President McKay, President Brown, President Tanner, President Smith, and my dear brothers and sisters. One always feels dependent upon the Lord in occupying this position. Therefore, I humbly pray that I may have the sustaining influence of our Heavenly Father, as I need it greatly. Today as we have listened to this marvelous chorus from the fine institute of religion in Logan and the great Utah State University at Logan, I am sure we are very thrilled at the selections they have sung to us and the manner in which they were sung.

I would be very ungrateful if I did not publicly thank the Lord for the blessings of these three days. We have been here assembled in this very sacred building, and it is sacred, to listen to the sermons of the servants and the prophets of God.

President McKay the other day in the temple told us that we could rely upon the inspiration of the Spirit of the Lord. That I would like to do.

The Influence of President McKay

During these three days we have listened to the prophets and the servants of God. These brethren have spoken to us under the inspiration of the Lord. Now it is up to us as a people in and out of the Church what we are going to do about it. For it is the Lord's word that has been given to us through his servants. Certainly our testimony and our faith must have been strengthened the last three days. President McKay's appearance here early Sunday morning—the opening session—again yesterday morning, last night in priesthood meeting, and now his presence here today is a great blessing to us. If I may I would like to carry that a little further. His presence here today is largely because of his great faith, his will, his courage, his determination, and an answer to your and my prayers. For surely the people of this Church are praying for the prophet daily. His presence here is a miracle. The Lord gave him the strength to be here. It was not his own physical strength, but the blessings and the power of the Lord to him, and in turn a blessing to us. He has taught us so many wonderful lessons. Thousands and hundreds of thousands, yes, millions of people on the earth are grateful to him because he has literally touched their lives, and I, as the most humble among you, thank God for the blessing that he has been to me. Men who hardly know him, men not of the Church, after they have been in his presence, I have heard them say, "We felt an unusual influence." Well, it is understandable to us that they would feel an unusual influence because they were in the presence of a prophet of God.

Now, just two thoughts, because they taught me a lesson I might pass on to someone.

Two Stories

One is about a young man whom I had the chance to know and interview for his mission, and I had the privilege of setting him apart. I like to write to missionaries. I like to get their letters. I am sure I get more strength from their letters than they do from mine. This choice boy was sent to Australia. Some weeks ago he sent me a letter, and in that letter there were a number of large bills, greenbacks, currency. I thought he took a chance sending it that way, but it was wrapped well. There were also enclosed an envelope addressed to another elder and a note to this elder. The missionary in his letter to me said, "Will you put this money and this memorandum in the enclosed envelope, put a stamp on it, and mail it to this elder?" The letter to the missionary to whom the money was to be sent said about these words: "Enclosed is some money that I want you to have so that you can stay and finish your mission. Unsigned." His missionary companion's folks were having some financial difficulties. This boy had been saving a little money out of his missionary allowance, and he sent that to me to put in an envelope to send back to his companion, and he did not want him to know whence it came. Oh, what a lesson!

Saturday, another lesson. I picked up a little granddaughter, a beautiful little girl. I asked her to come home with me to lunch. I told her we would have to hurry because I had an appointment. I told her mother I would bring her back after lunch. As we were preparing to eat lunch, she was talking and visiting. She is a wonderful little girl, only ten years old, one of the choicest spirits I have ever known. She has suffered many illnesses, serious operations, but she is well now, thanks to the blessings of the Lord. As we were eating, I was hurrying her, and she said, "Grandpa, why are you always in such a hurry?" (Well, I didn't know she knew that.) Then she looked at me so sweetly and innocently and said, "Do you have problems and worries?" "No, not me," I answered. "I have an appointment, but not necessarily worries or problems." Then she answered me and said, "I'm glad I don't have any worries or any problems. I love everybody." I wondered if she thought I didn't.

Perhaps, this is the source of some of our troubles. This may be the source of some of our worries and some of our problems. Do we love everybody?

Prophets in Our Midst

I want to bear my testimony to you that I know that the Lord is our Father and that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, the Son of God. I would like to ask you: How would you feel if someone should tell you that the Prophet Abraham is in your midst? How would you feel if they should say that the Prophet Moses or Samuel or Isaiah is here in your midst? And what would you think if someone should say to you that the Apostle Paul or Peter or James or John is here? Well, there are prophets and Apostles here in your midst, and you are looking at them today. They are the prophets and Apostles with the same authority as the Apostles of old. You have been listening to the word of the Lord, for those who have spoken to you are of the Lord. Can you imagine what the Lord meant when he said, "What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same"  D&C 1:38 italics added)?

That means that the words you have heard today, yesterday, and the day before, and that you hear from time to time from the prophets and the Apostles are the same as if the Lord were speaking to you. We who are privileged to work closely with these great men constantly see the inspiration of the Lord flowing to them back to you and to me.

God grant that we may have the strength and the faith to purge our souls of all those things that are not of the Lord. I humbly pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.