It's only since Brother Johnson has been called to this position that the council of the priesthood has uniformly sat before the people, something that we see is deeply embedded to the Lord. Our opening song this afternoon will be found on page 196. Thank you. On page 232. This is a very sweet privilege I have today, brothers and sisters. William D. Cook and I have been in this work together almost since we were introduced to it. About three weeks ago, Brother Johnson came to me and said the Spirit dictates to me, Brother Hammond, that Brother Cook should be ordained a patriarch.

I said, well, that's certainly in harmony with my feelings. I feel it's the right thing. And so we're happy to announce to you, brothers and sisters, today that Brother Cook has been properly ordained and called by revelation to act as a patriarch of his people. And Brother Johnson desires at this time that he should be our first speaker. Dear brothers and sisters, I feel very humbled.

occupying this position here this afternoon. Since my early childhood, when I had to be called upon by those who guided me, to direct me, to respond, and do the best I can in the way, in my weak way, of fulfilling that calling. I appreciate, beyond words to express, my opportunity in associating with the service of the Lord, Even in my late teens, I was called on a mission at 17 years old under President Joseph F. Smith. Before I left for my mission, he called me with the other elders, not at the same time, to a room privately, and he asked me personally, privately, in regard to my character, my association, especially.

with woman time. The first question he asked me was so direct and so pregnant. He brought quite a shock to me and I answered him immediately. He said, Frank, he put his arm around me. He said, God bless you, my boy. He said, I know you're speaking the truth. He said, he will bless you in this nation. And you will return home at safety. And he said, yes, he'll agree to this. Deep love for that man, although he's gone beyond.

I studied his life history. I know the part that he played as church president. He really and truly is a servant of the Lord. Since then, I've had equally brilliant, if not greater, opportunities. I'm thankful for my father in heaven, Peter. Father, my first prayer to his brother, Mary, in here, is when the gospel, the very day the first piece of magazine came out.

I think I'd had three copies of the speech magazine, and by the way, the Lord was good enough to send me those copies. I don't know how they ever got a hold of me. I read them. I said to my wife, Myrtle, that's the crookedest man in the world, the author of that magazine, or else he's the most right. She says, what do you mean? I said, every word of it sounds creepy. It speaks truth to my soul.

I said, but I realize the fact that a real, more educated man can read a word out, put a word in. That's the thing that I don't know. Less than a month, a dear old gentleman comes to my door. One Sunday afternoon, knocked on the door. He felt a little reluctant, I would say. I knew he'd come for a definite purpose, but he felt a little reluctant. Tell me what his business was. Quite blood in my speaking.

I wanted to relieve him. I said, well, now, what's on your mind? If I can help you anyway, spit it out. I said, don't be afraid. I thought, come to me, there's some truth. He pulled out the truth magazine out of his pocket. He said, have you ever read one of these? I told him, yes, sir. I had three copies. What do you think about it? And I told him the same as I told my wife. He said, come here. Come here, brother.

He took me out to his car. He had one of these old-fashioned wheelie seat cases. And he opened it up and showed me more books than an ordinary man could carry. And then he told me about his library. He said, Brother Cook, although you're a stranger to me, you can say anything that I own in the way of reading material that you have access to. Keep it as long as you want it. Schedule it as long as you want it. And then return it.

I said, open this magazine, and I seen it. And I said, could you find out from any of us, sir? He turned immediately to it. He was very keen on it. And before he got halfway through, I knew those articles that were published there had been run through to me, dear to me. Most of you who were here heard Uncle Marion speak.

our earlier association, and how my wife, she being a nurse to one of our daughters, Horace, they immediately looked at us. I met Brother Marion, Brother Joseph, Brother Dockstader, he was a brother from down there, eventually Uncle John, and they were God's children. I couldn't conceive of them. They were making mistakes. Their language is my language. The thing that they taught was the thing that thrilled me.

It brought joy, peace, consolation to my soul. We were eventually called to maybe one of the great undertakings of the day, and that is to come to church. And you know how closely we've been associated. You know that through that association, it is very sentimental to your heart whether they were good or whether they were not good, we're supposed to be. Like we're living as one family.

And I've had another great lesson to learn, brethren, sisters, and I even still see the Lord's been merciful to me. And that is through this experience, this experience in short term. I think it's some 15 or 17 years since we came here. And I'm just beginning to learn this one lesson, that I can't judge my brethren, my sisters, or even those of the world.

from my own individual standards. I realize that while we're in this mortal place, that we have the weaknesses of the place to contend with. I've learned to my own satisfaction that our mission here in life, our purpose in life, when we took upon these mortal bodies, was to learn that the Spirit might govern this place. That is our promise. And the Lord is under covenant to fulfill that promise.

That if the Spirit governs the flesh, that we will get our just reward. That if we let the flesh govern the spirit, it will be our downfall. It's increase or decrease with us, it's the same. It's eternal progression or retrogression. Why the Lord has been merciful to me, I don't know. But I feel, as Brother Marion expressed the coin, that through the grace, My father in heaven, I'm here not to see my good works, but to see his kindness toward me. Not so long ago I had a wonderful visit with Brother Dale. I said, Brother Dale, if I could live with these boys and girls, establish a gospel image for them, know that they were living that gospel, I'd be the happiest man in the world. I'd be willing to lay down my life.

He got a smile. He looked at me and he said, we've got a cook. Contemplations are high. He said, your ideals are high. You're looking for some great things. He said, Brother Joseph didn't do it. Brigham didn't do it. John Taylor didn't do it. And he said, I don't think it's in the providence of the Lord that all of us will be saved. And it made me think. It made me study. It made me pray. You know, I think I failed that mission even before.

These were the highest ideas that I could conceive of, family life. And I wondered, and when you come to prepare the Latter-day Saints as a group, know their mission in life, and the truth to direction, you can't hardly wonder that there's so many falls to the right side. Even men who have had the same opportunities that we have. So it behooves us each and every one of you.

