SUNDAY AFTERNOON SESSION 3 October 2004

to the desire of their hearts” (D&C 137:9). The Least of These The Lord said to the Church: “When I give a commandment to PRESIDENT BOYD K. PACKER any of the sons of men to do a work Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles unto my name, and those sons of men go with all their might and with all they have to perform that work, Let no one underestimate the power of faith and cease not their diligence, and in the ordinary Latter-day Saints. their enemies come upon them and hinder them from performing that work, behold, it behooveth me to require that work no more at the behind to sell their properties for hands of those sons of men, but to what little he could. There was not accept of their offerings. . . . much chance that he could succeed. “. . . This I make an example unto And, really, he did not succeed! you, for your consolation concerning But the Lord said, “Let him con- all those who have been commanded tend earnestly for the redemption to do a work and have been hin- of the of my dered by the hands of their enemies, Church, saith the Lord; and when and by oppression, saith the Lord he falls he shall rise again, for his your God” (D&C 124:49, 53; see also sacrifice shall be more sacred unto Mosiah 4:27). me than his increase, saith the The few in Kirtland are now mil- Lord” (D&C 117:13). lions of ordinary Latter-day Saints What did Oliver Granger do that across the world. They speak a multi- his name should be held in sacred tude of languages but unite in faith remembrance? Nothing much, really. and understanding through the lan- It was not so much what he did as guage of the Spirit. what he was. These faithful members make and here is a message for Latter-day When we honor Oliver, much, per- keep their covenants and strive to be Saints in a seldom quoted revela- haps even most, of the honor should worthy to enter the temple. They Ttion given to the Prophet Joseph go to Lydia Dibble Granger, his wife. believe the prophecies and sustain Smith in 1838. “I remember my ser- Oliver and Lydia finally left the ward and branch leaders. vant Oliver Granger; behold, verily I Kirtland to join the Saints in Far West, Like Oliver, they sustain the First say unto him that his name shall be Missouri. They had gone but a few Presidency and the Quorum of the had in sacred remembrance from gen- miles from Kirtland when they were Twelve Apostles and accept what the eration to generation, forever and ever, turned back by a mob. Only later did Lord said: “If my people will hearken saith the Lord” (D&C 117:12). they join the Saints at Nauvoo. unto my voice, and unto the voice of Oliver Granger was a very ordinary Oliver died at age 47, leaving Lydia [these men] whom I have appointed man. He was mostly blind having to look after their children. to lead my people, behold, verily I say “lost his sight by cold and exposure” The Lord did not expect Oliver to unto you, they shall not be moved out (History of the Church, 4:408). The be perfect, perhaps not even to suc- of their place” (D&C 124:45). First Presidency described him as “a ceed. “When he falls he shall rise In the revelation given as a preface man of the most strict integrity and again, for his sacrifice shall be more for the , the moral virtue; and in fine, to be a man sacred unto me than his increase, Lord explained who would do His of God” (History of the Church, saith the Lord” (D&C 117:13). work. Listen carefully as I read that 3:350). We cannot always expect to suc- revelation, and think of the trust that When the Saints were driven from ceed, but we should try the best the Lord has in us: Kirtland, Ohio, in a scene that would we can. “Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing be repeated in Independence, Far “For I, the Lord, will judge all men the calamity which should come upon West, and in Nauvoo, Oliver was left according to their works, according the inhabitants of the earth, called

