October 1895
Cannon, George Q. "Discourse." The Deseret Weekly, November 9, 1895: pg. 641-644.
Lyman, Francis M. "Discourse." The Deseret Weekly, November 23, 1895: pg. 705-707.
Lyman, Francis M. "Discourse." The Deseret Weekly, December 7, 1895: pg. 769-770.
Merrill, Marriner. "Temple Work." The Deseret Weekly, November 2, 1895: pg. 609-610.
Richards, Franklin D. "Revelation and Priesthood." The Deseret Weekly, January 4, 1896: pg. 65-67.
Smith, Joseph F. "Discourse." The Deseret Weekly, December 28, 1895: pg. 33-34.
The Deseret Weekly. "General Conference." October 12, 1895: pg. 529-533.
Woodruff, Wilford. "Discourse." The Deseret Weekly, October 26, 1895: pg. 577-580.
GENERAL CONFERENCE
President Wilford Woodruff
President Lorenzo Snow
Elder Heber J. Grant
Discourse (Elder Francis M. Lyman?)
Elder John W. Taylor
Afternoon Session
Elder George Teasdale
Elder John Henry Smith
Elder Marriner W. Merrill
Temple Work
President Wilford Woodruff
Second Day. Oct. 5th, 10 a.m.
Elder Francis M. Lyman
Discourse
Elder Brigham Young, Jr.
Elder Franklin D. Richards
Revelation and Priesthood
Afternoon Session
Elder Abraham H. Cannon
Elder Moses Thatcher
President George Q. Cannon
Third Day. Oct. 6th, 10 a.m.
President Wilford Woodruff
Discourse
President Joseph F. Smith
Discourse
Overflow Meeting
Elder C. D. Fjelsted
Elder Heber J. Grant
Elder Anthony W. Ivins
Elder Abraham H. Cannon
Elder Seymour B. Young
Elder Brigham Young, Jr.
Afternoon Session
Sustaining of the General Authorities
President George Q. Cannon
Discourse
President Wilford Woodruff
Lyman, Francis M. "Discourse." The Deseret Weekly, November 23, 1895: pg. 705-707.
Lyman, Francis M. "Discourse." The Deseret Weekly, December 7, 1895: pg. 769-770.
Merrill, Marriner. "Temple Work." The Deseret Weekly, November 2, 1895: pg. 609-610.
Richards, Franklin D. "Revelation and Priesthood." The Deseret Weekly, January 4, 1896: pg. 65-67.
Smith, Joseph F. "Discourse." The Deseret Weekly, December 28, 1895: pg. 33-34.
The Deseret Weekly. "General Conference." October 12, 1895: pg. 529-533.
Woodruff, Wilford. "Discourse." The Deseret Weekly, October 26, 1895: pg. 577-580.
GENERAL CONFERENCE
President Wilford Woodruff
President Lorenzo Snow
Elder Heber J. Grant
Discourse (Elder Francis M. Lyman?)
Elder John W. Taylor
Afternoon Session
Elder George Teasdale
Elder John Henry Smith
Elder Marriner W. Merrill
Temple Work
President Wilford Woodruff
Second Day. Oct. 5th, 10 a.m.
Elder Francis M. Lyman
Discourse
Elder Brigham Young, Jr.
Elder Franklin D. Richards
Revelation and Priesthood
Afternoon Session
Elder Abraham H. Cannon
Elder Moses Thatcher
President George Q. Cannon
Third Day. Oct. 6th, 10 a.m.
President Wilford Woodruff
Discourse
President Joseph F. Smith
Discourse
Overflow Meeting
Elder C. D. Fjelsted
Elder Heber J. Grant
Elder Anthony W. Ivins
Elder Abraham H. Cannon
Elder Seymour B. Young
Elder Brigham Young, Jr.
Afternoon Session
Sustaining of the General Authorities
President George Q. Cannon
Discourse
President Wilford Woodruff
GENERAL CONFERENCE
The Sixty-sixth Semi-annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints convened in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, on Friday, October 4th, 1895.
There were present 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, Francis M. Lyman, John Henry Smith, George Teasdale, Heber J. Grant, John W. Taylor, Marriner W. Merrill, Abraham H. Cannon;
Patriarch John Smith;
of the Presidency of the Seventies—C. D. Fjelsted, 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 leading Elders from various districts of the Territory and adjacent regions.
Conference was called to order by President George Q. Cannon.
The choir and congregation sang:
Now let us rejoice in the day of salvation,
No longer as strangers on earth need we roam.
Good tidings are sounding to us and each nation.
And shortly the hour of redemption will come.
The opening prayer was offered by President Lorenzo Snow.
Singing by the choir:
Zion stands with hills surrounded--
Zion, kept by power divine.
The Sixty-sixth Semi-annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints convened in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, on Friday, October 4th, 1895.
There were present 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, Francis M. Lyman, John Henry Smith, George Teasdale, Heber J. Grant, John W. Taylor, Marriner W. Merrill, Abraham H. Cannon;
Patriarch John Smith;
of the Presidency of the Seventies—C. D. Fjelsted, 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 leading Elders from various districts of the Territory and adjacent regions.
Conference was called to order by President George Q. Cannon.
The choir and congregation sang:
Now let us rejoice in the day of salvation,
No longer as strangers on earth need we roam.
Good tidings are sounding to us and each nation.
And shortly the hour of redemption will come.
The opening prayer was offered by President Lorenzo Snow.
Singing by the choir:
Zion stands with hills surrounded--
Zion, kept by power divine.
President Wilford Woodruff
said: I feel thankful, my brethren and sisters, that I have the privilege this morning of attending this Sixty-sixth Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with the Elders of Israel and the Saints of the living God. My first attending any conferences of this Church was in 1834, and from that day till the present, from time to time, as circumstances have permitted, I have enjoyed this blessing. And while the Prophets, and Apostles, and Elders and Saints of God, a great many of them, and a number of them who have assembled in these days, are today upon the other side of the veil, still other men as Apostles and Prophets and Elders and members of the Church stand in the flesh, following in their footsteps. I feel thankful to have the privilege of meeting with the Apostles and the various quorums of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today. And while we are together during this conference, I hope and trust that we may all of us have our hearts lifted up in prayer and thanksgiving to God and ask His blessing that we may be guided by His Holy Spirit in whatever we are called to teach the Saints, and the labors we have to perform as the people of God. We have great reason to rejoice, great reason to be thankful to our Creator, to God, our Heavenly Father, for His mercies and blessings over us today.
The hand of the Lord may very clearly be seen, I think, by all men who enjoy the Spirit of God, in the past history of the Latter-day Saints. His hand has been over us since our organization in 1830, until the present time. We have passed, of course, through many trials and tribulations, but the Lord’s mercy is over us, and we are placed here in the mountains of Israel, the Zion of God, and placed here with responsibilities resting upon us to be carried out in our day and time. I am pleased to meet with the Apostles, and trust, as far as we have time and opportunity, we shall have the privilege of hearing from them. But I will say that President Snow is expected to be absent from us for a day or so, in attending the funeral of Judge Smith, of Brigham City, and I will call upon him this morning to occupy a little time in talking to us.
said: I feel thankful, my brethren and sisters, that I have the privilege this morning of attending this Sixty-sixth Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with the Elders of Israel and the Saints of the living God. My first attending any conferences of this Church was in 1834, and from that day till the present, from time to time, as circumstances have permitted, I have enjoyed this blessing. And while the Prophets, and Apostles, and Elders and Saints of God, a great many of them, and a number of them who have assembled in these days, are today upon the other side of the veil, still other men as Apostles and Prophets and Elders and members of the Church stand in the flesh, following in their footsteps. I feel thankful to have the privilege of meeting with the Apostles and the various quorums of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today. And while we are together during this conference, I hope and trust that we may all of us have our hearts lifted up in prayer and thanksgiving to God and ask His blessing that we may be guided by His Holy Spirit in whatever we are called to teach the Saints, and the labors we have to perform as the people of God. We have great reason to rejoice, great reason to be thankful to our Creator, to God, our Heavenly Father, for His mercies and blessings over us today.
The hand of the Lord may very clearly be seen, I think, by all men who enjoy the Spirit of God, in the past history of the Latter-day Saints. His hand has been over us since our organization in 1830, until the present time. We have passed, of course, through many trials and tribulations, but the Lord’s mercy is over us, and we are placed here in the mountains of Israel, the Zion of God, and placed here with responsibilities resting upon us to be carried out in our day and time. I am pleased to meet with the Apostles, and trust, as far as we have time and opportunity, we shall have the privilege of hearing from them. But I will say that President Snow is expected to be absent from us for a day or so, in attending the funeral of Judge Smith, of Brigham City, and I will call upon him this morning to occupy a little time in talking to us.
President Lorenzo Snow,
of the quorum of the Twelve,
addressed the Conference. He read a portion of the 101st section of the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, beginning at the 25th verse. It tells of the establishment of the Millennial reign on the earth, and the glorious conditions that shall be associated with that time of universal peace and the knowledge of God. He said this condition will be exceedingly acceptable to us after we have passed through the troubles and perplexities incidental to our probationary existence. In that time there will be nothing to offend nor disturb. The present position of the world, from a moral point of view, is most forbidding. The public journals are filled with accounts of the most detestable crimes and pictures of human misery. All these will vanish before the dawn of the Millennial morn. We should not forget the great promises that God has made concerning a good time to come. And we should prepare ourselves to us in unison with that delightful time when it shall come. We should so live that we shall know that our course of life is acceptable to God. We should understand the voice and the whisperings of the Holy Spirit. In the day when the sky is not obscured by clouds, we discover surrounding objects, their beauty and purpose. So are we dependent on the Spirit of God for light upon the principles of truth and salvation. No professing Latter-day Saints can enjoy any great degree of happiness unless he thus lives, and thus places himself under the divine guidance.
There are times in the life of every man when he needs supernatural aid, to prevent his being overwhelmed by the difficulties surrounding him. Hence the necessity of his being righteous so that he may not be left to himself in times of trial and extremity. It appears that it is necessary that the Saints should be tried to the extent of their endurance, that their characters may be developed. There are Elders here now who could tell how, when out in the world, even their lives have been saved by following the direction of the Spirit of God, whose hand has been seen in their deliverance from evil.
We should not only be in harmony with the voice and genius of the Holy Spirit, but we should also be right with each other. If we are not, we may find ourselves greatly deceived.
We are not only laboring for Latter-day Saints, but also for thousands who are not; for this work is comprehensive, and opens up to all willing workers a broad field of usefulness.
The speaker concluded by asking the blessing of God upon President Woodruff, whom we delighted to see present with us on this occasion.
of the quorum of the Twelve,
addressed the Conference. He read a portion of the 101st section of the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, beginning at the 25th verse. It tells of the establishment of the Millennial reign on the earth, and the glorious conditions that shall be associated with that time of universal peace and the knowledge of God. He said this condition will be exceedingly acceptable to us after we have passed through the troubles and perplexities incidental to our probationary existence. In that time there will be nothing to offend nor disturb. The present position of the world, from a moral point of view, is most forbidding. The public journals are filled with accounts of the most detestable crimes and pictures of human misery. All these will vanish before the dawn of the Millennial morn. We should not forget the great promises that God has made concerning a good time to come. And we should prepare ourselves to us in unison with that delightful time when it shall come. We should so live that we shall know that our course of life is acceptable to God. We should understand the voice and the whisperings of the Holy Spirit. In the day when the sky is not obscured by clouds, we discover surrounding objects, their beauty and purpose. So are we dependent on the Spirit of God for light upon the principles of truth and salvation. No professing Latter-day Saints can enjoy any great degree of happiness unless he thus lives, and thus places himself under the divine guidance.
There are times in the life of every man when he needs supernatural aid, to prevent his being overwhelmed by the difficulties surrounding him. Hence the necessity of his being righteous so that he may not be left to himself in times of trial and extremity. It appears that it is necessary that the Saints should be tried to the extent of their endurance, that their characters may be developed. There are Elders here now who could tell how, when out in the world, even their lives have been saved by following the direction of the Spirit of God, whose hand has been seen in their deliverance from evil.
We should not only be in harmony with the voice and genius of the Holy Spirit, but we should also be right with each other. If we are not, we may find ourselves greatly deceived.
We are not only laboring for Latter-day Saints, but also for thousands who are not; for this work is comprehensive, and opens up to all willing workers a broad field of usefulness.
The speaker concluded by asking the blessing of God upon President Woodruff, whom we delighted to see present with us on this occasion.
Elder H. J. Grant,
of the Council of the Apostles,
was the next speaker. He felt to rejoice in the fellowship and integrity of the Saints, and the diligence of those who preside in the Stakes of Zion. Their integrity was unquestioned, and they were ready and willing to do everything for the progress of the work of God. the unity of the Latter-day Saints was commended, as also the fact of the great faith of the people, manifested in their good works. The disposition to depend upon the tithing of each Stake for the support of its poor, etc., was happily dying out, and there was a pleasing tendency to sustain the Presidency of the Church with means as well as by faith. It should be the pride of every Saint to pay his tithing, for this purpose. United effort would enable the Saints to place their tithes in the hands of those who could use it in best advantage for the advancement of the work of God.
The blessings of God were not to be measured by individual financial prosperity, but the exercise and growth of spiritual powers would be found to be the measure of advancement toward exaltation. The destiny of the Latter-day Saints was to fit and qualify themselves to dwell with Him, by overcoming natural tendencies toward evil, and cultivating, through the principles of the Gospel, all God-like qualities.
Wise training of children would lead to their advancement, and would lead them to be grateful to their parents for all necessary requirements; so would the various requirements of the Gospel cause those who comply with them to develop all the lovable and noble qualities of the soul, which would make them worthy of the love of God. Teachable, mild and kind through obedience to God, the Saints would be prepared for their high destiny, and this would be best accomplished by the keeping of the common requirements of the Gospel. Great manifestations would not necessarily keep one in touch with God, but the following of the course of duty in all His affairs could not fail to do so. Salvation would come through such a course, not through spiritual manifestations and testimonies alone. Not only this, but such as follow this course would be blessed as well in temporal things. Neglect of these common duties would be fruitful source of loss of the testimony and blessings of God.
Each one having the carving of his own life, he should see to it that he discharge his responsibility to God, for no command would be given beyond the power of man to obey. Especially should the holders of the Priesthood magnify their calling, sustaining those over them int he Church and in the government of the nation in which the Saints live.
He closed with an earnest prayer for the continuance of the blessings of God to His people.
of the Council of the Apostles,
was the next speaker. He felt to rejoice in the fellowship and integrity of the Saints, and the diligence of those who preside in the Stakes of Zion. Their integrity was unquestioned, and they were ready and willing to do everything for the progress of the work of God. the unity of the Latter-day Saints was commended, as also the fact of the great faith of the people, manifested in their good works. The disposition to depend upon the tithing of each Stake for the support of its poor, etc., was happily dying out, and there was a pleasing tendency to sustain the Presidency of the Church with means as well as by faith. It should be the pride of every Saint to pay his tithing, for this purpose. United effort would enable the Saints to place their tithes in the hands of those who could use it in best advantage for the advancement of the work of God.
The blessings of God were not to be measured by individual financial prosperity, but the exercise and growth of spiritual powers would be found to be the measure of advancement toward exaltation. The destiny of the Latter-day Saints was to fit and qualify themselves to dwell with Him, by overcoming natural tendencies toward evil, and cultivating, through the principles of the Gospel, all God-like qualities.
Wise training of children would lead to their advancement, and would lead them to be grateful to their parents for all necessary requirements; so would the various requirements of the Gospel cause those who comply with them to develop all the lovable and noble qualities of the soul, which would make them worthy of the love of God. Teachable, mild and kind through obedience to God, the Saints would be prepared for their high destiny, and this would be best accomplished by the keeping of the common requirements of the Gospel. Great manifestations would not necessarily keep one in touch with God, but the following of the course of duty in all His affairs could not fail to do so. Salvation would come through such a course, not through spiritual manifestations and testimonies alone. Not only this, but such as follow this course would be blessed as well in temporal things. Neglect of these common duties would be fruitful source of loss of the testimony and blessings of God.
Each one having the carving of his own life, he should see to it that he discharge his responsibility to God, for no command would be given beyond the power of man to obey. Especially should the holders of the Priesthood magnify their calling, sustaining those over them int he Church and in the government of the nation in which the Saints live.
He closed with an earnest prayer for the continuance of the blessings of God to His people.
[The time and subject of the talk matches up with this one, although it was listed as a different speaker.]
Discourse
Delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Friday, October 4th, 1895, by
Elder Francis M. Lyman.
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
It has fallen to my lot to address the conference this morning, and while standing before you I earnestly desire the benefit of the faith and prayers of the Latter-day Saints who are here assembled. I rejoice exceedingly in the many blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that we enjoy. I rejoice from time to time in mingling among the people in the different Stakes of Zion, and in having the fellowship and the faith and prayers and good feeling of those with whom I associate. I rejoice in the integrity, the faith and the diligence of those who preside in the various Stakes of Zion. I realize that we are all beset with faults and failings and imperfections; but I am convinced that almost without exception those who have the charge of the Saints in the different wards and stakes of Zion are men of God, and their integrity is beyond question, and that if need be they would be ready and willing to lay down their lives for the onward advancement of the kingdom of God. I believe that the Elders of Israel in all the different wards and stakes of Zion earnestly desire to know the mind and will of our Heavenly Father, and are ready and willing to do anything that is within their power to carry it out in their lives. It is this integrity and this desire that I find among the people in mingling with them that gives me joy and satisfactions, and that encourages me int he labors that devolve upon me as a servant of the Lord. I believe that the Latter-day Saints as a people are as united today, that they have as much faith and confidence in the work of God and as much respect for the Priesthood of God in all its various organizations as they have ever had. I do not think that there was ever a time in the history of the Church that the Latter-day Saints were making a more earnest effort to discharge the duties devolving upon them than they are doing at the present time. I believe that there is an increase of faith among the people, and it is being manifested by the increase of good works. I find that there is a disposition on the part of many of the Presidents of Stakes of Zion to perform all of the duties that devolve upon them and to encourage their people to do the same. I am pleased to find that the disposition that existed in some of the Stakes a short time ago to try and see if it were not possible to use up all the tithings locally, or to get enough of the tithing so that they did not need to call on the Saints for fast day donations—I am pleased, I say, that the disposition is dying out, and that we are becoming really patriotic citizens of the work of God.
The disposition of every Latter-day Saint should be to see the work of God advance, and to do all in his or her power for its advancement, and never to think of doing anything that would retard that work. We should love the work of God above all things else, and we should endeavor to the full extent of the ability that God has given us to accomplish His purposes here on the earth. It is necessary in order to accomplish the purposes of our Heavenly Father that the Presidency of the Church should have means placed in their hands, and every member of the Church of God that loves the work and desires its advancement, should endeavor to be faithful to the extent of his ability in discharging every financial obligation that rests upon him or her. It should be the pride of every Bishop and of every Bishop’s counselor, and of the President of every Stake and his counselors that they earnestly and conscientiously pay their pride that that tithing finds its way into the hands of the President of the Church, and is not consumed in the stake. We are capable of accomplishing this if we will only think so and labor to that end. I realize and appreciate the fact that the Lord could pour out upon us an abundance of the wealth of this world, that He could make us all rich, because the mountains are full of wealth, and He could open up avenues to us that we could all become wealthy; but in doing this we would have no opportunity of showing our faith by our works; we would have no opportunity of developing our manhood and of fitting and preparing ourselves by actual labor to go back and dwell in the presence of our Heavenly Father. In the conference of the sisters yesterday afternoon, one remarked that she had sometimes been tried in her feelings because she had not been blessed as much with this world’s goods as some others had. Well, I have often remarked to the people that it is ridiculous for us, possessed of the Spirit of the Lord, to estimate by this world’s goods the blessings of our Heavenly Father. If we could estimate those blessings by dollars and cents, then has one Chinaman, by the name of Li Hung Chang, been more abundantly blessed, at least, I think, four times over, than all the Latter-day Saints in these mountains, because I believe one hundred million dollars would about buy us out, and that one Chinaman is reported to be possessed of over four hundred millions of dollars—a dollar for every Chinaman. As I understand the teachings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they were that it would profit no man if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul. It is by the faithful discharge of the duties and the obligations that rest upon us in the Church of God that we are developed. It is by the exercise of our mental faculties that we improve upon them; it is by the exercise of our physical organizations that we strengthen those organizations; it is by the cultivation and the exercise of our spirits that we grow in spirituality, that we grow in the testimony of the Gospel, that we grow in ability and strength to accomplish the purposes of our Heavenly Father here upon the earth.
If we examine the plan of life and salvation, if we examine the commandments that are given to us as members of the Church of God, we will find that each and every one of those commandments has been given for the express purpose that we may be benefitted, that we may be educated, that we may be qualified and prepared to go back and dwell in the presence of our Heavenly Father. These duties and obligations are calculated to make us Godlike in our dispositions. They are calculated to make Gods of us, and to fit and qualify us that we may become, as it is promised that we can become, joint heirs with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and dwell with Him in the presence of God the Eternal Father throughout all the countless ages of eternity. The object of our being placed upon this earth is that we may work out an exaltation, that we may prepare ourselves to go back and dwell with our Heavenly Father; and our Father, knowing the faults and failings of men, has given us certain commandments to obey, and if we will examine those requirements and the things that devolve upon us we will find that they are all for our individual benefit and advancement. The school of life in which we are placed and the lessons that are given to us by out Father will make of us exactly what He desires, so that we may be prepared to dwell with Him. Our children ofttimes feel to complain because of the duties that we require of them. They would sooner play marbles, or run after the hoop, or jump the rope, or do something else, than perform the labors that we as parents place before them. But in after years they discover that the tasks, we gave to them, wherein we taught them to be industrious, were beneficial to them.
The natural disposition of man, as I have often remarked, is to be selfish, sordid and grasping; to think of self, and self alone, and figure for personal advancement. But all the teachings of the Gospel are the exact opposite of this. We find that the requirements that are made of us to pay tithes and fast day donations, and temple donations, and meeting house donations, and to contribute of our means to send the Gospel to the nations of the earth—these requirements chase out of the heart of man every selfish and sordid disposition. Instead of being selfish, the faithful Latter-day Saint is filled with love of the Gospel, filled with a desire to contribute of time and means for the onward advancement of the kingdom of God. The Gospel, if we are faithful to the requirements that are made of us of a financial nature, takes the selfish, sordid man and makes of him a generous, noble, free-hearted individual—one that we can love, one that God can love. The Gospel fills us with a desire to leave the things of the world, if need be, to go to the uttermost ends of the earth, without one dollar of reward, for the benefit and salvation of our fellow men. The natural disposition of men is to practice all those things that are gratifying to the appetites and to the passions with which we are beset; but the requirements of the Gospel are such that we are not permitted to gratify our appetites; that it is necessary for us to be self-sacrificing to overcome and subdue those appetites. When we come to examine the requirements, such as the Words of Wisdom, we find that by obeying these we grow in strength of mine and strength of body, and our tabernacles are fit dwelling places for the Holy Spirit of God. We expand and become more and more Godlike when we subdue and put under our feet these passions and appetites which are contrary to the mind and will of our Heavenly Father. So I might go on and enumerate all the requirements that are made of us. The natural disposition of man is to become lifted up in the pride of his own heart, to be self-sufficient, to forget God; but the Gospel requires that we shall pray every day of our lives, not only with our families, but in secret. This requirement prevents us from becoming self-sufficient; for it makes us like little children, bowing down and praying to God for the light and inspiration of His Holy Spirit. As Latter-day Saints, having received the testimony of the Gospel, it devolves upon us to improve upon this testimony by keeping the commandments of God; and I say to you that the man that grows each day of his life is the man that fills the plain, simple, everyday duties which devolve upon him. It is not the testimonies that we have had, it is not the many visions that have come to us. Why the men above all men who were abundantly blessed by seeing angels, by even seeing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as did Sidney Rigdon and Oliver Cowdery—these men were not kept firm and steadfast in the Church by these great blessings and manifestations. But the men who kept the commandments of God, the men who were faithful in their prayers, the men who stained and upheld the Priesthood of God at all times and under all circumstances, the men who obeyed the Words of Wisdom, the men who paid their tithing, have always been true and faithful, and have never lost the Spirit of God. Those, however, who have got in a corner, fault-finding, drinking, and having a “good” time, and associating together and having secret meetings, thinking they are not treated right and are not respected enough—this class of men lose the Spirit of God. Do you know, I always feel happy when I am with my brethren. I never want to get away from them. If I have the “blues,” the best way in the world to get over them is to get out and do my duty and go off with my brethren in the Stakes of Zion. If any man lacks the Spirit of God, let him go to work and labor for the advancement of the kingdom of God, and he will have the Spirit of God. When ever any one of us gets the idea into our heads that because we have had some manifestations, some wonderful dream or vision, because we have been able to stand up and testify that Jesus was the Christ, that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and think this knowledge alone is going to save us, the quicker we get that idea out of our heads the better. It is keeping the commandments of God, it is respecting and honoring the Priesthood of God that we hold, and the servants of God who preside over us, that will bring to us the blessings of God, and that will save and exalt us, not only in this life, but in the life to come. I say that the more faithful and the more diligent a man is in paying his tithes and his offerings among the Latter-day Saints, the more he will prosper in the material things of the kingdom. The most prosperous men all over the country, wherever the Latter-day Saints are scattered, are those who have paid an honest tithing and who have been the most liberal in donating for temples. So it will always be. And in addition to this, they are blessed by having the windows of heaven opened and the Spirit of God poured down upon their heads, and they have the testimony of the Gospel burning in their hearts; while those who are neglecting these things are losing the testimony of the Gospel, and the bright and shining light that was once with them is departing from them.
If you want to know how to be saved, I can tell you; it is by keeping the commandments of God. No power on earth, no power beneath the earth, will ever prevent you or me or any Latter-day Saint from being saved, except ourselves. We are the architects of our own lives to come in the eternity. We ourselves are able to perform every duty and obligation that God has required of men. No commandment was ever given to us but what God has given us the power to keep that commandment. If we fail, we, and we alone, are responsible for the failure, because God endows His servants, from the President of the Church down to the humblest member with all the ability, all the knowledge, all the power that is necessary to faithfully, diligently and properly discharge every duty and every obligation that rests upon them, and we, and we alone, will have to answer if we fail in this regard. We as Latter-day Saints, holding the Priesthood of God, should magnify it, and we should respect those who preside over us in the different wards and stakes, and we should respect the general authorities of the Church; and as we respect them, God will respect us. As we respect the authorities in the nation of which we form a part, and uphold and sustain the government, just in that proportion are we loyal citizens, and our government will respect and uphold us. I say to you that it is not an insignificant thing to hold the Priesthood of God—to have the right to influence the powers of the heavens for good; and it is not a slight thing for us to neglect to honor that Priesthood that God has bestowed upon us and the Priesthood of God in those who preside over us. May the light and the inspiration of God be our constant guide and companion. May we grow and increase in the Spirit of God, and in the testimony of the Gospel, and in power and ability to accomplish the purposes of our Heavenly Father here on the earth; and may we grow in the desire to do so, is my prayer and desire, and I ask it in the name of the Jesus. Amen.
Discourse
Delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Friday, October 4th, 1895, by
Elder Francis M. Lyman.
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
It has fallen to my lot to address the conference this morning, and while standing before you I earnestly desire the benefit of the faith and prayers of the Latter-day Saints who are here assembled. I rejoice exceedingly in the many blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that we enjoy. I rejoice from time to time in mingling among the people in the different Stakes of Zion, and in having the fellowship and the faith and prayers and good feeling of those with whom I associate. I rejoice in the integrity, the faith and the diligence of those who preside in the various Stakes of Zion. I realize that we are all beset with faults and failings and imperfections; but I am convinced that almost without exception those who have the charge of the Saints in the different wards and stakes of Zion are men of God, and their integrity is beyond question, and that if need be they would be ready and willing to lay down their lives for the onward advancement of the kingdom of God. I believe that the Elders of Israel in all the different wards and stakes of Zion earnestly desire to know the mind and will of our Heavenly Father, and are ready and willing to do anything that is within their power to carry it out in their lives. It is this integrity and this desire that I find among the people in mingling with them that gives me joy and satisfactions, and that encourages me int he labors that devolve upon me as a servant of the Lord. I believe that the Latter-day Saints as a people are as united today, that they have as much faith and confidence in the work of God and as much respect for the Priesthood of God in all its various organizations as they have ever had. I do not think that there was ever a time in the history of the Church that the Latter-day Saints were making a more earnest effort to discharge the duties devolving upon them than they are doing at the present time. I believe that there is an increase of faith among the people, and it is being manifested by the increase of good works. I find that there is a disposition on the part of many of the Presidents of Stakes of Zion to perform all of the duties that devolve upon them and to encourage their people to do the same. I am pleased to find that the disposition that existed in some of the Stakes a short time ago to try and see if it were not possible to use up all the tithings locally, or to get enough of the tithing so that they did not need to call on the Saints for fast day donations—I am pleased, I say, that the disposition is dying out, and that we are becoming really patriotic citizens of the work of God.
The disposition of every Latter-day Saint should be to see the work of God advance, and to do all in his or her power for its advancement, and never to think of doing anything that would retard that work. We should love the work of God above all things else, and we should endeavor to the full extent of the ability that God has given us to accomplish His purposes here on the earth. It is necessary in order to accomplish the purposes of our Heavenly Father that the Presidency of the Church should have means placed in their hands, and every member of the Church of God that loves the work and desires its advancement, should endeavor to be faithful to the extent of his ability in discharging every financial obligation that rests upon him or her. It should be the pride of every Bishop and of every Bishop’s counselor, and of the President of every Stake and his counselors that they earnestly and conscientiously pay their pride that that tithing finds its way into the hands of the President of the Church, and is not consumed in the stake. We are capable of accomplishing this if we will only think so and labor to that end. I realize and appreciate the fact that the Lord could pour out upon us an abundance of the wealth of this world, that He could make us all rich, because the mountains are full of wealth, and He could open up avenues to us that we could all become wealthy; but in doing this we would have no opportunity of showing our faith by our works; we would have no opportunity of developing our manhood and of fitting and preparing ourselves by actual labor to go back and dwell in the presence of our Heavenly Father. In the conference of the sisters yesterday afternoon, one remarked that she had sometimes been tried in her feelings because she had not been blessed as much with this world’s goods as some others had. Well, I have often remarked to the people that it is ridiculous for us, possessed of the Spirit of the Lord, to estimate by this world’s goods the blessings of our Heavenly Father. If we could estimate those blessings by dollars and cents, then has one Chinaman, by the name of Li Hung Chang, been more abundantly blessed, at least, I think, four times over, than all the Latter-day Saints in these mountains, because I believe one hundred million dollars would about buy us out, and that one Chinaman is reported to be possessed of over four hundred millions of dollars—a dollar for every Chinaman. As I understand the teachings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they were that it would profit no man if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul. It is by the faithful discharge of the duties and the obligations that rest upon us in the Church of God that we are developed. It is by the exercise of our mental faculties that we improve upon them; it is by the exercise of our physical organizations that we strengthen those organizations; it is by the cultivation and the exercise of our spirits that we grow in spirituality, that we grow in the testimony of the Gospel, that we grow in ability and strength to accomplish the purposes of our Heavenly Father here upon the earth.
If we examine the plan of life and salvation, if we examine the commandments that are given to us as members of the Church of God, we will find that each and every one of those commandments has been given for the express purpose that we may be benefitted, that we may be educated, that we may be qualified and prepared to go back and dwell in the presence of our Heavenly Father. These duties and obligations are calculated to make us Godlike in our dispositions. They are calculated to make Gods of us, and to fit and qualify us that we may become, as it is promised that we can become, joint heirs with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and dwell with Him in the presence of God the Eternal Father throughout all the countless ages of eternity. The object of our being placed upon this earth is that we may work out an exaltation, that we may prepare ourselves to go back and dwell with our Heavenly Father; and our Father, knowing the faults and failings of men, has given us certain commandments to obey, and if we will examine those requirements and the things that devolve upon us we will find that they are all for our individual benefit and advancement. The school of life in which we are placed and the lessons that are given to us by out Father will make of us exactly what He desires, so that we may be prepared to dwell with Him. Our children ofttimes feel to complain because of the duties that we require of them. They would sooner play marbles, or run after the hoop, or jump the rope, or do something else, than perform the labors that we as parents place before them. But in after years they discover that the tasks, we gave to them, wherein we taught them to be industrious, were beneficial to them.
