My brethren and sisters: When I was on my mission many years ago, I was laboring in Southern Germany, and in 1907 President Joseph F. Smith, in company with then Bishop Charles W. Nibley, who subsequently was called to be a Counselor to President Heber J. Grant, was traveling through the missions. While in Switzerland, as has been related here, a meeting was held attended by Saints and some of the missionaries, at which President Smith made that memorable prediction that the day would come when there would be temples in Europe and in that land of Switzerland.

It seemed so incredible at that time. We were facing persecution. In Germany we were not permitted to meet openly, so we held our meetings in the forests in the summer and in private homes in the winter.

The newspapers carried articles against the Church and the missionaries, vicious in their nature. It seemed that the powers of the evil one had been turned loose to stop the work, and when that prediction was made, as we talked about it in our little missionary group, we wondered if it would ever be fulfilled.

I came home from my mission in 1908. Conditions here were not too good. There was persecution here at home, criticism toward the leaders of Church, President Joseph F. Smith being especially singled out in newspapers and magazines for vitriolic attacks on the part of those antagonistic to the Church.

There are two types of persecution. In the early history of the Church it was more or less physical. Later on it was of the nature I have described. It just seemed that the work could not go forward.

What a change now! God moves in the affairs of men. It is his work. We are his children, and no matter what may come, if we do our part in preaching the gospel, declaring its message, its saving truths, there will be no question about the outcome. These things we have learned over the years.

No one would have hazarded such a prediction except a prophet of the Living God. He saw, he knew, through the prophetic powers that he possessed, and today, during this conference, we have had related to us the fulfillment of that great prediction.

Thus, my brethren and sisters, it has ever been, and thus it will ever be in this work. There will be no failure. We may fail. Six months ago, you will recall we had a heavy snowstorm—conference weather they called it—and President McKay announced that all the roads in Wyoming were blocked and that the Saints should not attempt to drive home until the storm cleared. Today under such beautiful weather conditions we meet in conference. How this epitomizes the rolling forth of the work of the Lord! We meet storms; we meet roadblocks; then the storm clears. We ourselves sometimes throw up roadblocks when we fail to do our part, when we fail to support the organizations, when presiding officers in wards and stakes fail to give the necessary direction to the auxiliary organizations, helping them in their work, all of them being important and necessary. We throw up roadblocks when we fail to do our duty and keep his commandments. But the Lord, just as the storm cleared, clears the way, and in spite of us his work goes on, and there is no failure.

I am grateful for my testimony. I am grateful for the cleansing power of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank the Lord for faith in God. I thank him for his blessings that come even in the face of adversity and affliction, for the power to see even beyond the affliction. I am grateful for these blessings.

God sustains us. You know what was said of the Savior—that although he were a son, yet learned he obedience by suffering, by the things which he suffered, and being made perfect through that suffering, he became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey  Heb. 5:8-9

Thus it is with us, my brethren and sisters, and I leave with you my testimony, and pray that God may help us that there may be no failure on our part, and that we may not place any roadblocks because we have sufficient evidence to know that even against odds and adversity, there is no failure.

God help us to appreciate these things, I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.