred 
ten  are  under  twenty-one  years  of  age.  More  persons  aged  seventeen 
are  arrested  than  in  any  other  age  group.  Of  each  one  thousand  mur- 
derers, one  hundred  forty  are  under  twenty-one  years  of  age;  of  every  one 
thousand  robbers,  three  hundred  sixty  are  under  twenty-one;  of  burglars, 
five  hundred  ten;  of  thieves,  three  hundred  forty;  of  arsonists,  two  hun- 


114  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday.  October  6  Third  Day 

dred  fifty;  of  one  thousand  car  thieves,  six  hundred  thirty  are  under 
twenty-one;  and  of  one  thousand  rapists,  three  hundred  twenty  are  under 
twenty-one  years  of  age. 

In  calling  attention  to  these  conditions,  and  in  my  comments 
later,  I  would  not  have  you  think  that  young  people  generally  do  not 
merit  our  confidence.  It  is  the  few,  not  the  many,  of  whom  we  now 
speak. 

When,  a  few  years  ago,  a  little  four-year-old  lad  wandered  into 
the  bad  lands  of  North  Dakota,  the  whole  countryside  was  aroused 
and  organized  for  the  rescue.  They  gave  no  thought,  however,  to  the 
hundreds  of  four-year-olds  who  were  safe  in  their  mothers'  keeping. 
A  train  wreck  or  an  airplane  disaster  shocks  us  to  attention,  awakens 
sympathy  and  a  demand  for  more  safeguards,  while  to  the  hundreds 
of  trains  and  airplanes  carrying  millions  to  safety,  we  give  scarcely  a 
passing  thought. 

So  while  we  solicitously  call  attention  to  the  tragedies  in  the 
stream  of  human  life,  let  us  not  be  unmindful  of  the  much  greater 
group  who  move  steadily  and  successfully  along,  avoiding  the  sand- 
bars and  rapids  of  sinful  indulgence  and  spiritual  decay,  whose 
noble  lives  confirm  and  increase  confidence  in  the  growing  genera- 
tion. As  we  seek  the  lost  sheep,  let  us  be  apprecviative  of  the  "ninety 
and  nine"  that  are  safe  in  the  fold. 

But  no  matter  how  firm  our  confidence  in  the  majority  of  the 
young,  we  must  not  close  our  eyes  to  the  fact  that  the  number  of  de- 
linquents and  youthful  criminals  is  increasing.  In  the  interest  of  the 
moral  atmosphere  of  our  communities,  the  welfare  of  the  state,  the 
perpetuity  of  our  democratic  form  of  government,  we  must  search 
for  the  causes  of  this  upswing  in  crime,  and,  if  possible,  remove  them 
and  apply  the  proper  remedies. 

The  Home  the  First  Safeguard 

One  cause  of  the  increase  in  child  delinquency  is  a  letdown  in 
home  ideals.  The  exigencies  of  war  induced  many  mothers  to  take 
up  war  work,  and  to  leave  their  children  in  the  care  of  others,  or,  too 
often,  to  let  them  shift  for  themselves.  A  growing  desire  for  economic 
independence,  or  a  too  eager  willingness  to  improve  financial  circum- 
stances, has  influenced  some  mothers  to  neglect  the  greatest  of  all 
responsibilities — the  rearing  of  a  family.  The  national  director  of 
the  Federal  Bureau  of  Investigation  makes  the  definite  statement  that 

...  in  the  background  of  these  youthful  offenders  lies  the  story  of 
shocking  neglect.  Boys  and  girls  are  being  deprived  of  the  care  and 
guidance  necessary  to  the  proper  foundation  of  their  characters.  Their 
lawlessness  had  its  roots  in  every  instance  in  broken  homes,  in  homes 
where  mothers  and  fathers  because  of  their  neglect,  misunderstanding,  or 
irresponsibility  had  failed  in  their  primary  obligation.  More  often  than 
not,  God  was  unknown,  or,  more  important,  was  unwelcome  in  their  homes. 

On  the  other  hand,  in  nearly  every  instance  the  youthful  offender 
would  have  been  a  strong,  upright  citizen  had  he  been  given  a  chance. 


PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY  115 


If  his  pent-up  energies  and  desires  had  been  directed  along  wholesome 
channels;  if  his  problems — the  problems  that  made  him  a  problem  child — 
had  been  solved  by  patient  and  attentive  parents,  he  would  have  proved 
to  be  an  influeftce  for  good  in  his  community. 

You  may  think  me  extreme,  but  I  am  going  to  say  that  a  married 
woman  who  refuses  to  assume  the  responsibilities  of  motherhood, 
or  who,  having  children,  neglects  them  for  pleasure  or  social  prestige, 
is  recreant  to  the  highest  calling  and  privilege  of  womankind.  The 
father,  who  because  of  business  or  political  or  social  responsibilities, 
fails  to  share  with  his  wife  the  responsibilities  of  rearing  his  sons  and 
daughters,  is  untrue  to  his  martial  obligations,  is  a  negative  element 
in  what  might  be  and  should  be  a  joyous  home  atmosphere,  and  is  a 
possible  contributor  to  discord  and  delinquency.  A  President  of  the 
United  States  once  said: 

Our  country  has  a  vast  majority  of  competent  mothers.  I  am  not 
so  sure  of  the  majority  of  competent  fathers! 

Fathers  may  and  should  exercise  a  helpful,  restraining  influence,  where 
a  mother's  tenderness  and  love  might  lead  to  indulgence  on  the  part 
of  the  children.  In  this  respect,  however,  every  father  should  ever 
keep  in  mind  that  he  was  once  a  mischievous  youngster  himself,  and 
deal  with  his  boy  sympathetically. 

The  home  is  the  best  place  in  the  world  to  teach  the  highest  ideal 
in  the  social  and  political  life  of  man;  namely,  perfect  liberty  of  action 
so  long  as  you  do  not  trespass  upon  the  rights  and  privileges  of  an- 
other. 

The  great  need  in  the  American  home  today  is  more  religion. 
Parents  should  make  it  obvious  both  by  their  actions  and  their  con- 
versation that  they  are  seriously  interested  if  not  in  outward  forms  in 
the  fruits  of  true  religion.  Example  of  parents  should  emphasize  the 
need  of  honesty  in  our  dealings  with  our  family,  our  neighbors,  and 
all  with  whom  we  come  in  contact;  of  kindness  to  our  employees,  of 
fair  play  to  our  employers,  or  good  measure  to  our  customers.  "Talk 
about  these  intangibles  should  become  as  common  practice  in  our 
homes  and  offices  as  talk  about  golf,  parties,  and  profits,  if  we  want 
to  succeed  in  solving  the  family  problem." 

The  Lord  places  the  responsibility  directly  where  it  belongs, 
wherein  he  says  that  it  is  the  duty  of  parents  to  teach  their  children 
the  principles  of  the  gospel  and  to  walk  uprightly  before  the  Lord, 
and  if  they  do  not  so  teach,  the  sin  be  upon  the  heads  of  the  parents. 

The  Church 

Next  to  the  home  as  a  safeguard  to  delinquency,  the  church 
should  be  a  dominant  force.  In  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  every 
child  should  be  more  or  less  safeguarded;  first,  by  the  ward  teacher, 
whose  duty  it  is  to  ".  .  .  watch  over  the  church  always  (the  "church" 
meaning  members),  to  be  with  and  to  strengthen  them."  (D.  &  C. 
20:53.)  Today  the  perfunctory  obligations  of  the  ward  teacher  are 


116  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday.  October  6  Third  Dag 

fairly  well  performed,  but  the  looking  after  of  individuals  is  woefully 
neglected.  If  every  teacher,  as  an  appointed  representative  of  the 
bishopric  of  his  ward,  were  properly  and  fully  to  perform  his  duty, 
he  would  be  aware  of  the  activity  or  inactivity  of  every  child,  and  of 
every  youth  in  the  Church,  each  teacher  watching  over  the  assigned 
families. 

In  more  direct  contact  with  individuals  are  the  quorum  officers 
and  instructors.  It  is  the  duty  of  these  officers  and  instructors  to  know 
the  status  of  every  youth  from  twelve  years  to  tweny,  and  to  take  per- 
sonal interest  in  each.  I  pause  to  let  you  comprehend  the  significance 
of  this  divine  organization. 

A  third  dominant  force  is  the  auxiliary  associations,  comprehend- 
ing in  their  enrollment  every  child  and  youth  from  six  years  of  age 
and  upward. 

Indifference  manifest  in  the  world  generally  towards  church 
should  tend  only  to  spur  men  of  the  priesthood  and  teachers  in  the 
auxiliaries  in  the  Church  of  Christ  to  more  earnest  and  diligent 
activity. 

The  Schools 

If  the  reports  be  true,  with  reference  to  the  indifference  of  the 
country  as  a  whole  toward  Christian  churches,  we  shall  have  to  place 
next  to  the  home,  not  the  church,  but  the  public  school,  as  the  most 
influential  factor  in  lessening  delinquency. 

Present-day  conditions  emphasize  the  fact  ( and  I  believe  it  with 
all  my  heart )  that  the  most  paramount  objective  of  the  public  school 
system  from  kindergarten  to  the  university  should  be  character  build- 
ing and  the  evolving  of  true,  loyal  citizens  of  the  republic.  The  teach- 
ing of  the  three  "R's,"  of  the  arts;  and  the  sciences,  even  the  delving 
into  research  work,  should  be  but  a  means  to  the  development  of  true 
manhood  and  noble  womanhood.  Education  for  loyal  citizenship! 
Ralph  Waldo  Emerson  (sometimes  referred  to  as  the  wisest  Am- 
erican )  truly  said : 

Character  is  higher  than  intellect;  a  great  soul  will  be  fit  to  live  as 
well  as  to  think. 

A  few  years  ago  inquiry  made  into  the  school  status  of  juvenile 
delinquents  in  one  of  our  Utah  school  districts,  revealed  the  fact  that 
eighty-one  percent  of  the  offenses  were  found  committed  by  five  per- 
cent of  school  pupils.  A  committee  appointed  to  deal  with  this  situa- 
tion made  the  following  report : 

1.  Since  the  school  offers  one  of  the  best  resources  in  the  state  to 
prevent  and  treat  delinquency,  every  effort  should  be  made  by  both  school 
and  court  to  help  the  delinquent  make  a  satisfactory  school  adjustment.  In 
order  to  accomplish  this  result,  cases  which  come  to  the  court  should  be  im- 
mediately referred  to  the  school  coordinator  or  attendance  department  of 
the  school  district  in  which  the  juvenile  resides  in  order  to  determine  whether 
or  not  the  delinquent  has  a  satisfactory  school  or  work  record.  If  he 
}jas  not,  the  court  and  schools  should  not  cease  their  efforts  until  the  de- 


PRESIDENT  DAVID  O.  McKAY  1 17 

linquent  is  either  in  school  full  time  on  a  satisfactory  program,  or  is  em- 
ployed and  under  proper  supervision. 

2.  That  immediately  after  the  juvenile  court  has  disposed  of  a  case, 
the  school  coordinator  should  be  notified  of  the  disposition  made. 

3.  That  the  industrial  school  notify  the  proper  school  authority  when 
it  releases  a  boy  or  girl  to  his  or  her  own  home. 

The  Community  Atmosphere 

A  fourth  and  final  safeguard  against  delinquency  of  youth  is  the 
moral  atmosphere  of  the  town  or  community.  This  is  determined  by 
the  ideals  and  actions  of  adults,  and  particularly  of  civic  officers  and 
those  who  are  entrusted  to  enforce  the  law.  The  following  from  one 
of  our  leading  columnists  (Miss  Dorothy  Thompson)  referring  to 
the  "pervasive  example  of  the  behavior  of  adult  civilization,"  is  perti- 
nent: 

As  long  as  we  publicize  and  condone  violence;  reward  profiteering; 
intensify  civil  strife;  glorify  personalities  with  the  sexual  morals  of  rabbits; 
teach  in  our  high  schools  and  colleges  a  cheap  relativism  which  denies  per- 
sonal responsibility  and  places  all  our  sins  upon  the  "economic  system" 
or  "infantile  conditioning,"  so  long  will  we  have  juvenile  criminals.  Our 
children  are  reflections  of  ourselves,  or  of  the  things  in  our  communal 
life  that  we  tolerate.  England,  now,  is  making  special  films  to  be  shown 
in  special  theatres  for  teen-agers — films  which  are  partly  educational 
and  partly  pure  entertainment,  made  by  first  rate  artists,  and  frankly 
designed  to  magnify  and  make  attractive  virtue. 

The  writer  then  quotes  Thomas  Jefferson  who  "did  not  believe 
that  you  can  get  a  good  society  except  through  good,  honest,  well- 
mannered,  considerate,  law-abiding,  clean-living  citizens.  He  thought, 
in  fact,  that  if  education  concentrated  in  the  first  line  on  creating 
these,  society  and  the  state  would  ake  care  of  themselves." 

Yes,  we  are  living  in  perilous  times,  but  let  us  hope  that  they 
may  be  to  the  present  generation  as  the  fiery  furnace  that  consumes  the 
dross  but  purifies  the  gold. 

A  clean  man  is  a  national  asset.  A  pure  woman  is  the  incarnation  of 
true  national  glory.  A  citizen  who  loves  justice  and  hates  evil  is  better 
than  a  battleship.  The  strength  of  any  community  consists  of  and  exists 
in  the  men  who  are  pure,  clean,  upright  and  straightforward,  ready  for  the 
right  and  sensitive  to  every  approach  of  evil.  Let  such  ideals  be  the  stand- 
ard of  citizenship. 

They  are  fundamentals  in  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ. 

God  bless  the  workers  in  the  priesthood  and  auxiliary  organiza- 
tions that  they  may  search  out  the  young,  be  constant  in  season  and 
out  of  season,  guarding  well  those  boys  and  girls  who  are  not  bad 
but  who  lack  proper  guarding.  Victor  Hugo  was  not  far  from  the 
truth  when  he  said: 

There  are  no  bad  boys,  and  there  are  no  bad  men,  there  are  only  bad 
cultivators. 

God  give  us  power  to  be  good  cultivators  of  youth,  I  pray  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 


118  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  6  Third  Day 

President  George  Albert  Smith: 

We  have  just  listened  to  President  David  O.  McKay  of  the  First 
Presidency,  who  will  now  be  followed  by  Elder  Alma  Sonne,  one  of 
the  Assistants  to  the  Twelve.  Elder  Sonne  will  leave  immediately 
after  the  conclusion  of  our  Conference  work  here  to  go  to  England  to 
preside  over  the  European  Mission.  I  suggest,  my  brethren  and 
sisters,  that  he  will  carry  a  message  from  this  Conference  to  many  of 
your  loved  ones  on  the  other  side  of  the  great  ocean. 

ELDER  ALMA  SONNE 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

Brothers  and  sisters:  We  have  just  listened  to  a  great  sermon, 
a  sermon  of  precious  truths.  I  hope  and  pray  that  during  the  few 
moments  I  stand  here  I  may  be  prompted  and  directed  by  the 
good  Spirit,  for  I  desire  to  bear  my  testimony  and  to  make  acknowl- 
edgment of  the  rich  spiritual  heritage  which  is  mine,  and  which  I 
know  is  yours,  because  of  our  membership  in  the  Church. 

Conviction  Necessary  to  Action 

The  other  day  there  came  to  my  office  a  man  to  dissuade  me,  and 
to  discourage  me  from  accepting  the  call  to  the  mission  field.  It  was 
the  same  line  of  argument  which  I  had  heard  thirty-five  years  ago. 
"Why  must  you  go?"  he  asked.  "Isn't  the  soul  at  home  as  precious 
to  save  as  the  soul  in  Europe?"  he  asked.  I  answered  him  very  briefly. 
"I  suppose,"  I  said,  "it's  a  matter  of  conviction."  And  then  he  replied, 
"It  is  very  important  what  we  believe." 

I  knew  this  man;  I  knew  his  background;  I  knew  his  family.  I 
remember  that  from  his  youth  he  had  walked  in  a  road  that  led  away 
from  the  Church.  I  recall  his  old  grandfather,  a  pioneer.  As  a  boy 
I  had  heard  his  testimony.  He  had  seen  the  Prophet.  He  had  heard 
him  speak.  This  veteran  came  to  Nauvoo  when  mobocracy  and  perse- 
cution were  rampant.  He  later  left  his  home  and  his  little  farm  and 
cast  his  lot  with  the  persecuted  and  driven  people,  driven  across  the 
prairie  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Why  did  he  do  it?  Because  he  had 
conviction! 

A  Testimony  of  the  Truthfulness  of  the  Book  of  Mormon 

When  I  was  a  young  man,  feeling  my  way  cautiously  and  thought- 
fully, and  I  hope,  prayerfully,  I  asked  my  father,  "Why  did  you  join 
the  Church?"  The  question  came  to  him  as  a  challenge.  He  hesitated 
for  a  moment  and  then  replied,  "Because  I  read  the  Book  of  Mormon." 
He  had  come  to  America,  not  for  the  gospel's  sake,  but  because  he 
believed  America  was  a  land  of  opportunity,  in  which  a  person  could 
make  headway  if  he  worked  and  saved  and  struggled  toward  an  end. 
And  then  someone  handed  him  a  Book  of  Mormon.  "Read  it,"  he  was 


ELDER  ALMA  SONNE 


119 


urged.  He  read  a  chapter  or  two  every  night,  before  retiring,  until 
the  book  was  read  from  cover  to  cover.  He  put  it  aside,  not  particu- 
larly impressed.  Then  one  day  as  he  was  working  in  the  field  a  thought 
came  to  him:  "That  book  is  God-given.  Joseph  Smith  never  wrote 
that  book."  And  then  he  came  to  a  logical  conclusion:  "If  that  book 
is  a  revelation,  then  'Mormonism'  is  true,  and  the  gospel  and  the  priest- 
hood are  upon  the  earth."  Then  he  sought  out  the  bishop  of  the  ward 
in  which  he  was  residing,  and  asked  to  be  baptized  a  member  of  the 
Church. 

A  Mother's  Faithfulness 

I  recall  now  that  my  mother,  when  she  was  not  yet  in  her  'teens, 
walked  across  the  prairie  from  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa,  to  Cache  valley, 
Utah,  behind  a  yoke  of  oxen  and  a  covered  wagon;  she,  and  her  par- 
ents, trudged  along  over  the  dusty  and  sun-baked-  plains,  until  they 
reached  the  "valleys  of  the  mountains."  The  first  year  was  spent  in 
a  dugout;  they  endured  hardships  and  privations.  Why?  Because  a 
humble  missionary  had  brought  the  gospel  to  their  home  and  ex- 
plained it  to  them  in  such  a  way  that  they  could  understand  it.  So  it 
seems  to  me  that  we  all  have  such  a  heritage.  I  am  thankful  for  it. 

Preparation  for  the  Restoration  of  the  Gospel 

We  have  been  talking  about  America,  the  land  of  the  free. 
There  is  an  old  American  motto  which  is  inscribed  on  our  coins.  It 
reads,  "In  God  we  trust."  I  am  convinced  if  freedom  in  America,  and 
elsewhere,  is  to  be  preserved,  we  must  return  to'  God,  Indeed,  I  be- 
lieve that  years  before  the  gospel  was  restored,  preparations  were 
made  for  its  restoration.  It  was  no  accident  that  Christopher  Colum- 
bus reached  the  shores  of  San  Salvador  in  three  flimsy  vessels.  It  was 
no  accident  that  the  invincible  armada  of  King  Phillip  of  Spain  was 
scattered  by  a  storm  which  arose  at  an  opportune  moment  on  the  high 
seas.  It  was  no  accident  that  a  few  drops  of  water,  more  or  less,  as 
Victor  Hugo  said,  fell  on  the  battlefield  of  Waterloo  and  brought 
about  the  defeat  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte.  It  was  no  accident  that 
thirteen  loose,  unorganized  colonies  on  the  Atlantic  seaboard,  without 
money,  without  credit,  without  a  navy,  without  an  army,  were  victor- 
ious in  the  Revolutionary  War.  It  was  no  accident  that  the  profound 
and  great  political  truth  set  forth  in  the  Declaration  of  Independence 
found  expression  through  the  pen  of  Thomas  Jefferson.  Why?  Be- 
cause he  was  inspired,  and  freedom  of  worship  was  an  essential  part 
of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 

May  God  help  us  to  appreciate  the  blessings  which  are  ours. 
May  he  preserve  our  land  and  our  nation  in  these  crucial  days,  that 
America  may  live  and  freedom  may  go  out  to  all  the  world,  so  the 
gospel  of  the  kingdom  can  be  preached  without  fear  or  favor  to  the 
nations  everywhere,  I  pray  humbly,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 


120  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday.  October  6  Third  Da-j 

The  Choir  and  congregation  joined  in  singing  the  hymn,  "O  Ye 
Mountains  High,"  by  Penrose. 

