April 1900
Seventieth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (1900). Report of Discourses. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News.
SEVENTIETH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS. FIRST DAY.
PRESIDENT LORENZO SNOW
Opening Address
ELDER BRIGHAM YOUNG
God has brought the Saints through every ordeal
ELDER FRANCIS M. LYMAN
The Spirit of God the source of Union
AFTERNOON SESSION
PRESIDENT GEORGE Q. CANNON
Why the Saints are interested in current events
ELDER JOHN HENRY SMITH
Character of the Men who carry on the work of God
ELDER GEORGE TEASDALE
The Saints trust in the Lord
SECOND DAY. April 7th, 10 a. m.--
ELDER HEBER J. GRANT
Individual Progress in the work of God depends upon obedience to God's Commandments
ELDER JOHN W. TAYLOR
The gifts of God of great worth
ELDER MARRINER W. MERRILL
The preservation of families in the faith
AFTERNOON SESSION
ELDER ANTHON H. LUND
Spiritual gifts must exist in the Church of Christ
ELDER MATTHIAS F. COWLEY
The Church built on the foundation of Continuous Revelation
ELDER ABRAHAM O. WOODRUFF
Room for improvement among the Priesthood
PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH
Preservation and Multiplication of life
THIRD DAY. Sunday, April 6th, 10 a. m.
ELDER RUDGER CLAWSON
A striking evidence of God's goodness
PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH
Importance of the law of tithing
ELDER WM. H. SMART
ELDER E. H. NYE
CLOSING SESSION
THE GENERAL AUTHORITIES OF THE CHURCH
ELDER REED SMOOT
PRESIDENT GEORGE Q. CANNON
DESERET SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION
GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT GEORGE Q. CANNON
SECOND ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT KARL G. MAESER
ELDER HEBER J. GRANT
DR. J. M. TANNER
ELDER JOSEPH W. SUMMERHAYS
ELDER THOMAS C. GRIGGS
ELDER GEORGE REYNOLDS
ELDER GEORGE D. PYPER
GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT GEORGE Q. CANNON
SEVENTIETH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS. FIRST DAY.
PRESIDENT LORENZO SNOW
Opening Address
ELDER BRIGHAM YOUNG
God has brought the Saints through every ordeal
ELDER FRANCIS M. LYMAN
The Spirit of God the source of Union
AFTERNOON SESSION
PRESIDENT GEORGE Q. CANNON
Why the Saints are interested in current events
ELDER JOHN HENRY SMITH
Character of the Men who carry on the work of God
ELDER GEORGE TEASDALE
The Saints trust in the Lord
SECOND DAY. April 7th, 10 a. m.--
ELDER HEBER J. GRANT
Individual Progress in the work of God depends upon obedience to God's Commandments
ELDER JOHN W. TAYLOR
The gifts of God of great worth
ELDER MARRINER W. MERRILL
The preservation of families in the faith
AFTERNOON SESSION
ELDER ANTHON H. LUND
Spiritual gifts must exist in the Church of Christ
ELDER MATTHIAS F. COWLEY
The Church built on the foundation of Continuous Revelation
ELDER ABRAHAM O. WOODRUFF
Room for improvement among the Priesthood
PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH
Preservation and Multiplication of life
THIRD DAY. Sunday, April 6th, 10 a. m.
ELDER RUDGER CLAWSON
A striking evidence of God's goodness
PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH
Importance of the law of tithing
ELDER WM. H. SMART
ELDER E. H. NYE
CLOSING SESSION
THE GENERAL AUTHORITIES OF THE CHURCH
ELDER REED SMOOT
PRESIDENT GEORGE Q. CANNON
DESERET SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION
GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT GEORGE Q. CANNON
SECOND ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT KARL G. MAESER
ELDER HEBER J. GRANT
DR. J. M. TANNER
ELDER JOSEPH W. SUMMERHAYS
ELDER THOMAS C. GRIGGS
ELDER GEORGE REYNOLDS
ELDER GEORGE D. PYPER
GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT GEORGE Q. CANNON
SEVENTIETH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
GENERAL CONFERENCE OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.
FIRST DAY.
The seventieth annual conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints convened in the Tabernacle at 10 a. m. on Friday, April 6th, 1900, President Lorenzo Snow presiding.
Of the general authorities present there were, of the First Presidency, Lorenzo Snow, George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith;
of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles—Brigham Young, Francis M. Lyman, John Henry Smith, George Teasdale, Heber J. Grant, John W. Taylor, Marriner W. Merrill, Anthon H. Lund, Matthias F. Cowley, Abraham O. Woodruff and Rudger Clawson;
Patriarch John Smith;
of the First Seven Presidents of Seventies—Seymour B. Young, C. D. Fjeldsted, George Reynolds, Jonathan G. Kimball, Rulon S. Wells and Joseph W. McMurrin;
of the Presiding Bishopric—William B. Preston, Robert T. Burton and John R. Winder.
The choir and congregation sang the hymn which begins:
Our God, we raise to thee,
Thanks for thy blessings free
We here enjoy.
The opening prayer was offered by Elder John Nicholson.
The choir and congregation sang the hymn commencing:
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.
GENERAL CONFERENCE OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.
FIRST DAY.
The seventieth annual conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints convened in the Tabernacle at 10 a. m. on Friday, April 6th, 1900, President Lorenzo Snow presiding.
Of the general authorities present there were, of the First Presidency, Lorenzo Snow, George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith;
of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles—Brigham Young, Francis M. Lyman, John Henry Smith, George Teasdale, Heber J. Grant, John W. Taylor, Marriner W. Merrill, Anthon H. Lund, Matthias F. Cowley, Abraham O. Woodruff and Rudger Clawson;
Patriarch John Smith;
of the First Seven Presidents of Seventies—Seymour B. Young, C. D. Fjeldsted, George Reynolds, Jonathan G. Kimball, Rulon S. Wells and Joseph W. McMurrin;
of the Presiding Bishopric—William B. Preston, Robert T. Burton and John R. Winder.
The choir and congregation sang the hymn which begins:
Our God, we raise to thee,
Thanks for thy blessings free
We here enjoy.
The opening prayer was offered by Elder John Nicholson.
The choir and congregation sang the hymn commencing:
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.
PRESIDENT LORENZO SNOW.
Opening Address.
My brethren and sisters—I desire a deep interest in your faith and prayers. When I say this I express the feelings, I presume, of every Elder who arises to speak to the Latter-day Saints. So far as giving information and assisting the Latter-day Saints in their faith is concerned, we are dependent on the Spirit of the Lord and, in a measure, the exercise of faith by the people of God. I am thankful for the blessings that have attended me in my endeavors to forward the interests of the Church and for the prayers and support that I have had from the people, who have listened to the requirements of the Lord and have conformed to them at least to a certain extent.
Seventy years ago this Church was organized with six members. We commenced, so to speak, as an infant. We had our prejudices to combat. Our ignorance troubled us in regard to what the Lord intended to do and what He wanted us to do. Through the blessings of the Lord, however, we managed to move along in our stage of infancy, receiving support from the Lord as He saw proper to give it. We advanced into boyhood, and still we undoubtedly made some mistakes, which did not generally arise from a design to make them, but from a lack of experience. We understand very well, when we reflect back upon our own lives, that we did many foolish things when we were boys, because of our lack of experience and because we had not learned fully to obey the instructions of our fathers and mothers. "We could not then comprehend that it was absolutely necessary, for our proper advancement, that we should observe the counsels of our parents. Many of us afterwards learned it, but too late perhaps to correct ourselves. Yet as we advanced the experience of the past materially assisted us to avoid such mistakes as we had made in our boyhood.
It has been so with the Church. Our errors have generally arisen from a lack of comprehending' what the Lord required us to do. But now we are pretty well along to manhood; we are seventy years of age, and one would imagine that after a man had lived through his infancy, through his boyhood, and on until he had arrived at the age of seventy years, he would be able, through his long experience, to do a great many things that seemed impossible and in fact were impossible for him to do in his boyhood state. When we examine ourselves, however, we discover that we are still not doing exactly as we ought to do, notwithstanding all our experience. We discern that there are things which we fail to do that the Lord expects us to perform, some of which he required us to do in our boyhood. But we feel thankful and grateful that we are enabled now, through our past experience, to accomplish many things that we could not do in former times and that we are able to escape individual sins that have brought trouble upon us in times past. While we congratulate ourselves in this direction, we certainly ought to feel that we have not yet arrived at perfection. There are many things for us to do yet.
The Lord has prospered us amazingly, and we are doing large things at the present time. We are blessing the people of the world. We are sending well on towards two thousand Elders out into the missionary field, and we learn that they are having very good success; and notwithstanding all the difficulties that seemingly have arisen to make trouble for the Latter-day Saints, we are pleased to find that it has all tended to good. Our Elders in the mission fields tell us that the excitement which has been created and carried on almost universally throughout the United States has caused people to become wonderfully interested to know what Mormonism is, and, in order to get an understanding of our principles, they flock to our meetings. Because of this the Elders feel very grateful. This is what we wish and what there has been a difficulty in accomplishing, that is, in getting the people out to hear what we have to say, so that they might understand what Mormonism really is from those who understand what it is, instead of receiving it from those who understand nothing at all about it, only as they hear stories concerning it. So this is going on all right and will work all right. We ought to be very grateful that this missionary work is being accomplished so successfully by the many Elders that are now in the various missionary fields.
We are also establishing colonies here and there. We are sending many families into Canada, and they are moving along very successfully. We are about to send a hundred families into the Big Horn region, in the State of Wyoming, and Latter-day Saints are moving into other places and building up the country.
Now that we are approaching our seventy-first year, the Lord expects that we will do something—something that will cause the nations to marvel, as what we have done has caused them already to wonder.
Now, Latter-day Saints, how is it with us? We have received the Gospel. We have received the kingdom of God, established on the earth. We have had trouble; we have been persecuted. We. were driven from Ohio; we were driven from Missouri; we were driven from Nauvoo; and once we were driven for a time from this beautiful city. Many have lost thousands of dollars; lost their homes and all they had, and some of the brethren have seen their wives and children lay down their lives because of the hardships they had to experience during these changes, these persecutions, these revolutions and these drivings. The people have looked with astonishment at the willingness of the Latter-day Saints to suffer these things. Why do we do this? Why do we adhere to these principles that have caused us at times so much grief and sacrifice? What is it that enables us to endure these persecutions and still rejoice? It is because we have had revelations from the Almighty; because He has spoken to us in our souls and has given to us the Holy Ghost, which is a principle of revelation wherever it exists and is promised to every man, as in the days of the former Apostles, who will believe, repent of his sins and be immersed in water for the remission of them by those who have the authority from the Lord to administer this ordinance. Jesus, when he was among the children of men, said that He would build His Church upon this principle of revelation and the gates of hell should not prevail against it. When He was in Caesarea He asked His disciples "Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am?" He had been performing miracles and accomplishing the most astonishing wonders in the midst of the people. What did the people learn from these things and what did they think of Him? As the Apostles replied, some said that He was John the Baptist, risen from the dead; some thought He was one of the former Prophets, while others thought He was Elias. The Savior said to His disciples "But whom say ye that I am?" Peter replied "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God." How did he find it out? On the same principle that you and I have found out that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, who, like Noah, was sent into the world to give the people warning before the great burning should occur and to call upon them to repent of their sins. Peter had found it out by the principle of revelation. He had not learned this of man, nor by reading the ancient Scriptures, but the Lord had revealed it unto him. Jesus said unto him, "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." The Church of Christ today is built upon this same principle, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. They did not prevail against us in our infancy; they did not in our boyhood; they did not in our early manhood; and I will assure you they will not now that we are seventy years old.
This Church will stand, because it is upon a firm basis. It is not from man; it is not from the study of the New Testament or the Old Testament; it is not the result of the learning that we received in colleges nor seminaries, but it has come directly from the Lord. The Lord has shown it to us by the revealing principle of the Holy Spirit of light and every man can receive this same spirit.
In the days of Noah the people of that generation had the privilege of knowing whether Noah spoke from the Lord and whether the message that he claimed to have from the Lord was genuine or not. They could have had a revelation for themselves, because he preached the Gospel as you and I now preach it in the world, and they could have known that their salvation depended upon their receiving and obeying this message which Noah delivered unto them. In the days of Jesus it was the same. But no person can know that Jesus is the Son of God, except by revelation. That was the way Peter received it. The Lord is a consistent being. He does not require the people to do that which is improper, nor does he expect of them anything unreasonable. He gives us a knowledge of what we shall do, inasmuch as we are willing to sacrifice our lives rather than go contrary to that knowledge. He opens to us the secrets of the celestial kingdom, and he is constantly communicating to us things that we never knew before. This knowledge and intelligence is growing upon us continually.
Ought we not to be thankful, therefore, today? Every man and woman within the sound of my voice ought to be grateful that circumstances are as favorable as they are. Everything is for us and nothing can prevent our moving forward now in our seventy-first year. There is no power that can prevent us, as there has been none in the past. We have received too much knowledge to be thwarted in our purposes. Those who desire to persecute and overthrow Mormonism, let them go on and do their work; that is for them to do. Our work is to grow in the knowledge of God, to keep the commandments of God, to be faithful and to continue to increase and to become more and more perfect as we advance in years.
God bless you, brethren and sisters. We rejoice to see you here. You have come that you might be blessed that you might get information that will be of service to you and knowledge that will increase your intelligence; and there will be from fifteen to twenty speakers, I am sure that every person who has come here for the purpose of receiving information and being blessed will have the opportunity, through some of the speakers, to get something that will be very valuable to them for the future scenes through which they will be called to pass.
God bless you, brethren and sisters, and may we have a glorious time and one of the best conferences that we have ever had, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Opening Address.
My brethren and sisters—I desire a deep interest in your faith and prayers. When I say this I express the feelings, I presume, of every Elder who arises to speak to the Latter-day Saints. So far as giving information and assisting the Latter-day Saints in their faith is concerned, we are dependent on the Spirit of the Lord and, in a measure, the exercise of faith by the people of God. I am thankful for the blessings that have attended me in my endeavors to forward the interests of the Church and for the prayers and support that I have had from the people, who have listened to the requirements of the Lord and have conformed to them at least to a certain extent.
Seventy years ago this Church was organized with six members. We commenced, so to speak, as an infant. We had our prejudices to combat. Our ignorance troubled us in regard to what the Lord intended to do and what He wanted us to do. Through the blessings of the Lord, however, we managed to move along in our stage of infancy, receiving support from the Lord as He saw proper to give it. We advanced into boyhood, and still we undoubtedly made some mistakes, which did not generally arise from a design to make them, but from a lack of experience. We understand very well, when we reflect back upon our own lives, that we did many foolish things when we were boys, because of our lack of experience and because we had not learned fully to obey the instructions of our fathers and mothers. "We could not then comprehend that it was absolutely necessary, for our proper advancement, that we should observe the counsels of our parents. Many of us afterwards learned it, but too late perhaps to correct ourselves. Yet as we advanced the experience of the past materially assisted us to avoid such mistakes as we had made in our boyhood.
It has been so with the Church. Our errors have generally arisen from a lack of comprehending' what the Lord required us to do. But now we are pretty well along to manhood; we are seventy years of age, and one would imagine that after a man had lived through his infancy, through his boyhood, and on until he had arrived at the age of seventy years, he would be able, through his long experience, to do a great many things that seemed impossible and in fact were impossible for him to do in his boyhood state. When we examine ourselves, however, we discover that we are still not doing exactly as we ought to do, notwithstanding all our experience. We discern that there are things which we fail to do that the Lord expects us to perform, some of which he required us to do in our boyhood. But we feel thankful and grateful that we are enabled now, through our past experience, to accomplish many things that we could not do in former times and that we are able to escape individual sins that have brought trouble upon us in times past. While we congratulate ourselves in this direction, we certainly ought to feel that we have not yet arrived at perfection. There are many things for us to do yet.
The Lord has prospered us amazingly, and we are doing large things at the present time. We are blessing the people of the world. We are sending well on towards two thousand Elders out into the missionary field, and we learn that they are having very good success; and notwithstanding all the difficulties that seemingly have arisen to make trouble for the Latter-day Saints, we are pleased to find that it has all tended to good. Our Elders in the mission fields tell us that the excitement which has been created and carried on almost universally throughout the United States has caused people to become wonderfully interested to know what Mormonism is, and, in order to get an understanding of our principles, they flock to our meetings. Because of this the Elders feel very grateful. This is what we wish and what there has been a difficulty in accomplishing, that is, in getting the people out to hear what we have to say, so that they might understand what Mormonism really is from those who understand what it is, instead of receiving it from those who understand nothing at all about it, only as they hear stories concerning it. So this is going on all right and will work all right. We ought to be very grateful that this missionary work is being accomplished so successfully by the many Elders that are now in the various missionary fields.
We are also establishing colonies here and there. We are sending many families into Canada, and they are moving along very successfully. We are about to send a hundred families into the Big Horn region, in the State of Wyoming, and Latter-day Saints are moving into other places and building up the country.
Now that we are approaching our seventy-first year, the Lord expects that we will do something—something that will cause the nations to marvel, as what we have done has caused them already to wonder.
Now, Latter-day Saints, how is it with us? We have received the Gospel. We have received the kingdom of God, established on the earth. We have had trouble; we have been persecuted. We. were driven from Ohio; we were driven from Missouri; we were driven from Nauvoo; and once we were driven for a time from this beautiful city. Many have lost thousands of dollars; lost their homes and all they had, and some of the brethren have seen their wives and children lay down their lives because of the hardships they had to experience during these changes, these persecutions, these revolutions and these drivings. The people have looked with astonishment at the willingness of the Latter-day Saints to suffer these things. Why do we do this? Why do we adhere to these principles that have caused us at times so much grief and sacrifice? What is it that enables us to endure these persecutions and still rejoice? It is because we have had revelations from the Almighty; because He has spoken to us in our souls and has given to us the Holy Ghost, which is a principle of revelation wherever it exists and is promised to every man, as in the days of the former Apostles, who will believe, repent of his sins and be immersed in water for the remission of them by those who have the authority from the Lord to administer this ordinance. Jesus, when he was among the children of men, said that He would build His Church upon this principle of revelation and the gates of hell should not prevail against it. When He was in Caesarea He asked His disciples "Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am?" He had been performing miracles and accomplishing the most astonishing wonders in the midst of the people. What did the people learn from these things and what did they think of Him? As the Apostles replied, some said that He was John the Baptist, risen from the dead; some thought He was one of the former Prophets, while others thought He was Elias. The Savior said to His disciples "But whom say ye that I am?" Peter replied "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God." How did he find it out? On the same principle that you and I have found out that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, who, like Noah, was sent into the world to give the people warning before the great burning should occur and to call upon them to repent of their sins. Peter had found it out by the principle of revelation. He had not learned this of man, nor by reading the ancient Scriptures, but the Lord had revealed it unto him. Jesus said unto him, "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." The Church of Christ today is built upon this same principle, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. They did not prevail against us in our infancy; they did not in our boyhood; they did not in our early manhood; and I will assure you they will not now that we are seventy years old.
This Church will stand, because it is upon a firm basis. It is not from man; it is not from the study of the New Testament or the Old Testament; it is not the result of the learning that we received in colleges nor seminaries, but it has come directly from the Lord. The Lord has shown it to us by the revealing principle of the Holy Spirit of light and every man can receive this same spirit.
In the days of Noah the people of that generation had the privilege of knowing whether Noah spoke from the Lord and whether the message that he claimed to have from the Lord was genuine or not. They could have had a revelation for themselves, because he preached the Gospel as you and I now preach it in the world, and they could have known that their salvation depended upon their receiving and obeying this message which Noah delivered unto them. In the days of Jesus it was the same. But no person can know that Jesus is the Son of God, except by revelation. That was the way Peter received it. The Lord is a consistent being. He does not require the people to do that which is improper, nor does he expect of them anything unreasonable. He gives us a knowledge of what we shall do, inasmuch as we are willing to sacrifice our lives rather than go contrary to that knowledge. He opens to us the secrets of the celestial kingdom, and he is constantly communicating to us things that we never knew before. This knowledge and intelligence is growing upon us continually.
Ought we not to be thankful, therefore, today? Every man and woman within the sound of my voice ought to be grateful that circumstances are as favorable as they are. Everything is for us and nothing can prevent our moving forward now in our seventy-first year. There is no power that can prevent us, as there has been none in the past. We have received too much knowledge to be thwarted in our purposes. Those who desire to persecute and overthrow Mormonism, let them go on and do their work; that is for them to do. Our work is to grow in the knowledge of God, to keep the commandments of God, to be faithful and to continue to increase and to become more and more perfect as we advance in years.
God bless you, brethren and sisters. We rejoice to see you here. You have come that you might be blessed that you might get information that will be of service to you and knowledge that will increase your intelligence; and there will be from fifteen to twenty speakers, I am sure that every person who has come here for the purpose of receiving information and being blessed will have the opportunity, through some of the speakers, to get something that will be very valuable to them for the future scenes through which they will be called to pass.
God bless you, brethren and sisters, and may we have a glorious time and one of the best conferences that we have ever had, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
ELDER BRIGHAM YOUNG.
God has brought the Saints through every ordeal — Tithe-paying not a question of Monty, but of principle—The Redemption of Zion.
I take great pleasure in bearing testimony to the remarks that have been made by President Snow this morning. I am thankful to God and to our President for the testimony that he has given us. It arouses in my mind many reflections, brings before me the past history of this Church and foreshadows the future destiny of this people. God has been merciful to the Latter-day Saints, and if there are any men opposing us that have the idea that we do not pray for them, they are mistaken. We pray the Lord to soften the hearts of our enemies. We pray that they may be turned from their evil ways and not kick against the pricks, but seek to forsake the evil that is within them and to do good. They are, however, in the hands of God, as we are.
We are glad to know that this people have gained victory after victory. They have marched on, conquering and to conquer. In our youth, as stated by our President, when struggling against fearful odds, we came out greater, nobler, better soldiers of the cross than when we entered into this vortex of persecution; and now in our manhood, in our riper years, thank God that we have heard the voice of our leader saying that we are marching on to success and victory—to the time when men and nations will arise up and say, "Thou blessed people, that have fought the good fight, that have led the way and established righteousness in the land of our fathers." I expect to see this day. There is no power that can battle successfully against our Father and God. If we are His people, we are sure to win. If we are not His, how is it that we have been so successful from the beginning? and have through His power, in which we have trusted, grown to be seventy years old, instead of being a mere child in swaddling clothes? God has done it; He has given us these rights and blessings. I felt in my heart while the President was talking that I could prophesy to those who fight against us. Do your worst; do your best; try to accomplish all the evil that is in your hearts; but as true as God lives this kingdom will sweep on, this Church will progress, and the Kingdom of God will be as the stone cut out of the mountain without hands—it will crush all opposition. Now, that is not disloyal, because God will do it, not man.
I am not opposed to any man who seeks to do right. I am not opposed to any government that seeks to give liberty to the people and the privilege to exercise that free agency which God has given to all men. Every man and woman must have their agency. No man can take it from the sons and daughters of our Father. It occurred to me this morning while sitting here that if I happened to be called upon to speak, I would read a part of the 29th chapter of Alma, in the Book of Mormon.
"O, that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people;
"Yea, I would declare unto every soul as with a voice of thunder, repentance, and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth.
"But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me.
"I ought not to harrow up in my desires, the firm decree of a just God, for I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he alloteth unto men, according to their wills; whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction.
"Yea, and I know that good and evil have come before all men; for he that knoweth not good from evil is blameless; but he that knoweth good and evil, to him it is given according to his desires; whether he desireth good or evil, to him it is given according to his desires; whether he desireth good or evil, life or death, joy or remorse of conscience.
"Now seeing that I know these things, why should I desire more than to perform the work to which I have been called.
"Why should I desire that I was an angel, that I could speak unto all the ends of the earth.
"For behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word; yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true."
The Lord is with his people, and I know it. We have learned to know good from evil. Three score years and ten shall be the days of man on earth. We have arrived at the full stature of a man; for we are three score years' and ten this day, and if this people will arise in their manhood, as they have struggled to their feet in their childhood and youth, God will give them the strength of a man. They shall have the power to build up and inhabit, to sow and reap, and if the snows do not come in the mountains, God will send through the faith of the people, the pleasant rains to moisten the earth, that vegetation may spring forth and gladden the hearts of all. Now I learn a good many lessons myself from what I read to you, though I have not reflected so much perhaps as I will on the words of Alma.
I heard a man say in relation to tithing, "I don't want to pay my tithing, unless I can make a showing that will be a credit to me and really help to build up Zion. If I could put in ten thousand dollars, I would be glad to do it, but I have nothing. I could pay a little tithing, but the idea seems ridiculous for me to step forward and pay a dollar in tithing. It seems to me like I was making a mockery of this sacred principle." But I take the other view of this, and I said to him, "My friend, if you were a child and received five cents, I would caution you to remember the fact that you owed half a cent tithing, and when you had received another and another five cents, until they amounted to fifty cents, I would advise you to go and pay your tithing on that, not for the sake of the money, but for the sake of principle." If it were a question of money, where would have been the salvation of this people? When President Snow was speaking this morning I felt that the power of God was manifest in our preservation, and that money had nothing to do with it. The everlasting power of our Father has brought this people to see this auspicious day. If every man and woman would follow the example of the widow and cast in their mites, they would be acting upon principle. The amount of money paid has nothing to do with it. It is the principle which God has commanded us to observe. This is the idea that we want to instill into the hearts of the people of this generation, especially at this time, when the servant of God has delivered unto you and me the message that the time has come when this revelation, given on the 8th day of July, 183S, in Far West, Caldwell county, Missouri, must be observed. That revelation has now come to the front. It is as if God had inspired His servant to write a new revelation to the people, which must be observed, because it lies at the foundation of our prosperity in these mountains. General Thomas L. Kane once said to me, "This land, on the backbone of the American continent, from Mexico to Canada, it seems to me, belongs to the "Mormon" people. They led the way into the Rocky mountains, and occupied these valleys, and they ought to have the land." Well, there are not many people that think that, but I am of the same opinion as General Kane. We ought to have this land. But in relation to our preservation upon this land, I have felt sometimes very insecure. Alma wished that he were an angel, that his voice could be heard by the whole world and that he could convert all the sons and daughters of Adam to the Gospel which he had received. I would that I had a hundred thousand dollars to pay in as tithing, because it would make a good showing and I would be talked about. And some have the ambition to be spoken of in the midst of Israel. But I want to say to you that tithing is a principle that God has established for the training of men. It has been with us in our childhood and in our boyhood and in our young manhood, and apparently it has almost been a dead letter at times. But the revelation has come to us in our manhood, when we have reached a stage wherein we know God, and having received this knowledge and being of the full stature of a man, we can rise up as one man and obey this commandment, which has come from God through His authorized servant. I appeal to you on this point. Let every man and woman in this Church arise and do that which God has called upon them to do, that this land may be sanctified and be a land of safety unto us. I do not wish to utter a threat, but I do know this: every time we have disregarded and set at naught the commandments of Almighty God, we have paid for it. We must learn, if it must needs be by the things we suffer. By and by the Saints will prove to all concerned that this principle of tithing is dear to them, and they will surely fulfill to the very letter what God has called upon them to do.
In a little time you will hear something like this: "Well, the 'Mormons' are moving again. They are leaving Utah, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Old Mexico, Wyoming, Idaho and all these places wherever they are located, and they are having another exodus." Where are they going? Why, you will find out that it will be a pretty strong company going down to Jackson county, Missouri, to redeem and build up Zion, but the word will go forth that the "Mormons" are having another exodus. The people will say that we are going down to inhabit this land of Missouri, and "we are willing they should." Some that are afar off may howl, but the people mostly interested will be glad to see the "Mormons" return to that land and build it up. Some will say "We have been upon that land and it has proved a land of death unto us." They will have suffered the full force of that desolating sickness which will cover the land, even in Jackson county, Missouri. But when our leader calls upon the Latter- day Saints that are worthy to move down there, the land will be prepared for the Latter-day Saints— not "Mormons." Those who go to Jackson county in that day will be Latter- day Saints. The "Mormons" will be left in Utah, with enough Latter-day Saints to control them.
I will tell you what is in my heart. We are preparing this day in our manhood for the most glorious epoch that has ever come to man upon the earth. If you do not feel in your hearts that this is the most glorious day that we ever witnessed on this earth, then you do not feel as I do. I feel that there is more of the spirit of God, more wisdom, more knowledge, more light, more intelligence and a better union among those that are Latter-day Saints than I ever witnessed in my life. I bear you my testimony that the providences of God have been with this people, and the scenes that will come before us will be such that we will need all the power and all the union that, we can get to stand and accomplish His work. Now is the accepted time to thrust in our sickles and reap that which has been sown among us and which is now ripe. It was sown in 1838; it is ripe today. That revelation is ripe and the fulfillment of it is ripe. We are now in our manhood, when we can receive and act upon it without question. God will bear us off victorious and we can smile like Him who sits in the heavens and laughs, for we are told that He shall have the wicked in derision, and this people will smile to see the fruitless efforts of those who would retard the progress of the work. They may have been successful sometimes in the past for a little season, but through it all they have seen us grow until we have now arrived to our full manhood. Thank God we see this day. God bless you and all who are interested in this work, is my humble prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
God has brought the Saints through every ordeal — Tithe-paying not a question of Monty, but of principle—The Redemption of Zion.
I take great pleasure in bearing testimony to the remarks that have been made by President Snow this morning. I am thankful to God and to our President for the testimony that he has given us. It arouses in my mind many reflections, brings before me the past history of this Church and foreshadows the future destiny of this people. God has been merciful to the Latter-day Saints, and if there are any men opposing us that have the idea that we do not pray for them, they are mistaken. We pray the Lord to soften the hearts of our enemies. We pray that they may be turned from their evil ways and not kick against the pricks, but seek to forsake the evil that is within them and to do good. They are, however, in the hands of God, as we are.
We are glad to know that this people have gained victory after victory. They have marched on, conquering and to conquer. In our youth, as stated by our President, when struggling against fearful odds, we came out greater, nobler, better soldiers of the cross than when we entered into this vortex of persecution; and now in our manhood, in our riper years, thank God that we have heard the voice of our leader saying that we are marching on to success and victory—to the time when men and nations will arise up and say, "Thou blessed people, that have fought the good fight, that have led the way and established righteousness in the land of our fathers." I expect to see this day. There is no power that can battle successfully against our Father and God. If we are His people, we are sure to win. If we are not His, how is it that we have been so successful from the beginning? and have through His power, in which we have trusted, grown to be seventy years old, instead of being a mere child in swaddling clothes? God has done it; He has given us these rights and blessings. I felt in my heart while the President was talking that I could prophesy to those who fight against us. Do your worst; do your best; try to accomplish all the evil that is in your hearts; but as true as God lives this kingdom will sweep on, this Church will progress, and the Kingdom of God will be as the stone cut out of the mountain without hands—it will crush all opposition. Now, that is not disloyal, because God will do it, not man.
I am not opposed to any man who seeks to do right. I am not opposed to any government that seeks to give liberty to the people and the privilege to exercise that free agency which God has given to all men. Every man and woman must have their agency. No man can take it from the sons and daughters of our Father. It occurred to me this morning while sitting here that if I happened to be called upon to speak, I would read a part of the 29th chapter of Alma, in the Book of Mormon.
"O, that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people;
"Yea, I would declare unto every soul as with a voice of thunder, repentance, and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth.
"But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me.
"I ought not to harrow up in my desires, the firm decree of a just God, for I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he alloteth unto men, according to their wills; whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction.
"Yea, and I know that good and evil have come before all men; for he that knoweth not good from evil is blameless; but he that knoweth good and evil, to him it is given according to his desires; whether he desireth good or evil, to him it is given according to his desires; whether he desireth good or evil, life or death, joy or remorse of conscience.
"Now seeing that I know these things, why should I desire more than to perform the work to which I have been called.
"Why should I desire that I was an angel, that I could speak unto all the ends of the earth.
"For behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word; yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true."
The Lord is with his people, and I know it. We have learned to know good from evil. Three score years and ten shall be the days of man on earth. We have arrived at the full stature of a man; for we are three score years' and ten this day, and if this people will arise in their manhood, as they have struggled to their feet in their childhood and youth, God will give them the strength of a man. They shall have the power to build up and inhabit, to sow and reap, and if the snows do not come in the mountains, God will send through the faith of the people, the pleasant rains to moisten the earth, that vegetation may spring forth and gladden the hearts of all. Now I learn a good many lessons myself from what I read to you, though I have not reflected so much perhaps as I will on the words of Alma.
I heard a man say in relation to tithing, "I don't want to pay my tithing, unless I can make a showing that will be a credit to me and really help to build up Zion. If I could put in ten thousand dollars, I would be glad to do it, but I have nothing. I could pay a little tithing, but the idea seems ridiculous for me to step forward and pay a dollar in tithing. It seems to me like I was making a mockery of this sacred principle." But I take the other view of this, and I said to him, "My friend, if you were a child and received five cents, I would caution you to remember the fact that you owed half a cent tithing, and when you had received another and another five cents, until they amounted to fifty cents, I would advise you to go and pay your tithing on that, not for the sake of the money, but for the sake of principle." If it were a question of money, where would have been the salvation of this people? When President Snow was speaking this morning I felt that the power of God was manifest in our preservation, and that money had nothing to do with it. The everlasting power of our Father has brought this people to see this auspicious day. If every man and woman would follow the example of the widow and cast in their mites, they would be acting upon principle. The amount of money paid has nothing to do with it. It is the principle which God has commanded us to observe. This is the idea that we want to instill into the hearts of the people of this generation, especially at this time, when the servant of God has delivered unto you and me the message that the time has come when this revelation, given on the 8th day of July, 183S, in Far West, Caldwell county, Missouri, must be observed. That revelation has now come to the front. It is as if God had inspired His servant to write a new revelation to the people, which must be observed, because it lies at the foundation of our prosperity in these mountains. General Thomas L. Kane once said to me, "This land, on the backbone of the American continent, from Mexico to Canada, it seems to me, belongs to the "Mormon" people. They led the way into the Rocky mountains, and occupied these valleys, and they ought to have the land." Well, there are not many people that think that, but I am of the same opinion as General Kane. We ought to have this land. But in relation to our preservation upon this land, I have felt sometimes very insecure. Alma wished that he were an angel, that his voice could be heard by the whole world and that he could convert all the sons and daughters of Adam to the Gospel which he had received. I would that I had a hundred thousand dollars to pay in as tithing, because it would make a good showing and I would be talked about. And some have the ambition to be spoken of in the midst of Israel. But I want to say to you that tithing is a principle that God has established for the training of men. It has been with us in our childhood and in our boyhood and in our young manhood, and apparently it has almost been a dead letter at times. But the revelation has come to us in our manhood, when we have reached a stage wherein we know God, and having received this knowledge and being of the full stature of a man, we can rise up as one man and obey this commandment, which has come from God through His authorized servant. I appeal to you on this point. Let every man and woman in this Church arise and do that which God has called upon them to do, that this land may be sanctified and be a land of safety unto us. I do not wish to utter a threat, but I do know this: every time we have disregarded and set at naught the commandments of Almighty God, we have paid for it. We must learn, if it must needs be by the things we suffer. By and by the Saints will prove to all concerned that this principle of tithing is dear to them, and they will surely fulfill to the very letter what God has called upon them to do.
In a little time you will hear something like this: "Well, the 'Mormons' are moving again. They are leaving Utah, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Old Mexico, Wyoming, Idaho and all these places wherever they are located, and they are having another exodus." Where are they going? Why, you will find out that it will be a pretty strong company going down to Jackson county, Missouri, to redeem and build up Zion, but the word will go forth that the "Mormons" are having another exodus. The people will say that we are going down to inhabit this land of Missouri, and "we are willing they should." Some that are afar off may howl, but the people mostly interested will be glad to see the "Mormons" return to that land and build it up. Some will say "We have been upon that land and it has proved a land of death unto us." They will have suffered the full force of that desolating sickness which will cover the land, even in Jackson county, Missouri. But when our leader calls upon the Latter- day Saints that are worthy to move down there, the land will be prepared for the Latter-day Saints— not "Mormons." Those who go to Jackson county in that day will be Latter- day Saints. The "Mormons" will be left in Utah, with enough Latter-day Saints to control them.
I will tell you what is in my heart. We are preparing this day in our manhood for the most glorious epoch that has ever come to man upon the earth. If you do not feel in your hearts that this is the most glorious day that we ever witnessed on this earth, then you do not feel as I do. I feel that there is more of the spirit of God, more wisdom, more knowledge, more light, more intelligence and a better union among those that are Latter-day Saints than I ever witnessed in my life. I bear you my testimony that the providences of God have been with this people, and the scenes that will come before us will be such that we will need all the power and all the union that, we can get to stand and accomplish His work. Now is the accepted time to thrust in our sickles and reap that which has been sown among us and which is now ripe. It was sown in 1838; it is ripe today. That revelation is ripe and the fulfillment of it is ripe. We are now in our manhood, when we can receive and act upon it without question. God will bear us off victorious and we can smile like Him who sits in the heavens and laughs, for we are told that He shall have the wicked in derision, and this people will smile to see the fruitless efforts of those who would retard the progress of the work. They may have been successful sometimes in the past for a little season, but through it all they have seen us grow until we have now arrived to our full manhood. Thank God we see this day. God bless you and all who are interested in this work, is my humble prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
ELDER F. M. LYMAN.
The Spirit of God the source of Union—Why the Saints are a peculiar people—The coming of Christ and Redemption of Zion—Necessity for preparation.
While I attempt to speak to you, my brethren and sisters, I trust I may be able to make you hear, and that by the aid of the Spirit of the Lord we may feel encouraged and strengthened in our faith. We meet together frequently as a Church in general conference for the transaction of business and to receive the word of the Lord. We have the ancient Scriptures and we have the modern Scriptures, and scriptures are being made now, as has always been the case when the Lord has had His Church upon the earth, with the living oracles; for when they speak by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, what they say is scripture. We are entitled to know individually whether our brethren speak to us the truth, for it is our privilege to enjoy the same Spirit that they speak by. This is the power that binds the Latter-day Saints together, and that holds us to our obligations and covenants with the Lord and with each other. We are not held by threats, nor by fear, but by love—the love of the Gospel, which has been planted in our hearts and has been growing with the people for these seventy years. We have become a pretty well trained people, and four-fifths of the Latter-day Saints, I believe, are doing tolerably well, and I believe that the one-fifth that are careless in some things, are perhaps laboring fairly well in others. There will no doubt be quite a percentage of the people that will not be found numbered among the wise.
While listening to Brother Brigham Young and to President Snow, the parable put forth by our Savior, as recorded in the 25th chapter of Matthew, was presented to my mind, and I thought to read it, that we might be brought to consider by its examination whether we are numbered among the wise or among the foolish. This is a very important matter; for if we travel along with this Church for twenty years, for thirty, forty or fifty years, and then at the last find that we have failed to save our souls and that we are among the foolish, it will be very unprofitable to us. As President Snow has said, we are gathered together for the building up of the kingdom of God upon the earth, and there is some reason why we should be thus gathered; why we should take upon us the obligations that we have; why we should endure the hardships that we have; why we should, among all the denominations on the earth, be singled out for the despising of all people, and why this condition should stay with us and follow us in preference to any other people in the world. We are a small people, not very important in numbers nor in wealth, and yet every little while something occurs that creates quite a furor in regard to the Latter-day Saints. The whole world becomes agitated and in a ferment over the Latter-day Saints, and there is trouble in the hearts of many people for fear the Latter-day Saints will do something very wrong. "What is the matter? Are the Latter-day Saints minding the business of any other denomination? Are we troubling ourselves particularly about our brethren who have other forms of religion? Are we excited and worried over them? Do we combine together with some other people in order to look after the morality and purity, or the immorality and corruption of other people? How carefully the Latter-day Saints attend to their own business! And is it not a proper thing for the Latter-day Saints to take care of themselves, their own morality and honesty? Shall we not give attention to our own affairs, and are we not just about of the same material, the same kind of people, as our other religious brethren? Have we not come from among other denominations? Have we not been gathered from among the Catholics, the Presbyterians, the Methodists, the Baptists, the Congregationalists and the Christians, as well as the infidels? Now, have we gone to these various denominations and gathered the very worst of them? Have we ever advertised in our periodicals and in our preaching and labors, publicly or privately—have we ever bid for the bad Methodists, the bad Presbyterians, the bad infidels? Have we ever promised them an easy way of salvation? Have we done any of these things, or have we gone to the world conscientiously and honestly and laid before them the offer of life and salvation on consistent and Christian terms? Have we ever promised anybody that they could be saved in their sins? Have we ever asked anybody to come into this Church without repentance, without reformation, without honesty, without virtue? Have we entered into a compact with anybody to be corrupt? Have we promised them immunity from the punishment of the law if they transgressed the law? Do we cover up their sins and hide them? Are we doing that? Are Bishops, Presidents of Stakes, Presidents of quorums, Elders, High Priests and Seventies asking the corrupt and wicked from among the nations of the earth to come to us and we will shield them in their corruption, in their adulteries, their fornications, their thieving and their dishonesty? "Why no. But we have presented to the world a very startling and remarkable work, a work that requires repentance and reformation. And when repentance has been complied with, in order that that repentance may be genuine and the forgiveness of sins continue, it must be eternal. It is not enough for men to repent in order to come into the Church, and then do as they please, but their repentance must be perpetual; it must not need to be repented of. If a man has been a thief and ceases to steal, he must continue to refrain from his larcenies. If a man has been a liar, a deceiver, or corrupt in any degree whatever, it is required of him in this Church that he must cease forever. If he should live a hundred years, he would not live long enough to have any degree of allowance shown to him for transgression because of his age, but the older men are the better they must be. I think that is reasonable; for the oldest of all whom we have ever heard of is said to be good and the only one that is entirely good—our Father who is in heaven. I say the father should be better than the son, the mother should be better than the daughter, and this Church has now arrived at the full ripe age of three score and ten. What shall we do who have been entrusted with the holy Priesthood? Can we afford to be indifferent and careless? We are now seventy years nearer to the coming of the Son of Man than we were when the Prophet Joseph, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, organized this Church. After this extended experience, can we not well afford to be good, conscientious and honest with the Lord. Can we not afford to make our repentance and reformation genuine from this time forth, believing that the coming of the Son of Man, the redemption of Zion and the fulfillment of the purposes of the Lord are at our door?
Can we not afford to do this now, so that when the Bridegroom comes we shall be prepared to meet Him; for He will come; he has always come when he has promised. He has visited the earth in this dispensation and has established his authority and power among men, and the Millennium, the reign of righteousness, is to be ushered in; and it is liable to come in our day. The redemption of Zion is also liable to come in our day. There is doubtless a set time for the redemption of Zion and for the coming of the Son of Man. The time has not been made known to us, and is not likely to be, until He comes. It would hardly be fair for the Presidency, the Twelve, and the presiding brethren to know the very time of His coming, so that they could be prepared, and let the people be indifferent and careless. The coming of the Son of Man will be as much of a surprise to the presiding brethren as to any others. That is, it will occur when they are not looking for it particularly. "We hope to be prepared, and we hope the people will be prepared, but it will come suddenly, and you will know it as soon as we know it. We have the Spirit of that coming, and the Spirit of the redemption of Zion. We have the Spirit that indicates that in the near future the Lord will appear.
