President Seymour B. Young.

(President of First Council of Seventy.)

My brethren and sisters, I can but express to you today the pleasure that I have in being with you at this great conference, and I have received additional pleasure in listening to those who have spoken, and also have found joy in the true ring of the good spirit that actuated President Smith's remarks in the beginning session of these services. I believe in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ; I have faith in His servants and in the Church. I believe in the Prophet Joseph Smith; I believe in his sacred and important ministry. I believe the message that he received from the angel Moroni, bringing to him that great record of a portion of the house of Israel, whose remnants are today inhabitants of this American continent and the islands of the Pacific.

I rejoice in the testimony of the Gospel that I have received. Like yourselves, my brethren and sisters, I was born of goodly parents. I have heard from the lips of my father and mother, testimonies of the truth of this great work, from the earliest time that I can remember. I imbibed the principles and faith of the Gospel from my mother, From my first remembrance, I heard her speak of this great work, with the sublimest faith that a human being can possess, and the same can be truly said, as many of you know, of my noble father. He taught his children that Jesus was the Christ, that He is the Son of God, that He is the Savior of the world, the Redeemer of all the children of our Heavenly Father; and that Joseph Smith was sent with a high commission to perform a great labor, to reveal a knowledge of the resurrection and the eternal life of man, to bring to light again the truth of the everlasting Gospel that Jesus taught, and that His apostles taught, and that Paul alluded to when he said, "Woe is me if I preach not this Gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation to all them that believe and obey."

I rejoice today when I remember some of the things that I heard my father speak of. He said that at one time, during the early spring of 1834, the Prophet Joseph interviewed himself and his brother Brigham. The Prophet said to these two brothers, Elder Brigham Young and Elder Joseph Young, "I am going to organize a company of men to journey up to Missouri, to the center stake of Zion, from whence the Saints have been driven, and robbed of their possessions, and I want you two brethren to consent to go with me. If you will go," he said, "I promise you in the name of the Lord that you shall go safely, and return in safety to your families." Of course, these faithful brethren were never known to refuse a call made upon them by the Prophet, and they joined the gallant company that accompanied the Prophet. Joseph and his brother Hyrum into the land of Missouri, with two hundred and ten others. I am glad of the testimonies I have heard borne in regard to that great mission. At that time it was considered opportune to bring relief to those poor people, the Latter-day Saints, who had been driven from their homes in that part of the state of Missouri, Independence, Jackson county. The Prophet invited men who had some means, I heard my father say, and history bears this out, men that could command some resources, to go up to Zion, as it was called then, and redeem, by purchase, that portion of the land from which the Saints had been driven. When they arrived in the state of Missouri, and crossed the Fishing River, opposite Independence, a great storm arose, and this was thought to be very providential. Little Fishing River, and Big Fishing River, rose thirty or forty feet in one night, so some of the mob testified, and this proved a protection to the little band of brethren who went up in Zion's camp.

While there encamped, there was dissatisfaction among some of the members of the camp, some of them felt to rebel against the requirements made upon them by the Prophet. One evening some of them were stricken down with a terrible disease known as the Asiatic cholera-I do not know as the brethren recognized at that time that that was the nature of the disease. Fourteen of that little band of brethren died within three days, with that terrible scourge. It is written in history that the Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum, by request of some of the afflicted ones, laid their hands upon the brethren who were sick and tried to rebuke the disease, but the disease laid hold upon these two great men to that degree that they were thrown to the ground in terrible convulsions. As they lay together writhing in pain, they seized each other by the hand and struggled to their knees, holding fast to each other's hands, with a vow in their hearts that they would not arise from their kneeling position until they had a testimony from God that they would be restored. After praying for some time, the Prophet records, lifting their hearts to God, pleading with Him with all the strength that they could muster, Hyrum Smith rose to his feet and began to shout "Hosanna to God and the Lamb forever, for," said he to his brother Joseph, "I have had a vision, I have seen our dear old mother kneeling in the orchard praying for her boys, and I have had a testimony from God that her prayers will be heard, and that we shall once more see her in life." Joseph, the Prophet, immediately arose from his knees and joined in praise and hallelujah to God, for he too felt renewed strength and power from the intercession of her faithful prayers, and exclaimed, "God bless our dear old mother; how often has she brought us from the depths of despair, sickness, pain and suffering through her devotion and prayers."

I am glad that this testimony has come to me, from my father, and also from the history of the Church. The Prophet and his brother felt the blessed result of that good mother's prayer, and testified of her devoted love for her sons. It is in keeping with the mothers in this Church, the mothers of these boys and girls who are seated in this great congregation. I do not mean particularly of any age, but of all ages. All of us, my brethren and sisters, have realized how the faith and prayers of our dear mothers and fathers have prevailed, time and time again, with the Lord of heaven in our behalf.

I am glad today that I can testify of the truth of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ; it is indeed the power of God unto salvation. Today, instead of having enemies in Independence, Jackson county, Missouri, Brother Bennion informs me there are many friends there who do not belong to our faith. There were very many people in that country that were not our friends, at the time of the gathering of our people there, and of their settlement in that county: they far outnumbered us and were our bitter foes. Today they are friendly to our people; and I am glad that this is so. I am glad that our people have the opportunity once more of standing upon those sacred places that were designated by the Prophet Joseph Smith to be prominent cities, dwelling places for the Latter-day Saints some time in the future. We have a mission established there, a house of worship, and able missionaries under the president of that mission proclaiming the Gospel on the very land from which the Saints were driven in olden time. "In olden times" I do not mean ages or centuries ago, but during the history that this people have made in the last eighty-five years.

Things have turned in our favor in many places where we were at one time very greatly in disfavor, and I attribute this to the fact that this is indeed a progressive work. It is being taught by able missionaries to the people of this land, and they are beginning to realize that there is some good in "Mormonism." The Lord is evidencing by His power and blessings that they are His people indeed. Many strangers have been willing to admit, although they have not had sufficient testimony of the Gospel to embrace it, that there is much good in "Mormonism," and that it has brought to pass many good things. It has gathered men and women from every land and clime of the civilized world; all of the Christian nations have contributed some of their population to this great movement, and their unification, their union of purpose, have testified that they are being brought into unity of faith, and speaking the same language. Amalgamating together the gathered of the nations that have come to this place, I am reminded of that Mr. Brown who was long the bodyguard of Queen Victoria. He said to the beautiful Danish princess, whom the Prince had chosen for a wife, "In welcoming thee all Danes are we." I think that in welcoming the Latter-day Saints to this land that has been prepared for their gathering, we can say we are all one nation, one people, that we are one in purpose of heart, that we are worshiping one God, and that we have one faith. one baptism, one Lord.

My brethren and sisters. I rejoice today in this testimony. I can say, in conclusion, when I look at this work and its progress, and when I realize the faith of our leaders, I feel like repeating what Queen Elizabeth said, when the Bishop of Canterbury placed the crown upon her brow,"The Lord has done it and it is marvelous in our eyes." Amen.