President  George  Albert  Smith: 

I  would  like  to  say  to  those  who  do  not  know  it,  that  the  glorious 
hymn  which  we  have  just  sung  was  composed  by  a  man  who  had 
never  seen  the  Rocky  Mountains,  never  been  here,  but  wrote  it  under 
the  inspiration  of  the  Lord. 

ELDER  CLIFFORD  E.  YOUNG 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

I  never  was  more  conscious,  my  brothers  and  sisters,  of  the 
truthfulness  of  the  statement  that  "A  speech,  to  be  immortal,  should 
not  be  eternal."  I  recognize  the  value  of  time  here  this  morning.  May 
I  just  say  in  passing,  with  reference  to  President  Penrose,  to  whom 
President  Smith  has  alluded,  in  harmony  with  what  President  Dunn 
related  to  us  yesterday  of  his  experience  in  the  Islands  in  translating 
for  one  of  the  brethren,  that  it  was  my  good  fortune  to  travel  with 
President  Penrose  in  the  northern  part  of  the  German  Mission  and 
to  translate  for  him.  I  can  bear  witness  to  you  that  if  there  was  any 
doubt  in  my  mind  as  to  the  gift  of  tongues,  that  doubt  vanished  as 
I  stood  by  the  side  of  that  great  leader  and  prophet  and  endeavored 
to  convey  to  the  Saints  in  German  what  he  said  in  English.  President 
Dunn  bore  witness  of  this  yesterday,  and  I  can  testify  to  that  truth. 

Importance  of  Listening  to  Servants  of  God 

I  desire  to  call  attention  to  a  matter  or  two  that  I  think  need  to 
give  us  concern,  and  may  I  preface  it  by  relating  to  you  the  circum- 
stance of  the  Savior  as  he  went  into  the  wilderness  after  his  baptism. 
You  recall  that  he  fasted  for  forty  days  and  forty  nights  and  then 
was  hungered,  and  Satan  came  to  him  and  tempted  him,  saying: 

...  If  thou  be  the  Son  of  God,  command  that  these  stones  be  made 
bread.   (Matt.  4:3.) 

Of  course,  the  implication  was  that  by  bread,  hunger  may  be  appeased. 
And  then  Jesus  said: 

.  .  .  Man  shall  not  live  by  bread  alone,  but  by  every  word  that  pro- 
ceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of  God.  (Matt.  4:4.) 
Supplementing  this,  is  the  statement  of  the  Lord  where  he  says: 

.  .  .  whether  by  mine  own  voice  or  by  the  voice  of  my  servants,  it 
is  the  same.    (D.  &  C.  1:38.) 

We  have  had  brought  to  our  attention  during  this  conference 
many  of  the  problems  confronting  us,  but  it  seems  to  me  that  if  we 
could  burn  in  our  hearts  the  truthfulness  of  that  statement  that  we 


ELDER  CLIFFORD  E.  YOUNG  121 


should  live  by  every  word  that  proceedeth  forth  from  the  mouth  of 
God,  we  would  go  a  long  way  in  solving  these  problems.  These  breth- 
ren whom  God  has  called  to  preside  and  give  us  direction,  when  they 
speak  they  do  not  speak  flippantly,  they  officially  declare  to  us  what 
we  should  do.  "It  is  the  same,"  the  Lord  says.  "It  is  my  word,"  and 
we  should  recognize  it  as  such. 

Get  Out  of  Debt 

Now  in  harmony  with  that  thought  may  I  call  attention  to  a 
matter  about  which  I  have  considerable  concern,  and  I  am  sure  you 
do.  In  this  pulpit  in  1903,  President  Joseph  F.  Smith  admonished 
the  Saints  that  they  should  get  out  of  debt.  At  that  time  we  were 
enjoying  a  good  deal  of  prosperity,  and  President  Smith  admonished 
the  Saints  to  pay  their  debts  and  be  free  from  bondage  while  money 
was  plentiful.  Well,  many  of  them  did,  but  some  did  not.  As  is  the 
case  now,  so  it  was  then — all  did  not  accept  the  advice  and  counsel. 
By  and  by  the  first  world  war  came  on  and  the  demand  for  com- 
modities increased;  prices  soared;  money  was  plentiful  and  again 
the  temptation  to  borrow!  Farmers  bought  more  land;  livestock  men 
increased  their  flocks  and  herds,  much  of  this  on  borrowed  money, 
overlooking  the  possibility  that  there  might  again  come  a  day  of  reck- 
oning. And  so,  many  of  our  people  took  on  the  obligations  of  debt. 
In  1930-32,  we  felt  the  pinch  of  it,  and  I  may  say  without  fear  of 
contradiction,  had  we  not  had  the  bondage  of  debt  as  we  did  at  that 
time,  the  depression  would  not  have  been  so  tragic  with  many  of  us. 
But  being  in  debt,  not  being  able  to  pay  our  interest,  not  being  able 
to  pay  our  obligations  due  to  the  fact  that  commodity  values  had 
gone  way  down  below  any  level  that  had  existed  at  the  time  the 
debts  were  incurred,  the  result  was  that  it  was  impossible  for  men 
and  women  to  pay  their  debts,  and  bankruptcy,  sorrow,  and  tragedy 
followed. 

Counsel  to  Returned  Servicemen 

History  is  again  repeating  itself,  my  brothers  and  sisters.  We 
have  come  again  into  a  time  of  complacency.  Money  is  easy;  wages 
are  high;  very  few  people  are  out  of  work — indeed,  we  may  say  no 
one  needs  to  be  out  of  work  now  if  he  will  work.  And  yet  we  have 
still  the  same  danger,  and  there  is  one  phase  of  it  that  comes  home 
to  us :  Our  boys  are  coming  home  from  the  service,  and  by  the  way, 
we  brethren  who*  hold  the  priesthood  must  not  overlook  the  counsel 
that  was  given  to  us  a  year  or  so  ago  that  we  should  take  cognizance 
of  these  boys  as  they  come  home,  and  advise  with  them.  Their  com- 
ing home  is  becoming  a  common  thing  with  us,  and  we  are  neglecting 
them  and  failing  in  many  instances  to  give  advice  and  counsel  where  it 
is  needed.  And  so  may  I  remind  us  again  of  our  obligation  to  these 
boys. 

As  our  boys  return,  they  are  in  need  of  homes,  and  opportuni- 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Third  Day 


ties  to  borrow  money  and  invest  in  land  or  livestock  are  before  them, 
as  such  opportunities  were  before  us  twenty-five  years  ago.  Money 
is  easy,  and  my  apprehension,  my  brothers  and  sisters,  and  it  comes 
from  some  experience  in  contacting  many  of  our  boys,  is  that  we  are 
not  protecting  them  against  heavy  obligations  —  obligations  that 
they  cannot  meet.  It  is  an  easy  thing,  under  the  present  system,  for 
our  boys  to  go  heavily  in  debt  for  the  purchase  of  a  home.  I  am  not 
decrying  that — I  went  in  debt  for  my  own  home,  and  I  suppose  nearly 
every  other  young  man  as  he  started  out  in  life  and  had  nothing  to 
begin  with  did  that  very  thing  and  thought  himself  justified  in  doing 
it,  as  many  no  doubt  were.  The  danger,  however,  lies  in  taking  on 
ourselves  debts  that  we  cannot  pay.  Now  with  these  young  men,  the 
tendency  under  the  G.  I.  Bill  of  Rights  is  to  incur  obligations  that  it 
will  be  impossible  to  meet  when  the  day  of  reckoning  comes.  Values 
are  high  and  when  you  consider  a  boy,  who  has  nothing,  obligating 
himself  for  a  seven  or  eight  thousand  dollar  home,  with  good  wages 
now,  but  with  the  possibility  that  when  the  leveling  off  comes  his 
wages  will  be  very  meager,  one  can  see  the  danger  that  confronts 
our  youth.  And  so,  my  brethren  and  sisters,  we  should  give  them 
the  benefit  of  our  experience,  our  counsel  and  advice  in  these  most 
serious  problems. 

May  we  avoid  debt  just  as  far  as  possible,  and  may  we  help 
our  youth  to  avoid  these  pitfalls.  Some  of  them  are  justified  in  obli- 
gating themselves  if  they  can  see  their  way  out,  but  we  should  bear 
in  mind  that  we  cannot  always  maintain  the  wage  level  that  obtains 
today,  try  as  we  will.  I  don't  care  what  the  theories  of  the  econo- 
mists are,  it  just  simply  can't  be  done.  There  is  a  law  of  retribution 
that  operates  in  these  matters,  just  as  in  everything  else,  and  some 
day  we  shall  have  to  pay.  High  wages  will  not  always  exist,  hopeful 
as  we  are;  neither  will  jobs  be  as  plentiful  as  they  now  are.  And  so 
when  that  day  comes,  we  do  not  want  our  boys  in  bondage  as  many 
of  us  were  in  the  early  thirties  when  the  depression  broke. 

And  SO'  I  say  to  you,  it  is  well  for  us  to  accept  the  counsel  and 
advice  that  is  given  us  by  the  men  whose  right  it  is  to  give  it,  and  I 
repeat  again: 


And  God  help  us  so  to  do,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 


I  don't  know  that  I  have  ever  attended  a  conference  of  the  Church 
that  I  have  been  more  inspired  and  lifted  up,  or  more  grateful  for  my 
membership  in  the  Church  and  my  association  with  the  Saints  of 
God.  At  the  close  of  the  last  April  conference  I  said  to  my  wife, 
if  I  had  two  million  dollars  I  wouldn't  know  what  in  the  world  I  could 


.    .    ,    WUCLllCl    uy    llililC  uw 

it  is  the  same.  (D.  &  C.  1:38.) 


.  whether  by  mine  own  voice  or  by  the  voice  of  my  servants, 


BISHOP  LEGRAND  RICHARDS 


Presiding  Bishop  of  the  Church 


BISHOP  LeGRAND  RICHARDS  123 


buy  with  it  that  would  mean  as  much  to  me  or  bring  me  as  much  joy 
and  happiness  as  my  membership  in  this  Church  and  my  opportunity 
to  associate  with  the  Saints  and  minister  among  them.  And  more 
than  anything  else  this  day,  I  desire  that  my  ministry  and  efforts 
may  be  acceptable  to  God  and  a  blessing  to  the  people  of  this  great 
Church. 

Youth  Need  Testimonies 

President  McKay  spoke  this  morning  about  our  responsibilities 
to  the  youth  of  the  land,  and  I  thought  over  my  own  life  and  I  believe, 
my  brothers  and  sisters,  that  what  our  young  people  need  more  than 
anything  else  in  this  world,  is  a  testimony  of  the  divinity  of  this  work, 
and  if  in  all  our  auxiliaries  and  our  priesthood  quorums  we  lay  a  little 
more  stress  on  the  spirit  of  the  work  rather  than  on  the  letter  of  it, 
I  believe  we  would  find  the  results  in  the  lives  of  our  boys  and  girls 
most  acceptable. 

I  think  of  the  time  when  I  was  a  boy  and  the  things  that  im- 
pressed me,  and  I  remember  reading  the  Life  of  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith  by  George  Q.  Cannon.  It  did  something  for  me  and  caused 
my  soul  to  burn  within  me,  and  I  couldn't  help  wishing  that  I  might 
have  shared  some  of  the  responsibilities  of  those  early  days.  Then 
I  read  his  own  statement  where  he  was  so  concerned,  and  wondered 
because  he  was  persecuted  for  telling  the  truth.  He  said  he  felt  as 
he  imagined  Paul  felt  when  he  stood  before  Agrippa.  He  said,  "I 
had  seen  a  light;  I  had  heard  a  voice;  I  knew  that  God  knew  that  I 
knew  it;  and  I  dared  not  deny  it,  for  I  knew  that  by  so  doing  I  would 
come  under  condemnation  before  the  Lord."  (See  "Extracts  from 
the  History  of  Joseph  Smith.")  Then  I  remember  how  that  im- 
pressed me,  and  I  thought  that  does  not  sound  like  the  testimony  of 
a  deceiver  or  a  false  prophet,  and  I  remembered  the  testimony  of  Paul, 
which  I  think  is  one  of  the  most  wonderful  testimonies  we  have  ever 
heard  about,  when  he  stood  before  King  Agrippa  and  most  noble 
Festus  and  bore  his  testimony  how  he,  on  the  way  to  Damascus,  had 
seen  a  light  and  heard  a  voice,  and  knew  that  God  knew  that  he 
knew  it.  And  how,  when  he  had  borne  that  testimony,  Festus  turned 
to  him  and  said,  "Paul,  thou  art  beside  thyself;  much  learning  doth 
make  thee  mad,"  to  which  Paul  replied,  "I  am  not  mad,  most  noble 
Festus;  but  speak  forth  the  words  of  truth  and  soberness."  To  that 
Agrippa  replied  unto  Paul,  "Almost  thou  persuadest  me  to  be  a 
Christian,"  and  Paul  replied,  "I  would  to  God,  that  not  only  thou, 
but  also  all  that  hear  me  this  day,  were  both  almost,  and  altogether 
such  as  I  am,  except  these  bonds."  (Acts  26:24-29.) 

I  tell  you,  brethren  and  sisters,  there  is  no  motivating  power  in 
this  world  in  the  lives  of  boys  and  girls,  or  men  and  women,  com- 
parable to  a  testimony  of  the  truth  because  God  does  something  for 
men  and  women,  and  he  does  it  for  boys  and  girls  when  they  have  a 
testimony  of  the  divinity  of  this  great  latter-day  work. 


124  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday.  October  6  Third  Day 

Testimony  of  the  Three  Witnesses 

I  remember  leading  the  Sunday  School  in  one  of  our  Sunday 
School  conferences  when  Brother  Karl  G.  Maeser  and  Brother 
George  Goddard  were  present,  in  reciting  the  testimony  of  the  three 
witnesses,  and  I  would  like  to  read  that  to  you  today.  I  believe  I 
could  recite  it  without  the  book,  but  I  will  keep  it  here  for  fear  I  can- 
not: "Be  it  known  unto  all  nations,  kindreds,  tongues,  and  people, 
unto  whom  this  work  shall  come:  That  we,  through  the  grace  of 
God  the  Father,  and  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  have  seen  the  plates 
which  contain  this  record,  which  is  a  record  of  the  people  of  Nephi, 
and  also  of  the  Lamanites,  their  brethren,  and  also  of  the  people  of 
Jared,  who  came  from  the  tower  of  which  hath  been  spoken.  And 
we  also  know  that  they  have  been  translated  by  the  gift  and  power 
of  God,  for  his  voice  hath  declared  it  unto  us;  wherefore  we  know 
of  a  surety  that  the  work  is  true.  And  we  also  testify  that  we  have 
seen  the  engravings  which  are  upon  the  plates;  and  they  have  been 
shown  unto  us  by  the  power  of  God,  and  not  of  man.  And  we  de- 
clare with  words  of  soberness,  that  an  angel  of  God  came  down 
from  heaven,  and  he  brought  and  laid  before  our  eyes,  that  we  beheld 
and  saw  the  plates,  and  the  engravings  thereon;  and  we  know  that 
it  is  by  the  grace  of  God  the  Father  and  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that 
we  beheld  and  bear  record  that  these  things  are  true.  And  it  is 
marvelous  in  our  eyes.  Nevertheless,  the  voice  of  the  Lord  com- 
manded us  that  we  should  bear  record  of  it;  wherefore,  to  be  obedi- 
ent unto  the  commandments  of  God,  we  bear  testimony  of  these 
things.  And  we  know  that  if  we  are  faithful  in  Christ,  we  shall  rid 
our  garments  of  the  blood  of  all  men,  and  be  found  spotless  before 
the  judgment-seat  of  Christ,  and  shall  dwell  with  him  eternally  in 
the  heavens.  And  the  honor  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and 
to  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  is  one  God.  Amen."  (Book  of  Mormon, 
testimony. ) 

Now,  if  you  want  to  read  the  conclusion  of  those  testimonies, 
just  read  the  histories  of  those  three  men  when  they  lay  on  their 
deathbeds,  and  when  a  peace  came  over  them  when  they  lifted  their 
voices  before  they  went  into  the  eternal  world  to  bear  witness  that 
the  testimony  they  had  given  was  of,  God. 

I  want  to  tell  you,  brothers  and  sisters,  that  when  your  boys  and 
girls  feel  that,  they  have  something  that  will  hold  them  against  all 
the  powers  of  wickedness  in  this  world.  I  would  rather  trust  my 
boys  and  my  girls  in  this  world  with  a  testimony  of  this  work  burn- 
ing in  their  souls  than  all  the  information  you  can  give  them  out  of 
all  the  schoolbooks  that  have  ever  been  written. 

Divinity  of  Book  of  Mormon 

I  think  the  Book  of  Mormon  is  our  greatest  and  most  tangible 
evidence  of  the  divinity  of  the  mission  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith. 
When  that  book  was  first  handed  to  my  grandfather,  Willard  Rich- 


BISHOP  LeGRAND  RICHARDS  125 


ards,  he  opened  it  in  the  middle  of  the  book  and  read  a  few  pages; 
he  then  closed  the  book  and  said:  "That  book  was  either  written 
by  God  or  the  devil,  and  I  intend  to  find  out  who  wrote  it."  He  read 
it  through  twice  within  the  next  ten  days,  and  he  said  the  devil 
couldn't  have  done  it;  it  was  from  the  Lord.  It  is  from  the  Lord, 
brothers  and  sisters,  and  that  is  what  our  boys  and  girls  ought  to 
know. 

Appreciation  of  German  E.  Ellsworth  1  s\ 

I  want  to  express  here  a  deep  appreciation  for  my  friend,  Presi- 
dent German  E.  Ellsworth.  I  have  reason  to  call  him  friend  beyond 
just  the  common  friendship  of  brother  to  brother.  I  think  possibly 
outside  of  the  early  founders  of  the  Church,  no  other  man  has  spon- 
sored the  distribution  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  as  has  Brother  Ells- 
worth, and  I  noted  here  a  little  statement  he  made  in  the  meeting  of 
the  mission  presidents  last  Wednesday  when  we  spent  from  nine 
o'clock  in  the  morning  until  four-thirty  in  the  afternoon  listening  to 
the  inspiration  of  these  men  who  are  laboring  with  your  boys  and 
iris  in  the  mission  field.  Brother  Ellsworth  spoke  of  the  time  when 
e  was  president  of  the  Northern  States  Mission  and  of  the  thou- 
sands and  thousands  of  copies  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  he  published 
that  were  distributed  to  the  world.  He  said  as  he  walked  off  the  Hill 
Cumorah  one  day,  the  voice  of  the  Lord  said  unto  him:  "Push  the 
distribution  of  the  record  taken  from  this  hill;  it  will  help  bring  the 
world  to  Christ."  I  think  that  when  all  other  evidences  fail,  the  Book 
of  Mormon  will  do  that  very  thing  in  this  world,  and  as  far  as  I  am 
concerned,  I  think  we  haven't  all  the  evidence  yet.  There  will  be 
plenty  more  to  come. 