Hence, the Spirit of the Lord has been very powerfully upon President Snow and his brethren, and they have been led to urge upon the people the importance of reformation, not alone in the law of tithing, but in every other principle of the Gospel. Tithing alone is not enough. It will yield its measure of oil and light, and of inspiration and power, to those who observe that law. But if we are non-prayers, non-partakers of the Sacrament; if we are not found doing by others that we would that others should do by us; if we are not honest and virtuous, the fact of our being tithe-payers will not be enough to save us. But it is pretty well discovered and understood that if men can stand the test of the law of tithing, which appeals to our wealth, they will be able to make other sacrifices as. well; for there is a strength and a* power which comes in answer to our fulfillment of this law that will enable us to do other things much less difficult. There are many things less difficult than the payment of tithing. In our fallen condition, being of the earth earthy, we love the things of this world, and it is a most difficult thing for some of us to meet this requirement of the Lord. There is quite a percentage of the brethren who have received the Priesthood, as well as members of the Church, who ought to be tithe-payers and are not. I want to ask any man upon whom I have ever laid my hands and conferred authority in the name of the Lord Jesus; I want to ask any brother who has ever had the hands of the servants of God laid upon his head, to confer the Priesthood of God upon him, can you reconcile your course of life, if you neglect to furnish the revenue necessary for the building up of the kingdom of God on the earth? Can you justify yourself in this? I want the High Priest, the Seventy and the Elder to come to me as an individual and show to me his philosophy and reasoning as to how he can conscientiously hold the Priesthood of God and yet decline to meet the obligations that belong to that Priesthood. I believe that there is no man in this Church entitled to the holy Priesthood who will not magnify it. I believe the Lord requires it of every Deacon, every Teacher, every Priest, every Elder, every High Priest, every Seventy, every Patriarch, every Bishop, President, etc. And we .will not always be tolerated with the authority of God unless we do honor it. We will be found among the foolish, lacking oil in our lamps and being unprepared for the coming of the Son of Man, unless we attend faithfully to these duties.
Is a man justified in this church who fails to partake of the Sacrament when the opportunity is offered? Is a man justified who does not bow his knee before the Lord daily, and who forgets the Lord in secret prayer? I think not. I believe that the Latter-day Saints are required to meet all these obligations and to be as honest with their brethren as they are required to be honest with the Lord. It is not enough for us to pretend to be honest with the Lord, and not be honest with our brethren. We cannot be honest enough with our Father in heaven to justify us in being dishonest with our brethren. We must meet our obligations to our brethren, to our families, to the world. We must deal honestly and conscientiously in all these things. If we do not, the spirit of the Lord will withdraw from us, and when the spirit of the Lord withdraws from us, we complain, we find fault, we are not happy, and we are not satisfied. We cannot afford to sacrifice the presence of the spirit of the Lord, because we cannot be Latter-day Saints unless we enjoy it and are directed by it constantly. It seems to be a difficult thing to do to meet our temporal obligations to the Lord. Our hearts are naturally set upon the things of this world. We can see temporal blessings a little plainer than we can see the spiritualities of the kingdom, for they are here before us, and we enjoy them. We are inclined to gather the things of this world around us and to treasure them up, while the spiritual things, and eternal life with our families and friends hereafter, pertain to the future. They are a little ahead of us, and if we do not have the spirit of the Lord strongly in our hearts, there is more or less a question of doubt and misgiving about them. All these things, however, vanish when we discharge the duties that devolve upon us as Latter-day Saints. And we expect to look after every man, through the Presidents, the Bishops, and the Apostles, and see to it that all who have been entrusted with the authority and power of God, shall come to the mark and do their duties faithfully and well, that they with their families may be saved. We want you to be saved; but if you do not want the salvation that is offered through the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, why make the profession that you do? There is no salvation in professions alone, or in promises and covenants, nor is there any salvation in the blessings that are put upon us under the hands of the servants of God, unless we do the will of God. I want to bear that testimony to this people, and ask that from this time forward we serve the Lord with all our hearts, so that when the Son of Man appears upon the earth, we will be numbered among the wise virgins of my text—which I have not read; you can hunt it for yourselves.
We feel encouraged in our labors, although we are all the time trying to stir the people up. Yet in our councils the Lord has manifested to us that the Latter-day Saints are improving, that they are gaining strength and power, increasing in numbers, spreading abroad and becoming more firmly established on the earth, and that prosperity and success are attending upon them. The best days that we have ever had are the days in which we live now. The kingdom is the Lord's and He will take care of it. It is our business, my brethren and sisters, to see that we take care of ourselves. The Lord will take care of the Kingdom, and no power on earth can prevail against it. As suggested this morning, if it was secure when it was organized seventy years ago, with only six members, what shall we say of it when it numbers over a quarter of a million? We certainly feel encouraged. We feel as though we were on the Lord's side, and that the Lord is on our side. We know He is, for He talks to us and directs us in all things pertaining to this Kingdom. He sustains His servant the Prophet, and magnifies him in the eyes of the people. The will of God is known, and the keys and authority of God are always present. The Lord has established His work, and He will preserve it.. God bless you, my brethren and sisters, and may His Spirit fill our hearts, that we may rejoice exceedingly in this conference, is my prayer through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
The choir sang the anthem: "Jesus, I my cross have taken."
Benediction by Elder Seymour B. Young.
The Spirit of God the source of Union—Why the Saints are a peculiar people—The coming of Christ and Redemption of Zion—Necessity for preparation.
While I attempt to speak to you, my brethren and sisters, I trust I may be able to make you hear, and that by the aid of the Spirit of the Lord we may feel encouraged and strengthened in our faith. We meet together frequently as a Church in general conference for the transaction of business and to receive the word of the Lord. We have the ancient Scriptures and we have the modern Scriptures, and scriptures are being made now, as has always been the case when the Lord has had His Church upon the earth, with the living oracles; for when they speak by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, what they say is scripture. We are entitled to know individually whether our brethren speak to us the truth, for it is our privilege to enjoy the same Spirit that they speak by. This is the power that binds the Latter-day Saints together, and that holds us to our obligations and covenants with the Lord and with each other. We are not held by threats, nor by fear, but by love—the love of the Gospel, which has been planted in our hearts and has been growing with the people for these seventy years. We have become a pretty well trained people, and four-fifths of the Latter-day Saints, I believe, are doing tolerably well, and I believe that the one-fifth that are careless in some things, are perhaps laboring fairly well in others. There will no doubt be quite a percentage of the people that will not be found numbered among the wise.
While listening to Brother Brigham Young and to President Snow, the parable put forth by our Savior, as recorded in the 25th chapter of Matthew, was presented to my mind, and I thought to read it, that we might be brought to consider by its examination whether we are numbered among the wise or among the foolish. This is a very important matter; for if we travel along with this Church for twenty years, for thirty, forty or fifty years, and then at the last find that we have failed to save our souls and that we are among the foolish, it will be very unprofitable to us. As President Snow has said, we are gathered together for the building up of the kingdom of God upon the earth, and there is some reason why we should be thus gathered; why we should take upon us the obligations that we have; why we should endure the hardships that we have; why we should, among all the denominations on the earth, be singled out for the despising of all people, and why this condition should stay with us and follow us in preference to any other people in the world. We are a small people, not very important in numbers nor in wealth, and yet every little while something occurs that creates quite a furor in regard to the Latter-day Saints. The whole world becomes agitated and in a ferment over the Latter-day Saints, and there is trouble in the hearts of many people for fear the Latter-day Saints will do something very wrong. "What is the matter? Are the Latter-day Saints minding the business of any other denomination? Are we troubling ourselves particularly about our brethren who have other forms of religion? Are we excited and worried over them? Do we combine together with some other people in order to look after the morality and purity, or the immorality and corruption of other people? How carefully the Latter-day Saints attend to their own business! And is it not a proper thing for the Latter-day Saints to take care of themselves, their own morality and honesty? Shall we not give attention to our own affairs, and are we not just about of the same material, the same kind of people, as our other religious brethren? Have we not come from among other denominations? Have we not been gathered from among the Catholics, the Presbyterians, the Methodists, the Baptists, the Congregationalists and the Christians, as well as the infidels? Now, have we gone to these various denominations and gathered the very worst of them? Have we ever advertised in our periodicals and in our preaching and labors, publicly or privately—have we ever bid for the bad Methodists, the bad Presbyterians, the bad infidels? Have we ever promised them an easy way of salvation? Have we done any of these things, or have we gone to the world conscientiously and honestly and laid before them the offer of life and salvation on consistent and Christian terms? Have we ever promised anybody that they could be saved in their sins? Have we ever asked anybody to come into this Church without repentance, without reformation, without honesty, without virtue? Have we entered into a compact with anybody to be corrupt? Have we promised them immunity from the punishment of the law if they transgressed the law? Do we cover up their sins and hide them? Are we doing that? Are Bishops, Presidents of Stakes, Presidents of quorums, Elders, High Priests and Seventies asking the corrupt and wicked from among the nations of the earth to come to us and we will shield them in their corruption, in their adulteries, their fornications, their thieving and their dishonesty? "Why no. But we have presented to the world a very startling and remarkable work, a work that requires repentance and reformation. And when repentance has been complied with, in order that that repentance may be genuine and the forgiveness of sins continue, it must be eternal. It is not enough for men to repent in order to come into the Church, and then do as they please, but their repentance must be perpetual; it must not need to be repented of. If a man has been a thief and ceases to steal, he must continue to refrain from his larcenies. If a man has been a liar, a deceiver, or corrupt in any degree whatever, it is required of him in this Church that he must cease forever. If he should live a hundred years, he would not live long enough to have any degree of allowance shown to him for transgression because of his age, but the older men are the better they must be. I think that is reasonable; for the oldest of all whom we have ever heard of is said to be good and the only one that is entirely good—our Father who is in heaven. I say the father should be better than the son, the mother should be better than the daughter, and this Church has now arrived at the full ripe age of three score and ten. What shall we do who have been entrusted with the holy Priesthood? Can we afford to be indifferent and careless? We are now seventy years nearer to the coming of the Son of Man than we were when the Prophet Joseph, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, organized this Church. After this extended experience, can we not well afford to be good, conscientious and honest with the Lord. Can we not afford to make our repentance and reformation genuine from this time forth, believing that the coming of the Son of Man, the redemption of Zion and the fulfillment of the purposes of the Lord are at our door?
Can we not afford to do this now, so that when the Bridegroom comes we shall be prepared to meet Him; for He will come; he has always come when he has promised. He has visited the earth in this dispensation and has established his authority and power among men, and the Millennium, the reign of righteousness, is to be ushered in; and it is liable to come in our day. The redemption of Zion is also liable to come in our day. There is doubtless a set time for the redemption of Zion and for the coming of the Son of Man. The time has not been made known to us, and is not likely to be, until He comes. It would hardly be fair for the Presidency, the Twelve, and the presiding brethren to know the very time of His coming, so that they could be prepared, and let the people be indifferent and careless. The coming of the Son of Man will be as much of a surprise to the presiding brethren as to any others. That is, it will occur when they are not looking for it particularly. "We hope to be prepared, and we hope the people will be prepared, but it will come suddenly, and you will know it as soon as we know it. We have the Spirit of that coming, and the Spirit of the redemption of Zion. We have the Spirit that indicates that in the near future the Lord will appear.
Hence, the Spirit of the Lord has been very powerfully upon President Snow and his brethren, and they have been led to urge upon the people the importance of reformation, not alone in the law of tithing, but in every other principle of the Gospel. Tithing alone is not enough. It will yield its measure of oil and light, and of inspiration and power, to those who observe that law. But if we are non-prayers, non-partakers of the Sacrament; if we are not found doing by others that we would that others should do by us; if we are not honest and virtuous, the fact of our being tithe-payers will not be enough to save us. But it is pretty well discovered and understood that if men can stand the test of the law of tithing, which appeals to our wealth, they will be able to make other sacrifices as. well; for there is a strength and a* power which comes in answer to our fulfillment of this law that will enable us to do other things much less difficult. There are many things less difficult than the payment of tithing. In our fallen condition, being of the earth earthy, we love the things of this world, and it is a most difficult thing for some of us to meet this requirement of the Lord. There is quite a percentage of the brethren who have received the Priesthood, as well as members of the Church, who ought to be tithe-payers and are not. I want to ask any man upon whom I have ever laid my hands and conferred authority in the name of the Lord Jesus; I want to ask any brother who has ever had the hands of the servants of God laid upon his head, to confer the Priesthood of God upon him, can you reconcile your course of life, if you neglect to furnish the revenue necessary for the building up of the kingdom of God on the earth? Can you justify yourself in this? I want the High Priest, the Seventy and the Elder to come to me as an individual and show to me his philosophy and reasoning as to how he can conscientiously hold the Priesthood of God and yet decline to meet the obligations that belong to that Priesthood. I believe that there is no man in this Church entitled to the holy Priesthood who will not magnify it. I believe the Lord requires it of every Deacon, every Teacher, every Priest, every Elder, every High Priest, every Seventy, every Patriarch, every Bishop, President, etc. And we .will not always be tolerated with the authority of God unless we do honor it. We will be found among the foolish, lacking oil in our lamps and being unprepared for the coming of the Son of Man, unless we attend faithfully to these duties.
Is a man justified in this church who fails to partake of the Sacrament when the opportunity is offered? Is a man justified who does not bow his knee before the Lord daily, and who forgets the Lord in secret prayer? I think not. I believe that the Latter-day Saints are required to meet all these obligations and to be as honest with their brethren as they are required to be honest with the Lord. It is not enough for us to pretend to be honest with the Lord, and not be honest with our brethren. We cannot be honest enough with our Father in heaven to justify us in being dishonest with our brethren. We must meet our obligations to our brethren, to our families, to the world. We must deal honestly and conscientiously in all these things. If we do not, the spirit of the Lord will withdraw from us, and when the spirit of the Lord withdraws from us, we complain, we find fault, we are not happy, and we are not satisfied. We cannot afford to sacrifice the presence of the spirit of the Lord, because we cannot be Latter-day Saints unless we enjoy it and are directed by it constantly. It seems to be a difficult thing to do to meet our temporal obligations to the Lord. Our hearts are naturally set upon the things of this world. We can see temporal blessings a little plainer than we can see the spiritualities of the kingdom, for they are here before us, and we enjoy them. We are inclined to gather the things of this world around us and to treasure them up, while the spiritual things, and eternal life with our families and friends hereafter, pertain to the future. They are a little ahead of us, and if we do not have the spirit of the Lord strongly in our hearts, there is more or less a question of doubt and misgiving about them. All these things, however, vanish when we discharge the duties that devolve upon us as Latter-day Saints. And we expect to look after every man, through the Presidents, the Bishops, and the Apostles, and see to it that all who have been entrusted with the authority and power of God, shall come to the mark and do their duties faithfully and well, that they with their families may be saved. We want you to be saved; but if you do not want the salvation that is offered through the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, why make the profession that you do? There is no salvation in professions alone, or in promises and covenants, nor is there any salvation in the blessings that are put upon us under the hands of the servants of God, unless we do the will of God. I want to bear that testimony to this people, and ask that from this time forward we serve the Lord with all our hearts, so that when the Son of Man appears upon the earth, we will be numbered among the wise virgins of my text—which I have not read; you can hunt it for yourselves.
We feel encouraged in our labors, although we are all the time trying to stir the people up. Yet in our councils the Lord has manifested to us that the Latter-day Saints are improving, that they are gaining strength and power, increasing in numbers, spreading abroad and becoming more firmly established on the earth, and that prosperity and success are attending upon them. The best days that we have ever had are the days in which we live now. The kingdom is the Lord's and He will take care of it. It is our business, my brethren and sisters, to see that we take care of ourselves. The Lord will take care of the Kingdom, and no power on earth can prevail against it. As suggested this morning, if it was secure when it was organized seventy years ago, with only six members, what shall we say of it when it numbers over a quarter of a million? We certainly feel encouraged. We feel as though we were on the Lord's side, and that the Lord is on our side. We know He is, for He talks to us and directs us in all things pertaining to this Kingdom. He sustains His servant the Prophet, and magnifies him in the eyes of the people. The will of God is known, and the keys and authority of God are always present. The Lord has established His work, and He will preserve it.. God bless you, my brethren and sisters, and may His Spirit fill our hearts, that we may rejoice exceedingly in this conference, is my prayer through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
The choir sang the anthem: "Jesus, I my cross have taken."
Benediction by Elder Seymour B. Young.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The choir and congregation sang the hymn which begins:
We thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet
To guide us in these latter days;
We thank Thee for sending the Gospel,
To lighten our minds with its rays.
Opening prayer by Elder George Reynolds.
The choir sang the hymn which begins:
High on the mountain top A banner is unfurled;
Ye nations now look up, It waves to all the world.
The choir and congregation sang the hymn which begins:
We thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet
To guide us in these latter days;
We thank Thee for sending the Gospel,
To lighten our minds with its rays.
Opening prayer by Elder George Reynolds.
The choir sang the hymn which begins:
High on the mountain top A banner is unfurled;
Ye nations now look up, It waves to all the world.
PRESIDENT GEORGE Q. CANNON.
Why the Saints are interested in current events—Their gathering a phenomenal movement — Reverence tor the authority of God.
The presence of such a large congregation makes one feel the necessity of having some aid other than human to enable the speaker to instruct and edify so many souls. I have that feeling this afternoon. It is an impressive sight to look from this stand on this large body of people, all gathered here for the purpose of being fed and instructed in the ways of the Lord, many having left their homes probably hundreds of miles distant to come to this conference, and in so doing having the right to expect that they will receive something from the Lord to compensate them for the time and labor which they have expended, in the journey. This being the case, I for one am deeply impressed with the importance of saying something, by the help of the Lord, that will be a benefit to all of us. Without the spirit of God, I know it is useless to attempt to speak to the people; but we are promised that if we come together as we have done today, in faith, the Lord will give us that which shall be profitable. Every conference that we hold in this house seems more important than the preceding one. Our circumstances are constantly changing; we are passing through different scenes, and the events which take place shape themselves in such a manner as to call forth deep reflections on our part.
I suppose there is no community upon the face of the earth that is so interested in that which is taking place in the world as the Latter-day Saints are. All the people take great interest in that which transpires in our own nation and in foreign nations. We are interested spectators of public events. The wars, the commotions, the revolutions among the inhabitants of the earth, and also the elemental disturbances that occur, are -all noticed by us, because in our minds they have a bearing on the great future that lies before the earth and the inhabitants thereof. If there is an earthquake, if there is a famine, if there is a wave sweeping over some portion of the earth, if there are cyclones and disturbances in the atmosphere, if there are pestilences and plagues, if there are wars and contentions, they all attract our attention, because we are expecting calamities of this character. We have been gathered together from the nations of the earth, and for a definite purpose. The men and women who have left their native land and come to these mountains have not made the journey in vain. They would be very much surprised if there were not occurrences which would in their estimation justify them in having taken this journey. So far they have not been disappointed. There are very few Latter-day Saints who regret the step they took in leaving their native land. They see ample justification for their action. If they are true to their religion especially, they feel that they have been amply repaid for coming here by the blessings which they have received. No doubt this will be the case more and more, because Zion is to be a place of safety. The words of the prophets concerning Zion and the last days will be literally fulfilled, and all that has prompted this mighty movement among the different nations of the earth will be made plain. I think it one of the greatest phenomena that has ever been witnessed among mankind, the gathering together of these hundreds of thousands of people from the far distant lands where they lived. It is unprecedented in history; it is marvelous in its execution, and it is one of the world's great movements. In years to come it will be regarded as one of the phenomenal movements of the inhabitants of the earth.
We have come to this conference for the purpose of hearing the word of the Lord. I believe before we separate we shall be abundantly satisfied, and feel that the Lord has been with us. There are a great many subjects that may be talked about. The field is vast, because the instructions that we receive here are intended to cover the whole life of the Latter-day Saint.
We have heard this morning a good many instructions that have been valuable, and I can bear testimony to the truth of them. This is a mighty work, and it is achieving mighty results. The brethren spoke this morning about our union, and praised it. Well, we are very united in some things; but in my opinion we are far from being the united people we should be. My mind of late has dwelt considerably upon the want of reverence there is among us for the Priesthood of the Son of God. Now, I may say some things in this connection that may not be suitable in the opinion of some; but I have strong feelings on this subject. I have felt that too much reverence cannot be shown to the Priesthood of the Son of God. I think it has been a characteristic^ of my life to entertain extreme reverence for the men who bear the Priesthood. I had this feeling when a boy, in the days of Joseph. To me Joseph was perfect. I could not see, and I did not hear anything that ever made any impression upon me to the contrary. It was so with my feeling for President Young. I was intimately associated with him the last twelve years of his life. I saw him in private and in public. I saw him when he laid aside, it might be said, his reserve and would unbend and talk with familiarity. There was one feature in his character that won my admiration, and I have not lost it to this day—I never heard President Young utter an expression that would weaken anybody's respect for the Prophet Joseph. He admired him; he looked upon him as the Prophet of God, as he was. I do not think that anyone else ever heard an expression from him that would tend in any manner to weaken respect, or reverence, or love for the Prophet Joseph Smith. I admired that in his character. And though I was closely associated with him, I never saw a fault in Brigham Young. I expect many would think this very foolish in me, and that I must have been very blind. Perhaps I was; at any rate, I wanted to be. I never wanted to see his faults. I think it was Pope who said:
"Be to her faults a little blind,
And to her virtues over kind."
That was the feeling I had concerning President Young. I wanted to be blind to the faults of the man of God. I knew he was a fallible man, a human being; but I did not want to sit in judgment upon him, nor to criticise his words and acts. To me he was God's servant. God had chosen him out of all the men on earth to hold the keys — that power, awful in some respects, which God commits to one man on earth at a time. He had chosen him, and who was I that I should sit in judgment upon him and criticise him? I never felt as though I dared do it. I never had the disposition to do it.
The Lord took him, and He gave us another man to hold the same authority, to occupy the same position, to exercise the same powers; and I felt towards him as I did towards Brother Brigham. I knew him intimately also; had known him, I may say, all my life; but during his presidency over the Church we were thrown very closely together, because we both had to go in to exile. I might repeat the same in regard to Wilford Woodruff, who succeeded President Taylor. I knew these men as intimately as one man could know another, and I can only say this: more angelic characters, men of sweeter dispositions, I do not believe ever lived. They were men who were as perfect as human beings could be. They loved God supremely. They loved their Priesthood and the cause of God with all their hearts. They would have been willing, if necessary, to have laid down their lives at any time for the truth.
This is my testimony concerning these men. We have probably heard all sorts of stories about them during their lifetime, particularly about President Young. In his lifetime he was maligned, and perhaps many of the Latter-day Saints believed the malicious and malignant stories that were told concerning him; but this is my testimony this day in the presence of these assembled thousands, that a more perfect man than President Young I never knew. So I may say of his two successors.
Now we have a man who has taken the same place, by selection and appointment of the Almighty—President Lorenzo Snow. He is a man who has proved himself through long years of fidelity to the work of God. He stands here in our midst as the Prophet of God, the man holding the keys, the man who can bind on earth and it will be bound in heaven, the man who can loose on earth and it will be loosed in heaven, the man who has the power (which, however, he exercises very rarely, if at all) to forgive sins, to curse and they shall be cursed, to bless and they shall be blessed. I have said it is an awful power. It is; and it ought to be and is exercised with the greatest care and discrimination. God has chosen this man; He has delivered him from perils and from death, and has brought him at his present age to be the President of His Church. Had He a purpose in this? Undoubtedly He had. God foreknew who should hold the keys after Wilford Woodruff passed away, and he selected this man—as perfect a man, as far as we know, as far as fidelity to the truth and willingness to submit to- anything, even to death if necessary for the truth—to hold the same position and to exercise the same authority. Are we as bearers of the holy Priesthood and as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints aware of this? Are we conscious that God has chosen this man to be His mouth-piece unto us, and to stand in the stead of the Lord Jesus to His Church upon the earth? Do we take this into consideration? I am sorry to say that I do not believe many of the Elders do this. I judge this by their conduct, by their want of reverence and respect, by their lack of obedience, and by an absence of a disposition to ask for and to be governed by the counsel of God.
I leave you my brethren and sisters to judge whether I am too severe in my expressions upon this point. I tell you' that there never was in this Church, within my recollection, such an absence of respect and reverence for the authority of God as there is now among this people. I believe I am justified in saying this by the facts, and that the proof of this statement is within reach. Why is it? Many men seem to think that their way is better than any one's else; and though we believe and testify that God has a Prophet in our midst, , through whom we can get the word of the Lord, we despise that word, so much so at least that we will not ask for it, for fear we should be told something that does not agree with our feelings and with that which we desire to accomplish. I tell you, as sure as God lives, there will have to be a change in this respect, or some men will go to hell. God will not put up with it.
We have come here today to hear the word of God, and I am going to tell you what I think, if I do offend you. As a servant of God, I want to warn you of the danger you are in and of the consequences of the spirit that is being yielded to. I would no more dare to do anything of an important character without consulting the man of God than I would think of putting my hand in the fire, especially to do something that I knew he felt differently about to what I did. As I have said, God has chosen him to stand where de does—not you or me; and He knows every secret thought of men's hearts. His all-piercing eye has penetrated the innermost recesses of his heart, and he has seen all there is about him, inside and out. He knows him thoroughly, because he created him. He knew his past history, he knows his present history, He knows his future history. And knowing this, he has chosen him. What can we do better than to show respect to our God by listening to His servant, by treating him with reverence, asking his counsel and seeking for his guidance? I know we pray to God for him, that he may be inspired from on high. Do you believe your prayers? Do you believe that God will and does inspire him? I hope you do; and I hope that having this feeling, you will be prompted to different action. Men may talk as they please about one man power, and they may fight us and seek to destroy us because we listen to the man of God, but the fact still remains that this whole people are dependent for guidance, when they are guided aright, upon the man who holds the keys. Our settlement in these valleys was due to the recognition of that authority; the building of these settlements throughout these valleys is due to that. And shall we say that in some things we are willing to be guided; we think it right to be guided in matters of doctrine, etc.; but in other matters, just as important and necessary for the salvation and preservation of this people, we are not willing? Latter-day Saints, you cannot do it. You cannot get away from this authority and remain Latter-day Saints, for yon sever yourselves from the Church of God, because everything you have is based on the recognition of this authority.
I want to see us as a people open our eyes to behold our true position before God, and the relationship that we bear to the Priesthood of the Son of God. I have no doubt that you all can see the spirit growing in the many quarters to draw off and to say—they may not say it in these words, because Lorenzo Snow is an exceedingly modest man and does not assume anything, and therefore fault cannot justly be found with him; but it is tantamount to saying "we do not believe that you, Lorenzo Snow, have any right to talk to us or to guide or counsel us in these matters. We think that we have a perfect right to do as we please."
Well, no one will ever question that. Brother Brigham Young spoke this morning about our free agency. Every man and woman enjoys this gift. But we have a right to exercise our free agency in doing right, in being obedient, in listening to counsel and in doing that which God wants. I think that I am as much of a free agent when I obey God as I would be in rebelling against Him and obeying Satan. I feel that this people should cultivate more reverence for the authority of the Priesthood—that authority which has proved so great a blessing to them. I would like to see them do it, and that is the burden of my remarks on this occasion. I do plead with you most earnestly to cultivate this feeling of reverence for the Priesthood of the Son of God. You cannot show reverence to the Priesthood without showing it to the men who bear it. Let us teach our children the same feeling, that they may have reverence and respect for the Priesthood, and be willing to obey, and not have a spirit of fault-finding, carping, and pointing out defects of character. You who have been in sacred places know one thing, that you cannot speak evil of the Lord's anointed and be justified, and if you break your covenants in that respect, you are of course incurring severe condemnation.
I pray God that during the remainder of this Conference we may be filled with His Holy Spirit, and that His power may be in our midst, resting upon all who speak unto us, and that we may go away enlightened and benefited by our services here during the three days we shall be together, which I humbly ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Why the Saints are interested in current events—Their gathering a phenomenal movement — Reverence tor the authority of God.
The presence of such a large congregation makes one feel the necessity of having some aid other than human to enable the speaker to instruct and edify so many souls. I have that feeling this afternoon. It is an impressive sight to look from this stand on this large body of people, all gathered here for the purpose of being fed and instructed in the ways of the Lord, many having left their homes probably hundreds of miles distant to come to this conference, and in so doing having the right to expect that they will receive something from the Lord to compensate them for the time and labor which they have expended, in the journey. This being the case, I for one am deeply impressed with the importance of saying something, by the help of the Lord, that will be a benefit to all of us. Without the spirit of God, I know it is useless to attempt to speak to the people; but we are promised that if we come together as we have done today, in faith, the Lord will give us that which shall be profitable. Every conference that we hold in this house seems more important than the preceding one. Our circumstances are constantly changing; we are passing through different scenes, and the events which take place shape themselves in such a manner as to call forth deep reflections on our part.
I suppose there is no community upon the face of the earth that is so interested in that which is taking place in the world as the Latter-day Saints are. All the people take great interest in that which transpires in our own nation and in foreign nations. We are interested spectators of public events. The wars, the commotions, the revolutions among the inhabitants of the earth, and also the elemental disturbances that occur, are -all noticed by us, because in our minds they have a bearing on the great future that lies before the earth and the inhabitants thereof. If there is an earthquake, if there is a famine, if there is a wave sweeping over some portion of the earth, if there are cyclones and disturbances in the atmosphere, if there are pestilences and plagues, if there are wars and contentions, they all attract our attention, because we are expecting calamities of this character. We have been gathered together from the nations of the earth, and for a definite purpose. The men and women who have left their native land and come to these mountains have not made the journey in vain. They would be very much surprised if there were not occurrences which would in their estimation justify them in having taken this journey. So far they have not been disappointed. There are very few Latter-day Saints who regret the step they took in leaving their native land. They see ample justification for their action. If they are true to their religion especially, they feel that they have been amply repaid for coming here by the blessings which they have received. No doubt this will be the case more and more, because Zion is to be a place of safety. The words of the prophets concerning Zion and the last days will be literally fulfilled, and all that has prompted this mighty movement among the different nations of the earth will be made plain. I think it one of the greatest phenomena that has ever been witnessed among mankind, the gathering together of these hundreds of thousands of people from the far distant lands where they lived. It is unprecedented in history; it is marvelous in its execution, and it is one of the world's great movements. In years to come it will be regarded as one of the phenomenal movements of the inhabitants of the earth.
We have come to this conference for the purpose of hearing the word of the Lord. I believe before we separate we shall be abundantly satisfied, and feel that the Lord has been with us. There are a great many subjects that may be talked about. The field is vast, because the instructions that we receive here are intended to cover the whole life of the Latter-day Saint.
We have heard this morning a good many instructions that have been valuable, and I can bear testimony to the truth of them. This is a mighty work, and it is achieving mighty results. The brethren spoke this morning about our union, and praised it. Well, we are very united in some things; but in my opinion we are far from being the united people we should be. My mind of late has dwelt considerably upon the want of reverence there is among us for the Priesthood of the Son of God. Now, I may say some things in this connection that may not be suitable in the opinion of some; but I have strong feelings on this subject. I have felt that too much reverence cannot be shown to the Priesthood of the Son of God. I think it has been a characteristic^ of my life to entertain extreme reverence for the men who bear the Priesthood. I had this feeling when a boy, in the days of Joseph. To me Joseph was perfect. I could not see, and I did not hear anything that ever made any impression upon me to the contrary. It was so with my feeling for President Young. I was intimately associated with him the last twelve years of his life. I saw him in private and in public. I saw him when he laid aside, it might be said, his reserve and would unbend and talk with familiarity. There was one feature in his character that won my admiration, and I have not lost it to this day—I never heard President Young utter an expression that would weaken anybody's respect for the Prophet Joseph. He admired him; he looked upon him as the Prophet of God, as he was. I do not think that anyone else ever heard an expression from him that would tend in any manner to weaken respect, or reverence, or love for the Prophet Joseph Smith. I admired that in his character. And though I was closely associated with him, I never saw a fault in Brigham Young. I expect many would think this very foolish in me, and that I must have been very blind. Perhaps I was; at any rate, I wanted to be. I never wanted to see his faults. I think it was Pope who said:
"Be to her faults a little blind,
And to her virtues over kind."
That was the feeling I had concerning President Young. I wanted to be blind to the faults of the man of God. I knew he was a fallible man, a human being; but I did not want to sit in judgment upon him, nor to criticise his words and acts. To me he was God's servant. God had chosen him out of all the men on earth to hold the keys — that power, awful in some respects, which God commits to one man on earth at a time. He had chosen him, and who was I that I should sit in judgment upon him and criticise him? I never felt as though I dared do it. I never had the disposition to do it.
The Lord took him, and He gave us another man to hold the same authority, to occupy the same position, to exercise the same powers; and I felt towards him as I did towards Brother Brigham. I knew him intimately also; had known him, I may say, all my life; but during his presidency over the Church we were thrown very closely together, because we both had to go in to exile. I might repeat the same in regard to Wilford Woodruff, who succeeded President Taylor. I knew these men as intimately as one man could know another, and I can only say this: more angelic characters, men of sweeter dispositions, I do not believe ever lived. They were men who were as perfect as human beings could be. They loved God supremely. They loved their Priesthood and the cause of God with all their hearts. They would have been willing, if necessary, to have laid down their lives at any time for the truth.
This is my testimony concerning these men. We have probably heard all sorts of stories about them during their lifetime, particularly about President Young. In his lifetime he was maligned, and perhaps many of the Latter-day Saints believed the malicious and malignant stories that were told concerning him; but this is my testimony this day in the presence of these assembled thousands, that a more perfect man than President Young I never knew. So I may say of his two successors.
Now we have a man who has taken the same place, by selection and appointment of the Almighty—President Lorenzo Snow. He is a man who has proved himself through long years of fidelity to the work of God. He stands here in our midst as the Prophet of God, the man holding the keys, the man who can bind on earth and it will be bound in heaven, the man who can loose on earth and it will be loosed in heaven, the man who has the power (which, however, he exercises very rarely, if at all) to forgive sins, to curse and they shall be cursed, to bless and they shall be blessed. I have said it is an awful power. It is; and it ought to be and is exercised with the greatest care and discrimination. God has chosen this man; He has delivered him from perils and from death, and has brought him at his present age to be the President of His Church. Had He a purpose in this? Undoubtedly He had. God foreknew who should hold the keys after Wilford Woodruff passed away, and he selected this man—as perfect a man, as far as we know, as far as fidelity to the truth and willingness to submit to- anything, even to death if necessary for the truth—to hold the same position and to exercise the same authority. Are we as bearers of the holy Priesthood and as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints aware of this? Are we conscious that God has chosen this man to be His mouth-piece unto us, and to stand in the stead of the Lord Jesus to His Church upon the earth? Do we take this into consideration? I am sorry to say that I do not believe many of the Elders do this. I judge this by their conduct, by their want of reverence and respect, by their lack of obedience, and by an absence of a disposition to ask for and to be governed by the counsel of God.
I leave you my brethren and sisters to judge whether I am too severe in my expressions upon this point. I tell you' that there never was in this Church, within my recollection, such an absence of respect and reverence for the authority of God as there is now among this people. I believe I am justified in saying this by the facts, and that the proof of this statement is within reach. Why is it? Many men seem to think that their way is better than any one's else; and though we believe and testify that God has a Prophet in our midst, , through whom we can get the word of the Lord, we despise that word, so much so at least that we will not ask for it, for fear we should be told something that does not agree with our feelings and with that which we desire to accomplish. I tell you, as sure as God lives, there will have to be a change in this respect, or some men will go to hell. God will not put up with it.
We have come here today to hear the word of God, and I am going to tell you what I think, if I do offend you. As a servant of God, I want to warn you of the danger you are in and of the consequences of the spirit that is being yielded to. I would no more dare to do anything of an important character without consulting the man of God than I would think of putting my hand in the fire, especially to do something that I knew he felt differently about to what I did. As I have said, God has chosen him to stand where de does—not you or me; and He knows every secret thought of men's hearts. His all-piercing eye has penetrated the innermost recesses of his heart, and he has seen all there is about him, inside and out. He knows him thoroughly, because he created him. He knew his past history, he knows his present history, He knows his future history. And knowing this, he has chosen him. What can we do better than to show respect to our God by listening to His servant, by treating him with reverence, asking his counsel and seeking for his guidance? I know we pray to God for him, that he may be inspired from on high. Do you believe your prayers? Do you believe that God will and does inspire him? I hope you do; and I hope that having this feeling, you will be prompted to different action. Men may talk as they please about one man power, and they may fight us and seek to destroy us because we listen to the man of God, but the fact still remains that this whole people are dependent for guidance, when they are guided aright, upon the man who holds the keys. Our settlement in these valleys was due to the recognition of that authority; the building of these settlements throughout these valleys is due to that. And shall we say that in some things we are willing to be guided; we think it right to be guided in matters of doctrine, etc.; but in other matters, just as important and necessary for the salvation and preservation of this people, we are not willing? Latter-day Saints, you cannot do it. You cannot get away from this authority and remain Latter-day Saints, for yon sever yourselves from the Church of God, because everything you have is based on the recognition of this authority.
I want to see us as a people open our eyes to behold our true position before God, and the relationship that we bear to the Priesthood of the Son of God. I have no doubt that you all can see the spirit growing in the many quarters to draw off and to say—they may not say it in these words, because Lorenzo Snow is an exceedingly modest man and does not assume anything, and therefore fault cannot justly be found with him; but it is tantamount to saying "we do not believe that you, Lorenzo Snow, have any right to talk to us or to guide or counsel us in these matters. We think that we have a perfect right to do as we please."
Well, no one will ever question that. Brother Brigham Young spoke this morning about our free agency. Every man and woman enjoys this gift. But we have a right to exercise our free agency in doing right, in being obedient, in listening to counsel and in doing that which God wants. I think that I am as much of a free agent when I obey God as I would be in rebelling against Him and obeying Satan. I feel that this people should cultivate more reverence for the authority of the Priesthood—that authority which has proved so great a blessing to them. I would like to see them do it, and that is the burden of my remarks on this occasion. I do plead with you most earnestly to cultivate this feeling of reverence for the Priesthood of the Son of God. You cannot show reverence to the Priesthood without showing it to the men who bear it. Let us teach our children the same feeling, that they may have reverence and respect for the Priesthood, and be willing to obey, and not have a spirit of fault-finding, carping, and pointing out defects of character. You who have been in sacred places know one thing, that you cannot speak evil of the Lord's anointed and be justified, and if you break your covenants in that respect, you are of course incurring severe condemnation.
I pray God that during the remainder of this Conference we may be filled with His Holy Spirit, and that His power may be in our midst, resting upon all who speak unto us, and that we may go away enlightened and benefited by our services here during the three days we shall be together, which I humbly ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.
ELDER JOHN HENRY SMITH.
Character of the Men who carry on the work of God —Condemnation will rest upon those who oppose It—Importance of family responsibilities —Value of the counsels of the wise.
It gives me joy to have the privilege of meeting with you in conference and in listening to the brethren who have spoken unto us. I trust that during the time that I may occupy I may enjoy your faith and good feelings, that the promptings of the Holy Spirit may attend the remarks that I may make.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is seventy years of age today. President Snow this morning in his remarks dwelt upon the fact that we had passed our infancy, our boyhood, our young manhood, and had had a taste at least of that age which in the olden times was fixed upon as the allotted age of man. In my reflections on his remarks I was led to wonder whether it could be possible that in the reaching of that mature age there would anything occur which should cause weakness to appear in connection with the further development and accomplishment of the work assigned to men in this dispensation. Our experience has developed that man sometimes work with very great devotion for a period of his life in the accomplishment of some specific purpose, and he sometimes reaches a condition of mind when he doubts the efficacy of his efforts to accomplish the purpose he has had in view. Others do not become impregnated with the Spirit that actuates him. They look in coldness upon the suggestions which he makes. They regard his efforts as visionary, and that the results of his struggles cannot in any sense be what he himself would anticipate; and after continued effort and perhaps failure sometimes, he stops and becomes seemingly discouraged and unwilling to proceed further. It is true, there have been some men whose hearts, in the midst of sunshine or storm, success or failure, have never cooled, and whose minds have never become disturbed under any circumstance. It is after this type that I believe the Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ should be made. That no matter what the conditions and circumstances are, no matter what the temptations may be, or what barriers may present themselves in the way of the accomplishment of a specific purpose, success must come.
There is no such word as fail in connection with this work. Failure was not designed of the Father when he visited this earth in person, with His Son, and laid upon that child. Joseph Smith, the obligation _to teach the truth among the children of men. He gave him to understand that while discouragements might come in the way, while brethren might be false, while men and women might violate the ordinances of God's house and trample beneath their feet the requirements of heaven, there would be found a body of men in connection with this work and its development who never would sacrifice to Baal, but would stand in the midst of every storm and in every place where God Almighty required them to act, unflinchingly, and true if need be to the giving of life and all to the cause of truth as our Father had established it. And yet we are possessed, like the rest of the human race, of our weaknesses. We are tempted, we are tried, we imagine many vain things, but so far as concerns this work and its development and success in this world in the accomplishment of the regeneration of the human race, it will not fail. "There is no such word as fail in the lexicon of our God." Men may fail; they may fail to read by the unerring counsels of the Holy Spirit the course that they should pursue; they may fail to be loyal soldiers and to recognize the orders that high heaven shall give, looking to the development of our Father's cause in the world, but there will be found sufficient to meet the needs and responsibilities and to discharge the obligations that the Master has imposed upon those to whom the sacred message was delivered by that angel who was to fly through the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach to them that dwell upon the earth, to every nation, kindred, tongue and people. "Write it in your books, establish it in your hearts and fix it in every fibre of your being, that God will see its accomplishment in the loyalty and devotion of those whom He shall gather, one at a time, and establish among His people in the Church of Christ.
Our brothers and our sisters among the religious peoples of the world should become after a time, in my judgment, impregnated with this thought, and cease the expression of their ill-feelings and the application of improper methods, looking to the hurt of this work, for the promise is that "no weapon formed against this work shall succeed and they that arise in judgment against it shall be condemned."—not to condemnation that shall fall from my lips, or condemnation that may fall from the lips of any who are associated with the work in the same degree that I may be; but in that condemnation registered by the finger of God, which blights those who set their hand against this work and labor for its destruction. For as the sun shines at noonday and as the brightness of morning appears in the eastern horizon, this work must succeed. It is the decree of Providence.
