President McKay and my brethren and sisters:

Gratefully I have come to know the worth of people worldwide, and I see no need for any other salutation—except my brethren and sisters, pertaining to all people.

God intends that righteousness succeed

In turning today to a series of separate and yet related subjects, there comes to mind a sentence I have quoted many times in many places since I first read it some months ago. It comes from Albert Camus, who said: "Conscious of the fact that I cannot separate myself from the time in which I am living, I have decided to become a part of it."

The facts of our time are here to face. They are both encouraging and discouraging. They include much of the best the world has ever known, and problems so complex as to discourage all who have a responsible awareness of them.

And yet here we are on earth, with the God-given gift of life, with the opportunity of living here and now, not at some other time, but in this time, with these people, with these problems, with great purpose, great opportunities, great responsibilities.

And with all the problems, with all he uncertainties, all the loosening of moral foundations, all the rationalizing of principles, all the doubts expressed about life's purpose, I should like to begin with a simple declaration: If we live the gospel, if we keep our standards, if we keep the commandments, if we prepare ourselves, if we keep prayerfully close to our Father in heaven and to his Church, we can live in the world, and serve and succeed. And the Lord God never intended that we should do anything but succeed. That is what he sent us here for; that is his work and his glory  Moses 1:39 as it is of any father pertaining to his children—that they shall be happy and useful and righteous, and realize success.

And I should like to mention some specific things that are essential to success:

Discouragement can be dispelled

One pertains to preparation, and this more particularly pertains to young people. Young people become discouraged. They see the distance between where they are and where they want to be. They look at the long years of preparation and sometimes give up too easily. The fact is that the mind of man is infinite, and anyone who does less than prepare himself solidly for useful and significant service is exceedingly shortsighted and wasteful in a most deplorable way.

From a church welfare bulletin of some years ago (Bulletin 112, June 1961), I recall this counsel, as sound and urgent today as ever it was, or perhaps more so:

(1) Obtain sufficient education and training to qualify for positions that will produce adequate income.
(2) Live within income and accumulate savings.
(3) Avoid excessive debt.

To summarize, this says:

Prepare well, save something, avoid the slavery of debt (and all other kinds of slavery also, of which there is an infinite variety).

Seek education

As to the first of these points: "Obtain sufficient education and training to qualify for positions that will produce adequate income." In these days, there are more ways to acquire an adequate education than there ever were before, and those who are determined to do so can usually find some way to acquire such education as they are willing to take. It may be difficult, it may take longer, but there are ways and means, and those who want to prepare and improve can prepare and improve.

The needs are great, the opportunities are limitless, and the mind of man is capable of much more than we have ever used it for. We believe that the glory of God is intelligence  D&C 93:36 We believe that it is literally impossible to be saved in ignorance  D&C 131:6 We believe that education is an obligation.

Emerson said: "The future belongs to those who prepare for it." Our families, the Church, the community, the nation, the kingdom of God are better served by the best-prepared people. Preparation and knowledge, with faithfulness, are infinitely better than just faithfulness alone. And those who drop out for trivial reasons, and those who cease to learn, those who don't continue to try to increase their competence are, I believe, failing to do their full duty.

Mediocrity, no virtue

I would challenge young men and women to succeed. I see no virtue in mediocrity. The Lord God gave man the earth and told him to subdue it  Gen. 1:28 and he isn't likely to subdue it with a dull instrument. I would say this generation, old and young: In faithfulness and righteousness, prepare and improve yourselves for service. And I am not speaking of theoretical academic knowledge only. Acquire skills, develop talents, increase competence in such useful fields as you are best fitted for. Improve and serve with mind and hands and heart. Your families will be better, the world will better, your country and the kingdom of God will be better for your doing so. This is not a time for unpreparedness. Dull tools are not much in demand. We had better sharpen ourselves.

Avoid debt and waste

Now as to saving something, and the matter of debt, and meeting obligations: Old fashioned as it may seem, there is much self-respect and assurance in saving something, in having something set aside. It isn't wise, and it never was, to spend everything, or to live beyond the reasonable possibility of paying, or to mortgage the future, except for urgent necessities. There is no man who is not likely to meet an emergency. Something saved, something in reserve, brings self-respect and assurance. And paying obligations is, of course, a matter of simple honesty.

Tithing and fast offerings

I would say also that we ought to be able comfortably to face our Father in heaven in the matter of paying our tithes and offerings. I cannot perhaps prove it mathematically, but I can prove in my own observations and experience that the full and honest payment of tithing and the meeting of obligations to the Church and to God bring blessings and peace and assurance—both material and spiritual assurance that cannot otherwise be accounted for.

And in this context let me say that the commandments have not been repealed—not those pertaining to loving the Lord God, or taking his name in vain, or loving our fellowmen; not those pertaining to keeping the Sabbath day holy, not those pertaining to parents and children and the honor they owe each other; not those pertaining to taking life; not those pertaining to stealing or coveting or bearing false witness, not those pertaining to morality and adultery and personal purity  Ex. 20:1-17

". . . let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly," the Lord has said to us; "then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God"  D&C 121:45 How heartbreaking it would be to feel shame in his presence. How wonderful to feel confidence in the presence of God, or in our own presence, or in the presence of our loved ones and others, to live with a sense of rightness and honesty, to live without a sense of shame.

