;;;Teachings of Presidents of the Church Heber J. Grant Published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Salt Lake City, Utah 2002 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America English approval: 1/00 35970 Your comments and suggestions about this book would be appreciated. Please submit them to Curriculum Planning, 50 East North Temple Street, Floor 24, Salt Lake City, UT 84150- 3200 USA. E-mail: cur-development@ldschurch.org Please list your name, address, ward, and stake. Be sure to give the title of the book. Then offer your comments and suggestions about the book's strengths and areas of potential improvement. ;;; Contents Title Page Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .v Historical Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii The Life and Ministry of Heber J. Grant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .x 1 Learning and Teaching the Gospel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 2 The Mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 3 Walking in the Path That Leads to Life Eternal . . . . . . . . . . . 23 4 Persistence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 5 Comfort in the Hour of Death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 6 Uniting Families through Temple and Family History Work . . . . . . 51 7 Personal, Abiding Testimony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 8 Following Those Whom God Has Chosen to Preside . . . . . . . . . . . 71 9 The Joy of Missionary Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 10The Power of Example 92 11Priesthood, "the Power of the Living God" 101 12Work and Self-Reliance 109 13Principles of Financial Security 119 14"Come, Come, Ye Saints" 129 15Labor for the Happiness of Others 139 16 Forgiving Others 147 17Being Loyal Citizens 157 18The Song of the Heart 164 19Earnest, Honest, Sincere Prayer 173 20The Still, Small Voice of Revelation 181 21Observing the Word of Wisdom 189 22Teaching Children in the Nurture and Admonition of the Gospel 199 23The Progress and Destiny of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . . . . . 209 24Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God 219 List of Paintings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229 Index. . . . . 230 ;;; Introduction The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have established the Teachings of Presidents of the Church series to help Church members deepen their understanding of gospel doctrine and draw closer to Jesus Christ through the teachings of the prophets in this dispensation. This book features the teachings of President Heber J. Grant, who served as President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from November 1918 to May 1945. Latter-day Saints will be blessed as they apply President Grant's teachings in their lives. He emphasized: "No amount of knowledge, of inspiration and testimony as to the divinity of the work of God will be of benefit to us unless we put that knowledge into actual practice in the daily walks of life. It is not the amount that any individual may know that will benefit him and his fellows; but it is the practical application of that knowledge."1 How to Use This Book Each chapter in this book includes four sections: (1) an opening statement that briefly introduces the focus of the chapter; (2) "From the Life of Heber J. Grant," which illustrates the message of the chapter by relating one or more events from President Grant's life; (3) "Teachings of Heber J. Grant," which presents doctrines from President Grant's sermons and writings and from messages the First Presidency gave while he was President of the Church; and (4) "Suggestions for Study and Discussion," which contains questions to encourage personal review and inquiry, application of gospel principles, and discussion at home and at church. Reading the questions before studying President Grant's words may give additional insight into his teachings. The book is to be used in the following settings: Personal and family study. Through prayerful and thoughtful study, individuals may receive a personal witness of the truths taught by President Grant. This volume will add to each member's gospel library and will serve as an important resource for family instruction and study in the home. Discussion in Sunday meetings. This book is the text for Sunday meetings in high priests groups, elders quorums, and the Relief Society, usually on the second and third Sundays of each month. These Sunday meetings should be discussions that concentrate on gospel doctrines and principles. Teachers are to focus on the content of the book and help members apply these teachings in their lives. They may draw from the questions at the end of each chapter to encourage class discussion. As appropriate, members should bear testimony and share personal examples that relate to the lessons. When teachers humbly seek the Spirit in preparing and directing the lessons, all who participate will be strengthened in their knowledge of the truth. Leaders and teachers are to encourage members to read the chapters in preparation for Sunday meetings and to bring the book to church. They should honor such preparation by teaching from President Grant's words. When members have read a chapter in advance, they will be prepared to teach and edify each other. It is not necessary or recommended that members purchase additional commentaries or reference texts to supplement the material in the book. Members are encouraged to turn to the scriptures for further study of the doctrine. Since this book is designed for personal study and gospel reference, many chapters contain more material than can be fully addressed in Sunday meetings. Therefore, individuals must study at home in order to more thoroughly benefit from President Grant's teachings. Sources Quoted in This Book The teachings of President Grant in this book are direct quotations from a variety of sources. The quotations have retained the punctuation, spelling, and capitalization of the original sources unless editorial or typographic changes have been necessary to improve readability. For this reason, readers may notice minor inconsistencies in the text. Note 1. "Concerning Inactive Knowledge," Improvement Era, Mar. 1943, 141. [picture] Heber J. Grant ;;; Historical Summary This book is not a history, but rather a compilation of gospel principles as taught by President Heber J. Grant. The following chronology provides a brief historical framework for these teachings. It omits significant events in secular history, such as wars and worldwide economic crises. It also omits many important events in President Grant's personal life, such as his marriages and the births and deaths of his children. 1856, November 22 Heber Jeddy Grant is born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Rachel Ridgeway Ivins Grant and Jedediah Morgan Grant. Heber's father, who served as Second Counselor to President Brigham Young, dies nine days later. 1875, June 10 Accepts a call to serve in the presidency of the Salt Lake City 13th Ward Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association. 1880, April 6 Begins service as the secretary to the general presidency of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association. 1880, October 30 Begins service as stake president in Tooele, Utah. 1882, October 16 Ordained an Apostle by President George Q. Cannon of the First Presidency. 1883-84 Visits communities of Native Americans, working with other Church leaders to call and set apart priesthood holders to labor there. 1897 Serves as a member of the general presidency of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association and as business manager for the Church magazine titled the Improvement Era. 1901, August 12- 1903, September 8 Organizes and presides over the first mission in Japan. 1904, January 1- 1906, December 5 Presides over the British and European missions. 1916, November 23 Set apart as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. 1918, November 23 Set apart as President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1919, November 27 Dedicates the temple at Laie, Hawaii. 1920 Leads observance of the 100th anniversary of the First Vision. 1923, August 26 Dedicates the temple at Cardston, Alberta. 1924, October 3-5 Presides over the first general conference to be broadcast by radio. 1926 Under the direction of the First Presidency, the Church initiates the institute of religion program. 1927, October 23 Dedicates the temple at Mesa, Arizona. 1930, April 6 Presides over the observance of the 100th anniversary of the Church's organization. 1936 The First Presidency establishes the Church Security Plan, now called the Church welfare program. 1940, February Suffers a stroke. 1942, April 6 Delivers a general conference address for the last time. For the next three years, all his conference talks are read by others. 1945, May 14 Dies in Salt Lake City, Utah. ;;; The Life and Ministry of Heber J. Grant In the October 1899 general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Heber J. Grant, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said, "No obstacles are insurmountable when God commands and we obey."1 This simple expression was a recurring theme in Heber J. Grant's life and ministry. He was not spared from adversity, but he approached every obstacle with faith, obedience, diligence, and enthusiasm. An Era of Change and Progress President Heber J. Grant lived in an era of extraordinary change. He was born in 1856 into a world of oxcarts and horse- drawn carriages, when many journeys were measured in months. When he died in 1945, he left a world of automobiles and airplanes, when journeys were measured in hours. The stagecoach mail of his youth gave way to other means of communication: the telephone, the radio, and airmail. Born 26 years after the organization of the Church and 9 years after the pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, Heber J. Grant witnessed a time of great progress in the kingdom of God on the earth. Throughout his life, he enjoyed close association with Presidents of the Church, and he also helped prepare men who would succeed him in that calling. In his youth he frequently visited the home of President Brigham Young. As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, he served under the leadership of Presidents John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow, and Joseph F. Smith. He served in the Quorum of the Twelve with three others who would become Presidents of the Church: George Albert Smith, David O. McKay, and Joseph Fielding Smith. During his service as President of the Church, Heber J. Grant ordained Elders Harold B. Lee, Spencer W. Kimball, and Ezra Taft Benson to the Apostleship. And in 1935 he and his counselors in the First Presidency hired a young returned missionary named Gordon B. Hinckley to work as the executive secretary of the Radio, Publicity, and Mission Literature Committee of the Church. A Loving Relationship between Mother and Child Heber Jeddy Grant was born on 22 November 1856 in Salt Lake City, Utah, the only child of Rachel Ridgeway Ivins Grant and Jedediah Morgan Grant, who was serving as Second Counselor to President Brigham Young. Nine days after Heber was born, his father died of a combination of typhoid and pneumonia. For much of his childhood, Heber and his widowed mother struggled to survive financially. They endured "blustery nights with no fire in the hearth, months with no shoes, never more than a single homemade outfit of homespun at a time, and except for an adequate supply of bread, a meager fare which allowed only several pounds of butter and sugar for an entire year."2 Rachel was determined to support herself and her young son. She worked as a seamstress and took in boarders. Her brothers offered to give her a life of ease if she would leave the Church, but she remained true to her faith. This devotion and sacrifice made a lasting impression on Heber, who later recalled: "My mother's brothers who were well-to-do financially offered to settle an annuity upon her for life if she would renounce her religion. One of her brothers said to her: 'Rachel, you have disgraced the name of Ivins. We never want to see you again if you stay with those awful Mormons,'--this was when she was leaving for Utah--'but,' he continued, 'come back in a year, come back in five years, come back in ten or twenty years, and no matter when you come back, the latchstring will be out, and affluence and ease will be your portion.' "Later, when poverty became her lot, if she actually had not known that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that the gospel was true, all she needed to do was to return east and let her brothers take care of her. But rather than return to her wealthy relatives in the east where she would have been amply provided for, with no struggle for herself or her child, she preferred to make her way among those to whom she was more strongly attached than her kindred who were not believers in her faith."3 Rachel Grant and her son were poor financially, but they were rich in their love for one another and their devotion to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. President Grant said, "I, of course, owe everything to my mother, because my father died when I was only nine days of age; and the marvelous teachings, the faith, the integrity of my mother have been an inspiration to me."4 Inspired by his mother, Heber J. Grant developed a characteristic for which he would be known throughout the Church: persistence. His diligence and willingness to work helped him overcome natural weaknesses. For example, other boys made fun of his awkwardness on the baseball diamond. He responded to their jeers by earning enough money to buy a baseball and spending hours throwing the ball against a barn. As a result of his persistence, he later played on a championship baseball team. In school, some of his classmates teased him about his sloppy handwriting. He later recounted: "These remarks and others, while not made to hurt my feelings but in good-natured fun, nevertheless cut deep, and aroused within me a spirit of determination. I resolved to live to set copies for all who attended the university, and to be the teacher of penmanship and bookkeeping in that institution .... I commenced to employ my spare time in practicing penmanship, continuing year after year until I was referred to as 'the greatest scribbler on earth.' " He eventually won first prize in penmanship at a territorial fair and became a teacher of penmanship and bookkeeping at the University of Deseret (now the University of Utah).5 "A Leader of Finance and Industry" Heber J. Grant entered the business world at a young age so he could help support his mother. At 15, he was hired as a bookkeeper and policy clerk in an insurance office. He also worked in the banking industry and earned money after hours