April 1895
Cannon, George Q. "Discourse." The Deseret Weekly, May 11, 1895: pg. 641-645.
Lyman, Francis M. "Church Organization." The Deseret Weekly, June 14, 1895: pg. 801-802.
Richards, Franklin D. "Records of the Saints." The Deseret Weekly, September 14, 1895: pg. 385-387.
Smith, Joseph F. "Discourse." The Deseret Weekly, May 18, 1895: pg. 673-675.
Snow, Lorenzo. "Discourse." The Deseret Weekly, June 1, 1895: pg. 737-738.
Talmage, James E. "The Tobacco Habit." The Deseret Weekly, June 22, 1895: pg. 1-3.
Taylor, John W. "Discourse." The Deseret Weekly, July 6, 1895: pg. 65-66.
Teasdale, George. "Discourse." The Deseret Weekly, June 29, 1895: pg. 33-34.
The Deseret Weekly. "Annual Conference." April 13, 1895: pg. 513-518.
Woodruff, Wilford. "The Power of Evil." The Deseret Weekly, April 27, 1895: pg. 577-579.
Young, Brigham. "Discourse." The Deseret Weekly, June 8, 1895: pg. 769-770.
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
PRESIDENT WILFORD WOODRUFF
ELDER ABRAHAM H. CANNON
ELDER MARRINER W. MERRILL
ELDER JOHN W. TAYLOR
Discourse
AFTERNOON SESSION, 2 p. m.
ELDER HEBER J. GRANT
ELDER GEORGE TEASDALE
Discourse
PRESIDENT WILFORD WOODRUFF
PRESIDENT GEORGE Q CANNON
SECOND DAY. MORNING SESSION April 6, 10 a.m.
ELDER FRANCIS M. LYMAN
Church Organization
ELDER BRIGHAM YOUNG, JR.
Discourse
ELDER FRANKLIN D. RICHARDS
Records of the Saints
PRESIDENT GEORGE Q CANNON
AFTERNOON SESSION 2 p.m.
Sustaining of the General Authorities
PRESIDENT LORENZO SNOW
Discourse
PRESIDENT GEORGE Q. CANNON
ELDER JAMES E. TALMAGE
The Tobacco Habit
THIRD DAY, April 7, 10 a.m.
PRESIDENT WILFORD WOODRUFF
The Power of Evil
PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH
Discourse
OVERFLOW MEETING
ELDER GEORGE TEASDALE
ELDER EDWARD STEVENSON
ELDER ABRAHAM H. CANNON
AFTERNOON’S SESSION Sunday, April 7, 2 p.m.
PRESIDENT GEORGE Q. CANNON
Discourse
PRESIDENT WILFORD WOODRUFF
Lyman, Francis M. "Church Organization." The Deseret Weekly, June 14, 1895: pg. 801-802.
Richards, Franklin D. "Records of the Saints." The Deseret Weekly, September 14, 1895: pg. 385-387.
Smith, Joseph F. "Discourse." The Deseret Weekly, May 18, 1895: pg. 673-675.
Snow, Lorenzo. "Discourse." The Deseret Weekly, June 1, 1895: pg. 737-738.
Talmage, James E. "The Tobacco Habit." The Deseret Weekly, June 22, 1895: pg. 1-3.
Taylor, John W. "Discourse." The Deseret Weekly, July 6, 1895: pg. 65-66.
Teasdale, George. "Discourse." The Deseret Weekly, June 29, 1895: pg. 33-34.
The Deseret Weekly. "Annual Conference." April 13, 1895: pg. 513-518.
Woodruff, Wilford. "The Power of Evil." The Deseret Weekly, April 27, 1895: pg. 577-579.
Young, Brigham. "Discourse." The Deseret Weekly, June 8, 1895: pg. 769-770.
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
PRESIDENT WILFORD WOODRUFF
ELDER ABRAHAM H. CANNON
ELDER MARRINER W. MERRILL
ELDER JOHN W. TAYLOR
Discourse
AFTERNOON SESSION, 2 p. m.
ELDER HEBER J. GRANT
ELDER GEORGE TEASDALE
Discourse
PRESIDENT WILFORD WOODRUFF
PRESIDENT GEORGE Q CANNON
SECOND DAY. MORNING SESSION April 6, 10 a.m.
ELDER FRANCIS M. LYMAN
Church Organization
ELDER BRIGHAM YOUNG, JR.
Discourse
ELDER FRANKLIN D. RICHARDS
Records of the Saints
PRESIDENT GEORGE Q CANNON
AFTERNOON SESSION 2 p.m.
Sustaining of the General Authorities
PRESIDENT LORENZO SNOW
Discourse
PRESIDENT GEORGE Q. CANNON
ELDER JAMES E. TALMAGE
The Tobacco Habit
THIRD DAY, April 7, 10 a.m.
PRESIDENT WILFORD WOODRUFF
The Power of Evil
PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH
Discourse
OVERFLOW MEETING
ELDER GEORGE TEASDALE
ELDER EDWARD STEVENSON
ELDER ABRAHAM H. CANNON
AFTERNOON’S SESSION Sunday, April 7, 2 p.m.
PRESIDENT GEORGE Q. CANNON
Discourse
PRESIDENT WILFORD WOODRUFF
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The Sixty-fifth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints convened in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 5, 1895. The following authorities were on the stand:
Of the First Presidency—Wilford Woodruff, George Q. Cannon, Joseph F. Smith; of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles—Lorenzo Snow, Franklin D. Richards, Brigham Young [Jr.], Francis M. Lyman, George Teasdale, Heber J. Grant, John W. Taylor, Marriner W. Merrill, Abraham H. Cannon; Patriarch John Smith; of the Presidency of the Seventies—Seymour B. Young, George Reynolds, J. G. Kimball and R. S. Wells; of the Presiding Bishopric—William B. Preston, Robert T. Burton and John R. Winder.
There were also many Presidents of Stakes and other prominent Elders from various parts of this Territory and contiguous regions.
Conference was called to order by President George Q. Cannon.
The choir sang the hymn:
All hail the glorious day,
By Prophets long foretold.
The opening prayer was offered by Elder George Teasdale.
Singing by the choir:
Come, dearest Lord, descend and dwell,
By faith and love, in every breast.
The Sixty-fifth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints convened in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 5, 1895. The following authorities were on the stand:
Of the First Presidency—Wilford Woodruff, George Q. Cannon, Joseph F. Smith; of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles—Lorenzo Snow, Franklin D. Richards, Brigham Young [Jr.], Francis M. Lyman, George Teasdale, Heber J. Grant, John W. Taylor, Marriner W. Merrill, Abraham H. Cannon; Patriarch John Smith; of the Presidency of the Seventies—Seymour B. Young, George Reynolds, J. G. Kimball and R. S. Wells; of the Presiding Bishopric—William B. Preston, Robert T. Burton and John R. Winder.
There were also many Presidents of Stakes and other prominent Elders from various parts of this Territory and contiguous regions.
Conference was called to order by President George Q. Cannon.
The choir sang the hymn:
All hail the glorious day,
By Prophets long foretold.
The opening prayer was offered by Elder George Teasdale.
Singing by the choir:
Come, dearest Lord, descend and dwell,
By faith and love, in every breast.
PRESIDENT WILFORD WOODRUFF
said: I feel that all our hearts this morning should be filled with gratitude and thanksgiving to God, our heavenly Father, for the blessings which we as a people enjoy. A long generation, as men count time, has passed away with all its events connected with the last dispensation of the fullness of times, in our day and generation. The Church of Christ has been organized in fulfilment of the revelations of God, which were given by men who were moved upon by the gift of the Holy Ghost in their day and generation. Many nations and the islands of the sea have heard the proclamation of the Gospel. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been organized, not only here, but among many nations, and tens of thousands of the sons of God have been gathered together, here in the land of Zion. The Gospel has been preached according to the promises of God unto the nations, by men who have been called and sent forth to warn the inhabitants of the earth of those great events which are to come to pass before the coming of the Son of Man.
We ourselves have passed through many of those scenes which have been prophesied of by the ancient Patriarchs an Prophets called of God, and today we dwell here in the mountains of Israel. The Lord has enabled His people to rear temples to the name of the Most High God, here and in other parts of the earth; here the dead have been redeemed and the living blessed, and the promises of God have been carried out according to His words to holy men from Abraham to Joseph Smith. I feel myself that we should be filled with gratitude for the blessings we enjoy from time to time. I hope and pray that while we assemble together we may enjoy the Spirit of God and our hearts be united together as the heart of one man; that our prayers may be drawn out before the Lord, that His blessings may be with us and that those who speak to us may do so by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost and the power of God.
I feel to thank God for myself that I have lived to see this day and have mingled with the brethren for so many years, and my life has still been preserved so that I may endeavor to do something with the Saints for the redemption of the children of men. I hope and pray that the blessings and power of God may rest upon the Apostles and Elders and the Saints of God while we are together upon this occasion. This is my desire and prayer unto the Lord my God in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
said: I feel that all our hearts this morning should be filled with gratitude and thanksgiving to God, our heavenly Father, for the blessings which we as a people enjoy. A long generation, as men count time, has passed away with all its events connected with the last dispensation of the fullness of times, in our day and generation. The Church of Christ has been organized in fulfilment of the revelations of God, which were given by men who were moved upon by the gift of the Holy Ghost in their day and generation. Many nations and the islands of the sea have heard the proclamation of the Gospel. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been organized, not only here, but among many nations, and tens of thousands of the sons of God have been gathered together, here in the land of Zion. The Gospel has been preached according to the promises of God unto the nations, by men who have been called and sent forth to warn the inhabitants of the earth of those great events which are to come to pass before the coming of the Son of Man.
We ourselves have passed through many of those scenes which have been prophesied of by the ancient Patriarchs an Prophets called of God, and today we dwell here in the mountains of Israel. The Lord has enabled His people to rear temples to the name of the Most High God, here and in other parts of the earth; here the dead have been redeemed and the living blessed, and the promises of God have been carried out according to His words to holy men from Abraham to Joseph Smith. I feel myself that we should be filled with gratitude for the blessings we enjoy from time to time. I hope and pray that while we assemble together we may enjoy the Spirit of God and our hearts be united together as the heart of one man; that our prayers may be drawn out before the Lord, that His blessings may be with us and that those who speak to us may do so by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost and the power of God.
I feel to thank God for myself that I have lived to see this day and have mingled with the brethren for so many years, and my life has still been preserved so that I may endeavor to do something with the Saints for the redemption of the children of men. I hope and pray that the blessings and power of God may rest upon the Apostles and Elders and the Saints of God while we are together upon this occasion. This is my desire and prayer unto the Lord my God in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
ELDER ABRAHAM H. CANNON
was the next speaker. He expressed his pleasure at the fact that the Saints were again permitted to assemble in General Conference under favorable circumstances. Notwithstanding all the trials that had confronted them they were still in a comparatively happy and prosperous condition. Some of the greatest of these perplexing conditions were in the nature of financial burdens. He believed that at no distant day the Lord would open the way for deliverance from these distressing surroundings. Progress in spiritual matters was liable to be impeded by the necessity of attention being too much engrossed with temporal subjects. He was specially desirous that the burdens of the First Presidency might be speedily lifted. The Church, however, was not in a critical condition, as its credit was superior to that of anything else in the country. It had a great and liberal people behind it.
The requests directed to the Church from the Stakes were too great, and ought to be curtailed. He believed that if the Bishops and other leading officers would look about them and devise means of employment and develop resources, such demands would be unnecessary, and distress and poverty would vanish. If this course were taken remunerative labor would be plentiful, and the present situation be relieved. The speaker was aware of the fact that some of the unemployed people of this city had pieces of land which are not cultivated. Why should not this source of productivity be utilized? He knew of a man who supported himself and family by the cultivation, for the production of vegetables, of one acre and a quarter of ground. It was not pleasing in the sight of God for men to spend their time idly upon the streets when such opportunities for labor existed. Why should those located here await the coming of people from the East to establish industries. When they come the residents donate money and land to assist them in inaugurating industrial establishments. Why could not the people here do this independently, of themselves, without awaiting the coming of strangers. The speaker named individual instances of men of thrift and industry removing from this city to other stakes and wresting a livelihood from the fruitful soil. It was not necessary, however, neither was it wise for the Saints to go to regions greatly distant from here. There were numerous facilities in the immediate vicinity and localities not very remote.
The experience of employers has proved that many men are unable to direct in wisdom their own work, to say nothing of directing the work of others. Every man should be, as far as possible, the master of his own labors; if this could not be done, he should place himself under the direction of one who had ability and the inspiration of God. Every man, woman and child should be a producer. All such, if industrious and capable, would always be able to secure employment. Any honorable work, with any wage, is better than idleness and poverty. The straitened circumstances of capitalists prevent them from engaging in the enterprises which characterized the past few years and hence the duty incumbent upon every man to look after his labor and to avoid idleness and consequent sin.
was the next speaker. He expressed his pleasure at the fact that the Saints were again permitted to assemble in General Conference under favorable circumstances. Notwithstanding all the trials that had confronted them they were still in a comparatively happy and prosperous condition. Some of the greatest of these perplexing conditions were in the nature of financial burdens. He believed that at no distant day the Lord would open the way for deliverance from these distressing surroundings. Progress in spiritual matters was liable to be impeded by the necessity of attention being too much engrossed with temporal subjects. He was specially desirous that the burdens of the First Presidency might be speedily lifted. The Church, however, was not in a critical condition, as its credit was superior to that of anything else in the country. It had a great and liberal people behind it.
The requests directed to the Church from the Stakes were too great, and ought to be curtailed. He believed that if the Bishops and other leading officers would look about them and devise means of employment and develop resources, such demands would be unnecessary, and distress and poverty would vanish. If this course were taken remunerative labor would be plentiful, and the present situation be relieved. The speaker was aware of the fact that some of the unemployed people of this city had pieces of land which are not cultivated. Why should not this source of productivity be utilized? He knew of a man who supported himself and family by the cultivation, for the production of vegetables, of one acre and a quarter of ground. It was not pleasing in the sight of God for men to spend their time idly upon the streets when such opportunities for labor existed. Why should those located here await the coming of people from the East to establish industries. When they come the residents donate money and land to assist them in inaugurating industrial establishments. Why could not the people here do this independently, of themselves, without awaiting the coming of strangers. The speaker named individual instances of men of thrift and industry removing from this city to other stakes and wresting a livelihood from the fruitful soil. It was not necessary, however, neither was it wise for the Saints to go to regions greatly distant from here. There were numerous facilities in the immediate vicinity and localities not very remote.
The experience of employers has proved that many men are unable to direct in wisdom their own work, to say nothing of directing the work of others. Every man should be, as far as possible, the master of his own labors; if this could not be done, he should place himself under the direction of one who had ability and the inspiration of God. Every man, woman and child should be a producer. All such, if industrious and capable, would always be able to secure employment. Any honorable work, with any wage, is better than idleness and poverty. The straitened circumstances of capitalists prevent them from engaging in the enterprises which characterized the past few years and hence the duty incumbent upon every man to look after his labor and to avoid idleness and consequent sin.
ELDER MARRINER W. MERRILL
followed. He had learned long ago that the system of religion adopted by the Latter-day Saints originated not with man but with the Lord. This testimony came to him in his youth, and he had never doubted its truth since that time. Those who had gathered here from the nations and had become identified with the Church of Christ, should examine themselves, and sit in judgment upon their fellowship with the Lord, that wickedness might be eliminated from their natures, and they be led in the way of light.
Not talking, but doing, would count with the Lord. The outer show of accomplishments was as nothing compared with walking humbly and faithfully in righteousness, with tithes, prayers, fasting, attendance at meetings, peace in the family and with neighbors, and secret devotions. The peace and joy of secret devotion was referred to as productive of great satisfaction, not obtainable by any other means. The happiest people among the Latter-day Saints were those who lived nearest to the Lord and did their duty most fully. They had no cause to complain of their leaders, but their hearts were always full of prayer and blessings for the Priesthood of God.
Revelation was not confined to any particular class, but it was for the people at large in their own private affairs in secret devotion this revelation was most manifest, and it was public only in the case of those who were in a position to direct the affairs of the people as a whole. Joseph Smith had been called to lead the entire people, and hence the publicity of his revelations. With the ordinary man the manifestation would be to the inward heart, producing joy and satisfaction. Each one in this conference should have examined his heart, and if it was in a proper condition he would have a time of refreshing and gladness, and carry the spirit of the conference to his home.
The speaker bore record to the truth of the remarks of Elder Abraham H. Cannon. He regretted the tendency now so prevalent, to call upon the trustee-in-trust for appropriations to apply on various enterprises. Proper consideration of circumstances should prompt the people to help themselves in their Stake and ward affairs, or in private enterprises. Labor enough was wasted every year in various wards, to build meeting houses or to carry on any similar enterprise, and the utilizing of this labor would produce a beneficial result on the people themselves, in addition to relieving the general authorities of a great deal of their financial anxiety.
followed. He had learned long ago that the system of religion adopted by the Latter-day Saints originated not with man but with the Lord. This testimony came to him in his youth, and he had never doubted its truth since that time. Those who had gathered here from the nations and had become identified with the Church of Christ, should examine themselves, and sit in judgment upon their fellowship with the Lord, that wickedness might be eliminated from their natures, and they be led in the way of light.
Not talking, but doing, would count with the Lord. The outer show of accomplishments was as nothing compared with walking humbly and faithfully in righteousness, with tithes, prayers, fasting, attendance at meetings, peace in the family and with neighbors, and secret devotions. The peace and joy of secret devotion was referred to as productive of great satisfaction, not obtainable by any other means. The happiest people among the Latter-day Saints were those who lived nearest to the Lord and did their duty most fully. They had no cause to complain of their leaders, but their hearts were always full of prayer and blessings for the Priesthood of God.
Revelation was not confined to any particular class, but it was for the people at large in their own private affairs in secret devotion this revelation was most manifest, and it was public only in the case of those who were in a position to direct the affairs of the people as a whole. Joseph Smith had been called to lead the entire people, and hence the publicity of his revelations. With the ordinary man the manifestation would be to the inward heart, producing joy and satisfaction. Each one in this conference should have examined his heart, and if it was in a proper condition he would have a time of refreshing and gladness, and carry the spirit of the conference to his home.
The speaker bore record to the truth of the remarks of Elder Abraham H. Cannon. He regretted the tendency now so prevalent, to call upon the trustee-in-trust for appropriations to apply on various enterprises. Proper consideration of circumstances should prompt the people to help themselves in their Stake and ward affairs, or in private enterprises. Labor enough was wasted every year in various wards, to build meeting houses or to carry on any similar enterprise, and the utilizing of this labor would produce a beneficial result on the people themselves, in addition to relieving the general authorities of a great deal of their financial anxiety.
ELDER JOHN W. TAYLOR
next addressed the Conference. He had been highly delighted with the instructions of the previous speakers. They had portrayed the necessity for the people being employed. Some of the people need employment for their minds as well as their hands. He delighted to belong to an organization in which a man could express his own views without restriction and in which all things were done by common consent. He had been thinking of the early history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He understood that Joseph Smith was raised up to establish the Gospel in its fulness. He was not prepared beforehand by attendance at educational institutions. He was taken by divine call from the field where he labored with his father. From the time he received the call to do the great work he was destined to accomplish, he was subjected to the attacks of Satan. The animosity and machinations of men were directed against him, and continued until he laid down his life for the testimony of Jesus. This opposition should not be a matter of surprise, as Joseph Smith was an instrument in the hand of God in invading the dominion of Satan. The speaker then alluded to the persecutions against the Church suffered by the Saints in Ohio, Missouri and Illinois. These conditions caused some of those who had embraced the Gospel to fall by the way and make shipwreck of their faith. During one critical situation of the Church there were only two even of the quorum of the Twelve Apostles who stood true and steadfast to Joseph the Prophet—Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball. Those who turned away from the Church in its days of tribulation were such as received the seed of the Gospel in stony ground. The speaker could see the same disposition cropping out in our own day. He referred to those who took satisfaction in and gave endorsement to falsehoods that were being published against the Church of Christ. He did not refer to people who were not connected with the Church by membership, but to those who were. He dwelt for some time upon the necessity of the Saints shunning and avoiding every disposition in the direction of finding fault with the servants of God. He did not regret that fault was found with the presiding authorities of the Church. It was an evidence that the latter were walking in the line of their exalted duties. The concluding portion of Elder Taylor’s discourse was in the nature of advice to the Saints to avoid the spirit of fault-finding.
next addressed the Conference. He had been highly delighted with the instructions of the previous speakers. They had portrayed the necessity for the people being employed. Some of the people need employment for their minds as well as their hands. He delighted to belong to an organization in which a man could express his own views without restriction and in which all things were done by common consent. He had been thinking of the early history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He understood that Joseph Smith was raised up to establish the Gospel in its fulness. He was not prepared beforehand by attendance at educational institutions. He was taken by divine call from the field where he labored with his father. From the time he received the call to do the great work he was destined to accomplish, he was subjected to the attacks of Satan. The animosity and machinations of men were directed against him, and continued until he laid down his life for the testimony of Jesus. This opposition should not be a matter of surprise, as Joseph Smith was an instrument in the hand of God in invading the dominion of Satan. The speaker then alluded to the persecutions against the Church suffered by the Saints in Ohio, Missouri and Illinois. These conditions caused some of those who had embraced the Gospel to fall by the way and make shipwreck of their faith. During one critical situation of the Church there were only two even of the quorum of the Twelve Apostles who stood true and steadfast to Joseph the Prophet—Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball. Those who turned away from the Church in its days of tribulation were such as received the seed of the Gospel in stony ground. The speaker could see the same disposition cropping out in our own day. He referred to those who took satisfaction in and gave endorsement to falsehoods that were being published against the Church of Christ. He did not refer to people who were not connected with the Church by membership, but to those who were. He dwelt for some time upon the necessity of the Saints shunning and avoiding every disposition in the direction of finding fault with the servants of God. He did not regret that fault was found with the presiding authorities of the Church. It was an evidence that the latter were walking in the line of their exalted duties. The concluding portion of Elder Taylor’s discourse was in the nature of advice to the Saints to avoid the spirit of fault-finding.
Discourse
Delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Friday, April 5th, 1895, by Elder John W. Taylor.
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
It gives me great pleasure to have the privilege of meeting with the Latter-day Saints in this conference. I need not say to you that I have been highly delighted with the sound instruction that we have received this morning and the testimonies that have been borne by Elders A. H. Cannon and M. W. Merrill. These brethren have been portraying to this congregation the great necessity for the people being employed. I imagine that some people also need their minds employed. I delight, my brethren and sisters, to belong to an association that worships God, and where all things are done by common consent. I delight to be numbered among that people where every man can speak his own views without feeling under any restrictions. I delight in being associated with an organization where there is a perfect law of liberty extended unto the members thereof. Paul the Apostle said he was not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it was the power of God unto salvation unto all those who believed, and a perfect law of liberty,--that is, perfect liberty to do what was right.
While sitting on my seat I have been going over a little of the early history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In speaking of these things I have to depend entirely upon what I have read and what I have heard others say; but as near as I can understand Joseph Smith came to establish the Church of Christ upon the earth in this the dispensation of the fulness of times. He was not a graduate of college. He was not a man who prepared himself to be the leader of this great dispensation. He was an ordinary man, laboring with his father in the fields. But the Lord had mercy upon the young man, and undoubtedly he had been ordained before the foundations of the earth were laid to come forth in this dispensation to be the medium through which the Lord should reveal His mind and will unto the children of men.
But there is one thing I have noticed; from the very time that the Prophet Joseph went out to pray in secret in the woodlands in the State of New York, the power of Satan has been manifest. That power attacked the young man to such an extent that it seemed like it would destroy him; but our Father in heaven and His Son Jesus Christ, condescending to answer the prayers of the young Prophet, came down and visited him, and the power of Satan was at once banished. Now, is it not strange that the devil could not allow this young man to be alone while he poured out his soul unto God? It may seem strange to some, but I must confess that I have got to that condition of mind where it does not look strange to me. We find that the Prophet of the Lord, in going to keep his appointments with the angel Moroni, was interrupted and waylaid by ruffians who desired to destroy his life. We find that the ministers of the various denominations in the region in which he lived were aroused with bitter animosity against him, and from that time forth it was one continual stream of oppression and opposition, until the day he laid down his life for the testimony of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I think the Prophet was arrested some forty-nine times and honorably acquitted of the charges that were made against him.
While traveling in the Southern States, I visited the home of Colonel Charles Zachary, a resident of Henry county, Georgia. He had attended a meeting that was held by Elder Mathias F. Cowley and myself, and invited us to his home after the meeting. He was a man of prominence and experience, his hair was as white as snow. He said to me that there was something strange and remarkable about the Mormon people. He remembered well of hearing many years ago of a young prophet called Joseph Smith, that professed to receive revelations from the Lord, in the State of New York. He also remembered hearing of him going to Ohio, and from there to some of the western states. He said he had been reading the newspaper for about forty years, and had read a great many articles about the Latter-day Saints, but had never read anything good about them. But, he said, what has impressed me very strongly is the fact that you people have grown and multiplied and finally you are taking a part in the politics of the nation. He remarked that he thought he could see something in the destiny of the Mormons that had a greater power with it than the power of man. Well, I felt complimented to belong to the organization to which this gentleman referred.
After the Prophet had left the state of New York he was busy all the time, and the opposition against him became great and powerful. You all know the history of the persecution of the Saints in Missouri and in Illinois. The persecution began to have its effects upon some of the Latter-day Saints. As in the parable of the Savior, some of the seed had fallen upon stony ground, and when persecution came they turned away sorrowing; it was found that the seed had not taken good root. This can be seen in the early history of the Church. There was one man who held the position of counselor to the Prophet Joseph Smith; he was a great orator, and he became so enthused with the power of his oratory that he thought he could carry the Kingdom of God before him, and he told the Prophet that he thought he could get along without him. The Prophet said, “You try it, Sidney.” He did try it, and he withered up and became almost unknown and lost his Priesthood, his gift, his power, as do all those who have turned their faces away from this people and opposed the presiding authority thereof from that day to this; but the kingdom of God has not been shaken, but has gone steadily forward and onward until it has arrived at a condition when there will be present during this conference representatives of from fifteen to twenty nations, who will hold up their hands to support Wilford Woodruff as a prophet, seer and revelator to this Church. Many of the Saints found fault with the Prophet Joseph. Some of the presiding authorities found fault with him; and at one time things had reached such a climax that there were only two of the Twelve Apostles, then present, who stood firm and faithful to the Prophet Joseph. Satan is a man of great intelligence, having dwelt with God the Eternal Father; and he knew that Joseph Smith was, in embryo, one of the greatest prophets that ever came forth among the children of men. Therefore, he sought by seizing hold of and overpowering him to blot out the possibility of the Church of God being organized in this the dispensation of the fulness of times. But this is another instance which shows that the wisdom of the Lord is greater than the cunning of the devil. The Lord came to the Prophet’s aid when he knelt in the woodlands in secret prayer, who was assailed by Satan, and he had strength given to him according to his day and he was released from the power of the evil one.
What I want to bring before your minds is this: Here were men who had testified that God the Eternal Father had given them a testimony, who had testified that Jesus Christ was the Son of the true and living God, and that Joseph Smith had been raised up as a prophet, and they turned their faces away from the servant of God in the hour of tribulation. These are they, my brethren and sisters, that the Savior likened unto the seed that fell upon stony ground and it did not grow. They stood firm for a little season, but when persecution came they found fault with the Prophet and spoke evil of the work of God.
Now, I can see that same spirit just as plainly today working among the Latter-day Saints as it worked in the State of Missouri in early times. I can see in the background one or two apostates, publishing a document to which they do not sign their names, crouching down behind the grass like an assassin who is going to leap upon the passer by and stab him in the back. I can see that same spirit of apostasy lurking underneath the surface, attacking the present presiding authorities of the Church. I refer, as an instance, to the correspondence to the New York Times that has appeared, in its recent issues, attacking President Cannon in a very shameful manner and inferring that the presiding authorities of this Church are deceiving this people, and plundering them. Bless your soul, this is only another inspiration of Satan, who prompted the persecutions in the state of Missouri until the people were worked up till they were willing to put the Prophet Joseph Smith to death. I am not speaking now of the people of the world; but there were Latter-day Saints, so-called, who willingly gave their consent to these things. And we have got men and women in our midst today who willingly give their consent to these falsehoods that are published abroad about those whom God has placed to preside over us. I want to tell you that no man, after having held up his right hand consenting to support certain men as the presiding authorities of this Church, can fight those men without breaking his covenants, and transgressing the commandments of the Almighty. Whether in a church or in a business capacity, where you make covenants to do certain things, if you do not do them you are covenant-breakers. Those who are free and clean from this may rejoice and be exceeding glad. I tell you the tongue of man was given unto him to confess the truth. The testimony of Jesus Christ is given unto this people that we may testify of Him. The presiding authorities of this Church are given unto this people that they may guide and direct us by the revelations of Almighty God. It is a day of prophets, or it is a day of nothing. Therefore, set your houses in order, and do not be finding fault with the presiding authorities of this Church. I hear of men saying that President Woodruff is an aged man, and Presidents Cannon and Smith have their own way about things. President Woodruff is eighty-eight years of age. How many men are here in this congregation that are eighty-eight years old? Christ gave to Peter the authority to bind on earth and it should be bound in heaven, to loose on earth and it should be loosed in heaven. Peter called unto his assistance James and John that they might counsel with him. What is the object of having a counselor? Is it that he shall sit down and be like a piece of wood? No! The place of the counselors in the presidency of this Church is to stand and hold up the arms of the Prophet until the sun goes down, if necessary, and Israel prevails. A counselor is supposed to counsel. He is supposed to have an opinion of his own. He is supposed to be filled with the power and inspiration of Almighty God; when old age overtakes the prophet, seer and revelator, his counselors are there to stand by and strengthen him, and to give counsel by virtue of the authority vested in them. I want to say that I rejoice exceedingly when there is so much fault found with the presiding authorities of this Church, because I know that the spirit of their calling is with them. I know that the enemies of Zion would like to see the watchmen step down from the towers of Zion, and leave the gates unguarded and the people at the mercy of a drove of ravenous wolves. But thanks be to the Lord our God that we have men, of long experience, and men who have been tried and proven in the Church of God, to stand in that great and important position. We are one, brethren and sisters; one in the testimony of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, one in a desire to build up the Church and to see the Latter-day Saints exalted to that great and honorable position which God testified they should occupy in the last days. We are not restricted in our opinions. I want to say, for the benefit of the Latter-day Saints and all the world, that I have belonged to the quorum of the Twelve Apostles for a number of years, have had the great privilege of meeting with the First Presidency often, and have always had the privilege of speaking my mind plainly and candidly, with out any restriction; and it has been the same with the other brethren. But I want to say this: when a question is decided, it is decided unanimously; and if I, being young, have made a fool of myself by differing continually with men of wisdom, and they show me wherein I am wrong, it is not to be supposed that I shall remain a fool forever, and not unite with my brethren. No, it is my duty always to acknowledge the truth. We delight that we are one. I delight to see the Presidency of this Church stand firm and steadfast and as one man, even as God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are one—not one in person, but one in faith, one in authority, one in principle and one in testimony.
I feel with all my heart to say to the Latter-day Saints, let us not become tainted with the spirit of fault-finding. Let us remember that the Holy Ghost guides us in the ways of all truth; and if we all have that spirit we all see alike. I want to tell you this; when you see the Presidency of the Church divided, and the Apostles divided, and the people divided in the things of God, then you will hear the glad shouts of our enemies, for they will rejoice exceedingly. Satan, the father of lies, and the instigator of all the persecutions against this people from the sixth day of April, 1830, until the present day, is just as full as ever of life, energy and determination to carry out his mission against the principles of truth and righteousness.
Brethren and sisters, if any of you have found fault with the Bishop of your word, or with the president of your Stake, or with the presiding authorities of the Church, go home and repent of your sins, and put your households in order. When your children ask you for bread, do not give unto them a scorpion in the way of slandering the presiding authorities of the Church; for I tell you the seed that you sow in the hearts of your children will be hard to uproot. I bear testimony unto you that no man speaking by the Spirit of the Lord will ever criticize the authorities of the Priesthood which God has placed over him, after he has had the privilege of lifting up his hand to either support or not support that man. Let us be one and not desire always to have our own way, and be determined to have it. For that reason the devil today is in opposition to the principles of truth and righteousness. He was determined to have his own way, and all those who were determined to have their own way went with him, to the number of about one-third of the hosts of heaven. Let us feel to say, “Our Father who art in heaven, thy will be done.” That is the spirit the Latter-day Saints should enjoy. May the Lord bless you, my brethren and sisters. And should there be any strangers present, I say unto them, God has revealed unto this people the principles of truth and righteousness; and if you will repent of your sins, and go down into the waters of baptism, you shall receive the testimony of the Holy Ghost, and you shall know for yourselves that what I say is true. God bless you all and the honest in heart in all the world, and help us to be worthy of eternal life, is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
The choir sang the anthem: Raise a song, a song of joy.
Benediction by Elder Angus M. Cannon.
Delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Friday, April 5th, 1895, by Elder John W. Taylor.
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
It gives me great pleasure to have the privilege of meeting with the Latter-day Saints in this conference. I need not say to you that I have been highly delighted with the sound instruction that we have received this morning and the testimonies that have been borne by Elders A. H. Cannon and M. W. Merrill. These brethren have been portraying to this congregation the great necessity for the people being employed. I imagine that some people also need their minds employed. I delight, my brethren and sisters, to belong to an association that worships God, and where all things are done by common consent. I delight to be numbered among that people where every man can speak his own views without feeling under any restrictions. I delight in being associated with an organization where there is a perfect law of liberty extended unto the members thereof. Paul the Apostle said he was not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it was the power of God unto salvation unto all those who believed, and a perfect law of liberty,--that is, perfect liberty to do what was right.
While sitting on my seat I have been going over a little of the early history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In speaking of these things I have to depend entirely upon what I have read and what I have heard others say; but as near as I can understand Joseph Smith came to establish the Church of Christ upon the earth in this the dispensation of the fulness of times. He was not a graduate of college. He was not a man who prepared himself to be the leader of this great dispensation. He was an ordinary man, laboring with his father in the fields. But the Lord had mercy upon the young man, and undoubtedly he had been ordained before the foundations of the earth were laid to come forth in this dispensation to be the medium through which the Lord should reveal His mind and will unto the children of men.
But there is one thing I have noticed; from the very time that the Prophet Joseph went out to pray in secret in the woodlands in the State of New York, the power of Satan has been manifest. That power attacked the young man to such an extent that it seemed like it would destroy him; but our Father in heaven and His Son Jesus Christ, condescending to answer the prayers of the young Prophet, came down and visited him, and the power of Satan was at once banished. Now, is it not strange that the devil could not allow this young man to be alone while he poured out his soul unto God? It may seem strange to some, but I must confess that I have got to that condition of mind where it does not look strange to me. We find that the Prophet of the Lord, in going to keep his appointments with the angel Moroni, was interrupted and waylaid by ruffians who desired to destroy his life. We find that the ministers of the various denominations in the region in which he lived were aroused with bitter animosity against him, and from that time forth it was one continual stream of oppression and opposition, until the day he laid down his life for the testimony of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I think the Prophet was arrested some forty-nine times and honorably acquitted of the charges that were made against him.
While traveling in the Southern States, I visited the home of Colonel Charles Zachary, a resident of Henry county, Georgia. He had attended a meeting that was held by Elder Mathias F. Cowley and myself, and invited us to his home after the meeting. He was a man of prominence and experience, his hair was as white as snow. He said to me that there was something strange and remarkable about the Mormon people. He remembered well of hearing many years ago of a young prophet called Joseph Smith, that professed to receive revelations from the Lord, in the State of New York. He also remembered hearing of him going to Ohio, and from there to some of the western states. He said he had been reading the newspaper for about forty years, and had read a great many articles about the Latter-day Saints, but had never read anything good about them. But, he said, what has impressed me very strongly is the fact that you people have grown and multiplied and finally you are taking a part in the politics of the nation. He remarked that he thought he could see something in the destiny of the Mormons that had a greater power with it than the power of man. Well, I felt complimented to belong to the organization to which this gentleman referred.
After the Prophet had left the state of New York he was busy all the time, and the opposition against him became great and powerful. You all know the history of the persecution of the Saints in Missouri and in Illinois. The persecution began to have its effects upon some of the Latter-day Saints. As in the parable of the Savior, some of the seed had fallen upon stony ground, and when persecution came they turned away sorrowing; it was found that the seed had not taken good root. This can be seen in the early history of the Church. There was one man who held the position of counselor to the Prophet Joseph Smith; he was a great orator, and he became so enthused with the power of his oratory that he thought he could carry the Kingdom of God before him, and he told the Prophet that he thought he could get along without him. The Prophet said, “You try it, Sidney.” He did try it, and he withered up and became almost unknown and lost his Priesthood, his gift, his power, as do all those who have turned their faces away from this people and opposed the presiding authority thereof from that day to this; but the kingdom of God has not been shaken, but has gone steadily forward and onward until it has arrived at a condition when there will be present during this conference representatives of from fifteen to twenty nations, who will hold up their hands to support Wilford Woodruff as a prophet, seer and revelator to this Church. Many of the Saints found fault with the Prophet Joseph. Some of the presiding authorities found fault with him; and at one time things had reached such a climax that there were only two of the Twelve Apostles, then present, who stood firm and faithful to the Prophet Joseph. Satan is a man of great intelligence, having dwelt with God the Eternal Father; and he knew that Joseph Smith was, in embryo, one of the greatest prophets that ever came forth among the children of men. Therefore, he sought by seizing hold of and overpowering him to blot out the possibility of the Church of God being organized in this the dispensation of the fulness of times. But this is another instance which shows that the wisdom of the Lord is greater than the cunning of the devil. The Lord came to the Prophet’s aid when he knelt in the woodlands in secret prayer, who was assailed by Satan, and he had strength given to him according to his day and he was released from the power of the evil one.
What I want to bring before your minds is this: Here were men who had testified that God the Eternal Father had given them a testimony, who had testified that Jesus Christ was the Son of the true and living God, and that Joseph Smith had been raised up as a prophet, and they turned their faces away from the servant of God in the hour of tribulation. These are they, my brethren and sisters, that the Savior likened unto the seed that fell upon stony ground and it did not grow. They stood firm for a little season, but when persecution came they found fault with the Prophet and spoke evil of the work of God.
Now, I can see that same spirit just as plainly today working among the Latter-day Saints as it worked in the State of Missouri in early times. I can see in the background one or two apostates, publishing a document to which they do not sign their names, crouching down behind the grass like an assassin who is going to leap upon the passer by and stab him in the back. I can see that same spirit of apostasy lurking underneath the surface, attacking the present presiding authorities of the Church. I refer, as an instance, to the correspondence to the New York Times that has appeared, in its recent issues, attacking President Cannon in a very shameful manner and inferring that the presiding authorities of this Church are deceiving this people, and plundering them. Bless your soul, this is only another inspiration of Satan, who prompted the persecutions in the state of Missouri until the people were worked up till they were willing to put the Prophet Joseph Smith to death. I am not speaking now of the people of the world; but there were Latter-day Saints, so-called, who willingly gave their consent to these things. And we have got men and women in our midst today who willingly give their consent to these falsehoods that are published abroad about those whom God has placed to preside over us. I want to tell you that no man, after having held up his right hand consenting to support certain men as the presiding authorities of this Church, can fight those men without breaking his covenants, and transgressing the commandments of the Almighty. Whether in a church or in a business capacity, where you make covenants to do certain things, if you do not do them you are covenant-breakers. Those who are free and clean from this may rejoice and be exceeding glad. I tell you the tongue of man was given unto him to confess the truth. The testimony of Jesus Christ is given unto this people that we may testify of Him. The presiding authorities of this Church are given unto this people that they may guide and direct us by the revelations of Almighty God. It is a day of prophets, or it is a day of nothing. Therefore, set your houses in order, and do not be finding fault with the presiding authorities of this Church. I hear of men saying that President Woodruff is an aged man, and Presidents Cannon and Smith have their own way about things. President Woodruff is eighty-eight years of age. How many men are here in this congregation that are eighty-eight years old? Christ gave to Peter the authority to bind on earth and it should be bound in heaven, to loose on earth and it should be loosed in heaven. Peter called unto his assistance James and John that they might counsel with him. What is the object of having a counselor? Is it that he shall sit down and be like a piece of wood? No! The place of the counselors in the presidency of this Church is to stand and hold up the arms of the Prophet until the sun goes down, if necessary, and Israel prevails. A counselor is supposed to counsel. He is supposed to have an opinion of his own. He is supposed to be filled with the power and inspiration of Almighty God; when old age overtakes the prophet, seer and revelator, his counselors are there to stand by and strengthen him, and to give counsel by virtue of the authority vested in them. I want to say that I rejoice exceedingly when there is so much fault found with the presiding authorities of this Church, because I know that the spirit of their calling is with them. I know that the enemies of Zion would like to see the watchmen step down from the towers of Zion, and leave the gates unguarded and the people at the mercy of a drove of ravenous wolves. But thanks be to the Lord our God that we have men, of long experience, and men who have been tried and proven in the Church of God, to stand in that great and important position. We are one, brethren and sisters; one in the testimony of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, one in a desire to build up the Church and to see the Latter-day Saints exalted to that great and honorable position which God testified they should occupy in the last days. We are not restricted in our opinions. I want to say, for the benefit of the Latter-day Saints and all the world, that I have belonged to the quorum of the Twelve Apostles for a number of years, have had the great privilege of meeting with the First Presidency often, and have always had the privilege of speaking my mind plainly and candidly, with out any restriction; and it has been the same with the other brethren. But I want to say this: when a question is decided, it is decided unanimously; and if I, being young, have made a fool of myself by differing continually with men of wisdom, and they show me wherein I am wrong, it is not to be supposed that I shall remain a fool forever, and not unite with my brethren. No, it is my duty always to acknowledge the truth. We delight that we are one. I delight to see the Presidency of this Church stand firm and steadfast and as one man, even as God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are one—not one in person, but one in faith, one in authority, one in principle and one in testimony.
I feel with all my heart to say to the Latter-day Saints, let us not become tainted with the spirit of fault-finding. Let us remember that the Holy Ghost guides us in the ways of all truth; and if we all have that spirit we all see alike. I want to tell you this; when you see the Presidency of the Church divided, and the Apostles divided, and the people divided in the things of God, then you will hear the glad shouts of our enemies, for they will rejoice exceedingly. Satan, the father of lies, and the instigator of all the persecutions against this people from the sixth day of April, 1830, until the present day, is just as full as ever of life, energy and determination to carry out his mission against the principles of truth and righteousness.