The natural disposition of man, as I have often remarked, is to be selfish, sordid and grasping; to think of self, and self alone, and figure for personal advancement. But all the teachings of the Gospel are the exact opposite of this. We find that the requirements that are made of us to pay tithes and fast day donations, and temple donations, and meeting house donations, and to contribute of our means to send the Gospel to the nations of the earth—these requirements chase out of the heart of man every selfish and sordid disposition. Instead of being selfish, the faithful Latter-day Saint is filled with love of the Gospel, filled with a desire to contribute of time and means for the onward advancement of the kingdom of God. The Gospel, if we are faithful to the requirements that are made of us of a financial nature, takes the selfish, sordid man and makes of him a generous, noble, free-hearted individual—one that we can love, one that God can love. The Gospel fills us with a desire to leave the things of the world, if need be, to go to the uttermost ends of the earth, without one dollar of reward, for the benefit and salvation of our fellow men. The natural disposition of men is to practice all those things that are gratifying to the appetites and to the passions with which we are beset; but the requirements of the Gospel are such that we are not permitted to gratify our appetites; that it is necessary for us to be self-sacrificing to overcome and subdue those appetites. When we come to examine the requirements, such as the Words of Wisdom, we find that by obeying these we grow in strength of mine and strength of body, and our tabernacles are fit dwelling places for the Holy Spirit of God. We expand and become more and more Godlike when we subdue and put under our feet these passions and appetites which are contrary to the mind and will of our Heavenly Father. So I might go on and enumerate all the requirements that are made of us. The natural disposition of man is to become lifted up in the pride of his own heart, to be self-sufficient, to forget God; but the Gospel requires that we shall pray every day of our lives, not only with our families, but in secret. This requirement prevents us from becoming self-sufficient; for it makes us like little children, bowing down and praying to God for the light and inspiration of His Holy Spirit. As Latter-day Saints, having received the testimony of the Gospel, it devolves upon us to improve upon this testimony by keeping the commandments of God; and I say to you that the man that grows each day of his life is the man that fills the plain, simple, everyday duties which devolve upon him. It is not the testimonies that we have had, it is not the many visions that have come to us. Why the men above all men who were abundantly blessed by seeing angels, by even seeing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as did Sidney Rigdon and Oliver Cowdery—these men were not kept firm and steadfast in the Church by these great blessings and manifestations. But the men who kept the commandments of God, the men who were faithful in their prayers, the men who stained and upheld the Priesthood of God at all times and under all circumstances, the men who obeyed the Words of Wisdom, the men who paid their tithing, have always been true and faithful, and have never lost the Spirit of God. Those, however, who have got in a corner, fault-finding, drinking, and having a “good” time, and associating together and having secret meetings, thinking they are not treated right and are not respected enough—this class of men lose the Spirit of God. Do you know, I always feel happy when I am with my brethren. I never want to get away from them. If I have the “blues,” the best way in the world to get over them is to get out and do my duty and go off with my brethren in the Stakes of Zion. If any man lacks the Spirit of God, let him go to work and labor for the advancement of the kingdom of God, and he will have the Spirit of God. When ever any one of us gets the idea into our heads that because we have had some manifestations, some wonderful dream or vision, because we have been able to stand up and testify that Jesus was the Christ, that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and think this knowledge alone is going to save us, the quicker we get that idea out of our heads the better. It is keeping the commandments of God, it is respecting and honoring the Priesthood of God that we hold, and the servants of God who preside over us, that will bring to us the blessings of God, and that will save and exalt us, not only in this life, but in the life to come. I say that the more faithful and the more diligent a man is in paying his tithes and his offerings among the Latter-day Saints, the more he will prosper in the material things of the kingdom. The most prosperous men all over the country, wherever the Latter-day Saints are scattered, are those who have paid an honest tithing and who have been the most liberal in donating for temples. So it will always be. And in addition to this, they are blessed by having the windows of heaven opened and the Spirit of God poured down upon their heads, and they have the testimony of the Gospel burning in their hearts; while those who are neglecting these things are losing the testimony of the Gospel, and the bright and shining light that was once with them is departing from them.
If you want to know how to be saved, I can tell you; it is by keeping the commandments of God. No power on earth, no power beneath the earth, will ever prevent you or me or any Latter-day Saint from being saved, except ourselves. We are the architects of our own lives to come in the eternity. We ourselves are able to perform every duty and obligation that God has required of men. No commandment was ever given to us but what God has given us the power to keep that commandment. If we fail, we, and we alone, are responsible for the failure, because God endows His servants, from the President of the Church down to the humblest member with all the ability, all the knowledge, all the power that is necessary to faithfully, diligently and properly discharge every duty and every obligation that rests upon them, and we, and we alone, will have to answer if we fail in this regard. We as Latter-day Saints, holding the Priesthood of God, should magnify it, and we should respect those who preside over us in the different wards and stakes, and we should respect the general authorities of the Church; and as we respect them, God will respect us. As we respect the authorities in the nation of which we form a part, and uphold and sustain the government, just in that proportion are we loyal citizens, and our government will respect and uphold us. I say to you that it is not an insignificant thing to hold the Priesthood of God—to have the right to influence the powers of the heavens for good; and it is not a slight thing for us to neglect to honor that Priesthood that God has bestowed upon us and the Priesthood of God in those who preside over us. May the light and the inspiration of God be our constant guide and companion. May we grow and increase in the Spirit of God, and in the testimony of the Gospel, and in power and ability to accomplish the purposes of our Heavenly Father here on the earth; and may we grow in the desire to do so, is my prayer and desire, and I ask it in the name of the Jesus. Amen.
Elder John W. Taylor
was the next speaker. He was thankful for the opportunity of meeting with the Saints in Conference. He bore testimony to the excellence of the remarks of Elder Grant. Thirteen days since he was in the city of London. His brief absence caused him all the more to appreciate the beauties of his mountain home. It delighted him to once more behold the grand mountains which surrounded us. He spoke of some of the religious observances he had seen in cathedrals of the Old World, and commented upon them, and remarked upon the general conditions which prevailed in Great Britain, with special reference in the deplorable situation of many of the poor. He made a comparison between the condition of the people of Utah and the masses in other parts of the world, showing what great blessings God had bestowed upon the Saints.
The speaker alluded to the great musical gathering in this city. He said the Saints were worthy of the best music in the world, and there was no building on earth to which the sweet singers from abroad would be more welcome than to this great Tabernacle.
He continued for some time and made remarks on a variety of subjects.
The choir sang the anthem: Let the mountains shout for joy.
Benediction by Patriarch John Smith.
was the next speaker. He was thankful for the opportunity of meeting with the Saints in Conference. He bore testimony to the excellence of the remarks of Elder Grant. Thirteen days since he was in the city of London. His brief absence caused him all the more to appreciate the beauties of his mountain home. It delighted him to once more behold the grand mountains which surrounded us. He spoke of some of the religious observances he had seen in cathedrals of the Old World, and commented upon them, and remarked upon the general conditions which prevailed in Great Britain, with special reference in the deplorable situation of many of the poor. He made a comparison between the condition of the people of Utah and the masses in other parts of the world, showing what great blessings God had bestowed upon the Saints.
The speaker alluded to the great musical gathering in this city. He said the Saints were worthy of the best music in the world, and there was no building on earth to which the sweet singers from abroad would be more welcome than to this great Tabernacle.
He continued for some time and made remarks on a variety of subjects.
The choir sang the anthem: Let the mountains shout for joy.
Benediction by Patriarch John Smith.
Afternoon Session.
Singing by the choir.
Home, dearest Lord, descend and dwell
By faith and love, in every breast;
Then shall we know and taste and feel
The joys that cannot be expressed.
Prayer by Elder Edward Partridge, of Utah Stake.
The choir and congregation sang:
The Spirit of God like a fire is burning.
The latter-day glory begins to come forth;
The visions and blessings of old are returning;
And angels are coming to visit the earth.
Singing by the choir.
Home, dearest Lord, descend and dwell
By faith and love, in every breast;
Then shall we know and taste and feel
The joys that cannot be expressed.
Prayer by Elder Edward Partridge, of Utah Stake.
The choir and congregation sang:
The Spirit of God like a fire is burning.
The latter-day glory begins to come forth;
The visions and blessings of old are returning;
And angels are coming to visit the earth.
Elder George Teasdale
addressed the Conference. This assemblage was a representation of the church of Jesus Christ, the organization the establishment of which in the latter-days had been foreseen and foretold by the ancient Prophets. This was the marvelous and wondrous work they had predicted. The people had been gathered, according to the words of prophecy, from the four quarters of the earth, and the “mountain of the Lord’s house” had been “established in the tops of the mountains.” We had been brought into the light of the everlasting Gospel, and we could about “peace on earth, good will to men.” We had reason to rejoice before the Lord. This work had been inaugurated by simple means—through the instrumentality of an unfettered youth who possessed faith in the Almighty. The speaker then dwelt upon the power and efficacy of faith, through the exercise of which we could approach and hold communion with God. It was through the power of faith that Joseph Smith gained success to the Almighty. He asked and, according to the divine promise, he received a knowledge that God and Christ lived; they manifested themselves to him, and selected him to be their medium to restoring the ancient Gospel, with all its powers, gifts and blessings.
No one could officiate in the ordinances of the Gospel unless he had been commissioned by Jesus Christ. He who was not thus divinely called could not administer the sacred ordinance of baptism for the remission of sins. Through obedience to the laws of the Gospel, salvation could be attained. The speaker bore testimony to the effect that the power of the Priesthood was in the Church; that Jesus was the Christ and that Joseph Smith was a true Prophet. This understanding had come to him through his being identified with the people of God. He exhorted the Saints to be just, upright and pure and as a light to the world. He directed attention to the Temples which had been erected to the name of the Lord, stating that they were built for sacred and holy purposes, that those who entered thereto might be instructed in the ways of the Lord, that they might ultimately return to His presence, from whence they came. He prayed for the grace of God to be with the Saints forever.
addressed the Conference. This assemblage was a representation of the church of Jesus Christ, the organization the establishment of which in the latter-days had been foreseen and foretold by the ancient Prophets. This was the marvelous and wondrous work they had predicted. The people had been gathered, according to the words of prophecy, from the four quarters of the earth, and the “mountain of the Lord’s house” had been “established in the tops of the mountains.” We had been brought into the light of the everlasting Gospel, and we could about “peace on earth, good will to men.” We had reason to rejoice before the Lord. This work had been inaugurated by simple means—through the instrumentality of an unfettered youth who possessed faith in the Almighty. The speaker then dwelt upon the power and efficacy of faith, through the exercise of which we could approach and hold communion with God. It was through the power of faith that Joseph Smith gained success to the Almighty. He asked and, according to the divine promise, he received a knowledge that God and Christ lived; they manifested themselves to him, and selected him to be their medium to restoring the ancient Gospel, with all its powers, gifts and blessings.
No one could officiate in the ordinances of the Gospel unless he had been commissioned by Jesus Christ. He who was not thus divinely called could not administer the sacred ordinance of baptism for the remission of sins. Through obedience to the laws of the Gospel, salvation could be attained. The speaker bore testimony to the effect that the power of the Priesthood was in the Church; that Jesus was the Christ and that Joseph Smith was a true Prophet. This understanding had come to him through his being identified with the people of God. He exhorted the Saints to be just, upright and pure and as a light to the world. He directed attention to the Temples which had been erected to the name of the Lord, stating that they were built for sacred and holy purposes, that those who entered thereto might be instructed in the ways of the Lord, that they might ultimately return to His presence, from whence they came. He prayed for the grace of God to be with the Saints forever.
Elder John Henry Smith
was the next speaker. He referred to the necessity of greater care and zeal in bringing about unity and love among the people. He thought, with President Lorenzo Snow, that this sympathy should extend also to all the creations of God, that cruelty might be banished form the world through the kindness and manifested through the Priesthood of God. The mission of the Latter-day Saints implied great responsibility, in warning all the people of the world of evils to come, that as many as would might escape these calamities. Handicapped by the unbelief of the world, the servants of God had not been able to make such progress as might be desired in spreading the message of peace, reconciliation, and salvation. Without examination or research the message had been rejected by a vast majority of the inhabitants of the earth, as of no more worth than those systems into which they had been indoctrinated. Some, however, breaking away from the traditions of the past, had shown willingness to investigate independently, and, if convinced, to accept the truth. Considering the proneness of man to follow in beaten paths, the frequency of such conversions was a matter of wonder and for congratulation. and it was to be hoped that prejudices would be removed, and the investigation of the truth become more general and honest. This might be accomplished by a greater liberality, wisdom and fact, in the presentation of the work of God to the world resulting in winning souls for Christ.
He bore testimony that God had given him a witness that Christ is the Redeemer of the world, and that he was identified with the work of God.
was the next speaker. He referred to the necessity of greater care and zeal in bringing about unity and love among the people. He thought, with President Lorenzo Snow, that this sympathy should extend also to all the creations of God, that cruelty might be banished form the world through the kindness and manifested through the Priesthood of God. The mission of the Latter-day Saints implied great responsibility, in warning all the people of the world of evils to come, that as many as would might escape these calamities. Handicapped by the unbelief of the world, the servants of God had not been able to make such progress as might be desired in spreading the message of peace, reconciliation, and salvation. Without examination or research the message had been rejected by a vast majority of the inhabitants of the earth, as of no more worth than those systems into which they had been indoctrinated. Some, however, breaking away from the traditions of the past, had shown willingness to investigate independently, and, if convinced, to accept the truth. Considering the proneness of man to follow in beaten paths, the frequency of such conversions was a matter of wonder and for congratulation. and it was to be hoped that prejudices would be removed, and the investigation of the truth become more general and honest. This might be accomplished by a greater liberality, wisdom and fact, in the presentation of the work of God to the world resulting in winning souls for Christ.
He bore testimony that God had given him a witness that Christ is the Redeemer of the world, and that he was identified with the work of God.
Elder Marriner W. Merrill
of the same quorum, followed. He spoke of the importance of the labor for the dead, this importance consisting in the fact that two of a family, and one of a city, had been gathered to Zion, where they might perform the work of salvation for all their kindred dead, who in the spirit world are awaiting this work. The Prophet Joseph Smith felt the importance of this work, and advised the Saints to do all in their power for the benefit of their kindred dead, his sayings were quoted as follows: “But how are the Saints to become Saviors on Mount Zion? By building their temples, erecting their baptismal fonts, and going forth and receiving all the ordinances, their baptisms, confirmations, washings, anointings, ordinations and sealing powers, in behalf of their progenitors, and redeem them, that they may come forth in the first resurrection, and be exalted to thrones of glory with them. And herein is the chain which binds the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers, which fulfills the mission of Elijah. The Saints have not too much time to redeem their dead, and gather together their living relatives, that they may be saved also, before the earth will be smitten and the consumption decreed come upon the world. The greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us, it to seek after our dead, for the Apostle says that without us they cannot be made perfect, nor we without them, for it is necessary that sealing power should be in our hands for the dispensation of the fulness of times, to meet the promises made to Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world.
The speaker went on to urge the necessity of the Saints performing ordinance work for their dead kindred. It was one of the most important departments of the labor undertaken by the Saints. The Lord had placed this responsibility upon us. There was only a portion of the people of the church who took a real interest in the redemption of the dead, that they might receive the full benefit of the plan of salvation; although they were now in the spirit world. If those who had limited information about their dead kindred would act upon what they had the Lord would open up the way so they would contain more, and thus be enable to extend their labors for their departed relatives.
of the same quorum, followed. He spoke of the importance of the labor for the dead, this importance consisting in the fact that two of a family, and one of a city, had been gathered to Zion, where they might perform the work of salvation for all their kindred dead, who in the spirit world are awaiting this work. The Prophet Joseph Smith felt the importance of this work, and advised the Saints to do all in their power for the benefit of their kindred dead, his sayings were quoted as follows: “But how are the Saints to become Saviors on Mount Zion? By building their temples, erecting their baptismal fonts, and going forth and receiving all the ordinances, their baptisms, confirmations, washings, anointings, ordinations and sealing powers, in behalf of their progenitors, and redeem them, that they may come forth in the first resurrection, and be exalted to thrones of glory with them. And herein is the chain which binds the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers, which fulfills the mission of Elijah. The Saints have not too much time to redeem their dead, and gather together their living relatives, that they may be saved also, before the earth will be smitten and the consumption decreed come upon the world. The greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us, it to seek after our dead, for the Apostle says that without us they cannot be made perfect, nor we without them, for it is necessary that sealing power should be in our hands for the dispensation of the fulness of times, to meet the promises made to Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world.
The speaker went on to urge the necessity of the Saints performing ordinance work for their dead kindred. It was one of the most important departments of the labor undertaken by the Saints. The Lord had placed this responsibility upon us. There was only a portion of the people of the church who took a real interest in the redemption of the dead, that they might receive the full benefit of the plan of salvation; although they were now in the spirit world. If those who had limited information about their dead kindred would act upon what they had the Lord would open up the way so they would contain more, and thus be enable to extend their labors for their departed relatives.
Temple Work.
Remarks made at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Friday, October 4th, 1895, by
Elder Marriner Merrill.
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
I have learned by experience that it is necessary for the congregation to be very quiet in order to hear what is said from this stand. I sat in the congregation yesterday at the singing contest, and it was with great difficulty that I could hear the speakers. Brother George Q. Cannon made a short address, and though he has an excellent voice to make people hear, it was with difficulty that I heard all he said. Perhaps, however, I am accounted a little hard of hearing.
I have been much edified and instructed in the remarks that have been made during the conference thus far. I looked upon the remarks of President Snow this morning as being very choice. They were but few, but they were to the point, and to me had a great deal of meaning in them. He alluded in his closing words to the subject of working for the dead. To me this is a very important subject for Latter-day Saints to consider. Our Elders go abroad to the different nations of the earth and preach the Gospel, and gather up a few people, “one of a city and two of a family,” and bring them to Zion. It is on this principle that this congregation is here. There are people here from the various nations of the earth. Some of these have availed themselves of the opportunities afforded in laboring in the interest of their dead kindred. But I have thought sometimes that this subject was not so seriously considered by the Latter-day Saints as it ought to be. Our President, Brother Wilford Woodruff, has labored a great many years in the temples; has done more work, perhaps, than anybody else in the Church for his kindred and others who have passed away. To me it is a certainty that beyond the veil is a reality as much as here, and it is a certainty that our kindred on the other side are watching anxiously over our movements in this direction. We have in operation four temples in the church. Some of them have been in operation quite a number of years, and all have had work done in them for some time. But we have not done a great deal of work yet compared to the amount that we have to do. For your information I might read the statistics of the work that has been done in the temples up to the last of last year, and you find that it has not been so extensive as it should have been. The Salt Lake Temple has probably been well filled since it was opened; but other temples in the Church have been very slimly attended, and I believe it has been a consideration on the part of the Presidency of the Church whether it would be wise to keep all the temples open during all the year. I do not know that they have considered it very seriously, but I have heard remarks of that kind. The baptisms that have been performed up to December 31st of last year (1894) only amount to 773,737—a little over three quarters of a million. This comprises the work in all the temples from the beginning, not including, however, the Endowment House. Of course, there was quite an amount of work done in the Endowment House; but we have found that a great deal of that work has been duplicated, from the fact that people did not keep a record of the work themselves, and the records of the Endowment House in times past were not available to everybody.
The Prophet Joseph, to whom the Lord revealed this work in the first instance, had great concern about it. He impressed the importance of it on the minds of the Saints in the latter art of his ministry among the people. I believe it would not be out of place to read an extract or two from the sayings of the Prophet Joseph in relation to this subject. He felt that the Saints should have interest in it and go to with all their might and labor in the interest of their kindred dead, and he talked to them frequently about it. In speaking in regard to the Saints becoming saviors upon Mount Zion, the Prophet Joseph said thus to his brethren:
But how are they to become saviors on Mount Zion? By building their temples, erecting their baptismal fonts, and going forth and receiving all the ordinances, baptisms, confirmations, washings, anointings, ordinations, and sealing powers upon their heads, in behalf of all their progenitors who are dead, and redeem them that they may come forth in the first resurrection and be exalted to thrones of glory with them; and herein is the chain that binds the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, which fulfills the mission of Elijah.
He further says:
The saints have not too much time to save and redeem their dead, and gather together their living relatives, that they may be saved also, before the earth will be smitten, and the consumption decreed falls upon the world:
And again:
The greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us is to seek after our dead.
The Apostles say that they without us cannot be made perfect. It is necessary that the sealing power should be in our hands, to seal our children and our dead.
These sayings are just as true as the sayings of President Woodruff on this subject. The Lord recognizes in His servants the right and the authority to advise and counsel the Saints in these matters. We quote from Peter, and we quote from James and John, and other prophets, and we have the same right to quote from the Prophet Joseph, or from the Prophet Brigham, or from the Prophet Wilford. In fact, to me the living oracles of the Church are more important, if we should make any difference at all, than the written word. It is a good thing to have the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Book of Doctrine and Covenants; but it is a little better in my mind to have the living oracles of God in our midst. The Lord deals with His people according to circumstances and conditions. He reveals to them from time to time His mind and will. We never have had the promise of having everything at once. But we have the promise of having line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little. Hence the importance of the living oracles of the Church, who are in harmony and fellowship with the heavens. These servants of God have had the spirit of Joseph in continuing the work that was commenced by the Prophet in the erection of temples, and millions of dollars have been spent by the Latter-day Saints in the building of temples, and I suppose some few non-Mormons have contributed also for this purpose. There is an object in all this, and the Latter-day Saints should consider the purposes for which the temples of the Lord are erected. We cannot get along without them now, we have had too much experience. If we had not built those temples, the Lord might have rejected us. The Saints in all parts of the land should consider seriously these matters. You want your children sealed to you, you want your wives sealed to you, and wives want their husbands; you want your folks that have gone beyond the veil officiated for. We have only just commenced this work. We have not baptized a million yet out of the hundreds of millions that have lived and died. It is a subject that we ought to be awakened to. You and I will die after a little while; we do not know how long. I do not know that I will ever have the privilege of standing here again. I may, and I may not. It is the same in your case. You know not unless God has revealed it to you, that these times and opportunities will be lengthened out to you to officiate for your kindred; and you are going to meet them someday, which may not be far distant, on the other side, and perhaps they will ask you what you have done for them. Have you done anything for them? A great many people in the Church have not done anything yet. Only a comparatively few people in the Church have seemed to have much interest in this work; and I will venture to say here that there are plenty of people that have contributed liberally towards building the temples and they have not entered into them yet. I find people of this kind almost every day. They say they have helped build the temple, but they have not had time yet to go in and officiate. “But I must take time,” is what they will exclaim.
Brethren and sisters, to me this is important. It is important to you also. It is a responsibility that the Lord has placed upon us, and His servants have carried out His designs in relation to these things. The opportunities are placed within our reach wherein the hearts of the fathers may be turned to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers. In fulfillment of the words of the Lord. I thought I would treat for the few moments allotted to me on this particular point, because I have interest and have labored now for some time in this direction, and realize the importance of the work. The Presidency of the Church hold the key to this work. They direct its affairs; and as I said to you, perhaps the Lord has not revealed everything to them yet, but He will reveal line upon line, as He did to the Prophet over a year ago the propriety of extending the sealing ordinance farther than we had previously done. Of course, that added a little more work to the temples. So other things may be revealed by and by. But suffice it to say, we have a great many things revealed that we have not done anything about yet. A great many of us have not yet baptized for our kindred and friends, and they are numerous on the other side of the veil. We have more relatives and friends on the other side than we have here, and when we go there, we will meet them. Some people spend their time and their means to spend their time and their means to search out the genealogies of their fathers, and some are wanting for the genealogies to come to them. The counsel that I have given to the Saints in this regard is this: do for those that you have. Some will say, “I am waiting till I get a few more names before I go to the temple.” But do not wait for that. Go and officiate for those you have, and then in humility seek the Lord that the way may be opened for you to obtain more records. The Lord is moving upon quite a number of people in the world to write records and genealogies—more so at present than ever before. People are searching after these things, and perhaps they know now why; but the Lord is moving in this direction, and a great many people can obtain their records through this channel, if they will manifest an interest in it. Of course, it takes a little time and perhaps a little means to accomplish this. But we are here to do this work. The Lord requires it at our hands, and it is important that we should give it consideration, and not let our lifetime pass away without availing ourselves of the opportunities that are presented to us. It is said that everybody cannot get a recommend to go to the temple. If there are any that cannot get a recommend, they are in fault themselves perhaps, and I would advise all the Saints to straighten themselves up, humble themselves before the Lord, repent and turn unto the Lord, and accomplish this work that is required at our hands. Your kindred are looking anxiously to you to do this. Let not the day of the opportunity pass by; but seek with all diligence to accomplish what you can in your lifetime in the interest of your kindred. Our time is only short here; just a few years and we have got through. We hear of people that have lived seemingly quite a long time amongst us; but it is really only a few days and they pass away. So it will be in our case. In a hundred years from now perhaps there won’t one of us be here, but we will be numbered among those that were. Therefore, avail yourselves, my brethren and sisters, one and all, of the opportunities of officiating for your kindred of the house of the Lord. God bless you. Amen.
Remarks made at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Friday, October 4th, 1895, by
Elder Marriner Merrill.
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
I have learned by experience that it is necessary for the congregation to be very quiet in order to hear what is said from this stand. I sat in the congregation yesterday at the singing contest, and it was with great difficulty that I could hear the speakers. Brother George Q. Cannon made a short address, and though he has an excellent voice to make people hear, it was with difficulty that I heard all he said. Perhaps, however, I am accounted a little hard of hearing.
I have been much edified and instructed in the remarks that have been made during the conference thus far. I looked upon the remarks of President Snow this morning as being very choice. They were but few, but they were to the point, and to me had a great deal of meaning in them. He alluded in his closing words to the subject of working for the dead. To me this is a very important subject for Latter-day Saints to consider. Our Elders go abroad to the different nations of the earth and preach the Gospel, and gather up a few people, “one of a city and two of a family,” and bring them to Zion. It is on this principle that this congregation is here. There are people here from the various nations of the earth. Some of these have availed themselves of the opportunities afforded in laboring in the interest of their dead kindred. But I have thought sometimes that this subject was not so seriously considered by the Latter-day Saints as it ought to be. Our President, Brother Wilford Woodruff, has labored a great many years in the temples; has done more work, perhaps, than anybody else in the Church for his kindred and others who have passed away. To me it is a certainty that beyond the veil is a reality as much as here, and it is a certainty that our kindred on the other side are watching anxiously over our movements in this direction. We have in operation four temples in the church. Some of them have been in operation quite a number of years, and all have had work done in them for some time. But we have not done a great deal of work yet compared to the amount that we have to do. For your information I might read the statistics of the work that has been done in the temples up to the last of last year, and you find that it has not been so extensive as it should have been. The Salt Lake Temple has probably been well filled since it was opened; but other temples in the Church have been very slimly attended, and I believe it has been a consideration on the part of the Presidency of the Church whether it would be wise to keep all the temples open during all the year. I do not know that they have considered it very seriously, but I have heard remarks of that kind. The baptisms that have been performed up to December 31st of last year (1894) only amount to 773,737—a little over three quarters of a million. This comprises the work in all the temples from the beginning, not including, however, the Endowment House. Of course, there was quite an amount of work done in the Endowment House; but we have found that a great deal of that work has been duplicated, from the fact that people did not keep a record of the work themselves, and the records of the Endowment House in times past were not available to everybody.
The Prophet Joseph, to whom the Lord revealed this work in the first instance, had great concern about it. He impressed the importance of it on the minds of the Saints in the latter art of his ministry among the people. I believe it would not be out of place to read an extract or two from the sayings of the Prophet Joseph in relation to this subject. He felt that the Saints should have interest in it and go to with all their might and labor in the interest of their kindred dead, and he talked to them frequently about it. In speaking in regard to the Saints becoming saviors upon Mount Zion, the Prophet Joseph said thus to his brethren:
But how are they to become saviors on Mount Zion? By building their temples, erecting their baptismal fonts, and going forth and receiving all the ordinances, baptisms, confirmations, washings, anointings, ordinations, and sealing powers upon their heads, in behalf of all their progenitors who are dead, and redeem them that they may come forth in the first resurrection and be exalted to thrones of glory with them; and herein is the chain that binds the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, which fulfills the mission of Elijah.
He further says:
The saints have not too much time to save and redeem their dead, and gather together their living relatives, that they may be saved also, before the earth will be smitten, and the consumption decreed falls upon the world:
And again:
The greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us is to seek after our dead.
The Apostles say that they without us cannot be made perfect. It is necessary that the sealing power should be in our hands, to seal our children and our dead.
These sayings are just as true as the sayings of President Woodruff on this subject. The Lord recognizes in His servants the right and the authority to advise and counsel the Saints in these matters. We quote from Peter, and we quote from James and John, and other prophets, and we have the same right to quote from the Prophet Joseph, or from the Prophet Brigham, or from the Prophet Wilford. In fact, to me the living oracles of the Church are more important, if we should make any difference at all, than the written word. It is a good thing to have the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Book of Doctrine and Covenants; but it is a little better in my mind to have the living oracles of God in our midst. The Lord deals with His people according to circumstances and conditions. He reveals to them from time to time His mind and will. We never have had the promise of having everything at once. But we have the promise of having line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little. Hence the importance of the living oracles of the Church, who are in harmony and fellowship with the heavens. These servants of God have had the spirit of Joseph in continuing the work that was commenced by the Prophet in the erection of temples, and millions of dollars have been spent by the Latter-day Saints in the building of temples, and I suppose some few non-Mormons have contributed also for this purpose. There is an object in all this, and the Latter-day Saints should consider the purposes for which the temples of the Lord are erected. We cannot get along without them now, we have had too much experience. If we had not built those temples, the Lord might have rejected us. The Saints in all parts of the land should consider seriously these matters. You want your children sealed to you, you want your wives sealed to you, and wives want their husbands; you want your folks that have gone beyond the veil officiated for. We have only just commenced this work. We have not baptized a million yet out of the hundreds of millions that have lived and died. It is a subject that we ought to be awakened to. You and I will die after a little while; we do not know how long. I do not know that I will ever have the privilege of standing here again. I may, and I may not. It is the same in your case. You know not unless God has revealed it to you, that these times and opportunities will be lengthened out to you to officiate for your kindred; and you are going to meet them someday, which may not be far distant, on the other side, and perhaps they will ask you what you have done for them. Have you done anything for them? A great many people in the Church have not done anything yet. Only a comparatively few people in the Church have seemed to have much interest in this work; and I will venture to say here that there are plenty of people that have contributed liberally towards building the temples and they have not entered into them yet. I find people of this kind almost every day. They say they have helped build the temple, but they have not had time yet to go in and officiate. “But I must take time,” is what they will exclaim.
Brethren and sisters, to me this is important. It is important to you also. It is a responsibility that the Lord has placed upon us, and His servants have carried out His designs in relation to these things. The opportunities are placed within our reach wherein the hearts of the fathers may be turned to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers. In fulfillment of the words of the Lord. I thought I would treat for the few moments allotted to me on this particular point, because I have interest and have labored now for some time in this direction, and realize the importance of the work. The Presidency of the Church hold the key to this work. They direct its affairs; and as I said to you, perhaps the Lord has not revealed everything to them yet, but He will reveal line upon line, as He did to the Prophet over a year ago the propriety of extending the sealing ordinance farther than we had previously done. Of course, that added a little more work to the temples. So other things may be revealed by and by. But suffice it to say, we have a great many things revealed that we have not done anything about yet. A great many of us have not yet baptized for our kindred and friends, and they are numerous on the other side of the veil. We have more relatives and friends on the other side than we have here, and when we go there, we will meet them. Some people spend their time and their means to spend their time and their means to search out the genealogies of their fathers, and some are wanting for the genealogies to come to them. The counsel that I have given to the Saints in this regard is this: do for those that you have. Some will say, “I am waiting till I get a few more names before I go to the temple.” But do not wait for that. Go and officiate for those you have, and then in humility seek the Lord that the way may be opened for you to obtain more records. The Lord is moving upon quite a number of people in the world to write records and genealogies—more so at present than ever before. People are searching after these things, and perhaps they know now why; but the Lord is moving in this direction, and a great many people can obtain their records through this channel, if they will manifest an interest in it. Of course, it takes a little time and perhaps a little means to accomplish this. But we are here to do this work. The Lord requires it at our hands, and it is important that we should give it consideration, and not let our lifetime pass away without availing ourselves of the opportunities that are presented to us. It is said that everybody cannot get a recommend to go to the temple. If there are any that cannot get a recommend, they are in fault themselves perhaps, and I would advise all the Saints to straighten themselves up, humble themselves before the Lord, repent and turn unto the Lord, and accomplish this work that is required at our hands. Your kindred are looking anxiously to you to do this. Let not the day of the opportunity pass by; but seek with all diligence to accomplish what you can in your lifetime in the interest of your kindred. Our time is only short here; just a few years and we have got through. We hear of people that have lived seemingly quite a long time amongst us; but it is really only a few days and they pass away. So it will be in our case. In a hundred years from now perhaps there won’t one of us be here, but we will be numbered among those that were. Therefore, avail yourselves, my brethren and sisters, one and all, of the opportunities of officiating for your kindred of the house of the Lord. God bless you. Amen.
President Wilford Woodruff
spoke briefly on the subject treated by Elder Merrill.
The choir sang the anthem: Jesus, I my cross have taken.
Benediction by Elder Jonathan G. Kimball.
spoke briefly on the subject treated by Elder Merrill.
The choir sang the anthem: Jesus, I my cross have taken.
Benediction by Elder Jonathan G. Kimball.
Second Day. Oct. 5th, 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.
Then hasten ye heralds, go forward proclaiming
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Prayer by Elder John W. Hess, of Davis Stake.
The choir sang:
Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire.
Uttered or unexpressed.
The choir and congregation sang:
The time is far spent, there is little remaining,
To publish glad tidings by sea and by land.
Then hasten ye heralds, go forward proclaiming
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Prayer by Elder John W. Hess, of Davis Stake.
The choir sang:
Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire.
Uttered or unexpressed.
Elder Francis M. Lyman
was the first speaker of this session. Following is a brief outline of his remarks: General conferences were instituted for the transaction of business and the imparting of instructions of a general character, applicable to the Church at large. It was here that the Saints obtained the keynote, so to speak. As to business affairs the people were entitled to a voice in relation to them. It was in this way that the authorities were sustained—by common consent. The Saints possessed the Holy Spirit and they could not easily be deceived. They readily detected evil and false teaching, and those men who lived according to the laws of the Gospel had influence among them. In order to have the Spirit of Truth we must serve God and not have our hearts set too much upon the things of the world. We must labor to improve the condition of mankind, morally and every other way, and thus promote righteousness. Men were to be judged according as they treat their fellow men. The source of all happiness, according to the scriptures, was the favor of God. This was not upon us when we did wrong, but it was with us when we did right. Experience had taught all of us that this was true. We had been taught to do right by the exponents of truth, and by the light of conscience, which was the Spirit of God acting within us. All had the power to serve God to the extent of their understanding. The Saints believed in God as their Father, that they were indebted to Him for life, that He desired that they should return to His presence and enjoy eternal felicity. They understood that God gave His Son to save the world; also the reason for the fall, through which came the resurrection by Christ’s atonement. All who had received a mortal body will, after death, receive it again, this being the redemption wrought out by the Savior of the world. All these things had been made plain to us through the revelations of the Lord. Hence, we should seek to lay up treasures in heaven, and not act as if our mortal lives were perpetual. If we did this all other things would be added to us, according to promise. We must not only believe, repent, be baptized for the remission of sins, and receive the Holy Ghost, but continue to live a godly life. The holy power might rest upon a man and yet not remain with him. This would depend upon the course he pursued.
We had the written word of God, but we had likewise the living authorities, without whom the Church could not exist. It is through the living oracles that the work of the Father is carried forward. We had the testimony of Jesus, because we had done the will of the Father. This witness was promised by Jesus in His ministry. When the true Church had an existence on the earth, those who composed it could declare that they knew that Jesus was the Christ, and that they were engaged in the divine work of human redemption. We stood before the world today and proclaimed the same principles that were taught by the ancient Apostles and promised that all who obeyed should receive a living individual testimony of the truth.
