My dear fellow workers: Just a few words in conclusion. I commend the appeal made by Brother Petersen, and once again ask that the bishops send the names to Elders Spencer Kimball and Mark E. Petersen of those girls and boys who leave their home towns to come to the centers.

The Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association will help you, if you ask them to report to you, they have so written to me within the week. They are prepared to report on every girl in every ward in the Church. The Lord bless them and may he bless you bishops, in this service of saving souls.

EXCURSIONS

One other point—when you have excursions for young people, either to the temple or visiting a city, please see to it that you have registered or chartered busses, unless you come in your private cars. In either case be sure that the boys and girls are properly chaperoned.

ON SOLICITING FUNDS

Wards and branches should not solicit funds or try to raise money for their buildings in other places than under their own jurisdiction. We do not favor bidding on shovels used for breaking ground for church edifices.

HOW TO OBTAIN A TESTIMONY

A few years ago a stranger sat in the gallery opposite this pulpit and listened to the testimony of one of the elders of the Church. He accompanied a man who had been excommunicated from the Church. As they were walking out of the grounds, the stranger said, referring to the testimony of the speaker that day, "Do you know, I would give all I possess if I knew that what that speaker said today is true."

Several of the brethren throughout this conference have emphasized the value of a testimony. Brother Sonne, particularly, laid stress upon the fact that that is the strength of the Church. It is. There is nothing which a man can possess in this world, which will bring more comfort, more hope and faith than a testimony of the existence of a Heavenly Father who loves us, or of the reality of Jesus Christ, his Only Begotten Son, that those two heavenly personages appeared to the Prophet Joseph and established the Church of Jesus Christ, and that men are officially authorized to represent Deity.

Scientists are seeking that knowledge, some of them in vain. One of them recently declared that he had failed to find it, and had lost his faith even in God, and he is recognized as one of the great.

You know, too, you who have read the book "Man Does Not Stand Alone," how impressively that great author leads the world to accept the existence of God's guidance. You who have heard missionaries return and bear witness that they know that this Gospel is true, will remember, probably, when you were boys, that you, too, would have given anything if you could so testify in truth.

We have hundreds, perhaps thousands of young men here with us tonight. They are eagerly longing to have that testimony. Of its value, there is no question. Of its reality, too, there is no question in the minds of you leaders who possess an absolute knowledge of these things.

But as I have listened to the testimonies, I have wondered how many of us are showing the boys how they may know. Are we sufficiently emphasizing the fact that they will never know it if they indulge in sin; they will never find it out if they live to gratify their passions and appetites. "My spirit shall not always strive with man"  Gen. 6:3  D&C 1:33  Moses 8:17 His spirit will not dwell in unclean tabernacles. ("The Spirit of the Lord doth not dwell in unholy temples"  Hel. 4:24 And you cannot have a testimony without the Spirit of God.

Young men, may I just name three steps that will aid you in obtaining this priceless possession, and then you follow them.

On the night of Gethsemane, Jesus offered a great prayer. In the introduction he said this: "Father, thou hast heard me"  John 11:41 and he thanked the Lord for it, and then he said: "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent"  John 17:3

That is what a testimony means. To know God, and Jesus Christ, is to have life eternal, the great possession of eternal life.

But the question arises—How may I know? Jesus has answered it, as he has shown the way in every aspect of life. One day, when he bore testimony to his divinity, that his teachings were of God, the Pharisees and others around him said, "How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?" How do we know (that was their question), that you are divine? And he gave a simple answer: "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself"  John 7:15,17 There is a definite answer—a clear-cut statement, young man. "If ye will do the will, ye shall know." And, "to know God, and Jesus Christ, whom he has sent, is eternal life."

However, there still remains unanswered the question: What is God's will? On one occasion several thousand people asked that question saying "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" It was on the Day of Pentecost, and Peter, who had received a testimony and instructions from the Savior, answered: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call"  Acts 2:37-39

Did you note that first sentence, that first condition? Repentance, which is a changing of life. If you have been swearing, stop it. That is what repentance means. If you have been disobeying father or mother, cease your disobedience. If you have been thinking impure thoughts, substitute them with noble ideas. Repentance means ever to change your thoughts and acts for the better.

A lawyer, a Pharisee asked Christ, on one occasion, "Which is the great commandment in the law?"  Matt. 22:36 And in answer, most profound, Jesus said, the first fundamental law is to "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength"  Mark 12:30 "And the second is like unto it Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself"  Matt. 22:39 And the Pharisee admitted that Jesus had spoken wisely.

Analyze that and you will find that it means that instead of centering your thoughts on self, that God becomes the center of your existence; your thought is what you are going to do for him. You will pray to him at night. You will pray to him when you have some heavy task to perform. In your school work, pray. I know, you may not hear his voice always, and you may feel that he did not answer your question in your prayer, but in youth, keep praying, holding to the assurance that God is near you to help you.

Christ has given us "all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature"  2 Pet. 1:3-4 that is, the Holy Ghost promised by Peter, to live in this world and be a partaker of the divine nature of our Father in Heaven.

I bear witness to you that that is a reality. Young man, never lose sight of it. And then, after Peter bore witness that that is a reality, he said this:

" . . . add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

"And to knowledge temperance (note the words); and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

"And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity"—love.

Now note the promise:

"For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ,"—of the things of God  2 Pet. 1:5-8

And to know God is eternal life  John 17:3

Those are divine steps, that lead back to the presence of God, our Eternal Father.

May the young within the sound of our voices tonight, and all in the Church, follow those steps, and gain, each one the precious gift of a knowledge of the divinity of this work, I humbly pray, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.