by writing cards and invitations and making maps. As he looked ahead to further opportunities, he "had an overwhelming ambition for a university education and a degree from a great school." He felt that he had "very little hope of obtaining it, having no means and having a widowed mother to look after," but he was offered an appointment to study at the United States Naval Academy. He recalled: "For the first time in my life I did not sleep well; I lay awake nearly all night long, rejoicing that the ambition of my life was to be fulfilled. I fell asleep just a little before daylight; my mother had to wake me. "I said: 'Mother, what a marvelous thing it is that I am to have an education as fine as that of any young man in all Utah. I could hardly sleep; I was awake until almost daylight this morning.' "I looked into her face; I saw that she had been weeping. "I have heard of people, who, when drowning, had their entire life pass before them in almost a few seconds. I saw myself an admiral in my mind's eye. I saw myself traveling all over the world in a ship, away from my widowed mother. I laughed and put my arms around her, and kissed her and said: " 'Mother, I do not want a naval education. I am going to be a business man and shall enter an office right away and take care of you, and have you quit keeping boarders for a living.' "She broke down and wept and said that she had not closed her eyes but had prayed all night that I would give up my life's ambition so that she would not be left alone."6 As Heber pursued his interest in business, he achieved success at a young age, particularly in the banking and insurance industries. He gained a reputation as an honest, hardworking businessman. Heber M. Wells, the first governor of the state of Utah, observed, "He can walk into the offices of the executives and directors of the greatest financial and industrial institutions in America and be warmly and affectionately greeted by men who are proud to know him as friend and as a leader of finance and industry."7 A financial publication in 1921 included the following tribute to President Grant: "Mr. Grant possesses the characteristics of a real leader--strength of purpose, nobility and humility of character, enthusiasm for all causes in which he enters, and indefatigable industry. He is well known and respected by the business men of the western third of the United States, regardless of their religious affiliations."8 Heber J. Grant was not always successful in his business endeavors. For example, in 1893 an economic crisis swept across much of the United States, leaving hundreds of banks, railroads, mines, and other businesses in financial ruin. This crisis, called the Panic of 1893, caught Elder Grant, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, by surprise. He was left with debts that took him years to repay. During those difficult times, the entire Grant family united to help reduce the household's financial strain. "As soon as we were old enough," remembered a daughter, "we started to work ..., and it was the greatest satisfaction of our young lives to feel that we were helping him by caring for ourselves."9 Ultimately, President Heber J. Grant prospered financially, and he used his means to help individuals, families, the Church, and the community. He said: "While I have worked hard for Cash, you know, as do all my friends that have a full knowledge of the innermost sentiments of my heart, that Cash has not been my god and that my heart has never been set on it, only to do good with what might come into my possession. I most earnestly desire that I may always feel this way."10 President Grant took great pleasure in giving away books. He gave away thousands of them, most of which he personally inscribed. He said that he purchased these books with his "cigar money," reasoning that the amount of money he spent to support his gift-giving habit was about the same as the amount a smoker would spend to support the appetite for cigars.11 In giving so many gifts, he sometimes lost track of what he had done. "I once gave a man a book," he said, "and he thanked me very kindly for it, and said, 'Brother Grant, I thoroughly appreciate this book. It is the third copy you have given me of it.' " After that experience, President Grant kept an index of the books he had given.12 It was said of President Grant that "he gives because he loves to,--it seems to be just the impulse of a great and generous heart."13 His daughter Lucy Grant Cannon referred to him as "the most generous man in the world" and told of his particular concern for the widows and the fatherless-- "clearing their homes of mortgages, getting their children into business positions, seeing that those who were sick had proper medical attention." Even "during those lean years which followed the panic of 1893," she said, "when to give a nickel was harder than it had been to give five or ten dollars, father still helped those in distress."14 "A Remarkable Family Man" President Grant's daughter Frances Grant Bennett said, "Though the strength of [my father's] character is well known, few people realize what a remarkable family man he was."15 His responsibilities in the Church required him to travel frequently, but he remained close to his family members by writing thousands of letters and notes to them. His grandson Truman G. Madsen recalled: "His way of coping with the distance imposed by frequent travel was to write .... On trains, in waiting rooms, in hotels, and sitting on the stand between meetings, he would pen messages to share his experiences and impressions and to answer theirs."16 His daughter Lucy remembered the wonderful times she and her brothers and sisters spent with him when he returned home from ministering to the Saints: "What a jubilant time we had when he came home! We would all gather around and listen to his experiences. I can see him now walking around the house with a child on each foot, or tossing the children up on his knee .... "Memory carries me back to the rides we used to take behind our horse, old John. Although the two seats of our surrey were crowded we all must go. Father would take our favorite drive, down West Temple [Street] and then to Liberty Park. West Temple had rows of cottonwood trees. If it was early spring and the sap was coming up in the trees, father would stop and cut a tender limb from the tree and make us whistles. How interested we were in watching him make the bark come off smoothly and put the notch in the tree fiber; then on went the bark again and our whistle was ready. And how those whistles would sound as we rode slowly home. Each one seemed to be pitched just a little differently."17 President Grant was able to maintain discipline in the home without resorting to physical punishment. His daughter Lucy said: "I am afraid 'spare the rod and spoil the child' was never taken as a serious command by our father .... I think we were hurt worse to know that we had displeased our parents than we would have been to have felt the sting of the switch."18 President Grant urged parents to "so order their lives that their example will be an inspiration to their children,"19 and he lived according to this teaching. His daughter Frances told of a time when she learned from his example: "An incident occurred which made so profound an impression on me that I have remembered it all my life. I used some language father didn't approve of, and he told me he would have to wash such words out of my mouth. He scrubbed out my mouth thoroughly with soap and said, 'Now your mouth is clean. I don't ever want you to make it dirty with such words again.' "Several days later at the breakfast table, father was telling a story, and in quoting someone else he used a profane expression. I was quick to pick it up. " 'Papa,' I said, 'you washed my mouth out for saying words like that.' " 'So I did,' he answered. 'And I shouldn't say them any more than you should. Would you like to wash out my mouth?' "I certainly would. I got the laundry soap and did a thorough job of it. "My father could have hedged. He could have said he wasn't really swearing, which, of course, was true; but that wasn't his way. A little child couldn't tell the difference between a quotation and the real thing, and he realized it. From that moment I knew that my father would be absolutely fair in all his dealings with me, and I never found him otherwise. After that, I never heard him even quote profane things. He loved to tell a lively story and he would say, 'John said, with emphasis, such and such,' but he never said the words. He was a great believer in teaching by example and never asked us to do anything he wouldn't do himself."20 Lucy remembered her father's tender love for her mother, who died at age 34: "During the years of my mother's illness, which lasted over a long period of time, his attentions were so constant and considerate as to be commented upon not only by his family and intimate friends but by strangers who knew of this evidence of devotion. For six months I was with my mother while she was receiving treatment in a California hospital, and as often as was possible he was with us. Flowers came at frequent intervals; fruit, dainties, new clothes-- everything he could send her was hers. Almost every day a letter reached her, and if for some reason it was delayed even the nurses would notice it. I remember the Sister Superior (we were in a Catholic Hospital) saying to mother that in all her years of nursing she had never had any man treat his wife as considerately as mother was treated."21 Lucy also told of her father's continuing care for his own mother: "A more thoughtful or affectionate son it has not been my privilege to see. His anxiety to have her happy in her old age, his willingness to share all he had with her and to provide well for her was almost a passion with him. Every day when we had family prayers and it was his turn to pray he would kneel by grandmother and pray so she could hear it, even in her deafness. He talked to her and she could hear his voice when she was not able to hear some others .... For the last seven years of grandmother's life she lived in my home, and I can not recall a day's passing when father was home that he did not come or telephone or get word from grandmother. He was always so proud of her because of her gracious ways, her splendid spirituality, and her handsome and radiant face--a face which showed that contentment and peace were hers."22 A Life of Dedication and Service in the Church Stake President Just before his 24th birthday, Heber J. Grant was called to leave his home in Salt Lake City and move to Tooele, Utah, where he would serve as stake president. Of this time in his life, he recalled, "I was without experience, and I felt mightily my weakness."23 However, he dedicated himself completely to his new responsibility. He later said: "It never entered my head but what I was to stay [in Tooele] all the days of my life. I never thought of anything else."24 On 30 October 1880, the members of the Tooele Utah Stake were surprised when 23-year-old Heber J. Grant, a virtual stranger, was presented as their new stake president. He introduced himself to the congregation by delivering a short discourse. Although the sermon was shorter than he would have liked, it gave the people a glimpse of the man who would serve as their priesthood leader. Years later, he recounted the central message of the address: "I announced in a speech that lasted seven and a half minutes that I would ask no man in Tooele to be a more honest tithe payer than I would be; that I would ask no man to give more of his means in proportion to what he had than I would give; I would ask no man to live the Word of Wisdom better than I would live it, and I would give the best that was in me for the benefit of the people in that stake of Zion."25 President Grant served faithfully as stake president for two years before his call to the holy Apostleship. Apostle On 16 October 1882 Elder Heber J. Grant was ordained an Apostle by President George Q. Cannon, First Counselor to President John Taylor. During his 36 years in the Quorum of the Twelve, Elder Grant contributed to the Church as a leader, teacher, businessman, and missionary. He served as a member of the general superintendency of the organization for young men in the Church and was one of the principal founders of the Church magazine titled the Improvement Era. He also served as the business manager of the Improvement Era. As an Apostle, Elder Grant spent five years in full-time missionary service. Responding to calls from the First Presidency, he organized and presided over the first mission in Japan and later presided over the British and European Missions. In his counsel to the missionaries who served with him, he often repeated two themes. First, he admonished them to observe the standards of the mission and keep the commandments. Second, he encouraged them to work hard. In the British Mission, he set the pace by working more hours per day than ever before. Throughout that mission, productivity soared even though the missionary force diminished slightly from year to year.26 President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints President Joseph F. Smith passed away on 19 November 1918, knowing that Heber J. Grant would succeed him as President of the Church. President Smith's final words to President Grant were: "The Lord bless you, my boy, the Lord bless you; you have got a great responsibility. Always remember this is the Lord's work and not man's. The Lord is greater than any man. He knows whom He wants to lead His Church, and never makes any mistake. The Lord bless you."27 The First Presidency was dissolved, leaving the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as the leading authority in the Church, with President Heber J. Grant as the President of that Quorum. On 23 November 1918 President Grant was set apart as President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He retained the counselors who had served with President Smith: President Anthon H. Lund as First Counselor and President Charles W. Penrose as Second Counselor. President Grant's first general conference as President of the Church came in June 1919, after a two-month postponement due to a worldwide influenza epidemic that affected life in the Salt Lake Valley. A portion of his first conference address as President of the Church echoed his first address as president of the Tooele Stake: "I feel humble, beyond any language with which God has endowed me to express it, in standing before you here this morning, occupying the position in which you have just voted to sustain me. I recall standing before an audience in Tooele, after having been sustained as president of that stake, when I was a young man twenty-three years of age, pledging to that audience the best that was in me. I stand here today in all humility, acknowledging my own weakness, my own lack of wisdom