I am deeply grateful for this expression – humbled by the honor of having my name associated with Brigham Young University's new Agriculture and Food Institute.

May I express to you, President Oaks, my deep gratitude for those kind words of tribute. I am truly grateful that my life has been blessed with the opportunity to be of service to the agricultural community.
There is no pursuit more worthy, no profession more noble than the labor of one who provides food and clothing for his fellowmen. When ye are on the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God" (Mosiah 2:17). Agriculture has always been, is today, and always will be the basic industry.
I salute you for the theme you have chosen to be the beacon light for the institute. "Whoso receiveth you reveiveth me; and the same will feed you, and clothe you, and give you money" (D&C 84: 89).

If everyone who goes forth from this institute goes in that spirit, I am assured the whole world will be blessed by what we have begun here today.

Many of the nations of the world look to American agriculture for a pattern as they struggle to feed their teeming populations. Too often we, as benevolent Americans, have given them food instead of teaching them how to produce the food. Although much good has been done, there are far too many examples of failure in our government – sponsored food aid programs.

Against this background of far too many failures in traditional food aid programs and the rapidly growing number of God's children throughout the whole earth, it is abundantly clear that a new approach is in order.
However humble its beginning, lam assured that this internationally oriented Agriculture and Food Institute will become a vital part of this new approach.

I have always been reluctant to have my name – which I cherish and I am grateful for – attached to any movement or project which I do not, in some measure at least, direct. It is so easy for organizations begun with the highest motives to get off the track. But as an alumnus and trustee of Brigham Young University, I have great confidence in the ideals and philosophy of this university. I hope and pray it will ever be so.

Before taking office as Secretary of Agriculture, I drafted a general statement on agricultural policy. I subscribe more to its philosophy today than when it was drafted 23 years ago. May I commend some of the excerpts from that policy as a guiding philosophy for this institute.

The supreme test of any government policy, agricultural or other, should be "How will it affect the character, morale, and well-being of our people?" We need – and the world needs – a strong America in the critical years ahead.

Freedom is a God-given, eternal principle vouchsafed to us under the Constitution. It must be continually guarded as something more precious than life itself. It is doubtful if any man can be politically free who depends upon the state for sustenance. A completely planned and subsidized economy weakens initiative, discourages industry, destroys character, and demoralizes the people.

"The objective of agriculture is to provide consumers with high quality food and fiber at reasonable prices, improve the productivity of basic land resources, and contribute to higher levels of human nutrition and of living. The reward for these contributions must bean income that will provide the opportunity for a constantly rising level of living for farm people fairly related to that of other large productive groups of the nation.

"The most important method of promoting the long-time welfare of farm people and the nation is the support of adequate programs of research and education in the production, processing, marketing, and utilization of farm products and in problems of rural living. This program, with freedom, has enabled farmers to do their full share in providing the American people with the highest level of living in the world. Moderate, further balanced expansion is necessary to enable farmers to provide an even better diet for our rapidly increasing population.

"Our efforts should be to reorient our present national policies and programs so that they will contribute to the development of prosperous and productive agriculture within our free enterprise system.

"It is generally agreed that there is danger in the undue concentration of power in the Federal Government. Too many Americans are calling on Washington to do for them what they should be willing to do for themselves.

"Individual freedom and citizenship responsibility depend upon the principle of helping the individual to help himself.

"The principles of economic freedom are applicable to farm problems. We seek a minimum of restrictions on farm production and marketing to permit the maximum of dependence on free market prices as the best guides to production and consumption. Farmers should not be placed in the position of working for government bounty rather than producing for a free market.

"Inefficiency should not be subsidized in agriculture or any other segment of our economy. Relief programs should be operated as such – not as an aid to the entire agricultural industry. Emergency programs should be terminated as soon as the emergency is over.

"No agricultural program should be manipulated to serve partisan political purposes. Rural people are a bulwark against all that is aimed at weakening and destroying our American way of life. The future of agriculture and the preservation of a sound economic system depend on the vigorous re-emphasis of the principles, benefits, and values of private competitive enterprise. No group in
America is in a better position to contribute to this need than those who live on our farm and ranches. Agriculture is our most basic industry.

It is fitting that this institute have its beginning here at BYU, a place of learning with a worldwide reputation for its pursuit of how to use the resources they already have to feed and clothe their people, it becomes obvious that BYU is uniquely qualified to assume a role of leadership.

