Peace Through the Gospel of Christ

Peace Through the Gospel of Christ 5

By Elder David O. McKay of the Council of the Twelve

My brethren and sisters, it is indeed a privilege to meet here, in this holy house of worship, to commune not only with one another, but with God our eternal Father, being shut out from all the unrest and turmoil of the world. I think never before, in my life, have I seen such a contrast between the peace and contentment and assurance of the Latter-day Saints and the unrest, the strife, envy and bitterness of the world. In the first section of the Doctrine and Covenants you will remember that the Lord refers to the tendency of the world to have different gods. They set up unto themselves their gods which are after the fashion of the world. Has there ever been a time in the history of the world when men worshiped so many different gods after the fashion of the world — the god of wealth, the god of industrialism, the god of unionism, the god of greed, of selfishness, the god of sensuality? Why it seems to me that every form

of idol is now worshiped in preference to God the Eternal Father, and men sacrifice everything for their earthly deities. I testify to you this morning, my brethren and sisters, in all soberness, that God our Heavenly Father lives, that he communicates with his servants, that he has established in this dispensation of the world his great work, the only plan of salvation whereby mankind may be saved, the only means by which peace may be established in the world. Peace can come only when men will acknowledge God as their creator, as their Father, and when they will obey the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ, when they will have in their souls individual righteousness, a desire to reverence God, a desire to serve their fellow-men, a desire to bless the other man instead of bringing, at the expense of the other man, some benefit to themselves. The lines are being more sharply drawn, every day of our lives, as never before; and we can sit complacently and quietly, look over that world and know for a surety the distinction between the peace of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the conflict and envy of the gospel of strife. We must preach repentance, as the Prophet Joseph through inspiration declares in so many of his revelations, and preach, too, the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

*Delivered at a fast meeting, Sept. 28, 1919.

PEACE THROUGH THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST 405

I said to you that I know that the Lord communicates with his servants. I have not doubted this as a fact since I was a boy and heard the testimony of my father, regarding the revelation that came to him of the divinity of the mission of the Prophet Joseph. I feel impressed to relate that circumstance and add his testimony to the one that I am now giving. He accepted a call to a mission about 1880. When he began preaching, in his native land, and bore testimony of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, he noticed that the people turned away from him. They were bitter in their hearts against anything "Mormon," and the name of Joseph Smith seemed to arouse antagonism in their hearts. One day he concluded that the best way to get these people would be to preach just the simple principles, the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, the first principles of the gospel, and not bear testimony of the restoration of the gospel. It first came simply, as a passing thought, but yet it influenced his future work. In a month or so he became oppressed with a gloomy, downcast feeling, and he could not enter into the spirit of his work. He did not really know what was the matter, but his mind became obstructed, his spirit became clogged, he was oppressed and hampered, and that feeling of depression continued until it weighed him down with such heaviness that he went to the Lord and said : "Unless I can get this feeling removed, I will have to go home. I can't continue my work with this feeling." It continued for some time after that, when, one morning, before daylight, following a sleepless night, he decided to retire to a cave, near the ocean, where he knew he would be shut off from the world entirely, and there pour out his soul to God and ask why he was oppressed with this feeling, what he had done and what he could do to throw it off and continue his work. He started out in the dark towards the cave, and he became so eager to get to it that he started to run and was hailed by an officer who wanted to know what was the matter, as he was leaving the town. He gave some non-committal but satisfying reply and was permitted to go on. Something just seemed to drive him ; he had to get relief. He entered that place and said: "Oh, Father, what can I do to have this feeling removed? I must have it lifted or I cannot continue in this work;" and he heard a voice, as distinct as the tone I am now uttering, say: "Testify that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God." Remembering, then, what he tacitly had decided six weeks or more before, and becoming overwhelmed with the thought, the whole thing came to him in a realization that he was there for a special mission, and that he had not given that special mission the attention which it deserved. Then he cried in his heart, "Lord, it is enough," and went out from the cave. You who know him know the mission he performed. As a boy, I sat and

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406 IMPROVEMENT ERA

heard that testimony from one whom I treasured and honored as you know 1 treasured no other man in the world, and that assurance was instilled in my youthful soul. The inspiration and testimony of God has come since, and today I testify to you that God lives, and that he is guiding this Church, that he has inspired those at the head, and that he will continue to inspire them and lead them through this turmoil and unrest in the world, caused by unrighteousness, wickedness and lack of faith in God. The people of the world do not believe in God; they do not believe in his principles; they have not applied his principles in the world. They confess him with their lips, but their hearts have not been with God. Brethren and sisters, let us thank our heavenly Father today for the testimony that the Lord Jesus Christ has placed in our souls. May we be true to that testimony, not only in words but in acts, and show the world that we have the principles, obedience to which will establish peace on earth and good will among men. This is my prayer for all of us, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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