Laying Up God’s Blessings

heber-j-grantLaying Up God’s Blessings

By Elder Heber J. Grant
then, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
General Conference – October, 1887

 

 

It is very gratifying unto me to have an opportunity of meeting with so many of the Latter-day Saints, and while I stand before you this afternoon I earnestly pray unto God, my heavenly Father, for the aid of His holy spirit, and I beseech the Latter-day Saints to give me the benefit of their faith and prayers, that I may be enabled to say something that will be calculated to train us in our desires for the advancement of the work of God. I rejoice beyond my powers of expression at being permitted once more to hear the voice of our aged President.  I rejoice that he is again permitted to meet with the Latter-day Saints, and to bear his testimony unto them as to the truth of the Gospel.  It must be gratifying to the hearts of all the Latter-day Saints to look upon his face and to hear his words.

While I am but a youth, and while I have not had the privilege of associating with many of the brethren that have gone before; while I have never had the privilege of looking upon the face of my father even, still I rejoice in the labors that he accomplished, I rejoice in the testimony that he bore to the Latter-day Saints, I rejoice in the heritage that he has left unto me, and to all his children. He has left a testimony and an example that, if we will only follow, we are bound to meet him and rejoice in his presence throughout all the countless ages of eternity.  No greater heritage can you and I leave to our children than a good name, and a good and faithful testimony to the gospel of Christ.  There is nothing so dear to me as the gospel that I have embraced.

There is no day ever passes over my head but what I supplicate God, my Heavenly Father, that my mind may never become darkened, that I may not depart from the truth, or break the covenants that I have made; and while I pray for myself, I pray also for all the Latter-day Saints and for every honest heart upon the face of this earth.  If I know my heart, if I know my own desire, I am ready and willing to travel to the ends of the earth and proclaim the Gospel of Christ and to bring men unto salvation.

I realize that there is nothing on this earth, except the principles of the Gospel, that reach forward into the world to come.  But everything of an earthly character, the wealth, the honors, the possessions of men, perish with this life, but the principles of the Gospel are eternal.  They will endure forever; and you and I who have received a testimony of the gospel, you and I that can testify that we know that Jesus is the Christ, we only can expect an exaltation in the Celestial kingdom of God, if we live worthy of the testimony that we have borne.  God, our heavenly Father, after having revealed His son unto us, expects lives of righteousness.  It is the duty and the obligation that we owe to Him to so order our lives that all men, seeing the righteousness of the same may glorify God our heavenly Father.  We have received the gospel of Jesus Christ, and if we do not so live and order our lives that all men will rejoice and see that we are honest, see that we are sincere, see that we are pure, we are not doing our duty as Latter-day Saints.

The gospel of Christ teaches every man and woman and child to be virtuous, to be upright, to be honest; and if we are not virtuous, if we are not upright, if we do not live so as to bring credit unto the work of God, then are we not living as we should live, then we are not living up to the testimony we have received.  This is an individual work in which we are engaged.  You cannot rob me of my salvation; I cannot rob you of yours.  It is an individual labor, and I thank God that all the Saints are entitled to the whisperings of His holy spirit.  I thank God that none of us are dependent upon others for the testimony of the gospel.  I thank Him that each and all can obtain a testimony for themselves.  I beseech you, my friends, I beseech you, my brethren and sisters, one and all, to so live that the light of the holy spirit of God may be your constant companion, enlightening your mind, quickening your understanding, inspiring within you a desire to labor with all the power, with all the ability that God has given you for the accomplishment of His purposes.

I testify to you that there is no labor on this earth that can be engaged in that will bring the same joy, the same happiness, the same peace, as keeping the commandments of God and exhorting others to do the same.

May God bless you all, is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.