Brethren and sisters, if any of you have found fault with the Bishop of your word, or with the president of your Stake, or with the presiding authorities of the Church, go home and repent of your sins, and put your households in order. When your children ask you for bread, do not give unto them a scorpion in the way of slandering the presiding authorities of the Church; for I tell you the seed that you sow in the hearts of your children will be hard to uproot. I bear testimony unto you that no man speaking by the Spirit of the Lord will ever criticize the authorities of the Priesthood which God has placed over him, after he has had the privilege of lifting up his hand to either support or not support that man. Let us be one and not desire always to have our own way, and be determined to have it. For that reason the devil today is in opposition to the principles of truth and righteousness. He was determined to have his own way, and all those who were determined to have their own way went with him, to the number of about one-third of the hosts of heaven. Let us feel to say, “Our Father who art in heaven, thy will be done.” That is the spirit the Latter-day Saints should enjoy. May the Lord bless you, my brethren and sisters. And should there be any strangers present, I say unto them, God has revealed unto this people the principles of truth and righteousness; and if you will repent of your sins, and go down into the waters of baptism, you shall receive the testimony of the Holy Ghost, and you shall know for yourselves that what I say is true. God bless you all and the honest in heart in all the world, and help us to be worthy of eternal life, is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
The choir sang the anthem: Raise a song, a song of joy.
Benediction by Elder Angus M. Cannon.
AFTERNOON SESSION, 2 p. m.
Singing by the choir:
Guide us, O Thou great Jehovah,
Saints unto the promised land.
Prayer by Elder John D. T. McAllister.
Singing:
What was witnessed in the heavens?
Why, an angel, earthward bound.
Singing by the choir:
Guide us, O Thou great Jehovah,
Saints unto the promised land.
Prayer by Elder John D. T. McAllister.
Singing:
What was witnessed in the heavens?
Why, an angel, earthward bound.
ELDER HEBER J. GRANT
was the first speaker. He hoped that the remarks made during the Conference might have the effect of awakening the hearers to renewed diligence in the work which had been given the Saints of God. He felt to rejoice in the fact that he had been permitted to enter the service of God and work for the accomplishment of His purposes, and stated that humility and faithfulness would keep all similarly engaged in the line of their duty. Self-sufficiency would have the opposite effect. He desired all the Latter-day Saints to grow in a knowledge of God, and the only way to accomplish this was to keep the commandments of God and recognize His authority and assist to accomplish His purposes upon the earth. Those who neglected their duties showed too much of a tendency to find excuses for their dilatoriness. But he who did this was deficient in the Spirit of God. Every duty should be done in its fulness, in order that excuses might not be necessary, for such excuses had their origin in evil.
He regretted to say that many of the Latter-day Saints were careless in the performance of their duties. Laziness was worthy of contempt, and the idle man was always ailing, while the busy man was healthy and strong. So a building which was filled with machinery, constantly in operation, was capable of prolonged existence after an unoccupied building had crumbled into dust. Every man possessed ability in and of himself to accomplish something for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. He did not need to wait for others to tell him what to do.
Referring to fast offerings, the speaker said that too small a proportion of the amount necessary to support the poor was received from this source. Every ward, he said, could take care of its own poor, and this could be done by omitting one meal every month and giving its equivalent to the poor. This was a duty which should not be neglected. Yet only twenty-five per cent of the support of the poor was received by fast donations from the people, and last year $75,000 was appropriated from the general funds.
Tithing was not what it should be. If tithes and offerings were paid as they should be, there would be no need whatever for the Church to be in a crippled condition financially. He hoped all his hearers would be doers of the word of God in this and other respects.
was the first speaker. He hoped that the remarks made during the Conference might have the effect of awakening the hearers to renewed diligence in the work which had been given the Saints of God. He felt to rejoice in the fact that he had been permitted to enter the service of God and work for the accomplishment of His purposes, and stated that humility and faithfulness would keep all similarly engaged in the line of their duty. Self-sufficiency would have the opposite effect. He desired all the Latter-day Saints to grow in a knowledge of God, and the only way to accomplish this was to keep the commandments of God and recognize His authority and assist to accomplish His purposes upon the earth. Those who neglected their duties showed too much of a tendency to find excuses for their dilatoriness. But he who did this was deficient in the Spirit of God. Every duty should be done in its fulness, in order that excuses might not be necessary, for such excuses had their origin in evil.
He regretted to say that many of the Latter-day Saints were careless in the performance of their duties. Laziness was worthy of contempt, and the idle man was always ailing, while the busy man was healthy and strong. So a building which was filled with machinery, constantly in operation, was capable of prolonged existence after an unoccupied building had crumbled into dust. Every man possessed ability in and of himself to accomplish something for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. He did not need to wait for others to tell him what to do.
Referring to fast offerings, the speaker said that too small a proportion of the amount necessary to support the poor was received from this source. Every ward, he said, could take care of its own poor, and this could be done by omitting one meal every month and giving its equivalent to the poor. This was a duty which should not be neglected. Yet only twenty-five per cent of the support of the poor was received by fast donations from the people, and last year $75,000 was appropriated from the general funds.
Tithing was not what it should be. If tithes and offerings were paid as they should be, there would be no need whatever for the Church to be in a crippled condition financially. He hoped all his hearers would be doers of the word of God in this and other respects.
ELDER GEORGE TEASDALE
was the next speaker. Following is a brief synopsis of his remarks: Each individual had a character and a reputation. The latter was what we seemed to be, the former what we really were, and as God and the angels understood us to be. We would take our character—our individuality—with us when we left this sphere. No matter how upright a servant of God might be, he would not escape calumny. Even the Son of God did not escape this evil speaking. But it did not effect or injure His glorious character. In relation to the payment of tithing, we did not pay it to the Bishop, but to the Lord, who knew whether or not we performed this duty faithfully. We could not deceive Him. What God wanted was our heart; in other words our affections. We went on missions and our sons also engaged in this glorious labor. We did this because we loved God better than wealth and earthly distinction. At the family altar we tendered our gratitude to God and pleaded with him because we had confidence in him and revered him. There were men and women who were so self-sufficient that they did not solicit the Lord for anything. But only those who acknowledged the Lord in all things were in a position to receive the greatest blessings. Confidence might be reposed in a man who represented God and was in the line of his duty. Scholastic attainments without faith were characterized as worthless, for faith combined with works alone would bring about true progress.
The instructions of Moses to the people had not been repealed, and if men were kind to themselves they would live up to these and other precepts, and thus gain the reward promised to the faithful. No one who loved Jesus Christ would want the iniquities of the world. All who had the Spirit of God would wish to keep themselves unspotted from sin, and surely the authorities of the Church would desire to be in this condition. To stab a man in the back was a cowardly, unkind act, but chiefly disastrous to the perpetrator of the deed.
So far as men showed their faith and integrity in the work of God, would they receive the benefit of the work of God’s representatives on the earth. Those who were blessed with authority to do this could afford to be magnanimous, and the work of the Latter-day Saints in government in the past had proved that they could be trusted.
The only thing for the Saints was to attend to their duties in the Priesthood, and if they were to put any other duty ahead of these, they would be in a dangerous condition. If rulers should run the people into debt and bondage, they should be thrown out of office, and give place to those who would administer public affairs in a spirit of economy and honesty.
was the next speaker. Following is a brief synopsis of his remarks: Each individual had a character and a reputation. The latter was what we seemed to be, the former what we really were, and as God and the angels understood us to be. We would take our character—our individuality—with us when we left this sphere. No matter how upright a servant of God might be, he would not escape calumny. Even the Son of God did not escape this evil speaking. But it did not effect or injure His glorious character. In relation to the payment of tithing, we did not pay it to the Bishop, but to the Lord, who knew whether or not we performed this duty faithfully. We could not deceive Him. What God wanted was our heart; in other words our affections. We went on missions and our sons also engaged in this glorious labor. We did this because we loved God better than wealth and earthly distinction. At the family altar we tendered our gratitude to God and pleaded with him because we had confidence in him and revered him. There were men and women who were so self-sufficient that they did not solicit the Lord for anything. But only those who acknowledged the Lord in all things were in a position to receive the greatest blessings. Confidence might be reposed in a man who represented God and was in the line of his duty. Scholastic attainments without faith were characterized as worthless, for faith combined with works alone would bring about true progress.
The instructions of Moses to the people had not been repealed, and if men were kind to themselves they would live up to these and other precepts, and thus gain the reward promised to the faithful. No one who loved Jesus Christ would want the iniquities of the world. All who had the Spirit of God would wish to keep themselves unspotted from sin, and surely the authorities of the Church would desire to be in this condition. To stab a man in the back was a cowardly, unkind act, but chiefly disastrous to the perpetrator of the deed.
So far as men showed their faith and integrity in the work of God, would they receive the benefit of the work of God’s representatives on the earth. Those who were blessed with authority to do this could afford to be magnanimous, and the work of the Latter-day Saints in government in the past had proved that they could be trusted.
The only thing for the Saints was to attend to their duties in the Priesthood, and if they were to put any other duty ahead of these, they would be in a dangerous condition. If rulers should run the people into debt and bondage, they should be thrown out of office, and give place to those who would administer public affairs in a spirit of economy and honesty.
Discourse
Delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Friday, April 5th, 1895, by Elder George Teasdale.
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
I have listened with a great deal of pleasure, and I hope profit, to the excellent instructions that have been delivered from this stand, and I cannot help but think what an excellent people we should be if we would carry out the counsels of the Almighty. I frequently say that we should learn to be kind to ourselves, and if anybody is going to be benefited by keeping the commandments of God it is the individual that keeps them. There is one principle patent before us all the time, and that is that individually we have a character and a reputation. The reputation is what we seem to be, as others sit in judgment upon us; but the character is known to the angel of our presence and to the invisible intelligences by which we are surrounded. When we pass away we take our character with us. We do not take the gold and silver and the perishable things of the world; but we take our own dear selves. So I do not know that we need be so troubled about anybody else. I saw a scurrilous piece that was written in one of the papers, and that was furnished us in Mexico by the Salt Lake Herald, attacking one of the authorities of the Church. It made me think of the saying in Hamlet: “Be thou chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny.” Did you ever know a servant of God that ever did? What did they say of our grand Master, the Lord Jesus Christ? What kind of a reputation did He have? How was it with the Prophet Joseph Smith? Everybody that knew the man loved him. He was one of those men that improved upon acquaintance; the more you knew him the better you loved him. So it was with the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, was that their reputation? No; but it was their glorious character.
What is the use of us thinking we can deceive the Almighty? We talk about tithes and offerings. What does the Lord want with tithes and offerings? Do we pay to Him or do we pay to the Bishop? If I understand tithes and offerings, they are an offering unto the Lord. Jacob of old made a covenant with the Lord, and said, “Of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.” How do we pay our tithing—to the Bishop? I do not pay my tithing to the Bishop. I pay it to the Lord. He knows whether I pay it. He knows whether my heart is right with him or whether it is not. He knows whether I am deceiving Him. He has only asked for one little gift from any of us. What can we give to Him when we are dependent upon Him for everything that we have—for food, for raiment, for habitation, for all the means that comes into our hands? We may be so ignorant that we do not acknowledge this; nevertheless it is true. Yet there is something that we have which He prizes. What is it? “My son, give me thine heart.” “My daughter, give me thine heart.” What do I understand by this? I understand my affection; that I acknowledge His hand in all things, and that I have nothing that is dearer to me than my affection for Him. We love our wives and children. But the call comes to go on a mission. We take our lives in our hands, and we preach the Gospel to a people that do not seem to care much about it, and we ask them to come and enjoy the happiness that we have in the Church of God. Why do we do it? Because we have a greater affection for God than we have for wives and children, houses and lands, or anything else. I hope my affection will always be centered on the Almighty. I want to be redeemed back into His presence; and if I fail, there is an end to my happiness. When I go into my secret chamber and appeal to my Heavenly Father for something that I need, I go there simply because I want it. When gathered around the family altar, we tender our praises and thanksgivings to God for His protecting care; it is because we feel it. We want the fellowship of the Holy Ghost; there is no one else who can give it, and so we naturally ask Him. If we are in any trouble, we naturally go to our unseen Friend, the Father of our spirits, and we plead with Him, in the name of Jesus Christ, for just such things as we need. Do we not in this way manifest by our works that we have confidence in Him? Do we not manifest that we believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him? You see men and women that never do this. It is simply that they are too ignorant. They do not know the source from whence they are fed and clothed. They think it is their own smartness. They are so self-sufficient and so independent that they think it is all nonsense to ask the Lord for anything. Well, I know different. How do I know it? In my experience I know that the Lord God had been my friend; I know that He has guided and directed me. I never think of taking any step, without looking unto Him for counsel and advice. Otherwise what would we do, scattered as we are in the nations of the earth, and men and women coming unto us for advice? Do they come to us because of our superior ability or because of our scholastic attainments? No, they do not. Why do they come? Because we represent the Lord Jesus Christ, and they have faith in Him and in His Church, and they come to seek counsel at the fountainhead. They have perhaps been impressed themselves and they want to know if that impression is right, and when they receive something that comes exactly as they understand it, it is a source of satisfaction to them. The Sunday school girl who is sick in bed sends for her teacher, because she knows he is a good man. She wants to be anointed with oil and have the prayer of faith, and she knows her teacher has faith, because he has taught her. Can not you see from this that that child has faith, that she has some confidence in God and in the ordinances of His house? It is manifested by her works. When people are sick and the first thing they do is to send for a doctor. They manifest by their works that they have no faith in the anointing of oil and the prayer of faith, but they have faith in something else. It is a simple proposition to me that men and women are going to be rewarded according to their works. We manifest our faith by our works. The Lord has given His saints the cue: “Whosoever among you are sick, and have not faith to be healed, but believe, shall be nourished with all tenderness, with herbs and mild food, and that not by the hand of an enemy. And the Elders of the Church, two or more, shall be called and shall pray for and lay their hands upon them in my name; and if they die they shall die unto me, and if they live they shall live unto me.”
We talk about the progression of the Church in scholastic attainments. I would not give a fig for all your scholastic attainments if you have no faith. What better are you than the Gentile nations? They have the highest education that is possible to give, but they have little faith. They do not believe in God; they do not believe in the ordinances of His house; they are infidel to those precious principles that exalt men. Show me men and women who are advancing in faith and in righteousness, in meekness and in virtue, and I will show you a people that love the Lord God of Israel. Show me a people that are advancing in the iniquities of the world, and I will show you a people who despise the Almighty and are more in favor of the establishment of the kingdom of the adversary. We show it by our works. It does not matter much what our reputation is, we manifest what we really are by our works. We prove that we love the Lord God when silently we meditate upon the principles of righteousness and practice them. Malachi, in his last chapter, calls upon the people to remember the instructions that God gave to Moses on Mount Horeb. Have those laws ever been repealed? I think now. Do you not think it would be worth our while to study up these things and see what Malachi meant? to see whether we are living as we should live and whether we are in harmony with the revealed will of God? If we are kind to ourselves, we will do so.
I am interested in my own salvation. I am interested in striving for part in the first resurrection, and to have an invitation to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Can I attain to this by following after the fashions and the follies of modern Babylon and putting myself in harmony with their unfortunate condition? I think not, and God forbid that anyone should ever do so that loves the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to bear testimony here that there is no one that loves the Lord Jesus Christ that wants the iniquities of Babylon.
We talk sometimes about the First Presidency and Twelve Apostles. Did it ever occur to us that the Presidency and the Twelve are just as anxious to obtain their salvation as anyone else? Did it ever occur to us that they are as anxious to be in harmony with the revealed will of God as any other men or women in the kingdom of God, or any quorum of the Priesthood? Is it not to be supposed that they are just as much interested to keep themselves clean and unspotted from the blood and sins of this generation, and to manifest the power and love of God in their works by striving to do His will and keep His commandments? It is a cruel thing to stab a man in the dark. I pity anybody that would do it. God helps the poor creature who writes something that he is ashamed to put his name to. “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” If we love God, we will not do it. Such inspiration is from beneath. We want the inspiration from above. That is the reason we pray. We can only obtain it through prayer. You have your schools of theology. What can you do with them? All that you can do is to teach your scholars how to obtain the fellowship of the Holy Ghost and the revelations of Almighty God. And how can you obtain that? By being humble and childlike, and forsaking the world and all its abominations, and living a pure life. I do not care whether it is a child or an aged man, we are dependent upon the revelation of Almighty God; and we can only obtain this line upon line, precept upon precept, grace for grace. So far as we manifest our love for God and the principles of righteousness, so will we grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth.
My testimony is that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, and that He has raised up in these days the Prophet Joseph Smith; that He has organized His Church upon the earth, and that we have living Apostles and Prophets. Anciently He set in the church, first, Apostles, then Prophets and Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. He has done the same today. The world need not fear us. We are not going to exercise any unrighteous dominion. The inhabitants of this country need not be afraid of us, even if we had political power. We can afford to be generous; we can afford to honor them in their rights, if they cannot see just as we see. They have certain rights as citizens, and we are bound to recognize them. Even if we are bound to recognize them. Even if we were the head and front and had all the power, their rights would have to be respected. I say, therefore, they need not be afraid of us. I do not know much about what you are doing here only from the newspapers, as I live a long way off; but I know this: that the only way for us is to serve God and keep His commandments. Hear it, O Israel! And if you think that your political affairs are more to you than your Priesthood and your Priesthood meetings, I am sorry for you. The Lord knows our hearts. He knows whether I love Him. So far as politics is concerned, if I were here I think I would have sense enough to know how to vote in order that we may have a proper government. All we ask for is for honest men, who will properly represent us, and not plunge us head over heels into debt like we are today. Whenever a man is in debt he is in bondage. We are commanded in the Scriptures to owe no man anything, and if a man has the Spirit of the Lord he will try to keep out of debt. He may be forced into it sometimes, but as a general thing he will try to keep out of debt. My feeling is: Father in heaven, bless all Israel. Bless the men and women that love thee and are striving to keep thy commandments. Bless the men that thou has placed to be thy representatives over Stakes, over missions, over conferences, May thy power and blessings attend them, and the convincing power of thy Spirit rest upon thy ministering servants, that they may preach thy Gospel in the power and demonstration of thy Spirit and win souls to thee that shall be eternally saved, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Friday, April 5th, 1895, by Elder George Teasdale.
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
I have listened with a great deal of pleasure, and I hope profit, to the excellent instructions that have been delivered from this stand, and I cannot help but think what an excellent people we should be if we would carry out the counsels of the Almighty. I frequently say that we should learn to be kind to ourselves, and if anybody is going to be benefited by keeping the commandments of God it is the individual that keeps them. There is one principle patent before us all the time, and that is that individually we have a character and a reputation. The reputation is what we seem to be, as others sit in judgment upon us; but the character is known to the angel of our presence and to the invisible intelligences by which we are surrounded. When we pass away we take our character with us. We do not take the gold and silver and the perishable things of the world; but we take our own dear selves. So I do not know that we need be so troubled about anybody else. I saw a scurrilous piece that was written in one of the papers, and that was furnished us in Mexico by the Salt Lake Herald, attacking one of the authorities of the Church. It made me think of the saying in Hamlet: “Be thou chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny.” Did you ever know a servant of God that ever did? What did they say of our grand Master, the Lord Jesus Christ? What kind of a reputation did He have? How was it with the Prophet Joseph Smith? Everybody that knew the man loved him. He was one of those men that improved upon acquaintance; the more you knew him the better you loved him. So it was with the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, was that their reputation? No; but it was their glorious character.
What is the use of us thinking we can deceive the Almighty? We talk about tithes and offerings. What does the Lord want with tithes and offerings? Do we pay to Him or do we pay to the Bishop? If I understand tithes and offerings, they are an offering unto the Lord. Jacob of old made a covenant with the Lord, and said, “Of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.” How do we pay our tithing—to the Bishop? I do not pay my tithing to the Bishop. I pay it to the Lord. He knows whether I pay it. He knows whether my heart is right with him or whether it is not. He knows whether I am deceiving Him. He has only asked for one little gift from any of us. What can we give to Him when we are dependent upon Him for everything that we have—for food, for raiment, for habitation, for all the means that comes into our hands? We may be so ignorant that we do not acknowledge this; nevertheless it is true. Yet there is something that we have which He prizes. What is it? “My son, give me thine heart.” “My daughter, give me thine heart.” What do I understand by this? I understand my affection; that I acknowledge His hand in all things, and that I have nothing that is dearer to me than my affection for Him. We love our wives and children. But the call comes to go on a mission. We take our lives in our hands, and we preach the Gospel to a people that do not seem to care much about it, and we ask them to come and enjoy the happiness that we have in the Church of God. Why do we do it? Because we have a greater affection for God than we have for wives and children, houses and lands, or anything else. I hope my affection will always be centered on the Almighty. I want to be redeemed back into His presence; and if I fail, there is an end to my happiness. When I go into my secret chamber and appeal to my Heavenly Father for something that I need, I go there simply because I want it. When gathered around the family altar, we tender our praises and thanksgivings to God for His protecting care; it is because we feel it. We want the fellowship of the Holy Ghost; there is no one else who can give it, and so we naturally ask Him. If we are in any trouble, we naturally go to our unseen Friend, the Father of our spirits, and we plead with Him, in the name of Jesus Christ, for just such things as we need. Do we not in this way manifest by our works that we have confidence in Him? Do we not manifest that we believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him? You see men and women that never do this. It is simply that they are too ignorant. They do not know the source from whence they are fed and clothed. They think it is their own smartness. They are so self-sufficient and so independent that they think it is all nonsense to ask the Lord for anything. Well, I know different. How do I know it? In my experience I know that the Lord God had been my friend; I know that He has guided and directed me. I never think of taking any step, without looking unto Him for counsel and advice. Otherwise what would we do, scattered as we are in the nations of the earth, and men and women coming unto us for advice? Do they come to us because of our superior ability or because of our scholastic attainments? No, they do not. Why do they come? Because we represent the Lord Jesus Christ, and they have faith in Him and in His Church, and they come to seek counsel at the fountainhead. They have perhaps been impressed themselves and they want to know if that impression is right, and when they receive something that comes exactly as they understand it, it is a source of satisfaction to them. The Sunday school girl who is sick in bed sends for her teacher, because she knows he is a good man. She wants to be anointed with oil and have the prayer of faith, and she knows her teacher has faith, because he has taught her. Can not you see from this that that child has faith, that she has some confidence in God and in the ordinances of His house? It is manifested by her works. When people are sick and the first thing they do is to send for a doctor. They manifest by their works that they have no faith in the anointing of oil and the prayer of faith, but they have faith in something else. It is a simple proposition to me that men and women are going to be rewarded according to their works. We manifest our faith by our works. The Lord has given His saints the cue: “Whosoever among you are sick, and have not faith to be healed, but believe, shall be nourished with all tenderness, with herbs and mild food, and that not by the hand of an enemy. And the Elders of the Church, two or more, shall be called and shall pray for and lay their hands upon them in my name; and if they die they shall die unto me, and if they live they shall live unto me.”
We talk about the progression of the Church in scholastic attainments. I would not give a fig for all your scholastic attainments if you have no faith. What better are you than the Gentile nations? They have the highest education that is possible to give, but they have little faith. They do not believe in God; they do not believe in the ordinances of His house; they are infidel to those precious principles that exalt men. Show me men and women who are advancing in faith and in righteousness, in meekness and in virtue, and I will show you a people that love the Lord God of Israel. Show me a people that are advancing in the iniquities of the world, and I will show you a people who despise the Almighty and are more in favor of the establishment of the kingdom of the adversary. We show it by our works. It does not matter much what our reputation is, we manifest what we really are by our works. We prove that we love the Lord God when silently we meditate upon the principles of righteousness and practice them. Malachi, in his last chapter, calls upon the people to remember the instructions that God gave to Moses on Mount Horeb. Have those laws ever been repealed? I think now. Do you not think it would be worth our while to study up these things and see what Malachi meant? to see whether we are living as we should live and whether we are in harmony with the revealed will of God? If we are kind to ourselves, we will do so.
I am interested in my own salvation. I am interested in striving for part in the first resurrection, and to have an invitation to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Can I attain to this by following after the fashions and the follies of modern Babylon and putting myself in harmony with their unfortunate condition? I think not, and God forbid that anyone should ever do so that loves the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to bear testimony here that there is no one that loves the Lord Jesus Christ that wants the iniquities of Babylon.
We talk sometimes about the First Presidency and Twelve Apostles. Did it ever occur to us that the Presidency and the Twelve are just as anxious to obtain their salvation as anyone else? Did it ever occur to us that they are as anxious to be in harmony with the revealed will of God as any other men or women in the kingdom of God, or any quorum of the Priesthood? Is it not to be supposed that they are just as much interested to keep themselves clean and unspotted from the blood and sins of this generation, and to manifest the power and love of God in their works by striving to do His will and keep His commandments? It is a cruel thing to stab a man in the dark. I pity anybody that would do it. God helps the poor creature who writes something that he is ashamed to put his name to. “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” If we love God, we will not do it. Such inspiration is from beneath. We want the inspiration from above. That is the reason we pray. We can only obtain it through prayer. You have your schools of theology. What can you do with them? All that you can do is to teach your scholars how to obtain the fellowship of the Holy Ghost and the revelations of Almighty God. And how can you obtain that? By being humble and childlike, and forsaking the world and all its abominations, and living a pure life. I do not care whether it is a child or an aged man, we are dependent upon the revelation of Almighty God; and we can only obtain this line upon line, precept upon precept, grace for grace. So far as we manifest our love for God and the principles of righteousness, so will we grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth.
My testimony is that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, and that He has raised up in these days the Prophet Joseph Smith; that He has organized His Church upon the earth, and that we have living Apostles and Prophets. Anciently He set in the church, first, Apostles, then Prophets and Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. He has done the same today. The world need not fear us. We are not going to exercise any unrighteous dominion. The inhabitants of this country need not be afraid of us, even if we had political power. We can afford to be generous; we can afford to honor them in their rights, if they cannot see just as we see. They have certain rights as citizens, and we are bound to recognize them. Even if we are bound to recognize them. Even if we were the head and front and had all the power, their rights would have to be respected. I say, therefore, they need not be afraid of us. I do not know much about what you are doing here only from the newspapers, as I live a long way off; but I know this: that the only way for us is to serve God and keep His commandments. Hear it, O Israel! And if you think that your political affairs are more to you than your Priesthood and your Priesthood meetings, I am sorry for you. The Lord knows our hearts. He knows whether I love Him. So far as politics is concerned, if I were here I think I would have sense enough to know how to vote in order that we may have a proper government. All we ask for is for honest men, who will properly represent us, and not plunge us head over heels into debt like we are today. Whenever a man is in debt he is in bondage. We are commanded in the Scriptures to owe no man anything, and if a man has the Spirit of the Lord he will try to keep out of debt. He may be forced into it sometimes, but as a general thing he will try to keep out of debt. My feeling is: Father in heaven, bless all Israel. Bless the men and women that love thee and are striving to keep thy commandments. Bless the men that thou has placed to be thy representatives over Stakes, over missions, over conferences, May thy power and blessings attend them, and the convincing power of thy Spirit rest upon thy ministering servants, that they may preach thy Gospel in the power and demonstration of thy Spirit and win souls to thee that shall be eternally saved, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
PRESIDENT WILFORD WOODRUFF
made a brief explanation as to how the Church had been loaded with financial burdens. He showed that it had been mainly brought about by the action of the general government in seizing the property of the Saints. Much of that which was taken was money that the First Presidency did not have in possession and never had it. This action had entailed the undertaking of burdensome obligations. He spoke hopefully in relation to the prospect for the future, however, and exhorted the Saints to do all they could to make the burdens of the Church as light as possible by each local division being as far as practicable, self-supporting.
made a brief explanation as to how the Church had been loaded with financial burdens. He showed that it had been mainly brought about by the action of the general government in seizing the property of the Saints. Much of that which was taken was money that the First Presidency did not have in possession and never had it. This action had entailed the undertaking of burdensome obligations. He spoke hopefully in relation to the prospect for the future, however, and exhorted the Saints to do all they could to make the burdens of the Church as light as possible by each local division being as far as practicable, self-supporting.
PRESIDENT GEORGE Q CANNON
spoke briefly. He compared the condition of the Latter-day Saints with that of other communities. The drawing of this contrast was favorable to the people of this region. The speaker dwelt upon the paternal care exercised by the Church over the Saints, and showed that it was through its agency that this region had been populated and settlements fostered which would, except for its beneficent influence, never have been established. This statement was sustained by proofs furnished by the history of this great western commonwealth. He showed that the object of the Church was to establish righteousness and truth in the earth, this being its exalted mission.
The choir sang the anthem: O come, let us sing unto the Lord.
Benediction by Elder David M. Stuart
spoke briefly. He compared the condition of the Latter-day Saints with that of other communities. The drawing of this contrast was favorable to the people of this region. The speaker dwelt upon the paternal care exercised by the Church over the Saints, and showed that it was through its agency that this region had been populated and settlements fostered which would, except for its beneficent influence, never have been established. This statement was sustained by proofs furnished by the history of this great western commonwealth. He showed that the object of the Church was to establish righteousness and truth in the earth, this being its exalted mission.
The choir sang the anthem: O come, let us sing unto the Lord.
Benediction by Elder David M. Stuart
SECOND DAY. MORNING SESSION April 6, 10 a.m.
Singing by the choir:
Hark! listen to the trumpeters,
They sound for volunteers.
Prayer by Elder David H. Cannon.
The choir sang:
Earth with her ten thousand flowers,
Air with all its beams and showers.
Singing by the choir:
Hark! listen to the trumpeters,
They sound for volunteers.
Prayer by Elder David H. Cannon.
The choir sang:
Earth with her ten thousand flowers,
Air with all its beams and showers.
ELDER F. M. LYMAN
was the first speaker. He trusted that the Spirit of the Lord would rest abundantly upon all present during the Conference. He esteemed it a very great privilege to attend these General Conferences. It was necessary that the organization of this Church should be kept perfect, and that the burdens devolving upon us as a people should not be borne by few only. When our Stake organizations were made perfect there was no danger of any portion of the Kingdom being neglected. We met together on these occasions to receive the Word of God from the Presidency of the Church and other inspired servants of the Lord, and those who spoke to them were moved upon by the Holy Ghost; their words were the scriptures, just as were the words of the Savior and the Apostles of old, and were suited to the requirements of the people at the present time more particularly—of gathered Israel today. We had cities and towns to build, the land to subdue, and difficulties to meet, and it was necessary there should be a prophet, seer, and revelator such as President Woodruff was today, and those who had preceded him, to stand at the head of this great work. Then there were his two counselors and the Twelve Apostles—men who held the keys of the kingdom, with authority to regulate and set in order the affairs of the Church. If disorders appeared on the surface they should be looked after, just as a skillful physician dealt with a patient, and those upon whom the responsibility rested throughout the various Stakes should see that the people were well looked after, in order that their salvation might be made sure. It was in the nature of man to sin, and the brethren who had charge of this great work should look to it that all evils which came under their notice in the respective wards were checked in their incipiency. It was by the voice of the Lord that those who held authority in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had been called to fill their offices of responsibility. We, as a people, had no preference as to those who should stand at our head. We prayed to the Lord and said, “Thy will be done.” The matter was laid before Him, and His inspiration came to us by the Holy Ghost.
This kingdom had been organized by the inspiration of the Almighty, it was sustained by Him, and would be so to the end. It had been established on a firm foundation and would never grow less than it was today. On the contrary, it would increase in numbers as the faith of the Saints spread abroad. The fame of the Latter-day Saints was only just beginning to dawn, and the day was not far distant when thousands of people from the various parts of our land would come here to visit them and learn for themselves their true worth.
In conclusion Elder Lyman invoked the blessing of God upon the Saints, and prayed that the good work in which they were engaged would continue to prosper, in spite of the difficulties which sometimes seemed to beset it.
was the first speaker. He trusted that the Spirit of the Lord would rest abundantly upon all present during the Conference. He esteemed it a very great privilege to attend these General Conferences. It was necessary that the organization of this Church should be kept perfect, and that the burdens devolving upon us as a people should not be borne by few only. When our Stake organizations were made perfect there was no danger of any portion of the Kingdom being neglected. We met together on these occasions to receive the Word of God from the Presidency of the Church and other inspired servants of the Lord, and those who spoke to them were moved upon by the Holy Ghost; their words were the scriptures, just as were the words of the Savior and the Apostles of old, and were suited to the requirements of the people at the present time more particularly—of gathered Israel today. We had cities and towns to build, the land to subdue, and difficulties to meet, and it was necessary there should be a prophet, seer, and revelator such as President Woodruff was today, and those who had preceded him, to stand at the head of this great work. Then there were his two counselors and the Twelve Apostles—men who held the keys of the kingdom, with authority to regulate and set in order the affairs of the Church. If disorders appeared on the surface they should be looked after, just as a skillful physician dealt with a patient, and those upon whom the responsibility rested throughout the various Stakes should see that the people were well looked after, in order that their salvation might be made sure. It was in the nature of man to sin, and the brethren who had charge of this great work should look to it that all evils which came under their notice in the respective wards were checked in their incipiency. It was by the voice of the Lord that those who held authority in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had been called to fill their offices of responsibility. We, as a people, had no preference as to those who should stand at our head. We prayed to the Lord and said, “Thy will be done.” The matter was laid before Him, and His inspiration came to us by the Holy Ghost.
This kingdom had been organized by the inspiration of the Almighty, it was sustained by Him, and would be so to the end. It had been established on a firm foundation and would never grow less than it was today. On the contrary, it would increase in numbers as the faith of the Saints spread abroad. The fame of the Latter-day Saints was only just beginning to dawn, and the day was not far distant when thousands of people from the various parts of our land would come here to visit them and learn for themselves their true worth.
In conclusion Elder Lyman invoked the blessing of God upon the Saints, and prayed that the good work in which they were engaged would continue to prosper, in spite of the difficulties which sometimes seemed to beset it.
Church Organization.
Remarks made at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Saturday, April 6th, 1895, by Elder Francis M. Lyman.
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
I pray that the Spirit of the Lord may rest abundantly upon us, especially our brethren who are called upon to speak; for it is an unusual task to address so large an assembly. There is generally danger that we pitch our voices too high and they break upon us. I shall be pleased if I can speak just loud enough to be heard, and yet not waste any volume of my voice.
I esteem it a very great privilege to attend these general conferences. It is a very important matter that the people should gather together twice a year in general conference to transact the general business of the Church, by common consent. We also meet four times a year in every Stake to transact the business of the Stake. We meet at least once a year in our wards to transact the business of the wards. Changes continually become necessary through deaths and removals and other causes, and it seems essential that the organization of the Church and all of its departments be kept perfect, that there shall not be too much labor resting upon a few, but the responsibility be properly shared, according to the design of our Heavenly Father in the organization of His Church. I presume that this Church organization is a perfect one when it is kept complete, with the First Presidency and the general authorities. The labor is properly divided, and no one needs to be overworked. Then when our Stakes are complete in their organization, with the Presidency and a High Council, with Bishops and their counselors, and the regular helps in government, there is no need for any part being neglected. Hence I say that it is a very important part of our lives and experience that we meet together on occasions of this kind, not only to transact the business and keep the Church organization perfect, but that we may also receive the word of the Lord and the counsels of the Holy Spirit through the Presidency and the Apostles, who hold the keys of the kingdom, and who have held those keys from the beginning and will hold those keys to the end. When these men stand up before us to give us instruction, they do so as the oracles of heaven. They do not stand in their own strength, nor in their own wisdom. They are not given to preparing, by the light of their own experience and judgment, discourses to be presented before the people; but they store their minds with information, with every particle of light and wisdom and understanding that can be obtained from our Heavenly Father, and they stand before you to be moved upon by the Holy Ghost. And when they speak, they speak forth scripture; their words are scripture, just as the words of the apostles Peter, James and John and of the Nephite Apostles are scripture. Their words are the words of truth, the words of the Lord, and they are particularly suited to the requirements of the people at the present time. The words of the Lord that came through His servants in olden times were important and were fitted to the condition of the people who received them. The words of the Lord given to the Nephites under the direction of the Savior when He visited this continent were suited to the requirements of that people at that time. Yet the truths enunciated to the peoples of the east and of the west, so far as they pertain to doctrine and the plan of life and salvation, are suited also for us. But we find ourselves at times in emergencies and conditions that require the counsels of the Lord just suited to the occasion—counsels suited to a people located in the valleys of these mountains, not to the people of Jerusalem 1800 years ago, not to the people in South America 1400 years ago and more. Israel has been gathered today from the four corners of the earth, in answer to the establishment of the principles of salvation by the Savior. We have cities and towns to build; we have country to subdue, and counsels peculiar to the locations and to the circumstances that surround us are needed. We have an endless variety of experience and of difficulties to meet and grapple with in this life; and it is necessary that there should be three men standing as the presiding authority of the Church upon the earth, representing our Father who is in heaven, one man being the mouthpiece of God to the whole world, and a Prophet, Seer and Revelator, such as President Woodruff is today, and such as President John Taylor, President Brigham Young and President Joseph Smith were. As these men were in their day, so is President Woodruff today; and when President Woodruff’s work shall be filled, some other man designated by the voice of God will stand at the head of this great work upon the earth. The Lord will provide the man, and He will provide him two counselors, who shall also be men of God, competent to voice the mind and will of God to the people. Then associated with these three are the chose Twelve, the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb, who have been selected to stand by the Presidency, and to be a presiding traveling High Council to the Church, who hold the keys of the kingdom, with authority to regulate and set in order the affairs thereof. And under the discipline of the Church, that has so perfectly developed during its experience of sixty-five years today, this work has come to completion in its organization.
It is the business also of the presiding authorities of the Church to use their helps in government—Presidents of Stakes, High Councils, Bishops and their counselors, and the quorums of the Priesthood; to not only set in order occasionally, but to keep the Church in order, that it may be cared for in its organized capacity, and that the proper attention shall be given by the courts of the Church to see that whatever of unpleasantness or disagreement arises shall receive proper attention in the proper time; that if difficulties threaten, if disorders appear on the surface, they shall be looked after, just as the skillful physician looks after the health of a patient. It is the duty of these organizations to attend to these affairs. You who are acquainted with the conduct of the affairs of the Church know that the Presidency of the Church, when their attention is called to any special part of the kingdom or to any mission, or if there is any difficulty that needs prompt attention, they never neglect the matter, but messengers are forwarded at once. If there is difficulty in any Stake of Zion; if difficulty should arise in any mission, as did arise once upon the Sandwich Islands, and Apostles were sent post-haste to set in order and regulate the affairs of that mission—when such occasions arise, the First Presidency are competent and are authorized to take care of them, and they have all the helps that they require. They have not only the Twelve Apostles that can be sent with authority and power, but they have the Presidency and High Council of every Stake, and the Bishopric of every ward, as well as the quorums of the Priesthood and other helps in government in the midst of the Church. So that the Church is carefully cared for and the people are nourished, corrected, reproved, instructed and looked after, that their salvation may be secured. This is necessary; for we find that it is the nature of men to wander and to fall into sin. It is the nature of men to love the things that we ought not to indulge in. It needs therefore careful attention from the various authorities of the Church, so that whatever of evil presents itself may be checked in its incipiency. We have found in our experience that where the brethren who have charge of the various departments of the work give careful and early consideration to matters that require their attention, difficulties are easily cured and the people are readily relieved of any trouble that seems to threaten them. But if evil comes into their midst and it is neglected, it seems to poison the circulation of the community, and it becomes worse and worse, until it sometimes occurs that matters in a ward reach such a serious stage that the Bishopric of the ward is not competent to correct the evil. It is so also in a Stake. The result is, the matter goes from the Bishop to the High Council, and from the High Council to the First Presidency for their attention and consideration.
All these men who are called to these positions are chosen men. President Woodruff is a chosen vessel. His Counselors are chosen men. These Apostles are chosen men. These Presidents of Stakes are chosen me. They are men who have been chosen by the voice of the Lord. Our Father who dwells in heaven hath made choice of every one of these men, and we may go further: members of the High Councils are chosen by the voice of the Lord. These men are not in the field applying for places and position in the Church. And to my knowledge, there has been no such thing occurred in the history of this Church as a man applying for a position in the Presidency, in the Apostleship, or in any other position, not even as a Teacher in a ward. The Teachers have been called and chosen as well as these other brethren. The Bishop and his counselors cast their eyes over their brethren, weigh and measure them, and take note of their faith and their word to find Teachers. They do not always find perfect men. In fact, I do not think that up to this date a perfect man has been found among us. but the Lord has taken the very best material that He could get. He may not have taken all the best; there may be others that are just as good to make Presidents, Apostles, and Presidents of Stakes and Bishops, &c. as have been used; but, as a rule, as good men as we have among us have been selected. They have been chosen for their virtue, for their honesty, for their integrity, for their love of and devotion to the Gospel, and they are generally men who have been in the service of the Lord until the Holy Ghost has become their companion and their counselor and guide in all things as near as possible. I know in my experience, which has been considerable for a young man, that we put our heads together, we pray to God, we humble ourselves before the Lord and in every instance we say, “Father, manifest to us, by the Holy Spirit, who is the man to fill this position. We have no preferences, no brothers or kindred that we desire to promote, but thy will be done in the matter.” And the inspiration of the Lord comes to us by the Holy Ghost. There is no way for it to come but by the Holy Ghost. When the Holy Ghost signifies to us that a certain man shall be placed in a certain position, we take hold of him, and the people feel and understand that he is the man for the position. The Spirit of the Lord bears witness to the hearts of the brethren who hold the Priesthood and of the people. Those who bear the authority of Heaven have the right to appeal to the Lord and obtain from Him counsel and inspiration in regard to every matter of choice. This kingdom is organized by the inspiration of the Almighty. It is so sustained, and will be to the end. It will never grow less than it is today, but it will increase in numbers and spread abroad. As the people increase in numbers and faith the Church will increase in strength and power. Individuals may fall by the way; political and financial trials and a variety of others things may come in upon us; sins, secret and public, may come in upon us and destroy some; but the Church of Christ will go on forever, increasing and gaining strength and power. And it will be brought to the notice of the world more plainly and potently than it is today. The world will be brought to look upon this people as a marvel in the earth compared with all other people; and the noble and the great ones of the earth will come here to visit the Latter-day Saints, who are not learned people, not an aristocratic people, but a simple, plain people, gather from the honest, humble and conscientious of the world. The strength is in Israel’s God, not in the people; not in our hereditary greatness, but in our simplicity and our honesty and purity.