While we thus speak in connection with the work, and while we feel our weaknesses and our littleness as aids in its accomplishment, we recognize the fact that the day of destruction and schooling has not gone by. Around us are armies of boys and girls developing into young manhood and young womanhood, schooled under conditions somewhat different to those that have existed in former times, and yet not so different after all, only that we have allowed a great degree of laxity to grow up in connection with our government and association in our households that never should have existed. I have spoken a number of times upon the question of a more cautious, careful and determined purpose on the part of the head of every home, to see that he is in closer companionship with the members of his household than he has been wont to be in times past. I have received the Priesthood. It entails upon me a great obligation that takes my entire time in the missionary fields abroad, or in the discharge of duties in the ward or Stake. No matter about my own home circle, the wife and the children must look to their own interest there; but I must discharge this duty that leads me hence in the fulfillment or requirements that have been placed upon my shoulders, and to a degree that in my judgment is reprehensible. With this feeling in our hearts we have neglected one of the most sacred obligations in the world. I am wondering when that obligation shall be brought home to us which is laid down in the Scriptures, about the teaching of our children, how far you and I, holding the Priesthood of the Son of God, shall be found under the ban pronounced by the Savior of the world in the revelation of His holy will. The troubles and trials of this life are manifold, but there is no responsibility placed upon us greater than the care of our own. The statement by one of old that he who does not provide for his own is worse than an infidel and has already denied the faith, is one that will apply to a great many in our day and time. There must be a more systematic and thoughtful application of home government and home action upon the part of the Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or the ban pronounced in these words, which classes us with the infidel, will be manifest, and it will be written by the recording angel that our part has not been performed in the Spirit of that work which God has given us a share in establishing in the world. I do not believe that duty requires any one of you to be absent from your homes every night in the week, looking after somebody other than your own household. I do not believe that the adjustment of the responsibilities placed upon us in this Priesthood that we hold requires that the sons and daughters of the Elders of this Church shall not be in touch with their fathers in such spirit as shall render them susceptible to the influence of that Priesthood and the spirit of this work, which leads them to make the sacrifices, if they can be called sacrifices, that has led them by hundreds and thousands into every part of the earth. It is an adjustment that is essential with these High Priests, these Seventies and these Elders in the Church, that the home and its interests shall be remembered, and that the men who sit down in their homes constantly and fail to perform their part in connection with the work outside of the home shall adjust their time upon legitimate and proper lines, which shall so distribute the labors that my wives and my children and that my associates with their wives and children may enjoy that legitimate and proper companionship designed by our maker when he made us husbands and wives, parents and children.
It has given me great concern to have many of my brethren tell me that they have not spent an evening at home in years. This duty, that duty and these appointments have taken them here and there, and their sons and daughters scarcely see them. If they do see them, it is simply in the morning, when breakfast is eaten, and then they depart to the various labors resting upon them. I hope that in the consideration of these questions affecting the home and the work of God, we will see to it in the future that each of these interests shall receive its proper care and attention, and that the wife shall rejoice in the companionship at the fireside of her husband, at least occasionally, and that the boys and girls shall feel themselves in duty bound to congregate there. Then in the love manifest in that home by the husband for the wife, and wife for the husband and the parents for the children, there shall be a witness of God's mercy in the establishment of that principle by which men and women are bound together for time and eternity. It seems to me there is no reason in the world why the acting Priesthood in a Stake or ward should be away from their families every night in the week; why these Elders, these Seventies, these High Priests and these Apostles should have so little of that companionship that was established when they plighted their faith to their companions. The devotion of husband and wife should not become cooled as age approaches, but we should be determined in our hearts to maintain under every condition its warmth to the fullest, inasmuch as we have covenanted with God, angels and witnesses that for time and eternity we would fill in justice and propriety the duties and responsibilities of the sacred relationship of husband and wife.
President Cannon, in his remarks this afternoon, bearing upon the spirit of insubordination and a failure to recognize counsels coming from the proper source in connection with the work of God, has expressed very clearly and distinctly the feeling that is present with a great many people, the result of thoughtlessness upon the part of some, but largely attributable to the fact that that companionship which should exist in the home does not exist, and that our boys and girls get from under our control and we seem to lack the tact to draw them back under our influence. President Cannon gave to you his views in regard to the question of veneration. I am unlike him in a great degree, I lack in veneration. It has been necessary for me to cultivate it. While I respect my brethren and also the men and women whose hair has become pray, it is indeed an extreme effort for me to show that deference and respect which is due to the men with whom we mingle or who possess influence among the children of men. But his suggestions in connection with these matters are worthy of consideration. I have sought to impress upon my own sons the necessity of being men among men, to seek to understand principle, to act upon the basis of their consciences, and to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of life in the Priesthood which God has given to them, in such a way that the name they bear shall not be tainted. But we notice in connection with these matters that there is a spirit abroad that it is not right and proper to give ear to the counsels of wise and prudent men; that they are old fogies; that experience in the world counts for nothing, and that step by step we will brush their views out of the way. I presume it is an American idea that has developed itself in the world. Oh! how many will awaken in time to the understanding that they have been deceiving themselves, that the experience of a gray-haired father and mother, and that the careful and considerate counsels of a High Priest in the Church of Christ would have been, if utilized, potent for their good.
My brothers and sisters, I recognize the fact that Zion is going to grow. I would grow with it. I would have my children grow with it. My grandsires labored in connection with this work; my sires have labored in connection with it. They believed it was true. I believe they were right. I not only believe, but I know that they were right; and if I can write this knowledge upon my wives and children and get them to understand the duty that they owe to God and their country in connection with the development of this work and its extension in all the world, I will indeed rejoice in every fibre of my being. But should they lose respect for the truth which God has revealed or for the love of right presented in the principles of the government that has been established, under which this work has been developed, it shall seem to me that life has indeed been a failure. If, however, the husbands and the fathers, the wives and the mothers shall be in attune with each other; if they shall love the home and the home circle; if they shall impregnate their children with an understanding of the truth, and with the reverence due to our heavenly Father and His representatives here, as well as to the grey hairs of every honorable man and woman in the world, it will have been, indeed, an accomplishment that will lend strength and force to this work, and its spread will be manifest in every direction.
May heaven's peace abound in your hearts and in your homes; may you love the truth, and lay the foundation of love so deeply and thoroughly in the circle that God has given you a stewardship over, that when manhood and womanhood shall be reached, and the children, and the children's children shall look homeward, there shall be joy abounding: in their hearts, which nothing in the world can quench. If we will do the bidding of our Father; if we shall remember that as husbands and wives our obligations are eternal; if we shall remember as parents and children that our hope of the approval of our Father in heaven is linked together, and if we shall fulfill the duties that life requires at our hands, rendering to our family their share, all will be well. If we will see to it that some men are not required to take all the care and responsibility, while others remain at home in idleness, all of us will be the better off, and the wives who have husbands lounging around the house will thank God for the privilege of their having something to do outside of their homes. We have received the truth. There is no mistake in regard to that. Mankind may just as well come to that conclusion first as last, and realize that every block placed by them in the way will but increase the impetus of the work. It is for us who have become its custodians to fulfill our mission and ministry. Our friends criticise us for the evils that are manifest among us. There are evils among the Latter-day Saints. There are boys unguarded, unwarned and untaught. There are girls left to the prey of the vicious and the impure. There are unwise mothers, who have never learned a single lesson from the experience of their own lives, and men who seem to forget the temptations and trials that beset them in their youth, and turn loose to be destroyed the treasures that God has given them. Oh! that I could write upon the heart of every man and every woman the remembrance of their own lives, and the struggles that they have had to make to preserve themselves from the pitfalls of immorality; and write also upon their hearts and souls the sentiment and feeling that our Father would inspire if they would open their hearts to him, that these pure spirits need the constant guidance, guardianship and care of their fathers and mothers.
Again I say, may the Lord's peace abound with you. May the spirit of this conference resound to the ends of the earth with the declaration that Mormonism, as the world calls it, is a factor in the universe, come to stay, not to fade nor fail, but to increase and develop as long as there is a human being in sin; warning its own devotees that honesty, truthfulness, virtue and love and respect for everything that is noble and true is the foundation stone of the work.; calling upon everyone who has drifted into by and forbidden paths to repent and turn to the truth, and being to the world a light set upon a hill, that cannot be hid, which will increase in brightness and power until its light shall encompass the earth. God bless you. Amen.
Character of the Men who carry on the work of God —Condemnation will rest upon those who oppose It—Importance of family responsibilities —Value of the counsels of the wise.
It gives me joy to have the privilege of meeting with you in conference and in listening to the brethren who have spoken unto us. I trust that during the time that I may occupy I may enjoy your faith and good feelings, that the promptings of the Holy Spirit may attend the remarks that I may make.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is seventy years of age today. President Snow this morning in his remarks dwelt upon the fact that we had passed our infancy, our boyhood, our young manhood, and had had a taste at least of that age which in the olden times was fixed upon as the allotted age of man. In my reflections on his remarks I was led to wonder whether it could be possible that in the reaching of that mature age there would anything occur which should cause weakness to appear in connection with the further development and accomplishment of the work assigned to men in this dispensation. Our experience has developed that man sometimes work with very great devotion for a period of his life in the accomplishment of some specific purpose, and he sometimes reaches a condition of mind when he doubts the efficacy of his efforts to accomplish the purpose he has had in view. Others do not become impregnated with the Spirit that actuates him. They look in coldness upon the suggestions which he makes. They regard his efforts as visionary, and that the results of his struggles cannot in any sense be what he himself would anticipate; and after continued effort and perhaps failure sometimes, he stops and becomes seemingly discouraged and unwilling to proceed further. It is true, there have been some men whose hearts, in the midst of sunshine or storm, success or failure, have never cooled, and whose minds have never become disturbed under any circumstance. It is after this type that I believe the Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ should be made. That no matter what the conditions and circumstances are, no matter what the temptations may be, or what barriers may present themselves in the way of the accomplishment of a specific purpose, success must come.
There is no such word as fail in connection with this work. Failure was not designed of the Father when he visited this earth in person, with His Son, and laid upon that child. Joseph Smith, the obligation _to teach the truth among the children of men. He gave him to understand that while discouragements might come in the way, while brethren might be false, while men and women might violate the ordinances of God's house and trample beneath their feet the requirements of heaven, there would be found a body of men in connection with this work and its development who never would sacrifice to Baal, but would stand in the midst of every storm and in every place where God Almighty required them to act, unflinchingly, and true if need be to the giving of life and all to the cause of truth as our Father had established it. And yet we are possessed, like the rest of the human race, of our weaknesses. We are tempted, we are tried, we imagine many vain things, but so far as concerns this work and its development and success in this world in the accomplishment of the regeneration of the human race, it will not fail. "There is no such word as fail in the lexicon of our God." Men may fail; they may fail to read by the unerring counsels of the Holy Spirit the course that they should pursue; they may fail to be loyal soldiers and to recognize the orders that high heaven shall give, looking to the development of our Father's cause in the world, but there will be found sufficient to meet the needs and responsibilities and to discharge the obligations that the Master has imposed upon those to whom the sacred message was delivered by that angel who was to fly through the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach to them that dwell upon the earth, to every nation, kindred, tongue and people. "Write it in your books, establish it in your hearts and fix it in every fibre of your being, that God will see its accomplishment in the loyalty and devotion of those whom He shall gather, one at a time, and establish among His people in the Church of Christ.
Our brothers and our sisters among the religious peoples of the world should become after a time, in my judgment, impregnated with this thought, and cease the expression of their ill-feelings and the application of improper methods, looking to the hurt of this work, for the promise is that "no weapon formed against this work shall succeed and they that arise in judgment against it shall be condemned."—not to condemnation that shall fall from my lips, or condemnation that may fall from the lips of any who are associated with the work in the same degree that I may be; but in that condemnation registered by the finger of God, which blights those who set their hand against this work and labor for its destruction. For as the sun shines at noonday and as the brightness of morning appears in the eastern horizon, this work must succeed. It is the decree of Providence.
While we thus speak in connection with the work, and while we feel our weaknesses and our littleness as aids in its accomplishment, we recognize the fact that the day of destruction and schooling has not gone by. Around us are armies of boys and girls developing into young manhood and young womanhood, schooled under conditions somewhat different to those that have existed in former times, and yet not so different after all, only that we have allowed a great degree of laxity to grow up in connection with our government and association in our households that never should have existed. I have spoken a number of times upon the question of a more cautious, careful and determined purpose on the part of the head of every home, to see that he is in closer companionship with the members of his household than he has been wont to be in times past. I have received the Priesthood. It entails upon me a great obligation that takes my entire time in the missionary fields abroad, or in the discharge of duties in the ward or Stake. No matter about my own home circle, the wife and the children must look to their own interest there; but I must discharge this duty that leads me hence in the fulfillment or requirements that have been placed upon my shoulders, and to a degree that in my judgment is reprehensible. With this feeling in our hearts we have neglected one of the most sacred obligations in the world. I am wondering when that obligation shall be brought home to us which is laid down in the Scriptures, about the teaching of our children, how far you and I, holding the Priesthood of the Son of God, shall be found under the ban pronounced by the Savior of the world in the revelation of His holy will. The troubles and trials of this life are manifold, but there is no responsibility placed upon us greater than the care of our own. The statement by one of old that he who does not provide for his own is worse than an infidel and has already denied the faith, is one that will apply to a great many in our day and time. There must be a more systematic and thoughtful application of home government and home action upon the part of the Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or the ban pronounced in these words, which classes us with the infidel, will be manifest, and it will be written by the recording angel that our part has not been performed in the Spirit of that work which God has given us a share in establishing in the world. I do not believe that duty requires any one of you to be absent from your homes every night in the week, looking after somebody other than your own household. I do not believe that the adjustment of the responsibilities placed upon us in this Priesthood that we hold requires that the sons and daughters of the Elders of this Church shall not be in touch with their fathers in such spirit as shall render them susceptible to the influence of that Priesthood and the spirit of this work, which leads them to make the sacrifices, if they can be called sacrifices, that has led them by hundreds and thousands into every part of the earth. It is an adjustment that is essential with these High Priests, these Seventies and these Elders in the Church, that the home and its interests shall be remembered, and that the men who sit down in their homes constantly and fail to perform their part in connection with the work outside of the home shall adjust their time upon legitimate and proper lines, which shall so distribute the labors that my wives and my children and that my associates with their wives and children may enjoy that legitimate and proper companionship designed by our maker when he made us husbands and wives, parents and children.
It has given me great concern to have many of my brethren tell me that they have not spent an evening at home in years. This duty, that duty and these appointments have taken them here and there, and their sons and daughters scarcely see them. If they do see them, it is simply in the morning, when breakfast is eaten, and then they depart to the various labors resting upon them. I hope that in the consideration of these questions affecting the home and the work of God, we will see to it in the future that each of these interests shall receive its proper care and attention, and that the wife shall rejoice in the companionship at the fireside of her husband, at least occasionally, and that the boys and girls shall feel themselves in duty bound to congregate there. Then in the love manifest in that home by the husband for the wife, and wife for the husband and the parents for the children, there shall be a witness of God's mercy in the establishment of that principle by which men and women are bound together for time and eternity. It seems to me there is no reason in the world why the acting Priesthood in a Stake or ward should be away from their families every night in the week; why these Elders, these Seventies, these High Priests and these Apostles should have so little of that companionship that was established when they plighted their faith to their companions. The devotion of husband and wife should not become cooled as age approaches, but we should be determined in our hearts to maintain under every condition its warmth to the fullest, inasmuch as we have covenanted with God, angels and witnesses that for time and eternity we would fill in justice and propriety the duties and responsibilities of the sacred relationship of husband and wife.
President Cannon, in his remarks this afternoon, bearing upon the spirit of insubordination and a failure to recognize counsels coming from the proper source in connection with the work of God, has expressed very clearly and distinctly the feeling that is present with a great many people, the result of thoughtlessness upon the part of some, but largely attributable to the fact that that companionship which should exist in the home does not exist, and that our boys and girls get from under our control and we seem to lack the tact to draw them back under our influence. President Cannon gave to you his views in regard to the question of veneration. I am unlike him in a great degree, I lack in veneration. It has been necessary for me to cultivate it. While I respect my brethren and also the men and women whose hair has become pray, it is indeed an extreme effort for me to show that deference and respect which is due to the men with whom we mingle or who possess influence among the children of men. But his suggestions in connection with these matters are worthy of consideration. I have sought to impress upon my own sons the necessity of being men among men, to seek to understand principle, to act upon the basis of their consciences, and to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of life in the Priesthood which God has given to them, in such a way that the name they bear shall not be tainted. But we notice in connection with these matters that there is a spirit abroad that it is not right and proper to give ear to the counsels of wise and prudent men; that they are old fogies; that experience in the world counts for nothing, and that step by step we will brush their views out of the way. I presume it is an American idea that has developed itself in the world. Oh! how many will awaken in time to the understanding that they have been deceiving themselves, that the experience of a gray-haired father and mother, and that the careful and considerate counsels of a High Priest in the Church of Christ would have been, if utilized, potent for their good.
My brothers and sisters, I recognize the fact that Zion is going to grow. I would grow with it. I would have my children grow with it. My grandsires labored in connection with this work; my sires have labored in connection with it. They believed it was true. I believe they were right. I not only believe, but I know that they were right; and if I can write this knowledge upon my wives and children and get them to understand the duty that they owe to God and their country in connection with the development of this work and its extension in all the world, I will indeed rejoice in every fibre of my being. But should they lose respect for the truth which God has revealed or for the love of right presented in the principles of the government that has been established, under which this work has been developed, it shall seem to me that life has indeed been a failure. If, however, the husbands and the fathers, the wives and the mothers shall be in attune with each other; if they shall love the home and the home circle; if they shall impregnate their children with an understanding of the truth, and with the reverence due to our heavenly Father and His representatives here, as well as to the grey hairs of every honorable man and woman in the world, it will have been, indeed, an accomplishment that will lend strength and force to this work, and its spread will be manifest in every direction.
May heaven's peace abound in your hearts and in your homes; may you love the truth, and lay the foundation of love so deeply and thoroughly in the circle that God has given you a stewardship over, that when manhood and womanhood shall be reached, and the children, and the children's children shall look homeward, there shall be joy abounding: in their hearts, which nothing in the world can quench. If we will do the bidding of our Father; if we shall remember that as husbands and wives our obligations are eternal; if we shall remember as parents and children that our hope of the approval of our Father in heaven is linked together, and if we shall fulfill the duties that life requires at our hands, rendering to our family their share, all will be well. If we will see to it that some men are not required to take all the care and responsibility, while others remain at home in idleness, all of us will be the better off, and the wives who have husbands lounging around the house will thank God for the privilege of their having something to do outside of their homes. We have received the truth. There is no mistake in regard to that. Mankind may just as well come to that conclusion first as last, and realize that every block placed by them in the way will but increase the impetus of the work. It is for us who have become its custodians to fulfill our mission and ministry. Our friends criticise us for the evils that are manifest among us. There are evils among the Latter-day Saints. There are boys unguarded, unwarned and untaught. There are girls left to the prey of the vicious and the impure. There are unwise mothers, who have never learned a single lesson from the experience of their own lives, and men who seem to forget the temptations and trials that beset them in their youth, and turn loose to be destroyed the treasures that God has given them. Oh! that I could write upon the heart of every man and every woman the remembrance of their own lives, and the struggles that they have had to make to preserve themselves from the pitfalls of immorality; and write also upon their hearts and souls the sentiment and feeling that our Father would inspire if they would open their hearts to him, that these pure spirits need the constant guidance, guardianship and care of their fathers and mothers.
Again I say, may the Lord's peace abound with you. May the spirit of this conference resound to the ends of the earth with the declaration that Mormonism, as the world calls it, is a factor in the universe, come to stay, not to fade nor fail, but to increase and develop as long as there is a human being in sin; warning its own devotees that honesty, truthfulness, virtue and love and respect for everything that is noble and true is the foundation stone of the work.; calling upon everyone who has drifted into by and forbidden paths to repent and turn to the truth, and being to the world a light set upon a hill, that cannot be hid, which will increase in brightness and power until its light shall encompass the earth. God bless you. Amen.
ELDER GEORGE TEASDALE.
The Saints trust in the Lord—Cause of the opposition of the world—Exhortation to faithfulness — A plea for liberty.
I am very thankful to our Heavenly Father that I have the privilege of attending this conference and of rejoicing with my brethren that we are seventy years of age. I was very much impressed in listening to the instructions that have been given, how everything tends to establish the Scriptures. The 37th Psalm says:
"Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity:
"For they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb.
"Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
"Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
"Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he shall bring It to pass:
"And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday."
From the testimonies that we have heard this seems to be the history of the Latter-day Saints. They are the most valiant and courageous people on the face of the earth, because they "Trust in the Lord and do good." It required a great deal of moral courage to accept this Gospel, to come out of the world and take up the cross of Christ, and to advocate a doctrine that was everywhere spoken against. But it has established in us an everlasting character. We know no fear. Our trust is in the Lord; and the exhortation to us, Learn the will of God and do it, brings forth and establishes within us a character. We are always willing to do the will of God. We came into the Church for that express purpose. We found that it would be impossible for us to be delivered from death, hell and the grave, unless we accepted of the doctrine of Christ as taught by the inspired servants of God; and being on the unpopular side we had to defend ourselves. We tested the principles of everlasting life, and we have discovered they are true. God has given unto us line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, and we are growing in grace and in the knowledge of God. He has told us over and over again that if we will love him and keep his commandments we shall prosper in the land. The Scriptures are true. The Holy Spirit has come unto the sons and daughters of God in the day and age in which we live. We all realize that we have our individual mission; that when we seek unto the Lord and ask His guidance, He guides and directs us. He gives us the opportunity of being everything that we could wish to be, in fulfilling the mission He has appointed us, to His honor and glory. There is no need of our ever being deceived or being beguiled by the influence of the adversary— who of course is adverse to God's will being done—if we will only observe the will of the Lord and do it. We have a Father in heaven who loves us, and who has given unto us the privilege of dwelling upon the earth in the dispensation of the fulness of times. We encourage the rising generation to trust in the Lord and individually seek His counsel. The Lord does not require a blind obedience, but an intelligent obedience, and the Savior has exhorted us to ask and it shall be given us, to seek and we shall find, to knock and it shall be opened unto us. On one occasion he gave us the parable of the unjust judge, and told us to pray without ceasing, to put our trust in the Lord, and He would give us everything necessary.
The Church of Christ has a bad reputation. It always did have. "We desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest; for as concerning this sect, we know that everywhere it is spoken against," was said of old. It is a trick of the adversary that we should be evilly spoken of, and it is his disciples, who despise the commandment "thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor," who have given us our bad reputation. But that matters very little. We know we are of God, and that the world lieth in the arms of the wicked one. We know that the principles of everlasting life, which we have subscribed to, are true, and it is to our best interest individually to accomplish that which the Father has given us to do. If those who fight against us, who despise us and who will not fellowship us would search for themselves individually as we have done, they would see as we see and have the same comprehension of the principles of everlasting life, because they would have the same spirit, even the gift of the Holy Ghost, without which no man knoweth the things of God. I have no faith in the wisdom of man, nor in doctors of divinity. They have made a mistake from the beginning. The history of the world tells us that mankind always accepted false prophets and slew and rejected those who were sent of God with the glad tidings of great joy. In the days of Noah, but eight persons out of the whole world accepted the Gospel of the Son of God, and were saved, while the others, under the dominion of the prince and power of the air, rejected light and truth and made their beef where we would not like to go.
I say to you, my .brethren and sisters, seek the counsel of the Almighty in your individuality, and when the Lord reveals to you what your mission is fulfill it to the glory of God, no matter who else is pleased or displeased. The whole duty of man is to serve God and keep His commandments, and woe unto us if we do not do it. We have been slothful; we have been indifferent; we have robbed the Lord in tithes and offerings; we have been self-sufficient and have despised the counsels of the Almighty, and He has called upon us to repent, to reform, and to consecrate unto Him that which is His due, according to His commandment, which is, that of everything He shall give to us, we will consecrate to Him one-tenth, and our ears shall be open to the cry of the widow and the fatherless, and we shall visit them in their distress. The Lord has also commanded us to get out of debt, so that we may owe no man anything and be independent and keep the law of God. Unless we do so He cannot establish His statutes upon the land. I want to bear my testimony to the truth of these principles. I know they are true. I know that God lives; I know that Jesus is the Christ. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet sent of God. All mankind can obtain this testimony, if they will seek for it. There was a time when I did not know it. I sought the Lord for it, and he gave it to me, to my perfect satisfaction. My exhortation to the people all the time is, for goodness sake be kind to yourselves; hear the word of the Lord and do it; stand in the dignity of your manhood and resist the influence of the world. Woe unto us if we are overcome of the world; woe unto us if we are excommunicated from the Church. We have a long list of men who should pay tithing and do not. I am sorry for them. I wish they had sense enough to be kinder to themselves, for they are laboring under a curse who rob God in tithes, and offerings. They have no right to partake of the Sacrament, being unworthy. Every time they do it they eat and drink damnation; for they tell the Lord that they are willing to take upon them the name of Christ and to keep His commandments, yet they do not do it. Hypocrites! Hypocrites! A great deal better if they should wake up to an understanding of the dangerous position they occupy. If the Bishops are kind and considerate to hear with teem, to plead with them and to dig all around them and they reject it, when they pass behind the veil their record is made, the day has gone, the night has come and their souls are not saved. Then comes the agony; hut we have made it ourselves. We work out our salvation, or we work out our damnation. It is our own act. I know these Principles are true; they are common sense. There is no blessing, no eternal life promised to those who despise God and His commandments, and who prefer darkness to light. It is a condemnation to reject light and truth; and when the Lord Jesus Christ shall come in flaming fire, to take vengeance upon them who know not God and keep not His commandments those who love darkness rather than light will be punished with everlasting banishment from the presence of God and the Lamb.
I rejoice very much in the instructions that have been given today. I am in harmony with every revealed principle. I say that the Latter-day Saints are the noblest people upon the face of the earth; and instead of governments striving to stay their progress, they should do everything to enable them to progress in light and truth, and to develop principles and conditions which they know nothing at all about, we know what we are doing, and we understand the science of life. We understand where we came from, what we are here for and what is our future destiny, because we are taught of God. We are in harmony with eternal priorities Our Elders go forth preaching the Gospel of the Son of God. They take their lives in their hands, leaving their families behind, and proclaim this glad message of great joy and that God has again spoken. They call the people to repentance, and warn them of judgments to come. We are told that judgment will commence at the house of God it will fall upon this very class of people who despise God, and reject His commandments. We take our little children to our Sabbath schools, our primaries, our Mutual Improvement associations and quorums of Priesthood for the express purpose of training them that they may grow up without sin unto salvation. The Lord wants to establish His righteousness. That is what He has hired us for, and we should love truth and righteousness, and have our ears open to hear, our eyes to see and our hearts to understand, that we may be for God and His righteousness.
Did you ever know this people so unpatriotic as to be petitioning the government against any handful of people? No patriot was ever guilty of anything of the kind. A patriot is a man who sustains the Constitution of the United States and believes in religious liberty. There are hypocrites among professed patriots, as well as other classes of people. I say God bless the patriots. God bless our government, and give them wisdom, strength of character and moral courage to stand by the principles of the Constitution, and not be cowards. I would plead for this with all my heart. For of all people in the world, we are interested in having a righteous government. We know how to appreciate liberty and freedom, and we never interfere with other people's doctrines or belief. We have enough to do to teach our own. We have the truth, the way and the life and we have no time to find fault with others. It takes us all our time to publish the glad tidings of great joy.
I pray God my eternal Father that He will establish the kingdom of God upon the earth in power; that the kingdom of heaven may come; that His will may be done on earth as it is done in heaven, and that we who have taken upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ may be true and faithful to our covenants, and that we may have the grace of God to overcome and endure unto the end, in His glorious kingdom, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Singing by the choir.
Benediction by Elder Christian D. Fjeldsted.
The Saints trust in the Lord—Cause of the opposition of the world—Exhortation to faithfulness — A plea for liberty.
I am very thankful to our Heavenly Father that I have the privilege of attending this conference and of rejoicing with my brethren that we are seventy years of age. I was very much impressed in listening to the instructions that have been given, how everything tends to establish the Scriptures. The 37th Psalm says:
"Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity:
"For they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb.
"Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
"Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
"Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he shall bring It to pass:
"And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday."
From the testimonies that we have heard this seems to be the history of the Latter-day Saints. They are the most valiant and courageous people on the face of the earth, because they "Trust in the Lord and do good." It required a great deal of moral courage to accept this Gospel, to come out of the world and take up the cross of Christ, and to advocate a doctrine that was everywhere spoken against. But it has established in us an everlasting character. We know no fear. Our trust is in the Lord; and the exhortation to us, Learn the will of God and do it, brings forth and establishes within us a character. We are always willing to do the will of God. We came into the Church for that express purpose. We found that it would be impossible for us to be delivered from death, hell and the grave, unless we accepted of the doctrine of Christ as taught by the inspired servants of God; and being on the unpopular side we had to defend ourselves. We tested the principles of everlasting life, and we have discovered they are true. God has given unto us line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, and we are growing in grace and in the knowledge of God. He has told us over and over again that if we will love him and keep his commandments we shall prosper in the land. The Scriptures are true. The Holy Spirit has come unto the sons and daughters of God in the day and age in which we live. We all realize that we have our individual mission; that when we seek unto the Lord and ask His guidance, He guides and directs us. He gives us the opportunity of being everything that we could wish to be, in fulfilling the mission He has appointed us, to His honor and glory. There is no need of our ever being deceived or being beguiled by the influence of the adversary— who of course is adverse to God's will being done—if we will only observe the will of the Lord and do it. We have a Father in heaven who loves us, and who has given unto us the privilege of dwelling upon the earth in the dispensation of the fulness of times. We encourage the rising generation to trust in the Lord and individually seek His counsel. The Lord does not require a blind obedience, but an intelligent obedience, and the Savior has exhorted us to ask and it shall be given us, to seek and we shall find, to knock and it shall be opened unto us. On one occasion he gave us the parable of the unjust judge, and told us to pray without ceasing, to put our trust in the Lord, and He would give us everything necessary.
The Church of Christ has a bad reputation. It always did have. "We desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest; for as concerning this sect, we know that everywhere it is spoken against," was said of old. It is a trick of the adversary that we should be evilly spoken of, and it is his disciples, who despise the commandment "thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor," who have given us our bad reputation. But that matters very little. We know we are of God, and that the world lieth in the arms of the wicked one. We know that the principles of everlasting life, which we have subscribed to, are true, and it is to our best interest individually to accomplish that which the Father has given us to do. If those who fight against us, who despise us and who will not fellowship us would search for themselves individually as we have done, they would see as we see and have the same comprehension of the principles of everlasting life, because they would have the same spirit, even the gift of the Holy Ghost, without which no man knoweth the things of God. I have no faith in the wisdom of man, nor in doctors of divinity. They have made a mistake from the beginning. The history of the world tells us that mankind always accepted false prophets and slew and rejected those who were sent of God with the glad tidings of great joy. In the days of Noah, but eight persons out of the whole world accepted the Gospel of the Son of God, and were saved, while the others, under the dominion of the prince and power of the air, rejected light and truth and made their beef where we would not like to go.
I say to you, my .brethren and sisters, seek the counsel of the Almighty in your individuality, and when the Lord reveals to you what your mission is fulfill it to the glory of God, no matter who else is pleased or displeased. The whole duty of man is to serve God and keep His commandments, and woe unto us if we do not do it. We have been slothful; we have been indifferent; we have robbed the Lord in tithes and offerings; we have been self-sufficient and have despised the counsels of the Almighty, and He has called upon us to repent, to reform, and to consecrate unto Him that which is His due, according to His commandment, which is, that of everything He shall give to us, we will consecrate to Him one-tenth, and our ears shall be open to the cry of the widow and the fatherless, and we shall visit them in their distress. The Lord has also commanded us to get out of debt, so that we may owe no man anything and be independent and keep the law of God. Unless we do so He cannot establish His statutes upon the land. I want to bear my testimony to the truth of these principles. I know they are true. I know that God lives; I know that Jesus is the Christ. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet sent of God. All mankind can obtain this testimony, if they will seek for it. There was a time when I did not know it. I sought the Lord for it, and he gave it to me, to my perfect satisfaction. My exhortation to the people all the time is, for goodness sake be kind to yourselves; hear the word of the Lord and do it; stand in the dignity of your manhood and resist the influence of the world. Woe unto us if we are overcome of the world; woe unto us if we are excommunicated from the Church. We have a long list of men who should pay tithing and do not. I am sorry for them. I wish they had sense enough to be kinder to themselves, for they are laboring under a curse who rob God in tithes, and offerings. They have no right to partake of the Sacrament, being unworthy. Every time they do it they eat and drink damnation; for they tell the Lord that they are willing to take upon them the name of Christ and to keep His commandments, yet they do not do it. Hypocrites! Hypocrites! A great deal better if they should wake up to an understanding of the dangerous position they occupy. If the Bishops are kind and considerate to hear with teem, to plead with them and to dig all around them and they reject it, when they pass behind the veil their record is made, the day has gone, the night has come and their souls are not saved. Then comes the agony; hut we have made it ourselves. We work out our salvation, or we work out our damnation. It is our own act. I know these Principles are true; they are common sense. There is no blessing, no eternal life promised to those who despise God and His commandments, and who prefer darkness to light. It is a condemnation to reject light and truth; and when the Lord Jesus Christ shall come in flaming fire, to take vengeance upon them who know not God and keep not His commandments those who love darkness rather than light will be punished with everlasting banishment from the presence of God and the Lamb.
I rejoice very much in the instructions that have been given today. I am in harmony with every revealed principle. I say that the Latter-day Saints are the noblest people upon the face of the earth; and instead of governments striving to stay their progress, they should do everything to enable them to progress in light and truth, and to develop principles and conditions which they know nothing at all about, we know what we are doing, and we understand the science of life. We understand where we came from, what we are here for and what is our future destiny, because we are taught of God. We are in harmony with eternal priorities Our Elders go forth preaching the Gospel of the Son of God. They take their lives in their hands, leaving their families behind, and proclaim this glad message of great joy and that God has again spoken. They call the people to repentance, and warn them of judgments to come. We are told that judgment will commence at the house of God it will fall upon this very class of people who despise God, and reject His commandments. We take our little children to our Sabbath schools, our primaries, our Mutual Improvement associations and quorums of Priesthood for the express purpose of training them that they may grow up without sin unto salvation. The Lord wants to establish His righteousness. That is what He has hired us for, and we should love truth and righteousness, and have our ears open to hear, our eyes to see and our hearts to understand, that we may be for God and His righteousness.
Did you ever know this people so unpatriotic as to be petitioning the government against any handful of people? No patriot was ever guilty of anything of the kind. A patriot is a man who sustains the Constitution of the United States and believes in religious liberty. There are hypocrites among professed patriots, as well as other classes of people. I say God bless the patriots. God bless our government, and give them wisdom, strength of character and moral courage to stand by the principles of the Constitution, and not be cowards. I would plead for this with all my heart. For of all people in the world, we are interested in having a righteous government. We know how to appreciate liberty and freedom, and we never interfere with other people's doctrines or belief. We have enough to do to teach our own. We have the truth, the way and the life and we have no time to find fault with others. It takes us all our time to publish the glad tidings of great joy.
I pray God my eternal Father that He will establish the kingdom of God upon the earth in power; that the kingdom of heaven may come; that His will may be done on earth as it is done in heaven, and that we who have taken upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ may be true and faithful to our covenants, and that we may have the grace of God to overcome and endure unto the end, in His glorious kingdom, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Singing by the choir.
Benediction by Elder Christian D. Fjeldsted.
SECOND DAY. April 7th, 10 a. m.--
The choir and congregation sang the hymn beginning:
Come let us anew our journey pursue,
Roll round with the year,
And never stand still till the Master appear.
Prayer by Elder Angus M. Cannon.
Singing by the choir:
Hark! listen to the gentle strain,
O'er hill and valley, grove and plain!
It echoes from the heights above
The voice of freedom, peace and love.
The choir and congregation sang the hymn beginning:
Come let us anew our journey pursue,
Roll round with the year,
And never stand still till the Master appear.
Prayer by Elder Angus M. Cannon.
Singing by the choir:
Hark! listen to the gentle strain,
O'er hill and valley, grove and plain!
It echoes from the heights above
The voice of freedom, peace and love.
ELDER HEBER J. GRANT.
Individual Progress in the work of God depends upon obedience to God's Commandments—To become great it is not necessary to behold Angels and have great spiritual manifestations —Eternal life the greatest gift of God to man —The Church organ should be sustained.
I rejoice exceedingly in the opportunity of again meeting with the Latter-day Saints in general conference. I have enjoyed listening to the remarks which have thus far been made, and I desire, as was said here yesterday by President Snow, as all Elders with the proper spirit should desire, that I may be blessed of the Lord and that I may have the faith and prayers of the Latter- day Saints, that what I may say. shall be beneficial to us and encourage us in performing the duties that devolve upon us as Latter-day Saints. It has ever been a source of surprise to me that there are so many members of the Church, more particularly those who hold the holy Priesthood, who profess to be Latter-day Saints, who testify to a knowledge of the Gospel and to the divinity of the work in which we are engaged, and that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, and yet who fail to keep the commandments of our heavenly Father, and to prove by their lives that they are in very deed Latter-day Saints. I am surprised at this, because I cannot understand how people with a knowledge of the Gospel and the testimony that Jesus is the Christ, that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of the true and living God, and that he has established on the earth, under the direction of our heavenly Father and his Son Jesus, the Gospel of everlasting life, and that it is in very deed the pearl of great price to each and every one of us—it is a surprise to me, I say, that men, holding the holy Priesthood and possessing this knowledge, should, year after year, neglect the duties and the obligations that rest upon them. The Savior told His followers that they were the salt of the earth, but that if the salt lost its savor, it was thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men. He told them also that they were the light of the world, a city set upon a hill which could not be hid; he told them that men did not light a candle and put it under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it might give light to all that were in the room, and he admonished them to let their light so shine that men seeing their good deeds might glorify God.
This admonition applies to us. We are the light of the world. We have received the inspiration of Almighty God. We have received a testimony of the Gospel, and we do know that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, and that Brigham Young, John Taylor, and Wilford Woodruff were prophets of God, as is Lorenzo Snow. Every true Latter-day Saint has this testimony burning within his or her heart. Now, are we so living that the good deeds we perform bring credit to the work of God? Are our examples worthy of the imitation of all men? Do we by our examples show that we have faith in the Gospel? We are told that faith without works is dead; that as the body without the spirit is dead, so also is faith without works dead, and I am sorry to say that there are many professed Latter-day Saints who are spiritually dead. We many times ask ourselves the question, why does this man progress in the plan of life and salvation, while his neighbor, of equal intelligence and ability, of apparently the same testimony and power, and perchance greater power, stands still? I will tell you why. One keeps the commandments of our Heavenly Father, and the other fails to keep them. The Savior says that he that keeps his commandments is the man that loves him, and he that keeps the commandments of God shall be loved of the Father, and the Savior says he will love him and he will manifest himself unto him. The Lord also tells us that those who hear His sayings and doeth them shall be likened unto the wise man who built his house upon the rock, and when the rains descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house, it fell not, because it was founded upon a rock. On the other hand, those who heard His sayings and did them not, the Savior likened unto a foolish man, who built his house on the sand, and when the rains descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house, it fell, and great was the fall thereof. There are many Latter-day Saints who are building their houses upon the sand. They are failing to do the sayings of our Savior. They are failing to carry out the commandments of our Heavenly Father that come to us from time to time through His inspired servants.
Now, if we have the Gospel (and we know we have), I say to each and every Latter-day Saint, who desires to grow and enlarge in the Gospel, he must keep the commandments of God. As we keep the commandments of God and live god-like lives, we become full of charity, long-suffering and love for our fellows, and we grow and increase in all those things that go to make us noble and god-like. We also gain the love and confidence of those by whom we are surrounded. It is by the performance of the plain, simple, everyday duties that devolve upon us that we will grow in the spirit of God. You find me a man that attends his quorum meetings, that performs his duties in the ward in which he lives, that honestly pays his tithing, and I will find you a man full of the spirit of God and growing and increasing in the testimony of the Gospel. On the other hand, you find me a man that has seen angels, that has had wonderful manifestations, that has seen devils cast out, that has gone to the ends of the earth and preached the Gospel, and yet who is failing to keep the commandments of God, and I will find you a man that is cirticising the Lord's anointed, and finding fault with what the President does, with where he goes, what he engages in and how he administers the affairs of the Church. There are many non-tithe-payers among the Latter-day Saints, and many of them say that the reason they don't pay tithing is because the tithing is not properly administered. Seeing, however, that they do not pay a dollar, it is none of their business how it is administered. But you will find that those who do not do their duty, are always complaining about somebody that does, and making excuses for themselves. I have never found a man who was keeping the commandments of God that had any criticism to offer concerning any administration of the affairs of the Church. Neglect of duty, failure to keep the commandments of God, darkens the mind of man and the Spirit of the Lord is withdrawn. We find it recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants "For although a man may have many revelations, and have power to do many mighty works, yet if he boasts in his own strength and sets at naught the counsels of God, and follows after the dictates of his own will and carnal desires, he must fall." As recorded in the first section of the Doctrine and Covenants, where men repent and turn from their misdeeds, the Lord will forgive them, but His Spirit will not always strive with them.
I have met many young men who have said to me, "I do not know that the Gospel is true. I believe it, but I do not know it." I have invariably replied to them that our Lord and Master has said that he who will do the will of the Father shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether he spoke of himself, and if they would do the will of the Father, they should eventually have a knowledge of the Gospel. Some of them have said: "Oh, if I could only see an angel; if I could only hear speaking in tongues; if I could only see some great manifestation, then I would believe." I wish to say to all within the sound of my voice that the seeing of angels and great manifestations do not make great men in the Church and kingdom of God. Think of the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon. What is their testimony? It is that an angel showed them the plates, and that they knew they had been translated by the gift and power of God. How did they claim to know this? Because "His voice hath declared it unto us." What else did they testify? "And we declare with words of soberness, that an angel of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon; and we know that it is by the grace of God, the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, that we beheld and bear record that these things are true; and it is marvelous in our eyes, nevertheless the voice of the Lord commanded us that we should bear record of it; wherefore to be obedient unto the commandments of God, we bear testimony of these things." Yet these men fell by the wayside, though they remained true and steadfast to their testimony to the Book of Mormon.
What is the testimony of Sidney Rigdon in connection with the Prophet Joseph Smith, as recorded in the 76th section of the Doctrine and Covenants.
"And while we meditated upon these things the Lord touched the eyes of our understanding and they were opened, and the glory of the Lord shone round about;
"And we beheld the glory of the Son, on the right hand of the Father, and received of his fullness;
"And saw the holy angels, and they who are sanctified before His throne, worshiping God, and the Lamb, who worship Him for ever and ever.
"And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of Him, this is the testimony last of all, which we give of Him, that he lives;
"For we saw Him, even on the right hand of God, and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the only Begotten of the Father --
"That by Him and through Him, and of Him the worlds are and were created and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God."
Think of it, beholding the glory of the Son and receiving a fullness of that glory, and hearing the voice declare that he is the only Begotten of the Father, and yet this man, Sidney Rigdon, proved a traitor to the Prophet and fell by the wayside!
There is no character of which we have any record in the Book of Mormon that I admire more than Nephi. The life of that man has been one of the guiding stars of my life. His faith, his determination, his spirit to do the will of God has inspired me with a desire to follow in his noble footsteps. We speak of seeing angels. What is the record of seeing angels? Those of us who are familiar with the Book of Mormon know that when God commanded Lehi to send to Jerusalem and get the plates from Laban, some of his sons complained, but when Nephi came from the mountain to his father's tent, he said that he would go, because he knew "that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save He should prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." They went up; they failed, and the brothers wanted to go back to their father in the wilderness. But Nephi said, "We will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us." They went up again and they gave their wealth to Laban. but they were driven back again. Then the older brethren smote Nephi and his brother Sam with a rod, and while they were doing this, an angel of the Lord stood before them and chided them. But no sooner had he departed, after having told them to go up again and God would deliver Laban into their hands, than they commenced once more to murmur. So it has been in all ages of the world, and so it will be with those who do not keep the commandments of God. Angels may visit them, they may see visions, they may have dreams, they may even see the Son of God, and yet the Spirit of God will not burn in their hearts. But those who do the will of God, and live God-like lives, they will grow and increase in the testimony of the Gospel and in power and ability to do God's will.