Value  of  Archeological  Research 

I  believe  it  was  in  1 934  that  I  read  an  article  in  the  newspapers 
of  a  visit  here  to  the  United  States  of  a  William  A.  Kennedy  from 
Lima,  Peru.  He  was  here  in  the  interest  of  gathering  funds  for  the 
erection  of  a  research  institution  in  Lima,  Peru.  The  article  indi- 
cated that  with  the  money  that  was  promised  by  the  small  Americas 
to  match  what  could  be  gathered  in  the  United  States,  that  he  already 
had  the  assurance  of  thirty  million  dollars,  and  that  this  amount 
would  be  increased  to  sixty  or  seventy  million  dollars  within  ten 
years.  Former  President  Herbert  Hoover  was  named  as  one  of  the 
board  members  of  that  institute,  and  it  was  to  be  erected  for  what 
purpose?  To  investigate  the  early  civilization  of  America,  particu- 
larly dealing  with  the  Inca  and  the  Maya  civilizations. 

I  heard  Brother  Callis  once  say  that  when  Joseph  Smith  received 
the  plates  he  got  down  on  his  knees  before  the  Lord,  and  said,  "O, 
God,  what  will  the  world  say?"  And  the  voice  of  God  came  to  him, 
"Fear  not,  I  will  cause  the  earth  to  testify  of  the  truth  of  these  things." 
And  by  the  time  this  institute  spends  this  sixty  or  seventy  million 


126  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  6  Third  Day 

dollars,  we  may  have  evidences,  far  beyond  anything  we  have  read 
of  up  to  this  time,  of  the  divinity  of  the  story  told  in  the  Book  of 
Mormon. 

Appreciation  of  Book  of  Mormon  Truths 

Ten  years  ago  Brother  Nicholas  G.  Smith,  one  of  my  dearest 
friends,  stood  in  this  pulpit  in  the  general  conference.  He  was  then 
presiding  over  the  California  Mission,  and  I  was  president  of  the 
Southern  States  Mission.  He  told  this  story.  You  can  find  it  in  the 
conference  report;  I  didn't  need  to  look  there  because  I  remembered 
it.  He  told  about  being  invited  by  the  dean  of  religion  from  the  Uni- 
versity of  Southern  California  at  Los  Angeles  to  come  to  his  church 
to  listen  to  him  preach,  and  he  asked  to  borrow  a  copy  of  the  Book 
of  Mormon.  One  of  the  missionaries  handed  him  his  copy.  Now  all 
you  missionaries  know  how  we  underline  certain  passages  in  red, 
and  the  minister  stood  up  before  his  congregation,  Presbyterian,  as 
I  remember,  with  Brother  Smith  and  some  of  our  missionaries  present. 
He  held  that  Book  of  Mormon  up  to  his  congregation.  He  said,  "I 
have  here  a  volume  of  scripture  which  has  been  in  our  midst  for  over 
one  hundred  years,  and  we  haven't  known  anything  about  it."  And 
then  he  opened  it,  and  turned  page  after  page,  reading  the  passages 
that  were  underscored  in  red,  and  then,  holding  it  before  his  congre- 
gation again,  he  said,  "Why  can't  we  fellowship  a  people  who  be- 
lieve in  such  beautiful  things  as  I  have  read  to  you  out  of  this  volume 
of  scripture?" 

Two  years  before  that,  we  received,  from  a  man  who  visited 
on  this  block,  a  letter  from  down  in  Texas,  in  which  he  said  that 
he  had  been  a  minister  in  a  Methodist  church  for  thirty-seven  years. 
He  said,  "I  have  spent  over  twelve  thousand  dollars  building  a  libr- 
ary of  the  choicest  books  I  could  find.  I  have  now  in  my  library  one 
book  which  is  worth  more  than  all  the  others  because  it  is  a  volume 
of  holy  scripture,"  and  He  named  it  as  the  Book  of  Mormon. 

Brothers  and  sisters,  we  just  don't  know  the  value  of  the  Book 
of  Mormon.  I  was  out  on  the  Boston  Commons  one  night,  holding 
a  street  meeting.  Following  the  meeting,  a  young  missionary  walked 
up  to  me  and  said,  "Brother  Richards,  I  don't  know  the  gospel  is 
true."  I  said,  "You  don't?"  And  he  said,  "No."  "Well,"  I  said, 
"you  take  the  Book  of  Mormon  and  live  with  it  and  think  with  it 
and  pray  about  it,  and  it  will  not  be  very  long  before  you  will  know 
the  gospel  is  true."  We  were  back  there  again,  a  few  weeks  later — 
I  didn't  happen  to  be  laboring  in  that  town,  but  we  came  in  for  a 
conference  or  a  priesthood  meeting.  That  night  I  was  in  charge  of 
the  meeting.  That  same  missionary  walked  up  to  me  and  said, 
"Brother  Richards,  may  I  speak  tonight?"  He  had  been  in  the 
field  only  a  short  time,  and  I  said,  "You  surely  can."  He  walked  out 
bef  ore  the  group  that  had  gathered  and  held  up  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
and  pulled  out  of  his  pocket  some  postcards  of  buried  cities  in  Cen- 


BISHOP  LeGRAND  RICHARDS  127 


tral  and  South  America  that  had  been  uncovered,  and  said,  "If  that 
Book  of  Mormon  isn't  true,  you  tell  me  how  Joseph  Smith  knew 
those  cities  were  buried  out  in  Central  and  South  America."  It 
didn't  take  him  long  to  find  the  truth. 

Missionary  Gains  Testimony 

Then  we  had  another  missionary  come  to  us  in  the  South,  who 
said,  "I  had  a  hard  job  to  make  up  my  mind  to  come  on  my  mission. 
My  professors  told  me  it  would  be  a  waste  of  time."  He  was  a  college 
student.  He  said,  "You  know,  I  am  a  very  practical  sort  of  a  fellow. 
I  like  to  be  able  to  walk  out  in  a  garden  and  pick  the  pears  off  the 

pear  tree,  and  then  I  know  it  is  a  pear  tree."  "Well,"  I  said,  "my 
boy,  I  wouldn't  worry  too  much  about  that  if  I  were  you.  Pears  grow 
on  our  tree,  too.  Now  you  take  the  Book  of  Mormon,  and  you  apply 
all  the  anlaysis  you  can  to  it  from  every  source;  how  it  could  have 
been  written;  who  could  have  written  it;  who  could  have  put  in  it 
the  information  that  is  there  save  God  the  Eternal  Father,  or  some- 
one to  whom  he  gave  that  information." 

Well,  I  sent  this  boy  out  into  Alabama.  A  few  weeks  later  I 
went  over  to  attend  a  conference,  and  I  said  to  the  district  president 
that  I  would  like  to  hear  from  that  young  man  down  there.  He  called 
on  him.  He  bore  a  magnificent  testimony.  I  walked  up  to  him  after 
the  meeting.  I  said,  "You  must  have  found  some  pears  on  the  pear 
tree."  And  he  said,  "Oh,  President  Richards,  forget  it." 

My  wife  was  in  company  with  me  one  day  when  we  met  a  boy 
we  had  helped  rear  and  who  had  learned  about  twelve  languages 
and  had  a  Ph.D.  She  turned  to  him  and  said,  "What  do  you  think 
is  the  greatest  evidence  of  the  divinity  of  the  Book  of  Mormon?" 
"Why,"  he  said,  "every  page  in  it!  No  human  being  could  have 
written  that  book  of  himself.  No  knowledge  in  this  world  could  have 
given  it,  save  it  was  from  God." 

Now  brothers  and  sisters,  I  must  not  take  more  time,  but  I  want 
to  tell  you  that  when  our  boys  and  girls  get  to  feel  the  truth  of  that 
book,  there  will  be  less  worry  about  where  their  feet  are  leading 
them  by  day  and  by  night.  God  bless  the  youth  of  Zion.  God  bless 
every  man  and  every  woman  who  bears  responsibility  in  the  home 
and  in  the  organizations  and  in  the  priesthood  quorums,  and  may  our 
testimonies  and  our  lives  so  affect  theirs  that  they  will  become  powers 
for  good  in  this  world,  and  may  this  book  yet  fulfill  this  great  decree, 
as  written  in  the  preface,  that  it  shall  be  a  witness  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  unto  all  nations.  I  pray,  and  leave  you  my  testimony,  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord,  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE 


Third  Dag 


ELDER  S.  DIL WORTH  YOUNG 


Of  the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy 


I  should  like  to  testify  of  the  truthfulness  of  what  Bishop  Rich- 
ards has  just  told  you.  If  we  could  send  our  boys  and  girls  into  the 
mission  fields  with  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
they  would  never  want  for  a  witness  and  a  testimony  to  bear  to  those 
who,  in  their  hearts,  are  ready  to  hear  the  gospel. 

My  experience  in  traveling  about  the  missions  is  that  when  the 
missionaries  know  this  great  witness,  they  have  no  doubt  in  their 
minds.  They  have  confidence  in  the  truth  of  the  gospel  and  are  pos- 
sessors of  a  sure  testimony  of  its  restoration  and  of  the  goodness  of 
the  Savior  to  us  in  this  day. 


It  is  not  my  purpose  to  talk  about  the  Book  of  Mormon  at  this 
time,  and  before  I  begin  on  the  subject  I  have  chosen,  I  should  like 
to  digress  for  a  moment  and  add  my  voice  to  that  of  my  fellow  mem- 
ber of  the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy,  Richard  L.  Evans,  in  honor 
of  our  departed  brother,  John  H.  Taylor. 

My  first  introduction  to  scouting  as  a  profession  was  punctuated, 
and  set  off  in  quotation  marks,  by  the  work  of  this  man.  Many  men 
living  in  the  area  which  I  served  were  boys  during  the  years  after 
1912  when  President  Taylor  directed  this,  the  Scout  organization 
for  the  Church.  These  men  have  told  me  many  times  of  their  love 
for  this  great  leader  and  of  the  value  to  them  of  his  teaching  of  scout- 
ing principles. 

When  I  came  into  the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy  he  treated 
me  as  a  son,  rather  an  overgrown  son  it  is  true,  but  he  made  me  feel 
that  he  had  a  fatherly  interest  in  me.  He  gave  me  gentle,  humorous 
guidance,  for  John  H.  Taylor  had  a  very  deep  and  abiding  sense  of 
humor,  which  was  delightful  to  hear,  and  which  I  enjoyed  very  much. 
He  offered  his  counsel  in  so  kindly  a  manner  that  no  offense  was  ever 
given,  and  he  applied  the  brakes  to  my  impetous  nature  in  such  a  way 
that  I  did  not  know  that  I  was  being  slowed  up. 

All  the  while  he  was  doing  this,  his  wife,  Sister  Rachel  Grant 
Taylor,  took  Sister  Young  and  me  into  her  heart.  She  had  us  to  her 
home  and  made  us  feel  that  we  belonged  as  no  one  else  has  done  in  a 
long  time.  John  Taylor  possesed  great  humanity,  great  humbleness, 
and  great  gentleness.  He  was  a  gentle  man.  Sister  Taylor  is  a  gentle 
woman. 


I  should  like  to  speak  today  about  the  mission  presidents.  Many 
of  us  wonder  what  these  men  do,  and  what  their  responsibilities 
could  be. 

As  an  elder  or  a  sister  boards  a  train  in  Salt  Lake  City,  and  it 


A  Tribute  to  John  H.  Taylor 


An  Insight  into  the  Life  of  a  Mission  President 


ELDER  S.  DILWORTH  YOUNG  129 


disappears  around  the  bend,  Mother  and  Father  wipe  the  tears  from 
their  eyes,  turn  homeward,  and  wonder  what  kind  of  man  will  re- 
ceive their  loved  one.  All  they  know  is  that  they  have  given  their 
child  for  two  years  to  a  man  who  is  only  a  name  to  them.  They  won- 
der if  he  will  understand  the  temperament  and  disposition  of  their 
missionary,  and  if  he  will  bring  out  the  best  qualities  which  are  in 
him. 

What  is  the  life  of  a  mission  president?  No  one  doubts  that 
these  servants  of  the  Lord  are  chosen  from  among  the  best  people 
we  have  in  the  Church.  What  kind  of  life  do  they  lead,  and  what 
are  their  problems? 

The  mission  president  first  worries  over  finding  someone  to  take 
his  house  for  three  or  four  years  with  some  hope  of  receiving  it  back 
in  good  condition.  Then  he  has  to  decide  which  of  his  possessions  he 
will  store  away  and  which  he  will  take  with  him.  While  engrossed 
in  these  operations,  he  is  stopped  many  times  by  his  friends  who  say 
words  something  like  this,  "I  envy  you  now  that  you  are  going  to 
have  a  three-year  vacation  at  the  expense  of  the  Church."  He  has 
this  repeated  to  him  so  often  that  before  he  is  fairly  on  his  way,  he 
begins  to  wonder  if  in  some  way  he  could  be  taking  advantage  of  the 
Church — that  is,  until  he  arrives  in  the  mission. 

In  due  time  he  reaches  the  mission  home  with  his  family.  He 
rings  the  bell,  and  is  welcomed  by  the  office  staff  and  the  house- 
keeper, if  he  is  lucky  enough  to  have  one.  They  all  make  the  new 
president  and  his  family  welcome.  If  any  children  are  tagging  along, 
they  are  looked  upon  with  some  suspicion  by  the  office  staff.  Certainly 
the  children  are  equally  suspicious  of  them. 

The  first  meal  is  an  eye  opener.  If  he  had  an  idea  he  could  ever 
have  his  family  to  himself,  it  is  dispelled  here.  The  table  is  set  for 
from  ten  to  fifteen  people.  Never  again  will  the  president  be  free  from 
strangers  at  mealtime.  The  number  will  vary,  but  it  will  always  be 
more  than  was  expected.  Somehow  his  children  must  adjust  to  this 
new  condition.  They  must  learn  that  other  things  are  more  import- 
ant. New  table  manners  must  be  taught.  Often  they  feel  lost  in  the 
immensity  of  it  all.  The  president's  wife  is,  in  the  meantime,  rearrang- 
ing her  idea  of  things.  She  used  to  plan  for  three,  or  four,  or  six, 
now  she  must  plan  for  double  or  treble  the  number.  She  must  supply 
the  physical  wants  of  from  six  to  twelve  extra  people  all  the  time. 

Sleeping  problems  are  continually  pressing.  About  the  time 
rooms  are  permanently  assigned  to  the  regular  dwellers,  someone 
from  headquarters  comes  to  visit,  and  things  must  be  rearranged. 
Elders  are  continually  going  to  and  coming  from  their  fields  of  labor. 
Often  they  stay  all  night,  or  two,  or  three  nights.  New  missionaries 
arrive  and  have  to  be  cared  for  while  they  are  being  assigned. 

Then  in  the  middle  of  all  of  these  problems,  the  president  and 
his  wife  have  to  be  away  visiting  the  branches  and  the  missionaries 
in  their  fields  of  labor.  Fully  sixty  percent  of  their  time  is  spent 
away  from  the  home. 


130  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  6  Third  Day 

Problems  multiply.  There  are  from  three  to  six  thousand  Saints 
to  care  for,  to  talk  to,  to  encourage.  As  the  presidential  party  arrives 
in  any  one  town,  it  would  appear  that  all  of  the  accumulation  of  prob- 
lems since  the  last  visit  are  suddenly  thrown  at  them.  In  addition, 
they  find  time  to  visit  with  the  missionaries,  your  boys  and  girls.  They 
listen  to  their  difficulties  and  give  them  new  courage  from  the  abund- 
ant supply  of  their  own. 

They  go  from  town  to  town,  visiting  with  people,  holding  meet- 
ings, climbing  to  the  top  floor  of  dingy  offiice  buildings  to  meet,  in 
dark,  unpleasant  halls,  the  Saints  who  loyally  gather  to  hear  the  word 
of  the  Lord,  and  to  receive  encouragement  and  good  counsel  at  their 
hands. 

The  questions  they  solve  are  knotty.  One  very  prevalent  one  is 
that  of  the  young  woman  member  who  wants  to  know  how  she  can 
get  married.  She  can't  come  to  Utah;  she  can't  find  any  Latter-day 
Saint  boys — there  aren't  any  where  she  lives.  Shall  she  marry  a  non- 
member?  The  president  is  puzzled  as  to  what  to  advise  in  many 
cases.  I  would  be  puzzled,  too,  if  I  had  to  answer  the  questions. 

If  the  missionaries  become  ill,  and  they  sometimes  do,  the  presi- 
dent has  to  see  that  they  are  taken  care  of.  If  they  need  a  doctor  and 
hospital  care,  he  has  to  get  it  done.  He  knows  better  than  anyone 
else  that  he  has  the  choice  children  of  the  Church  in  his  care,  and 
that  he  must  leave  no  stone  unturned  to  assure  their  safety  and  pro- 
tection from  harm.  No  one  can  do  it  for  him — his  alone  is  the  re- 
sponsibility. He  must  make  all  the  decisions  for  all  the  missionaries 
and  all  the  Saints  without  help  from  a  high  council,  or  counselors. 
His  only  aid  is  his  wife,  and  it  is  she  alone  to  whom  he  must  turn. 

Together  they  face  disease  and  death.  They  go  into  places 
where,  lacking  strong  resistance  and  the  protection  of  our  Father  in 
heaven,  they  could  easily  contract  fatal  maladies — yet  they  do  all 
this  unflinchingly,  without  malice,  with  love  in  their  hearts  for  the 
people  to  whom  they  administer  the  gospel. 

All  the  time  they  are  visiting  in  the  mission,  they  are  directing 
the  affairs  of  the  mission  home  by  mail.  The  wife  supervises  the  food 
budget  and  the  general  home  control  by  mail,  while  the  president  in 
the  same  manner  is  instructing  those  who  cannot  wait  for  his  personal 
visit.  All  the  time  the  welfare  program,  the  Relief  Society  program, 
and  the  auxilaries  must  be  kept  moving  and  active. 

They  return  to  the  mission  home  after  an  extended  tour,  and  the 
moment  they  arrive,  the  president  disappears  into  his  office  and  burns 
the  midnight  oil  catching  up  on  affiairs  which  have  awaited  his  re- 
turn, and  strives  desperately  to  get  enough  done  so  that  he  can  leave 
in  two  or  three  days  for  another  visit. 

Anyone  who  thinks  that  a  mission  is  a  vacation  at  the  expense 
of  the  Church  for  three  years  would  certainly  have  his  eyes  opened 
if  he  followed  the  president  around  for  two  or  three  weeks.  You 
mission  presidents  have  my  profound  admiration. 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH  131 


Words  of  Encouragement 

I  should  like  to  add  one  thing  as  I  stand  here  looking  at  this 
great  audience.  There  are  assembled  in  this  room  one  percent,  ap- 
proximately, of  the  Church.  I  am  sorry  you  mission  presidents  are 
facing  this  way.  If  you  could  turn  your  chairs  around  and  see  the 
faces  of  those  who  support  you,  and  who  pray  that  you  may  have 
strength  to  do  what  you  are  called  upon  to  do,  you  would  go  back  to 
your  missions  happy  and  pleased  to  think  that  you  have  the  backing 
of  the  finest  group  of  men  and  women  there  is  on  the  earth.  They 
want  you  to  send  their  boys  and  girls  home  safely  to  them;  they  want 
you  to  teach  them  the  gospel  that  they  may  come  home  with  a  testi- 
mony; but  they  want  you  to  know,  too,  if  I  sense  the  feeling  of  this 
group,  that  you  have  their  unbounded  backing  to  the  limit,  and  will 
always  have  it.  And  they  envy  you,  it  is  true,  because  they  would  like 
to  be  in  the  same  boat,  and  they  would  like  to  row  it  with  you.  They 
do  go  with  you  vicariously. 

May  God  bless  these  mission  presidents  who  carry  the  great 
load  of  preaching  the  gospel  to  the  nations  of  the  earth.  The  rest 
of  us  can  go  around  and  inspect  and  talk  to  them,  and  give  them  ad- 
vice and  counsel,  but  after  we  have  gone  home,  they  have  to  do  the 
job.  And  they  do  it  most  nobly.  They  love  the  people  of  their  mis- 
sions; they  give  them  courage;  they  build  up  their  spirit;  and  they 
bring  them  to  the  Zion  of  the  Lord  our  God  in  happiness  and  in  joy. 
They  bear  their  testimonies  to  the  nations  of  the  earth  and  teach  the 
boys  and  girls  of  our  community  the  kind  of  courage  they  musf  have 
to  do  the  same  thing.  May  the  Lord  sustain  them  in  their  high  and 
holy  calling,  I  ask,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

President  George  Albert  Smith: 

I  am  sure  we  have  had  a  wonderful  time  this  morning.  It  is 
lovely  to  be  in  the  House  of  the  Lord  on  the  Lord's  Day.  There  is 
no  other  place  where  you  will  have  more  comfort  and  satisfaction, 
under  the  influence  of  the  Spirit  of  our  Heavenly  Father.  He  is  al- 
ways with  us  when  we  meet  in  His  name.  < 

The  Tabernacle  Choir  will  now  sing  the  "Hallelujah  Chorus," 
from  the  "Mount  of  Olives,"  by  Beethoven. 