We were becoming a famous people and were growing in influence among the nations. While many did not believe that we were in possession of the Gospel of Christ, large numbers could see that there was something peculiarly attractive about this community. This recognition of the status of this people would increase. Notable people in different countries were becoming possessed of an intention of coming in Utah to make their homes here, under the belief that their families would be more secure from the evils existing in the world than they would elsewhere. All such will be heartily welcomed. The speaker concluded by expressing great hopes as to the future of the Saints.
was the first speaker of this session. Following is a brief outline of his remarks: General conferences were instituted for the transaction of business and the imparting of instructions of a general character, applicable to the Church at large. It was here that the Saints obtained the keynote, so to speak. As to business affairs the people were entitled to a voice in relation to them. It was in this way that the authorities were sustained—by common consent. The Saints possessed the Holy Spirit and they could not easily be deceived. They readily detected evil and false teaching, and those men who lived according to the laws of the Gospel had influence among them. In order to have the Spirit of Truth we must serve God and not have our hearts set too much upon the things of the world. We must labor to improve the condition of mankind, morally and every other way, and thus promote righteousness. Men were to be judged according as they treat their fellow men. The source of all happiness, according to the scriptures, was the favor of God. This was not upon us when we did wrong, but it was with us when we did right. Experience had taught all of us that this was true. We had been taught to do right by the exponents of truth, and by the light of conscience, which was the Spirit of God acting within us. All had the power to serve God to the extent of their understanding. The Saints believed in God as their Father, that they were indebted to Him for life, that He desired that they should return to His presence and enjoy eternal felicity. They understood that God gave His Son to save the world; also the reason for the fall, through which came the resurrection by Christ’s atonement. All who had received a mortal body will, after death, receive it again, this being the redemption wrought out by the Savior of the world. All these things had been made plain to us through the revelations of the Lord. Hence, we should seek to lay up treasures in heaven, and not act as if our mortal lives were perpetual. If we did this all other things would be added to us, according to promise. We must not only believe, repent, be baptized for the remission of sins, and receive the Holy Ghost, but continue to live a godly life. The holy power might rest upon a man and yet not remain with him. This would depend upon the course he pursued.
We had the written word of God, but we had likewise the living authorities, without whom the Church could not exist. It is through the living oracles that the work of the Father is carried forward. We had the testimony of Jesus, because we had done the will of the Father. This witness was promised by Jesus in His ministry. When the true Church had an existence on the earth, those who composed it could declare that they knew that Jesus was the Christ, and that they were engaged in the divine work of human redemption. We stood before the world today and proclaimed the same principles that were taught by the ancient Apostles and promised that all who obeyed should receive a living individual testimony of the truth.
We were becoming a famous people and were growing in influence among the nations. While many did not believe that we were in possession of the Gospel of Christ, large numbers could see that there was something peculiarly attractive about this community. This recognition of the status of this people would increase. Notable people in different countries were becoming possessed of an intention of coming in Utah to make their homes here, under the belief that their families would be more secure from the evils existing in the world than they would elsewhere. All such will be heartily welcomed. The speaker concluded by expressing great hopes as to the future of the Saints.
Discourse
Delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Saturday, October 5th, 1895, by
Elder Francis M. Lyman.
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
I pray that the Spirit of the Lord may rest upon us throughout the remainder of our conference as it has been upon the brethren who have already spoken. The gathering of the Latter-day Saints in conference makes very important occasions. They are for the transaction of business and the giving of instructions, that the people may receive frequently the true sound, that the keynote may be given to them, and that the Latter-day Saints may enjoy the Holy Spirit so that they can always discern deceived in regard to doctrine and principle pertaining to the plan of life and salvation. The revelation requires particularly that the Elders upon whose shoulders rest the responsibilities of the kingdom should meet together frequently. In general conference we gather twice a year, in stake conferences four times a year; and at these gatherings all business is transacted, and it is done by common consent. Every member of the Church is entitled to a voice in the transaction of Church business, whether in the quorums of the Priesthood, in the gatherings of the people in wards, and in stakes, or as a whole church. No man is held in position in this Church who has not the fellowship of the people; and men in this Church never lose the fellowship of the people so long as they do right. For the Latter-day Saints have the Holy Ghost as their companion, and the Holy Ghost comprehends not only doctrine and principle, but men; so that men who are called to preside over us are read of the Holy Ghost. If they have weaknesses, the Saints discover them; and they have confidence in men in proportion to their integrity to the cause. If men live their religion, the people love them and listen to them. If men do not live according to their professions, they lose caste among the people. It is singular that the Latter-day Saints can discern so carefully and particularly the conditions of one another, and how readily they will detect error, false doctrine or evil that may arise, or be presented among the people by false teachers. Every Latter-day Saint is entitled to the presence of the Holy Spirit, to give him understanding and wisdom, and no Latter-day Saint need to be led astray by false teachers; for the Spirit of the Lord being their companion, they are entitled to comprehend the truth and to detect error, and to know their status before the Lord day by day.
But in order to enjoy the Spirit of the Lord as our Heavenly Father has designed we should do, it is really necessary that we should serve the Lord, that we should honor Him and keep His commandments, that we should be very careful in our lives, and that our hearts should not be set upon the things of this world, but that we should seek to lay up treasures in heaven. The way treasures are laid up in heaven. The way treasures are laid up in heaven, as I understand it, is by men doing day by day the good that opens up before them—laboring to improve and to elevate society. If society is corrupted by the spirit of lying, then it is the duty of every man who bears the Priesthood and every person who has embraced the truth to operate against the spirit of lying, and to teach truth. If there is a spirit of infidelity afflicting the people then every man should be nerved against infidelity, and labor to promote faith in the hearts of the people. For it is not possible to please God without faith. It is not possible to please our Heavenly Father without the spirit of truth and honesty, of virtue and uprightness. The source of happiness to mankind, we are told in the scriptures, is the favor of God. If we please Him, He will favor us. I presume that every Latter-day Saint under the sound of my voice today has had experience enough to know that the favor of the Lord is not upon us when we do wrong. I take it that we have all done wrong enough to know this. I take it also that we have all done well and wrought righteousness enough to know that the favor of heaven is upon us when we do right. Why shall we do wrong? Why shall we not listen to the counsels of our Heavenly Father and do right all the time? Why is it that we are not doing right constantly? Is there any power given to Satan to compel us to do wrong? Is there any power given to Satan to compel us to break the Sabbath day and not to keep it holy? Is power given to Satan that he can compel us to be unvirtuous, unjust or untruthful? I have never found it so in my experience. I have never been compelled to do wrong. What wrong I have done I have done with my eyes open. I have known what was right, I have known what was wrong. I have been thoroughly taught by my parents and by my brethren; I have been taught by the conscience that the Lord has placed within me, and when that conscience has been lighted by the spirit and power of God, I have been able to comprehend very easily what was wrong and what was right. I do declare in all soberness before this vast congregation this morning, that every man has been graciously endowed by our Heavenly Father with the power to do His mind and will. Every man in a normal condition has the power to do right. When the Gospel has been taught us, we have exercised our reason and judgment. When the scriptures have been expounded to us, we have believed them. Men sent of the Lord and commissioned to teach and expound the scripture have taught us that it was necessary that we should believe in God our Father, who dwells in the heavens; and we have been willing to listen and to treasure up the truth that they taught us, and to believe it. The Latter-day Saints today believe in God our Heavenly Father, and that we are in reality His children; that He is our head, and that we are indebted to Him for life and being upon this earth. He has laid down the plan of life by which we may be saved and brought back into His presence, by which we may become as He is, and inherit His power, His greatness, His authority, and the riches of eternity. He has made all these things plain to us, and He has sent into the world His Son, our elder brother, to be our Savior. We had come in a fallen condition. Adam came and fell that we might be. By that fall came death, and by death our tabernacles are placed in the grave, returned to mother earth, there to remain until the resurrection, and the resurrection was brought to pass by the death and suffering of the Son of God. Our Elder Brother, Jesus Christ, shed His blood for our sins—not for His own, for He was immaculate and without blemish—and He laid down His life that you and I should be redeemed from that death which had come upon us because of the fall of Adam. By His death are we redeemed. By His blood are we cleansed from the conditions of the fall. For Jesus broke the bonds of death; and as all men are consigned to the grave because of the fall of Adam, in like manner are all men raised from the grave through the suffering and death of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. Every human being that has been given a tabernacle upon this earth will have the tabernacle resurrected, and will enter into it again and appear before God to be judged for the deeds done in the body. In likeness of the death and burial and resurrection of the Son of God, the Lord has arranged in the plan of life that we should lay our bodies int he watery grave, and that as He came forth out of the grave to newness of life, so should we come from the watery grave into newness of life, and to walk no more after the ways of men. It is required that we should not be of the world. We should not be like the world. As in times past we were sinners and transgressors, and were thoughtless and indifferent in regard to the principles of life and salvation, now these principles should be our theme, now we should love them. Where before we sought to lay up treasures on earth, now we should seek to lay up treasures in heaven. Our chief object should be the accomplishment of God’s purposes upon the earth. We should not live for the building of railroads and the development of mines and farms, and the building of houses, etc. Whatever we do of this kind should be done with the view of accomplishing the purposes of the Lord in the earth, and for making man happy, and bringing about that joy that we intended in our being upon the earth. As Adam fell that we might come to the earth and obtain tabernacles, so we might have come to the earth that we might have joy in the presence of our Father who dwells in heaven. That is the design of our Father and the object of our being. Therefore, our hearts must not set upon the things of this world. But if we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all other things that are necessary for us our Father will add unto us. Though He may not accomplish it this year, He will do some of it this year, and some next year, till finally we will inherit all things.
But in order that we may have relief from our sins and come back into the presence of God, it is necessary not only that we should believe and be baptized, but that we should repent also. Following the doctrine of faith in God is the doctrine of repentance, as Peter declared on the day of Pentecost unto those who had slain the Savior or had consented to His death. They were gathered in great numbers, and many were convinced under the instructions of the inspired Apostle of God. They were pricked in their hearts, and said, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Peter answered them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” What a glorious promise that was to the people on that day. If it was the truth in the days of Peter, I say it is the truth today. If it was necessary then that a man should repent of his sins, and should humble himself before the Lord, and enter into the waters of baptism for the remission of sins, and receive the Holy Ghost, in order that he might please God and know His mind and will, I say it is the same today. The Gospel given then is the Gospel given today; for the Gospel revealed to us is that given by Jesus Christ himself. And He has given to us the Holy Ghost, that precious gift that was so valuable in those days and that would remind and bring to the attention of the followers of the Savior all that He had taught them, and show them things to come.
Now, we have these books that were spoken of yesterday—the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Book of Doctrine and Covenants—and they are very valuable. But I say this Church could not run an hour with all the books that were ever published. It is not possible to run the Church of God with books. It must be by the men who are authorized by the Son of God himself to stand at the head of the people and to teach them. You cannot organize a ward, you cannot organize a quorum, you cannot do one thing in building up the kingdom of God, only by the living oracles. You must have them all the time. Where a church has not the living oracles; where a church has not men who speak as one having authority, as Jesus spoke, I say that that is not the Church of God. There must be the men of God; there must be the Apostleship; there must be the Priesthood; there must be the organization of the Church in all its perfection and power. That is what God has revealed to us, and it is the reason that this work has prospered. Has it ever grown less? No. If there has ever been a falling away of one, has there not been an addition of a hundred? The Church has increased and grown right straight along, and there are people by tens of thousands in these valleys who know the Gospel is true. If any man has received the Gospel of Jesus Christ and has lived it, he knows the Gospel is true. That knowledge is a part of the work. It is a part of the principles that men should know of the doctrine. You take every assertion of the doctrine laid down by the Son of God and you will find that He makes it positive. On the day of Pentecost, Peter said, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” He did not say, “you may,” or “perhaps you will obtain that precious boon;” but he said, “ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” When the Son of Man himself was questioned by the Jews, who wanted to know why he came to teach them when he was not an educated man and had not been finished in the schools of the day, He said, “My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” Now, I say that the Latter-day Saints have received the doctrine and have done the will of God, and they know of the doctrine. They have gathered together and they have built temples, and are laboring for the salvation of this world today as no other people on this earth are doing, and as no other people can do; for there is no other people that has the Gospel. All of them have some truth. It would be a miserable system of salvation if no truth were in it. But I say if you were to take nine-tenths of the truths and try to make up man’s salvation, you would fail. You must have the whole truth or the system is not complete and perfect. I speak with all due respect of the religious denominations of the world. I have the same profound respect for every denomination that I ask them to grant me: for I am pleased to have people Christian in their feeling and to have them believe in Jess Christ. It is much better than to have them infidel. But when you find the Church that has the authority of God, with whom God is laboring all the time, you will see men who stand up like men with authority and with power, and not as the scribes and pharisees. We do know of what we teach, and we have hundreds of thousands of people today that can bear us witness. Would I dare stand before this congregation if it were not full of people who know that what I say is true? Thousands here would hold up their right hands, and take a solemn oath if it were necessary, that they know this is the Gospel that Jesus has established; that it is His Church and that His purposes are being fulfilled in the earth. What have we left our homes for? Had we no need to come up here? Only to do the will of the Lord. The spirit of this work gathers the people. We never took up an argument with the people to convince them that they need to come here. Why, in many instances we have to try and quiet their nerves and keep them from gathering, in order that the Church abroad may be strong enough to sustain the Elders in the missionary field. I have thought we have depleted our missions more than we ought to have done. I am not questioning my brethren who preside over me and have directed these affairs; but these have been the sentiments of my heart, that we have allowed the people to gather more rapidly than was wise in view of the desire to spread abroad the principles of eternal truth in the world.
Now, we stand before the world and are willing to be questioned, in private and in public; and we say to the world, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ; repent of your sins, and be baptized for the remission of those sins, and you shall obtain a remission of sins and an entrance into the kingdom of God, and you shall receive the Holy Ghost, and shall know of the doctrine. Then everything will be new to you; for you will see as the world do not see. Although we mingle with the world and the world is among us, do they see, and feel, and understand and believe as we do? No; but there is a magic something about the Latter-day Saints that the world admires. There is a feeling, a spirit and an influence over the country where the Latter-day Saints dwell that wins people and draws their affections and their attention, and they love to be among us. We are possible the most remarkable people today in the world; only a little handful, but looked upon as an important people in these United States, attracting more attention perhaps than any other section of the country. This is because the Lord is with us. He is overruling and moving among the nations of the earth. It is not what He is accomplishing here alone, by His people; but He is moving upon the spirits of men, softening their hearts and preparing the way for the Gospel to be introduced throughout the world and the people to be gathered from among all nations. Then we say, welcome! What a welcome was given here yesterday, and will be again tonight! What a welcome is always given in this beautiful building! a building erected so many years ago, and yet it is up to the times today, and will be for the next hundred years. And so are our temples, and yet the foundations of these buildings were laid when we were in our infancy and in our poverty, and they have been completed by the power of God upon His people. All His works will be fulfilled and accomplished just the same. We are gaining strength and power, and although there has been a great deal of bitterness towards the Latter-day Saints, the Lord is softening the hearts of the people, and will continue to do so in the future, and make it possible for His Church to be thoroughly established. We are having a breathing spell now. We have spread over all this intermountain region, not only in the United States, out into Canada and into Mexico; and we are going east and west, and spreading in every direction, and gaining strength and power. And these United States will be the better for the Latter-day Saints that are in it; for where the Latter-day Saints go, though they may not be perfect, yet there is a spirit and an influence with them that will attract the world. We are told indeed of prominent men in the world who are looking to Utah with a view of coming here to make their homes, having the idea that their children can grow up in purity here as they cannot in the rest of the world. Oh! that this be true—that the Latter-day Saints may be pure, and that the pure of the world may come in upon us, who desire to preserve their families in purity, and he welcome among us; and we will teach them the truth, and if they do not want it, if they cannot live it, then let them square their lives by the very best doctrines and principles that they can receive and live up to.
This is my testimony before this vast assembly this morning. May God bless us, and bless this conference and the labors of the Elders, past and future, that we may be fully fed, thoroughly instructed and advised by our Heavenly Father in regard to the principles that are necessary for us to give more careful attention to in the future than we have done in the past, so that we may be indeed Latter-day Saints, full of faith, and worth of the favor and blessing and protection of the Lord. I ask it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Saturday, October 5th, 1895, by
Elder Francis M. Lyman.
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
I pray that the Spirit of the Lord may rest upon us throughout the remainder of our conference as it has been upon the brethren who have already spoken. The gathering of the Latter-day Saints in conference makes very important occasions. They are for the transaction of business and the giving of instructions, that the people may receive frequently the true sound, that the keynote may be given to them, and that the Latter-day Saints may enjoy the Holy Spirit so that they can always discern deceived in regard to doctrine and principle pertaining to the plan of life and salvation. The revelation requires particularly that the Elders upon whose shoulders rest the responsibilities of the kingdom should meet together frequently. In general conference we gather twice a year, in stake conferences four times a year; and at these gatherings all business is transacted, and it is done by common consent. Every member of the Church is entitled to a voice in the transaction of Church business, whether in the quorums of the Priesthood, in the gatherings of the people in wards, and in stakes, or as a whole church. No man is held in position in this Church who has not the fellowship of the people; and men in this Church never lose the fellowship of the people so long as they do right. For the Latter-day Saints have the Holy Ghost as their companion, and the Holy Ghost comprehends not only doctrine and principle, but men; so that men who are called to preside over us are read of the Holy Ghost. If they have weaknesses, the Saints discover them; and they have confidence in men in proportion to their integrity to the cause. If men live their religion, the people love them and listen to them. If men do not live according to their professions, they lose caste among the people. It is singular that the Latter-day Saints can discern so carefully and particularly the conditions of one another, and how readily they will detect error, false doctrine or evil that may arise, or be presented among the people by false teachers. Every Latter-day Saint is entitled to the presence of the Holy Spirit, to give him understanding and wisdom, and no Latter-day Saint need to be led astray by false teachers; for the Spirit of the Lord being their companion, they are entitled to comprehend the truth and to detect error, and to know their status before the Lord day by day.
But in order to enjoy the Spirit of the Lord as our Heavenly Father has designed we should do, it is really necessary that we should serve the Lord, that we should honor Him and keep His commandments, that we should be very careful in our lives, and that our hearts should not be set upon the things of this world, but that we should seek to lay up treasures in heaven. The way treasures are laid up in heaven. The way treasures are laid up in heaven, as I understand it, is by men doing day by day the good that opens up before them—laboring to improve and to elevate society. If society is corrupted by the spirit of lying, then it is the duty of every man who bears the Priesthood and every person who has embraced the truth to operate against the spirit of lying, and to teach truth. If there is a spirit of infidelity afflicting the people then every man should be nerved against infidelity, and labor to promote faith in the hearts of the people. For it is not possible to please God without faith. It is not possible to please our Heavenly Father without the spirit of truth and honesty, of virtue and uprightness. The source of happiness to mankind, we are told in the scriptures, is the favor of God. If we please Him, He will favor us. I presume that every Latter-day Saint under the sound of my voice today has had experience enough to know that the favor of the Lord is not upon us when we do wrong. I take it that we have all done wrong enough to know this. I take it also that we have all done well and wrought righteousness enough to know that the favor of heaven is upon us when we do right. Why shall we do wrong? Why shall we not listen to the counsels of our Heavenly Father and do right all the time? Why is it that we are not doing right constantly? Is there any power given to Satan to compel us to do wrong? Is there any power given to Satan to compel us to break the Sabbath day and not to keep it holy? Is power given to Satan that he can compel us to be unvirtuous, unjust or untruthful? I have never found it so in my experience. I have never been compelled to do wrong. What wrong I have done I have done with my eyes open. I have known what was right, I have known what was wrong. I have been thoroughly taught by my parents and by my brethren; I have been taught by the conscience that the Lord has placed within me, and when that conscience has been lighted by the spirit and power of God, I have been able to comprehend very easily what was wrong and what was right. I do declare in all soberness before this vast congregation this morning, that every man has been graciously endowed by our Heavenly Father with the power to do His mind and will. Every man in a normal condition has the power to do right. When the Gospel has been taught us, we have exercised our reason and judgment. When the scriptures have been expounded to us, we have believed them. Men sent of the Lord and commissioned to teach and expound the scripture have taught us that it was necessary that we should believe in God our Father, who dwells in the heavens; and we have been willing to listen and to treasure up the truth that they taught us, and to believe it. The Latter-day Saints today believe in God our Heavenly Father, and that we are in reality His children; that He is our head, and that we are indebted to Him for life and being upon this earth. He has laid down the plan of life by which we may be saved and brought back into His presence, by which we may become as He is, and inherit His power, His greatness, His authority, and the riches of eternity. He has made all these things plain to us, and He has sent into the world His Son, our elder brother, to be our Savior. We had come in a fallen condition. Adam came and fell that we might be. By that fall came death, and by death our tabernacles are placed in the grave, returned to mother earth, there to remain until the resurrection, and the resurrection was brought to pass by the death and suffering of the Son of God. Our Elder Brother, Jesus Christ, shed His blood for our sins—not for His own, for He was immaculate and without blemish—and He laid down His life that you and I should be redeemed from that death which had come upon us because of the fall of Adam. By His death are we redeemed. By His blood are we cleansed from the conditions of the fall. For Jesus broke the bonds of death; and as all men are consigned to the grave because of the fall of Adam, in like manner are all men raised from the grave through the suffering and death of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. Every human being that has been given a tabernacle upon this earth will have the tabernacle resurrected, and will enter into it again and appear before God to be judged for the deeds done in the body. In likeness of the death and burial and resurrection of the Son of God, the Lord has arranged in the plan of life that we should lay our bodies int he watery grave, and that as He came forth out of the grave to newness of life, so should we come from the watery grave into newness of life, and to walk no more after the ways of men. It is required that we should not be of the world. We should not be like the world. As in times past we were sinners and transgressors, and were thoughtless and indifferent in regard to the principles of life and salvation, now these principles should be our theme, now we should love them. Where before we sought to lay up treasures on earth, now we should seek to lay up treasures in heaven. Our chief object should be the accomplishment of God’s purposes upon the earth. We should not live for the building of railroads and the development of mines and farms, and the building of houses, etc. Whatever we do of this kind should be done with the view of accomplishing the purposes of the Lord in the earth, and for making man happy, and bringing about that joy that we intended in our being upon the earth. As Adam fell that we might come to the earth and obtain tabernacles, so we might have come to the earth that we might have joy in the presence of our Father who dwells in heaven. That is the design of our Father and the object of our being. Therefore, our hearts must not set upon the things of this world. But if we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all other things that are necessary for us our Father will add unto us. Though He may not accomplish it this year, He will do some of it this year, and some next year, till finally we will inherit all things.
But in order that we may have relief from our sins and come back into the presence of God, it is necessary not only that we should believe and be baptized, but that we should repent also. Following the doctrine of faith in God is the doctrine of repentance, as Peter declared on the day of Pentecost unto those who had slain the Savior or had consented to His death. They were gathered in great numbers, and many were convinced under the instructions of the inspired Apostle of God. They were pricked in their hearts, and said, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Peter answered them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” What a glorious promise that was to the people on that day. If it was the truth in the days of Peter, I say it is the truth today. If it was necessary then that a man should repent of his sins, and should humble himself before the Lord, and enter into the waters of baptism for the remission of sins, and receive the Holy Ghost, in order that he might please God and know His mind and will, I say it is the same today. The Gospel given then is the Gospel given today; for the Gospel revealed to us is that given by Jesus Christ himself. And He has given to us the Holy Ghost, that precious gift that was so valuable in those days and that would remind and bring to the attention of the followers of the Savior all that He had taught them, and show them things to come.
Now, we have these books that were spoken of yesterday—the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Book of Doctrine and Covenants—and they are very valuable. But I say this Church could not run an hour with all the books that were ever published. It is not possible to run the Church of God with books. It must be by the men who are authorized by the Son of God himself to stand at the head of the people and to teach them. You cannot organize a ward, you cannot organize a quorum, you cannot do one thing in building up the kingdom of God, only by the living oracles. You must have them all the time. Where a church has not the living oracles; where a church has not men who speak as one having authority, as Jesus spoke, I say that that is not the Church of God. There must be the men of God; there must be the Apostleship; there must be the Priesthood; there must be the organization of the Church in all its perfection and power. That is what God has revealed to us, and it is the reason that this work has prospered. Has it ever grown less? No. If there has ever been a falling away of one, has there not been an addition of a hundred? The Church has increased and grown right straight along, and there are people by tens of thousands in these valleys who know the Gospel is true. If any man has received the Gospel of Jesus Christ and has lived it, he knows the Gospel is true. That knowledge is a part of the work. It is a part of the principles that men should know of the doctrine. You take every assertion of the doctrine laid down by the Son of God and you will find that He makes it positive. On the day of Pentecost, Peter said, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” He did not say, “you may,” or “perhaps you will obtain that precious boon;” but he said, “ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” When the Son of Man himself was questioned by the Jews, who wanted to know why he came to teach them when he was not an educated man and had not been finished in the schools of the day, He said, “My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” Now, I say that the Latter-day Saints have received the doctrine and have done the will of God, and they know of the doctrine. They have gathered together and they have built temples, and are laboring for the salvation of this world today as no other people on this earth are doing, and as no other people can do; for there is no other people that has the Gospel. All of them have some truth. It would be a miserable system of salvation if no truth were in it. But I say if you were to take nine-tenths of the truths and try to make up man’s salvation, you would fail. You must have the whole truth or the system is not complete and perfect. I speak with all due respect of the religious denominations of the world. I have the same profound respect for every denomination that I ask them to grant me: for I am pleased to have people Christian in their feeling and to have them believe in Jess Christ. It is much better than to have them infidel. But when you find the Church that has the authority of God, with whom God is laboring all the time, you will see men who stand up like men with authority and with power, and not as the scribes and pharisees. We do know of what we teach, and we have hundreds of thousands of people today that can bear us witness. Would I dare stand before this congregation if it were not full of people who know that what I say is true? Thousands here would hold up their right hands, and take a solemn oath if it were necessary, that they know this is the Gospel that Jesus has established; that it is His Church and that His purposes are being fulfilled in the earth. What have we left our homes for? Had we no need to come up here? Only to do the will of the Lord. The spirit of this work gathers the people. We never took up an argument with the people to convince them that they need to come here. Why, in many instances we have to try and quiet their nerves and keep them from gathering, in order that the Church abroad may be strong enough to sustain the Elders in the missionary field. I have thought we have depleted our missions more than we ought to have done. I am not questioning my brethren who preside over me and have directed these affairs; but these have been the sentiments of my heart, that we have allowed the people to gather more rapidly than was wise in view of the desire to spread abroad the principles of eternal truth in the world.
Now, we stand before the world and are willing to be questioned, in private and in public; and we say to the world, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ; repent of your sins, and be baptized for the remission of those sins, and you shall obtain a remission of sins and an entrance into the kingdom of God, and you shall receive the Holy Ghost, and shall know of the doctrine. Then everything will be new to you; for you will see as the world do not see. Although we mingle with the world and the world is among us, do they see, and feel, and understand and believe as we do? No; but there is a magic something about the Latter-day Saints that the world admires. There is a feeling, a spirit and an influence over the country where the Latter-day Saints dwell that wins people and draws their affections and their attention, and they love to be among us. We are possible the most remarkable people today in the world; only a little handful, but looked upon as an important people in these United States, attracting more attention perhaps than any other section of the country. This is because the Lord is with us. He is overruling and moving among the nations of the earth. It is not what He is accomplishing here alone, by His people; but He is moving upon the spirits of men, softening their hearts and preparing the way for the Gospel to be introduced throughout the world and the people to be gathered from among all nations. Then we say, welcome! What a welcome was given here yesterday, and will be again tonight! What a welcome is always given in this beautiful building! a building erected so many years ago, and yet it is up to the times today, and will be for the next hundred years. And so are our temples, and yet the foundations of these buildings were laid when we were in our infancy and in our poverty, and they have been completed by the power of God upon His people. All His works will be fulfilled and accomplished just the same. We are gaining strength and power, and although there has been a great deal of bitterness towards the Latter-day Saints, the Lord is softening the hearts of the people, and will continue to do so in the future, and make it possible for His Church to be thoroughly established. We are having a breathing spell now. We have spread over all this intermountain region, not only in the United States, out into Canada and into Mexico; and we are going east and west, and spreading in every direction, and gaining strength and power. And these United States will be the better for the Latter-day Saints that are in it; for where the Latter-day Saints go, though they may not be perfect, yet there is a spirit and an influence with them that will attract the world. We are told indeed of prominent men in the world who are looking to Utah with a view of coming here to make their homes, having the idea that their children can grow up in purity here as they cannot in the rest of the world. Oh! that this be true—that the Latter-day Saints may be pure, and that the pure of the world may come in upon us, who desire to preserve their families in purity, and he welcome among us; and we will teach them the truth, and if they do not want it, if they cannot live it, then let them square their lives by the very best doctrines and principles that they can receive and live up to.
This is my testimony before this vast assembly this morning. May God bless us, and bless this conference and the labors of the Elders, past and future, that we may be fully fed, thoroughly instructed and advised by our Heavenly Father in regard to the principles that are necessary for us to give more careful attention to in the future than we have done in the past, so that we may be indeed Latter-day Saints, full of faith, and worth of the favor and blessing and protection of the Lord. I ask it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Elder Brigham Young
was the second speaker. He recognized in the events of the present the fulfillment of prophecies, both ancient and modern. Though few in number and in many respects not so wise in their day as the children of the world, the Latter-day Saints possessed a depth of purpose and a spirit of union not equaled by any other people. They had accepted the revelations of God, and the re-establishment of the ancient Church, producing a people unique from all others on earth. Though a bold thing to say, he felt to declare that the Latter-day Saints were more perfect in their religious organization than the rest of the world, and this in preparation for the second coming of Jesus Christ. It with all the light they had received, the people of God could permit for a moment the spirit of infidelity to enter their hearts, how much more powerful must that spirit be in the world. Yet the people had, in some instances, permitted it to enter.
To be one with the world would deter the people of God from their great destiny, for it would imply the acceptance of the vices of the world, with all their debasing effects. To the man who had received the Spirit of God, the thought of the necessity of these evils could not come without lessening his communion with God. They should be looked upon as excrescences upon the body moral, fit to be rooted out for the propagation and preservation of the children of God in the earth.
The speaker read from section 45 of the Doctrine and Covenants, page 183, with reference to the gathering time and the preparation for the second coming of Christ, with the scourges which should characterize that time. The Latter-day Saints, being the only people looking forward to these evils, should be the only ones prepared to avoid and resist them. This was the object of the gathering, by which the Saints, standing in holy places, might escape the wrath of God. Those who would dabble in the things of the world with the spirit of the world were declared to be in great danger of being separated from the people of God. It behooved the Latter-day Saints to gain grace sufficient to their day, that they might be able to stand in holy places and provide a refuge for those of the world who should show an unwillingness to take up arms against their brethren.
The speaker closed with an earnest prayer for the wellbeing of all the honest inhabitants of the earth.
was the second speaker. He recognized in the events of the present the fulfillment of prophecies, both ancient and modern. Though few in number and in many respects not so wise in their day as the children of the world, the Latter-day Saints possessed a depth of purpose and a spirit of union not equaled by any other people. They had accepted the revelations of God, and the re-establishment of the ancient Church, producing a people unique from all others on earth. Though a bold thing to say, he felt to declare that the Latter-day Saints were more perfect in their religious organization than the rest of the world, and this in preparation for the second coming of Jesus Christ. It with all the light they had received, the people of God could permit for a moment the spirit of infidelity to enter their hearts, how much more powerful must that spirit be in the world. Yet the people had, in some instances, permitted it to enter.
To be one with the world would deter the people of God from their great destiny, for it would imply the acceptance of the vices of the world, with all their debasing effects. To the man who had received the Spirit of God, the thought of the necessity of these evils could not come without lessening his communion with God. They should be looked upon as excrescences upon the body moral, fit to be rooted out for the propagation and preservation of the children of God in the earth.
The speaker read from section 45 of the Doctrine and Covenants, page 183, with reference to the gathering time and the preparation for the second coming of Christ, with the scourges which should characterize that time. The Latter-day Saints, being the only people looking forward to these evils, should be the only ones prepared to avoid and resist them. This was the object of the gathering, by which the Saints, standing in holy places, might escape the wrath of God. Those who would dabble in the things of the world with the spirit of the world were declared to be in great danger of being separated from the people of God. It behooved the Latter-day Saints to gain grace sufficient to their day, that they might be able to stand in holy places and provide a refuge for those of the world who should show an unwillingness to take up arms against their brethren.
The speaker closed with an earnest prayer for the wellbeing of all the honest inhabitants of the earth.
Elder Franklin D. Richards
addressed the Conference. The following is a very brief outline of his discourse: He incidentally referred to the musical festival in this city, and expressed pleasure at seeing so many good people who had been attracted more by the occasion. If honest testimony had always been accepted honestly, the Gospel would now have reached the ends of the earth. Such was the testimony of both Brigham Young and Wilford Woodruff. The deplorable condition of the Christian world, depending, as it did, upon their interpretation of the written word, was clearly portrayed, the necessity of the Priesthood and its authority, being emphasized. The “Golden Bible” had been a stumbling block in the door of the world’s faith, though the stories of the imposition upon the people had been fully refuted. The speaker thought it unreasonable that so full an account of the people of the Asiatic continent being given, the inhabitants of the western part of the world should have been neglected. A brief review of the Bible and the Book of Mormon was given, showing their unity of purpose, and especially the fulfilment by the latter of many of the prophecies contained in the former. Particular reference was made to the visit of Jesus to this continent and His promise of a visit to the lost tribes of Israel. The miraculous preservation and giving forth of the golden plates containing this record, were related. All these considerations would entitle the Book of Mormon to be called the Bible of the western hemisphere. The account of the early visions of Joseph Smith was given, with a statement of the work of the Prophet in translating of the work of the Prophet in translating the records of the Book of Mormon establishing God’s work on the earth, and receiving from John the Baptist and Peter, James and John, the keys of the Priesthood. The power of performing all the ordinances of the Church of Christ having thus been received, it was no longer necessary to depend upon the records of the past for authority to minister in the things of god; this had come direct from Him. The visits of Elijah and other servants of God, bestowing upon the latter-day Prophet the keys of the work of God, were fully detailed, as also the blessings which await the faithful.
