President McKay, President Clark, President Moyle, my dear brothers and sisters:

The beautiful song just rendered by this wonderful choir entitled, "I Need Thee Every Hour," has struck a very responsive chord in my heart. I do need "thee" every hour, and I need "thee" this hour. I stand before you this morning very humble, fasting and prayerful, praying that God will sustain me in this responsibility.

It was thirteen years ago at the April conference when I had my first assignment to speak in general conference, and every assignment since then has nearly overwhelmed me. I pray constantly that I may have your sympathy, your patience, your understanding, and above all, an interest in your faith and prayers.

Sometime ago as I was reading something about Church history that this April conference is the golden anniversary for President Joseph Fielding Smith—that is, at the April conference fifty years ago—half a century—President Joseph Fielding Smith was first sustained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Then as I looked a little further, I found that it was fifty-four years ago at the April conference when President David O. McKay was sustained a member of the Council of the Twelve Apostles—fifty-four golden years—golden years for President Smith and President McKay, but golden years also for the Church.

I am sure we were all deeply impressed this morning by the stirring address of President Henry D. Moyle. Saturday night the priesthood assembled received some counsel and challenges that I think we can live up to. His optimism and his vigor in this assignment of directing the great Church missionary system throughout the world is an example for all of us to behold. He undertakes this assignment with great enthusiasm which I am confident is an inspiration to all of us. I am sure he is a great blessing and comfort to President McKay and President Clark, and therefore, a great blessing and comfort to the entire Church.

As I listened to the opening address of President McKay Sunday morning, I was impressed by this quotation from the Doctrine and Covenants, 102:9: "The president of the church, who is also the president of the council, is appointed by revelation, and acknowledged in his administration by the voice of the church"  D&C 102:9

In Numbers 12:6, we read, "And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream"  Num. 12:6

In Amos 3:7, we are told that, "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets"  Amos 3:7

Truly, the Lord does reveal himself constantly to the prophet, the President of the Church. President David O. McKay is a beloved prophet of God, a seer, and a revelator to this people, loved not alone by the people of the Church, but by many in the world who are not members of the Church.

I would like to say a few words on a subject that must be giving all of us considerable worry and concern, changing values—changing times.

I preface my remarks with this quotation from the Prophet Mormon 9:9 in the Book of Mormon: "For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing?"  Morm. 9:9

When we consider this, we must realize that, since God himself is immutable, so are the things that are a sure foundation for us to build upon. We must intelligently and continuously appraise the events that take place in the world today. It would be well if we could enjoy and accept the simple and eternal truths. We must do our best to appreciate values that do not change with every passing season. If values have changed, it is because we have changed them or because we have changed our attitudes toward them.

It is reported that a philosopher from a foreign country once desired and sought to learn what had made America great. He reviewed our rivers, our irrigation, our commerce, but it was not there he examined the fertile fields and boundless prairies, but it was not there; he viewed our rich mines, our industry, and it was not there. Not until he traveled from one place to another through our country, saw the churches of America, and heard her pulpits ablaze with righteousness, did he come face to face with the secret of her genius and power.

"America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good—America will cease to be great."

Recently a prominent man made some very serious remarks regarding the softness and decay which is eating into the moral fiber of the American people. He stated that "unless we as a nation develop a greater responsibility and make some right decisions instead of doing what is expedient, we are in trouble, serious trouble."

He emphasized our problem is not economic, it is not military, it is not political, but it is spiritual. There probably is too much talk about rights and not enough talk about responsibility. Individual responsibility both for the young and the old seems apparent and badly needed today. We have no right passing individual responsibilities on to others.

Reference has been made to scandals, cheating, fake advertising, and misrepresentation from radio and television. Chiseling, deceit, falsifying, gossiping, and talebearing are not frowned upon today as they once were.

"The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth": Those are the familiar words of the legal oath used in the English-speaking world. The whole truth seems to be the heart of the matter. Answering questions in truth and nothing but the truth is one thing, but volunteering the whole truth when it has not been asked for is something else.

Sometimes our thinking and our actions drift into unfortunate channels, stunting our mental growth and neglecting to discover our own strength. It is with us as with the soils of the earth where sometimes there is a vein of gold of which the owner is not aware. If one wishes to enjoy the luxury of spiritual growth, social prestige, financial security, happiness, or peace of mind, begin prospecting today for that vein of gold within you.

What has happened to integrity? Has it been exiled with other great and good principles? The television pitfalls and constant unfair advertising are only a sample of the trend of the times. Perhaps this is the first time in modern history that misrepresentation has been bought and paid for and delivered into millions of our homes with scheduled regularity. Dishonesty is sometimes glossed over, and that which we have come to look upon with admiration has turned out to be deceitful.

