One cannot help but be uplifted and inspired just to worship in this historic Tabernacle and to listen to this glorious choir. It's been said that when Evan Stephens conducted the Tabernacle Choir, he was impressed one day with the message delivered by the late President Joseph F. Smith directed to the topic, "The Faith of Latter-day Saint Youth." After the session, Professor Stephens strolled alone up City Creek Canyon to the north, pondering the President's words. Suddenly the inspiration of heaven came upon him. And while seated on a large rock which stood firm against the pressures of the waters of City Creek, he took a pencil in hand and wrote these words: "Shall the youth of Zion falter In defending truth and right? While the enemy assaileth, Shall [they] shrink or shun the fight? No! True to the faith that [their] parents have cherished, True to the truth for which martyrs have perished, To God's command, Soul, heart, and hand, Faithful and true [they] will ever stand." In that early day, I am confident that youth had difficult problems to solve and vexing challenges to meet. Youth has never been a time of ease or of freedom from perplexing questions. It was not so then, and it surely isn't so today. In fact, with the passage of time, it appears that the problems of youth expand in scope. Accounts of theft, violence, drug abuse, pornography blare from the nation's television screens and peer from the pages of many daily newspapers. Unfortunately, these assumptions, these accounts, have the tendency to cause world opinion to make declarations such as "This is the worst generation yet; youth are not as good as yesteryear." How unfortunate are such conclusions. How grossly unfair. True, today is a new day, a day with new trials, new temptations, new troubles. But hundreds of thousands of Latter-day Saint youth live worthily and serve nobly, true to the faith, just as did their counterparts of an earlier generation. Because the difference between truth and error is so stark, exceptions to prevailing trends are noticed and appreciated by God-fearing people everywhere. Let me share with you, for example, a letter which one resident from the state of Minnesota wrote to the administration at Brigham Young University. He said: "Beginning December 22, I made a bus trip from southern Minnesota to Florida via Des Moines and Chicago and points south. "There was a large group of young men and women traveling the approximately same route from Des Moines. These fine young people were students from Brigham Young [University] going home for the holidays. "They were all very polite, well-behaved, articulate young men and women. It was a pleasure to travel with them--to know them--and it gave me a new hope for the future. "I realized that the university cannot do this. Young men and women of their caliber are the product of fine homes. The credit is due the parents. I cannot reach the parents, so my appreciation must go to the school." Such letters are not a rarity, but they are frequently received, for which we are very grateful. Latter-day Saint students are a beautiful example of faith in action. Another group which arouses interest and connotes faith is that veritable army of full-time missionaries, 26,600 strong, serving throughout the world. These young men and young women have prepared for a long time for that missionary call. And when the call is about to come, fathers become a little justifiably proud. And mothers, well, they become a little anxious. Well do I remember being present one day when we reviewed a missionary recommendation form on which the bishop had written: "This young man is outstanding. He was the president of his Aaronic Priesthood quorums. He was an Eagle Scout. He was the president of his high school class. He was the valedictorian. He lettered in track and in football. He, without a doubt, is the finest missionary candidate I have ever recommended." And then he wrote, "I am proud to be his father." [LAUGHTER]

Generally, the bishops and stake presidents write, "John is an outstanding young man. He has prepared himself for his mission spiritually, physically, economically. He will serve gladly and well wherever he is called." I was seated with President Spencer W. Kimball on one occasion when he was signing the formal letters of call to full-time missionaries. Suddenly he came upon the call of his own grandson, read it carefully, signed his name as the President, and then with his pen in hand wrote this personal note: "I'm proud of you. Love, Grandpa." [LAUGHTER] When that missionary call is received, the college textbook is closed. The scriptures are opened. Left behind are family, friends, and frequently a certain friend. [LAUGHTER] Dating, driving, dancing--the three Ds-- [LAUGHTER] --are exchanged for the three Ts: tracting, teaching, and testifying. Let's examine a few missionary profiles to see if we might better answer that question, "Shall the youth of Zion falter?" For profile number one, I turn to Jose Garcia from old Mexico. Born in poverty, nurtured in faith, he prepared for his call. His bishop wrote on the recommendation form, "Brother Garcia will serve at great sacrifice to his family. He has been the principal means of economic support of the family. He has but one possession--a treasured stamp collection--which he is willing to sell, if necessary, to help finance his mission." President Kimball listened attentively as this information was read, and then responded, "Have him sell his stamp collection. The sacrifice will be to him an eternal blessing." And then with a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face, this loving prophet said, "Every week, we receive hundreds of letters here at Church headquarters from all over the world. See that we save the stamps from those envelopes, and give them to Brother Garcia at the conclusion of his mission. Without a doubt, he'll have the finest stamp collection of any young man in all of Mexico."