After the angel had gone, these men said, "How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands? Behold, he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea even he can slay fifty; then why not us?" What did Nephi, the younger brother say? He said, "Let us go up again unto Jerusalem, and let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands?"
Here is the key-note, Latter-day Saints. Let us realize that God is mightier than all the earth. Let us realize that if we are faithful in keeping the commandments of God His promises will be fulfilled to the very letter. For He has said that not one jot or tittle shall fall to the ground unfulfilled. The trouble is, the adversary of men's souls blinds their minds. He throws dust, so to speak, in their eyes, and they are blinded with the things of this world. Men do not lay up treasures in heaven, where moth and rust corrupt not, where thieves do not break through and steal, but they set their hearts upon the things of this world, and the adversary obtains power over them.
I say to you, Latter-day Saints, that the pearl of great price is life eternal. God has told us that the greatest of all the gifts He can bestow upon man is life eternal. We are laboring for that great gift, and it will be ours if we keep the commandments of God. But it will not profit us to merely make professions and to proclaim to the ends of the earth that this is the Gospel, but it will profit us if we do the will of God. As the inspired servant of God said, speaking of faith without works:
"What doth it profit my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?
"If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
"And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?"
I say, what doth it profit to go to the ends of the earth and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and yet fail to do your duty here in laboring for the advancement of God's kingdom? I say to the Latter-day Saints, be honest with God, pay your tithes and your offerings, support every institution of Zion, build up the Church of Christ, pray for the authorities of the Church, and then sustain them in every labor and in all that they undertake to do.
I see that my time has expired, but I want to just make one suggestion. I rejoice in the financial growth of the Church organ; I rejoice in the increase of seven thousand subscribers to our paper, which belongs to the Latter-day Saints. I say, continue the good work. Subscribe for the Deseret News. Have it in your homes. Read the sermons that are published there; read the teachings of our Heavenly Father that come to us through His servants, that are published in that, paper. Do not allow your selfishness and your penuriousness to cause you, in order to save two dollars, to not have the inspiration of the Lord through His servants, as published in that paper. Sustain this paper. Why? Because it is yours. Because the Prophet of God desires its success; because it is fighting for Zion, and because it desires the triumph of Zion. Sustain every other good institution and God will bless you, which may He do, is my prayer, and I ask it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Individual Progress in the work of God depends upon obedience to God's Commandments—To become great it is not necessary to behold Angels and have great spiritual manifestations —Eternal life the greatest gift of God to man —The Church organ should be sustained.
I rejoice exceedingly in the opportunity of again meeting with the Latter-day Saints in general conference. I have enjoyed listening to the remarks which have thus far been made, and I desire, as was said here yesterday by President Snow, as all Elders with the proper spirit should desire, that I may be blessed of the Lord and that I may have the faith and prayers of the Latter- day Saints, that what I may say. shall be beneficial to us and encourage us in performing the duties that devolve upon us as Latter-day Saints. It has ever been a source of surprise to me that there are so many members of the Church, more particularly those who hold the holy Priesthood, who profess to be Latter-day Saints, who testify to a knowledge of the Gospel and to the divinity of the work in which we are engaged, and that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, and yet who fail to keep the commandments of our heavenly Father, and to prove by their lives that they are in very deed Latter-day Saints. I am surprised at this, because I cannot understand how people with a knowledge of the Gospel and the testimony that Jesus is the Christ, that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of the true and living God, and that he has established on the earth, under the direction of our heavenly Father and his Son Jesus, the Gospel of everlasting life, and that it is in very deed the pearl of great price to each and every one of us—it is a surprise to me, I say, that men, holding the holy Priesthood and possessing this knowledge, should, year after year, neglect the duties and the obligations that rest upon them. The Savior told His followers that they were the salt of the earth, but that if the salt lost its savor, it was thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men. He told them also that they were the light of the world, a city set upon a hill which could not be hid; he told them that men did not light a candle and put it under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it might give light to all that were in the room, and he admonished them to let their light so shine that men seeing their good deeds might glorify God.
This admonition applies to us. We are the light of the world. We have received the inspiration of Almighty God. We have received a testimony of the Gospel, and we do know that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, and that Brigham Young, John Taylor, and Wilford Woodruff were prophets of God, as is Lorenzo Snow. Every true Latter-day Saint has this testimony burning within his or her heart. Now, are we so living that the good deeds we perform bring credit to the work of God? Are our examples worthy of the imitation of all men? Do we by our examples show that we have faith in the Gospel? We are told that faith without works is dead; that as the body without the spirit is dead, so also is faith without works dead, and I am sorry to say that there are many professed Latter-day Saints who are spiritually dead. We many times ask ourselves the question, why does this man progress in the plan of life and salvation, while his neighbor, of equal intelligence and ability, of apparently the same testimony and power, and perchance greater power, stands still? I will tell you why. One keeps the commandments of our Heavenly Father, and the other fails to keep them. The Savior says that he that keeps his commandments is the man that loves him, and he that keeps the commandments of God shall be loved of the Father, and the Savior says he will love him and he will manifest himself unto him. The Lord also tells us that those who hear His sayings and doeth them shall be likened unto the wise man who built his house upon the rock, and when the rains descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house, it fell not, because it was founded upon a rock. On the other hand, those who heard His sayings and did them not, the Savior likened unto a foolish man, who built his house on the sand, and when the rains descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house, it fell, and great was the fall thereof. There are many Latter-day Saints who are building their houses upon the sand. They are failing to do the sayings of our Savior. They are failing to carry out the commandments of our Heavenly Father that come to us from time to time through His inspired servants.
Now, if we have the Gospel (and we know we have), I say to each and every Latter-day Saint, who desires to grow and enlarge in the Gospel, he must keep the commandments of God. As we keep the commandments of God and live god-like lives, we become full of charity, long-suffering and love for our fellows, and we grow and increase in all those things that go to make us noble and god-like. We also gain the love and confidence of those by whom we are surrounded. It is by the performance of the plain, simple, everyday duties that devolve upon us that we will grow in the spirit of God. You find me a man that attends his quorum meetings, that performs his duties in the ward in which he lives, that honestly pays his tithing, and I will find you a man full of the spirit of God and growing and increasing in the testimony of the Gospel. On the other hand, you find me a man that has seen angels, that has had wonderful manifestations, that has seen devils cast out, that has gone to the ends of the earth and preached the Gospel, and yet who is failing to keep the commandments of God, and I will find you a man that is cirticising the Lord's anointed, and finding fault with what the President does, with where he goes, what he engages in and how he administers the affairs of the Church. There are many non-tithe-payers among the Latter-day Saints, and many of them say that the reason they don't pay tithing is because the tithing is not properly administered. Seeing, however, that they do not pay a dollar, it is none of their business how it is administered. But you will find that those who do not do their duty, are always complaining about somebody that does, and making excuses for themselves. I have never found a man who was keeping the commandments of God that had any criticism to offer concerning any administration of the affairs of the Church. Neglect of duty, failure to keep the commandments of God, darkens the mind of man and the Spirit of the Lord is withdrawn. We find it recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants "For although a man may have many revelations, and have power to do many mighty works, yet if he boasts in his own strength and sets at naught the counsels of God, and follows after the dictates of his own will and carnal desires, he must fall." As recorded in the first section of the Doctrine and Covenants, where men repent and turn from their misdeeds, the Lord will forgive them, but His Spirit will not always strive with them.
I have met many young men who have said to me, "I do not know that the Gospel is true. I believe it, but I do not know it." I have invariably replied to them that our Lord and Master has said that he who will do the will of the Father shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether he spoke of himself, and if they would do the will of the Father, they should eventually have a knowledge of the Gospel. Some of them have said: "Oh, if I could only see an angel; if I could only hear speaking in tongues; if I could only see some great manifestation, then I would believe." I wish to say to all within the sound of my voice that the seeing of angels and great manifestations do not make great men in the Church and kingdom of God. Think of the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon. What is their testimony? It is that an angel showed them the plates, and that they knew they had been translated by the gift and power of God. How did they claim to know this? Because "His voice hath declared it unto us." What else did they testify? "And we declare with words of soberness, that an angel of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon; and we know that it is by the grace of God, the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, that we beheld and bear record that these things are true; and it is marvelous in our eyes, nevertheless the voice of the Lord commanded us that we should bear record of it; wherefore to be obedient unto the commandments of God, we bear testimony of these things." Yet these men fell by the wayside, though they remained true and steadfast to their testimony to the Book of Mormon.
What is the testimony of Sidney Rigdon in connection with the Prophet Joseph Smith, as recorded in the 76th section of the Doctrine and Covenants.
"And while we meditated upon these things the Lord touched the eyes of our understanding and they were opened, and the glory of the Lord shone round about;
"And we beheld the glory of the Son, on the right hand of the Father, and received of his fullness;
"And saw the holy angels, and they who are sanctified before His throne, worshiping God, and the Lamb, who worship Him for ever and ever.
"And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of Him, this is the testimony last of all, which we give of Him, that he lives;
"For we saw Him, even on the right hand of God, and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the only Begotten of the Father --
"That by Him and through Him, and of Him the worlds are and were created and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God."
Think of it, beholding the glory of the Son and receiving a fullness of that glory, and hearing the voice declare that he is the only Begotten of the Father, and yet this man, Sidney Rigdon, proved a traitor to the Prophet and fell by the wayside!
There is no character of which we have any record in the Book of Mormon that I admire more than Nephi. The life of that man has been one of the guiding stars of my life. His faith, his determination, his spirit to do the will of God has inspired me with a desire to follow in his noble footsteps. We speak of seeing angels. What is the record of seeing angels? Those of us who are familiar with the Book of Mormon know that when God commanded Lehi to send to Jerusalem and get the plates from Laban, some of his sons complained, but when Nephi came from the mountain to his father's tent, he said that he would go, because he knew "that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save He should prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." They went up; they failed, and the brothers wanted to go back to their father in the wilderness. But Nephi said, "We will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us." They went up again and they gave their wealth to Laban. but they were driven back again. Then the older brethren smote Nephi and his brother Sam with a rod, and while they were doing this, an angel of the Lord stood before them and chided them. But no sooner had he departed, after having told them to go up again and God would deliver Laban into their hands, than they commenced once more to murmur. So it has been in all ages of the world, and so it will be with those who do not keep the commandments of God. Angels may visit them, they may see visions, they may have dreams, they may even see the Son of God, and yet the Spirit of God will not burn in their hearts. But those who do the will of God, and live God-like lives, they will grow and increase in the testimony of the Gospel and in power and ability to do God's will.
After the angel had gone, these men said, "How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands? Behold, he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea even he can slay fifty; then why not us?" What did Nephi, the younger brother say? He said, "Let us go up again unto Jerusalem, and let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands?"
Here is the key-note, Latter-day Saints. Let us realize that God is mightier than all the earth. Let us realize that if we are faithful in keeping the commandments of God His promises will be fulfilled to the very letter. For He has said that not one jot or tittle shall fall to the ground unfulfilled. The trouble is, the adversary of men's souls blinds their minds. He throws dust, so to speak, in their eyes, and they are blinded with the things of this world. Men do not lay up treasures in heaven, where moth and rust corrupt not, where thieves do not break through and steal, but they set their hearts upon the things of this world, and the adversary obtains power over them.
I say to you, Latter-day Saints, that the pearl of great price is life eternal. God has told us that the greatest of all the gifts He can bestow upon man is life eternal. We are laboring for that great gift, and it will be ours if we keep the commandments of God. But it will not profit us to merely make professions and to proclaim to the ends of the earth that this is the Gospel, but it will profit us if we do the will of God. As the inspired servant of God said, speaking of faith without works:
"What doth it profit my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?
"If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
"And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?"
I say, what doth it profit to go to the ends of the earth and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and yet fail to do your duty here in laboring for the advancement of God's kingdom? I say to the Latter-day Saints, be honest with God, pay your tithes and your offerings, support every institution of Zion, build up the Church of Christ, pray for the authorities of the Church, and then sustain them in every labor and in all that they undertake to do.
I see that my time has expired, but I want to just make one suggestion. I rejoice in the financial growth of the Church organ; I rejoice in the increase of seven thousand subscribers to our paper, which belongs to the Latter-day Saints. I say, continue the good work. Subscribe for the Deseret News. Have it in your homes. Read the sermons that are published there; read the teachings of our Heavenly Father that come to us through His servants, that are published in that, paper. Do not allow your selfishness and your penuriousness to cause you, in order to save two dollars, to not have the inspiration of the Lord through His servants, as published in that paper. Sustain this paper. Why? Because it is yours. Because the Prophet of God desires its success; because it is fighting for Zion, and because it desires the triumph of Zion. Sustain every other good institution and God will bless you, which may He do, is my prayer, and I ask it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
ELDER JOHN W. TAYLOR.
The gifts of God of great worth—Salvation cornea through obedience—How a testimony of the truth can be obtained.
My brethren and sisters, I pray that the spirit of our Father who is in heaven may rest upon me while I address you this morning. I have listened with much interest to the remarks that have been made by the various speakers during this conference, and I feel that I can heartily bear testimony to all that has been said. No doubt the remarks of Elder Grant will be appreciated by the Latter-day Saints, and they have had the effect to draw my mind to another phase of the Church and Kingdom of God.
I observe among the Latter-day Saints a very great improvement during the last twelve months in the payment of their tithing, in their attendance at meetings, and in the performance of other duties. I have been a little in the world, and I find a great many good people among them. I notice that people pay their donations according to the covenants that they have made in their denomination, and they build vast churches, costing millions of dollars. I find organizations and charitable institutions that support thousands of people, and I find communities where they pour out their wealth in millions for the benefit of unfortunate and suffering humanity. I find thousands and millions of people who are thoroughly devoted to the faith they have espoused. I speak of this in order that I may draw to the attention of the young and rising generation a feature connected with this work that is spiritual. I want the young and all who are before me to understand that the remarks of Elder Grant have not been intended to detract from the spiritual rights and privileges which the Latter-day Saints should enjoy. I am going to take the liberty to read to you a little from the holy Scriptures. I will read you the testimony of Moroni the Prophet. But before doing so, I want to tell you this: There is only one difference - between the Latter-day Saints and the denominations of the world, as far as I have been able to observe, and that difference lies in the fact that this people believe in continual revelation from God the Eternal Father, in the gifts and blessings of the Holy Spirit, and in various other blessings which the Lord has promised to the faithful in this generation. And let me tell you, whenever the absence of these gifts and blessings and the administration of holy angels occurs among this people this is not the people of God. I speak this in order that the young may understand it. The children of men had not heard or seen God the Eternal Father or his Son Jesus Christ for eighteen hundred years, and this congregation before me today would never have come here had not God the Eternal Father and the holy angels visited the Prophet Joseph Smith. I want to bear testimony to one thing: Where one man who has had the privilege of the gift of the administration of angels, where one man who has enjoyed the gift of prophecy, or the gift of healing, or the gift of miracles, or any of these divine gifts, which God promised the believer in the last days—where one such man has left this Church, there have been fifty leave it who have not had these gifts. That is my testimony unto you, my brethren and sisters. When one of the sons or daughters of God is born of the water and spirit, he or she is chosen of God the Eternal Father, and while Satan, as Elder Grant has said, will make a ten-fold exertion to overcome such, nevertheless God has given them a testimony and it is burning in their hearts; and you will find, if you reckon as between those who have received a gift of God and those who have not, that there will be fifty of the latter class to one of the former who will wander away from that straight and narrow path which Jesus Christ commanded the children of men to walk in. There are different phases to every question, and I feel strongly impressed to read the testimony of the Prophet Moroni:
“Behold I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam, even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
"And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that you would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, He will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost;
"And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.
"And whatsoever thing is good, is just and true, wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledged that He is.
"And ye may know that He is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you, that ye deny not the power of God; for He worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever.
"And again I exhort you, my brethren, that ye deny not the gifts of God, for they are many; and they come from the same God. And there are different ways that these gifts are administered; but it is the same God that worketh all in all; and they are given by the manifestations of the Spirit of God unto men, to profit them.
"For behold, to one is given by the Spirit of God, that he may teach the word of wisdom."
What a great and glorious gift the gift of wisdom is. How nicely these subjects have been arranged, the Lord placing the gift of wisdom above all the other gifts.
"And to another, that he may teach the word of knowledge by the same spirit."
That knowledge which has been referred to by Elder Grant, that we may know that God lives, not by the testimony of men, but by the power of the Holy Ghost, revealed unto us from God the Eternal Father, as referred to also by President Snow yesterday.
"And to another, exceeding great faith; and to another, the gift of healing by the same Spirit.
"And again, to another, that he may work mighty miracles;
"And again, to another, that he may prophesy concerning all things;
"And again, to another, the beholding of angels and ministering spirits;
"And again, to another, all kinds of tongues;
"And again, to another, the interpretation of languages and of divers kinds of tongues.
"And all these gifts come by the Spirit of Christ; and they come unto every man severally, according as he will.
"And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that every good gift cometh of Christ.
"And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that He is the same yesterday, today and forever, and that all these gifts of which I have spoken, which are spiritual, never will be done away, even as long as the world shall stand, only according to the unbelief of the children of men.
"Wherefore, there must be faith; and if there must be faith, there must also be hope; and if there must be hope, there must also be charity;
"And except ye have charity, ye can in no wise be saved in the kingdom of God; neither can ye be saved in the kingdom of God, if ye have not faith; neither can ye if ye have no hope;
"And if ye have no hope, ye must needs be in despair; and despair cometh because of iniquity.
"And Christ truly said upon our fathers, if ye have faith, ye can do all things which is expedient unto me.
"And now I speak unto all the ends of the earth, that if the day cometh that the power and gifts of God shall be done away among you, it shall be because of unbelief.
"And wo be unto the children of men, if this be the case; for there shall be none that doeth good among you, no not one. For if there be one among you that doeth good, he shall work by the power and gifts of God.
"And wo unto them who shall do these things away and die, for they die in their sins, and they cannot be saved in the Kingdom of God; and I speak it according to the words of Christ, and I lie not.
"And I exhort you to remember these things; for the time speedily cometh that ye shall know that I lie not, for ye shall see me at the bar of God, and the Lord God will say unto you, Did I not declare mv words unto you, which were written by this man, like as one crying from the dead? yea, even as one speaking out of the dust?"
I have taken the liberty of reading this testimony of Moroni the Prophet. Joseph Smith the Prophet bore the same testimony, as recorded in the book of Doctrine and Covenants. Paul the Apostle bore the same testimony to the Corinthians and Ephesians in his day. I want to say, however, that while these gifts and blessings are the right and privilege of the Latter-day Saints, we should not depend upon them for our salvation in the kingdom of God. The gift of prophecy will not save any man. It is not a saving principle; it is a gift. It is to comfort our hearts. It is to give us the testimony of the mind and will of God concerning things which are to come. As Elder Grant has said, I may prophesy from now till the coming of the Son of Man, and if I fail to keep the commandments, I will not be saved in the kingdom of God. Neither do I believe that it is possible for a man to be saved in the kingdom of God without being born of the water and of the spirit. But this people can no more live spiritually without these gifts and blessings and inspirations from our Father than you can live a month without eating. You will die a spiritual death, and there will be nothing left of you in the kingdom of God but a dead form. As the Prophet has said, the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth light.
Now the time will come when we will not need any of these gifts, but we do need them today very badly. I tell you that among the Latter-day Saints there is a famine for the spiritual gifts of God. That is my testimony unto you. These gifts and blessings are enjoyed among this people, but we do not enjoy them to that fullness that we will when we come up to the standard of keeping the commandments that Elder Grant has referred to. We will have to do these things little by little. We will receive line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, until we can enjoy the fullness of the measure of the stature of Christ. I testify to you, in corroboration of what Elder Grant has said, that just in proportion to the performance of your duties in the Church and Kingdom of God, you will enjoy the gifts and blessings of the Holy Spirit, if you desire them. These gifts and blessings will not come unto the children of men as an ordinary every-day affair. Any man that receives a gift from God will have to get it by earnestly seeking after the Father. As Paul the Apostle says, "He that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Paul also, in speaking of these gifts, says that "when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away." Bless your soul, when Jesus Christ comes to reign in righteousness on the earth, we will not have to speak in other languages. Why? Because the original language will be given unto this people, and we will all speak in one tongue. We will not have to say to others, "Know ye the Lord; for all will know Him from the least unto the greatest." The gifts of God and the knowledge of Jesus Christ will be upon every man, woman and child. We will not need this gift of knowledge, so that we can testify that Jesus is the Christ, for He will be with us. The brightness and joy of His presence will be in our midst. We will not need the gift of the administration of angels, because the holy angels will be in our presence, and will be ministering servants unto the righteous that live either on this or some other world, as today they visit this earth from the throne of God the Eternal Father. You will not, my brethren and sisters, in that day, need the gift of the interpretation of tongues, because everybody will understand the same language. It will not be necessary to have the gift of healing, because we will not need to be healed, for we will be sound and perfect. Thus I might go on and enumerate each of the gifts. They will all be done away with when that which is perfect is come. For these blessings are only in part. They are given to us now,—what for? Jesus said to His disciples that when He was gone He would send them the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, to comfort their hearts. Brethren and sisters, in our weak and feeble condition, with the vicissitudes of life upon us, when we come together in our fast meetings, does it not comfort our hearts to see a man or a woman enjoying a gift of God and getting up and exercising it? It fills our souls with joy, it renews our spirits, and we go forth with greater courage, power and determination to carry out all these commandments that Brother Grant has referred to.
Now, my brethren and sisters, speaking about the various gifts of God, Joseph Smith the Prophet said that the greatest gift of God is the gift of salvation. Yes, and the way to be saved is to keep the commandments of God. I exhort you, my brethren and sisters, to seek for the best gifts, but not to put your dependence upon them. You may raise a man from the dead by the power of God, and that will not save the man you raise up and it will not save you. You may prophesy concerning all things till the winding up scene, and if you do not keep the commandments of God the words of Jesus will be reiterated unto you "not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." For the Savior declared:
"Many will say to me in that day, Lord Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
"And then will I confess unto them, I never knew you: Depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
I make this quotation in order that you may see the force and application of Elder Grant's remarks, for I desire to bear testimony to them. At the same time, my brethren and sisters, I desire that every son and daughter of God who is under the sound of my voice, should understand that the difference between the Latter-day Saints and the rest of the children of men is that God the Eternal Father does not bestow upon them the power of His Holy Spirit and a knowledge of Jesus Christ as He has upon this people. We are the only people living on the race of this earth, out of fourteen hundred millions of people, upon whom the gift of knowledge has been poured out, to know that God lives, that Jesus Christ is His Son, and that we have inspired men in our midst.
In the conclusion of my remarks, I desire to say unto the young men and young women, and to the strangers that may be in our midst, that all men, as Brother Grant has said, may know that God lives, if they will keep His commandments. This is a great and glorious privilege. Peter the Apostle says:
"Add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
“And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
“And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity;
"For if those things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
I promise you that if you will keep the commandments of God, repent of your sins, go into the waters of baptism and make covenant with the Father that you will obey him, you shall be born of water and of the spirit, and that spirit of revelation, so beautifully referred to here by our Prophet, Seer and Revelator yesterday, will come upon you, and you will know that God lives, that you are the creation of his hands, and that you shall have eternal life, if you will continue to keep his commandments.
I feel to bless you all in the name of Jesus Christ, with every blessing that is for your good, and I pray that our hearts may be inclined to keep his commandments, that we may be saved and exalted in his kingdom. My brethren and sisters, there is nothing that is temporal in the sight of God. It is all spiritual in his sight. May God bless you, may we acknowledge his hand in all things, that we may be crowned heirs of glory, immortality and eternal life. My testimony unto you is that Joseph Smith was an inspired Prophet of the living God. I testify unto you that we have a prophet in our midst today, who receives the revelations of Jesus Christ for this people. I testify unto you that God the Eternal Father never will have a people upon the earth, excepting he has a Prophet, Seer and Revelator to reveal his mind and will unto them. For the Savior has said, "Thou shalt not live by bread, alone, but by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God." My testimony is that God lives, that he has prophets here upon the earth, that he has bestowed the gifts and blessings upon this people, and all men are called upon to keep His commandments, or they cannot be saved and exalted in His kingdom. I rejoice to be in your presence. I rejoice in every blessing that I enjoy. I feel to acknowledge the hand of the Lord in the prosperity of this people. He has turned aside the shafts of the enemy, and every weapon that is formed against Zion does not prosper. Zion is going to rise and shine, and it will become the glory of the whole earth. The Gentiles will come from the ends of the earth, and kings to the brightness of her rising, and they will say, as the Prophet Jeremiah declared: "Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit." May we live to be faithful and be in readiness for the coming: of Jesus Christ, which is near our doors. For behold, he will come in the clouds of "heaven, with ten thousand of His Saints, and to those who are righteous will he arise as with healing in His wings; but "all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch." My testimony is that when you take all the proud and all they that do wickedly from among the children of men, there will not be many left. God bless you. Amen.
The gifts of God of great worth—Salvation cornea through obedience—How a testimony of the truth can be obtained.
My brethren and sisters, I pray that the spirit of our Father who is in heaven may rest upon me while I address you this morning. I have listened with much interest to the remarks that have been made by the various speakers during this conference, and I feel that I can heartily bear testimony to all that has been said. No doubt the remarks of Elder Grant will be appreciated by the Latter-day Saints, and they have had the effect to draw my mind to another phase of the Church and Kingdom of God.
I observe among the Latter-day Saints a very great improvement during the last twelve months in the payment of their tithing, in their attendance at meetings, and in the performance of other duties. I have been a little in the world, and I find a great many good people among them. I notice that people pay their donations according to the covenants that they have made in their denomination, and they build vast churches, costing millions of dollars. I find organizations and charitable institutions that support thousands of people, and I find communities where they pour out their wealth in millions for the benefit of unfortunate and suffering humanity. I find thousands and millions of people who are thoroughly devoted to the faith they have espoused. I speak of this in order that I may draw to the attention of the young and rising generation a feature connected with this work that is spiritual. I want the young and all who are before me to understand that the remarks of Elder Grant have not been intended to detract from the spiritual rights and privileges which the Latter-day Saints should enjoy. I am going to take the liberty to read to you a little from the holy Scriptures. I will read you the testimony of Moroni the Prophet. But before doing so, I want to tell you this: There is only one difference - between the Latter-day Saints and the denominations of the world, as far as I have been able to observe, and that difference lies in the fact that this people believe in continual revelation from God the Eternal Father, in the gifts and blessings of the Holy Spirit, and in various other blessings which the Lord has promised to the faithful in this generation. And let me tell you, whenever the absence of these gifts and blessings and the administration of holy angels occurs among this people this is not the people of God. I speak this in order that the young may understand it. The children of men had not heard or seen God the Eternal Father or his Son Jesus Christ for eighteen hundred years, and this congregation before me today would never have come here had not God the Eternal Father and the holy angels visited the Prophet Joseph Smith. I want to bear testimony to one thing: Where one man who has had the privilege of the gift of the administration of angels, where one man who has enjoyed the gift of prophecy, or the gift of healing, or the gift of miracles, or any of these divine gifts, which God promised the believer in the last days—where one such man has left this Church, there have been fifty leave it who have not had these gifts. That is my testimony unto you, my brethren and sisters. When one of the sons or daughters of God is born of the water and spirit, he or she is chosen of God the Eternal Father, and while Satan, as Elder Grant has said, will make a ten-fold exertion to overcome such, nevertheless God has given them a testimony and it is burning in their hearts; and you will find, if you reckon as between those who have received a gift of God and those who have not, that there will be fifty of the latter class to one of the former who will wander away from that straight and narrow path which Jesus Christ commanded the children of men to walk in. There are different phases to every question, and I feel strongly impressed to read the testimony of the Prophet Moroni:
“Behold I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam, even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
"And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that you would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, He will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost;
"And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.
"And whatsoever thing is good, is just and true, wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledged that He is.
"And ye may know that He is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you, that ye deny not the power of God; for He worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever.
"And again I exhort you, my brethren, that ye deny not the gifts of God, for they are many; and they come from the same God. And there are different ways that these gifts are administered; but it is the same God that worketh all in all; and they are given by the manifestations of the Spirit of God unto men, to profit them.
"For behold, to one is given by the Spirit of God, that he may teach the word of wisdom."
What a great and glorious gift the gift of wisdom is. How nicely these subjects have been arranged, the Lord placing the gift of wisdom above all the other gifts.
"And to another, that he may teach the word of knowledge by the same spirit."
That knowledge which has been referred to by Elder Grant, that we may know that God lives, not by the testimony of men, but by the power of the Holy Ghost, revealed unto us from God the Eternal Father, as referred to also by President Snow yesterday.
"And to another, exceeding great faith; and to another, the gift of healing by the same Spirit.
"And again, to another, that he may work mighty miracles;
"And again, to another, that he may prophesy concerning all things;
"And again, to another, the beholding of angels and ministering spirits;
"And again, to another, all kinds of tongues;
"And again, to another, the interpretation of languages and of divers kinds of tongues.
"And all these gifts come by the Spirit of Christ; and they come unto every man severally, according as he will.
"And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that every good gift cometh of Christ.
"And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that He is the same yesterday, today and forever, and that all these gifts of which I have spoken, which are spiritual, never will be done away, even as long as the world shall stand, only according to the unbelief of the children of men.
"Wherefore, there must be faith; and if there must be faith, there must also be hope; and if there must be hope, there must also be charity;
"And except ye have charity, ye can in no wise be saved in the kingdom of God; neither can ye be saved in the kingdom of God, if ye have not faith; neither can ye if ye have no hope;
"And if ye have no hope, ye must needs be in despair; and despair cometh because of iniquity.
"And Christ truly said upon our fathers, if ye have faith, ye can do all things which is expedient unto me.
"And now I speak unto all the ends of the earth, that if the day cometh that the power and gifts of God shall be done away among you, it shall be because of unbelief.
"And wo be unto the children of men, if this be the case; for there shall be none that doeth good among you, no not one. For if there be one among you that doeth good, he shall work by the power and gifts of God.
"And wo unto them who shall do these things away and die, for they die in their sins, and they cannot be saved in the Kingdom of God; and I speak it according to the words of Christ, and I lie not.
"And I exhort you to remember these things; for the time speedily cometh that ye shall know that I lie not, for ye shall see me at the bar of God, and the Lord God will say unto you, Did I not declare mv words unto you, which were written by this man, like as one crying from the dead? yea, even as one speaking out of the dust?"
I have taken the liberty of reading this testimony of Moroni the Prophet. Joseph Smith the Prophet bore the same testimony, as recorded in the book of Doctrine and Covenants. Paul the Apostle bore the same testimony to the Corinthians and Ephesians in his day. I want to say, however, that while these gifts and blessings are the right and privilege of the Latter-day Saints, we should not depend upon them for our salvation in the kingdom of God. The gift of prophecy will not save any man. It is not a saving principle; it is a gift. It is to comfort our hearts. It is to give us the testimony of the mind and will of God concerning things which are to come. As Elder Grant has said, I may prophesy from now till the coming of the Son of Man, and if I fail to keep the commandments, I will not be saved in the kingdom of God. Neither do I believe that it is possible for a man to be saved in the kingdom of God without being born of the water and of the spirit. But this people can no more live spiritually without these gifts and blessings and inspirations from our Father than you can live a month without eating. You will die a spiritual death, and there will be nothing left of you in the kingdom of God but a dead form. As the Prophet has said, the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth light.
Now the time will come when we will not need any of these gifts, but we do need them today very badly. I tell you that among the Latter-day Saints there is a famine for the spiritual gifts of God. That is my testimony unto you. These gifts and blessings are enjoyed among this people, but we do not enjoy them to that fullness that we will when we come up to the standard of keeping the commandments that Elder Grant has referred to. We will have to do these things little by little. We will receive line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, until we can enjoy the fullness of the measure of the stature of Christ. I testify to you, in corroboration of what Elder Grant has said, that just in proportion to the performance of your duties in the Church and Kingdom of God, you will enjoy the gifts and blessings of the Holy Spirit, if you desire them. These gifts and blessings will not come unto the children of men as an ordinary every-day affair. Any man that receives a gift from God will have to get it by earnestly seeking after the Father. As Paul the Apostle says, "He that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Paul also, in speaking of these gifts, says that "when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away." Bless your soul, when Jesus Christ comes to reign in righteousness on the earth, we will not have to speak in other languages. Why? Because the original language will be given unto this people, and we will all speak in one tongue. We will not have to say to others, "Know ye the Lord; for all will know Him from the least unto the greatest." The gifts of God and the knowledge of Jesus Christ will be upon every man, woman and child. We will not need this gift of knowledge, so that we can testify that Jesus is the Christ, for He will be with us. The brightness and joy of His presence will be in our midst. We will not need the gift of the administration of angels, because the holy angels will be in our presence, and will be ministering servants unto the righteous that live either on this or some other world, as today they visit this earth from the throne of God the Eternal Father. You will not, my brethren and sisters, in that day, need the gift of the interpretation of tongues, because everybody will understand the same language. It will not be necessary to have the gift of healing, because we will not need to be healed, for we will be sound and perfect. Thus I might go on and enumerate each of the gifts. They will all be done away with when that which is perfect is come. For these blessings are only in part. They are given to us now,—what for? Jesus said to His disciples that when He was gone He would send them the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, to comfort their hearts. Brethren and sisters, in our weak and feeble condition, with the vicissitudes of life upon us, when we come together in our fast meetings, does it not comfort our hearts to see a man or a woman enjoying a gift of God and getting up and exercising it? It fills our souls with joy, it renews our spirits, and we go forth with greater courage, power and determination to carry out all these commandments that Brother Grant has referred to.
Now, my brethren and sisters, speaking about the various gifts of God, Joseph Smith the Prophet said that the greatest gift of God is the gift of salvation. Yes, and the way to be saved is to keep the commandments of God. I exhort you, my brethren and sisters, to seek for the best gifts, but not to put your dependence upon them. You may raise a man from the dead by the power of God, and that will not save the man you raise up and it will not save you. You may prophesy concerning all things till the winding up scene, and if you do not keep the commandments of God the words of Jesus will be reiterated unto you "not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." For the Savior declared:
"Many will say to me in that day, Lord Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
"And then will I confess unto them, I never knew you: Depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
I make this quotation in order that you may see the force and application of Elder Grant's remarks, for I desire to bear testimony to them. At the same time, my brethren and sisters, I desire that every son and daughter of God who is under the sound of my voice, should understand that the difference between the Latter-day Saints and the rest of the children of men is that God the Eternal Father does not bestow upon them the power of His Holy Spirit and a knowledge of Jesus Christ as He has upon this people. We are the only people living on the race of this earth, out of fourteen hundred millions of people, upon whom the gift of knowledge has been poured out, to know that God lives, that Jesus Christ is His Son, and that we have inspired men in our midst.
In the conclusion of my remarks, I desire to say unto the young men and young women, and to the strangers that may be in our midst, that all men, as Brother Grant has said, may know that God lives, if they will keep His commandments. This is a great and glorious privilege. Peter the Apostle says:
"Add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
“And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
“And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity;
"For if those things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
I promise you that if you will keep the commandments of God, repent of your sins, go into the waters of baptism and make covenant with the Father that you will obey him, you shall be born of water and of the spirit, and that spirit of revelation, so beautifully referred to here by our Prophet, Seer and Revelator yesterday, will come upon you, and you will know that God lives, that you are the creation of his hands, and that you shall have eternal life, if you will continue to keep his commandments.
I feel to bless you all in the name of Jesus Christ, with every blessing that is for your good, and I pray that our hearts may be inclined to keep his commandments, that we may be saved and exalted in his kingdom. My brethren and sisters, there is nothing that is temporal in the sight of God. It is all spiritual in his sight. May God bless you, may we acknowledge his hand in all things, that we may be crowned heirs of glory, immortality and eternal life. My testimony unto you is that Joseph Smith was an inspired Prophet of the living God. I testify unto you that we have a prophet in our midst today, who receives the revelations of Jesus Christ for this people. I testify unto you that God the Eternal Father never will have a people upon the earth, excepting he has a Prophet, Seer and Revelator to reveal his mind and will unto them. For the Savior has said, "Thou shalt not live by bread, alone, but by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God." My testimony is that God lives, that he has prophets here upon the earth, that he has bestowed the gifts and blessings upon this people, and all men are called upon to keep His commandments, or they cannot be saved and exalted in His kingdom. I rejoice to be in your presence. I rejoice in every blessing that I enjoy. I feel to acknowledge the hand of the Lord in the prosperity of this people. He has turned aside the shafts of the enemy, and every weapon that is formed against Zion does not prosper. Zion is going to rise and shine, and it will become the glory of the whole earth. The Gentiles will come from the ends of the earth, and kings to the brightness of her rising, and they will say, as the Prophet Jeremiah declared: "Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit." May we live to be faithful and be in readiness for the coming: of Jesus Christ, which is near our doors. For behold, he will come in the clouds of "heaven, with ten thousand of His Saints, and to those who are righteous will he arise as with healing in His wings; but "all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch." My testimony is that when you take all the proud and all they that do wickedly from among the children of men, there will not be many left. God bless you. Amen.
ELDER MARRINER W. MERRILL.
The preservation of families in the faith—The Counsels of the Priesthood should be regarded —Secret Societies should be avoided—Unprofitable amusements should not be indulged in — Further improvement in Tithe-paying needed.
I think, my brethren and sisters, that I realize in part the responsibility of standing before you to say a few words. I have nothing particularly on my mind at this time, but depend for what I may say upon the Lord and your faith and attention.
I can testify that this work is true. I know it is from the Lord. I can testify that the hand of the Lord has been over His people from the organization of the Church, seventy years ago, and when I reflect upon my own condition, I feel very grateful in my heart that I have been made to see the truth of this work and I have been able thus far to retain a membership in the Church and fellowship with my brethren and sisters. I feel that this is a great blessing. Where people can retain their fellowship in the Church and not be cut off it certainly is a great blessing.
I appreciate the opportunity of meeting with you and testifying that this is the work of the Lord; and thousands of you people know it just as well as I do. But this knowledge of the truth will not save us, unless we abide in it. If we let the cares of the world envelop our minds to such an extent that we lose interest in the work of the Lord, we are in a pitiful condition. But if we place first and foremost our obligations to the Church then we have a good chance to remain in the Church and to retain our fellowship with each other. And when we have fellowship with each other, we have fellowship with the Spirit of the Lord, which will direct us in all our ways, and we will be preserved in the truth with our families. Some of our families perhaps are wayward. They do not do as we would like them to do. Is not this the case in many families? There are sons and daughters whose course does not give satisfaction to their fathers and mothers. What shall we do about it? Do the very best we can. but see to it that we have not been the cause of their lack of integrity
in the work of the Lord. I believe through our faithfulness and our entreaties with the Lord we may be the means not only of saving ourselves, but those the Lord has entrusted to us as sons and daughters. The Lord is merciful and He will hear our prayers and grant our desires through our integrity for him and his work. And peradventure, through our faithfulness, our children who are wayward and who perhaps have strayed away will come back to the fold by and by, because the Lord will hear us in their behalf.
Perhaps there are many things among the Latter-day Saints that ought not to exist. The indifference to the counsels of God that was treated upon yesterday by President Cannon is a matter that is known to the whole people. We know that such conditions should not exist among the Latter-day Saints. There should be no necessity whatever for these things to be referred to by any Elders of the Church, because as Latter-day Saints we should live far above them. We should honor the Lord and His Priesthood and His work. We should set this example to our families, to our neighbors and to all with whom we associate. The lack of reverence to the Priesthood we may look upon as a trifling matter, but it is not. It is not the man particularly, it is the authority that God has bestowed upon the man. I am safe in saying, I believe, that there is no man who holds the authority of the Priesthood who has sought this position himself. He has not canvassed for the support of the people, but he has been placed in his position because the Lord wanted him there. Therefore men and women who trifle with these things and ignore the counsel of God, are treading upon dangerous ground and they will be brought into shame and disgrace before the people in the due time of the Lord, unless they repent. We cannot afford to do these things. Our duty is to sustain each other, sustain this work, to be in harmony with it, in all of its details, and to be in harmony with God's chosen servants in all the affairs of life. God will be with the men and women who will pursue this course, His Spirit and power will be with them, to sustain them through trying times.
I know as well as I see you that Satan is abroad and his ministers are in the land by the thousands. They are perhaps in this tabernacle. At any rate, they are in our midst, and they are prompting individuals unknown to them, in the morning, at mid-day and in the evening, and trying to divert their minds from the truth and from the work of the Lord. They are trying to stir up division and discord among the Saints, and they succeed in a measure. We feel sometimes that it is doing no particular wrong if we associate ourselves with secret societies. But it is drawing us away from the work of the Lord and from the Priesthood. People who join these organizations will argue that it is important for them; it is a sort of insurance for their families; and they are not bad things because there is nothing bad done there. Of course I do not know anything about that personally. I speak simply upon principle, and from that standpoint I know they are not productive of good to any Latter-day Saint. These secret organizations are what broke up the Nephite nation, and there is one society after another being organized in the midst of the Latter-day Saints. And whose work is it? Do the leaders of the Church advise it? Do they countenance it? I do not know that they do. I know that I do not personally endorse any of these things, because I do not think they are productive of good. On the contrary, they will result in those who hold the Priesthood losing the spirit of that Priesthood and going into darkness. The Lord has given us the most complete organization there is in the world. You cannot find anything like it anywhere. It is a safe-guard and an insurance to the people. Who among all' the Latter-day Saints is allowed to suffer. If the husband should be taken away, if any of the family should be taken away, are those remaining not provided for? Why, tens of thousands of dollars of your tithes and offerings go to provide for the needy. Hence in the Church of God there is no necessity for any of its members being associated with secret societies. There are people, of course, who do not belong to the Church living in our midst; they may associate with any society they please. But for Elders of Israel, some of whom have traversed the earth in preaching the Gospel, to lay down their Priesthood and join secret societies, it is different. Are there any cases of this kind in the midst of the people? I hope not, but I fear that there are such cases. Hence I warn my brethren and sisters, especially the young, that these organizations are not for the Latter-day Saints. They belong to the world and I warn you against them. I would warn you mothers to teach your sons to live the Gospel and its principles and to identify themselves with the organizations of the Church. We have organizations that take in all the people, from the child to those who are a hundred years old, and in them we have all that we can possibly attend to. Some of the brethren spoke yesterday about people being away so much from their families. Well, I do not know, but if all our organizations were attended to properly, it would take the fathers away a great deal. However, as Solomon said, there is a time for all things. There is time to instruct our children and to associate with our families, if we would divide our labors properly, and not waste any of our time in associating ourselves with organizations wherein there is no profit.
There are a great many amusements introduced among the Latter-day Saints wherein there is no profit. People get together and indulge in card playing. I do not know personally that there is any particular wrong in playing cards, but it is the example and the fascination about it which leads to gambling, and this has ruined many men and families. It leads to drink and to many other evils. Hence, when I see published in the paper what a nice time so-and-so had at high five, or some other game, I wonder if there was any profit in the game to those people who assembled. I believe in social gatherings, such as family gatherings, and gatherings of the Saints, where they meet together and talk good things and rejoice together in the truth. I believe such gatherings are profitable; but when the table is set with intoxicants, I do not think they result in good. We should not encourage our families to engage in these things, because they lead to evil and away from the Lord and the influence of His Spirit. There are plenty of good and profitable things to engage in; and these things that are not profitable, let us not participate in them. When we are invited here and there to sociables and gatherings, we ought to consider, is there going to be any profit in this for me. Oh, yes; it's going to be a grand thing; we are going to have a nice program. Well, I have thought sometimes that we are getting so much program that everything will be run by program by and by, if the Presidency of the Church will only sanction it. I heard not long ago of Relief Society meetings having programs. I asked them what they had a program for. "Oh, we have a program so as to make it interesting:." "You leave the Lord out, then; you have everything cut and dried, learned by heart, and you do not depend upon the Spirit of the Lord." I do not believe in too many programs. In some cases we might have programs, which would be very nice and profitable. But to carry this to the extreme, like we have our politics, I think will work an injury. I heard of a ward once where they were going to introduce programs into their ward meetings. I do not believe in that. I think we can have a ward meeting without a program, and we will depend upon the Spirit of the Lord to direct what shall be said and done.
