A General Conference address
Delivered by
Elder Charles W. Penrose of the Twelve
April 1912

I feel that we are highly privileged in being permitted to assemble on this occasion to worship the Lord, and to engage in the duties of this conference. I was greatly pleased this morning with the meeting that we held; to see so large a congregation, notwithstanding the condition of the weather, and it being the first meeting of the conference, to see this house well filled and to notice the attention of the congregation, and the spirit in which they appeared to receive the instructions which were imparted. There was a splendid influence here. I am sure that we all felt the unity of the faith and enjoyed the impressions of the Holy Spirit while our brethren were instructing us. The powerful testimony that was borne by President Joseph F. Smith found a full echo in my heart, and I believe it did in the hearts of all who were assembled. It is a great thing to know that we are engaged in the work of God, to be certain of it, to have no doubt about it in our minds, and feel it in every part of our nature, to have it stamped upon our being. To know this by the inspiration that comes from on high, by the gift of the Holy Ghost, conferred upon us in the way that the Lord has appointed--by the laying on of the hands of His servants, after we had received, in faith and in repentance, the ordinance of baptism for the remission of sins. We are all on a level in this respect, no matter of what race or nation we may have come. We are all baptized with the same baptism, and have received of the same spirit, and according to our diligence in searching after truth, it will be made manifest to us.

As we have just sung, Truth is priceless; it is the beginning and the end of all things; it is "the sum of existence." We are in a position to receive truth day by day and year by year, that we may "grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth." It is a little surprising, however, to find sometimes a few of those who have received the Gospel and have had the witness of the Holy Spirit, and have borne testimony many times to this fact, allowing themselves to be drawn aside to the right or the left, and getting their minds enshrouded in darkness instead of walking in the light. But I am glad to say that such persons are but few and far between, and the great body of the Church is in unity in doctrine and principle and in recognizing the organization that our Heavenly Father has established for the government of the Church, for its perpetuation, for its extension in all the world, so that it may continue and abide and may not be taken away again from the earth. I was very glad to hear what the President said this morning, looking along this line, that the Church was never in a better condition than it is in at the present day, that the Saints generally are striving to keep the commandments of God, that they are endeavoring to walk in the way of life and light and truth, that the Church in every respect, not only spiritually but temporally, financially and in every other way, is in a flourishing condition, and this in spite of all that has been done against it, to obstruct it, to hinder its advancement.

There has been an effort from the very commencement, on the part of the powers of evil, to prevent the progress of this work, and it has gone so far as endeavors to crush out the lives of our leaders. The spirit that has brought that about still exists in the world and will until it is entirely overcome by the power of light and truth, and the Spirit of the Lord poured out upon the nations. This is one strong evidence of the divinity of the work in which we are engaged--I mean the turmoil that it excites in the world, the opposition which it meets from the various denominations of religion, Christian and Pagan. The numerous errors that exist in the world and the divisions which have been in the world for many centuries, continue to increase. Not only are there sects multiplied upon sects, but in and among themselves each sect has its own divisions and strifes, so that there is no real unity in the different organizations of religion in the world. Now, if our faith, if our Church--(I call it "our Church" because we have made it ours by accepting the Church of the Lord. It is, indeed, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and we have accepted it and have been baptized into it and have become part of it, and it is a part of us. I feel in all my being, that I have a part in it, and it has a part in me. I belong to it and it belongs to me, so I say our Church ;) if our Church were to move among the various different sects and parties in the world, and become harmonious with them, even as much as they are harmonious with each other--which is not very much,--if that were the case, why we would become one of them; that is all.

But there is something distinct and different altogether in the Church to which we belong, from other organizations in the world. We do not wish to interfere with them. We do not wish to block the way to the dissemination of their views and ideas and doctrines, because we believe in the great principle of free agency which our Father recognizes, and with which He does not interfere--the right of every individual to accept that which appears right in his own eyes, and as far as he has legitimate power, to endeavor to extend that among others, to bring others to see as he sees; we believe that we should recognize the right of all people to their own views and opinions on such matters. So we do not wish to interfere with them in the least degree, but we want the same freedom that we accord to them. We want to have the liberty, in proper ways, without interfering with others, to proclaim our faith, to bear our testimony, to carry our message; for we have a message--this whole people, the Latter-day Saints--we have a message, and it is to all the world, to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people; and that message has. come down from on high. It is from God, through Jesus Christ our Redeemer, and has been brought here by angelic messengers. And the authority and power to proclaim this Gospel in the name of Deity has been given to this Church, the authority to administer in the ordinances of the Gospel, so that they will be accepted on high--so that what is loosed on earth, by this authority, will be loosed in heaven; and that which is sealed or bound on earth, by it will be recognized in heaven, will be valid, and will be looked upon as being the same as if administered in person by the Divine powers above. Now we want to have the liberty to carry this message to all the world; and we intend to struggle for it. We do not expect to take up carnal weapons. The Lord has promised that He will fight our battles, so far as they are concerned, but we have to stand up for the truth as we understand it, as it has come into our souls and has become part of our nature.

