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Seventh President of the Church. Member of the Council of Twelve from October 16, 1882, and President of the Council from November 23, 1916, to November 23, 1918. President of the Church from November 23, 1918, to 1945.

I realize the beauties of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I rejoice exceedingly in a knowledge of the divinity of the work in which we are engaged. I rejoice in knowing that all the gifts and graces and every power, privilege and blessing which has ever been enjoyed by the Saints of God in any dispensation of the Gospel upon the earth, are enjoyed today by the Latter-day Saints. I rejoice in knowing that the things which should be enjoyed, the blessings, the healing power of Almighty God, the inspiration of His Spirit whereby men and women have manifestations from Him, the inspiration of the Spirit of God, whereby people speak with new tongues, and have the interpretation thereof, and each and every grace and gift, are enjoyed today by the Latter-day Saints.

I know that God lives, I know that Jesus is the Christ, I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, I know that the Gospel tree is alive, that it is growing, that the fruits of the Gospel growing upon the tree are good. I have reached out my hand, I have plucked the fruits of the Gospel, I have eaten of them and they are sweet, yea, above all that is sweet. That is the inspiration that comes to every Latter-day Saint who realizes the force of this Gospel that we have espoused. It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the plan of life and salvation. God lives; Jesus is the Christ, and He is the chief corner stone of this great work—He is directing it, and He will continue to direct it. He chose His prophet, and He gave him instructions and authority to establish this work; and the power and the [p.62] influence of Joseph Smith are now being felt as the Angel promised. His name is known for good or for evil all over the world; but it is not known for evil except by those who malign him. Those who know him, those who know of his teachings, know that his life was pure and that his teachings were, in very deed, God's law.

We have the plan of life and salvation; we have the ordinances of the Gospel not only for the living but for the dead. We have all that is necessary, not only for our own salvation, but that we may be in very deed "Saviors upon Mount Zion," and enter into the temples of our God and save our ancestors who have died without a knowledge of the Gospel.

There is no other people who love the Lord their God as do the Latter-day Saints—who give such absolute evidence of their love of God by their acts, by the sacrifices they make, by the labors they perform, by the diligence with which they strive to serve God and keep His commandments. There is no other people to be found where there is as much of brotherly love, of real harmony and good will, and a desire to bless their fellows, as can be found among the Latter-day Saints. There are over two thousand men, in nearly all parts of the world, proclaiming this Gospel of Jesus Christ; they are neglecting their business, they are separated from their families, from their friends, from their loved ones, from all that is near and dear to the natural heart of man, and the labor which they are performing is a labor of love, without hope of reward whatever in this life.

I want to bear witness that no man or woman ever lived, who kept the commandments of God and lived according to the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, whose example was not worthy of the imitation of all men and all women, in any land, and in any clime. This Gospel of Jesus Christ, which I have embraced, is in very deed the plan of life and salvation. It is in very deed the Gospel revealed again to the earth. It is the same Gospel that was proclaimed by our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ; and He gave His life in testimony of the same. And the lives of our Prophet and Patriarch were given as a witness to the divinity of the work in which we are engaged. For a hundred years this Gospel has been proclaimed to the world without money, without price. Freely we have received, and freely we have given to the world.

(See Biography of Heber J. Grant; Testimonies home page)