and information, and my lack of the ability to occupy the exalted position in which you have voted to sustain me. But as I said as a boy in Tooele, I say here today: that by and with the help of the Lord, I shall do the best that I can to fulfil every obligation that shall rest upon me as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to the full extent of my ability. "I will ask no man to be more liberal with his means, than I am with mine, in proportion to what he possesses, for the advancement of God's Kingdom. I will ask no man to observe the Word of Wisdom any more closely than I will observe it. I will ask no man to be more conscientious and prompt in the payment of his tithes and his offerings than I will be. I will ask no man to be more ready and willing to come early and to go late, and to labor with full power of mind and body, than I will labor, always in humility. I hope and pray for the blessings of the Lord, acknowledging freely and frankly, that without the Lord's blessings it will be an impossibility for me to make a success of the high calling whereunto I have been called. But, like Nephi of old, I know that the Lord makes no requirements of the children of men, save he will prepare a way for them, whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has required [see 1 Nephi 3#7]. With this knowledge in my heart, I accept the great responsibility, without fear of the consequences, knowing that God will sustain me as he has sustained all of my predecessors who have occupied this position, provided always, that I shall labor in humility and in diligence, ever seeking for the guidance of his Holy Spirit; and this I shall endeavor to do."28 President Grant served for almost 27 years as President of the Church--longer than any Church President other than Brigham Young. During that time, members of the Church, along with millions of others throughout the world, suffered through the aftermath of World War I, the financial devastation of the Great Depression, and the trials and horrors of World War II. While this was a time marked by adversity, it was also a time of rejoicing. Latter-day Saints celebrated the 100-year anniversaries of the First Vision and the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They rejoiced in the dedication of temples in Laie, Hawaii; Cardston, Alberta; and Mesa, Arizona. And beginning in October 1924, those who were unable to attend general conference in the Salt Lake Tabernacle or surrounding buildings could hear the words of latter-day prophets over the radio airways. In his messages to the Saints, President Grant repeatedly emphasized the importance of keeping the commandments. He declared, "I promise you, as a servant of the living God, that every man and woman who obeys the commandments of God shall prosper, that every promise made of God shall be fulfilled upon their heads, and that they will grow and increase in wisdom, light, knowledge, intelligence, and, above all, in the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ."29 When he spoke about the need to keep the commandments, he often gave particular attention to the Word of Wisdom and the law of tithing. In one conference address he taught: "The devil is ready to blind our eyes with the things of this world, and he would gladly rob us of eternal life, the greatest of all gifts. But it is not given to the devil, and no power will ever be given to him to overthrow any Latter-day Saint that is keeping the commandments of God. There is no power given to the adversary of men's souls to destroy us if we are doing our duty. If we are not absolutely honest with God, then we let the bars down, then we have destroyed part of the fortifications by which we are protected, and the devil may come in. But no man has ever lost the testimony of the Gospel, no man has ever turned to the right or to the left, who had the knowledge of the truth, who was attending to his duties, who was keeping the Word of Wisdom, who was paying his tithing, who was responding to the calls and duties of his office and calling in the Church. "There are some who are forever asking to know what the Lord wants of them, and who seem to be hesitating on that account. I am thoroughly convinced that all the Lord wants of you and me or of any other man or woman in the Church is for us to perform our full duty and keep the commandments of God."30 During the Great Depression of the 1930s, when people all over the world struggled with unemployment and poverty, President Grant and his counselors, Presidents J. Reuben Clark Jr. and David O. McKay, were concerned about the well-being of the Latter-day Saints. On 20 April 1935 they called into their office Harold B. Lee, a young stake president whose stake had been successful in caring for the poor and needy. President Lee recalled: "President Grant ... said that there was nothing more important for the Church to do than to take care of its needy people and that so far as he was concerned, everything else must be sacrificed [so that] proper relief [could be] extended to our people. I was astounded to learn that for years there had been before them, as a result of their thinking and planning and as a result of the inspiration of Almighty God, the genius of the very plan that was waiting and in preparation for a time when, in their judgment, the faith of the Latter-day Saints was such that they were willing to follow the counsel of the men who lead and preside in this Church."31 In April 1936, after counseling with President Lee and with General Authorities, businessmen, and others, the First Presidency introduced the Church Security Plan, which is now known as the welfare program of the Church. In the October 1936 general conference, President Grant explained the objective of this program: "Our primary purpose was to set up, in so far as it might be possible, a system under which the curse of idleness would be done away with, the evils of a dole abolished, and independence, industry, thrift and self respect be once more established amongst our people. The aim of the Church is to help the people to help themselves. Work is to be re-enthroned as the ruling principle of the lives of our Church membership."32 President J. Reuben Clark Jr. testified: "The Welfare Plan is based upon revelation .... The setting up of the machinery is the result of a revelation by the Holy Ghost to President Grant."33 Elder Albert E. Bowen, who was ordained an Apostle by President Grant, explained the vision of the program: "The real long term objective of the Welfare Plan is the building of character in the members of the Church, givers and receivers, rescuing all that is finest down deep in the inside of them, and bringing to flower and fruitage the latent richness of the spirit."34 In February 1940 President Grant suffered a stroke that impaired his speech and temporarily paralyzed the left side of his body. This did not prevent him from continuing in the work of the Lord. He worked a few hours each day, and he continued to give brief talks at general conferences for the next two years. On 6 April 1942 he delivered a general conference address for the last time. Thereafter, his talks were read by others. His final general conference address, read by Joseph Anderson on 6 April 1945, concluded with these words of testimony: "The most glorious thing that has ever happened in the history of the world since the Savior himself lived on earth, is that God himself saw fit to visit the earth with his beloved, only begotten Son, our Redeemer and Savior, and to appear to the boy Joseph. There are thousands and hundreds of thousands who have had a perfect and individual testimony and knowledge of this eternal truth. The gospel in its purity has been restored to the earth, and I want to emphasize that we as a people have one supreme thing to do, and this is to call upon the world to repent of sin, and to obey the commandments of God. And it is our duty above all others to go forth at home and abroad, as times and circumstances permit, and proclaim the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is our duty also to be mindful of those children of our Father who have preceded us in death without a knowledge of the gospel, and to open the door of salvation to them in our temples, where we also have obligations to perform. "I bear witness to you that I do know that God lives, that he hears and answers prayer; that Jesus is the Christ, the Redeemer of the world; that Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of the true and living God; and that Brigham Young and those who have succeeded him were, and are, likewise prophets of God. "I do not have the language at my command to express the gratitude to God for this knowledge that I possess. Time and time again my heart has been melted, my eyes have wept tears of gratitude for the knowledge that he lives and that this gospel called Mormonism is in very deed the plan of life and salvation, that it is in very deed the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. That God may help you and me and everyone to live it, and that he may help those who know not the truth, that they may receive this witness, is my constant and earnest prayer, and I ask it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen."35 President Grant's condition continued to deteriorate until he passed away on 14 May 1945. Funeral services were held four days later. President Joseph Fielding Smith recalled: "As the cortege passed thousands stood in the streets for many blocks with bowed heads. He was honored by representatives of other Churches and the bell of the Catholic Cathedral tolled .... Men of renown from distant parts came to do him honor, many of the stores in the city closed their doors and there was a general mourning because a mighty man had been taken home after a long and eventful life."36 Presidents J. Reuben Clark Jr. and David O. McKay, who had served as President Grant's First and Second Counselors, spoke at the funeral. Their tributes echoed the feelings of the hundreds of thousands of Latter-day Saints who had sustained President Heber J. Grant as their prophet. President Clark said that President Grant "lived righteously and drew from our Heavenly Father the blessings which come to those who keep and obey his commandments."37 President McKay declared, "Persevering in accomplishment, sincere, honest, upright in all his dealings, positive in expression, dynamic in action, uncompromising with evil, sympathetic with the unfortunate, magnanimous in the highest degree, faithful in life to every trust, tender and considerate of loved ones, loyal to friends, to truth, to God- -such was our honored and beloved President--a distinguished leader, a worthy exemplar to the Church and to mankind the world over."38 Notes 1. In Conference Report, Oct. 1899, 18. 2. Ronald W. Walker, "Jedediah and Heber Grant," Ensign, July 1979, 49. 3. Gospel Standards, comp. G. Homer Durham (1941), 341-42. 4. Gospel Standards, 151. 5. "The Nobility of Labor," Improvement Era, Dec. 1899, 83. 6. Gospel Standards, 348-49. 7. "President Grant--The Business Man: Business Ventures and Church Financing," Improvement Era, Nov. 1936, 689. 8. "Strength of the 'Mormon' Church," Coast Banker, San Francisco and Los Angeles, March 1921; quoted in Conference Report, Apr. 1921, 205. 9. Lucy Grant Cannon, "A Father Who Is Loved and Honored," Improvement Era, Nov. 1936, 681. 10. Gospel Standards, 330. 11. Gospel Standards, 248. 12. Letter from Heber J. Grant to Harrison M. Merrill, 7 Oct. 1930, Family and Church History Department Archives, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 13. Bryant S. Hinckley, "Greatness in Men: President Heber J. Grant," Improvement Era, Oct. 1931, 703. 14. Improvement Era, Nov. 1936, 680-81. 15. Glimpses of a Mormon Family (1968), 299, 301. 16. Unpublished manuscript by Truman G. Madsen. 17. Improvement Era, Nov. 1936, 681. 18. Improvement Era, Nov. 1936, 681. 19. In Conference Report, Oct. 1944, 9. 20. Glimpses of a Mormon Family, 15-16. 21. Improvement Era, Nov. 1936, 682. 22. Improvement Era, Nov. 1936, 684; paragraphing altered. 23. Gospel Standards, 12. 24. Gospel Standards, 77. 25. Gospel Standards, 191. 26. See Ronald W. Walker, "Heber J. Grant's European Mission, 1903-1906," in Journal of Mormon History (1988), 20. 27. Quoted by Heber J. Grant, in Conference Report, Apr. 1941, 5. 28. In Conference Report, June 1919, 4. 29. Gospel Standards, 39. 30. In Conference Report, Apr. 1944, 10. 31. Quoted in L. Brent Goates, Harold B. Lee: Prophet and Seer (1985), 141-42. 32. Message from the First Presidency, in Conference Report, Oct. 1936, 3; read by President Heber J. Grant. 33. "Pres. Clark Testifies of Divinity of Church Welfare Program," Church News, 8 Aug. 1951, 15. 34. The Church Welfare Plan (Gospel Doctrine course of study, 1946), 44. 35. In Conference Report, Apr. 1945, 10. 36. Essentials in Church History, 20th ed. (1966), 653. 37. "President Heber J. Grant," Improvement Era, June 1945, 333. 