We want to carry this to all the world and proclaim it to all nations because this is a mission which the Lord has given to us. We in our first estate as spirits, the sons and daughters of the Eternal Father, have been chosen and selected to come down on the earth in these latter days, so that we may engage in this work. This is what we are here for. While we are endeavoring as far as we can to provide for ourselves those things that are necessary for the good of the body, and for its continuation in health and vigor, and to surround ourselves with all the creature comforts that can be produced from the elements: yet, at the same time, we have this important mission before us, and it is of primary importance to us: it is the first thing with us; it is the Kingdom of God and the righteousness of God that we place before all earthly things. We have come here for this express purpose, and this is our mission in the world; and we want the privilege, because we consider it to be our right, to carry this work forward in freedom and without let or hindrance in all the world. We expect to meet with opposition. We expect that the people of the world will differ from us in our views in these matters, but we would like the privilege of comparing our views with theirs, comparing our doctrines with theirs, comparing the ordinances of our Church with those they have comparing the order of that which we call the Priesthood i. e.. divine authority, comparing the order that has been established in this Church by revelation from God, with the various orders of so-called priesthood or authority to be found among the nations--and to do this in the right kind of spirit, in the spirit of kindness. Not that we want to make a tumult, not that we want to bring war upon us, but we would like the privilege, freely and without let or hindrance, to compare our doctrines and Priesthood, that have come from on high, with those various notions and opinions and orders and ordinances and organizations of the world. And then we are perfectly sure the honest in heart, those that really want the Truth, those that love right and justice and mercy and are looking after eternal things, will be glad to accept this glorious latter-day work which we desire to establish in the earth. But we may expect that there will be a great deal of animosity exhibited against us by the people of the world; so we need not be surprised when we hear of mobs, whether they be raised in England or m other parts of the British Isles, or upon the continent of Europe, or even in the United States, in the land of freedom, in the land which is expressly consecrated and devoted to liberty. We have had to meet with this kind of opposition even in the United States. And it is here on this soil that the blood of the prophets has been shed, who did no harm to any one, but who brought the eternal truth of God from Heaven, to proclaim it to the world. And it was the truth which they had to deliver to the people that aroused and enraged so-called Christians who were in opposition to them. Well, this is very lamentable, but something of this kind will continue until the tide shall be turned, and the preponderance in the world of the influences that exist will be on the side of right, of liberty, of truth, and of justice, and mercy, and kindness, the spirit or desire to arrive at that which is true, and to live it; for it is one thing to learn the truth, and another thing to live by it.

There is a great deal of light in the world in regard to many things that are not practiced. There is much admiration of virtue exhibited in the writings of both men and women. Even in those works that are called novels, virtue is lifted up and vice is frowned upon; and, generally speaking, in the stories that are written, virtue becomes triumphant at the last. Yet the very people who read these predictions, and some of those who write them, are corrupt in their hearts, and do not practice that which they teach, or which they pretend to admire. So there is a great deal of actual evil and wickedness in the world, although there seems to be a very general perception of what is right when it is placed before mankind. Now, as I have said, it is one thing to learn the truth and another thing to live by it; and we Latter-day Saints should set an example in this before all mankind, for we are not only to be teachers but exemplars of the principles of righteousness. We are to establish righteousness in the earth, and to be the instruments in the hands of God of establishing righteous government. Not that we have any warfare with this government, or with any of the governments of the world; they are in the hands of the great Eternal Father, and in due time He will turn and overturn and establish His own purposes and His own government on the face of the earth. We are the preparers of the way for the establishment of the Kingdom of our God. We are preaching "the Gospel of the kingdom," the Gospel which, if it is received by the people, will bring them to works of righteousness as well as to be believers in righteousness. Now, my brethren and sisters, we should take this into our minds, into our souls, that we are not only to be teachers of the word of the Lord, but we are to live the things that we have received and which we desire other people to understand.

