And now we come to that moment when we should like to express our thanks and appreciation. We have had a glorious conference. Many have contributed to its inspiration and success. Will all who have participated in the inspiration of these gatherings please accept of the gratitude of our hearts.

The singing for this session, as we have already informed you, has been furnished by the Ricks College choir under the direction of Chester W. Hill, with Frank W. Asper at the organ. We wish to express appreciation to these young men and women of the Ricks College for the hours they have spent in practice in weeks that have gone by, resulting in the inspiration of their singing to this congregation today. The Lord bless you young people. We are proud of you! We have enjoyed your presence as well as your inspirational singing. May the Lord's protecting care be with you as you go back to your homes, and may this experience ever be a happy memory for you, as it will be for all of us.

I should like to express again our appreciation to the Brigham Young University combined choruses. They occupied these seats last Saturday—another choice group of young people. We cannot help feeling confident that the Church is in good hands when we see such representatives of youth as have participated in this conference.

We wish to express appreciation to the Tabernacle Choir, and the Tabernacle Choir men's chorus for their participation during the various sessions of our annual conference. Forty-five thousand two hundred eighty-seven men of the priesthood were moved by the inspirational singing of those young men from the choir last Saturday night.

We are not unmindful of the public press and you reporters for your fair and accurate reports throughout sessions of the conference. We want the city officials to know that we are not unmindful of the help they have rendered during the last five days, to Chief W. Cleon Skousen, and his associates, the traffic officers—in handling increased traffic, for the fire department, and the Red Cross, who stood on hand ready for an emergency; for you tabernacle ushers who have rendered service early and late in seating the great audiences.

We are grateful for the radio and television service—twenty-seven television and twenty radio stations throughout our own city and the nation have carried the messages of this conference to untold thousands of people who have listened to the proceedings of the One Hundred and Twenty-ninth Annual Conference of the Church.

We have already named those who have sent these lovely flowers, sweet messages of their love, and best wishes for a successful and inspirational conference.

The closing prayer of this session will be offered by Elder Alfred E. Rohner, formerly president of the Southwest Indian Mission.

Now I should like to say, brothers and sisters, the Lord bless us with a desire to live better than we have ever done before. No individual can go away from this conference, even as a listener, without a heavier responsibility upon him. One of the happiest experiences that I have had has been to meet young people, and hear the young man or young woman say, as he or she introduced his or her companion, "I want you to meet my friend who is an investigator." And that has happened frequently during this conference.

In 1923 in the British Mission there was a general instruction sent out to the members of the Church advocating what Brother Gordon B. Hinckley has emphasized today. We did not spend money advertising in the press. The feeling in England was quite bitter at that time, but we said: "Throw the responsibility upon every member of the Church that in the coming year of 1923 every member will be a missionary. Every member a missionary! You may bring your mother into the Church, or it may be your father; perhaps your fellow companion in the workshop. Somebody will hear the good message of the truth through you."

And that is the message today. Every member—a million and a half—a missionary! I think that is what the Lord had in mind when he gave that great revelation on Church government, as recorded in the 107th section of the Doctrine and Covenants. He describes the Melchizedek Priesthood and the men who stand at the head of that priesthood, and the Aaronic Priesthood and the presidency of the Aaronic Priesthood, those who are active in the priesthood quorums—both the Melchizedek and the Aaronic. He then goes into detail about the duties of members and concludes:

"Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence.

"He that is slothful shall not be counted worthy to stand, and he that learns not his duty and shows himself not approved shall not be counted worthy to stand. Even so. Amen"  D&C 107:99-100

I think that includes the father of a little girl who sent a letter to me this week. She first gave her age. She loved her father and mother, she said, but "Father doesn't take Mother to the temple. I wish he would. I love them both, and I want to be sealed to them." "Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty and walk in the performance of it in all diligence." That is the responsibility of every man and woman and child who has listened to this great and wonderful conference, to the inspiring messages of the Council of the Twelve and other General Authorities.

God help us to be true to our responsibility and to our callings, and especially to the responsibility we bear as fathers and mothers of the children of Zion—heaven's treasures given to us.

O Father, bless those who hold this priesthood, who have been married in accordance with thy instructions, and God help all to take advantage of this eternal blessing, that we may be united together and with thee forever, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.