38. "President Heber J. Grant," Improvement Era, June 1945, 361. [picture] President Heber J. Grant, far right, delivered his first radio message to the world on 6 May 1922. ;;; Chapter 1 Learning and Teaching the Gospel Gospel teaching is beneficial only when it is presented and received by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. From the Life of Heber J. Grant President Heber J. Grant said: "I know of nothing that brings greater joy to the human heart than laboring at home or abroad for the salvation of the souls of men. I know of nothing which gives us a greater love of all that is good, than teaching this Gospel of Jesus Christ."1 In addition to being a dedicated gospel teacher, President Grant was eager to learn from the testimonies of others. He observed: "I am always pleased when I have the opportunity of meeting with the Latter-day Saints in any of their gatherings. I never attend any of our meetings, in the wards or stakes or at the general conferences, that I am not blessed, instructed and encouraged in the faith of the Gospel; that I do not hear something that in very deed feeds me the bread of life."2 When Heber J. Grant was a young man, he had an experience that helped him see the importance of teaching and learning by the Spirit. He later recalled: "There stand out in my life many incidents in my youth, of wonderful inspiration and power through men preaching the gospel in the spirit of testimony and prayer. I call to mind one such incident when I was a young man, probably seventeen or eighteen years of age. I heard the late Bishop Millen Atwood preach a sermon in the Thirteenth Ward. I was studying grammar at the time, and he made some grammatical errors in his talk. "I wrote down his first sentence, smiled to myself, and said: 'I am going to get here tonight, during the thirty minutes that Brother Atwood speaks, enough material to last me for the entire winter in my night school grammar class.' We had to take to the class for each lesson two sentences, or four sentences a week, that were not grammatically correct, together with our corrections. "I contemplated making my corrections and listening to Bishop Atwood's sermon at the same time. But I did not write anything more after that first sentence--not a word; and when Millen Atwood stopped preaching, tears were rolling down my cheeks, tears of gratitude and thanksgiving that welled up in my eyes because of the marvelous testimony which that man bore of the divine mission of Joseph Smith, the prophet of God, and of the wonderful inspiration that attended the prophet in all his labors. "Although it is now more than sixty-five years since I listened to that sermon, it is just as vivid today, and the sensations and feelings that I had are just as fixed with me as they were the day I heard it. Do you know, I would no more have thought of using those sentences in which he had made grammatical mistakes than I would think of standing up in a class and profaning the name of God. That testimony made the first profound impression that was ever made upon my heart and soul of the divine mission of the prophet. I had heard many testimonies that had pleased me and made their impression, but this was the first testimony that had melted me to tears under the inspiration of the Spirit of God to that man. "During all the years that have passed since then, I have never been shocked or annoyed by grammatical errors or mispronounced words on the part of those preaching the gospel. I have realized that it was like judging a man by the clothes he wore, to judge the spirit of a man by the clothing of his language. From that day to this the one thing above all others that has impressed me has been the Spirit, the inspiration of the living God that an individual [has] when proclaiming the gospel, and not the language .... I have learned absolutely, that it is the Spirit that giveth life and understanding, and not the letter." [See 2 Corinthians 3#6.]3 Teachings of Heber J. Grant When we teach the gospel, we must focus on simple, foundational principles and commandments. It is not the food we look at and think is delicious which is of benefit to us, but only such as we eat and digest. Neither is it the grand feast that adds most to our strength and comfort and aids us to perform well in the battle of life, but on the contrary ofttimes the most simple food gives the only good and lasting benefits to those who partake of it. So, also, it is not always the feast prepared by the learned that adds to our strength to do nobly and manfully our duty in the battle of life, but ofttimes the teachings from the most humble find a response in our hearts and very souls which add to our strength to press on and do our duty in the daily struggle for improvement.4 Church organizations must have as their purpose the building up of firm testimonies in the minds and hearts of the Saints, particularly of the youth,--testimonies of the truth of the Restored Gospel, of the Messiahship of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the divinity of the mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith, of the divine origin of this Church established by God and His Son by and through the Prophet, and of the fact that this is and always will be the Church of Jesus Christ with all that this connotes,--all to the end that the Saints may have and enjoy these testimonies, that they may live in keeping with the commandments of the Lord, that they may constantly increase their knowledge of the Truth, thus enabling them so to live that salvation, exaltation, and eternal happiness in the Celestial Kingdom may come to them, and lastly that they in turn may lead others of the world to a knowledge and testimony of the Truth both by their precept and by their example, so bringing to them these same blessings.5 I believe that the teacher who has a love of God and a knowledge of Him, a love of Jesus Christ and a testimony of His divinity, a testimony of the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith; who implants these things in the hearts and very beings of the children he is teaching, that such a teacher is engaged in one of the noblest and most splendid and remarkable labors that any person can be engaged in.6 Teach and live the first principles of the gospel, and let the mysteries of heaven wait until you get to heaven.7 Like the frequent singing of our songs ..., we can never repeat too often the commandments of the Lord to this people, and urge upon the Saints to live up to them.8 Very many times people have said to me, "I am sick and tired of hearing the same thing over and over again. There is no need of repeating." Many men find fault with the sermons they hear because there are repetitions in them .... It seems that the Lord recognizes the necessity of repetition in impressing upon the minds of the people any message that he has to give. Our Savior, in his teaching, would repeat, time and time again, in different language the same idea, apparently to fasten it irrevocably upon the minds and hearts of his hearers.9 To be effective gospel teachers, we must teach by the power of the Holy Spirit. On the first trip of any length that I took after being made a member of the Council of the Twelve, with the late Elder Brigham Young, Jr., [also of the Council of the Twelve,] I remember making up my mind that I would not any more, on that trip--which lasted about four months--speak upon what is known among us as "The Word of Wisdom." ... I resolved that at the next meeting I attended I would certainly find some other theme. I tried for about 20 minutes to talk on something else, and made a dismal failure. Then I talked for another 20 minutes, with most perfect ease, upon the Word of Wisdom; and I afterwards learned that if there was any one thing that the people needed, in the little town that I was visiting, it was to be taught the Word of Wisdom .... After that experience I made up my mind that whenever I had an impression to speak upon a certain subject, and felt like doing so, although I might have been preaching upon that subject for weeks at a stretch, I certainly would preach on it again .... In my ministry among the people I have been very pleased to be able to testify that when we are humble and prayerful and desirous of teaching the people, the Lord does inspire us.10 There is a dread and a timidity that follow all of us when we stand up before the people to proclaim unto them the plan of life and salvation. I suppose it is well that such is the case, because we realize our own dependence, our own weakness, and our own inability to instruct those that we speak to without the aid of the Holy Spirit .... I am thankful myself that this spirit of timidity has always attended me in my public speaking to the Latter-day Saints, because I never want to be in a position where I do not feel a desire that the light and the inspiration of God may abide with me in speaking to the people. I know I cannot comprehend that which is for the best good of the people, but through the voice of inspiration.11 It has ever been my desire in addressing the Latter-day Saints, that my mind might be lighted up with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. I realize that, in teaching the people, unless the speaker is inspired of our Father in Heaven it is impossible to say anything that will be of benefit or worth to the Saints.12 No man can teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ under the inspiration of the living God and with power from on high unless he is living it.13 This is our duty--to place ourselves in a position whereby when we stand up to teach the people, we can teach them by the inspiration of the spirit of God as it shall descend upon us; but if we are not observing the commandments of God, we can not with power, and with force, and with strength urge upon other people that they obey the commandments that we ourselves are failing to obey.14 To benefit from Church meetings and classes, we must be receptive and willing to put into practice what we learn. No matter how powerful the testimony or what inspiration there is in it, unless the person listening has a receptive mind it makes very little impression. It is a good deal like planting good grain in barren soil.15 Hunger makes food very delicious. Hunger for the Gospel of Jesus Christ makes us enjoy [our] conferences.16 There are some people that attend meetings year after year and listen to the servants of the Lord teach them in simplicity and humility the duties that devolve upon them, and they go away from those meetings and never put in practice what they hear; yet they take great credit to themselves for always going to meeting. Now, my friends, if you always went to your dinner, sat down and took a good look at the food, and never partook of any of it, it would not be long till you died of starvation. There are some Latter-day Saints that go to meeting, and they die of starvation spiritually because they do not receive and digest the spiritual food that is dispensed there. We should not be hearers of the word alone, but doers of it, too [see James 1#22].17 When we are in a meeting we partake of the spirit of that meeting. When we are absent from it and somebody tells us of the wonderful spirit that was present and what was accomplished by being there to partake of it, we cannot appreciate those things. It is very much like the man who was hungry and someone told him of a fine dinner, but he did not appreciate that dinner. We have to eat for ourselves, we have to live for ourselves, we have to be in the line of our duty in order to partake of the Spirit of the Lord, if the Spirit of the Lord is manifest. ... Francis M. Lyman [of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles] had to come from Tooele the night before our meeting and spend one night [in Salt Lake City] and all day in order to be at the meetings of the Presidency and Apostles which lasted two or three hours, but he never missed one of them. I said to him one day: "It is remarkable to me that you are so prompt and always present at our meetings." He said: "I do not want to miss any inspiration from the Lord; I do not want the Spirit of the Lord to come to me second hand. I want to partake of it, and to feel it, and to realize it, and to know it for myself."18 Through the prayer of faith, teachers and learners are mutually benefited and strengthened. I desire, as I always do while addressing the Saints, that I may have the benefit of your faith and prayers, that the good Spirit may be present with us, and that we may be mutually benefited and strengthened in our most holy faith through having met together .... Some of the people, I know, think it is almost a set phrase with the speakers to call for the faith and prayers of the Saints, but I wish to say that I think there is altogether too much of a neglect on the part of the people in supplicating the Lord to bless and inspire those who may speak. On occasions of this kind we are guilty, as a rule, of not concentrating our thoughts and our feelings upon the speaker and desiring earnestly and prayerfully that he may be blessed of the Lord. I plead guilty myself to occasionally forgetting, while my brethren are speaking, to pray to the Lord to bless them by His Holy Spirit. I know from experience that no Elder stands up to address the Saints, if he has a sincere desire to benefit them, without earnestly desiring the faith and prayers of the people .... In response to the prayers of the assembled Saints, I do know that God will bless me and others that stand before you from time to time to proclaim unto you the duties and the obligations that you owe to your Maker.19 When we go to meeting, we should go with a prayer in our hearts that the Lord will inspire those who speak, by His spirit, and after they have spoken to us by the inspiration of His Spirit, we should go away with a determination, with a desire, with a prayer, that we shall in very deed learn the lesson that we have heard, that we shall put it into practice in our lives.20 There has never come into my life any joy, or happiness, or peace that can compare with the joy, the happiness and the peace that I have experienced when people who had heard me preach the gospel of Jesus Christ have come to me and said that they had a witness of the divinity of this work; that the words that had fallen from my lips had brought into their hearts a knowledge that the plan of life and salvation had again been restored to the earth. I believe there is nothing in all the world that can compare with the joy that a man feels when he realizes that he has been the instrument in the hands of the living God of reaching some honest heart, inspiring in it a love of God and the desire to serve Him.21 Suggestions for Study and Discussion Why is it necessary to teach the basic principles of the gospel "over and over again"? How have you benefited from frequent repetition of gospel principles? What opportunities do we have to teach the gospel? As we prepare to teach, why is it important to acknowledge our weakness before the Lord? What does it mean to teach by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit? (See also 2 Nephi 33#1; DandC 50#13-22; 100#5-8.) What can we do to receive the guidance of the Spirit in our teaching? (See also Alma 17#2-3; DandC 11#18-21; 42#14.) What responsibilities do we have when we listen to others teach the gospel? How does our receptiveness affect our experience in Church classes? In what ways might our receptiveness influence the teacher and others in the class? What can teachers do to encourage class members to participate in lessons? In what ways have Church meetings helped you grow spiritually? Why is it our duty to pray for those who teach in Church meetings? As we look ahead to a study of President Grant's teachings, what can we do to apply what we have learned in this chapter? Notes 1. In Conference Report, Apr. 1915, 82. 2. In Conference Report, Apr. 1914, 24. 3. Gospel Standards, comp. G. Homer Durham (1941), 294-96. 4. "Some Paragraphs from Life," Improvement Era, Apr. 1944, 203. 5. In James R. Clark, comp., Messages of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6 vols. (1965-75), 6#210-11. 6. "Spiritual Development Needed in Education," Improvement Era, Oct. 1923, 1092. 7. In Conference Report, Apr. 1924, 8. 8. In Conference Report, Apr. 1916, 38. 9. "Spirit of the Lord Attends Elders of Church Who Strive to Obtain His Aid While Speaking in Public," Deseret Evening News, 15 Mar. 1919, section 4, VII. 10. Deseret Evening News, 15 Mar. 1919, section 4, VII. 11. In Brian H. Stuy, comp., Collected Discourses Delivered by President Wilford Woodruff, His Two Counselors, the Twelve Apostles, and Others, 5 vols. (1987-92), 3:190-91. 12. In Conference Report, Apr. 1898, 14. 13. In Conference Report, Apr. 1938, 15. 14. In Conference Report, Oct. 1898, 36. 