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This Address to the Priesthood Session of General Conference is President Brown's response to being called into the First Presidency.
My dear brethren, I think that in a long lifetime of Church service and appearing before various sized groups, I have never felt more humble than I do tonight as I stand before this vast group of men and realize that more than as many as are here are probably listening in other places. My feeling of inadequacy is emphasized by the fact that you have asked me to assume some duties and responsibilities for which I am not prepared. I therefore lean heavily tonight on your sympathy and God's goodness.
I had made some preparation, having been notified that I would be asked to speak, but I am leaving my notes on the chair and shall attempt extemporaneously, with the help of the Lord, to emphasize what has been said, though I may not be able to add thereto. Elder Lee and Elder Evans have given us much to think about. Brother Lee intimated an analogy which I should like for a moment to enlarge upon.
I do not like to compare the Church to an army, but there are some things that are similar. At least in both organizations we are dealing with human beings, and human beings are pretty much the same wherever you find them. I am thinking at the moment of an incident in 1912 when the then highest ranking officer in the British Army, came to western Canada to promote the organization of what was then known as the militia. He called all the young officers who were in training into a meeting. Among other things, he said to us, and I can only paraphrase:
"Gentlemen, a war is coming. In my opinion it cannot be delayed more than two years. It is going to be the worst war in history thus far, and I am here. to do what I can to prepare the nation for what is ahead."
His prediction, of course, as to the time of the outbreak of the war w as accurate, because the war started for Britain in 1914. Subsequent to that time, and on a number of occasions, it was my duty to talk to officers in the army. Always, under instruction from commanding officers, my purpose was. first to acquaint the officers, so far as I could, with the strength and position of the enemy; and secondly, to remind the men of their duty and to encourage undeviating loyalty; and then to warn them against the methods employed by the enemy by subtle infiltration and attempted alienation.
We said to these officers, "Your units will not be stronger than their leaders. You can pretty well judge the strength of any military unit by the quality of its leaders." We remind them also that the lives of their men depended upon their efficiency and loyalty.
Tonight we are speaking to perhaps 50,000 men, and every man is a volunteer and qualified officer. Upon each one of you there is great responsibility regardless of where you are working or the size of the group you preside over. Here, as in the army, our strength is going to depend in large measure upon the quality of our officers, and our purpose tonight is to warn you priesthood holders, and through you the men and women of your various groups, of the existence, strength, location, and tactics of the enemy, and to remind you that we rely on your absolute loyalty and that preparedness is indispensable.
In the army too frequently we refer to fitness as only physical fitness. Tonight we are calling upon all of you officers of the Church to be fit and ready, physically, mentally, morally, and spiritually, for the war that lies ahead because the enemy is determined to destroy all that we hold dear. He is thoroughly organized; he is cunning and ruthless; he is led by men well trained in his type of warfare; and the devil is his commanding officer. Not only must we meet a head-on assault from the enemy, but the more dangerous and subtle attack will be by infiltration, when human termites undertake to undermine our forces. I believe, my brethren, the time has come when every man who holds the priesthood should figuratively stand himself up against the wall and look himself over, ask himself some questions and be honest with his answers. I may say here, you may as well be honest when you are talking to yourself because the man you are talking to knows who you are and what you are. There are at least two places when a man will be honest, and that is when he is talking to himself and when he is in his closet talking with God Here at least the truth will be distilled.
Let us then examine ourselves and ask what kind of men we are. We might make a pretty good showing in public, be fairly successful in business or in politics; but let each man ask himself what kind of man are you in the home, in your business, in your private life. If you do not like what you see as you look at yourself, then do something about it because God will not hold any man guiltless who simply confesses his sin and doesn't abandon it, or, who admits his weakness and doesn't work for strength.
May I pause here to remind all of us that it matters little what position we hold, but it matters much what we do in the position we hold. Brother Lee referred to Paul's reminder that there is need for all the parts of the body. I am thinking of the Church as the body. No one of us should say or think at any time, "If I were in some other place, I could display my superior ability and faith, but just where I am I do not get a chance to show what I can do. If I were a bishop or stake president or high councilmen or one of the General Authorities, of course, I could be something great, but down here where I am it doesn't amount to much."