Go to our Father in Heaven. Respect each other in their various callings. Learn our relationship to one another. And respect that relationship. I read a sermon just the other day with Brother Taylor. Because when a man is called upon to speak, he says, I listen to what that man has to say. He says, I'm judged from what he says.

Not the man in and of himself, but what he says and the right that he has to say. It has established another wonderful thought in my mind. And as I mention these things, that I might bear testimony to you people, that these are the great things that I'm striving for. As I say, the Lord has been very kind to me in bringing me along this journey. I feel the honor.

But thanks to the best of my ability, those who are associated, I pray the Lord that he would help me to focus terribly around my brother and sister, where we don't understand a life, see a life, because I need that same help from them. May the Lord bless us. May these testimonies increase from time to time with my prayers.

For it's all in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. President Carl Holm will be our next speaker. I'm delighted again, brothers and sisters, to stand before you and to see the beautiful sight that you present. I pray while I stand before you, I may have the Spirit of God to direct my mind and your minds that we may arrive at the things the Lord wants us to have.

I was impressed as we sat here, as we stood, too, in singing. Some of us sang, we thank you, God, for a prophet, as though we knew we had a prophet. And others acted according to their faith, according to their feelings. So it presented quite an interesting situation. And as we sang the other song, it seemed a few more were lulled away in their feelings.

And there wasn't quite as much response. We were invited at first. This meeting belongs to us, entirely. So if we continue on here, it is ours, brothers and sisters. It is up to us. We get what we want. Thank God for that. We all get our just merit. It is frightening sometimes, though, isn't it? When you know how badly we do.

And outside of this grace already spoken of, grace of God, I don't know how many of us would be here, and particularly number one here. Now, it is indeed a privilege to participate in this work, but I don't think that we all appreciate enough as God unfolds the various truths to our understanding our needs, not our wants always, but our needs. We don't appreciate what he offers.

It's quite a bit like I read the other day. We all recognize that the world needs to repent. Everybody needs to repent. And we would repent too if we thought we had something to repent of. Aren't we too much that way though? The Spirit of God manifests itself to us as we meet in these congregations. It comes upon us quite easily. And we hear many things that we know we must apply.

If we are to progress as we should. And yet we don't take hold of them. I think the greatest students that have ever lived are those that have a pencil close by to jot down a few things to remind themselves of what they need to do. And refer to those notes occasionally. I know when I've done that myself, I've been benefited greatly. The Spirit of God can only do so much with us.

It is certainly our responsibility to do for ourselves all we can before the Spirit of God will put the crowning effort upon us. And yet we must pray constantly and labor for that influence and that power to be with us. As we do these things, brothers and sisters, I wonder just what we ought to do. And I'm sure you wonder what to do to kindle your desire.

and increase your capacity for wanting to learn. And I believe that there is a help for us that we can take upon ourselves that God expects us to do. We're all very anxious and very interested in what the Lord is going to open up for us in the way of school activities. And the thoughts of school, the thoughts of children, the thoughts of learning come to our minds.

And I believe in connection therewith lies the key for our success in this work. We must act as teachers, not only in word but in example, to those that we preside over. In other words, the responsibility of carrying on this work daily in our lives to the best of our ability is the key of our growth in it. As we attempt to give it to others, to the best of our ability, we get it ourselves. There's not a one of us at what's done's responsibility more than we should, and we put off, procrastinate, delay the good things we know we should be doing. I've always said, and I've heard teachers say it, particularly was this my experience in the mission field when I was trying to learn correctly the Swedish language.

I tried to teach it to others of the young missionaries that came. They asked me for certain help, and I'm sure that in trying to teach them, I learned it better, even though I had taken the classes to myself when I arrived there. The teacher learns more than the student. And as priesthood bearers, brethren, let's present the truths of the gospel to our wives and our children. Let's outline a course of study.

A course is procedure that will present the doctrines of the priesthood unto them. I'm sure that if we do this to the best of our ability, the Lord can increase us. You've all had the experience, brethren, of standing before your families, trying to effect some teaching and some instruction and having the Spirit of God come upon you so that you are able to give much more than you realize. And God is that way.

where we attempt to help ourselves be filled with an increased capacity. So in teaching these young folks and these blessed companions we have, the truths and the responsibilities settle upon our lives. How else can the priesthood be magnified and done through such procedures? It remains a dormant thing within us, able to affect some good, yes, when an emergency arises, But to expand and enlarge that power within us, we must constantly work with it in righteousness. How many of you have felt as I have felt in trying to teach these young folks, not only by word, but having them recite or present some thought in return or some display of truth relayed to them and back again? Doesn't it cause you to rejoice to see them perform?

To see them participate and able to act in the capacity of receivers. The greatest joy that comes into the life of a teacher is to have their students learn all that they try to give them. I'm sure that these many fine teachers would bear that out. The joy is in giving and enlarging those minds, those intellects.

so that they themselves, the students, can carry on. And surely, brethren, as we see our children respond, able to pray, able to do the various things, and as they come farther, participate in the ordinances of the gospel of their own volition and own ability, the greatest joy comes in doing that. That's how our work is magnified, the spirit of father and motherhood.

the priesthood of almighty god the divine mission of teacher it's in what the children are able to come away with how they receive and ask of their own free will and choice now god bless us pleasant to come here and sit to be in the society of the saints and to hear the brethren but i'll say that you will sing with more fervor and we'll act with more fervor more intelligence and more power if we'll stand up and do these things that we know we should attempt to convey these truths to our those who follow after us for in attempting to enlarge others and do for others and to help others does the good come upon us the savior himself was the prototype the perfect example he did the most for us and he in turn merited

The greatest blessing, at least one of the greatest blessings that this earth has to offer. Sacrificing for us that we in turn may receive. So in our sacrificing, if you can call it sacrifice in our case, in giving to others, will the most good in turn come back to us. God bless us in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Before we get used up for time, we're going to...

Turn the meeting over to President Johnson. The brethren might, sisters might carry him and hear his message and give him plenty of time. The brethren might have the privilege of sustaining his remarks. I want to say that I feel very humble, my brothers and sisters, in occupying this position. I realize that there is a great responsibility upon the shoulders of the body of priesthood.