This Church to which we belong has been organized in all its various departments for the purpose of leading people in the right way, the way of truth, the way of the Lord, that we may be keepers of His commandments; "not teachers of the word alone, but doers of it too." And the Lord has organized His Church in such a way that we have, all the time, some one to give us instructions, directions, precepts, suggestions, commandments. Not that any force is used in this Church to compel people to do right or to refrain from doing wrong. Full liberty is given to every soul in this Church to pursue such course as he or she may please to take. But at the same time, there is an opportunity open for every one to do what is right, individually and with a view to the good of the whole community. Because, although we must work out our individual salvation, yet we are so connected in this Church, by being members of the same body, that what we do or leave undone has its effect upon those with whom we are associated. We are united in a splendid organism, conceded by many people who have examined it, but do not believe in its divinity, as the finest organization in the world. We are in unison with them in that view. It is complete and perfect, because it is divine; it has not emanated simply from the mind and brain of men. It has come from God out of heaven. It has come down on the earth to stay here and to accomplish the divine purpose foreseen by all the prophets of old. It is the beginning of that great kingdom about which the prophets of old wrote, and the seers and sages and poets of old sang and rejoiced over. We are in the Church of the living God. It is the beginning of that kingdom that is to come. Spiritually it is the Kingdom of God, and by and by all things predicted concerning God's government on the earth will be fulfilled, when all nations shall bow in obedience to Him, when they shall cease their wars, and turn their spears into pruning hooks and their swords into plow-shares, (using the figurative expressions of ancient writers), when all this will be fulfilled and the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our God and His Christ, and He shall rule and reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His ancients, gloriously, as the prophets predicted. This is to be a kingdom of righteousness, a kingdom of truth, a kingdom of equity, of kindness, of brotherly love and of unity, a kingdom and organization in which the utmost fraternity will prevail. Men and women will be brothers and sisters in very deed, God will be our Father, and all mankind our brethren. We believe in the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. This spirit must prevail in the midst of the Latter-day Saints, or we shall not be able to accomplish the work that has been assigned to us. But it will be done, for God will raise up others and fill our places if we do not take this course ourselves.

Now, we are here in conference assembled that we may confer with each other to know what there is to do in the great work which the Lord has committed to us. Let us turn our attention to ourselves, individually, and to the immediate associations and organizations, and quorums, and societies to which we belong, and ask ourselves the question whether we are doing our duty; whether we are living for the truth; whether we are desiring to establish notions and ideas of our own, that we may gain applause, that we may gain the good-will of men, or whether we are conforming ourselves to the principles and precepts, and the order and doctrines, and everything pertaining to our standing in the Church that has been set up by the authority of God, in the way that He has appointed, through those whom He has placed over us, in our respective wards, and stakes, and in the Church at large. Have we done our duty in the past? If not, let us make up our minds today that henceforth we will do that, in the present and in the future, and will make it first and foremost in our thoughts, and in our lives, and in our doings, in all our business affairs, and in everything in which we are engaged; that we will have our eyes fixed, primarily, upon the building up of the Church and Kingdom of God and the accomplishment of His divine purposes in relation to the children of men. We all belong to some special organization. If we are in the Priesthood we belong to an organization called a quorum; if we are not in the Priesthood, and sometimes if we are, we belong to some of these auxiliary societies that have been established the Sunday Schools, the Relief Societies, the Young Men's, and Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Associations, the Religion Classes, and the Primary Associations, and so forth. All these have been established in the Church as aids, to keep us in the right way and to engage our attention, to enlist our energies, to confirm us in the faith, and bring us nearer and nearer to Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, our living head; that we may receive of the blessings that flow from His presence, and be baptized really and truly unto Him, that we may be one with Him.

Now, if we have neglected our duties in any respect, in regard to our associations together, or in our home circle, in the influence that we should carry with our families, to lead them aright; if we have failed at all in the past, let us not do so in the future. That principle of repentance--the turning away from wrong, and doing right--will always exist while there is anything to amend, to repent of. So there is room for all of us to amend and to repent of anything that is wrong about us, in relation to the past, and to determine in this conference that henceforth we will devote our energies, our faith, our strength, the means that God has blest us with, to build up His Kingdom, to send the Gospel to the nations of the earth, to gather in the upright in heart, to build up the stakes of Zion, to build up the wards thereof, to establish places of worship, to enter therein and worship the Lord, together, in the beauty of holiness, to attend to all the ordinances that pertain to the Church of Christ, and obtain the spirit thereof, and to help build up the societies, and associations, and organizations of the Church whether they are auxiliary or belong to the Priesthood, that we will do our duty in these respects. There are, I have no doubt, today in this congregation, Elders who do not attend the meetings of their respective quorums. I have no doubt there are Seventies who do not care much about sending or carrying the Gospel to foreign nations. There are High Priests, no doubt, who are getting along in years, and so they do not gather with their brethren in their quorum meetings. And so with others. There may be, among all of us, some dereliction in these respects. Now, brethren and sisters, let us take upon ourselves today the spirit and power of our calling and our mission, and go from this conference determined that by the help of God we will neglect nothing that we ought to attend to; that we will do nothing, willfully, that is wicked, or evil, or contrary to the commandments of God, and that we will promote peace and union and righteousness and brotherly love among those with whom we are associated or by whom we are surrounded.