The speaker closed with a strong testimony of the Gospel and an exhortation to continued faithfulness.
addressed the Conference. The following is a very brief outline of his discourse: He incidentally referred to the musical festival in this city, and expressed pleasure at seeing so many good people who had been attracted more by the occasion. If honest testimony had always been accepted honestly, the Gospel would now have reached the ends of the earth. Such was the testimony of both Brigham Young and Wilford Woodruff. The deplorable condition of the Christian world, depending, as it did, upon their interpretation of the written word, was clearly portrayed, the necessity of the Priesthood and its authority, being emphasized. The “Golden Bible” had been a stumbling block in the door of the world’s faith, though the stories of the imposition upon the people had been fully refuted. The speaker thought it unreasonable that so full an account of the people of the Asiatic continent being given, the inhabitants of the western part of the world should have been neglected. A brief review of the Bible and the Book of Mormon was given, showing their unity of purpose, and especially the fulfilment by the latter of many of the prophecies contained in the former. Particular reference was made to the visit of Jesus to this continent and His promise of a visit to the lost tribes of Israel. The miraculous preservation and giving forth of the golden plates containing this record, were related. All these considerations would entitle the Book of Mormon to be called the Bible of the western hemisphere. The account of the early visions of Joseph Smith was given, with a statement of the work of the Prophet in translating of the work of the Prophet in translating the records of the Book of Mormon establishing God’s work on the earth, and receiving from John the Baptist and Peter, James and John, the keys of the Priesthood. The power of performing all the ordinances of the Church of Christ having thus been received, it was no longer necessary to depend upon the records of the past for authority to minister in the things of god; this had come direct from Him. The visits of Elijah and other servants of God, bestowing upon the latter-day Prophet the keys of the work of God, were fully detailed, as also the blessings which await the faithful.
The speaker closed with a strong testimony of the Gospel and an exhortation to continued faithfulness.
Revelation and Priesthood.
Discourse delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Saturday, Oct. 5th, 1895, by
Elder Franklin D. Richards
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
I share, in common with my hearers, the blessed instructions incident to another general Conference. My spirit is refreshed, cheered, strengthened and encouraged in the way of life. I am glad that our neighbors from the states and territories round about have taken it into their hearts to come and enjoy a pleasant time with songs and music, and of hearing the performances incident to our first great Eisteddfod. I would be pleased, and I know my coadjutors, my brethren and sisters, would be pleased, if our visitors, in coming to entertain us with their musical festival, might be entertained by us in turn, and we be able to do them some good by imparting to them knowledge of the principles in which we believe, and in the practice of which we have been lead to gather together here to make this place so acceptable as a point of attraction in the midst of this, that was fifty years ago, the great American desert.
The principles of our faith which lie at the foundation of our existence as a people, have been presented this morning very plainly, forcibly and ardently—principles that have taken hold of us in our various nativities. When they were expounded to us, we had no way of disputing them, as honest men and women, but to embrace them and make them, through life the code of our salvation. I think we have one among us today who has labored, and traveled so many years to preach the Gospel, that if all those who had heard him testify and preach the truth to them had received it with the same honest, earnest purpose as he received it, the knowledge of this Gospel would now have spread to all the enlightened nations of the earth, and all the men would have had an opportunity by this time to believe the same glorious principles that we believe in. That man is President Wilford Woodruff, who has spent his life in preaching this Gospel. I once heard President Young say that he believed that if all who had heard him preach the Gospel had received it as he received it when he heard it, and had taken hold with the same interest and energy to keep the commandments of God themselves and teach others to do so, the Gospel might then have reached to all the nations of the earth, and they have been made partakers of its blessings and its privileges. But the fact is, the people of the earth are so bound up in the traditions of the fathers that they do not appreciate this matter. They have been taught by their religious teachers—for whom they entertained the highest regard—that the heavens were so effectually sealed up, that we were to have no more revelation. It has been awfully true that the heavens have been closed as concerning the revelations of God’s will, for some fourteen hundred years past, while the famine for the word of the Lord has prevailed, and a woe it has been to all the inhabitants of the earth to be thus shut out from the revelations of God and the power of His ministering Priesthood, and made only to depend upon a written book, called a Bible for salvation. The Church of the Living God has never been conducted on the earth by writings alone, or by books, parchments, or records of any kind. Take the Bible and all the holy books that have ever been written,--can they baptize you for the remission of sins? Have they got the power to administer the Holy Ghost to us? Can they institute a single ordinance? They can tell us what others have done; but they cannot confer the authority, nor administer the ordinances of the Gospel to us. It has taken no less than the real, living authority, direct from heaven, to confer this power by which we have carried the Gospel to the nations, and gathered the people so that at present we have people of about twenty-five different languages located here in Utah, from as man, or more different nations.
Inasmuch as this is the case, it may be interesting to know how we have come by further Revelations and this Priesthood Right at the door of this dispensation and the principle of revelation, lies a stumbling block to the people, because of the Book of Mormon. “A bible! a bible! a golden bible!” they cry.
I want to tell you in regard to the popular story that has gone abroad in the world viz, that this book of Mormon was made up by one Solomon Spaulding, who wrote a novel, that our leaders have preserved and discovered the novel Mr. Spaulding wrote, and which they claim Sydney Rigdon got hold of and published as the Book of Mormon. That romance of Mr. Spaulding’s we have obtained and had published in full, and if any of you want to examine it, you can have it and read it for yourself. You can also read the Book of Mormon, and see whether the one resembles the other. And if you want to see the original manuscript of Mr. Spaulding’s apply to the president of the Oberlin Institute in Ohio, and you can get as close an examination of it as anybody likes to make. I say this to clear away the underbrush from the investigations of the Book of Mormon.
The Lord hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the earth and hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of the habitation of the children of men, that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us. Acts 17:26; 27
What shall we think of the inhabitants of this half of the world? The Bible gives account of people that lived on the other half of the globe. It gives an account of the creation, of the world, and then a very short account of the existence of the people who lived before the flood. It also gives us some account concerning the times of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the growth of Israel until they became a people, and the Lord’s dealings with them in their posterity and blessing and whenever they turned away from Him, and His afflicting and chastising hand. it also gives an account of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ; how angels were sent beforehand to let the people know that the Savior was coming; that John the Baptist was going to prepare the way for him; and so down through the Gospel, and epistles, until its last great work by John the Revelator, recording the grandest vision that we have any account of in divine writ. This Bible is a book written by and of people of the other half of the globe. This half was shut out, and it has become a subject of speculation by a great many people who the original inhabitants of this part of the world were. Some say they are the ten tribes of Israel, and some say one class and some another.
The Book of Mormon is the Bible of the American continent. It gives an account of the dealings of the Lord with the people that lived on this half of the globe. It informs us that, when the language was confounded at Babel, there were a couple of men who knew God and who had His favor, that did not go into idolatry as the mass of people did, but united and asked God that he would not confound their language, so that they and their few friends and relatives might be able to understand each other. The Lord heard them and granted them that prayer, and He told them if they would hearken to His words, He would lead them to a land where they could live and grow up and cultivate His everlasting love and blessing. he led them on to this land, and the names of the two men were, Mahonri and Jared. They came over to this country in those early days from the land of Shinar. They were wise men, great men, had excellent families, and were first class stock to begin to populate one-half of the earth. They feared the Lord, they walked in His ways, and they brought with them the manners and customs of those early times and displayed their architectural works all over this land. The built great cities, they became numerous and powerful. They kept records of their lives in those days and of their experience of God’s providence over them; how they were led, and how they built and lived after they arrived here. By and by they became very proud and haughty, and became involved in wars, contentions and strifes, similar to those who have had between the Northern and Southern States, until they weakened and finally destroyed each other. The enmity among them was so deadly that it continued until men finished up by fighting two and two, sword in hand. This record gives us an account of that.
Then there was in the days of Israel a family of a man by the name of Lehi, who had several sons. Six hundred years before the Christian era, when Jeremiah came proclaiming judgments against Jerusalem, because of their wickedness, the Lord revealed unto this man Lehi and his family, they being righteous people, that He had compassion upon them, and that He did not require them to be led away captive into Babylon. So He told them that if they would gather out into the wilderness, He would lead them to a place of safety, where they could live upon a choice land above all other lands. This man Lehi and his family hearkened to His counsel, as did another man by the name of Ishmael, who had several daughters, and these united together in marriage, and they spread abroad here on this American continent and became a numerous and powerful people. They were people of Israel, the descendants of Joseph. They were descendants of both of Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh; and they have in this land fulfilled the prophecy which said that they should grow together and become a multitude of nations in the midst of the earth. It was of this land that Moses spake when he blessed Joseph, saying:
“Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath, and for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things brought forth by the moon, and for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills, and for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush; let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren. * * *
His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns; and with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth; and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh. Deut. 33:13-17.
These people that came over from Jerusalem, brought with them plates, on which were contained the law of Moses and the prophecies of the early prophets, and they lived here keeping the law of Moses until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
When our Savior had performed His mission in the land of Judea, He came over to this land of America. He told the people in Jerusalem that He had other sheep that were not of that fold, and that He must visit them also, that they might hear His voice, and He would bring them and they should become one people. So He came over here and held several notable conferences with the people. He taught them the same Gospel that He had taught in the land of Jerusalem, He appointed twelve disciples here, and gave them instructions; endowed them with the Priesthood, etc.
In the course of time, when the people became wicked again, after having had a long period of the greatest happiness of any people on earth, a celebrated prophet, by the name of Mormon, a righteous man, distinguished among his people for his virtues, his intelligence and his power of Priesthood, received instructions from the Lord to write the history of his people in an abridged form, before destructions should come upon them. He did so, and wrote it upon plates of pure gold, and in the language called the reformed Egyptian—a language which no people knew very well; and he being a prophet and having the Urim and Thummim, hid it up with these plates, so that in due time the plates should come forth and the means to interpret the record on them.
In a few words I have given you items of this history, covering a period of two or three thousand years. This Book of Mormon is an abridgement of the records of the Jaredites and also of the records of a people that came over, who were the descendants of Joseph. I should mention also that eleven years after Lehi left, when the sons of Zedekiah were captures and their eyes put out in the most barbarous manner, one of their number, named Mulek, made his escape and was led by the Lord, and he came and landed on this North American continent, so that he and his children joined with the descendants of Joseph. We have on this land in the natives, the descendants of Ephraim, of Manasseh and of Judah combined. This is what scientists, with much searching, speculation, and study, are endeavoring to find out.
This Book of Mormon is the Bible of the American world, made by these people. It gives an account of their rise and progress, their wealth and their poverty, their prosperity and their adversity, and finally their downfall and destruction; how they came to be cursed, and how the Savior came and preached to them the same Gospel that He taught in Judea. This book contains a testimony of the same principles as the Bible, and is a practical fulfillment of that which is spoken of by Ezekiel, the prophet, in the 37th chapter of his prophecy concerning the writing on sticks:
The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick and write upon it, for Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions; then take another stick, and write upon it, for Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mind hand. And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.
The word of the Lord in Ezekiel, as here given, makes not only the existence of the two sticks or records appear very clearly, by “being in thine hand and before their eyes,” but the expression in the 19th verse is particularly significant here. Here the Lord says: “I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall become one in Mine Hand.”
The word them, being plural, must signify two or more; and, putting them with him, even with the stick of Judah, signifies that not less than three are spoken of, which third, as appears from the test, must refer to “all the house of Israel his companions.”
this is the beautiful harmony with the prophecy of Nephi, in chapter xxix, verses 12-14. Second Nephi, delivered 450 years before the coming of Christ:
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 it shall come to pass that the Jews shall have the words of the Nephites, and the Nephites shall have the words of the Jews; and the Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the lost tribes of Israel; and the lost tribes of Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews. And it shall come to pass that my people, which are the house of Israel, shall be gathered home unto the lands of their possessions; and my word also shall be gathered in one. And I will show unto them that fight against my word and against my people, who are of the house of Israel, that I am God, and that I covenanted with Abraham, that I would remember his seed forever.
Here we are told by Ezekiel and Nephi, two notable prophets who lived many hundreds of years before the coming of our Savior, that there will be three records, sticks or Bibles published, containing His wonderful works, among three divisions of the house of Israel.
The stick of Judah—the Bible—has been in circulation for centuries among all civilized nations. The stick of Joseph, in the hands of Ephraim—which is the Book of Mormon—was translated into English from the Reformed Egyptian, by means of the Urim and Thummim, in the hands of Joseph Smith and has been translated from the English language into the French, German, Italian, Danish, Swedish, Welsh, Spanish, Dutch, Kanaka, Maori, Hindostanee, and one of the modern Jewish languages, and has been published and circulated in all except the two last mentioned nationalities, so that its existence is already widely known in Christendom.
Having received so complete a fulfilment of the promise concerning these two Bibles, we may exercise implicit faith that the third, giving an account of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel, will be forthcoming in the due time of the Lord.
The Book of Mormon has special and peculiar claim upon the faith of all true Christian people, because it was translated by the power of God through the Urim and Thummim, word by word and sentence by sentence.
On the 22nd of September, 1827, the gold plates upon which the Book of Mormon was engraved, were taken out of the ground and delivered to Joseph Smith, with the most solemn injunction concerning their safety, by the Prophet Moroni who had charge of the sacred record.
While Joseph Smith was translating with Oliver Cowdery writing for him, they came to where it referred to baptism for the remission of sins, and the authority necessary to administer it, and feeling anxious to be baptized themselves, they went into the woods near by and united in fervent prayer. While thus engaged, no less a personage than John the Baptist appeared to them, in a cloud of light, and laying his hands upon them, ordained them, saying:
Upon you my fellow servants in the name of the Messiah. I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the Gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.
He instructed them that this Aaronic Priesthood had not the power of the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, but that this should be conferred on them later, and also directed that Joseph should baptize Oliver, and that Oliver should baptize Joseph; and further that Joseph should ordain Oliver, and that Oliver should ordain him to this same Aaronic Priesthood.
He also informed them that he was acting under the direction of Peter, James and John, who held the keys of the Priesthood of Melchisedek, which Priesthood, he said, should in due time be conferred upon them.
It is impossible to read the wonderful history of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon out of the hill Cumorah and the restoration of the Priesthood at the command of God, by holy, resurrected men—for others who restored the Priesthood as well as Moroni were resurrected beings—without feeling that in these glorious events the words of David are fulfilled:
Mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other; truth shall spring out of the ground and righteousness shall look down from heaven.—Psalm 85:10, 11.
The first ordinations and baptisms in this dispensation took place on May 15, 1829. This is how authority of Priesthood to administer Gospel ordinances began to be restored to earth again. The word of the Lord, the Book of Mormon, truth, sprung out of the ground, but this righteous authority of Priesthood looked down from heaven. It did not come from any record of the fathers, or from any of the churches of the present day. The first ordination was given by John, the promised son of Zacharias and Elizabeth, who was filled with the Holy Ghost from his birth, was baptized in his childhood, and was ordained by an angel of god, when he was eight days old; he was the same who baptized our Savior in the river Jordan, and testified that He was the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world, and of whom Jesus said, there has been no greater Prophet born of a woman, although he did no miracle. This same John whom Herod caused to be beheaded in prison, and gave his head to Herodias’ daughter in a charger, was the last to hold the keys of the Aaronic Priesthood int he Jewish dispensation, and he having been raised from the dead, came by direction of Peter, James and John, and conferred this authority on Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery.
Soon after this ordination to the Aaronic Priesthood, and while they were engaged in fervent prayer, the word of the Lord came unto Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery that they should be ordained to the Melchisedek Priesthood, as had been promised by John the Baptist, when he ordained them Priests. Accordingly, without detailing time and place, the Lord in a revelation, says:
With Peter, James and John whom I have sent, by whom I have ordained you and confirmed you to be Apostles, and especial witnesses of My name, and bear the keys of your ministry, and of the same things which I reveal unto them; unto whom I have committed the keys of my kingdom, and a dispensation of the gospel for the last times; and for the fulness of times, in the which I will gather together in one all things, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth.
Thus we are informed that these distinguished Apostles were sent by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself to restore to earth the highest authority of Priesthood which He has ever conferred upon man, the Apostleship, with the privilege to receive revelations, organize the Church of Christ, and set in order in all things that are wanting. Oh how great is the mercy of God in causing the famine for the word of the Lord from sea to sea to cease and to commence giving line upon line, and precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, until His promise shall be fulfilled, that knowledge of Himself shall fill the earth as the waters do the mighty deep; when none shall need to say, know ye the Lord; for all shall know Him, from the least to the greatest!
By virtue of these ordinations and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit they had given to them the knowledge how to organize the Church, what officers to place in it, what powers to confer on each officer, and to give them the right to officiate in every ordinance necessary to build up the church here upon the earth. It is by the rites and powers of this Priesthood and Apostleship that the First Presidency and Twelve receive their ordinations, only in the third or fourth degree of descent from these holy men who were ordained by our Lord Jesus, Himself. This is how we have received the Priesthood, and by virtue of this authority do we baptize people for the remission of their sins and lay our hands upon them when thus obedient, and God verifies His promise; they do receive the Holy Ghost. We walk in the light of this Spirit, we keep His commandments, and He blesses us according to our diligence and faithfulness. It is by this power and this ministry that we have traveled through this nation and among many foreign nations. The Gospel is now at work like leaven; it is destined to leaven and gather out the righteous from all the four quarters of the earth. Thus you see we have the Bible and we have the Book of Mormon, and they both teach the same doctrines; for there is only one name given among men whereby they can be saved. There is only one doctrine by which they can be saved. There is only one spirit into which we have to be baptized, having the fellowship of each other and the love of God and angels; and we walk in the light of it, growing brighter and brighter, as we expect it will, until the perfect day.
In the Revelation of John we read that the church—the woman with a crown of twelve stars on her head, clothed with the sun, and having the moon under her feet—became a mother of a man child who was caught up to God and His throne. This woman, the Church, is now coming forth out of the wilderness where she has been nourished, and is putting on her royal robes of the Priesthood and is destined to be again clothed with the sun, the moon being under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
Then seeing that we have received such a Gospel, the new and the everlasting Gospel—new, because it is new to the generation in which we live; but it is everlasting, and the only Gospel that was ever revealed and taught among mankind—we are doing the work which God has laid upon us to do. He has given authority in different ways.
The angel told Joseph in some of his early ministrations that the Lord was going to send Elijah, the Prophet, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children. In the Month of March, 1836, in the temple at Kirtland, Elijah came and conferred the keys of his ministry upon joseph; and so on until there was given all the powers and authorities necessary to gather Israel, to build up Zion, to establish righteousness in the earth, and to take all the persecution that the Lord is willing we should have and that the devil is permitted to impose upon us. Those that abide and run faithfully and true to the end have the promise that they shall be saved.
My brethren and sisters, how glorious are the promises and blessings which have been promised unto the fathers, and which God has determined to bestow upon their children as fast as He can! Not only that we should sit and sing praises to the Lord for having redeemed us, but he has called us to become ministers, kings and priests unto the Most High God, and reign with Him a thousand years. Oh, glorious hopes! Oh, glorious prospects! Can we claim these hopes and call them ours? Yes, if through faith in Jesus’ name we conquer Satan’s power. That is where it lies. We must be true and faithful, and put one after another of our evil propensities under our feet, till we conquer this lump of clay that is given us, and sanctify it, so that the truth will grow in it. You will find that there is certain seed that will not grow unless you prepare your soil just right for it. So man cannot have the truth grow in him unless he observes the principles of the Gospel, keeps the commandments of God and purifies himself before the Lord.
I will bring my remarks to a close, but I wish to testify to you, my brethren and sisters, and to visiting strangers, that this is the work of the Most High God. He has set His hand the second time to gather Israel, and to build up a Zion. That He is going to bring the Zion that is in the heavens—the City of Enoch—when we are prepared on the earth for it, to come and dwell with us. I feel that, having put on the armor of Christ, let us fight the good fight, and contend for the faith that was once delivered to the Saints. May the Lord help us to do His will, to entertain faith in all that is right, and true, and just and holy, and qualify ourselves by the help of God for every good word and word; and that we may obtain grace and strength to endure to the end, is my prayer in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
The choir sang: Light and Truth.
Benediction by Elder George Reynolds.
Discourse delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Saturday, Oct. 5th, 1895, by
Elder Franklin D. Richards
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
I share, in common with my hearers, the blessed instructions incident to another general Conference. My spirit is refreshed, cheered, strengthened and encouraged in the way of life. I am glad that our neighbors from the states and territories round about have taken it into their hearts to come and enjoy a pleasant time with songs and music, and of hearing the performances incident to our first great Eisteddfod. I would be pleased, and I know my coadjutors, my brethren and sisters, would be pleased, if our visitors, in coming to entertain us with their musical festival, might be entertained by us in turn, and we be able to do them some good by imparting to them knowledge of the principles in which we believe, and in the practice of which we have been lead to gather together here to make this place so acceptable as a point of attraction in the midst of this, that was fifty years ago, the great American desert.
The principles of our faith which lie at the foundation of our existence as a people, have been presented this morning very plainly, forcibly and ardently—principles that have taken hold of us in our various nativities. When they were expounded to us, we had no way of disputing them, as honest men and women, but to embrace them and make them, through life the code of our salvation. I think we have one among us today who has labored, and traveled so many years to preach the Gospel, that if all those who had heard him testify and preach the truth to them had received it with the same honest, earnest purpose as he received it, the knowledge of this Gospel would now have spread to all the enlightened nations of the earth, and all the men would have had an opportunity by this time to believe the same glorious principles that we believe in. That man is President Wilford Woodruff, who has spent his life in preaching this Gospel. I once heard President Young say that he believed that if all who had heard him preach the Gospel had received it as he received it when he heard it, and had taken hold with the same interest and energy to keep the commandments of God themselves and teach others to do so, the Gospel might then have reached to all the nations of the earth, and they have been made partakers of its blessings and its privileges. But the fact is, the people of the earth are so bound up in the traditions of the fathers that they do not appreciate this matter. They have been taught by their religious teachers—for whom they entertained the highest regard—that the heavens were so effectually sealed up, that we were to have no more revelation. It has been awfully true that the heavens have been closed as concerning the revelations of God’s will, for some fourteen hundred years past, while the famine for the word of the Lord has prevailed, and a woe it has been to all the inhabitants of the earth to be thus shut out from the revelations of God and the power of His ministering Priesthood, and made only to depend upon a written book, called a Bible for salvation. The Church of the Living God has never been conducted on the earth by writings alone, or by books, parchments, or records of any kind. Take the Bible and all the holy books that have ever been written,--can they baptize you for the remission of sins? Have they got the power to administer the Holy Ghost to us? Can they institute a single ordinance? They can tell us what others have done; but they cannot confer the authority, nor administer the ordinances of the Gospel to us. It has taken no less than the real, living authority, direct from heaven, to confer this power by which we have carried the Gospel to the nations, and gathered the people so that at present we have people of about twenty-five different languages located here in Utah, from as man, or more different nations.
Inasmuch as this is the case, it may be interesting to know how we have come by further Revelations and this Priesthood Right at the door of this dispensation and the principle of revelation, lies a stumbling block to the people, because of the Book of Mormon. “A bible! a bible! a golden bible!” they cry.
I want to tell you in regard to the popular story that has gone abroad in the world viz, that this book of Mormon was made up by one Solomon Spaulding, who wrote a novel, that our leaders have preserved and discovered the novel Mr. Spaulding wrote, and which they claim Sydney Rigdon got hold of and published as the Book of Mormon. That romance of Mr. Spaulding’s we have obtained and had published in full, and if any of you want to examine it, you can have it and read it for yourself. You can also read the Book of Mormon, and see whether the one resembles the other. And if you want to see the original manuscript of Mr. Spaulding’s apply to the president of the Oberlin Institute in Ohio, and you can get as close an examination of it as anybody likes to make. I say this to clear away the underbrush from the investigations of the Book of Mormon.
The Lord hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the earth and hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of the habitation of the children of men, that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us. Acts 17:26; 27
What shall we think of the inhabitants of this half of the world? The Bible gives account of people that lived on the other half of the globe. It gives an account of the creation, of the world, and then a very short account of the existence of the people who lived before the flood. It also gives us some account concerning the times of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the growth of Israel until they became a people, and the Lord’s dealings with them in their posterity and blessing and whenever they turned away from Him, and His afflicting and chastising hand. it also gives an account of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ; how angels were sent beforehand to let the people know that the Savior was coming; that John the Baptist was going to prepare the way for him; and so down through the Gospel, and epistles, until its last great work by John the Revelator, recording the grandest vision that we have any account of in divine writ. This Bible is a book written by and of people of the other half of the globe. This half was shut out, and it has become a subject of speculation by a great many people who the original inhabitants of this part of the world were. Some say they are the ten tribes of Israel, and some say one class and some another.
The Book of Mormon is the Bible of the American continent. It gives an account of the dealings of the Lord with the people that lived on this half of the globe. It informs us that, when the language was confounded at Babel, there were a couple of men who knew God and who had His favor, that did not go into idolatry as the mass of people did, but united and asked God that he would not confound their language, so that they and their few friends and relatives might be able to understand each other. The Lord heard them and granted them that prayer, and He told them if they would hearken to His words, He would lead them to a land where they could live and grow up and cultivate His everlasting love and blessing. he led them on to this land, and the names of the two men were, Mahonri and Jared. They came over to this country in those early days from the land of Shinar. They were wise men, great men, had excellent families, and were first class stock to begin to populate one-half of the earth. They feared the Lord, they walked in His ways, and they brought with them the manners and customs of those early times and displayed their architectural works all over this land. The built great cities, they became numerous and powerful. They kept records of their lives in those days and of their experience of God’s providence over them; how they were led, and how they built and lived after they arrived here. By and by they became very proud and haughty, and became involved in wars, contentions and strifes, similar to those who have had between the Northern and Southern States, until they weakened and finally destroyed each other. The enmity among them was so deadly that it continued until men finished up by fighting two and two, sword in hand. This record gives us an account of that.
Then there was in the days of Israel a family of a man by the name of Lehi, who had several sons. Six hundred years before the Christian era, when Jeremiah came proclaiming judgments against Jerusalem, because of their wickedness, the Lord revealed unto this man Lehi and his family, they being righteous people, that He had compassion upon them, and that He did not require them to be led away captive into Babylon. So He told them that if they would gather out into the wilderness, He would lead them to a place of safety, where they could live upon a choice land above all other lands. This man Lehi and his family hearkened to His counsel, as did another man by the name of Ishmael, who had several daughters, and these united together in marriage, and they spread abroad here on this American continent and became a numerous and powerful people. They were people of Israel, the descendants of Joseph. They were descendants of both of Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh; and they have in this land fulfilled the prophecy which said that they should grow together and become a multitude of nations in the midst of the earth. It was of this land that Moses spake when he blessed Joseph, saying:
“Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath, and for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things brought forth by the moon, and for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills, and for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush; let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren. * * *
His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns; and with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth; and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh. Deut. 33:13-17.
These people that came over from Jerusalem, brought with them plates, on which were contained the law of Moses and the prophecies of the early prophets, and they lived here keeping the law of Moses until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
When our Savior had performed His mission in the land of Judea, He came over to this land of America. He told the people in Jerusalem that He had other sheep that were not of that fold, and that He must visit them also, that they might hear His voice, and He would bring them and they should become one people. So He came over here and held several notable conferences with the people. He taught them the same Gospel that He had taught in the land of Jerusalem, He appointed twelve disciples here, and gave them instructions; endowed them with the Priesthood, etc.
In the course of time, when the people became wicked again, after having had a long period of the greatest happiness of any people on earth, a celebrated prophet, by the name of Mormon, a righteous man, distinguished among his people for his virtues, his intelligence and his power of Priesthood, received instructions from the Lord to write the history of his people in an abridged form, before destructions should come upon them. He did so, and wrote it upon plates of pure gold, and in the language called the reformed Egyptian—a language which no people knew very well; and he being a prophet and having the Urim and Thummim, hid it up with these plates, so that in due time the plates should come forth and the means to interpret the record on them.
In a few words I have given you items of this history, covering a period of two or three thousand years. This Book of Mormon is an abridgement of the records of the Jaredites and also of the records of a people that came over, who were the descendants of Joseph. I should mention also that eleven years after Lehi left, when the sons of Zedekiah were captures and their eyes put out in the most barbarous manner, one of their number, named Mulek, made his escape and was led by the Lord, and he came and landed on this North American continent, so that he and his children joined with the descendants of Joseph. We have on this land in the natives, the descendants of Ephraim, of Manasseh and of Judah combined. This is what scientists, with much searching, speculation, and study, are endeavoring to find out.
This Book of Mormon is the Bible of the American world, made by these people. It gives an account of their rise and progress, their wealth and their poverty, their prosperity and their adversity, and finally their downfall and destruction; how they came to be cursed, and how the Savior came and preached to them the same Gospel that He taught in Judea. This book contains a testimony of the same principles as the Bible, and is a practical fulfillment of that which is spoken of by Ezekiel, the prophet, in the 37th chapter of his prophecy concerning the writing on sticks:
The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick and write upon it, for Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions; then take another stick, and write upon it, for Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mind hand. And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.
The word of the Lord in Ezekiel, as here given, makes not only the existence of the two sticks or records appear very clearly, by “being in thine hand and before their eyes,” but the expression in the 19th verse is particularly significant here. Here the Lord says: “I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall become one in Mine Hand.”
The word them, being plural, must signify two or more; and, putting them with him, even with the stick of Judah, signifies that not less than three are spoken of, which third, as appears from the test, must refer to “all the house of Israel his companions.”
this is the beautiful harmony with the prophecy of Nephi, in chapter xxix, verses 12-14. Second Nephi, delivered 450 years before the coming of Christ:
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 it shall come to pass that the Jews shall have the words of the Nephites, and the Nephites shall have the words of the Jews; and the Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the lost tribes of Israel; and the lost tribes of Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews. And it shall come to pass that my people, which are the house of Israel, shall be gathered home unto the lands of their possessions; and my word also shall be gathered in one. And I will show unto them that fight against my word and against my people, who are of the house of Israel, that I am God, and that I covenanted with Abraham, that I would remember his seed forever.
Here we are told by Ezekiel and Nephi, two notable prophets who lived many hundreds of years before the coming of our Savior, that there will be three records, sticks or Bibles published, containing His wonderful works, among three divisions of the house of Israel.
The stick of Judah—the Bible—has been in circulation for centuries among all civilized nations. The stick of Joseph, in the hands of Ephraim—which is the Book of Mormon—was translated into English from the Reformed Egyptian, by means of the Urim and Thummim, in the hands of Joseph Smith and has been translated from the English language into the French, German, Italian, Danish, Swedish, Welsh, Spanish, Dutch, Kanaka, Maori, Hindostanee, and one of the modern Jewish languages, and has been published and circulated in all except the two last mentioned nationalities, so that its existence is already widely known in Christendom.
Having received so complete a fulfilment of the promise concerning these two Bibles, we may exercise implicit faith that the third, giving an account of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel, will be forthcoming in the due time of the Lord.
The Book of Mormon has special and peculiar claim upon the faith of all true Christian people, because it was translated by the power of God through the Urim and Thummim, word by word and sentence by sentence.
On the 22nd of September, 1827, the gold plates upon which the Book of Mormon was engraved, were taken out of the ground and delivered to Joseph Smith, with the most solemn injunction concerning their safety, by the Prophet Moroni who had charge of the sacred record.
While Joseph Smith was translating with Oliver Cowdery writing for him, they came to where it referred to baptism for the remission of sins, and the authority necessary to administer it, and feeling anxious to be baptized themselves, they went into the woods near by and united in fervent prayer. While thus engaged, no less a personage than John the Baptist appeared to them, in a cloud of light, and laying his hands upon them, ordained them, saying:
Upon you my fellow servants in the name of the Messiah. I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the Gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.
He instructed them that this Aaronic Priesthood had not the power of the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, but that this should be conferred on them later, and also directed that Joseph should baptize Oliver, and that Oliver should baptize Joseph; and further that Joseph should ordain Oliver, and that Oliver should ordain him to this same Aaronic Priesthood.
He also informed them that he was acting under the direction of Peter, James and John, who held the keys of the Priesthood of Melchisedek, which Priesthood, he said, should in due time be conferred upon them.
It is impossible to read the wonderful history of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon out of the hill Cumorah and the restoration of the Priesthood at the command of God, by holy, resurrected men—for others who restored the Priesthood as well as Moroni were resurrected beings—without feeling that in these glorious events the words of David are fulfilled:
Mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other; truth shall spring out of the ground and righteousness shall look down from heaven.—Psalm 85:10, 11.
The first ordinations and baptisms in this dispensation took place on May 15, 1829. This is how authority of Priesthood to administer Gospel ordinances began to be restored to earth again. The word of the Lord, the Book of Mormon, truth, sprung out of the ground, but this righteous authority of Priesthood looked down from heaven. It did not come from any record of the fathers, or from any of the churches of the present day. The first ordination was given by John, the promised son of Zacharias and Elizabeth, who was filled with the Holy Ghost from his birth, was baptized in his childhood, and was ordained by an angel of god, when he was eight days old; he was the same who baptized our Savior in the river Jordan, and testified that He was the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world, and of whom Jesus said, there has been no greater Prophet born of a woman, although he did no miracle. This same John whom Herod caused to be beheaded in prison, and gave his head to Herodias’ daughter in a charger, was the last to hold the keys of the Aaronic Priesthood int he Jewish dispensation, and he having been raised from the dead, came by direction of Peter, James and John, and conferred this authority on Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery.
Soon after this ordination to the Aaronic Priesthood, and while they were engaged in fervent prayer, the word of the Lord came unto Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery that they should be ordained to the Melchisedek Priesthood, as had been promised by John the Baptist, when he ordained them Priests. Accordingly, without detailing time and place, the Lord in a revelation, says:
With Peter, James and John whom I have sent, by whom I have ordained you and confirmed you to be Apostles, and especial witnesses of My name, and bear the keys of your ministry, and of the same things which I reveal unto them; unto whom I have committed the keys of my kingdom, and a dispensation of the gospel for the last times; and for the fulness of times, in the which I will gather together in one all things, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth.
Thus we are informed that these distinguished Apostles were sent by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself to restore to earth the highest authority of Priesthood which He has ever conferred upon man, the Apostleship, with the privilege to receive revelations, organize the Church of Christ, and set in order in all things that are wanting. Oh how great is the mercy of God in causing the famine for the word of the Lord from sea to sea to cease and to commence giving line upon line, and precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, until His promise shall be fulfilled, that knowledge of Himself shall fill the earth as the waters do the mighty deep; when none shall need to say, know ye the Lord; for all shall know Him, from the least to the greatest!