I speak of this that we may have a comprehensive view of the organization of this Church and of the importance of the business that we come together to transact in our conferences. It is necessary for the health, the prosperity, and advancement of the Church that this labor should be performed. Every quorum, every organization, and every association should be cared for, so that none shall be neglected, and that the Church may be in healthy condition, and that when the Bridegroom comes, we shall have oil in our lamps. That we may do His will and keep His commandments, and be worthy of His favor and blessing, His salvation and exaltation, is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Remarks made at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Saturday, April 6th, 1895, by Elder Francis M. Lyman.
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
I pray that the Spirit of the Lord may rest abundantly upon us, especially our brethren who are called upon to speak; for it is an unusual task to address so large an assembly. There is generally danger that we pitch our voices too high and they break upon us. I shall be pleased if I can speak just loud enough to be heard, and yet not waste any volume of my voice.
I esteem it a very great privilege to attend these general conferences. It is a very important matter that the people should gather together twice a year in general conference to transact the general business of the Church, by common consent. We also meet four times a year in every Stake to transact the business of the Stake. We meet at least once a year in our wards to transact the business of the wards. Changes continually become necessary through deaths and removals and other causes, and it seems essential that the organization of the Church and all of its departments be kept perfect, that there shall not be too much labor resting upon a few, but the responsibility be properly shared, according to the design of our Heavenly Father in the organization of His Church. I presume that this Church organization is a perfect one when it is kept complete, with the First Presidency and the general authorities. The labor is properly divided, and no one needs to be overworked. Then when our Stakes are complete in their organization, with the Presidency and a High Council, with Bishops and their counselors, and the regular helps in government, there is no need for any part being neglected. Hence I say that it is a very important part of our lives and experience that we meet together on occasions of this kind, not only to transact the business and keep the Church organization perfect, but that we may also receive the word of the Lord and the counsels of the Holy Spirit through the Presidency and the Apostles, who hold the keys of the kingdom, and who have held those keys from the beginning and will hold those keys to the end. When these men stand up before us to give us instruction, they do so as the oracles of heaven. They do not stand in their own strength, nor in their own wisdom. They are not given to preparing, by the light of their own experience and judgment, discourses to be presented before the people; but they store their minds with information, with every particle of light and wisdom and understanding that can be obtained from our Heavenly Father, and they stand before you to be moved upon by the Holy Ghost. And when they speak, they speak forth scripture; their words are scripture, just as the words of the apostles Peter, James and John and of the Nephite Apostles are scripture. Their words are the words of truth, the words of the Lord, and they are particularly suited to the requirements of the people at the present time. The words of the Lord that came through His servants in olden times were important and were fitted to the condition of the people who received them. The words of the Lord given to the Nephites under the direction of the Savior when He visited this continent were suited to the requirements of that people at that time. Yet the truths enunciated to the peoples of the east and of the west, so far as they pertain to doctrine and the plan of life and salvation, are suited also for us. But we find ourselves at times in emergencies and conditions that require the counsels of the Lord just suited to the occasion—counsels suited to a people located in the valleys of these mountains, not to the people of Jerusalem 1800 years ago, not to the people in South America 1400 years ago and more. Israel has been gathered today from the four corners of the earth, in answer to the establishment of the principles of salvation by the Savior. We have cities and towns to build; we have country to subdue, and counsels peculiar to the locations and to the circumstances that surround us are needed. We have an endless variety of experience and of difficulties to meet and grapple with in this life; and it is necessary that there should be three men standing as the presiding authority of the Church upon the earth, representing our Father who is in heaven, one man being the mouthpiece of God to the whole world, and a Prophet, Seer and Revelator, such as President Woodruff is today, and such as President John Taylor, President Brigham Young and President Joseph Smith were. As these men were in their day, so is President Woodruff today; and when President Woodruff’s work shall be filled, some other man designated by the voice of God will stand at the head of this great work upon the earth. The Lord will provide the man, and He will provide him two counselors, who shall also be men of God, competent to voice the mind and will of God to the people. Then associated with these three are the chose Twelve, the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb, who have been selected to stand by the Presidency, and to be a presiding traveling High Council to the Church, who hold the keys of the kingdom, with authority to regulate and set in order the affairs thereof. And under the discipline of the Church, that has so perfectly developed during its experience of sixty-five years today, this work has come to completion in its organization.
It is the business also of the presiding authorities of the Church to use their helps in government—Presidents of Stakes, High Councils, Bishops and their counselors, and the quorums of the Priesthood; to not only set in order occasionally, but to keep the Church in order, that it may be cared for in its organized capacity, and that the proper attention shall be given by the courts of the Church to see that whatever of unpleasantness or disagreement arises shall receive proper attention in the proper time; that if difficulties threaten, if disorders appear on the surface, they shall be looked after, just as the skillful physician looks after the health of a patient. It is the duty of these organizations to attend to these affairs. You who are acquainted with the conduct of the affairs of the Church know that the Presidency of the Church, when their attention is called to any special part of the kingdom or to any mission, or if there is any difficulty that needs prompt attention, they never neglect the matter, but messengers are forwarded at once. If there is difficulty in any Stake of Zion; if difficulty should arise in any mission, as did arise once upon the Sandwich Islands, and Apostles were sent post-haste to set in order and regulate the affairs of that mission—when such occasions arise, the First Presidency are competent and are authorized to take care of them, and they have all the helps that they require. They have not only the Twelve Apostles that can be sent with authority and power, but they have the Presidency and High Council of every Stake, and the Bishopric of every ward, as well as the quorums of the Priesthood and other helps in government in the midst of the Church. So that the Church is carefully cared for and the people are nourished, corrected, reproved, instructed and looked after, that their salvation may be secured. This is necessary; for we find that it is the nature of men to wander and to fall into sin. It is the nature of men to love the things that we ought not to indulge in. It needs therefore careful attention from the various authorities of the Church, so that whatever of evil presents itself may be checked in its incipiency. We have found in our experience that where the brethren who have charge of the various departments of the work give careful and early consideration to matters that require their attention, difficulties are easily cured and the people are readily relieved of any trouble that seems to threaten them. But if evil comes into their midst and it is neglected, it seems to poison the circulation of the community, and it becomes worse and worse, until it sometimes occurs that matters in a ward reach such a serious stage that the Bishopric of the ward is not competent to correct the evil. It is so also in a Stake. The result is, the matter goes from the Bishop to the High Council, and from the High Council to the First Presidency for their attention and consideration.
All these men who are called to these positions are chosen men. President Woodruff is a chosen vessel. His Counselors are chosen men. These Apostles are chosen men. These Presidents of Stakes are chosen me. They are men who have been chosen by the voice of the Lord. Our Father who dwells in heaven hath made choice of every one of these men, and we may go further: members of the High Councils are chosen by the voice of the Lord. These men are not in the field applying for places and position in the Church. And to my knowledge, there has been no such thing occurred in the history of this Church as a man applying for a position in the Presidency, in the Apostleship, or in any other position, not even as a Teacher in a ward. The Teachers have been called and chosen as well as these other brethren. The Bishop and his counselors cast their eyes over their brethren, weigh and measure them, and take note of their faith and their word to find Teachers. They do not always find perfect men. In fact, I do not think that up to this date a perfect man has been found among us. but the Lord has taken the very best material that He could get. He may not have taken all the best; there may be others that are just as good to make Presidents, Apostles, and Presidents of Stakes and Bishops, &c. as have been used; but, as a rule, as good men as we have among us have been selected. They have been chosen for their virtue, for their honesty, for their integrity, for their love of and devotion to the Gospel, and they are generally men who have been in the service of the Lord until the Holy Ghost has become their companion and their counselor and guide in all things as near as possible. I know in my experience, which has been considerable for a young man, that we put our heads together, we pray to God, we humble ourselves before the Lord and in every instance we say, “Father, manifest to us, by the Holy Spirit, who is the man to fill this position. We have no preferences, no brothers or kindred that we desire to promote, but thy will be done in the matter.” And the inspiration of the Lord comes to us by the Holy Ghost. There is no way for it to come but by the Holy Ghost. When the Holy Ghost signifies to us that a certain man shall be placed in a certain position, we take hold of him, and the people feel and understand that he is the man for the position. The Spirit of the Lord bears witness to the hearts of the brethren who hold the Priesthood and of the people. Those who bear the authority of Heaven have the right to appeal to the Lord and obtain from Him counsel and inspiration in regard to every matter of choice. This kingdom is organized by the inspiration of the Almighty. It is so sustained, and will be to the end. It will never grow less than it is today, but it will increase in numbers and spread abroad. As the people increase in numbers and faith the Church will increase in strength and power. Individuals may fall by the way; political and financial trials and a variety of others things may come in upon us; sins, secret and public, may come in upon us and destroy some; but the Church of Christ will go on forever, increasing and gaining strength and power. And it will be brought to the notice of the world more plainly and potently than it is today. The world will be brought to look upon this people as a marvel in the earth compared with all other people; and the noble and the great ones of the earth will come here to visit the Latter-day Saints, who are not learned people, not an aristocratic people, but a simple, plain people, gather from the honest, humble and conscientious of the world. The strength is in Israel’s God, not in the people; not in our hereditary greatness, but in our simplicity and our honesty and purity.
I speak of this that we may have a comprehensive view of the organization of this Church and of the importance of the business that we come together to transact in our conferences. It is necessary for the health, the prosperity, and advancement of the Church that this labor should be performed. Every quorum, every organization, and every association should be cared for, so that none shall be neglected, and that the Church may be in healthy condition, and that when the Bridegroom comes, we shall have oil in our lamps. That we may do His will and keep His commandments, and be worthy of His favor and blessing, His salvation and exaltation, is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
ELDER BRIGHAM YOUNG
followed. He said that God was willing to bestow His blessings upon His Saints if they, in the exercise of their agency, lived worthy lives. The power of choice rested with them as to whether they would follow the path of death or of life. Proper ambition, leading to life, should be encouraged, but covetousness of the things of the world by the Saints would be a sin, considering the favors God had bestowed upon them. All the privileges of laboring in sacred places for the salvation of the living and the redemption of the dead were peculiar to the Latter-day Saints, and if they would be humble and united they needed not to tremble for the future of their work. The Saints would not be free from the power of the adversary until they became a unit in spiritual matters, and were filled with love for and confidence in each other. One who had no confidence in the order of the Priesthood had no confidence in Him who established that order. All personal preferences must be sacrificed, if they should come in contact with the plan of God. This could be done only through full faith in the Almighty. Enemies might arise among the people, but union in their midst would arm them against all attacks. He had no fear for the future of the work of the Lord, or of the opposition it might meet. This would tend only to advertise the work of God. It was, perhaps, the only way to bring the Gospel before governors and kings, to take it there through opposition and trial. The thing for each to do was to accept what might come, and subject all personal feelings to the good of the general cause. If the judgment of each man with reference to the Church should be followed out, great confusion would be the result. On the other hand, they who would follow meekly and humbly the inspiration of the Spirit of God would be in a condition to inherit all His promises.
Adversity had never hindered the progress of God’s work, but by that means the individual faith of each, and consequently of the whole, had been increased, and it had come to the point where it was necessary for each to do his duty and trust to God for the rest. Thus would true union and equality before God be brought about, no matter what differences with regard to business or politics might exist or arise. Ephraim should be heirs of Jacob. and should attract the other tribes of Israel; this was the destiny of the Latter-day Saints. By the gathering of one of a city and two of a family would the redemption of the whole human family be brought about through the work of the living and the vicarious work in behalf of the dead. Would Ephraim continue in this great mission or rebel against it? The mercy of God to the Saints had made them prosperous; would this prosperity lessen their faithfulness in performing His work?
The purposes of God could be brought about only through His power, but He depended upon the union, faith, and labor of the Saints to assist in the accomplishment of this object. The time had come for dissensions to be thrown away, and for men and women and their children to unite in aiding in the regeneration of a fallen world. From this people must spiritual sustenance and improvement go to the world.
followed. He said that God was willing to bestow His blessings upon His Saints if they, in the exercise of their agency, lived worthy lives. The power of choice rested with them as to whether they would follow the path of death or of life. Proper ambition, leading to life, should be encouraged, but covetousness of the things of the world by the Saints would be a sin, considering the favors God had bestowed upon them. All the privileges of laboring in sacred places for the salvation of the living and the redemption of the dead were peculiar to the Latter-day Saints, and if they would be humble and united they needed not to tremble for the future of their work. The Saints would not be free from the power of the adversary until they became a unit in spiritual matters, and were filled with love for and confidence in each other. One who had no confidence in the order of the Priesthood had no confidence in Him who established that order. All personal preferences must be sacrificed, if they should come in contact with the plan of God. This could be done only through full faith in the Almighty. Enemies might arise among the people, but union in their midst would arm them against all attacks. He had no fear for the future of the work of the Lord, or of the opposition it might meet. This would tend only to advertise the work of God. It was, perhaps, the only way to bring the Gospel before governors and kings, to take it there through opposition and trial. The thing for each to do was to accept what might come, and subject all personal feelings to the good of the general cause. If the judgment of each man with reference to the Church should be followed out, great confusion would be the result. On the other hand, they who would follow meekly and humbly the inspiration of the Spirit of God would be in a condition to inherit all His promises.
Adversity had never hindered the progress of God’s work, but by that means the individual faith of each, and consequently of the whole, had been increased, and it had come to the point where it was necessary for each to do his duty and trust to God for the rest. Thus would true union and equality before God be brought about, no matter what differences with regard to business or politics might exist or arise. Ephraim should be heirs of Jacob. and should attract the other tribes of Israel; this was the destiny of the Latter-day Saints. By the gathering of one of a city and two of a family would the redemption of the whole human family be brought about through the work of the living and the vicarious work in behalf of the dead. Would Ephraim continue in this great mission or rebel against it? The mercy of God to the Saints had made them prosperous; would this prosperity lessen their faithfulness in performing His work?
The purposes of God could be brought about only through His power, but He depended upon the union, faith, and labor of the Saints to assist in the accomplishment of this object. The time had come for dissensions to be thrown away, and for men and women and their children to unite in aiding in the regeneration of a fallen world. From this people must spiritual sustenance and improvement go to the world.
Discourse
Delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Saturday, April 6th, 1895, by Elder Brigham Young.
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
For this blessing and privilege which we enjoy this morning I feel particularly grateful to our Father in heaven, and I trust that the Spirit of God will rest upon the speakers this day as it rested upon those yesterday. We have come here for a blessing, and God is willing we should have it. But the power is within us to enjoy the presence of the Holy Spirit or reject it; for the agency that God has given us is complete, and we can serve the Lord or the adversary, as we please. We may give way to a feeling of ambition, and promote desires in our hearts that lead unto death, or we may promote the presence of the Spirit of God, that leads unto eternal life. I think it is right to encourage ambition in the heart if it leads in this direction. But for us who have been highly favored of the Lord to covet the things of this world is a sin. Of all people that have ever lived upon the earth we should be entirely and thoroughly in the service of our Maker; for God has favored us as He has no other people. We have occasion to rejoice today in the liberty that we enjoy, the right and privilege to serve our God, to promote the interest and building up of the Church of Christ, attending to the ordinances of the house of God, laboring for the living and the dead in those sacred places which are unknown to the world, but known to God and those to whom they have been revealed through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. If this people are humble and united, they have naught to fear in the future, they need not tremble in the present, and it is our privilege to be filled with hope for the future. I know it is felt by some of the brethren that great things will be accomplished if we can step right in and be numbered with the States of the Union. People rejoiced exceedingly when a Territorial government was given to them. I presume we would rejoice if we could have a State government. But there is one direction in which I see light for this people, and that is in uniting together with that bond that cannot be broken—uniting together in the bond of the everlasting covenant which God has given us. Do I desire that should become a State? Yes. But I desire more and see greater light in the union of this people. If the Latter-day Saints are united and see eye to eye, God will give them all that is necessary for them to have accomplish His work. More than this I, for one, have never aspired to. He is abundantly able, but He will not bring this people to the point where they are entirely free from the power of the adversary until they are a united people before Him. That is the labor devolving upon this organization which has been portrayed to you by Brother Lyman. Union in the midst of the Latter-day Saints, love and affection, confidence in God, confidence in each other, are what we should be striving for. And I say that the man or the woman that has no confidence in the order established by our Father has no confidence in Him that established it. Whatever our feelings may be, they must be subdued; whatever our desires may be, they must be one, or this work will not prosper in our hands as individuals. So far as the body of the people are concerned and the work of God in the earth we need not trouble ourselves about that. Trouble ourselves with our own condition, with our own lives, with the desires that we are cultivating day by day in our hearts, and see to it that they reach unto Him who sits above and controls all things. Enemies will rise up against this people. Men will go out from us and become our enemies. Strong men, orators, warriors, statesmen will be arrayed against us; but if union is in the midst of this people, the light and power of God will be with them, and all the shafts of the adversary will fall harmless to the ground. I have no fear for the Church. I am not troubled about Statehood. What does Statehood mean? It frees us from the petty tyranny of a few, who, however do us no harm—they advertise us. Through the machinations of our enemies, the cause of God has been presented in the highest courts of this nation. Could we have done it ourselves? God might have ordered it in another way; but He ordered it in this way. The great and the mighty, the high and the low shall have the Gospel preached unto them. In what manner shall it come to these people? How shall it be introduced into the court of St. James and laid before Queen Victoria? Or to the Germany court of the Emperor? or to the emperor of any great nation? In God’s way, His own appointed way, will these great ones hear the Gospel, and God will order it if we are united, and we need not fret ourselves about it. State government I want, if God wills it; if He does not, let it rest. When the counsel comes to me from the authority that He has placed upon the earth, I say let my heart be attuned to that counsel, whatever my desires may be, and let me subject myself to the Spirit of God; and if it does not suit me, let me be man enough and have the testimony of the Spirit in me to receive that counsel and obey it. But I want one thing—I want to unite with my brethren. I see disunion among us. My feelings rise up, and I am found sometimes wishing that my brother would do as I would like him to do. Sometimes I want to put my hand to stead the ark. God help me to refrain from it. I want to cut a man off if he is too long, and pull him out if he is too short. These are things that come to me that I need to control. I know it is written that the meek shall inherit the earth. Let us become meek and lowly. It is not with a strong hand, speaking from a temporal point of view, that we will gain the victory. How will it be done? The individuals that inherit this earth are the victors, and Christ has said the meek shall inherit the earth. Do our enemies injure us? Well, it looks to me like they did sometimes injure us very much. But what have they accomplished? Have we seen a wrinkle in any department that has shown a shrinkage in the Church of Christ upon the earth? I have not, neither has any man who breathes the breath of life. But I have seen the Church growing stronger each day. When we were in poverty we grew, we expanded, we spread abroad. Now we are comfortably situated, and we continue to grow. Our enemies have taken us like a sponge and squeezed us until there seemed to be no moisture left in the people; but when they let go of us we were larger than ever.
God is managing the interests of this Church, and if this people will do their part for their own salvation, God will bear them off victors. Brethren and sisters, we have all we can do to mind our own business, serving God in every act of our lives. When the brethren tell us to do a thing, do it with our might. How should I know that they are correct? By the revelations that God gives to me I know that they are correct, and I see light, greatness, glory in the union of the Latter-day Saints. I care not what their complexion may be in politics; I care not whether it is the blacksmith or the dandy little fellow that measures out the ribbon to the more delicate lady, union, equality before God is what we want, with a determination in the heart to serve the Lord and keep His commandments. I am not looking upon a people who are unknown to the Father, unknown to the angels. I am looking upon a people who have been cared for—upon the descendants of that boy on whom Jacob laid his hand when he crossed them in the presence of his son Joseph, and said Ephraim should be the greater. I behold a people who are the children of Ephraim, a portion of one of the tribes, driven into all countries. I behold a people who are the descendants of Jacob through the loins of Joseph and Ephraim, a people of whom it is prophesied that they should be great and glorious and should be gathered together, to whom the other tribes should come as the brethren of Joseph came to Joseph in Egypt, seeking succor at his hand; so will the other tribes come to the tribe of Ephraim and seek the blessings of God at their hands. I am speaking to that people who, it was ordained, should come forth in the latter days, and the Lord would take one of a city and two of a family and bring them to His own house, where they should worship Him, and He would place pastors over them after His own heart. These children of Ephraim are here today to do the work of the Father and assist in bringing to pass His strange act.
What will we do with the mission assigned us—the mission that Jacob saw, through he was old and feeble and nigh unto the grave? When he laid his hands on the boy he told him what should befall the generations that should come of him. Ephraim, what shall we do with this mission? Will we handle it as He wants us to do? Will we honor the Priesthood that He has given us? Or will Ephraim rebel? for we have rebellious blood in us. God has been merciful unto this people. He has led us in green pastures, though trials have assailed us. The blood of Ephraim has surged through the hearts of this people, and they have determined and set their faces as flint that they would serve God in adversity. Can we do it in prosperity? If this people will unite together, if they will honor God and honor the worthies from whom they claim descent, God will fight their battles, He will argue for them with arguments that cannot be refuted, and He will bring these things to pass. You and me are incompetent to do it without Him. I know we will succeed, but not by the strong hand of the warrior, nor by oratory, nor by cunning and craftiness, nor by any honors that the world can heap upon us, though they were to make us the head of the nation. It is God that will do it, and no one else. Union must be in the hearts of these men and these women, or they will not accomplish what God designs them to do in the latter days.
Now, brethren and sisters, what will we do with the things that God has given us? I appeal to my own heart; I appeal to the hearts of the brethren. In humility let us seek Him; in union let us go unto Him and plead with Him; for we must not be forsaken. As individuals we must have Him with us. As fathers of households we must have His Spirit with us to guide the family God has given us; also as mothers, who bear the bodies that clothe the spirits that come to us. Brethren and sisters, the time has come—I feel it in my heart—for us to throw away the dissensions that rise in our hearts, the worldly ambitions that prompt us to do things that are not of God. We must render to God the things that are God’s and to Caesar the pride of the world and the things thereof and prepare for the honest of every nation that will come unto us and will claim of us sustenance and protection, which He will enable us to give to them if we are faithful. I pray that the blessings of god may be upon this people; that humility may be given us instead of pride; that the peach of the spirit may be given us instead of the turmoil and confusion that wait upon the spirit that the world is in possession of; that the peace and blessing of God may be in our habitations and in our hearts, with our families, with our neighbors, with the whole people, throughout the length and breadth of the land, and in all the departments of this great and glorious cause which God has entrusted to us, is my humble prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Saturday, April 6th, 1895, by Elder Brigham Young.
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
For this blessing and privilege which we enjoy this morning I feel particularly grateful to our Father in heaven, and I trust that the Spirit of God will rest upon the speakers this day as it rested upon those yesterday. We have come here for a blessing, and God is willing we should have it. But the power is within us to enjoy the presence of the Holy Spirit or reject it; for the agency that God has given us is complete, and we can serve the Lord or the adversary, as we please. We may give way to a feeling of ambition, and promote desires in our hearts that lead unto death, or we may promote the presence of the Spirit of God, that leads unto eternal life. I think it is right to encourage ambition in the heart if it leads in this direction. But for us who have been highly favored of the Lord to covet the things of this world is a sin. Of all people that have ever lived upon the earth we should be entirely and thoroughly in the service of our Maker; for God has favored us as He has no other people. We have occasion to rejoice today in the liberty that we enjoy, the right and privilege to serve our God, to promote the interest and building up of the Church of Christ, attending to the ordinances of the house of God, laboring for the living and the dead in those sacred places which are unknown to the world, but known to God and those to whom they have been revealed through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. If this people are humble and united, they have naught to fear in the future, they need not tremble in the present, and it is our privilege to be filled with hope for the future. I know it is felt by some of the brethren that great things will be accomplished if we can step right in and be numbered with the States of the Union. People rejoiced exceedingly when a Territorial government was given to them. I presume we would rejoice if we could have a State government. But there is one direction in which I see light for this people, and that is in uniting together with that bond that cannot be broken—uniting together in the bond of the everlasting covenant which God has given us. Do I desire that should become a State? Yes. But I desire more and see greater light in the union of this people. If the Latter-day Saints are united and see eye to eye, God will give them all that is necessary for them to have accomplish His work. More than this I, for one, have never aspired to. He is abundantly able, but He will not bring this people to the point where they are entirely free from the power of the adversary until they are a united people before Him. That is the labor devolving upon this organization which has been portrayed to you by Brother Lyman. Union in the midst of the Latter-day Saints, love and affection, confidence in God, confidence in each other, are what we should be striving for. And I say that the man or the woman that has no confidence in the order established by our Father has no confidence in Him that established it. Whatever our feelings may be, they must be subdued; whatever our desires may be, they must be one, or this work will not prosper in our hands as individuals. So far as the body of the people are concerned and the work of God in the earth we need not trouble ourselves about that. Trouble ourselves with our own condition, with our own lives, with the desires that we are cultivating day by day in our hearts, and see to it that they reach unto Him who sits above and controls all things. Enemies will rise up against this people. Men will go out from us and become our enemies. Strong men, orators, warriors, statesmen will be arrayed against us; but if union is in the midst of this people, the light and power of God will be with them, and all the shafts of the adversary will fall harmless to the ground. I have no fear for the Church. I am not troubled about Statehood. What does Statehood mean? It frees us from the petty tyranny of a few, who, however do us no harm—they advertise us. Through the machinations of our enemies, the cause of God has been presented in the highest courts of this nation. Could we have done it ourselves? God might have ordered it in another way; but He ordered it in this way. The great and the mighty, the high and the low shall have the Gospel preached unto them. In what manner shall it come to these people? How shall it be introduced into the court of St. James and laid before Queen Victoria? Or to the Germany court of the Emperor? or to the emperor of any great nation? In God’s way, His own appointed way, will these great ones hear the Gospel, and God will order it if we are united, and we need not fret ourselves about it. State government I want, if God wills it; if He does not, let it rest. When the counsel comes to me from the authority that He has placed upon the earth, I say let my heart be attuned to that counsel, whatever my desires may be, and let me subject myself to the Spirit of God; and if it does not suit me, let me be man enough and have the testimony of the Spirit in me to receive that counsel and obey it. But I want one thing—I want to unite with my brethren. I see disunion among us. My feelings rise up, and I am found sometimes wishing that my brother would do as I would like him to do. Sometimes I want to put my hand to stead the ark. God help me to refrain from it. I want to cut a man off if he is too long, and pull him out if he is too short. These are things that come to me that I need to control. I know it is written that the meek shall inherit the earth. Let us become meek and lowly. It is not with a strong hand, speaking from a temporal point of view, that we will gain the victory. How will it be done? The individuals that inherit this earth are the victors, and Christ has said the meek shall inherit the earth. Do our enemies injure us? Well, it looks to me like they did sometimes injure us very much. But what have they accomplished? Have we seen a wrinkle in any department that has shown a shrinkage in the Church of Christ upon the earth? I have not, neither has any man who breathes the breath of life. But I have seen the Church growing stronger each day. When we were in poverty we grew, we expanded, we spread abroad. Now we are comfortably situated, and we continue to grow. Our enemies have taken us like a sponge and squeezed us until there seemed to be no moisture left in the people; but when they let go of us we were larger than ever.
God is managing the interests of this Church, and if this people will do their part for their own salvation, God will bear them off victors. Brethren and sisters, we have all we can do to mind our own business, serving God in every act of our lives. When the brethren tell us to do a thing, do it with our might. How should I know that they are correct? By the revelations that God gives to me I know that they are correct, and I see light, greatness, glory in the union of the Latter-day Saints. I care not what their complexion may be in politics; I care not whether it is the blacksmith or the dandy little fellow that measures out the ribbon to the more delicate lady, union, equality before God is what we want, with a determination in the heart to serve the Lord and keep His commandments. I am not looking upon a people who are unknown to the Father, unknown to the angels. I am looking upon a people who have been cared for—upon the descendants of that boy on whom Jacob laid his hand when he crossed them in the presence of his son Joseph, and said Ephraim should be the greater. I behold a people who are the children of Ephraim, a portion of one of the tribes, driven into all countries. I behold a people who are the descendants of Jacob through the loins of Joseph and Ephraim, a people of whom it is prophesied that they should be great and glorious and should be gathered together, to whom the other tribes should come as the brethren of Joseph came to Joseph in Egypt, seeking succor at his hand; so will the other tribes come to the tribe of Ephraim and seek the blessings of God at their hands. I am speaking to that people who, it was ordained, should come forth in the latter days, and the Lord would take one of a city and two of a family and bring them to His own house, where they should worship Him, and He would place pastors over them after His own heart. These children of Ephraim are here today to do the work of the Father and assist in bringing to pass His strange act.
What will we do with the mission assigned us—the mission that Jacob saw, through he was old and feeble and nigh unto the grave? When he laid his hands on the boy he told him what should befall the generations that should come of him. Ephraim, what shall we do with this mission? Will we handle it as He wants us to do? Will we honor the Priesthood that He has given us? Or will Ephraim rebel? for we have rebellious blood in us. God has been merciful unto this people. He has led us in green pastures, though trials have assailed us. The blood of Ephraim has surged through the hearts of this people, and they have determined and set their faces as flint that they would serve God in adversity. Can we do it in prosperity? If this people will unite together, if they will honor God and honor the worthies from whom they claim descent, God will fight their battles, He will argue for them with arguments that cannot be refuted, and He will bring these things to pass. You and me are incompetent to do it without Him. I know we will succeed, but not by the strong hand of the warrior, nor by oratory, nor by cunning and craftiness, nor by any honors that the world can heap upon us, though they were to make us the head of the nation. It is God that will do it, and no one else. Union must be in the hearts of these men and these women, or they will not accomplish what God designs them to do in the latter days.
Now, brethren and sisters, what will we do with the things that God has given us? I appeal to my own heart; I appeal to the hearts of the brethren. In humility let us seek Him; in union let us go unto Him and plead with Him; for we must not be forsaken. As individuals we must have Him with us. As fathers of households we must have His Spirit with us to guide the family God has given us; also as mothers, who bear the bodies that clothe the spirits that come to us. Brethren and sisters, the time has come—I feel it in my heart—for us to throw away the dissensions that rise in our hearts, the worldly ambitions that prompt us to do things that are not of God. We must render to God the things that are God’s and to Caesar the pride of the world and the things thereof and prepare for the honest of every nation that will come unto us and will claim of us sustenance and protection, which He will enable us to give to them if we are faithful. I pray that the blessings of god may be upon this people; that humility may be given us instead of pride; that the peach of the spirit may be given us instead of the turmoil and confusion that wait upon the spirit that the world is in possession of; that the peace and blessing of God may be in our habitations and in our hearts, with our families, with our neighbors, with the whole people, throughout the length and breadth of the land, and in all the departments of this great and glorious cause which God has entrusted to us, is my humble prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.
ELDER FRANKLIN D. RICHARDS
was next called upon to address the congregation. He said he had greatly rejoiced with the Saints during the sessions of the Conference thus far, and had profited much by the words which had been spoken unto us, by the dictation of the Holy Ghost. There was a great work devolving upon God’s people in their daily life, and the speaker here pointed out the vast importance of strictly keeping the sacred records of the Church. He then referred to statements in the Bible, Pearl of Great Price, and Book of Mormon, showing that God had in various ages commanded men to write the things which were profitable to be preserved for history. Since the temples had been constructed, he said, and the ordinances therein had been administered, there had begun to be a better understanding of the importance of keeping family records, history, and genealogy than existed before among this people. There was one among us who had from the time of his earliest connection with the Church taken an especial interest and care in this regard, and in his labor therein he had shown much wisdom—he referred to President Woodruff. He had from the outset of his public career kept journals of all passing events, and the Saints were especially indebted to his exertions, as well as to those of other brethren, for the sermons which the Prophet Joseph delivered in the city of Nauvoo and other places on different occasions. To these brethren they were deeply indebted for those precious things which were now preserved on the pages of the Church’s history, and which served to refresh us so much at this day. Some of the most important matters instituted by the Prophet Joseph had been brought down in history to the present time, and we were thereby the happy recipients of those blessings and ordinances. While we had been limited in our efforts to write up much in the history of the Church in these times, because of our records being in a scattered condition, and our inability to obtain the requisite information, yet one of the brethren had been going around from ward to ward, from Stake to Stake, from mission to mission during the last three or four years, hunting up the early happenings in the various settlements of Utah and the surrounding territories. He had succeeded in gathering the information necessary to produce a good and faithful history of all the Stakes of Zion, and from the report which he had made to the speaker, as Church historian, he learned that there were wards which had been organized quite a length of time in which no semblance of a record had been yet kept.
The speaker earnestly directed the attention of the Presidents of Stakes and Bishops of wards, as well as the heads of families, to the importance of this matter, counseled them to remember that it was quite time they were turning their minds in this direction. Let parents, he urged, teach their sons and daughters to devote their attention to this subject and instruct them in their school days how to keep notations of the general doings around them. In future generations it would be interesting for children to know what part their fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers played in the Church history of the past. Not only were records wanted of what happened at home, but of the happenings in foreign countries, and he hoped soon to see that matter also earnestly taken up. Presidents of Stakes, and Bishops of wards should go around among their people at least once every year, inspect the records which were made, and see that these were being thoroughly kept, and thereby a complete history could be assured. In conclusion Elder Richards commended his suggestions to the thoughtful consideration of the Saints.
was next called upon to address the congregation. He said he had greatly rejoiced with the Saints during the sessions of the Conference thus far, and had profited much by the words which had been spoken unto us, by the dictation of the Holy Ghost. There was a great work devolving upon God’s people in their daily life, and the speaker here pointed out the vast importance of strictly keeping the sacred records of the Church. He then referred to statements in the Bible, Pearl of Great Price, and Book of Mormon, showing that God had in various ages commanded men to write the things which were profitable to be preserved for history. Since the temples had been constructed, he said, and the ordinances therein had been administered, there had begun to be a better understanding of the importance of keeping family records, history, and genealogy than existed before among this people. There was one among us who had from the time of his earliest connection with the Church taken an especial interest and care in this regard, and in his labor therein he had shown much wisdom—he referred to President Woodruff. He had from the outset of his public career kept journals of all passing events, and the Saints were especially indebted to his exertions, as well as to those of other brethren, for the sermons which the Prophet Joseph delivered in the city of Nauvoo and other places on different occasions. To these brethren they were deeply indebted for those precious things which were now preserved on the pages of the Church’s history, and which served to refresh us so much at this day. Some of the most important matters instituted by the Prophet Joseph had been brought down in history to the present time, and we were thereby the happy recipients of those blessings and ordinances. While we had been limited in our efforts to write up much in the history of the Church in these times, because of our records being in a scattered condition, and our inability to obtain the requisite information, yet one of the brethren had been going around from ward to ward, from Stake to Stake, from mission to mission during the last three or four years, hunting up the early happenings in the various settlements of Utah and the surrounding territories. He had succeeded in gathering the information necessary to produce a good and faithful history of all the Stakes of Zion, and from the report which he had made to the speaker, as Church historian, he learned that there were wards which had been organized quite a length of time in which no semblance of a record had been yet kept.
The speaker earnestly directed the attention of the Presidents of Stakes and Bishops of wards, as well as the heads of families, to the importance of this matter, counseled them to remember that it was quite time they were turning their minds in this direction. Let parents, he urged, teach their sons and daughters to devote their attention to this subject and instruct them in their school days how to keep notations of the general doings around them. In future generations it would be interesting for children to know what part their fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers played in the Church history of the past. Not only were records wanted of what happened at home, but of the happenings in foreign countries, and he hoped soon to see that matter also earnestly taken up. Presidents of Stakes, and Bishops of wards should go around among their people at least once every year, inspect the records which were made, and see that these were being thoroughly kept, and thereby a complete history could be assured. In conclusion Elder Richards commended his suggestions to the thoughtful consideration of the Saints.
Records of the Saints.
Delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Saturday, April 6th, 1895, by Elder Franklin D. Richards
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
Beloved hearers: I have greatly rejoiced with you during the sittings of this Conference, yesterday and this morning, in the very precious instructions that have been given to us. I realize that they have been the dictation of the Holy Ghost unto us, and my soul has been feasted therewith. We have had a blessed variety of instructions given to us, of many things both temporal and spiritual.
Inasmuch as you are in the habit of raising up your hands twice a year to sustain me as the historian of the Church, and are liable to be called upon to do the same thing again before this conference closes, I feel impressed with the importance of presenting to you some thoughts for consideration which appertain to that part of the labor in which I am engaged—that of historian. There is a great work devolving upon God’s people in their daily life in the organization which has been set forth to us this morning. an important feature of that work is the keeping of the sacred records of the Church. This involves something more than is generally contemplated by those who are called to be clerks, secretaries and recorders in the Church. I wish to call the attention of this congregation to a consideration of this subject a few minutes this morning, but before proceeding further I desire to read a few sentences of sacred writ, beginning with Genesis, second chapter and 4th verse:
“These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the Heavens.”
Pearl of Great Price, edition 1888, page 7:
“The Lord spake unto Moses saying, behold I reveal unto you concerning this heaven and this earth; write the words which I speak.”
Page 26:
“And then began these men to call upon the name of the Lord, and the Lord blessed them, and a Book of Remembrance was kept, in the which was recorded, in the language of Adam, for it was given unto as many as called upon God to write by the spirit of inspiration; and by them their children were taught to read and write, having a language which was pure and undefiled.
Now this same Priesthood, which was in the beginning, shall be in the end of the world also. Now this prophecy Adam spake, as he was moved upon by the Holy Ghost, and a genealogy was kept of the children of God. And this was the book of the generations of Adam.”
Enoch in the seventh generation from Adam, who lived and built the City of Zion, has left on record the following, page 31:
“The heavens he made; the earth is his footstool, and the foundation thereof is his. Behold he laid it, an host of men hath he brought in upon the face thereof. And death hath come upon our fathers; nevertheless we know them, and cannot deny, and even the first of all we know, even Adam. For a book of remembrance we have written among us, according to the pattern given by the finger of God; and it is given in our own language.”
These extracts which I am now reading are from a Revelation which the God of Heaven has given us through the Prophet Joseph Smith, which he received soon after the organization of the Church in 1830, and which are found in the Pearl of Great Price. I quote from the latest edition published in 1888, in this city.
Further scripture concerning this superlatively important subject may be found on pages 121 and 538 of the Book of Mormon. The Lord said to Nephi about 550 years before His incarnation, Book of Mormon, 2nd Nephi, chapter 29, verses 11-12:
For I command all men, both in the east and in the west, and in the north, and in the south, and in the Islands of the sea, that they shall write the words which I speak unto them; for out of the books that shall be written, I will judge the world, every man according to their works, according to that which is written. For behold I shall speak unto the Jews, and they shall write it, and I shall also speak unto the Nephites, and they shall write it: and I shall also speak unto the other tribes of the House of Israel, which I have led away, and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto all nations of the earth, and they shall write it.
In fulfillment of His promise that He would speak unto the Jews and that they should write it, we have that precious book the Bible. His promise to speak to the Nephites and that they should write it, is also fully made manifest in the coming forth of the plates containing the Book of Mormon.
With a fulfillment of these prophecies so perfectly before us, we may with entire confidence expect the fulfillment of that part which relates to the tribes of Israel which He has led away, and also that which relates to all nations of the earth.
Again on page 538:
Behold all things are written by the father, therefore out of the book which shall be written, shall the world be judged.
In most beautiful harmony with the foregoing does the Prophet Malachi say, chapter 3.16:
Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name.
From the word of God we see that in the early ages of the world, soon after its creation, that wonderful Prophet Enoch was deeply impressed with the importance of a “Book of Remembrance,” being kept in which was contained the record of the generations of Adam.
Not only were Enoch and his contemporaries interested in this, but it appears that the Lord was interested, and probably commanded it to be done, for the Prophet states that to as many as called upon God it was given to write by the spirit of inspiration, and by this spirit of inspiration in their parents they were taught to read and write the pure and perfect language which God had given to their great father Adam, so that they kept a genealogy of the children of God; and this was the Book of Generations of Adam.
That it was the design, purpose and commandment of God that a good faithful record of Adam’s descendants should be kept is unquestionably true, seeing that the greatest of all the antediluvian Prophets has left on record that “a book of remembrance we have written among us, according to the pattern given by the finger of God.”
Having now obtained some slight idea of the significance attached to record keeping in ante-diluvian times, let us see if the people since the flood have entertained similar ideas on this important subject.
Noah gives us no account of having preserved a history of the creation or of the Church organization, building of Enoch’s city, Zion, and its translation, nor of the persecutions of the righteous by the wicked during that time, but the following from Abraham, the friend of God and father of the faithful, who lived in the tenth generation, about 400 years after the flood, has found its way down to us.
He says, pages 45-50:
“I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness; * * * and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers; it was conferred upon me from the fathers; it came down from the fathers, from the beginning of time, yea, even from the beginning, or before the foundations of the earth to the present time, even the right of the first-born, on the first man, who is Adam, or first father, through the fathers unto me.
“I sought for mine appointment unto the Priesthood according to the appointment of God unto the fathers concerning the seed.”
By this latter paragraph we are informed that Patriarch Abraham was not only interested in his genealogy, but was very anxious to learn, insomuch that he sought diligently and found out the right of the first man, who is Adam or first father, through the fathers unto him. Any one desiring it can read a list of the first fathers or patriarchs in Doctrine and Covenants, section 107, paragraphs 40-57, giving the list from Adam to Methuselah, the grandfather of Noah.
Abraham further says that the record of the Patriarchs concerning the right of the Priesthood, the Lord preserved in His own hands.
Now, how did he come by the record which gave him the knowledge of his right to the Priesthood? Undoubtedly it was brought by Noah in the ark through the flood. Other history informs us that Abraham spent a number of years of his early life with Noah and Shem, and was taught by them in all the knowledge of God and His works. Thus whatsoever knowledge Noah and Shem were possessed of or whatsoever records they brought through the flood in the ark, all this was available, no doubt, to Abraham, and he being a believer in the Almighty God, became a man of such extraordinary faith that nothing could be required which was too great for him, and so he became the father of the faithful, and the friend of God.
