I am still surprised, amazed, and shocked at the glorious honor that has come to me. I assure you that I am most humble in accepting this responsibility. The experience of the last seventeen or eighteen hours I would not trade for anything of a monetary value.

President McKay called me to his home last evening, pulled up a chair next to me, took my hand and looked me in the eyes: there was a chill went up my spine. It was a warm chill, that I shall never forget, and I have been impressed since with the thought that if each member of the Church could have such an experience as I had last evening, he would gain strength and a support the like of which he has never experienced.

VOTE OF CONFIDENCE

It is consoling to know you have the vote of confidence of the membership of the Church assembled here. I am reminded of a story of a man who was running for the Senate in one of the states recently. He had made what he thought was an excellent speech, after which one who was in the audience came up and shook his fist in his face and said, "I wouldn't vote for you if you were Saint Peter." The would-be senator said in return, "If I were Saint Peter, I wouldn't need your vote because you wouldn't be in my district."

I am grateful that I am in your district, brothers and sisters, and that I have had the privilege for about a year and a half of coming into some of the stakes and partaking of your spirit and fine hospitality and kindness. This gives me strength to face the task ahead.

If my life is of no value to my friends, I assure you that it is of no value to me. Sister Longden and I have said many times, that we would like to die with our boots on in the service of the Lord.

TESTIMONY

I have a testimony of this gospel, that it is the gospel of Jesus Christ, that his Church is restored to the earth in its fullness. I am grateful for that testimony. I am grateful for faith in a divine, living personal God. I am grateful for faith in the divine mission of Jesus Christ. I am grateful for faith that his gospel has been restored in its fullness. I am grateful for faith in the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

And most of all I am grateful that there is a spirit burning within me that tells me that these men whom we have sustained today are our leaders; that they are divine; they are men chosen of our Heavenly Father through his Son Jesus Christ to lead us in this the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times, and that they lead us with love and kindness. I bear you witness and testimony that if we will do the things that these men whom we have sustained counsel us in, we will have no need to fear.

GRATITUDE FOR BLESSINGS

I am grateful for a loving wife, one who has overlooked my shortcomings, errors, and mistakes, and has been most patient with me now for twenty-seven years. I am grateful for two lovely daughters that we have been permitted to rear thus far, one who three days ago bore a son. I am grateful for these blessings.

Everything I have I owe to this Church. How grateful I am that the missionaries came and sought out my parents in England some sixty years ago, and that they listened to their warning voice.

Let the Spirit of the Savior be in our hearts whether we are working in the shop, or whether we are in school. You young people need not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I don't care what you might be doing by way of earning your livelihood. As you testify of his goodness, he verily will bless you. And so I realize as I stand before you today that in and of myself I could accomplish nothing, but I understand the scriptures, and I believe it was the Savior speaking to Nephi when he said he would not command anything of his children unless he prepared the way and made it possible for them to accomplish those things  1 Ne. 3:7 I have faith in that teaching of the Savior. I know with your help, with your love, with your prayers and faith that I will be able to accomplish the bit which I have been called upon to fulfill.

May God's choice blessings be upon us, may we have the spirit of love in our homes as we were exhorted this morning.

EXPERIENCE AT SCHOOL

I recall a glorious experience just a few months ago in taking a group of young junior high school students to the deaf and dumb school in Ogden. It was a thrilling experience to see a patient teacher with children seven and eight years of age who could not hear and could not speak, yet with the aid of the child's hand upon the teacher's throat, a mirror in front of them, and with an arm around that child, she was able through the vibrations to teach some sentences. They were these (a lesson to the world in this time of turmoil and confusion): "I love God." "I love father." "I love mother." "I love my neighbor." To me that was the action of the commandment of Jesus Christ in very deed  Matt. 22:37-39

May we have this love in our hearts as we go back into our wards and into our stakes, I humbly pray, as I bear my testimony to you with all sincerity and humility that this is the Church of Jesus Christ, and I do it in his name. Amen.