The  closing  prayer  will  be  offered  by  President  H.  Golden  Tem- 
pest of  the  East  Jordan  Stake,  after  which  this  Conference  will  stand 
adjourned  until  2:00  this  afternoon.  Proceedings  of  that  session  will 
be  broadcast  over  Station  KSL  at  Salt  Lake  City  and  KSUB  at 
Cedar  City. 

The  Tabernacle  Choir  sang,  as  the  concluding  number,  "The 
Hallelujah  Chorus,"  from  "The  Mount  of  Olives,"  by  Beethoven. 

The  closing  prayer  was  offered  by  Elder  H.  Golden  Tempest, 
President  of  the  East  Jordan  Stake,  after  which  Conreience  adjourned 
until  2:00  p.m. 


132  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  6  Third  Day 


THIRD  DAY 
AFTERNOON  MEETING 

The  sixth  and  concluding  session  of  the  Conference  convened 
at  2  o'clock  p.m.,  Sunday,  October  6th. 

Once  more  the  Tabernacle  was  crowded  to  capacity,  the  As- 
sembly Hall  was  filled  with  people,  and  a  great  number  of  others 
congregated  on  the  grounds. 

President  George  Albert  Smith: 

The  time  has  arrived  for  continuing  our  Conference.  I  can  see 
quite  a  number  of  people  who  are  too  comfortable  in  their  seats.  They 
have  too  much  room,  and  if  you  will  just  follow  the  rule  now  and  move 
toward  the  center  of  these  benches,  making  room  for  two  or  three 
people  on  each  bench,  we  can  seat  another  150  or  200  people  this 
afternoon.  Thank  you  very  much!  I  knew  you  would  be  delighted 
to  do  it.  Now  if  you  are  all  comfortably  seated,  we  will  continue. 

This  is  the  sixth  and  closing  session  of  the  117th  Semi- Annual 
Conference  of  the  Church  of  Jesus' Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  We 
are  convened  in  the  Tabernacle  on  Temple  Square  at  Salt  Lake  City. 

There  are  present  on  the  stand  this  afternoon  all  the  General 
Authorities  of  the  Church,  except  Elder  Stephen  L  Richards,  who 
is  detained  at  home  by  his  doctor's  orders,  Elder  Ezra  Taft  Benson, 
who  is  in  Europe  presiding  over  the  European  Mission,  and  the 
Patriarch  to  the  Church,  also  absent  on  account  of  illness. 

The  proceedings  of  this  session  will  be  broadcast  over  KSL  at 
Salt  Lake  City  and  KSUB  at  Cedar  City. 

We  will  begin  the  afternoon  services  by  the  Tabernacle  Choir 
singing;  "Song  of  Praise,"  by  Gates.  Elder  J.  Spencer  Cornwall  is 
the  director,  and  Elder  Frank  W.  Asper  is  the  organist. 

The  opening  prayer  will  be  offered  by  President  Milton  F. 
Hartvigsen  of  the  Bannock  Stake. 

The  Tabernacle  Choir  sang:   "Song  of  Praise." 

Elder  Milton  F.  Hartvigsen,  President  of  the  Bannock  Stake, 
offered  the  invocation. 

Selection  by  the  Tabernacle  Choir,  "Come  Thou  Fount  of  Every 
Blessing,"  by  Wyeth. 

ELDER  MARVIN  O.  ASHTON 

First  Counselor  in  the  Presiding  Bishopric 

I  can  truthfully  say  that  I  have  been  to  no  conference  that  I  have 
appreciated,  and  been  more  inspired  with,  than  this  conference.  All 
I  regret  is  that  I  didn't  know  ahead  of  time  I  would  be  left  this  late 
to  speak  so  I  could  appreciate  it  that  much  more.  If  I  had  my  way, 


ELDER  MARVIN  O.  ASHTON 


133 


I  should  before  you  people,  thank  the  Lord  for  my  blessings.  I  was 
never  more  grateful  in  my  life.  I  would  do  that,  then  I  would  com- 
pliment you  people  for  the  fine  things  you  are  doing,  and  sit  down. 
I  am  sure  when  you  compliment  people  you  are  on  the  safe  side  of 
things.  Someone  has  said,  "Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  man  who 
wouldn't  listen  to  compliments.  He  was  deaf." 

I  am  mindful  of  the  way  in  which  we  who  visit  you  people  of  the- 
different  stakes  are  treated.  I'm  not  only  thinking  of  the  presidents 
of  stakes  and  counselors;  I'm  thinking  of  your  wives  and  the  courtesies 
you  have  extended.  All  I  regret  is  that  we  don't  have  enough  time  or 
opportunities  to  reciprocate  the  way  we'd  like  to.  We  appreciate 
your  kindness  very  much.  We  appreciate  the  fine  things  you  are 
doing. 

The  Youth  Problem 

When  I  hear  President  McKay  make  the  observations  about 
delinquency  that  he  does,  and  did  this  morning,  the  truth  hurts.  But 
we  might  as  well  face  it.  I  can't  help  but  think  of  the  comments  of 
Mark  Petersen  about  these  dark  amusement  halls.  We  are  reminded 
of  some  of  the  amusement  halls  that  should  be  there  that  are  not  there 
because  of  the  inactivity  of  some  people. 

We  live  on  a  corner.  On  one  street,  the  main  street,  there  is 
lawn  between  the  trees  and  the  parking.  This  street  gives  us  no 
trouble  at  all.  On  the  other  side,  the  street  is  not  so  well  kept.  Until 
a  few  years  ago  I  put  in  most  of  my  time  cleaning  up  around  the 
yard  and  knocking  over  weeds.  I  found  it  was  much  better  to  plant 
grass  than  eternally  to  scrap  weeds.  There  is  some  philosophy  in  that. 
If  we'd  stop  trying  to  kill  so  many  weeds  and  plant  more  grass,  we'd 
have  less  trouble  with  our  youngsters.  Someone  has  said  that  educa- 
tion is  a  lot  like  eating.  You  can't  tell  what  part  of  what  you  eat  goes 
to  muscle  and  brawn,  but  you  can  tell  what  causes  your  stomach 
trouble.  It's  down  in  the  sweets;  it's  down  in  your  amusements. 
There's  where  your  trouble  is.  We're  not  going  to  take  care  of  this 
youth  problem  until  we  go  with  the  young  folks  more  than  we  do. 

There  are  some  people — I  am  not  guessing,  I  know  what  I  am 
talking  about — that  have  a  thousand  cattle  on  a  thousand  hills,  and 
if  you'd  ask  them  for  a  thousand  dollars,  they'd  get  nervous  prostra- 
tion. And  those  same  people  would  hammer  the  stand  and  remind  us 
where  those  young  people  are  going.  As  far  as  they  are  concerned, 
the  young  people  would  go  to  that  place,  and  you  know  what  place 
I  am  talking  about.  I  wouldn't  want  to  break  these  fine  fibres  of  this 
radio,  but  you  know  what  I  am  trying  to  say.  As  far  as  those  men 
are  concerned,  the  young  people  would  go  there,  and  they  would  not 
have  a  return  ticket,  either.  If  we  would  spend  more  time  in  going 
with  young  people,  we  would  have  less  trouble. 

If  you  think  I  am  not  mindful  of  what  is  being  done  as  far  as 
going  with  young  people  is  concerned,  you  are  mistaken.  I  have  seen 
trains  roll  into  the  Bamberger  Station,  loaded  with  four  hundred 


134  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  6  Third  Day 

people,  mostly  young  people,  on  excursions,  and  with  proper  chap- 
erons and  guidance.  Those  little  excursions  happened  last  year,  one 
right  after  another.  Leaders  were  going  with  the  young  people, 
showing  them  a  good  time.  Those  are  the  things  we've  got  to  do. 

One  president  of  a  stake  told  me  a  day  or  two  ago  that  his  stake 
is  arranging  for  a  thousand  young  people  to  come  here  in  1947.  We'll 
have  less  trouble  if  we  just  go  with  youth  more.  Thank  the  Lord 
for  these  fine  bishops  and  presidents  of  stakes  who  have  taken  that 
philosophy  and  are  going  with  their  young  people.  It's  easy  enough 
to  say  they're  going  to  that  certain  place.  It's  a  different  thing  entirely 
to  try  to  keep  them  away,  by  going  with  them  to  proper  places.  I 
think  we  ought  to  take  this  thing  just  as  seriously  as  we  possibly  can. 

Faithfulness  to  be  Encouraged 

This  singing  we  have  had  in  this  conference  is  a  sample  of  what 
we  ought  to  be  thankful  for.  The  Singing  Mothers  on  the  first  day 
of  this  conference  and  those  fine  people  who  came  from  Richfield, 
most  of  them  young,  are  an  inspiration.  A  lot  of  young  people  are 
going  to  this  place  we  are  talking  about,  but  there  are  thousands  of 
them  that  we're  taking  care  of  through  the  fine  cooperation  of  the 
people  of  this  Church.  This  work  that  N.  Lorenzo  Mitchell  has  been 
doing  with  the  boys  of  his  chorus  is  a  sample  of  what  can  be  accom- 
plished. 

May  I  just  shift  gears  a  little  bit  and  mention  another  side  of 
things.  Do  we  think  of  those  lowly,  patient,  sacrificing  fellows  or 
wives  or  families  that  in  every  ward  are  doing  their  duty  and  living 
their  religion?  Sometime  ago  at  a  stake  conference,  I  noticed  a  little 
lady  about  eighty  years  of  age,  plodding  up  the  steps,  the  best  she 
could.  My  hand  automatically  went  to  her  arm  to  give  her  a  little 
lift.  In  talking  with  the  stake  president,  later,  he  said,  "Do  you 
know  who  you  walked  up  the  steps  with?"  I  said,  "No,  sir."  He  said, 
"The  mother  of  sixteen  children,  eight  of  her  own  and  eight  of  the 
good  lady  who  died,  whose  place  she  took.  She,  with  her  husband, 
operated  eighty  acres  of  land.  When  everybody  else  had  automobiles, 
they  had  a  horse  and  buggy;  but  they  pulled  all  those  boys  into  the 
mission  field  and  pulled  all  those  children  into  college — all  from  that 
eighty  acres." 

Now,  let's  not  forget  those  people.  We  who  have  the  respon- 
sibility such  as  I  have  right  at  this  minute  are  not  worth  very  much, 
except  for  the  devotion  and  stability  of  people  like  this  good  lady  that 
I  am  talking  about. 

Hyrum  Jensen,  on  Highland  Drive  and  Twenty-seventh  South 
Street,  in  Salt  Lake  City,  has  put  a  double  roof  over  the  little  adobe 
house  down  there.  It  is  the  home  of  Mary  Fielding  Smith.  That  little 
lady,  after  the  death  of  her  patriarch  husband,  took  her  little  family 
under  her  arms  and  under  her  wings  and  on  her  own  initiative  went 
through  life  taking  care  of  those  children,  facing  the  obstacles  that 
she  had.  That  double  roof  over  her  little  adobe  house  is  a  shrine, 


ELDER  MARVIN  O.  ASHTON  1 35 


and  it  should  be.  Let  us  not  forget  that  kind  of  people.  They  are 
the  sinew  and  the  muscle  of  this  Church,  and  without  them  we 
wouldn't  be  worth  ten  cents.  Let's  not  forget  it. 

I  ask  you,  Bishop;  you,  Stake  President;  and  you,  Officer  of  the 
ward,  wherever  you  are,  are  you  mindful  of  these  people?  Are  you 
playing  to  others  with  large  machines  or  wealth,  or  do  you  keep  in 
mind  eternally  that  the  most  important  thing  you  can  do,  is  forever- 
lastingly  to  pay  courtesies  and  tribute  to  people  who  have  given  their 
lives  for  the  Church?  If  you  don't  mind,  I  am  going  to  relate  a  story 
that  probably  I  have  told  before  some  of  you,  and  if  you'll  act  as  if 
you've  never  heard  it  before,  I'll  certainly  appreciate  it. 

When  you  think  of  this  upside  down  world  and  what  the  world 
needs,  it  doesn't  take  much  intelligence  to  know  what  the  conditions 
are.  But  the  important  thing  now  is  the  need  in  this  world  of  character, 
of  men  and  women  making  decisions,  forgetting  what  is  going  to 
happen  if  you  do  this  or  what  is  going  to  happen  if  you  take  the  other 
course.  What's  right?  How  many  men  will  figure  out  what's  right, 
then  pull  the  trigger,  regardless  of  what  the  results  are?  We  do  too 
much  catering;  we  always  ask  ourselves,  "What  will  happen?"  How 
much  steel  have  we  got  in  our  spines?  Do  we  make  decisions  no  mat- 
ter what  happens? 

A  Story  from  Lincoln's  Life 
Here's  the  story: 

He  is  a  man  whose  birthday  we  celebrate.  He's  six  feet  four,  in 
his  stocking  feet.  He  is  running  for  Congress.  One  afternoon  a  little 
lady  comes  in  to  see  him,  and  he  isn't  in.  She  leaves  a  tiny  note  on  his 
desk.  She  has  to  go  on  her  way  because  of  the  stress  of  conditions. 
She  goes,  praying  that  he'll  get  the  note.  He  does.  When  his  cam- 
paign director,  Sherman,  comes  in,  he  says,  "Bill,  I  don't  make  that 
talk  tonight." 

(By  the  way,  his  adversary  had  been  going  up  and  down  the 
country.  He  had  thrown  all  the  "mud"  he  possibly  could  at  him,  and 
I  suppose  if  there  is  anything  in  the  world  that  raises  the  hair  of  a 
man  with  any  ordinary  corpuscles  in  his  veins,  it  is  to  answer  an 
antagonist,  especially  if  the  antagonist  is  careless  about  what  he  says. ) 

He  says,  "I  won't  make  that  talk." 

To  make  the  story  short,  the  next  morning  we  find  that  great 
big  lanky  fellow  climbing  over  something,  wading  through  streams. 
When  the  sun  comes  halfway  up,  he's  sitting  on  a  log,  munching  his 
meal  out  of  his  one  pocket  and  maybe  an  apple  out  of  the  other,  beg- 
ging or  buying  a  little  milk  to  go  with  it.  Then  he  goes  on  his  journey. 
About  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  he  finds  himself  entering  a  little 
courthouse,  jammed  to  capacity.  It  is  summer.  The  winter  ashes  are 
still  in  the  court  stove.  What's  happened?  A  boy  of  sixteen  is  up 
for  murder.  The  country  people  are  assembled.  Notwithstanding 
the  boy's  age,  the  law  takes  its  course.  He  is  being  tried.  This  big 
lanky  fellow  I  am  talking  about  sits  in  the  back  unconcerned-like; 


136  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  6  Third  Day 

yet  they  know  that  probably  he  is  the  lad's  attorney.  They  pick  the 
jury,  and  go  on  with  the  trial.  He  stays  mum.  (We'll  have  to  shorten 
this  story  up  a  little.)  Finally  it  is  important  that  the  attorney  for 
the  boy  talk.  He  faces  the  jury,  calls  each  man  by  his  name.  He  says, 
"Years  ago,  boys,  I  came  here  as  a  lad,  helpless,  trying  to  split  some 
rails,  calling  at  this  door  and  the  other  door,  but  only  one  family  beck- 
oned me  in  and  helped  me  out.  God  bless  them.  I  told  God  if  he'd 
ever  give  me  a  chance  to  pay  that  bill,  I'd  pay  it.  Sometimes  when  God 
calls  us,  he  expects  a  sacrifice  with  it.  Gentlemen,  I  have  made  that 
sacrifice." 

The  jury  goes  out;  comes  in:  "Not  guilty."  One  of  those  great 
big  arms  cupped  the  mother;  the  other  arm  cupped  that  boy  as  he 
swooned. 

Incidentally,  the  boy  had  got  into  a  tangle  with  a  farmer,  his 
boss.  The  farmer  got  out  of  patience.  The  boy,  not  understanding, 
struck  him  with  a  pitchfork.  That's  the  way  the  farmer  met  his  death. 

"Not  guilty." 

That  fellow  didn't  go  to  Congress.  He  was  defeated,  but  he 
dared  to  say,  "This  is  the  way.  I'm  pulling  the  trigger,  regardless 
of  what  happens." 

Later  when  they  had  that  convention  in  Chicago  and  brought 
those  hickory  rails  in,  they  raised  the  roof  higher  than  the  architect 
intended  it  to  be.  Abraham  Lincoln  was  nominated  President  of  the 
United  States.  He  dared  to  do  what  was  right.  He  dared  take  no- 
tice of  those  who  are  not  noticed.  He  dared  put  emphasis  on  the 
humble  walker  through  life.  Do  you  dare?  Do  I  dare? 

A  Doctor's  Devotion 

There  was  a  little  story  in  one  of  the  magazines,  some  weeks 
ago.  It  is  a  story  of  one  of  those  faithful  doctors  you  read  about. 
No  matter  whether  the  stork  was  making  his  journey,  and  he  was 
trying  to  get  there  first,  or  a  boy  was  dying,  the  doctor  was  always 
on  the  job,  sitting  through  and  holding  that  dear  person's  hand 
through  the  night.  He  made  every  sacrifice  in  the  world.  His  little 
office  was  on  the  second  floor  on  the  main  street,  and  all  the  designa- 
tion that  was  given  was,  "Dr.  Jones,  upstairs." 

They  tell  us  in  that  story,  that  on  the  day  of  his  wedding,  he  got 
a  call  from  a  poverty-stricken  Italian  family.  Their  boy  had  been 
in  an  accident.  His  life  was  hanging  on  a  string.  The  doctor  had  to 
make  the  decision  quick  and  fast,  whether  to  marry  the  girl  right  this 
minute  or  five  hours  later.  He  chose  to  go  to  the  bed  of  that  little 
sufferer.  Of  course,  the  intended  wife  got  her  "spunk"  up,  whirled 
on  her  heels,  and  said:  "If  he  thinks  more  of  the  Italian  lad  than  he 
does  of  me,  well,  let  him  go."  (I  think  that  fellow  just  saved  a  lot  of 
unnecessary  miseries  in  going  through  life. ) 

Well,  to  shorten  the  story,  he  goes  through  life  unmarried — a 
life  filled  with  devotion,  and  then  he  died.   The  town  thought  so 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  F.  RICHARDS     .  137 


much  of  him,  that  people  went  about  suggesting,  "We  will  build  a 
monument  to  his  name." 

Weeks  went  on.  Months  went  on.  His  grave  remained  un- 
marked. Finally  the  father  of  the  boy  that  he  helped,  went  one  day 
to  the  grave,  unbeknown  to  anyone.  He  labeled  the  grave  right: 
"Here  lies  the  body  of  Dr.  John  Jones.  Office  upstairs!" 

The  Way  to  the  Celestial  Kingdom 

Now  we  don't  know  too  much  about  the  celestial  kingdom.  I 
don't.  I  don't  know  how  much  you  know  about  it,  but  it's  my  judg- 
ment that  we  who  get  up  there,  if  we're  not  too'  presumptuous,  will 
get  up  there  because  of  sacrifice,  service,  and  making  the  right  de- 
cisions, no  matter  what  happens. 

May  the  Lord  help  us  to  make  the  decisions,  to  do  what  is  right, 
to  have  steel  up  our  backs,  I  pray  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  Jesus 
Christ.  Amen. 

