Practical Prayer and Healing

IMPROVEMENT ERA. Vol. XI. AUGUST, 1908. No. 10. PRACTICAL PRAYER AND HEALING. BY PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH. [An address before the evening session of the M. I. A. Conference held in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Utah, Sunday, June 14, 1908. Reported by F. W. Otterstrom .] The condition of my head is such that I do not feel much like attempting to make an address here tonight, as I have a bad cold, and so many good things have been said that it seems almost, if not en- tirely unnecessary for me to attempt to add anything, or to repeat or , refer to anything that has been already said. However, while sitting here, considering that this is the concluding meeting of this memor- able conference of the Young Men's and Young Ladies' Mutual Im- provement Associations, the Primary Associations, and other asso- ciations, I suppose, more or less present with us, I thought that a few words from the Book of Mormon might be appropriate as con- cluding advice and counsel, written by the Prophet Moroni: And now my brethren, I judge these things of you because of your peace- able walk with the children of men For I remember the word of God, which saith by their works ye shall know them; for if their works be good, then they are good also. For behold, God hath said, a man being evil cannot do that which is good; for if Re offereth a gift, or prayeth unto God, eyeept he shall do it with real intent, it profiteth him nothing.

730 IMPROVEMENT ERA. For behold, it is not counted unto him for righteousness. For behold, if a man being evil, giveth a gift, he doeth it grudgingly; where- fore it is counted unto him the same as if he had retained the gift ; wherefore he is counted evil before God. And likewise also it is counted evil unto a man, if he shall pray, and not with real intent of heart, yea, and it profiteth him nothing; for God receiveth none such Here, indeed, is a text that would give an opportunity to one moved by the proper spirit, to make a telling discourse among the Latter-day Saints — not applicable to all, but applicable to far too many. It is not good for us to pray by rote, to kneel down and repeat the Lord's prayer continually. I think that one of the greatest follies I have ever witnessed is the foolish custom of men repeating the Lord's prayer continually without considering its meaning. The Lord gave this as a pattern to his disciples who were going out into the world to preach the gospel. It was to show them that they were not to use many words, but were to come directly to the Lord, and ask him for the things they might need, consequently one of the specific provisions in that prayer, and the example set, was: "Give us this day our daily bread;" and we see people clothed with plenty, possessed of millions perhaps, and yet, if they pray at all, they repeat simply the Lord's prayer. It thus becomes only a form; there is no power in it; neither is it acceptable, because it is not offered from the heart, nor with the understanding; and I think that it is desirable for us to look well to our words when we call upon the Lord. He hears us in secret, and can reward us openly. We do not have to cry unto him with many words. We do not have to weary him with long prayers. What we do need, and what we should do as Latter-day Saints, for our own good, is to go before him often, to witness unto him that we remember him, and that we are willing to "take upon us his name, keep his commandments, work righteousness; and that we desire his Spirit to help us. Then, if we are in trouble, let us go to the Lord and ask him directly and specifically to help us out of the trouble that we are in; and let the prayer come from the heart, let it not be in words that are worn into ruts in the beaten tracks of common use, without thought or feeling in the use of those words. Let us speak the simple words, expressing our need, that will appeal most truly to the Giver of every good and perfect gift. He can hear in secret; and he knows the desires of our

PRACTICAL PRAYER AND HEALING. 731 hearts before we ask, but he has made it obligatory, and a duty that we shall call upon his name — that we shall ask that we may receive; and knock that it may be opened to us; and seek that we may find. Hence, the Lord has made it a loving duty that we should remember him, that we should witness unto him morning, noon and night, that we do not forget the giver of every good and per- fect gift unto us Wherefore, a man being evil, cannot do that which is good; neither will he give a good gift. For behold, a bitter fountain cannot bring forth good water'; neither can a good fountain bring forth bitter water; wherefore a man being a servant of the devil cannot follow Christ; and if he follow Christ, he cannot be a servant of the devil. Wherefore, all things which are good, cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and invite th and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually. But behold that which is of God, inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, everything which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God. Wherefore take heed, my beloved brethren, that ye do not judge that which is evil to be of God, or that which is good and of God, to be of the devil. For behold, my beloved brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowlege, as the daylight is from the dark night. For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil ; wherefore I show unto you the way to judge for everything which ; inviteth to do good and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God, But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Cnrist, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil, for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no not one; neither doth his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him. And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge, shall ye also be judged. Wherefore I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ,. that ye may know good from evil ; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ (Moroni 7: 4-19). I think that here, m the words that I have read, are some plain finger-boards, some plain, simple guide-posts; and if we, as