86 upon my servant , Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments; “And also gave commandments to others, that they should proclaim these things unto the world; and all this that it might be fulfilled, which was written by the prophets— “The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh.” The next verse provides for the priesthood to be conferred upon ordinary, worthy men and boys: “That every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world; . . . “That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers. As the Lord told Oliver Granger, boiled corn. The cost of the bus to “Behold, I am God and have spo- “When [they fall they] shall rise again, Manila probably came out of their ken it; these commandments are of for [their] sacrifice shall be more food budget. me, and were given unto my servants sacred unto me than [their] increase” As I watched that family, my heart in their weakness, after the manner of (D&C 117:13). overflowed with emotion. There is the their language, that they might come Some worry endlessly over mis- Church. There is the power. There is to understanding. sions that were missed, or marriages the future. As with families in many “And inasmuch as they erred it that did not turn out, or babies that lands, they pay their tithing, sustain might be made known; did not arrive, or children that seem their leaders, and do their best to “And inasmuch as they sought wis- lost, or dreams unfulfilled, or because serve. dom they might be instructed; age limits what they can do. I do not For more than 40 years, my wife “And inasmuch as they sinned they think it pleases the Lord when we and I have traveled over the earth. We might be chastened, that they might worry because we think we never do know members of the Church in per- repent; enough or that what we do is never haps a hundred countries. We have “And inasmuch as they were hum- good enough. felt the power in their simple faith. ble they might be made strong, and Some needlessly carry a heavy bur- Their individual testimonies and their blessed from on high, and receive den of guilt which could be removed sacrifice have had a profound effect knowledge from time to time” (D&C through confession and repentance. on us. 1:17–20, 23–28; emphasis added). The Lord did not say of Oliver, I do not like to receive honors. Now another generation of youth “[If] he falls,” but “When he falls he Compliments always bother me, comes forward. We see a strength in shall rise again” (D&C 117:13; because the great work of moving the them beyond what we have seen emphasis added). gospel forward has in the past, does before. Drinking and drugs and moral Some years ago in the Philippines now, and will in the future depend mischief are not a part of their lives. we arrived early for a conference. upon ordinary members. They band together in study of the Sitting on the curb were a father and My wife and I do not expect reward gospel, in socials, and in service. mother and four small children for ourselves greater than will come They are not perfect. Not yet. They dressed in their Sunday best. They to our own children or to our parents. are doing the best they can, and they had come several hours on a bus and We do not press nor do we really are stronger than the generations that were having the first meal of the day. want our children to set great promi- came before. Each of them was eating a cob of cold, nence and visibility in the world or

NOVEMBER 2004 87 even in the Church as their goal in President Mills of the Japan Fukuoka incredible number of the leaders life. That has so very little to do with Mission was prevented from attend- had joined the Church as teenagers. the worth of the soul. They will fulfill ing by an approaching ferocious Most of them had lost their fathers our dreams if they live the gospel and typhoon. The young zone leaders in the war. raise their children in faith. conducted that meeting with as much Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi of the Like John, “[We] have no greater inspiration and dignity as their mis- Seventy is one of that generation. joy than to hear that [our] children sion president might have done. We The calamities that the Lord fore- walk in truth” (3 John 1:4). left the next morning in gale-force saw now come upon an unrepentant Some years ago, as president winds, content to leave the missionar- world. At once, generation after gen- of the New England Mission, I left ies in their care. eration of youth come forward. They Fredericton, New Brunswick. It was Recently in Osaka, Japan, Elders are given in marriage. They keep the 40 degrees below zero. As the plane Russell Ballard and Henry Eyring of covenants made in the house of the taxied away from that small terminal, the Twelve and I, together with Lord. They have children and do not I saw two young elders standing out- President David Sorensen and others let society set limits upon family life. side, waving good-bye. I thought, of the Seventy, met with 21 mission Today we fulfill the prophecy “that “Foolish boys. Why do they not go presidents and 26 Area Authority [Oliver Granger’s] name shall be had inside where it’s warm?” Seventies. There were among the Area in sacred remembrance from genera- Suddenly there came over me a Authority Seventies Elder Subandriyo tion to generation, forever and ever” powerful prompting, a revelation: from Jakarta, Indonesia; Elder Chu-Jen (D&C 117:12). He was not a great man There in these two ordinary young Chia from Beijing, China; Elder in terms of the world. Nevertheless, missionaries stands the priesthood of Remus G. Villarete of the Philippines; the Lord said, “Let no man despise my Almighty God. I leaned back, content Elder Won Yong Ko from Korea; and servant Oliver Granger, but let the to leave the missionary work for that 22 others—only two Americans blessings . . . be on him forever and entire province of Canada in their among them. It was a uniting of ever” (D&C 117:15). hands. It was a lesson I have never nations, tongues, and people. None Let no one underestimate forgotten. of them are paid. They all serve freely, the power of faith in the ordinary Eight weeks ago Elder William grateful to be called to the work. Latter-day Saints. Remember the Lord Walker of the Seventy and I held a We reorganized stakes in Okazaki, said, “Inasmuch as ye have done it zone conference in Naha for 44 mis- Sapporo, and Osaka, Japan. All three unto one of the least of these my sionaries on the island of Okinawa. of the new stake presidents and an brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40). He promised that “the Holy Ghost shall be [their] constant companion, and [their] scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and [their] dominion shall be an ever- lasting dominion, and without compul- sory means it shall flow unto [them] forever and ever” (D&C 121:46). Nothing! No power can stop the progress of the Lord’s work. “How long can rolling waters remain impure? What power shall stay the heavens? As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course, or to turn it up stream, as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down knowl- edge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints” (D&C 121:33). Of this I bear an apostolic witness, John and Celina Sun arrive for a conference broadcast in Papeete, Tahiti. in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. ■

88