Dr. Richard H. Walters of Toronto University suggests that in North America perhaps we have an 'unexpressed code of behavior." Sometimes society verbalizes one code but lives by another. When we have a conflict of standards many times the lower standards take over.

A survey among college students by Marvin L. Hendricks of Indiana Central College indicated that fifty-seven percent had at one time or another cheated in examinations. It was not so much the moral badness of these findings as it was the general acceptance of a new standard in which cheating was more or less acceptable. Students are part of a system in which the attainment of knowledge has become secondary to the completion of prescribed courses. Only thirteen percent of the students felt cheating was wrong and less than twenty percent felt any deep resentment against cheaters.

I could not help wondering what would happen or how we as individuals would feel knowing that we were to be operated on for a serious illness by a doctor who might have cheated his way through medical school.

These facts emphasize strongly that there is a great deal lacking in modern character. How can we as adults expect to mold character in our children if we are guilty of these indiscretions. Perhaps we should spend more time teaching honesty. It has not changed. It never will change. This is a basic human value that should be taught with emphasis.

Each of us will need to strengthen his own home life and his family ties if he is to combat these changing standards in human behavior.

King Hussein of Jordan is reported to have said: "I feel I have a responsibility, and there are two things that are very important to me in life. First, one is to be able to live with myself. Second, the other is the belief that if I do right, if I try my best, God will always be with me."

In a revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord emphasized these truths:

"There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—

"And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated"  D&C 130:20-21

Have times changed? Yes! But who changed them? It may be well for us to try sorting out the parts that need changing and putting them back in their proper light and place. Let us return to the old principles—love of God and love of fellow men. Love, like all eternal principles, is infinite.

Recently, one prominent speaker warned that constant scandals are "only a symptom of a disease that is eating into the vitals of American morality."

We are constantly confronted with tricks, gimmicks, superficial slogans, and falsehoods. It may be the result of too much commercialism and the incorrect estimation of values.

A recent survey by one of our prominent statisticians asked the public this question: "How do you feel about television commercials—do you think they use untruthful arguments, or not?"

Sixty-seven percent of those contacted stated they felt that untruthful methods and arguments were used. Some said that as a result of these situations, crime in the United States has increased five times faster than our population in the last few years. "The scales of justice are getting out of balance."

"The image of advertising must be greatly improved if the American people are to have faith in it," said Richard E. Ryan, president of the Advertising Association of the West. He further stated that fewer than half believed fifty percent or more of what they saw. "Ninety percent said they did not generally believe cigarette advertising," and advertising of other items got the same answer. Yet, he stated that some business concerns "shrug the problem off on the basis of 'What's the difference.'"

So the question arises, "Are the American people getting soft physically, morally, and spiritually?"

Have values changed? No! "People have changed." Perhaps we as parents and teachers should look to ourselves for the change in values of today's living. Are we good examples?

President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., once stated so appropriately: ". . . After all, all the things that we are asked to refrain from are things which lower our standards of joy, lower our standards of life, lower our respect for humanity and humanity's respect for us, and leave us debtors to the whole list of Christian virtues."

Times have changed only because people have changed them. But eternal values have not changed. Ethics and honesty and morality have not changed. It may be that the attitudes of the people have changed toward those standards, but these values remain unchangeable.

It is gratifying and encouraging, however, to know that there are still many people who place a great value on ethics and honesty, for instance, one prominent television star recently refused to act as if he were smoking a certain brand of cigarettes as an advertisement because he did not smoke. He sincerely felt it would be dishonest to lead the public to believe that he was smoking when he did not smoke.

He further refused to read commercial copy which indicated that he used a certain product if he did not use it. That is true honesty and ethics.

It is important how we feel in our own heart, and we should all try to be free from hard feelings, faultfinding, and backbiting. If we have been hurt or offended, it might be well if we would try to forget it. One good writer states, "In the very depth of your soul dig a small grave, and there, in the eternal silence bury the wrongs which you may think you have suffered. Your heart will feel as if a load had fallen from it and a divine peace came to abide with you."

If things have gone wrong, let neither of us point an accusing finger against the other. The one who is to blame is not at all important. Only how can we set the situation right—that is all that matters, so that we can go on living happily as long as God shall give us life.

I bear you my testimony that I know that God is our Father; that he lives that he hears our prayers; that Jesus Christ is his Son, our beloved Savior and Redeemer. May we live so the Lord can speak to us if he chooses to. We might ask ourselves: What is our relation with our Holy Father? Could he speak to us and could we hear him?

May God bless us that we may draw nearer to him each day of our lives, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.