I have read these portions of scripture that we may get the subject of keeping records and or writing history, especially sacred history, before our minds for consideration. Since the temples have been constructed and the ordinances therein began to be administered, our people have obtained a better understanding of the importance of keeping family records, family history and genealogy, than before. We have had one among us who has seen from the early days of the Church the necessity of this and has entertained the subject with great interest, and perhaps with as great importance as anyone could when there was so little necessary use for the same, and that is our worthy President Woodruff. He has from the beginning of his public career kept a journal and a history, and we are indebted in a great measure to his exertion, together with that of some others, for many great and powerful sermons which the Prophet Joseph delivered in the city of Nauvoo. We are indebted, I say, to his records and his efforts for very many of these precious truths that we have now on the page of history to enrich ourselves with some of the most important matters pertaining to the most sacred council that were instituted by the Prophet Joseph are thus brought down to our present time, and by them we are made the happy recipients of many blessings and ordinances. In later times we have been limited in our efforts to write up the history of the Church, because of our records being in a scattered condition, and because of our not having yet obtained the historical items necessary from the more distant portions of the Church. We have had Brother Jenson visiting from ward to ward, from stake to stake, from mission to mission, gathering up the early history of the founding of the settlements in Utah and the surrounding territories. He has been with you, learned of your condition, and has gathered up what information he could get necessary for a faithful history of all the stakes of Zion, so far as we know. Through his report to me as historian, I am informed that there are wards organized and going on for quite a length of time, that have no semblance of any record kept among them. To this fact I wish to call the attention not only of the presidents of quorums and councils and the heads of families, but of all the people and I wish them to know and understand that in time they were turning their minds upon this subject. They should keep more carefully the Church records while they also institute family history. You that have been in the Church many years and are raising up sons and daughters around you, should teach and instruct them in this matter, and impress them while in their schoolboy days to keep some notation of all their general doings in the earth, keep an account of themselves. I know they will feel just as you and I felt: what is the use of writing that I went to Brigham Young Academy to learn? What is the use of telling that I went off a couple of years to the South on a mission, or to England, or anywhere else? It may seem of small moment to them now; but when your sons are old, their hair white, and they look back upon half or three-fourths of a century of experience, perhaps a Bishop, president of Stake, founder of a colony or president of a Temple, then they would give a treasure for a faithful record of the experience they had passed through, who they had blessed, baptized, confirmed, ordained, and in what countries and languages they had done it. It is time that these brethren who are bald and gray with age were instituting this order of things in their households, that they, as the heads of their families, their tribes or their generation, may establish a history that shall go down to the generations after them. Subsequent generations will want to know what part their father, their grandfather or their great-grandfather took in establishing this Church—if he was a High Priest, and Elder, a president of a stake, a Bishop or a Bishop’s counselor, or held any other office in the Priesthood. He ought not only to keep an account of this for his own present benefit as long as he endures, but also see to it before he departs that he leaves a good record of the events of his life to his kindred—of the work that he has performed in the Temples and of the missions that he has fulfilled—that it may go down to his children, that they may realize that they are under obligations to him for the blessings of the Gospel that he has caused to descend upon their heads to establish them in the midst of God’s people in the last days. I request you, my brethren the Bishops, that you look carefully after the interests of your people in this regard; see that your clerks keep good and perfect records of every birth in your ward, certainly of the birth of every child that belongs to the Saints. Some of the children that are now born of those who are unbelievers may rise up and through your instruction and ministration become Elders and ministers of God in the Church while they are in the flesh, and may bless you for the benefits you have bestowed upon them. I wish to urge the presidents of stakes, and the bishops of wards to look after this matter and see that records are kept properly in the wards, in the stakes and in all the Church organizations included in your presidencies. These records should be inspected critically by you, and frequently not only that they are faithfully kept but on durable paper and with indelible ink. No recorder or clerk should be allowed to buy the books and keep them as his own when Church matters are recorded in them. We had an example of this in early days. When President Joseph Smith received a revelation that John Whitmer was to be appointed Church historian, he got his book and kept records in it, and by and by, when the Prophet Joseph Smith wanted it to find data so he could write his history, this man would not let him have the book, he having apostatized from the Church. He kept that book, and it was handed down in his generation. We have obtained a copy of the entire record, so while they keep the book, we have its contents. This sample is enough to give us a warning. In your Relief societies, your Mutual Improvement associations, your quorums, even down to the primary associations, there should be books provided by the organization, and paid for by it, and they should be the property of that body for whom the record is kept; and when it is full, it should be delivered carefully to the authorities of that body and held as Church property, that it may when wanted be brought to the Historian’s office and be preserved in the archives of history for the benefit of future generation. some who have gone on foreign missions have kept records of their labors in those missions, but we get no trace of them. Brethren, if you know of any such record, please bring it to this Historian’s office; and if you cannot afford to lose the value of the book, we will pay for it.
Let me cite your mind to another grand and glorious topic. When it was determined that the Son of God should come in the flesh and take the supreme position of Redeemer of the world, how did He come? Israel had been trained to keep their genealogies, and when they came to search for His antecedents they found He had a most excellent and complete record. Matthew informs us that from Jesus back to David was fourteen generations, from David to Abraham was fourteen generations, and from Abraham to Noah was fourteen generations, and from Noah to Adam were ten generations. If He had not been able to furnish that pedigree, He would have had no credentials to the house of Israel of a worldly nature, as a man among men. But He proved His genealogy down through the most honorable line that could be traced; a lineage that any Israelite might be proud of.
The great Patriarch Abraham seems to have been not only deeply interested in but quite enthusiastic on this subject. On page 54 of the Pearl of Great Price he says:
But the records of the fathers, even the Patriarchs, concerning the right of the Priesthood, the Lord my God preserved in mine own hands, therefore a knowledge of the beginning of the creation, and also of the planets, and of the stars, as they were made known unto the fathers, have I kept even unto this day, and I shall endeavor to write some of these things upon this record, for the benefit of my posterity that shall come after me.
Now as he wrote for the benefit of his posterity, we may suppose that but for the vandalism that destroyed the several hundred thousand volumes that had been gathered under the Ptolemies from all parts of the known world into the museum and library and temples of Alexandria in Egypt and elsewhere, the world might have been better informed on many points of the earth’s earlier history.
The transmission of intelligence in those earlier times, however, was far more difficult than in our day. Other histories inform us that Abraham spent several years of his earlier life with Noah, Shem and Eber, and that it was of them that he learned the Gospel, obtained the records and information concerning the creation, the planets, the genealogy of his ancestors, etc., as known and understood by the fathers. It was, as just stated, much more difficult to make records in the days of Abraham and of Shem and those that lived in their day than at present. How did they do it? They took dirt or clay and made nice tablets, and then they took something pointed and wrote on them the information they desired, after which the tablets were put into an oven or heated place and baked, making what we now call terra cotta. This is the way they did in those early times that take us back to the history of Shinear, Babylon and Niniveh. They piled up these terra cotta records, and now, centuries after the destruction of those cities, quantities of this literally matter, made of the dust of the earth, have been brought away and added to the collections in the British museum. You see they could not make records as easy then as now.
The Lord used stone on which to write the Ten Commandments to Israel.
Job wished his testimony might be written with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever. A remarkable specimen of this kind of record is the so-called Moabite stone now in the French Louvre. It was discovered in 1868 and contains the earliest inscription in the Phoenician alphabet known, relating some important events in the history of the Moabites during the reign of Mesha. The engravings date at least 900 years before our era.
For common use in Ezekiel’s day the Law and the Prophecies were written on papyrus—a material prepared from the finer bark of a reed or flag that grew in Egypt and other warm countries,--and rolled on and off of two round sticks as mentioned in the 37th chapter of his prophecy.
Lehi carried with him the Mosaic Law, the Prophets, and history of the creation on brass plates when he left Jerusalem six hundred years before Christ, and we find that the history of the forefathers of the American races on this continent were generally kept on metallic plates of various qualities, as witness the gold plates on which the Prophet inscribed his abridgment of those records entitled The Book of Mormon.
Before the art of printing was discovered it was the work of a man’s lifetime almost to transcribe a copy of the Bible. But now almost everybody can get a tablet and pencil, and there is no excuse for us to fail in making records, unless dilatoriness or lack of comprehension of their importance be considered excuses. I wish the brethren would take hold of this matter and consider it more carefully. This to me is a very interesting work.
We are getting together a library of books, in which we hope soon to be able to render valuable assistance to the people in seeking out their genealogies from foreign countries as well as from the New England states. Having this upon my mind, I would like to impress it upon those that hold the Priesthood particularly.
Look back to the time when Israel returned to Jerusalem from their captivity. How were they enabled to set in order the congregation, the singers, the priests in their courses, and the Levites? It was given to them by genealogy. The Lord had promised to Levi that the service of the Temple and the Sanctuary should belong to his tribe, this family and especially that the Priesthood should go to the descendants of Aaron. But when they returned from their captivity in Babylon and wanted to be reinstated in their places to officiate at the altar and to eat of the holy bread, the records were searched and those whose names were not found were put away from the Priesthood as polluted, until a Priest should rise up having the Urim and Thummim, who could declare their genealogy, their right and title to this holy Priesthood. The days are coming when the Priesthood of Aaron and Levi will have to be established again upon the earth, among the Jews in Palestine, and who knows but some of you, or your children will have this duty to perform? This is a matter that to many will be of vital concern as well as of general interest. I therefore present this for your consideration. The reason I feel to urge it is that keeping records is one of those things so easily put by. A man takes a piece of paper and writes upon it about the blessing of children, or that somebody was ordained, or a ward was organized, and he lays it away. He cannot record it today, and he goes on laying things away until he has an accumulation. We live in a time of increasing labor, and we should, as far as possible, perform every duty in the time and season thereof. These records ought to be kept at the time of the occurrence of the events that are to be handed down to posterity. When President Woodruff used to write the sermons of the Prophet, he brought the very spirit of his instructions into his reports, and we have them today with the spirit and the understanding thereof. When you are performing works that ought to be recorded, this should be done that same day while the spirit of the time and the labor rests on the one entrusted with the duty, for then it is likely to be done correctly. When an accumulation is found, this cannot be. In one of the stakes of Zion it is ascertained that there is a trunk nearly full of scattered papers containing most valuable information, and it needs a man to spend a month and put them properly on record. Record the work when it is done, immediately, so that if it happens that your records are wanted tomorrow, or next week, the historian can send for them and get whatever information is wanted.
Having referred you to the views and estimates of this subject as entertained by several of the Prophets and by the Lord himself, I must now refer you to and recommend a closer perusal of sections 127 and 128 of the Doctrine and Covenants in which our great Prophet Joseph Smith has elucidated the eternal principle of recording and sealing for the living and the dead. It is the most elaborate exposition of this subject found anywhere in the publications of the Church. Search these scriptures for they will add to your stock of knowledge that leads to eternal life. May the Holy Spirit enable us to make such records, Church, family and individual, as shall be worthy of all acceptation when the books shall be opened and we judged according to the things written in the books. Amen.
Delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Saturday, April 6th, 1895, by Elder Franklin D. Richards
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
Beloved hearers: I have greatly rejoiced with you during the sittings of this Conference, yesterday and this morning, in the very precious instructions that have been given to us. I realize that they have been the dictation of the Holy Ghost unto us, and my soul has been feasted therewith. We have had a blessed variety of instructions given to us, of many things both temporal and spiritual.
Inasmuch as you are in the habit of raising up your hands twice a year to sustain me as the historian of the Church, and are liable to be called upon to do the same thing again before this conference closes, I feel impressed with the importance of presenting to you some thoughts for consideration which appertain to that part of the labor in which I am engaged—that of historian. There is a great work devolving upon God’s people in their daily life in the organization which has been set forth to us this morning. an important feature of that work is the keeping of the sacred records of the Church. This involves something more than is generally contemplated by those who are called to be clerks, secretaries and recorders in the Church. I wish to call the attention of this congregation to a consideration of this subject a few minutes this morning, but before proceeding further I desire to read a few sentences of sacred writ, beginning with Genesis, second chapter and 4th verse:
“These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the Heavens.”
Pearl of Great Price, edition 1888, page 7:
“The Lord spake unto Moses saying, behold I reveal unto you concerning this heaven and this earth; write the words which I speak.”
Page 26:
“And then began these men to call upon the name of the Lord, and the Lord blessed them, and a Book of Remembrance was kept, in the which was recorded, in the language of Adam, for it was given unto as many as called upon God to write by the spirit of inspiration; and by them their children were taught to read and write, having a language which was pure and undefiled.
Now this same Priesthood, which was in the beginning, shall be in the end of the world also. Now this prophecy Adam spake, as he was moved upon by the Holy Ghost, and a genealogy was kept of the children of God. And this was the book of the generations of Adam.”
Enoch in the seventh generation from Adam, who lived and built the City of Zion, has left on record the following, page 31:
“The heavens he made; the earth is his footstool, and the foundation thereof is his. Behold he laid it, an host of men hath he brought in upon the face thereof. And death hath come upon our fathers; nevertheless we know them, and cannot deny, and even the first of all we know, even Adam. For a book of remembrance we have written among us, according to the pattern given by the finger of God; and it is given in our own language.”
These extracts which I am now reading are from a Revelation which the God of Heaven has given us through the Prophet Joseph Smith, which he received soon after the organization of the Church in 1830, and which are found in the Pearl of Great Price. I quote from the latest edition published in 1888, in this city.
Further scripture concerning this superlatively important subject may be found on pages 121 and 538 of the Book of Mormon. The Lord said to Nephi about 550 years before His incarnation, Book of Mormon, 2nd Nephi, chapter 29, verses 11-12:
For I command all men, both in the east and in the west, and in the north, and in the south, and in the Islands of the sea, that they shall write the words which I speak unto them; for out of the books that shall be written, I will judge the world, every man according to their works, according to that which is written. For behold I shall speak unto the Jews, and they shall write it, and I shall also speak unto the Nephites, and they shall write it: and I shall also speak unto the other tribes of the House of Israel, which I have led away, and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto all nations of the earth, and they shall write it.
In fulfillment of His promise that He would speak unto the Jews and that they should write it, we have that precious book the Bible. His promise to speak to the Nephites and that they should write it, is also fully made manifest in the coming forth of the plates containing the Book of Mormon.
With a fulfillment of these prophecies so perfectly before us, we may with entire confidence expect the fulfillment of that part which relates to the tribes of Israel which He has led away, and also that which relates to all nations of the earth.
Again on page 538:
Behold all things are written by the father, therefore out of the book which shall be written, shall the world be judged.
In most beautiful harmony with the foregoing does the Prophet Malachi say, chapter 3.16:
Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name.
From the word of God we see that in the early ages of the world, soon after its creation, that wonderful Prophet Enoch was deeply impressed with the importance of a “Book of Remembrance,” being kept in which was contained the record of the generations of Adam.
Not only were Enoch and his contemporaries interested in this, but it appears that the Lord was interested, and probably commanded it to be done, for the Prophet states that to as many as called upon God it was given to write by the spirit of inspiration, and by this spirit of inspiration in their parents they were taught to read and write the pure and perfect language which God had given to their great father Adam, so that they kept a genealogy of the children of God; and this was the Book of Generations of Adam.
That it was the design, purpose and commandment of God that a good faithful record of Adam’s descendants should be kept is unquestionably true, seeing that the greatest of all the antediluvian Prophets has left on record that “a book of remembrance we have written among us, according to the pattern given by the finger of God.”
Having now obtained some slight idea of the significance attached to record keeping in ante-diluvian times, let us see if the people since the flood have entertained similar ideas on this important subject.
Noah gives us no account of having preserved a history of the creation or of the Church organization, building of Enoch’s city, Zion, and its translation, nor of the persecutions of the righteous by the wicked during that time, but the following from Abraham, the friend of God and father of the faithful, who lived in the tenth generation, about 400 years after the flood, has found its way down to us.
He says, pages 45-50:
“I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness; * * * and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers; it was conferred upon me from the fathers; it came down from the fathers, from the beginning of time, yea, even from the beginning, or before the foundations of the earth to the present time, even the right of the first-born, on the first man, who is Adam, or first father, through the fathers unto me.
“I sought for mine appointment unto the Priesthood according to the appointment of God unto the fathers concerning the seed.”
By this latter paragraph we are informed that Patriarch Abraham was not only interested in his genealogy, but was very anxious to learn, insomuch that he sought diligently and found out the right of the first man, who is Adam or first father, through the fathers unto him. Any one desiring it can read a list of the first fathers or patriarchs in Doctrine and Covenants, section 107, paragraphs 40-57, giving the list from Adam to Methuselah, the grandfather of Noah.
Abraham further says that the record of the Patriarchs concerning the right of the Priesthood, the Lord preserved in His own hands.
Now, how did he come by the record which gave him the knowledge of his right to the Priesthood? Undoubtedly it was brought by Noah in the ark through the flood. Other history informs us that Abraham spent a number of years of his early life with Noah and Shem, and was taught by them in all the knowledge of God and His works. Thus whatsoever knowledge Noah and Shem were possessed of or whatsoever records they brought through the flood in the ark, all this was available, no doubt, to Abraham, and he being a believer in the Almighty God, became a man of such extraordinary faith that nothing could be required which was too great for him, and so he became the father of the faithful, and the friend of God.
I have read these portions of scripture that we may get the subject of keeping records and or writing history, especially sacred history, before our minds for consideration. Since the temples have been constructed and the ordinances therein began to be administered, our people have obtained a better understanding of the importance of keeping family records, family history and genealogy, than before. We have had one among us who has seen from the early days of the Church the necessity of this and has entertained the subject with great interest, and perhaps with as great importance as anyone could when there was so little necessary use for the same, and that is our worthy President Woodruff. He has from the beginning of his public career kept a journal and a history, and we are indebted in a great measure to his exertion, together with that of some others, for many great and powerful sermons which the Prophet Joseph delivered in the city of Nauvoo. We are indebted, I say, to his records and his efforts for very many of these precious truths that we have now on the page of history to enrich ourselves with some of the most important matters pertaining to the most sacred council that were instituted by the Prophet Joseph are thus brought down to our present time, and by them we are made the happy recipients of many blessings and ordinances. In later times we have been limited in our efforts to write up the history of the Church, because of our records being in a scattered condition, and because of our not having yet obtained the historical items necessary from the more distant portions of the Church. We have had Brother Jenson visiting from ward to ward, from stake to stake, from mission to mission, gathering up the early history of the founding of the settlements in Utah and the surrounding territories. He has been with you, learned of your condition, and has gathered up what information he could get necessary for a faithful history of all the stakes of Zion, so far as we know. Through his report to me as historian, I am informed that there are wards organized and going on for quite a length of time, that have no semblance of any record kept among them. To this fact I wish to call the attention not only of the presidents of quorums and councils and the heads of families, but of all the people and I wish them to know and understand that in time they were turning their minds upon this subject. They should keep more carefully the Church records while they also institute family history. You that have been in the Church many years and are raising up sons and daughters around you, should teach and instruct them in this matter, and impress them while in their schoolboy days to keep some notation of all their general doings in the earth, keep an account of themselves. I know they will feel just as you and I felt: what is the use of writing that I went to Brigham Young Academy to learn? What is the use of telling that I went off a couple of years to the South on a mission, or to England, or anywhere else? It may seem of small moment to them now; but when your sons are old, their hair white, and they look back upon half or three-fourths of a century of experience, perhaps a Bishop, president of Stake, founder of a colony or president of a Temple, then they would give a treasure for a faithful record of the experience they had passed through, who they had blessed, baptized, confirmed, ordained, and in what countries and languages they had done it. It is time that these brethren who are bald and gray with age were instituting this order of things in their households, that they, as the heads of their families, their tribes or their generation, may establish a history that shall go down to the generations after them. Subsequent generations will want to know what part their father, their grandfather or their great-grandfather took in establishing this Church—if he was a High Priest, and Elder, a president of a stake, a Bishop or a Bishop’s counselor, or held any other office in the Priesthood. He ought not only to keep an account of this for his own present benefit as long as he endures, but also see to it before he departs that he leaves a good record of the events of his life to his kindred—of the work that he has performed in the Temples and of the missions that he has fulfilled—that it may go down to his children, that they may realize that they are under obligations to him for the blessings of the Gospel that he has caused to descend upon their heads to establish them in the midst of God’s people in the last days. I request you, my brethren the Bishops, that you look carefully after the interests of your people in this regard; see that your clerks keep good and perfect records of every birth in your ward, certainly of the birth of every child that belongs to the Saints. Some of the children that are now born of those who are unbelievers may rise up and through your instruction and ministration become Elders and ministers of God in the Church while they are in the flesh, and may bless you for the benefits you have bestowed upon them. I wish to urge the presidents of stakes, and the bishops of wards to look after this matter and see that records are kept properly in the wards, in the stakes and in all the Church organizations included in your presidencies. These records should be inspected critically by you, and frequently not only that they are faithfully kept but on durable paper and with indelible ink. No recorder or clerk should be allowed to buy the books and keep them as his own when Church matters are recorded in them. We had an example of this in early days. When President Joseph Smith received a revelation that John Whitmer was to be appointed Church historian, he got his book and kept records in it, and by and by, when the Prophet Joseph Smith wanted it to find data so he could write his history, this man would not let him have the book, he having apostatized from the Church. He kept that book, and it was handed down in his generation. We have obtained a copy of the entire record, so while they keep the book, we have its contents. This sample is enough to give us a warning. In your Relief societies, your Mutual Improvement associations, your quorums, even down to the primary associations, there should be books provided by the organization, and paid for by it, and they should be the property of that body for whom the record is kept; and when it is full, it should be delivered carefully to the authorities of that body and held as Church property, that it may when wanted be brought to the Historian’s office and be preserved in the archives of history for the benefit of future generation. some who have gone on foreign missions have kept records of their labors in those missions, but we get no trace of them. Brethren, if you know of any such record, please bring it to this Historian’s office; and if you cannot afford to lose the value of the book, we will pay for it.
Let me cite your mind to another grand and glorious topic. When it was determined that the Son of God should come in the flesh and take the supreme position of Redeemer of the world, how did He come? Israel had been trained to keep their genealogies, and when they came to search for His antecedents they found He had a most excellent and complete record. Matthew informs us that from Jesus back to David was fourteen generations, from David to Abraham was fourteen generations, and from Abraham to Noah was fourteen generations, and from Noah to Adam were ten generations. If He had not been able to furnish that pedigree, He would have had no credentials to the house of Israel of a worldly nature, as a man among men. But He proved His genealogy down through the most honorable line that could be traced; a lineage that any Israelite might be proud of.
The great Patriarch Abraham seems to have been not only deeply interested in but quite enthusiastic on this subject. On page 54 of the Pearl of Great Price he says:
But the records of the fathers, even the Patriarchs, concerning the right of the Priesthood, the Lord my God preserved in mine own hands, therefore a knowledge of the beginning of the creation, and also of the planets, and of the stars, as they were made known unto the fathers, have I kept even unto this day, and I shall endeavor to write some of these things upon this record, for the benefit of my posterity that shall come after me.
Now as he wrote for the benefit of his posterity, we may suppose that but for the vandalism that destroyed the several hundred thousand volumes that had been gathered under the Ptolemies from all parts of the known world into the museum and library and temples of Alexandria in Egypt and elsewhere, the world might have been better informed on many points of the earth’s earlier history.
The transmission of intelligence in those earlier times, however, was far more difficult than in our day. Other histories inform us that Abraham spent several years of his earlier life with Noah, Shem and Eber, and that it was of them that he learned the Gospel, obtained the records and information concerning the creation, the planets, the genealogy of his ancestors, etc., as known and understood by the fathers. It was, as just stated, much more difficult to make records in the days of Abraham and of Shem and those that lived in their day than at present. How did they do it? They took dirt or clay and made nice tablets, and then they took something pointed and wrote on them the information they desired, after which the tablets were put into an oven or heated place and baked, making what we now call terra cotta. This is the way they did in those early times that take us back to the history of Shinear, Babylon and Niniveh. They piled up these terra cotta records, and now, centuries after the destruction of those cities, quantities of this literally matter, made of the dust of the earth, have been brought away and added to the collections in the British museum. You see they could not make records as easy then as now.
The Lord used stone on which to write the Ten Commandments to Israel.
Job wished his testimony might be written with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever. A remarkable specimen of this kind of record is the so-called Moabite stone now in the French Louvre. It was discovered in 1868 and contains the earliest inscription in the Phoenician alphabet known, relating some important events in the history of the Moabites during the reign of Mesha. The engravings date at least 900 years before our era.
For common use in Ezekiel’s day the Law and the Prophecies were written on papyrus—a material prepared from the finer bark of a reed or flag that grew in Egypt and other warm countries,--and rolled on and off of two round sticks as mentioned in the 37th chapter of his prophecy.
Lehi carried with him the Mosaic Law, the Prophets, and history of the creation on brass plates when he left Jerusalem six hundred years before Christ, and we find that the history of the forefathers of the American races on this continent were generally kept on metallic plates of various qualities, as witness the gold plates on which the Prophet inscribed his abridgment of those records entitled The Book of Mormon.
Before the art of printing was discovered it was the work of a man’s lifetime almost to transcribe a copy of the Bible. But now almost everybody can get a tablet and pencil, and there is no excuse for us to fail in making records, unless dilatoriness or lack of comprehension of their importance be considered excuses. I wish the brethren would take hold of this matter and consider it more carefully. This to me is a very interesting work.
We are getting together a library of books, in which we hope soon to be able to render valuable assistance to the people in seeking out their genealogies from foreign countries as well as from the New England states. Having this upon my mind, I would like to impress it upon those that hold the Priesthood particularly.
Look back to the time when Israel returned to Jerusalem from their captivity. How were they enabled to set in order the congregation, the singers, the priests in their courses, and the Levites? It was given to them by genealogy. The Lord had promised to Levi that the service of the Temple and the Sanctuary should belong to his tribe, this family and especially that the Priesthood should go to the descendants of Aaron. But when they returned from their captivity in Babylon and wanted to be reinstated in their places to officiate at the altar and to eat of the holy bread, the records were searched and those whose names were not found were put away from the Priesthood as polluted, until a Priest should rise up having the Urim and Thummim, who could declare their genealogy, their right and title to this holy Priesthood. The days are coming when the Priesthood of Aaron and Levi will have to be established again upon the earth, among the Jews in Palestine, and who knows but some of you, or your children will have this duty to perform? This is a matter that to many will be of vital concern as well as of general interest. I therefore present this for your consideration. The reason I feel to urge it is that keeping records is one of those things so easily put by. A man takes a piece of paper and writes upon it about the blessing of children, or that somebody was ordained, or a ward was organized, and he lays it away. He cannot record it today, and he goes on laying things away until he has an accumulation. We live in a time of increasing labor, and we should, as far as possible, perform every duty in the time and season thereof. These records ought to be kept at the time of the occurrence of the events that are to be handed down to posterity. When President Woodruff used to write the sermons of the Prophet, he brought the very spirit of his instructions into his reports, and we have them today with the spirit and the understanding thereof. When you are performing works that ought to be recorded, this should be done that same day while the spirit of the time and the labor rests on the one entrusted with the duty, for then it is likely to be done correctly. When an accumulation is found, this cannot be. In one of the stakes of Zion it is ascertained that there is a trunk nearly full of scattered papers containing most valuable information, and it needs a man to spend a month and put them properly on record. Record the work when it is done, immediately, so that if it happens that your records are wanted tomorrow, or next week, the historian can send for them and get whatever information is wanted.
Having referred you to the views and estimates of this subject as entertained by several of the Prophets and by the Lord himself, I must now refer you to and recommend a closer perusal of sections 127 and 128 of the Doctrine and Covenants in which our great Prophet Joseph Smith has elucidated the eternal principle of recording and sealing for the living and the dead. It is the most elaborate exposition of this subject found anywhere in the publications of the Church. Search these scriptures for they will add to your stock of knowledge that leads to eternal life. May the Holy Spirit enable us to make such records, Church, family and individual, as shall be worthy of all acceptation when the books shall be opened and we judged according to the things written in the books. Amen.
PRESIDENT GEORGE Q. CANNON
briefly supplemented the remarks of Elder Richards upon the subject of record keeping, and urged the importance of the Saints employing the best quality of paper and ink in the compilation of their private records and journals. He offered some pertinent suggestions in that regard.
President Cannon also reminded the congregation of the concert to be held in the Tabernacle this evening, the proceeds of which are to be divided between the choir fund and the widows and orphans of the unfortunate men who were killed in the recent mine disaster in Wyoming.
The choir sang the anthem: Wonderful Counselor.
Benediction by Patriarch John Smith.
Conference adjourned till 2 p.m.
briefly supplemented the remarks of Elder Richards upon the subject of record keeping, and urged the importance of the Saints employing the best quality of paper and ink in the compilation of their private records and journals. He offered some pertinent suggestions in that regard.
President Cannon also reminded the congregation of the concert to be held in the Tabernacle this evening, the proceeds of which are to be divided between the choir fund and the widows and orphans of the unfortunate men who were killed in the recent mine disaster in Wyoming.
The choir sang the anthem: Wonderful Counselor.
Benediction by Patriarch John Smith.
Conference adjourned till 2 p.m.
AFTERNOON SESSION 2 p.m.
Singing by the choir:
Though in the outward Church below,
The wheat and tares together grow.
Prayer by Elder Seymour B. Young.
The choir sang:
Truth reflects upon our senses,
Gospel light reveals to some.
Singing by the choir:
Though in the outward Church below,
The wheat and tares together grow.
Prayer by Elder Seymour B. Young.
The choir sang:
Truth reflects upon our senses,
Gospel light reveals to some.
PRESIDENT GEORGE Q. CANNON
presented the general authorities of the Church to the Conference as follows:--
Wilford Woodruff as Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in all the world;
George Q. Cannon as First Counselor in the First Presidency;
Joseph F. Smith as Second Counselor in the First Presidency;
Lorenzo Snow as President of the Twelve Apostles;
As members of the quorum of the Twelve Apostles—Lorenzo Snow, Franklin D. Richards, Brigham Young, Moses Thatcher, Francis M. Lyman, John Henry Smith, George Teasdale, Heber J. Grant, John W. Taylor, Marriner W. Merrill, Anthon H. Lund, Abraham H. Cannon;
The Counselors in the First Presidency, and the Twelve Apostles, as Prophets, Seers, and Revelators;
Patriarch to the Church—John Smith;
First Seven Presidents of the Seventies—Seymour B. Young C. D. Fjeldsted, B. H. Roberts, George Reynolds, Jonathan G. Kimball, Rulon S. Wells, and Edward Stevenson;
William B. Preston as Presiding Bishop, with Robert T. Burton as his First, and John R. Winder as his Second Counselor;
Franklin D. Richards as Church Historian and General Church Recorder, and John Jaques as his assistant;
As the Church Board of Education—Wilford Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow, George Q. Cannon, Karl G. Maeser, Willard Young, G. W. Thatcher, Anthon H. Lund, James Sharp, and Joseph F. Smith;
As Trustee-in-Trust for the body of religious worshipers known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—Wilford Woodruff;
John Nicholson as Clerk of General Conference;
All the voting to sustain the authorities as presented was unanimous.
An annual report of Sunday Schools was read. With other information it showed the following: Number of schools, 690; officers and teachers, 10,055; pupils, 81,921; total officers, teachers, and pupils, 91,976. Cash on hand at last report, $2,380.94; amount collected during the year, $9,688.48; total cash receipts, $12,069.42; disbursements during the year, $9,618.31; balance on hand, $3,209.67.
The annual report of the Young Ladies’ M. I. Association showed as follows: Number of associations, 408; number reported, 380; number of members reported, 14,468; increase, 1,096; Stake organizations, 36; reported, 35; books in library, 5,884. Cash on hand, $3,044.68. Property on hand, $3,209.67.
The report was signed by Elmina S. Taylor, Maria Y. Dougall, and Martha H. Tingey, who constitute the presidency of the organization, and by Ann M. Cannon, secretary and treasurer.
presented the general authorities of the Church to the Conference as follows:--
Wilford Woodruff as Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in all the world;
George Q. Cannon as First Counselor in the First Presidency;
Joseph F. Smith as Second Counselor in the First Presidency;
Lorenzo Snow as President of the Twelve Apostles;
As members of the quorum of the Twelve Apostles—Lorenzo Snow, Franklin D. Richards, Brigham Young, Moses Thatcher, Francis M. Lyman, John Henry Smith, George Teasdale, Heber J. Grant, John W. Taylor, Marriner W. Merrill, Anthon H. Lund, Abraham H. Cannon;
The Counselors in the First Presidency, and the Twelve Apostles, as Prophets, Seers, and Revelators;
Patriarch to the Church—John Smith;
First Seven Presidents of the Seventies—Seymour B. Young C. D. Fjeldsted, B. H. Roberts, George Reynolds, Jonathan G. Kimball, Rulon S. Wells, and Edward Stevenson;
William B. Preston as Presiding Bishop, with Robert T. Burton as his First, and John R. Winder as his Second Counselor;
Franklin D. Richards as Church Historian and General Church Recorder, and John Jaques as his assistant;
As the Church Board of Education—Wilford Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow, George Q. Cannon, Karl G. Maeser, Willard Young, G. W. Thatcher, Anthon H. Lund, James Sharp, and Joseph F. Smith;
As Trustee-in-Trust for the body of religious worshipers known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—Wilford Woodruff;
John Nicholson as Clerk of General Conference;
All the voting to sustain the authorities as presented was unanimous.
An annual report of Sunday Schools was read. With other information it showed the following: Number of schools, 690; officers and teachers, 10,055; pupils, 81,921; total officers, teachers, and pupils, 91,976. Cash on hand at last report, $2,380.94; amount collected during the year, $9,688.48; total cash receipts, $12,069.42; disbursements during the year, $9,618.31; balance on hand, $3,209.67.
The annual report of the Young Ladies’ M. I. Association showed as follows: Number of associations, 408; number reported, 380; number of members reported, 14,468; increase, 1,096; Stake organizations, 36; reported, 35; books in library, 5,884. Cash on hand, $3,044.68. Property on hand, $3,209.67.
The report was signed by Elmina S. Taylor, Maria Y. Dougall, and Martha H. Tingey, who constitute the presidency of the organization, and by Ann M. Cannon, secretary and treasurer.
PRESIDENT LORENZO SNOW
was the first speaker. He began by reading from the first chapter of the Revelations of St. John and the 110th section of the book of Doctrine and Covenants. The two testimonies herein referred to, he said, were given, the first about 1800 years ago; the second about fifty-nine years since; the vision of the Savior, mentioned in the latter book, having been made manifest by Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery on April 3, 1836. He was well acquainted with the prophet Joseph Smith and partially so with Oliver Cowdery. While engaged in establishing the principles of the Gospel no fault could be found with Oliver Cowdery. He was a good and faithful man and always had a faithful testimony. But he grew jealous of certain parties and after a time apostatized. He remained in that condition for many years, but just before his death he came forward and requested to have the privilege of being baptized and becoming again a member of the Church. During all the period of his apostasy he always maintained the truth of the testimony which he first bore in regard to the principles of Mormonism and the various manifestations which he had previously received from the Lord.
Elder Snow then proceeded to speak upon the subject of baptism and other vicarious work for the dead, and said that in our temples we were now accomplishing a great and mighty work for our ancestors who had passed behind the vail. Extraordinary manifestations had been witnessed from time to time which clearly showed that God approved of the labor of His people in that direction. The speaker remarked that the object sought was the salvation of those of our kindred who in the past had died without a knowledge or testimony of the true Gospel. We ourselves should strive to become worthy to perform these labors in God’s holy temples and those in authority most earnestly desired that the brethren and sisters should not neglect this important work, which had to be carried out before the son of man should come to claim His kingdom.
It was also pointed out that baptism for the remission of sins, the laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost, and other holy ordinances were absolutely necessary for a man’s salvation. Everything had been prepared for us, and in this life we should seek constantly to deserve those blessings which God had promised unto the faithful, and no man or woman should be satisfied until he or she had secured the perfect assurance that they were on the path to exaltation and glory.
Elder Snow spoke of the encouragement which was before the Latter-day Saints, and counseled them to continue to walk in the paths of truth and righteousness which lead to eternal life.
was the first speaker. He began by reading from the first chapter of the Revelations of St. John and the 110th section of the book of Doctrine and Covenants. The two testimonies herein referred to, he said, were given, the first about 1800 years ago; the second about fifty-nine years since; the vision of the Savior, mentioned in the latter book, having been made manifest by Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery on April 3, 1836. He was well acquainted with the prophet Joseph Smith and partially so with Oliver Cowdery. While engaged in establishing the principles of the Gospel no fault could be found with Oliver Cowdery. He was a good and faithful man and always had a faithful testimony. But he grew jealous of certain parties and after a time apostatized. He remained in that condition for many years, but just before his death he came forward and requested to have the privilege of being baptized and becoming again a member of the Church. During all the period of his apostasy he always maintained the truth of the testimony which he first bore in regard to the principles of Mormonism and the various manifestations which he had previously received from the Lord.
Elder Snow then proceeded to speak upon the subject of baptism and other vicarious work for the dead, and said that in our temples we were now accomplishing a great and mighty work for our ancestors who had passed behind the vail. Extraordinary manifestations had been witnessed from time to time which clearly showed that God approved of the labor of His people in that direction. The speaker remarked that the object sought was the salvation of those of our kindred who in the past had died without a knowledge or testimony of the true Gospel. We ourselves should strive to become worthy to perform these labors in God’s holy temples and those in authority most earnestly desired that the brethren and sisters should not neglect this important work, which had to be carried out before the son of man should come to claim His kingdom.
It was also pointed out that baptism for the remission of sins, the laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost, and other holy ordinances were absolutely necessary for a man’s salvation. Everything had been prepared for us, and in this life we should seek constantly to deserve those blessings which God had promised unto the faithful, and no man or woman should be satisfied until he or she had secured the perfect assurance that they were on the path to exaltation and glory.
Elder Snow spoke of the encouragement which was before the Latter-day Saints, and counseled them to continue to walk in the paths of truth and righteousness which lead to eternal life.
Discourse
Delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Saturday, April 6th, 1895, by President Lorenzo Snow.
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
I wish to read for our instruction a few verses which will be found in the first chapter of John’s Revelations, as follows:
And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven gold candlesticks.
And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last;
I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
In connection with this I wish to read from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, 110th section:
The vail was taken from our minds, and the eyes of our understanding were opened.
We saw the Lord standing upon the breast work of the pulpit, before us, and under his feet was a paved work of pure gold in color like amber.
His eyes were as a flame of fire, the hair of his head was white like the pure snow, his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun, and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying--
I am the first and the last. I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain, I am your advocate with the Father.
Behold, your sins are forgiven you, you are clean before me, therefore lift up your heads and rejoice.
Let the hearts of your brethren rejoice, and let the hears of all my people rejoice, who have with their might, built this house to my name.
For behold, I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here, and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house.
This vision was seen by Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery on April 3rd, 1836.
Here are two testimonies concerning Jesus Christ. That which I first read was given about 1800 years ago, the other about 59 years ago. I suppose there are millions that believe in the first testimony which I have read in relation to the Son of God, as described by John the Revelator. This second testimony about the same personage, the Son of God, is believed but by a very few compared to the great number of people who believe in the first testimony. In reference to John, who bore testimony to the Son of God, I never was familiar with him. Indeed I never saw his face; I never heard his voice; I never had the pleasure of shaking hands with him. But Joseph Smith I was familiar with: In the year 1832, if I mistake not, I first saw him and hear him preach. And from that time on, with the exception perhaps of a couple of years, I was intimately acquainted with him. I have conversed with him many times. I have sat at his table at various times. I knew him to be a man of God, full of the spirit of his calling—a man whose integrity could not be disputed, and who was honest in all his endeavors. No one that was as intimately acquainted with him as I was could find any fault with him, so far as his moral character was concerned. As to the second individual here that bears this last testimony, Oliver Cowdery, I was partially acquainted with him I heard him preach, and talked with him; and while he was engaged in promulgating the principles of the religion which he espoused, the same that you and I have espoused, no fault could be found with him. At that time he was a good man, and always bore a faithful testimony to these things which God had plainly manifested to him. But like some others who were prominent in the Church in 1836, and before and after that, he got dissatisfied, he got jealous of certain parties, and after a time he apostatized, and remained in that condition for many years; but just previous to his death he came forward and requested to have the privilege of being rebaptized and become again a member of the Church. Yet during all the period of his apostasy, so far as I understand he always maintained the truth of this testimony which he bore in regard to the truth of the principles of Mormonism and the various manifestations which he received of the Lord. Now, I bear testimony of the good character of Brother Joseph Smith, of his honesty, his fidelity, his faithfulness, his generosity and benevolence, as a man and as a servant of God. This is why I have read these testimonies.
Now, there are several thousand Latter-day Saints before me, and there is not one but has a work to perform. We did not come into this world accidentally. We came for a special purpose, and it was undoubtedly through certain arrangements in the other life where we dwelt that we came into this life. Well, in the Temple we are accomplishing a great work in reference to our kindred dead. We have from time to time important manifestations that God approved of this labor that we are performing in our Temples. Most extraordinary manifestations have been experienced by individuals that are laboring for their ancestry. It is a mighty work that we are accomplishing. Thousands of persons have been baptized for their dead during the progress of our labors in the Temples. I wish to speak of a few things in reference to the importance of this work and of individuals being engaged in it. As I said, we have not come into this world accidentally. It is my opinion that there has been an inspiration to bring about certain relations that we are forming there in this life, and most likely they arise because of certain relations that existed in our previous life. We respect those relations. As President Woodruff told us at our last conference but one, in speaking on this subject, we respect the relations that were formed years and generations ago when the Gospel was not among the children of men. One of the first commandments that God gave when He introduced the human family upon this little globe upon which we dwell was that they should multiply and replenish the earth. That was a matter of the highest importance, or God would never have given that commandment. It was of the utmost importance that the earth should be peopled with the sons and daughters of God. Circumstances were of that nature that men and women never could be exalted and receive the fulness of glory unless they passed through this ordeal. They had to come to the earth, which was called the second estate. We had a first estate, in which we dwelt, moved and had a being. We knew one another there. And in consequence of having kept our first estate, we had the privilege of coming into this estate, in order to pass through the ordeal and get that necessary experience and education that should prepare us to sit upon thrones and govern and control our posterity worlds without end. We came here because we were sent here and because we were willing to come in this life we send our missionaries into the world. We select our young men and give them missions to travel among the nations. It is not one of the most pleasant things that might be imagined for a young man to start out, not having had any experience, to go to a land and among a people that he knows nothing at all about, and in many instances does not even understand their language. He realizes that he will have trials, troubles and difficulties to cope with, and many things of an unpleasant character. In one sense of the word, he parts with his friends unpleasantly; but it is an important duty that he feels now called upon to perform, and there will arise from the performance of these duties, honor, and eventually glory and exaltation. He is well-satisfied in regard to this point: but the mission is not a pleasant thing to contemplate altogether. He is selected for this divine mission and holy labor because of his faithfulness and his purity of conduct. In like manner we come into this world because we kept our first estate in the midst of all the trials and difficulties in the other life. It was not all of the family of God that preserved themselves in their first estate. One-third part of the host of the children of God, His offspring, traveled in a different direction, and were not worthy to come into the world. They do come sometimes, but they have to borrow bodies, not having any of their own. We, however, are here because of our worthiness in the past, as Elders are sent out among the nations because of their worthiness at home.