My brethren and sisters, there are many things that we can improve in. We can improve in our tithes and our offerings. Who is there in all Israel that cannot improve a little in this direction? Peradventure there may be a few that observe the law of the Lord strictly; but I tell you the large majority of the Latter-day Saints do not, although there has been great improvement made among the people. Further improvement is in order, and it will be well for us to do a little better this year than we did last year. If we cannot do any more ourselves, we might convert others to pay their tithing, if we will take pains to reason with them, that they might not be burned in the day of the Lord Almighty. It is said that they that are tithed shall not be burned, inferring that they that are not tithed may be burned. This is a law of the Lord. It was not instituted by man. President Snow did not inaugurate this principle. The Lord revealed it to the Prophet Joseph and it is expected that all Latter-day Saints will observe this law of the Lord. I want to bear testimony that you who observe this law strictly will be blessed of the Lord. He will multiply you and your means shall be increased unto you, because you have obeyed the law of the Lord and you are entitled to have the windows of heaven opened unto you and blessings poured out upon you. But do not become faint-hearted or discouraged because you do not receive everything today that you expect; but trust in the Lord, and so sure as you continue to trust in the Lord the way will be opened up from time to time and means will be multiplied upon you. Above all things, my brethren and sisters, let us resolve in our hearts that from this time forward we will observe the law of the Lord, we will be consistent in our lives as Latter-day Saints, and we will try to educate ourselves to love one another, to love the work of God, to love His Priesthood, to reverence and obey them, and to walk in the light that God may sustain us and give us the victory, which He will do, if we will only do these things.
How many of you Latter-day Saints neglect your prayers? How many fail to call your families together in the morning and in the evening, or have you so much to do that you cannot attend to it? Do you have to go to some secret organization, and you have not time for family prayers? I want to advise you personally to drop all these organizations wherein there is no profit; associate yourselves with things wherein there is profit, wherein you may have more influence with your households, in persuading them to obey the laws of the Lord. There are a great many things for Latter-day Saints to do, and we know what is best to be done if we will only sit down and think about it. Let us consider our condition before the Lord and place ourselves in the position of the Prophet who said, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Why cannot we adopt that sentiment? If we will do so, and observe these things, we will be glad of it by and by. When we get through with this short career of ours, and we look back upon our lives, if we have kept the commandments of God, what joy and satisfaction it will be to us. We shall go in peace and associate with the just behind the veil.
Brethren and sisters, attend to the duties that pertain to your calling in the ministry, and let everything else take care of itself. God bless you, and lead us all in the paths of life, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
The choir sang: Let the mountains shout for joy, and the congregation joined in singing the Doxology.
Benediction by Patriarch John Smith.
The preservation of families in the faith—The Counsels of the Priesthood should be regarded —Secret Societies should be avoided—Unprofitable amusements should not be indulged in — Further improvement in Tithe-paying needed.
I think, my brethren and sisters, that I realize in part the responsibility of standing before you to say a few words. I have nothing particularly on my mind at this time, but depend for what I may say upon the Lord and your faith and attention.
I can testify that this work is true. I know it is from the Lord. I can testify that the hand of the Lord has been over His people from the organization of the Church, seventy years ago, and when I reflect upon my own condition, I feel very grateful in my heart that I have been made to see the truth of this work and I have been able thus far to retain a membership in the Church and fellowship with my brethren and sisters. I feel that this is a great blessing. Where people can retain their fellowship in the Church and not be cut off it certainly is a great blessing.
I appreciate the opportunity of meeting with you and testifying that this is the work of the Lord; and thousands of you people know it just as well as I do. But this knowledge of the truth will not save us, unless we abide in it. If we let the cares of the world envelop our minds to such an extent that we lose interest in the work of the Lord, we are in a pitiful condition. But if we place first and foremost our obligations to the Church then we have a good chance to remain in the Church and to retain our fellowship with each other. And when we have fellowship with each other, we have fellowship with the Spirit of the Lord, which will direct us in all our ways, and we will be preserved in the truth with our families. Some of our families perhaps are wayward. They do not do as we would like them to do. Is not this the case in many families? There are sons and daughters whose course does not give satisfaction to their fathers and mothers. What shall we do about it? Do the very best we can. but see to it that we have not been the cause of their lack of integrity
in the work of the Lord. I believe through our faithfulness and our entreaties with the Lord we may be the means not only of saving ourselves, but those the Lord has entrusted to us as sons and daughters. The Lord is merciful and He will hear our prayers and grant our desires through our integrity for him and his work. And peradventure, through our faithfulness, our children who are wayward and who perhaps have strayed away will come back to the fold by and by, because the Lord will hear us in their behalf.
Perhaps there are many things among the Latter-day Saints that ought not to exist. The indifference to the counsels of God that was treated upon yesterday by President Cannon is a matter that is known to the whole people. We know that such conditions should not exist among the Latter-day Saints. There should be no necessity whatever for these things to be referred to by any Elders of the Church, because as Latter-day Saints we should live far above them. We should honor the Lord and His Priesthood and His work. We should set this example to our families, to our neighbors and to all with whom we associate. The lack of reverence to the Priesthood we may look upon as a trifling matter, but it is not. It is not the man particularly, it is the authority that God has bestowed upon the man. I am safe in saying, I believe, that there is no man who holds the authority of the Priesthood who has sought this position himself. He has not canvassed for the support of the people, but he has been placed in his position because the Lord wanted him there. Therefore men and women who trifle with these things and ignore the counsel of God, are treading upon dangerous ground and they will be brought into shame and disgrace before the people in the due time of the Lord, unless they repent. We cannot afford to do these things. Our duty is to sustain each other, sustain this work, to be in harmony with it, in all of its details, and to be in harmony with God's chosen servants in all the affairs of life. God will be with the men and women who will pursue this course, His Spirit and power will be with them, to sustain them through trying times.
I know as well as I see you that Satan is abroad and his ministers are in the land by the thousands. They are perhaps in this tabernacle. At any rate, they are in our midst, and they are prompting individuals unknown to them, in the morning, at mid-day and in the evening, and trying to divert their minds from the truth and from the work of the Lord. They are trying to stir up division and discord among the Saints, and they succeed in a measure. We feel sometimes that it is doing no particular wrong if we associate ourselves with secret societies. But it is drawing us away from the work of the Lord and from the Priesthood. People who join these organizations will argue that it is important for them; it is a sort of insurance for their families; and they are not bad things because there is nothing bad done there. Of course I do not know anything about that personally. I speak simply upon principle, and from that standpoint I know they are not productive of good to any Latter-day Saint. These secret organizations are what broke up the Nephite nation, and there is one society after another being organized in the midst of the Latter-day Saints. And whose work is it? Do the leaders of the Church advise it? Do they countenance it? I do not know that they do. I know that I do not personally endorse any of these things, because I do not think they are productive of good. On the contrary, they will result in those who hold the Priesthood losing the spirit of that Priesthood and going into darkness. The Lord has given us the most complete organization there is in the world. You cannot find anything like it anywhere. It is a safe-guard and an insurance to the people. Who among all' the Latter-day Saints is allowed to suffer. If the husband should be taken away, if any of the family should be taken away, are those remaining not provided for? Why, tens of thousands of dollars of your tithes and offerings go to provide for the needy. Hence in the Church of God there is no necessity for any of its members being associated with secret societies. There are people, of course, who do not belong to the Church living in our midst; they may associate with any society they please. But for Elders of Israel, some of whom have traversed the earth in preaching the Gospel, to lay down their Priesthood and join secret societies, it is different. Are there any cases of this kind in the midst of the people? I hope not, but I fear that there are such cases. Hence I warn my brethren and sisters, especially the young, that these organizations are not for the Latter-day Saints. They belong to the world and I warn you against them. I would warn you mothers to teach your sons to live the Gospel and its principles and to identify themselves with the organizations of the Church. We have organizations that take in all the people, from the child to those who are a hundred years old, and in them we have all that we can possibly attend to. Some of the brethren spoke yesterday about people being away so much from their families. Well, I do not know, but if all our organizations were attended to properly, it would take the fathers away a great deal. However, as Solomon said, there is a time for all things. There is time to instruct our children and to associate with our families, if we would divide our labors properly, and not waste any of our time in associating ourselves with organizations wherein there is no profit.
There are a great many amusements introduced among the Latter-day Saints wherein there is no profit. People get together and indulge in card playing. I do not know personally that there is any particular wrong in playing cards, but it is the example and the fascination about it which leads to gambling, and this has ruined many men and families. It leads to drink and to many other evils. Hence, when I see published in the paper what a nice time so-and-so had at high five, or some other game, I wonder if there was any profit in the game to those people who assembled. I believe in social gatherings, such as family gatherings, and gatherings of the Saints, where they meet together and talk good things and rejoice together in the truth. I believe such gatherings are profitable; but when the table is set with intoxicants, I do not think they result in good. We should not encourage our families to engage in these things, because they lead to evil and away from the Lord and the influence of His Spirit. There are plenty of good and profitable things to engage in; and these things that are not profitable, let us not participate in them. When we are invited here and there to sociables and gatherings, we ought to consider, is there going to be any profit in this for me. Oh, yes; it's going to be a grand thing; we are going to have a nice program. Well, I have thought sometimes that we are getting so much program that everything will be run by program by and by, if the Presidency of the Church will only sanction it. I heard not long ago of Relief Society meetings having programs. I asked them what they had a program for. "Oh, we have a program so as to make it interesting:." "You leave the Lord out, then; you have everything cut and dried, learned by heart, and you do not depend upon the Spirit of the Lord." I do not believe in too many programs. In some cases we might have programs, which would be very nice and profitable. But to carry this to the extreme, like we have our politics, I think will work an injury. I heard of a ward once where they were going to introduce programs into their ward meetings. I do not believe in that. I think we can have a ward meeting without a program, and we will depend upon the Spirit of the Lord to direct what shall be said and done.
My brethren and sisters, there are many things that we can improve in. We can improve in our tithes and our offerings. Who is there in all Israel that cannot improve a little in this direction? Peradventure there may be a few that observe the law of the Lord strictly; but I tell you the large majority of the Latter-day Saints do not, although there has been great improvement made among the people. Further improvement is in order, and it will be well for us to do a little better this year than we did last year. If we cannot do any more ourselves, we might convert others to pay their tithing, if we will take pains to reason with them, that they might not be burned in the day of the Lord Almighty. It is said that they that are tithed shall not be burned, inferring that they that are not tithed may be burned. This is a law of the Lord. It was not instituted by man. President Snow did not inaugurate this principle. The Lord revealed it to the Prophet Joseph and it is expected that all Latter-day Saints will observe this law of the Lord. I want to bear testimony that you who observe this law strictly will be blessed of the Lord. He will multiply you and your means shall be increased unto you, because you have obeyed the law of the Lord and you are entitled to have the windows of heaven opened unto you and blessings poured out upon you. But do not become faint-hearted or discouraged because you do not receive everything today that you expect; but trust in the Lord, and so sure as you continue to trust in the Lord the way will be opened up from time to time and means will be multiplied upon you. Above all things, my brethren and sisters, let us resolve in our hearts that from this time forward we will observe the law of the Lord, we will be consistent in our lives as Latter-day Saints, and we will try to educate ourselves to love one another, to love the work of God, to love His Priesthood, to reverence and obey them, and to walk in the light that God may sustain us and give us the victory, which He will do, if we will only do these things.
How many of you Latter-day Saints neglect your prayers? How many fail to call your families together in the morning and in the evening, or have you so much to do that you cannot attend to it? Do you have to go to some secret organization, and you have not time for family prayers? I want to advise you personally to drop all these organizations wherein there is no profit; associate yourselves with things wherein there is profit, wherein you may have more influence with your households, in persuading them to obey the laws of the Lord. There are a great many things for Latter-day Saints to do, and we know what is best to be done if we will only sit down and think about it. Let us consider our condition before the Lord and place ourselves in the position of the Prophet who said, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Why cannot we adopt that sentiment? If we will do so, and observe these things, we will be glad of it by and by. When we get through with this short career of ours, and we look back upon our lives, if we have kept the commandments of God, what joy and satisfaction it will be to us. We shall go in peace and associate with the just behind the veil.
Brethren and sisters, attend to the duties that pertain to your calling in the ministry, and let everything else take care of itself. God bless you, and lead us all in the paths of life, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
The choir sang: Let the mountains shout for joy, and the congregation joined in singing the Doxology.
Benediction by Patriarch John Smith.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The choir and congregation sang the hymn: Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah!
Prayer by Elder B. H. Roberts.
The choir sang the hymn: Great God attend while Zion sings.
The choir and congregation sang the hymn: Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah!
Prayer by Elder B. H. Roberts.
The choir sang the hymn: Great God attend while Zion sings.
ELDER ANTHON H. LUND.
Spiritual gifts must exist in the Church of Christ — Their absence an indication of unbelief.
I hope, while I shall address you, that the same good spirit may guide me as has assisted my brethren who have already spoken in the different meetings of this conference. I have enjoyed their remarks very much, and I believe all who have been present have felt to rejoice in the good teachings that have been given us.
This morning, when Brother John W. Taylor read the testimony of the Prophet Moroni to us, I was much struck with some of the words he read. We were told there that the spiritual gifts should always be found in the Church, and that if there ever came a time when these gifts were not in the Church it would be on account of unbelief; and a woe was pronounced upon the inhabitants of the earth if such should be the case. I thought how clear the Prophet Moroni made this; that the Church whenever it is upon the earth must have the Holy Spirit within it; the members of the Church must have this Spirit, and the spiritual gifts must be manifested; otherwise it would be a dead church. These words are recorded in the Book of Mormon—this wonderful book that has been brought forth by the power of God in our age. This book was printed before there was a church organized, and yet we find these remarkable words in it, which at once furnish the world with a test whereby they can judge if this is the Church of Christ or not. It says that in the Church there must be found these gifts. Now, if Joseph Smith had not been an inspired man; if the Book of Mormon was not the word of God, but written by man, how careful such a man would have been not to furnish the world- with a test like this whereby they could at once detect whether it was the Church of Christ or not. A man who should fraudulently give himself out to be an inspired man, would be careful that such words should not be given to the world. But these were not the words of Joseph; they were the words of a prophet that lived some fourteen hundred years before, and one who understood the Church of Christ.
When we look back upon the history of the Church we find that the spiritual gifts were very abundant in the original Church, and that whenever the Saints met they were much blessed with the power of the spirit. They were so eager to attend their meetings and to speak, prophesy, and talk in tongues, that the Apostle Paul had to regulate their meetings and give them counsel in regard to the manner of conducting them, that order might prevail. The Saints were abundantly blessed with these manifestations of the spirit. But when the apostasy took place, the spirit of the Lord departed, its manifestations were fewer, and at last they were not known in the Church. Then it was very convenient to teach the people that revelations were no longer needed, that prophets were not needed; that these spiritual gifts were given only in the beginning of the Church, to convert men; but that they were not to continue with the members of the Church, and therefore they were done away. When Jesus appeared to the Nephites, upon this continent, He taught them the pure Gospel and organized His church. He left this power of the Priesthood with His servants here, the same as He had with His servants upon the Eastern continent, and the spiritual blessings were enjoyed as long as the Church was in existence upon this continent. Moroni understood this so well that he said these gifts must always be found in the Church, and if not it would be a sign of unbelief.
After the Book of Mormon was published, the Church was organized, and then men could read the book and test the words, and judge whether or not the Church that was afterwards organized corresponded with what the Prophet had said the Church should be.
It was but a few days after the Church was organized before the spirit uttered itself in power, and spiritual manifestations were given and miracles performed, showing that the Church which had been recently organized was not an imitation, but that it was the Church itself, containing the same power and spiritual blessings. In fact, this wonderful book itself was translated by the power of God. Joseph Smith was an unlearned man; he had not studied at colleges; he was not much of a writer at that time, but had to employ others to write for him, and those who wrote for him wrote as he dictated. Now, you who have tried to dictate to a person know how hard it is to dictate, and to continue to do this, without altering or without having the last sentence repeated; but Joseph dictated to these men, and was not under the necessity of asking them where they had left off, because he translated by the power of God. The Urim and Thummim was in his possession, and with this instrument he was able to translate the characters that were engraven upon the plates. This was a miracle in itself, and these men who wrote for him would soon have been able to detect whether he was inspired in the translation, or whether it was his own brain that furnished them the material to write. And let me say that no man could write such a work, if he were ever so gifted. He would be detected in some fault or other.
The book has been given unto us by the Lord, and we find in it prophesies concerning our time and prophecies concerning the time that is already past, which have been fulfilled, proving the book to be an inspired one. These gifts which the book mentions should be found in the Church; my testimony to you is that they are found in the Church. Talking in tongues has been very common in the Church. Nearly all the members have at some time or another heard this gift, as well as the interpretation of tongues. Some may say, But how can we judge whether this is a true tongue or not? You can judge, by the Holy Spirit whether it is prompted by that Spirit or not. There have been times when the proof of the tongue spoken has been overwhelming. When President Peterson of the Sanpete Stake was a young man he attended a meeting in Illinois. There were many present, and the spirit of the Lord was poured out upon the Saints in a great measure. He felt urged by the spirit to talk in tongues, and when he sat down a young girl arose and interpreted it. She was but seventeen years of age, perhaps younger, and she interpreted what Brother Peterson had spoken. Some of the brethren there, then in good standing but who afterwards left the Church, were told that if they did not take heed they would apostatize, and that the balance of the branch should emigrate to the West and travel in wagons like houses, across large plains. This was the interpretation of the tongue. They did not then know that there would come a time when they should travel in covered wagons and go to the west. But a remarkable thing happened at that meeting. Two young girls that had been stolen while children, by the Indians, and been brought back by the government, were present. They heard Brother Peterson speak in tongues, and they declared that he smoke in an Indian tongue, which they had heard before, and they understood most of it, though they said he spoke it better than they ever heard the chiefs speak it, and the young girl, they said, had translated what they understood correctly. This is a great testimony of the truth of that gift, and many other instances could be mentioned, showing that this gift is in the Church. The gift of prophecy we know is in the Church. How many of the prophecies of our beloved Prophet Joseph Smith have not been fulfilled to the very letter? You take the book of Doctrine and Covenants, and you will find there many prophecies that have been fulfilled already, and many relating to time yet to come, which we believe will be fulfilled just as literally as have those that have already been fulfilled. Let me read a few words of a revelation given March, 1831, some eleven months after the Church was organized. In talking about what should come to pass, the Lord revealed to Joseph:
"But before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose.
"Zion shall flourish upon the hills and rejoice upon the mountains, and shall be assembled together unto the place which I have appointed."
This was many years before the Latter- day Saints were driven from the States, and it talks in such plain terms concerning the gathering. The gathering is a unique principle in this Church, one that is not found in other churches. It is referred to in the Book of Mormon, and in the early revelations to the Church it is given to the people in great plainness. We are told in some of the revelations that the people should be gathered from all nations unto this land, which should be the land of Zion. When we now read about this, it may not seem so remarkable. But let us put ourselves back to the time when the Church numbered but a few members and was hardly known outside of a few counties, and remember that then the Lord told the Prophet that the work should be known in other lands and that the people should be gathered from all nations, and it becomes, indeed, marvelous unto us. Gradually our missionaries are reaching the different nations of the earth, and we have people here from every part of the earth, if not yet from every nation. Our missionaries are going in faith, proclaiming the truth. They are reaching one people after another. Nearly every nation in Europe has had the Gospel offered to them. I was reading a letter last night which Brother Hintze had received from Athens. Greece, a country where we have not yet done much missionary labor. Brother Hintze went there and preached the Gospel and the seed sown is germinating, and they want to be informed concerning the truth. Certain principles have struck them as true: others they do not understand yet. In the Donau principalities we have a man laboring, who has already baptized several persons, and it will not be long before it can be said that all nations in Europe have been informed concerning the Gospel. And the myriads in Asia and Africa will yet have to hear the Gospel. The Lord is in His marvelous way preparing the way for the Gospel to be taught to men. I rejoice in contemplating the dealings of the Lord with this work of His, and my testimony to you is that God has established this work, and that He will see that it shall triumph in the earth. God bless you all, amen.
Spiritual gifts must exist in the Church of Christ — Their absence an indication of unbelief.
I hope, while I shall address you, that the same good spirit may guide me as has assisted my brethren who have already spoken in the different meetings of this conference. I have enjoyed their remarks very much, and I believe all who have been present have felt to rejoice in the good teachings that have been given us.
This morning, when Brother John W. Taylor read the testimony of the Prophet Moroni to us, I was much struck with some of the words he read. We were told there that the spiritual gifts should always be found in the Church, and that if there ever came a time when these gifts were not in the Church it would be on account of unbelief; and a woe was pronounced upon the inhabitants of the earth if such should be the case. I thought how clear the Prophet Moroni made this; that the Church whenever it is upon the earth must have the Holy Spirit within it; the members of the Church must have this Spirit, and the spiritual gifts must be manifested; otherwise it would be a dead church. These words are recorded in the Book of Mormon—this wonderful book that has been brought forth by the power of God in our age. This book was printed before there was a church organized, and yet we find these remarkable words in it, which at once furnish the world with a test whereby they can judge if this is the Church of Christ or not. It says that in the Church there must be found these gifts. Now, if Joseph Smith had not been an inspired man; if the Book of Mormon was not the word of God, but written by man, how careful such a man would have been not to furnish the world- with a test like this whereby they could at once detect whether it was the Church of Christ or not. A man who should fraudulently give himself out to be an inspired man, would be careful that such words should not be given to the world. But these were not the words of Joseph; they were the words of a prophet that lived some fourteen hundred years before, and one who understood the Church of Christ.
When we look back upon the history of the Church we find that the spiritual gifts were very abundant in the original Church, and that whenever the Saints met they were much blessed with the power of the spirit. They were so eager to attend their meetings and to speak, prophesy, and talk in tongues, that the Apostle Paul had to regulate their meetings and give them counsel in regard to the manner of conducting them, that order might prevail. The Saints were abundantly blessed with these manifestations of the spirit. But when the apostasy took place, the spirit of the Lord departed, its manifestations were fewer, and at last they were not known in the Church. Then it was very convenient to teach the people that revelations were no longer needed, that prophets were not needed; that these spiritual gifts were given only in the beginning of the Church, to convert men; but that they were not to continue with the members of the Church, and therefore they were done away. When Jesus appeared to the Nephites, upon this continent, He taught them the pure Gospel and organized His church. He left this power of the Priesthood with His servants here, the same as He had with His servants upon the Eastern continent, and the spiritual blessings were enjoyed as long as the Church was in existence upon this continent. Moroni understood this so well that he said these gifts must always be found in the Church, and if not it would be a sign of unbelief.
After the Book of Mormon was published, the Church was organized, and then men could read the book and test the words, and judge whether or not the Church that was afterwards organized corresponded with what the Prophet had said the Church should be.
It was but a few days after the Church was organized before the spirit uttered itself in power, and spiritual manifestations were given and miracles performed, showing that the Church which had been recently organized was not an imitation, but that it was the Church itself, containing the same power and spiritual blessings. In fact, this wonderful book itself was translated by the power of God. Joseph Smith was an unlearned man; he had not studied at colleges; he was not much of a writer at that time, but had to employ others to write for him, and those who wrote for him wrote as he dictated. Now, you who have tried to dictate to a person know how hard it is to dictate, and to continue to do this, without altering or without having the last sentence repeated; but Joseph dictated to these men, and was not under the necessity of asking them where they had left off, because he translated by the power of God. The Urim and Thummim was in his possession, and with this instrument he was able to translate the characters that were engraven upon the plates. This was a miracle in itself, and these men who wrote for him would soon have been able to detect whether he was inspired in the translation, or whether it was his own brain that furnished them the material to write. And let me say that no man could write such a work, if he were ever so gifted. He would be detected in some fault or other.
The book has been given unto us by the Lord, and we find in it prophesies concerning our time and prophecies concerning the time that is already past, which have been fulfilled, proving the book to be an inspired one. These gifts which the book mentions should be found in the Church; my testimony to you is that they are found in the Church. Talking in tongues has been very common in the Church. Nearly all the members have at some time or another heard this gift, as well as the interpretation of tongues. Some may say, But how can we judge whether this is a true tongue or not? You can judge, by the Holy Spirit whether it is prompted by that Spirit or not. There have been times when the proof of the tongue spoken has been overwhelming. When President Peterson of the Sanpete Stake was a young man he attended a meeting in Illinois. There were many present, and the spirit of the Lord was poured out upon the Saints in a great measure. He felt urged by the spirit to talk in tongues, and when he sat down a young girl arose and interpreted it. She was but seventeen years of age, perhaps younger, and she interpreted what Brother Peterson had spoken. Some of the brethren there, then in good standing but who afterwards left the Church, were told that if they did not take heed they would apostatize, and that the balance of the branch should emigrate to the West and travel in wagons like houses, across large plains. This was the interpretation of the tongue. They did not then know that there would come a time when they should travel in covered wagons and go to the west. But a remarkable thing happened at that meeting. Two young girls that had been stolen while children, by the Indians, and been brought back by the government, were present. They heard Brother Peterson speak in tongues, and they declared that he smoke in an Indian tongue, which they had heard before, and they understood most of it, though they said he spoke it better than they ever heard the chiefs speak it, and the young girl, they said, had translated what they understood correctly. This is a great testimony of the truth of that gift, and many other instances could be mentioned, showing that this gift is in the Church. The gift of prophecy we know is in the Church. How many of the prophecies of our beloved Prophet Joseph Smith have not been fulfilled to the very letter? You take the book of Doctrine and Covenants, and you will find there many prophecies that have been fulfilled already, and many relating to time yet to come, which we believe will be fulfilled just as literally as have those that have already been fulfilled. Let me read a few words of a revelation given March, 1831, some eleven months after the Church was organized. In talking about what should come to pass, the Lord revealed to Joseph:
"But before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose.
"Zion shall flourish upon the hills and rejoice upon the mountains, and shall be assembled together unto the place which I have appointed."
This was many years before the Latter- day Saints were driven from the States, and it talks in such plain terms concerning the gathering. The gathering is a unique principle in this Church, one that is not found in other churches. It is referred to in the Book of Mormon, and in the early revelations to the Church it is given to the people in great plainness. We are told in some of the revelations that the people should be gathered from all nations unto this land, which should be the land of Zion. When we now read about this, it may not seem so remarkable. But let us put ourselves back to the time when the Church numbered but a few members and was hardly known outside of a few counties, and remember that then the Lord told the Prophet that the work should be known in other lands and that the people should be gathered from all nations, and it becomes, indeed, marvelous unto us. Gradually our missionaries are reaching the different nations of the earth, and we have people here from every part of the earth, if not yet from every nation. Our missionaries are going in faith, proclaiming the truth. They are reaching one people after another. Nearly every nation in Europe has had the Gospel offered to them. I was reading a letter last night which Brother Hintze had received from Athens. Greece, a country where we have not yet done much missionary labor. Brother Hintze went there and preached the Gospel and the seed sown is germinating, and they want to be informed concerning the truth. Certain principles have struck them as true: others they do not understand yet. In the Donau principalities we have a man laboring, who has already baptized several persons, and it will not be long before it can be said that all nations in Europe have been informed concerning the Gospel. And the myriads in Asia and Africa will yet have to hear the Gospel. The Lord is in His marvelous way preparing the way for the Gospel to be taught to men. I rejoice in contemplating the dealings of the Lord with this work of His, and my testimony to you is that God has established this work, and that He will see that it shall triumph in the earth. God bless you all, amen.
ELDER M. F. COWLEY.
The Church built on the foundation of Continuous Revelation— Each member entitled to an individual testimony of the truth.
My brethren and sisters, I am pleased to have the privilege of meeting with you at this Conference. I desire in the performance of my duty the kind assistance of your prayers of faith. I have been edified through the instructions of my brethren. They have encouraged me and also corrected me, for I find in them instructions which will enable me to improve wherein I lack, and encourage me in the enjoyment of the blessings resulting from the duties which perhaps I have performed more faithfully than others. In contemplating the character of these instructions, it is a solemn testimony to me of the truth of which my brethren have spoken, that the Church is guided by the spirit of revelation. But we are not guided by the spirit of revelation as much as we ought to be. I think sometimes that we have not fully divested ourselves of the elements of sectarianism which some of us may have brought from the world and which others have imbibed because of their weaknesses. Our Elders, in preaching the Gospel in the various nations of the earth, call attention to the fact that it has always been a characteristic of humanity to profess a belief in the revelations and the remarkable manifestations of the power of God which have been exhibited before their day. But when confronted with the opportunity or necessity of exercising the same faith, and enjoying immediate revelation, they have been weighed in the balance and found wanting. The Church of Christ never did exist on the earth, only as it existed by the spirit of revelation from God. The Jews, when the Gospel was presented to them by John the Baptist and also by the Savior, had just the same opportunities that the Christian world of today have, that is, of reading from the Scripture, which had been made by the Prophets preceding them, and receiving instructions from the doctors of the law and those whose pretended business it was to expound the Scriptures. But when one came to them and said that the kingdom of God was nigh at hand, they were not prepared to receive it. The Gospel then as now was a test to all institutions. John the Baptist said, "The ax is laid unto the root of the tree, therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down and cast into the fire." Jesus was desiring to bring to the attention of His disciples the necessity of being built upon a solid foundation, and propounded a question unto them as recorded in Matthew, 16th chapter. He said: "Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" And His disciples said, "Some say that thou art John the Baptist; some, Elias; and others, Jeremiah or one of the Prophets." Thus we see that it was all guess work with them, so far as the general public were concerned. He turned to the Apostles and said: "But whom say ye that I am?" In response there came an emphatic testimony not from a doctor of the law not from an educated man, who had built his faith upon a mere reading of the ancient scripture, but from a poor unlettered man, who had been called by the voice of the Son of God from the fisherman's net, when the Messiah had said to him and his brother Andrew "Come and follow me and I will make you fishers of men." From Peter the testimony came in no uncertain tones, saying, "Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus said to Peter: "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven."
I wish to bear my testimony that flesh and blood never did, because it never could, reveal unto man the identity of the Son of God, or make plain to the understanding of the children of men the things of God in any respect; and if it required a revelation for the Apostle Peter to bear witness that Jesus was the Christ, it will require revelation for every man and woman in every dispensation of the Gospel, to bear the same testimony. Indeed, the Son of God enunciated this fact as an eternal doctrine, when he sent the Seventies out to declare the Gospel. He had commanded them to go without purse or scrip, just as the servants of God have been commanded in this dispensation, that the world may be tested and that the disciples of the Son of God may act upon the principle of faith and trust in God to provide for them the necessities and comforts of life. When the Seventy returned to the Savior with the report of their mission, they said that they lacked nothing:
"In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes; even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight.
"All things are delivered to me of my Father; and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal Him.”
This is a plain and simple doctrine, and whatever may be the attainments of mankind, based upon the opportunities of the age in which we live, augmented by the experience and the learning of the preceding generations, they cannot understand the things of God, without the spirit of revelation.
I wish to bear my testimony that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was founded upon the principle of revelation, and that it has been guided and controlled by the spirit of revelation from its inception to the present time. God designed to guide this Church by the voice of revelation. When I see any lack of confidence on the part of our people in the wisdom of the Prophet of God and his associates, I am impressed with the fact that we are lacking in that faith which belongs to the work of God. When the Prophet Joseph 'Smith was instrumental in establishing this work, he made certain promises, such as have been alluded to by my brethren today. These promises have been fulfilled to the very letter. They not only extended to the remarkable manifestation of the gifts and powers of the Holy Ghost, but they extended to a promise that every man and every woman in the Church should have a substantial testimony concerning the propriety of every movement made by the Prophet of God, in advancing the interests of the work of God upon the earth. And it can be pointed out on the pages of history that neither the Prophet Joseph Smith nor any of his successors ever gave counsel unto the Saints of God that was not attended with blessings and prosperity to those who heeded and acted upon it. Moreover, it cannot be found upon the pages of history where any man has risen up in opposition to that counsel and has stretched forth his hand to steady the ark of God, but what that man has come to disappointment and his folly has been made manifest in the midst of the people of God. I can bear my testimony that these evidences, which have been recorded as a result of the experience of this Church, will continue down to the latest period of time. God has established this work; He has maintained it; He has prospered it in the earth, and He will continue to do so from this time henceforth and forever. God bless you, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
The Church built on the foundation of Continuous Revelation— Each member entitled to an individual testimony of the truth.
My brethren and sisters, I am pleased to have the privilege of meeting with you at this Conference. I desire in the performance of my duty the kind assistance of your prayers of faith. I have been edified through the instructions of my brethren. They have encouraged me and also corrected me, for I find in them instructions which will enable me to improve wherein I lack, and encourage me in the enjoyment of the blessings resulting from the duties which perhaps I have performed more faithfully than others. In contemplating the character of these instructions, it is a solemn testimony to me of the truth of which my brethren have spoken, that the Church is guided by the spirit of revelation. But we are not guided by the spirit of revelation as much as we ought to be. I think sometimes that we have not fully divested ourselves of the elements of sectarianism which some of us may have brought from the world and which others have imbibed because of their weaknesses. Our Elders, in preaching the Gospel in the various nations of the earth, call attention to the fact that it has always been a characteristic of humanity to profess a belief in the revelations and the remarkable manifestations of the power of God which have been exhibited before their day. But when confronted with the opportunity or necessity of exercising the same faith, and enjoying immediate revelation, they have been weighed in the balance and found wanting. The Church of Christ never did exist on the earth, only as it existed by the spirit of revelation from God. The Jews, when the Gospel was presented to them by John the Baptist and also by the Savior, had just the same opportunities that the Christian world of today have, that is, of reading from the Scripture, which had been made by the Prophets preceding them, and receiving instructions from the doctors of the law and those whose pretended business it was to expound the Scriptures. But when one came to them and said that the kingdom of God was nigh at hand, they were not prepared to receive it. The Gospel then as now was a test to all institutions. John the Baptist said, "The ax is laid unto the root of the tree, therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down and cast into the fire." Jesus was desiring to bring to the attention of His disciples the necessity of being built upon a solid foundation, and propounded a question unto them as recorded in Matthew, 16th chapter. He said: "Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" And His disciples said, "Some say that thou art John the Baptist; some, Elias; and others, Jeremiah or one of the Prophets." Thus we see that it was all guess work with them, so far as the general public were concerned. He turned to the Apostles and said: "But whom say ye that I am?" In response there came an emphatic testimony not from a doctor of the law not from an educated man, who had built his faith upon a mere reading of the ancient scripture, but from a poor unlettered man, who had been called by the voice of the Son of God from the fisherman's net, when the Messiah had said to him and his brother Andrew "Come and follow me and I will make you fishers of men." From Peter the testimony came in no uncertain tones, saying, "Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus said to Peter: "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven."
I wish to bear my testimony that flesh and blood never did, because it never could, reveal unto man the identity of the Son of God, or make plain to the understanding of the children of men the things of God in any respect; and if it required a revelation for the Apostle Peter to bear witness that Jesus was the Christ, it will require revelation for every man and woman in every dispensation of the Gospel, to bear the same testimony. Indeed, the Son of God enunciated this fact as an eternal doctrine, when he sent the Seventies out to declare the Gospel. He had commanded them to go without purse or scrip, just as the servants of God have been commanded in this dispensation, that the world may be tested and that the disciples of the Son of God may act upon the principle of faith and trust in God to provide for them the necessities and comforts of life. When the Seventy returned to the Savior with the report of their mission, they said that they lacked nothing:
"In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes; even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight.
"All things are delivered to me of my Father; and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal Him.”
This is a plain and simple doctrine, and whatever may be the attainments of mankind, based upon the opportunities of the age in which we live, augmented by the experience and the learning of the preceding generations, they cannot understand the things of God, without the spirit of revelation.
I wish to bear my testimony that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was founded upon the principle of revelation, and that it has been guided and controlled by the spirit of revelation from its inception to the present time. God designed to guide this Church by the voice of revelation. When I see any lack of confidence on the part of our people in the wisdom of the Prophet of God and his associates, I am impressed with the fact that we are lacking in that faith which belongs to the work of God. When the Prophet Joseph 'Smith was instrumental in establishing this work, he made certain promises, such as have been alluded to by my brethren today. These promises have been fulfilled to the very letter. They not only extended to the remarkable manifestation of the gifts and powers of the Holy Ghost, but they extended to a promise that every man and every woman in the Church should have a substantial testimony concerning the propriety of every movement made by the Prophet of God, in advancing the interests of the work of God upon the earth. And it can be pointed out on the pages of history that neither the Prophet Joseph Smith nor any of his successors ever gave counsel unto the Saints of God that was not attended with blessings and prosperity to those who heeded and acted upon it. Moreover, it cannot be found upon the pages of history where any man has risen up in opposition to that counsel and has stretched forth his hand to steady the ark of God, but what that man has come to disappointment and his folly has been made manifest in the midst of the people of God. I can bear my testimony that these evidences, which have been recorded as a result of the experience of this Church, will continue down to the latest period of time. God has established this work; He has maintained it; He has prospered it in the earth, and He will continue to do so from this time henceforth and forever. God bless you, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
ELDER A. O. WOODRUFF.
Room for improvement among the Priesthood — The great distinction between the true Church and other religious bodies—A difference in spirit—Every part of the body necessary to its healthful existence—Warning against a hideous evil.
My brothers and sisters, I trust that I may have your support and the blessings of God to guide me in my utterances here this afternoon. I have no other desire in standing before you than to give you that which the Lord may reveal unto me, and I desire to so live that whenever I am called upon to occupy a position of this kind, the Lord may be pleased to favor me with His Holy Spirit, that I may not be left to depend upon the wisdom of man.
I have a desire this afternoon to say some words that may be stimulating and encouraging to those who hold the Priesthood, especially to those who are acting in the Lesser Priesthood. President Snow has gone among the people and discharged the duties which our Heavenly Father has given him to perform, and after doing so, he unloads a great degree of this responsibility upon the shoulders of the Priesthood in all its organizations. I know there is not that activity among many quorums of the Priesthood that there ought to be; and while it is true the Latter-day Saints during the past year have done exceedingly well in the payment of their tithes, they have not done as well as they would have done had the Teachers, and Priests and the Elders in Israel performed their duties as faithfully as President Snow has discharge his. True, most men who hold these positions are younger men than President Snow, but I regret to have to acknowledge that they have not been as diligent throughout the different Stakes and wards of Zion in regard to this message, which the Prophet of the Lord has given to the people, as they should have been. While visiting a Stake a short time ago, I learned by questioning the High Council, that some of them had not been visited by their Teachers for years; and while that Stake had increased about fifty per cent in the payment of their tithes during the past year, I thought to myself, what a showing they might have made, if the Priesthood in all its departments had been active and faithful.
In order that I might bring before you what I desire. I will read a portion of the 12th chapter of First Corinthians.
"For by one spirit we are all baptized unto one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have all been made to drink into one spirit;
"For the body is not one member but many.
"If the foot shall say, because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body
"And if the ear shall say, because I am not the eye I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
"If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
"But now hath the Lord set thee members every one of them in the body, as it has pleased Him.
"And if they were all one member, where were the body?
"And now are they many members, yet but one body,
"And the eve cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee; nor again, the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
"Nay, much more, those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary;
"And those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely Darts have more abundant comeliness.
"For our comely parts have no need; but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked.
"That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
"And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it.
"Now we are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
"And God hath set some in the Church; first, Apostles; secondarily, prophets; thirdly, teachers; after that miracles: then gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
"Are all Apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
"Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
"But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way."
The Church of Christ was referred to here yesterday and compared to a man seventy years of age. The Apostle Paul also in his beautiful figure compared the Church of Christ to the body of a man. I wish to say a few words regarding this figure which has been used, I have asked myself, what is the greatest cause for the difference between the Church of Christ and the churches that have been established by man, for there are many forms of religion, some patterning closely after the one founded by our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. And I have thought, is it not because these different bodies have not the Spirit? I compared this spirit to the Priesthood of the Son of God, and concluded in my own mind that this was the greatest cause of the difference which exists between the Church which Christ has established and the churches which have been established by man. When the Prophet Joseph inquired of the Lord regarding the divinity of the different denominations that then existed upon the earth, and many of which exist today, he was told that they had a form of godliness, but denied the power thereof; that they drew near unto the Lord with their lips, but their hearts were far from Him. I thought to myself what a comparison there was between the true Church of God, with the Priesthood and Spirit to enliven it, and the dead forms of religion, as they have been instituted by men. We might carry this comparison a little farther, and take the skeleton of this body, the organization of the Church of Christ, animated by the Spirit and Priesthood of God, and in connection with this skeleton we have the sinews, the helps in government, the muscles, the nerve system and the circulation of the blood from the heart into all parts of the body. And just as it is impossible for a human body to exist without the spirit, so is it impossible for the Church of Christ to exist without the Priesthood of the Son of God. Just as it is impossible for a body to be complete without the brain, the heart and the other organs of the system, so would it be impossible for the Church of Christ to exist in perfection without the Presidency, the Apostles, the Seventies, the High Priests, the Elders, the Priests, Teachers and Deacons. All of them have their special work to perform, just as the organs of the human system have their particular part to do. I compared the circulation of the blood in the body to the active Priesthood, which goes about the whole body of the Church, imparting life and vigor and setting in order all of the parts that may be out of place. Whenever a member becomes injured, the blood assists in building it up. So with the workings of the Priesthood of the Son of God, in the great body which Christ has established.
I believe that every organization of the Priesthood is just as important and vital to the Church of Christ as every organ is to the human system; and in Stakes or wards where the Deacons, the Teachers, the Priests and the Elders have nothing to do, there will be a stagnation of blood. Our people have suffered the malady in neglecting to pay their tithes, but now this Priesthood is getting to work, this blood is circulating more freely, and directing its attention especially in the direction of curing the body of this particular malady. The Priesthood has labored energetically, but not as much so as we should have done. There are many Teachers and Priests that have not labored as faithfully as they should have done. Think of what a beautiful body this would be if every quorum was active; if the blood circulated through every part of the system and if every part was renovated and cleansed, so that it might be in a perfect state of health. God help us that we may be able to get this body, the Church of Christ, into this desirable condition; that the list containing thousands of names of persons who ought to be tithe-payers and are not, may be wiped out. I believe that one of the most practical ways of bringing about this condition is for the Presidents of Stakes, Bishops of wards and the Presidents of quorums to see to it that they discharge their part of this responsibility. It is not expected that President Snow will be able to reach all parts of the body and be able personally to regulate and renovate the body of Christ, but there are members of the body that have been chosen to do this work, and if they do not do it, that condition which we desire will not exist.
