My esteemed fellow-workers. I hope what I say now may not detract from the spiritual instructions received and the appeals made for our young people. But there are a few suggestions to you, stake officers, stake presidencies and bishoprics of wards, which we hope you will take without comment. I will just name them.

1. In our Handbook of Instructions we read (which many of you bishops probably have not read, because it has not been reprinted): "Sunday School should not be closed on a day of Stake Conference. All classes with the exception of the Gospel Doctrine and other adult classes, should remain in session. This applies to every ward except where Conference is being held in a ward building and Sunday School and Conference cannot be accommodated in the building at the same time. It is understood, however, that the attendance of all members of the Church, old and young, at Stake Conference shall be encouraged, and that a member of any Sunday School class who desires to attend Stake Conference should be excused to do so, and that any class in the Sunday School may, under proper supervision, attend a Stake Conference in a body," but to close the Sunday School and turn out a hundred or several hundred, young boys and girls who do not go to Conference or who cannot find seats in the congregation, is contrary to instructions given.

2. Many wards at different times of the year decide that they will not hold any Sunday night meeting on Fast Day. These meetings should be held in the interest of the Auxiliaries.

3. This is very important. Substitutions should not be made for our Sacrament Meetings. Seminary graduation exercises should be held at some other hour or on some weekday night; they should not take the place of our Sacrament Meetings.

And now just for a final message. We have been worried, not for a few days or a few months, but for many years, over the problem of making our ward teaching more effective. This is in harmony with our great lesson tonight—to help our young people and to help those of our older ones who are indifferent.

Tonight I shall take time to mention only two features.

"The teacher's duty is to watch over the church always"—this is the Word of the Lord, and the more closely we follow that the more satisfaction we shall have in our labors.

"The teacher's duty is to watch over the church always, and be with and strengthen them;
"And see that there is no iniquity in the church, neither hardness with each other, neither lying, backbiting, nor evil speaking;
"And see that the church meet together often, and also see that all the members do their duty"  D&C 20:53-55

One day, when my brother and I were in our teens, we were ready to leave the barnyard and go out to the field for a load of hay. Father came out, shut the gate behind him, and then looking towards the sidewalk, saw two men coming towards the house. He recognized them as ward teachers, "Al" Sprague and Eli Tracy. He said, "Boys, there are the ward teachers; tie up your team and come into the house." Though we demurred, we obeyed. Seated as a family, we heard our father say, "Now brethren, we are in your hands."

I give you the picture. Now I give you what the teacher said: he started with my father, who was the Bishop of the Ward, and asked him if he was doing his duty; if he was living in harmony with his neighbors; if he was sustaining the authorities. He asked Mother questions about doing her duty, and he went from the parents to each child who sat around in that meeting.

Those teachers emphasized one part of their duty. First, Father submitted himself to them, for they came as his representatives and would be in every house. Their duty was to see that "each member does his duty." Now that takes tact and some of you say for teachers so to question the people gives offense. I grant you all that, and I am not going to discuss it. But the Lord has asked you to do just that thing. How you do it, the inspiration of the Lord must prompt.

Now tonight I should like to emphasize another phase of ward teaching—"watching over the Church always."

The teacher's duty is not performed when he goes only once a month to each house. I remember when one Bishop made it a duty of the ward teacher to go at once to a house bereaved of a loved one and see what could be done in order to bring comfort to those who were grieving and to make arrangements for the funeral. It is the teacher's duty to see that there is no want; if there is sickness there, to go and administer—watching over those families always.

Tuesday morning at the dedication of the Los Angeles Temple—that was the beginning, I think, of the fifth session—we were entering the Temple when somebody said, "There is an old lady coming down the walk. Evidently she wants to see you." She was walking, but she had to be helped. We returned and met her just as she and her companions came up the steps leading to the north entrance of the Temple. We shook her hand and greeted her and gave her a blessing as much as we could in that short, brief time, and to encourage her said, "Are these your two fine sons?" "No," answered the one on her left, "we are her ward teachers." What a beautiful example of watching over the church always. They knew the old lady wanted to attend that service. I do not know what help they had to give her in order to bring her there, they had to get an automobile probably. I do not know whether she had any sons. I know only what I have told you. But they were her ward teachers and they knew her needs.

Well, in every group assigned to you ward teachers, there are young folks who are crippled, there are young folks who are staggering, who need help morally. Somehow, some way, you can reach them and give them some help. Not just when you go to make a formal visit, when you are sitting there before the radio or the television, but at some party, some way, wherever they are going, get in their company, get their confidence, take a hold of their arm—"watch over them always."

Those two things we can do, in addition to what the bishoprics are now asking you to do: teach them their duty, watch over them always and see that they attend to their meetings.

In conclusion, let me commend the Committee of the Twelve for the great project they have presented to us tonight. You can see its value. I am sure that you were all deeply impressed with Brother Petersen's message.

These lines came to me when he gave the principal theme:

"You ought to be true for the sake of the folks who believe you are true.
You never should stoop to a deed that your friends think you wouldn't do.
If you're false to yourself, be the blemish but small,
You have injured your friends; you've been false to them all."

    (Edgar A. Guest)

God help us to save our young people, to bring peace in our wards, in our homes, and in our hearts, by keeping the commandments of God as He has given them to us in this the Latter-day through the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; given it to us by direct revelation by the direct appearance of the Father and the Son, to the boy Prophet; given unto us, as President Clark has explained tonight, the Priesthood, the same as held by the Apostles of old.

With all my heart I bless you, fellow-workers in the Priesthood of God, and I do it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.