15. "Some Sentence Sermons," Improvement Era, Sept. 1944, 541. 16. In Conference Report, Oct. 1933, 118. 17. In Collected Discourses, 3:193-94. 18. In Conference Report, Oct. 1934, 122-23. 19. In Collected Discourses, 3:190-91; paragraphing altered. 20. In Conference Report, Oct. 1914, 77. 21. Deseret Evening News, 15 Mar. 1919, section 4, VII. [picture] "I know of nothing which gives us a greater love of all that is good, than teaching this Gospel of Jesus Christ." ;;; Chapter 2 The Mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints rests firmly on the revelations of God given through the Prophet Joseph Smith. From the Life of Heber J. Grant Heber J. Grant's testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith began at an early age as his mother and her friend Eliza R. Snow told him of their personal experiences with the Prophet. His testimony of the Prophet was also influenced by the testimonies of Presidents Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow, and Joseph F. Smith--men who had been personally acquainted with Joseph Smith. President Grant said, "By the testimony of my mother and hundreds of others who knew the Prophet Joseph, as well as by the revelations of the Spirit of God to me, I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God."1 Throughout his ministry as an Apostle and as President of the Church, Heber J. Grant loved to testify of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Restoration of the gospel. He declared: "No man ever had more real joy in testifying of his knowledge that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ, and that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God, than I have had. I rejoice in it."2 While Elder Grant was serving in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, his testimony of the Prophet Joseph contributed to the conversion of his half brother Fred, "who had been careless, indifferent, and wayward, and who had evinced no interest in the gospel of Jesus Christ."3 Elder Grant was in the Salt Lake Tabernacle one day, preparing to give a talk, when he saw Fred enter the building. He recounted: "When ... I saw Fred for the first time in the Tabernacle, and realized that he was seeking God for light and knowledge regarding the divinity of this work, I bowed my head and I prayed that if I were requested to address the audience, the Lord would inspire me by the revelation of His Spirit, to speak in such manner that my brother would have to acknowledge to me that I had spoken beyond my natural ability, that I had been inspired of the Lord. I realized that if he made that confession, then I should be able to point out to him that God had given him a testimony of the divinity of this work." When it was his turn to speak, Elder Grant walked to the pulpit and opened a book to guide him in the address he had prepared to give. He then said to the congregation, "I cannot tell you just why, but never before in all my life have I desired so much the inspiration of the Lord as I desire it today." He "asked the people for their faith and prayers" and continued with his own silent petition for inspiration. After speaking for 30 minutes, he returned to his seat. He later recalled: "When I sat down after my talk, I remembered that my book was still lying open on the pulpit. President George Q. Cannon [First Counselor in the First Presidency] was sitting just behind me ..., and I heard him say to himself: 'Thank God for the power of that testimony!' When I heard this, I remembered that I had forgotten the sermon I had intended to deliver, and the tears gushed from my eyes like rain, and I rested my elbows on my knees and put my hands over my face, so that the people by me could not see that I was weeping like a child. I knew when I heard those words of George Q. Cannon that God had heard and answered my prayer. I knew that my brother's heart was touched. "I [had] devoted my thirty minutes almost entirely to a testimony of my knowledge that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, and to the wonderful and marvelous labors of the Prophet Joseph Smith, bearing witness to the knowledge God had given me that Joseph Smith was in very deed a prophet of the true and living God. "The next morning, my brother came into my office and said, 'Heber, I was at a meeting yesterday and heard you preach.' "I said, 'The first time you ever heard your brother preach, I guess?' " 'Oh, no,' he said, 'I have heard you many times. I generally come in late and go into the gallery. I often go out before the meeting is over. But you never spoke as you did yesterday. You spoke beyond your natural ability. You were inspired of the Lord.' These were the identical words I had uttered the day before, in my prayer to the Lord! "I said to him, 'Are you still praying for a testimony of the gospel?' "He said, 'Yes, and I am going nearly wild.' "I asked, 'What did I preach about yesterday?' "He replied, 'You know what you preached about.' "I said, 'Well, you tell me.' " 'You preached upon the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith.' "I answered, 'And I was inspired beyond my natural ability; you have never heard me speak at any time as I spoke yesterday. Do you expect the Lord to get a club and knock you down? What more testimony do you want of the gospel of Jesus Christ than that a man speaks beyond his natural ability and under the inspiration of God, when he testifies of the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith?' "The next Sabbath he applied to me for baptism."4 Teachings of Heber J. Grant God restored the fulness of the gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith. The message of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the world is that God lives, that Jesus Christ is His Son, and that They appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, and promised him that he should be an instrument in the hands of the Lord in restoring the true gospel to the world.5 After [Jesus'] crucifixion and the death of the apostles whom he had chosen, who suffered martyrdom at the hands of those who were opposed to the truths which he taught, it appeared that his mission and ministry had been a failure; but as time passed, and the doctrines of Christianity became better understood, thoughtful men turned to him as their source of light and strength, thus preserving faith in his mission and ministry, with the result that Christianity became the dominant influence in the civilization and development of the world. As time passed dissensions occurred in the primitive church. The laws governing the church established by the Redeemer, were transgressed, the ordinances were changed, the everlasting covenant was broken [see Isaiah 24#5]. Men began to teach for doctrine their own commandments [see Matthew 15#9]; a form of worship had been established which was called Christianity, but was without the power of God which characterized the primitive church. Spiritual darkness covered the earth and gross darkness the minds of the people [see Isaiah 60#2]. Then there came another epochal period in the history of the world. The time had arrived, fore-ordained by the Lord, and foretold by his prophets, when another gospel dispensation was to be ushered in, when the gospel of the kingdom was to be restored, and preached in all the world, as a witness unto all people before the end shall come. Again the heavens rejoiced, again heavenly beings communicated the will of the Father to his children who are here upon the earth, and men were made glad as the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times was ushered in. Joseph Smith was the agent through whom the Lord saw fit to begin the great latter-day work. To him the Father and Son appeared in heavenly vision, upon him the keys of the everlasting priesthood were conferred, with authority to transmit them to others, with the promise that the priesthood should never be taken from the earth again, until the purposes of the Father were accomplished.6 In many places I have met people who have studied our faith. Some of them would say: "I could accept everything that you people teach were it not for this man Joseph Smith. If you would only eliminate him!" The day can never come when we will do that. As well might we undertake to leave out Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. Either Joseph Smith did see God and did converse with Him, and God Himself did introduce Jesus Christ to the boy Joseph Smith, and Jesus Christ did tell Joseph Smith that he would be the instrument in the hands of God of establishing again upon the earth the true gospel of Jesus Christ--or Mormonism, so-called, is a myth. And Mormonism is not a myth! It is the power of God unto salvation. It is the Church of Jesus Christ, established under His direction, and all the disbelief of the world cannot change the fundamental facts connected with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Every Latter-day Saint believes that God appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, and every Latter-day Saint believes that God Himself did introduce Jesus Christ to the boy Joseph Smith as: "My beloved Son: hear Him." [Joseph Smith--History 1#17.]7 The whole foundation of this Church rests firmly upon the inspiration of the living God through Joseph Smith the Prophet.8 Joseph Smith's First Vision marked the beginning of "a marvelous work and a wonder." The most glorious thing that has ever happened in the history of the world since the Savior Himself lived on earth, is that God Himself saw fit to visit the earth with His beloved, only begotten Son, our Redeemer and Savior, and to appear to the boy Joseph.9 The glory of the Lord overshadowed Joseph Smith, and God himself, in the glory and majesty of his person, with his Only Begotten Son, Jehovah, revealed himself in vision, and with his own voice designated Joseph Smith to be the instrument through whom the greatest gospel dispensation of the ages was to be ushered in. There was nothing of ostentation, pageantry or dramatic display; it was a simple, solemn occasion, superlatively glorious and impressive beyond expression. The voice of the Lord, which had been silent for ages, was heard again. Again that divine message, so oft repeated, was delivered: "This is my Beloved Son. Hear him!" The personality of the Father and his Only Begotten Son was again revealed that mankind may know them as they are.10 The event marks the beginning of "a marvelous work and a wonder," which was foretold by Isaiah the Prophet [see Isaiah 29#13-14], confirmed by Daniel [see Daniel 2#29-44], and further predicted by John the Revelator [see Revelation 14#6- 7]. The personal visitation of the Father and the Son, choosing Joseph to be the leader of the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times, marked the beginning of this work, and this was supplemented by the visitation of angels and other holy messengers, conferring upon Joseph the powers of the Priesthood, the authority to act in the name of God--to introduce the gospel of Jesus Christ by divine authority to mankind, and by divine direction to organize and establish the true Church of Christ in the latter days.11 In humility, and with full consciousness of the responsibility involved, we bear witness to the people of the world that with the appearance of the Father and the Son to the Prophet Joseph Smith, in the early spring of 1820, the greatest gospel dispensation of all time was ushered in, a dispensation of light, radiating from the presence of God, illuminating the minds of men, increasing intelligence and knowledge, which is the glory of God.12 The keys of the priesthood were restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. "We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands, by those who are in authority to preach the gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof." [Articles of Faith 1#5.] And we announce to all the world ... that we have that authority. We announce that the identical man who baptized the Savior of the world, known as John the Baptist, came to this earth, laid his hands on the heads of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, and he gave them the Aaronic, or lesser Priesthood, which has the authority to baptize. After giving them this ordination, he told them to baptize each other, and he promised them that Peter, James, and John, the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, who stood at the head of the Church after the crucifixion, should visit them later and bestow upon them the apostleship, the Melchizedek, or higher Priesthood. We announce to all the world that they did come and that we have received that authority, and all the disbelief of all the world cannot change the fact of those two visitations,--those two ordinations. If these things are a fact, disbelief cannot change them. And we announce that these are facts.13 The fruits of the Restoration testify of Joseph Smith's mission. The greatest evidences of the divinity of the first vision, as well as of the visitations of angels and other messengers to Joseph the Prophet that followed the first vision, are the practical results that have come from the messages that were delivered and the authority that was conferred. The gospel in its purity has been restored to the earth. The wonderful record of the ancient people of this continent, the Book of Mormon, was brought forth from its hiding place in the Hill Cumorah, containing a fulness of the gospel as taught by the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, upon this continent of America. