Improvement Era, February 1921

Improvement Era Vol. XXIV FEBRUARY, 1921 No. 4

Two Great Phases of the Lord's Work By Elder Orson F. Whitney, of the Council of the Twelve

In Tune with the Keynote

My spirit is in perfect tune with the keynote struck for this conference. I believe in charity and forgiveness. I fully agree with the one who said: "He that judgeth a matter before he heareth it is not wise." And we do not hear a matter by hearing one side of it. It is wrong to pass judgment before proof of guilt. The Prophet Joseph Smith was murdered while awaiting trial on a trumped up charge of which he had not been proved guilty,nor could he have been. He had surrendered for trial, but his plotting murderers declared: "The law cannot reach him, but powder and ball shall." And they forthwith carried out their wicked threat. This, however, is not the theme that was weighing upon my mind. Two Phases of Gotfs Work I have been thinking of two great phases of the Lord's Latter-day work, one of them appealing more strongly, perhaps, to the traveling ministry who are preaching the gospel in the world; the other to those who are laboring at home in the stakes of Zion and particularly in the temples of God.

Temples in This Dispensation Temples and temple work is a subject that lies very near and is very dear to the heart of every faithful, thoughtful Latter-day Saint. This Church since its organization, has built — eight temples the first one at Kirtland, Ohio, in the year 1836; the next one at Nauvoo, Illinois, in the early forties; and it

*Sermon delivered at the October Conference of the Church, 1920.