I'm grateful to my Heavenly Father for the privilege of being here today, enjoying help and strength, and to behold this wonderful audience. There are 363 people in the room today. This is very pleasing, not only to us, but to the Lord. There are so many people here seeking to be instructed of Him.

And this is the reason that I feel humble this afternoon, because I know that in order to feed you what you have come up to receive, you must be able to be dictated by the Spirit of God. Reverend Borlow in his day was very much pleased when the people turned up to hear him. Much more pleased was he when he...

It speaks to the people and they manifested the spirit of welcome to his words. On many occasions in talking with him, I've heard him express this thought that many people have turned out to hear him talk, but they only came for curiosity because they would take what he said and make light of it.

and justify their own actions in opposing an opposing spirit that we feel a spirit here my brothers and sisters so welcome to the words of the servants of the lord there may be a few opposing church but they're overcome by the majority of the people in the past few years we have experienced a feeling of a desire for unity among our people which shows that the spirit of god is working upon the minds of this generation in trying to prepare people who can receive the instructions of heaven and not treat them lightly so we should be very careful my brothers and sisters in our afterthought after hearing the sermons of the servants of the Lord and how we express them to our neighbors, because they can be very damaging to our salvation. On the other hand, they can build us up in our faith in the Lord Jesus. I bear you my testimony, my brothers and sisters, that the body of priesthood that sits on this stand today

Have nothing in our hearts but to see the kingdom of God advanced in the earth. The will of God promulgated through the people and your presence here denotes a willingness to abide by the counsel that is given you. A man said to me the other day, what is your occupation? I made the remark that I was an insurance manager. He says, what kind of insurance do you sell? I says, I don't sell any. But I go about insuring men of their salvation. I say, do what I tell them to do. Well, what have you got that President McKay hasn't got? Nothing. President McKay has got the same opportunity that I have.

But he has rejected the saving principles of that gospel. So if men will listen to what I tell them, they can round out their salvation. But I say they've got to show a willingness to receive the policy that I have, or I won't give it to them. So if it's further arguments you want, you'll have to go somewhere else, because I already know further.

President McKay had the gospel given to him in a pure line from the prophet Joseph Smith, and so did I. He says, I take it that you've been handled in the church. I say, that's right. I have no record in the church to that point. So the argument went no farther. But that's the kind of an insurance policy that we carry. It has no cash premium.

attached to it has no obligation on the part of the insurer or the insured only that they will receive the reward in the celestial kingdom of our god if they listen to the teachings that we give and what further insurance do we need what greater insurance do we need if we can be insured against the evil powers that possess this world today. I'll tell you my brothers and sisters, there is a great responsibility upon not only the shoulders of the Council of the Priesthood, but upon every member of this audience today that has committed themselves in any way to support and sustain the authority of our Father in heaven that's here. The great responsibility is upon your shoulders. Where much is given, much is expected, says the Lord. So when we express a desire to serve God and keep his commandments, then so far as we keep those commandments, the Lord is bound. But when we keep them not, we have no promise.

And as Brother Jeff said this morning, or President Simpson rather, that wherever there's a blessing offered, there's also a penalty attached to it. So the penalty of denying a testimony that you and I have borne of the existence of a creator is terrible. If I bear testimony that Jesus is the Christ and I do his will, then I am offered a place by his side in the celestial kingdom. If I bear testimony that Jesus is the Christ and I reject his teaching, what is the penalty? The Lord says damnation. And what does it mean to be damned? It means to be cut off.

from all of the blessings that the Lord has offered to the faithful. The greatest desire of my heart, my brothers and sisters, is to see this body of people continue in the faith. If the Lord has blessed you with a testimony that this work is true, it's my greatest desire to see you do everything possible.

to let the Lord know that you know that this is his work, so that he can shower his blessings upon this people. Every blessing that has been pronounced upon this land can be obtained through the faithfulness of those who occupy it. Way back sometime in the history, the Lord pronounced the blessing upon this continent.

And it was something like this. The souls who possess this land shall be God-fearing people. And they shall serve me and keep my commandments. Or else they shall be swept off the face of the land. You only have to go back into the history of our church and read and see why this very thing has happened a couple of times.

In one instance, all of the people of the land was wiped off because they would not keep the commandments of God. In the other case, all of those who were once righteous were swept off or the curse of unbelief was heaped upon them. So the whole nation was wiped off. And for many hundreds of years, the children of that people, Wounded in unbelief. And they're still wounded in unbelief. There may be a few who have heard and accepted the gospel of Christ. But the great majority of them are drove in the country in forsaken conditions. And the same promises have been made to the people in this day. That if we would not keep the commandments of God, That this nation would be swept clean. That the Lord in his mercy restored the priesthood never again to be taken away or given to another people. The scripture says that the time will come when there will be two working at the mill. One will be taken and the other left. There will be two working in the field.

And one will be taken and the other left. I put the question to President Barlow one day. Just how will this come about? He says, my boy, you'll be walking along with someone that you think is close to you. But I want you to remember this. That the Lord says that you will hear of wars and rumors of wars in foreign lands. But little do you know the hearts of men in your own country.

he said you will be thinking that this man is a servant of the lord and you'll find yourself raised up while the other man is taken now this he says is what the lord meant by the power the scriptures tell us that the lord will put means ways and means into the hands of satan to deceive the people And so keen will be the deception that even the elect will be deceived if it were possible. So we see, my brothers and sisters, the necessity of getting the Spirit of God and keeping it. Now I pray that we will strive continually with, number one, this person, that you might be able to save at least one soul, that you might...

have joy and rejoicing in the hereafter with that soul and how great it will be but there are many of us who feel that our salvation is sure and we must save our neighbors but my dear brothers and sisters the best way to teach the gospel to your neighbor is by example if you can make your home A place where the Spirit of God can be. No one can enter that home without feeling the Spirit. And in this way you will be more convincing than all the eloquent words that you could speak from your mouth. Now let's strive from this very minute on to say, say that be one soul. That your joy and rejoicing with your neighbors, mind you, in the kingdom of heaven might be complete. My greatest desire is to see those people blessed with every blessing that they can contain in righteousness. And I believe that the Lord is, that the time is coming when the Lord will bless you with every blessing that you can contain. For he said again, try me.

and see if I won't open the windows of heaven until you cannot escape. Now may God bless you, each and every one, with a desire to press forward and keep the commandments that have been given us for our salvation. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. I'd like to hear from Elder Rowland Jeff. This is indeed a wonderful sight, Father.