By virtue of these ordinations and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit they had given to them the knowledge how to organize the Church, what officers to place in it, what powers to confer on each officer, and to give them the right to officiate in every ordinance necessary to build up the church here upon the earth. It is by the rites and powers of this Priesthood and Apostleship that the First Presidency and Twelve receive their ordinations, only in the third or fourth degree of descent from these holy men who were ordained by our Lord Jesus, Himself. This is how we have received the Priesthood, and by virtue of this authority do we baptize people for the remission of their sins and lay our hands upon them when thus obedient, and God verifies His promise; they do receive the Holy Ghost. We walk in the light of this Spirit, we keep His commandments, and He blesses us according to our diligence and faithfulness. It is by this power and this ministry that we have traveled through this nation and among many foreign nations. The Gospel is now at work like leaven; it is destined to leaven and gather out the righteous from all the four quarters of the earth. Thus you see we have the Bible and we have the Book of Mormon, and they both teach the same doctrines; for there is only one name given among men whereby they can be saved. There is only one doctrine by which they can be saved. There is only one spirit into which we have to be baptized, having the fellowship of each other and the love of God and angels; and we walk in the light of it, growing brighter and brighter, as we expect it will, until the perfect day.
In the Revelation of John we read that the church—the woman with a crown of twelve stars on her head, clothed with the sun, and having the moon under her feet—became a mother of a man child who was caught up to God and His throne. This woman, the Church, is now coming forth out of the wilderness where she has been nourished, and is putting on her royal robes of the Priesthood and is destined to be again clothed with the sun, the moon being under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
Then seeing that we have received such a Gospel, the new and the everlasting Gospel—new, because it is new to the generation in which we live; but it is everlasting, and the only Gospel that was ever revealed and taught among mankind—we are doing the work which God has laid upon us to do. He has given authority in different ways.
The angel told Joseph in some of his early ministrations that the Lord was going to send Elijah, the Prophet, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children. In the Month of March, 1836, in the temple at Kirtland, Elijah came and conferred the keys of his ministry upon joseph; and so on until there was given all the powers and authorities necessary to gather Israel, to build up Zion, to establish righteousness in the earth, and to take all the persecution that the Lord is willing we should have and that the devil is permitted to impose upon us. Those that abide and run faithfully and true to the end have the promise that they shall be saved.
My brethren and sisters, how glorious are the promises and blessings which have been promised unto the fathers, and which God has determined to bestow upon their children as fast as He can! Not only that we should sit and sing praises to the Lord for having redeemed us, but he has called us to become ministers, kings and priests unto the Most High God, and reign with Him a thousand years. Oh, glorious hopes! Oh, glorious prospects! Can we claim these hopes and call them ours? Yes, if through faith in Jesus’ name we conquer Satan’s power. That is where it lies. We must be true and faithful, and put one after another of our evil propensities under our feet, till we conquer this lump of clay that is given us, and sanctify it, so that the truth will grow in it. You will find that there is certain seed that will not grow unless you prepare your soil just right for it. So man cannot have the truth grow in him unless he observes the principles of the Gospel, keeps the commandments of God and purifies himself before the Lord.
I will bring my remarks to a close, but I wish to testify to you, my brethren and sisters, and to visiting strangers, that this is the work of the Most High God. He has set His hand the second time to gather Israel, and to build up a Zion. That He is going to bring the Zion that is in the heavens—the City of Enoch—when we are prepared on the earth for it, to come and dwell with us. I feel that, having put on the armor of Christ, let us fight the good fight, and contend for the faith that was once delivered to the Saints. May the Lord help us to do His will, to entertain faith in all that is right, and true, and just and holy, and qualify ourselves by the help of God for every good word and word; and that we may obtain grace and strength to endure to the end, is my prayer in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
The choir sang: Light and Truth.
Benediction by Elder George Reynolds.
Afternoon Session.
Singing by the choir:
All hail the glorious day,
By prophets long foretold.
Prayer by Elder Abram Hatch, of Wasatch Stake.
How firm a foundation, ye Saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent word,
was sung by the choir and congregation.
Singing by the choir:
All hail the glorious day,
By prophets long foretold.
Prayer by Elder Abram Hatch, of Wasatch Stake.
How firm a foundation, ye Saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent word,
was sung by the choir and congregation.
Elder Abraham H. Cannon
addressed the assemblage. That which we had heard during this conference was as valuable to us as was the written word. Some young people in the community entertained wrong ideas about independence. They thought it proper to disregard the advice of their parents and that of those whose duty it was to counsel and direct them. Disobedience to proper authority always resulted disastrously to those who indulged in it. Attention to the requirements of parents was a legal requirement in some countries—notably China. It was deemed to be true that children who were undutiful to parents were dangerous to the welfare of the state when they grew to maturity. Disobedient children seldom became faithful members of the Church. The spirit of obedience was not an indication of independence of character. Submission to rightful authority was, on the other hand, indicative of genuine courage. (The speaker here related a number of instances illustrative of the correctness of this view.)
The noblest example of adherence to the law of obedience was exhibited by our Lord and Savior, who gave to us the highest lesson for the guidance of mortals in their conduct. In any course that affected the welfare of the Kingdom of God, it was the duty of each member to consult the authorities of the church. The pathway of this work was strewn with the wrecks of otherwise great men, who had disregarded the wishes of those who were at the head of the work which God had established. No man, possessed of the Spirit of Christ would ever give counsel that would injure those who sought it. If the people rejected the counsel of those who were placed to preside, they would be under condemnation, as the authorities were the representatives of that divine power by whom they were appointed. The discourse throughout the speaker pointed to the great necessity for the leading officers of the Church being imbued with the spirit of their callings, and the people at large being in harmony with the measures they inaugurated for the advancement of the cause of truth and righteousness on earth.
addressed the assemblage. That which we had heard during this conference was as valuable to us as was the written word. Some young people in the community entertained wrong ideas about independence. They thought it proper to disregard the advice of their parents and that of those whose duty it was to counsel and direct them. Disobedience to proper authority always resulted disastrously to those who indulged in it. Attention to the requirements of parents was a legal requirement in some countries—notably China. It was deemed to be true that children who were undutiful to parents were dangerous to the welfare of the state when they grew to maturity. Disobedient children seldom became faithful members of the Church. The spirit of obedience was not an indication of independence of character. Submission to rightful authority was, on the other hand, indicative of genuine courage. (The speaker here related a number of instances illustrative of the correctness of this view.)
The noblest example of adherence to the law of obedience was exhibited by our Lord and Savior, who gave to us the highest lesson for the guidance of mortals in their conduct. In any course that affected the welfare of the Kingdom of God, it was the duty of each member to consult the authorities of the church. The pathway of this work was strewn with the wrecks of otherwise great men, who had disregarded the wishes of those who were at the head of the work which God had established. No man, possessed of the Spirit of Christ would ever give counsel that would injure those who sought it. If the people rejected the counsel of those who were placed to preside, they would be under condemnation, as the authorities were the representatives of that divine power by whom they were appointed. The discourse throughout the speaker pointed to the great necessity for the leading officers of the Church being imbued with the spirit of their callings, and the people at large being in harmony with the measures they inaugurated for the advancement of the cause of truth and righteousness on earth.
Elder Moses Thatcher
followed. He advised the Saints to become familiar with their own spirit and motives, and to avoid narrow and prejudiced remarks about one another. The character of one’s associates, especially among the Latter-day Saints, should be sacred to him. Narrow judgment would always receive its own kind in return. Personal matters should not be brought into public notice, for such action would cause a feeling of bitterness for those whom one has personally injured. Envy was declared to be a serious offense, resulting in such injustice as proves those who are guilty or it to be incapable of exercising just authority over others. Rule founded upon affection was preferable to that based on fear; love would beget its kind. The exercise of authority should always be characterized by kindness and self-sacrifice. Treachery in worldly affairs would preclude the possibility of perfect justice in religion.
Too much seeking after the honors and riches of the world would alienate the Spirit of God, leaving the man in blindness, to do and to say things which under other circumstances he would carefully avoid. Saints could not afford to have the friendships of years broken up by the vain wranglings and discussions of politics. Rather should every effort be directed through the Holy Spirit to the establishment of the Kingdom of God. Above all things should the Saints attempt to win to themselves the friendship and good will of all good men.
followed. He advised the Saints to become familiar with their own spirit and motives, and to avoid narrow and prejudiced remarks about one another. The character of one’s associates, especially among the Latter-day Saints, should be sacred to him. Narrow judgment would always receive its own kind in return. Personal matters should not be brought into public notice, for such action would cause a feeling of bitterness for those whom one has personally injured. Envy was declared to be a serious offense, resulting in such injustice as proves those who are guilty or it to be incapable of exercising just authority over others. Rule founded upon affection was preferable to that based on fear; love would beget its kind. The exercise of authority should always be characterized by kindness and self-sacrifice. Treachery in worldly affairs would preclude the possibility of perfect justice in religion.
Too much seeking after the honors and riches of the world would alienate the Spirit of God, leaving the man in blindness, to do and to say things which under other circumstances he would carefully avoid. Saints could not afford to have the friendships of years broken up by the vain wranglings and discussions of politics. Rather should every effort be directed through the Holy Spirit to the establishment of the Kingdom of God. Above all things should the Saints attempt to win to themselves the friendship and good will of all good men.
President George Q. Cannon
addressed the Conference on “The voice of the true Shepherd.” He cited instances prominent int he history of the Church, of God having clearly indicated on whom the authority rested to lead the people. The great body of the Saints had recognized the voice of the Spirit of the Lord, which had found an echo in their hearts. He also showed clearly that the experience of the past fully justified the people in listening to the counsel of God’s servants. The concluding portion of the discourse was devoted to delineating the wonderful nature of the Latter-day work of god, and the marked characteristics of those who had identified themselves with it.
The choir sang: O come, let us sing unto the Lord.
Benediction by Elder John D. T. McAllister.
addressed the Conference on “The voice of the true Shepherd.” He cited instances prominent int he history of the Church, of God having clearly indicated on whom the authority rested to lead the people. The great body of the Saints had recognized the voice of the Spirit of the Lord, which had found an echo in their hearts. He also showed clearly that the experience of the past fully justified the people in listening to the counsel of God’s servants. The concluding portion of the discourse was devoted to delineating the wonderful nature of the Latter-day work of god, and the marked characteristics of those who had identified themselves with it.
The choir sang: O come, let us sing unto the Lord.
Benediction by Elder John D. T. McAllister.
Third Day. Oct. 6th, 10 a.m.
Singing by the choir and congregation:
Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear,
But with joy wend your way,
Though hard to you this journey may appear.
Prayer by Elder Hugh S. Gowans, of Tooele Stake.
The choir and congregation sang:
Redeemer of Israel, Our only delight.
On whom for a blessing we call;
Our shadow by day, And our pillar by Light:
Our King, our Deliverer, our all.
Singing by the choir and congregation:
Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear,
But with joy wend your way,
Though hard to you this journey may appear.
Prayer by Elder Hugh S. Gowans, of Tooele Stake.
The choir and congregation sang:
Redeemer of Israel, Our only delight.
On whom for a blessing we call;
Our shadow by day, And our pillar by Light:
Our King, our Deliverer, our all.
President Wilford Woodruff
delivered a discourse on the subject of revelation, showing that it was impossible to conduct the work of the Lord and lead His children without continuous communication with the heavens. He showed why the weak were chosen as the instruments of the Almighty in preference to those who were esteemed as great from the standpoint of the world. The humble did not take glory to themselves and could be used for the attainment of divine purposes. The speaker also dwelt for some time on the manner in which the Almighty prepared the way for the introduction of His dispensations to the children of men, and related notable instances associated with the setting up and establishment of the Church in this age. He also spoke for some time on the marvelous character of the dispensation of the latter days, inaugurated through the instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and bore testimony to the divine character of his calling.
delivered a discourse on the subject of revelation, showing that it was impossible to conduct the work of the Lord and lead His children without continuous communication with the heavens. He showed why the weak were chosen as the instruments of the Almighty in preference to those who were esteemed as great from the standpoint of the world. The humble did not take glory to themselves and could be used for the attainment of divine purposes. The speaker also dwelt for some time on the manner in which the Almighty prepared the way for the introduction of His dispensations to the children of men, and related notable instances associated with the setting up and establishment of the Church in this age. He also spoke for some time on the marvelous character of the dispensation of the latter days, inaugurated through the instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and bore testimony to the divine character of his calling.
Discourse
Delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday, October 6th, 1895, by
Prest. Wilford Woodruff.
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
President Woodruff read from Section 68 of the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, as follows:
My servant, Orson Hyde, was called by his ordinance to proclaim the everlasting gospel, by the Spirit of the everlasting God, from people to people, and from land to land, in the congregations of the wicked, in their synagogues, reasoning with, and expounding all Scriptures unto them.
And, behold, and lo! this is an ensample unto all those who were ordained unto this priesthood, whose mission is appointed unto them to go forth;
And this is the ensample unto them, that they shall speak as they are moved unto by the Holy Ghost,
And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost, shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation:
Behold this is the promise of the Lord unto you, O ye my servants;
Wherefore be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come.
He then said:
I have read these verses this morning before you that you may understand the position that I occupy before God, angels and men. I have a desire to speak a short time to the Latter-day Saints; but I want you to understand, as I have read here, that I am not capable, nor is any man capable of teaching the children of men and edifying them in the Gospel of Jesus Christ without the Holy Spirit, without revelation, without the inspiration of Almighty God. Therefore, I want the faith of the Latter-day Saints, and also their prayers. I need the Spirit of God to assist me, as does every man who attempts to teach the people the things of the kingdom of heaven. I have been sick for about a week, confined mostly to my bed and room; but I have felt that I did not wish this conference to pass without meeting you. For the last day or two I have had the privilege of mingling with my friends, and I have a desire to express myself upon some things appertaining to our day and generation and to the work of God.
The question arises in the minds of the people in our day and generation, Does President Woodruff have revelation? Do his counselors have revelation? Do the Twelve Apostles have revelation? Do this people have revelation? We live in too important a day and generation, and in the midst of too important events, for any man to be qualified to lead the people of God one hour without revelation and inspiration from Almighty God. And at this point I want to say a few words with regard to this principle of revelation. Read the history of the world. Old father Adam, three years and a half previous to his death, called together seven of his sons, all High Priests—Seth, Enos, Jared, Mahalaleel, Canaan, Enoch and Methusaleh—with the residue of his posterity, and there he stood on his feet for a long time, clothed with the Holy Ghost and the power of God, and he prophesied unto his sons what should take place concerning them and their posterity to the end of time. Follow this out; take all those early patriarchs and prophets, and later ones, too, and they all have had revelation. They had to have it. Whenever a city became ripened in iniquity, and men blasphemed God and broke His commandments, the Lord Almighty raised up prophets and inspired men to warn that city and the inhabitants thereof of the judgments of God which should come upon them unless they repented. Jeremiah was called to warn Jerusalem and Judea in the reign of King Zedekiah, and in doing so he stirred up the anger of the people against him, and he was cast into a dungeon and abused in almost every way, because he told them what was coming to pass unless they repented. He did not praise them; but he told them that they were committing sin and breaking the laws of God, and if they did not repent, the judgments of God would overtake them. In reading of how they persecuted him and what he passed through, a man would almost expect to read in the book of Jeremiah that he said to them, “You may all go to hell for what I care. I am not going to endure these things.” But you cannot read it there; for the Lord in calling him 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.”
Jeremiah gave forth the word of the Lord, and not one word fell unfulfilled. And so with every other prophet.
Take the whole history of the world down to the present generation, and has there ever been a time when the people of God did not need revelation? I say, nay. Now, I would ask this congregation, I would ask the Jews, the Catholics, the Protestants, I would ask the clergy of all nations: Can this mighty dispensation, of which every prophet has spoken, be fulfilled, and can these great events transpire in the earth, without revelation from God? No, most assuredly not. God never gave to a man a greater dispensation than the one in which Joseph Smith was called and ordained of God to organize the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I required revelation. It will require it to the winding-up scene. Zion cannot be built up without it, prophets and apostles cannot do their work without it, nor can the nations of the earth be warned of the great judgments that are at the door without it. Therefore, we say to all men, Joseph Smith was called of God by revelation. And further, we say that no man ever did or ever will have power to warn the world, to preach the Gospel, or administer in one of the ordinances of the house of God without the Holy Priesthood. It is just as necessary in the last days as it was in the days of Christ and His Apostles, or in the days of Isaiah and Jeremiah. You cannot separate these things; they belong to the same God, to the same salvation, to the same principles of eternal life.
I have sat and listened to every Apostle that is before me now bear record during this conference. Did not these Apostles speaker by the Holy Ghost and the power of God? They did, and their testimony is recorded in the great library of the celestial kingdom of God. They could not edify us without it. I would to God that the inhabitants of the earth would get rid of the idea that revelation ceased when Christ was put to death. It is a false doctrine. Revelation belongs to the salvation of the children of men.
Again, why did the Lord choose such a weak man as Wilford Woodruff to preside over His Church? Why did He choose Joseph Smith—an illiterate boy, as he was called? Why has He chosen that class of men? Because He could handle them. He has chosen men that will acknowledge the hand of God. The question has been asked me many times, Why did not the Lord choose some of the great divines of the day? Because it is not His manner of doing business; it never has been. You may take the apostles and prophets in any age of the world, and they have been very humble men. They are in this day and generation, or the Lord could not handle them. That is the reason the Lord has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the wise, “and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are.” Could Joseph Smith rise up and boast before the God of Israel that that was his work? Could Brigham Young? Could John Taylor? Can Wilford Woodruff? Can any of these Apostles? Taken as we have been from the plow, the plane, the hammer, and the various occupations of life, can we boast we have power to do this? We cannot; we are not made of that material. The only marvel I have had all my life has been that the Lord ever chose me for anything, especially as an Apostle and as President. But that is His own business; it was not mine.
My name has been referred to two or three times by the Apostles with regard to my labors. I want to say something in relation to that. To begin with, I will say that the Lord has never set His hand in any age of the world, especially in ours, to establish a Zion like this, without preparing an element for it. In fact, the Lord never undertook to do anything with regard to this world, appertaining to His kingdom and work, until He had prepared a people for it. Now, the set time had come for the fulfillment of the revelations of St. John, when another angel should fly through the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach to them that dwelt upon the earth, “saying with a loud voice, fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come.” The time, I say, had come for the manifestation of the Gospel of Christ to the world. The Apostles of Christ and every man that bore the Priesthood in their day and generation were put to death for the word of God and testimony of Jesus and the Holy Priesthood was caught up to God, and remained there until the day and generation in which Joseph Smith was raised up. He was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood by John the Baptist, who held the keys of that Priesthood while dwelling in the flesh. He was ordained to the Apostleship by Peter, James and John, who held the keys of that Priesthood when they were taken from the earth. That was the beginning of this work. The Lord could not undertake a work of this kind without there was a way and a people prepared for it. In the first place, the Lord prepared the minds of men of the generation in which Joseph Smith was born, that they might be ready to receive His work when it was established. There were men that were kept in the spirit world thousands of years to stand in the flesh in this generation to bear this Holy Priesthood and to bear record of that to the inhabitants of the earth. Those men have been born in this day, and they have been moved upon to prepared for this work.
Now, I desire to say something about myself. It is generally considered egotism for a man to speak of himself; but I speak of my history and experience because it is applicable to thousands of others. Eighty years ago, when I was about eight years old, I attended Sabbath school under Dr. Porter, a great reverend divine in Farmington, Connecticut. There I read some strange things in the New Testament. What were they? Why, I read of Apostles; I read of men who laid hands on the sick, and they recovered; who cast out devils, raised the dead, caused the dumb to speak, the blind to see, the lame to leap, who held converse with God and with holy angels, and had visions and revelations. Brethren and sisters, I read of these things when I was eight years of age. They made an impression upon my mind as soon as I read them. “Why is it, Dr. Porter—why is it, Dr. Haws,--why is it, gentlemen, that you do not advocate in your day and generation that faith once delivered to the Saints? Why don’t you receive these things, if they were the servants of God and had the Gospel?” “Oh!” said they, “these things are all done away with. They were given in the dark ages of the world to convince the world that Jesus was the Christ. We live in the blaze of the glorious gospel light of Christ; we do not need them today.” “Then,” said I, “give me the dark ages of the world, if they will give a man power to unlock the door of eternity and hold converse with God, and receive these blessings and gifts manifest in that day.” From that time my inspiration began. As soon as I grew a little older, I began to read the revelations. My soul was drawn out upon these things. In my early manhood I prayed day and night that I might live to see a prophet. I would have gone a thousand miles to have seen a prophet, or a man that could teach me the things that I read of in the Bible. I could not join any church, because I could not find any church at that time that advocated these principles. I spent many a midnight hour, by the river side, in the mountains, and in my mill (being a miller,) calling upon God that I might live to see a prophet or some man that would teach me of the things of the kingdom of God as I read them. I remained in that condition until the year 1833. I was living with my brother on the shores of Lake Ontario. A man by the name of Zera Pulsipher, sixty miles from where I lived, was moved upon in the month of December, with the snow three or four feet deep, to arise and go to the north, the Lord had come work for him there. He called upon another man to go with him. They traveled two days on the road to the north, not knowing where they were going. Our house was the first place that they stopped at. I was lumbering at the time on the shore of the lake. Zera Pulsipher told my brother’s wife who they were and what they were, and what the principles were. He said the Lord had sent him into the north country to do some work there. My sister-in-law told him that her husband and myself both believed in the principles that he taught. Well, they held a meeting. I went to it, and for the first time in my life I heard a Gospel sermon. I invited the men home. I borrowed a Book of Mormon, and sat up all night and read it, and I had a testimony it was true. In the morning I asked to be baptized. Myself and brother were baptized—the first in that region of country. From that hour till this I never have had one moment’s doubt with regard to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know the work is true. I have been called into the vineyard and ministry with the rest of my brethren, and I have traveled a great many miles and quite a number of years I have held the Apostleship fifty-eight years. Brother Joseph only held it some fourteen before he was slain. Brother Brigham held it about forty, and Brother Taylor about the same length of time as myself. I have labored all these years and I know it is the work of God. I know the Lord is with this people. I have a desire that we may magnify our callings and fulfill our position upon the earth. God has organized this Church; He has organized it with prophets, apostles, pastors, teachers, helps, etc., in fulfillment of the promises of God in the last days. I traveled with Joseph Smith quite a length of time. I traveled with Brigham Young forty years, at home and abroad. I traveled with him to this country. We came with the pioneers. Brigham Young, though he never wrote many revelations, had the revelations of God with him from the day that he embraced this work till the day of his death. I have often thought of the time when he was asked if he would not go on to California instead of stopping in this barren land. What was his answer? I was with him when he gave that answer. He said, “No. I am going to stay right here. I am going to build a temple here; I am going to build a city here; I am going to build a country here.” Has it not been so? Yes, it has. Was it not by revelation? Certainly, it was. We have all been called from this low position in life to the Priesthood. Thousands of this people have been called to go abroad to preach the Gospel. In speaking of myself and the manner I was led, so we find it everywhere throughout the world. Where did you come from? You came from every state in the Union; from England, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France, Ireland and other parts of Europe, as well as from the different nations of the earth and the islands of the sea. One of these simple Elders came to you and you heard him preach the Gospel, and he promised you if you would repent of your sins and be baptized for the remission of them, you should receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Did you not receive it? You did, or you would not be here today. Nobody could then keep you at home. We have been gathered together by the commandments of God, and so far, we are trying to do the will of God. But we have only just begun. I was at the concert here last night, and I could not help but think that if President Young had been there and looked upon that vast assembly of ten thousand people, gathered not only from this territory but from neighboring states and territories, he would have felt satisfied. When he built this Tabernacle, we did not have people to fill it; but he told us that in the building up of Zion we would never have a house big enough to accommodate us however large we might build it; and so it proved last night. I enjoyed the concert. Governor Thomas invited to address the assembly; but I felt that people had gathered there, not to hear preaching, but music.
Let me speak a little further with regard to the Lord preparing a people for this work. The history of this whole people is in that line. I will refer you to the year 1840. The Lord gave a commandment for the Twelve Apostles to go to England. There had a few gone to England before; Brother Kimball and several others went in 1837 and established the Church there. But in 1840 the Apostles were called as a body to go there; and the devil did not like it. He tried to kill us all. There was hardly one of the Twelve Apostles who went that was well. When I left home President Young paddled me across the Mississippi in a canoe, and I was suffering with the chills and fever. I had spent two years in Tennessee and Kentucky, in the midst of sickness; but I never had an attack of the chills and fever in my life till I was called to go to England. It was so with most all of us. The devil did not like it; but we went. It was the harvest time then in that land. We accomplished a great work. We baptized about seven thousand that year, opened doors throughout England and Scotland, and laid a foundation for the work which has been fulfilled up to the present time. I will refer to one circumstance connected with that mission. I was in the potteries in Staffordshire, having gone there when I got to England. I was doing a good work there, baptizing almost every night. One night I went to Hanley to hold a meeting, and there was a very full house. Before I got up to speak, the Spirit of God came upon me and told me that that was the last meeting I should hold with that people for many days. I had appointments out for two weeks in that region of the country. After I got through preaching that night. I told them it was the last meeting I should hold with them. I went down into the water and baptized quite a number, and in the morning, I went before the Lord and asked what He wanted of me. He told me to go to the south. I got into the stage and rode eighty miles south. I went into Herefordshire, and the first man’s house I stopped at was John Benbow’s. In one hour after I arrived at his house, I learned why the Lord had sent me there. I name this because it is in the line of what I was speaking of. Here I found a company of men and women, some six hundred, who had handed together under the name of United Brethren, and were laboring for the ancient order of things. They wanted the Gospel as taught by the prophets and apostles, as I did in my youth. Well, without dwelling upon this, I will say that the first thirty days after I arrived in Herefordshire, I baptized forty-five preachers and several hundred members, and I had in my hands all the chapels or houses licensed for worship according to law. We brought in two thousand in about eight months’ labor. Many of these people had been looking and praying for this very work, and they were praying for it when I went there. I took no honor to myself with regard to this matter, I never felt that I could. All we have to do is to follow the dictation of the Spirit of the Lord, and give God the honor and the glory of it. We did a good work there and God blessed us. From there we went to London. Brothers Heber C. Kimball and George A. Smith and myself preached and established the first branch of the Church in the city of London. I rejoiced very much in my labors in Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, and thousands of those that were baptized there are in Utah. We had quite a number of Bishops in this Territory that I baptized at that time. The youngest I baptized there was Brother Rowberry, who was a bishop of Tooele. He was only a boy at that time.
I want to refer to one circumstance that took place where in that mission and I do it as an example of the Lord’s dealings with us in matters pertaining to temporal matters. John Benbow was a noble man. He was like an English lord; as rich a man, I suppose as ever came into the Church. He had not been baptized a month, I do not think, when he came into a little sitting room with his wife, and he probably spent three quarters of an hour in telling me that he had been reading in the New Testament how in the days of the Apostles they sold all their possessions and laid them at the Apostles’ feet, and he said he felt it was his duty to fulfill that law and he wanted to do it. I listened to him patiently and when he got through it took me perhaps half an hour to tell him the difference between our position today and the position of the Apostles in that day. I gave him to understand that God had not sent me to England to take care of his gold, his horses, his cows and his property; He had sent me there to preach the Gospel. I told him, however, that the Lord would accept of his sacrifice, and that whenever he could do good, he should do it; he should assist the poor, help publish the Book of Mormon, etc. Now, what would have been the result if I had taken the other course, and said, “Yes give me your property and I will take care of it?” Why, he would probably have apostatized. Not only that, but there would have been one foolish Apostle, who would have been a suitable candidate for apostasy also. but was that any temptation to me? No, it was not. It was not have been to any Elder who had enough of the Spirit of God to know the difference between a hundred thousand pounds of money and a part in the first resurrection, with power to pass by the angels and the gods to exaltation and glory, and stand in the presence of God and the Lamb forever and forever.
I name these things to show that there was a people prepared for this work. Go where you would and you would find spirits of this kind. That is why this people have come up here from the various nations of the earth. We have the Gospel of Christ abroad in all nations today as far as we have opportunity, and we have got to continue this work. The Lord is going to cut His work short in righteousness; and as I have said before, however insignificant this people may be in the eyes of the world, the God of heaven holds us responsible for preaching this Gospel to every nation under heaven, and we have it to do or we will be damned. We cannot avoid this. Why? Because, as Paul says, “Woe is unto me if I preach not the Gospel.” There is but one Gospel; never has been but one, and never will be; and Paul says, “But though we, or an angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” That Gospel, ye saints of the living God, and the world, is in our hands, sent to us by the ministrations of angels—the same Gospel that was taught from Adam to Christ, and from Christ down to our day and generation, when God has had a people on the earth. I have a great desire myself for the welfare of the Latter-day Saints. We have a great work to perform.
Before I close, I want to say a few words to the Apostles and to the Saints of God. I want to say something about the devil. The devil, in the days of the Savior, got one Apostle to deny his Lord and sell Him for thirty pieces of silver. But when Judas’ eyes were opened to see what he had done, he did not prize those thirty pieces of silver, but went out and hung himself. Is that devil dead? Has Lucifer, the son of the morning, gone out of existence? No; he is here today. He is in the midst of this people; and if there are any people under heaven that Lucifer with all the fallen angels that dwell on the earth are laboring to destroy, they are these Latter-day Saints. It was so anciently; it will be so until He who holds the keys of death and hell shall bind Satan and shut him up. Until that hour he will labor for our destruction. I want to say to these Apostles that I have seen days of trouble with the quorum of the Twelve. I have referred many times to the days in Kirtland, and my heart has had a great deal of pain over those affairs. There the devil labored with the Apostles and caused a good share of them to apostatize. One half of them apostatized, and some of the others came pretty near it. The signers or witnesses to the Book of Mormon—Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and Martin Harris—all apostatized from the Church of Jesus Christ, though they never denied the Book of Mormon. In the darkest day, neither one of them ever denied that, but always maintained it to the day of his death. But I want to say to my brethren that if the devil could get one of these Apostles—yes, one of them—to believe that the Presidency of this Church were working against him, and that we did not have his welfare at heart, or if he could get a Seventy or any man in this Church to believe it, he would labor to do so. If the devil could have got the Savior to have followed him, he would have overthrown the whole plan of salvation. But he did not do it. Jesus said, “Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.” So I say to these Apostles before me, if the devil could make one of you believe that we would not give you right counsel, he would do it. But he will not do it. I thank God for that. I fell I can prophesy that before God and angels. The Apostles, as a body, are united, and God has laid His Spirit upon them, and they will be true and faithful to this work until they get through with it. Those are my feelings. I rejoice in this. I trust I shall never pass through any more of those scenes that I witnessed in the days that are past and gone.
Brethren and sisters, God bless you. Now, do not be afraid that the Presidency and Apostles of this Church will give you any wrong counsel. We have learned better than to do that. We shall never do it while we dwell in the flesh. The salvation of the sons of men is of far more worth that all the honor that the human family can give upon our heads. Give me salvation; give me a part in the first resurrection; give me the privilege of standing in the morning of the first resurrection with the resurrected dead—with the father’s house and with the prophets and apostles who have lived in my day and generation; give me power to be exalted with them in the eternal worlds in the kingdom of our God. That is all I ask. And it is my privilege and yours. It is the privilege of this people to receive these blessings at the hands of God. I have confidence in my brethren. I rejoice with them in the union that dwells today in the house of Israel, and with the Presidency and Twelve Apostles. We love one another. We understand something of the work of God in our day and time. We have labored together. Here are my counselors; they have spent years and years upon the islands of the sea, where they have had to live upon cocoanuts and poi and food of that character, and they did it to save the souls of men. God has blessed them in all their labors. He will bless them. He will bless this people.
I believe this is all I want to say to you this morning. I felt sick when I arose; I feel better now, and as though I had been refreshed in spirit. I thank God I am able to talk to you, as the saying is, in my old age. The Lord has been very merciful to me. The devil has sought to kill me from the day I was born; but God has had an agent with me to keep me from his power, and so far, I have been preserved. I hope the Lord will not let me live an hour longer than I can live in his service. But I am a feeble man—weak like the rest of you. If anybody supposes that the Presidency and Apostles here are never tempted of the devil, they are mistaken. We are tempted all the time, more or less, and we have to war against these things in order to stand and maintain our position. I pray God that His blessings bay rest upon us. I rejoice in this conference. It has been a glorious time. There is a good spirit here; and the testimonies that have been given unto us by the power of God have been choice. The angels are watching over us. The eyes of all the heavenly hosts are over us. Those who have lived in other dispensations understand this dispensation far better than we do, and they are watching over the labors of the Elders of Israel. I pray that we may pursue that course wherein we may be justified before God, and have power to conquer and overcome; and when we have finished here, that we can go home to receive our reward. The great library in the celestial kingdom of our God contains the history of the dealings of God with all the world, for it belongs to this world. Your history is there; mine is there; our testimonies are there; and we will have to meet them. I hope and pray that my sins may be blotted out of the book of remembrance and not be remembered against me. I hope and pray this will be the case with you; for blessed is the man that will meet this blessing when he comes to the end. God bless you. Amen.
Delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday, October 6th, 1895, by
Prest. Wilford Woodruff.
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
President Woodruff read from Section 68 of the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, as follows:
My servant, Orson Hyde, was called by his ordinance to proclaim the everlasting gospel, by the Spirit of the everlasting God, from people to people, and from land to land, in the congregations of the wicked, in their synagogues, reasoning with, and expounding all Scriptures unto them.
And, behold, and lo! this is an ensample unto all those who were ordained unto this priesthood, whose mission is appointed unto them to go forth;
And this is the ensample unto them, that they shall speak as they are moved unto by the Holy Ghost,
And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost, shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation:
Behold this is the promise of the Lord unto you, O ye my servants;
Wherefore be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come.
He then said:
I have read these verses this morning before you that you may understand the position that I occupy before God, angels and men. I have a desire to speak a short time to the Latter-day Saints; but I want you to understand, as I have read here, that I am not capable, nor is any man capable of teaching the children of men and edifying them in the Gospel of Jesus Christ without the Holy Spirit, without revelation, without the inspiration of Almighty God. Therefore, I want the faith of the Latter-day Saints, and also their prayers. I need the Spirit of God to assist me, as does every man who attempts to teach the people the things of the kingdom of heaven. I have been sick for about a week, confined mostly to my bed and room; but I have felt that I did not wish this conference to pass without meeting you. For the last day or two I have had the privilege of mingling with my friends, and I have a desire to express myself upon some things appertaining to our day and generation and to the work of God.
