Elder Joseph F. Mcgregor

(President of the Beaver Stake of Zion)

I have been very much impressed, my brethren and sisters, at this conference with the necessity of doing something, impressed with the fact that this gospel is a gospel of service, and that in order to get the blessings of eternal life, we have something to do upon our part other than merely assent to the divinity of the mission of Jesus Christ.

I recall when in the east at one time-I think Brother Lyman was there at Ann Arbor-the Reverend E. Fay Mills held a protracted meeting there, and he showed us the necessity, in his way, of accepting Jesus Christ, and the results if we failed to do this while we were sojourning here in mortality; and he told a little story about a young lady who had been in the choir and who had not confessed the Savior. After his meeting, she had taken suddenly ill with pneumonia, and died within a few days. In the hymn book she had used she had written, "Almost persuaded." He showed the terrible condition of that young lady-if she had just been a little more zealous, she would have been persuaded, and therefore would have received the blessings of eternal life-as it was, she would go to hell, and remain there in torment throughout the countless ages of eternity!

Now we do not believe any such rubbish. We believe that whatever we get, we get through obedience to the laws and commandments of the gospel. John the Revelator, saw the books opened, and another book, which was the book of life, and the dead were judged out of the things that were written in the book, according to their works; and we believe that we will get just what we merit, and not go to just the one place or the other.

You know the old darkey in the south was preaching, and he was telling the people that they would either go to hell fire or else damnation, when they died-either one place or the other; and one of the congregation said, "What is that you say?"

And he said, "Yes, that is right, you will go either one place or the other."

Then the darkey in the congregation said, "Then this darkey will take to the woods."

And many of us would have to take to the woods, were it not for the provision that our heavenly Father has made for us that we will get what we earn and work for here, during this probation.

I think one of the most beautiful sections in the D&C is what is commonly termed the "Vision." You know the Lord showed Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery that there was more than one place, and made it clear to them that there were many mansions in the Father's kingdom, and that we would not all go to the same place. Prior to this time, of course, it was believed that there was no half-way house-we went either to heaven or to hell.

I will not take your time to read this section-you are all more or less conversant with it - - but you remember the great blessings that the Lord has in store for those who go to the celestial kingdom. Those are the ones who are faithful, who are valiant here in this life for the gospel and for the principles of truth that have been laid down for our guidance by the Savior of the world.

Then we have another class, who were not so valiant, who got into the terrestrial kingdom. And I wish you to notice there that among them are those to whom the Savior went and preached in the spirit world, those to whom he went and unlocked the prison door, that they might accept the gospel. Why should not they get into the celestial kingdom? Why should they be shut out, if they then would accept it, and do the works? They have had the privilege, my brethren and sisters, of accepting the gospel here on earth. It had been preached to them, and they had refused to accept it in mortality; and therefore they were not in a position to get all the blessings that the Lord has in store for his faithful children.

You will recall that Alma, in preaching to the Zoramites, told them to repent and turn unto the Lord ere it be too late. And many have said, "Why has Alma spoken in this way?" Because we believe that there is a chance hereafter; and talk about the night coming when no work can be done-we think we will do a great deal of work hereafter, and that those who have not accepted the gospel here in mortality will do so on the other side. But, mind you, Alma was speaking to those people, the Zoramites, who were apostates. They had once accepted the gospel and then rejected it, and therefore they could not then have the opportunity that they might have had if they had not heard the gospel. It would have been better for them if they never had heard it than to have heard it and rejected it here.

And so we find that among those in the terrestrial kingdom are those to whom the Savior went, those people who had had the opportunity here while they were in mortality of accepting the gospel. and rejected it; and therefore they did not get a celestial glory, they were not valiant. There were some honest hearted people among them, but they had been blinded by the worldly things, and while they might accept the Savior as a divine being and as the Redeemer of the world, yet they had not with full purpose of heart accepted the gospel and done the works that the Savior required at their hands. Therefore they could not get the blessings.

So it rests upon this point, my brethren and sisters, to be valiant, valiant in the cause of our heavenly Father. What are we to do in order to be valiant? Why, keep the commandments, not one or two or three, or any stated number, but all the commandments that our heavenly Father has given us. You know the erroneous idea that the young man was working under who came to the Savior and wanted to know what good thing he might do in order to obtain eternal life. He seemed to think that by doing one good, great thing, he would get all the blessings that our heavenly Father has in store for his faithful children; but the Savior disillusioned his mind; he explained to him that he should keep the commandments, and that it was not one. In fact he told the Jews, on one occasion, that they took tithes of mint and anise, and so on, but neglected the weightier matters of the law-the first they ought to do, but not to leave the other undone.

