We Backsliding?; The Plan of Salvation Is True; Do Not Become Bitter; Keep the Commandments My brothers and sisters, another year has come around. That makes it one year closer when our Lord and Savior is coming. It is not so far off. It is not going to be so far off before we are met with some of those things. We look to the world today and see what is going on. The backsliding and everything that is carrying on plainly proves to us that the fig tree is putting forth its leaves. I have a piece here?my son Joseph handed it to me?that I would like all the people here to hear. It was not written by a Latter-day Saint. It was given by a lecturer. It is entitled, ?Backsliding in the Heart?, and I think it is one of the best I have ever read in my life. Louis, I would like you to come up and read it. (Louis read it. It was dated May 27, 1946, and called ?Backsliding in the Heart?. President John Y. Barlow then remarked:) In reading that, my brothers and sisters, I thought it struck home to every one of us. Are we backsliding, or are we keeping up? Was there ever a time when we felt we were closer to God than we do now? If there was, we are backsliding just that much, because it is either forward or backward, just as he said. There is no standing still, either in the process of religion or our living. Oh, what has happened in the last two or three years? How many of us have had our hearts right? How many of us have sorrowed and laid awake nights and prayed unto the Lord all night long?, ...and turn the persecutors from those that have been persecuted, who have been persecuting His people for living a just law; for living the law that He said if you do not live it, you will be damned. They say if you do live it, you will go to prison; you will be cut off the Church. Think of that. Now, in times past we have always had the Church back of us. This time a man is tested and the family is tested themselves. The Church has never helped them. There are those in the Church that have furnished evidence to convict them. Can we take that and not be bitter in our heart? I believe our Savior said to forgive your enemies. Be big enough to take these things, and not to become bitter; but if we become bitter in our hearts, we are sure on the backsliding list, no matter what they do to you, or what they say, or what they do not. I was quite well pleased here last week. We broke the car, I went down to... Did not know whether the garage would let me take the car out, or whether it would not. The President of the Stake came over and shook hands, and it was in his garage. He said, ?Sure you can take the car. We are not afraid of men like you.? He said, ?I wondered if some people were getting a change of heart.? It put me in mind of when I was down in Mexico. One of the Bishops of the ward there, Brother Pratt, had come. The President of the mission found he was preaching the fullness of the Gospel. He excommunicated him and turned him off. President Smith came down there and then the President told him about it. He reinstated him. He said, ?I am going to teach the fullness of the Gospel.? He said, ?Go ahead, I want you to.? And he put him back as Bishop. Brothers and sisters, our people have got into a net that is awful hard to get out of. They made an agreement with hell when they promised the authorities of this government that they would do it. They sent men back to fulfill that covenant. But we cannot give it up, whether they made a covenant or whether they did not. We have made a covenant with God. Whom shall we serve, God or man? That is what Peter said: ?Whom shall we serve, God or man?? I have not been able to be here as much as I would like to, but I would like to say to each and every one of you, this Gospel is true. It does not make any difference whether I go off one way or someone else does. The plan of salvation is true. I know it, and God knows I know it. What can I do? There is only just one way to do, and that is to keep the commandments of God. That is the only way we can get out. I do not wish to say much more. I thought some of you would like to hear the sentiments of this man here. I do not know as I have ever heard better sentiments in my life, for it is true?there is no blessing in standing still. I would like to hear the older ones here whether they ever heard or get a sermon of Brigham Young on life or death. See what he teaches. He taught just exactly what this man is teaching. We will either receive life or death. May God bless you, be with you; and those that have a testimony to bear,