I guess I made the mistake of observing the brother guide that this is like a good-sized ward. I'd hate to think that we're churchbound like many of these wards are. But the thing that makes this beautiful to me, brethren and sisters, is knowing that this little handful of people when compared with some million and a quarter members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have set their hand to live the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ against the laws of the land, against the traditions of the world, and all the power that there is in the earth that is being exhibited by Babylon.

This to me is the greatest courage that can be shown. Courage on the battlefield is nothing compared to this. Because we're engaged in a moral fight. And this is the worst of all. This is the greatest fight of all. And all the moral forces that are being exhibited in the world today are directed against the virtue and the integrity.

of the gospel of Jesus Christ and its principles. All the forces of Satan are being brought to bear now as they have never been brought to bear before. Where previously he has used physical persecution, hardship, and every other form of trial that could be brought against a people, today we have the insidious, immoral forces.

turned loose in their full fury against the people of God. And believe me, brethren and sisters, this is indeed the worst of all. We see exhibited on every hand immorality that is becoming more and more brazen and open and insidious. And there is being fulfilled the statement in the Book of Mormon. It is all right to sin here a little and there a little.

To be loose here, be loose there. I'll be beaten with a few stripes and be saved at the last. But once we start down that road, brethren and sisters, it means out-and-out rank apostasy. It may not be in evidence on the surface, but it certainly is there in its most insidious form. And this is the thing that we must guard against, my dear brethren and sisters, and all of our associations.

We must uphold the strictest virtue. This people must set the example for the church and all the world. It's because of the immorality of the world that they call righteousness sin. The righteousness of these holy principles becomes sin in their eyes. The very nature of the plural relationship becomes sinful in their eyes because that's their nature. They're living in it.

right up to their necks, and they don't know anything else. And so they accuse others of the things that they are guilty of themselves. I felt like saying this much on me at this point, because it just needs to be said, brethren and sisters, our individual moral conduct must be above reproach before God. Our fellow man may not see and hear, but God does in his spirit as a witness. In our lives, it can be ascertained in time. The plural relationship calls for the highest order of morality, and to me it will bring forth the character and the attributes of God if we will abide in it. That is the very purpose, one of the great purposes of this relationship.

is to enable us to attain to the attributes and character of God. And if we will truly live this law, then we can help it obtain the character of God. That's along with the economic order of heaven. We need more faith, brethren and sisters. And I feel like saying a little further this afternoon on the operation of this great and fundamental principle.

The Seventh Lecture on Faith tells us that faith, the exercise of the Spirit, and it is accomplished through words. I don't think we think of this last often enough. When we exhibit faith in our lives, brethren and sisters, something must come from inside of us and reach out to God. And we can only reach out to Him through our prayers, through the expression of words.

When a thing is to be done under the direction and operation of the Holy Spirit, it is done through words. Elijah performed great miracles when they had to be done through words as dictated by the Holy Spirit. Christ came into the world. He lived and accomplished his mission by the power of faith. And so it evolves upon us to pray more.

But we can go to extremes in this. They told of a man who prayed seven times a day and didn't allow any of his family to do any of it. But if we will pray over everything that we do silently before the Lord and offer our other prayers before him in secrecy and our family prayers at their proper times and occasions, then we cannot help but be found in the way of truth and in the way of duty.

and accomplishing the labors every day in a pleasing manner before God. If we'll go about our business of earning a living, working on the house, your labors here, each and every task that you undertake, if it be done with a prayer, you're going to do a better job. You're going to have more satisfaction in your soul when you'll grow and increase in knowledge, and it will ripen into knowledge.

We'll read the scriptures with a prayer to get the Spirit of God to direct us. And believe me, brethren and sisters, you cannot get and keep the Spirit of God without faith. It must be prayed for. It must be asked for. And it must be lived for through faith. Then with that power that can call every day of our lives and every act of our lives, how can we help?

Take on ourselves the attributes of a god, as far as mortal beings can do so. Until finally, we shall have pronounced upon our heads the greatest of all blessings. My son, my daughter, thou shalt be exalted. Here's that her calling and election is made sure. And in time, have the hands of the Savior.

hear the voices upon our heads, hear the voice of the Savior, and see him, and have all of these blessings confirmed. And this, of course, after having undertaken all of the revealed endowments and covenants of the holy priesthood that God has given us. I think one of the most beautiful ways that we have illustrated to us as to how faith will enable us to attain unto Godhood, And the character of God is written in the seventh chapter of Moroni. For no man can be saved according to the words of Christ, save they shall have faith in his name. Wherefore, if these things have ceased, then has faith ceased also. And awful is the state of man, for there is though there have been no redemption made. For behold, my beloved brethren, I judge better of things for you, for I judge that ye have faith in Christ because of your meekness.

For if ye have not faith in him, then ye are not fit to be numbered among the people of his church. And again, my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you concerning hope. How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope? And what is it that ye shall have hope for? Behold, I say unto you, that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection.

to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise. Wherefore, if a man have faith, he must need to have hope, for without faith there cannot be any hope. And again I say unto you that ye cannot have faith and hope, save ye shall be meek and lowly of heart. And here, brethren and sisters, I'd like to make an observation. The greatest men who have ever lived, in the sight of God, have been humble men, meek men. Jesus Christ himself descended below all things that he might rise above them, and he was the meekest and lowliest of all. Joseph Smith was of like character, for indeed, brethren and sisters, in meekness and humility there is strength, because through this meekness and humility we have faith and hope.