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized on the 6th of April, 1830, in the town of Fayette, Seneca County, New York, and has prospered ..., regardless of the persecution and obstacles that it has persistently encountered.14 When we stop to think of the marvelous work that the Prophet Joseph did, sometimes I wonder how any man of intelligence can look into the life of that man, can know of his imprisonment, of the drivings, of the persecutions, of the tarring and feathering, of the sentence of death having been passed upon him, and then read the wonderful things that we have in the Doctrine and Covenants, without failing to acknowledge the inspiration of the Lord in his accomplishments. I cannot understand how any intelligent man could think that anyone without the help of the Lord could have produced the Book of Mormon, which has been before us now for more than a hundred years and has stood the test during all that period of time, notwithstanding the ridicule that has been brought against it, for one reason and then another. Today that book, which was translated by Joseph Smith as the instrumentality of the Lord, stands out supreme. It is today the greatest missionary that we have for proclaiming this gospel; there is nothing else to compare with it.15 This Church is ... a marvelous work and a wonder. There is nothing like it in all the world, because Jesus Christ, the Son of God established it, and is the head of it; because Jesus Christ manifested himself to the Prophet and Oliver Cowdery, and to others; and because God, in answer to prayer, has given to people all over the wide world where the Gospel has gone, an individual knowledge and testimony regarding the divinity of the work in which we are engaged.16 The mountain of the Lord's house has been established in the top of the mountains, and people from all nations have flowed unto it [see Isaiah 2#2]. Through the blessings of the Lord upon their labors the desert has been subdued and made to blossom as the rose. Solitary places have been made glad because of them. [See Isaiah 35#1.] Cities have been established, springs of water have broken out which have given life to the thirsty land, music, and the voices of children are heard in the streets where desolation and silence had reigned for ages. Temples have been erected in which the work of redemption has been done for an innumerable host of the living and the dead .... Looking backward to the organization of the Church, which occurred under the most humble and, to the world, obscure circumstances, and following its history through persecution, poverty, and distress, can it be denied that a great and marvelous work has been accomplished, that the promises of the Lord have been fulfilled, and his power to accomplish that to which he sets his hand to do [has been] manifested? Let glory and honor be ascribed unto God our Father, through Jesus Christ, his Son, forever, for he is the author of it all.17 This gospel of Jesus Christ which I have embraced and which you have embraced is in very deed the plan of life and salvation which has been again revealed to the earth. It is the same gospel that was proclaimed by our Lord and Master Jesus Christ .... I know that God lives. I know that Jesus is the Christ. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I have reached out my hand. I have plucked the fruits of the gospel. I have eaten of them, and they are sweet, yea, above all that is sweet. I know that God chose His prophet Joseph Smith and gave him instructions and authority to establish this work, and that the power and the influence of Joseph Smith are now being felt as the angel [Moroni] promised. His name is known for good or evil all over the world [see Joseph Smith--History 1#33], but for evil only by those who malign him. Those who know him, those who know his teachings, know his life was pure and that his teachings were in very deed God's law .... I say again: This is the same gospel that was proclaimed by our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, for which He gave His life in testimony, and that the lives of our own Prophet and Patriarch [Joseph and Hyrum Smith] were given as a witness to the divinity of the work in which we are engaged. Mormonism, so-called, is in very deed the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. God has given me a witness of these things.18 Suggestions for Study and Discussion Why is a testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith an essential part of a testimony of the gospel? How do we obtain a personal testimony of the divinity of Joseph Smith's mission? What has strengthened your testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith? What difference does it make in our daily lives to have a testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith? What are some truths you learn about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ as you ponder the account of the First Vision? (See Joseph Smith--History 1#11-20.) How does it help you to know that "God Himself saw fit to visit the earth with His beloved, only begotten Son"? In what ways are the latter days "a dispensation of light"? What evidences of light do you see in the world today? Why was it necessary for the priesthood to be restored? What blessings can we enjoy today because of the restoration of the priesthood? How does the message of the Restoration offer us hope as we live in a troubled world? Notes 1. Gospel Standards, comp. G. Homer Durham (1941), 20. 2. "God's Power Manifested," Deseret News, 24 Aug. 1935, Church section, 8. 3. Gospel Standards, 366. 4. Gospel Standards, 368-70; paragraphing altered. 5. Gospel Standards, 146. 6. In James R. Clark, comp., Messages of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6 vols. (1965-75), 5:246-47. 7. Gospel Standards, 3. 8. Gospel Standards, 83. 9. Gospel Standards, 16. 10. Message from the First Presidency, in Conference Report, Apr. 1930, 8; read by President Heber J. Grant. 11. Gospel Standards, 16. 12. Message from the First Presidency, in Conference Report, Apr. 1930, 4; read by President Heber J. Grant. 13. Gospel Standards, 8. 14. Gospel Standards, 17-18. 15. Gospel Standards, 15. 16. In Conference Report, Oct. 1924, 7. 17. Message from the First Presidency, in Conference Report, Apr. 1930, 11-12; read by President Heber J. Grant. 18. In Conference Report, Apr. 1943, 7-8. [picture] "With the appearance of the Father and the Son to the Prophet Joseph Smith, in the early spring of 1820, the greatest gospel dispensation of all time was ushered in." ;;; Chapter 3 Walking in the Path That Leads to Life Eternal As we earnestly strive to live the gospel and center our lives on the things of God, we stay safely on the path that leads to eternal life. From the Life of Heber J. Grant In his general conference addresses, President Heber J. Grant repeatedly urged the Saints to stay on the straight and narrow path that leads to eternal life. He warned them of the danger of misplacing their priorities and being enticed away from things of greatest value. "We can hide the blessings of the Lord by clinging too firmly to the things of this world," he said. "We can sacrifice eternal riches--dollars for copper cents, so to speak."1 To illustrate the importance of recognizing and seeking things of eternal worth, President Grant often told of a faithful Latter-day Saint sister who thought that he carried an "awful looking" briefcase. She wished that someone would give him "a decent, respectable looking bag." What she did not realize was that President Grant's briefcase was worth a great deal of money and that it had been given to him by his business associates as a token of esteem. "She did not know its value," President Grant explained. In contrast, the type of briefcase she preferred was of significantly inferior quality. President Grant likened the good sister's "wrong estimate of things" to the manner in which the world fails to recognize the truths of the restored gospel. "They do not know the truth," he said. "They do not realize the value of the gospel of Jesus Christ."2 President Grant taught: "What is the gospel? It is the plan of life and salvation. It is that which is of more value than life itself. No wonder we are ready and willing to make sacrifices for the gospel, when we realize what it means if we live it."3 This was a guiding principle in his life. Despite his many abilities and interests, he did not allow lesser concerns to obscure his view of the things that matter most. For example, his business expertise led him to prominence in numerous professional endeavors. He enjoyed participating in competitive sports, particularly tennis and golf. He was fond of theater and opera. He loved to read, appreciated nature, and enjoyed socializing. He was active in politics. He traveled widely in his Church and business responsibilities, and he and his family delighted in new places and experiences. As a result of his dedication and service, he received various awards. But his activities, prominence, and success did not distract him from the path leading to eternal life. His counsel about walking in the straight and narrow path was straightforward. He simply taught the Saints to do their duty- -to keep the commandments. He declared: "I say to all Latter- day Saints: keep the commandments of God. That is my keynote-- just these few words: keep the commandments of God!"4 Teachings of Heber J. Grant If we love the Lord, the great object of our lives is to serve Him and keep His commandments. We find in the 22nd chapter of St. Matthew the following: "But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. "Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law? "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. "This is the first and great commandment. "And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." [Matthew 22#34-40.] The longer I live, the more I study the gospel, the more I come in contact with men, the more forcibly am I impressed with the truth of the sayings of our Savior in the words that I have just read to you. If we did in every deed love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our mind, with all our soul, there would be no need of urging from time to time upon the people the necessity of keeping the commandments of the Lord. It would be a pleasure to them to serve God and keep His commandments. We are told that where a man's treasure is, there will his heart be also [see Matthew 6#21], and if we loved the Lord with all our heart and mind and soul, serving Him would be the great object of our lives, and the treasure we would work to gain would be His love. If we followed that second commandment, to love our neighbor as ourself, ... our difficulties would all be settled amicably .... It would be almost [unnecessary] to appeal to the people for donations, to urge them to be liberal, to be generous, to strive for the benefit and welfare of their fellows.5 As we keep the commandments, the Lord blesses us and assists us in our labors. We are told that faith without works is dead; that as the body without the spirit is dead, so also is faith without works dead [see James 2#17, 26], and I am sorry to say that there are many professed Latter-day Saints who are spiritually dead. We many times ask ourselves the question, why does this man progress in the plan of life and salvation, while his neighbor, of equal intelligence and ability, of apparently the same testimony and power, and perchance greater power, stands still? I will tell you why. One keeps the commandments of our Heavenly Father, and the other fails to keep them. The Savior says that he that keeps his commandments is the man that loves him, and he that keeps the commandments of God shall be loved of the Father, and the Savior says he will love him and he will manifest himself unto him [see John 14#21]. The Lord also tells us that those who hear His sayings and doeth them shall be likened unto the wise man who built his house upon the rock, and when the rains descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house, it fell not, because it was founded upon a rock. On the other hand, those who heard His sayings and did them not, the Savior likened unto a foolish man, who built his house on the sand, and when the rains descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house, it fell, and great was the fall thereof. [See Matthew 7#24-27.] There are many Latter-day Saints who are building their houses upon the sand. They are failing to carry out the commandments of our Heavenly Father that come to us from time to time through His inspired servants. Now, if we have the Gospel (and we know we have), I say to each and every Latter-day Saint, who desires to grow and enlarge in the Gospel, he must keep the commandments of God. As we keep the commandments of God and live god-like lives, we become full of charity, long-suffering and love for our fellows, and we grow and increase in all those things that go to make us noble and god-like. We also gain the love and confidence of those by whom we are surrounded. It is by the performance of the plain, simple, everyday duties that devolve upon us that we will grow in the spirit of God.6 I rejoice exceedingly in the Gospel of Jesus Christ that has been revealed in this day, and I earnestly desire that I may be able, in connection with the rest of the Latter-day Saints, to so order my life that my mind may never become darkened, that I may never depart from the truth, or break any of the covenants which I have made with the Lord. I earnestly wish to know the mind and will of my Heavenly Father and to have the ability and strength of character to carry the same out in my life. I have this same desire for all of the Latter-day Saints. I appreciate fully the fact that in proportion to our diligence, faithfulness and humility in keeping the commandments of God, He will bless us and assist us in our labors; and it is the duty of every one to seek earnestly of the Lord to learn His ways.7 In the kind providences of the Lord every man who lives the gospel of Jesus Christ sooner or later receives that precious thing known as a testimony to the eternal part of his nature, a testimony regarding the divinity of the labor in which we are engaged. There are no people that make the sacrifices that we do, but for us it is not a sacrifice but a privilege--the privilege of obedience, the privilege of entering into a working partnership with our Father in Heaven and earning the choice blessings promised to those who love Him and keep His commandments.8 No obstacles are insurmountable when God commands and we obey .... Nephi [said]: "For I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save He shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which He commandeth them." [1 Nephi 3#7.] Let us realize this and that the keeping of the commandments of God will bring to us the light and inspiration of His Spirit. Then the desire of our hearts will be to know the mind and will of the Lord, and we will pray for strength and ability to carry it out, thereby following in the footsteps of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ.9 When we do our duty and grow in faith and testimony, the adversary cannot lead us astray. The devil is ready to blind our eyes with the things of this world, and he would gladly rob us of eternal life, the greatest of all gifts. But it is not given to the devil, and no power will ever be given to him to overthrow any Latter-day Saint that is keeping the commandments of God. There is no power given to the adversary of men's souls to destroy us if we are doing our duty. If we are not absolutely honest with God, then we let the bars down, then we have destroyed part of the fortifications by which we are protected, and the devil may come in. But no man has ever lost the testimony of the Gospel, no man has ever turned to the right or to the left, who had the knowledge of the truth, who was attending to his duties, who was keeping the Word of Wisdom, who was paying his tithing, who was responding to the calls and duties of his office and calling in the Church. There are some who are forever asking to know what the Lord wants of them, and who seem to be hesitating on that account. I am thoroughly convinced that all the Lord wants of you and me or of any other man or