PRESIDENT  GEORGE  F.  RICHARDS 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

I  have  carried  in  my  pocket  the  manuscript  of  a  talk  which  I 
thought  I  might  give  should  I  have  the  opportunity  of  speaking  in 
conference,  but  I  have  not  received  the  inspiration  to  use  it.  I  have 
tried  to  assemble  some  of  my  thoughts  so  as  to  express  them  in  a 
way  that  will  be  of  interest  to  you,  my  numerous  friends,  brethren 
and  sisters,  and  to  say  a  few  words  upon  the  greatest  thing  in  the 
world.  I  read  a  book  a  few  years  ago  entitled  The  Greatest  Thing 
in  the  World,  and  that  thing  was  love. 

The  Great  Commandment 

The  Savior  has  had  something  to  say  upon  this  subject,  and  the 
thought  just  occurred  to  me  that  if  he  were  here  in  the  presence  of 
this  large  congregation  so  that  we  could  look  upon  him  and  hear 
what  he  would  say,  perhaps  his  words  would  be  more  impressive 
than  they  have  been  to  us  by  reading  them  in  the  scriptures. 

A  learned  man,  a  lawyer,  approached  him  on  one  occasion  and 
asked  him: 

Master,  which  is  the  great  commandment  in  the  law? 

Jesus  said  unto  him,  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy 
heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind.  This  is  the  first 
and  great  commandment.  And  the  second  is  like  unto  it,  Thou  shalt 
love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself.  (Matt.  22:36-39.) 

On  another  occasion  he  said: 

.  .  .  Love  your  enemies,  bless  them  that  curse  you,  do  good  to  them 
that  hate  you,  and  pray  for  them  which  despitefully  use  you,  and  perse- 
cute you.  (Matt.  5:44.) 


138     m  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday.  October  6  Third  Day 

We  are  also  told  in  the  scriptures  that  we  should  walk  in  the 
light  as  he,  Jesus,  was  in  the  light,  or,  in  other  words,  to  follow  his 
example. 

When  he  prayed  in  the  Garden  of  Gethsemane,  his  perspiration 
was  like  blood  dropping  upon  the  ground.  We  are  told,  by  an  angel 
to  King  Benjamin,  a  great  Book  of  Mormon  prophet,  that  blood  would 
ooze  from  the  pores  of  his  body,  so  great  should  be  his  anguish,  be- 
cause of  the  wickedness  and  the  abominations  of  .  his  people,  occa- 
sioned, of  course,  by  the  love  that  he  had  for  the  people. 

We  mourn  and  have  anguish  of  soul  if  a  daughter  goes  wrong, 
or  a  son,  because  we  love  them  so. 

God  So  Loved  the  World 
Then  we  read  that, 

For  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son, 
that  whosoever  believeth  in  him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting 
life.    (John  3:16.) 

We  also  know  that  the  Savior  gave  himself  voluntarily  for  all; 
that  his  atonement  meant,  in  life  and  in  death,  a  voluntary  gift  for 
us,  a  manifestation  of  love  that  has  no  comparison.  When  he  was 
upon  the  cross  in  the  agonies  of  death,  he  turned  his  thoughts  toward 
his  Father  in  heaven  and  prayed  earnestly: 

.  .  .  Father,  forgive  them;  for  they  know  not  what  they  do.  (Luke 
23:34.) 

There  is  the  example  of  the  Prophet  Stephen,  who,  when  being 
stoned  to  death,  knelt  upon  the  ground  and  prayed  God  not  to  lay 
that  sin  to  the  charge  of  his  persecutors. 

Love  Would  Solve  Present  Day  Problems 

If  such  love  obtained  in  the  world  today  as  the  Lord  intended 
that  it  should,  love  of  God  and  love  of  fellow  men,  there  would  be 
no  wars,  contentions,  and  strife  among  the  children  of  men.  And 
that  there  is  such,  is  due  to  an  indifference  by  men  to  heed  the  admoni- 
tions and  teachings  of  our  Lord  and  Savior  Jesus  Christ. 

I  profess  love  for  you,  my  brethren,  sisters,  and  friends,  my 
hearers.  I  hope  to  be  able  to  comply  with  the  law  to  the  extent  that 
I  can  love  all  who  hear  my  voice,  whether  they  be  in  the  Church  or 
out  of  the  Church,  whether  they  be  good  or  bad,  whatever  their  con- 
dition of  life.  They  are  the  children  of  our  Eternal  Father;  they  are 
our  brothers  and  sisters. 

No  doubt  we  with  them  rejoiced  and  were  happy  together, 

When  the  morning  stars  sang  together,  and  all  the  sons  of  God 
shouted  for  joy.  (Job  38:7) 

that  the  plan  of  salvation  had  been  made  and  that  the  Savior  had  been 
chosen.    We,  no  doubt,  were  happy  together,  all  of  the  children  of 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  F.  RICHARDS  139 


God.  The  Prophet  Joseph  tells  us  that  we  were  all  present  in  the 
spirit,  intelligent  beings  able  to  sit  in  council  with  the  Gods.  We 
must  have  been  living  in  love  and  helpfulness  under  those  conditions, 
and  the  fact  of  our  having  come  to  earth  should  not  change  our 
thoughts  and  our  feelings.  We  ought  to  love  one  another  just  the 
same  here  as  when  we  lived  in  love  and  happiness  in  our  heavenly 
home. 

Meaning  of  Love  Revealed  Through  Dream 

The  Lord  has  revealed  to  me,  by  dreams,  something  more  than 
I  ever  understood  or  felt  before  about  the  love  for  God  and  the  love 
for  fellow  men.  I  believe  in  dreams,  brethren  and  sisters.  The  Lord 
has  given  me  dreams,  which  to  me,  are  just  as  real  and  as  much  from 
God  as  was  the  dream  of  King  Nebuchadnezzar  which  was  the  means 
of  saving  a  nation  from  starvation,  or  the  dream  of  Lehi  who  through 
a  dream  led  his  colony  out  of  the  old  country,  across  the  mighty 
deep  to  this  promised  land,  or  any  other  dreams  that  we  read  of  in 
scripture. 

It  is  not  out  of  place  for  us  to  have  important  dreams,  for  we 
read  in  the  scriptures: 

And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  the  last  days,  saith  God,  I  will  pour 
out  of  my  Spirit  upon  all  flesh:  and  your  sons  and  your  daughters 
shall  prophesy,  and  your  young  men  shall  see  visions,  and  your  old 
men  shall  dream  dreams.  (Acts  2:17.) 

More  than  forty  years  ago  I  had  a  dream,  which  I  am  sure  was 
from  the  Lord.  In  this  dream  I  was  in  the  presence  of  my  Savior  as 
he  stood  in  mid-air.  He  spoke  no  word  to  me,  but  my  love  for  him 
was  such  that  I  have  not  words  to  explain.  I  know  that  no  mortal 
man  can  love  the  Lord  as  I  experienced  that  love  for  the  Savior  Unless 
God  reveals  it  unto  him.  I  would  have  remained  in  his  presence,  but 
there  was  a  power  drawing  me  away  from  him,  and  as  a  result  of  that 
dream  I  had  this  feeling,  that  no'  matter  what  might  be  required  at  my 
hands,  what  the  gospel  might  entail  unto  me,  I  would  do  what  I 
should  be  asked  to  do,  even  to  the  laying  down  of  my  life. 

And  so  when  we  read  in  the  scriptures  what  the  Savior  said  to 
his  disciples: 

In  my  Father's  house  are  many  mansions:  ...  I  go  to  prepare  a 
place  for  you  .  .  .  that  where  I  am,  there  ye  may  be  also,  (John  14:2,  3.) 

I  think  that  is  where  I  want  to  be.  If  only  I  can  be  with  my  Savior 
and  have  that  same  sense  of  love  that  I  had  in  'that  dream,  it  will  be 
the  goal  of  my  existence,  the  desire  of  my  life. 

Obligation  to  Love  Our  Enemies 

Then  a  few  years  ago,  at  the  closing  of  a  conference  of  the  St. 
Johns  Stake,  we  had  had  a  wonderful  conference  I  thought,  and  I 
was  very  happy  on  retiring.  I  was  sleeping  in  the  home  of  the  presi- 


140  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  6  Th'ud  Day 

dent  of  the  stake,  Brother  Levi  Udall,  and  that  night  I  had  a  remark- 
able dream.  I  have  seldom  mentioned  this  to  other  people,  but  I  do 
not  know  why  I  should  not.  It  seems  to  me  appropriate  in  talking 
along  this  line.  I  dreamed  that  I  and  a  group  of  my  own  associates 
found  ourselves  in  a  courtyard  where,  around  the  outer  edge  of  it, 
were  .German  soldiers — and  Fiihrer  Adolph  Hitler  was  there  with 
his  group,  and  they  seemed  to  be  sharpening  their  swords  and  clean- 
ing their  guns,  and  making  preparations  for  a  slaughter  of  some  kind, 
or  an  execution.  We  knew  not  what,  but,  evidently  we  were  the 
objects.  But  presently  a  circle  was  formed  and  this  Fiihrer  and  his 
men  were  all  within  the  circle,  and  my  group  and  I  were  circled  on 
the  outside,  and  he  was  sitting  on  the  inside  of  the  circle  with  his 
back  to  the  outside,  and  when  we  walked  around  and  I  got  directly 
opposite  to  him,  I  stepped  inside  the  circle  and  walked  across  to 
where  he  was  sitting,  and  spoke  to  him  in  a  manner  something  like 
this: 

"I  am  your  brother.  You  are  my  brother.  In  our  heavenly  home 
we  lived  together  in  love  and  peace.  Why  can  we  not  so  live  here 
on  the  earth?" 

And  it  seemed  to  me  that  I  felt  in  myself,  welling  up  in  my  soul, 
a  love  for  that  man,  and  I  could  feel  that  he  was  having  the  same  ex- 
perience, and  presently  he  arose,  and  we  embraced  each  other  and 
kissed  each  other,  a  kiss  of  affection. 

Then  the  scene  changed  so  that  our  group  was  within  the  circle, 
and  he  and  his  group  were  on  the  outside,  and  when  he  came  around 
to  where  I  was  standing,  he  stepped  inside  the  circle  and  embraced 
me  again,  with  a  kiss  of  affection. 

I  think  the  Lord  gave  me  that  dream.  Why  should  I  dream  of 
this  man,  one  of  the  greatest  enemies  of  mankind,  and  one  of  the 
wickedest,  but  that  the  Lord  should  teach  me  that  I  must  love  my 
enemies,  and  I  must  love  the  wicked  as  well  as  the  good? 

Now,  who  is  there  in  this  wide  world  that  I  could  not  love  under 
those  conditions,  if  I  could  only  continue  to  feel  as  I  felt  then?  I  have 
tried  to  maintain  this  feeling  and,  thank  the  Lord,  I  have  no  enmity 
toward  any  person  in  this  world;  I  can  forgive  all  men,  so  far  as  I 
am  concerned,  and  I  am  happy  in  doing  so  and  in  the  love  which  I 
have  for  my  fellow  men. 

I  love  the  Saints  of  God,  as  I  love,  the  Lord  and  his  work.  I  love 
you  faithful  men  and  women  who  are  laboring  for  the  Lord,  and  for 
your  fellow  men. 

Faithfulness  Commended 

I  would  like  to  endorse  what  Brother  S.  Dilworth  Young  said 
in  complimenting  the  mission  presidents  of  this  Church.  I  feel  as 
he  feels  in  that  regard.  The  picture  was  not  overdrawn,  and  I  think 
we  could  draw  a  similar  picture  of  the  presidents  of  the  stakes  in 
this  Church,  and  of  the  bishops  of  wards,  and  of  many  other  faith- 
ful men  and  women. 


ELDER  HAROLD  B.  LEE 


141 


I  remember  on  one  occasion  going  by  train  to  Alberta,  Canada. 
As  we  approached  Raymond,  the  wind  was  blowing,  and  there  had 
been  a  light  snowfall  which  was  drifting,  and  I  saw  a  woman  and 
two  or  three  children  out  in  the  beet  fields  working  among  the  beets, 
and  I  have  never  forgotten  the  feeling  I  had.  Those  people  working, 
almost  their  finger  ends  off,  to  make  a  living,  and  because  God  has 
said  that  one  tenth  of  their  interest  should  be  given  annually  to  him 
for  the  building  up  his  kingdom  when  they  get  their  meager  returns, 
as  faithful  Saints,  they  will  give  to  the  Lord  one  tenth.  And  that  is 
going  on  all  through  this  Church. 

As  we  visit  the  stakes  and  learn  that  these  stake  officers  and 
ward  officers,  almost  universally,  are  full  tithepayers  and  keep  the 
Word  of  Wisdom,  hundreds  of  thousands  of  them,  manifesting  their 
love  for  God,  their  faithfulness  in  keeping  his  commandments,  their 
willingness  to  help  carry  on  this  great  latter-day  work,  how  can  we 
do  otherwise  than  love  them? 

God  bless  you,  brethren  and  sisters,  for  your  faithfulness,  and 
reward  you  abundantly  therefor  in  time  and  throughout  eternity,  I 
pray,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

ELDER  HAROLD  B.  LEE 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 

I  sincerely  pray  that  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  might  guide  my  few 
remarks  and  that  they  might  be  in  full  harmony  with  all  that  has  been 
said  on  this  occasion. 

We  have  a  scripture  recording  the  words  of  the  Master: 

...  I  am  come  that  they  might  have  life,  and  that  they  might  have 
it  more  abundantly.  (John  10:10.) 

Modern  Concepts  of  Abundant  Living 

That  scripture  has  been  the  text  for  certain  economic  philoso- 
phies that  are  with  us  today,  and  from  that  text  has  been  coined  a 
term,  "The  abundant  life,"  which  has  been  used  frequently  to  refer 
to  a  condition  of  plenty  or  sufficiency  or  a  profuseness  of  the  material 
things  of  life.  But  if  we  are  to  strip  those  philosophies  of  all  their 
high-sounding  phrases  and  explanations,  we  might  describe  them  in 
this  language:  "Giving  more  and  more  to  an  individual  in  return 
for  less  and  less  from  him." 

As  I  think  back  over  my  life,  I  remember  that  these  philosophies 
did  not  begin  with  the  last  few  years.  When  I  think  of  the  first 
political  campaigns  that  I,  as  a  young  boy,  heard  about,  and  for- 
tunately we  did  not  hear  as  much  about  them  in  those  days  as  we 
hear  about  them  today,  I  remember  that  some  of  the  slogans  of  those 
days  sounded  very  much  like  the  kinds  of  philosophy  we  have  today. 
I  remember  in  one  campaign  there  was  one  something  like  this:  "We 


142  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  6  Third  Dag 

stand  for  a  full  dinner  pail,"  and  on  another  occasion:  "We  stand 
for  a  chicken  in  every  pot,"  and  still  later,  "Two  cars  in  every  garage." 
I  remember  picking  up  a  magazine  and  seeing  a  picture  of  a  family 
in  a  beautiful  convertible,  off  to  the  movies,  and  underneath  it  said: 
"This  is  the  American  way  of  life."  And  more  recently,  we  have  a 
philosophy,  or  slogan:  "Full  employment  for  everybody  in  America 
and  a  pint  of  milk  for  everybody  in  the  world." 

Now,  I  call  these  sayings  to  your  attention,  and  you,  who  are 
older  than  I,  can  add  other  slogans  along  the  same  line,  not  to  ridi- 
cule, but  to  call  your  attention  to  the  fact  that  in  this  land,  and  per- 
haps other  lands,  we  have  been  choosing  as  ideals  these  material 
benefits,  and  we  have  called  them  the  way  to  an  abundant  life. 

In  commenting  about  these  things  that  seemingly  have  existed 
here  in  America,  the  president  of  one  of  our  great  American  uni- 
versities said  this: 

But  the  ideal  of  comfort  which  is  the  best  we  have  been  able  to  think 
of  for  ourselves  will  never  do  as  an  aim  for  a  world  order.  Men  can  never 
be  comfortable  enough;  we  can  never  have  enough  material  goods,  if 
material  goods  are  what  we  want.  Any  world  order  with  this  ideal 
will  be  torn  to  pieces  by  the  divisions  to  which  it  leads. 

As  long  as  it  is  assumed,  then,  that  it  is  the  duty  of  all  of  us 
to  get  all  we  can  and  make  the  ideal  of  comfort  our  goal  in  life,  then 
we  may  expect  a  similar  fate  to  that  nation,  or  community,  or  that 
family  which  builds  on  such  an  ideal.  They  will  certainly  be  torn 
to  pieces,  by  the  divisions  to  which  such  an  ideal  will  lead. 

I  think  I  would  be  safe  in  saying,  and  I  believe  you  would  agree 
with  me,  that  perhaps  never  before  in  the  history  of  the  world  has 
so  much  been  said  about  the  abundant  life  and  so  little  effort  ex- 
pended in  obtaining  the  essentials  that  make  for  an  abundant  life. 

The  Master's  Statement 

I  should  like  to  read  you  the  parable  that  preceded  the  Master's 
statement  of  that  text  to  which  I  referred.  These  were  his  words: 

Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  He  that  entereth  not  by  the  door  into 
the  sheepfold,  but  climbeth  up  some  other  way,  the  same  is  a  thief  and  a 
robber.  .  .  .  Then  said  Jesus  unto  them  again,  Verily,  verily  I  say  unto 
you,  I  am  the  door  of  the  sheep.  ...  I  am  the  door:  by  me  if  any  man 
enter  in,  he  shall  be  saved,  and  shall  go  in  and  out,  and  find  pasture. 
(John  10:1.  7,  9.) 

And  then  he  closed  his  lesson  with  this  statement: 

...  I  am  come  that  they  might  have  life,  and  that  they  might  have 
it  more  abundantly.  (John  10:10.) 

To  his  disciples  on  another  occasion  he  said: 

...  I  am  the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  life:  no  man  cometh  unto  the 
Father,  but  by  me.  (John  14:6.) 


ELDER  HAROLD  B.  LEE  143 

It  was  the  same  message  that  he  gave  to  Nicodemus  who  asked 
what  he  must  do  to  be  saved  and  in  reply  the  Master  answered: 

.  '.  .  Except  a  man  be  born  of  water  and  of  the  Spirit,  he  cannot 
enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God.  (John  3:5.) 

Those  who  seek  for  the  abundant  life  in  any  other  way,  then, 
but  by  the  way  the  Master  has  laid  out  in  the  gospel  plan,  or,  "as  a 
thief  and  a  robber,"  to  use  the  Master's  words.  But  the  tragedy 
is  that  he  who  does  so  rob,  is  also  the  victim  of  his  own  robbery, 
and  his  own  house  is  left  to  him  desolate  in  the  day  of  his  great 
spiritual  need.  Then,  certainly,  such  a  one  is  poor  indeed,  and  he 
is  as  the  man  to  whom  the  Master  referred  in  his  Sermon  on  the 
Mount  as,  one  who  builds  his  house  upon  the  sand  and  when  the 
storms  come,  the  winds  blow  and  the  rains  descend,  his  house 
will  fall,  because  it1  is  founded  upon  the  sand.  (See  Matt.  7:26-27.) 

Scriptures  Chart  Way  to  Abundant  Life 

But  the  scriptures  have  given  us  unmistakably  a  charted  way 
for  the  living  of  the  abundant  life  and  the  preparation  therefor.  It 
was  the  Apostle  Paul  who  said  to  the  Hebrews: 

Therefore  leaving  the  principles  of  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  let  us  go 
on  unto  perfection.   (Hebrews  6:1.) 

In  explaining  what,  salvation  means,  the  Prophet  Joseph  de- 
clared that: 

Salvation  is  nothing  more  nor  less  than  to  triumph  over  all  our 
enemies  and  put  them  under  our  feet.  And  when  we  have  power 
to  put  all  enemies  under  our  feet  in  this  world,  and  a  knowledge  to 
triumph  over  all  evil  spirits  in  the  world  to  come,  then  we  are  saved. 
{Teachings  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  p.  297.) 

But  apparently,  as  I  read  the  scriptures,  the  Lord  did  not  intend 
to  convey  that  a  fulness  of  the  abundant  life  was  attainable  even  in 
this  life,  for  we  find  him  saying  in  a  revelation  to  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith: 

Wherefore,  fear  not  even  unto  death;  for  in  this  world  your  joy 
is  not  full,  but  in  me  your  joy  is  full.  (D.  &  C.  101:36.) 