Let us not introduce anything that will cause schism in the body or bring about division. "Mark them," the apostle of old said, "that make divisions among you." Do not attempt to do anything of that kind. There is no bondage upon the servants of the Lord or the handmaidens of the Lord in regard to free thought, to a full understanding of that which comes to their attention; but there is no man in our midst who has a right to introduce anything contrary to or different from the revelations of God that have been recorded, or by way of commandment, except the man that stands at the head, and that is necessary for the order of the Church, for its unity and its strength, and its power in the earth. As the President told us this morning, and as we understand, the spirit of revelation is free to every man and woman in the Church who has been baptized and confirmed by the laying on of hands. That is a special blessing and gift--the gift of the Holy Ghost, the spirit of truth that guides into all truth, that takes of the things of the Father and of the Son, the things of eternity and reveals them unto mortals. We have the right to that spirit; but there are false spirits coming out in the world now as there were of old and let us be careful that we are not led away by them. Let us take that good spirit for our guide and also be guided by the rules and regulations and order established in the Church by revelation from God; and though we may all have the right to receive revelations from on high for ourselves, to govern our conduct, to regulate us in the family relation or in any capacity we are called upon to act in the Church, yet there is but one man at a time, according to God's direct word, who receives revelations for the government of the Church and to regulate matters pertaining to its doctrines and ordinances. The Lord told us in the very beginning that we were not to receive revelations of any who came among us except His servant who stood at the head, and if he transgressed, the Lord would remove him, and somebody else would occupy his place. That is in accordance with the order of heaven. "My house is a house of order," said the Lord, "and not a house of confusion." As the President said this morning, if every Tom, Dick and Harry can start up and give a revelation, and pretend to have this and that authority and power and so forth, and people are led off by such individuals, there will be confusion worse confounded, and the order of the Church be disturbed if not obliterated. Now, the Lord has placed a man at the head to receive revelations for the Church, to stand at the head and regulate those affairs; and associated with his counselors and the Twelve and other orders of the Priesthood who take counsel together, everything can be regulated and placed in the proper order, and if there is anything which the Church is to receive as doctrine or for guidance in its discipline and order, it will come in the legitimate way through the head. Let every man, and every woman, and every boy, and girl, who is a member of the Church, seek constantly for the spirit of revelation, the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the revealer, the manifestor of that which is right and true. By the influence of that spirit we can be guided aright, and we can be inspired to right action, strengthened against evil, fortified against sin, imbued with light and truth and that good spirit which comes from above.

I was pleased to hear the remarks of President Lund in regard to this anniversary today, supposed to be the anniversary of the day when our Lord was lifted up on the cross. He was "despised and rejected of men, and was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief," and yet He was the Lord of life, and glory, and came here to die for us, to save us from our sins and the consequences thereof, to open the way whereby we could go back into the presence of the Father. He lived and died for us, yet notwithstanding that, when He came to His own, His own received Him not, but all kinds of ignominies were piled upon Him, and finally they inflicted upon Him the most cruel death that they knew anything about; and the people who strewed palm branches in His way, when He entered into Jerusalem, exclaimed, "Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord," only about five days later cried out, "Away with Him, crucify Him; He is not fit to live." And if the Lord of life and glory endured what He had to bear in bringing light and truth into the world for the salvation of mankind was treated in that manner, how can we expect, as His servants, to be treated much differently even in this enlightened twentieth century!

Well, we will endeavor to bear the ills that we have to meet and we will try to endure with patience the opposition that is raised against us, knowing for a certainty that the Lord will overrule it all for good, that every weapon that is formed against us will eventually fall to the ground and we remain unharmed; and the very efforts that are being made in various parts to arouse the populace against us to do us harm, to speak evil against us, to say things that are untrue concerning us and our principles and designs, and every means so employed will, in the hands of the Lord, be turned around to sustain the good and upright and truth-loving throughout the world. The Gospel of Jesus Christ will spread abroad, and that which is called "Mormonism" will increase and go forth in power and in strength, and everything predicted concerning it by the prophets of God will come to pass. Now let us do our part in forwarding this great work, and in that we shall have joy and satisfaction and the peace that passeth all understanding, the knowledge of God., the testimony of Jesus, and the power of the Almighty to be with us in public and in private, and by His strength we will prevail, and the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our God and His Christ; and He will come and rule and reign over all. Blessed are they that labor in His cause, for they shall be crowned with glory in His presence. God help us to do our duty in all respects--through Jesus Christ. Amen.