The Slogan

The Slogan' By Dr. George H. Brimhall, of the General Board Y. M. M. I. A. I AM informed that ten minutes has been allotted for this exer- cise. If you look on the front page of your program you will find, near the bottom, our slogan. We might take a moment to read it. It has been suggested, on as good authority as I could consult, that when we think this slogan or speak it or read it, that we think and speak and read it as consisting of two parts, the essential and the explanatory, and when we say, "We stand for law," we have said it all, the other part is explanatory. In repeating it, we may consistently place emphasis on the words, law, live and enforce. This slogan has behind it, under it, on both sides of it, in front of it, and above it, some great fundamental truths, and one of these truths is that there is no escape from law. Law is in the universe, of the universe and with the universe. There is no place in time or space where law is not in force, some high, some low, some swift, some slow, some free and some coerce. God moves by laws, effect and cause, throughout his broad domain. We must obey high law, or stay where lower law doth reign. Law is inseparable from liberty. What is liberty? The best definition of liberty that I have ever seen is that liberty is the privilege of obeying law. The higher the law, the greater the liberty, and the lower the law, the less the liberty. The sweep of this truth may be illustrated in the flight of Lindbergh: Freedom, liberty, safety, speed, all the result of complying with law: and then another youth led from the court to the prison cell for life, all in conformity to unescapable law. It takes a long time for people to understand these fundamental truths. There is law in life, there is law in death, law in health and law in disease. When we step over from the domain of one law we are immediately in the domain of another law. We have our liberty, our freedom, the freedom to obey the law of the kingdom in which we choose to work our way. This slogan has behind it one of the fundamental announce- ments of our religion: "We believe in obeying, honoring and sus- taining the law." There are people who obey the law, but they do not honor it by standing up and defending it. They will say, 'Well, I am a teetotaler, isn't that enough? Let men have their ♦Address delivered at the General Joint Se$sion pf the Thirty-third Arm"3' Conference of Y. M. and Y. L. M. I. A.. June 3. 1928-

THE SLOGAN 747 liberty or their privilege of accepting or rejecting without my in- terference or meddling with them, trying to proselyte them into temperance." Here we have a case of one who obeys the law but does not fully honor it. Then there are others who will speak of a law, as well as obey it, but they are weak on the point of sus- taining it to a finish. That is to say they will not valiantly sus- tain the law by standing by the officers who enforce it. The slogan has behind it that great fundamental truth announced by the Prophet, that whenever any blessing is obtained (obtained not simply appearing to be obtained, but made a part of our eternal inheritance) it must be through obedience to the law upon which that blessing is predicated. [Audience stood, at request of Dr. Brimhall, and repeated the slogan: "We stand for Law: For the People Who Live It and the Officers Who Enforce It."] Now it is hoped that when this slogan is presented in the various stakes and wards that the presentation will be accompanied with a seriousness and soul fervor that shall arouse and keep awake a determination to let our light so shine that men seeing our good works may glorify our Father which is in heaven. May the Lord bless us to this end, I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. A Prayer Teach me to live, that each successive day May be more worth the living than the last, That more of beauty, more of joy, I'll see In simpler tasks. I ask not for a life of ease or wealth, Nor yet for power, glory, praise or fame, But just that I may worship at the shrine Of wisdom's light. To know that thou, O God, with love divine, Will lead me on in search of truth and light, And keep my faltering footsteps in the way Of knowledge bright. That I may see more clearly how to live Within the laws which emanate from thee, And greater love and greater mercy see In all life's acts. Tucson, Arizona May D" MARTINEAU