woman in the Church is for us to perform our full duty and keep the commandments of God.10 You find me a man that attends his quorum meetings, that performs his duties in the ward in which he lives, that honestly pays his tithing, and I will find you a man full of the spirit of God and growing and increasing in the testimony of the Gospel. On the other hand, you find me a man that has seen angels, that has had wonderful manifestations, that has seen devils cast out, that has gone to the ends of the earth and preached the Gospel, and yet who is failing to keep the commandments of God, and I will find you a man that is criticizing the Lord's anointed, and finding fault with what the President does, with where he goes, what he engages in and how he administers the affairs of the Church .... You will find that those who do not do their duty, are always complaining about somebody that does, and making excuses for themselves. I have never found a man who was keeping the commandments of God that had any criticism to offer concerning any administration of the affairs of the Church. Neglect of duty, failure to keep the commandments of God, darkens the mind of man and the Spirit of the Lord is withdrawn. We find it recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants "For although a man may have many revelations, and have power to do many mighty works, yet if he boasts in his own strength and sets at nought the counsels of God, and follows after the dictates of his own will and carnal desires, he must fall." [DandC 3#4.]11 I am so practical in my make-up that when a Latter-day Saint tells me that he knows that he is engaged in the work of God, that he knows that this is the work of the Lord, that he knows that Joseph Smith was an inspired Prophet, that he knows that the men that stand at the head of the church today are the inspired servants of God, and such a man pays no attention whatever to the plain, simple duties that are taught to him day by day, month in and month out, year in and year out--I don't have a great deal of faith in that kind of a man.12 There is no danger of any man or woman losing his or her faith in this Church if he or she is humble and prayerful and obedient to duty. I have never known of such an individual losing his faith. By doing our duty faith increases until it becomes perfect knowledge.13 I have seen men and women apostatize from the Church and almost without exception I have seen that apostasy come upon them gradually. When you are in the line of your duty it is like standing in front of a line of posts, and every post is in line. But step one step aside, and every post looks as though it were not quite in line. The farther you get away from that straight line, the more crooked the posts will appear. It is the straight and narrow path of duty that will lead you and me back to the presence of God.14 The commandments help us prepare to dwell with our Heavenly Father. The Lord, knowing what is best for you and for me and for every individual, has given to us laws, which, if we obey, will make us more Godlike, will fit and qualify and prepare us to go back and dwell in the presence of our Heavenly Father and to receive that plaudit: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." [Matthew 25#21.] That is what we are laboring for. We are in a school, fitting, qualifying, and preparing ourselves that we may be worthy and capable of going back and dwelling in the presence of our Heavenly Father, and the man who claims that he knows the gospel is true and then does not live it, does not keep the commandments of God. Such a man will never attain to that strength, to that power, to that eminence, and to that capacity in the Church and Kingdom of God that he would attain if he obeyed the laws of God.15 The best course to pursue is to fulfil daily the duties required as they present themselves. In this way a man is rewarded as he goes along, and walks in the path that leads to salvation.16 Success in the eyes of our Creator is very many times, in fact nearly always the exact opposite of man's estimation of what success is. Quite frequently a man is pointed out as a successful man who has made money, but no attention has been paid as to how he made his wealth or what use he is making of it. He may have destroyed all the finer feelings of his nature and robbed himself of the privilege of dwelling with his Maker in the life to come in his mad race for the things of this world which are of no lasting value .... Let us all do the will of our Father in heaven to-day, and we will then be prepared for the duty of to-morrow, also for the eternities which are to come. Never forget that it is the pearl of great price--life eternal--that we are working for. He only whose life's labors shall secure it will be a successful man.17 If we examine the plan of life and salvation, if we examine the commandments that are given to us as members of the Church of God, we will find that each and every one of those commandments has been given for the express purpose that we may be benefitted, that we may be educated, that we may be qualified and prepared to go back and dwell in the presence of our Heavenly Father. These duties and obligations are calculated to make us godlike in our dispositions. They are calculated to make Gods of us, and to fit and qualify us that we may become, as it is promised that we can become, joint heirs with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and dwell with Him in the presence of God the Eternal Father throughout all the countless ages of eternity. The object of our being placed upon this earth is that we may work out an exaltation, that we may prepare ourselves to go back and dwell with our Heavenly Father; and our Father, knowing the faults and failings of men, has given us certain commandments to obey, and if we will examine those requirements and the things that devolve upon us we will find that they are all for our individual benefit and advancement. The school of life in which we are placed and the lessons that are given to us by our Father will make of us exactly what He desires, so that we may be prepared to dwell with Him.18 Here is the keynote, Latter-day Saints. Let us realize that God is mightier than all the earth. Let us realize that if we are faithful in keeping the commandments of God His promises will be fulfilled to the very letter. For He has said that not one jot or tittle shall fall to the ground unfulfilled [see Matthew 5#18]. The trouble is, the adversary of men's souls blinds their minds. He throws dust, so to speak, in their eyes, and they are blinded with the things of this world. Men do not lay up treasures in heaven, where moth and rust corrupt not, where thieves do not break through and steal [see Matthew 6#19-20], but they set their hearts upon the things of this world, and the adversary obtains power over them. I say to you, Latter-day Saints, that the pearl of great price is life eternal. God has told us that the greatest of all the gifts He can bestow upon man is life eternal [see DandC 14#7]. We are laboring for that great gift, and it will be ours if we keep the commandments of God. But it will not profit us merely to make professions and to proclaim to the ends of the earth that this is the gospel, but it will profit us if we do the will of God.19 The all-important thing for you and me is to discover whether we are walking in the straight and narrow path that leads to life eternal, and if we are not, wherein have we allowed the adversary to blind our minds and to cause us to depart from that path which will lead us back into the presence of God? Each one should search his own heart to find out wherein he has failed, and then he should diligently seek our Heavenly Father for the assistance of His Holy Spirit, that he may come back into the straight path.20 It has been said ... that we are not doing all we can. I do not believe that any man lives up to his ideals, but if we are striving, if we are working, if we are trying, to the best of our ability, to improve day by day, then we are in the line of our duty. If we are seeking to remedy our own defects, if we are so living that we can ask God for light, for knowledge, for intelligence, and above all for His Spirit, that we may overcome our weaknesses, then, I can tell you, we are in the straight and narrow path that leads to life eternal; then we need have no fear.21 There is but one path of safety for the Latter-day Saints, and that is the path of duty. It is not a testimony only; it is not marvelous manifestations; it is not knowing that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true, that it is the plan of salvation--it is not actually knowing that the Savior is the Redeemer, and that Joseph Smith was his prophet, that will save you and me; but it is the keeping of the commandments of God, living the life of a Latter-day Saint.22 Suggestions for Study and Discussion In what ways is obedience "not a sacrifice but a privilege"? How does having our hearts filled with the love of God make keeping His commandments a pleasure? What experiences have you had that confirm the truth that God is bound to fulfill His promises when we do as He commands? (See also DandC 82#10.) How can misjudgment of success lead us away from the path to eternal life? What aspects of our lives might distract us from focusing on the things of God? How can we prevent these from becoming distractions? Why does neglect of duty often come upon us gradually? What can we do that will help us remain diligent and valiant in fulfilling our duties? What everyday duties rest on all members of the Church? What other duties are specific to your personal circumstances? Why is duty the "one path of safety to the Latter-day Saints"? Notes 1. In Brian H. Stuy, comp., Collected Discourses Delivered by President Wilford Woodruff, His Two Counselors, the Twelve Apostles, and Others, 5 vols. (1987-92), 5:60. 2. In Conference Report, Oct. 1911, 24-25. 3. Gospel Standards, comp. G. Homer Durham (1941), 24. 4. In Conference Report, Apr. 1945, 10. 5. In Conference Report, Oct. 1911, 20-21. 6. In Conference Report, Apr. 1900, 21-22; paragraphing altered. 7. In Collected Discourses, 4:33. 8. Gospel Standards, 38-39. 9. In Conference Report, Oct. 1899, 18. 10. In Conference Report, Apr. 1944, 10. 11. In Conference Report, Apr. 1900, 22; paragraphing altered. 12. In Collected Discourses, 5:59-60. 13. In Conference Report, Apr. 1934, 131. 14. In Conference Report, Oct. 1935, 5. 15. Gospel Standards, 40. 16. In Collected Discourses, 2:137. 17. "Letter from President Heber J. Grant," Millennial Star, 26 Feb. 1903, 130-31. 18. In Collected Discourses, 4:355-56; paragraphing altered. 19. Gospel Standards, 44-45. 20. Gospel Standards, 47. 21. In Conference Report, Apr. 1909, 111. 22. In Conference Report, Apr. 1945, 9. [picture] The Savior said, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him" (John 14#21). ;;; Chapter 4 Persistence Persistence in the pursuit of righteous desires can help us develop talents, attain our spiritual goals, and serve others. From the Life of Heber J. Grant Throughout his life, Heber J. Grant worked diligently to improve himself, believing that "every individual can improve from day to day, from year to year, and have greater capacity to do things as the years come and the years go."1 He became known for his persistence, and it was said of him that "he never criticized other men's weaknesses but made war on his own."2 He told the following story about a time in his youth when he displayed the quality of persistence: "When I joined a base ball club, the boys of my own age, and a little older, played in the first nine, those younger than myself played in the second, and those still younger in the third, and I played with them. One of the reasons for this was that I could not throw the ball from one base to the other; another reason was that I lacked physical strength to run or bat well. When I picked up a ball, the boys would generally shout, 'Throw it here, sissy!' So much fun was engendered on my account by my youthful companions that I solemnly vowed that I would play base ball in the nine that would win the championship of the Territory of Utah. "My mother was keeping boarders at the time for a living, and I shined their boots until I saved a dollar, which I invested in a base ball. I spent hours and hours throwing the ball at a neighbor's barn, (Edwin D. Woolley's,) which caused him to refer to me as the laziest boy in the Thirteenth Ward. Often my arm would ache so that I could scarcely go to sleep at night. But I kept on practicing, and finally succeeded in getting into the second nine of our club. Subsequently I joined a better club, and eventually played in the nine that won the championship of the Territory. Having thus made good my promise to myself, I retired from the base ball arena." President Grant later acknowledged that he had "partially wasted" the "hours and days and weeks and months" he had spent throwing a baseball against his neighbor's barn. He said: "I am impressed with the thought that I was not ... engaged in the highest employment of which my nature was capable .... There was one thing, however, accomplished by my experience as a ball player, namely, the fulfilling of a promise made to myself."3 Young Heber J. Grant also persisted until he learned to play marbles, improved his grammar, and developed beautiful penmanship. Having learned in his youth the power of persistence, he continued to apply the principle as he grew older. For example, he determined that he would learn to sing. He recalled: "From the time I was a child of nine, I tried to sing. I tried time and time again without any apparent success. When I was about forty-three years of age, I had a private secretary with a beautiful baritone voice. I told him I would give anything in the world if I could only carry a tune. He laughed and said, 'Anybody who has a voice and perseverance can sing.' I immediately appointed him as my singing teacher. "My singing lessons started that night. At the end of two hours' practice I still couldn't sing one line from the song we had been practicing. After practicing that one song for more than five thousand times, I made a mess of it when I tried to sing it in public. I practiced it for another six months. Now I can learn a song in a few hours."4 President Grant was good-natured about his struggle to learn to sing, and he did not let his mistakes or the laughter and criticism of others deter him. In an address to the youth of the Church, he said: "When I was learning to sing, ... I practiced [a certain] song one day twelve times at one sitting. There are three verses in it; so I sang thirty-six verses, and by actual count I made five mistakes to a verse, which made 180 mistakes in one practice, and I knew nothing about it. When I first began to learn to sing, it took me from three to four months to learn two simple hymns. I learned a hymn a