We must keep all the commandments; and so, today, I believe it is a splendid thing for us to take stock of ourselves and find out where we stand. If we are in business, we often take stock-we take stock each year-and find out our assets and liabilities, and just where just where we stand financially. Isn't it a good thing to take stock of ourselves religiously, and find out just where we stand? Are we keeping the commandments of our heavenly Father, so far as we know them? Do we pay our tithes and offerings honestly before the Lord, from month to month? If not, then let us wake up and do those things. Are we attending our sacrament meetings? Are we responding to the calls of those who are over us in authority and performing every labor and duty required at our hands? Are we keeping up our communications with the heavens? Are we thanking the Lord, and not being guilty of the sin of ingratitude in not thanking him for his goodness to us from day to day-and asking for the things that we need? I do not think we all ask for just what we ought to have. In many instances, perhaps, we are praying for those things that would not be good for us, if we got them. Let us be careful not to ask the Lord for anything we ought not to have, and then when we do ask for his blessings and ask for things that will be beneficial for us to have, we can do it in sincerity, in faith, believing that he will hear and answer us. I believe that oftentimes we think the Lord ought to respond the moment we ask him; and if he does not, we think that our prayers have not been answered and he has turned a deaf ear to us, and that there is no efficacy in prayer.

It is a little, as I remember, like an incident that occurred some time ago. I had an uncle who was an apostate, and he was talking about this revelation on war. He said that Joseph Smith was a far-sighted man, and of course, he could see what was coming, and that there was a clash coming between the north and the south. And I said, "Why was it that he could see that other nations would step in, even the nation of Great Britain, and that they would be asked for help by the south, and they would grant it?"

He said, "That shows that he was wrong, because it says they would call upon other nations, and other nations upon others, until all nations of the earth should be involved-that was not fulfilled. and therefore it is like the old adage of the law 'false in one thing, false in all,' and therefore we can throw it all away."

I did not know how to answer him then, but now we can answer him. We can see how Great Britain and other nations have been involved in war; and we have taken these things in too small a compass, and have not been broad enough to realize that the Lord often requires time to perform his work.

It reminds me of a little story I have heard of a little boy who wanted a baby in the home, and finally he asked his father if he might pray for one. His father told him yes, he might, if he wished; and so for some months, whenever he said his prayers at night, he would ask the Lord to send a baby to their home. But no baby came, and he got tired and he quit asking for one. Finally one morning when he came downstairs. the nurse took him into the bedroom, and there were twins! He said. "Pa, it is a good thing I stopped praying when I did." So, I think it is a splendid thing for us to exercise a little patience and he will hear our pleadings. I am sure that he will. But do not let us neglect any of the duties that are incumbent upon us.

I am thankful to the Lord that he has made provision for his children, and that very, very few of them will be lost, that even in the telestial, the lowest degree of glory, where all the wicked people and those who fail to get the terrestrial or the celestial glory will go (except the sons of perdition), the joy is beyond our ability to understand, it is so great and glorious. Is not this a grand idea, to think the Lord has made such provision for his children? Is it not worth the effort, my brethren and sisters, to ask to obtain the blessings that he has prepared for his children here upon the earth. And yet we ought not to be satisfied with anything but the highest, because the terrestrial is so grand that the prophet says that he could not explain it to the people, it was so grand. We do not wish to be satisfied with that-we do not want to be left without our companions, our wives, or our children-we want to work for a higher degree of glory. We may not be able to become great jurists or great scientists-our mental capacity may prevent us from being such-but we can be true Latter-day Saints. We have the ability, each and all of us, to do that, and the Lord does not require anything at our hands, save he provides ways and means for us to perform the commandment that he has given us, as Nephi has told us. So that, if we try, he just judges us by the intents of our hearts, and not always by what we do. I am very thankful for that.

When it comes to the sons of perdition-they are those who sinned, willfully, knowingly, after having tasted the good word of God and had been partakers of the gifts and powers of the world to come, and then threw it all away, rejected the Savior, crucified him, put him to an open shame-they are, as the prophet has said, like men standing and seeing the sunshine and yet declaring it does not shine. They are those who willfully and deliberately cast themselves overboard on the sea of life. They alone will be lost, and thank the Lord they are very few.

I pray the Lord to bless us, my brethren and sisters, and help us that we may work and see the necessity of work. You know when you go out into the world, very often people will open their Bibles to the passage in which Paul says, "For by grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast."

And I was glad the other day to hear Brother Richards explain, that "God so loved the world that he gave his Only Begotten Son, that whosoever should believe in him, should not perish," etc., and then go on and explain that works as well are necessary, that we have something to do on our part.

When we hear the teachings of this conference, let us not be like the man who built his house on the sand, but like the man who built his house upon the rock. Let us be doers of the word, and not hearers only. In order that we may get the blessings, we must do the works, and if we do, we are as sure of our pay as anyone can be.

I think it was Cardinal Wolsey who, at his death, had been deprived by the king of all his emoluments, and who said:

Had I but served my God with half the zeal I served my king, he would not, in mine age, have left me naked to mine enemies.

If we will keep the commandments of the Lord, we can be sure that we will get our reward. God help us all to do it, I ask, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.