Now, in our Temples we allow persons to come in, after they have traced their ancestry, no matter how far back, and to be baptized for their dead father, grandfather, and great-grandfather and so on, just as far as they can trace their line. Then we allow them to have the wives sealed to their husbands, all along the ancestry line, as far as they can trace it. Take the case of a virtuous young man who lived before the Gospel was introduced to the children of men. He desired to get him a wife and to raise a family. That desire is a proper desire. It is obeying the first commandment. Well, he married a wife, and he raised a family; but he never had the privilege of receiving the Gospel, as you and I have. However, he taught his family the principles of morality, and he was affectionate and kind to his wife and children. What more could he do? He should not be condemned because he did not receive the Gospel; for there was no Gospel to receive. He should not lose his wife because when he married her he could not go into a Temple and have her sealed to him for time and eternity. He acted according to the best knowledge that he had, and she was married to him for time, according to the custom of the country. We respect that marriage, solemnized according to the laws of his country. We do not think it would be right to take that wife, married to this man under these circumstances, and seal her to any other man, or the children either. As President Woodruff explained, we seal children to their parents and wives to their husbands, all along the line. Now, it should be an object in every man and woman’s mind to come into our Temples and to perform this labor. It is a great labor, and an important one, too. When we go back into the other life and find our dead friends living there, if we have not performed the labor that is necessary for their exaltation and glory we shall not feel very happy and it will not be a very pleasant meeting. We ought not wait for opportunities to be pleasant and agreeable always; but we should strive, even if it takes a little sacrifice on our part, to put ourselves in a condition to perform this labor. We have in the Salt Lake Temple between sixty and seventy persons that are employed continually for the purpose of waiting on brethren and sisters who come there to do this labor, and they perform their service cheerfully. Very few indeed receive any pay; they give their labor for nothing. And we welcome the brethren and sisters when we see them in this Temple. It is the same in all the other Temples. We desire anxiously that the brethren and sisters should not neglect this important work. Do you know what will be the main labor during the thousand years of rest? It will be that which we are trying to urge the Latter-day Saints to perform at the present time. Temples will be built all over this land, and the brethren and sisters will go into them and perhaps work day and night in order to hasten the work and accomplish the labors necessary before the Son of Man can present His kingdom to His Father. This work has got to be accomplished before the Son of Man can come and receive His kingdom to present it to His Father. Every son and daughter of God will have the opportunity necessary for exaltation and glory, either by themselves or by their friends. For there is but one way by which exaltation and glory can be secured. We have to be baptized for the remission of sins and have hands laid upon us for the reception of the Holy Ghost. These and other ordinances are absolutely necessary for exaltation and glory; and where individuals have lived when the Gospel has not bee accessible, these things can be attended to by their friends. We have come into the world now in order to do these things—at least, it is one of the chief objects of our coming. We cannot lay too great stress upon the importance of this work.
Well, brethren and sisters, offspring of God, everything before us is encouraging. Our prospects are just as great and glorious as any imagination could possibly anticipate; and we should strive to fit ourselves to receive these blessings. As to the foundation upon which we stand, it is pretty secure; but it may not be to everyone within the sound of my voice. No man should be satisfied until he has secured a perfect assurance that this is the path of exaltation and glory; that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God; that these things which I have been reading to you are actually of God; that Jesus, the Son of God, actually appeared in 1836 to some of the sons and daughters of God that were acquainted with Him in the other life. There is no question about this in my mind, and there are tens of thousands of Latter-day Saints that can testify to the truth of this work. They know it for themselves; but I fear there are too many that have not secured that assurance that is absolutely necessary, because every man and every woman will be tried to see how far he or she has an understanding in regard to these principles. May we be blessed in all our labors. May we understand the things that are required at our hands, and perform them faithfully, and be successful, so that when we have finished our second estate we may go yonder and there rejoice and receive the fullness of exaltation and glory. This is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Mrs. Agnes Olsen-Thomas here sang the solo “Calvary.”
Delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Saturday, April 6th, 1895, by President Lorenzo Snow.
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
I wish to read for our instruction a few verses which will be found in the first chapter of John’s Revelations, as follows:
And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven gold candlesticks.
And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last;
I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
In connection with this I wish to read from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, 110th section:
The vail was taken from our minds, and the eyes of our understanding were opened.
We saw the Lord standing upon the breast work of the pulpit, before us, and under his feet was a paved work of pure gold in color like amber.
His eyes were as a flame of fire, the hair of his head was white like the pure snow, his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun, and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying--
I am the first and the last. I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain, I am your advocate with the Father.
Behold, your sins are forgiven you, you are clean before me, therefore lift up your heads and rejoice.
Let the hearts of your brethren rejoice, and let the hears of all my people rejoice, who have with their might, built this house to my name.
For behold, I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here, and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house.
This vision was seen by Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery on April 3rd, 1836.
Here are two testimonies concerning Jesus Christ. That which I first read was given about 1800 years ago, the other about 59 years ago. I suppose there are millions that believe in the first testimony which I have read in relation to the Son of God, as described by John the Revelator. This second testimony about the same personage, the Son of God, is believed but by a very few compared to the great number of people who believe in the first testimony. In reference to John, who bore testimony to the Son of God, I never was familiar with him. Indeed I never saw his face; I never heard his voice; I never had the pleasure of shaking hands with him. But Joseph Smith I was familiar with: In the year 1832, if I mistake not, I first saw him and hear him preach. And from that time on, with the exception perhaps of a couple of years, I was intimately acquainted with him. I have conversed with him many times. I have sat at his table at various times. I knew him to be a man of God, full of the spirit of his calling—a man whose integrity could not be disputed, and who was honest in all his endeavors. No one that was as intimately acquainted with him as I was could find any fault with him, so far as his moral character was concerned. As to the second individual here that bears this last testimony, Oliver Cowdery, I was partially acquainted with him I heard him preach, and talked with him; and while he was engaged in promulgating the principles of the religion which he espoused, the same that you and I have espoused, no fault could be found with him. At that time he was a good man, and always bore a faithful testimony to these things which God had plainly manifested to him. But like some others who were prominent in the Church in 1836, and before and after that, he got dissatisfied, he got jealous of certain parties, and after a time he apostatized, and remained in that condition for many years; but just previous to his death he came forward and requested to have the privilege of being rebaptized and become again a member of the Church. Yet during all the period of his apostasy, so far as I understand he always maintained the truth of this testimony which he bore in regard to the truth of the principles of Mormonism and the various manifestations which he received of the Lord. Now, I bear testimony of the good character of Brother Joseph Smith, of his honesty, his fidelity, his faithfulness, his generosity and benevolence, as a man and as a servant of God. This is why I have read these testimonies.
Now, there are several thousand Latter-day Saints before me, and there is not one but has a work to perform. We did not come into this world accidentally. We came for a special purpose, and it was undoubtedly through certain arrangements in the other life where we dwelt that we came into this life. Well, in the Temple we are accomplishing a great work in reference to our kindred dead. We have from time to time important manifestations that God approved of this labor that we are performing in our Temples. Most extraordinary manifestations have been experienced by individuals that are laboring for their ancestry. It is a mighty work that we are accomplishing. Thousands of persons have been baptized for their dead during the progress of our labors in the Temples. I wish to speak of a few things in reference to the importance of this work and of individuals being engaged in it. As I said, we have not come into this world accidentally. It is my opinion that there has been an inspiration to bring about certain relations that we are forming there in this life, and most likely they arise because of certain relations that existed in our previous life. We respect those relations. As President Woodruff told us at our last conference but one, in speaking on this subject, we respect the relations that were formed years and generations ago when the Gospel was not among the children of men. One of the first commandments that God gave when He introduced the human family upon this little globe upon which we dwell was that they should multiply and replenish the earth. That was a matter of the highest importance, or God would never have given that commandment. It was of the utmost importance that the earth should be peopled with the sons and daughters of God. Circumstances were of that nature that men and women never could be exalted and receive the fulness of glory unless they passed through this ordeal. They had to come to the earth, which was called the second estate. We had a first estate, in which we dwelt, moved and had a being. We knew one another there. And in consequence of having kept our first estate, we had the privilege of coming into this estate, in order to pass through the ordeal and get that necessary experience and education that should prepare us to sit upon thrones and govern and control our posterity worlds without end. We came here because we were sent here and because we were willing to come in this life we send our missionaries into the world. We select our young men and give them missions to travel among the nations. It is not one of the most pleasant things that might be imagined for a young man to start out, not having had any experience, to go to a land and among a people that he knows nothing at all about, and in many instances does not even understand their language. He realizes that he will have trials, troubles and difficulties to cope with, and many things of an unpleasant character. In one sense of the word, he parts with his friends unpleasantly; but it is an important duty that he feels now called upon to perform, and there will arise from the performance of these duties, honor, and eventually glory and exaltation. He is well-satisfied in regard to this point: but the mission is not a pleasant thing to contemplate altogether. He is selected for this divine mission and holy labor because of his faithfulness and his purity of conduct. In like manner we come into this world because we kept our first estate in the midst of all the trials and difficulties in the other life. It was not all of the family of God that preserved themselves in their first estate. One-third part of the host of the children of God, His offspring, traveled in a different direction, and were not worthy to come into the world. They do come sometimes, but they have to borrow bodies, not having any of their own. We, however, are here because of our worthiness in the past, as Elders are sent out among the nations because of their worthiness at home.
Now, in our Temples we allow persons to come in, after they have traced their ancestry, no matter how far back, and to be baptized for their dead father, grandfather, and great-grandfather and so on, just as far as they can trace their line. Then we allow them to have the wives sealed to their husbands, all along the ancestry line, as far as they can trace it. Take the case of a virtuous young man who lived before the Gospel was introduced to the children of men. He desired to get him a wife and to raise a family. That desire is a proper desire. It is obeying the first commandment. Well, he married a wife, and he raised a family; but he never had the privilege of receiving the Gospel, as you and I have. However, he taught his family the principles of morality, and he was affectionate and kind to his wife and children. What more could he do? He should not be condemned because he did not receive the Gospel; for there was no Gospel to receive. He should not lose his wife because when he married her he could not go into a Temple and have her sealed to him for time and eternity. He acted according to the best knowledge that he had, and she was married to him for time, according to the custom of the country. We respect that marriage, solemnized according to the laws of his country. We do not think it would be right to take that wife, married to this man under these circumstances, and seal her to any other man, or the children either. As President Woodruff explained, we seal children to their parents and wives to their husbands, all along the line. Now, it should be an object in every man and woman’s mind to come into our Temples and to perform this labor. It is a great labor, and an important one, too. When we go back into the other life and find our dead friends living there, if we have not performed the labor that is necessary for their exaltation and glory we shall not feel very happy and it will not be a very pleasant meeting. We ought not wait for opportunities to be pleasant and agreeable always; but we should strive, even if it takes a little sacrifice on our part, to put ourselves in a condition to perform this labor. We have in the Salt Lake Temple between sixty and seventy persons that are employed continually for the purpose of waiting on brethren and sisters who come there to do this labor, and they perform their service cheerfully. Very few indeed receive any pay; they give their labor for nothing. And we welcome the brethren and sisters when we see them in this Temple. It is the same in all the other Temples. We desire anxiously that the brethren and sisters should not neglect this important work. Do you know what will be the main labor during the thousand years of rest? It will be that which we are trying to urge the Latter-day Saints to perform at the present time. Temples will be built all over this land, and the brethren and sisters will go into them and perhaps work day and night in order to hasten the work and accomplish the labors necessary before the Son of Man can present His kingdom to His Father. This work has got to be accomplished before the Son of Man can come and receive His kingdom to present it to His Father. Every son and daughter of God will have the opportunity necessary for exaltation and glory, either by themselves or by their friends. For there is but one way by which exaltation and glory can be secured. We have to be baptized for the remission of sins and have hands laid upon us for the reception of the Holy Ghost. These and other ordinances are absolutely necessary for exaltation and glory; and where individuals have lived when the Gospel has not bee accessible, these things can be attended to by their friends. We have come into the world now in order to do these things—at least, it is one of the chief objects of our coming. We cannot lay too great stress upon the importance of this work.
Well, brethren and sisters, offspring of God, everything before us is encouraging. Our prospects are just as great and glorious as any imagination could possibly anticipate; and we should strive to fit ourselves to receive these blessings. As to the foundation upon which we stand, it is pretty secure; but it may not be to everyone within the sound of my voice. No man should be satisfied until he has secured a perfect assurance that this is the path of exaltation and glory; that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God; that these things which I have been reading to you are actually of God; that Jesus, the Son of God, actually appeared in 1836 to some of the sons and daughters of God that were acquainted with Him in the other life. There is no question about this in my mind, and there are tens of thousands of Latter-day Saints that can testify to the truth of this work. They know it for themselves; but I fear there are too many that have not secured that assurance that is absolutely necessary, because every man and every woman will be tried to see how far he or she has an understanding in regard to these principles. May we be blessed in all our labors. May we understand the things that are required at our hands, and perform them faithfully, and be successful, so that when we have finished our second estate we may go yonder and there rejoice and receive the fullness of exaltation and glory. This is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Mrs. Agnes Olsen-Thomas here sang the solo “Calvary.”
PRESIDENT GEORGE Q. CANNON
arose and said that a great effort was being made just now to urge upon the public the importance of using a certain kind of tobacco; therefore it had been suggested that those present would like to hear from Professor Talmage what he had to say on the tobacco habit and its effects upon the physical and moral nature of man.
arose and said that a great effort was being made just now to urge upon the public the importance of using a certain kind of tobacco; therefore it had been suggested that those present would like to hear from Professor Talmage what he had to say on the tobacco habit and its effects upon the physical and moral nature of man.
ELDER TALMAGE
said he did not believe we should shun the tobacco habit merely because of the penalty which followed its use, but for the higher purpose that we knew it to be unmanly and opposed to the will and the law of God. The speaker dwelt upon the very injurious effects of tobacco upon the human system. He said our bodies were the temples of God, and for that reason ought not to be defiled. The vital organs were affected so seriously by the use of tobacco as to become permanently impaired, and this injury was transmitted from generation to generation, until we realized at length the truth of the great declaration that the sins of the fathers should be visited upon the children even to the third and fourth generations. He himself, as a teacher, could testify to the fact that those who came to him for instruction having been born with the tendency towards the use of tobacco, “this stimulant appetite,” came with a burden on their backs that it would cost them the greatest effort of their lives to escape from.
The speaker deprecated the present system of advertising the leading brands of tobacco both by posters and through the medium of newspapers and also such as told the people “where they could get drunk for the least money.” He gave the word of warning to parents, upon whose heads, he declared, these sins would fall if they persisted by means, direct or indirect, in leading their children on in this manner, by themselves adopting those enervating, soul-destroying habits which so battled against men in the fierce competition of life. The boy who began with a cigarette would perhaps end in the opium joint, ruined in body, mind, and soul by that for the first use of which there was no excuse. These physical weaknesses which we brought upon ourselves were steps towards insanity. The boy who became addicted to these destructive habits was, as a rule, a profane boy, and more likely to become a criminal than he would be if he did not yield to them. The day was speedily coming when the children of the present generation would be beyond parental control. Those vessels would have become hardened and taken the form that they would hold through life, stamped either with honor or shame. Elder Talmage continued to speak in this strain, and gave various illustrations in support of his assertions.
said he did not believe we should shun the tobacco habit merely because of the penalty which followed its use, but for the higher purpose that we knew it to be unmanly and opposed to the will and the law of God. The speaker dwelt upon the very injurious effects of tobacco upon the human system. He said our bodies were the temples of God, and for that reason ought not to be defiled. The vital organs were affected so seriously by the use of tobacco as to become permanently impaired, and this injury was transmitted from generation to generation, until we realized at length the truth of the great declaration that the sins of the fathers should be visited upon the children even to the third and fourth generations. He himself, as a teacher, could testify to the fact that those who came to him for instruction having been born with the tendency towards the use of tobacco, “this stimulant appetite,” came with a burden on their backs that it would cost them the greatest effort of their lives to escape from.
The speaker deprecated the present system of advertising the leading brands of tobacco both by posters and through the medium of newspapers and also such as told the people “where they could get drunk for the least money.” He gave the word of warning to parents, upon whose heads, he declared, these sins would fall if they persisted by means, direct or indirect, in leading their children on in this manner, by themselves adopting those enervating, soul-destroying habits which so battled against men in the fierce competition of life. The boy who began with a cigarette would perhaps end in the opium joint, ruined in body, mind, and soul by that for the first use of which there was no excuse. These physical weaknesses which we brought upon ourselves were steps towards insanity. The boy who became addicted to these destructive habits was, as a rule, a profane boy, and more likely to become a criminal than he would be if he did not yield to them. The day was speedily coming when the children of the present generation would be beyond parental control. Those vessels would have become hardened and taken the form that they would hold through life, stamped either with honor or shame. Elder Talmage continued to speak in this strain, and gave various illustrations in support of his assertions.
The Tobacco Habit.
An Address delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Saturday, April 6th, 1895, by Professor James E. Talmage
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
My brethren and sisters and friends: This indeed is an inspiring sight, these thousands of people gathered from all parts of Utah, and probably from adjoining states and territories also, for a common purpose, and particularly as that purpose is one of the most exalted that mankind can have in all its works. I esteem it a particular favor to be permitted to stand before you for a short time, though, as has been stated, I do it without premeditation, not knowing that this privilege and courtesy would be extended to me.
I am quite sure that all who are present will admit the importance of the subject that President George Q. Cannon has just announced (the tobacco habit, and its effects on the physical and moral nature of man); and, finding myself in the stand, I shall take the opportunity of speaking for a few moments from the standpoint of an educator and a teacher amongst the people. I doubt if there is any necessity indeed, of urging upon you the necessity of observing the laws of health—those laws which have been found by man ofttimes through study, investigation and experiment, and those rules that have so often been revealed of God for the governing of His children. We all profess to be observers of these laws to a greater or less extent, while many of us in our carelessness, forgetfulness and selfishness are apt to tread them under foot and to feel that the penalties that have been threatened will never fall upon us. I do not believe, however, that we should shun this habit merely because of the penalty, but for the higher purpose that we know it is unmanly and that it is contrary to the will and the purposes and the laws of God. The using of tobacco has been denounced for reasons that are good, founded on physiological grounds, and others of an intellectual nature; and there are objections from a moral standpoint which have been, and are repeatedly urged. Many of those present will remember that at the last Conference of the Church, the general authorities devoted a great deal of attention to this subject, and their efforts were applauded, not only by members of the Church, but by those who do not profess the faith that the majority of those before me hold and revere; for it is recognized not alone as a religious principle, as a physiological, as an ethical but as a moral principle that we should take care of our bodies. Every year the discoveries of learned men, wise and earnest investigators, convince us that the words of the great prophet were true when he declared that the body of man is fearfully and most wonderfully made. No mechanism that man has ever shaped or framed can be compared to it in delicacy and in efficacy. This organism that has been given unto us, (for the majority of those here believe that it has been given us to do with as we choose, except with the provision that we shall be answerable for the consequences) for a divine purpose, can be disorganized very readily, thrown into confusion, made unfit for its exalted purpose. What that purpose is many people will answer different. I take but one answer for the present, from one of the wisest men whose words have come down to us from a former age: It is indeed the temple of God, and for that reason ought not to be defiled.
Physicians have been telling us for many years of the ill effects manifesting themselves, particularly in the young, from the use of tobacco. They tell us that many of the vital organs are affected, and affected in a manner that is most serious and permanent. It is true the body has within it that tendency, God-given in his mercy, to right itself, to repair itself, and to recover from injury to a very great extent. But there are some assaults from which the body cannot recover, and the effects of tobacco are among those from which it is most difficult to recover. The injury wrought by it is amongst the most serious and far-reaching of injuries, affecting not only the immediate users, but their posterity; for the weakening of the vital organs, the impairment of the senses, particularly sight and hearing—these weaknesses are transmitted from generation to generation, and truly do we realize the fulfillment of the great declaration that the sins of the fathers should be visited from the children even unto the third and fourth generation.
But closely associated with these physical or physiological weaknesses are the intellectual troubles, weaknesses, depravities that assert themselves. I have declared many times and do it again, that I know not where you can find another community of men and women amongst whom are to be found so many children of promise—promise because of their physical perfection, or a condition approaching perfection, because of their intellectual power, because of their high moral beliefs and sentiments, as amongst the Latter-day Saints. I believe that we have here a chosen people, physically, intellectually and morally; and I believe too that this being chosen in this sense, being distinguished as a community because of these elements and perfections, concerning them the Lord our God will allow no trifling, not trampling under foot of those laws that He has established and that you have accepted as true and binding. As a teacher I can testify to the fact that those who come to us having been born perhaps with this tendency toward the use of such things, this stimulant of the appetite, they come with a burden on their backs that it will perhaps cost them the greatest effort of their lives to escape from. What would you think of starting a boy upon a race tying his hands and legs so that he could scarcely move, and then expect him to keep pace with his free competitors? Yet in such way are many of those who are in the habit of using these things placing an incubus upon their children and bringing them into the world with a curse from the time of their birth. But I address my remarks not so much to their parents for their own sakes as for the sake of their children born and unborn. These young boys and girls who have been appropriately termed the pride of Utah are indeed choice sons and daughters of God, and as such they should be guarded most jealously from temptation in the first place, and from these weaknesses that are liable to assert themselves, the germs and seeds of which may be implanted within them through the indiscretions of the parents and through the weaknesses and associates and professed friends.
There is one point in the philosophy of the nineteenth century that I have never been able to master—indeed one among many; but there is one that appeals to me as being particularly illogical and absurd, although it is defended ofttimes with many so-called arguments. It is this, that if we know a thing to be wrong, if we know a certain habit to be injurious, if we know that it works evil to the state, to the community, to the family, to the individual, that then we will countenance it in any way directly or indirectly. I do not mean that I would recommend any effort to destroy the liberty of the man who chooses to kill himself in the that way but I do say that if the Latter-day Saints know that these things are wrong, if as they profess in their testimonies from time to time the revelations of God have denounced them, and the Lord has told you that tobacco is not good for the body, then why do we sanction its use, why do we permit it to be brought before the children in a manner that will deceive them? We see ofttimes our dealers who claim good standing amongst us offering these things in the most attractive and alluring manner possible. Their advertising devices are in many instances calculated to lead on those who have never yet contracted the habit to confirm those who have adopted it; and even the local newspapers of our day, local and general, fill their advertising columns with recommendations, telling you where you may find the best brands of tobacco, what houses sell the best brands of tobacco, what houses sell the best liquors for family and table use, and where you can get drunk for the least money.
I only speak of this because of the effect produced among the children. I have a great deal to do with these children, and if I could take you into my confidence and tell some of the fathers and mothers of the young Latter-day Saints that have come to me, in the capacity of students, concerning the heart burnings that I have witnessed and the tears that I have seen fall from those who have told me that if only their fathers and mothers had warned them against these weaknesses they would not have come to me bound in chains from which it required more than human effort to escape. I do not believe I say too much—if I do there are those here who can temper what I say and correct my words—when I declare that these sins will be upon the heads of the parents if they will persist, by means direct or indirect, in leading their children on to sin in this manner and to adopt these enervating, soul-destroying habits with which they stand scarcely a chance in the fierce competition that is growing every year fiercer and stronger in this world of ours. We have heard ofttimes much misrepresentation of the so-called principles of evolution; but there is this principle of evolution which I believe is declared as much by the words of God, through revelation as by the works of nature--the fittest will as a rule survive. When disaster and pestilence stalk through your town, although there may be some who are permitted by the Lord to fall because of wise purpose of His and not because of any weakness of their own or any sins of their parents, depend upon it if He does not stretch forth His arm of miracle, the weak and the sickly and those whose bodies are predisposed to disease are the ones that will fail. During the terrible cholera scourge in Tiflis a few years ago and English observer who was sent there to take notes of that fearful pestilence and to report home, sent across the wires these terrible words: In the town of Tiflis alone thousands had gone to their graves during the last week, and amongst them every intemperate man had fallen, not one remains. I want to repeat a statement referred to a minute ago that this stimulant of appetite, this desire for narcotizing effects, once established in the system is like a monster that has been let loose that will require all the skill and the physical strength of manhood, assisted by the power of God, to subdue. When once let loose you know not what it will do, and the boy that begins with a cigarette will perhaps end in the opium joint, ruined in body, in mind and in soul by that for which there is no excuse in the first using. The testimony of college presidents and other officers of our great institutions of learning throughout the country is unanimous in declaring that as a rule they scarcely can find a man using tobacco standing near the head of his class. Our great philosopher Franklin, in answer to a question as to what was his opinion concerning tobacco, said he had never used it much and he could not speak from an extended experience, but he did not believe it could be good because he had never found an honest man who had used it and would recommend a true friend of his to adopt the habit.
My brethren and sisters, let the children learn of this in their homes and in that school of the family that never can be dispensed with, though you were to establish your public schools on every block; but them right at your doors, multiply them till they be numbered by the hundred where now you can count but the tens, they can not take the place of that family school without which your children can never be properly trained. In that family school see that you do not annul the efforts that are being made in the public schools by the teachers of your children to instruct them in these things that tend to their physical and their intellectual as well as to their moral development. When I hear people denouncing these things and at the same time directly or indirectly countenancing them, I am reminded of the liquor dealer who was converted through the efforts of some temperance advocates that came into his town. Next day an advertisement appeared in the paper announcing that he had learned of the error in his ways and had determined to desert the business and to reform, and then he gave a list of all the choice wines and liquors that he had on hand and announced that to clear out his stock he would sell them at half price for a week, “come one, come all.”
I believe that these physical weaknesses and these intellectual weaknesses are very closely associated. Although none can doubt that sometimes God for His wise purposes has placed one of His master minds in a misshapen and weakened body; though He has permitted some of His choicest spirits, for reasons that man with all his philosophy cannot fathom, to be clothed in a body far from perfect; yet I do not believe there is a single instance on earth of a body originally strong that has become weakened by a violation of the laws of health in which there resides a normal and a healthful mind. These physical weaknesses that we bring upon ourselves are steps towards insanity, and a great many of the inmates of our insane asylums are those who have been led on from one depraving habit to another, because of this unmanageable stimulant taste and appetite that has been planted within them while perhaps they were children.
I do not know whether the Latter-day Saint fathers and mothers know how extensive is this practice amongst their children. I made it a rule a few years ago to go out at night upon the streets and wander about, and whenever I saw a little know of boys or young men gathering I watched them from a distance and then mingled with them and talked with them, and I came to the conclusion that at that time in the town in which I lived, nearly three-fourths of the boys under sixteen years of age were addicted to the use of tobacco. And do you know what carries with it? The love for unholy associations. The tobacco users among the boys are in many instances the profane boys, the boys who have no love for home nor for anything that is good. If I find a boy whose delight it is to use tobacco or who has become addicted to any other of these destructive habits I do not need to ask much about his home life, much about his moral nature. I believe with the great Ruskin that if you can find out what a person’s tastes are you know what his religion is and you will know just about what his spiritual status is.
But these physiological and these intellectual objections are to a very great extent but stepping-stones to the great objection that can be urged from a moral standpoint. I am not prepared to say that every man who smokes is a criminal, but I am prepared to say that every body who smokes is more likely to become a criminal than he would be if he did not smoke. We only need to look at a smoker when in the company of others to see in the first place how every feeling of regard for his fellows is stamped out by that terrible habit. Selfishness is cultivated, and with selfishness come a host of weaknesses and a horde of minor and major sins. The unselfish man cannot sin as can the one who puts himself before all others. These children's bodies are like a vessel upon the potter’s wheel, of plastic clay, taking every impression and mark of his finger, the shape of his nail, the imprint of a pattern that is laid upon it. He can shape it and change it as he will. But if it has been put in the fire and hardened and stamped, every mark and imperfection will be there, and it will require a miracle to alter it, to cause the flaws to disappear. The day is speedily coming when these children will be beyond your power to control. These vessels will have been hardened and will have taken the form that they will hold through life, stamped with honor or stamped with shame.
I look upon it as a very significant thing, though I care not to refer to special advertisements or particular companies, that the people who are advertising the sale of cigarettes have taken this very time and occasion, when people are gathered here from other places by the thousands, to advertise their wares. Not content with that, they have turned one of the greatest inventions of modern times the powerful electric search light into a recommendation for the use of that which the Lord has declared to be an abomination and a curse among a people. I want simply to ask you to beware of these things. Work with those to whom you are entrusting your children. I believe there should be a closer association between the teachers and the parents. I have often felt to cry shame to the parent who allows the teacher to wholly take the place of a parent. Work with your teachers, assist them by your counsel, by your example and precepts at home, by your admonishings to your children. See to it that while they are young and plastic they are properly shaped, that they may become vessels fit to be used in the service of our God. This is to me an all important subject. I trust it will appeal to every one, for remember that we are answerable to the Lord for these spirits that have come to us, and when we stand before the bar of God to answer for the deeds that we have done and to receive the reward or the condemnation that will follow, I believe that among other questions, these will be put to you, “Where are those choice spirits that were given to you? Where are my sons and daughters that were held back in my providence until the day of the great dispensation of the fulness of times, and then were sent forth with all the powers and elements of leadership and mastership within them? What have you done with them? Have you guarded and attended them until they became fit to walk alone, or have you exposed them to all the temptations of a false civilization? Have you permitted them to be led astray by these glittering attractions that have been spread for them, every one of which was a trap for their feet and a pitfall in their path?” Among all the great possessions God has given to His people the greatest of all is the children with which he has blessed them; and of all things for which they will be called to give an account in the strictest terms for their stewardship, is the account of these same children that are with you, sons and daughters of God. Guard them, protect them, shelter them, cast the influence of your counsel and your precept about them. These forbidden things are offered in this attractive and alluring manner and they are being cheapened every year so that with but a few cents one may procure enough of them to ruin his soul. All the more need is there of this care and this jealous guardianship on the part of parents who call themselves Latter-day Saints, and all others. May the blessings of God be with you in your labors, and may this practical lesson that is set before us by the authorities whom we have this day raised our hands in promise to sustain and to follow, be heeded in its full significance, that we may be able to give an account in good terms of the stewardship of those whom God has committed unto our care. This I ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.
The choir sang the anthem: God be merciful unto us and bless us.
Benediction by Elder John Nicholson.
Conference adjourned till 10 o’clock tomorrow (Sunday) morning.
An Address delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Saturday, April 6th, 1895, by Professor James E. Talmage
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
My brethren and sisters and friends: This indeed is an inspiring sight, these thousands of people gathered from all parts of Utah, and probably from adjoining states and territories also, for a common purpose, and particularly as that purpose is one of the most exalted that mankind can have in all its works. I esteem it a particular favor to be permitted to stand before you for a short time, though, as has been stated, I do it without premeditation, not knowing that this privilege and courtesy would be extended to me.
I am quite sure that all who are present will admit the importance of the subject that President George Q. Cannon has just announced (the tobacco habit, and its effects on the physical and moral nature of man); and, finding myself in the stand, I shall take the opportunity of speaking for a few moments from the standpoint of an educator and a teacher amongst the people. I doubt if there is any necessity indeed, of urging upon you the necessity of observing the laws of health—those laws which have been found by man ofttimes through study, investigation and experiment, and those rules that have so often been revealed of God for the governing of His children. We all profess to be observers of these laws to a greater or less extent, while many of us in our carelessness, forgetfulness and selfishness are apt to tread them under foot and to feel that the penalties that have been threatened will never fall upon us. I do not believe, however, that we should shun this habit merely because of the penalty, but for the higher purpose that we know it is unmanly and that it is contrary to the will and the purposes and the laws of God. The using of tobacco has been denounced for reasons that are good, founded on physiological grounds, and others of an intellectual nature; and there are objections from a moral standpoint which have been, and are repeatedly urged. Many of those present will remember that at the last Conference of the Church, the general authorities devoted a great deal of attention to this subject, and their efforts were applauded, not only by members of the Church, but by those who do not profess the faith that the majority of those before me hold and revere; for it is recognized not alone as a religious principle, as a physiological, as an ethical but as a moral principle that we should take care of our bodies. Every year the discoveries of learned men, wise and earnest investigators, convince us that the words of the great prophet were true when he declared that the body of man is fearfully and most wonderfully made. No mechanism that man has ever shaped or framed can be compared to it in delicacy and in efficacy. This organism that has been given unto us, (for the majority of those here believe that it has been given us to do with as we choose, except with the provision that we shall be answerable for the consequences) for a divine purpose, can be disorganized very readily, thrown into confusion, made unfit for its exalted purpose. What that purpose is many people will answer different. I take but one answer for the present, from one of the wisest men whose words have come down to us from a former age: It is indeed the temple of God, and for that reason ought not to be defiled.
Physicians have been telling us for many years of the ill effects manifesting themselves, particularly in the young, from the use of tobacco. They tell us that many of the vital organs are affected, and affected in a manner that is most serious and permanent. It is true the body has within it that tendency, God-given in his mercy, to right itself, to repair itself, and to recover from injury to a very great extent. But there are some assaults from which the body cannot recover, and the effects of tobacco are among those from which it is most difficult to recover. The injury wrought by it is amongst the most serious and far-reaching of injuries, affecting not only the immediate users, but their posterity; for the weakening of the vital organs, the impairment of the senses, particularly sight and hearing—these weaknesses are transmitted from generation to generation, and truly do we realize the fulfillment of the great declaration that the sins of the fathers should be visited from the children even unto the third and fourth generation.
But closely associated with these physical or physiological weaknesses are the intellectual troubles, weaknesses, depravities that assert themselves. I have declared many times and do it again, that I know not where you can find another community of men and women amongst whom are to be found so many children of promise—promise because of their physical perfection, or a condition approaching perfection, because of their intellectual power, because of their high moral beliefs and sentiments, as amongst the Latter-day Saints. I believe that we have here a chosen people, physically, intellectually and morally; and I believe too that this being chosen in this sense, being distinguished as a community because of these elements and perfections, concerning them the Lord our God will allow no trifling, not trampling under foot of those laws that He has established and that you have accepted as true and binding. As a teacher I can testify to the fact that those who come to us having been born perhaps with this tendency toward the use of such things, this stimulant of the appetite, they come with a burden on their backs that it will perhaps cost them the greatest effort of their lives to escape from. What would you think of starting a boy upon a race tying his hands and legs so that he could scarcely move, and then expect him to keep pace with his free competitors? Yet in such way are many of those who are in the habit of using these things placing an incubus upon their children and bringing them into the world with a curse from the time of their birth. But I address my remarks not so much to their parents for their own sakes as for the sake of their children born and unborn. These young boys and girls who have been appropriately termed the pride of Utah are indeed choice sons and daughters of God, and as such they should be guarded most jealously from temptation in the first place, and from these weaknesses that are liable to assert themselves, the germs and seeds of which may be implanted within them through the indiscretions of the parents and through the weaknesses and associates and professed friends.
There is one point in the philosophy of the nineteenth century that I have never been able to master—indeed one among many; but there is one that appeals to me as being particularly illogical and absurd, although it is defended ofttimes with many so-called arguments. It is this, that if we know a thing to be wrong, if we know a certain habit to be injurious, if we know that it works evil to the state, to the community, to the family, to the individual, that then we will countenance it in any way directly or indirectly. I do not mean that I would recommend any effort to destroy the liberty of the man who chooses to kill himself in the that way but I do say that if the Latter-day Saints know that these things are wrong, if as they profess in their testimonies from time to time the revelations of God have denounced them, and the Lord has told you that tobacco is not good for the body, then why do we sanction its use, why do we permit it to be brought before the children in a manner that will deceive them? We see ofttimes our dealers who claim good standing amongst us offering these things in the most attractive and alluring manner possible. Their advertising devices are in many instances calculated to lead on those who have never yet contracted the habit to confirm those who have adopted it; and even the local newspapers of our day, local and general, fill their advertising columns with recommendations, telling you where you may find the best brands of tobacco, what houses sell the best brands of tobacco, what houses sell the best liquors for family and table use, and where you can get drunk for the least money.
I only speak of this because of the effect produced among the children. I have a great deal to do with these children, and if I could take you into my confidence and tell some of the fathers and mothers of the young Latter-day Saints that have come to me, in the capacity of students, concerning the heart burnings that I have witnessed and the tears that I have seen fall from those who have told me that if only their fathers and mothers had warned them against these weaknesses they would not have come to me bound in chains from which it required more than human effort to escape. I do not believe I say too much—if I do there are those here who can temper what I say and correct my words—when I declare that these sins will be upon the heads of the parents if they will persist, by means direct or indirect, in leading their children on to sin in this manner and to adopt these enervating, soul-destroying habits with which they stand scarcely a chance in the fierce competition that is growing every year fiercer and stronger in this world of ours. We have heard ofttimes much misrepresentation of the so-called principles of evolution; but there is this principle of evolution which I believe is declared as much by the words of God, through revelation as by the works of nature--the fittest will as a rule survive. When disaster and pestilence stalk through your town, although there may be some who are permitted by the Lord to fall because of wise purpose of His and not because of any weakness of their own or any sins of their parents, depend upon it if He does not stretch forth His arm of miracle, the weak and the sickly and those whose bodies are predisposed to disease are the ones that will fail. During the terrible cholera scourge in Tiflis a few years ago and English observer who was sent there to take notes of that fearful pestilence and to report home, sent across the wires these terrible words: In the town of Tiflis alone thousands had gone to their graves during the last week, and amongst them every intemperate man had fallen, not one remains. I want to repeat a statement referred to a minute ago that this stimulant of appetite, this desire for narcotizing effects, once established in the system is like a monster that has been let loose that will require all the skill and the physical strength of manhood, assisted by the power of God, to subdue. When once let loose you know not what it will do, and the boy that begins with a cigarette will perhaps end in the opium joint, ruined in body, in mind and in soul by that for which there is no excuse in the first using. The testimony of college presidents and other officers of our great institutions of learning throughout the country is unanimous in declaring that as a rule they scarcely can find a man using tobacco standing near the head of his class. Our great philosopher Franklin, in answer to a question as to what was his opinion concerning tobacco, said he had never used it much and he could not speak from an extended experience, but he did not believe it could be good because he had never found an honest man who had used it and would recommend a true friend of his to adopt the habit.
My brethren and sisters, let the children learn of this in their homes and in that school of the family that never can be dispensed with, though you were to establish your public schools on every block; but them right at your doors, multiply them till they be numbered by the hundred where now you can count but the tens, they can not take the place of that family school without which your children can never be properly trained. In that family school see that you do not annul the efforts that are being made in the public schools by the teachers of your children to instruct them in these things that tend to their physical and their intellectual as well as to their moral development. When I hear people denouncing these things and at the same time directly or indirectly countenancing them, I am reminded of the liquor dealer who was converted through the efforts of some temperance advocates that came into his town. Next day an advertisement appeared in the paper announcing that he had learned of the error in his ways and had determined to desert the business and to reform, and then he gave a list of all the choice wines and liquors that he had on hand and announced that to clear out his stock he would sell them at half price for a week, “come one, come all.”
I believe that these physical weaknesses and these intellectual weaknesses are very closely associated. Although none can doubt that sometimes God for His wise purposes has placed one of His master minds in a misshapen and weakened body; though He has permitted some of His choicest spirits, for reasons that man with all his philosophy cannot fathom, to be clothed in a body far from perfect; yet I do not believe there is a single instance on earth of a body originally strong that has become weakened by a violation of the laws of health in which there resides a normal and a healthful mind. These physical weaknesses that we bring upon ourselves are steps towards insanity, and a great many of the inmates of our insane asylums are those who have been led on from one depraving habit to another, because of this unmanageable stimulant taste and appetite that has been planted within them while perhaps they were children.
I do not know whether the Latter-day Saint fathers and mothers know how extensive is this practice amongst their children. I made it a rule a few years ago to go out at night upon the streets and wander about, and whenever I saw a little know of boys or young men gathering I watched them from a distance and then mingled with them and talked with them, and I came to the conclusion that at that time in the town in which I lived, nearly three-fourths of the boys under sixteen years of age were addicted to the use of tobacco. And do you know what carries with it? The love for unholy associations. The tobacco users among the boys are in many instances the profane boys, the boys who have no love for home nor for anything that is good. If I find a boy whose delight it is to use tobacco or who has become addicted to any other of these destructive habits I do not need to ask much about his home life, much about his moral nature. I believe with the great Ruskin that if you can find out what a person’s tastes are you know what his religion is and you will know just about what his spiritual status is.
But these physiological and these intellectual objections are to a very great extent but stepping-stones to the great objection that can be urged from a moral standpoint. I am not prepared to say that every man who smokes is a criminal, but I am prepared to say that every body who smokes is more likely to become a criminal than he would be if he did not smoke. We only need to look at a smoker when in the company of others to see in the first place how every feeling of regard for his fellows is stamped out by that terrible habit. Selfishness is cultivated, and with selfishness come a host of weaknesses and a horde of minor and major sins. The unselfish man cannot sin as can the one who puts himself before all others. These children's bodies are like a vessel upon the potter’s wheel, of plastic clay, taking every impression and mark of his finger, the shape of his nail, the imprint of a pattern that is laid upon it. He can shape it and change it as he will. But if it has been put in the fire and hardened and stamped, every mark and imperfection will be there, and it will require a miracle to alter it, to cause the flaws to disappear. The day is speedily coming when these children will be beyond your power to control. These vessels will have been hardened and will have taken the form that they will hold through life, stamped with honor or stamped with shame.