And it leads into this blast in the greatest of all, of the attributes of God. If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart. And if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confess by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity, or love. For if he have not charity, he is nothing.

Wherefore he must meet, have charity. And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth. Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things.

endure all things, so that love or charity encompasses them all. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if you have not charity, you are nothing, for charity never fails. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail. But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endures forever.

and he so is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart. Pray unto the Father, that ye may be filled with this love, that ye have bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ, that ye may become the sons of God, that when he shall appear, we shall be like him.

For we shall see him as he is, that we may have this hope, that we may be purified, even as he is pure. Amen. Brother Musser will now speak to us. Would you like to stand up and sing a song? Get a little rest? Could you? All right. What do we sing? One verse of anything. Brother Jeff says, one verse of come, come ye saints. All rise and stretch a little.

The people of God are my most cherished possession. Remember a time in my mortal life, children and women, to let you know, to your heart and mind, it's not because I despise the people of God. But I would like to see them go through this life in a safe and a secure way and walk through the veil into the presence of the Lord. And this is my greatest desire for all of you. But I also understand the humanity that exists in each and every one of us. And I realize that one experience is not enough for us.

that we must have experience after experience after experience by making mistakes in order to keep it. Now, our father doesn't want this, but it appears as though this is the nature of man. And whatever I might say is said with the desire that we quit making as many mistakes as we can in our lives. I'm sure.

and Brother Hammond particularly, and the other brothers, as opposed to the subject that I might speak on today to you. And in referring to it, I'll just try to confirm and sustain what they have tried to bring to your attention. This problem has not got out of bounds yet, and let us hope that it won't.

But there are thunderings and lightnings and warnings, indications, where the people here are beginning to develop the attitude that this is the only place in the world that the Lord will bless and they can get their salvation. Now you would think that the experience that our forefathers had in Zion's camp would be the first and the last experience necessary in this regard. But apparently, it hasn't been lost. And no doubt, although Brother Young had colonies from Canada and the North to Mexico and the South, some colonies tried to get him. It proved to them that they were the favorites of heaven.

Now, let's preface this thing with a few remarks from the prophet. Now, concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, and those people were as great as we are, I would not have you ignorant. We know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols. even as ye were led. Wherefore I give to you understanding that no man speaketh by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed and that no man can say that Jesus is the Christ saved by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts but by the same Spirit.

And there are differences of administration, but by the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestations of the Spirit is given to every man to profit with all. I won't read this all. But I give it to you, the 12th chapter of 1 Corinthians. For by one Spirit are we all baptized unto one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member but many.

If the foot shall say, because I am not the hand, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, because I am not the eye, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole the hearing?

Where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members, every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the bodies? But now are there many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee. Nor then the head to the feet.

I have no need of thee, Mary. Much more those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor, and our uncommon parts have more abundant common. and brethren and sisters there is no man alive or dead that would rather see the lord redeem us tomorrow than myself but certainly we must come up to a certain place before this can be done how do you know whether it's a man in salt lake or brother sandoval in old mexico as Brother Blackmore in Canada, whose prayers for you avail us much. How can you say that this project is the only project that our Father has? Even less we hope to live in this community and abide by these rules that we will be damned. I prefer to think that my Father's prayers in the spirit world

as they left more for me than my own parents did. Have you ever stopped to think where the help has come from for this community? The only debt that I have incurred is to borrow money for this community. And the banks don't live here. They live in a Gentile world. There's a group of people in the north, on the planet, that the Lord is working day and night with to bring forth to help combat your very enemy. There's a group of people in Yucatan and elsewhere that the Lord is working day and night with that there might be a battle out so that you and you and you won't have to shed blood. There's a group of people in Canada who can say, that the Lord has placed upon them his most joyous blessings. There's a group of people in old Mexico that the Lord is opening the way to bring to pass a miracle among them. There are prophets alive working in old Jerusalem to take care of that part of his work. And there is a dishonorable branch in Salt Lake that is working to bring to pass.

the redemption of this land here, as well as this air. It's a common feeling, and it's a feeling that I first met in the mission field, that the elders would fight over the fact that the branch of the field they labored in was the best and the most important field in the church. When they broke up some pieces of paper in the absence of the mission sergeant and wrote the seven different There's a mission in it. We have to reach in the hat and pick out our field of labor by revelation. I picked out East Tennessee. The one who held the hat dropped Brother Freeman from Arizona over here someplace. It's a mixed people. Says, Elder Muscle, you deserve more than that. Says, that's the worst place in the East Central States.

How can you fight with revelation? It was the only place in the mission that I could work without person's gift, so I suppose it was revelation. But there it is, the same old humbug, trash, that besets every Christian. You find it among the Catholics in their cathedrals. You find it among the Mormons in their walls. This sword is a favorite of the church.

The favorite of present material. This district is the favorite. Now why, after driving and skirting and having this place actually stopped, will we revert for one split second to such an idea? Can't you give everything you've got without feeling that this is the only place? place to be saved in. I realize that men, I consider the mistake, now others may not, tell certain families in order to get them to do a job they want done that they are the only ones not to. To tell me that a family of four wives can be treated like that, isn't one just as important as the other?

Isn't it possible for a child to be saved in one, as in that? If not, then we are lost. I realize that I am, as well as you, making a tremendous effort to regenerate and reinstitute the powers and the rights of the priesthood in our settlement here. But does that mean that we have to go through this?

same old problem of dividing the scent because the short people tell the salt lake people and any other people who live where they can get the money from the bank that we have no need of you and that you're cursed and that you come down and live here the only thing that will curse a man if they refuse to do what the president tells them to do. And what does this cause? It's laughable to me, and I know that humiliation is going to be the direct result, even though it takes a few months for it to come. But the thing that makes me bleed, and because since my earliest recollection, I've been wiping up blood.