The  Apostle  Peter  has  reduced  that  teaching  to  a  formula,  a 
pattern,  or  a  way  of  life.  These  were  his  words: 

And  beside  this,  giving  all  diligence,  add  to  your  faith  virtue; 
and  to  virtue  knowledge;  And  to  knowledge  temperance;  and  to  temper- 
ance patience;  and  to  patience  godliness;  And  to  godliness  brotherly 
kindness;  and  to  brotherly  kindness  charity.  For  if  these  things  be  in 
you,  and  abound,  they  make  you  that  ye  shall  neither  be  barren  nor 
unfruitful  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  But  he  that 
lacketh  these  things  is  blind,  and  cannot  see  afar  off,  and  hath  forgotten 
that  he  was  purged  from  his  old  sins.  Wherefore  the  rather,  brethren, 
give  diligence  to  make  your  calling  and  election  sure:  for  if  ye  do  these 
things,  ye  shall  never  fall:  For  so  an  entrance  shall  be  ministered  unto 


144  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  6  Third  Day 

you  abundantly  into  the  everlasting  kingdom  of  out  Lord  and  Savior 
Jesus  Christ.  (II  Peter  1:5-11.) 

When  I  understand  the  full  import  of  the  Apostle  Peter's  words, 
describing  that  way  of  life  by  which  we  might  obtain  that  abund- 
ance, or  in  other  words  that  "abundant  entrance"  into  the  kingdom 
of  our  Lord  and  Savior,  Jesus  Christ,  I  am  made  aware  that  we 
cannot  obtain  it  by  spiritual  gratuities  any  more  than  we  can  ob- 
tain a  temporal  abundant  life  by  receiving  temporal  gratuities,  for 
the  Lord  declared: 

Not  every  one  that  saith  unto  me.  Lord,  Lord,  shall  enter  into  the 
kingdom  of  heaven;  but  he  that  doeth  the  will  of  my  Father  which  is 
in  heaven.    (Matt.  7:21.) 

Only  can  an  individual  receive  that  joy  and  that  abundant  life 
whose  life  is  patterned  to  the  standards  as  laid  down  in  the  gospel 
of  Jesus  Christ.  We  have  a  splendid  illustration  that  I  should  like 
to  call  your  attention  as  to  how  this  might  be  obtained. 

Life  of  Saul  of  Tarsus 

Saul  of  Tarsus  was  one  who  had  been  valiant  and  conscienti- 
ously engaged  in  trying  to  stamp  out  Christianity  which  he  believed 
to  be  a  sect  defiling  the  word  of  God.  He  even  held  the  coats  of 
the  men  who  stoned  Stephen,  and  having  obtained  letters  of  au- 
thority was  on  his  was  to  Damascus  there  to  prosecute  his  work, 
and  it  was  about  noonday: 

And  as  he  journeyed,  he  came  near  Damascus:  and  suddenly  there 
shined  round  about  him  a  light  from  heaven:  And  he  fell  to  the  earth, 
and  heard  a  voice  saying  unto  him,  Saul,  Saul,  why  persecutest  thou 
me?  And  he  said.  Who  art  thou.  Lord?  And  the  Lord  said,  I  am  Jesus 
whom  thou  persecutest:  it  is  hard  for  thee  to  kick  against  the  pricks. 
And  he  trembling  and  astonished  said,  Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me  to 
do?  And  the  Lord  said  unto  him,  Arise,  and  go  into  the  city,  and  it  shall 
be  told  thee  what  thou  must  do.  (Acts  9:3-6.) 

He  went  and  found  Ananias,  a  humble  man  of  God.  Ananias 
taught  him  the  way  to  an  abundant  life.  He  baptized  Paul  and  then 
sent  him  to  the  apostles  where  he  received  his  commission  that  sent 
him  out  to  be  one  of  the  greatest  missionaries  among  the  Gentiles, 
and  we  know  him  from  that  time  forth  as  the  Apostle  Paul. 

The  rewards  that  come  from  a  life  of  sacrifice  and  service  are 
also  illustrated  in  an  incident  in  his  life.  You  recall,  he  was  now  a 
prisoner  on  his  way  to  Rome.  As  they  put  out  from  an  island  in  the 
Mediterranean  Sea,  he  had  the  impression  that  all  would  not  be 
well,  and  they  were  hardly  out  of  sight  of  land  until  a  furious  storm 
broke,  and  for  fourteen  days  that  frail  ship  was  tossed  about,  and 
when,  as  the  scriptures  say, 

.  .  .  neither  sun  nor  stars  in  many  days  appeared,  and  no  small  tem- 
pest lay  on  us,  all  hope  that  we  should  be  saved  was  then  taken  away. 
(Acts  27:20.) 


ELDER  HAROLD  B.  LEE 


145 


Then  it  was  that  the  Apostle  Paul  went  down  into  a  place  by 
himself  and  prayed,  and  here  are  the  words  that  are  recorded  in 
the  scriptures  which  describe  his  experience: 

.  .  .  after  long  abstinence  Paul  stood  forth  in  the  midst  of  them,  and 
said,  .  .  .  And  now  I  exhort  you  to  be  of  good  cheer:  for  there  shall  be 
no  loss  of  any  man's  life  among  you,  but  of  the  ship.  For  there  stood 
by  me  this  night  the  angel  of  God,  whose  I  am,  and  whom  I  serve,  Saying, 
Fear  not,  Paul;  thou  must  be  brought  before  Caesar:  and,  lo,  God  hath 
given  thee  all  them  that  sail  with  thee.  (Acts  27:21-24.) 

Then  the  Apostle  Paul  quieted  his  shipmates  with  this  testimony: 

Wherefore,  sirs,  be  of  good  cheer:  for  I  believe  God,  that  it  shall 
be  even  as  it  was  told  me.  (Acts  27:25.) 

There  we  might  find  illustrated  the  essential  steps  toward  the 
abundant  life,  of  which  the  Master  spoke.  The  first  step  is  to  live 
the  kind  of  life  that  permits  up  to  receive  the  light  of  heaven,  and  a 
testimony  that  Jesus  is  a  living  reality,  and  that  he  can  speak  to  us. 
One  possessed  of  such  testimony,  then,  from  the  depths  of  his  heart, 
will  say,  as  did  the  Apostle  Paul:  "Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me 
to  do?" 

Doing  the  Will  of  God 

I  wonder  if  you  will  think  about  that,  you  who  preside  in  the 
missions  and  the  stakes  of  the  Church,  in  the  various  organizations, 
and  priesthood  quorums,  those  of  us  who  sit  in  places  in  the  pre- 
siding councils  of  the  Church,  whenever  we  come  to  the  selecting 
of  an  officer  or  the  determining  of  policy  for  the  welfare  of  Zion, 
how  well  it  would  be  if  always  we  would  say,  we  who  have  that 
testimony  of  Jesus,  "Heavenly  Father,  what  wilt  thou  have  me  do?" 
And  if  we  will  remember  that,  as  fathers  and  mothers  in  dealing 
with  a  wayward  child,  if  we  will  remember  that  when  we  sit  in 
judgment  upon  the  sinner,  in  all  our  business  affairs,  and  the  youth 
in  his  love  affairs!  May  we  who  have  the  testimony  remember  that 
lesson  of  the  Apostle  Paul  and  from  our  hearts  cry  out  to  our  Father: 
"Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me  do?" 

And  if  we  pray  in  real  sincerity  and  faith,  there  will  come  back  to 
us  from  out  of  the  scriptures  the  answer  to  that  prayerful  inquiry. 
The  answer  has  come  oft  repeated,  time  and  time  again,  that  all 
that  we  do  should  be  done  "with  an  eye  single  to  the  glory  of  God." 
What  is  the  glory  of  God?  The  Lord  told  Moses  that: 

.  .  .  this  is  my  work  and  my  glory — to  bring  to  pass  the  immortality 
and  eternal  life  of  man.  (Pearl  of  Great  Price,  Moses  1:39.) 

With  that  goal  always  before  us,  seeing  every  act  of  our  lives, 
every  decision  we  make  as  patterned  toward  the  development  of  a 
life  that  shall  permit  us  to  enter  into  the  presence  of  the  Lord  our 
Heavenly  Father,  to  gain  which  is  to  obtain  eternal  life,  how  much 
more  wisdom  there  would  be  in  the  many  things  of  life.  Cannot  you 


146  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  6  Thud  Dag 

see,  mothers,  if  yours  is  the  responsibility  and  you  sense  it,  as  the 
Lord  has  placed  it  upon  you,  to  teach  your  little  children  that  there 
is  a  Heavenly  Father  and  that  life  has  a  purpose,  and  that  purpose 
is  to  prepare  to  go  back  to  his  presence  in  a  day  not  far  distant,  then 
when  that  child,  thus  possessed  of  faith  from  such  motherly  teach- 
ings, comes  to  a  decision  in  the  choice  of  educational  subjects  in 
school,  shall  it  be  a  course  in  home  economics,  or  a  career  in  theatri- 
cal fields,  I  am  wondering  if  this  child  may  not  well  choose  rightly 
in  .  such  a  question? 

If  there  should  come  a  problem  as  to  what  kind  of  business  a 
man  should  be  engaged  in,  whether  he  should  invest  in  this  matter 
or  that,  whether  he  should  marry  this  girl  or  marry  that  girl,  where 
he  should  marry,  and  how  he  should  marry,  when  it  comes  to  the 
prosecuting  of  the  work  to  which  we  are  assigned,  how  much  more 
certainly  would  those  decisions  be  made,  if  always  we  recalled  that 
all  we  do,  and  the  decisions  we  make,  should  be  made  with  that 
eternal  goal  in  mind,  with  an  eye  single  to  the  ultimate  glory  of  man 
in  the  celestial  world. 

Divine  Guidance  Available 

If  all  our  selfish  motives,  then  and  all  our  personal  desires,  and 
expediency,  would  be  subordinated  to  a  desire  to  know  the  will  of 
the  Lord,  one  could  have  the  companionship  of  heavenly  vision.  If 
your  problems  be  too  great  for  human  intelligence  or  too  much  for 
human  strength,  you  too,  if  you  are  faithful  and  appeal  rightly  unto 
the  source  of  divine  power,  might  have  standing  by  you  in  your  hour 
of  peril  or  great  need  an  angel  of  God,  whose  you  are  and  whom 
you  serve.  One  who  lives  thus  worthy  of  a  testimony  that  God 
lives  and  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  and  who  is  willing  to  reach  out  to 
him  in  constant  inquiry  to  know  if  his  course  is  approved  is  the  one 
who  is  living  life  to  its  full  abundance  here,  and  is  preparing  for 
the  celestial  world,  which  is  to  live  eternally  with  his  Heavenly 
Father. 

I  bear  you  my  humble  testimony,  as  one  of  the  humblest  among 
you:  I  know  there  are  powers  that  can  draw  close  to  one  who  fills 
his  heart  with  the  kind  of  love  of  which  President  Richards  has 
spoken  so  beautifully  this  afternoon.  I  came  to  a  night,  some  years 
ago,  when  on  my  bed,  I  realized  that  before  I  could  be  worthy  of  the 
high  place  to  which  I  had  been  called,  I  must  love  and  forgive  every 
soul  that  walked  the  earth,  and  in  that  time  I  came  to  know  and  I 
received  a  peace  and  a  direction,  and  a  comfort,  and  an  inspiration, 
that  told  me  things  to  come  and  gave  me  impressions  that  I  knew 
were  from  a  divine  source.  I  know  that  these  things  are  true  and 
that  God  lives,  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  and  that  each  of  us  might 
live  the  abundant  life  by  drawing  thus  close  to  him,  and  I  bear  you 
that  testimony,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH  147 


The  Choir  and  congregation  joined  in  singing  the  hymn,  "O 
Say,  What  Is  Truth,"  by  Melling. 

PRESIDENT  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH 

This  has  been  a  wonderful  conference.  The  Lord  has  said  that 
if  two  or  three  shall  meet  together  in  his  name,  he  will  be  there  to  bless 
them,  and  this  house  has  been  filled  to  overflowing  seven  times  during 
the  last  week  by  the  sons  and  daughters  of  the  Living  God. 

All  Are  Children  of  God 

I  esteem  it  a  great  privilege  to  be  here  with  you,  my  brethren  and 
sisters,  and  when  I  say  "brethren  and  sisters,"  I  am  reminded  of  the 
fact  that  every  man  is  a  son  of  God,  every  woman,  a  daughter  of  our 
Heavenly  Father.  Wherever  they  may  be,  all  that  have  been  born 
upon  the  earth  are  the  children  of  the  Lord,  and  our  Master  taught 
that  to  love  our  neighbors  as  ourselves  is  the  second  great  command- 
ment. If  we  would  follow  the  advice  of  Brother  George  F.  Richards 
to  love  our  neighbors,  it  would  go  a  long  way  towards  bringing  happi- 
ness into  the  world. 

I  trust  that  during  the  few  moments  I  occupy  I  may  be  blessed 
of  the  Lord  to  say  the  things  that  he  would  have  me  say.  I  trust  that 
we  who  are  here  may  be  inspired  of  our  Heavenly  Father  to  rejoice 
in  the  blessings  that  are  ours,  and  that  we  may  be  here  today  as 
brothers  and  sisters  in  the  sense  in  which  he  desires  that  we  should  be. 

This  is  only  a  small  congregation  compared  to  the  multitude  of 
our  Father's  children  scattered  over  the  earth,  but  it  is  a  very  choice 
congregation,  because  so  many  of  those  who  are  here  have  devoted 
most  of  their  lives  to  going  about  doing  good.  That,  in  a  measure, 
is  the  sum  of  the  meaning  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  go  about 
doing  good.  While  there  are  in  this  congregation  men  and  women 
who  are  not  members  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints,  I  hope  that  you  will  feel  that  you  are  welcome  in  this  great 
congregation,  and  then  realize  that  wherever  you  may  go  and  find 
members  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  who  are 
worthy  of  the  name,  you  will  be  welcome,  and  they  will  be  glad  to  do 
you  good. 

Last  night  over  ten  thousand  men  assembled  in  this  house  and 
the  adjoining  building,  all  listening  to  the  same  voice  at  the  same  time. 
It  was  probably  the  largest  group  of  men  that  have  ever  been  as- 
sembled together  in  a  priesthood  meeting  since  the  world  began.  The 
fact  that  so  many  of  you  brethren  have  the  priesthood,  of  course,  is 
one  principle  that  many  people  do  not  understand. 

The  Problem  of  Safety 

In  this  fast-moving  age,  the  problem  of  safety  is  of.  great  import- 
ance. We  pick  up  the  papers  day  by  day  to  find  that  this  man  has 


148  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  6  Third  Day 

been  run  over  by  an  automoblie,  or  that  automobile  has  overturned 
and  been  wrecked,  and  those  riding  in  it  have  been  killed.  We  hear 
of  collisions  between  railroad  trains  and  automobiles.  Nearly  every 
day  the  headlines  of  our  papers  tell  how  many  people  have  lost  their 
lives  by  accident,  and  I  may  say  to  you  that  in  almost  every  case,  if 
proper  precautions  had  been  taken,  those  lives  would  not  be  lost.  So, 
today,  safety  campaigns  are  being  carried  forward  in  an  attempt  to 
preserve  the  lives  of  people  that  are  being  wastefully  destroyed.  I 
hope  that  the  membership  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints  will  be  among  those  most  anxious  and  most  willing  to  lend 
their  efforts  to  preserve  life.  It  is  very  precious.  We  have  only  one 
life,  and  if  we  keep  the  commandments  of  God  and  live  as  we  should, 
it  will  be  an  eternal  life  of  happiness.  That  is  the  blessing  which 
comes  to  us  from  the  gospel. 

On  our  highways,  some  turn  over  high-powered  cars  to  children, 
as  soon  as  they  can  handle  the  wheel,  and  they  do  not  always  wait 
until  they  are  entitled  to  drive  by  procuring  that  privilege  from  the 
state  in  which  they  live.  They  do  not  measure  the  danger  and  the 
result  is  that  many  accidents  occur.  Many  accidents  result  because 
some  men,  and  some  women,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  presume  to  sit  down 
at  the  wheel  of  an  automobile  and  drive  off  into  traffic  when  they 
themselves  ought  to  be  in  bed  under  the  care  of  a  physician,  and  some 
of  them  ought  to  be  in  jail  sobering  up. 

Now,  what  can  we  do?  Let  us  join  with  the  nation.  Let  this 
group  of  men  and  women  here  exercise  their  influence  in  encouraging 
our  sons  and  our  daughters  and  our  neighbors,  while  we  are  setting 
the  example  ourselves,  to  safeguard  the  lives  of  every  one  of  these, 
our  Father's  children.  They  are  his,  and  he  will  not  be  pleased  with 
us  if  by  our  carelessness,  or  our  wickedness,  we  destroy  their  lives. 

A  number  of  years  ago  we  did  not  drive  so  fast.  I  remember 
when  the  governor  of  this  state  drove  a  car  at  a  time  the  limit  was 
thirty  miles  an  hour.  Of  course  that  was  flying  in  those  days,  it  was 
so  much  faster  than  a  horse.  I  was  riding  with  the  governor  and  no- 
ticed that  he  drove  very  carefully.  As  we  rode  along  the  highway,  I 
said:  "You  are  a  pretty  safe  driver,  aren't  you?" 

He  said:  "I  want  to  be." 

I  said,  "This  is  a  lovely  car  you  are  driving." 

"Yes,"  he  said.  "The  state  furnishes  me  this  car,  and  just  as 
soon  as  I  got  it,  my  boys  and  girls  wanted  to  drive  it.  I  couldn't  very 
well  keep  them  from  doing  it,  and  so  we  had  this  agreement,  that  when- 
ever we  were  in  the  car  it  would  be  law-abiding.  So,"  he  said,  "this 
is  one  car  in  the  state  that  observes  the  law." 

I  have  thought  of  that  a  good  many  times.  If  we  teach  our  chil- 
dren to  be  law-abiding  and  reasonable,  perhaps  we  will  be  the  means 
of  preserving  lives  that  are  very  precious  to  our  Heavenly  Father.  In 
this  day  when  we  are  talking  about  safety  everywhere,  let  us  do  some- 
thing about  it.  Let  each  of  us  do  our  part. 

There  are  so  many  things  that  crowd  my  mind,  I  do  not  know 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH  149 


what  to  talk  about.  I  hope  you  will  not  be  in  the  position  of  the  little 
fellow  who-  sat  through  a  long  meeting.  When  the  last  speaker  got 
up  and  said:  "I  just  don't  know  what  to  talk  about,"  the  little  fellow 
helped  him  by  saying,  "Talk  about  a  minute." 

Disobedience  Brings  Distress 

What  a  blessed  thing  it  is  to  know  that  we  are  living  eternal 
lives.  What  a  wonderful  thing  it  would  be  if  all  the  people  in  the 
world  knew  that  they  are  living  eternal  lives.  How  blessed  it  would  be 
if  all  men  knew  that  our  Heavenly  Father  was  the  Creator  of  the  heav- 
ens and  the  earth,  and  that  he  is  our  Father,  the  Father  of  our  spirits. 
What  a  happy  world  it  would  be  if  men  everywhere  recognized  their 
fellowmen  as  brothers  and  sisters,  and  then  followed  that  up  by 
loving  their  neighbors  as  themselves.  Think  of  the  sorrow  and  the 
distress  that  have  been  in  this  world  for  the  last  few  years,  due  to  the 
great  war*  Of  what  benefit  has  it  been?  Millions  of  lives  have  been 
sacrificed;  millions  in  treasure  have  been  wasted;  and  beautiful  cities 
have  been  wrecked  and  destroyed.  Many  people  tonight  will  be  sleep- 
ing, either  on  the  ground  or  in  wrecked  homes  because  of  the  great 
war.  There  are  widows  who  have  been  left,  and  orphans  who  will 
have  to  go  through  life  without  father  and  mother.  Why?  Because 
men  have  refused  to  keep  the  commandments  of  God. 