I look upon it as a very significant thing, though I care not to refer to special advertisements or particular companies, that the people who are advertising the sale of cigarettes have taken this very time and occasion, when people are gathered here from other places by the thousands, to advertise their wares. Not content with that, they have turned one of the greatest inventions of modern times the powerful electric search light into a recommendation for the use of that which the Lord has declared to be an abomination and a curse among a people. I want simply to ask you to beware of these things. Work with those to whom you are entrusting your children. I believe there should be a closer association between the teachers and the parents. I have often felt to cry shame to the parent who allows the teacher to wholly take the place of a parent. Work with your teachers, assist them by your counsel, by your example and precepts at home, by your admonishings to your children. See to it that while they are young and plastic they are properly shaped, that they may become vessels fit to be used in the service of our God. This is to me an all important subject. I trust it will appeal to every one, for remember that we are answerable to the Lord for these spirits that have come to us, and when we stand before the bar of God to answer for the deeds that we have done and to receive the reward or the condemnation that will follow, I believe that among other questions, these will be put to you, “Where are those choice spirits that were given to you? Where are my sons and daughters that were held back in my providence until the day of the great dispensation of the fulness of times, and then were sent forth with all the powers and elements of leadership and mastership within them? What have you done with them? Have you guarded and attended them until they became fit to walk alone, or have you exposed them to all the temptations of a false civilization? Have you permitted them to be led astray by these glittering attractions that have been spread for them, every one of which was a trap for their feet and a pitfall in their path?” Among all the great possessions God has given to His people the greatest of all is the children with which he has blessed them; and of all things for which they will be called to give an account in the strictest terms for their stewardship, is the account of these same children that are with you, sons and daughters of God. Guard them, protect them, shelter them, cast the influence of your counsel and your precept about them. These forbidden things are offered in this attractive and alluring manner and they are being cheapened every year so that with but a few cents one may procure enough of them to ruin his soul. All the more need is there of this care and this jealous guardianship on the part of parents who call themselves Latter-day Saints, and all others. May the blessings of God be with you in your labors, and may this practical lesson that is set before us by the authorities whom we have this day raised our hands in promise to sustain and to follow, be heeded in its full significance, that we may be able to give an account in good terms of the stewardship of those whom God has committed unto our care. This I ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.
The choir sang the anthem: God be merciful unto us and bless us.
Benediction by Elder John Nicholson.
Conference adjourned till 10 o’clock tomorrow (Sunday) morning.
THIRD DAY, April 7, 10 a.m.
The choir and congregation sang:
The time is far spent, there is little remaining
To publish glad tidings by sea and by land.
Prayer was offered by Elder John Henry Smith.
The choir sang:
O my Father, Thou that dwellest
In the high and glorious place!
The choir and congregation sang:
The time is far spent, there is little remaining
To publish glad tidings by sea and by land.
Prayer was offered by Elder John Henry Smith.
The choir sang:
O my Father, Thou that dwellest
In the high and glorious place!
PRESIDENT WILFORD WOODRUFF
delivered a discourse upon the existence and operation of the powers of good, from the beginning of the world to the present time. The closing portion of it was devoted to showing how Satan had exercised his power to destroy the work of God from the earth by drawing away many men who had labored to establish and maintain it. He asserted, however, that no such critical times as it had passed through would recur as it was too near the time of the coming of Christ for such events to be repeated. He believed, as a rule, that the leading brethren would be true to the death. He predicted a triumphant and glorious future for the Church.
delivered a discourse upon the existence and operation of the powers of good, from the beginning of the world to the present time. The closing portion of it was devoted to showing how Satan had exercised his power to destroy the work of God from the earth by drawing away many men who had labored to establish and maintain it. He asserted, however, that no such critical times as it had passed through would recur as it was too near the time of the coming of Christ for such events to be repeated. He believed, as a rule, that the leading brethren would be true to the death. He predicted a triumphant and glorious future for the Church.
The Power of Evil
Discourse delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday, April 7th, 1895, by Prest. Wilford Woodruff.
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
I ask and desire this morning the faith and prayers of the Latter-day Saints in my behalf while I stand before you. This is not merely an idle ceremony, for if I possessed all the oratory and learning of the ancient Greeks and Romans it would not give me power to edify one immortal spirit in the children of men or to point any immortal soul to the way of salvation. I am entirely dependent upon the Lord. I always have been during my life, and in my travels and pilgrimage, preaching the Gospel of Christ to my fellow men. It does not make any difference what age a man is in the preaching of the Gospel, whether he be twenty-five, ninety, or five hundred years of age, if he is only inspired by the Spirit and power of God. Many of the ancients lived to a very great age. Father Adam up to the last speech he ever made to his children, according to the revelations of God, was filled with the Holy Ghost, and he was nearly a thousand years of age.
I have some things upon my mind I would like to present to the Latter-day Saints if I can get the spirit of them. I think it would be profitable to us to spend a little time in reflecting and meditating upon the powers that be—the powers that exist today on the earth and have existed from eternity unto eternity—good and evil, light and darkness, Christ and Belial, or Lucifer, the son of the morning. When we look over the history of the world we can see from the creation of Father Adam down to our day the operation of these two powers. And these powers will exist until the end of time, and from that time, henceforth, until there is a change in the destiny of the spirits of men. It seems that from the time of the great rebellion in heaven, when one-third of the hosts of heaven were cast down for their rebellion against the great Eloheim and Jehovah, the Creator of heaven and earth, there has been a warfare against God, against Christ, against His Church, against His Priesthood, and against everything that would tend to salvation and eternal life. And in looking over the history of the world, from the revelations of God to us, we can see in the peopling of the earth and in the building up of cities by the inhabitants of the earth, the powers of evil, of darkness and of sin have had great control over the children of men. Men were led to sin and to do evil until those ancient cities, like modem ones, were filled with iniquity. The Lord raised up prophets and inspired men in all those dispensations, when cities and nations became ripened into iniquity, to give them commandments, to warn them of the judgments of God, and to tell them what to do to escape those judgments. And when these cities and nations were fully ripened in iniquity and would not repent, all that those prophets proclaimed unto them came to pass. You may take all the ancient cities—Thebes, Nineveh, Tyre, Sidon, Babylon, Jerusalem and others—and they had prophets raised up among them. They were warned of God, and were told what awaited them unless they repented of their sins, and all came to pass as the prophets spake unto them. My mind rests upon Jeremiah. The Lord called him in his day to go and warn King Zedekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the prophet told them what would come to pass. The king and the inhabitants were wroth against him and they persecuted him, and he had so many trials to go through that a man in reading of them would not be surprised if Jeremiah felt like saying, “You may all go to destruction for what I care; I’m not going to stay with you.” But the Lord had said unto Jeremiah, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” All that Jeremiah said to the inhabitants of Jerusalem came to pass, and the history of Jerusalem is terrible. The whole house of Israel had warning; prophets were raised up among them, and they prophesied unto them. All the judgments that visited them were foretold.
I speak of these things because they are on my mind, and we are in a somewhat similar condition ourselves. Take the days of Christ. As soon as Christ was born how quickly Herod sought His life! Joseph had to take Mary and the young child into Egypt in order to save the child. The power of evil was after Him for His destruction. And did the Savior, when He was grown to manhood, escape that power? Was there anything about Him in this respect that differed from others of the human family? There was not. He was tempted, He was tried, and the enemy labored for His destruction through His whole life. His mission was a short one. It was only three and a half years from the time he entered into the Priesthood until He was crucified, and that, too, by this power. And the sorrow that has come upon the Jewish nation in consequence of this act of theirs, and the bill that they have had to pay, has been indeed great, and all that the prophets said concerning that has come to pass to the very letter. Nearly nineteen hundred years have rolled around since the death of Christ, and that yoke has been upon the neck of the Jews from that day until this. They have been trampled under the foot of the Gentiles, in fulfilment of the words of the prophets of God, and because they shed the blood of the Savior, their Shiloh. And it has not yet come to an end with them.
John, while upon the Isle of Patmos, clothed with the glory of God and wrapt in the visions of heaven, portrayed, prophesied and wrote concerning the events that should take place down to the coming of the Son of Man. He told us concerning the restoration of the everlasting Gospel. He says:
And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth,
Saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come.
That has come to pass. The time has come when the Lord has set his hand to fulfil the flood of revelation contained in all the records of divine truth. The Lord raised up a man, ordained and prepared from the foundation of the world, to stand in the last dispensation and fulness of times, to receive the Gospel and the Priesthood, to organize the Church of God, and to prepare the way for the coming of the Son of Man. We know that these two powers were manifested with the Prophet Joseph as they were in the days of the Savior. The very moment that he received these revelations from God and proclaimed them, it seemed as though all earth and hell were let loose for his destruction. It appeared as it the devil was afraid that he would live to carry out these prophecies. You know his history. Some of us have been associated with that Prophet. We have seen this spirit of the evil one manifested. The Prophet Joseph was never let alone by the powers that exist until he, like the Savior and others, sealed his testimony with his blood. But during the short time that he dwelt in the flesh he accomplished all that he was ordained to do. He not only organized the Church, but he brought forth this book of revelations that I hold in my hand—the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, which contains some of the most sublime revelations God ever revealed to man on the earth. The Lord also chose Twelve Apostles, High Priests, Elders, Priests, Teachers and Deacons, and set in order the whole organization of the Church of God as it exists today. And what has been the consequence of this? I desire to bring the minds of the brethren to those days. Just as quick as the Twelve Apostles were appointed and the Church was set in order, the devil labored with all the power that he possessed to turn aside these men and inspire them to leave the Church of God. Because of this it seemed to be very hard work many times for men who had received the Priesthood and even the Apostleship to magnify that Priesthood and to stand in their calling until they could finish their work in the flesh. I have made a re mark once or twice in my teachings with regard to the great apostasy in Kirtland. I passed through that scene, as did some others who are now with us, and I wish now to refer to it because it is something we should lay to heart. Even Apostles took occasion to rise up and endeavored to dictate and direct the Prophet of God. Here, brethren and sisters, was a manifestation—and a very strange one, too—of the power that the devil had over the leading men whom God raised up to assist in laying the foundation of this church and in bringing forth the Book of Mormon. Those who testified to the Book of Mormon were led away through not keeping the commandments of God and thinking that they themselves were great men. Some of them were learned men; some of them considered themselves very smart men, and they were so smart that they wanted to dictate and direct the Prophet of God. The consequence of all this was that they turned aside from the commandments of God. Some of them had been true and faithful in their labors in the ministry. I have heard Oliver Cowdery testify of the Book of Mormon by the power of God when it seemed as if the very earth trembled under his feet. He was filled with the Holy Ghost and the power of God while he was faithful; and so were many of these men. But Oliver Cowdery yielded to the temptation of the evil one, and we may say he apostatized. So did Martin Harris, and several others connected with them. They left the church, they turned against Joseph, and they said he was a fallen prophet and they themselves wanted to direct the Church. I have remarked that there was a time when there were but two of the quorum of the Twelve Apostles then in the town of Kirtland who stood by Joseph Smith and upheld him as a prophet, seer and revelator. I was not a member of that quorum at that time; I was a Seventy. Several of these men called upon me in the time of this apostasy and asked me to join them against the Prophet; the Prophet was fallen they said. Now, I had seen enough myself of the Prophet of God, and I had read enough of the revelations of God through him to know that he was a Prophet of God and not a fallen prophet. I saw that these men were yielding to the devil, and I told them so. Said I: “You will all go to hell unless you repent. Joseph has been raised up by the power of God; he has organized this Church, he has been true and faithful to God and to the Church and kingdom of God here on the earth, and you will fall and go to perdition unless you repent of your sins and turn from the position you are in today.” A good many of them did fall. I will here name one instance. I saw one of these apostles in the Kirtland Temple while the Sacrament was being passed, stand in the aisle and curse the Prophet of God to his face while he was in the stand, and when the bread was passed around he reached out his hand for a piece of bread and flung it into his mouth like a mad dog. He turned as black in the face almost as an African with rage and with the power of the devil. What did he do? He ate and drank damnation to himself. He did not go and hang himself, but he did go and drown himself, and the river went over his body while his spirit was cast into the pit, where he ceased to have power to curse either God or His Prophet in time or in eternity. I may say that David Patten was not in Kirtland at this time; he was in Missouri. He never apostatized, but died a martyr.
Brethren and sisters, I have passed through these scenes, and it was a serious time. And I will tell you the devil is not dead today, but will war against us and against this Church, as far as he has power, while we dwell in the flesh. I thank the Lord, however, that I know for myself that this Church will stand, and the Lord will bear it off triumphant. We have passed those days of affliction and sorrow; but I want to say to my brethren, one and all, we still have got to watch unto prayer. If there is any place where the devil can lead us astray he will do it. We are not safe until we get through with this probation. I thank God for one thing: I am satisfied for myself that those days are passed and gone. There is no man in heaven or on earth will ever live to see such a day again. We are too near the end; we are too near the coming of the Son of Man. The Lord Almighty has called a class of men upon whose shoulders He has laid the responsibility of this great work. He has chosen the weak things of the world, and we have these responsibilities resting upon us. I am satisfied for myself that the servants of God whom he has chosen will, as a rule, be true and faithful unto death. How dark a man must be in his mind to get into such a condition as these Apostles were. I heard some of them bear testimony before God, angels and men that they had received the ministration of angels, and having that knowledge, what a condition they must have been in when they apostatized! We want to guard ourselves with regard to these matters. We have got to look to the Lord to assist us in the cause in which we are engaged. I hope and pray that I may live to see the perfect union of the Twelve Apostles with the Presidency of this Church and the union of the whole Church. We have this work upon our shoulders, and the Lord is watching over us. I will say to all the nations of the earth, you cannot turn aside or overthrow the designs of the Lord; they will come to pass in the earth exactly as they have been promised to the children of men.
We are here upon a mission, and it is a great mission. We are blessed in living in this and generation. We ought to try and make the most of it we can. We ought to try and improve our time, magnify our calling and do our duty. I will say to the Latter-day Saints, the Lord has called and chosen us to stand as the leaders of the people—the Presidency, the Twelve Apostles and the various quorums and positions which we are in, and we are responsible to God for the course we pursue in these matters. True, we need the faith and fellowship of the Saints; we need their assistance; but inasmuch as we do our duty the blessings of God will be with us. I know for myself that the Lord has set His hand to carry out His great purposes and prepare the way for the coming of the Son of Man. We have passed through a long period of time, as men count time, in our history. I will here refer to one incident: When Christ and Peter, James and John, went into the mount, Moses and Elias were manifest to them, and Jesus was transfigured before them. The last time the Apostles ever met with the Prophet Joseph Smith, there were eleven of us present—nine Apostles, himself and his brother Hyrum. He likewise was transfigured before us, as far as mortal man can be. The room which he was in was filled as with consuming fire by the power of God. His face was clear as amber, he was clothed with the power of God. We did not know he was going to leave us any more than the Apostles knew the Savior was going to leave them in that day. But he told us what our duties were. He laid before us what God required at his hands and the ordinances unto which he had been ordained by the power of God. He said the Lord had sealed upon his head every ordinance, every key and every power belonging to this dispensation of the fulness of times; and, he added, “I have sealed these things upon you heads; now you must go forth and bear off this kingdom or you will be damned.” That was a very strong remark to us. I have never forgotten it from that day to this. I realize that God was with him. And He has been with His people. He is with Zion today. He will continue to be. Though all the powers of darkness may war against us, the Lord is our Friend, and He will sustain us and give us power to build up Zion and to carry out this work until the coming of the Son of Man. Therefore, let your hearts be comforted these Apostles, I am satisfied, are of one heart and mind. I know they are united with us; I know we are united with them. This is a great joy and consolation to me. We all should be united in the cause in which we are engaged. Inasmuch as we do this we shall come off triumphant. I have no fear about Zion; I never had. It is written, as with a pen upon a rock, and is the voice of God, that Zion shall stand. All the prophecies that the Lord has given as contained in the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants will be fulfilled to the very letter. Not one jot or one tittle will fall unfulfilled. Zion will arise and flourish, and the glory of God will rest upon her. When I cast my mind over the signs of the times, when I look at that fulfilment of prophecy and observe what is taking place in the earth I see the hand of God manifest and the fulfilment of prophecy and revelation. These angels of God that have been standing in the temples of heaven holding sharp sickles day after day pleading with God to let them go forth to reap down the earth have been commanded of the Lord to wait until the wheat was gathered into the garner and then they might go forth and reap down the earth. If the world wants to know what is coming to pass, let them read the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants; let them read these revelations of St John. As God lives they will come to pass. Not one of them will fall unfulfilled. And the hand of God is beginning to be manifest in the earth. Judgment is at the door; calamity awaits the nations of the earth; but we ourselves should be prepared to stand in holy places while the judgments of God are manifest in the earth.
Now, brethren and sisters, let us be humble before the Lord; let us remember our prayers; let us try to do our duty; and when we do this, the blessings of God will be with us. I felt yesterday that I wished I could see all the young men in Israel before brother J. E. Talmage while he spoke to us for half an hour (it ought to have been two hours) on the evil of this tobacco business. We should let alone all these evils, and our children should also, that they might be prepared to go forth as holy vessels and servants of God to bear record of this Gospel. We are not yet through preaching the Gospel. We send our sons abroad, and many of them go before they know whether this is the Church of God or not. I need not stand up here and testify before this congregation that this is the Church of God on the earth. Thousands of you know that for yourselves. You have been abroad; I have been abroad; these Apostles have been abroad; and we have administered the ordinances of the Gospel of Christ. We have laid hands upon the sick, and the sick have been healed; devils have been cast out, the lame have leaped, the deaf have heard, the dumb have spoken, in this Church in our day and generation. Can men go through and experience these things and not know for themselves whether the work is of God or not? No. Any man that has gone forth and administered in the ordinance of the house of God knows that these things are true, if he has kept the commandments of God.
Before I sit down I want to say a word to the Elders of Israel on another subject. I am called an old man; I guess I am. I was thinking just now, in speaking of the apostles and prophets, that were with Joseph Smith when he made his last speech, I am the only man living that was with him at that time. The rest are today in the spirit world. How much longer I shall talk to this people I do not know; but I want to say this to all Israel: Cease troubling yourselves about who God is; who Adam is; who Christ is; who Jehovah is. For heaven’s sake, let these things alone. Why trouble yourselves about these things? God has revealed himself, and when the 121st section of the Doctrine and Covenants is fulfilled, whether there be one God or many gods they will be revealed to the children of men, as well as all thrones and dominions, principalities and powers. Then why about these things? God is God. Christ is Christ. The Holy Ghost is the Holy Ghost. That should be enough tor you and I to know. If we want to know any more, wait till we get where God is in person. I say this because we are troubled every little while with inquiries from Elders anxious to know who God is, who Christ is, and who Adam is. I say to the Elders of Israel, stop this. Humble yourselves before the Lord; seek for light, for truth and for a knowledge of the common things of the kingdom of God. The Lord is the same yesterday, today and forever. He changes not. The Son of God is the same. He is the Savior of the world. He is our advocate with the Father. We have had letter after letter from Elders abroad wanting to know concerning these things. Adam is the first man. He was placed in the Garden of Eden, and is our great progenitor. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost are the same yesterday, today and forever. That should be sufficient for us to know.
I pray God to bless these Apostles, and to bless us all, and to give us wisdom and power to magnify our calling and to do our duty before the Lord, that we may be prepared to give an account of our stewardship while dwelling in the flesh. I pray that the Lord will be merciful to us as a people, and give those who bear the Priesthood power to build up Zion and prepare the way for the coming of the Son of Man, which may God grant for Christ’s sake. Amen.
At the conclusion of President Woodruff’s remarks Mrs. Lizzie Thomas Edwards sang “Consider the lilies.”
Discourse delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday, April 7th, 1895, by Prest. Wilford Woodruff.
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
I ask and desire this morning the faith and prayers of the Latter-day Saints in my behalf while I stand before you. This is not merely an idle ceremony, for if I possessed all the oratory and learning of the ancient Greeks and Romans it would not give me power to edify one immortal spirit in the children of men or to point any immortal soul to the way of salvation. I am entirely dependent upon the Lord. I always have been during my life, and in my travels and pilgrimage, preaching the Gospel of Christ to my fellow men. It does not make any difference what age a man is in the preaching of the Gospel, whether he be twenty-five, ninety, or five hundred years of age, if he is only inspired by the Spirit and power of God. Many of the ancients lived to a very great age. Father Adam up to the last speech he ever made to his children, according to the revelations of God, was filled with the Holy Ghost, and he was nearly a thousand years of age.
I have some things upon my mind I would like to present to the Latter-day Saints if I can get the spirit of them. I think it would be profitable to us to spend a little time in reflecting and meditating upon the powers that be—the powers that exist today on the earth and have existed from eternity unto eternity—good and evil, light and darkness, Christ and Belial, or Lucifer, the son of the morning. When we look over the history of the world we can see from the creation of Father Adam down to our day the operation of these two powers. And these powers will exist until the end of time, and from that time, henceforth, until there is a change in the destiny of the spirits of men. It seems that from the time of the great rebellion in heaven, when one-third of the hosts of heaven were cast down for their rebellion against the great Eloheim and Jehovah, the Creator of heaven and earth, there has been a warfare against God, against Christ, against His Church, against His Priesthood, and against everything that would tend to salvation and eternal life. And in looking over the history of the world, from the revelations of God to us, we can see in the peopling of the earth and in the building up of cities by the inhabitants of the earth, the powers of evil, of darkness and of sin have had great control over the children of men. Men were led to sin and to do evil until those ancient cities, like modem ones, were filled with iniquity. The Lord raised up prophets and inspired men in all those dispensations, when cities and nations became ripened into iniquity, to give them commandments, to warn them of the judgments of God, and to tell them what to do to escape those judgments. And when these cities and nations were fully ripened in iniquity and would not repent, all that those prophets proclaimed unto them came to pass. You may take all the ancient cities—Thebes, Nineveh, Tyre, Sidon, Babylon, Jerusalem and others—and they had prophets raised up among them. They were warned of God, and were told what awaited them unless they repented of their sins, and all came to pass as the prophets spake unto them. My mind rests upon Jeremiah. The Lord called him in his day to go and warn King Zedekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the prophet told them what would come to pass. The king and the inhabitants were wroth against him and they persecuted him, and he had so many trials to go through that a man in reading of them would not be surprised if Jeremiah felt like saying, “You may all go to destruction for what I care; I’m not going to stay with you.” But the Lord had said unto Jeremiah, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” All that Jeremiah said to the inhabitants of Jerusalem came to pass, and the history of Jerusalem is terrible. The whole house of Israel had warning; prophets were raised up among them, and they prophesied unto them. All the judgments that visited them were foretold.
I speak of these things because they are on my mind, and we are in a somewhat similar condition ourselves. Take the days of Christ. As soon as Christ was born how quickly Herod sought His life! Joseph had to take Mary and the young child into Egypt in order to save the child. The power of evil was after Him for His destruction. And did the Savior, when He was grown to manhood, escape that power? Was there anything about Him in this respect that differed from others of the human family? There was not. He was tempted, He was tried, and the enemy labored for His destruction through His whole life. His mission was a short one. It was only three and a half years from the time he entered into the Priesthood until He was crucified, and that, too, by this power. And the sorrow that has come upon the Jewish nation in consequence of this act of theirs, and the bill that they have had to pay, has been indeed great, and all that the prophets said concerning that has come to pass to the very letter. Nearly nineteen hundred years have rolled around since the death of Christ, and that yoke has been upon the neck of the Jews from that day until this. They have been trampled under the foot of the Gentiles, in fulfilment of the words of the prophets of God, and because they shed the blood of the Savior, their Shiloh. And it has not yet come to an end with them.
John, while upon the Isle of Patmos, clothed with the glory of God and wrapt in the visions of heaven, portrayed, prophesied and wrote concerning the events that should take place down to the coming of the Son of Man. He told us concerning the restoration of the everlasting Gospel. He says:
And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth,
Saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come.
That has come to pass. The time has come when the Lord has set his hand to fulfil the flood of revelation contained in all the records of divine truth. The Lord raised up a man, ordained and prepared from the foundation of the world, to stand in the last dispensation and fulness of times, to receive the Gospel and the Priesthood, to organize the Church of God, and to prepare the way for the coming of the Son of Man. We know that these two powers were manifested with the Prophet Joseph as they were in the days of the Savior. The very moment that he received these revelations from God and proclaimed them, it seemed as though all earth and hell were let loose for his destruction. It appeared as it the devil was afraid that he would live to carry out these prophecies. You know his history. Some of us have been associated with that Prophet. We have seen this spirit of the evil one manifested. The Prophet Joseph was never let alone by the powers that exist until he, like the Savior and others, sealed his testimony with his blood. But during the short time that he dwelt in the flesh he accomplished all that he was ordained to do. He not only organized the Church, but he brought forth this book of revelations that I hold in my hand—the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, which contains some of the most sublime revelations God ever revealed to man on the earth. The Lord also chose Twelve Apostles, High Priests, Elders, Priests, Teachers and Deacons, and set in order the whole organization of the Church of God as it exists today. And what has been the consequence of this? I desire to bring the minds of the brethren to those days. Just as quick as the Twelve Apostles were appointed and the Church was set in order, the devil labored with all the power that he possessed to turn aside these men and inspire them to leave the Church of God. Because of this it seemed to be very hard work many times for men who had received the Priesthood and even the Apostleship to magnify that Priesthood and to stand in their calling until they could finish their work in the flesh. I have made a re mark once or twice in my teachings with regard to the great apostasy in Kirtland. I passed through that scene, as did some others who are now with us, and I wish now to refer to it because it is something we should lay to heart. Even Apostles took occasion to rise up and endeavored to dictate and direct the Prophet of God. Here, brethren and sisters, was a manifestation—and a very strange one, too—of the power that the devil had over the leading men whom God raised up to assist in laying the foundation of this church and in bringing forth the Book of Mormon. Those who testified to the Book of Mormon were led away through not keeping the commandments of God and thinking that they themselves were great men. Some of them were learned men; some of them considered themselves very smart men, and they were so smart that they wanted to dictate and direct the Prophet of God. The consequence of all this was that they turned aside from the commandments of God. Some of them had been true and faithful in their labors in the ministry. I have heard Oliver Cowdery testify of the Book of Mormon by the power of God when it seemed as if the very earth trembled under his feet. He was filled with the Holy Ghost and the power of God while he was faithful; and so were many of these men. But Oliver Cowdery yielded to the temptation of the evil one, and we may say he apostatized. So did Martin Harris, and several others connected with them. They left the church, they turned against Joseph, and they said he was a fallen prophet and they themselves wanted to direct the Church. I have remarked that there was a time when there were but two of the quorum of the Twelve Apostles then in the town of Kirtland who stood by Joseph Smith and upheld him as a prophet, seer and revelator. I was not a member of that quorum at that time; I was a Seventy. Several of these men called upon me in the time of this apostasy and asked me to join them against the Prophet; the Prophet was fallen they said. Now, I had seen enough myself of the Prophet of God, and I had read enough of the revelations of God through him to know that he was a Prophet of God and not a fallen prophet. I saw that these men were yielding to the devil, and I told them so. Said I: “You will all go to hell unless you repent. Joseph has been raised up by the power of God; he has organized this Church, he has been true and faithful to God and to the Church and kingdom of God here on the earth, and you will fall and go to perdition unless you repent of your sins and turn from the position you are in today.” A good many of them did fall. I will here name one instance. I saw one of these apostles in the Kirtland Temple while the Sacrament was being passed, stand in the aisle and curse the Prophet of God to his face while he was in the stand, and when the bread was passed around he reached out his hand for a piece of bread and flung it into his mouth like a mad dog. He turned as black in the face almost as an African with rage and with the power of the devil. What did he do? He ate and drank damnation to himself. He did not go and hang himself, but he did go and drown himself, and the river went over his body while his spirit was cast into the pit, where he ceased to have power to curse either God or His Prophet in time or in eternity. I may say that David Patten was not in Kirtland at this time; he was in Missouri. He never apostatized, but died a martyr.
Brethren and sisters, I have passed through these scenes, and it was a serious time. And I will tell you the devil is not dead today, but will war against us and against this Church, as far as he has power, while we dwell in the flesh. I thank the Lord, however, that I know for myself that this Church will stand, and the Lord will bear it off triumphant. We have passed those days of affliction and sorrow; but I want to say to my brethren, one and all, we still have got to watch unto prayer. If there is any place where the devil can lead us astray he will do it. We are not safe until we get through with this probation. I thank God for one thing: I am satisfied for myself that those days are passed and gone. There is no man in heaven or on earth will ever live to see such a day again. We are too near the end; we are too near the coming of the Son of Man. The Lord Almighty has called a class of men upon whose shoulders He has laid the responsibility of this great work. He has chosen the weak things of the world, and we have these responsibilities resting upon us. I am satisfied for myself that the servants of God whom he has chosen will, as a rule, be true and faithful unto death. How dark a man must be in his mind to get into such a condition as these Apostles were. I heard some of them bear testimony before God, angels and men that they had received the ministration of angels, and having that knowledge, what a condition they must have been in when they apostatized! We want to guard ourselves with regard to these matters. We have got to look to the Lord to assist us in the cause in which we are engaged. I hope and pray that I may live to see the perfect union of the Twelve Apostles with the Presidency of this Church and the union of the whole Church. We have this work upon our shoulders, and the Lord is watching over us. I will say to all the nations of the earth, you cannot turn aside or overthrow the designs of the Lord; they will come to pass in the earth exactly as they have been promised to the children of men.
We are here upon a mission, and it is a great mission. We are blessed in living in this and generation. We ought to try and make the most of it we can. We ought to try and improve our time, magnify our calling and do our duty. I will say to the Latter-day Saints, the Lord has called and chosen us to stand as the leaders of the people—the Presidency, the Twelve Apostles and the various quorums and positions which we are in, and we are responsible to God for the course we pursue in these matters. True, we need the faith and fellowship of the Saints; we need their assistance; but inasmuch as we do our duty the blessings of God will be with us. I know for myself that the Lord has set His hand to carry out His great purposes and prepare the way for the coming of the Son of Man. We have passed through a long period of time, as men count time, in our history. I will here refer to one incident: When Christ and Peter, James and John, went into the mount, Moses and Elias were manifest to them, and Jesus was transfigured before them. The last time the Apostles ever met with the Prophet Joseph Smith, there were eleven of us present—nine Apostles, himself and his brother Hyrum. He likewise was transfigured before us, as far as mortal man can be. The room which he was in was filled as with consuming fire by the power of God. His face was clear as amber, he was clothed with the power of God. We did not know he was going to leave us any more than the Apostles knew the Savior was going to leave them in that day. But he told us what our duties were. He laid before us what God required at his hands and the ordinances unto which he had been ordained by the power of God. He said the Lord had sealed upon his head every ordinance, every key and every power belonging to this dispensation of the fulness of times; and, he added, “I have sealed these things upon you heads; now you must go forth and bear off this kingdom or you will be damned.” That was a very strong remark to us. I have never forgotten it from that day to this. I realize that God was with him. And He has been with His people. He is with Zion today. He will continue to be. Though all the powers of darkness may war against us, the Lord is our Friend, and He will sustain us and give us power to build up Zion and to carry out this work until the coming of the Son of Man. Therefore, let your hearts be comforted these Apostles, I am satisfied, are of one heart and mind. I know they are united with us; I know we are united with them. This is a great joy and consolation to me. We all should be united in the cause in which we are engaged. Inasmuch as we do this we shall come off triumphant. I have no fear about Zion; I never had. It is written, as with a pen upon a rock, and is the voice of God, that Zion shall stand. All the prophecies that the Lord has given as contained in the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants will be fulfilled to the very letter. Not one jot or one tittle will fall unfulfilled. Zion will arise and flourish, and the glory of God will rest upon her. When I cast my mind over the signs of the times, when I look at that fulfilment of prophecy and observe what is taking place in the earth I see the hand of God manifest and the fulfilment of prophecy and revelation. These angels of God that have been standing in the temples of heaven holding sharp sickles day after day pleading with God to let them go forth to reap down the earth have been commanded of the Lord to wait until the wheat was gathered into the garner and then they might go forth and reap down the earth. If the world wants to know what is coming to pass, let them read the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants; let them read these revelations of St John. As God lives they will come to pass. Not one of them will fall unfulfilled. And the hand of God is beginning to be manifest in the earth. Judgment is at the door; calamity awaits the nations of the earth; but we ourselves should be prepared to stand in holy places while the judgments of God are manifest in the earth.
Now, brethren and sisters, let us be humble before the Lord; let us remember our prayers; let us try to do our duty; and when we do this, the blessings of God will be with us. I felt yesterday that I wished I could see all the young men in Israel before brother J. E. Talmage while he spoke to us for half an hour (it ought to have been two hours) on the evil of this tobacco business. We should let alone all these evils, and our children should also, that they might be prepared to go forth as holy vessels and servants of God to bear record of this Gospel. We are not yet through preaching the Gospel. We send our sons abroad, and many of them go before they know whether this is the Church of God or not. I need not stand up here and testify before this congregation that this is the Church of God on the earth. Thousands of you know that for yourselves. You have been abroad; I have been abroad; these Apostles have been abroad; and we have administered the ordinances of the Gospel of Christ. We have laid hands upon the sick, and the sick have been healed; devils have been cast out, the lame have leaped, the deaf have heard, the dumb have spoken, in this Church in our day and generation. Can men go through and experience these things and not know for themselves whether the work is of God or not? No. Any man that has gone forth and administered in the ordinance of the house of God knows that these things are true, if he has kept the commandments of God.
Before I sit down I want to say a word to the Elders of Israel on another subject. I am called an old man; I guess I am. I was thinking just now, in speaking of the apostles and prophets, that were with Joseph Smith when he made his last speech, I am the only man living that was with him at that time. The rest are today in the spirit world. How much longer I shall talk to this people I do not know; but I want to say this to all Israel: Cease troubling yourselves about who God is; who Adam is; who Christ is; who Jehovah is. For heaven’s sake, let these things alone. Why trouble yourselves about these things? God has revealed himself, and when the 121st section of the Doctrine and Covenants is fulfilled, whether there be one God or many gods they will be revealed to the children of men, as well as all thrones and dominions, principalities and powers. Then why about these things? God is God. Christ is Christ. The Holy Ghost is the Holy Ghost. That should be enough tor you and I to know. If we want to know any more, wait till we get where God is in person. I say this because we are troubled every little while with inquiries from Elders anxious to know who God is, who Christ is, and who Adam is. I say to the Elders of Israel, stop this. Humble yourselves before the Lord; seek for light, for truth and for a knowledge of the common things of the kingdom of God. The Lord is the same yesterday, today and forever. He changes not. The Son of God is the same. He is the Savior of the world. He is our advocate with the Father. We have had letter after letter from Elders abroad wanting to know concerning these things. Adam is the first man. He was placed in the Garden of Eden, and is our great progenitor. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost are the same yesterday, today and forever. That should be sufficient for us to know.
I pray God to bless these Apostles, and to bless us all, and to give us wisdom and power to magnify our calling and to do our duty before the Lord, that we may be prepared to give an account of our stewardship while dwelling in the flesh. I pray that the Lord will be merciful to us as a people, and give those who bear the Priesthood power to build up Zion and prepare the way for the coming of the Son of Man, which may God grant for Christ’s sake. Amen.
At the conclusion of President Woodruff’s remarks Mrs. Lizzie Thomas Edwards sang “Consider the lilies.”
PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH
addressed the Conference upon the importance of sustaining by vote the authorities of the Church, and gave a lucid explanation of the purport and meaning of that action. He then turned his attention to the importance of the Saints living in accord with every law that God had revealed for their guidance, as no one who sought to be a law unto himself could be justified or sanctified by law. He made direct reference to the Word of Wisdom, which was a direct divine commandment to the people of the Church.
addressed the Conference upon the importance of sustaining by vote the authorities of the Church, and gave a lucid explanation of the purport and meaning of that action. He then turned his attention to the importance of the Saints living in accord with every law that God had revealed for their guidance, as no one who sought to be a law unto himself could be justified or sanctified by law. He made direct reference to the Word of Wisdom, which was a direct divine commandment to the people of the Church.
Discourse
Delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday, April 7th, 1895, by President Joseph F. Smith.
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
I feel very dependent upon the Lord for what I shall say this morning, and I also feel very much the need of His assistance and the strength of His Spirit to enable me to make myself heard. About two or three months ago I became poisoned by the foul air which was compelled to inhale while speaking in a close, warm meeting room, and I have been suffering from it since. We cannot live without fresh air. We could live much longer without food than without air, and if there is any fresh air that could be let into this house, I think it would be a good thing for the congregation.
It is a grand sight to behold this vast congregation gathered from all parts of the Territory for the purpose of attending the sixty-fifth annual conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and taking part in the exercises thereof. In my judgment, one of the most important acts performed at the conferences of the Church is that in which we hold up our hands before the Lord to sustain the authorities of the Church and the organization thereof as it exists. But it is one of the important things we do which rests with little weight upon some people. In other words, some people go away after holding up their hands to sustain the authorities of the Church and think no more about it, and act in many respects as though they had merely gone through a form to which they did not attach any importance whatever. I conceive this to be a wrong principle. It is equally wrong to do this as it is to neglect any other principle which pertains to the government of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or to ignore any principle of the Gospel which is necessary for our welfare and happiness and for the uniting of us together in the holy faith. Those who covenant to keep the commandments of the Lord, and then violate that covenant by failing to observe those commandments, do no more than they do who raise their hands in token of a covenant to uphold and sustain the authorities of the Church and then fail to do it. The principle is the same in both cases: it is a violation of the covenant we make. If we do not intend to keep our covenants and to obey the commands of the Lord, it will be better for us to refrain from making them. For “to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin,” and to him that maketh a covenant, and breaketh it, to him it is sin. He that hath made no covenant, being without knowledge, is under no obligation. Hence the world, not having entered into the covenants of the Gospel, will fare better in the final judgment before the bar of God than many of us who have entered into the covenants of the Gospel and fail to keep them. The heathen world will enjoy greater immunity from the wrath of the Lord in the day of judgment than will the Latter-day Saints who fail to keep the covenants which they have made in the Gospel.
We have been gathered out of Babylon by the hand of God. We have come into these mountains by the voice of the Spirit, calling upon us to come out of Babylon, that we might not partake of her sins nor receive of her plagues. Many of us have come here in obedience to that call. For a time it looked as if we were going to be able to accomplish the purpose for which we were gathered in much better for than subsequent events proved. Notwithstanding we have been gathered here it is apparent that we are still very human, very weak, and susceptible to the influences of the world—that we are far from being what we should be, in many respects. The doctrine of Christ is the doctrine of purity, of holiness, of self-sacrifice, of humility, of submission to the will of the Father. It is difficult for us to comply fully with the doctrine of Christ. I realize that it is for me. Jesus came into the world born of woman, as we are; yet He is called the Son of God, the Lamb which was slain before the foundation of the world, that taketh away the sin of the world. His life upon the earth was a humble life. It was marked by no great or powerful accomplishments like unto the great deeds that other men have accomplished in the world. He built no temple, He founded no city; He established no empire or nation; He led no armies to battle; He did not figure as a statesman among the people; but He came as the meek and lowly Jesus, the humble Nazarene, preaching faith in God, repentance of sin, and the acknowledgment or the will of the Father as being above all other things. He did not take the pains to teach mankind how to get a temporal living. He did not bother Himself with the science of financiering. When he needed money to pay taxes, He told His disciples to go to the lake and cast their net and take out a fish, and there they would find money to pay their taxes. He devoted himself to the preaching of the word of life, the word of God, the power of salvation, to the children of men. He did not teach people how to farm or to get a living. It was not necessary. And yet he proved beyond the possibility of a doubt that He knew how to combine the elements to meet His necessities. He was not entirely dependent upon the ordinary sources of life for existence; for when He wanted bread to feed the multitude He was able to call it together, so that when He had fed the multitude they took up more than they had at the beginning. When He wanted wine at the feast of Cana, His own wedding perhaps, He did not have to send out and buy it; but He took the water pots and converted the water into wine, and made superior wine of it, too, to that which man could make with all his skill in wine making. Hence He was not ignorant with regard to the laws of life, development and organization. If He did not teach men how to financier. He understood the principle. If He did not teach them how to build temples, He understood their purposes and how to build them. If He did not attempt to found cities and empires, He understood the principles by which cities were built and empires were founded. If He did not teach men how to get a living in the world, He understood the principle of life, both temporal and spiritual. He came to teach the way of eternal life. His words were simple words, easy to be understood. He spoke to the understanding of the people among whom he labored. He sought, in the simplest forms of speech and in the plainest manner, to convey to them the words of truth and soberness, the principles of life and salvation. He exemplified these words in His life and actions. Among other things, He taught that the greatest commandment given unto men was, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” He further taught that the next greatest commandment given unto men was, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” These were the great foundation principles of the Gospel that was taught by our Savior while He was upon the earth. Of course, these follow obedience to the first principles of the Gospel; for except we believe, except we have the witness of the Holy Spirit to bear record unto us of the Father and the Son it would be impossible for us to love God as we should. And if we could not keep the first commandment, it would be impossible for a man to keep the next; for it is impossible for a man to say truthfully that he loves his neighbor if he does not love God. It is also impossible for a man to say truthfully that he follows God without he loves his neighbor. The Apostle John says, “If a man say I love God and hateth his brother, he is a liar.” Therefore, if we love God, we are in a position to love our neighbor; and if we love our neighbor anything like we love ourselves, it is an evidence that we love God; for these go hand in hand and are inseparable.
If the world would obey the counsels of the Son of God there would be no difficulty respecting the government of men, because the same condition would exist as was described by the Prophet Joseph when he was asked how he governed the people. He said he taught them correct principles and they governed themselves. If we understood the doctrines of Christ and would practice them, we would not stand in need of much government. Being possessed of a knowledge of the truth, and having a desire in our hearts to obey it, we would not need judges and lawyers, governors and rulers, for God would be our governor, and Christ would be our lawgiver, and we would delight to obey Him. How long will it take us to learn to become obedient to the requirements of the Gospel? We have been baptized for the remission of our sins and received the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, and we have been confirmed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We covenanted before the Lord in baptism that we would abstain from sin; that we would learned to do that which is right and proper in the sight of God. The law of the Lord is now before us, and we may read it from day to day; but we do not appear to understand it, or if we do, many of us certainly go far from our understanding. Now, I do not mean to apply this to any man or woman who is keeping the laws of God according to the light he or she possesses. I do not mean those who have the love of God in their hearts. When I say that men do not love God with all their hearts I do not refer to those who do. If this whole congregation possess the love of God in their hearts, then what I say with regard to this does not apply to this congregation, but only to those who have not obtained this spirit and are still unconverted. I want to read a word or two in this glorious book that President Woodruff has recommended to you so highly—the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, which, as he has said and I firmly believe, contains some of the most sublime revelations that have ever been given to the world:
For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receiveth not the gift? Behold he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift.
And again, verily I say unto you, that which is governed by law is also preserved by law, and perfected and sanctified by the same.
That which breaketh a law and abideth not by law, but seeketh to become a law unto itself, and willeth to abide in sin, cannot be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice nor judgment. Therefore they must remain filthy still.
And all kingdoms have a law given:
And there are many kingdoms; for there is no space in which there is no kingdom; and there is no kingdom in which there is no space, either a greater or a lesser kingdom.
