My brothers and sisters, and friends: Under all circumstances it is difficult for me, with the words at my command, to express the thoughts and the feelings that are in my heart. But on this occasion it is particularly difficult because it is hard for a man to control his feelings and his thoughts, on occasions such as this, when he has lived and worked as closely as have I and President McKay with a great man of whom it has been properly suggested that his real name was Love.

A TRUE SERVANT TO THE LORD

He was universally kind and considerate of both of us who were privileged and honored to work with him. I fully endorse from my own knowledge and observation all of the good that has been said of him here today, and nothing but good has been said, or could be said.

There lies before us the worn and wilted suit of clothes he wore here: all that we knew and loved and admired, all that led to his accomplishments, all that inspired his love, all that helped him to live righteously, still lives, and is, and will live throughout the eternities to come: he lives, a great soul who spent his life, his strength at the expense of his health in the service of his master.

It was impossible to get him to ease up. He never would quit till he had to go to bed. Time and time again we have urged him, that he go home and rest. Time and time again he has indicated that he would, and an hour or two hours or three hours later, I have looked him up and found him still working. He could refuse nobody an opportunity to talk with him, and no one ever came to him, as has been said here, and went away empty. He was a true servant to the Lord.

HELPFULNESS OF LOVED ONES

I should like to say a word regarding the family, and particularly the two daughters, Emily and Edith. No father ever had tenderer care, more solicitous attention than these two gave to President Smith, their father. It was Emily's opportunity, because she lived in the home with him, to be a little closer to him in the sense of administering to his wants and needs. Emily has been on duty for weeks past 24 hours a day and Edith has always been at hand to help.

The Lord will bless you two daughters for what you did for your father.

The son, Brother George Albert, was not here. His lot was in other places, but as soon as he returned, he, too, did all he could to help his father as a devoted son.

While not a member of the family I should like to add just a word to what has already been said regarding Brother Arthur Haycock. No father ever had a son more devoted, more loyal, more willing, more available, day or night, than Brother Arthur was available and willing to help President Smith. President Smith could not have lived so long as he did save for the help which this good, devoted, loyal young man gave to him, and the Lord will bless him, too, for that.

ANOTHER LEADER WILL COME

But, I should like to say to the people that another leader will come in due course. Another leader will carry on. He, too, will have love in his heart for you. He, too, will live as President Smith has lived, near to the Lord, and this work, under him and under those who will follow him, will roll forward just so surely as we live.

The world expected the Church to go to pieces when the Prophet Joseph died. It did not. People thought that when Brigham Young passed, great soul that he was, that the work would dwindle and fade away. We used to hear that the Church could not survive the third generation. We are in the fifth and the sixth, and the Church still lives and grows.

So to the Saints I say, while you mourn today be of good cheer, for the Lord has not forgotten you, nor will he, and he will lead you in the future as he has in the past.

STRENGTH OF TESTIMONY

I repeat, his was a great life. He knew the truths that lie behind those immortal words of that great tragic figure of all time, Job. He, too, could say, "I know that my redeemer liveth"  Job 19:25 That was the moving, the guiding, the energizing testimony that kept President George Albert Smith going. He never forgot that, and that testimony never dimmed. It was with him as the merest youth. It was with him the day of his death, and every day and hour that lay between.

He also knew what we all know, that there will be a resurrection. The body and spirit shall be reunited to make the soul. He knew the truth expressed by Martha in that great interview between Martha and Christ at the time of the raising of Lazarus.

"Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died"  John 11:21

Jesus said, "Thy brother shall rise again." "I know," replied Martha, "that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

Then came those great statements, "I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

"And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"

"Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the son of God, which should come into the world"  John 11:23-27

That was the testimony which burned in the heart of President George Albert Smith.

HIS WORK FINISHED

We shall miss President Smith, miss all the qualities of which so much has been said and deservedly said, and truthfully said, which he possessed but we shall not grieve, because his body was worn and torn; living, he would have been an invalid. His work, I am sure, was finished and more than once he expressed himself to me and to others that he wished to live no longer than the Lord wanted him to live. He was ready to go as the Lord desired.

He greatly exemplified those wonderful words of Paul: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith"  2 Tim. 4:7 What a summation of a life, and how true that summation is of this our beloved and departed president, George Albert Smith.

May God give to his family and to the people, for I assure you, the family, that the people of the Church mourn with you, may he give to you and to them the peace which He alone can give, the peace of which the Savior spoke on the last night in the chamber, the night before the crucifixion: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid"  John 14:27

May God give this to you, the bereaved immediately, and to us, the Saints, whom he loved so much, and to the world for which he had likewise a deep and undying love: that all of us may profit by the great example which he set, so that we, too, may live righteously, loving our fellow men that we may be with him in the times to come, through all the eternities that are to follow, I humbly pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.