One  of  the  great  commandments  that  was  given  at  Sinai  was: 
"Thou  shalt  not  kill." 

I  wonder  if  we  realize  how  easy  it  is  to  violate  a  commandment 
of  God?  Think  of  the  Ten  Commandments  that  were  given  to  ancient 
Israel  when  they  were  in  the  wilderness,  spoken  by  the  Lord  and 
written  by  his  finger  upon  tablets  of  stone.  If  the  people,  during  the 
hundreds  of  years  that  have  elapsed  since  that  time,  had  honored 
those  Ten  Commandments,  this  earth  would  have  been  heaven,  most 
of  the  time,  and  the  men  and  women  who  have  lived  upon  it  would 
have  attained  great  blessings  that  we  have  not  known  yet. 

It  was  a  simple  thing  for  the  prophet  of  God,  Moses,  to  bring 
those  Ten  Commandments  among  the  people,  but  it  seems  to  have 
been  most  difficult  for  the  men  and  women  who  have  lived  upon  the 
earth  to  observe  them.  I  fear  that  the  time  is  coming,  unless  we  can  find 
some  way  not  only  to  prevent  the  destruction  of  human  life  by  care- 
less accidents,  but  also  unless  we  can  call  the  people  of  this  world  to 
repent  of  their  sins  and  turn  from  the  error  of  their  ways,  that  the 
great  war  that  has  just  passed  will  be  an  insignificant  thing,  as  far  as 
calamity  is  concerned,  compared  to  that  which  is  before  us.  And  we 
can  avoid  it  if  we  will;  if  we  will  each  do  our  part,  it  can  be  prevented. 

Early  Scenes  in  Salt  Lake  City 

I  am  standing  here  today  not  more  than  about  three  hundred 
yards  from  the  very  spot  where  I  first  breathed  the  breath  of  life. 
It  was  just  across  the  street  in  a  little  humble  home,  a  little  adobe 


150  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  6  Third  Day 

house  with  four  or  five  rooms,  surrounded  by  a  little  garden  and  or- 
chard. That  is  where  I  began.  Salt  Lake  City  at  that  time  was  a 
village.  We  did  not  have  any  water  pipes.  All  our  water  was  picked 
up  in  buckets  and  barrels  at  the  side  of  the  ditches  that  ran  down  our 
streets,  and  then  it  was  carried  to  the  house  in  smaller  receptacles.  We 
did  not  have  any  electric  lights  in  those  days.  We  had  tallow  candles, 
or  kerosene  oil  lamps,  but  no  electric  lights.  The  gas  did  come  a  little 
later  while  I  was  a  child. 

At  that  early  day  we  did  not  have  a  foot  of  pavement  in  the  city, 
either  on  the  roads  or  on  the  sidewalks.  I  can  remember  this  great 
wide  road  just  at  the  west  of  us  here.  There  used  to  be  about  six 
inches  of  dust  upon  it  in  the  summer  time,  the  finest  dust  that  you 
could  ever  put  your  feet  into.  That  is  the  way  we  used  to  play,  bare- 
footed, running  up  and  down  the  street  playing  ball.  We  did  not  have 
to  dodge  automobiles.  Nobody  had  ever  dreamed  of  an  automobile 
at  that  time,  I  think;  at  any  rate  it  was  a  long  time  after  that  before 
the  first  one  came  here,  and  then  it  was  a  curiosity.  I  am  thinking  of 
what  has  happened  since.  This  house  was  built  at  the  time  I  was  a 
a  child.  The  temple  was  begun  before  that  time,  and  when  it  was  com- 
pleted I  still  lived  across  the  street. 

During  the  time  that  has  elapsed  since  my  birth  I  have  traveled 
in  many  parts  of  the  world  and  met  many  of  our  Father's  other  chil- 
dren, men  and  women  of  various  creeds  and  nationalities;  and  what 
occasion  I  have  this  day  to  be  grateful  for  the  kindness  they  have  ex- 
tended to  me!  It  is  not  difficult  for  me  to  love  my  fellow  men  because 
I  have  known  so  much  kindness  from  them,  wherever  I  have  been. 
Of  course  I  have  found,  occasionally,  individuals  who  had  not  grown 
up.  They  had  bitterness  and  jealousy,  and  suspicion,  and  hatred  in 
their  hearts  for  their  fellows,  but  that  was  not  the  kind  of  training 
that  I  had. 

Mother's  Teachings 

I  was  trained  at  the  knee  of  a  Latter-day  Saint  mother.  One  of 
the  first  things  I  remember  was  when  she  took  me  by  the  hand  and  led 
me  upstairs.  In  the  room  there  were  two  beds,  the  bed  in  which  my 
parents  slept,  and  a  little  trundle  bed  over  on  the  other  side.  I  can 
remember  it  as  if  it  were  yesterday.  When  we  got  upstairs,  she  sat 
down  by  my  little  trundle  bed.  She  had  me  kneel  in  front  of  her.  She 
folded  my  hands  and  took  them  in  hers,  and  taught  me  my  first  prayer. 
I  will  never  forget  it.  I  do  not  want  to  forget  it.  It  is  one  of  the  love- 
liest memories  that  I  have  in  life,  an  angelic  mother  sitting  down  by  my 
bedside  and  teaching  me  to  pray. 

It  was  such  a  simple  prayer  but  I  can  repeat  it  today. 

Now  I  lay  me  down  to  sleep.  I  pray  the  Lord  my  soul  to  keep.  If 
I  should  die  before  I  wake,  I  pray  the  Lord  my  soul  to  take. 

That  was  my  first  prayer.  That  prayer  opened  for  me  the  win- 
dows of  heaven.  That  prayer  extended  to  me  the  hand  of  my  Father 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH 


151 


in  heaven,  for  she  had  explained  to  me  what  it  all  meant  as  far  as  a 
little  child  could  understand.  From  that  day  until  now,  while  I  have 
covered  approximately  a  million  miles  in  the  world  among  our  Father's 
other  children,  every  day  and  every  night,  wherever  I  have  been, 
when  I  have  gone  to  my  bed  or  arisen  from  it,  I  have  felt  I  was  close 
to  my  Heavenly  Father.  He  is  not  far  away. 

My  mother  gave  birth  to  eleven  husky  children,  three  of  them 
girls.  It  was  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  that  prompted  her  to  bring  us 
into  the  world,  notwithstanding  the  anxiety  we  gave  her.  She  wanted 
to  do  what  God  had  commanded  our  first  parents  to  do,  to  multiply 
and  replenish  the  earth.  As  long  as  she  lived  upon  the  earth,  I  was 
taught  to  love  my  Heavenly  Father.  I  had  an  angel  mother,  for  she 
was  an  angel,  as  we  understand  angels  these  days  to  be.  And  as  I 
stand  here  today,  after  the  experiences  of  a  long  life  I  realize  that 
she  was  only  one  of  the  daughters  of  my  Heavenly  Father,  and  he 
loves  them  all. 

Just  a  few  days  ago-  the  national  Relief  Soceity  of  the  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  filled  this  building  with  women, 
many  of  them  wives  and  mothers  and  grandmothers.  They,  just  like 
the  men  who  were  here  in  this  building  last  night,  had  the  training 
given  to  them  when  they  were  children  that  we  believe  in  God  the 
Eternal  Father,  and  in  his  Son  Jesus  Christ,  and  in  the  Holy  Ghost. 
That  is  the  training  of  the  children  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints,  and  of  course  of  many  other  churches.  But  I  am 
thinking  of  what  your  privileges  have  been,  of  how  the  Lord  called 
you  out  from  the  world,  that  call  which  was  heard  by  one  of  old: 

.  .  .  Come  out  of  her,  my  people,  that  ye  be  not  partakers  of  her  sins, 
and  that  ye  receive  not  of  her  plagues.  (Rev.  18:4.) 

Blessings  of  the  Gospel 

Many  of  you  who  are  in  this  house  came  from  foreign  lands,  from 
sections  of  the  world  where  there  were  not  the  blessings  you  enjoy 
here.  You  have  come  to  the  tops  of  these  everlasting  hills,  to  the 
headquarters  of  the  Church,  and  what  has  been  the  result?  When 
you  started,  you  found  that  the  Lord  had  promised  this: 

.  .  .  seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  his  righteousness;  and 
all  these  things  shall  be  added  unto  you.  (Matt.  6:33.) 

That  is  what  brought  your  parents  and  mine,  your  grandparents 
and  mine,  from  other  lands,  and  from  other  parts  of  this  country.  They 
came  because  they  felt  that  they  held  their  Father's  hand.  Many  of 
them  had  a  hard  time  when  they  came.  There  was  not  very  much  food, 
not  much  clothing,  and  housing  accomodations  were  poor,  but  they 
held  their  Heavenly  Father's  hand.  Morning  and  evening  they  bowed 
in  thanksgiving  and  prayer  to  him  who  is  the  giver  of  all.  They  taught 
us  who  were  born  later  to  adjust  ourselves  so  that  we  could  be  happy 
by  being  filled  with  the  love  of  God  and  the  love  of  our  fellows  in  the 
world. 


152  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  6  Third  Day 

The  Tabernacle  Choir 

I  am  thinking  of  how  the  Lord's  promise  has  been  fulfilled.  Here 
you  are  today,  listening  to  this  great  choir.  This  choir  has  been 
singing  not  only  to  the  United  States,  but  during  the  war  the  broad- 
cast has  also  been  carried  to  our  boys  and  women  in  the  armed  serv- 
ices in  different  parts  of  the  world.  Year  after  year,  the  faithful  men 
and  women  in  this  choir  have  given  their  time,  without  compensation, 
because  they  wanted  to  sing  the  sacred  things  of  our  Heavenly  Father 
to  his  children. 


Evan  Stephens 

We  used  to  have  here  a  number  of  years  ago  a  young  man  who 
came  from  Wales.  He  did  not  have  the  opportunity  of  a  college 
education,  but  he  was  a  Welshman,  full  of  Welsh  music.  When  he 
came  here,  he  became  the  leader  of  this  great  choir.  He  it  was  who 
had  joy,  along  with  those  who  preceded  him  and  those  who  followed, 
in  building  a  choir  not  just  to  sing  but  to  sing  praises  to  our  Heavenly 
Father. 

I  want  to  tell  you  a  little  incident  about  Evan  Stephens.  Some 
very  prominent  people  were  coming  here.  In  that  day  we  did  not 
have  so  many  visitors  of  prominence.  We  were  too  far  out  in  the 
wilderness.  One  of  our  good  bishops  came  to  Evan  Stephens  and 
said:  "Brother  Stephens,  I  have  some  company  coming  next  Sunday 
to  the  religious  meeting" — (we  used  to  have  a  meeting  here  at  two 
o'clock  every  Sunday) — "and  I  hope  you  are  going  to  have  some 
good  music." 

Brother  Stephens  said:  "All  right,  Bishop,  we  will  have  good 
music." 

The  bishop  did  not  think  that  was  enough  assurance  so  he  pressed 
it  a  little.  He  said:  "These  people  are  not  ordinary  people.  They  are 
men  of  affairs  and  wealth.  Their  families  are  wealthy,  and  I  would 
like  them  to  see  just  what  a  fine  choir  we  have.  Now,  won't  you  give 
us  something  just  a  little  extra?" 

Brother  Stephens  said:  "Bishop,  we  have  already  had  our  prac- 
tice. The  music  has  all  been  prepared.  I  don't  see  how  we  can  make 
a  change.  I  think  it  will  be  good  enough  for  your  friends." 

Then  the  bishop  pressed  him  a  little  harder,  and  then  Brother 
Stephens'  Welsh  got  up,  and  he  said:  "Now  look  here,  Bishop,  we 
have  prepared  the  music  for  next  Sunday  to  sing  to  the  Lord,  and  1 
suppose  if  it  is  good  enough  for  the  Lord,  it  is  good  enough  for  your 
company." 

That  is  the  spirit  that  has  always  been  here.  This  house  was 
dedicated  to  the  worship  of  God,  by  the  spoken  word  and  by  music, 
by  song  and  by  story.  I  stand  in  a  pulpit  here  that  has  been  sanctified 
by  the  righteous  men  and  women  who  have  stood  here  and  have 
testified  of  their  knowledge  of  God  and  have  encouraged  others  to 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH  1 53 


keep  his  commandments,  that  they  might  be  happy.  I  feel  very  grate- 
ful for  my  blessings. 

.  Warning  and  Testimony 

In  conclusion  let  me  say:  We  are  not  out  of  the  woods.  This 
world  is  in  for  a  housecleaning  unless  the  sons  and  daughters  of  our 
Heavenly  Father  repent  of  their  sins  and  turn  to  him.'  And  that  means 
the  Latter-day  Saints,  or  the  members  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints,  along  with  all  the  rest,  but  we,  first  of  all,  ought 
to  be  setting  the  example.  We  have  sent  over  seventy  thousand  of 
our  sons  and  daughters  into  the  world,  paying  their  own  expenses, 
to  divide  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  with  his  other  children.  Why? 
Because  we  know  it  is  the  only  plan  God  has  given  to  the  children  of 
men  to  earn  a  place  in  the  celestial  kingdom.  That  is  why  it  is  so  im- 
portant. In  this  great  building  that  has  been  so  sacred  to  all,  after 
listening  to  the  splendid  choir  and  the  organ,  listening  to  the  prayers 
that  have  been  offered  here,  listening  to  the  testimonies  that  have  been 
borne,  I  want  to  leave  my  testimony  with  you  and  say  to  you:  I 
know  that  God  lives.  I  know  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ.  I  know  that 
Joseph  Smith  was  a  Prophet  of  the  Living  God,  and  had  restored  to 
him  the  true  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  in  these  latter  days. 

That  might  sound  like  boasting  if  it  were  not  so  serious.  It  is 
serious,  and  I  know  that  I  will  have  to  answer  for  that  testimony  as  I 
leave  it  with  you  today.  It  will  not  be  long  until  this  man  who  is 
talking  will  have  finished  his  work  and  passed  to  the  other  side,  and 
when  I  go,  I  want  to  be  worthy  to  join  my  grandparents  and  my  par- 
ents, my  brothers  and  sisters  who  have  passed  on.  I  know  they  have 
earned  a  place  that  is  worth  while.  I  want  to  go  where  they  have  gone, 
and  I  know  that  if  I  were  not  to  tell  you  the  truth  in  regard  to  this 
matter,  I  might  lose  that  opportunity. 

So,  realizing  the  seriousness  of  a  testimony  like  that,  realizing 
what  it  means,  and  with  love  unfeigned  and  a  desire  to  be  a  blessing 
to  all  our  Father's  children,  I  leave  this  witness  with  you  that  this  is 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  only  power  of  God  unto  salvation  in 
preparation  for  the  celestial  kingdom,  into  which  kingdom  we  may 
all  go  if  we  will,  but  it  will  be  on  his  terms,  and  I  bear  you  that  witness 
this  day,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord.  Amen. 

President  George  Albert  Smith: 

We  now  have  one  order  of  business  that  is  customary  with  these 
Conferences;  that  is,  the  presentation  of  the  Authorities  of  the  Church 
to  be  sustained  by  the  vote  of  the  people.  I  hope  that  you  will  realize, 
all  of  you,  that  this  is  a  sacred  privilege,  and  I  hope  that  if  you  know 
of  any  reason  why  you  should  not  sustain  the  leadership  of  the  Church 
that  you  will  make  that  reason  known  to  those  who  handle  the  situa- 
tion. On  the  contrary,  if  you  feel  that  you  want  to  carry  on,  that  you 
want  to  sustain  those  who  are  doing  the  work  and  have  been  for  a 


154  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  6  Third  Day 

long  time,  and  others  who  may  be  added  today,  we  want  you  to  hold 
up  your  hand.  It  will  not  be  just  a  symbol  but  it  will  be  an  indication 
that,  with  the  help  of  the  Lord,  you  will  carry  your  part  of  the  work. 
And  so,  with  that  understanding,  we  will  now  ask  President  McKay 
to  present  the  General  Authorities  for  your  vote.  I  have  been  in  meet- 
ings sometimes  when  you  could  not  tell  that  people  had  their  hands 
up,  they  kept  them  down  so  far.  I  do  not  think  your  arms  are  longer 
than  other  peoples',  but  we  would  like  to  see  your  hands,  either  for  or 
against  those  whose  names  will  now  be  presented  by  President 
McKay. 

President  David  O.  McKay  then  presented  the  General  Author- 
ities, General  Officers,  and  General  Auxiliary  Officers  of  the  Church, 
and  they  were  unanimously  sustained  by  those  present,  as  follows: 

GENERAL  AUTHORITIES  OF  THE  CHURCH 

First  Presidency 

George  Albert  Smith,  Prophet,  Seer  and  Revelator,  and  Presi- 
dent of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints. 

J.  Reuben  Clark,  Jr.,  First  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency. 
David  O.  McKay,  Second  Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency. 

President  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 
George  F.  Richards 
Council  of  the  Twelve  Apostles 


?:.it  t 


.  George  F.  Richards  Albert  E.  Bowen 

Joseph  Fielding  Smith  Harold  B.  Lee 

Stephen  L  Richards  Spencer  W.  Kimball 

John  A.  Widstoe  Ezra  Taft  Benson 

Joseph  F.  Merrill  Mark  E.  Petersen 

Charles  A.  Callis  Matthew  Cowley 

The  Counselors  in  the  First  Presidency,  and  the  Twelve  Apostles 
as  Prophets,  Seers,  and  Revelators. 

Assistants  to  the  Twelve 

Marion  G.  Romney  Clifford  E.  Young 

Thomas  E.  McKay  Alma  Sonne 

Trustee-in-Trust 

sc.  George  Albert  Smith 

As  Trustee-in-Trust  for  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints.:  .;  . 


PRESENTATION  OF  AUTHORITIES  155 

The  First  Council  of  the  Seventy 

Levi  Edgar  Young  Seymour  Dilworth  Young 

Antoine  R.  Ivins  Milton  R.  Hunter 

Richard  L.  Evans  Bruce  R.  McConkie 
Oscar  A.  Kirkham 

Presiding  Bishopric 

LeGrand  Richards,  Presiding  Bishop 
Marvin  O.  Ashton,  First  Counselor 
Joseph  L.  Wirthlin,  Second  Counselor 

GENERAL  OFFICERS  OF  THE  CHURCH 

Church  Historian  and  Recorder 
Joseph  Fielding  Smith,  with  A.  William  Lund  as  Assistant. 

Church  Board  of  Education 

George  Albert  Smith  Adam  S.  Bennion 

J.  Reuben  Clark,  Jr.  Joseph  F.  Merrill 

David  O.  McKay  Charles  A.  Callis 

Joseph  Fielding  Smith  Franklin  L.  West 

Stephen  L  Richards  Albert  E.  Bowen 
John  A.  Widstoe 

Frank  Evans,  Secretary  and  Treasurer. 

Commissioner  of  Education 
Franklin  L.  West 

Seminary  Supervisor 
J.  Karl  Wood 

Auditing  and  Finance  Committee  ; 

Orval  W.  Adams  George  S.  Spencer 

Albert  E.  Bowen  Harold  H.  Bennett 

Tabernacle  Choir 

Lester  F.  Hewlett,  President;  J.  Spencer  Cornwall,  Conductor, 
Richard  P.  Condie,  Assistant  Conductor. 

All  the  members  of  the  Choir  as  they  are  now  listed. 

Organists 

Alexander  Schreiner  Frank  W.  Asper 


156  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  6  Third  Dm) 

CHURCH  WELFARE  COMMITTEE 
Advisers 

John  A.  Widstoe  Alma  Sonne 

Albert  E.  Bowen  Antoine  R.  Ivins 

Harold  B.  Lee  Oscar  A.  Kirkham 

Marion  G.  Romney  LeGrand  Richards 

Thomas  E.  McKay  Marvin  O.  Ashton 

Clifford  E.  Young  Joseph  L.  Wirthlin 

General  Presidency  of  Relief  Society 

General  Committee 

Henry  D.  Moyle,  Chairman 
Harold  B.  Lee,  Managing  Director 
Marion  G.  Romney,  Assistant  Managing  Director 
Mark  Austin  Roscoe  W.  Eardley 

William  E.  Ryberg  Ezra  C.  Knowlton 

Clyde  C.  Edmunds  Clyde  J.  Brown 

Sterling  H.  Nelson  Paul  C.  Child 

Stringham  A.  Stevens  Lorenzo  H.  Hatch 

Howard  Barker 

GENERAL  AUXILIARY  OFFICERS  OF  THE  CHURCH 
National  Woman's  Relief  Society 

Belle  Smith  Spafford,  President 
Marianne  Clark  Sharp,  First  Counselor 
Gertrude  Ryberg  Garff,  Second  Counselor 
with  all  the  members  of  the  board  as  at  present  constituted. 

