Elder George F. Richards. (2)
Convincing character of testimony borne by the Saints--Man should follow Nature's example of obedience to law.
My dear brethren and sisters, if President Joseph F. Smith were in attendance at this concluding meeting of the conference, we might reasonably expect that he would leave his benediction with us, as that is his custom, and I know that many of the Saints look forward with keen anticipation of the privilege of attending the last session of the conference, in the tabernacle, that they may hear his words and receive his blessing. Some of you, no doubt, feel very much disappointed at not having this privilege today. Therefore, as a representative of President Joseph F. Smith and of the Lord, and by the authority of the Holy Priesthood, I bless you, my brethren and sisters. May God's choicest blessings attend you in the future as in the past, and even more abundantly, thus rewarding you for all your faithfulness and integrity in serving Him.
The testimonies to which you have listened this afternoon have been inspired by the Spirit of the Lord, those who have spoken have done so as the oracles of God. Their testimonies and instructions will be published to the world, and shall stand as a wireless against those who, hearing or reading these testimonies, shall reject them. To see both the Tabernacle and Assembly Hall filled to overflowing, and at the same time great throngs of people out on the Temple grounds must impress the thoughtful of those who are not of us, with the devotion of the Latter-day Saints to their religion. I thank the Lord that I am identified with this great work, and have fellowship with you, members of His Church. The Latter-day Saints are, perhaps, more than any other religionists, convinced and sure of the correctness of their religious attitude before the world; this is evident in the strength of their testimonies. Can anyone who has heard these elders speak this afternoon doubt their sincerity or the assurance they have of the truth of their own statements?
The Latter-day Saints have unstinted faith in God; they do not undertake, in any degree, to abridge His knowledge, His power, or His authority, while we regard Him as a man perfected, we accept literally the scriptural declaration, "The Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is." All His creations are governed by laws of His own making, and, excepting man, all His creations are obedient to His laws: hence the order everywhere throughout the universe. If these inanimate creations were as disobedient to laws made for their government as is man to laws made for his government, there would be universal confusion and chaos. On the other hand, if man were as obedient in his sphere as the heavenly bodies are in theirs, there would be like harmony and order, with peace on earth and good will towards men everywhere. If man's disobedience then is apparent, as also its baneful effects, what is the lesson we should learn by it? As for the Latter-day Saints, we know better than we do. and have need of being impressed with the necessity for doing as well as we know. The poet, Waldo Emerson, felt this same weakness and expressed it in terms as follows: "What I most need is somebody to make me do as well as I can." The Apostle James declared unto the people of his time: "Wherefore, lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls, but be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." When the Savior was concluding His sermon upon the Mount He seemed to have in mind man's failing and took occasion to leave this admonition as the climax of His sermon:
"Therefore whosoever hearken these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon a rock; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rains descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."
It is one thing to give intellectual assent unto the commandments of the Lord, and another to obey the same. It is the obedience that counts for righteousness and for salvation. Obedience is the lesson we need to learn. This lesson learned, as the Lord would have the Latter-day Saints to learn the lesson of obedience, and the first suggestion from the presiding authorities of the Church that we do not indulge in card playing, immodest dancing, immodest dressing, etc., would be sufficient, we sing, "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet to guide us in these latter days," and then in many instances refuse to be so guided. This is displeasing to the Lord, as well as being hurtful to the individual.
Prejudice in the minds of people who have been misinformed in relation to the Latter-day Saints and their religion, is a great barrier in the way of such people receiving the message of the Gospel which we have for the world. If our lives were consistent with our profession of faith, it would go a long way toward removing this prejudice and preparing the way for effective sowing of the seeds of truth, to the honor and glory of the Lord and the salvation of His children.
May the Lord bless you, my brethren and sisters, and may His peace be upon Zion and her people, and upon all the earth, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
The anthem, "Praise ye the Father," was sung by the combined choirs.
The closing prayer was by Elder William C. Parkinson.
Outdoor Meeting
A meeting was held in front of the Bureau of Information, at 2 p.m.; Elder George Albert Smith presided, and the male choir of the Salt Lake L. D. S. U. furnished choral selections, under the leadership of B. Cecil Gates.
The choir and congregation sang the hymn, "How firm a foundation."
Prayer was offered by Bishop Moses H. Pond.
The male choir sang the anthem, "O Death, where is thy sting?"