Either in somebody else's family or my own father's family. It causes division. Which has to be passed. And reconciled. And that's the hardest road to travel. Is to bring together the divided sent. So that they can be united. Now the apostleship here has been appointed to unite the people. To edify.

the body and to unite it, all in one. This thing will not only cause humiliation upon you, those who participate in it, and the people participating in it elsewhere, it'll do the same for them. This rule goes for everybody. It goes for those on the planet, among the ten tribes, or for anybody else. But the thing that it will do...

is to cause disaffection to come among us and that's just exactly what the devil wants to cause us to be disaffected one towards another so that the heart of the northern man does not beat with the heart of the southern man and vice versa and before the lord can actually give us what we want and give us power to overcome the things that's threatening us right now in secret as you know but was going on in secret against his people, both here and elsewhere. You would run from these valleys, from these mountain homes, and try to hide. As my devout prayer that the Lord will turn the battle, and I have faith that he will, but he's likely to not do it if we're divided and a disaffected people. You're looking at me now, and which one of your eyes is doing more looking?

you walk out of here which one of your feet bears the greatest weight of your body on the person how are you going to tell and for this arm to keep needling this arm that is doing more of the work of the body the body becomes disaffected and divided and disunited and i have trouble with it and so it is with the saints and if the people up north they're saying the same thing Why there to be criticized, and this criticism reaches as far as this incorrect principle comes into the lives of the people, wherever they are, the ones in old Mexico, the ones in Canada, anywhere. This criticism should fit them, and we should begin to realize, as the Lord said, other sheep I have.

that are not of this fold or that fold or that fold. And you'll find that the President has other sheets and to them he visits and gives power and instruction and revelation. I thought that it might be a good thing to express this disaffection and what's going on if we don't stop, if we don't get out of this habit and if it's not stopped.

before it gets a serious start, they will find that we're going to be humiliated again. And those who are the most dishonorable may become our greatest benefactors when we are humiliated. That's what generally happens, it has in my life, so we ought not to have this attitude. Anybody who is united with Sergeant Johnson is united with everything that he thinks and does no matter where it is and the person who is not united with him is not not united with anything and if it's this man or this woman's job to be on a mission someplace else that man or that woman is just as honorable as we are if their job seems to be a little more a little cleaner In our job, it's just a matter of human frailty to think that. You have a fan to contend with which is clean and pure, where the man there has the incorruption, moral incorruption, which is filth and dirt and insidiousness to combat and still remain faithful. So, brethren and sisters, if we're going to...

Please, Lord, let us begin to help one another and to be kind to each other on our mission. If your mission is to build a house here, I want to pray for you. I want to long for you. Every time you hit your finger, I want to feel for you. And I have. If my mission is to go over into Nevada, I want you to pray for me.

And ask the powers of heaven to be merciful upon me. And to look after me. And to keep the sun from beating down on me. And to raise up friends to help me. That's what I want you to do. Just like I want to ask the Lord to bless you. Just like the brethren on the other side are praying for our welfare. That's an important part of the work of the Lord too. And we don't happen to be there.

But it's a very important part. And I'm not going to say to this faithful child or woman or man in Salt Lake, well, I don't know whether I want you to pray for me or not. I'm going to send word down to this Colorado city here because that's the only place there's any faith and get them to pray for me. It's quite laughable, isn't it? That very thing is what helped the humiliators a few years ago.

It goes up into everybody's ears. Then the people here start fighting with the people there, and the people there start fighting with the people here. Mentally, that's what I mean. Of course, when the President comes among us, none of us fight. We put our mentalities and our moral differences in our back pockets and put our guns and our arrows away. But when he goes again, we start in again on one another.

Now this is disaffection. And it's not right. It's not right. And I'm not accusing the people. I'm sure that these brethren here with me have stalled upon this subject. And it concerns them. But I want them to know that I stand in back of them in protest of any such action. I realize that the spirit of the world is that you've got to infuse people and make them drunk to get them to a point of endeavor well that's perfectly all right if that's the way that things want to be done but the principle of the matter is is that the lord is the lord of all his operations and that he is just all those who are blessing his way and the truth is to become completely united with your head and that's jesse johnson and only united with him

Wherever you labor, labor is honorable and just in the eyes of the Lord. And the Lord won't always be for you. Old Crossover, 5, there's his father. Father had worked 50 years in a very wise and prudent way to keep Stacey away from his enemies. But the fear that, pardon me, the fear that trade caught him.

And so he began to do a lot of other things. So when Pastor Fetcher was there, he brought his secrets out to Fetcher and said, Now here they are, you, and nobody else can do anything about it. Well, it wasn't very long before somebody else began to do something about it. The old aged father was held in the court. Pastor Fetcher got up and testified.

That's exactly what Father said and did him. He always got up and said, I'm going to do something about this lawbreak. So when the trial was over, before Father went to jail, he said, well, it looks like somebody did something about it, doesn't it? And then he says, remember, that there are many times that you might think the Lord will do something, but he won't.

So brothers and sisters, our only faith course is to do what is right and let the consequence follow. Because the Lord may not always stand behind what we do unless it is right. And sometimes, to protect himself, he can't even stand behind that at that present moment. It's long afterwards that he has to support it. I don't want to speak on this subject any longer.

Another thing that I want to mention before I sit down and I resist. My name has been brought up, I suppose, many times in connection with how to dignify the work of the Lord. Now, this has caused some delusion among the people. And I haven't appreciated it being brought up the way it has been brought up. And I'll explain to you why.

I know that nobody's going to change you but yourself. And nobody's going to change me but myself. And John D. Rockefeller has set a wonderful example before me that I haven't changed. All we hear is dignify the work. Dignify the work. Dignify the work. How can this work be dignified? Don't you know, brothers and sisters, that dignity is an attribute?

of the character. You do not throw a cloak of dignity upon a man or a child. You do not cover him by icing him with it like a woman icing his cake. It's a creation. Some men and women and children are born with a greater degree of dignity than others. But wherever it begins to be created, within the character of man. It's a creation. It's an attribute of the character and cannot be forced upon people. People have to be trained. They have to first have a desire to attain to it and then have to be trained how to get it and use it. It's very impractical to buy an undignified person a new suit to dignify him.