What I desire to call your attention to more particularly is: “For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he received not the gift? Behold he rejoices not in that which is given him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift.” I consider that every principle of the Gospel which we have received is in itself a glorious gift of God unto the children of men. The gift of wisdom, the gift of understanding, the gift of healing, the gift of testimony, the gift of knowledge, all these are designed by the Almighty to come to us through our obedience to the principles of life and salvation. The word which the Lord has given to us respecting wisdom in our habits, in our eating and drinking, and in our conduct through life, is a gift of God unto us. How many of us appreciate that gift and have joy in the Giver of it? He has said that if we will keep that simple word which He has revealed, we shall run and not be wearing, we shall walk and not faint. I once heard a preacher of the Gospel explain how men could run and not be weary and walk and not faint. He said if a man possessed the knowledge which he is entitled to, if he were running he would stop before he got weary, and if he were walking he would have judgment to stop and sit down before he fainted. When I heard this explanation it sounded to me a little worldly. It did not seem to strike me as being just the interpretation to give to this passage. Yet when I came to reflect upon it, it is a truth that if a man possessed the keys which unlock the treasury of knowledge and wisdom, he would then be able to govern himself agreeable to the laws of God, and he would do nothing that would bring sorrow or trouble, fatigue or faintness upon himself; he would go as far as wisdom dictated, and there he would remain until he was resuscitated. But in the mad rush of life for worldly honors and for the possession of the perishable things of this earth men do not stop before they get weary, and they do not rest before they become faint. They appear to think that what is necessary for them when they become weary and faint is to take stimulants to refresh themselves, that they may be able to run a little farther for a few moments. In this way the man of business braces himself up by taking strong drinks. The housewife and the mother who has the care of her family upon her hands, after she has toiled until she has become faint, feels that she must, in order to keep up her strength, take a cup of tea, and thus brace up her nerves and strengthen herself for a little while that she may be able to finish her day’s work. Now, if the pure intelligence of the Spirit of God were substituted for the stimulating influence of the tea and the liquor; if we could by some means get a sufficient portion of the Spirit of the Lord within us that would cause us to know just what to do when we felt weariness and faintness coming upon us, without resorting to the aid of stimulants and drugs that go far to injure our systems and make us slaves, to an acquired appetite, it would be a great deal better for us. A good housewife who takes her tea or coffee to stimulate, and to enable her to finish her day’s work, may feel the effects of it for a little while, and she may think herself better prepared thereby for the labors she has to perform; but if she knew the whole truth she would understand that the injury site is doing herself by this practice is far worse than the fatigue for which she takes the drug as a remedy. I would rather feel tired and exhausted by labor, and let nature have a chance to restore itself, than I would attempt to doctor myself by the use of narcotics and drugs that would sap the foundation of my physical and spiritual health.
But inasmuch as we do not observe the Word of Wisdom, how shall we have wisdom, knowledge and understanding by which we may be governed in our own conduct? The promise is that if we will observe this we shall have knowledge, and the destroyer shall pass us by, and we shall escape those evils that are coming upon the wicked. But many of the Latter-day Saints do not believe in this Word of Wisdom. They have no joy in this gift which God has bestowed upon them. In the beginning it was given not by commandment, lest we should be under condemnation if we did not observe it; for when a commandment is given it is necessary that we should obey it or we must abide all the consequences. But when we are simply invited to do right, and we do it not, the responsibility is not altogether so great. In later times, however, it was revealed through President Brigham Young that we had reached a point in our experience when the Word of Wisdom became a law unto the people, and they were required to obey it. I want simply to lay this before you, and you may think of it yourselves.
That which breaketh a law and abideth not by law, but seeketh to become a law unto itself, and willeth to abide in sin, and altogether abideth in sin, cannot be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice nor judgment. Therefore they must remain filthy still.
When I see an Elder of Israel walking the streets, using tobacco, which the Lord has said is not good for man, but is for medicine for sick cattle, I say to myself, “This man breaketh a law, and he seeketh to become a law unto himself in regard to this matter, and willeth to abide in sin, and altogether abideth in sin, so far as this practice is concerned, and therefore he cannot be sanctified by the law, nether by mercy, justice nor judgment, but he will remain filthy still.” When I see people drinking hot stimulants this passage of the law of God comes to my mind, and I think, “Here are the people that are breaking the law and that are seeking to become a law unto themselves, and they are abiding in sin, and they altogether abide in sin in that particular wrong-doing, and therefore they cannot be justified nor sanctified by the law of God, but must remain filthy still.” What better is the Latter-day Saint who curses and profanes the name of Deity than the unbeliever who does the same thing? I will give it as my opinion that the unbeliever who knows not the law of God is under less condemnation for cursing and swearing and blaspheming His name than the man who professes to be a believer. Upon the latter rests the greater responsibility. What better is a drunkard who professes to be a Latter-day Saint than the unbeliever who is accustomed to drunkenness? He is no better, but worse. How much better is the Latter-day Saint who uses these things that the Lord has said are not good than one who does not believe in God and uses them? I say, of the two it will be more tolerable for the unbeliever. “But,” one says, “you put a great deal of stress upon the importance of these matters. The drinking of a cup of tea is a very simple thing.” If it were just the cup of tea, the sin would not be so very great; it would simply be an injury to the individual, except others thereby followed the example, and then they also would be affected by it. But it is not the drinking of the cup of tea that I have in mind. I do not care a groat about your tea or your coffee, your tobacco or your whisky. What I have in mind is this: God has said that these things are not good. He has given you a commandment that you shall not practice these habits and customs of the world; that you shall come out of Babylon, that you may not partake of her sins nor receive of her plagues; and when we indulge in these habits it is violating the commands of God, and we are under condemnation, the same as when we raise our hands to uphold and sustain the authorities of the Church, and then go away and backbite them and say all manner of evil falsely against them, holding them up to scorn and ridicule from our ignorant standpoint, wherein we judge them partially, not knowing their motives. It is a serious wrong in the presence of the Almighty for one to vote to sustain the authorities of the Church and then to go away and oppose them and trample under foot the counsels that they give; and we will be judged of the Lord for it. If we do not believe in this, let us not enter into the covenant.
Another thing: When you see men who hold the priesthood, and are in high positions in the church, manifesting a coldness and indifference, and they seek to shun their brethren lest peradventure they may receive counsel they do not want, depend upon it there is something wrong beneath the surface. One who does this “breaketh a law, and abideth not by law, but seeketh to become a law unto itself, and willeth to abide in sin, and altogether abideth in sin and cannot be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice, nor judgment. Therefore they must remain filthy still,” until they repent of their sins.
May God have mercy upon us, and lead us in the paths of duty. It grieves me when I look around and see the boldness, and impudence, the shamelessness and the utter disregard on the part of some men to the feelings and sentiments of a whole people as to come and flaunt in the faces of the people, on the days of their Conference, advertisements which would, if they should succeed, be the means of sowing the seeds of desolation and death amongst us. We desired yesterday to have Bro. Talmage speak upon this matter from a scientific standpoint; but he was called suddenly and was unprepared. I wish that he had had more time, so that he could have given us figures in relation to this matter. But if you allow your sons to begin the practice of smoking, drinking, &c., the appetite for opium and other narcotic and pernicious things will fasten itself upon them so that they will not be able to resist it throughout the future of their lives. They are the seeds of immorality and death, and we should avoid them, and see that our children do not fall into the traps that have been set for them. The Lord help us to preserve our children from the sins of the world, and help us also to avoid breaking the law of God and spurning the gifts that He has bestowed upon us; but may He enable us to appreciate these gifts and also the source from whence they come, that we may be benefited by these things, and eventually, be brought back into His presence and partake of glory and exaltation with Him. This is my prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
The choir sang the anthem: The angels swept their harps of gold.
Benediction by Elder Charles O. Card.
Delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday, April 7th, 1895, by President Joseph F. Smith.
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
I feel very dependent upon the Lord for what I shall say this morning, and I also feel very much the need of His assistance and the strength of His Spirit to enable me to make myself heard. About two or three months ago I became poisoned by the foul air which was compelled to inhale while speaking in a close, warm meeting room, and I have been suffering from it since. We cannot live without fresh air. We could live much longer without food than without air, and if there is any fresh air that could be let into this house, I think it would be a good thing for the congregation.
It is a grand sight to behold this vast congregation gathered from all parts of the Territory for the purpose of attending the sixty-fifth annual conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and taking part in the exercises thereof. In my judgment, one of the most important acts performed at the conferences of the Church is that in which we hold up our hands before the Lord to sustain the authorities of the Church and the organization thereof as it exists. But it is one of the important things we do which rests with little weight upon some people. In other words, some people go away after holding up their hands to sustain the authorities of the Church and think no more about it, and act in many respects as though they had merely gone through a form to which they did not attach any importance whatever. I conceive this to be a wrong principle. It is equally wrong to do this as it is to neglect any other principle which pertains to the government of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or to ignore any principle of the Gospel which is necessary for our welfare and happiness and for the uniting of us together in the holy faith. Those who covenant to keep the commandments of the Lord, and then violate that covenant by failing to observe those commandments, do no more than they do who raise their hands in token of a covenant to uphold and sustain the authorities of the Church and then fail to do it. The principle is the same in both cases: it is a violation of the covenant we make. If we do not intend to keep our covenants and to obey the commands of the Lord, it will be better for us to refrain from making them. For “to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin,” and to him that maketh a covenant, and breaketh it, to him it is sin. He that hath made no covenant, being without knowledge, is under no obligation. Hence the world, not having entered into the covenants of the Gospel, will fare better in the final judgment before the bar of God than many of us who have entered into the covenants of the Gospel and fail to keep them. The heathen world will enjoy greater immunity from the wrath of the Lord in the day of judgment than will the Latter-day Saints who fail to keep the covenants which they have made in the Gospel.
We have been gathered out of Babylon by the hand of God. We have come into these mountains by the voice of the Spirit, calling upon us to come out of Babylon, that we might not partake of her sins nor receive of her plagues. Many of us have come here in obedience to that call. For a time it looked as if we were going to be able to accomplish the purpose for which we were gathered in much better for than subsequent events proved. Notwithstanding we have been gathered here it is apparent that we are still very human, very weak, and susceptible to the influences of the world—that we are far from being what we should be, in many respects. The doctrine of Christ is the doctrine of purity, of holiness, of self-sacrifice, of humility, of submission to the will of the Father. It is difficult for us to comply fully with the doctrine of Christ. I realize that it is for me. Jesus came into the world born of woman, as we are; yet He is called the Son of God, the Lamb which was slain before the foundation of the world, that taketh away the sin of the world. His life upon the earth was a humble life. It was marked by no great or powerful accomplishments like unto the great deeds that other men have accomplished in the world. He built no temple, He founded no city; He established no empire or nation; He led no armies to battle; He did not figure as a statesman among the people; but He came as the meek and lowly Jesus, the humble Nazarene, preaching faith in God, repentance of sin, and the acknowledgment or the will of the Father as being above all other things. He did not take the pains to teach mankind how to get a temporal living. He did not bother Himself with the science of financiering. When he needed money to pay taxes, He told His disciples to go to the lake and cast their net and take out a fish, and there they would find money to pay their taxes. He devoted himself to the preaching of the word of life, the word of God, the power of salvation, to the children of men. He did not teach people how to farm or to get a living. It was not necessary. And yet he proved beyond the possibility of a doubt that He knew how to combine the elements to meet His necessities. He was not entirely dependent upon the ordinary sources of life for existence; for when He wanted bread to feed the multitude He was able to call it together, so that when He had fed the multitude they took up more than they had at the beginning. When He wanted wine at the feast of Cana, His own wedding perhaps, He did not have to send out and buy it; but He took the water pots and converted the water into wine, and made superior wine of it, too, to that which man could make with all his skill in wine making. Hence He was not ignorant with regard to the laws of life, development and organization. If He did not teach men how to financier. He understood the principle. If He did not teach them how to build temples, He understood their purposes and how to build them. If He did not attempt to found cities and empires, He understood the principles by which cities were built and empires were founded. If He did not teach men how to get a living in the world, He understood the principle of life, both temporal and spiritual. He came to teach the way of eternal life. His words were simple words, easy to be understood. He spoke to the understanding of the people among whom he labored. He sought, in the simplest forms of speech and in the plainest manner, to convey to them the words of truth and soberness, the principles of life and salvation. He exemplified these words in His life and actions. Among other things, He taught that the greatest commandment given unto men was, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” He further taught that the next greatest commandment given unto men was, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” These were the great foundation principles of the Gospel that was taught by our Savior while He was upon the earth. Of course, these follow obedience to the first principles of the Gospel; for except we believe, except we have the witness of the Holy Spirit to bear record unto us of the Father and the Son it would be impossible for us to love God as we should. And if we could not keep the first commandment, it would be impossible for a man to keep the next; for it is impossible for a man to say truthfully that he loves his neighbor if he does not love God. It is also impossible for a man to say truthfully that he follows God without he loves his neighbor. The Apostle John says, “If a man say I love God and hateth his brother, he is a liar.” Therefore, if we love God, we are in a position to love our neighbor; and if we love our neighbor anything like we love ourselves, it is an evidence that we love God; for these go hand in hand and are inseparable.
If the world would obey the counsels of the Son of God there would be no difficulty respecting the government of men, because the same condition would exist as was described by the Prophet Joseph when he was asked how he governed the people. He said he taught them correct principles and they governed themselves. If we understood the doctrines of Christ and would practice them, we would not stand in need of much government. Being possessed of a knowledge of the truth, and having a desire in our hearts to obey it, we would not need judges and lawyers, governors and rulers, for God would be our governor, and Christ would be our lawgiver, and we would delight to obey Him. How long will it take us to learn to become obedient to the requirements of the Gospel? We have been baptized for the remission of our sins and received the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, and we have been confirmed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We covenanted before the Lord in baptism that we would abstain from sin; that we would learned to do that which is right and proper in the sight of God. The law of the Lord is now before us, and we may read it from day to day; but we do not appear to understand it, or if we do, many of us certainly go far from our understanding. Now, I do not mean to apply this to any man or woman who is keeping the laws of God according to the light he or she possesses. I do not mean those who have the love of God in their hearts. When I say that men do not love God with all their hearts I do not refer to those who do. If this whole congregation possess the love of God in their hearts, then what I say with regard to this does not apply to this congregation, but only to those who have not obtained this spirit and are still unconverted. I want to read a word or two in this glorious book that President Woodruff has recommended to you so highly—the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, which, as he has said and I firmly believe, contains some of the most sublime revelations that have ever been given to the world:
For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receiveth not the gift? Behold he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift.
And again, verily I say unto you, that which is governed by law is also preserved by law, and perfected and sanctified by the same.
That which breaketh a law and abideth not by law, but seeketh to become a law unto itself, and willeth to abide in sin, cannot be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice nor judgment. Therefore they must remain filthy still.
And all kingdoms have a law given:
And there are many kingdoms; for there is no space in which there is no kingdom; and there is no kingdom in which there is no space, either a greater or a lesser kingdom.
What I desire to call your attention to more particularly is: “For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he received not the gift? Behold he rejoices not in that which is given him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift.” I consider that every principle of the Gospel which we have received is in itself a glorious gift of God unto the children of men. The gift of wisdom, the gift of understanding, the gift of healing, the gift of testimony, the gift of knowledge, all these are designed by the Almighty to come to us through our obedience to the principles of life and salvation. The word which the Lord has given to us respecting wisdom in our habits, in our eating and drinking, and in our conduct through life, is a gift of God unto us. How many of us appreciate that gift and have joy in the Giver of it? He has said that if we will keep that simple word which He has revealed, we shall run and not be wearing, we shall walk and not faint. I once heard a preacher of the Gospel explain how men could run and not be weary and walk and not faint. He said if a man possessed the knowledge which he is entitled to, if he were running he would stop before he got weary, and if he were walking he would have judgment to stop and sit down before he fainted. When I heard this explanation it sounded to me a little worldly. It did not seem to strike me as being just the interpretation to give to this passage. Yet when I came to reflect upon it, it is a truth that if a man possessed the keys which unlock the treasury of knowledge and wisdom, he would then be able to govern himself agreeable to the laws of God, and he would do nothing that would bring sorrow or trouble, fatigue or faintness upon himself; he would go as far as wisdom dictated, and there he would remain until he was resuscitated. But in the mad rush of life for worldly honors and for the possession of the perishable things of this earth men do not stop before they get weary, and they do not rest before they become faint. They appear to think that what is necessary for them when they become weary and faint is to take stimulants to refresh themselves, that they may be able to run a little farther for a few moments. In this way the man of business braces himself up by taking strong drinks. The housewife and the mother who has the care of her family upon her hands, after she has toiled until she has become faint, feels that she must, in order to keep up her strength, take a cup of tea, and thus brace up her nerves and strengthen herself for a little while that she may be able to finish her day’s work. Now, if the pure intelligence of the Spirit of God were substituted for the stimulating influence of the tea and the liquor; if we could by some means get a sufficient portion of the Spirit of the Lord within us that would cause us to know just what to do when we felt weariness and faintness coming upon us, without resorting to the aid of stimulants and drugs that go far to injure our systems and make us slaves, to an acquired appetite, it would be a great deal better for us. A good housewife who takes her tea or coffee to stimulate, and to enable her to finish her day’s work, may feel the effects of it for a little while, and she may think herself better prepared thereby for the labors she has to perform; but if she knew the whole truth she would understand that the injury site is doing herself by this practice is far worse than the fatigue for which she takes the drug as a remedy. I would rather feel tired and exhausted by labor, and let nature have a chance to restore itself, than I would attempt to doctor myself by the use of narcotics and drugs that would sap the foundation of my physical and spiritual health.
But inasmuch as we do not observe the Word of Wisdom, how shall we have wisdom, knowledge and understanding by which we may be governed in our own conduct? The promise is that if we will observe this we shall have knowledge, and the destroyer shall pass us by, and we shall escape those evils that are coming upon the wicked. But many of the Latter-day Saints do not believe in this Word of Wisdom. They have no joy in this gift which God has bestowed upon them. In the beginning it was given not by commandment, lest we should be under condemnation if we did not observe it; for when a commandment is given it is necessary that we should obey it or we must abide all the consequences. But when we are simply invited to do right, and we do it not, the responsibility is not altogether so great. In later times, however, it was revealed through President Brigham Young that we had reached a point in our experience when the Word of Wisdom became a law unto the people, and they were required to obey it. I want simply to lay this before you, and you may think of it yourselves.
That which breaketh a law and abideth not by law, but seeketh to become a law unto itself, and willeth to abide in sin, and altogether abideth in sin, cannot be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice nor judgment. Therefore they must remain filthy still.
When I see an Elder of Israel walking the streets, using tobacco, which the Lord has said is not good for man, but is for medicine for sick cattle, I say to myself, “This man breaketh a law, and he seeketh to become a law unto himself in regard to this matter, and willeth to abide in sin, and altogether abideth in sin, so far as this practice is concerned, and therefore he cannot be sanctified by the law, nether by mercy, justice nor judgment, but he will remain filthy still.” When I see people drinking hot stimulants this passage of the law of God comes to my mind, and I think, “Here are the people that are breaking the law and that are seeking to become a law unto themselves, and they are abiding in sin, and they altogether abide in sin in that particular wrong-doing, and therefore they cannot be justified nor sanctified by the law of God, but must remain filthy still.” What better is the Latter-day Saint who curses and profanes the name of Deity than the unbeliever who does the same thing? I will give it as my opinion that the unbeliever who knows not the law of God is under less condemnation for cursing and swearing and blaspheming His name than the man who professes to be a believer. Upon the latter rests the greater responsibility. What better is a drunkard who professes to be a Latter-day Saint than the unbeliever who is accustomed to drunkenness? He is no better, but worse. How much better is the Latter-day Saint who uses these things that the Lord has said are not good than one who does not believe in God and uses them? I say, of the two it will be more tolerable for the unbeliever. “But,” one says, “you put a great deal of stress upon the importance of these matters. The drinking of a cup of tea is a very simple thing.” If it were just the cup of tea, the sin would not be so very great; it would simply be an injury to the individual, except others thereby followed the example, and then they also would be affected by it. But it is not the drinking of the cup of tea that I have in mind. I do not care a groat about your tea or your coffee, your tobacco or your whisky. What I have in mind is this: God has said that these things are not good. He has given you a commandment that you shall not practice these habits and customs of the world; that you shall come out of Babylon, that you may not partake of her sins nor receive of her plagues; and when we indulge in these habits it is violating the commands of God, and we are under condemnation, the same as when we raise our hands to uphold and sustain the authorities of the Church, and then go away and backbite them and say all manner of evil falsely against them, holding them up to scorn and ridicule from our ignorant standpoint, wherein we judge them partially, not knowing their motives. It is a serious wrong in the presence of the Almighty for one to vote to sustain the authorities of the Church and then to go away and oppose them and trample under foot the counsels that they give; and we will be judged of the Lord for it. If we do not believe in this, let us not enter into the covenant.
Another thing: When you see men who hold the priesthood, and are in high positions in the church, manifesting a coldness and indifference, and they seek to shun their brethren lest peradventure they may receive counsel they do not want, depend upon it there is something wrong beneath the surface. One who does this “breaketh a law, and abideth not by law, but seeketh to become a law unto itself, and willeth to abide in sin, and altogether abideth in sin and cannot be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice, nor judgment. Therefore they must remain filthy still,” until they repent of their sins.
May God have mercy upon us, and lead us in the paths of duty. It grieves me when I look around and see the boldness, and impudence, the shamelessness and the utter disregard on the part of some men to the feelings and sentiments of a whole people as to come and flaunt in the faces of the people, on the days of their Conference, advertisements which would, if they should succeed, be the means of sowing the seeds of desolation and death amongst us. We desired yesterday to have Bro. Talmage speak upon this matter from a scientific standpoint; but he was called suddenly and was unprepared. I wish that he had had more time, so that he could have given us figures in relation to this matter. But if you allow your sons to begin the practice of smoking, drinking, &c., the appetite for opium and other narcotic and pernicious things will fasten itself upon them so that they will not be able to resist it throughout the future of their lives. They are the seeds of immorality and death, and we should avoid them, and see that our children do not fall into the traps that have been set for them. The Lord help us to preserve our children from the sins of the world, and help us also to avoid breaking the law of God and spurning the gifts that He has bestowed upon us; but may He enable us to appreciate these gifts and also the source from whence they come, that we may be benefited by these things, and eventually, be brought back into His presence and partake of glory and exaltation with Him. This is my prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
The choir sang the anthem: The angels swept their harps of gold.
Benediction by Elder Charles O. Card.
OVERFLOW MEETING.
An overflow meeting was held in the Assembly Hall, opening at 2 p.m.
Elder Brigham Young, of the council of the Twelve Apostles, presided.
The choir and congregation sang: Redeemer of Israel.
Prayer was offered by Elder E. D. Woolley of Kanab.
The choir sang the hymn:
Great God, attend while Zion sings
The joy that from Thy presence springs.
An overflow meeting was held in the Assembly Hall, opening at 2 p.m.
Elder Brigham Young, of the council of the Twelve Apostles, presided.
The choir and congregation sang: Redeemer of Israel.
Prayer was offered by Elder E. D. Woolley of Kanab.
The choir sang the hymn:
Great God, attend while Zion sings
The joy that from Thy presence springs.
ELDER GEORGE TEASDALE
was the first speaker. He said that darkness covered the earth and gross darkness the people. The question might be asked, what was the great distinguishing difference between the Church of Christ, or Mormonism, and the so-called Christian denominations of the world. It was continuous revelation, the rock upon which the Church of Christ was built. A testimony to that effect could be obtained by the children of men, no matter how humble or lowly they might be, if they would but do His will. In carrying out His purposes He chose the weak things of the earth. The man or woman who wanted to come forth in the first resurrection, who desired eternal life, would show it by their works. Those who were anxious to obtain these great blessings were not mere theorists or idlers. They were workers in every sense of the word. We could show our inclinations to righteousness by turning away from and avoiding evil. The speaker cautioned his hearers against being too sure that they had made their calling and election certain. Boasting and useless declarations to this end were dangerous. He remembered many years ago, in Great Britain, hearing an aged Elder take a solemn oath that he would never leave the Church. A young Elder who followed him, as a speaker, said that he could not—dared not say so much. The sequel showed that the young man was the wiser, as he remained faithful while the other apostatized. As a people we should be natural and honest, and not spend too much time and means in attempting to keep up appearances. There should be union in our midst, union in all the quorums of the Priesthood. He had been engaged in work among the settlements of the Saints in Mexico. The government of that country had been very good to the Saints there, and God had blessed and would continue to bless that nation for its kindness to them. Many of its people were descendants of Lehi and Joseph—the Joseph who was sold into Egypt. They were a peculiar people and minded their own business. After a time they would accept the Gospel, and when they did so it would be a case of a nation being born in a day, for they would embrace the truth in response to a great universal impulse, born of the Spirit of God.
was the first speaker. He said that darkness covered the earth and gross darkness the people. The question might be asked, what was the great distinguishing difference between the Church of Christ, or Mormonism, and the so-called Christian denominations of the world. It was continuous revelation, the rock upon which the Church of Christ was built. A testimony to that effect could be obtained by the children of men, no matter how humble or lowly they might be, if they would but do His will. In carrying out His purposes He chose the weak things of the earth. The man or woman who wanted to come forth in the first resurrection, who desired eternal life, would show it by their works. Those who were anxious to obtain these great blessings were not mere theorists or idlers. They were workers in every sense of the word. We could show our inclinations to righteousness by turning away from and avoiding evil. The speaker cautioned his hearers against being too sure that they had made their calling and election certain. Boasting and useless declarations to this end were dangerous. He remembered many years ago, in Great Britain, hearing an aged Elder take a solemn oath that he would never leave the Church. A young Elder who followed him, as a speaker, said that he could not—dared not say so much. The sequel showed that the young man was the wiser, as he remained faithful while the other apostatized. As a people we should be natural and honest, and not spend too much time and means in attempting to keep up appearances. There should be union in our midst, union in all the quorums of the Priesthood. He had been engaged in work among the settlements of the Saints in Mexico. The government of that country had been very good to the Saints there, and God had blessed and would continue to bless that nation for its kindness to them. Many of its people were descendants of Lehi and Joseph—the Joseph who was sold into Egypt. They were a peculiar people and minded their own business. After a time they would accept the Gospel, and when they did so it would be a case of a nation being born in a day, for they would embrace the truth in response to a great universal impulse, born of the Spirit of God.
ELDER EDWARD STEVENSON
was the next speaker. His remarks were devoted principally to early Church reminiscences, his acquaintance with the Prophet Joseph Smith, a personal visit to the Hill Cumorah, and the translation of the Book of Mormon. He first heard the Prophet speak in Michigan in 1834; but that was not the first time he knew him to be a servant of the Lord, because prior to that time he had received a testimony to that effect. He had frequently heard him speak, and it was his privilege to hear him deliver his last discourse in mortality and be present at his funeral. He had heard the martyred Prophet predict the great apostasy from the Church which took place shortly after his own death. The speaker was familiar with the various off-shoots which had sprung from the Church during that dark period, and had lived to see many of them realize their own fallacies.
was the next speaker. His remarks were devoted principally to early Church reminiscences, his acquaintance with the Prophet Joseph Smith, a personal visit to the Hill Cumorah, and the translation of the Book of Mormon. He first heard the Prophet speak in Michigan in 1834; but that was not the first time he knew him to be a servant of the Lord, because prior to that time he had received a testimony to that effect. He had frequently heard him speak, and it was his privilege to hear him deliver his last discourse in mortality and be present at his funeral. He had heard the martyred Prophet predict the great apostasy from the Church which took place shortly after his own death. The speaker was familiar with the various off-shoots which had sprung from the Church during that dark period, and had lived to see many of them realize their own fallacies.
ELDER ABRAHAM H. CANNON
followed. He said it was always a pleasure to him to listen to and mingle with the veterans who had met the Prophet Joseph and who worked with him. The young people of today would do well to heed the teachings of such men and depart from haughty and high-minded methods that were altogether too prevalent today. The Gospel was a great reform system which was calculated to gather in one all principles of a saving character. The speaker referred disapprovingly to the questions of divorce throughout the country and said that the ease with which husband and wife could secure divorces, even in Utah, was startling. This Territory, by reason of what appeared to be a dangerous laxness of the administration of its laws, was fast becoming known as a place of experimental marriage. The speaker vividly portrayed the sanctity of the marriage covenant, and said God had revealed His mind on that question. The bonds of wedlock should not be broken; this could not be done without great condemnation. The statement had been made in his hearing that a leading educator of the Territory and a member of the Church had said that our young ladies had better marry men of other faiths or no faith at all—than no one. He regarded such doctrine as wrong. He never knew of a single instance where happiness was permanent between husband and wife when religious differences existed. Catholics should marry Catholics, Protestants should marry Protestants, and Latter-day Saints should find life companions from among the Latter-day Saints. The speaker strongly declaimed against the use of those things by young men that ruin their bodies, destroy their intellects, and entail weaknesses upon their posterity.
The choir sang: Peace, be still, and Elder William Eddington pronounced the benediction.
followed. He said it was always a pleasure to him to listen to and mingle with the veterans who had met the Prophet Joseph and who worked with him. The young people of today would do well to heed the teachings of such men and depart from haughty and high-minded methods that were altogether too prevalent today. The Gospel was a great reform system which was calculated to gather in one all principles of a saving character. The speaker referred disapprovingly to the questions of divorce throughout the country and said that the ease with which husband and wife could secure divorces, even in Utah, was startling. This Territory, by reason of what appeared to be a dangerous laxness of the administration of its laws, was fast becoming known as a place of experimental marriage. The speaker vividly portrayed the sanctity of the marriage covenant, and said God had revealed His mind on that question. The bonds of wedlock should not be broken; this could not be done without great condemnation. The statement had been made in his hearing that a leading educator of the Territory and a member of the Church had said that our young ladies had better marry men of other faiths or no faith at all—than no one. He regarded such doctrine as wrong. He never knew of a single instance where happiness was permanent between husband and wife when religious differences existed. Catholics should marry Catholics, Protestants should marry Protestants, and Latter-day Saints should find life companions from among the Latter-day Saints. The speaker strongly declaimed against the use of those things by young men that ruin their bodies, destroy their intellects, and entail weaknesses upon their posterity.
The choir sang: Peace, be still, and Elder William Eddington pronounced the benediction.
AFTERNOON’S SESSION Sunday, April 7, 2 p.m.
The choir sang:
Hark! ye mortals,
Hist! be still, voices from Cumorah’s hill.
Prayer was offered by Elder Joseph E. Taylor.
the choir sang the anthem: Lift up your heads.
The choir sang:
Hark! ye mortals,
Hist! be still, voices from Cumorah’s hill.
Prayer was offered by Elder Joseph E. Taylor.
the choir sang the anthem: Lift up your heads.
PRESIDENT GEORGE Q. CANNON
read the prayer of the Lord Jesus on the oneness of His disciples, as related in the 17th. chapter of John. He then delivered an elaborate discourse upon the subject of union, showing that it was indispensable for the establishment and progress of the Church. He also dwelt upon the disastrous effects—individual and general—of rebellion against proper authority.
read the prayer of the Lord Jesus on the oneness of His disciples, as related in the 17th. chapter of John. He then delivered an elaborate discourse upon the subject of union, showing that it was indispensable for the establishment and progress of the Church. He also dwelt upon the disastrous effects—individual and general—of rebellion against proper authority.
Discourse
Delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, April 7th, 1895, by
President George Q. Cannon
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
I will read a portion of the 17th chapter of John. The Savior was praying unto the Father, and, speaking of His disciples, He said:
For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
I have always thought this one of the grandest and most remarkable prayers ever uttered, that we have any record of. No doubt the Son of God offered many prayers not in the power of mortal pen to record. But this prayer was recorded, and it has come down to us. It is a prayer that is full of meaning, and one that should be especially dear to the Latter-day Saints, because the blessings that the Savior prayed for on this occasion are the blessings we need. We would not be worth of the name of Saints if we did not receive the answer to this prayer in ourselves. The servants of God that have received the Priesthood, unless they receive the fulfilment of this prayer and exemplified it in their lives, would not be in truth His disciples—at least to the extent that our Lord desired them to be.
The great characteristic of this Church, by brethren and sisters, which distinguishes it from all other organizations upon the face of the earth, is union. It is this that has marked us a peculiar people from the commencement. It is this that has given us a higher standing and made us a more notable people than any other characteristic that we possess. It is the characteristic that the Savior desired His disciples to exhibit; not only His immediate disciples, but those who should believe their testimony and receive the word that they had to bear to them. And the Lord’s prayer in this respect has been heard. It was heard in behalf of those who were the immediate subjects of the prayer—His followers; but the prayer holds good for all generations, and may be claimed by every follower of Christ throughout all time, because this union that He prayed for is indispensable to every man, woman and child belonging to the Church of Christ. It is also indispensable to the Church itself. And we can thank God this day that we, unworthy as we have been in many respects, have received this same spirit of union and to a goodly extent; not perhaps as fully as we should have it; still it has been bestowed upon us and has brought us together, knit our hearts in one, blended our feelings, and made us—a people of varied races, speaking different languages, and coming out of different religious organizations—one body, and cemented us together with a union that is most marvelous. So we today exhibit this evidence that we are indeed followers of Jesus Christ, and that Jesus Christ is indeed the Son of God, because He desired that this should be the great sign by which the world might know that God had sent Him and that He was His Son.
The Savior asked that His disciples might be one, as He and the Father are one. Now, can you conceive of a oneness more close, more complete, than the oneness that exists between the Father and the Son? It is impossible for the human mind to get the faintest idea of any difference of opinion, or expression, or action between the Father and the Son. We worship them as one God—not three Gods, not two Gods, but as one God. The Father and the Son are the two personages of the Deity, with the Holy Ghost as their ministering Spirit or agent. We worship them as one. We do not separate them in our thoughts and in our feelings. We do not appeal to one because we think that He would be more propitious to us than the other. We do not seek to separate them in our feelings or in our thoughts, or in our worship. We do not think that if we can approach one of these Beings that we are more likely to obtain favor from Him than from the other. No feeling of this kind ever enters into the hearts of a child of God. They are one. Jesus in all His revelations makes it plain that He and the Father are one, so much so that in the minds of many they cannot distinguish how it can be that they can be one God and yet composed of two personages and of the Holy Ghost, because according out human conceptions we cannot imagine such an identity of feeling and attributes in two different personages. We are not accustomed to this here on the earth. When we think of a father and a son, of a brother and a brother, we think of them as separate individuals. Their individuality is distinct in our minds. This also is the case with our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ as personages but not as the Godhead. While they are two personages, they are but one—one in feeling, one in thought, one in mind, one in everything in face, in every direction in which their power is or can be exercised. And in all the records that have come down to us from the Son of God there is one thing that stands out clearly and prominently throughout all the teachings and acts of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and that is, His entire devotion to the Father, His complete submission to the will of the Father, and His oft-expressed desire to know and to do that will. It is wonderful the submission that the Savior manifested in His life, when we think of His great dignity and the position that He occupied.
We are told that there was once a rebellion in Heaven. The Prophet Joseph and Sidney Ridgon beheld, in vision, and the recorded that which they saw in this language.
And this we saw also, and bear record that an angel of God who was in authority in the presence of God, who rebelled against the Only Begotten Son, whom the Father loved, and who was in the bosom of the Father—was thrust down from the presence of God and the Son,
And was called Perdition, for the heavens wept over Him—He was Lucifer, a son of the morning.
Some have called him the son of the morning, but here it is a son of the morning—one among many, doubtless. This angel was a mighty personage, without doubt. The record that is given to us concerning him clearly shows that he occupied a very high position; that he was thought a great deal of; and that he was mighty in his sphere, so much so that when the matter was debated concerning the earth and the plan of salvation, he was of sufficient importance to have a plan, which he proposed as the plan by which this earth should be peopled and the inhabitants thereof redeemed. His plan, however, was not accepted; but it was so plausible and so attractive that out of the whole hosts of heaven one-third accepted his plan and were willing to cast their lot with him. Now, the difference between Jesus and Lucifer was this: Jesus was willing to submit to the Father. He had His plan, which was accepted. Everything that has come down to us, coupled with our own experience in relation to the effect of the Spirit of God upon the heart, leads us to the conclusion that if Jesus had proposed a plan that would not have been accepted by the Father, He would not have rebelled against the Father nor against the Son of God, who might have proposed the plan which was accepted. But how different was it with Lucifer! Because he could not have his way, he was determined to wreck everything. He would pull down the throne of the Eternal Father and destroy everything. He was not one with the Father. If he had been, that rebellion would not have occurred.
Now, it is a remarkable fact, which completely verifies and establishes the truth of the record concerning this rebellion in heaven, that from the time Adam appeared on the earth, and children began to multiply and increase, the spirit that Lucifer exhibited in heaven has been manifested on the earth. When he has had power to influence men and women he has filled them with precisely the same spirit that he manifested in heaven before man came upon the earth. That spirit made its appearance in Cain, and the Bible shows us that it was continued from generation to generation. The Book of Mormon is filled with the same testimony. But we need not depend upon the records that have come to us for illustrations of this and testimony concerning it. We ourselves, in our own persons, in our own organizations as a Church, have seen the same spirit, and the same results that attended its manifestation in ancient times, and even as far back as the time in which I speak—before the earth was peopled. We have seen the spirit of rebellion exemplified in our Church as it was when we were in our spiritual existence. President Woodruff dwelt upon this in his remarks this morning. He showed us the effects of that spirit in those who entertained it. It is but a repetition of history. History has repeated itself all the time in the Church of God. The Book of Mormon is full of it. That record shows how the sons of Lehi divided, some listening to Lucifer and entertaining the spirit of rebellion, and other entertaining the Spirit of God and seeking for its love and union. Those who yielded to the spirit of Lucifer sought the destruction of the others, and not being willing to submit to that which was right, they rebelled against their father. They determined to have their own way, regardless of the rights of others. And that history, from the beginning of it to the end, shows clearly the operation of these two influences; the Spirit of God bringing the people into union and love, and the spirit of Lucifer—which God in His own wisdom and for His own purposes has permitted to come upon the earth to test us—working out destruction wherever it could get possession of the people to manifest itself through, until it wrought the entire destruction of two races of people on this continent—the Jaredite race and the Nephite race.
It is wise for us to look a little into our own position, and see if we can profit by the lessons of the past. No trouble ever came upon the Nephite people—and I like to refer to them because the record is a most complete and interesting one—except through their departing from that spirit of union of which I have read in this prayer of the Savior’s. When they lived so as to receive the fulfilment of this prayer and were united, they prospered on the right hand and on the left. The earth was blessed for them. It yielded of its richness, and every element of wealth contained in the earth (and there is no part of our earth that is so rich in all the elements of wealth as this blest continent) was at their command. But in those days of prosperity, when everything flourished, some man or some faction would arise in their midst filled with pride, and vanity, and love of the world, yielding to the spirit of Lucifer and proposing plans of various kinds in order to disturb the peace of the people of God and to create dissension among them. It was the fruitful source of all their woes. No trouble ever came upon that people only through their yielding to this spirit of dissension and of rebellion which had come down from the council that was held before the word was peopled. All the prophets who spoke concerning the destruction of the Nephite nation were led to attribute the downfall of that people which they by the spirit of prophecy saw would surely come, to the face that they would fall into disunion. The Savior and the prophets predicted that four generations after the coming of the Son of God would live in peace, and Jesus rejoiced over them. He said how great His joy was about the generation which lived when He visited the, for He said that not one soul would be lost; and so it would be for four generations. But after that a falling away would come. They would listen to the spirit of Satan; they would lose their love and divide, and the result would be their entire annihilation as a nation.
Our own experience, my brethren and sisters, is very similar to this. Can any of you put your finger on any serious trouble that we have had that has not had its origin in professed Latter-day Saints dissenting from us and turning against us? I tell you, as it has been said already in this Conference, there is no power on earth, there is no power in the domains of the damned, that can shake or disturb this people if they are only united. No matter what course we may take, so long as it is in righteousness, if we are united we can stand against the world and all its assaults. We can stand not only against visible enemies, but we can stand against the invisible hosts of darkness which Lucifer has at his command; and we can stand unshaken and unmoved amid the tempests that may break upon us, or whatever may be the character of the assault that may be made upon us. United we are strong; we are strong as the Almighty, our Father in Heaven, and as His Son Jesus, when Lucifer lead away one-third of the hosts of heaven with the hope of destroying the plan of salvation and bringing to naught the purposes of the Father. But when dissension comes in our midst; when disunion manifests itself; when you see men who call themselves Latter-day Saints yielding to the spirit of Satan and rebelling in their feelings against the spirit of God and the work of God, then there is cause for apprehension and for us to tremble, if we ever do tremble, because that is and always has been the fruitful source of our troubles, and it always will be. Union, therefore, ought to be the keynote of the entire people, as it is the chief corner stone of the superstructure of the Church. It ought to be more desirable than anything else among us. How shall we obtain it? Shall we have it by each man having his own way and carrying out his own designs? Was that the way Jesus, our great Exemplar, did? “Ah! but,” I have heard it said, “that takes away man’s independence.” There are some people who seem to have the idea that rebellion and disobedience are evidences of independence and of manhood. Well, I am glad to know that, so far as I am concerned, I never took that view. I always felt that I was just as independent in being obedient, and I know I felt much better than I could possibly feel if I were disobedient. It is not necessary to be disobedient to show independence.
