The hour that marks the close of this great conference is here.

As you know, four members of our General Authorities have been disabled recently, and are unable to carry on their regular duties. We are thankful to say, however, that two of them have been with us during the sessions that mark the inspiration and uplift of this gathering.

Elder Thomas E. McKay has been incapacitated for several months. He and the others have had to pay the penalty of overwork, over exertion. When he collapsed several months ago, his heartbeats went down, according to the doctor, to sixteen. We are told that when they get below thirty life is precarious, but from that time, when Thomas E. called his family together to say good-bye, up to the present, he has shown gradual improvement and now he counts his heartbeats at thirty-six, thirty-eight, occasionally they reach forty. He acknowledges, and we acknowledge, the hand of the Lord in the preservation of his life, and we appreciate, and he appreciates your faith and prayers in his behalf.

Elder Clifford E. Young recently met with an accident, but he, as you know, is sufficiently restored to be enabled to take his part as one of the speakers in this conference, and has given you his message, as has also Elder Thomas E. McKay.

Elder Albert E. Bowen, also stricken, has been confined to the hospital for several months. It is said that one element of true greatness is to choose the right with invincible resolution. That, our Brother Bowen has always done, and expounded the principles of the gospel with a clarity so characteristic of him. Our hearts ache as we note that some of his muscles are not responding. However, we want him to know as we close this great conference, that he still has and will continue to have our faith and prayers for his restoration to health; and we pray that the Lord will give him a desire, and increased faith, to receive the blessings which we hope the Lord will give him. With all our hearts we say God bless you, Brother Bowen.

President Richards, another great leader, has been putting forth too much effort also, and his physical condition requires rest. I am pleased to report to you he is sufficiently recovered to meet occasionally in meetings of the First Presidency. President Clark and I have had three meetings with him during the three days that we have been assembled in this conference, to all the proceedings of which he has been listening over the radio and television.

At the conclusion now he sends this message: "President McKay: I should be very pleased if you would express to the people my deep gratitude for the inspiration of the conference, and also extend to my brethren and sisters my love and my prayers that the united efforts of all the Saints may bring great advancement to the cause we love. Affectionately, Stephen L Richards."

Brother Stephen L: Let me assure you that there is but one heart in this great audience today, and it responds in reciprocation of your love and blessing. God bless you!

Now, may we take a few moments to express our gratitude to all who have contributed to the inspiration of the sessions held since last Saturday morning.

First, you who were here yesterday morning listened to an inspiring anthem, entitled "Out of the Silence," written by Elder Cyril Jenkins, one of our members and a holder of the priesthood in Australia, who has rendered great service to the Church in having the excellent selections of the Tabernacle Choir put on the radio stations in that far-off land, and who is now in Great Britain, arranging with the British broadcasting stations to have the people in that land have the privilege of hearing the excellent music rendered by this organization. We thank you, Brother Jenkins, and say God bless you, that you may achieve the noble purposes you have in mind.

We express gratitude and commendation for the responsiveness and attentiveness of the audiences. I wish particularly to commend you for your reverential attitude. This is a sacred building, used for many purposes, it is true, until we get an auditorium that will take care of some secular assemblies of the sessions. It is sacred, and we have noted that you have governed yourselves accordingly. From the moment that the clock marked the beginning of a session, perfect order has prevailed. We ask that this example be followed by all the Saints in their ward chapels and in halls in which you meet to worship.

We express appreciation for the cooperation of city officials. Their ready and efficient service has been noted. The traffic officers have rendered valuable service in handling increased traffic. We have already expressed appreciation to the Berkeley Stake for the calla lilies that have beautified the building.

Our ushers have done excellent service! They volunteered last evening to put up a platform. They had it removed early this morning. They have been ready and willing to look after the people who had need of the emergency hospital, which has been on the grounds, and in every way have rendered service to add to the convenience of the many visitors who are here.

Especially we mention appreciation to the various radio stations: here in our own city, KSL, and others in the state of Utah, in Idaho, in Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, California, Hawaii. Managers of these stations, no one can tell how many people have been blessed by your magnanimity and co-operation. We thank you!