The question arises in the minds of the people in our day and generation, Does President Woodruff have revelation? Do his counselors have revelation? Do the Twelve Apostles have revelation? Do this people have revelation? We live in too important a day and generation, and in the midst of too important events, for any man to be qualified to lead the people of God one hour without revelation and inspiration from Almighty God. And at this point I want to say a few words with regard to this principle of revelation. Read the history of the world. Old father Adam, three years and a half previous to his death, called together seven of his sons, all High Priests—Seth, Enos, Jared, Mahalaleel, Canaan, Enoch and Methusaleh—with the residue of his posterity, and there he stood on his feet for a long time, clothed with the Holy Ghost and the power of God, and he prophesied unto his sons what should take place concerning them and their posterity to the end of time. Follow this out; take all those early patriarchs and prophets, and later ones, too, and they all have had revelation. They had to have it. Whenever a city became ripened in iniquity, and men blasphemed God and broke His commandments, the Lord Almighty raised up prophets and inspired men to warn that city and the inhabitants thereof of the judgments of God which should come upon them unless they repented. Jeremiah was called to warn Jerusalem and Judea in the reign of King Zedekiah, and in doing so he stirred up the anger of the people against him, and he was cast into a dungeon and abused in almost every way, because he told them what was coming to pass unless they repented. He did not praise them; but he told them that they were committing sin and breaking the laws of God, and if they did not repent, the judgments of God would overtake them. In reading of how they persecuted him and what he passed through, a man would almost expect to read in the book of Jeremiah that he said to them, “You may all go to hell for what I care. I am not going to endure these things.” But you cannot read it there; for the Lord in calling him 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.”
Jeremiah gave forth the word of the Lord, and not one word fell unfulfilled. And so with every other prophet.
Take the whole history of the world down to the present generation, and has there ever been a time when the people of God did not need revelation? I say, nay. Now, I would ask this congregation, I would ask the Jews, the Catholics, the Protestants, I would ask the clergy of all nations: Can this mighty dispensation, of which every prophet has spoken, be fulfilled, and can these great events transpire in the earth, without revelation from God? No, most assuredly not. God never gave to a man a greater dispensation than the one in which Joseph Smith was called and ordained of God to organize the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I required revelation. It will require it to the winding-up scene. Zion cannot be built up without it, prophets and apostles cannot do their work without it, nor can the nations of the earth be warned of the great judgments that are at the door without it. Therefore, we say to all men, Joseph Smith was called of God by revelation. And further, we say that no man ever did or ever will have power to warn the world, to preach the Gospel, or administer in one of the ordinances of the house of God without the Holy Priesthood. It is just as necessary in the last days as it was in the days of Christ and His Apostles, or in the days of Isaiah and Jeremiah. You cannot separate these things; they belong to the same God, to the same salvation, to the same principles of eternal life.
I have sat and listened to every Apostle that is before me now bear record during this conference. Did not these Apostles speaker by the Holy Ghost and the power of God? They did, and their testimony is recorded in the great library of the celestial kingdom of God. They could not edify us without it. I would to God that the inhabitants of the earth would get rid of the idea that revelation ceased when Christ was put to death. It is a false doctrine. Revelation belongs to the salvation of the children of men.
Again, why did the Lord choose such a weak man as Wilford Woodruff to preside over His Church? Why did He choose Joseph Smith—an illiterate boy, as he was called? Why has He chosen that class of men? Because He could handle them. He has chosen men that will acknowledge the hand of God. The question has been asked me many times, Why did not the Lord choose some of the great divines of the day? Because it is not His manner of doing business; it never has been. You may take the apostles and prophets in any age of the world, and they have been very humble men. They are in this day and generation, or the Lord could not handle them. That is the reason the Lord has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the wise, “and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are.” Could Joseph Smith rise up and boast before the God of Israel that that was his work? Could Brigham Young? Could John Taylor? Can Wilford Woodruff? Can any of these Apostles? Taken as we have been from the plow, the plane, the hammer, and the various occupations of life, can we boast we have power to do this? We cannot; we are not made of that material. The only marvel I have had all my life has been that the Lord ever chose me for anything, especially as an Apostle and as President. But that is His own business; it was not mine.
My name has been referred to two or three times by the Apostles with regard to my labors. I want to say something in relation to that. To begin with, I will say that the Lord has never set His hand in any age of the world, especially in ours, to establish a Zion like this, without preparing an element for it. In fact, the Lord never undertook to do anything with regard to this world, appertaining to His kingdom and work, until He had prepared a people for it. Now, the set time had come for the fulfillment of the revelations of St. John, when another angel should fly through the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach to them that dwelt upon the earth, “saying with a loud voice, fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come.” The time, I say, had come for the manifestation of the Gospel of Christ to the world. The Apostles of Christ and every man that bore the Priesthood in their day and generation were put to death for the word of God and testimony of Jesus and the Holy Priesthood was caught up to God, and remained there until the day and generation in which Joseph Smith was raised up. He was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood by John the Baptist, who held the keys of that Priesthood while dwelling in the flesh. He was ordained to the Apostleship by Peter, James and John, who held the keys of that Priesthood when they were taken from the earth. That was the beginning of this work. The Lord could not undertake a work of this kind without there was a way and a people prepared for it. In the first place, the Lord prepared the minds of men of the generation in which Joseph Smith was born, that they might be ready to receive His work when it was established. There were men that were kept in the spirit world thousands of years to stand in the flesh in this generation to bear this Holy Priesthood and to bear record of that to the inhabitants of the earth. Those men have been born in this day, and they have been moved upon to prepared for this work.
Now, I desire to say something about myself. It is generally considered egotism for a man to speak of himself; but I speak of my history and experience because it is applicable to thousands of others. Eighty years ago, when I was about eight years old, I attended Sabbath school under Dr. Porter, a great reverend divine in Farmington, Connecticut. There I read some strange things in the New Testament. What were they? Why, I read of Apostles; I read of men who laid hands on the sick, and they recovered; who cast out devils, raised the dead, caused the dumb to speak, the blind to see, the lame to leap, who held converse with God and with holy angels, and had visions and revelations. Brethren and sisters, I read of these things when I was eight years of age. They made an impression upon my mind as soon as I read them. “Why is it, Dr. Porter—why is it, Dr. Haws,--why is it, gentlemen, that you do not advocate in your day and generation that faith once delivered to the Saints? Why don’t you receive these things, if they were the servants of God and had the Gospel?” “Oh!” said they, “these things are all done away with. They were given in the dark ages of the world to convince the world that Jesus was the Christ. We live in the blaze of the glorious gospel light of Christ; we do not need them today.” “Then,” said I, “give me the dark ages of the world, if they will give a man power to unlock the door of eternity and hold converse with God, and receive these blessings and gifts manifest in that day.” From that time my inspiration began. As soon as I grew a little older, I began to read the revelations. My soul was drawn out upon these things. In my early manhood I prayed day and night that I might live to see a prophet. I would have gone a thousand miles to have seen a prophet, or a man that could teach me the things that I read of in the Bible. I could not join any church, because I could not find any church at that time that advocated these principles. I spent many a midnight hour, by the river side, in the mountains, and in my mill (being a miller,) calling upon God that I might live to see a prophet or some man that would teach me of the things of the kingdom of God as I read them. I remained in that condition until the year 1833. I was living with my brother on the shores of Lake Ontario. A man by the name of Zera Pulsipher, sixty miles from where I lived, was moved upon in the month of December, with the snow three or four feet deep, to arise and go to the north, the Lord had come work for him there. He called upon another man to go with him. They traveled two days on the road to the north, not knowing where they were going. Our house was the first place that they stopped at. I was lumbering at the time on the shore of the lake. Zera Pulsipher told my brother’s wife who they were and what they were, and what the principles were. He said the Lord had sent him into the north country to do some work there. My sister-in-law told him that her husband and myself both believed in the principles that he taught. Well, they held a meeting. I went to it, and for the first time in my life I heard a Gospel sermon. I invited the men home. I borrowed a Book of Mormon, and sat up all night and read it, and I had a testimony it was true. In the morning I asked to be baptized. Myself and brother were baptized—the first in that region of country. From that hour till this I never have had one moment’s doubt with regard to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know the work is true. I have been called into the vineyard and ministry with the rest of my brethren, and I have traveled a great many miles and quite a number of years I have held the Apostleship fifty-eight years. Brother Joseph only held it some fourteen before he was slain. Brother Brigham held it about forty, and Brother Taylor about the same length of time as myself. I have labored all these years and I know it is the work of God. I know the Lord is with this people. I have a desire that we may magnify our callings and fulfill our position upon the earth. God has organized this Church; He has organized it with prophets, apostles, pastors, teachers, helps, etc., in fulfillment of the promises of God in the last days. I traveled with Joseph Smith quite a length of time. I traveled with Brigham Young forty years, at home and abroad. I traveled with him to this country. We came with the pioneers. Brigham Young, though he never wrote many revelations, had the revelations of God with him from the day that he embraced this work till the day of his death. I have often thought of the time when he was asked if he would not go on to California instead of stopping in this barren land. What was his answer? I was with him when he gave that answer. He said, “No. I am going to stay right here. I am going to build a temple here; I am going to build a city here; I am going to build a country here.” Has it not been so? Yes, it has. Was it not by revelation? Certainly, it was. We have all been called from this low position in life to the Priesthood. Thousands of this people have been called to go abroad to preach the Gospel. In speaking of myself and the manner I was led, so we find it everywhere throughout the world. Where did you come from? You came from every state in the Union; from England, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France, Ireland and other parts of Europe, as well as from the different nations of the earth and the islands of the sea. One of these simple Elders came to you and you heard him preach the Gospel, and he promised you if you would repent of your sins and be baptized for the remission of them, you should receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Did you not receive it? You did, or you would not be here today. Nobody could then keep you at home. We have been gathered together by the commandments of God, and so far, we are trying to do the will of God. But we have only just begun. I was at the concert here last night, and I could not help but think that if President Young had been there and looked upon that vast assembly of ten thousand people, gathered not only from this territory but from neighboring states and territories, he would have felt satisfied. When he built this Tabernacle, we did not have people to fill it; but he told us that in the building up of Zion we would never have a house big enough to accommodate us however large we might build it; and so it proved last night. I enjoyed the concert. Governor Thomas invited to address the assembly; but I felt that people had gathered there, not to hear preaching, but music.
Let me speak a little further with regard to the Lord preparing a people for this work. The history of this whole people is in that line. I will refer you to the year 1840. The Lord gave a commandment for the Twelve Apostles to go to England. There had a few gone to England before; Brother Kimball and several others went in 1837 and established the Church there. But in 1840 the Apostles were called as a body to go there; and the devil did not like it. He tried to kill us all. There was hardly one of the Twelve Apostles who went that was well. When I left home President Young paddled me across the Mississippi in a canoe, and I was suffering with the chills and fever. I had spent two years in Tennessee and Kentucky, in the midst of sickness; but I never had an attack of the chills and fever in my life till I was called to go to England. It was so with most all of us. The devil did not like it; but we went. It was the harvest time then in that land. We accomplished a great work. We baptized about seven thousand that year, opened doors throughout England and Scotland, and laid a foundation for the work which has been fulfilled up to the present time. I will refer to one circumstance connected with that mission. I was in the potteries in Staffordshire, having gone there when I got to England. I was doing a good work there, baptizing almost every night. One night I went to Hanley to hold a meeting, and there was a very full house. Before I got up to speak, the Spirit of God came upon me and told me that that was the last meeting I should hold with that people for many days. I had appointments out for two weeks in that region of the country. After I got through preaching that night. I told them it was the last meeting I should hold with them. I went down into the water and baptized quite a number, and in the morning, I went before the Lord and asked what He wanted of me. He told me to go to the south. I got into the stage and rode eighty miles south. I went into Herefordshire, and the first man’s house I stopped at was John Benbow’s. In one hour after I arrived at his house, I learned why the Lord had sent me there. I name this because it is in the line of what I was speaking of. Here I found a company of men and women, some six hundred, who had handed together under the name of United Brethren, and were laboring for the ancient order of things. They wanted the Gospel as taught by the prophets and apostles, as I did in my youth. Well, without dwelling upon this, I will say that the first thirty days after I arrived in Herefordshire, I baptized forty-five preachers and several hundred members, and I had in my hands all the chapels or houses licensed for worship according to law. We brought in two thousand in about eight months’ labor. Many of these people had been looking and praying for this very work, and they were praying for it when I went there. I took no honor to myself with regard to this matter, I never felt that I could. All we have to do is to follow the dictation of the Spirit of the Lord, and give God the honor and the glory of it. We did a good work there and God blessed us. From there we went to London. Brothers Heber C. Kimball and George A. Smith and myself preached and established the first branch of the Church in the city of London. I rejoiced very much in my labors in Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, and thousands of those that were baptized there are in Utah. We had quite a number of Bishops in this Territory that I baptized at that time. The youngest I baptized there was Brother Rowberry, who was a bishop of Tooele. He was only a boy at that time.
I want to refer to one circumstance that took place where in that mission and I do it as an example of the Lord’s dealings with us in matters pertaining to temporal matters. John Benbow was a noble man. He was like an English lord; as rich a man, I suppose as ever came into the Church. He had not been baptized a month, I do not think, when he came into a little sitting room with his wife, and he probably spent three quarters of an hour in telling me that he had been reading in the New Testament how in the days of the Apostles they sold all their possessions and laid them at the Apostles’ feet, and he said he felt it was his duty to fulfill that law and he wanted to do it. I listened to him patiently and when he got through it took me perhaps half an hour to tell him the difference between our position today and the position of the Apostles in that day. I gave him to understand that God had not sent me to England to take care of his gold, his horses, his cows and his property; He had sent me there to preach the Gospel. I told him, however, that the Lord would accept of his sacrifice, and that whenever he could do good, he should do it; he should assist the poor, help publish the Book of Mormon, etc. Now, what would have been the result if I had taken the other course, and said, “Yes give me your property and I will take care of it?” Why, he would probably have apostatized. Not only that, but there would have been one foolish Apostle, who would have been a suitable candidate for apostasy also. but was that any temptation to me? No, it was not. It was not have been to any Elder who had enough of the Spirit of God to know the difference between a hundred thousand pounds of money and a part in the first resurrection, with power to pass by the angels and the gods to exaltation and glory, and stand in the presence of God and the Lamb forever and forever.
I name these things to show that there was a people prepared for this work. Go where you would and you would find spirits of this kind. That is why this people have come up here from the various nations of the earth. We have the Gospel of Christ abroad in all nations today as far as we have opportunity, and we have got to continue this work. The Lord is going to cut His work short in righteousness; and as I have said before, however insignificant this people may be in the eyes of the world, the God of heaven holds us responsible for preaching this Gospel to every nation under heaven, and we have it to do or we will be damned. We cannot avoid this. Why? Because, as Paul says, “Woe is unto me if I preach not the Gospel.” There is but one Gospel; never has been but one, and never will be; and Paul says, “But though we, or an angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” That Gospel, ye saints of the living God, and the world, is in our hands, sent to us by the ministrations of angels—the same Gospel that was taught from Adam to Christ, and from Christ down to our day and generation, when God has had a people on the earth. I have a great desire myself for the welfare of the Latter-day Saints. We have a great work to perform.
Before I close, I want to say a few words to the Apostles and to the Saints of God. I want to say something about the devil. The devil, in the days of the Savior, got one Apostle to deny his Lord and sell Him for thirty pieces of silver. But when Judas’ eyes were opened to see what he had done, he did not prize those thirty pieces of silver, but went out and hung himself. Is that devil dead? Has Lucifer, the son of the morning, gone out of existence? No; he is here today. He is in the midst of this people; and if there are any people under heaven that Lucifer with all the fallen angels that dwell on the earth are laboring to destroy, they are these Latter-day Saints. It was so anciently; it will be so until He who holds the keys of death and hell shall bind Satan and shut him up. Until that hour he will labor for our destruction. I want to say to these Apostles that I have seen days of trouble with the quorum of the Twelve. I have referred many times to the days in Kirtland, and my heart has had a great deal of pain over those affairs. There the devil labored with the Apostles and caused a good share of them to apostatize. One half of them apostatized, and some of the others came pretty near it. The signers or witnesses to the Book of Mormon—Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and Martin Harris—all apostatized from the Church of Jesus Christ, though they never denied the Book of Mormon. In the darkest day, neither one of them ever denied that, but always maintained it to the day of his death. But I want to say to my brethren that if the devil could get one of these Apostles—yes, one of them—to believe that the Presidency of this Church were working against him, and that we did not have his welfare at heart, or if he could get a Seventy or any man in this Church to believe it, he would labor to do so. If the devil could have got the Savior to have followed him, he would have overthrown the whole plan of salvation. But he did not do it. Jesus said, “Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.” So I say to these Apostles before me, if the devil could make one of you believe that we would not give you right counsel, he would do it. But he will not do it. I thank God for that. I fell I can prophesy that before God and angels. The Apostles, as a body, are united, and God has laid His Spirit upon them, and they will be true and faithful to this work until they get through with it. Those are my feelings. I rejoice in this. I trust I shall never pass through any more of those scenes that I witnessed in the days that are past and gone.
Brethren and sisters, God bless you. Now, do not be afraid that the Presidency and Apostles of this Church will give you any wrong counsel. We have learned better than to do that. We shall never do it while we dwell in the flesh. The salvation of the sons of men is of far more worth that all the honor that the human family can give upon our heads. Give me salvation; give me a part in the first resurrection; give me the privilege of standing in the morning of the first resurrection with the resurrected dead—with the father’s house and with the prophets and apostles who have lived in my day and generation; give me power to be exalted with them in the eternal worlds in the kingdom of our God. That is all I ask. And it is my privilege and yours. It is the privilege of this people to receive these blessings at the hands of God. I have confidence in my brethren. I rejoice with them in the union that dwells today in the house of Israel, and with the Presidency and Twelve Apostles. We love one another. We understand something of the work of God in our day and time. We have labored together. Here are my counselors; they have spent years and years upon the islands of the sea, where they have had to live upon cocoanuts and poi and food of that character, and they did it to save the souls of men. God has blessed them in all their labors. He will bless them. He will bless this people.
I believe this is all I want to say to you this morning. I felt sick when I arose; I feel better now, and as though I had been refreshed in spirit. I thank God I am able to talk to you, as the saying is, in my old age. The Lord has been very merciful to me. The devil has sought to kill me from the day I was born; but God has had an agent with me to keep me from his power, and so far, I have been preserved. I hope the Lord will not let me live an hour longer than I can live in his service. But I am a feeble man—weak like the rest of you. If anybody supposes that the Presidency and Apostles here are never tempted of the devil, they are mistaken. We are tempted all the time, more or less, and we have to war against these things in order to stand and maintain our position. I pray God that His blessings bay rest upon us. I rejoice in this conference. It has been a glorious time. There is a good spirit here; and the testimonies that have been given unto us by the power of God have been choice. The angels are watching over us. The eyes of all the heavenly hosts are over us. Those who have lived in other dispensations understand this dispensation far better than we do, and they are watching over the labors of the Elders of Israel. I pray that we may pursue that course wherein we may be justified before God, and have power to conquer and overcome; and when we have finished here, that we can go home to receive our reward. The great library in the celestial kingdom of our God contains the history of the dealings of God with all the world, for it belongs to this world. Your history is there; mine is there; our testimonies are there; and we will have to meet them. I hope and pray that my sins may be blotted out of the book of remembrance and not be remembered against me. I hope and pray this will be the case with you; for blessed is the man that will meet this blessing when he comes to the end. God bless you. Amen.
President Joseph F. Smith
followed. His address was mainly devoted to a delineation of the practical duties of the people. He remarked upon the great charge that had lately taken place in the public sentiment of the nation with regard to the Saints, whose good qualities and works were beginning to be understood. This change had not occurred because of a conversion to the faith to which the Saints were devoted, but on account of what they had accomplished in developing the resources of the country and improving the condition of the people. He then showed with clearness and force the necessity of instituting and sustaining home industries, naming a number which had been begun and had not received the degree of support to which they were entitled. He earnestly contended that a self-supporting policy constituted the true basis of material greatness and prosperity.
followed. His address was mainly devoted to a delineation of the practical duties of the people. He remarked upon the great charge that had lately taken place in the public sentiment of the nation with regard to the Saints, whose good qualities and works were beginning to be understood. This change had not occurred because of a conversion to the faith to which the Saints were devoted, but on account of what they had accomplished in developing the resources of the country and improving the condition of the people. He then showed with clearness and force the necessity of instituting and sustaining home industries, naming a number which had been begun and had not received the degree of support to which they were entitled. He earnestly contended that a self-supporting policy constituted the true basis of material greatness and prosperity.
Discourse
Delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday, October 6th, 1895, by
President Joseph F. Smith.
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
President Woodruff has requested me to address you for a few moments, and in attempting to do so I desire earnestly your faith and prayers. Many excellent things have been said to the people during this Conference. The Elders who have spoken have borne their testimony to us of the truths of the Gospel which we have espoused, and I desire to add my testimony also to theirs. I believe that I love the Gospel as much today as I ever did in my life. If possible, I think that I love it more. It is spiritual meat and drink to me. I have often thought of the remark which was made by Peter to Christ on one occasion. Many of those who had followed Jesus had become weary and were departing from Him, and Jesus looked upon them and grieved in His feelings to see those who had been following Him turning away; (for it appears there were apostates from the truth in those early days, while Jesus Himself was yet living and teaching) and He turned to His disciples and said unto them, “Will ye also go away?” And Peter turned to Him and said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou has the words of eternal life.” This has been the sentiment of my heart from my first understanding of the principles of the Gospel until now. If I leave this truth, whither shall I go? I pray God that I may never be left to myself nor to the powers of darkness so far as to be led from the path of my duty or to be persuaded to depart from the ways of the Lord.
Very much has been said during this Conference in relation to the spiritual duties of the Latter-day Saints; and while I do not desire to detract from that which has been said or to divert the thoughts of the people from the excellent instructions and counsels they have received, my mind seems led to speak upon something of a different nature; in other words, a little upon the temporal gospel which we have embraced, or at least, which we should embrace. We see a great revolution of feeling on the part of the people of the United States and of the world at large, so far as they have heard anything about Utah, and there is a friendly feeling manifested at this time toward us. Now, I do not apprehend that this pleasant feeling which is manifested by the people of the world towards us has arisen through their conviction of the truth of the Gospel, that is, the spiritual truths of the Gospel. I do not apprehend that they have fallen in love with our ideas of faith, repentance and baptism for the remission of sins. I do not understand that they have accepted our idea of present revelation and the existence among men of the authority of the Priesthood. I do not so understand it. Why, then, are they looking toward us with a more friendly feeling than heretofore? One reason I see for this change of feeling is that our neighbors are looking upon our material prosperity, the effects of our union. They see the fruits of that union, to a certain extent, and they discover that whereas our country was once a barren desert, now it blossoms like the rose. And they understand, too, that the people have made this change upon the face of nature by their united efforts, and not by the use of large amounts of money, their labor having been organized and directed, and utilized to the best advantage to produce the glorious results which are visible; and people are looking upon this and are admiring it. Therefore, they are feeling more friendly toward us than they have been in years past. Some of our neighboring states and territories have pursued a different policy to that which has been pursued by the people of Utah, and now they see that their material interests have not been developed as those of the people of this territory have been; and are behind Utah in substantial growth and many improvements. While the people of other territories have turned their attention to gold and silver mining and industries of this character, the people of the Territory of Utah have turned their attention to agriculture and to the development of the various other resources of the country, and the result is we are able in part to shoe and clothe and house ourselves. We buy the products of our own labor. We are able to take from the sheep our wool, and out of it to produce cloth with which to clothe the people. We are able, through the herculean effort, I will say, of a few men, who have been left to carry the burden themselves, to produce a few million pounds of sugar to supply the people of the Territory with that valuable article. And we have been able to do a few other little things of this character in Utah. It is this industry and this effort on the part of the people of Utah that is attracting today the attention of our neighbors and friends. Our irrigation of the lands and the subjection of these deserts to cultivation and to the production of grain, fruits and vegetables in vast quantities, sufficient for the necessities of the people and some for exportation—these things are what are attracting the attention of our neighbors towards us, and causing them to feel that there has been wisdom manifested in the direction of the labors of the people. Therefore, they are moved, as I have said before, with feelings of friendship and regard for us just at present, because their eyes are turned upon these things.
Now, I want to ask this congregation, how many of you feel disposed to patronize these home industries that are the source of wealth, of progress, of strength and of improvement in this Territory? How many of you will patronize the sugar factory at Lehi, and determine within your own minds to purchase Utah sugar and use it to the exclusion of all imported sugar, as long as you can get a pound of Lehi sugar? How many of us will patronize the home product in preference to that which is imported? This is an important question. I heard a lady say not long ago, “Oh, I would not use Utah sugar.” Why? “Well, because it tastes of the beet!” I suppose the cause of that is that the beets of which Utah sugar is made are raised nearer home than the beets from which the imported sugar is made. The beet taste, of course, evaporates from the beet sugar that is imported into Utah from other countries; hence they do not taste the beet in the foreign article while they can taste it in Utah sugar. (Laughter) But this is only a pretext, and a very poor pretext, too, not to patronize home productions. Another lady (and this lady that I now refer to is not a Latter-day Saint; the other lady was a Mormon—I cannot say she was a Latter-day Saint) said once to her husband, “What is the matter with my coffee, it is too sweet, and I have only put the usual amount of sugar in it?” “Why,” said he, “don’t you know that we are using Utah sugar and it don’t require so much to sweeten your coffee?” (Laughter) Now, these non-Mormons are good patrons of home productions, while many of the Latter-day Saints will not patronize the Lehi sugar because they can taste the beets in the sugar, strange, isn’t it, the gentiles don’t discover the beet taste also.
We notice that when the Lehi sugar is in the market, importers of sugar into Utah cut down the price, in order to undersell the home product, to, if possible, I suppose, break down the institution and to ruin those who have invested their means in this industry. And there are thousands of so-called Latter-day Saints who will buy the imported article because they can get it for a few cents less or even half a cent less than the home article. Presidents Wilford Woodruff, George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith have had to stand under the load of this Lehi factory to the extent of hundreds of thousands of dollars, until our credit at times has been strained to the uttermost, in order to carry it through, and we feel that we have been neglected to a great extent, by the people of Utah, in that they have not favored that institution and sustained it with their patronage. Numbers of our brethren who proposed to help us carry the burden in the beginning, when the times tightened up upon them, shrank up in their feelings and withdrew their support from it, leaving the load for others to carry, and we have had to carry it, and we carry it still, to a certain extent. With permission I will say this: we met a gentleman from the East, who came out here to Utah on a visit and went down and took a look at the sugar factory, and at the fields of growing beets; he observed the industrious character of the people, and he said to himself, and to these men here, “I have sufficient confidence in your integrity and in your intelligence and wisdom, to invest at least one hundred thousand dollars in the purchase of your bonds”—and so we were able by this means to dispose of a few of the Utah sugar bonds for money, which has lightened the burden upon us to that extent. And this was confidence shown by a stranger in the integrity, industry and thrift of the people—and President Cannon suggests, in the First Presidency as well. Now, I make this statement because the First Presidency and some of the Twelve have been under this load, and are still under the load to the extent of all that they possess in the world, and yet some of our brethren are fighting against the industry, and against the interests of the people and the interests of the Presidency of the Church in relation to these things, and we do not like it. We want the people to know that we do not like it, and I take this occasion to tell them that we do not like it. We are giving to the people of Utah county and other portions of the Territory thousands of dollars for their labor where years ago they received not a penny. We have increased the value of much of their farming lands more than one-half by the establishment of an industry among them that has given not only labor for themselves and for their children, but has increased double the value of their lands in their productions. And we have received but little thanks for it. Now, we ask the people to patronize home industries—patronize the Lehi sugar factory, and as long as you can get an ounce of Utah sugar at any price, buy it in preference to anything that is imported. Then you will be showing a spirit of patriotism, a spirit of home interest, and of wisdom, which will build up and bless the people of the country and the land in which we dwell. And do not let any Latter-day Saint say that he or she does not like Lehi sugar because it tastes of the beet. I have been a lover of sugar all my life. I loved it so much when I was a boy, and also when I got to be a man, and I ate so much of it that I had to buy a new set of teeth. (Laughter) Well, I do not advise you to use it to such an extent as that. I do not ask you to go to extremes in eating sugar. But if you want sweet, sugar is the best form in which to use it. Although I have some experience in using sugar, I have not yet been able to detect any unpleasant beet taste in the Lehi sugar!
President Cannon tells me that a gentleman who is in charge of the eating houses along the Denver and Rio Grande Railway had told him that the Utah sugar was remarkable for its sweetness and he bought all he could of it in preference to another sugar. Here is the case of another “outsider who can appreciate the value and the worth of a home product when a Mormon sister did not like it and would not have it in her house for any consideration because she could taste the beets in it. President Woodruff says he has eaten a good deal of homemade sugar and he has never yet tasted the beet in it. We ought to have two or three more sugar factories in Utah equal in capacity to that which we have now, in order to produce enough sugar for the consumption of the people of Utah alone. Notwithstanding we have a factory which produces five or six millions of pounds of sugar a year, we are importing three-fourths of that which we use, in order to supply our necessity. Five million pounds, Brother Morris, the president of the company, informs me, were produced last year. And this is one of several great facts that are drawing the attention of our neighbors toward us. They see this people use intelligence and wisdom in the direction of their labors and in the development of the resources of the country for their own sustenance, and they admire us for it. And so will all the right-thinking people of the world admire us, the more we are able to take care of ourselves and provide for our necessities.
We have a little woolen factory down in Provo; we have another in Salt Lake City; there is another little factory in Beaver, I understand, and still another on the northern borders of the Territory, called the North Star mills; also another in Washington, Kane county, and another in Brigham City, Box Elder county, and one in Ogden, and another in Springville. Some of them are small, you can depend upon that—so small that we have passed through the country a great many times and never seen them; and, in fact, there are some of them I have never heard of myself till just now. I am glad to hear there are so many; but we have never heard a great deal about them, for the reason, I suppose that we are importing so much of the materials that can be produced by them that they are not thought of. I want to tell you that I and Brother Heber Grant, and Brother Lyman and Brother Richards and many more of my brethren are clothed in home made goods, made from Utah sheep, by Utah workmen, in a Utah factory, and I am not ashamed of my apparel. My shoes that I wear are made at Z. C. M. I., or at Solomon Brothers, or by somebody that is struggling for an existence and laboring for the support of his family. I do not go abroad to get my shoes. I would to God that all this people would do the same. Here is poor Brother Smyth starving to death almost trying to make hats for the people, and he makes decent, good, serviceable hats; but the people will not patronize him as long as they can get something marked with “Stetson” in the lining of it. They want the foreign made article. We ought to sustain this industry. I tell you it is it the word and wisdom of the Lord that we should sustain these industries at home. It is wisdom—it is the true policy of the Church—the doctrine of the people, and has been the doctrine of the people from the beginning of our settlement here. Babylon is to fall someday, and the merchants are to weep and wail because no man can buy her merchandise any more. They will not be able to buy it; for Babylon is to fall and rise no more, so says the Scriptures. I can tell you, whether Babylon falls or not, so far as the principle is concerned, it makes no difference; the people that can supply their own necessities, meet their own wants, and provide for themselves, are always better people, more intelligent people, happier people, more independent people, than any other people upon the face of the earth that do not these things. It stands to reason; it is common sense; it is good judgment; it is Gospel truth, that all this people ought to understand and live up to. Now, if you want blankets, all wool and two yards and a half long, and two yards and a quarter wide, large enough to cover your bed, go to the North Star mills and get them, or go down to Provo and get them. Order them if they do not make them that large, and don’t you buy any that are less than that—unless you sleep along. (Laughter.)
Then again, I want to name another little factory that is very important one in this country. It is a little factory at Logan, run by Brother J. W. Hendrickson, wherein all kinds of underwear and stockings are knitted. I have been wearing his union suits for a long time, and I can tell you that I shall never patronize shirts and drawers any more. I want them all woven in Utah, by some of my own brethren that are laboring to supply a living for themselves and their families. I want to help them to live; and inasmuch as I cannot manufacture these things myself, and I may produce something else that he needs, I can exchange with him or turn what I raise or produce into money, and thereby be able to give to him the money that I obtain from the product of my labor for the product of his, and thus give him a chance to live as well as myself.
This is the temporal Gospel. My time is up; may the Lord bless you, is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.
The choir and congregation sang:
Our God we raise to Thee
Thanks for Thy blessings free,
We here enjoy.
Benediction by Elder Seymour B. Young.
Delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday, October 6th, 1895, by
President Joseph F. Smith.
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
President Woodruff has requested me to address you for a few moments, and in attempting to do so I desire earnestly your faith and prayers. Many excellent things have been said to the people during this Conference. The Elders who have spoken have borne their testimony to us of the truths of the Gospel which we have espoused, and I desire to add my testimony also to theirs. I believe that I love the Gospel as much today as I ever did in my life. If possible, I think that I love it more. It is spiritual meat and drink to me. I have often thought of the remark which was made by Peter to Christ on one occasion. Many of those who had followed Jesus had become weary and were departing from Him, and Jesus looked upon them and grieved in His feelings to see those who had been following Him turning away; (for it appears there were apostates from the truth in those early days, while Jesus Himself was yet living and teaching) and He turned to His disciples and said unto them, “Will ye also go away?” And Peter turned to Him and said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou has the words of eternal life.” This has been the sentiment of my heart from my first understanding of the principles of the Gospel until now. If I leave this truth, whither shall I go? I pray God that I may never be left to myself nor to the powers of darkness so far as to be led from the path of my duty or to be persuaded to depart from the ways of the Lord.