I hope, my brethren and sisters, that President Snow shall live to see the desires of his heart granted unto him. I pray for this and labor for it among the brethren in the Stakes where I go, so that confidence in the. Church of Christ in regard to financial affairs may be maintained. The Church is now upon a good financial basis; but we ought not to cease our labors as soon as we hear good news. We ought not to run well for awhile, and then tire out just when our assistance is most needed. It has taken considerable labor on the part of the Priesthood to stir the people up to a realization of their condition and their negligence in regard to the payment of tithing, and it will take a continual labor on our part to keep the people awakened to these things. Strange that we always have to belabored with in order to get us to do right; nevertheless we have to be labored with and we have to labor with each other that we may keep alive in the Church of Christ. If we are not brought in contact with this Priesthood and its workings we soon die out, just like a member of the human body would die out if the blood did not circulate to that part. Thus it is very necessary that the brethren who hold the Priesthood and the sisters who are engaged in the different organizations of this Church should carry their responsibility and feel that there is an individual responsibility connected with this work which rests upon them, and that God will not justify them if they do not discharge their duties in their separate callings.
I wish to read, for the benefit of those who hold the Priesthood, from the third chapter of Ezekiel, beginning at the 17th verse:
“Son of Man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore .hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
"When I say unto the wicked. Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from- his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
"Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity, but thou hast delivered thy soul.
"Again, when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die; because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand."
This, my brethren and sisters, may be applied to those of us who have received the Priesthood of the Son of God. We have not received it through man. The leaders of this dispensation received it from Peter, James and John and John the Baptist, the men who held the keys of this Priesthood and who received it from the Son of God Himself. Therefore, the responsibility that we are under has not been placed upon us by man; it has come to us from God; and when the head shall say to us, Do this, or that, we are under obligations to do it. We are under obligations to see that there is no stagnation in our part of the body; that there is no negligence in the payment of tithes or in the keeping of any of the commandments in our Stake or ward or association. It is my duty at the head of any association, ward or Stake to see that the people are doing their duty. If they are entirely negligent to the teachings of God that come to us through His mouthpiece, I want to tell you, my brethren and sisters, that those who stand at the head of these organizations will come under condemnation. The Presidency, the Twelve, or the Seventy cannot be in all the wards; but there are men placed there with equal responsibility in their callings, and they have to discharge these duties or the Lord will not hold them guiltless. He will not excuse them if they do not labor diligently and delve into the dark corners and see that there are no cobwebs in their Stake or ward, but that everything is working as it should do; that there is ' no clog in the machinery of ' this great body of Christ, but that each is doing' his part. If we will do this we will gain salvation and we will enter into the presence of God and hear the welcome plaudit, "Well dope, thou good and faithful servant." If we do not, we cannot expect, because the Priesthood has been conferred upon us, that we will inherit the celestial kingdom of our God. The Lord will not reward the drone, nor the slothful; He will not reward the unjust steward, the one who has not taken advantage of the opportunities God has placed within his grasp. If our talents are great, we have that much more need to use them than those who are not so greatly blessed. Before taking my seat there is another matter that occurs to me which I wish to speak upon. I have noticed that there is a spirit creeping in among a certain class of the Latter-day Saints which is not of God, but of the world. It has been popular, ever since Mormonism was established, to have large families; for we understand that there are hundreds of thousands of spirits in the other world anxious to be tabernacled by good fathers and mothers, that they may pass through this state of probation. But there is a certain class of Latter-day Saints that has come to think as the Gentile world does—that it is not stylish, not nice to have large families; and therefore we and, much to our sorrow, that in some instances steps are taken to prevent these spirits being tabernacled by them. I want to say that every Latter- day Saint ought to feel that the, are not justified before God their Father in pursuing a course of this kind. We want, so far as God will favor us, the privilege and blessing of posterity. And those who employ means to prevent this will find in the spirit world that they have lost the stars in their crown and have shut out a means of exaltation; that they have done a grievous wrong which they may not be able to repair for many ages, if at all. Those who fought the system of plural marriage in years gone by were people who were, as a rule, opposed to the large families of the Latter-day Saints, and took steps themselves to prevent spirits coming to them to be tabernacled, in some cases going so far as to be guilty of murdering the unborn innocents. Upon such the curse of God will rest. I greatly desire that this practice shall not creep in among the Latter-day Saints. I have prayed that the Spirit of this subject might be given to some of the older members of this quorum, or to the Presidency, that they might dwell upon it, because I know, from what I have heard from reliable sources, that this spirit which I have spoken of is in a slight degree at any rate creeping in among the Latter-day Saints. Thank God for posterity. Thank God for the large families of the Latter-day Saints. I wish that we had millions more of them today, and that the world were full of this class of people, who fear God and who desire to serve Him and keep His commandments, and whose sons and daughters are reared in the principles of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my heavenly Father for the testimony which He has given me that this is His work, that President Snow is a Prophet of the true and living God, that God is with him, that He has inspired him, and that the changes which are being brought about in our financial conditions are due to the revelations of God through His Prophet. May God help us to be faithful, to be loyal. May He give us His Spirit, that we may not get into the dark, that we may not lose the Spirit of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus. Let us stand up to the rack and do our part. Let us see to it that the responsibility which is placed upon us is discharged, that we may enter into the presence of God our Father, and share the reward of the laborer and those who have been valiant for the testimony of Jesus, and receive eternal life. I ask it through Christ, our Redeemer. Amen.
Room for improvement among the Priesthood — The great distinction between the true Church and other religious bodies—A difference in spirit—Every part of the body necessary to its healthful existence—Warning against a hideous evil.
My brothers and sisters, I trust that I may have your support and the blessings of God to guide me in my utterances here this afternoon. I have no other desire in standing before you than to give you that which the Lord may reveal unto me, and I desire to so live that whenever I am called upon to occupy a position of this kind, the Lord may be pleased to favor me with His Holy Spirit, that I may not be left to depend upon the wisdom of man.
I have a desire this afternoon to say some words that may be stimulating and encouraging to those who hold the Priesthood, especially to those who are acting in the Lesser Priesthood. President Snow has gone among the people and discharged the duties which our Heavenly Father has given him to perform, and after doing so, he unloads a great degree of this responsibility upon the shoulders of the Priesthood in all its organizations. I know there is not that activity among many quorums of the Priesthood that there ought to be; and while it is true the Latter-day Saints during the past year have done exceedingly well in the payment of their tithes, they have not done as well as they would have done had the Teachers, and Priests and the Elders in Israel performed their duties as faithfully as President Snow has discharge his. True, most men who hold these positions are younger men than President Snow, but I regret to have to acknowledge that they have not been as diligent throughout the different Stakes and wards of Zion in regard to this message, which the Prophet of the Lord has given to the people, as they should have been. While visiting a Stake a short time ago, I learned by questioning the High Council, that some of them had not been visited by their Teachers for years; and while that Stake had increased about fifty per cent in the payment of their tithes during the past year, I thought to myself, what a showing they might have made, if the Priesthood in all its departments had been active and faithful.
In order that I might bring before you what I desire. I will read a portion of the 12th chapter of First Corinthians.
"For by one spirit we are all baptized unto one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have all been made to drink into one spirit;
"For the body is not one member but many.
"If the foot shall say, because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body
"And if the ear shall say, because I am not the eye I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
"If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
"But now hath the Lord set thee members every one of them in the body, as it has pleased Him.
"And if they were all one member, where were the body?
"And now are they many members, yet but one body,
"And the eve cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee; nor again, the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
"Nay, much more, those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary;
"And those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely Darts have more abundant comeliness.
"For our comely parts have no need; but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked.
"That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
"And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it.
"Now we are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
"And God hath set some in the Church; first, Apostles; secondarily, prophets; thirdly, teachers; after that miracles: then gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
"Are all Apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
"Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
"But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way."
The Church of Christ was referred to here yesterday and compared to a man seventy years of age. The Apostle Paul also in his beautiful figure compared the Church of Christ to the body of a man. I wish to say a few words regarding this figure which has been used, I have asked myself, what is the greatest cause for the difference between the Church of Christ and the churches that have been established by man, for there are many forms of religion, some patterning closely after the one founded by our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. And I have thought, is it not because these different bodies have not the Spirit? I compared this spirit to the Priesthood of the Son of God, and concluded in my own mind that this was the greatest cause of the difference which exists between the Church which Christ has established and the churches which have been established by man. When the Prophet Joseph inquired of the Lord regarding the divinity of the different denominations that then existed upon the earth, and many of which exist today, he was told that they had a form of godliness, but denied the power thereof; that they drew near unto the Lord with their lips, but their hearts were far from Him. I thought to myself what a comparison there was between the true Church of God, with the Priesthood and Spirit to enliven it, and the dead forms of religion, as they have been instituted by men. We might carry this comparison a little farther, and take the skeleton of this body, the organization of the Church of Christ, animated by the Spirit and Priesthood of God, and in connection with this skeleton we have the sinews, the helps in government, the muscles, the nerve system and the circulation of the blood from the heart into all parts of the body. And just as it is impossible for a human body to exist without the spirit, so is it impossible for the Church of Christ to exist without the Priesthood of the Son of God. Just as it is impossible for a body to be complete without the brain, the heart and the other organs of the system, so would it be impossible for the Church of Christ to exist in perfection without the Presidency, the Apostles, the Seventies, the High Priests, the Elders, the Priests, Teachers and Deacons. All of them have their special work to perform, just as the organs of the human system have their particular part to do. I compared the circulation of the blood in the body to the active Priesthood, which goes about the whole body of the Church, imparting life and vigor and setting in order all of the parts that may be out of place. Whenever a member becomes injured, the blood assists in building it up. So with the workings of the Priesthood of the Son of God, in the great body which Christ has established.
I believe that every organization of the Priesthood is just as important and vital to the Church of Christ as every organ is to the human system; and in Stakes or wards where the Deacons, the Teachers, the Priests and the Elders have nothing to do, there will be a stagnation of blood. Our people have suffered the malady in neglecting to pay their tithes, but now this Priesthood is getting to work, this blood is circulating more freely, and directing its attention especially in the direction of curing the body of this particular malady. The Priesthood has labored energetically, but not as much so as we should have done. There are many Teachers and Priests that have not labored as faithfully as they should have done. Think of what a beautiful body this would be if every quorum was active; if the blood circulated through every part of the system and if every part was renovated and cleansed, so that it might be in a perfect state of health. God help us that we may be able to get this body, the Church of Christ, into this desirable condition; that the list containing thousands of names of persons who ought to be tithe-payers and are not, may be wiped out. I believe that one of the most practical ways of bringing about this condition is for the Presidents of Stakes, Bishops of wards and the Presidents of quorums to see to it that they discharge their part of this responsibility. It is not expected that President Snow will be able to reach all parts of the body and be able personally to regulate and renovate the body of Christ, but there are members of the body that have been chosen to do this work, and if they do not do it, that condition which we desire will not exist.
I hope, my brethren and sisters, that President Snow shall live to see the desires of his heart granted unto him. I pray for this and labor for it among the brethren in the Stakes where I go, so that confidence in the. Church of Christ in regard to financial affairs may be maintained. The Church is now upon a good financial basis; but we ought not to cease our labors as soon as we hear good news. We ought not to run well for awhile, and then tire out just when our assistance is most needed. It has taken considerable labor on the part of the Priesthood to stir the people up to a realization of their condition and their negligence in regard to the payment of tithing, and it will take a continual labor on our part to keep the people awakened to these things. Strange that we always have to belabored with in order to get us to do right; nevertheless we have to be labored with and we have to labor with each other that we may keep alive in the Church of Christ. If we are not brought in contact with this Priesthood and its workings we soon die out, just like a member of the human body would die out if the blood did not circulate to that part. Thus it is very necessary that the brethren who hold the Priesthood and the sisters who are engaged in the different organizations of this Church should carry their responsibility and feel that there is an individual responsibility connected with this work which rests upon them, and that God will not justify them if they do not discharge their duties in their separate callings.
I wish to read, for the benefit of those who hold the Priesthood, from the third chapter of Ezekiel, beginning at the 17th verse:
“Son of Man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore .hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
"When I say unto the wicked. Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from- his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
"Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity, but thou hast delivered thy soul.
"Again, when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die; because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand."
This, my brethren and sisters, may be applied to those of us who have received the Priesthood of the Son of God. We have not received it through man. The leaders of this dispensation received it from Peter, James and John and John the Baptist, the men who held the keys of this Priesthood and who received it from the Son of God Himself. Therefore, the responsibility that we are under has not been placed upon us by man; it has come to us from God; and when the head shall say to us, Do this, or that, we are under obligations to do it. We are under obligations to see that there is no stagnation in our part of the body; that there is no negligence in the payment of tithes or in the keeping of any of the commandments in our Stake or ward or association. It is my duty at the head of any association, ward or Stake to see that the people are doing their duty. If they are entirely negligent to the teachings of God that come to us through His mouthpiece, I want to tell you, my brethren and sisters, that those who stand at the head of these organizations will come under condemnation. The Presidency, the Twelve, or the Seventy cannot be in all the wards; but there are men placed there with equal responsibility in their callings, and they have to discharge these duties or the Lord will not hold them guiltless. He will not excuse them if they do not labor diligently and delve into the dark corners and see that there are no cobwebs in their Stake or ward, but that everything is working as it should do; that there is ' no clog in the machinery of ' this great body of Christ, but that each is doing' his part. If we will do this we will gain salvation and we will enter into the presence of God and hear the welcome plaudit, "Well dope, thou good and faithful servant." If we do not, we cannot expect, because the Priesthood has been conferred upon us, that we will inherit the celestial kingdom of our God. The Lord will not reward the drone, nor the slothful; He will not reward the unjust steward, the one who has not taken advantage of the opportunities God has placed within his grasp. If our talents are great, we have that much more need to use them than those who are not so greatly blessed. Before taking my seat there is another matter that occurs to me which I wish to speak upon. I have noticed that there is a spirit creeping in among a certain class of the Latter-day Saints which is not of God, but of the world. It has been popular, ever since Mormonism was established, to have large families; for we understand that there are hundreds of thousands of spirits in the other world anxious to be tabernacled by good fathers and mothers, that they may pass through this state of probation. But there is a certain class of Latter-day Saints that has come to think as the Gentile world does—that it is not stylish, not nice to have large families; and therefore we and, much to our sorrow, that in some instances steps are taken to prevent these spirits being tabernacled by them. I want to say that every Latter- day Saint ought to feel that the, are not justified before God their Father in pursuing a course of this kind. We want, so far as God will favor us, the privilege and blessing of posterity. And those who employ means to prevent this will find in the spirit world that they have lost the stars in their crown and have shut out a means of exaltation; that they have done a grievous wrong which they may not be able to repair for many ages, if at all. Those who fought the system of plural marriage in years gone by were people who were, as a rule, opposed to the large families of the Latter-day Saints, and took steps themselves to prevent spirits coming to them to be tabernacled, in some cases going so far as to be guilty of murdering the unborn innocents. Upon such the curse of God will rest. I greatly desire that this practice shall not creep in among the Latter-day Saints. I have prayed that the Spirit of this subject might be given to some of the older members of this quorum, or to the Presidency, that they might dwell upon it, because I know, from what I have heard from reliable sources, that this spirit which I have spoken of is in a slight degree at any rate creeping in among the Latter-day Saints. Thank God for posterity. Thank God for the large families of the Latter-day Saints. I wish that we had millions more of them today, and that the world were full of this class of people, who fear God and who desire to serve Him and keep His commandments, and whose sons and daughters are reared in the principles of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my heavenly Father for the testimony which He has given me that this is His work, that President Snow is a Prophet of the true and living God, that God is with him, that He has inspired him, and that the changes which are being brought about in our financial conditions are due to the revelations of God through His Prophet. May God help us to be faithful, to be loyal. May He give us His Spirit, that we may not get into the dark, that we may not lose the Spirit of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus. Let us stand up to the rack and do our part. Let us see to it that the responsibility which is placed upon us is discharged, that we may enter into the presence of God our Father, and share the reward of the laborer and those who have been valiant for the testimony of Jesus, and receive eternal life. I ask it through Christ, our Redeemer. Amen.
PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH.
Preservation and Multiplication of life—Dangers of sign seeking—Man established in the truth by faithfulness and the spirit of God.
It will give me great pleasure to receive the spirit to bear testimony to that which we have heard today and yesterday. I think the true spirit of counsel and instruction has rested upon the Apostles who have spoken to us during this conference so far, and I desire to say that I endorse with all my heart the excellent counsel and blessed instruction which they have given to this people. I sincerely hope we will remember these counsels, and remembering them, carry them out in our lives. It matters not how many good things we may hear, nor how much we may know, if we do not apply the instructions we receive and the knowledge we possess to the accomplishment of the work that we have in hand. The paramount duty is to labor for Zion, and work for our own salvation, that we may gain the victory over ourselves and over the powers of evil that are in the world. The Gospel has been preached to us, and we have essayed to obey it, that we might become the sons and daughters of God—heirs of God and joint-heirs with his Son. We can never attain to the blessings of the Gospel by merely becoming acquainted with it and then sitting down and doing nothing ourselves to stem the current of evil that is preying upon us and upon the world.
The remarks that have just been made by Brother Woodruff are worthy of attention and acceptation on the part of the young men and young women of Zion. Those who have taken upon themselves the responsibility of wedded life should see to it that they do not abuse the course of nature; that they do not destroy the principle of life within them, nor violate any of the commandments of God. The command which he gave in the beginning to multiply and replenish the earth is still in force upon the children of men. Possibly no greater sin could be committed by the people who have embraced this Gospel than to prevent or to destroy life in the manner indicated. We are born into the world that we may have life, and we live that we may have a fulness of joy, and if we will obtain a fulness of joy, we must obey the law of our creation and the law by which we may obtain the consummation of our righteous hopes and desires—life eternal.
If the time will permit, I desire to endorse the sentiments that were expressed by Brother Grant. It is a wicked and adulterous generation that seeketh after a sign. Show me Latter-day Saints who have to feed upon miracles, signs and visions in order to keep them steadfast in the Church, and I will show you members of the Church who are not in good standing before God, and who are walking in slippery paths. It is not by marvelous manifestations unto us that we shall be established in the truth, but it is by humility and faithful obedience to the commandments and laws of God. When I as a boy first started out in the ministry I would frequently go out and ask the Lord to show me some marvelous thing, in order that I might receive a testimony. But the Lord withheld marvels from me, and showed me the truth, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, until he made me to know the truth from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet, and until doubt and fear had been absolutely purged from me. He did not have to send an angel from the heavens to do this, nor did He have to speak with the trump of an archangel. By the whisperings of the still small voice of the spirit of the living God, He gave to me the testimony I possess. And by this principle and power He will give to all the children of men a knowledge of the truth that will stay with them, and it will make them to know the truth, as God knows it, and to do the will of the Father as Christ does it. And no amount of marvelous manifestations will ever accomplish this. It is obedience, humility and submission to the requirements of heaven and to the order established in the kingdom of God upon the earth that will establish men in the truth. Men may receive the visitation of angels; they may speak in tongues; they may interpret; they may prophesy; they may heal the sick by the laying on of hands; they may have visions and dreams; but except they are faithful and pure in heart, they become an easy prey to the adversary of their souls, and he will lead them into darkness and unbelief more easily than others. The devil himself can appear like an angel of light. False prophets and false teachers have arisen in the world. There is perhaps no gift of the spirit of God more easily imitated by the devil than the gift of tongues. Where two men or women exercise the gift of tongues by the inspiration of the spirit of God, there are a dozen perhaps that do it by the inspiration of the devil. Bless your souls, apostates speak in tongues, apostates prophesy; apostates claim to have marvelous manifestations. And what is that to us? The trouble is, we know so little of the truth ourselves and we live by it so poorly that almost any little jackanapes in the country may rise up and claim he has had a vision, or some marvelous dream, and however absurd or untrue it may be, he may find believers and followers among those who profess to be Latter-day Saints.
I believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit unto men, but I do not want the gift of tongues, except when I need it. I needed the gift of tongues once and the Lord gave it to me. I was in a foreign land, sent to preach the Gospel to a people whose language I could not understand. Then I sought earnestly for the gift of tongues, and by this gift and by study, in a hundred days after landing upon those islands I could talk to the people in their language as I now talk to you in my native tongue. This was a gift that was worthy of the Gospel. There was a purpose in it. There was something in it to strengthen my faith, to encourage me and to help me in my ministry. If you have need of this gift of tongues, seek for it and God will help you in it. But I do not ask you to be very hungry for the gift of tongues, for if you are not careful the devil will deceive you in it. He can talk by the gift of tongues as well as the Lord can. Paul did not seem to care much about the gift of tongues either. He said to the Corinthians:
"I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue."
So far as I am concerned, if the Lord will give me ability to teach the people in my native tongue, or in their own language to the understanding of those that hear me, that will be sufficient gift of tongues to me. Yet if the Lord gives us the gift of tongues, do not despise it, do not reject it. For if it comes from the Spirit of God, it will come to those who are worthy to receive it, and it is all right. But this idea of seeking it, desiring it, when you don't pay your tithing, when you don't pray in your families, when you don't pay your debts, when you desecrate the Sabbath day, and when you neglect other duties in the Church; I tell you the devil will take advantage of you bye and bye, if he does not at first. The time will not permit me. or I would like to take the Scriptures and read from them in relation to this subject. I love the truth; I love my brethren, and I know that the visiting of an angel alone will not keep one in the Church. The opening of the heavens to you in marvelous manifestations will not establish you in the truth. We have abundant proof of that in the history of the Church. But the men and the women who are honest before God, who humbly plod along, doing their duty, paying their tithing and exercising that pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father, which is to visit the fatherless and widows in their afflictions and to keep oneself unspotted from the world and who help look after the poor; and who honor the holy Priesthood, who do not run into excesses, who are prayerful in their families and who acknowledge the Lord in their hearts, they will build up a foundation that the gates of hell cannot prevail against; and if the floods come and the storms beat upon their house, it shall not fall, for it will be built upon the rock of eternal truth. I pray that this vast congregation will build upon this imperishable foundation, upon the principle expressed by the words of Joshua, "as for me and my house, we will serve God," and as also expressed by Job, "Though he slay me, yet will I put my trust in Him." If you have that spirit toward God and His work in these latter days, you will build, steadily and, slowly it may be, but surely, upon a foundation that will endure throughout the countless ages of eternity. And if you do not get any great manifestations, you need not worry about it. You will get the testimony of Jesus Christ in your hearts and you will know God and Jesus whom He has sent, whom to know is life eternal, just as well as those who receive visions. For those who do receive visions, the devil will try to make them believe that they were delusions, and if they commit sin, he will be sure to make them believe it. God bless you, is my prayer. Amen.
The choir sang: "Ye simple souls who stray, Far from the paths of truth.
Benediction by Elder Jonathan G. Kimball.
Preservation and Multiplication of life—Dangers of sign seeking—Man established in the truth by faithfulness and the spirit of God.
It will give me great pleasure to receive the spirit to bear testimony to that which we have heard today and yesterday. I think the true spirit of counsel and instruction has rested upon the Apostles who have spoken to us during this conference so far, and I desire to say that I endorse with all my heart the excellent counsel and blessed instruction which they have given to this people. I sincerely hope we will remember these counsels, and remembering them, carry them out in our lives. It matters not how many good things we may hear, nor how much we may know, if we do not apply the instructions we receive and the knowledge we possess to the accomplishment of the work that we have in hand. The paramount duty is to labor for Zion, and work for our own salvation, that we may gain the victory over ourselves and over the powers of evil that are in the world. The Gospel has been preached to us, and we have essayed to obey it, that we might become the sons and daughters of God—heirs of God and joint-heirs with his Son. We can never attain to the blessings of the Gospel by merely becoming acquainted with it and then sitting down and doing nothing ourselves to stem the current of evil that is preying upon us and upon the world.
The remarks that have just been made by Brother Woodruff are worthy of attention and acceptation on the part of the young men and young women of Zion. Those who have taken upon themselves the responsibility of wedded life should see to it that they do not abuse the course of nature; that they do not destroy the principle of life within them, nor violate any of the commandments of God. The command which he gave in the beginning to multiply and replenish the earth is still in force upon the children of men. Possibly no greater sin could be committed by the people who have embraced this Gospel than to prevent or to destroy life in the manner indicated. We are born into the world that we may have life, and we live that we may have a fulness of joy, and if we will obtain a fulness of joy, we must obey the law of our creation and the law by which we may obtain the consummation of our righteous hopes and desires—life eternal.
If the time will permit, I desire to endorse the sentiments that were expressed by Brother Grant. It is a wicked and adulterous generation that seeketh after a sign. Show me Latter-day Saints who have to feed upon miracles, signs and visions in order to keep them steadfast in the Church, and I will show you members of the Church who are not in good standing before God, and who are walking in slippery paths. It is not by marvelous manifestations unto us that we shall be established in the truth, but it is by humility and faithful obedience to the commandments and laws of God. When I as a boy first started out in the ministry I would frequently go out and ask the Lord to show me some marvelous thing, in order that I might receive a testimony. But the Lord withheld marvels from me, and showed me the truth, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, until he made me to know the truth from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet, and until doubt and fear had been absolutely purged from me. He did not have to send an angel from the heavens to do this, nor did He have to speak with the trump of an archangel. By the whisperings of the still small voice of the spirit of the living God, He gave to me the testimony I possess. And by this principle and power He will give to all the children of men a knowledge of the truth that will stay with them, and it will make them to know the truth, as God knows it, and to do the will of the Father as Christ does it. And no amount of marvelous manifestations will ever accomplish this. It is obedience, humility and submission to the requirements of heaven and to the order established in the kingdom of God upon the earth that will establish men in the truth. Men may receive the visitation of angels; they may speak in tongues; they may interpret; they may prophesy; they may heal the sick by the laying on of hands; they may have visions and dreams; but except they are faithful and pure in heart, they become an easy prey to the adversary of their souls, and he will lead them into darkness and unbelief more easily than others. The devil himself can appear like an angel of light. False prophets and false teachers have arisen in the world. There is perhaps no gift of the spirit of God more easily imitated by the devil than the gift of tongues. Where two men or women exercise the gift of tongues by the inspiration of the spirit of God, there are a dozen perhaps that do it by the inspiration of the devil. Bless your souls, apostates speak in tongues, apostates prophesy; apostates claim to have marvelous manifestations. And what is that to us? The trouble is, we know so little of the truth ourselves and we live by it so poorly that almost any little jackanapes in the country may rise up and claim he has had a vision, or some marvelous dream, and however absurd or untrue it may be, he may find believers and followers among those who profess to be Latter-day Saints.
I believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit unto men, but I do not want the gift of tongues, except when I need it. I needed the gift of tongues once and the Lord gave it to me. I was in a foreign land, sent to preach the Gospel to a people whose language I could not understand. Then I sought earnestly for the gift of tongues, and by this gift and by study, in a hundred days after landing upon those islands I could talk to the people in their language as I now talk to you in my native tongue. This was a gift that was worthy of the Gospel. There was a purpose in it. There was something in it to strengthen my faith, to encourage me and to help me in my ministry. If you have need of this gift of tongues, seek for it and God will help you in it. But I do not ask you to be very hungry for the gift of tongues, for if you are not careful the devil will deceive you in it. He can talk by the gift of tongues as well as the Lord can. Paul did not seem to care much about the gift of tongues either. He said to the Corinthians:
"I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue."
So far as I am concerned, if the Lord will give me ability to teach the people in my native tongue, or in their own language to the understanding of those that hear me, that will be sufficient gift of tongues to me. Yet if the Lord gives us the gift of tongues, do not despise it, do not reject it. For if it comes from the Spirit of God, it will come to those who are worthy to receive it, and it is all right. But this idea of seeking it, desiring it, when you don't pay your tithing, when you don't pray in your families, when you don't pay your debts, when you desecrate the Sabbath day, and when you neglect other duties in the Church; I tell you the devil will take advantage of you bye and bye, if he does not at first. The time will not permit me. or I would like to take the Scriptures and read from them in relation to this subject. I love the truth; I love my brethren, and I know that the visiting of an angel alone will not keep one in the Church. The opening of the heavens to you in marvelous manifestations will not establish you in the truth. We have abundant proof of that in the history of the Church. But the men and the women who are honest before God, who humbly plod along, doing their duty, paying their tithing and exercising that pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father, which is to visit the fatherless and widows in their afflictions and to keep oneself unspotted from the world and who help look after the poor; and who honor the holy Priesthood, who do not run into excesses, who are prayerful in their families and who acknowledge the Lord in their hearts, they will build up a foundation that the gates of hell cannot prevail against; and if the floods come and the storms beat upon their house, it shall not fall, for it will be built upon the rock of eternal truth. I pray that this vast congregation will build upon this imperishable foundation, upon the principle expressed by the words of Joshua, "as for me and my house, we will serve God," and as also expressed by Job, "Though he slay me, yet will I put my trust in Him." If you have that spirit toward God and His work in these latter days, you will build, steadily and, slowly it may be, but surely, upon a foundation that will endure throughout the countless ages of eternity. And if you do not get any great manifestations, you need not worry about it. You will get the testimony of Jesus Christ in your hearts and you will know God and Jesus whom He has sent, whom to know is life eternal, just as well as those who receive visions. For those who do receive visions, the devil will try to make them believe that they were delusions, and if they commit sin, he will be sure to make them believe it. God bless you, is my prayer. Amen.
The choir sang: "Ye simple souls who stray, Far from the paths of truth.
Benediction by Elder Jonathan G. Kimball.
THIRD DAY. Sunday, April 6th, 10 a. m.
The choir and congregation sang the hymn commencing:
Redeemer of Israel, Our only delight,
On whom for a blessing we call.
Opening prayer by Elder Charles W. Penrose.
Singing by the choir:
All hail the glorious day,
By Prophets long foretold,
When, with harmonious lay,
The sheep of Israel's fold
On Zion's hill His praise proclaim,
And shout hosanna to His name.
The choir and congregation sang the hymn commencing:
Redeemer of Israel, Our only delight,
On whom for a blessing we call.
Opening prayer by Elder Charles W. Penrose.
Singing by the choir:
All hail the glorious day,
By Prophets long foretold,
When, with harmonious lay,
The sheep of Israel's fold
On Zion's hill His praise proclaim,
And shout hosanna to His name.
ELDER RUDGER CLAWSON.
A striking evidence of God's goodness—Tithing and consecration — Importance of Church records.
Brethren and sisters, I can say that I have greatly rejoiced in the spirit of this conference. We have truly had a time of instruction and refreshing to our souls, and this conference, held in the seventieth year of our age as a Church, has this far been one of the best that we have ever had. What a great variety of instruction has been given to this people, and we can see the growth and progress that has been made since we were convened in conference one year ago. We rejoice in it, and our hearts are made glad. Notwithstanding this, however, we witness things in the Church that need attention and correction, and we know that there is opportunity for still greater growth and progress. The Lord, as if in smiling approval of His Church (speaking of the Church as a whole) has sent a most glorious storm—a storm that was greatly needed and that gives promise of abundant crops in the year 1900. So greatly needed was this storm that the Latter-day Saints can overlook the inconvenience of getting around, and can lift up their hearts in praise and thanksgiving to God. Truly we are a blessed people.
I was very deeply impressed with the revelation that was read in part by President Snow at the Priesthood meeting last evening, and also the very instructive comments made upon it. It is of such great and vital interest that I have thought to read the revelation to you this morning. It is recorded in section 85 of the Book of Doctrine and Covenants. The Lord says:
"It is the duty of the Lord's clerk, whom He has appointed, to keep a history, and a general Church record of all things that transpire in Zion, and of all those who consecrate properties, and receive inheritances legally from the Bishop;
"And also their manner of life, their faith, and works; and also of the apostates who apostatize after receiving their inheritances.
"It is contrary to the will and commandment of God, that those who receive not their inheritance by consecration, agreeably to His law, which He has given, that He may tithe His people, to prepare them against the day of vengeance and burning, should have their names enrolled with the people of God;
"Neither is their genealogy to be kept, or to be had where it may be found on any records or history of the Church;
"Their names shall not be found, neither the names of the fathers, nor the names of the children written in the book of the law of God, saith the Lord of Hosts.
"Tea, thus said the still small voice, which whispereth through and pierceth all things, and often times it maketh my bones to awake while it maketh manifest, saying:
"And it shall come to pass that I, the Lord God. will send one mighty and strong, holding the scepter of power in his hand, clothed with light for a covering, whose mouth shall utter words, eternal words; while his bowels shall be a fountain of truth, to set in order the house of God, and to arrange by lot the inheritances of the Saint s. whose names are found, and the names of their fathers, and of their children, enrolled in the book of the law of God:
"While that man, who was called of God and appointed, that putteth forth his hand to steady the ark of God, shall fall by the shaft of death, like as a tree that is smitten by the vivid shaft of lightning;
"And all they who are not found written in the book of remembrance, shall find none inheritance in that day, but they shall be cut asunder, and their portion shall be appointed them among unbelievers, where are wailing and gnashing of teeth.
"These things I say not of myself: therefore, as the Lord speaketh, He will also fulfill.
"And they who are of the High Priesthood, whose names are not found written in the book of the law, or that are found to have apostatized, or to have been cut off from the Church; as well as the Lesser Priesthood, or the members, in that day, shall not find an inheritance among the Saints of the Most High;
"Therefore it shall be done unto them as unto the children of the priest, as will be found recorded in the second chapter and sixty-first verse of Ezra."
Brethren and sisters, the Lord in revealing to the Prophet Joseph that a day of vengeance and burning is coming upon the earth, did not desire, I think, to arouse any feelings of fear or anxiety in the minds of His people. It was simply that they should be made acquainted with the fact that such a day is coming upon the earth and also that there should be a preparation made by his people for that time, that they might be able to abide that great and dreadful day of the Lord. One peculiar feature of this revelation is that while the Lord speaks of this time of trouble and calamity, he also comes down to the simple matter as it might seem to some, of giving instructions to his clerk. He says that his clerk shall keep a history and a general Church record of all things that transpire in Zion, and in the manner of life and faith and works of His people, and especially that it should be recorded of His people that they pay their tithes and offerings, and later perhaps that they shall observe the law of consecration, that they may escape the day of vengeance and burning. We see that the Lord is very particular in this matter. In the early days of the Church, some baptisms for the dead that were not properly witnessed and recorded, were rejected of the Lord, and the work had to be done over again. We know that great care and attention is given to this matter today in our Temples, and that efficient help must be secured to do this. Let me tell you something in relation to this great Temple of the Lord in Salt Lake City. From the time that that Temple was dedicated, in 1893, up to the year 1899, there were 475,662 ordinances performed therein, and for the year 1899, 68,871 making a grand total of 544,337 ordinances performed in the House of the Lord for the living and the dead, and this does not include the work that has been done in other temples of God. Truly it is a great and marvelous work, and not the least important thing about it is that these ordinances are all carefully recorded in the books and are filed away in the archives of the Temple, to be brought forth in due time. From these records the people who have gone to that house will be judged. Nothing that is done in that Temple will be accepted of the Lord, except it is properly witnessed and recorded. The Temple work is strictly looked after each day, so that nothing is neglected or omitted, much to the credit of those who labor in the Temples. The great work performed in the Salt Lake Temple, has thus far been accomplished under the Presidency of our Prophet and Seer, and we rejoice in it.
I also want to say to you, my brethren and sisters, inasmuch as there is more or less anxiety at times among some of the Saints concerning the tithing, that the tithing records of this Church were never before in such good condition as they are today. I ask the Presidents of Stakes and the Bishops of wards to bear witness with me that the tithing is most strictly looked after, and that no mistakes occur, but which are readily detected. I was going to say that the "eagle eye" of the Presiding Bishop of this Church, through the very efficient help that he has, detects every inaccuracy and every neglect in the recording of the tithes. The Presiding Bishop is one of the Lord's clerks, and he of necessity must keep a strict and careful record. All of the tithing reports which come from the forty-two Stakes of Zion, covering Ave hundred and thirty-eight wards, are carefully tabulated and filed away in the Bishop's office, and you would be astonished, if you went there, to find how readily you could get any information pertaining to the tithing of this Church. There is no man, woman or child in this Church who has paid tithing, but whose name will be found upon the tithing records in the Bishop's office and the office of the First Presidency. It is all understood, and we are fast coming to that condition where nothing will be neglected or wasted. There are losses that occur in a natural and proper way, and that cannot be avoided, but the tithing is most carefully looked after. I have admired the system that is followed in the Presiding Bishop's office.
There is another matter that I would like to speak of briefly, and that is this: God has inspired his servant not only to look after the proper recording of the tithes of His people, but also to call for the names of the non-tithe-payers of the Church. This is something that has never been done before, so far as I know. A list most carefully prepared as to names, but not always as to explanations has been compiled and furnished the First Presidency of this Church. That action seems to have come to us through the inspiration of God, that it shall be known who are neglectful in the midst of His people. I do not know that I am authorized to tell you how many names there are in it, but I can say that it is a large book. It was presented at the Priesthood meeting last night as a text book to talk upon. President Snow talked from that text, and Presiding Bishop Preston talked on it. It was a big text, so large that he could hardly follow it. There is not a man or woman in this Church who ought to pay tithing and who does not, but whose name is recorded in that great book. It was designed that in each case a reason should be given why each person had not paid tithing. But this has not been fully done in all cases, owing no doubt to the fact that this is the first request of the kind that has been made of the Bishops of this Church; but there will be an improvement in this particular hereafter. The lines are being drawn. It must be known to the authorities of this Church and to the people who are faithful and who are not faithful. God requires it and it must be recorded, for the reason plainly set forth in the revelation, that those whose names are not found recorded in the book of the law of God shall have no inheritance in Zion in that day when our eternal inheritances shall be divided out to us. Therefore it is a matter of serious importance, and we appreciate the meaning of the great text that was given to us in our Priesthood meeting. I am sure that those who were present were deeply impressed by what they saw and the instructions that were given. Notwithstanding this, I desire to say that if the Latter-day Saints shall make as much advancement in the year 1900 as they have done in the year 1899, it will be a bright and glorious day for Zion. I believe that God is well pleased with the efforts that have been made and with the faithful among His people. There is one reflection I had concerning the book of which I have spoken, and that is, it simply gives the names of non-tithe-payers in the Church. It does not give the names of those who have paid only fifteen per cent of what they should pay, or twenty per cent, or fifty per cent, or seventy-five per cent. There are doubtless many of the people who only paid a partial tithing, or as Bishop Preston says, "a little ten per cent," which he informs us is no ten per cent at all. Ten per cent is ten per cent, and a tithing is ten per cent, neither more nor less. When it is below that, the view has been held that it is simply an offering to the Lord. However these partial payments have been accepted and recorded among the names of those who have paid tithing; for every man and woman in this Church shall have due credit for what they do.
I had the permission of the President of the Church to look through that book, and I want to give you a very brief summary of what I found there as to why many people in this Church failed to pay their tithing last year. There are some people who will say: "Of course there were those among us who did not pay tithing last year;— some young men doubtless who have just come into their majority, or who have perhaps for the first time earned a little means and are not acquainted with this great law of tithing." In answer to that I want to say that it is a mistake. There may have been some such, but there were many High Priests, Seventies, and Elders, as well as members of the Lesser Priesthood, who failed to observe the law in 1899. That is the most astonishing thing connected with it. And what is still more curious is some of the reasons that are given why these bearers of the Priesthood did not pay tithing. Let me say that in some cases no reasons were given at all, which indicated to me that the Bishops of those wards failed to see those who were derelict in their duty, failed to talk with them and get their reason for not paying tithing, which shows a great neglect. In some cases the reason given was, carelessness; in others, indifference; in others, a lack of faith. A very large number come under these heads. One High Priest was not converted to the principle. I say one; there was quite a number of High Priests against whose names the reason given was that they were not converted to the principle. In other words, they did not believe the revelation of God, and yet they were High Priests in the Church. The reason given in the case of one Elder was that he hadn't thought enough about it to see the necessity of it. Is it not rather remarkable that we can find an Elder in this Church who has not thought enough about the law of God to see the necessity of obeying it? I wonder if he thought enough about the principle of baptism to be baptized, or about the principle of laying on of hands to have the hands of the Priesthood laid upon him for the reception of the Holy Ghost? "We learned from President Cannon last night that the law of tithing is just as essential and as saving a principle as the principle of baptism or the laying on of hands. In another case an Elder, a member of one of the Stake boards of the Y. M. M. I. A., had never paid tithing, so I presume that he had never been converted. In the case of several High Priests and a number of Seventies, the reason given was that though they were abundantly able to observe this law, they were not willing. In the case of a number of Seventies, the reason given was that' they did not believe in paying tithing. I presume that would probably be the case with all who willfully neglected their duty. In the case of a High Priest, the reason given was that his wife paid a good tithing, but he did nothing. There may be a chance for that brother; his wife may be able to bring him into the kingdom. We hope so at least. Here, brethren and sisters, is a very remarkable explanation that was offered in the case of a Teacher in this Church. It does not say whether he was an active Teacher, or an ordained Teacher. The explanation is that he did not believe in tithing or in a God. The great wonder is that he is in the Church at all. In the case of an Elder, it was explained that he could not be persuaded to do anything in a Church capacity. This is not to be wondered at, for a man who fails to pay his tithing will lose the spirit of the work, and if he persists in that direction, he will apostatize and leave the Church, as sure as God lives. In the case of an Elder, the reason was given that he could not afford to pay tithing. Notwithstanding one-tenth of his earnings belonged to the Lord, he could not afford to pay to the Lord that which belonged to him, so he appropriated it and made use of it in other directions. In the case of a Seventy, it was said that he argued against the principle, and yet he is a Seventy in the Church! In the case of another, he had no faith in the Gospel! Here is a very strange explanation given in the case of a Seventy: It states that he does not like the Bishop, consequently he ignores the law of God. I suppose that because he does not like the Bishop, he won't be saved. Of one Elder it was said that he was full of good intentions for the future. Of course we have no means of knowing whether these good intentions may be relied upon for the future, but we do know that these good intentions did not lead him to pay his tithing in the year 1899. Here is an explanation, which will be the last I shall give: The Bishop, in referring to twelve non-tithe payers, says, "We think some of these would have paid tithing, had they been aroused immediately before the settlement of tithing." Well, confession is good for the soul, and that Bishop confesses that he failed entirely in his duty in not visiting these twelve non-tithe payers and arousing them to their duty. Of course, the great responsibility rests first upon the non-tithe payer, but after that there is a responsibility resting upon the Bishop and upon the president of the Stake. They should be familiar with the people in their Stake and in the ward who fail to pay tithing, and they should labor with them and try to bring them into a condition where they will keep the commandments of God. Now, in conclusion I want to bear testimony to the record that has been made by one ward in Salt Lake City — and perhaps the same may be said of others, for aught I know; but this ward has come to my attention through the Bishop. There were only four non-tithe-payers in that ward, and the ward paid to this Church something like ten thousand dollars in tithing. I tell you I was gratified, and I said to that Bishop, The reason to me is very apparent; you are interested in this matter of tithing, you are acquainted with your people. You know every tithe-payer in your ward, and you know every non-tithe-payer, or you could not tell me that there were only four, and you are looking after them. The trouble, as shown by this great report, is that the Bishops and the authorities have been somewhat derelict in their duty. In many cases the Bishop could not tell you how many non-tithe-payers there were in his ward, let alone not being able to tell you who they were and why they failed in this duty. Now, brethren and sisters, if there are in this vast congregation of Israel, or in any of the Stakes, people whose names appear on the record that President Snow exhibited to us, I say it is to your interest to see to it that your names are taken from it, and that they appear, instead, in the book of the law of God, in order that, in due time, you may receive your eternal inheritance in the kingdom of God; which is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.