We express appreciation to our singers. I do not know that we have ever had for every session such inspiring music rendered by the combined Scandinavian choirs Saturday, the Men's Chorus of the Tabernacle Choir Saturday night, by our own Tabernacle Choir Sunday and by the combined choruses of Brigham Young University today. I can scarcely refrain from commenting on the inspiration that the presence of these young men and young women gives to us.

"How beautiful is youth! how bright it gleams
With its illusions, aspirations, dreams!
Book of Beginnings, story without end,
Every maid a heroine, and each man a friend!"

How glorious is youth, and here are several hundred of them in our presence contributing their talents to the inspiration of our conference. Again, thank you.

To all others who have in any way contributed to the excellency and the inspiration of this, the 123rd conference, we express our gratitude.

Now, may I trespass upon your time a few moments to say a final word to you mission presidents, to you presidencies of stakes, bishoprics of wards, to you officers, stake and local, to you mothers who are doing so much to make these new buildings to which reference has been made, so attractive, and in other ways contributing to the advancement of the work.

Much of what you brethren and sisters do we never hear about, and it seems as though you are working without any visible results, but no good deed, no kind word can be spoken without its effect being felt for good upon all. Sometimes the good may be infinitesimal, but as a rock that is thrown in a pool starts a wave from the center which continues to enlarge until every part of the shore is touched, so your deeds, silent, many of them, unknown unspoken, unheralded, continue to radiate and touch many hearts.

We are not unappreciative of what you are doing. Nobody can go out to a dedicatory service of one of these meetinghouses, hear incidents, details, illustrations of what seem to be sacrifices of the hours and hours of work, given freely, without being deeply impressed with the integrity and sincerity of the members of this Church.

Thursday morning this building was crowded to capacity by Primary workers, representatives of one organization. That night, the hotel ballroom was crowded with former workers, general board workers of the Primary, present workers, present officers from stakes. I wish the ten thousand people here could have seen the illustration and the examples they gave showing the growth of the Primary during the last seventy-five years.

Friday night this building was crowded to overflowing by the bishoprics of the Church, under the direction of the Presiding Bishopric.

Saturday, seventeen thousand members of the priesthood filled this house the Assembly Hall, Barratt Hall, Field House at BYU, representing the priesthood of the Church.

We have had a meeting of the patriarchs, another of mission presidents, another of welfare workers, and one of stake missionaries.

Why all these, and all other meetings in the Church? Tell me! They are held for the good of the individual—for your son and my son, your daughter and mine. The Lord has said, ". . . If it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!"  D&C 18:15-16

The whole purpose of the organization of this great Church, so complete, so perfect, is to bless the individual. How that stands out in striking contrast, in opposition, to the claim of the communist who says that the individual is but a spoke in the wheel of the state that the state is all in all, the individual being but a contributing factor to the perpetuation and strength of the state.

That idea is diametrically opposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus sought for a perfect society, "not by agitating the people to revolt against political or social organizations, nor by any reorganization of existing conditions, but by perfecting the individual. He recognized the fallacy in the dream of those who hoped to make a perfect society out of imperfect individuals." In all these labors and associations, he sought the perfection of the individual.

His goal always set before his followers was the emancipation of men and women from greed, from anger, from jealousy, from hatred, from fear; and in their place he hoped to bring about a complete and normal development of the individual's divine powers through right thinking and unselfish efficient service.

He promised no material rewards but he did promise perfected, divine manhood, as we have heard in this conference. "Be ye perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect"  Matt. 5:48 And with that divine manhood comes the resultant happiness, true happiness.

FINAL BLESSING

God bless you, my dear fellow workers, you General Authorities, stake presidencies, bishoprics, every officer and teacher throughout the land, every member. May the Spirit of the Lord abide in your hearts, and in your homes, that people partaking of your radiation of honesty, integrity, uprightness, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ will be led to glorify our Father in heaven  Matt. 5:16

Many years ago—a Chinese philosopher expressed the thought that I am trying to give you, and the result of individual righteousness as follows:

"If there is righteousness in the heart
    there will be beauty in the character.
If there is beauty in the character
    there will be harmony in the home.
If there is harmony in the home
    there will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation
    there will be peace in the world."

God help us to bring about that peace in the only way that it can come, and that through obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ, I pray in his holy name. Amen.