Very much has been said during this Conference in relation to the spiritual duties of the Latter-day Saints; and while I do not desire to detract from that which has been said or to divert the thoughts of the people from the excellent instructions and counsels they have received, my mind seems led to speak upon something of a different nature; in other words, a little upon the temporal gospel which we have embraced, or at least, which we should embrace. We see a great revolution of feeling on the part of the people of the United States and of the world at large, so far as they have heard anything about Utah, and there is a friendly feeling manifested at this time toward us. Now, I do not apprehend that this pleasant feeling which is manifested by the people of the world towards us has arisen through their conviction of the truth of the Gospel, that is, the spiritual truths of the Gospel. I do not apprehend that they have fallen in love with our ideas of faith, repentance and baptism for the remission of sins. I do not understand that they have accepted our idea of present revelation and the existence among men of the authority of the Priesthood. I do not so understand it. Why, then, are they looking toward us with a more friendly feeling than heretofore? One reason I see for this change of feeling is that our neighbors are looking upon our material prosperity, the effects of our union. They see the fruits of that union, to a certain extent, and they discover that whereas our country was once a barren desert, now it blossoms like the rose. And they understand, too, that the people have made this change upon the face of nature by their united efforts, and not by the use of large amounts of money, their labor having been organized and directed, and utilized to the best advantage to produce the glorious results which are visible; and people are looking upon this and are admiring it. Therefore, they are feeling more friendly toward us than they have been in years past. Some of our neighboring states and territories have pursued a different policy to that which has been pursued by the people of Utah, and now they see that their material interests have not been developed as those of the people of this territory have been; and are behind Utah in substantial growth and many improvements. While the people of other territories have turned their attention to gold and silver mining and industries of this character, the people of the Territory of Utah have turned their attention to agriculture and to the development of the various other resources of the country, and the result is we are able in part to shoe and clothe and house ourselves. We buy the products of our own labor. We are able to take from the sheep our wool, and out of it to produce cloth with which to clothe the people. We are able, through the herculean effort, I will say, of a few men, who have been left to carry the burden themselves, to produce a few million pounds of sugar to supply the people of the Territory with that valuable article. And we have been able to do a few other little things of this character in Utah. It is this industry and this effort on the part of the people of Utah that is attracting today the attention of our neighbors and friends. Our irrigation of the lands and the subjection of these deserts to cultivation and to the production of grain, fruits and vegetables in vast quantities, sufficient for the necessities of the people and some for exportation—these things are what are attracting the attention of our neighbors towards us, and causing them to feel that there has been wisdom manifested in the direction of the labors of the people. Therefore, they are moved, as I have said before, with feelings of friendship and regard for us just at present, because their eyes are turned upon these things.
Now, I want to ask this congregation, how many of you feel disposed to patronize these home industries that are the source of wealth, of progress, of strength and of improvement in this Territory? How many of you will patronize the sugar factory at Lehi, and determine within your own minds to purchase Utah sugar and use it to the exclusion of all imported sugar, as long as you can get a pound of Lehi sugar? How many of us will patronize the home product in preference to that which is imported? This is an important question. I heard a lady say not long ago, “Oh, I would not use Utah sugar.” Why? “Well, because it tastes of the beet!” I suppose the cause of that is that the beets of which Utah sugar is made are raised nearer home than the beets from which the imported sugar is made. The beet taste, of course, evaporates from the beet sugar that is imported into Utah from other countries; hence they do not taste the beet in the foreign article while they can taste it in Utah sugar. (Laughter) But this is only a pretext, and a very poor pretext, too, not to patronize home productions. Another lady (and this lady that I now refer to is not a Latter-day Saint; the other lady was a Mormon—I cannot say she was a Latter-day Saint) said once to her husband, “What is the matter with my coffee, it is too sweet, and I have only put the usual amount of sugar in it?” “Why,” said he, “don’t you know that we are using Utah sugar and it don’t require so much to sweeten your coffee?” (Laughter) Now, these non-Mormons are good patrons of home productions, while many of the Latter-day Saints will not patronize the Lehi sugar because they can taste the beets in the sugar, strange, isn’t it, the gentiles don’t discover the beet taste also.
We notice that when the Lehi sugar is in the market, importers of sugar into Utah cut down the price, in order to undersell the home product, to, if possible, I suppose, break down the institution and to ruin those who have invested their means in this industry. And there are thousands of so-called Latter-day Saints who will buy the imported article because they can get it for a few cents less or even half a cent less than the home article. Presidents Wilford Woodruff, George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith have had to stand under the load of this Lehi factory to the extent of hundreds of thousands of dollars, until our credit at times has been strained to the uttermost, in order to carry it through, and we feel that we have been neglected to a great extent, by the people of Utah, in that they have not favored that institution and sustained it with their patronage. Numbers of our brethren who proposed to help us carry the burden in the beginning, when the times tightened up upon them, shrank up in their feelings and withdrew their support from it, leaving the load for others to carry, and we have had to carry it, and we carry it still, to a certain extent. With permission I will say this: we met a gentleman from the East, who came out here to Utah on a visit and went down and took a look at the sugar factory, and at the fields of growing beets; he observed the industrious character of the people, and he said to himself, and to these men here, “I have sufficient confidence in your integrity and in your intelligence and wisdom, to invest at least one hundred thousand dollars in the purchase of your bonds”—and so we were able by this means to dispose of a few of the Utah sugar bonds for money, which has lightened the burden upon us to that extent. And this was confidence shown by a stranger in the integrity, industry and thrift of the people—and President Cannon suggests, in the First Presidency as well. Now, I make this statement because the First Presidency and some of the Twelve have been under this load, and are still under the load to the extent of all that they possess in the world, and yet some of our brethren are fighting against the industry, and against the interests of the people and the interests of the Presidency of the Church in relation to these things, and we do not like it. We want the people to know that we do not like it, and I take this occasion to tell them that we do not like it. We are giving to the people of Utah county and other portions of the Territory thousands of dollars for their labor where years ago they received not a penny. We have increased the value of much of their farming lands more than one-half by the establishment of an industry among them that has given not only labor for themselves and for their children, but has increased double the value of their lands in their productions. And we have received but little thanks for it. Now, we ask the people to patronize home industries—patronize the Lehi sugar factory, and as long as you can get an ounce of Utah sugar at any price, buy it in preference to anything that is imported. Then you will be showing a spirit of patriotism, a spirit of home interest, and of wisdom, which will build up and bless the people of the country and the land in which we dwell. And do not let any Latter-day Saint say that he or she does not like Lehi sugar because it tastes of the beet. I have been a lover of sugar all my life. I loved it so much when I was a boy, and also when I got to be a man, and I ate so much of it that I had to buy a new set of teeth. (Laughter) Well, I do not advise you to use it to such an extent as that. I do not ask you to go to extremes in eating sugar. But if you want sweet, sugar is the best form in which to use it. Although I have some experience in using sugar, I have not yet been able to detect any unpleasant beet taste in the Lehi sugar!
President Cannon tells me that a gentleman who is in charge of the eating houses along the Denver and Rio Grande Railway had told him that the Utah sugar was remarkable for its sweetness and he bought all he could of it in preference to another sugar. Here is the case of another “outsider who can appreciate the value and the worth of a home product when a Mormon sister did not like it and would not have it in her house for any consideration because she could taste the beets in it. President Woodruff says he has eaten a good deal of homemade sugar and he has never yet tasted the beet in it. We ought to have two or three more sugar factories in Utah equal in capacity to that which we have now, in order to produce enough sugar for the consumption of the people of Utah alone. Notwithstanding we have a factory which produces five or six millions of pounds of sugar a year, we are importing three-fourths of that which we use, in order to supply our necessity. Five million pounds, Brother Morris, the president of the company, informs me, were produced last year. And this is one of several great facts that are drawing the attention of our neighbors toward us. They see this people use intelligence and wisdom in the direction of their labors and in the development of the resources of the country for their own sustenance, and they admire us for it. And so will all the right-thinking people of the world admire us, the more we are able to take care of ourselves and provide for our necessities.
We have a little woolen factory down in Provo; we have another in Salt Lake City; there is another little factory in Beaver, I understand, and still another on the northern borders of the Territory, called the North Star mills; also another in Washington, Kane county, and another in Brigham City, Box Elder county, and one in Ogden, and another in Springville. Some of them are small, you can depend upon that—so small that we have passed through the country a great many times and never seen them; and, in fact, there are some of them I have never heard of myself till just now. I am glad to hear there are so many; but we have never heard a great deal about them, for the reason, I suppose that we are importing so much of the materials that can be produced by them that they are not thought of. I want to tell you that I and Brother Heber Grant, and Brother Lyman and Brother Richards and many more of my brethren are clothed in home made goods, made from Utah sheep, by Utah workmen, in a Utah factory, and I am not ashamed of my apparel. My shoes that I wear are made at Z. C. M. I., or at Solomon Brothers, or by somebody that is struggling for an existence and laboring for the support of his family. I do not go abroad to get my shoes. I would to God that all this people would do the same. Here is poor Brother Smyth starving to death almost trying to make hats for the people, and he makes decent, good, serviceable hats; but the people will not patronize him as long as they can get something marked with “Stetson” in the lining of it. They want the foreign made article. We ought to sustain this industry. I tell you it is it the word and wisdom of the Lord that we should sustain these industries at home. It is wisdom—it is the true policy of the Church—the doctrine of the people, and has been the doctrine of the people from the beginning of our settlement here. Babylon is to fall someday, and the merchants are to weep and wail because no man can buy her merchandise any more. They will not be able to buy it; for Babylon is to fall and rise no more, so says the Scriptures. I can tell you, whether Babylon falls or not, so far as the principle is concerned, it makes no difference; the people that can supply their own necessities, meet their own wants, and provide for themselves, are always better people, more intelligent people, happier people, more independent people, than any other people upon the face of the earth that do not these things. It stands to reason; it is common sense; it is good judgment; it is Gospel truth, that all this people ought to understand and live up to. Now, if you want blankets, all wool and two yards and a half long, and two yards and a quarter wide, large enough to cover your bed, go to the North Star mills and get them, or go down to Provo and get them. Order them if they do not make them that large, and don’t you buy any that are less than that—unless you sleep along. (Laughter.)
Then again, I want to name another little factory that is very important one in this country. It is a little factory at Logan, run by Brother J. W. Hendrickson, wherein all kinds of underwear and stockings are knitted. I have been wearing his union suits for a long time, and I can tell you that I shall never patronize shirts and drawers any more. I want them all woven in Utah, by some of my own brethren that are laboring to supply a living for themselves and their families. I want to help them to live; and inasmuch as I cannot manufacture these things myself, and I may produce something else that he needs, I can exchange with him or turn what I raise or produce into money, and thereby be able to give to him the money that I obtain from the product of my labor for the product of his, and thus give him a chance to live as well as myself.
This is the temporal Gospel. My time is up; may the Lord bless you, is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.
The choir and congregation sang:
Our God we raise to Thee
Thanks for Thy blessings free,
We here enjoy.
Benediction by Elder Seymour B. Young.
Overflow Meeting.
An overflow meeting was held in the Assembly hall at 2 p. m.
Elder Brigham Young presiding.
Choir and congregation sang,
Guide us, O thou great Jehovah,
Saints unto the promised land.
Prayer by Bishop R. T. Burton.
Singing:
Glorious things are sung of Zion,
Enoch’s city, seen of old.
An overflow meeting was held in the Assembly hall at 2 p. m.
Elder Brigham Young presiding.
Choir and congregation sang,
Guide us, O thou great Jehovah,
Saints unto the promised land.
Prayer by Bishop R. T. Burton.
Singing:
Glorious things are sung of Zion,
Enoch’s city, seen of old.
Elder C. D. Fjelsted
was the first speaker. In looking over the vast assemblage of people that are unable to gain admittance, it makes me think that we, as a people, are eager to serve God. We do not hire ministers as other denominations do, to look after our salvation. We keep God’s commandments and in so doing work out our own salvation. I feel that we, as Latter-day Saints, are blessed in having men of God preside over us; men who have communication with God, and can teach us those things which God desires us to attend to. The ship of Zion, although it sails in troubled waters at times, will bring us safely through if we will but stick to the rod of iron.
was the first speaker. In looking over the vast assemblage of people that are unable to gain admittance, it makes me think that we, as a people, are eager to serve God. We do not hire ministers as other denominations do, to look after our salvation. We keep God’s commandments and in so doing work out our own salvation. I feel that we, as Latter-day Saints, are blessed in having men of God preside over us; men who have communication with God, and can teach us those things which God desires us to attend to. The ship of Zion, although it sails in troubled waters at times, will bring us safely through if we will but stick to the rod of iron.
Elder Heber J. Grant.
I have been truly grateful to our Heavenly Father for the good counsel which has been given us during our conference. I am not what you could call a very religious individual, but I am what you could call a practical man in every sense of the term. When I hear a man or woman say that they believe that this is the Church of God and they do not show in their everyday walk and conversation, that they act according to this profession, I don’t have much faith in those individuals. We as a people claim to believe in home industry, yet at the same time we have woolen mills and factories in our midst that have had to shut their doors for lack of support. How is this? It is because we believe in one thing and practice another. If we loved Zion and the building up of the Church and the kingdom of God, we would have enough home manufactories to turn out all the commodities which we are daily in need of. The fact of the matter is, we think too much of tea, coffee and a chew of tobacco, spending our money for these things which tend to lower and degrade us. The speaker here dwelt strongly upon the subject of home industry and admonishes those present to sustain them to the extent of their ability.
I have been truly grateful to our Heavenly Father for the good counsel which has been given us during our conference. I am not what you could call a very religious individual, but I am what you could call a practical man in every sense of the term. When I hear a man or woman say that they believe that this is the Church of God and they do not show in their everyday walk and conversation, that they act according to this profession, I don’t have much faith in those individuals. We as a people claim to believe in home industry, yet at the same time we have woolen mills and factories in our midst that have had to shut their doors for lack of support. How is this? It is because we believe in one thing and practice another. If we loved Zion and the building up of the Church and the kingdom of God, we would have enough home manufactories to turn out all the commodities which we are daily in need of. The fact of the matter is, we think too much of tea, coffee and a chew of tobacco, spending our money for these things which tend to lower and degrade us. The speaker here dwelt strongly upon the subject of home industry and admonishes those present to sustain them to the extent of their ability.
Elder A. W. Ivins
began by reading a passage from the book of Jeremiah. It was a prediction uttered 600 years B. C. concerning the gathering of Israel. This prediction is now in course of fulfillment. The Latter-day Saints are a people of destiny, they are fulfillers of prophesy. Look at the history of the Church of God. There was a time when the ordinance of baptism could scarcely be preached to the people. It was not until John the Baptist came as a forerunner to prepare the way, that one could come after him who would bestow upon them the Holy Ghost. This is the work of the Lord, and God has set His hand to bring about the gathering of His people, that His word may be fulfilled, and the scriptures verified. The increased attendance at our conferences ought to be a living witness to the world that this is God’s work, and woe to him who stretches forth his hand to stay or interfere with its progress. Spoke of the ancient prophecies which were uttered by God’s servants and of their literal fulfillment, and said that so sure as they had been verified, that those that had been uttered concerning this work would also be verified. But testimony to the divinity of the latter-day work, and said that we would enjoy all the blessings promised, if we would but live for them.
[Elder Grant here announced that Elder Ivins had been chosen to succeed Elder George Teasdale as President of the Mexican mission, Elder Teasdale having been honorably released to return home to this city.]
began by reading a passage from the book of Jeremiah. It was a prediction uttered 600 years B. C. concerning the gathering of Israel. This prediction is now in course of fulfillment. The Latter-day Saints are a people of destiny, they are fulfillers of prophesy. Look at the history of the Church of God. There was a time when the ordinance of baptism could scarcely be preached to the people. It was not until John the Baptist came as a forerunner to prepare the way, that one could come after him who would bestow upon them the Holy Ghost. This is the work of the Lord, and God has set His hand to bring about the gathering of His people, that His word may be fulfilled, and the scriptures verified. The increased attendance at our conferences ought to be a living witness to the world that this is God’s work, and woe to him who stretches forth his hand to stay or interfere with its progress. Spoke of the ancient prophecies which were uttered by God’s servants and of their literal fulfillment, and said that so sure as they had been verified, that those that had been uttered concerning this work would also be verified. But testimony to the divinity of the latter-day work, and said that we would enjoy all the blessings promised, if we would but live for them.
[Elder Grant here announced that Elder Ivins had been chosen to succeed Elder George Teasdale as President of the Mexican mission, Elder Teasdale having been honorably released to return home to this city.]
Elder Abraham H. Cannon
prefaced his remarks by relating an incident which showed the strength which union would bring about. In speaking of those who had disobeyed the commandments of God, the speaker showed how fully His predications of disaster coming upon them had been fulfilled. Look at the power that the Rothschild family holds over Jerusalem. Their immense wealth controls the affairs of that country and even if war were to break out, it could be easily prevented by the Rothschilds closing up the coffers on their wealth, so that warfare would be impossible. Spoke of the Sunday schools of our Church and of the training which our children receive in those institutions. Admonished the parents to set good examples before their children and endeavor to train them up in the way they should go. Too much time is spent in foolishness instead of devoting it to the training of our children. Likened the children to a bar of iron which becomes more valuable as it is tempered.
Who are those arrayed in white Brighter than the noonday sun? was nicely rendered by a quartet.
The general authorities of the Church were voted upon and sustained unanimously.
prefaced his remarks by relating an incident which showed the strength which union would bring about. In speaking of those who had disobeyed the commandments of God, the speaker showed how fully His predications of disaster coming upon them had been fulfilled. Look at the power that the Rothschild family holds over Jerusalem. Their immense wealth controls the affairs of that country and even if war were to break out, it could be easily prevented by the Rothschilds closing up the coffers on their wealth, so that warfare would be impossible. Spoke of the Sunday schools of our Church and of the training which our children receive in those institutions. Admonished the parents to set good examples before their children and endeavor to train them up in the way they should go. Too much time is spent in foolishness instead of devoting it to the training of our children. Likened the children to a bar of iron which becomes more valuable as it is tempered.
Who are those arrayed in white Brighter than the noonday sun? was nicely rendered by a quartet.
The general authorities of the Church were voted upon and sustained unanimously.
Elder Seymour B. Young
addressed the assemblage. He spoke of the unanimous support given by the Saints to the presiding authorities. This is as it should be. We ought to be united in all things. He alluded to the vast concourse of people that had assembled to attend general conference.
The missionary work done by our church today is one of great magnitude. Young men are called upon to leave their homes and go into foreign lands to preach the Gospel. Some go into countries the climate of which impairs their health, but the general feeling among them is that they would rather lay down their lives than refuse to perform that labor. Hoped that the Saints would strive to live diligently before the Lord and merit the blessings promised to the faithful.
addressed the assemblage. He spoke of the unanimous support given by the Saints to the presiding authorities. This is as it should be. We ought to be united in all things. He alluded to the vast concourse of people that had assembled to attend general conference.
The missionary work done by our church today is one of great magnitude. Young men are called upon to leave their homes and go into foreign lands to preach the Gospel. Some go into countries the climate of which impairs their health, but the general feeling among them is that they would rather lay down their lives than refuse to perform that labor. Hoped that the Saints would strive to live diligently before the Lord and merit the blessings promised to the faithful.
Elder Brigham Young
added his testimony to the remarks which had already been made. The Gospel is not hidden or set under a bushel. It is allowed to shine that it might illuminate the whole earth. He read a few passages from the Book of Mormon II Nephi, predicting woe upon things who were dissatisfied with the principles that God had revealed to His people.
The choir and congregation sang the Doxology and benediction was pronounced by Elder William Seegmiller.
added his testimony to the remarks which had already been made. The Gospel is not hidden or set under a bushel. It is allowed to shine that it might illuminate the whole earth. He read a few passages from the Book of Mormon II Nephi, predicting woe upon things who were dissatisfied with the principles that God had revealed to His people.
The choir and congregation sang the Doxology and benediction was pronounced by Elder William Seegmiller.
Afternoon Session.
At the Tabernacle.
The choir sang an anthem entitled: Lord God and Holy ghost.
Prayer by Elder Angus M. Cannon, of Salt Lake Stake.
The anthem, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, was sung by the choir.
At the Tabernacle.
The choir sang an anthem entitled: Lord God and Holy ghost.
Prayer by Elder Angus M. Cannon, of Salt Lake Stake.
The anthem, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, was sung by the choir.
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 Council 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 and 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, George Q. Thatcher, Anthon H. Lund, James Sharp and Joseph F. Smith.
As Trustee-in-Trust for the body of religious worshippers known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—Wilford Woodruff.
John Nicholson as Clerk of the general Conference.
All the voting to sustain the authorities as presented was unanimous.
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 Council 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 and 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, George Q. Thatcher, Anthon H. Lund, James Sharp and Joseph F. Smith.
As Trustee-in-Trust for the body of religious worshippers known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—Wilford Woodruff.
John Nicholson as Clerk of the general Conference.
All the voting to sustain the authorities as presented was unanimous.
President George Q. Cannon
delivered the closing address. He dwelt for some time upon the wonderful growth of the influence of the community in relation to material matters, and showed that what had been accomplished had not been attained by the unaided exercise of the wisdom of man; it was the result of the people being directed by the revelation from God. The benefits of our system of proselyting; the necessity and growth of sexual purity and of honesty were treated upon, and corruption in public affairs was denounced in unqualified terms. It was the high prerogative of the Saints to set a commendable example to the peoples of the earth in all these respects. He predicted a bright future for the people both from a material and spiritual standpoint, and closed a most instructive discourse with a powerful testimony to the truth of the gospel as revealed through Joseph Smith, the Prophet.
delivered the closing address. He dwelt for some time upon the wonderful growth of the influence of the community in relation to material matters, and showed that what had been accomplished had not been attained by the unaided exercise of the wisdom of man; it was the result of the people being directed by the revelation from God. The benefits of our system of proselyting; the necessity and growth of sexual purity and of honesty were treated upon, and corruption in public affairs was denounced in unqualified terms. It was the high prerogative of the Saints to set a commendable example to the peoples of the earth in all these respects. He predicted a bright future for the people both from a material and spiritual standpoint, and closed a most instructive discourse with a powerful testimony to the truth of the gospel as revealed through Joseph Smith, the Prophet.
Discourse
Delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, October 6th, 1895, by
President George Q. Cannon
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
In looking over this vast congregation and seeing this collection of intelligent human beings, one is filled with a sense of unworthiness and a want of capability to say anything that will be of interest to so many souls, unless, indeed, God is with him. It seems to me that when a man stands before a congregation like this, he must feel an almost overpowering sense of his nothingness; and it is with this feeling that I arise this afternoon. I pray you and I pray God that I may be able to say the things that ought to be said and that are adapted to the circumstances and conditions of the people. Many of you have come hundreds of miles to attend this conference. It is not a light thing for men to stand up to attempt to satisfy the expectations and the desires of people who have shown such earnestness and such zeal as to travel so far as many have done to be present here today.
God has been with His servants in speaking to you today. I was particularly impressed in listening to President Woodruff, able to speak as he did for some fifty-two minutes, at his advanced time of life; and I felt that God certainly had shown to us His ability to sustain His servants, His willingness to do so, and His power to give His people the bread of life through those whom He chooses. The practical character of the remarks also of President Smith, I thought exceedingly well-times, because we need instruction in our practical, everyday duties, as much in their place as we do to have spiritual instruction. He touched upon points that I think of great importance to us—points that should be dwelt upon in our conferences, and that should be remembered and carried away with us to our homes, because after all it is the practical living of our religion that witnesses to the Lord and to the heavens and the earth and its inhabitants that we are indeed that which we profess to be, and it is these practical lessons that we receive and that we in turn give to others that make an impression upon the human family.
I have through my life endeavored to look forward to the fulfillment of the promises of God concerning us in the influence that we as a people would have upon mankind; but notwithstanding this has been a subject very familiar to me in my thoughts, I have been, I might say, almost surprised of late at the manner in which the promises of God are being fulfilled concerning us. It is coming about in ways so real and so clearly in fulfillment of that which has been told to us that though familiar with the prophecies concerning it, I have felt greatly surprised at times. It is plain to me—plainer to me than ever before in my life—that God is using this people to accomplish a great work in the earth, and He is giving His people an influence among men and in this nation that is having its effect, and that will bring forth great fruits in the not distant future. I can see as never before how important it is that we as a people shall carry out, faithfully, humbly and obediently, the counsels and instructions that we receive from the servants of God. We are like a city set upon a hill, and the eyes of the nation and the peoples of the earth are directed toward us, and that which we say and do is having a great weight—more weight than we have supposed.
Therefore, in coming together as we do at these general conference, it is of the utmost importance that the teachings we receive should be from the Lord and be adapted to the circumstances and conditions which surround us and that which we have to do. We have received very much valuable instruction since we have been together, and if we can only retain the spirit of it in our hearts and carry it away with us, and not forget it, it will be of invaluable benefit to us. God has chosen us out from the nations to accomplish a great work, and He is adding to the influence of the Latter-day Saints. It is remarkable how we are commended; how the policy that has governed in the founding of Utah and the building up of the settlements of Utah, the caring for the poor, etc. is being received now with great favor, and how universal is the commendation of the policy that has been pursued in this territory. There was a time when one of the chief charges against us was that the Priesthood, as it was termed, had too much influence was wielded in a manner that was distasteful to public sentiment. Now an extraordinary change has taken place in this respect. The manner in which this city was founded, the manner in which our settlements have been arranged, the manner in which our land has been divided, the manner in which we have apportioned the streams of water for the irrigation of the land, the manner in which the poor have been cared for, the manner in which they are now instructed and have been instructed—all this receives unstinted commendation and praise from many persons, and they say that Utah sets an example. Population is increasing; homes for the millions that are congested in the great cities are needed; men see that the cities are overcrowded, and that vice and crime and everything of a horrible nature is increasing in the midst of these congested populations, and they turn around and ask, what is the remedy? What shall we do with the people? The public lands are all being absorbed in those regions. You have read no doubt of the opening of Oklahoma and the manner in which thousands and thousands of people crowded in there; how they camped on the road while waiting for the signal to go in and take possession of the lands that were ready for occupancy. This gives an idea of the disposition there is to obtain land; and reflecting men look around and ask, what shall we do with this increasing population? Where shall we find room for them? Now, there is a vast area of land that has heretofore been considered worthless. It has been looked upon as unfit for human habitation. It is what is called the arid regions, of which Utah may be said to be the center. It was thought that this was good enough for Mormons, and some who have found fault with us religiously, and who have said that we were misled, have described our land as a cursed land, a land of salt, a land of dryness, a land of barrenness, a land that should be shunned by men instead of sought for as a home. They would use this as an argument to show that the authority of the Priesthood was not here, or we would not have been led to such a place. This until quite recently has been the very general opinion; but we have had visitors come here by the thousands, and they have discovered that Utah is an exceedingly fertile region, and they have seen the results of the labor and the application of the Latter-day Saints, and their admiration has been excited by the sight. Hence a change has gradually taken place in public opinion upon these points. And now the time has come when there must be something done to relieve the crowded population of the large cities; attention is turned to what is called the arid regions, and steps are being taken to provide ways and means for the settling of these regions, and thinking men look around to see the best plan that can be adopted for the settling of the people upon these lands. This brings before them the condition of Utah Territory. They see what has been done here by the Mormon people, to begin with, and by others who have come in, and they say, “This is the example. Here is a practical illustration of the manner in which people who have very little means can make their living from the soil in the arid regions.” Everything that President Young did in the beginning, and everything that has been done since, is now looked upon with the greatest favor. I have listened to the most eloquent addresses, giving to President Young the greatest praise for that which he accomplished in Utah Territory.
My brethren and sisters, this is the condition today. The world is turning their attention to us. they are looking to see what we are doing, and they give us credit for being a far richer people than we are. A most extraordinary thing happened—that is, I thought it extraordinary—at this late Irrigation Congress. A committee on resolutions was appointed, and all the resolutions introduced in the Congress were referred to this committee. They embodied such of these resolutions as they approved of in an address, and when the address was brought in and reported, I thought it was the most important part of the proceedings, because upon the character of this address would be likely to depend the legislation of the United States Congress, and I prepared myself by going on to the floor (having before that a seat on the platform) to discuss this address. In the address there was a comparison between the landless people of Massachusetts and the ninety per cent of the people of Utah who owned their own homes, which was unfavorable to Massachusetts and exceedingly favorable to Utah. I had a conversation with a delegate from New Mexico and suggested to him that that did not please us, and he called attention to it. I afterwards got the floor myself, and I addressed the Congress on the subject; and do you know that it was with difficulty that we could get that changed, they were so determined to give Utah the praise which they said Utah deserved and to give Massachusetts the discredit which they said Massachusetts deserved. They said it was only telling the truth, and why not let it stand? And it was only by using influence of this kind, saying to them that we from Utah preferred to have that stricken out, because we did not want to excite any feeling in Massachusetts against Utah, that we succeeded in getting the line stricken out about Massachusetts. To me this was a wonderful thing. I said to myself, who would have thought a few years ago that it would be necessary for delegates from Utah to plead against getting too good a character as contrasted with other portions of the Union, especially with the state of Massachusetts?
I mention this to show you how public opinion has changed. At that Congress whenever allusion was made to Utah it was in the most respectful manner. I call attention to this because we are being forced into public notice. The eyes of the world are being drawn to us, and in the providence of our God this will continue to be the case more and more. There is not an irrigation association that would not like to have men from Utah come and visit it and tell the people how to settle the land, how to irrigate the land, how to live on a small piece of land and keep our of debt, and how to live in union and harmony, and how to build farm settlements close together where the people can meet together for religious, social and educational purposes, and not be scattered over a large surface of ground, distant from each other. These measures that God has inspired His servants to take in this country, and which we know the Lord inspired President Young to take as the leader of the people, and which some probably have thought were just the contrivance of man, are today approved of men. The world, of course, think it is man’s wisdom and shrewdness that has accomplished this; but we know that President Young was inspired of God. After the lapse of time the vindication of these measures and the counsel given by the servants of the Lord is coming. We have had to wait some time for it, but it is coming at last—a vindication that is most gratifying to all of us who have lived to behold it and to hear it expressed.
So it will be, I tell you, in everything connected with this people. Men are looking at our method of preaching the Gospel, and thinking about it. By looking at the reports I see that we have today between 800 and 900 missionaries in the world. Think of it! A small community like the Latter-day Saints having between 800 and 900 young men traveling among the various nations of the earth and through the United States, learning things and becoming familiar with the ways of the world, gaining an experience that no other people upon the face of the earth are gaining. Think of the effect of this number coming home every two years and going among the people; and then again, 800 more going, or perhaps 1000 going to fill their places, and they coming back in their turn after traveling two years and gaining experience. You reflect and consider in your own minds the effect that this must have on our people. Why, there is no people on the earth that are having such a schooling in this respect. These young men go out, and they go out without purse or scrip, and they trust in the Lord, and they have faith developed such as cannot be developed in any other way. They become familiar with human nature. They are brought in contact with nearly all kinds of people, and they gain an experience that is better than any experience that can be gained in any other manner. Why, in olden times, it was common in Great Britain for men of wealth to send their sons to take what is called the grand tour. They would travel through Europe in company with tutors, and it was considered essential to the education of what they called a gentleman that he should make the grand tour. Now, every one of our young men take the grand tour; but they take it in a way to learn far more than they would if they had money or if they were under the guardianship of somebody, as they are brought in contact themselves with the people, and they come back developed and with an experience that is beyond price. Think of the effect that this will have on the community! There is scarcely a ward in our whole Territory, and it may be said outside of our Territory, that does not send some missionaries yearly. They go and they come back, and the effect that they have upon the people, upon public opinion, in influencing and in helping matters, is wonderfully great. Insensibly perhaps to the people with whom they associate, they have an influence. They are broadened in their minds, they are enlarged in their experience and they become men of understanding, because their faculties have been aroused and developed.
When men are told of this, they are surprised at it. Why, they say, the effect will be wonderful on your community. And it is so. Let me say to you that God having established this work and having conducted it by revelation thus far, it will in spite of everything obtain influence in the earth, and people will be drawn to it in admiration of it. They may fight it for awhile, and try to crush it and to crush the people; but the principles of truth which we have espoused, and that which God has taught us and is teaching us, they are bound to rise and to have influence, and they are bound to have their effect upon consistent people. You can see it now if you choose, but you will see it still more, that the influence of this people will spread, and we will be preaching the Gospel of salvation without baptizing the people. They will look upon us and they will imitate us and follow our example; and the world will be better because we are in it, and this nation will be benefitted by our example. Where I go, I tell them that we have a great mission to perform as a people, and we expect to fill it. I cite this instance: when they talk about the corrupt use of money and the bad effects of money, I say Utah Territory has been organized now for forty-five years; we have had a legislature for forty-five years, and I have never yet heard a breath of suspicion concerning bribery in Utah. I have never known a legislator in Utah vote for anything that was not right because he was influenced by money, Senator Stanford, the president of the Central Pacific railway, in his testimony as I have heard him before Congress, said that they never had the least occasion to send men to Utah to watch the legislation of Utah; their road was perfectly safe in our hands. He did not tell what they had to do in an adjoining state. I appealed to the manager of the Union Pacific on one occasion and asked him what his experience was. He said it was similar; that they had never had occasion to watch the legislature. The only thing they could find fault with, he said, was that sometimes they had suits for damages, some people thinking they were damaged more than he thought they were. I have endeavored, when I have been talking with leading men, to say that we have got a mission. We are going to change things. The introduction of moneyed influences in our politics is a thing that, if God give me strength and power, I shall oppose with every faculty of mind and body. I have almost sworn—I never do swear—but I have almost sworn that while God gives me strength, I will fight that to the very last, that there shall be no corrupt influence brought into our country if it can be prevented. I want to make, as one, a stand against it, no matter where it comes from, or by whom it is practiced. We have maintained a character thus far for honest and for being above bribery; and this people, I know, when they are appealed to, they will with all their might oppose the introduction of any such influence.
Now, in relation to this reform and our mission of which I have been speaking, we will build railroads cheaper than anybody else, and we will build them honestly. We will go into all concerns, all enterprises, and we will do them honestly, and the men that handle the funds will be honest men and be able to account for every dollar. We have built a little railroad from here to the Lake. Not a dollar has been spent that cannot be accounted for. The sugar factory has been built, and it has been built honestly. There has been no corruption, no speculation in the funds; everything has been done in a way that every honest man can look at it and be satisfied. We desire that this shall be the character of all our operations. Above all things we must be an honest people. You may talk about religion and speak about the Gospel, and say we have got the truth and the plan of salvation, and we have got he authority of the Priesthood; but if we are not honest, it does not amount to anything; for neither God nor honorable men love dishonesty. We must, therefore, be an honest people. Men must be honest in the handling of public funds. It is a shame and a disgrace to any man who is in office of any kind to not handle the funds with the greatest strictness and honesty. He is unfit for office, and he is unfit, until he repents, of being a member in the Church of Christ. The members of the Church of Christ ought to be honest. We should in the handling of funds, and everything entrusted to them.