A striking evidence of God's goodness—Tithing and consecration — Importance of Church records.
Brethren and sisters, I can say that I have greatly rejoiced in the spirit of this conference. We have truly had a time of instruction and refreshing to our souls, and this conference, held in the seventieth year of our age as a Church, has this far been one of the best that we have ever had. What a great variety of instruction has been given to this people, and we can see the growth and progress that has been made since we were convened in conference one year ago. We rejoice in it, and our hearts are made glad. Notwithstanding this, however, we witness things in the Church that need attention and correction, and we know that there is opportunity for still greater growth and progress. The Lord, as if in smiling approval of His Church (speaking of the Church as a whole) has sent a most glorious storm—a storm that was greatly needed and that gives promise of abundant crops in the year 1900. So greatly needed was this storm that the Latter-day Saints can overlook the inconvenience of getting around, and can lift up their hearts in praise and thanksgiving to God. Truly we are a blessed people.
I was very deeply impressed with the revelation that was read in part by President Snow at the Priesthood meeting last evening, and also the very instructive comments made upon it. It is of such great and vital interest that I have thought to read the revelation to you this morning. It is recorded in section 85 of the Book of Doctrine and Covenants. The Lord says:
"It is the duty of the Lord's clerk, whom He has appointed, to keep a history, and a general Church record of all things that transpire in Zion, and of all those who consecrate properties, and receive inheritances legally from the Bishop;
"And also their manner of life, their faith, and works; and also of the apostates who apostatize after receiving their inheritances.
"It is contrary to the will and commandment of God, that those who receive not their inheritance by consecration, agreeably to His law, which He has given, that He may tithe His people, to prepare them against the day of vengeance and burning, should have their names enrolled with the people of God;
"Neither is their genealogy to be kept, or to be had where it may be found on any records or history of the Church;
"Their names shall not be found, neither the names of the fathers, nor the names of the children written in the book of the law of God, saith the Lord of Hosts.
"Tea, thus said the still small voice, which whispereth through and pierceth all things, and often times it maketh my bones to awake while it maketh manifest, saying:
"And it shall come to pass that I, the Lord God. will send one mighty and strong, holding the scepter of power in his hand, clothed with light for a covering, whose mouth shall utter words, eternal words; while his bowels shall be a fountain of truth, to set in order the house of God, and to arrange by lot the inheritances of the Saint s. whose names are found, and the names of their fathers, and of their children, enrolled in the book of the law of God:
"While that man, who was called of God and appointed, that putteth forth his hand to steady the ark of God, shall fall by the shaft of death, like as a tree that is smitten by the vivid shaft of lightning;
"And all they who are not found written in the book of remembrance, shall find none inheritance in that day, but they shall be cut asunder, and their portion shall be appointed them among unbelievers, where are wailing and gnashing of teeth.
"These things I say not of myself: therefore, as the Lord speaketh, He will also fulfill.
"And they who are of the High Priesthood, whose names are not found written in the book of the law, or that are found to have apostatized, or to have been cut off from the Church; as well as the Lesser Priesthood, or the members, in that day, shall not find an inheritance among the Saints of the Most High;
"Therefore it shall be done unto them as unto the children of the priest, as will be found recorded in the second chapter and sixty-first verse of Ezra."
Brethren and sisters, the Lord in revealing to the Prophet Joseph that a day of vengeance and burning is coming upon the earth, did not desire, I think, to arouse any feelings of fear or anxiety in the minds of His people. It was simply that they should be made acquainted with the fact that such a day is coming upon the earth and also that there should be a preparation made by his people for that time, that they might be able to abide that great and dreadful day of the Lord. One peculiar feature of this revelation is that while the Lord speaks of this time of trouble and calamity, he also comes down to the simple matter as it might seem to some, of giving instructions to his clerk. He says that his clerk shall keep a history and a general Church record of all things that transpire in Zion, and in the manner of life and faith and works of His people, and especially that it should be recorded of His people that they pay their tithes and offerings, and later perhaps that they shall observe the law of consecration, that they may escape the day of vengeance and burning. We see that the Lord is very particular in this matter. In the early days of the Church, some baptisms for the dead that were not properly witnessed and recorded, were rejected of the Lord, and the work had to be done over again. We know that great care and attention is given to this matter today in our Temples, and that efficient help must be secured to do this. Let me tell you something in relation to this great Temple of the Lord in Salt Lake City. From the time that that Temple was dedicated, in 1893, up to the year 1899, there were 475,662 ordinances performed therein, and for the year 1899, 68,871 making a grand total of 544,337 ordinances performed in the House of the Lord for the living and the dead, and this does not include the work that has been done in other temples of God. Truly it is a great and marvelous work, and not the least important thing about it is that these ordinances are all carefully recorded in the books and are filed away in the archives of the Temple, to be brought forth in due time. From these records the people who have gone to that house will be judged. Nothing that is done in that Temple will be accepted of the Lord, except it is properly witnessed and recorded. The Temple work is strictly looked after each day, so that nothing is neglected or omitted, much to the credit of those who labor in the Temples. The great work performed in the Salt Lake Temple, has thus far been accomplished under the Presidency of our Prophet and Seer, and we rejoice in it.
I also want to say to you, my brethren and sisters, inasmuch as there is more or less anxiety at times among some of the Saints concerning the tithing, that the tithing records of this Church were never before in such good condition as they are today. I ask the Presidents of Stakes and the Bishops of wards to bear witness with me that the tithing is most strictly looked after, and that no mistakes occur, but which are readily detected. I was going to say that the "eagle eye" of the Presiding Bishop of this Church, through the very efficient help that he has, detects every inaccuracy and every neglect in the recording of the tithes. The Presiding Bishop is one of the Lord's clerks, and he of necessity must keep a strict and careful record. All of the tithing reports which come from the forty-two Stakes of Zion, covering Ave hundred and thirty-eight wards, are carefully tabulated and filed away in the Bishop's office, and you would be astonished, if you went there, to find how readily you could get any information pertaining to the tithing of this Church. There is no man, woman or child in this Church who has paid tithing, but whose name will be found upon the tithing records in the Bishop's office and the office of the First Presidency. It is all understood, and we are fast coming to that condition where nothing will be neglected or wasted. There are losses that occur in a natural and proper way, and that cannot be avoided, but the tithing is most carefully looked after. I have admired the system that is followed in the Presiding Bishop's office.
There is another matter that I would like to speak of briefly, and that is this: God has inspired his servant not only to look after the proper recording of the tithes of His people, but also to call for the names of the non-tithe-payers of the Church. This is something that has never been done before, so far as I know. A list most carefully prepared as to names, but not always as to explanations has been compiled and furnished the First Presidency of this Church. That action seems to have come to us through the inspiration of God, that it shall be known who are neglectful in the midst of His people. I do not know that I am authorized to tell you how many names there are in it, but I can say that it is a large book. It was presented at the Priesthood meeting last night as a text book to talk upon. President Snow talked from that text, and Presiding Bishop Preston talked on it. It was a big text, so large that he could hardly follow it. There is not a man or woman in this Church who ought to pay tithing and who does not, but whose name is recorded in that great book. It was designed that in each case a reason should be given why each person had not paid tithing. But this has not been fully done in all cases, owing no doubt to the fact that this is the first request of the kind that has been made of the Bishops of this Church; but there will be an improvement in this particular hereafter. The lines are being drawn. It must be known to the authorities of this Church and to the people who are faithful and who are not faithful. God requires it and it must be recorded, for the reason plainly set forth in the revelation, that those whose names are not found recorded in the book of the law of God shall have no inheritance in Zion in that day when our eternal inheritances shall be divided out to us. Therefore it is a matter of serious importance, and we appreciate the meaning of the great text that was given to us in our Priesthood meeting. I am sure that those who were present were deeply impressed by what they saw and the instructions that were given. Notwithstanding this, I desire to say that if the Latter-day Saints shall make as much advancement in the year 1900 as they have done in the year 1899, it will be a bright and glorious day for Zion. I believe that God is well pleased with the efforts that have been made and with the faithful among His people. There is one reflection I had concerning the book of which I have spoken, and that is, it simply gives the names of non-tithe-payers in the Church. It does not give the names of those who have paid only fifteen per cent of what they should pay, or twenty per cent, or fifty per cent, or seventy-five per cent. There are doubtless many of the people who only paid a partial tithing, or as Bishop Preston says, "a little ten per cent," which he informs us is no ten per cent at all. Ten per cent is ten per cent, and a tithing is ten per cent, neither more nor less. When it is below that, the view has been held that it is simply an offering to the Lord. However these partial payments have been accepted and recorded among the names of those who have paid tithing; for every man and woman in this Church shall have due credit for what they do.
I had the permission of the President of the Church to look through that book, and I want to give you a very brief summary of what I found there as to why many people in this Church failed to pay their tithing last year. There are some people who will say: "Of course there were those among us who did not pay tithing last year;— some young men doubtless who have just come into their majority, or who have perhaps for the first time earned a little means and are not acquainted with this great law of tithing." In answer to that I want to say that it is a mistake. There may have been some such, but there were many High Priests, Seventies, and Elders, as well as members of the Lesser Priesthood, who failed to observe the law in 1899. That is the most astonishing thing connected with it. And what is still more curious is some of the reasons that are given why these bearers of the Priesthood did not pay tithing. Let me say that in some cases no reasons were given at all, which indicated to me that the Bishops of those wards failed to see those who were derelict in their duty, failed to talk with them and get their reason for not paying tithing, which shows a great neglect. In some cases the reason given was, carelessness; in others, indifference; in others, a lack of faith. A very large number come under these heads. One High Priest was not converted to the principle. I say one; there was quite a number of High Priests against whose names the reason given was that they were not converted to the principle. In other words, they did not believe the revelation of God, and yet they were High Priests in the Church. The reason given in the case of one Elder was that he hadn't thought enough about it to see the necessity of it. Is it not rather remarkable that we can find an Elder in this Church who has not thought enough about the law of God to see the necessity of obeying it? I wonder if he thought enough about the principle of baptism to be baptized, or about the principle of laying on of hands to have the hands of the Priesthood laid upon him for the reception of the Holy Ghost? "We learned from President Cannon last night that the law of tithing is just as essential and as saving a principle as the principle of baptism or the laying on of hands. In another case an Elder, a member of one of the Stake boards of the Y. M. M. I. A., had never paid tithing, so I presume that he had never been converted. In the case of several High Priests and a number of Seventies, the reason given was that though they were abundantly able to observe this law, they were not willing. In the case of a number of Seventies, the reason given was that' they did not believe in paying tithing. I presume that would probably be the case with all who willfully neglected their duty. In the case of a High Priest, the reason given was that his wife paid a good tithing, but he did nothing. There may be a chance for that brother; his wife may be able to bring him into the kingdom. We hope so at least. Here, brethren and sisters, is a very remarkable explanation that was offered in the case of a Teacher in this Church. It does not say whether he was an active Teacher, or an ordained Teacher. The explanation is that he did not believe in tithing or in a God. The great wonder is that he is in the Church at all. In the case of an Elder, it was explained that he could not be persuaded to do anything in a Church capacity. This is not to be wondered at, for a man who fails to pay his tithing will lose the spirit of the work, and if he persists in that direction, he will apostatize and leave the Church, as sure as God lives. In the case of an Elder, the reason was given that he could not afford to pay tithing. Notwithstanding one-tenth of his earnings belonged to the Lord, he could not afford to pay to the Lord that which belonged to him, so he appropriated it and made use of it in other directions. In the case of a Seventy, it was said that he argued against the principle, and yet he is a Seventy in the Church! In the case of another, he had no faith in the Gospel! Here is a very strange explanation given in the case of a Seventy: It states that he does not like the Bishop, consequently he ignores the law of God. I suppose that because he does not like the Bishop, he won't be saved. Of one Elder it was said that he was full of good intentions for the future. Of course we have no means of knowing whether these good intentions may be relied upon for the future, but we do know that these good intentions did not lead him to pay his tithing in the year 1899. Here is an explanation, which will be the last I shall give: The Bishop, in referring to twelve non-tithe payers, says, "We think some of these would have paid tithing, had they been aroused immediately before the settlement of tithing." Well, confession is good for the soul, and that Bishop confesses that he failed entirely in his duty in not visiting these twelve non-tithe payers and arousing them to their duty. Of course, the great responsibility rests first upon the non-tithe payer, but after that there is a responsibility resting upon the Bishop and upon the president of the Stake. They should be familiar with the people in their Stake and in the ward who fail to pay tithing, and they should labor with them and try to bring them into a condition where they will keep the commandments of God. Now, in conclusion I want to bear testimony to the record that has been made by one ward in Salt Lake City — and perhaps the same may be said of others, for aught I know; but this ward has come to my attention through the Bishop. There were only four non-tithe-payers in that ward, and the ward paid to this Church something like ten thousand dollars in tithing. I tell you I was gratified, and I said to that Bishop, The reason to me is very apparent; you are interested in this matter of tithing, you are acquainted with your people. You know every tithe-payer in your ward, and you know every non-tithe-payer, or you could not tell me that there were only four, and you are looking after them. The trouble, as shown by this great report, is that the Bishops and the authorities have been somewhat derelict in their duty. In many cases the Bishop could not tell you how many non-tithe-payers there were in his ward, let alone not being able to tell you who they were and why they failed in this duty. Now, brethren and sisters, if there are in this vast congregation of Israel, or in any of the Stakes, people whose names appear on the record that President Snow exhibited to us, I say it is to your interest to see to it that your names are taken from it, and that they appear, instead, in the book of the law of God, in order that, in due time, you may receive your eternal inheritance in the kingdom of God; which is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.
PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH.
Importance of the law of tithing—A source of revenue and a Means of distinguishing the faithful from the unfaithful—None should be denied the privilege of obeying this law.
My beloved brethren and sisters, I sincerely desire the presence and influence of the good Spirit during the few moments that I shall stand before you. that I may be guided in my remarks in wisdom, and that what may be said may be profitable.
The subject that has been spoken of this morning is one of vital importance for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints, not only to the body of the Church, but to each individual member; for the law of tithing- is a test by which the people as individuals shall be proven. Any man who fails to observe this principle shall be known as a man who is indifferent to the welfare of Zion, who neglects his duty as a member of the Church, and who does nothing toward the accomplishment of the temporal advancement of the kingdom of God. He contributes nothing, either, towards the building of temples or maintaining them; he does nothing towards spreading the Gospel to the nations of the earth, and he neglects to do that which would entitle him to receive the blessings and ordinances of the Gospel. Every member of the Church ought to possess that loyalty of feeling toward the cause that he would feel himself wronged if he were denied the privilege of contributing to the sustenance of the Church of Christ in the earth. The law of tithing is the law of revenue for the Church. There is no organization in the world having for its object the benefit of mankind, the building up of industries, or the protection of the rights of the people, but what must provide means with which to carry out these purposes.
When the Lord restored the Gospel the spirit of gathering came with it. The Lord commanded the people to gather together, and that they should not only be organized as a Church, but that they should be organized under the laws of the land, so that they might not be helpless and dependent and without influence or power; but that by means of united effort and faith they should become a power for the accomplishment of righteousness in the earth (D. & C. Sec. 44; 4-5). In order that there might be means with which to accomplish every temporal good for the people, the Lord instituted this law of tithing in the place of the greater and more perfect law of Zion. The Lord revealed to his people in the incipiency of His work a law which was more perfect than the law of tithing. It comprehended larger things, greater power and a more speedy accomplishment of the purposes of the Lord. But the people were unprepared to live by it, and the Lord, out of mercy to the people, suspended the more perfect law, and gave the law of tithing, in order that there might be means in the storehouse of the Lord for the carrying out of the purposes He had in view; for the gathering of the poor, for the spreading of the Gospel to the nations of the earth, for the maintenance of those who were required to give their constant attention, day in and day out, to the work of the Lord, and for whom it was necessary to make some provision. Without this law these things could not be done, neither could Temples be built and maintained, nor the poor fed and clothed. Therefore the law of tithing is necessary for the Church, so much so that the Lord has laid great stress upon it, as will be seen in these words:
"And I say unto you, if my people observe not this law, to keep it holy, and by this law sanctify the land of Zion unto me, that my statutes and judgments may be kept thereon, that it may be most holy, behold, verily I say unto you, it shall not be a land of Zion unto you;
“And this shall be an ensample unto all the Stakes of Zion. Even so. Amen."
By this principle the loyalty of the people of this Church shall be put to the test. By this principle it shall be known who is for the kingdom of God and who is against it. By this principle it shall be seen whose hearts are set on doing the will of God and keeping His commandments, thereby sanctifying the land of Zion unto God, and who are opposed to this principle and have cut themselves off from the blessings of Zion. There is a great deal of importance connected with this principle, for by it it shall be known whether we are faithful or unfaithful. In this respect it is as essential as faith in God, as repentance of sin, as baptism for the remission of sin, or as the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. For if a man keep all the law save in one point, and he offend in that, he is a. transgressor of the law, and he is not entitled to the fullness of the blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But when a man keeps all the law that is revealed, according to his strength, his substance and his ability, though what he does may be little, it is just as acceptable in the sight of God as though he were able to do a thousand times more.
While this matter of non-tithe-payers was being talked over, I heard of a Bishop who refused to receive tithing from a person because that person was poor. I wondered what Bishop it was. What Bishop is there in the Church who would deny a woman, even though she was fed and clothed out of the tithings of the people, the privilege of having her name recorded in the books? I will read a few words out of the same revelation that Brother Clawson has read to us this morning:
“It is contrary to the will and commandment of God, that those who receive not their inheritance by consecration, agreeably to this law, which He has given, that He may tithe His people, to prepare them against the day of vengeance and burning, should have their names enrolled with the people of God ;
"Neither is their genealogy to be kept, or to be had where it may be found on any of the records or history of the Church;
“Their names shall not be found, neither the names of the fathers, nor the names of the children written in the book of the law of God, saith the Lord of hosts."
Will you then deny the widow, because she has only a mite to bestow? Because the tenth which she proposes to give in obedience to the commandment of God is but a penny, are you going to deprive her of the privilege of having her name enrolled on the book of the law of the Lord, and of having her genealogy acknowledged and recorded in the archives of the Church? And because her name is not found there, are you going to deny her the privileges of the House of God and of the ordinances of the Gospel? I think it is time the Bishops understood this principle. The Bishop should encourage every man, woman and child that earns and receives in return for his labor, to honor the Lord and to prove his obedience to the law of God by giving the one-tenth of that which he or she receives, as the Lord requires, so that they may have their names enrolled on the book of the law of the Lord, that their genealogies may be had in the archives of the Church, and that they may be entitled to the privileges and blessings of the house of God.
I recollect most vividly a circumstance that occurred in the days of my childhood. My mother was a widow, with a large family to provide for. One spring when we opened our potato pits she had her boys get a load of the best potatoes, and she took them to the tithing office; potatoes were scarce that season. I was a little boy at the time, and drove the team. When we drove up to the steps of the tithing office, ready to unload the potatoes, one of the clerks came out and said to my mother, "Widow Smith, it's a shame that you should have to pay tithing." He said a number of other things that I remember well, but they are not necessary for me to repeat here. The first two letters of the name of that tithing clerk was William Thompson, and he chided my mother for paying her tithing, called her anything but wise or prudent; and said there were others who were strong and able to work that were supported from the tithing office. My mother turned upon him and said: "William, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. Would you deny me a blessing? If I did not pay my tithing, I should expect the Lord to withhold His blessings from me. I pay my tithing, not only because it is a law of God, but because I expect a blessing by doing it. By keeping this and other laws, I expect to prosper and to be able to provide for my family." Though she was a widow, you may turn to the records of the Church from the beginning unto the day of her death, and you will find that she never received a farthing from the Church to help her support herself and her family; but she paid in thousands of dollars in wheat, potatoes, corn, vegetables, meat, etc. The tithes of her sheep and cattle, the tenth pound of her butter, her tenth chicken, the tenth of her eggs, the tenth pig, the tenth calf, the tenth colt—a tenth of everything she raised was paid. Here sits my brother, who can bear testimony to the truth of what I say, as can others who knew her. She prospered because she obeyed the laws of God. She had abundance to sustain her family. We never lacked so much as many others did; for while we found nettle greens most acceptable when we first came to the valley; and while we enjoyed thistle roots, segues and all that kind of thing, we were no worse off than thousands of others, and not so bad off as many, for we were never without corn-meal and milk or butter, to my knowledge. Then that widow had her name recorded in the book of the law of the Lord. That widow was entitled to the privileges of the house of God. No ordinance of the Gospel could be denied her, for she was obedient to the laws of God, and she would not fail in her duty when though discouraged from observing a commandment of God by one who was in an official position.
This may be said to be personal. By some it may be considered egotistical. But I do not speak of it in this light. When William Thompson told my mother that she ought not to pay tithing, I thought he was one of the finest fellows in the world. I believed every word he said. I had to work and dig and toil myself. I had to help plow the ground, plant the potatoes, hoe the potatoes, dig the potatoes, and all that sort of thing, and then to load up a big wagon-box full of the very best we had, leaving out the poor ones, and bringing the load to the tithing office, I thought in my childish way that it looked a little hard, especially when I saw certain of my playmates and early associates of childhood, playing around, riding horses and having good times, and who scarcely ever did a lick of work in their lives, and yet were being fed from the public crib. Where are those boys today? Are they known in the Church? Are they prominent among the people of God? Are they or were they ever valiant in the testimony of Jesus Christ? Have they a clear testimony of the truth in their hearts? Are they diligent members of the Church? No, and never have been — as a rule—and most of them are dead or vanished out of sight. Well, after I got a few years of experience, I was converted, I found that my mother was right and that William Thompson was wrong. He denied the faith, apostatized, left the country and led away as many of his family as would go with him. I do not want you to deny me the privilege of being numbered with those who have the interests of Zion at heart and who desire to contribute their proportion to the upbuilding of Zion and for the maintenance of the work of the Lord in the earth. It is a blessing that I enjoy, and I do not propose that anybody shall deprive me of that pleasure.
This is the way I feel in relation to the principle of tithing. We must provide revenue for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the proper way to do it is by giving to the- Lord the one-tenth that he asks of us. Those who will do this, will receive the reward that he has promised. There is a promise of blessing attached to the observance of this law (Mai. 3: 10—13.) If you will sanctify the land' of Zion unto the Lord through the observance of this law, it shall be a, land of Zion unto you. The Lord wilt bless the land and make it fruitful unto you, as He did the land of the children of Israel. In ancient times the Lord blessed the earth for those who observed the law of tithing (2 Chron. 31: 5). This law was given to the children of Israel, and when they obeyed it they were prospered and had abundance; when they disobeyed it, they were afflicted with drought, with mildew, with rust, with the devouring insect, and they were impoverished and destroyed because they did not observe the law. Now, it makes no difference what happened to the ancients, or what the results may be to me. Though the Lord should try me by withholding His blessing from me and making me to drink to the very dregs the bitter cup of poverty, that should make no difference to me. The point is, what is the law of God? And if I know that law, it is my duty to obey it, though I suffer death in consequence. Many a man has gone to the stake in obedience, as he believed, to the commandments of God. Not one of the ancient disciples who were chosen of Jesus Christ, escaped martyrdom, except Judas and John. Judas betrayed the Lord, and then sacrificed his own life; and John received the promise of the Lord that he should live until he came again to the earth. All the others were put to death, some crucified, some dragged in the streets of Rome, some thrown from pinnacles, and some stoned to death. What for? For obeying the law of God and bearing testimony to that which they knew to be true. So may it be today. But let the spirit of this Gospel be so imbedded in my soul that though I go through poverty, through tribulation, through persecution, or to death, let me and my house serve God and keep His laws. However, the promise is that you shall be blessed through obedience. God will honor them that honor Him, and will remember them that remember Him. He will uphold and sustain all those who sustain truth and are faithful to it. God help us therefore to be faithful to the truth, now and forever, is my prayer in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Importance of the law of tithing—A source of revenue and a Means of distinguishing the faithful from the unfaithful—None should be denied the privilege of obeying this law.
My beloved brethren and sisters, I sincerely desire the presence and influence of the good Spirit during the few moments that I shall stand before you. that I may be guided in my remarks in wisdom, and that what may be said may be profitable.
The subject that has been spoken of this morning is one of vital importance for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints, not only to the body of the Church, but to each individual member; for the law of tithing- is a test by which the people as individuals shall be proven. Any man who fails to observe this principle shall be known as a man who is indifferent to the welfare of Zion, who neglects his duty as a member of the Church, and who does nothing toward the accomplishment of the temporal advancement of the kingdom of God. He contributes nothing, either, towards the building of temples or maintaining them; he does nothing towards spreading the Gospel to the nations of the earth, and he neglects to do that which would entitle him to receive the blessings and ordinances of the Gospel. Every member of the Church ought to possess that loyalty of feeling toward the cause that he would feel himself wronged if he were denied the privilege of contributing to the sustenance of the Church of Christ in the earth. The law of tithing is the law of revenue for the Church. There is no organization in the world having for its object the benefit of mankind, the building up of industries, or the protection of the rights of the people, but what must provide means with which to carry out these purposes.
When the Lord restored the Gospel the spirit of gathering came with it. The Lord commanded the people to gather together, and that they should not only be organized as a Church, but that they should be organized under the laws of the land, so that they might not be helpless and dependent and without influence or power; but that by means of united effort and faith they should become a power for the accomplishment of righteousness in the earth (D. & C. Sec. 44; 4-5). In order that there might be means with which to accomplish every temporal good for the people, the Lord instituted this law of tithing in the place of the greater and more perfect law of Zion. The Lord revealed to his people in the incipiency of His work a law which was more perfect than the law of tithing. It comprehended larger things, greater power and a more speedy accomplishment of the purposes of the Lord. But the people were unprepared to live by it, and the Lord, out of mercy to the people, suspended the more perfect law, and gave the law of tithing, in order that there might be means in the storehouse of the Lord for the carrying out of the purposes He had in view; for the gathering of the poor, for the spreading of the Gospel to the nations of the earth, for the maintenance of those who were required to give their constant attention, day in and day out, to the work of the Lord, and for whom it was necessary to make some provision. Without this law these things could not be done, neither could Temples be built and maintained, nor the poor fed and clothed. Therefore the law of tithing is necessary for the Church, so much so that the Lord has laid great stress upon it, as will be seen in these words:
"And I say unto you, if my people observe not this law, to keep it holy, and by this law sanctify the land of Zion unto me, that my statutes and judgments may be kept thereon, that it may be most holy, behold, verily I say unto you, it shall not be a land of Zion unto you;
“And this shall be an ensample unto all the Stakes of Zion. Even so. Amen."
By this principle the loyalty of the people of this Church shall be put to the test. By this principle it shall be known who is for the kingdom of God and who is against it. By this principle it shall be seen whose hearts are set on doing the will of God and keeping His commandments, thereby sanctifying the land of Zion unto God, and who are opposed to this principle and have cut themselves off from the blessings of Zion. There is a great deal of importance connected with this principle, for by it it shall be known whether we are faithful or unfaithful. In this respect it is as essential as faith in God, as repentance of sin, as baptism for the remission of sin, or as the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. For if a man keep all the law save in one point, and he offend in that, he is a. transgressor of the law, and he is not entitled to the fullness of the blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But when a man keeps all the law that is revealed, according to his strength, his substance and his ability, though what he does may be little, it is just as acceptable in the sight of God as though he were able to do a thousand times more.
While this matter of non-tithe-payers was being talked over, I heard of a Bishop who refused to receive tithing from a person because that person was poor. I wondered what Bishop it was. What Bishop is there in the Church who would deny a woman, even though she was fed and clothed out of the tithings of the people, the privilege of having her name recorded in the books? I will read a few words out of the same revelation that Brother Clawson has read to us this morning:
“It is contrary to the will and commandment of God, that those who receive not their inheritance by consecration, agreeably to this law, which He has given, that He may tithe His people, to prepare them against the day of vengeance and burning, should have their names enrolled with the people of God ;
"Neither is their genealogy to be kept, or to be had where it may be found on any of the records or history of the Church;
“Their names shall not be found, neither the names of the fathers, nor the names of the children written in the book of the law of God, saith the Lord of hosts."
Will you then deny the widow, because she has only a mite to bestow? Because the tenth which she proposes to give in obedience to the commandment of God is but a penny, are you going to deprive her of the privilege of having her name enrolled on the book of the law of the Lord, and of having her genealogy acknowledged and recorded in the archives of the Church? And because her name is not found there, are you going to deny her the privileges of the House of God and of the ordinances of the Gospel? I think it is time the Bishops understood this principle. The Bishop should encourage every man, woman and child that earns and receives in return for his labor, to honor the Lord and to prove his obedience to the law of God by giving the one-tenth of that which he or she receives, as the Lord requires, so that they may have their names enrolled on the book of the law of the Lord, that their genealogies may be had in the archives of the Church, and that they may be entitled to the privileges and blessings of the house of God.
I recollect most vividly a circumstance that occurred in the days of my childhood. My mother was a widow, with a large family to provide for. One spring when we opened our potato pits she had her boys get a load of the best potatoes, and she took them to the tithing office; potatoes were scarce that season. I was a little boy at the time, and drove the team. When we drove up to the steps of the tithing office, ready to unload the potatoes, one of the clerks came out and said to my mother, "Widow Smith, it's a shame that you should have to pay tithing." He said a number of other things that I remember well, but they are not necessary for me to repeat here. The first two letters of the name of that tithing clerk was William Thompson, and he chided my mother for paying her tithing, called her anything but wise or prudent; and said there were others who were strong and able to work that were supported from the tithing office. My mother turned upon him and said: "William, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. Would you deny me a blessing? If I did not pay my tithing, I should expect the Lord to withhold His blessings from me. I pay my tithing, not only because it is a law of God, but because I expect a blessing by doing it. By keeping this and other laws, I expect to prosper and to be able to provide for my family." Though she was a widow, you may turn to the records of the Church from the beginning unto the day of her death, and you will find that she never received a farthing from the Church to help her support herself and her family; but she paid in thousands of dollars in wheat, potatoes, corn, vegetables, meat, etc. The tithes of her sheep and cattle, the tenth pound of her butter, her tenth chicken, the tenth of her eggs, the tenth pig, the tenth calf, the tenth colt—a tenth of everything she raised was paid. Here sits my brother, who can bear testimony to the truth of what I say, as can others who knew her. She prospered because she obeyed the laws of God. She had abundance to sustain her family. We never lacked so much as many others did; for while we found nettle greens most acceptable when we first came to the valley; and while we enjoyed thistle roots, segues and all that kind of thing, we were no worse off than thousands of others, and not so bad off as many, for we were never without corn-meal and milk or butter, to my knowledge. Then that widow had her name recorded in the book of the law of the Lord. That widow was entitled to the privileges of the house of God. No ordinance of the Gospel could be denied her, for she was obedient to the laws of God, and she would not fail in her duty when though discouraged from observing a commandment of God by one who was in an official position.
This may be said to be personal. By some it may be considered egotistical. But I do not speak of it in this light. When William Thompson told my mother that she ought not to pay tithing, I thought he was one of the finest fellows in the world. I believed every word he said. I had to work and dig and toil myself. I had to help plow the ground, plant the potatoes, hoe the potatoes, dig the potatoes, and all that sort of thing, and then to load up a big wagon-box full of the very best we had, leaving out the poor ones, and bringing the load to the tithing office, I thought in my childish way that it looked a little hard, especially when I saw certain of my playmates and early associates of childhood, playing around, riding horses and having good times, and who scarcely ever did a lick of work in their lives, and yet were being fed from the public crib. Where are those boys today? Are they known in the Church? Are they prominent among the people of God? Are they or were they ever valiant in the testimony of Jesus Christ? Have they a clear testimony of the truth in their hearts? Are they diligent members of the Church? No, and never have been — as a rule—and most of them are dead or vanished out of sight. Well, after I got a few years of experience, I was converted, I found that my mother was right and that William Thompson was wrong. He denied the faith, apostatized, left the country and led away as many of his family as would go with him. I do not want you to deny me the privilege of being numbered with those who have the interests of Zion at heart and who desire to contribute their proportion to the upbuilding of Zion and for the maintenance of the work of the Lord in the earth. It is a blessing that I enjoy, and I do not propose that anybody shall deprive me of that pleasure.
This is the way I feel in relation to the principle of tithing. We must provide revenue for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the proper way to do it is by giving to the- Lord the one-tenth that he asks of us. Those who will do this, will receive the reward that he has promised. There is a promise of blessing attached to the observance of this law (Mai. 3: 10—13.) If you will sanctify the land' of Zion unto the Lord through the observance of this law, it shall be a, land of Zion unto you. The Lord wilt bless the land and make it fruitful unto you, as He did the land of the children of Israel. In ancient times the Lord blessed the earth for those who observed the law of tithing (2 Chron. 31: 5). This law was given to the children of Israel, and when they obeyed it they were prospered and had abundance; when they disobeyed it, they were afflicted with drought, with mildew, with rust, with the devouring insect, and they were impoverished and destroyed because they did not observe the law. Now, it makes no difference what happened to the ancients, or what the results may be to me. Though the Lord should try me by withholding His blessing from me and making me to drink to the very dregs the bitter cup of poverty, that should make no difference to me. The point is, what is the law of God? And if I know that law, it is my duty to obey it, though I suffer death in consequence. Many a man has gone to the stake in obedience, as he believed, to the commandments of God. Not one of the ancient disciples who were chosen of Jesus Christ, escaped martyrdom, except Judas and John. Judas betrayed the Lord, and then sacrificed his own life; and John received the promise of the Lord that he should live until he came again to the earth. All the others were put to death, some crucified, some dragged in the streets of Rome, some thrown from pinnacles, and some stoned to death. What for? For obeying the law of God and bearing testimony to that which they knew to be true. So may it be today. But let the spirit of this Gospel be so imbedded in my soul that though I go through poverty, through tribulation, through persecution, or to death, let me and my house serve God and keep His laws. However, the promise is that you shall be blessed through obedience. God will honor them that honor Him, and will remember them that remember Him. He will uphold and sustain all those who sustain truth and are faithful to it. God help us therefore to be faithful to the truth, now and forever, is my prayer in the name of Jesus, Amen.
ELDER WM. H. SMART,
president of the Eastern States mission, said:
I take great pleasure in assembling with you in this conference and I am enjoying a spiritual feast, in listening to the counsels that come to us from God through His Holy servants. The uppermost thought in my mind is that God has indicted the counsels that have been given to us in our meetings thus far. I have been away from the body of the Church for two years, as a missionary to the Eastern States. While I have been absent when conference time has rolled around my spirit has been here and I have longed to sit under the sanctuary and receive the word of God as it is given from time to time by His servants. I desire to bear my testimony to you, my co-laborers, ' that God has inspired His Prophet in this day with regard to the law of tithing, and that this spirit is not only in Zion but that it has spread abroad into every part of the world where the Saints and Elders are living. A little less than a year ago, after the word of the Lord had come through our Prophet with regard to this law of tithing, we caught up the spirit of it in the Eastern States mission. It electrified us. It was nothing but the power of God that did it. The spirit bore witness to us that that word was from God and that it was not of man. I do not feel that I have power to take up your valuable time this morning, but I did want to bear this testimony unto you, and I do it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
president of the Eastern States mission, said:
I take great pleasure in assembling with you in this conference and I am enjoying a spiritual feast, in listening to the counsels that come to us from God through His Holy servants. The uppermost thought in my mind is that God has indicted the counsels that have been given to us in our meetings thus far. I have been away from the body of the Church for two years, as a missionary to the Eastern States. While I have been absent when conference time has rolled around my spirit has been here and I have longed to sit under the sanctuary and receive the word of God as it is given from time to time by His servants. I desire to bear my testimony to you, my co-laborers, ' that God has inspired His Prophet in this day with regard to the law of tithing, and that this spirit is not only in Zion but that it has spread abroad into every part of the world where the Saints and Elders are living. A little less than a year ago, after the word of the Lord had come through our Prophet with regard to this law of tithing, we caught up the spirit of it in the Eastern States mission. It electrified us. It was nothing but the power of God that did it. The spirit bore witness to us that that word was from God and that it was not of man. I do not feel that I have power to take up your valuable time this morning, but I did want to bear this testimony unto you, and I do it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
ELDER E. H. NYE,
president of the California mission:
My brothers and sisters, it is a wonderful privilege to meet with you in this conference. It seems as though I am hardly able to control my feelings, I am so overcome with joy in meeting with the Saints of the Most High. The spirit that has prevailed throughout this conference thus far has been a joy to my soul. I thank the Lord my God and my brethren the Presidency that I have been permitted to come to Zion from the State of California, where I have been laboring for the last three years and a half as a missionary. This grand question of tithing has been with us, and I bear testimony with my brother, Elder Smart, who has just preceded me, that the same spirit permeated the hearts of the Saints throughout the State of California, so much so that they have come to the front, paid their tithes and their offerings and enabled us to carry on the mission in that part of the world. I rejoice in this and in the testimony that has been given and in the spirit that has actuated the servants of God, who have spoken to us the words of life and salvation in these meetings. It seems to me that if we could comprehend the situation, every man and woman would rise in the strength of their manhood and womanhood and rejoice in the privilege of performing this wonderful work. We have in our own hands a key to the spiritual blessings of the Almighty. We meet together in our various wards and branches and partake of the sacred emblems of the flesh and blood of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. I am always impressed with the importance of that sacred ordinance, for in that it seems to me we have a key to the spiritual blessings of the Almighty. Let me call your attention for a moment to what we do in partaking of that ordinance:
"Witness unto thee. O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember Him, and keep His commandments which he has given them."
What for? "That they may always have His spirit to be with them." Every time that we partake of that sacred ordinance we enter into a covenant with the Lord that we will keep the commandments He has given. What are the commandments? "Love one another," is one of them. "Thou shalt net lie," is another. And our brethren, the Presidency and the Twelve, have been impressing upon us in a most wonderful manner that there is a commandment to pay our tithing. Now if we go to meeting, partake of this sacred ordinance, enter into this covenant anew, and then ignore these commandments, do we not, my brethren and sisters, become covenant breakers before the Almighty? This is the way it strikes me. This ordinance is instituted that we may continually renew our obligations unto the Lord, and the ordinance itself says what we do it for—that we may always have His spirit to be with us. Some of the brethren have quoted from the Book of Mormon. I will call attention to one passage in it. On the occasion of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ visiting the people upon this continent, He called them to prayers. He prayed, and they prayed:
"And they did pray for that which they most desired; and they desired that the Holy Ghost should be given unto them."
And further on the Book of Mormon tells us, after enumerating the wonderful gifts and blessings that the Lord bestowed upon the people, that it was because the love of God did dwell in the hearts of the people. This is a key to the whole grand question. If we will keep the covenants that we make before the Almighty every time we partake of this solemn ordinance, we shall come right up to the standard of perfection that the brethren have been talking about, and that those old Nephite Saints arrived at when there was no wickedness of any kind among them, because the love of God did dwell in their midst, and the record declares that they were a most prosperous people in everything. Here is a lesson for us, if we can take it to ourselves.
I rejoice in the great work as it is rolling along. In the law of tithing there is a key to the wealth and blessings of the earth; for the Lord makes a declaration that if we will pay our tithes and our offerings he will open the windows of heaven and pour forth such blessings as there shall not be room to receive. These things have been manifested time and time again in the California mission. I could enumerate instances where individuals through the payment of their tithes have received wonderful gifts and blessings; have been prospered in all that they set their hands to do, and have proved to their own satisfaction that the blessings of the Almighty do come unto them through obedience to this command. May God bless you. Amen.
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,
The angels are coming to visit the earth.
Benediction by Elder Rulon S. Wells.
president of the California mission:
My brothers and sisters, it is a wonderful privilege to meet with you in this conference. It seems as though I am hardly able to control my feelings, I am so overcome with joy in meeting with the Saints of the Most High. The spirit that has prevailed throughout this conference thus far has been a joy to my soul. I thank the Lord my God and my brethren the Presidency that I have been permitted to come to Zion from the State of California, where I have been laboring for the last three years and a half as a missionary. This grand question of tithing has been with us, and I bear testimony with my brother, Elder Smart, who has just preceded me, that the same spirit permeated the hearts of the Saints throughout the State of California, so much so that they have come to the front, paid their tithes and their offerings and enabled us to carry on the mission in that part of the world. I rejoice in this and in the testimony that has been given and in the spirit that has actuated the servants of God, who have spoken to us the words of life and salvation in these meetings. It seems to me that if we could comprehend the situation, every man and woman would rise in the strength of their manhood and womanhood and rejoice in the privilege of performing this wonderful work. We have in our own hands a key to the spiritual blessings of the Almighty. We meet together in our various wards and branches and partake of the sacred emblems of the flesh and blood of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. I am always impressed with the importance of that sacred ordinance, for in that it seems to me we have a key to the spiritual blessings of the Almighty. Let me call your attention for a moment to what we do in partaking of that ordinance:
"Witness unto thee. O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember Him, and keep His commandments which he has given them."
What for? "That they may always have His spirit to be with them." Every time that we partake of that sacred ordinance we enter into a covenant with the Lord that we will keep the commandments He has given. What are the commandments? "Love one another," is one of them. "Thou shalt net lie," is another. And our brethren, the Presidency and the Twelve, have been impressing upon us in a most wonderful manner that there is a commandment to pay our tithing. Now if we go to meeting, partake of this sacred ordinance, enter into this covenant anew, and then ignore these commandments, do we not, my brethren and sisters, become covenant breakers before the Almighty? This is the way it strikes me. This ordinance is instituted that we may continually renew our obligations unto the Lord, and the ordinance itself says what we do it for—that we may always have His spirit to be with us. Some of the brethren have quoted from the Book of Mormon. I will call attention to one passage in it. On the occasion of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ visiting the people upon this continent, He called them to prayers. He prayed, and they prayed:
"And they did pray for that which they most desired; and they desired that the Holy Ghost should be given unto them."
And further on the Book of Mormon tells us, after enumerating the wonderful gifts and blessings that the Lord bestowed upon the people, that it was because the love of God did dwell in the hearts of the people. This is a key to the whole grand question. If we will keep the covenants that we make before the Almighty every time we partake of this solemn ordinance, we shall come right up to the standard of perfection that the brethren have been talking about, and that those old Nephite Saints arrived at when there was no wickedness of any kind among them, because the love of God did dwell in their midst, and the record declares that they were a most prosperous people in everything. Here is a lesson for us, if we can take it to ourselves.
I rejoice in the great work as it is rolling along. In the law of tithing there is a key to the wealth and blessings of the earth; for the Lord makes a declaration that if we will pay our tithes and our offerings he will open the windows of heaven and pour forth such blessings as there shall not be room to receive. These things have been manifested time and time again in the California mission. I could enumerate instances where individuals through the payment of their tithes have received wonderful gifts and blessings; have been prospered in all that they set their hands to do, and have proved to their own satisfaction that the blessings of the Almighty do come unto them through obedience to this command. May God bless you. Amen.
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,
The angels are coming to visit the earth.
Benediction by Elder Rulon S. Wells.
CLOSING SESSION.
2 p. m., singing by the choir,
Behold the mountain of the Lord
In latter days shall rise,
On mountain tops above the hills,
And draw the wond'ring eyes.
Prayer was offered by Elder Joseph E. Taylor.
The choir sang:
Come, listen to a Prophet's voice,
And hear the word of God,
And in the way of truth rejoice
And sing for joy aloud.
2 p. m., singing by the choir,
Behold the mountain of the Lord
In latter days shall rise,
On mountain tops above the hills,
And draw the wond'ring eyes.