732 • IMPROVEMENT ERA. Latter-day Saints, believing as we do in the divinity of this book which was translated by the gift and power of God, through the inspiration that came to the Prophet Joseph Smith, would read these words as believing children should read, with understanding, in faith, being sure that God inspired them, and then put them into practice, I think it would not be long before we could do away with appeals to bishops' courts, and high- councils, and with the present necessity for teachers' visits, to try to settle difficul- ties among Latter-day Saints. I believe every man would be his own judge, for he would judge righteously, because he would judge in the light of Christ, in the light of truth, in the light of justice — not selfishly, not covetously, but in the light that has come from the heavens in the latter day, through revelations from God. Now, my brethren and sisters, I do not wish to detain you, I believe you have had a profitable time in coming together, and, as Sister Connelly stated at the opening of her remarks, I believe that those who are here, and all those who have attended the confer- ence today, as well as the officers who have attended the previous meetings, will leave feeling satisfied in their labors, and with what May the Lord bless has been accomplished during this conference. you. May peace dwell in your hearts. May love abide in your souls. May the mercy and favor of God abound in your homes and around about you. May the hand of the destroyer be stayed; and may every scourge of sickness and contageous disease be stayed in the midst of the people of God, and abroad in the world, among the elders, who are out in the world preaching the gospel. It is marvelous to me that so many young men have met with sickness, and that so many, of late, in the missionary fields, have been called home. It does not seem as if this should be, and we marvel at it. I wonder, sometimes, what is the cause. Of course, I do not wish to express an opinion as to the cause of these things, but I fear that some of our brethren who go out into the world to preach the gospel, like some of us who remain at home, are ex- ceedingly unwise in some things they do. I believe that we should exercise wisdom in our labors. We should be cautious about running into danger. We should shun danger and flee from evil. We should avoid making mistakes and falling into error, and, so far as we can, every appearance of sin. When I was on

PRACTICAL PRAYER AND HEALING. 733 missions was called to administer to the sick, who were ill with I almost every kind of disease. It was not uncommon that we were called to administer to those who were sick with small pox. For myself dared not turn away from the call of the sick, and I ad- '^ ministered to some of them, when, owing to their appearance, it was almost impossible to tell that they were human beings, for they had the disease in its worst form. My guardians had taken the precaution, in my youth, to have me vaccinated. I took the disease, but had it in mild form, so that it did not leave even a mark upon my body. I am as satisfied as I can be that had it not been for vaccination, I would have had the disease in very bad form. I Now, I believe that our elders ought to be vaccinated. know that this will not be in accordance with some people's views. We receive word that many of our elders, who have failed to at- tend to this matter, are exposed to the disease and become affected with it; and recently a number of them have had to be taken to the pest-houses to be cared for. Again, we should live right. We should not fast too long. Some of the elders out in the world, according to intelligence that we have received, have gone days and days without food, fasting, trying to get some testimony or some witness of the Spirit. It is unwise; it is not necessary; and we believe they should not do this; let the testimony of truth come by continuous right-living. People expose themselves to danger, in many ways, when it could be avoided. We should think of these things, not only in the missionary fields, but at home. We should not run into dan- ger, unless duty calls us there; but if duty calls us, let us do our duty, and leave the result in the hands of Providence. The Lord bless you, and peace be unto you, my brethren and sisters ; may we be united in the gospel may we love the truth ; with all our hearts. May we understand the truth as the Master understood it, and as he understands and teaches it to us by the mani- festations of his Spirit, that when we act in our callings as teach- ers and exemplars among the people, we may not be unwise. Let us not go to extremes; let us not get excited, but be calm, and exercise the spirit of truth in wisdom, in all that we do, and not allow ourselves to be carried away by every wind of doctrine, or by the spirits that are gone forth into the world to deceive . This is my admonition, and my prayer for you, in the name of Jesus. Amen.