Brethren, when we stand before the Judgment Bar of God -- and I am saying tonight as the British officer said in 1912, a judgment day is ahead -- when we stand there, I think we will not be asked what position we held in the Church. I think the only question, if any questions are necessary, will be "What did you do with the job assigned to you?" And if a counselor in an elders' quorum, or a counselor in the bishopric, or a man in any other position anywhere in the Church can honestly say, "I did the best I could to fill the position assigned to me," if he can say that honestly, and if one of the General Authorities cannot say it honestly, I would rather be the counselor in the elders' quorum, etc., because I think the Lord is not going to pay much attention to any label one may have on his chest. I don't think the Lord is much interested in labels. He knows as we do that labels do not always tell the truth.
My thought tonight, then, is: Brethren, in connection with this program that has been presented to us tonight, let not any of us say, "Now they are giving us something more to do, more organizations, more committees. Let's join some other church."
Personally, I thank God for the opportunity to work. I am grateful, among other things, that this, the Church of Jesus Christ, gives opportunity to every man and woman and children as well, incidentally, to participate in the work of the Lord. May I add, there is no position in this Church that is not bigger than the man that holds it as there is room for growth in every position or calling. Every man should be apprised of that and realize that in any position in the Church there is opportunity for any man to employ all the ability with which the Lord has blessed him.
We come to you tonight to challenge you, to warn you that there is a war now being waged, the most dangerous and devastating--I am not only speaking of a war with arms--I am speaking of an ideological war, a spiritual war, a war in which the enemy is endeavoring to enslave the bodies and minds and souls of men, and for this we must be prepared.
Let us be loyal to the stakes and wards, missions and branches to which we have the honor to belong. Let us be true to ourselves and true to our leaders. Again a quick analogy. I saw instances where junior officers criticized senior officers because they stayed far behind the lines and did not know what was going on in the trenches. I am speaking of World War I, which definitely dates me, but I am willing to take that. Very often the junior officers were critical of the senior officers because they did not know there was a rat hole in a dugout, forgetful of the fact that the man back there upon whom rested the total responsibility of the entire operation had something other to do than to look at a rat hole. He must leave that to the man who happens to be in that dugout.
At the head of our force, we have a prophet of God, who is working directly under Jesus the Christ, who joined issue with Beelzebub when the foundation of this world was laid, and Beelzebub, the devil, Lucifer, declared then that he would never rest until he enslaved the souls of men, and Christ declared he would never rest until all were free to "choose their lives and what they'd be."
We, then, are enlisted in an army with Christ at the head and a living prophet through whom he directs his work. Let us be loyal to them, true to ourselves, and let each of us do the job assigned to him in the place where he is asked to work to the best of his ability.
I want to assure you that I know what it means to be asked to do a job a thousand times too big for me, and yet I know too that God can take any one of us and do anything he wants to do through us. Let us not spend time asking the Lord to do something for us when he is waiting and anxious to do something through us. Let us not forget that the priesthood we bear is not in us as individuals, but the power of it comes through us. Let us keep ourselves in such condition that that power can be transmitted. Let us go forward as President McKay admonished us at the beginning of this conference and be unafraid. May we have courage and fortitude and faith and go forward with the knowledge that though we will undoubtedly have to meet many difficult things. With God's help we need not fear.
I like one verse of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic."
"He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat:
O, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! Be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on."
(Julia Ward Howe.)
God bless you, my brethren I thank you for your support. I want to tell you from intimate association that we have at the head of the Church today one of the greatest leaders of the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times. God has honored him, and we who sit next to him day by day see the work of the Church being outlined, organized, and going forward under the inspiration of heaven. I testify to you that he is the prophet of God, and that these men who are associated here with us are true and loyal to him.
I leave you my testimony of the restoration of the gospel, and I want you to know that the President and all of us have confidence in you, that you will not let us down nor be untrue to yourselves nor become traitors to the cause. Furthermore, you may be sure that ultimately righteousness will triumph. Truth will prevail. The Church has been organized and set up. It is the kingdom of God, and it will never be thrown down.
God bless us to do our part. To this end I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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