It's very impractical to buy an undignified woman a new house that dignifies her. You cannot change a jackass into a beautiful horse by providing a wonderful lawn for it to graze on. Build a jackass and to get it back into the realm and the character of a horse must be done by breeding and training. Although I appreciate the...

people bringing up my name in regard to these things in all the 20 years that I have been teaching among the people. I have never advocated that they go into debt or do this or do that to dignify the principle because I know what it requires. In my own home we haven't painted or papered or done anything for 13 or 14 years.

And by the looks of things, it may be that many more years, because I see the needs of other people. I see your needs and everybody else's needs. And I have come to the place where all I need is a place to lay down, whether it's a floor or a bed. And my food has to be very, very common. If it isn't very, very common, why, it brings trouble to my body.

Now, I have never advocated that people go into debt, that they buy expensive homes, expensive cars, in order to dignify themselves, in order to dignify the principle. You think that David O. McKay is dignifying the principles of the everlasting gospel? Why, no. They have luxuries beyond our fondest imagination.

I have seen in my own 50 years women placed in new homes that death occurred at the home. I've seen men given new cars that broke the cars up. I've seen men given money to buy people new suits that as soon as a man got a new suit on, he cut it to pieces. This is an incorrect principle. This matters dignity.

of making, of bringing light and fineness to everything that you touch is a matter of creation, in the character. And it cannot be thrown at people, or offered to them, only through sacrifice and training. And many of our people have made the mistake of going into if it gets, to buy homes and buy cars. They've given their women sex books, charge accounts.

in order to dignify them, to dignify the principle. Good Lord, how are you going to dignify the principle with a rubber check? That's the surest way to bring it into damnation. One rubber check, one bill unpaid will do more to dethrone the dignity of poor marriage among those who live it than a man going around in clean overalls in it.

If this is the idea that you have, you need to be trained along the proper lines. If you want to dignify the works of your father, you better treat it like he treats it. There's been lots of things told about me by my enemies, about this missionary work. I've been in the mission field for 32 years, since I was 18 years old. I've had some people say that I was too good to stay in certain houses.

Too good to eat certain food and all these things. Do I appreciate dirty places or dirty food? No. But I'm not too good. I could tell you about three years' experiences, and it would open your eyes. But I'm willing to joke about them, and I'm willing to tell the truth. Because I'm telling the truth about them, there's no reason that I'm criticizing.

in a very honorable house in one of these communities, my father and myself, to show you what I'm trying to get over. My father and myself were given a bed one night a few years ago. So we laid down in the bed, and he said, good night, my boy. He said, now, if you're not here in the morning, I'll know that the bugs have carried you away. And he started to snore and went to sleep.

left me just wondering how safe I was. But now, why not be able to joke about austerity? Brother Johnson puts everybody at ease, and I try to too. But he'll ask me, can I borrow your comb, Brother Matthew, to comb my hair this morning? The spirit of the world is to do this. Don't you dare say anything about me. Now, sorry.

If you're willing to let me fight bugs all night, you've got to be willing to let me tell a few stories One good turn deserves another. That's exactly the way I feel about these things. And if your skin is so thin about a secret that you've got in your bed, you'd better get rid of the secret and not let me know anything about it. Because I'm liable to report it. And that's the way I feel about those kind of things. But we do need to dignify the work of our men. We do need to dignify the things. I've told the brethren in history, and they've laughed at me.

But I've told them, brothers and sisters, if you find yourself in a foolish position, tell people you're a Catholic. Let the devil bear the blame for your problems. Instead of telling people that you're the Lord, let the devil. But tell them that you're a state president. Tell them anything. But don't tell them that you're a polyglot.

Don't you know that polygamy has got to yet live down stories that are heaven high? And I don't know how we'll ever do it. We find ourselves in debt and cheating our neighbors. Why not tell the people that we're somebody else? If we get caught drunk someplace, why not tell the people that we're begging to the Pasadena State? We ride a bad check.

Why not divert their attention and not be so willing and ready to bring the blame back home upon a principle that is bearing so much blame now that no good can be said of it except among ourselves. And we don't have much power. You just look around and see if I'm not telling you the truth. I was sitting with my father one day.

And of course, as nature will have it, why some people were asking him why he didn't have the authority to give him the endowment. And when they left, he says, do you have that question on your mind, guy? I said, no, I already have my endowment. I don't have that question. But I know everybody else does. Well, he said, let me tell you something. He says, I could give people their endowment.

that if I gave that very man his endowment, he would do the same thing with the endowment that he did with the new wife I gave him, go and kill everybody. As long as that condition exists, we will not kill them. Imagine the humiliation and the persecution in the last 30 years that have been caused from this other information going out.

But imagine the warfare that would exist if endowments were given and revered. And how many are sitting here today who could receive him without telling a friend, a cousin, a brother, Jack or John, a wife or a child, who said, I have received the most and greatest blessing in my life. Now if you will go get clothed.

Brother Johnson, Brother Musker, Brother Hammond, why they'll be able to give you the same blessing. So, brothers and sisters, dignifying the work of God is developing this characteristic within us. I heard J. Golden Kimball once say something about my father. They were talking about the situation. We were related to him and him to us. He married me.

Father didn't have very good clothes to wear at that particular time. Some remark is made and Brother Cymbal says that you don't have to worry. Joe will make anything that he has look good. He'll look good in anything that he has. Now there is dignity. God insisted. He put a dignified man on a tractor and he will dignify the practice. Put a dignified man in a pig pen and he'll stand up and dignify it. So the foolishness of spending great amounts of money to work this thing through has wasted our resources in some men's lives and they're paying high for it. It would be better to take this poor girl that has no dignity and spend two or three years in creating and developing the characteristic of dignity within her. It would be better to take this undignified man and spend a few years with him to create within him that characteristic. And every place he goes and everything he touches, he would bring light and dignity to. And so the woman.

You could buy her a $2,000 house, and within a few weeks' time, she would be light and dignity and beauty to it. Or as you could give her the $20,000 house, and in a month's time, it would look like a pigsty. So in many things, we have been pursuing the wrong course in these things, and I just wanted you folks to...

