(An extract from the General Conference address of Elder Ezra Taft Benson, April 1958.)

My brethren and sisters, I love the Church and all that pertains to it. It has been my pleasure in the last few years to mingle with many people in and out of the Church. I am very grateful for the spirit of brotherhood and fellowship which we find in the Church. This spirit is a somewhat in- tangible thing. It is difficult to describe. But it is real — powerful — sweet. You have to feel it to appreciate it.

Recently with my wife, two daughters, and members of my staff, I made a world trade trip which took me into fourteen countries. In most of these countries I was very proud and happy to meet members of the Church. They were at the airports to welcome us and bid us farewell as we departed. Several groups came to the embassies to see us.

In far-off Japan it was a joy to join with some four hundred Japanese members of the Church in a Sunday morning service. We rejoiced to have the privilege to meet with our Mormon servicemen, some of whom had traveled a thousand miles to attend meetings on the Sabbath day. I will long remember the meeting with the Saints in Hong Kong, some of them refugees from Red China, and the spirit present as I met with local and full-time missionaries, and singled with the Saints. We met with groups of the Saints in Turkey, in Greece, in Spain, in France, in England. Yes, even in the country of Jordan we met a family or two of the Saints in a Union Sunday School, a Christian Sunday School attended by many fine people of various faiths. I had the glorious privilege of addressing the group, and I was very pleased to find in the leadership of the Sunday School a member of the Church living the gospel, promoting the kingdom through example and through word of mouth.

I had many pleasant gospel conversations. Good people — heads of states and other high officials in India, Pakistan, Jordan, Israel, Italy, Portugal, and other countries showed sincere interest in the Church and its people. Much Church literature has been mailed to new-found, good friends around the world. Their hospitality and friendliness will never be forgotten. Although we felt especially close to members of the Church, we were impressed with the fact that people everywhere are essentially good. They long for peace. They love their families and seek to improve themselves and raise their standards of living. I came back with a greater love for all of God’s children — for he has truly “made of one blood all nations.”