Via Cruris

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A Rebirth Through Sincere Desire* By Elder Anthony W. Ivins, of the Council of the Twelve

This morning at 8:30 o'clock, a meeting was held in the upper room of the Bishop's building, on this block, by representatives of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations of the Church. No program had been arranged; it was an informal meeting, and as it progressed I thought of this scripture, which I will read, from Joel

THE SPIRIT OF TESTIMONY. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit. The meeting was given to the congregation, and men were asked to give expression to their faith, and to make any suggestion they mignt feel likemaking regarding the important work in which this atix'1'ary association of the Church is engaged. They stood upon their feet, frequently two or three at the same time. There were men there from Canada, from Idaho, from northern Utah, men from Arizona and from Mexico. There were tall men and short men some of them ;

were light complexioned, some dark complexioned some were older ;

men, others quite young men. There was great diversity of character written in their faces and exemplified in their words, but there was this one thing which characterized the remarks made by every person who spoke. They all had the same testimony, it made no matter where they lived. They all bore witness to the divinity of this great latterday work. They all bore witness to the fact that the Lord himself, our Father, who is in heaven, had made good this promise which I have read here from Joel, although none of them referred to it, tliat in the latter days he would pour out his Spirit upon the people, that the influence of the Holy Ghost would be among men again and, not ;

only men but women, would enjoy it. It was a veritable time of refreshing to sit there and listen to the testimonies of these people. Men, some of them, who had gone away from the Church in their youth they had been careless, indifferent, had gone ;

off into mining camps their lives had not been the lives that Latter- ;

day Saints should lead, but when they had turned to the Lord and sought him in faith, he had never failed to respond to their petition. And now they had been born to newness of life, they knew the truth, they were enlisted in God's cause, and their lives devoted to his work.

*An address delivered in Barratt Hall, October 5, 1919, at an ovemuw meeting of the 90th semi-annual Conference of the Church.