There are at the head of this Church, chosen by the Lord, three men, who constitute what is called the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. One is the President. The other two are his counselors. But all three are Presidents according to the revelations. One, however, holds the keys. President Woodruff is distinguished from every other one of us by the fact that he possesses the keys of the kingdom on the earth. He represents the Supreme authority. His voice to us, in its place, brings to us the voice of God. Not that he is God; not that he is infallible. He is a fallible man. His counselors are fallible men. The First Presidency cannot claim, individually or collectively, infallibility. Infallibility is not given to men. They are fallible. But God is infallible. And when God speaks to the Church through him who holds the keys, it is the word of the Lord to this people. Can President Woodruff do this without his counselors? I do not know what he can do, or what he might do; but I know that he does not do. I know that President Young did not, nor President Taylor. I know that President Joseph Smith did not. He sought the counsel of his counselors. They acted in concert. And when the First Presidency act in concert, they are a power. But, as it was said by Brother John W. Taylor on Friday, if the First Presidency were divided, and the Twelve were divided, then we would not have the blessings that God has promised, and I do not know what what would be our fate. I know, though, what has been in the past. Joseph, through false brethren, had his life taken from him those nearest to him betrayed him in the days of which President woodruff has spoken and at the very last those who were nearest to him were among the men who were the means of bringing him to his death. Now, how is it with the First Presidency? Do we have a mind of our own? Those who know us can judge of this. It is our duty to make our thoughts known upon every subject. But we should not be hard in our hearts; we should be soft and tender, so that the Spirit of God will influence us. It does not do for us to be opinionated and set in our feelings, and think that our view is the correct view; but to hold our hearts open to receive the manifestations of the Spirit of God. I suppose each one of us is fond of having his own way. I know I am. I am willing to confess that I like to have my own way. But I do not like my own way well enough to want it in opposition to my brethren’s way. That is our duty as the First Presidency of the Church. It is the duty of every presidency throughout the Church. The Presidents of Stakes and their Counselors, the Bishops and their Counselors, and all who act in presiding positions, should be united. It is our duty as the First Presidency of the Church to seek for this spirit of union for which the Savior prayed, and to be one; to bring our feelings in subjection, and when two agree on a thing, and the third cannot see it, let him say, “I am going with you. No feeling that enters into my heart shall stand between you and me.” Suppose that one man has more wisdom than another; it is better to carry out a plan that is not so wise, if you are united on it. Speaking generally, a plan or a policy that may be inferior in some respects is more effective, if men are united upon it, than a better plan would be upon which they were divided, but some may ask, where comes in the inspiration of God in such cases as this? We should understand that God uses men as instruments in carrying out His purposes. He uses them according to their capacity. He gives them opportunity to exercise their agency and to work out self-development. The Lord gave to the children of Israel, after leaving Egypt, what is called the law of carnal commandments. It was admittedly an inferior law to that which He desired them to have; yet it came from the Lord. He inspired his servant Moses to do that for the people because they were not prepared to receive and put in practice higher truths and live up to higher laws.
The First Presidency ought to have in the first place their hearts single to the glory of God; to have no personal feeling that will influence them in any policy, but have their motives pure, and then when they unite on anything and give any counsel, I tell you that God will sustain that and carry it through; He will supplement it by His wisdom and power, and make it effective. For the First Presidency are but mortal men. We can only see a certain distance. God sees to the utmost limit. There are no bounds to His sight. But there are bounds to ours. Does He require superhuman wisdom of us? No, only as He gives it to us. He points out the path, and if our motives are pure and we are united on any plan or policy, He will bless and sanctify that, and He will make it successful. That constitutes the strength of the First Presidency, their unity and the purity of their motives. They may err—and who does not? As I said, we are fallible men. Whatever my views may be concerning the Church and its infallibility, I suppose there are none of the officers of the Church who claim infallibility. Certainly, I do not claim it for myself. But when we are united, our motives pure, and we divest ourselves of every personal desire and bias, and ask God to take away all hardness from our hearts and all blindness from our minds, and then supplicate Him for His blessing, it will surely come. Then the Twelve Apostles and the other officers of the Church, when they carry that counsel out unitedly and in the same spirit, will be blessed, and the Church will be blessed, and, as I have said, God will supplement our weakness by His strength, and our want of knowledge by His infinite knowledge and His great power.
In this way the Church of Christ has always been led. Occasionally men arise who tower above the multitude in the extent of their knowledge, such as the Prophet Joseph, and others whose names I need not mention; for as the Lord revealed to Abraham, there are differences in spirits. He spoke of the Kokaubeam, or the stars, and of the difference manifest in them; that one star was greater and brighter than another, until Kolob was reached, which is near the throne of the Eternal; and He said it was so with the spirits of men. There are differences in spirits. There are different grades of intelligence among the spirits of men. We are not all on a dead level. But God sends forth occasionally a man that towers like a giant in the midst of his fellow men. The Prophet Joseph was of that kind. There have been innumerable examples of men not of our Church of that kind, whose knowledge, foresight and intelligence were so far ahead of their compeers and those who lived contemporaneously with them that they could not come up to them. This Church could not come up to Joseph. He towered above us. He would have revealed things to us, if we had been prepared, that would have been far greater than those that we have received. But the Lord deals with His children mercifully. He gives them intelligence according to their capacity to receive it. Therefore wise men, such as Joseph and others, give the counsel that is adapted to the conditions and circumstances of the people, though they may see that it is not exactly what ought to be. Better to give the people some thing they will obey, if it is not the fullness of the law of God; better to lead them on until their capacity is enlarged and they are prepared to receive higher principles and truths. That is the way God has done with His people. There are many things that the leading men of this Church can see and understand that they cannot impart to the people, nor ask the people to do them. Why? Because they know that the people would not come up to the requirement, and that therefore they would he disobedient. Better to give them line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, than to give them something that they could not receive and that they would rebel against. That is the manner in which the Lord deals with His children, and it is the manner in which wise men inspired of the Lord deal with their fellow men. Speaking as a First Presidency, if we could have our way, there are many changes that we would make; but you know how difficult it is to have people see alike upon many points.
Now, if the First Presidency are in the condition that I have heretofore referred to, God is with them, and He will sustain them. I do not think you can find three men—at least, I do not know of any three men who feel a greater sense of their unworthiness for the position they are called to fill than the three Presidents of the Church. The First President you know, and you know the feeling that he has. Respecting President Smith and myself, I know that we have both been overpowered by the sense of our own weakness. God knows I never would have stood in this position if I could have had my way. I have acted only because it was God’s will that I should act. I may not seem that way in the sight of my brethren, I do not think I do. Possibly my brethren do not think I feel as I do, because it is natural for me, if there is anything to do, to go at it energetically; but I feel as though it required all the power that God can give to help me to be what I am. I would have no connection with this office, I would not touch it, if I did not know that it was the will of God that I should act in this position. And I know this is the feeling of President Woodruff. I know it is the feeling of President Smith. I know it is the feeling of the Twelve and of the Elders generally. When the Spirit of God comes upon us we feel our unworthiness, and that nothing but God’s power and blessing can sustain us in bearing up under this great responsibility which He has placed upon us.
My brethren and sisters, I speak of union. The First Presidency must be united. The Twelve must be united; not among themselves alone, but with the First Presidency. They must see eye to eye with the First Presidency. They should come and ask counsel of the First Presidency. And as was said by President Joseph F. Smith this morning, when men do things in secret and are not willing to bring that which they have into the light of day, there is always cause for fear. We should have our hearts open, and be willing for all our brethren to read our hearts and our thoughts. We should enter into no arrangement, nor have any connection with anything that we have to conceal. It is not the Spirit of God that prompts concealment. Nor should we enter into things without being willing to ask counsel respecting them, no matter what they be. It is our duty to ask counsel—to seek the mind and will of God; for God does speak through his servants, and He does give counsel through them unto the people. The Twelve ought to be in this condition. They ought not to shun the society and the counsel of the First Presidency. Do we want this for our self-glorification? The Lord knows we do not. But it is the order of the Church that the Twelve should seek counsel from those whom God has placed to preside. And they should be free in asking counsel, and and not do anything without it. In the same manner the Presidents of Stakes and their Counselors should ask counsel; the Bishops and their Counselors should ask counsel; and the seven Presidents of the Seventies, in their place, should ask counsel also. They are under the direction of the Twelve Apostles, who are their file leaders, under the First Presidency of the Church. And one man should not give counsel without consulting his fellow servants. I have no right as one of the First Presidency of the Church, to counsel in matters concerning the Church without knowing the mind and will of my fellow servants, especially of President Woodruff. I do not want to give counsel to anyone, on any important matter without Presidents Woodruff and Smith hearing it and getting their views concerning it. Otherwise I might be giving one kind of counsel; Brother Joseph F. Smith might be giving another kind of counsel; and when President Woodruff heard our counsel, he might not agree with either of us. Therefore, there should be union in this respect on the part of every officer in the Church. A counselor to a President of a Stake has no business to give counsel without he knows it is in accord with the mind of his fellow servants. The Twelve have no business to do it. They have no right to go here and there while they have access to their fellow servants, and are operating in conjunction with them, and counsel on their own responsibility in the management of the affairs of the Church. You can see if care were not taken in this direction we should be divided and confusion would ensue. It is just as necessary that we should be united in giving counsel in regulating the affairs of the Church and of the Stakes of Zion as it is that we should be sound in teaching doctrine. I have no right to go into a Stake of Zion and give counsel and arrange affairs unless I know that that which I am doing is in strict accord with the feelings and the counsel of my fellow servants, nor has any man; and even then I must respect the authority that presides in that Stake. The business requiring counsel may be important, but it is not so important but that it can generally be deferred until the united counsel can be obtained. So it is in all the branches of the Church and in all the work of the ministry there must be union. You remember the story of the Scythian king. Before he died he called his boys together. He handed them a bunch of arrows, and asked the oldest to break the bunch. He put it across his knees and he tried and tried, but could not do it. He requested each of his boys to try, and they each failed to break the bunch. Then he commanded them to break the band that united the arrows. They did so. “Now try and break them,” he said. Why, they broke them with the greatest ease separately. So it is with us. When we are not united, we are easily broken; but when we are united we cannot be broken. When I am giving counsel that I know I am sustained in giving I feel strong. I would feel very weak if I were not in that condition, because I would be ashamed perhaps by having that counsel changed. Therefore, when men come for counsel, and have the idea that they can get better suited by coming to me, or to Brother Joseph F. Smith, I do not want them to think if they come to me, that I am going to give them some counsel that may not be in accord with the counsel of the other brethren. None of us should do this, and no man should seek for counsel in that spirit. We should be united in giving counsel. Then the affairs of the Church will roll on, and everything will move harmoniously; there will be peace and union in the councils of the authorities, and the Church will feel the influence of it. That spirit of union will run through the Church and all will be benefited by the spirit that will be thus received and enjoyed.
My brethren and sisters, above all things, therefore, we should seek for this spirit of union and love. It should be sought for in our councils, and we should not contend. Now, suppose that I should take it into my head to say that a certain doctrine is true, and I contend for it, determined to have it so; does my contention make it true? Suppose that I should contend from now until the Savior came that it is true, would my contention make it true? Certainly not. I cannot change a principle of truth. Then why contend or dispute or argue about it? A man contends about something that happened in the past, and he is determined to have it so. Another contends that it is not so; Well, what does this contention amount to? Does it change the truth? The thing has happened; can it be altered by contention? Not in the least. And so concerning events to come. Contention concerning them does not change them. There can be no change wrought in doctrine and in truth by our contention. But I will tell you where there is room for differences of opinion—in regard to the policy to be pursued. There ought to be no contention, however. God speaks against it. We have no right to be a disputing, contentious people. And whenever I dispute with my brother I am likely to grieve the spirit of the Lord and darken my own mind. Therefore, let us avoid contention, in our councils and in all our intercourse one with another. Of course, as I say, there is a chance for differences of views respecting policy. It often amuses me to hear some of our brethren say, “Well, he is a policy man”—as though there was something very bad about a man being a policy man. I think, however, I know what is meant by that term. Now, there is good policy and there is bad policy. I believe in good policy. I believe we ought to be a politic people—and when I say a politic people I mean a wise people, taking advantage of every circumstance that we can to obtain our rights and our liberties, and to get recognition in the earth, that our true worth may be known. The difficulty with us is, we are not known. If we were better known, we would be better thought of. It is a good thing to pursue a wise policy; not crouching, bending and yielding, but firm as a rock where the principles of truth are involved; ready to take hold of every proper advantage to be gained for the Zion of God, and make use of it for the promotion of righteousness and liberty and true freedom in the earth.
My brethren and sisters, let us stop our contentions, and not be stiff and set in urging our views. Of course, where there is wrong being done, we should be firm as a rock. Where men are teaching false doctrine we should not keep still and allow it to be taught in our hearing without protesting against it. But we need not fall into the spirit of contention and quarreling over that. We can use our influence, and tell what we think, and then if it is not received, let it go; we have done our duty; and not all the time be looking around to see where we can find fault. Some men are continually prying into doctrine and trying to reveal mysteries, as President Woodruff referred to this morning about the Godhead and other things. They want to know a great many mysteries. Now, if we will do that which lies before us we will grow in knowledge, and God will give us revelation upon revelation, and nothing will be concealed from us.
I have felt to make these remarks this afternoon on this important topic. It is of the utmost importance that we should be united. Whenever you see men attacking the work of God and the servants of God, you may know that the adversary is at work. He has reasons for being at work. And his weapons have always been lies and misrepresentations. It is in this way that he has brought about his wicked designs from time to time. If he could make this people believe that the First Presidency were deceivers and were ready to take advantage of them, it would please him very much. If he could make the people believe that the Twelve were dishonest and could not be relied upon and were looking for self-interest, it would greatly please him. It is on this account that he fills the whole world, so to speak, with lies concerning us. He will go on doing it until he is bound. He will be bound, and then he will not have power to deceive the nations as he has had up to the present time.
Speaking about men like the Prophet having views superior to other men, the same thing may be said about this people. Our ways are ahead of those of the world. They cannot comprehend our views. We take views of things which seem utterly strange to them. On the question of virtue alone, the majority of people cannot agree with us in insisting that men should be strictly virtuous, and they do not understand why we should think that such severe penalties should be attached to the punishment of adultery, fornication and kindred sins. They cannot understand this. And so it is in many things. We are trying to live up to a higher law, and to lift the world to our plane, and we are being lifted higher all the time ourselves, through the Spirit of God and the revelations of God. It is a great work, however, to uplift a people like we are from our old traditions and habits and our old ways of thinking, especially when we are surrounded by such elements as we are. The influence of their example combined with our inherited traditions are powerful to contend against. Many of our young fail because of this. It is a great trial for this people to be exposed to such things. I am thankful they are doing as well as they are. Yet I mourn when I hear of transgression and sin; especially among the rising generation. I would like to see our sons and daughters grow up very pure, very perfect, and be an example to the world. I am happy to think that there are a great many in this condition—pure in heart, and striving to the extent of their ability to uplift themselves and to help lift their brethren and sisters on to a higher plane. We shall lift the world up by degrees. The influence of our teachings has already done this to a great extent. I have been away a good deal lately mingling with other people, and I am surprised, although I have been expecting it, at the effect our influence is having upon the people. I am surprised at the manner in which they look to us, and quote us. We are gradually emerging from—shall I say obscurity? Yes, to some extent, obscurity, but more particularly from the midst of misrepresentations and falsehoods that have enveloped us and hidden us from the world. But people are beginning to look at us in a different light. The Lord is blessing Zion in this respect, and He is bringing to pass His word concerning her. It remains for us to prepare ourselves to go on and increase in the direction that God has pointed out. Let us profit by the floods of wisdom that have been poured out upon us from the beginning and the counsels which we have received concerning our mode of living. Oh! that we could remember these things and put into practice the teachings of Joseph, of Brigham, of Heber, of John and of all the mighty men that have lived among us and worn out their lives in trying to teach us. Their teachings are more precious than gold. But they have passed unheeded. Now let us begin to recall them to our memory. Let us read the records that are made of their teachings, and see what wisdom has been given to us through the Spirit and power and blessing of God. God bless you all and save us all in the celestial kingdom of our God. I ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen.
At the conclusion of President Cannon’s discourse a sacred duet was sung by Elder William Foster and Mrs. Agnes Olson Thomas.
Delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, April 7th, 1895, by
President George Q. Cannon
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
I will read a portion of the 17th chapter of John. The Savior was praying unto the Father, and, speaking of His disciples, He said:
For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
I have always thought this one of the grandest and most remarkable prayers ever uttered, that we have any record of. No doubt the Son of God offered many prayers not in the power of mortal pen to record. But this prayer was recorded, and it has come down to us. It is a prayer that is full of meaning, and one that should be especially dear to the Latter-day Saints, because the blessings that the Savior prayed for on this occasion are the blessings we need. We would not be worth of the name of Saints if we did not receive the answer to this prayer in ourselves. The servants of God that have received the Priesthood, unless they receive the fulfilment of this prayer and exemplified it in their lives, would not be in truth His disciples—at least to the extent that our Lord desired them to be.
The great characteristic of this Church, by brethren and sisters, which distinguishes it from all other organizations upon the face of the earth, is union. It is this that has marked us a peculiar people from the commencement. It is this that has given us a higher standing and made us a more notable people than any other characteristic that we possess. It is the characteristic that the Savior desired His disciples to exhibit; not only His immediate disciples, but those who should believe their testimony and receive the word that they had to bear to them. And the Lord’s prayer in this respect has been heard. It was heard in behalf of those who were the immediate subjects of the prayer—His followers; but the prayer holds good for all generations, and may be claimed by every follower of Christ throughout all time, because this union that He prayed for is indispensable to every man, woman and child belonging to the Church of Christ. It is also indispensable to the Church itself. And we can thank God this day that we, unworthy as we have been in many respects, have received this same spirit of union and to a goodly extent; not perhaps as fully as we should have it; still it has been bestowed upon us and has brought us together, knit our hearts in one, blended our feelings, and made us—a people of varied races, speaking different languages, and coming out of different religious organizations—one body, and cemented us together with a union that is most marvelous. So we today exhibit this evidence that we are indeed followers of Jesus Christ, and that Jesus Christ is indeed the Son of God, because He desired that this should be the great sign by which the world might know that God had sent Him and that He was His Son.
The Savior asked that His disciples might be one, as He and the Father are one. Now, can you conceive of a oneness more close, more complete, than the oneness that exists between the Father and the Son? It is impossible for the human mind to get the faintest idea of any difference of opinion, or expression, or action between the Father and the Son. We worship them as one God—not three Gods, not two Gods, but as one God. The Father and the Son are the two personages of the Deity, with the Holy Ghost as their ministering Spirit or agent. We worship them as one. We do not separate them in our thoughts and in our feelings. We do not appeal to one because we think that He would be more propitious to us than the other. We do not seek to separate them in our feelings or in our thoughts, or in our worship. We do not think that if we can approach one of these Beings that we are more likely to obtain favor from Him than from the other. No feeling of this kind ever enters into the hearts of a child of God. They are one. Jesus in all His revelations makes it plain that He and the Father are one, so much so that in the minds of many they cannot distinguish how it can be that they can be one God and yet composed of two personages and of the Holy Ghost, because according out human conceptions we cannot imagine such an identity of feeling and attributes in two different personages. We are not accustomed to this here on the earth. When we think of a father and a son, of a brother and a brother, we think of them as separate individuals. Their individuality is distinct in our minds. This also is the case with our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ as personages but not as the Godhead. While they are two personages, they are but one—one in feeling, one in thought, one in mind, one in everything in face, in every direction in which their power is or can be exercised. And in all the records that have come down to us from the Son of God there is one thing that stands out clearly and prominently throughout all the teachings and acts of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and that is, His entire devotion to the Father, His complete submission to the will of the Father, and His oft-expressed desire to know and to do that will. It is wonderful the submission that the Savior manifested in His life, when we think of His great dignity and the position that He occupied.
We are told that there was once a rebellion in Heaven. The Prophet Joseph and Sidney Ridgon beheld, in vision, and the recorded that which they saw in this language.
And this we saw also, and bear record that an angel of God who was in authority in the presence of God, who rebelled against the Only Begotten Son, whom the Father loved, and who was in the bosom of the Father—was thrust down from the presence of God and the Son,
And was called Perdition, for the heavens wept over Him—He was Lucifer, a son of the morning.
Some have called him the son of the morning, but here it is a son of the morning—one among many, doubtless. This angel was a mighty personage, without doubt. The record that is given to us concerning him clearly shows that he occupied a very high position; that he was thought a great deal of; and that he was mighty in his sphere, so much so that when the matter was debated concerning the earth and the plan of salvation, he was of sufficient importance to have a plan, which he proposed as the plan by which this earth should be peopled and the inhabitants thereof redeemed. His plan, however, was not accepted; but it was so plausible and so attractive that out of the whole hosts of heaven one-third accepted his plan and were willing to cast their lot with him. Now, the difference between Jesus and Lucifer was this: Jesus was willing to submit to the Father. He had His plan, which was accepted. Everything that has come down to us, coupled with our own experience in relation to the effect of the Spirit of God upon the heart, leads us to the conclusion that if Jesus had proposed a plan that would not have been accepted by the Father, He would not have rebelled against the Father nor against the Son of God, who might have proposed the plan which was accepted. But how different was it with Lucifer! Because he could not have his way, he was determined to wreck everything. He would pull down the throne of the Eternal Father and destroy everything. He was not one with the Father. If he had been, that rebellion would not have occurred.
Now, it is a remarkable fact, which completely verifies and establishes the truth of the record concerning this rebellion in heaven, that from the time Adam appeared on the earth, and children began to multiply and increase, the spirit that Lucifer exhibited in heaven has been manifested on the earth. When he has had power to influence men and women he has filled them with precisely the same spirit that he manifested in heaven before man came upon the earth. That spirit made its appearance in Cain, and the Bible shows us that it was continued from generation to generation. The Book of Mormon is filled with the same testimony. But we need not depend upon the records that have come to us for illustrations of this and testimony concerning it. We ourselves, in our own persons, in our own organizations as a Church, have seen the same spirit, and the same results that attended its manifestation in ancient times, and even as far back as the time in which I speak—before the earth was peopled. We have seen the spirit of rebellion exemplified in our Church as it was when we were in our spiritual existence. President Woodruff dwelt upon this in his remarks this morning. He showed us the effects of that spirit in those who entertained it. It is but a repetition of history. History has repeated itself all the time in the Church of God. The Book of Mormon is full of it. That record shows how the sons of Lehi divided, some listening to Lucifer and entertaining the spirit of rebellion, and other entertaining the Spirit of God and seeking for its love and union. Those who yielded to the spirit of Lucifer sought the destruction of the others, and not being willing to submit to that which was right, they rebelled against their father. They determined to have their own way, regardless of the rights of others. And that history, from the beginning of it to the end, shows clearly the operation of these two influences; the Spirit of God bringing the people into union and love, and the spirit of Lucifer—which God in His own wisdom and for His own purposes has permitted to come upon the earth to test us—working out destruction wherever it could get possession of the people to manifest itself through, until it wrought the entire destruction of two races of people on this continent—the Jaredite race and the Nephite race.
It is wise for us to look a little into our own position, and see if we can profit by the lessons of the past. No trouble ever came upon the Nephite people—and I like to refer to them because the record is a most complete and interesting one—except through their departing from that spirit of union of which I have read in this prayer of the Savior’s. When they lived so as to receive the fulfilment of this prayer and were united, they prospered on the right hand and on the left. The earth was blessed for them. It yielded of its richness, and every element of wealth contained in the earth (and there is no part of our earth that is so rich in all the elements of wealth as this blest continent) was at their command. But in those days of prosperity, when everything flourished, some man or some faction would arise in their midst filled with pride, and vanity, and love of the world, yielding to the spirit of Lucifer and proposing plans of various kinds in order to disturb the peace of the people of God and to create dissension among them. It was the fruitful source of all their woes. No trouble ever came upon that people only through their yielding to this spirit of dissension and of rebellion which had come down from the council that was held before the word was peopled. All the prophets who spoke concerning the destruction of the Nephite nation were led to attribute the downfall of that people which they by the spirit of prophecy saw would surely come, to the face that they would fall into disunion. The Savior and the prophets predicted that four generations after the coming of the Son of God would live in peace, and Jesus rejoiced over them. He said how great His joy was about the generation which lived when He visited the, for He said that not one soul would be lost; and so it would be for four generations. But after that a falling away would come. They would listen to the spirit of Satan; they would lose their love and divide, and the result would be their entire annihilation as a nation.
Our own experience, my brethren and sisters, is very similar to this. Can any of you put your finger on any serious trouble that we have had that has not had its origin in professed Latter-day Saints dissenting from us and turning against us? I tell you, as it has been said already in this Conference, there is no power on earth, there is no power in the domains of the damned, that can shake or disturb this people if they are only united. No matter what course we may take, so long as it is in righteousness, if we are united we can stand against the world and all its assaults. We can stand not only against visible enemies, but we can stand against the invisible hosts of darkness which Lucifer has at his command; and we can stand unshaken and unmoved amid the tempests that may break upon us, or whatever may be the character of the assault that may be made upon us. United we are strong; we are strong as the Almighty, our Father in Heaven, and as His Son Jesus, when Lucifer lead away one-third of the hosts of heaven with the hope of destroying the plan of salvation and bringing to naught the purposes of the Father. But when dissension comes in our midst; when disunion manifests itself; when you see men who call themselves Latter-day Saints yielding to the spirit of Satan and rebelling in their feelings against the spirit of God and the work of God, then there is cause for apprehension and for us to tremble, if we ever do tremble, because that is and always has been the fruitful source of our troubles, and it always will be. Union, therefore, ought to be the keynote of the entire people, as it is the chief corner stone of the superstructure of the Church. It ought to be more desirable than anything else among us. How shall we obtain it? Shall we have it by each man having his own way and carrying out his own designs? Was that the way Jesus, our great Exemplar, did? “Ah! but,” I have heard it said, “that takes away man’s independence.” There are some people who seem to have the idea that rebellion and disobedience are evidences of independence and of manhood. Well, I am glad to know that, so far as I am concerned, I never took that view. I always felt that I was just as independent in being obedient, and I know I felt much better than I could possibly feel if I were disobedient. It is not necessary to be disobedient to show independence.
There are at the head of this Church, chosen by the Lord, three men, who constitute what is called the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. One is the President. The other two are his counselors. But all three are Presidents according to the revelations. One, however, holds the keys. President Woodruff is distinguished from every other one of us by the fact that he possesses the keys of the kingdom on the earth. He represents the Supreme authority. His voice to us, in its place, brings to us the voice of God. Not that he is God; not that he is infallible. He is a fallible man. His counselors are fallible men. The First Presidency cannot claim, individually or collectively, infallibility. Infallibility is not given to men. They are fallible. But God is infallible. And when God speaks to the Church through him who holds the keys, it is the word of the Lord to this people. Can President Woodruff do this without his counselors? I do not know what he can do, or what he might do; but I know that he does not do. I know that President Young did not, nor President Taylor. I know that President Joseph Smith did not. He sought the counsel of his counselors. They acted in concert. And when the First Presidency act in concert, they are a power. But, as it was said by Brother John W. Taylor on Friday, if the First Presidency were divided, and the Twelve were divided, then we would not have the blessings that God has promised, and I do not know what what would be our fate. I know, though, what has been in the past. Joseph, through false brethren, had his life taken from him those nearest to him betrayed him in the days of which President woodruff has spoken and at the very last those who were nearest to him were among the men who were the means of bringing him to his death. Now, how is it with the First Presidency? Do we have a mind of our own? Those who know us can judge of this. It is our duty to make our thoughts known upon every subject. But we should not be hard in our hearts; we should be soft and tender, so that the Spirit of God will influence us. It does not do for us to be opinionated and set in our feelings, and think that our view is the correct view; but to hold our hearts open to receive the manifestations of the Spirit of God. I suppose each one of us is fond of having his own way. I know I am. I am willing to confess that I like to have my own way. But I do not like my own way well enough to want it in opposition to my brethren’s way. That is our duty as the First Presidency of the Church. It is the duty of every presidency throughout the Church. The Presidents of Stakes and their Counselors, the Bishops and their Counselors, and all who act in presiding positions, should be united. It is our duty as the First Presidency of the Church to seek for this spirit of union for which the Savior prayed, and to be one; to bring our feelings in subjection, and when two agree on a thing, and the third cannot see it, let him say, “I am going with you. No feeling that enters into my heart shall stand between you and me.” Suppose that one man has more wisdom than another; it is better to carry out a plan that is not so wise, if you are united on it. Speaking generally, a plan or a policy that may be inferior in some respects is more effective, if men are united upon it, than a better plan would be upon which they were divided, but some may ask, where comes in the inspiration of God in such cases as this? We should understand that God uses men as instruments in carrying out His purposes. He uses them according to their capacity. He gives them opportunity to exercise their agency and to work out self-development. The Lord gave to the children of Israel, after leaving Egypt, what is called the law of carnal commandments. It was admittedly an inferior law to that which He desired them to have; yet it came from the Lord. He inspired his servant Moses to do that for the people because they were not prepared to receive and put in practice higher truths and live up to higher laws.
The First Presidency ought to have in the first place their hearts single to the glory of God; to have no personal feeling that will influence them in any policy, but have their motives pure, and then when they unite on anything and give any counsel, I tell you that God will sustain that and carry it through; He will supplement it by His wisdom and power, and make it effective. For the First Presidency are but mortal men. We can only see a certain distance. God sees to the utmost limit. There are no bounds to His sight. But there are bounds to ours. Does He require superhuman wisdom of us? No, only as He gives it to us. He points out the path, and if our motives are pure and we are united on any plan or policy, He will bless and sanctify that, and He will make it successful. That constitutes the strength of the First Presidency, their unity and the purity of their motives. They may err—and who does not? As I said, we are fallible men. Whatever my views may be concerning the Church and its infallibility, I suppose there are none of the officers of the Church who claim infallibility. Certainly, I do not claim it for myself. But when we are united, our motives pure, and we divest ourselves of every personal desire and bias, and ask God to take away all hardness from our hearts and all blindness from our minds, and then supplicate Him for His blessing, it will surely come. Then the Twelve Apostles and the other officers of the Church, when they carry that counsel out unitedly and in the same spirit, will be blessed, and the Church will be blessed, and, as I have said, God will supplement our weakness by His strength, and our want of knowledge by His infinite knowledge and His great power.
In this way the Church of Christ has always been led. Occasionally men arise who tower above the multitude in the extent of their knowledge, such as the Prophet Joseph, and others whose names I need not mention; for as the Lord revealed to Abraham, there are differences in spirits. He spoke of the Kokaubeam, or the stars, and of the difference manifest in them; that one star was greater and brighter than another, until Kolob was reached, which is near the throne of the Eternal; and He said it was so with the spirits of men. There are differences in spirits. There are different grades of intelligence among the spirits of men. We are not all on a dead level. But God sends forth occasionally a man that towers like a giant in the midst of his fellow men. The Prophet Joseph was of that kind. There have been innumerable examples of men not of our Church of that kind, whose knowledge, foresight and intelligence were so far ahead of their compeers and those who lived contemporaneously with them that they could not come up to them. This Church could not come up to Joseph. He towered above us. He would have revealed things to us, if we had been prepared, that would have been far greater than those that we have received. But the Lord deals with His children mercifully. He gives them intelligence according to their capacity to receive it. Therefore wise men, such as Joseph and others, give the counsel that is adapted to the conditions and circumstances of the people, though they may see that it is not exactly what ought to be. Better to give the people some thing they will obey, if it is not the fullness of the law of God; better to lead them on until their capacity is enlarged and they are prepared to receive higher principles and truths. That is the way God has done with His people. There are many things that the leading men of this Church can see and understand that they cannot impart to the people, nor ask the people to do them. Why? Because they know that the people would not come up to the requirement, and that therefore they would he disobedient. Better to give them line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, than to give them something that they could not receive and that they would rebel against. That is the manner in which the Lord deals with His children, and it is the manner in which wise men inspired of the Lord deal with their fellow men. Speaking as a First Presidency, if we could have our way, there are many changes that we would make; but you know how difficult it is to have people see alike upon many points.
Now, if the First Presidency are in the condition that I have heretofore referred to, God is with them, and He will sustain them. I do not think you can find three men—at least, I do not know of any three men who feel a greater sense of their unworthiness for the position they are called to fill than the three Presidents of the Church. The First President you know, and you know the feeling that he has. Respecting President Smith and myself, I know that we have both been overpowered by the sense of our own weakness. God knows I never would have stood in this position if I could have had my way. I have acted only because it was God’s will that I should act. I may not seem that way in the sight of my brethren, I do not think I do. Possibly my brethren do not think I feel as I do, because it is natural for me, if there is anything to do, to go at it energetically; but I feel as though it required all the power that God can give to help me to be what I am. I would have no connection with this office, I would not touch it, if I did not know that it was the will of God that I should act in this position. And I know this is the feeling of President Woodruff. I know it is the feeling of President Smith. I know it is the feeling of the Twelve and of the Elders generally. When the Spirit of God comes upon us we feel our unworthiness, and that nothing but God’s power and blessing can sustain us in bearing up under this great responsibility which He has placed upon us.
My brethren and sisters, I speak of union. The First Presidency must be united. The Twelve must be united; not among themselves alone, but with the First Presidency. They must see eye to eye with the First Presidency. They should come and ask counsel of the First Presidency. And as was said by President Joseph F. Smith this morning, when men do things in secret and are not willing to bring that which they have into the light of day, there is always cause for fear. We should have our hearts open, and be willing for all our brethren to read our hearts and our thoughts. We should enter into no arrangement, nor have any connection with anything that we have to conceal. It is not the Spirit of God that prompts concealment. Nor should we enter into things without being willing to ask counsel respecting them, no matter what they be. It is our duty to ask counsel—to seek the mind and will of God; for God does speak through his servants, and He does give counsel through them unto the people. The Twelve ought to be in this condition. They ought not to shun the society and the counsel of the First Presidency. Do we want this for our self-glorification? The Lord knows we do not. But it is the order of the Church that the Twelve should seek counsel from those whom God has placed to preside. And they should be free in asking counsel, and and not do anything without it. In the same manner the Presidents of Stakes and their Counselors should ask counsel; the Bishops and their Counselors should ask counsel; and the seven Presidents of the Seventies, in their place, should ask counsel also. They are under the direction of the Twelve Apostles, who are their file leaders, under the First Presidency of the Church. And one man should not give counsel without consulting his fellow servants. I have no right as one of the First Presidency of the Church, to counsel in matters concerning the Church without knowing the mind and will of my fellow servants, especially of President Woodruff. I do not want to give counsel to anyone, on any important matter without Presidents Woodruff and Smith hearing it and getting their views concerning it. Otherwise I might be giving one kind of counsel; Brother Joseph F. Smith might be giving another kind of counsel; and when President Woodruff heard our counsel, he might not agree with either of us. Therefore, there should be union in this respect on the part of every officer in the Church. A counselor to a President of a Stake has no business to give counsel without he knows it is in accord with the mind of his fellow servants. The Twelve have no business to do it. They have no right to go here and there while they have access to their fellow servants, and are operating in conjunction with them, and counsel on their own responsibility in the management of the affairs of the Church. You can see if care were not taken in this direction we should be divided and confusion would ensue. It is just as necessary that we should be united in giving counsel in regulating the affairs of the Church and of the Stakes of Zion as it is that we should be sound in teaching doctrine. I have no right to go into a Stake of Zion and give counsel and arrange affairs unless I know that that which I am doing is in strict accord with the feelings and the counsel of my fellow servants, nor has any man; and even then I must respect the authority that presides in that Stake. The business requiring counsel may be important, but it is not so important but that it can generally be deferred until the united counsel can be obtained. So it is in all the branches of the Church and in all the work of the ministry there must be union. You remember the story of the Scythian king. Before he died he called his boys together. He handed them a bunch of arrows, and asked the oldest to break the bunch. He put it across his knees and he tried and tried, but could not do it. He requested each of his boys to try, and they each failed to break the bunch. Then he commanded them to break the band that united the arrows. They did so. “Now try and break them,” he said. Why, they broke them with the greatest ease separately. So it is with us. When we are not united, we are easily broken; but when we are united we cannot be broken. When I am giving counsel that I know I am sustained in giving I feel strong. I would feel very weak if I were not in that condition, because I would be ashamed perhaps by having that counsel changed. Therefore, when men come for counsel, and have the idea that they can get better suited by coming to me, or to Brother Joseph F. Smith, I do not want them to think if they come to me, that I am going to give them some counsel that may not be in accord with the counsel of the other brethren. None of us should do this, and no man should seek for counsel in that spirit. We should be united in giving counsel. Then the affairs of the Church will roll on, and everything will move harmoniously; there will be peace and union in the councils of the authorities, and the Church will feel the influence of it. That spirit of union will run through the Church and all will be benefited by the spirit that will be thus received and enjoyed.
My brethren and sisters, above all things, therefore, we should seek for this spirit of union and love. It should be sought for in our councils, and we should not contend. Now, suppose that I should take it into my head to say that a certain doctrine is true, and I contend for it, determined to have it so; does my contention make it true? Suppose that I should contend from now until the Savior came that it is true, would my contention make it true? Certainly not. I cannot change a principle of truth. Then why contend or dispute or argue about it? A man contends about something that happened in the past, and he is determined to have it so. Another contends that it is not so; Well, what does this contention amount to? Does it change the truth? The thing has happened; can it be altered by contention? Not in the least. And so concerning events to come. Contention concerning them does not change them. There can be no change wrought in doctrine and in truth by our contention. But I will tell you where there is room for differences of opinion—in regard to the policy to be pursued. There ought to be no contention, however. God speaks against it. We have no right to be a disputing, contentious people. And whenever I dispute with my brother I am likely to grieve the spirit of the Lord and darken my own mind. Therefore, let us avoid contention, in our councils and in all our intercourse one with another. Of course, as I say, there is a chance for differences of views respecting policy. It often amuses me to hear some of our brethren say, “Well, he is a policy man”—as though there was something very bad about a man being a policy man. I think, however, I know what is meant by that term. Now, there is good policy and there is bad policy. I believe in good policy. I believe we ought to be a politic people—and when I say a politic people I mean a wise people, taking advantage of every circumstance that we can to obtain our rights and our liberties, and to get recognition in the earth, that our true worth may be known. The difficulty with us is, we are not known. If we were better known, we would be better thought of. It is a good thing to pursue a wise policy; not crouching, bending and yielding, but firm as a rock where the principles of truth are involved; ready to take hold of every proper advantage to be gained for the Zion of God, and make use of it for the promotion of righteousness and liberty and true freedom in the earth.
My brethren and sisters, let us stop our contentions, and not be stiff and set in urging our views. Of course, where there is wrong being done, we should be firm as a rock. Where men are teaching false doctrine we should not keep still and allow it to be taught in our hearing without protesting against it. But we need not fall into the spirit of contention and quarreling over that. We can use our influence, and tell what we think, and then if it is not received, let it go; we have done our duty; and not all the time be looking around to see where we can find fault. Some men are continually prying into doctrine and trying to reveal mysteries, as President Woodruff referred to this morning about the Godhead and other things. They want to know a great many mysteries. Now, if we will do that which lies before us we will grow in knowledge, and God will give us revelation upon revelation, and nothing will be concealed from us.
I have felt to make these remarks this afternoon on this important topic. It is of the utmost importance that we should be united. Whenever you see men attacking the work of God and the servants of God, you may know that the adversary is at work. He has reasons for being at work. And his weapons have always been lies and misrepresentations. It is in this way that he has brought about his wicked designs from time to time. If he could make this people believe that the First Presidency were deceivers and were ready to take advantage of them, it would please him very much. If he could make the people believe that the Twelve were dishonest and could not be relied upon and were looking for self-interest, it would greatly please him. It is on this account that he fills the whole world, so to speak, with lies concerning us. He will go on doing it until he is bound. He will be bound, and then he will not have power to deceive the nations as he has had up to the present time.
Speaking about men like the Prophet having views superior to other men, the same thing may be said about this people. Our ways are ahead of those of the world. They cannot comprehend our views. We take views of things which seem utterly strange to them. On the question of virtue alone, the majority of people cannot agree with us in insisting that men should be strictly virtuous, and they do not understand why we should think that such severe penalties should be attached to the punishment of adultery, fornication and kindred sins. They cannot understand this. And so it is in many things. We are trying to live up to a higher law, and to lift the world to our plane, and we are being lifted higher all the time ourselves, through the Spirit of God and the revelations of God. It is a great work, however, to uplift a people like we are from our old traditions and habits and our old ways of thinking, especially when we are surrounded by such elements as we are. The influence of their example combined with our inherited traditions are powerful to contend against. Many of our young fail because of this. It is a great trial for this people to be exposed to such things. I am thankful they are doing as well as they are. Yet I mourn when I hear of transgression and sin; especially among the rising generation. I would like to see our sons and daughters grow up very pure, very perfect, and be an example to the world. I am happy to think that there are a great many in this condition—pure in heart, and striving to the extent of their ability to uplift themselves and to help lift their brethren and sisters on to a higher plane. We shall lift the world up by degrees. The influence of our teachings has already done this to a great extent. I have been away a good deal lately mingling with other people, and I am surprised, although I have been expecting it, at the effect our influence is having upon the people. I am surprised at the manner in which they look to us, and quote us. We are gradually emerging from—shall I say obscurity? Yes, to some extent, obscurity, but more particularly from the midst of misrepresentations and falsehoods that have enveloped us and hidden us from the world. But people are beginning to look at us in a different light. The Lord is blessing Zion in this respect, and He is bringing to pass His word concerning her. It remains for us to prepare ourselves to go on and increase in the direction that God has pointed out. Let us profit by the floods of wisdom that have been poured out upon us from the beginning and the counsels which we have received concerning our mode of living. Oh! that we could remember these things and put into practice the teachings of Joseph, of Brigham, of Heber, of John and of all the mighty men that have lived among us and worn out their lives in trying to teach us. Their teachings are more precious than gold. But they have passed unheeded. Now let us begin to recall them to our memory. Let us read the records that are made of their teachings, and see what wisdom has been given to us through the Spirit and power and blessing of God. God bless you all and save us all in the celestial kingdom of our God. I ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen.
At the conclusion of President Cannon’s discourse a sacred duet was sung by Elder William Foster and Mrs. Agnes Olson Thomas.
PRESIDENT WILFORD WOODRUFF
added a few remarks upon the subject on which he had spoken in the morning—the experience of the Church in Kirtland, when a number of the Apostles and other leading men apostatized. He then exhorted the Saints to serve God. They could not serve two masters, and should elect to serve the Almighty and be united in that service. The Lord required His Saints to bear off His kingdom. In doing this they would have power with the heavens, for the Lord would not turn His back upon Zion.
Speaking of the First Presidency and Twelve, President Woodruff stated that if ever a body of men were united they were; the Saints would be foolish to permit anything to divide them.
The choir sang the anthem: Grant us peace, O Lord.
Conference was adjourned for six months.
Benediction by Patriarch John Smith.
JOHN NICHOLSON,
Clerk of Conference.
added a few remarks upon the subject on which he had spoken in the morning—the experience of the Church in Kirtland, when a number of the Apostles and other leading men apostatized. He then exhorted the Saints to serve God. They could not serve two masters, and should elect to serve the Almighty and be united in that service. The Lord required His Saints to bear off His kingdom. In doing this they would have power with the heavens, for the Lord would not turn His back upon Zion.
Speaking of the First Presidency and Twelve, President Woodruff stated that if ever a body of men were united they were; the Saints would be foolish to permit anything to divide them.
The choir sang the anthem: Grant us peace, O Lord.
Conference was adjourned for six months.
Benediction by Patriarch John Smith.
JOHN NICHOLSON,
Clerk of Conference.