Our New Slogan

Our New Slogan Abstract of Remarks Made by Assistant Superintendent Melvin J. Ballard on the New Slogan: "We Stand for the Preservation of Our Heritage Through Obedience to Law/' YOU will no doubt be impressed by the close similarity of this year's slogan to that which the Mutual Improvement Asso- ciations selected last year. The recent slogan, however, dealt with three questions: namely, the necessity of law, our standing shoulder to shoulder with the people who recognize the necessity of law, and our support of the officers who enforce the established law. Great interest has been awakened through the discussions that have taken place during the past year in this field, and many thousands are now considering daily these very vital problems. The president of the United States — Herbert Hoover — in his inaugural address, laid special emphasis upon obedience to law as one of the important things for the American people to consider; and he is making so earnest an effort to awaken the consciousness of the American people to the need of self-control in this respect that we have been encouraged to continue our work and again this year lay emphasis upon the necessity of individual obedience to law. We have connected it up with our heritage. By our heritage we mean all that has come to us, both of a spiritual and a temporal character, from our forefathers. The clean life they have lived has transmitted to us bodies undefined and uncontaminated, the moral heritage, the political heritage — our glorious privileges in this most blessed of all lands. While there are many who have recently become members of the Church and have not thereby received through inheritance all that has come to those who are of the third, fourth or fifth generation of Latter-day Saints, these are adopted children and therefore full heirs to all the blessings and privileges that belong to the members of this great Church. We recognize that all these sacred blessings, whether they be political, spiritual, physical or moral, have come to us as the result of obedience on the part of our forefathers to those eternal laws established by the Almighty as well as to the laws established by men. The spirit of this age is the spirit of self-indulgence, and many are fast losing the power of self-control. No civilization can be preserved by any people who have lost completely the power of self-control. Therefore, recognizing that these glorious things which have come to us are in danger of destruction through this tendency

822 IMPROVEMENT ERA Aug.. 1929 toward self-indulgence and the violations of those eternal principles upon which these sacred blessings were secured, we feel there is danger that these glorious inheritances may be lost to us unless we preserve them by the same obedience to these laws that our fore- fathers observed and by which they secured these sacred privileges and blessings. A great American patriot has said that the price of liberty is eternal vigilance. We cannot for a moment relax in our attention to those principles through which our sacred privileges were secured and expect or hope that they may be retained by us. Full warning comes from the wise fathers who laid the foundation of our republic as well as from inspired prophets who wrote upon this American continent. The Book of Mormon prophet saw the day when this land called "choice above all other lands" should be inhabited by a mighty nation whom God would raise up of the Gentiles; and yet comes the warning that if this nation of the Gentiles shall forget the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, they cannot preserve them- selves as a mighty nation in full possession of the glorious privileges and blessings America offers. During the establishment of the Federal Constitution, at a time when Congress was about to adjourn in utter confusion, their at- tempt to establish a government a failure, a wise statesman, Benjamin Franklin, arose and said: "In the beginning of the conquest with Great Britain when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for divine protection. Our prayers, sir, were heard and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed the frequent instances of a superin- tending providence in our favor. To that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace the means of estab- lishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten this powerful friend or do we imagine that we no longer need his assistance? I have lived a long time and the longer I live the more convincing proofs I see of this truth — that God governs the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the gound without his notice, is it possible that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, sir, in the sacred writings that except the Lord builds a house they labor in vain who build it. I firmly believe this and I also believe that without this conferring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel." He then proposed that Congress adjourn for three days and in humility seek the Lord for guidance, and when they returned that they should begin each assembly with a petition to the Almighty. George Washington arose with a smile upon his face and seconded that motion. When Congress reassembled they did seek divine guidance and in the brief period of a few weeks produced the greatest

Aug., 1929 OUR NEW SLOGAN 823 political document that has ever been formed by men. The Lord Almighty was in it, as is clearly indicated in his revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith, wherein he said that he raised up inspired men who produced this Constitution. At a critical period in this government's history, the wise statesman, Daniel Webster, said: "If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible our country will go out prospering and to pros- per, but if we and our posterity neglect this instruction and authority no man can tell how soon some great catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity." In his farewell address, President George Washington said: "Let it simply be asked where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation deserts the oaths of office, which are the instruments of investigation in the courts of justice. And let us with caution indulge in the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principles." So these fathers knew well that this government was brought forth by the aid of the Almighty. Upon their coin they placed the words: "In God We Trust." Many thought that the American Government was an experiment. Other nations felt that it was impossible for this nation to go forward without a king. Our answer to the European countries and their criticism is breathed in the song we often hear, "America," particularly in the last verse, wherein is expressed the sentiment of these great fathers. It is a prayer as well as a declaration: "Our fathers' God, to Thee, Author of liberty, To Thee we sing: Long may our land be bright with freedom's holy light: Protec.t us by Thy might, Great God, our King." Here was the answer. America does have a king and the God of Heaven is that king. When troublesome days came to the republic established by the patriotic fathers and internal strife was tearing it asunder, President Lincoln issued a proclamation on the 30th day of March, 1863. Among other things he said: "We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven, we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown, but we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined in the deceitfulness of our hearts that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us."

