President David O. Mckay

I thank Brother Brown for expressing appreciation for those who have participated and made memorable this great conference.

I sat here looking at the number of men and boys who occupy the center of this Tabernacle audience. Twenty-five or thirty years ago you were just boys anticipating serving the Church. You are still just boys. The dearest thing in your life now is your boy. I hope that these young boys who in twenty years from now will be occupying your seats will give you the satisfaction that you have given your fathers.

I am overwhelmed with the thought of the thousands, tens of thousands of young men who were in this Tabernacle on Saturday night and the other halls on closed-circuit television and direct audio line through the service made possible by KSL and kindred means of communication.

These young people from Brigham Young University occupying the seats in the choir and furnishing the music have a great obligation upon them that they may grow up as conscious of their responsibility of being sons and daughters as you would have them realize that responsibility. We also had a group of young people from Salt Lake and Davis counties appreciation for whose attendance Brother Brown has already expressed.

It is a great thing to be a father of boys and girls. I think it is a precious thing for our boys and girls to realize their responsibility to carry their fathers name in love and honor. Carlyle I think it was said: In this world there is one Godlike virtue the essence of all that ever was or ever will be Godlike in this world-the veneration done to human worth by the hearts of men."

Ninety million people possibly have in their hearts an appreciation of your attendance at this conference-three days of joy and satisfaction!

Let us go from this conference with a prayer of appreciation that we have sons who will take our places some day, as you have taken the position now that your father wished you would take. I think I cannot do better than to quote to these young people here who have furnished us such inspirational music, to the thousands of others who were present Saturday, and to the young boys and girls in all the world, a poem by Edgar A. Guest in which he expresses appreciation for a son. I think it is about one of the best things he has written. He starts out by saying:

"We've never seen the Father here, but we have known the Son,

The finest type of manhood since the world was first begun.

And, summing up the works of God, I write with reverent pen,

The greatest is the Son He sent to cheer the lives of men.

"Through Him we learned the nays of God and found the Father's love;

The Son it was who won us back to Him who reigns above.

The Lord did not come down himself to prove to men His worth,

He sought our worship through the Child He placed upon the earth.

"How can I best express my life? Wherein does greatness lie?

How can I long remembrance win, since I am born to die?

Both fame and gold are selfish things; their charms may quickly flee

But I'm the father of a boy who came to speak for me.

"In him lies all I hope to be; his splendor shall be mine;

I shall have done man's greatest work if only he is fine.

If some day he shall help the world long after I am dead,

In all that men shall say of him my praises shall be said.

"It matters not what I may win of fleeting gold or fame,

My hope of joy depends alone on what my boy shall claim.

My story must be told through him; for him I work and plan,

Man's greatest duty is to be the father of a man."

-"Thoughts of a Father" in The Path to Home by Edgar A. Guest

Boys in the Mormon Church, boys all over the world, remember the obligations of sonship, the obligation to make your father and mother happy and proud of you.

We have had a wonderful conference, and it now draws to a close. Let us take with us our appreciation Of being a father, appreciation of being a mother. And boys and girls, go with the responsibility that you have to bring comfort and gladness and thankfulness to the hearts of your fathers and mothers.

God bless you, fellow workers, you boys and girls of yesterday; may you set a proper example to the boys and girls of today, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Singing by the Brigham Young University Chorale, "Glorious Everlasting."

Elder Percy K. Fetzer, formerly President of the North German and Berlin Missions, offered the closing prayer.

Conference adjourned for six months.

The Salt Lake Tabernacle Choir furnished the musical numbers for the Saturday morning, and Sunday morning, and afternoon sessions of the Conference, Richard P. Condie, Conductor, and Jay E. Welch, Assistant Conductor.

The Men of the Tabernacle Choir furnished the choral music for the General Priesthood Meeting Saturday evening, Richard P. Condie conducting.

Saturday afternoon the musical numbers were furnished by a selected youth choir from Salt Lake and Davis Stakes with Jay E. Welch, Assistant Director of the Tabernacle Choir, conducting.

The choral music for the Monday morning session was furnished by the Brigham Young University Combined Choruses, John R. Halliday conductor.

Monday afternoon, the Brigham Young University Choral furnished the musical numbers.

Richard P. Condie directed the singing of the Tabernacle Choir on the Tabernacle Choir and Organ broadcast Sunday morning.

Accompaniments on the organ were played by Alexander Schreiner, and Frank W. Asper, Tabernacle Organists, and Roy M. Darley, Assistant Tabernacle Organist.