"Throughout the world – and I have seen most of it – there are vast resources waiting to be used for the betterment of mankind. The objective of this institute is to use the human, physical, and spiritual resources of BYU to help the people of the world help themselves improve their quality of life. In so doing, it is well to remember what the Lord has said in regard to the way this should be done. These statements are the basis of the Church Welfare Program:

For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves. Therefore, if every man shall take of the abundance which I have made, and impart not his portion, according to the law of my gospel, unto the poor and the needy, he shall, with the wicked, lift up his eyes in hell, being in torment" (D&C 104:17-18).

The Institute will be an agency of experimentation whereby the agricultural resources of the various lands can be evaluated, new technology applied, nutrition needs studied. Then, the beneficial results of this research can be implemented at the proper time through the worldwide priesthood channels of the Church, correlated through existing developing welfare service programs. In this manner, the delivery system for these programs will enjoy the effectiveness of the priesthood leadership throughout the world. The people will be taught to help themselves. And that is a vital part of God's plan.

Let me relate one little incident and I'll not prolong my remarks. Some of you may recall when Mr. Krushchev came to the United States. Before he came, a Soviet delegation of agricultural scientists and, I think, two or three farmers came. After we in the department of agriculture had entertained them, they wanted to see our mid-western agriculture, the corn-belt, so we arranged a tour for them. They flew to Des Moines, Iowa, and then went in cars to visit the farms. But at the end of the first day of tour, a man I had obtained as guide for them called me on the telephone and said, "Mr. Secretary, I am in trouble. These people won't believe me. They keep saying, "Where are the workers? You're hiding the workers.' I don't know what I am going to do to make them believe what they see." We talked for a while, and I said, "tomorrow morning, as you leave the hotel, why don't you let one of them lead and tell him to turn into any farm he wishes. That way he'll know that the farmers won't be expecting him." He said, "All right, let's try it." So he did, and at the end of the second day, he called and said, "Well, it worked pretty well. They're starting to believe that the American farmers are actually as efficient as they are. Yesterday, they wouldn't believe that one farmer, maybe with the help of a son or daughter, could operate 160 acres, 320, or even a section of land, but today they're convinced. Not only that, but they're asking now if they can but seed corn and some breeding hogs. They are going back and [will] attempt to duplicate the corn belt in Russia."

So they went back, and the man who had been the head of the delegation, Mr. Matskevich, made such a glowing report of what they were going to do in Russia to duplicate the United States corn belt that Mr. Krushchev made him Secretary of Agriculture. And then followed the great disaster: they plowed and planted a lot of grassland but succeeded only in creating a dust bowl. The growing season was not long enough, nor was the soil rich enough or deep enough. The project was almost a total failure. The new Secretary of Agriculture was fired – and since then I have said there is at least one place in the world where it is more difficult to be Secretary of Agriculture than in the United States.

The efficiency of agriculture in this country is unequaled anywhere in the world, and I have been in practically every important agricultural country in the world. There isn't anything to compare with it anywhere. Though the United States has only about six percent of the world population and seven percent of the land area, our gross national product is about forty percent of the world total. It exceeds that of all the Western European countries combined and is three times greater than that of the entire Far East (Urdang, Lawrence, ed. 1973. The Official Associated Press Almanac. New York: Almanac Publishing Company, inc. pp. 357, 568).

The United States is the most generous nation under heaven. We have put out 25 billion dollars' worth of food aid around the world – 84 percent of the world's total food aid in the last several years. Surely God has prospered this land. This is a miracle to people outside this country, and I am very proud of our agriculture and proud of men and women such as you for devoting your time and your study and research in preparing to help provide the leadership necessary to perpetuate and even improve the present efficiency of agriculture in this country. I am excited, as well as honored, by what has been done here today. The Agriculture and Food Institute is a great step forward. I congratulate those who have had the vision and inspiration to organize this agency of service to our fellowmen. And may I express the sincere gratitude of the Church and its worldwide membership to those great companies and individuals who have so willingly given of their financial resources to help finance the Institute. The whole world will be blessed by your generosity. And in turn you too will receive the Lord's goodness for what you have done. I think we have a great future in agriculture at BYU, and again I command you for what is being done and has been done, and invoke God's blessing upon you as you go forward. Again, may I thank you for the honor and expression which you have extended to me and the Benson family. It is an honor we shall always cherish. May the Lord's blessing continue to be with us all, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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