I am happy, my brothers and sisters, for the opportunity to stand before you and bear my testimony. I recommend to you what I have been doing the last few weeks, brothers and sisters, and that is to read in the scriptures a bit, in the Old Testament. I like to open the Spanish version and read it. And in doing so recently I was struck with the very frequent references in which, in the reconstruction after the exodus from Egypt they had to ask for contributions from the people for their work. And the thing that appealed to me was that almost invariably they asked that the people should voluntarily contribute with a willing heart  Ex. 35:5  Ex. 35:21,29 I think that is a very important attitude for us to take at the present time—the voluntary contribution with a willing heart—and when I say contribution I don't mean contributions in money particularly, but contributions of substance and service, and you who are immediately in front of us here are men all of whom, I believe, have particular assignments for service in the Church.

If we serve with the idea that good service will bring promotion, we may be disappointed. If we serve with a willing heart because we love people and love to help them, the Lord will make us happy. In one of the scriptures which I read, it said, "And they rejoiced because they contributed with a willing heart." I think that is the secret of our happiness very much, brothers and sisters, the attitude which we have in the service which we render. We are here for experience, for growth and development, and the growth and development of the spirit is perhaps the most important element of our lives. So, why can't we develop the habit of helping each other willingly and effectively and efficiently. If we could do that, we would be happy always, I believe. So I think that is one of our very crucial, fundamental principles.

We serve, we contribute, we pay our tithes and our offerings. If we pay them because we dare not refuse to pay them, it is of little benefit to us. If we pay those things because we love the work, love God, love his people, and realize that the only way we can serve him is to serve his children here then we will grow and develop, and whether we amass great wealth or not we will be happy.

Man is that he may have joy, and I think we ought to pay some attention to it, brothers and sisters, that we be happy with each other, because our service is willing.

There are many of us, holders of the priesthood, many of us who are holders of the Melchizedek Priesthood, that somewhere or another after taking on the obligation and the implied covenants that are with it do very little in the way of service. We fail to serve our quorums; we fail to serve our wards; we fail to serve our stakes; we fail pretty much, if the reports coming to us are true, to serve our God. We ought not to assume those obligations, brethren, if we don't feel in a measure that we can fulfil or comply with the promises and covenants therein, and any man who has received that priesthood should, with a willing heart, attempt to measure up to his responsibilities and opportunities.

Now if I could leave with you just that one thought and then suggest that you go back into the scriptures and find the interesting stories connected with it, I would feel quite happy today. The time is so limited that I am not going to take more of it today, but I want you to understand that in the long service that I have rendered here I have tried to have a willing heart and serve you well. I have had no other major responsibility or interest since 1931 when I was appointed but to help this work and especially to help the seventies of the Church. We are very proud of the seventies. We are very proud of the work that they accomplish, and we are interested in the purpose for which the seventies were organized. Let us all then, brothers and sisters, set to our problems with a willing heart, with faith, and sincere devotion to our God, I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.