few weeks ago in three hours--half an hour's practice every evening for six days, and I had it all right."5 President Heber J. Grant often quoted the following statement, which is sometimes attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson: "That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do--not that the nature of the thing is changed, but that our power to do is increased."6 President Grant exemplified this truth, particularly in serving the Lord. Despite hardships such as poverty and the early death of his father, he persisted in keeping the commandments, fulfilling his Church callings, and doing all he could to build the kingdom of God on the earth. Teachings of Heber J. Grant We can accomplish any worthwhile goal if we are persistent. I believe that we can accomplish any object that we make up our minds to, and no boy or girl ought to sit down and say, because they cannot do as well as somebody else, that they will not do anything. God has given to some people ten talents; to others, he has given one; but they who improve the one talent will live to see the day when they will far outshine those who have ten talents but fail to improve them.7 Trustworthiness, stick-to-it-iveness, and determination are the qualities that will help you to win the battle of life.8 I believe unless we have ambition to accomplish things and to do things that we amount to but very little in the battle of life. I know of nothing at the present time that seems to me sadder than to find the number of our people who are losing the spirit of integrity and devotion and ambition to do things. It seems to me all wrong. Every individual should have a desire to grow and increase in capacity and in ability to do things. Certainly by mere exertion of the will, by mere desire, we accomplish nothing. We must put with that desire the labor to accomplish the things we desire. I am sure that a young man who is perfectly satisfied with what he is doing, although he may be doing very little, and has no ambition to do more, will stand still. But I am convinced that every individual can improve from day to day, from year to year, and have greater capacity to do things as the years come and the years go. I believe in that with all my heart.9 It is by exercise and by practice that we become proficient in any of the vocations or avocations of life, whether it be of a religious or of a secular character.10 I know of no easy formula to success. Persist, persist, PERSIST; work, work, WORK--is what counts in the battle of life.11 It takes persistence to stay on the path that leads to life eternal. I realize that it requires a constant effort on the part of each and every one of us to make a success of our lives. It requires no effort at all to roll down the hill, but it does require an effort to climb the hill to the summit. It needs no effort to walk in the broad way that leads to destruction; but it needs an effort to keep in the straight and narrow path that leads to life eternal.12 I feel that we should learn never to become discouraged .... I believe when we determine within our hearts that by and with the blessings of God our Heavenly Father we will accomplish a certain labor, God gives the ability to accomplish that labor; but when we lay down, when we become discouraged, when we look at the top of the mountain and say it is impossible to climb to the summit, while we never make an effort it will never be accomplished. Nephi said to his father that he would go and do the things which the Lord commanded [see 1 Nephi 3#7], and when his brethren failed to get the plates and they came back discouraged, he was not discouraged .... He said to his brethren: "As the Lord lives and as we live we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished that which the Lord has commanded us." [1 Nephi 3#15.] Now we as Latter-day Saints should remember that Nephi succeeded; we should remember that in the face of obstacles he secured the plates containing the precious words of God; that he secured the record which was beyond price; that was invaluable to his descendants, and without which it would have been difficult for many of them to have found the straight and narrow path that leads to life eternal. If there is one character more than another in the Book of Mormon that I have admired and whose example I have felt to emulate, that character has been Nephi of old; never discouraged, never disheartened, always ready, always determined to labor to the best of his ability for the accomplishment of the purposes of God.13 If you want to know how to be saved, I can tell you; it is by keeping the commandments of God. No power on earth, no power beneath the earth, will ever prevent you or me or any Latter- day Saint from being saved, except ourselves. We are the architects of our own lives, not only of the lives here, but the lives to come in the eternity. We ourselves are able to perform every duty and obligation that God has required of men. No commandment was ever given to us but that God has given us the power to keep that commandment. If we fail, we, and we alone, are responsible for the failure, because God endows His servants, from the President of the Church down to the humblest member, with all the ability, all the knowledge, all the power that is necessary, faithfully, diligently, and properly to discharge every duty and every obligation that rests upon them, and we, and we alone, will have to answer if we fail in this regard.14 Faith and knowledge without practice are of no value. All the knowledge in the world would not amount to anything unless we put that knowledge into actual practice. We are the architects and builders of our lives, and if we fail to put our knowledge into actual practice and do the duties that devolve upon us we are making a failure of life.15 By the assistance of our Heavenly Father there is no obligation and no law in the Church that we cannot fulfill. The Lord will give us the strength and the ability to accomplish every duty and labor that rests upon us in an acceptable manner in his sight. The only question is, have we the disposition? I heard yesterday of a [man] who said that he could not give up drinking coffee. I do not believe that that man tells the truth. I think he lacks the disposition to try and give up the habit.16 Many people I have met have said, "Mr. Grant, how do you account for the fact that many of those who have borne witness of their knowledge of the divinity of the work called Mormonism, and of the divinity of the mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith, have afterwards turned away from the Gospel of the Latter-day Saints and become its bitter opponents?" I simply answer that there is no promise made to any man, woman or child, no matter what testimony they may receive, or what light and intelligence may come to them from God, that they shall remain firm and steadfast in the straight and narrow path that leads to life eternal, only as they shall keep the commandments of God. I know of no individual among the Latter- day Saints who has been faithful in attending to his family and secret prayers, in attending to his public and his quorum meetings, who has been ready and willing to pay one-tenth of his income annually as a tithing to the Lord, who has observed what is known among us as the Word of Wisdom--I know of none such, I say, who has fallen by the wayside. But I know of many who, notwithstanding many great and marvelous things have been manifested to them, have fallen by the wayside, because they have neglected the duties and responsibilities which have rested upon them as Latter-day Saints.17 One of the big things that [the adversary] has to work on is the fact that we are all poor, weak mortals and fully appreciate our own weakness, and he tries to take advantage of our knowledge on this point to inspire us with the idea that we are no good and what we are doing is not worth the time that we are taking to do it. But we can be assured that if we press on in the little duties which are from day to day resting on us, we will be on hand for greater ones, when, in the kind providences of the Lord, there will come to us greater work to do in the interests of his work.18 I desire to impress upon the minds of the young [people] that because they have not succeeded in the past, or have failed to live proper lives, they should never feel that there is no hope for them in the future. There is no teaching of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, which is plainer than that laid down by him to the effect that there will be none of our past sins held against us, provided we repent and forsake them, in the future laboring diligently for the right.19 We should be persistent in helping others. I have often related an experience of Doctor Karl G. Maeser. He told how a poor widow had come to him with her son. She announced to Brother Maeser that this was her only son; that she had gone out washing to save the necessary money to send him to Brigham Young University because she had heard that Brother Maeser was able to reform wayward boys. She told Brother Maeser that she could not handle the boy, and that the bishop and his counselors could do nothing with him and that they all looked upon him as a bad boy. The boy started school and was soon in trouble. Brother Maeser told how he violated all the rules of the school. The teachers could do nothing with him, and his influence was bad in the school. Brother Maeser hesitated about expelling him because he thought of that poor widow who had gone out washing in order that her only son might come to school; so he put up with this careless, wayward boy until he could stand it no longer. Then he finally expelled him from school. The next morning at eight o'clock, as soon as Brother Maeser had reached his office, there was a knock at the door. When he opened the door, there stood this boy. Brother Maeser said that when he looked at the boy and thought of all the trouble he had caused in the school, he felt "just like hitting him, right between the eyes." That was his first thought with reference to the boy who had been expelled the day before. The boy said: "Brother Maeser, give me just one more chance." Brother Maeser [later recalled]: "I stood there paralyzed to think that boy would ask for another chance. He did not think I would give him another chance; and he said: 'Brother Maeser, Brother Maeser--give me one more chance.' " Brother Maeser's voice broke, as he rushed into the extended, pleading arms of the boy and embraced him and kissed him, and promised him a hundred chances. "Now," said Brother Maeser, "what do you think--that boy is a bishop's counselor in the very town where once he was a spoiled egg!" ... These are the kinds of dividends that count--dividends of human values. The patient, untiring, prayerful labors we devote to our young people who need help, and to those generally who for some cause or another have withdrawn themselves from us, often return to reward us in unspeakable joy and satisfaction in the years to come. May we labor long and unceasingly, with patience, and forgiveness, and prayerful determination among all such who need our help!20 Suggestions for Study and Discussion What experiences have you had in which the Lord has blessed you for being persistent? What motivates us to be persistent in doing our duty to the Lord? What obstacles should we be ready to face as we persist in developing our talents and abilities? in living the commandments? in helping others? Why is persistent effort essential in living a righteous and eternally successful life? (See also 1 Nephi 13#37; 3 Nephi 27#16; DandC 14#7.) President Grant expressed great admiration for the prophet Nephi. What similarities do you see between Nephi and President Grant? What can you do to follow their examples? In what ways can we serve those who have "withdrawn themselves from us"? In what ways have you been blessed through the persistent efforts of others? Notes 1. Gospel Standards, comp. G. Homer Durham (1941), 185-86. 2. Bryant S. Hinckley, Heber J. Grant: Highlights in the Life of a Great Leader (1951), 50. 3. "Work, and Keep Your Promises," Improvement Era, Jan. 1900, 196-97. 4. "Heber J. Grant Says: 'Persist in Doing,' " Northwestern Commerce, Oct. 1939, 4. 5. "Farewell Address of Apostle Heber J. Grant," Improvement Era, July 1901, 685. 6. Gospel Standards, 355. 7. Improvement Era, July 1901, 684-85. 8. Address by President Heber J. Grant to The Deseret News Carriers during Their Annual Roundup (pamphlet, 15 Aug. 1921), 6. 9. Gospel Standards, 185-86. 10. Gospel Standards, 184. 11. Northwestern Commerce, Oct. 1939, 4. 12. Gospel Standards, 47. 13. In Conference Report, Oct. 1898, 35; paragraphing altered. 14. In Brian H. Stuy, comp., Collected Discourses Delivered by President Wilford Woodruff, His Two Counselors, the Twelve Apostles, and Others, 5 vols. (1987-92), 4:357. 15. In Conference Report, Apr. 1939, 18. 16. Gospel Standards, 47. 17. In Collected Discourses, 5:400. 18. "Against Discouragement," Improvement Era, Oct. 1944, 595. 19. Improvement Era, Jan. 1900, 192. 20. Gospel Standards, 293-94. [picture] Heber J. Grant developed the quality of persistence in his youth. He later said: "I know of no easy formula to success. Persist, persist, PERSIST; work, work, WORK--is what counts in the battle of life." ;;; Chapter 5 Comfort in the Hour of Death The peace and comfort of our Father in Heaven can be a healing influence for all who mourn the death of loved ones. From the Life of Heber J. Grant "In times of sickness or death," wrote Lucy Grant Cannon, a daughter of President Heber J. Grant, "father's fortitude has been remarkable. When his son [7-year-old Heber Stringham Grant] was bedridden for over a year, and during the last months of his life so often in very great pain, father would sit by his cot for hours at a time and soothe him. He would be in his room and with him as much as he could, and when he passed away father was resigned to his going although he knew that as far as earthly posterity is concerned he would probably have no son to carry his name. His great faith, which to us has seemed absolute, has been a strength and a stay to us all our lives."1 When President Grant spoke of the sorrow that comes at the death of loved ones, he spoke with empathy born of personal experience. In addition to his son Heber, six other immediate family members preceded him in death. When he was nine days old, he lost his father. In 1893, his wife Lucy passed away at age 34 after a three-year struggle with a difficult illness. The death of 5-year-old Daniel Wells Grant, his only other son, followed two years later. In 1908, shortly after President Grant and his wife Emily completed a mission in Europe, stomach cancer claimed Emily's life. One year later, President Grant mourned the passing of his mother. In 1929, eleven years after he was set apart as President of the Church, his daughter Emily