"For want of a knowledge of the true and living God, this world is today dying. And please do not be deceived. Such a knowledge is not widespread," said Elder Marion G. Romney, then of the Quorum of the Twelve, in an address at the October 1964 general conference.

"It is true that, in their great concern about world conditions, men are almost frantically proclaiming from the pulpit, the platform, over the air, and through the press that a return to God is the only way out of our difficulties. The tragedy is their cries, like Paul's trumpet of uncertain sound, are unheeded. Now the obvious reason is that neither the trumpeters nor the hearers know the God to whom we must return. They use the familiar term with which we are all so well acquainted. But when they attempt to define the God to whom they would have us return, they reveal a woeful lack of knowledge concerning the living and true God. Frequently they actually deny Him."The present world situation is not unlike that which prevailed in Athens, as portrayed in Paul's great sermon preached on Mars' hill." (See Acts 17:22-23.)

Elder Romney said that after delivering his "poignant but deserved thrust," Paul declared that God had made the world and all things therein and was therefore Lord of heaven and earth, that both he

PaulT and his hearers were the offspring of God.

"To us it seems almost incredible that in Paul's day men could have believed that graven images of gold or silver or stone fashioned by men's device were gods," Elder Romney said. "And yet, the evidence indicates that many today are as far afield in their concepts and belief in God as were the Athenian philosophers and populace in that day so long ago when Paul chided them on Mars' hill about worshiping a god whom they admittedly did not know."

Elder Romney cited examples, "not by way of contention but to illustrate how the concepts of men of the world differ from the true concepts of the living and true God."

He referred to a book an eminent scientist, "whose purpose is altogether commendable," wrote to prove that there is a God. In the book is the statement: " `Any effort to visualize God reveals a surprising childishness. We can no more conceive him than we can conceive an electron.' (Lecomte de Nouy, Human Destiny, p. 188.)

"And then to account for the birth and development of moral man, the author says that he was forced, and I quote, to admit `that the only possible logical interpretation of the facts coincided with that which recognized the existence of God; . . . We therefore,' I continue to quote, `used the consecrated name (God), but avoided as much as possible any anthropomorphic idea.' (Ibid., pp. 201-202.)

"Another writer says this: `Man makes God in his own image. . . . When man believes that God is personal, he believes rightly.

ButT to say that God is a person is no doubt an error.' (Maude Royden, The Garvin Lectures, 1949, p. 45.)

"These statements," noted Elder Romney, "indicate that their authors and those who hold their views neither know nor believe in the living and true God preached by Paul and Joseph Smith. Is it not a great tragedy for men today to be walking in such darkness when they might be walking in the light if they would but look and see? This situation brings to mind the Savior's statement: `The light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not; . . . ' (D&C 88:49.)

"In connection with this statement the Lord adds another phrase [in the same verse] which I love. `Nevertheless,' he says, `the day shall come when you shall comprehend even God, being quickened in him and by him.' "