Elder Joseph F. Smith Jr.

A summary of belief in doctrines of the Gospel-Temple ordinances essential to exaltation, for living and dead-Duty of Church members to love one another, and help all mankind.

It is always a pleasure to me to hear the Gospel preached, and to listen to the testimonies of the elders of Israel, for I accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness as it has been revealed in these latter days. I believe absolutely in the great atonement of the Son of God, I accept Him as the only begotten Son of the Father, who came into the world to atone for sin and to give to the world life, that we might have it more abundantly. I believe in the Gospel of the resurrection of the dead, and that all men shall come forth from the grave in a literal resurrection, a uniting of body and spirit, never more to be separated. I believe that the just will be exalted to thrones and powers and principalities in the kingdom of God, and that every man shall receive a reward according to his works. I believe in the doctrine of repentance from sin; that it is necessary for all men to repent. I accept the doctrine of baptism for the remission of sins, by immersion in water, the ordinance being performed by one having authority to administer in the name of the Lord. I believe in the doctrine of laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, by, which we are brought into communion with our Father in heaven and learn of His ways, that we may walk in His paths. I firmly believe in the doctrine of revelation and inspiration; the privilege of man to communicate, under proper conditions and circumstances, with the Lord. I believe in the principle of prayer, and that no man can come unto God without he has in his heart the spirit of prayer, by which he communicates with the Father. I believe in the salvation of the human family, and that it is the intention and desire of the Lord to save all His children, with the exception of a very few who will not be saved, who reject salvation against themselves because of their utter wickedness and sinning against the light. I believe the Gospel is universal, and it is not merely for the handful of people known as Latter-day Saints, but that the Lord desires to save all men, and eventually will save all through their acceptance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and obedience to His laws, with the exception, as stated, of the few who reject salvation against themselves. I do not believe that a man is saved in this life by believing, or professing to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, but that he must endure to the end and keep the commandments that are given. It is a principle of the Gospel that those who do not hear the plan of salvation here will have the privilege in the spirit world, and being judged, as Peter said, according to men in the flesh, through their repentance may live according to God in the spirit, and that all mankind will be ferreted out in this life or in the spirit world, and will have the Gospel preached to them. The time will come when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ.

I thank the Lord for our temples, where we may go and receive blessings and Priesthood and power that are necessary for us to receive in order to gain exaltation in the kingdom of God. Where we may also go and have the privilege of working for the salvation of the dead, that they too may receive the truth and be redeemed and accept the Gospel, just as we do now in the flesh. I am thankful to the Lord for the knowledge of the eternity of the marriage covenant, which gives the husband the right to claim his wife, and the wife the right to claim her husband in the world to come, providing they have gone to the House of the Lord and been united for time and all eternity by one holding this sealing power, for in no other way can this great blessing be obtained. I am also thankful for the knowledge that the family relation, and the unity of the family, shall continue, where properly organized, in righteousness in the life to come.

I believe in all these doctrines that have been presented by the various speakers at this conference. I accept them all, and rejoice to know that they have been revealed in truth and power, in this dispensation of the fullness of times. I pray that we as Latter-day Saints, may be united in every particular for our welfare, and see eye to eye in all these principles of truth, and stand together for the advancement of the Gospel throughout the world. I trust that all these things find an abiding place in our hearts, that we may in very deed stand in the trenches, or in the front ranks of the battle against sin, with united purpose.

I believe it is our solemn duty to love one another, to believe in each other, to have faith in each other, that it is our duty to overlook the faults and the failings of each other, and not to magnify them in our own eyes nor before the eyes of the world. There should be no faultfinding, no back-biting, no evil speaking, one against another, in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We should be true to each other and to every principle of our religion and not be envious one of another. We should not be jealous one of another, nor angry with each other, and there should not arise in our hearts a feeling that we will not forgive one another our trespasses. There should be no feeling in the hearts of the children of God of unforgiveness against any man, no matter who he may be. The Lord has said-I think I will read it-in one of the revelations, the following:

Wherefore I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another, for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses, standeth condemned before the Lord, for there remaineth in him the greater sin. I the Lord will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men;

And ye ought to say in your hearts, let God judge between me and thee, and reward thee according to thy deeds.

And he that repenteth not of his sins, and confesseth them not, then ye shall bring him before the church, and do with him as the scripture saith unto you, either by commandment or by revelation.

And this ye shall do that God may be glorified, not because ye forgive not, having not compassion, but that ye may be justified in the eyes of the law, that ye may not offend him who is your Lawgiver.

I believe in that doctrine. We ought not to harbor feelings one against another, but have a feeling of forgiveness and of brotherly love and sisterly love, one for another. Let each one of us remember his or her own individual failings and weaknesses and endeavor to correct them. We have not reached a condition of perfection yet, it is hardly to be expected that we will in this life, and yet, through the aid of the Holy Ghost, it is possible for us to stand united together seeing eye to eye and overcoming our sins and imperfections. If we will do this, respecting all the commandments of the Lord, we shall be a power in the world for good; we shall overwhelm and overcome all evil, all opposition to the truth, and bring to pass righteousness upon the face of the earth. For the Gospel will be spread and the people in the world will feel the influence which will be shed forth from the people of Zion, and they will be inclined more to repent of their sins and to receive the truth.

There is no place in Zion for the wilful sinner. There is a place for the repentant sinner, for the man who turns away from iniquity and seeks for life eternal and the light of the Gospel. We should not look upon sin with the least degree of allowance, any more than the Lord can do so, but walk uprightly and perfectly before the Lord. It is our duty to look after each other, to protect each other, to warn each other of dangers, to teach each other the principles of the Gospel of the kingdom, and to stand together with a united front against the sins of the world.

I pray that we will do so, that we will go from this conference with a determination in our hearts to continue our labors more diligently, to stand more unitedly for the truth in every degree and particular; that the Lord may pour out His Spirit upon us, and bless us abundantly, which He will undoubtedly do, if we will observe His laws, and keep His commandments and the covenants we have made with Him to serve Him.

This I pray, with every other blessing that will he for our good, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.