We are also setting an example in regard to virtue. Yet I fear there is secret sin practiced among us. There is this, however, for our protection; God is cleansing this people and purging those who practice sin from their midst. Those who commit sin gradually leave the Church. They get into the dark and they become cold and indifferent, and finally leave the Church. If it were not for God’s power in this respect, we would soon become corrupt, doubtless, as other people. But God in His wonderful providence has so arranged matters that impurity cannot live in this Church for any length of time. There is a cleansing process going on. God is cleansing His Church and He is purging out the wicked and the ungodly, and He is leaving the residue. No man can be confident of standing in this Church unless he is pure in heart; for the Holy Ghost will not dwell in unholy tabernacles. Men may deceive their fellowmen; women may deceive their sisters; but they cannot deceive God. They cannot commit sin and retain the Spirit of God. It will leave them sooner or later. It will decrease within them, and finally leave them, unless they repent of their sin. And this, my brethren and sisters, is our safety and the safety of this Church, that God is cleansing it and removing from the midst of the people the corrupt. Those who practice secret sin may hide it from their fellows, as some do, and think it is not known; but God will make it known. His Spirit will leaven them, unless they repent with all their hearts and turn from their sins. God will have an honest people. He will have a pure people; He will have a virtuous people. He will cleanse us, and keep cleansing us until we shall be pure, and there will be a people found that are not hypocrites. The hypocrite will be cleansed from the midst of the Saints. In this way we will be built up and the Church will increase. There are people in this Church who are becoming more perfect every day, and Satan is having less power over them every day. As they listen to the word of God and seek to comply with the requirements of the Gospel, they grow stronger, and Satan has less and less power over the people. He will have more power over the sinners, and he will exercise that power, and he will lead them away. But the righteous who are determined to serve God will become stronger and stronger. And do you know, my brethren and sisters, it is the great desire of my heart for myself and family and for the whole Church, that we may become so perfect in keeping the commandments of God that Satan will be comparatively bound, so far as we are concerned. I have felt led to say to the Saints in speaking of late, that there are some sins that God has pronounced against that Satan does not have power over hundreds, and I hope thousands, of Latter-day Saints to lead them astray in these directions. I will instance adultery. I believe there are thousands—at least, I hope there are, and I believe there are, in this congregation of Latter-day Saints, that would rather die, rather meet any kind of fate that could be inflicted on their mortal bodies, than commit adultery. Do you not believe it? (Many responded, Yes.) I do believe it with all my heart. Then so far as this is concerned, Satan has ceased to have power over all the men and women who are in this condition. I believe there are hundreds and thousands in this congregation, and especially in the Church, who would rather die than commit whoredom—have illicit association with the other sex. I believe there are women by hundreds and by thousands who would rather die than commit those sins. Now, do you believe there is in any community as large a number of people to be found int his condition as can be found among the Latter-day Saints? I do not believe there is. I have no idea that there is. Therefore, so far as those two crimes are concerned, Satan has less power over us here than he has in some other places.
I might go on and speak about stealing, and dishonesty, and many other sins. I believe that the Latter-day Saints as a people are a more honest people, that they respect their obligations more than other people. We show this in our business associations and dealing. We have the credit for it everywhere. Men who have found fault with our religion frequently acknowledge that we are an honest people and our credit is “gilt edged.” But there are some things that we are still guilty of. I believe, however, that the young and rising generation will outgrow them. It is a strong temptation for a man, when he has got a piece of property and he has a chance to trade it or sell it, to let the buyer think it is better than it is. Now, if we were strictly honest, we would tell exactly the character of that which we have to sell. We would not allow a man to deceive himself; we would tell him the facts. But I know that we are all under the influence of the old traditions. The old traditions were that a man should have his own eyesight, and that the seller should not furnish him with anything to aid his perception or to enable him to perceive something that he would not otherwise see. It is a hard thing for men who have grown up under that system of things to refrain from it. You see everywhere where things are for sale the endeavor to make them appear better in the eyes of the purchaser than they are. We have got to change in this respect. Whenever a man yields to do a dishonest thing he yields to Satan, and Satan has influence and power over him to that extent. We have got to learn to overcome these things, and to have Satan bound.
I do want with all my heart—I pray for it incessantly—that God will lessen the amount of apostasy among us. How will He do it? It can only be done by a horror of sin growing up in the hearts of our children, so that the consequences of indulging in sin will appear so terrible in every respect that a man will say, “I would rather die than do that.” “I cannot do that, for if I do, I yield to Satan and I endanger my salvation.” I would like to see that feeling in my own breast and in the breasts of my family, and especially in the breasts of the rising generation in this Church. We all shun death; when we see it in our pathway, we avoid it. In like manner I would like to see, and I know I will see, the day when men, seeing spiritual destruction in their pathway, will turn aside from it quicker than they would from death itself, because they know the consequences would be more serious in every respect than the mere death of the body.
My brethren and sisters, I feel this is a most important subject for us. Who is there among you that does not want to live and have your name live in the Church of Christ? Who is there that wants to be blotted out? Who is there that has labored, as many have, through life to keep the commandments of god, that now wants to fail, and their children pass out of the Church and fall into oblivion? When I hear of boys and girls marrying out of the Church, especially when they belong to good families, my heart is filled with inexpressible sorrow. I ask myself, what will be the fate of their offspring? Will their names be obliterated from among the Saints of God? One o the blessings that God gave to His ancient servants was that He would build them “a sure house,” and one of the great blessings that Jeremiah was commissioned to give to the descendants of Rechab because of their faithfulness in keeping the command of their father that they should not drink strong drink, etc., was the promise from God that “Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me forever;” and when the genealogy of that family is found you will find the descendants of that man with the people of God, whether it be among us or among the ten tribes. And so, with every man unto whom promises were made. The great promise that was made to Abraham was that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed. It is the greatest promise apparently that the Father could give to him. Now, who is there among us that does not want his name preserved in the Church of Christ? Who does not want his children to live from generation to generation, through the calamities and the overwhelming destructions that are coming upon the inhabitants of the earth? I cannot think of anything that would fill me with deeper sorrow, next to the loss of my own salvation, than the thought that my name would be blotted out, that my descendants would be blotted out, and I would not have a man of my descent throughout the Millennium to stand before the Lord bearing the Priesthood. God forbid that such a fate should happen to any of us, especially those who have been faithful in the Church of Christ! Therefore, apostasy ought to be dreaded, and the dread of it ought to be instilled into every heart, and into the heart of every child, so that it will grow up loving the truth, loving the Church, hating iniquity, clinging to that which is virtuous and pure and that which will preserve the Spirit of God. We all should seek to shun everything that will bring darkness upon us. We have been told during this Conference how necessary it is that we should follow the guidance of God’s servants. Why, everything depends upon this. I would rather get down on my knees, in the most abject manner, before my fellow servants, and beg them to forgive me and to tell me what do than to have them feel that I was doing anything in opposition to their wishes or contrary to their counsel. I have always had this feeling; I trust I always shall have. And yet among my acquaintances I am not credited with having a lack of independence. We all no doubt feel as though death is nothing compared with grieving the Spirit of God and doing those things that will cause a loss of the fellowship of the Saints of God and communion with the Holy Ghost. These are dreadful things to do, and I would like to impress upon you the importance of this. Some men and women treat lightly their standing in the Church. They think they can grieve their brethren and sisters and it will not harm themselves. But it dangerous ground. We should refrain from it.
In my early boyhood I received the Spirit of God in bowing obedience to the commands of God. It has been the sweetest thing that I ever felt. It has been my fortune during my life to be in a great variety of situations and circumstances. I have preached the Gospel in extreme poverty. I have gone through a great many vicissitudes. I have also been in positions where I had all that man could desire, so far as the gratification of earthly things was concerned. But I wish to bear testimony this afternoon to you that there is nothing on the earth, nothing that man can taste or experience that is so sweet, so happifying, so full of delight, as the presence of the Spirit of God. It fills the soul with joy that is inexpressible. And I have had this in the midst of poverty and hard times. It has made my life an exceedingly happy one. I have thought that no man on the earth was so happy a man or lived so happy a life as I have. And it has been due to the fact that God has given to me His Holy Spirit. I would like to always have this. When I do not feel happy, I know there is something wrong, and I endeavor to find it out. I want to live every minute in close communion with the Spirit of God. Pardon me for alluding to my own experience, but the point that I wish to make is this: if our children can get that Spirit, and they are taught to cherish it, they will not be so easily led into sin. They will think, “I cannot part with this precious gift. I cannot grieve this Holy Spirit.” They should be taught to have it with them in the morning and at night, and when they awake in the night; to have it in all their thoughts, in all their words and in all their actions. And then what a happy people we will be! This earth will be a heaven to us, and all associated with it will be joyful, and we will be the happiest people, the most intelligent people, because the Spirit of God always brings intelligence. There will be none like us, and we will set an example to all people on this, like we do upon everything else. If we are strong in honesty, we will draw honest men to us; and the day is not far distant when the honesty of this people will be so well-known and their integrity so well-established that men will come here and bring their money here, because the Latter-day Saints will be an honest people whom they can trust.
We have got to set the world an example in these directions, as well as in the carrying out of all enterprises; show them that they can be done without stealing, without speculation of any kind. We have got to show them that government can be carried on without resort to those base arts and miserable tricks and practices that prevail elsewhere and that are thought essential to success. This people must rise above these things. Those who resort to them will go down; for God will not bless them. This is His work. It is not man’s work. Everybody will find that God is at the helm. He will control and overrule the affairs of this Territory and this State, for His glory. For this is His Zion. He has founded it, and He will continue to care for it. He will control everything, for its good and for the happiness of His people and for the success of His glorious purposes. Therefore, men may plot, men may contrive, men may indulge in machinations; but God will sweet them aside, and He will bring to pass His purposes and His salvation. We shall stand as a beacon light to the nations; for there is no hope on the earth, unless it is with us. Upon every institution of man is written “decay.” If the elements of perpetuity are not found among this people, then there are none to be found upon the face of the earth.
Before I sit down, I desire to bear testimony to tis being the truth. You have heard it borne testimony to by all the brethren. I testify that this is the truth of heaven, and that God is with this people. God is leading this Church. God is with His servant Wilford Woodruff. God is with His Apostles. God will sustain them and all the men who have the Priesthood and are endeavoring to magnify their office and calling.
God grant that we may live worthy of these things. Let us keep the commandments of God; pay our tithing and our donations. The Lord that increased the widow’s cruse of oil and the barrel of meal can multiply His blessings upon us. God bless you all, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Delivered at the General Conference of the Church, in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, October 6th, 1895, by
President George Q. Cannon
[Reported by Arthur Winter.]
In looking over this vast congregation and seeing this collection of intelligent human beings, one is filled with a sense of unworthiness and a want of capability to say anything that will be of interest to so many souls, unless, indeed, God is with him. It seems to me that when a man stands before a congregation like this, he must feel an almost overpowering sense of his nothingness; and it is with this feeling that I arise this afternoon. I pray you and I pray God that I may be able to say the things that ought to be said and that are adapted to the circumstances and conditions of the people. Many of you have come hundreds of miles to attend this conference. It is not a light thing for men to stand up to attempt to satisfy the expectations and the desires of people who have shown such earnestness and such zeal as to travel so far as many have done to be present here today.
God has been with His servants in speaking to you today. I was particularly impressed in listening to President Woodruff, able to speak as he did for some fifty-two minutes, at his advanced time of life; and I felt that God certainly had shown to us His ability to sustain His servants, His willingness to do so, and His power to give His people the bread of life through those whom He chooses. The practical character of the remarks also of President Smith, I thought exceedingly well-times, because we need instruction in our practical, everyday duties, as much in their place as we do to have spiritual instruction. He touched upon points that I think of great importance to us—points that should be dwelt upon in our conferences, and that should be remembered and carried away with us to our homes, because after all it is the practical living of our religion that witnesses to the Lord and to the heavens and the earth and its inhabitants that we are indeed that which we profess to be, and it is these practical lessons that we receive and that we in turn give to others that make an impression upon the human family.
I have through my life endeavored to look forward to the fulfillment of the promises of God concerning us in the influence that we as a people would have upon mankind; but notwithstanding this has been a subject very familiar to me in my thoughts, I have been, I might say, almost surprised of late at the manner in which the promises of God are being fulfilled concerning us. It is coming about in ways so real and so clearly in fulfillment of that which has been told to us that though familiar with the prophecies concerning it, I have felt greatly surprised at times. It is plain to me—plainer to me than ever before in my life—that God is using this people to accomplish a great work in the earth, and He is giving His people an influence among men and in this nation that is having its effect, and that will bring forth great fruits in the not distant future. I can see as never before how important it is that we as a people shall carry out, faithfully, humbly and obediently, the counsels and instructions that we receive from the servants of God. We are like a city set upon a hill, and the eyes of the nation and the peoples of the earth are directed toward us, and that which we say and do is having a great weight—more weight than we have supposed.
Therefore, in coming together as we do at these general conference, it is of the utmost importance that the teachings we receive should be from the Lord and be adapted to the circumstances and conditions which surround us and that which we have to do. We have received very much valuable instruction since we have been together, and if we can only retain the spirit of it in our hearts and carry it away with us, and not forget it, it will be of invaluable benefit to us. God has chosen us out from the nations to accomplish a great work, and He is adding to the influence of the Latter-day Saints. It is remarkable how we are commended; how the policy that has governed in the founding of Utah and the building up of the settlements of Utah, the caring for the poor, etc. is being received now with great favor, and how universal is the commendation of the policy that has been pursued in this territory. There was a time when one of the chief charges against us was that the Priesthood, as it was termed, had too much influence was wielded in a manner that was distasteful to public sentiment. Now an extraordinary change has taken place in this respect. The manner in which this city was founded, the manner in which our settlements have been arranged, the manner in which our land has been divided, the manner in which we have apportioned the streams of water for the irrigation of the land, the manner in which the poor have been cared for, the manner in which they are now instructed and have been instructed—all this receives unstinted commendation and praise from many persons, and they say that Utah sets an example. Population is increasing; homes for the millions that are congested in the great cities are needed; men see that the cities are overcrowded, and that vice and crime and everything of a horrible nature is increasing in the midst of these congested populations, and they turn around and ask, what is the remedy? What shall we do with the people? The public lands are all being absorbed in those regions. You have read no doubt of the opening of Oklahoma and the manner in which thousands and thousands of people crowded in there; how they camped on the road while waiting for the signal to go in and take possession of the lands that were ready for occupancy. This gives an idea of the disposition there is to obtain land; and reflecting men look around and ask, what shall we do with this increasing population? Where shall we find room for them? Now, there is a vast area of land that has heretofore been considered worthless. It has been looked upon as unfit for human habitation. It is what is called the arid regions, of which Utah may be said to be the center. It was thought that this was good enough for Mormons, and some who have found fault with us religiously, and who have said that we were misled, have described our land as a cursed land, a land of salt, a land of dryness, a land of barrenness, a land that should be shunned by men instead of sought for as a home. They would use this as an argument to show that the authority of the Priesthood was not here, or we would not have been led to such a place. This until quite recently has been the very general opinion; but we have had visitors come here by the thousands, and they have discovered that Utah is an exceedingly fertile region, and they have seen the results of the labor and the application of the Latter-day Saints, and their admiration has been excited by the sight. Hence a change has gradually taken place in public opinion upon these points. And now the time has come when there must be something done to relieve the crowded population of the large cities; attention is turned to what is called the arid regions, and steps are being taken to provide ways and means for the settling of these regions, and thinking men look around to see the best plan that can be adopted for the settling of the people upon these lands. This brings before them the condition of Utah Territory. They see what has been done here by the Mormon people, to begin with, and by others who have come in, and they say, “This is the example. Here is a practical illustration of the manner in which people who have very little means can make their living from the soil in the arid regions.” Everything that President Young did in the beginning, and everything that has been done since, is now looked upon with the greatest favor. I have listened to the most eloquent addresses, giving to President Young the greatest praise for that which he accomplished in Utah Territory.
My brethren and sisters, this is the condition today. The world is turning their attention to us. they are looking to see what we are doing, and they give us credit for being a far richer people than we are. A most extraordinary thing happened—that is, I thought it extraordinary—at this late Irrigation Congress. A committee on resolutions was appointed, and all the resolutions introduced in the Congress were referred to this committee. They embodied such of these resolutions as they approved of in an address, and when the address was brought in and reported, I thought it was the most important part of the proceedings, because upon the character of this address would be likely to depend the legislation of the United States Congress, and I prepared myself by going on to the floor (having before that a seat on the platform) to discuss this address. In the address there was a comparison between the landless people of Massachusetts and the ninety per cent of the people of Utah who owned their own homes, which was unfavorable to Massachusetts and exceedingly favorable to Utah. I had a conversation with a delegate from New Mexico and suggested to him that that did not please us, and he called attention to it. I afterwards got the floor myself, and I addressed the Congress on the subject; and do you know that it was with difficulty that we could get that changed, they were so determined to give Utah the praise which they said Utah deserved and to give Massachusetts the discredit which they said Massachusetts deserved. They said it was only telling the truth, and why not let it stand? And it was only by using influence of this kind, saying to them that we from Utah preferred to have that stricken out, because we did not want to excite any feeling in Massachusetts against Utah, that we succeeded in getting the line stricken out about Massachusetts. To me this was a wonderful thing. I said to myself, who would have thought a few years ago that it would be necessary for delegates from Utah to plead against getting too good a character as contrasted with other portions of the Union, especially with the state of Massachusetts?
I mention this to show you how public opinion has changed. At that Congress whenever allusion was made to Utah it was in the most respectful manner. I call attention to this because we are being forced into public notice. The eyes of the world are being drawn to us, and in the providence of our God this will continue to be the case more and more. There is not an irrigation association that would not like to have men from Utah come and visit it and tell the people how to settle the land, how to irrigate the land, how to live on a small piece of land and keep our of debt, and how to live in union and harmony, and how to build farm settlements close together where the people can meet together for religious, social and educational purposes, and not be scattered over a large surface of ground, distant from each other. These measures that God has inspired His servants to take in this country, and which we know the Lord inspired President Young to take as the leader of the people, and which some probably have thought were just the contrivance of man, are today approved of men. The world, of course, think it is man’s wisdom and shrewdness that has accomplished this; but we know that President Young was inspired of God. After the lapse of time the vindication of these measures and the counsel given by the servants of the Lord is coming. We have had to wait some time for it, but it is coming at last—a vindication that is most gratifying to all of us who have lived to behold it and to hear it expressed.
So it will be, I tell you, in everything connected with this people. Men are looking at our method of preaching the Gospel, and thinking about it. By looking at the reports I see that we have today between 800 and 900 missionaries in the world. Think of it! A small community like the Latter-day Saints having between 800 and 900 young men traveling among the various nations of the earth and through the United States, learning things and becoming familiar with the ways of the world, gaining an experience that no other people upon the face of the earth are gaining. Think of the effect of this number coming home every two years and going among the people; and then again, 800 more going, or perhaps 1000 going to fill their places, and they coming back in their turn after traveling two years and gaining experience. You reflect and consider in your own minds the effect that this must have on our people. Why, there is no people on the earth that are having such a schooling in this respect. These young men go out, and they go out without purse or scrip, and they trust in the Lord, and they have faith developed such as cannot be developed in any other way. They become familiar with human nature. They are brought in contact with nearly all kinds of people, and they gain an experience that is better than any experience that can be gained in any other manner. Why, in olden times, it was common in Great Britain for men of wealth to send their sons to take what is called the grand tour. They would travel through Europe in company with tutors, and it was considered essential to the education of what they called a gentleman that he should make the grand tour. Now, every one of our young men take the grand tour; but they take it in a way to learn far more than they would if they had money or if they were under the guardianship of somebody, as they are brought in contact themselves with the people, and they come back developed and with an experience that is beyond price. Think of the effect that this will have on the community! There is scarcely a ward in our whole Territory, and it may be said outside of our Territory, that does not send some missionaries yearly. They go and they come back, and the effect that they have upon the people, upon public opinion, in influencing and in helping matters, is wonderfully great. Insensibly perhaps to the people with whom they associate, they have an influence. They are broadened in their minds, they are enlarged in their experience and they become men of understanding, because their faculties have been aroused and developed.
When men are told of this, they are surprised at it. Why, they say, the effect will be wonderful on your community. And it is so. Let me say to you that God having established this work and having conducted it by revelation thus far, it will in spite of everything obtain influence in the earth, and people will be drawn to it in admiration of it. They may fight it for awhile, and try to crush it and to crush the people; but the principles of truth which we have espoused, and that which God has taught us and is teaching us, they are bound to rise and to have influence, and they are bound to have their effect upon consistent people. You can see it now if you choose, but you will see it still more, that the influence of this people will spread, and we will be preaching the Gospel of salvation without baptizing the people. They will look upon us and they will imitate us and follow our example; and the world will be better because we are in it, and this nation will be benefitted by our example. Where I go, I tell them that we have a great mission to perform as a people, and we expect to fill it. I cite this instance: when they talk about the corrupt use of money and the bad effects of money, I say Utah Territory has been organized now for forty-five years; we have had a legislature for forty-five years, and I have never yet heard a breath of suspicion concerning bribery in Utah. I have never known a legislator in Utah vote for anything that was not right because he was influenced by money, Senator Stanford, the president of the Central Pacific railway, in his testimony as I have heard him before Congress, said that they never had the least occasion to send men to Utah to watch the legislation of Utah; their road was perfectly safe in our hands. He did not tell what they had to do in an adjoining state. I appealed to the manager of the Union Pacific on one occasion and asked him what his experience was. He said it was similar; that they had never had occasion to watch the legislature. The only thing they could find fault with, he said, was that sometimes they had suits for damages, some people thinking they were damaged more than he thought they were. I have endeavored, when I have been talking with leading men, to say that we have got a mission. We are going to change things. The introduction of moneyed influences in our politics is a thing that, if God give me strength and power, I shall oppose with every faculty of mind and body. I have almost sworn—I never do swear—but I have almost sworn that while God gives me strength, I will fight that to the very last, that there shall be no corrupt influence brought into our country if it can be prevented. I want to make, as one, a stand against it, no matter where it comes from, or by whom it is practiced. We have maintained a character thus far for honest and for being above bribery; and this people, I know, when they are appealed to, they will with all their might oppose the introduction of any such influence.
Now, in relation to this reform and our mission of which I have been speaking, we will build railroads cheaper than anybody else, and we will build them honestly. We will go into all concerns, all enterprises, and we will do them honestly, and the men that handle the funds will be honest men and be able to account for every dollar. We have built a little railroad from here to the Lake. Not a dollar has been spent that cannot be accounted for. The sugar factory has been built, and it has been built honestly. There has been no corruption, no speculation in the funds; everything has been done in a way that every honest man can look at it and be satisfied. We desire that this shall be the character of all our operations. Above all things we must be an honest people. You may talk about religion and speak about the Gospel, and say we have got the truth and the plan of salvation, and we have got he authority of the Priesthood; but if we are not honest, it does not amount to anything; for neither God nor honorable men love dishonesty. We must, therefore, be an honest people. Men must be honest in the handling of public funds. It is a shame and a disgrace to any man who is in office of any kind to not handle the funds with the greatest strictness and honesty. He is unfit for office, and he is unfit, until he repents, of being a member in the Church of Christ. The members of the Church of Christ ought to be honest. We should in the handling of funds, and everything entrusted to them.
We are also setting an example in regard to virtue. Yet I fear there is secret sin practiced among us. There is this, however, for our protection; God is cleansing this people and purging those who practice sin from their midst. Those who commit sin gradually leave the Church. They get into the dark and they become cold and indifferent, and finally leave the Church. If it were not for God’s power in this respect, we would soon become corrupt, doubtless, as other people. But God in His wonderful providence has so arranged matters that impurity cannot live in this Church for any length of time. There is a cleansing process going on. God is cleansing His Church and He is purging out the wicked and the ungodly, and He is leaving the residue. No man can be confident of standing in this Church unless he is pure in heart; for the Holy Ghost will not dwell in unholy tabernacles. Men may deceive their fellowmen; women may deceive their sisters; but they cannot deceive God. They cannot commit sin and retain the Spirit of God. It will leave them sooner or later. It will decrease within them, and finally leave them, unless they repent of their sin. And this, my brethren and sisters, is our safety and the safety of this Church, that God is cleansing it and removing from the midst of the people the corrupt. Those who practice secret sin may hide it from their fellows, as some do, and think it is not known; but God will make it known. His Spirit will leaven them, unless they repent with all their hearts and turn from their sins. God will have an honest people. He will have a pure people; He will have a virtuous people. He will cleanse us, and keep cleansing us until we shall be pure, and there will be a people found that are not hypocrites. The hypocrite will be cleansed from the midst of the Saints. In this way we will be built up and the Church will increase. There are people in this Church who are becoming more perfect every day, and Satan is having less power over them every day. As they listen to the word of God and seek to comply with the requirements of the Gospel, they grow stronger, and Satan has less and less power over the people. He will have more power over the sinners, and he will exercise that power, and he will lead them away. But the righteous who are determined to serve God will become stronger and stronger. And do you know, my brethren and sisters, it is the great desire of my heart for myself and family and for the whole Church, that we may become so perfect in keeping the commandments of God that Satan will be comparatively bound, so far as we are concerned. I have felt led to say to the Saints in speaking of late, that there are some sins that God has pronounced against that Satan does not have power over hundreds, and I hope thousands, of Latter-day Saints to lead them astray in these directions. I will instance adultery. I believe there are thousands—at least, I hope there are, and I believe there are, in this congregation of Latter-day Saints, that would rather die, rather meet any kind of fate that could be inflicted on their mortal bodies, than commit adultery. Do you not believe it? (Many responded, Yes.) I do believe it with all my heart. Then so far as this is concerned, Satan has ceased to have power over all the men and women who are in this condition. I believe there are hundreds and thousands in this congregation, and especially in the Church, who would rather die than commit whoredom—have illicit association with the other sex. I believe there are women by hundreds and by thousands who would rather die than commit those sins. Now, do you believe there is in any community as large a number of people to be found int his condition as can be found among the Latter-day Saints? I do not believe there is. I have no idea that there is. Therefore, so far as those two crimes are concerned, Satan has less power over us here than he has in some other places.
I might go on and speak about stealing, and dishonesty, and many other sins. I believe that the Latter-day Saints as a people are a more honest people, that they respect their obligations more than other people. We show this in our business associations and dealing. We have the credit for it everywhere. Men who have found fault with our religion frequently acknowledge that we are an honest people and our credit is “gilt edged.” But there are some things that we are still guilty of. I believe, however, that the young and rising generation will outgrow them. It is a strong temptation for a man, when he has got a piece of property and he has a chance to trade it or sell it, to let the buyer think it is better than it is. Now, if we were strictly honest, we would tell exactly the character of that which we have to sell. We would not allow a man to deceive himself; we would tell him the facts. But I know that we are all under the influence of the old traditions. The old traditions were that a man should have his own eyesight, and that the seller should not furnish him with anything to aid his perception or to enable him to perceive something that he would not otherwise see. It is a hard thing for men who have grown up under that system of things to refrain from it. You see everywhere where things are for sale the endeavor to make them appear better in the eyes of the purchaser than they are. We have got to change in this respect. Whenever a man yields to do a dishonest thing he yields to Satan, and Satan has influence and power over him to that extent. We have got to learn to overcome these things, and to have Satan bound.
I do want with all my heart—I pray for it incessantly—that God will lessen the amount of apostasy among us. How will He do it? It can only be done by a horror of sin growing up in the hearts of our children, so that the consequences of indulging in sin will appear so terrible in every respect that a man will say, “I would rather die than do that.” “I cannot do that, for if I do, I yield to Satan and I endanger my salvation.” I would like to see that feeling in my own breast and in the breasts of my family, and especially in the breasts of the rising generation in this Church. We all shun death; when we see it in our pathway, we avoid it. In like manner I would like to see, and I know I will see, the day when men, seeing spiritual destruction in their pathway, will turn aside from it quicker than they would from death itself, because they know the consequences would be more serious in every respect than the mere death of the body.
My brethren and sisters, I feel this is a most important subject for us. Who is there among you that does not want to live and have your name live in the Church of Christ? Who is there that wants to be blotted out? Who is there that has labored, as many have, through life to keep the commandments of god, that now wants to fail, and their children pass out of the Church and fall into oblivion? When I hear of boys and girls marrying out of the Church, especially when they belong to good families, my heart is filled with inexpressible sorrow. I ask myself, what will be the fate of their offspring? Will their names be obliterated from among the Saints of God? One o the blessings that God gave to His ancient servants was that He would build them “a sure house,” and one of the great blessings that Jeremiah was commissioned to give to the descendants of Rechab because of their faithfulness in keeping the command of their father that they should not drink strong drink, etc., was the promise from God that “Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me forever;” and when the genealogy of that family is found you will find the descendants of that man with the people of God, whether it be among us or among the ten tribes. And so, with every man unto whom promises were made. The great promise that was made to Abraham was that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed. It is the greatest promise apparently that the Father could give to him. Now, who is there among us that does not want his name preserved in the Church of Christ? Who does not want his children to live from generation to generation, through the calamities and the overwhelming destructions that are coming upon the inhabitants of the earth? I cannot think of anything that would fill me with deeper sorrow, next to the loss of my own salvation, than the thought that my name would be blotted out, that my descendants would be blotted out, and I would not have a man of my descent throughout the Millennium to stand before the Lord bearing the Priesthood. God forbid that such a fate should happen to any of us, especially those who have been faithful in the Church of Christ! Therefore, apostasy ought to be dreaded, and the dread of it ought to be instilled into every heart, and into the heart of every child, so that it will grow up loving the truth, loving the Church, hating iniquity, clinging to that which is virtuous and pure and that which will preserve the Spirit of God. We all should seek to shun everything that will bring darkness upon us. We have been told during this Conference how necessary it is that we should follow the guidance of God’s servants. Why, everything depends upon this. I would rather get down on my knees, in the most abject manner, before my fellow servants, and beg them to forgive me and to tell me what do than to have them feel that I was doing anything in opposition to their wishes or contrary to their counsel. I have always had this feeling; I trust I always shall have. And yet among my acquaintances I am not credited with having a lack of independence. We all no doubt feel as though death is nothing compared with grieving the Spirit of God and doing those things that will cause a loss of the fellowship of the Saints of God and communion with the Holy Ghost. These are dreadful things to do, and I would like to impress upon you the importance of this. Some men and women treat lightly their standing in the Church. They think they can grieve their brethren and sisters and it will not harm themselves. But it dangerous ground. We should refrain from it.
In my early boyhood I received the Spirit of God in bowing obedience to the commands of God. It has been the sweetest thing that I ever felt. It has been my fortune during my life to be in a great variety of situations and circumstances. I have preached the Gospel in extreme poverty. I have gone through a great many vicissitudes. I have also been in positions where I had all that man could desire, so far as the gratification of earthly things was concerned. But I wish to bear testimony this afternoon to you that there is nothing on the earth, nothing that man can taste or experience that is so sweet, so happifying, so full of delight, as the presence of the Spirit of God. It fills the soul with joy that is inexpressible. And I have had this in the midst of poverty and hard times. It has made my life an exceedingly happy one. I have thought that no man on the earth was so happy a man or lived so happy a life as I have. And it has been due to the fact that God has given to me His Holy Spirit. I would like to always have this. When I do not feel happy, I know there is something wrong, and I endeavor to find it out. I want to live every minute in close communion with the Spirit of God. Pardon me for alluding to my own experience, but the point that I wish to make is this: if our children can get that Spirit, and they are taught to cherish it, they will not be so easily led into sin. They will think, “I cannot part with this precious gift. I cannot grieve this Holy Spirit.” They should be taught to have it with them in the morning and at night, and when they awake in the night; to have it in all their thoughts, in all their words and in all their actions. And then what a happy people we will be! This earth will be a heaven to us, and all associated with it will be joyful, and we will be the happiest people, the most intelligent people, because the Spirit of God always brings intelligence. There will be none like us, and we will set an example to all people on this, like we do upon everything else. If we are strong in honesty, we will draw honest men to us; and the day is not far distant when the honesty of this people will be so well-known and their integrity so well-established that men will come here and bring their money here, because the Latter-day Saints will be an honest people whom they can trust.
We have got to set the world an example in these directions, as well as in the carrying out of all enterprises; show them that they can be done without stealing, without speculation of any kind. We have got to show them that government can be carried on without resort to those base arts and miserable tricks and practices that prevail elsewhere and that are thought essential to success. This people must rise above these things. Those who resort to them will go down; for God will not bless them. This is His work. It is not man’s work. Everybody will find that God is at the helm. He will control and overrule the affairs of this Territory and this State, for His glory. For this is His Zion. He has founded it, and He will continue to care for it. He will control everything, for its good and for the happiness of His people and for the success of His glorious purposes. Therefore, men may plot, men may contrive, men may indulge in machinations; but God will sweet them aside, and He will bring to pass His purposes and His salvation. We shall stand as a beacon light to the nations; for there is no hope on the earth, unless it is with us. Upon every institution of man is written “decay.” If the elements of perpetuity are not found among this people, then there are none to be found upon the face of the earth.
Before I sit down, I desire to bear testimony to tis being the truth. You have heard it borne testimony to by all the brethren. I testify that this is the truth of heaven, and that God is with this people. God is leading this Church. God is with His servant Wilford Woodruff. God is with His Apostles. God will sustain them and all the men who have the Priesthood and are endeavoring to magnify their office and calling.
God grant that we may live worthy of these things. Let us keep the commandments of God; pay our tithing and our donations. The Lord that increased the widow’s cruse of oil and the barrel of meal can multiply His blessings upon us. God bless you all, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
President Woodruff
made a few closing remarks, in the course of which he bore testimony to the excellence of the instructions given by President Cannon and Smith, and closed with an exhortation to the Saints to be prompt and liberal in paying their offerings for the support of the poor.
Choir sang, Hosanna.
Benediction by Patriarch John Smith.
Conference adjourned for six months.
made a few closing remarks, in the course of which he bore testimony to the excellence of the instructions given by President Cannon and Smith, and closed with an exhortation to the Saints to be prompt and liberal in paying their offerings for the support of the poor.
Choir sang, Hosanna.
Benediction by Patriarch John Smith.
Conference adjourned for six months.