There just seem to echo in my soul, from another time and from another place, the words of the Master: "And he looked up, and [beheld] the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. "And he [beheld] also a ... poor widow casting in thither two mites. "And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, ... this poor widow hath cast in more than they all." "For all [of] they did cast in of their abundance; but [this widow] of her want did cast in all that she had, even all [of] her living." For a second profile, journey with me to the Language Training Center at Brigham Young University. There we had a young man feverishly learning German prior to his departure for the Germany Munich Mission. Every day, when he would open his German grammar text, he would notice, with interest and concern and curiosity, a picture on the front cover. It depicted a very, very ancient and quaint house in Rothenburg, Germany. One day he said to himself, "Rothenburg, why, that's in my mission. One day I'm going to go to Rothenburg and teach the truth to whomsoever lives within that house." And he did. The result was the conversion and the baptism of Sister Helma Hahn. Today thousands of people flock to her little house, one of the most photographed objects in all of Germany. And not one leaves her presence without learning of the joy which the blessings of the gospel have brought to her. That young missionary took literally the divine injunction "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." For a third profile, I refer to a young missionary by the name of Mark Skidmore. When he received his call to the Norway Oslo Mission, he knew not one word of Norwegian. Yet he realized, to be effective on his mission, he needed proficiency in the language. He made a vow to himself that he would not again speak English, his native tongue, until he had first met and taught and baptized a Norwegian family. He prayed. He plodded. He pleaded. He worked. And after the trial of his faith came the desired blessing. He found, he taught, he baptized a choice family in Norway. Then for the first time in six months, he spoke in English. I was with him that week. His attitude was one of thanksgiving, humility. As I looked at him, I thought of the words of that courageous Captain Moroni, who declared: "I seek not for power. ... I seek not for [the] honor of the world, but for the glory of my God." For a final profile, I turn to a mother, the mother of a missionary in Star Valley, Wyoming. Star Valley is a harsh climate. The summers are brief and warm. The winters are long and very cold. A young missionary son, as he prepared for his mission, knew upon whom the burden of the farm would fall. His father was ill and limited. To Mother would come the task of caring for the farm, milking twice daily the small dairy herd which sustained the family. I was a mission president at that time, and all of us were called to Salt Lake City to attend a seminar. And one evening of the seminar was devoted to meeting the parents of our then-serving missionaries. Some of the parents were articulate, affluent, well-groomed. They had a lot of faith. Other parents were modest in their attire, shy, very retiring. They, too, had faith. But of all the parents with whom I met that night, the one best remembered was the mother from Star Valley, Wyoming.

When she took my hand in hers, I felt the calluses that spoke of the physical, manual labor that she performed each day. Apologetically, she attempted to excuse her rough hands and her wind-whipped face. And then she leaned over and kissed my cheek and whispered, "Tell our son Spencer that we love him, that we pray for him every morning and every night." Until that time, I had never seen an angel. I had never heard an angel's voice. But never again could I make that statement, for this angel mother, who, with that same hand in the hand of God, had walked bravely down into the valley of the shadow of death that she might bring to life her missionary son, had indelibly impressed my life. Nurtured by such mothers, missionaries match the description of Helaman's throng: "And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and ... for strength and activity; but ... this was not all--they were ... true at all times [to] whatsoever thing they were entrusted. "... They were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him." Such profiles teach truth. They instill confidence. They promote faith. They testify of goodness. They answer the question: "Shall the youth of Zion falter In defending truth and right? While the enemy assaileth, [Will they] shrink or shun the fight? No! True to the faith that [their] parents have cherished, True to the truth for which martyrs have perished, To God's command, Soul, heart, and hand, Faithful and true [they] will ever stand." My sincere prayer is that we will stand with the youth of Zion, true to the faith, for which I pray in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord, amen. Amen.