To understand my feelings in this regard, because I don't want to appear as a high and mighty person before you, not willing and not thinking that I should condescend to do this or that. I've never had a house in my life that I didn't have to clean. I had one car in my life that was new. The rest I had to clean up somebody else's trouble.

Most of my life I have worn other people's clothes, and I think some of the clothes I have on today. This is all right. I appreciate it. And I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I'm not entitled to five-year-old shoes that I've got on. I know that every blessing I have has accrued to me because of the faithfulness of my Father.

and because the brethren are willing to let me have a chance to serve and perhaps come to the place where i can deserve on my own account as you think i know that brother master every fiber his being knows it he knows that he knows that he knows that joseph his father knows it and he knows it He knows that they know he knows it. I am unworthy. But I haven't proven yet that I'm sufficient to rate because my own personal rate to pay for what has been done for me. I know that. Now may the Lord bless and strengthen us and begin to get us on the right foot so we can be, come, frame in every meaning of the word.

Not only friends of God, but friends of one another. But we won't permit people to disaffect us. People in my office all the time trying to disaffect us by pointing out our weaknesses. Pointing out what we say about one another. Pointing out what you say about those people. What those people say about you people. And the criticism stopped.

If we can't get behind Brother Johnson and unite behind him, then we're lost. And it's only a matter of time that we'll be slipping and driven into the woods again. And these brethren behind me and myself will be going out this searchlight, searching us all out, bringing us in, going through the process again of building up a group of people. That's just exactly what will happen to us.

Lord bless you. These remarks stir a lot of feelings in me, but I'll take mine out on you some other day. All I can say is, Hallelujah! I'm very proud to have this opportunity. I'm grateful with all my life for the chance that I've had. These are wonderful occasions of this vicinity. I'm proud of my Navy.

I'm glad that we can exist and understand each other. We know how we live. We know why we live that way. We're concerned with each other's affairs. And I am grateful to have a chance to tell you how much I love you. These days are days when we must extend our love to all. We must make our feelings known. We must feel for each other and work for each other. I hope that my life and my ways of living will help you all to live better. I am grateful for the understanding that I have, the way that we have lived. I was born...

in a little town just over the hill here. And I've been proud of that little town. I don't know if I'm as proud of it as I am of this one because I think that probably they haven't tried to live along the same lines that I have tried to live. I don't think they'd be as proud of me because they think I've...

lived beyond my rights. They haven't told me so. They've probably extended the feeling that they know that I have lived differently. But I am proud of the chance that I've had. I'm proud of the people I've lived with. I've helped them as much as I could to make life worthwhile. We've lived with the best.

ideas that we should find. You know that the things that we do are according to the plans that Jesus Christ has set for us. And we're grateful for the chance that we have. I don't know what the things that I'm saying are good to do any of you, but I am grateful for this opportunity. Let me know how much I think of you.

I'm grateful for the chances that I've had and the friends that I've known. They've helped me to build up. The people that I've lived with have helped me grow. And I'm grateful for the opportunities that I've had to do so. I pray that the Lord will bless us each and every one and give us the chance to improve on the things that we now know.

The way that we live, we're grateful for the opportunities that we have to live. We're grateful for the chances that we have to know the things that we do know. We don't care what people of the rest of the state do. That's up to them. We know that what we do, we must do for our own benefit and good. We know that it's up to us to make...

life really worthwhile. I pray to the Lord your help is teaching everyone to have a spirit and truth in our being sufficient to carry on our lives properly. This is what I pray for in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. I've seen the brethren lead conjugations and making oaths and covenants in my lifetime.

And I'm not going to take any prerogatives, but just people certainly ought to make a dedication in their heart this day that they'll never be divided, that they'll stand together. That's that. Of all the thrilling pictures I've ever seen in my life, that's the most outstanding, unless remembered. We'll have a meeting here tonight at 7.30, and they're all invited. Brother Johnson will be driving. We're going to have a little baptismal up here after the meeting.

If any of you have children that need to be baptized and you're not prepared, well, maybe you can borrow some clothes or something and get it done. We don't care to have a great congregation of people gather up there, but if you want to go, you're welcome. We're anxious about this building. I hope that this thunder we have heard hasn't handicapped our efforts out east here on this logging road. I hope you brethren will get closely knit and do all you can to prosper that.

effort there and if there's any that they find we got more men than we need we have some other activities here that are worthy of your performances good days brothers and sisters these are good days i hope the spirit of gratitude will permeate our beings i want to say one thing i have to always feed off but this song that brother fred has picked this afternoon for our closing song is very dear to me written by sectarian Some of the sectarian songs were gathered up in the days of the prophet and put in the Latter-day Saint hymn book. I'm convinced that the men that wrote some of those hymns must have had some experience. I look back to the days of John Wesley and some of the reformers of the 16th and 17th century that broke away from the Catholic Church as having a goodly portion of the gift of God.

I'm not saying that the things they finally wound up teaching their people and so forth had any elements of salvation in them. But this thing they did have. They broke down that great institution that the Doctrine and Covenants, by the gift and power of God, says is the horror of the whole earth. And all you have to do is to go into old Mexico and see some of these united nations and know that that institution holds them in darkness and degradation.

And so those great reformers that had to pass through, you might say, hell, fire, and brimstone because of the darkness of the people who lived in their day and time wrote some of these fine hymns. And if you can sing this song with the spirit that it contains, it will give you hope and inspiration. The night before or the hours before I was cut off from the church, I felt very sad and discouraged.

that I'd have to see today, that I'd have to part with my church. The spirit of song came upon me, and I opened our songbook to this song, and by the gift of the Spirit of God, I sang it to myself. It's been a tremendous buoyancy to my soul ever since. How firm a foundation. Page 66, if you have a song. After which we'll ask Richard...

President Richard Jessup to dismiss the meeting. I'm sorry that we couldn't have him to speak, but there's only so many hours in the day, and we all have our time. I subscribe the praise and honor unto thee forever in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.