No commandments repealed; all are in force

Despite all cynicism and so-called sophistication, the commandments are still in force. There are causes and consequences in all things, and there is only one acceptable way to live; that is in faith and faithfulness, keeping the commandments, living the standards, working earnestly and honestly, being loyal to trust, not defrauding, not misrepresenting, not with short measure—but preparing, learning, improving, becoming increasingly competent, in honesty and honor. We have been given much. We have weighty responsibilities. We must be a light unto the world  Matt. 5:14 If we are not, our darkness will be deeper.

Active interest in public affairs

Another thing for which I would plead would be for us to become more earnestly active in public affairs. I do not mean politics only, but would not exclude politics. We should be aware of the way the world is run, of the ways whereby laws and practices and policies are put into effect and by which our environment is conditioned, and we should have honorable and effective part in these processes, and be men among men. We must be a part of our own time. We can blame no one but ourselves for adverse results if we are not informed and active and effective, if we are indifferent or complacent in public and private affairs. I think it was Edmund Burke who said: "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." And in all of this we need to be informed, to know the facts, to be forthright, to deal fairly.

We need humility

And always we need humility. Always we need to search ourselves, our minds, our hearts, our motives. The more knowledge, the more success, the more humility we need. Indeed, there is much to keep us humble. Despite all learning and all accomplishment and all that men know, there is still the fact, as someone has reminded us, that "man owes his very existence here on earth to a six-inch layer of top soil and the fact that it rains." (Author unknown.) Life here is possible because of Divine Providence. And while men may learn and use the laws of nature, the laws of life, we are still children in understanding, children before the infinite and inscrutable wisdom that keeps creation in its course.

We may make much of man's orbiting in space—but why marvel so much, asked one observer. Haven't we been orbiting in space all our lives on a wonderful world? The Creator is still in command.

Much of my life is lived among those who are not of my faith, men and women of graciousness and sincerity and goodwill, whom I love and respect, worldwide. I have never been embarrassed by the standards of the Church. But I'm sure we would all lose the respect of many men, indeed of all men, if we were not true to our own faith and convictions. We disappoint our friends when we depart from our own principles.

There are commandments to keep, standards to live by, and eternal purposes and promises that we can count on.

Learn, prepare, improve, work, keep clean, become competent, live with honor and honesty; don't waste, don't be idle, don't drift; keep life balanced and pursue its purposes, and don't be unduly discouraged.

It isn't all as easy as it sounds. All men have problems. All of us personally have problems. There is no perfection on this earth, but there are still eternal truths that we can count on and for which we are accountable.

"How well can we learn the lessons of life"

"The important consideration is not how long we can live," said President Joseph F. Smith, "but how well we can learn the lessons of life, and discharge our duties and obligations to God and to one another. One of the main purposes of our existence is that we might conform, to the image and likeness of him who sojourned in the flesh without blemish—immaculate pure, and spotless!" (Gospel Doctrine, p. 270.)

This is our day

This is our day on earth. It isn't likely that we are going to be able to turn back the clock. It isn't likely that conditions in this world will ever again be just as once they were. Life moves in one direction only, and we move with it; but it is comforting and assuring to know that there is an overall prevailing plan and purpose, and that each of us has a part to perform, an eternal part in God's great purpose.

And as our fathers did before us let, us begin where we are with what we have, and be what we ought to be, and begin to go where we ought to go, to use our opportunities and energies, and to move forward, to have faith, to keep faith, to become part of things, to take public and civic responsibility, to keep an interest in government, in all the affairs and forces that run the world, to be a constructive and effective part of what shapes and moves men. It isn't enough to sit on the sidelines.

"Please God let us not live by default . . . but by the acquisition of truth and dedication to it" (author unknown), to the realization of the God-given purposes of life, and the things that matter most.

"Conscious of the fact that I cannot separate myself from the time in which I am living, I have decided to become a part of it." (Attributed to Albert Camus, French journalist.)

And so this day I would plead with you, my beloved young friends of this generation, and also to us who are older, to prepare, to be competent, to succeed, to be an effective participating part of that which shapes the future before us, going forth with faith and confidence, not sacrificing principles, but being part of our own time.

Testimony: God lives

To my beloved friends everywhere, I leave you my witness that God lives, that he is our eternal Father, that he made us in his own image, that he sent his Divine Son, our Savior and Redeemer, to teach us and to redeem us from death.

I leave you my witness that his work is with us, restored to earth for our time, for our guidance, for our assurance, for our success, and that as we live and learn and do his will and keep his commandments, we shall have everlasting life with our loved ones, which is the greatest assurance of the gospel, the greatest of God's gifts  D&C 14:7

May his peace and blessing and guidance and protection be with you always, I pray in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.