I want to thank this choir for giving me a text, "Joseph Smith's First Prayer." I wonder, brethren, particularly you brethren, and our sisters, too, if we have fully realized the importance of that First Vision, the coming of the Father and the Son to the Prophet Joseph Smith, just a boy.

The world has not realized it, or they would repent of their sins. For some fifteen hundred years or more, perhaps, the world had lost the truth in relation to the Father and the Son and in the year 325, at a conclave that was held, they adopted a new idea entirely in regard to God and confused the Father and the Son, and the Christian world, from that day down until now, has looked upon the Father and the Son as being mysterious—I cannot say individuals, nor can I say substance, but some sort of spirit without separation and the idea of the separate individuals, Father and Son, from that day on ceased to exist.

Now, if the Prophet was telling a falsehood when he went into the woods to pray, he never would have come out and said that he had seen a vision of the Father and the Son and that they were separate Personages, and that the Father introduced the son and then told the Prophet to address his question to the Son, who would give him the answer  JS—H 1:14-20 The Prophet never would have thought of such a thing as that, had it been a fraud.

If he had come out of the woods saying he had seen a vision, had it been untrue never would he have thought of separating Father and Son, nor would he have ever thought of having the Father introduce the Son and for him to put his question to the Son to receive his answer. He never could have thought of it; for that was the farthest thing from the ideas existing in the world in the year 1820.

The very fact that the Prophet made that statement that he saw the Father and the Son and they were glorious Personages, and that the Father spoke to him and introduced the Son but did not ask him what he wanted, is one of the most significant things that ever occurred in the history of this world. The Prophet, if he had been telling an untruth, even if he had thought that the Father and the Son were separate Personages, would have made another very serious error, if he had lied about it. More than likely he would have said he saw the Father and the Son and the Father asked him what he wanted, and the Father gave him the answer. If Joseph Smith had said a thing like that, it would have been fatal to his story. He did not make a mistake. It was Jesus who answered his question, and the Father introduced his Son, just as he did at the baptism of the Savior  Matt. 3:17 and just as he did to the three, Peter, James, and John, on the Mount  Matt. 17:5 and the Savior gave the answer, as all answers have come from our Father in heaven from the beginning, since Adam was driven out of the Garden of Eden, down to this day. They have all come through the Son.

Now, the Prophet made no mistake, and a boy of his age would not have known; he would have fallen into a trap, just as sure as we live, if it were untrue.

Do I believe that the Prophet saw the Father and the Son? I certainly do. I know it. I do not need a vision. Reason teaches that to me. And then I have that knowledge also by the guidance of the Spirit of the Lord. The Lord has made it known to me. So I thanked the choir, as I sat here wondering what I would say.

Now, let me say a few things more about the Prophet. I have that absolute confidence in every vision, in every manifestation, in every revelation that has come to us through the Prophet Joseph Smith. I know he spoke the truth. And the evidence is made manifest in every act where there has been a manifestation from the heavens, either by the Son of God, himself, or by his servants the prophets of old. Everything has worked out harmoniously and according to the revelations we find in the Old Testament and in the New. There were no mistakes made.

On the 3rd day of April, 1836, certain heavenly messengers appeared to the Prophet and to Oliver Cowdery  D&C 110:1-16 First came the Son of God himself. And they described him. Then the Lord sent certain messengers with keys to restore pertaining to the restoration of all things. Moses came and gave to the Prophet the keys of the gathering of Israel, otherwise you would not be here today, and through those keys the gospel is being preached in all the world, and scattered Israel is being gathered out again according to the fulfillment, that is, in fulfillment of the promises that were made by the Lord to his ancient prophets, that he would gather Israel in the latter days.

Elias came and restored the gospel of Abraham. Who was Elias? That question is frequently asked. Well, Elias was Noah  D&C 110:12 who came and restored his keys. [Footnote: "The priesthood was first given to Adam; he obtained the First Presidency and held the keys of it from generation to generation. He obtained it in the Creation, before the world was formed, as in Gen. 1:26, 27, 28  Gen. 1:26-28 He had dominion given him over every living creature. He is Michael the Archangel, spoken of in the scriptures. Then to Noah, who is Gabriel; he stands next in authority to Adam in the priesthood; he was called of God to this office, and was the father of all living in his day, and to him was given dominion. These men held keys first on earth, and then in heaven." (DHC 3:385-386; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, page 157.) It was Gabriel who appeared to Zacharias and promised him a son, and who appeared to Mary and announced the coming of the Son of God as recorded by Luke. It was also Gabriel as an Elias who is mentioned in the Doctrine and Covenants, section 27, verse 7  D&C 27:7 It was Gabriel, or Noah, who stands next to Michael or Adam in the priesthood.]

Elijah came and restored his keys, opening the way for the preaching of the gospel to the dead and the performing of the ordinances in the temples of the Lord, for the dead. The prophecy of Malachi was fulfilled  Mal. 4:5-6 at least the beginning of it, and the keys were again given through the coming of Elijah, which turned the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers so that we can go into the temple and do the work for our dead. There is nothing, in my judgment, that has been revealed that is more apparent of its fulfillment than the coming of Elijah, for this spirit has gone forth into the world. It is not confined to the members of the Church, and I am sorry to say, it does not rest upon the members of the Church as fully as it ought to, but it has gone forth into the world so that there are thousands of those who do not belong to the Church, whose hearts have been turned to their fathers and who are seeking out the records of their dead, and preparing them so that we, their children, that is, the children of the dead may go into the temples of the Lord and perform the labors that will give unto those who had no opportunity, when they were living, to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ, to give them that liberty and the privilege, that they, too, might be numbered in the house of Israel and receive the blessings of eternal life.

Do I love the Prophet Joseph Smith? Yes, I do, as my father did before me. I love him because he was the servant of God and because of the restoration of the gospel and because of the benefits and blessings that have come to me and mine, and to you and yours, through the blessings that were bestowed upon this man and those who were associated with him in the restoration of the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times.

May the Lord bless us, I pray, and guide us in all things and help us to keep the commandments of the Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.