Deseret  Sunday  School  Union 

Milton  Bennion,  General  Superintendent 
George  R.  Hill,  First  Assistant  Superintendent 
A.  Hamer  Reiser,  Second  Assistant  Superintendent 
with  all  the  members  of  the  board  as  at  present  constituted. 

Young  Men's  Mutual  Improvement  Association 

George  Q.  Morris,  General  Superintendent 
John  D.  Giles,  First  Assistant  Superintendent 
Lorenzo  H.  Hatch,  Second  Assistant  Superintendent 
with  all  the  members  of  the  board  as  at  present  constituted. 

Young  Women's  Mutual  Improvement  Association 

Lucy  Grant  Cannon,  President 
Verna  W.  Goddard,  First  Counselor 


PRESENTATION  OF  AUTHORITIES  157 


Lucy  T.  Andersen,  Second  Counselor 
with  all  the  members  of  the  board  as  at  present  constituted. 

Primary  Association 

Adele  Cannon  Howells,  President 
LaVern  W.  Parmley,  First  Counselor 
Dessie  G.  Boyle,  Second  Counselor 
with  all  the  members  of  the  board  as  at  present  constituted. 

President  David  O.  McKay: 

The  voting  so  far  as  I  have  noticed,  has  been  unanimous  in  the 
affirmative. 

You  will  note  that  in  the  presentation  of  the  General  Authorities 
the  name  of  the  Patriarch  to  the  Church  was  omitted.  The  President 
of  the  Church  has  from  Patriarch  Joseph  F.  Smith  the  following 
letter: 

Centerville,  Utah 
3  October  1946 

"President  George  Albert  Smith 
47  East  South  Temple 
Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 

"Dear  President  Smith: 

"As  you  know  I  have  been  very  ill  for  many  months.  While  I  am 
slowly  gaining  strength  and  hope  soon  again  to  be  able  to  do  some 
work,  I  do  not  know  when,  if  at  all,  I  shall  be  able  to  stand  the  full 
drain  upon  my  energy  incident  to  the  office  of  Patriarch  to  the 
Church.  As  you  know  the  duties  of  the  Patriarch  entail  heavy  ex- 
haustion. Since  but  one  man  holds  that  office,  if  he  is  measurably 
incapacitated,  its  work  must  in  that  degree  suffer. 
"I  know,  of  course,  that  one  neither  resigns  nor  asks  to  be  released 
from  such  a  calling,  out  of  personal  considerations,  any  more  than 
one  requests  appointment  or  asks  for  office.  My  chief  desire  is  that 
the  work  of  the  Lord  shall  prosper. 

"Bearing  these  things  in  mind,  I  am  writing  to  say  that  if  you  desire 
me  to  carry  on,  I  shall  do  my  best.  If,  however,  in  the  circumstances, 
you  should  feel  that  the  interests  of  the  Church  would  be  best  served 
by  releasing  me  at  this  time,  I  want  you  to  feel  at  liberty  to  do  that.  I 
am  therefore  writing  this  letter  to  let  you  know  you  have  my  full 
support  for  whatever  you  decide. 

"I  am  grateful  for  the  Lord's  goodness  to  me  and  mine. 
"Ever  praying  the  Lord's  choicest  blessings  upon  you,  I  am 

"Sincerely  your  brother, 
/s/  Joseph  F.  Smith" 
After  careful  and  prayerful  consideration,  and  with  deep  regret 


158  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Sunday,  October  6  Third  Dai; 

and  sympathy  for  his  condition,  the  First  Presidency,  with  the  ex- 
pressed assent  and  approval  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve,  have 
decided,  under  all  the  circumstances,  that  Brother  Joseph  F.  Smith 
shall  be  released  from  his  duties  as  Patriarch  to  the  Church. 

President  George  Albert  Smith: 

So  far  as  I  could  see  the  voting  was  unanimous,  as  it  usually  is. 

Now,  brethren  and  sisters,  we  are  going  to>  our  various  homes, 
and  they  are  thousands  of  miles  apart.  Let  us  take  to  those  homes  new 
determination  to  be  worthy  of  him  in  whose  image  we  are  created, 
and  seek  in  every  way  possible  to  please  mankind  by  the  example 
that  we  set  and  by  giving  of  ourselves  and  our  substance  wherever  it 
may  be  necessary. 

I  hope  now  that  you  will  go  from  here  feeling  that  you  have 
waited  upon  the  Lord  and  that  he  has  answered  your  prayers,  and 
with  love  in  our  hearts  unfeigned  for  all  his  children  let  us  carry  on. 

We  want  to  thank  all  those  who  have  helped  us  and  cooperated 
with  us  in  our  great  Conference,  and  we  want  the  Tabernacle  Choir 
to  know  how  much  we  appreciate  and  love  them,  that  they  are  remem- 
bered throughout  the  world  because  of  the  peace  and  love  that  they 
radiate  from  this  great  building  that  has  been  dedicated  to  our  Heav- 
enly Father.  They  will  now  conclude  their  portion  of  the  Conference 
service  by  singing:  "The  Spirit  of  God  Like  a  Fire  is  Burning,"  by 
W.  W.  Phelps.  The  closing  prayer  will  be  offered  by  President 
Wilmer  J.  Maw  of  the  Farr  West  Stake  of  Zion. 

The  Choir  sang  the  hymn,  "The  Spirit  of  God  Like  a  Fire  is 
Burning,"  by  Phelps. 

President  George  Albert  Smith: 

,  For  your  information  we  will  say  that  there  are  approximately 
12,000,  not  less  than  12,000  people  at  worship  in  this  building  and  the 
adjoining  building  and  outside  on  the  block. 

Tonight  at  7:00  will  be  the  regular  conference  of  the  Deseret 
Sunday  School  Union.  Those  of  you  who  have  never  been  here  to 
that  fine  meeting  and  the  program  carried  on  by  the  Sunday  School, 
I  am  sure  will  enjoy  it,  and  everybody  is  welcome. 

President  Maw  will  now  offer  the  benediction. 

The  benediction  was  pronounced  by  President  Wilmer  J.  Maw 
of  the  Farr  West  Stake. 

Conference  adjourned  sine  die. 


The  congregational  singing  was  directed  by  J.  Spencer  Cornwall, 
Conductor,  and  Richard  P.  Condie,  Assistant  Conductor  of  the  Tab- 
ernacle Choir. 

The  Salt  Lake  Tabernacle  Choir  was  in  attendance  at  the  Sun- 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH  1 59 


day  sessions  and  presented  musical  numbers  at  those  meetings.  J. 
Spencer  Cornwall,  Conductor,  directed  the  singing  of  the  Choir. 

The  Relief  Society  Singing  Mothers  of  the  Jordan  Valley  Region, 
Florence  Jepperson  Madsen,  director,  furnished  musical  numbers  at 
the  Friday  morning  and  afternoon  sessions. 

At  the  Saturday  morning  and  afternoon  meetings  the  Richfield 
Combined  Choruses,  Elder  Arden  Peterson,  Director,  furnished  the 
musical  numbers. 

The  music  of  the  Tabernacle  Choir  and  Organ  Broadcast,  Sun- 
day morning,  9:30  to  10:00,  as  also  the  music  for  the  Church  of  the 
Air  broadcast,  Sunday  morning  8:30  to  9:00,  was  directed  by  J.  Spen- 
cer Cornwall,  Alexander  Schreiner  was  at  the  organ,  and  the  spoken 
word  was  by  Richard  L.  Evans. 

Accompaniments  and  interludes  on  the  great  organ  were  played 
by  Alexander  Schreiner  and  Frank  W.  Asper. 

Stenographic  notes  of  the  Conference  were  taken  by  Frank  W. 
Otterstrom  and  Joseph  Anderson. 

Joseph  Anderson, 
Clerk  of  the  Conference. 


INDEX 


Anastasiou,  Elder  Andre  K,    22 

Anderson,  Elder  Joseph   78 

Ashton,  Elder  Marvin  O.  132 

The  youth  problem,  133 — Faithfulness  to  be  encouraged,  134 — A 
story  from  Lincoln's  life,  135 — A  doctor's  devotion,  136 — The  way  to 
the  Celestial  Kingdom,  137. 

Authorities  and  Officers  Present   1 

Bowen,  Elder  Albert  E.   48 

History  of  redress  of  wrongs,  48 — Justice  under  law,  49 — Industrial 
disputes,  49 — Defiance  of  law  decried,  50 — Future  freedom  of  religion 
at  stake,  51 — Christian  religion  and  democracy,  52. 

Bowman,  Elder  John  F.     90 

Broadcast  of  Choir  and  Organ  108 

Callis,  Elder  Charles  A.    44 

Teachings  of  Book  of  Mormon,  44 — Noble  calling  of  wives  and 
mothers,  45 — Economic  system  of  ancient  America,  46 — Immortality 
taught  in  Book  of  Mormon,  46 — New  witness  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ,  47. 


Changes  in  Church  Officers,  Stake,  Ward  and  Branch  Organiza- 


tions    8 

Church  of  the  Air  Broadcast  102 

Clark,  President  J.  Reuben,  Jr.   54,  78,  80 

Clark,  President  J.  Reuben,  Jr.   84 


More  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive,  85 — Principles  governing  in 
times  of  war,  86 — Hugo  Grotius'  work  on  International  law,  86 — 
Principle  of  neutrality,  87 — Rules  governing  Civil  War,  87 — World 
Wars  I  and  II,  88 — Tragedy  of  use  of  atom  bomb,  88 — Protest 
against  savage  methods,  89. 

Cowley,  Elder  Matthew  103 

Mankind  responsible  for  the  evils  of  the  world,  103 — Seeking  the 
Kingdom  of  God,  103 — Interpretation  of  Nebuchadnezzar's  dream, 
104 — Christ's  teachings  regarding  the  Kingdom  of  God,  105 — The 
power  within  the  Kingdom  of  God,  106 — Admonition  to  seek  first  the 
Kingdom  of  God,  107. 


Dunn,  Elder  Emile  C.   96 

Evans,  Elder  Richard  L.   81 

A  tribute  to  John  H.  Taylor,  81 — Questions  to  be  asked  of  ourselves, 

81-  — Change  not  always  progress,  82 — Safety  in  strong  foundation, 

82 —  The  unchangeableness  of  truth,  83 — Basic  principles,  84. 

First  Day,  Morning  Meeting   2 

First  Day,  Afternoon  Meeting   28 

General  Authorities  of  the  Church  Present   1 

General  Officers  of  the  Church  Sustained  154 

Hunter,  Elder  Milton  R.  -  -  39 

As  a  man  thinketh,  39 — Character  sum  total  of  thoughts,  40 — Respon- 
ible  for  our  words  and  acts,  41 — Think  pure  thoughts,  42 — Roots  of 
sin  in  our  thoughts,  43 — Responsibility  to  develop  proper  habits,  43. 

Ivins,  Elder  Antoine  R.   64 


World's  reluctance  to  accept  modern  revelations,  65 — Personality 
of  deity  again  revealed,  66 — Special  calling  of  the  Seventies,  66. 


162  GENERAL  CONFERENCE 

Kimball,  Elder  Spencer  W.   55 

Jesus  lives  eternally,  56 — Primeval  gathering,  56 — Jesus  the  Creator, 

56 —  Redeemer's  Visit  to  Enoch,  57 — Experience  of  Brother  of  Jared, 

57 —  Jehovah  speaks  to  Nephi,  58 — Birth  of  Jesus,  58 — Highlights  of  ■ 
mortal  life  of  Jesus,  59 — Miracles  performed,  60 — Closing  events  of 
Master's  life,  60 — Christ's  visitation  to  Western  Hemisphere,  61 — 
Vision  given  to  Joseph  Smith,  63 — Testimonies  of  Christ's  divinity, 
63. 

Lee,  Elder  Harold  B.   141 

Modern  concepts  of  abundant  living,  141 — The  Master's  statement, 
142 — Scriptures  chart  way  to  abundant  life,  143 — Life  of  Saul  of 
Tarsus,  144 — Doing  the  will  of  God,  145 — Divine  guidance  available, 
146. 

McKay,  President  David  O.  80,  89,  94,  96,  101,  102,  154,  157 

McKay,  President  David  O  Ill 

Marriage  looseness  and  infidelity,  113 — Juvenile  delinquency,  113 — 
The  home  the  first  safeguard,  114 — The  church,  115 — The  schools, 
1 1 6 — The  community  atmosphere,  117. 

McKay,  Elder  Thomas  E   16 

Commendation  for  good  work  16 — The  fence  or  the  ambulance,  16 — 
Presiding  Bishopric  fencing  the  cliff,  17 — Privilege  of  the  ballot, 
17 — Returned  servicemen,  18 — President  Smith — Ambassador  of  good 
will,  19. 

Merrill,  Elder  Joseph  F.   67 

The  present  sinful  condition  of  the  world,  68 — Need  for  repentance 
among  Latter-day  Saints,  68 — Man  given  power  to  choose  good  or 
evil,  69 — Peace  can  come  through  following  the  Golden  Rule,  69 — 
The  repeal  of  certain  laws  urged,  70 — Labor  strikes  in  America,  70 — 
A  warning  against  Communism,  72. 

Officers  and  Other  Authorities  Present   2 

Petersen,  Elder  Mark  E.   19 

Juvenile  delinquency,  19 — Responsibility  of  parents  and  bishops,  20 — 
Youth  needs  recreation,  21 — Souls  precious  in  the  sight  of  God,  22. 

Presentation  of  Authorities  154 

Richards,  President  George  F  137 

The  great  commandment,  137 — God  so  loved  the  world,  138 — Love 
would  solve  present-day  problems,  138 — Meaning  of  love  revealed 
through  dream,  139 — Obligation  to  love  our  enemies,  139 — Faith- 
fulness commended,  140. 

Richards,  Elder  George  F.  Jr.    94 

Richards,  Bishop  LeGrand  122 

Youth  need  testimonies,  123 — Testimony  of  the  three  witnesses, 
124 — Divinity  of  Book  of  Mormon,  124 — Appreciation  of  German  E. 
Ellsworth,  125 — Value  of  archeological  research,  125 — Appreciation 
of  Book  of  Mormon  truths,  1 26— Missionary  gains  testimony,  127. 

Romney,  Elder  Marion  G.   73 

Responsibility  of  addressing  a  General  Conference,  73 — The  principle 
of  obedience,  74 — Obedience  brings  blessings,  75 — Saul  and  the 
Amalekites,  75 — Full  obedience  required,  76— -Adam's  implicit  obe- 
dience, 77. 

Second  Day,  Morning  Meeting   53 

Second  Day,  Afternoon  Meeting    80 

Smith,  President  George  Albert   2,  28,  52,  80,  110,  111, 

118,  120,  131,  132,  153,  158 


INDEX  163 

Smith,  President  George  Albert    3 

Uplift  of  General  Conferences,  3 — Early  Conferences,  3 — Unsatis. 
factory  condition  of  world,  4 — Spirit  of  missionary  service,  5 — 
Short  wave  broadcast  to  Japan,  5 — Contributions  of  Relief  Society 
sisters,  6 — Rewards  of  missionary  work,  7 — Prayer  for  Saints,  7. 

Smith,  President  George  Albert   147 

All  are  children  of  God,  147 — The  problem  of  safety,  147 — Disobe- 
dience brings  distress,  149 — Early  scenes  in  Salt  Lake  City,  149 — 
Mother's  teachings,  150 — Blessings  of  the  Gospel,  151 — The  Taber- 
nacle Choir,  152 — Evan  Stephens,  152 — Warning  and  testimony, 
153. 

Smith,  Patriarch  Joseph  F. — Released   157 

Smith,  Elder  Joseph  Fielding   35 

President  Brigham  Young's  counsel  on  marriage,  35 — Advice  to  marry 
in  the  Church,  36 — Only  covenants  made  by  God  are  eternal,  37 — 
Importance  of  eternal  marriage,  37 — Temple  for  worthy  members, 
38 — Lord's  command  to  multiply,  38. 

Sonne,  Elder  Alma  118 

Conviction  necessary  to  action,  118 — A  testimony  of  the  truthful- 
ness of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  1 18 — A  mother's  faithfulness,  1 19 — Pre- 
paration for  the  restoration  of  the  Gospel,  119. 

Tabernacle  Choir  and  Organ  Broadcast   108 

Third  Day,  Morning  Meeting  108 

Third  Day,  Afternoon  Meeting  132 

Whitaker,  Elder  William  P.   93 

Widtsoe,  Elder  John  A.   12 

Disturbed  condition  of  world,  12 — Peace  result  of  obedience  to  Gos- 
pel, 13— Our  obligation  to  teach  the  truth,  13 — Commission  to 
supplant  evil  with  good,  14 — God's  work  is  eternal,  15. 

Wirthlin,  Elder  Joseph  L.    29 

Free  agency  vs.  force,  29 — Dangerous  tendencies  in  government, 
30 — Jefferson's  statement  on  centralized  government,  31 — Debt  brings 
servitude,  32 — Benefits  of  freedom,  33 — Constitution  should  be  appre- 
ciated, 33 — Responsibility  of  public  servants,  34. 

Young,  Elder  Clifford  E  120 

Importance  of  listening  to  servants  of  God,  120 — Get  out  of  debt, 
121 — Counsel  to  returned  servicemen,  121. 

Young,  President  Levi  Edgar   54 

Young,  Elder  S.  Dilworth  128 

A.  tribute  to  John  H.  Taylor,  128 — An  insight  into  the  life  of  a  mission 
president,  128 — Words  of  encouragement,  131. 


DANIEL  HAMMER  WELLS 


As  the  polished  facets  of  a  diamond  flash  back  brilliantly 
the  rainbow  of  colors  from  the  light  which  plays  upon  them  so 
do  certain  historic  characters  reflect  the  light  and  color  oi  their 
times. 

Daniel  Hanmer  Wells  was  one  of  these. 

Bryant  S.  Hinckley,  always  illuminating  and  inspirational, 
turns  the  spot  light  of  appraisal  and  appreciation  upon  a  dis- 
tinctive character  in  the  great  drama  of  Mormon  history. 

This  book  is  in  fact  a  new  approach  to  the  study  of  Church 
History.  It  offers  the  events  of  the  history  of  Mormonism  as 
one  of  the  principal  actors  saw  them  happen  and  as  he  acted 
in,  and  Was  acted  upon  by  them. 

The  book  is  a  biography  and  more,  a  tribute  of  apprecia- 
tion and  more — it  is  a  history  throbbing  with  the  pulse  beats 
of  great  personalities  as  they  struggle  through  one  crisis  after 
another. 

His  life  ran  the  long  span  which  included  actively  within 
it  labors  of  love  for  and  loyalty  to  every  man  who  has  been 
president  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints. 

Daniel  H.  Wells  saw  it  all  happen:  The  rise  ol  the  Church 
in  the  Middle  West;  the  story  of  Nauvoo;  the  catastrophe  of 
the  martyrdom;  the  pain,  travail,  and  power  of  pioneering;  the 
building  of  the  West;  the  crises  of  pre-statehood  days;  and 
the  long,  hard  pull  which  finally  established  the  Mormon  people 
on  the  heights  where  they  are  now  building. 

Published  privately  by  President  Heber  J.  Grant,  as  a 
tribute  to  the  loyal  friend  of  his  youth,  it  will  stand  as  a  welcome 
addition  to  the  faith-promoting  literature  of  the  Church. 


DANIEL  HANMER  WELLS 


AID  [IMS  61  HIS  TIME 

By  Bryant  S.  Hinckley 


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