824 IMPROVEMENT ERA Aug.. 1929 So come the warnings from prophets and statesmen, that if America is to preserve her sacred heritage, her political independence, she must continue to obey the laws of the Almighty as well as the laws of this nation. Great are the sacred heritages that have come to us, as the descendants of those men to whom God spoke in this last age and upon whom he conferred the Holy Priesthood in con- nection with the restoration of the Gospel. And the future is clearly indicated in what those sacred privileges will bring. Among other things I desire to call attention to the following from the 86th section of the Doctrine and Covenants, verses 8-11: "Therefore, thus saith the Lord unto you, with whom the Priesthood hath continued through the lineage of your fathers — "For ye are lawful heirs, according to the flesh, and have been hid from the world with Christ in God — "Therefore your life and the Priesthood have remained, and must needs remain through you and your lineage until the restora- tion of all things spoken by the mouths of all the holy prophets since the world began. "Therefore, blessed are ye if ye continue in my goodness, a light unto the Gentiles, and through this Priesthood, a savior unto my people Israel. The Lord hath said it." A little more than a year ago in this building an eminent lecturer, one of America's foremost philosophers, discussing the ques- tion, "Can the present civilization endure?" called attention to the fact that the civilizations of the past arose to heights and then perished. He asked the question? "Where might the world not have been if, instead of building and destroying, we had gone on from the days of Babylon until this present time?" And further: "Has the day dawned or will it ever come when a civilization will be established that will endure forever?" My soul thrilled at that question because the answer came clear. It was in the promise of the prophet Daniel, who saw the rise and fall of empires and then saw a day when the God of Heaven would establish a kingdom that should never fail. That day has dawned. You will read in section 103, of the book of Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord's declaration that he has decreed that his people, inasmuch as they hearken to all the words which he, the Lord, their God, shall speak unto them, shall never cease to prevail until the kingdoms of this world are subdued under his feet and the earth is given unto the Saints to possess it forever and ever. Yes, the day has dawned when a kingdom is being established. It is spiritual, to be linked up with that political kingdom that God raised up, the United States of America, that shall be an ensign to all nations, and it is our holy privilege to preserve these things for the redemption and salvation of men politically and spiritually. Let us

Aug.. 1929 OUR NEW SLOGAN 825 not abandon our standards, but, in the self-discipline that we may exercise, keep ourselves true to the faith and preserve for ourselves and the generations that are to come the sacred privileges that are ours, and not many generations shall pass away until we shall produce the greatest race of men and women that has ever lived. Men shall come from the ends of the earth to learn of this people and their ways. God help us to preserve this heritage for us and our children, is my wish and prayer. Our Earth-Earned Heaven Man, make your life a peaceful heaven bright, Be optimistic, cheerful. See the earth As God would you should see it from your birth. Don't let the world to you be darkest night. In every phase of life acknowledge God, Unfathomed though at times some things appear. All negatives will then pass to the rear, And lighter far will be your daily load. What would our lives be if 'twere always spring? Monotonous 'twould be in very deed. The flowers like a garden; full of weeds, And birds' sweet tones would have no cheerful ring. Were opposite existences not here, And man knew naught but sweet felicity, Kind nature's smiles a mockery would be And heaven would turn dark in one short year. By drinking to the dregs from sorrow's bowl, Appreciate we then a happy boon. Dark midnight makes the sun more bright at noon; Deep tribulation sure expands the soul. 'Tis sorrow builds our shining steeple tower; Its golden steps made from our saddest pain. The sting of sorrow comes, 'twill come again, As long as we refuse its sweetened bower. The greatest soul to reach the heaven above Will pass a life of trouble, grief and pain. Triumphant o'er it all at last he'll reign, Appreciating earth's made heaven of love. Los Angeles. Calif. O. F. URSENBACH