Prayer was offered by Elder Joseph E. Taylor.
The choir sang:
Come, listen to a Prophet's voice,
And hear the word of God,
And in the way of truth rejoice
And sing for joy aloud.
THE GENERAL AUTHORITIES OF THE CHURCH
were presented to the conference for the votes of the assemblage, as follows:
Lorenzo Snow, 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.
As members of the council of the Twelve Apostles: Brigham Young, Francis M. Lyman, John Henry Smith, George Teasdale. Heber J. Grant, John W. Taylor, Marriner W. Merrill, Anthon H. Lund, Matthias F. Cowley, Abraham O. Woodruff and Rudger Clawson.
At this point President Cannon stated that owing to the death of Franklin D. Richards a vacancy had been created in the council of the Twelve Apostles, and that the conference would be given an opportunity to vote for someone to fill the position. He then, in this connection, presented the name of Reed Smoot, and the vote was taken.
The counselors in the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles as Prophets, Seers and Revelators.
Patriarch of the Church—John Smith.
First seven presidents of Seventies: Seymour B. Young, Christian D. Fjeldsted, Brigham Henry Roberts, George Reynolds, Jonathan G. Kimball, Rulon S. Wells and Joseph W. McMurrin.
William B. Preston as presiding Bishop, with Robert T. Burton and John R. Winder as his first and second counselors.
Assistant Church historians: John Jaques and Andrew Jenson.
General Church board of education: Lorenzo Snow, George Q. Cannon, Karl G. Maeser, Willard Young, Anthon H. Lund, James Sharp, Joseph F. Smith, John Nicholson and George H. Brimhall.
General superintendency of religion classes: Anthon H. Lund, Karl G. Maeser and Rudger Clawson.
Lorenzo Snow, trustee-in-trust for the body of religious worshippers known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
John Nicholson, clerk of the general conference.
The voting in every instance was unanimous.
President Cannon announced that, in accordance with a legal requirement, the names of the members of the board of directors of the Brigham Young Academy, Provo, would be presented for the vote of the conference. They are: George Q. Cannon, Wilson H. Dusenberry, Brigham Young, David John, Karl G. Maeser, Edward Partridge, Reed Smoot, Susa Y. Gates, Thomas R. Cutler, Joseph Don Carlos Young, William H. Seegmiller and Stephen L. Chipman.
The vote was unanimous.
were presented to the conference for the votes of the assemblage, as follows:
Lorenzo Snow, 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.
As members of the council of the Twelve Apostles: Brigham Young, Francis M. Lyman, John Henry Smith, George Teasdale. Heber J. Grant, John W. Taylor, Marriner W. Merrill, Anthon H. Lund, Matthias F. Cowley, Abraham O. Woodruff and Rudger Clawson.
At this point President Cannon stated that owing to the death of Franklin D. Richards a vacancy had been created in the council of the Twelve Apostles, and that the conference would be given an opportunity to vote for someone to fill the position. He then, in this connection, presented the name of Reed Smoot, and the vote was taken.
The counselors in the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles as Prophets, Seers and Revelators.
Patriarch of the Church—John Smith.
First seven presidents of Seventies: Seymour B. Young, Christian D. Fjeldsted, Brigham Henry Roberts, George Reynolds, Jonathan G. Kimball, Rulon S. Wells and Joseph W. McMurrin.
William B. Preston as presiding Bishop, with Robert T. Burton and John R. Winder as his first and second counselors.
Assistant Church historians: John Jaques and Andrew Jenson.
General Church board of education: Lorenzo Snow, George Q. Cannon, Karl G. Maeser, Willard Young, Anthon H. Lund, James Sharp, Joseph F. Smith, John Nicholson and George H. Brimhall.
General superintendency of religion classes: Anthon H. Lund, Karl G. Maeser and Rudger Clawson.
Lorenzo Snow, trustee-in-trust for the body of religious worshippers known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
John Nicholson, clerk of the general conference.
The voting in every instance was unanimous.
President Cannon announced that, in accordance with a legal requirement, the names of the members of the board of directors of the Brigham Young Academy, Provo, would be presented for the vote of the conference. They are: George Q. Cannon, Wilson H. Dusenberry, Brigham Young, David John, Karl G. Maeser, Edward Partridge, Reed Smoot, Susa Y. Gates, Thomas R. Cutler, Joseph Don Carlos Young, William H. Seegmiller and Stephen L. Chipman.
The vote was unanimous.
ELDER REED SMOOT,
of the Council of the Twelve, said:
"My dear brethren and sisters, I feel exceedingly weak in standing before this vast audience this afternoon. No doubt many of you are surprised at my being called to this position, but I can assure you that no one in this audience was more astonished than I. Five years ago I was called by the mouthpiece of God to occupy a position in the presidency of the Utah Stake. That was a surprise to me at that time and I thought then that the Lord moves in a mysterious way. This afternoon when the mouthpiece of the Lord told me it was the will of the Lord that I should occupy a position as one of the Twelve Apostles, I certainly felt a more humble and more weak instrument in his hands for doing good than ever I did in my life. I beg of the brethren of the Twelve to bear with me in my mistakes. I beseech of you, my brethren and sisters, to give me your faith and prayers for I need them, and to fulfill this position that I am called to, I must have them. If I can be humble and have the confidence of the people and of the Priesthood, as God has called me so will I receive it in the same spirit; and as He gives me wisdom and light and revelation, just so far can I do His will and serve Him in this calling. If I did not know that Jesus_ was the Christ and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints was His Church I can assure you that this calling that has been placed upon me would be the farthest from me to accept of any position that I could think of.
My life in the past has been in a business direction more than in any other way, and now that this change has come and this call from God has been placed upon me, I hope and trust that I will do nothing—aye, I would rather lose my right arm than to betray the confidence you have placed in me this day by voting for me in this position. My only desire is that God will give me power to perform the duties that shall devolve upon me acceptably in His sight, and acceptable to you, to the Apostles and to the mouthpiece of God upon this earth. To this end I beseech of you an interest in your faith and prayers that from now on I may be clothed with the Priesthood that will be some good to the children of men.
I ask God's choicest blessings upon His Church and upon every member thereof, that unity, peace and strength may be with us continually until we become a light unto the whole world, as has been predicted. In the name of Jesus Christ I ask it. Amen.
of the Council of the Twelve, said:
"My dear brethren and sisters, I feel exceedingly weak in standing before this vast audience this afternoon. No doubt many of you are surprised at my being called to this position, but I can assure you that no one in this audience was more astonished than I. Five years ago I was called by the mouthpiece of God to occupy a position in the presidency of the Utah Stake. That was a surprise to me at that time and I thought then that the Lord moves in a mysterious way. This afternoon when the mouthpiece of the Lord told me it was the will of the Lord that I should occupy a position as one of the Twelve Apostles, I certainly felt a more humble and more weak instrument in his hands for doing good than ever I did in my life. I beg of the brethren of the Twelve to bear with me in my mistakes. I beseech of you, my brethren and sisters, to give me your faith and prayers for I need them, and to fulfill this position that I am called to, I must have them. If I can be humble and have the confidence of the people and of the Priesthood, as God has called me so will I receive it in the same spirit; and as He gives me wisdom and light and revelation, just so far can I do His will and serve Him in this calling. If I did not know that Jesus_ was the Christ and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints was His Church I can assure you that this calling that has been placed upon me would be the farthest from me to accept of any position that I could think of.
My life in the past has been in a business direction more than in any other way, and now that this change has come and this call from God has been placed upon me, I hope and trust that I will do nothing—aye, I would rather lose my right arm than to betray the confidence you have placed in me this day by voting for me in this position. My only desire is that God will give me power to perform the duties that shall devolve upon me acceptably in His sight, and acceptable to you, to the Apostles and to the mouthpiece of God upon this earth. To this end I beseech of you an interest in your faith and prayers that from now on I may be clothed with the Priesthood that will be some good to the children of men.
I ask God's choicest blessings upon His Church and upon every member thereof, that unity, peace and strength may be with us continually until we become a light unto the whole world, as has been predicted. In the name of Jesus Christ I ask it. Amen.
PRESIDENT GEORGE Q. CANNON.
Future exaltation dependent upon obedience to law—Having kept our first estate, our present aim should be to keep well our second—Heavens filled with higher truths, which, as we progress, will be revealed.
I arise, trusting that the remarks which I may be led to make may be inspired by the Spirit of God. To this end I beseech you, my brethren and sisters, to give me the assistance of your faith and prayers, for I would like the time I occupy to be of profit to those who listen. Time is precious, and this is a vast congregation, and they should not be kept here listening to something that is not of worth. I do not profess myself to be able to impart anything that is worthy of being listened to only as God shall give it through His Holy Spirit.
I will read a few paragraphs of the 88th section of the book of Doctrine and Covenants.
"And again, verily I say unto you, the earth abideth the law of a celestial kingdom for it filleth the measure of its creation, and transgresseth not the law.
“Wherefore it shall be sanctified; yea, notwithstanding it shall die, it shall be quickened again, and shall abide the power by which it is quickened, and the righteous shall inherit it;
"For notwithstanding they die, they also shall rise again a spiritual body; "They who are of a celestial spirit shall receive the same body which was a natural body, even ye shall receive your bodies, and your glory shall be that glory by which your bodies are quickened.
"Ye who are quickened by a portion of the celestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness;
"And they who are quickened by a portion of the terrestrial glory, shall then receive of the same, even a fullness:
"And also they who are quickened by a portion of the telestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fullness;
"And they who remain shall also be quickened; nevertheless they shall return again to their own place, to enjoy that which they are willing to receive, because they were not willing to enjoy that which they might have received.
"For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receiveth not the gift? Behold he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in Him who is the giver of the gift."
I would like this next paragraph to be noticed by my hearers:
"And again, verily, I say unto you, that which is governed by law is also preserved by law, and perfected and sanctified by the same.
"That which breaketh a law, and abideth not by law, but seeketh to become a law unto itself, and willeth to abide in sin, and altogether abideth in sin, cannot be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice nor judgment. Therefore they must remain filthy still."
There is to my mind a great amount of importance in these words that I have read in your hearing, and they should be understood by us, because they pertain to our future exaltation. "We have been taught by the Lord that this is a preparatory state, that we are here to be tested, to see whether we shall prove worthy of the promises that he has made unto his children. He has given unto all of us our free agency, and that agency is differently exercised. We see mankind divided into classes. Some exercise their agency in one direction and some in another, and there is a great diversity of views and aims among the children of earth. But the Latter-day Saints have had revelation given to them, which places them, it may be said, in a position different to the rest of the world. We are not ignorant of the purposes of God. We have been informed why we are here and what we should do to obtain the glory that God promises unto his faithful children. We have had pointed out to us the path to pursue to continue progression.
We all believe, I suppose, that we have kept our first estate, or we would not be here. The reward of our fidelity in our pre-existent state is manifest in the fact that we have received earthly tabernacles. We have taken a great step in advance by being permitted to come here. Now much depends upon our second estate and the manner in which we keep it. If we are faithful in our second estate, as we were in our first, then glory will be added to us, and we shall go on progressing eternally. Through the revelation of God's will and our observance of it, the opportunity is given us to continue in the path of progress. The Lord has shown to us that there are differences of rewards. Some of his children will attain to what is called celestial glory. Others of his children will not have faith enough nor exercise their agency in the direction to gain that glory; but they will gain terrestrial glory. There are others that will not progress that far; they will feel reluctant to obey the laws that pertain to the terrestrial, and they will obtain telestial glory. There are still others that will not attain even to the telestial glory. Why is it that there are these differences? Is it because God has chosen some of us for the telestial glory, some of us for the terrestrial glory, and some of us for the celestial glory? No, there is no such predestination as this. We are all born with our free agency; with the power within ourselves, aided by the blessing of God, to attain unto the highest glory. How shall we attain unto the highest glory? There is only one way, and that is by observing the highest laws. The highest laws, when obeyed, bring as a reward the highest glory; and the man or woman who expects to attain to the highest glory without obeying these laws, deceives himself or herself. It cannot be done. If I rise above the telestial glory, I must obey a law that will lift me above that. If I rise to the terrestrial glory, it will be by obeying terrestrial law. If I do not obey laws higher than that, I cannot attain to a higher glory.
I want to impress upon you, my brethren and sisters, that our exaltation, our future glory, depends entirely upon our obedience to law. We should not lose sight of this. A man will come along and say, "I believe in Jesus; I am willing to repent of my sins; I want to be baptized for the remissions of my sins and I want to receive the laying on of hands and become a member of the Church." He obeys these requirements and ordinances. He then says, "I hear the Elders talk about gathering, and I do not see any necessity for it. I do not see why I cannot worship God in the place where I embraced the Gospel, as well as if I were to gather. I hear a good deal about Zion. Some of the Elders tell me what a glorious condition of existence there is there, while others say there are many evils in Zion, and I don't think I will gather there." Will that man attain unto celestial glory? I leave this question with you to answer. How can he? It is necessary that he should gather. Why? Because it is a command of God that His Saints shall gather, and a man cannot receive the reward of gathering without he obeys the law of God on that subject. There are many reasons for this, with which you are all familiar. In the first place he cannot receive his endowments. Can a man attain unto celestial glory without receiving his endowments? Under some circumstances he can. If he should die, as some of our faithful brethren have, before endowments were given, no doubt he would be judged by the Lord according to his opportunities and his willingness. But speaking generally^ men and women cannot receive celestial glory without having the ordinances that pertain to the endowments. Men and women cannot be united for eternity unless* they are united by the Priesthood of God in the place appointed for the administration of that ordinance. The union of husband and wife, of parents and children depends upon obedience to law, and they cannot get into the celestial kingdom without they obey these laws. Other commandments of the Lord might be mentioned in this connection. We are commanded to live by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God. We must do this. The Lord reveals His word to His Church; that word must be obeyed, if we expect to reach the celestial glory. Besides these precious records that we have—the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Book of Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price—there must be some other power among the people of God. These books alone will never save this people. I expect some of you may be shocked at this statement. It is nevertheless true. All these works, divine as they are, pure as they are, cannot save this people. There must be something else; and God has placed in His Church the living oracles, to guide and govern the Church. We know by experience that unless we had had the living oracles, Ave would have been in the worst possible position. For instance, where is there a commandment given concerning the migration of the Latter-day Saints to the valleys of the mountains. Of course, the Prophet Joseph prophesied concerning it, but there was no command given. The Lord, however, through His living oracles, revealed to the Church His will concerning it, and under the leadership of the living oracles the Church came to these valleys. Almost every day we are doing acts under the direction of the living oracles which are essentially necessary for the people of God, but which are not commanded in any of these books. There is nothing foreshadowed in the records concerning many acts that are performed from time to time by the direction of the Lord through his living oracles. He has placed them in the Church to guide the Church. This book (pointing to the book of Doctrine and Covenants), divine as it is, is insufficient. It reveals certain things, but does it reveal the polity of the work? Does it reveal the mind and will of God concerning His Church? Only so far as it goes. There must be a stream of living revelation flowing from God to His servants whom He has placed to preside over His Church. It was needed this afternoon to fill up the Quorum of the Twelve. We had to know the mind and will of the Lord concerning that important thing. Is there anything in any of these books which says that George Q. Cannon should be an Apostle, or Joseph F. Smith, or any of these men who are Apostles? Not a word.. How is this determined then? It comes through the living oracles, the authority that God has placed in His Church to govern and dictate. Of course, these books, as I have said, are of inestimable value to us as a people, because they contain the word of God. And that which is written agrees with that which is unwritten. There is no clash; there never will be because they come from the same source. They are both true, and there is no conflict between two truths. That is our position.
I think it is of great importance to us as a people to know what we shall do. Are we content to aim for telestial glory. I never heard a prayer offered, especially in the family circle, in which the family does not beseech God to give them celestial glory. Telestial glory is not in their thoughts. Terrestrial glory may be all right for honorable Gentiles, who have not faith enough to believe the Gospel and who do right according to the best knowledge they have; but celestial glory is our aim— I perhaps should not say it is the aim, for sometimes it is not, but it is the hope. If into a family that had just offered prayer, and had asked God to lead them into the celestial kingdom, an angel should enter and should say to them that their prayers were useless and that they would never attain unto celestial glory, what a feeling would be produced in the breasts of that family! How sorrowful and afflicted they would feel! Yet, as I have said, while it is the aim of many, they do not act as if it were their true aim. They either misconceive the nature of the duties they have to perform to attain to celestial glory, or else they are very blind indeed.
I ask again, what is your aim, or my aim? What do I desire? If I desire celestial glory, the highest law that God has revealed I will be willing to obey, and to observe every word that proceedeth from His mouth. I do not want to speak of myself, but if there is a law that God has revealed and it is necessary to be obeyed before celestial glory can be reached, I want to know it and obey it. All that I am on this earth for is to get celestial glory. I do not want my second estate to be a failure. I want to keep it as valiantly and as correctly as I hope I did my first estate. I believe with all my heart that I kept my first estate. I believe that Satan, with all his blandishments and sophistry, had not the power to induce me to follow him. Now I am here on the earth, and God has revealed to me why I am here. He wants me to be true to Him in the midst of these trials and temptations, and in the midst of the darkness that prevails. He wants me to be unswerving in my integrity and in the keeping of His laws. He wants me to come back to Him as His loyal, faithful, obedient child. He not only wants me to do this, but He wants all of us to do so; to say to Satan, We will not be deceived by you, but we will endure all things for the sake of our Father and the glory that He has in store for us. This is my desire; and it is your desire, when you are aroused. You have shown it as far as you have gone. But something comes along that you hesitate about, and you say in effect, "that law is a little too high for me, my faith is not sufficient to obey it." We heard Brother Clawson this morning repeat the expressions of some concerning the law of tithing, and those expressions illustrate what I am now dwelling upon. A commandment has been given, a law has been proclaimed, and some have not seen the necessity of obeying it. They seem to be content with what they have done. Brethren and sisters, when you know that your eternal exaltation depends upon obeying law, will you hesitate and say "I have not faith enough for that; it's too high for me; it requires too great a sacrifice on my part, and I cannot receive it; the laws of the terrestrial kingdom are more suited to my faith and my desires, and I am willing to be content with that glory." Will you, I repeat, hesitate in rendering obedience, and argue thus to yourselves?
I want to bring this home to your minds this afternoon, my brethren and sisters. Personally I have never felt to say what I would do in the midst of trial. I have heard brethren talk about their willingness to lay down their lives for this Gospel; but I have always been afraid to say much about this on my part, for fear if I should be put to the test I might not be able to stand it. At the same time the desire in my heart, although I may not express it, is to do everything that God requires at my hands. I would like to be valiant enough to die if the time ever came that I had to die for it. God help me at such an hour. I never yet have shrunk nor had fear in this respect; but I do not know how soon I may, for I am a poor human being. But I rejoice in the Gospel, and I feel that if there is anything of earth that the Lord has given me control of, I would like to put it where He wants it. I want to help forward His work in every possible way, not only by my means and my ability, but by whatever I have; for I want celestial glory. I crave that with all my heart. I feel as though, with God's help, I would make any sacrifice to obtain it, and obey any law, be it ever so high, so far revealed.
We have not got all yet. I expect higher laws will be revealed to us as we ascend nearer and nearer to our Father in heaven. Therefore we should prepare ourselves for this, and as fast as we can be willing to obey the laws that God reveals to us. You have heard during this conference considerable on the subject of tithing. In one sense it is a small matter to pay tithing. I consider it like the A. B. C. of the Gospel. The promises concerning it are great, and it is such an easy matter to give one-tenth of all we have. Then why is it dwelt upon so much during this conference? Because this people called Latter-day Saints are defaulters, because they have utterly failed in keeping this law. It is just as necessary that we should warn you about tithing as it would be to warn you about the necessity of the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, if you had not received that ordinance. If this congregation had gone as far as baptism and then had settled down and not desired the laying on of hands, we would preach to you with all our might, and impress upon you the importance of being obedient to that ordinance. And you would not be surprised at that. If you heard us talking to people who were in that condition, you would say that we were doing perfectly right in impressing them with the solemnity of the holy ordinance of laying on of hands, for they could not have the Holy Ghost without it. Now what shall be said of tithing? I say to you that in your non-payment of tithing you have stopped your progress and you have disobeyed a command of God just as much as if you had refused, after you had been baptized, to have hands laid upon you; just as much as you would have done, after having received the Gospel, had you refused to gather to Zion; just as much as you would if you came to Zion and refused to go into the Temple and have saving ordinances administered to you there, such as the ordinance of marriage for time and eternity and other things. You may or may not think as I do, but I know I have taken the correct position in this matter. Here we have had the word of God through the Prophet Joseph for sixty-two years, and here President Snow, the man who now stands at the head, comes forward and tells the Church that they are defaulters in this thing, that they have not obeyed this commandment, and that God requires obedience to it. Not only so, but he tells us that we are in danger of being scourged of the Lord for this disobedience. I believe it with all my heart. I believe that this consequence will follow our neglect, and that the anger of God will be kindled against the people, unless they obey this law. It is in our path of progress, and is to be obeyed, not evaded and taken advantage of. Men will take advantage of this law in many ways. They will pay a tithing that is not true. They will not do as Brother Joseph F. Smith said this morning his mother did, pick out the best; but they will pick out something that is practically worthless, as though they were making a bargain with a hard man and glad to get the advantage of him. That is not the spirit of tithing. No blessing will attend the payment of tithing under such circumstances. Men must feel that they are doing this to comply with the law of God, and that for complying with this law they will be rewarded.
I hope that the Saints will take this view of this law and understand us aright. What do I care, what does President Snow care, what do any of us care, whether you pay money or not? We are able to live without getting anything from you. I thank God that this is the condition of most of us, and that we can live without being a burden to the people, and at the same time do our share in helping the work along. It is not for this that we talk like we do, but it is because of the importance of it to you, so that you may carry this out in your lives, and then get faith enough to do something higher. It has required faith to obey some laws that have been revealed in the past, and it will require faith to obey other laws that will yet be revealed. The heavens are full of truth and of everything that is good and noble, and many things are revealed to the servants of God which they are commanded not to reveal to the people. Why? Because it would try their faith. Joseph had things revealed to him that he did not make known. I heard him once say on the stand, that if he were to tell what the Lord had told him, there were certain persons, and he mentioned their names one of whom was an Apostle, that would go around the streets of Nauvoo seeking his life. I was a boy at that time and I wondered what it could possibly be that would prompt those men, one of them especially, to do such a thing. But there are things which God reveals pertaining to the celestial glory and to the higher worlds that the people are not yet prepared to receive. We will all have to grow in faith before these things can be made known. Paul, we are told, saw things that were unutterable. When the Lord visited the Nephites they had things shown to them and their little children spoke things which could not be written. So it is now. The heavens are full of knowledge. To God in his exalted condition, dwelling in the midst of eternal burnings, surrounded by concourses of holy angels, we are by comparison almost insects in his presence. But we are his children. We have within us the elements of Deity in their inchoate state, to be developed as time passes on and as we obey the laws of God. We think we have taken a great stride when we have obeyed baptism and had hands laid upon us and received the Holy Ghost. We think, Oh! what a wonderful thing has come to us! Well, it is wonderful. But, my brethren and sisters, that is just the beginning of what there is in the future. The heavens are full of light and intelligence, and a little of it has been communicated to us.
We should live so as to keep in this path of progress, and not stop at tithing, feeling that that is too great an obstacle to get over, and therefore cease to progress. If you do, your faith will wither, the Spirit of God will withdraw from you, and you will be in the dark; and in the resurrection, as I have read, you will be quickened by that spirit a portion of which you have had here. If you have had only a portion of the terrestrial spirit, you will get a fullness of it there. So with the telestial, and so with the celestial. You are all going to be resurrected. The earth is going to be resurrected. It will die; but it will be quickened again, and it will be celestialized and glorified, as we will be. We ought to be numbered among the church of the first-born. I pray God that this may be our happy lot; that we all may live so that we shall be counted among the members of the ' church of the first-born, and that we shall receive a fullness of celestial glory; which I humbly ask, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
The choir sang the anthem: Heavenly Father we would worship thy Great Name this Hallowed Day.
The solo parts were rendered by Sisters Lizzie Thomas Edward and Mabel Cooper.
Benediction was pronounced by Elder Francis M. Lyman.
Conference then adjourned for six months.
The stenographic work in taking an account of the proceedings of the Conference was done by Arthur Winter.
JOHN NICHOLSON,
Clerk of Conference.
Future exaltation dependent upon obedience to law—Having kept our first estate, our present aim should be to keep well our second—Heavens filled with higher truths, which, as we progress, will be revealed.
I arise, trusting that the remarks which I may be led to make may be inspired by the Spirit of God. To this end I beseech you, my brethren and sisters, to give me the assistance of your faith and prayers, for I would like the time I occupy to be of profit to those who listen. Time is precious, and this is a vast congregation, and they should not be kept here listening to something that is not of worth. I do not profess myself to be able to impart anything that is worthy of being listened to only as God shall give it through His Holy Spirit.
I will read a few paragraphs of the 88th section of the book of Doctrine and Covenants.
"And again, verily I say unto you, the earth abideth the law of a celestial kingdom for it filleth the measure of its creation, and transgresseth not the law.
“Wherefore it shall be sanctified; yea, notwithstanding it shall die, it shall be quickened again, and shall abide the power by which it is quickened, and the righteous shall inherit it;
"For notwithstanding they die, they also shall rise again a spiritual body; "They who are of a celestial spirit shall receive the same body which was a natural body, even ye shall receive your bodies, and your glory shall be that glory by which your bodies are quickened.
"Ye who are quickened by a portion of the celestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness;
"And they who are quickened by a portion of the terrestrial glory, shall then receive of the same, even a fullness:
"And also they who are quickened by a portion of the telestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fullness;
"And they who remain shall also be quickened; nevertheless they shall return again to their own place, to enjoy that which they are willing to receive, because they were not willing to enjoy that which they might have received.
"For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receiveth not the gift? Behold he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in Him who is the giver of the gift."
I would like this next paragraph to be noticed by my hearers:
"And again, verily, I say unto you, that which is governed by law is also preserved by law, and perfected and sanctified by the same.
"That which breaketh a law, and abideth not by law, but seeketh to become a law unto itself, and willeth to abide in sin, and altogether abideth in sin, cannot be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice nor judgment. Therefore they must remain filthy still."
There is to my mind a great amount of importance in these words that I have read in your hearing, and they should be understood by us, because they pertain to our future exaltation. "We have been taught by the Lord that this is a preparatory state, that we are here to be tested, to see whether we shall prove worthy of the promises that he has made unto his children. He has given unto all of us our free agency, and that agency is differently exercised. We see mankind divided into classes. Some exercise their agency in one direction and some in another, and there is a great diversity of views and aims among the children of earth. But the Latter-day Saints have had revelation given to them, which places them, it may be said, in a position different to the rest of the world. We are not ignorant of the purposes of God. We have been informed why we are here and what we should do to obtain the glory that God promises unto his faithful children. We have had pointed out to us the path to pursue to continue progression.
We all believe, I suppose, that we have kept our first estate, or we would not be here. The reward of our fidelity in our pre-existent state is manifest in the fact that we have received earthly tabernacles. We have taken a great step in advance by being permitted to come here. Now much depends upon our second estate and the manner in which we keep it. If we are faithful in our second estate, as we were in our first, then glory will be added to us, and we shall go on progressing eternally. Through the revelation of God's will and our observance of it, the opportunity is given us to continue in the path of progress. The Lord has shown to us that there are differences of rewards. Some of his children will attain to what is called celestial glory. Others of his children will not have faith enough nor exercise their agency in the direction to gain that glory; but they will gain terrestrial glory. There are others that will not progress that far; they will feel reluctant to obey the laws that pertain to the terrestrial, and they will obtain telestial glory. There are still others that will not attain even to the telestial glory. Why is it that there are these differences? Is it because God has chosen some of us for the telestial glory, some of us for the terrestrial glory, and some of us for the celestial glory? No, there is no such predestination as this. We are all born with our free agency; with the power within ourselves, aided by the blessing of God, to attain unto the highest glory. How shall we attain unto the highest glory? There is only one way, and that is by observing the highest laws. The highest laws, when obeyed, bring as a reward the highest glory; and the man or woman who expects to attain to the highest glory without obeying these laws, deceives himself or herself. It cannot be done. If I rise above the telestial glory, I must obey a law that will lift me above that. If I rise to the terrestrial glory, it will be by obeying terrestrial law. If I do not obey laws higher than that, I cannot attain to a higher glory.
I want to impress upon you, my brethren and sisters, that our exaltation, our future glory, depends entirely upon our obedience to law. We should not lose sight of this. A man will come along and say, "I believe in Jesus; I am willing to repent of my sins; I want to be baptized for the remissions of my sins and I want to receive the laying on of hands and become a member of the Church." He obeys these requirements and ordinances. He then says, "I hear the Elders talk about gathering, and I do not see any necessity for it. I do not see why I cannot worship God in the place where I embraced the Gospel, as well as if I were to gather. I hear a good deal about Zion. Some of the Elders tell me what a glorious condition of existence there is there, while others say there are many evils in Zion, and I don't think I will gather there." Will that man attain unto celestial glory? I leave this question with you to answer. How can he? It is necessary that he should gather. Why? Because it is a command of God that His Saints shall gather, and a man cannot receive the reward of gathering without he obeys the law of God on that subject. There are many reasons for this, with which you are all familiar. In the first place he cannot receive his endowments. Can a man attain unto celestial glory without receiving his endowments? Under some circumstances he can. If he should die, as some of our faithful brethren have, before endowments were given, no doubt he would be judged by the Lord according to his opportunities and his willingness. But speaking generally^ men and women cannot receive celestial glory without having the ordinances that pertain to the endowments. Men and women cannot be united for eternity unless* they are united by the Priesthood of God in the place appointed for the administration of that ordinance. The union of husband and wife, of parents and children depends upon obedience to law, and they cannot get into the celestial kingdom without they obey these laws. Other commandments of the Lord might be mentioned in this connection. We are commanded to live by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God. We must do this. The Lord reveals His word to His Church; that word must be obeyed, if we expect to reach the celestial glory. Besides these precious records that we have—the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Book of Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price—there must be some other power among the people of God. These books alone will never save this people. I expect some of you may be shocked at this statement. It is nevertheless true. All these works, divine as they are, pure as they are, cannot save this people. There must be something else; and God has placed in His Church the living oracles, to guide and govern the Church. We know by experience that unless we had had the living oracles, Ave would have been in the worst possible position. For instance, where is there a commandment given concerning the migration of the Latter-day Saints to the valleys of the mountains. Of course, the Prophet Joseph prophesied concerning it, but there was no command given. The Lord, however, through His living oracles, revealed to the Church His will concerning it, and under the leadership of the living oracles the Church came to these valleys. Almost every day we are doing acts under the direction of the living oracles which are essentially necessary for the people of God, but which are not commanded in any of these books. There is nothing foreshadowed in the records concerning many acts that are performed from time to time by the direction of the Lord through his living oracles. He has placed them in the Church to guide the Church. This book (pointing to the book of Doctrine and Covenants), divine as it is, is insufficient. It reveals certain things, but does it reveal the polity of the work? Does it reveal the mind and will of God concerning His Church? Only so far as it goes. There must be a stream of living revelation flowing from God to His servants whom He has placed to preside over His Church. It was needed this afternoon to fill up the Quorum of the Twelve. We had to know the mind and will of the Lord concerning that important thing. Is there anything in any of these books which says that George Q. Cannon should be an Apostle, or Joseph F. Smith, or any of these men who are Apostles? Not a word.. How is this determined then? It comes through the living oracles, the authority that God has placed in His Church to govern and dictate. Of course, these books, as I have said, are of inestimable value to us as a people, because they contain the word of God. And that which is written agrees with that which is unwritten. There is no clash; there never will be because they come from the same source. They are both true, and there is no conflict between two truths. That is our position.
I think it is of great importance to us as a people to know what we shall do. Are we content to aim for telestial glory. I never heard a prayer offered, especially in the family circle, in which the family does not beseech God to give them celestial glory. Telestial glory is not in their thoughts. Terrestrial glory may be all right for honorable Gentiles, who have not faith enough to believe the Gospel and who do right according to the best knowledge they have; but celestial glory is our aim— I perhaps should not say it is the aim, for sometimes it is not, but it is the hope. If into a family that had just offered prayer, and had asked God to lead them into the celestial kingdom, an angel should enter and should say to them that their prayers were useless and that they would never attain unto celestial glory, what a feeling would be produced in the breasts of that family! How sorrowful and afflicted they would feel! Yet, as I have said, while it is the aim of many, they do not act as if it were their true aim. They either misconceive the nature of the duties they have to perform to attain to celestial glory, or else they are very blind indeed.
I ask again, what is your aim, or my aim? What do I desire? If I desire celestial glory, the highest law that God has revealed I will be willing to obey, and to observe every word that proceedeth from His mouth. I do not want to speak of myself, but if there is a law that God has revealed and it is necessary to be obeyed before celestial glory can be reached, I want to know it and obey it. All that I am on this earth for is to get celestial glory. I do not want my second estate to be a failure. I want to keep it as valiantly and as correctly as I hope I did my first estate. I believe with all my heart that I kept my first estate. I believe that Satan, with all his blandishments and sophistry, had not the power to induce me to follow him. Now I am here on the earth, and God has revealed to me why I am here. He wants me to be true to Him in the midst of these trials and temptations, and in the midst of the darkness that prevails. He wants me to be unswerving in my integrity and in the keeping of His laws. He wants me to come back to Him as His loyal, faithful, obedient child. He not only wants me to do this, but He wants all of us to do so; to say to Satan, We will not be deceived by you, but we will endure all things for the sake of our Father and the glory that He has in store for us. This is my desire; and it is your desire, when you are aroused. You have shown it as far as you have gone. But something comes along that you hesitate about, and you say in effect, "that law is a little too high for me, my faith is not sufficient to obey it." We heard Brother Clawson this morning repeat the expressions of some concerning the law of tithing, and those expressions illustrate what I am now dwelling upon. A commandment has been given, a law has been proclaimed, and some have not seen the necessity of obeying it. They seem to be content with what they have done. Brethren and sisters, when you know that your eternal exaltation depends upon obeying law, will you hesitate and say "I have not faith enough for that; it's too high for me; it requires too great a sacrifice on my part, and I cannot receive it; the laws of the terrestrial kingdom are more suited to my faith and my desires, and I am willing to be content with that glory." Will you, I repeat, hesitate in rendering obedience, and argue thus to yourselves?
I want to bring this home to your minds this afternoon, my brethren and sisters. Personally I have never felt to say what I would do in the midst of trial. I have heard brethren talk about their willingness to lay down their lives for this Gospel; but I have always been afraid to say much about this on my part, for fear if I should be put to the test I might not be able to stand it. At the same time the desire in my heart, although I may not express it, is to do everything that God requires at my hands. I would like to be valiant enough to die if the time ever came that I had to die for it. God help me at such an hour. I never yet have shrunk nor had fear in this respect; but I do not know how soon I may, for I am a poor human being. But I rejoice in the Gospel, and I feel that if there is anything of earth that the Lord has given me control of, I would like to put it where He wants it. I want to help forward His work in every possible way, not only by my means and my ability, but by whatever I have; for I want celestial glory. I crave that with all my heart. I feel as though, with God's help, I would make any sacrifice to obtain it, and obey any law, be it ever so high, so far revealed.
We have not got all yet. I expect higher laws will be revealed to us as we ascend nearer and nearer to our Father in heaven. Therefore we should prepare ourselves for this, and as fast as we can be willing to obey the laws that God reveals to us. You have heard during this conference considerable on the subject of tithing. In one sense it is a small matter to pay tithing. I consider it like the A. B. C. of the Gospel. The promises concerning it are great, and it is such an easy matter to give one-tenth of all we have. Then why is it dwelt upon so much during this conference? Because this people called Latter-day Saints are defaulters, because they have utterly failed in keeping this law. It is just as necessary that we should warn you about tithing as it would be to warn you about the necessity of the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, if you had not received that ordinance. If this congregation had gone as far as baptism and then had settled down and not desired the laying on of hands, we would preach to you with all our might, and impress upon you the importance of being obedient to that ordinance. And you would not be surprised at that. If you heard us talking to people who were in that condition, you would say that we were doing perfectly right in impressing them with the solemnity of the holy ordinance of laying on of hands, for they could not have the Holy Ghost without it. Now what shall be said of tithing? I say to you that in your non-payment of tithing you have stopped your progress and you have disobeyed a command of God just as much as if you had refused, after you had been baptized, to have hands laid upon you; just as much as you would have done, after having received the Gospel, had you refused to gather to Zion; just as much as you would if you came to Zion and refused to go into the Temple and have saving ordinances administered to you there, such as the ordinance of marriage for time and eternity and other things. You may or may not think as I do, but I know I have taken the correct position in this matter. Here we have had the word of God through the Prophet Joseph for sixty-two years, and here President Snow, the man who now stands at the head, comes forward and tells the Church that they are defaulters in this thing, that they have not obeyed this commandment, and that God requires obedience to it. Not only so, but he tells us that we are in danger of being scourged of the Lord for this disobedience. I believe it with all my heart. I believe that this consequence will follow our neglect, and that the anger of God will be kindled against the people, unless they obey this law. It is in our path of progress, and is to be obeyed, not evaded and taken advantage of. Men will take advantage of this law in many ways. They will pay a tithing that is not true. They will not do as Brother Joseph F. Smith said this morning his mother did, pick out the best; but they will pick out something that is practically worthless, as though they were making a bargain with a hard man and glad to get the advantage of him. That is not the spirit of tithing. No blessing will attend the payment of tithing under such circumstances. Men must feel that they are doing this to comply with the law of God, and that for complying with this law they will be rewarded.
I hope that the Saints will take this view of this law and understand us aright. What do I care, what does President Snow care, what do any of us care, whether you pay money or not? We are able to live without getting anything from you. I thank God that this is the condition of most of us, and that we can live without being a burden to the people, and at the same time do our share in helping the work along. It is not for this that we talk like we do, but it is because of the importance of it to you, so that you may carry this out in your lives, and then get faith enough to do something higher. It has required faith to obey some laws that have been revealed in the past, and it will require faith to obey other laws that will yet be revealed. The heavens are full of truth and of everything that is good and noble, and many things are revealed to the servants of God which they are commanded not to reveal to the people. Why? Because it would try their faith. Joseph had things revealed to him that he did not make known. I heard him once say on the stand, that if he were to tell what the Lord had told him, there were certain persons, and he mentioned their names one of whom was an Apostle, that would go around the streets of Nauvoo seeking his life. I was a boy at that time and I wondered what it could possibly be that would prompt those men, one of them especially, to do such a thing. But there are things which God reveals pertaining to the celestial glory and to the higher worlds that the people are not yet prepared to receive. We will all have to grow in faith before these things can be made known. Paul, we are told, saw things that were unutterable. When the Lord visited the Nephites they had things shown to them and their little children spoke things which could not be written. So it is now. The heavens are full of knowledge. To God in his exalted condition, dwelling in the midst of eternal burnings, surrounded by concourses of holy angels, we are by comparison almost insects in his presence. But we are his children. We have within us the elements of Deity in their inchoate state, to be developed as time passes on and as we obey the laws of God. We think we have taken a great stride when we have obeyed baptism and had hands laid upon us and received the Holy Ghost. We think, Oh! what a wonderful thing has come to us! Well, it is wonderful. But, my brethren and sisters, that is just the beginning of what there is in the future. The heavens are full of light and intelligence, and a little of it has been communicated to us.
We should live so as to keep in this path of progress, and not stop at tithing, feeling that that is too great an obstacle to get over, and therefore cease to progress. If you do, your faith will wither, the Spirit of God will withdraw from you, and you will be in the dark; and in the resurrection, as I have read, you will be quickened by that spirit a portion of which you have had here. If you have had only a portion of the terrestrial spirit, you will get a fullness of it there. So with the telestial, and so with the celestial. You are all going to be resurrected. The earth is going to be resurrected. It will die; but it will be quickened again, and it will be celestialized and glorified, as we will be. We ought to be numbered among the church of the first-born. I pray God that this may be our happy lot; that we all may live so that we shall be counted among the members of the ' church of the first-born, and that we shall receive a fullness of celestial glory; which I humbly ask, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
The choir sang the anthem: Heavenly Father we would worship thy Great Name this Hallowed Day.
The solo parts were rendered by Sisters Lizzie Thomas Edward and Mabel Cooper.
Benediction was pronounced by Elder Francis M. Lyman.
Conference then adjourned for six months.
The stenographic work in taking an account of the proceedings of the Conference was done by Arthur Winter.
JOHN NICHOLSON,
Clerk of Conference.
DESERET SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION.
Its Semi-Annual General Conference.
The general annual conference of the Sunday schools of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was held at the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday evening, April 8, 1900, at 7 o'clock. There were present of the general superintendency, George Q. Cannon and Karl G. Maeser, most of the members of the Deseret Sunday School Union Board, and aids, several of the Apostles, and many Stake superintendents, ward officers, and Sunday school workers.
The conference was opened by the Tabernacle choir and congregation singing, "Do What is Right."
Prayer was offered by Elder George Teasdale.
The choir sang, "Prayer is the Soul's sincere desire."
General Secretary Horace S. Ensign called the roll, which was responded to by thirty-four Stakes.
The secretary then read the annual financial and statistical report for year ending December 31st, 1899. After which he presented the general Sunday school authorities, and they were sustained as follows: Geo. Q. Cannon, general superintendent Karl G. Maeser, second assistant general superintendent; Horace S. Ensign, general secretary; George Reynolds, general treasurer; Leo Hunsaker, assistant general secretary and stenographer.
As members of the Deseret Sunday School Union board: George Q. Cannon, Karl G. Maeser, George Reynolds, Thomas C. Griggs, Joseph W. Summerhays, Levi W. Richards, Francis M. Lyman, Heber J. Grant, Joseph M. Tanner, George Teasdale. Hugh J. Cannon, Andrew Kimball, Joseph F. Smith and John W. Taylor.
As aids to the board: L. John Nuttall, James W. Ure, John F. Bennett, John M. Mills, W. B. Dougall, Wm. D. Owen, Jr., Seymour B. Young and Geo. D. Pyper.
General Treasurer George Reynolds made a report of the nickel fund donation received during the last four years.
A kindergarten class of eight little girls from the Eleventh ward, under the direction of Sister Louie B. Felt, sang two selections very sweetly, which were greatly enjoyed by the audience.
Its Semi-Annual General Conference.
The general annual conference of the Sunday schools of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was held at the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday evening, April 8, 1900, at 7 o'clock. There were present of the general superintendency, George Q. Cannon and Karl G. Maeser, most of the members of the Deseret Sunday School Union Board, and aids, several of the Apostles, and many Stake superintendents, ward officers, and Sunday school workers.
The conference was opened by the Tabernacle choir and congregation singing, "Do What is Right."
Prayer was offered by Elder George Teasdale.
The choir sang, "Prayer is the Soul's sincere desire."
General Secretary Horace S. Ensign called the roll, which was responded to by thirty-four Stakes.
The secretary then read the annual financial and statistical report for year ending December 31st, 1899. After which he presented the general Sunday school authorities, and they were sustained as follows: Geo. Q. Cannon, general superintendent Karl G. Maeser, second assistant general superintendent; Horace S. Ensign, general secretary; George Reynolds, general treasurer; Leo Hunsaker, assistant general secretary and stenographer.
As members of the Deseret Sunday School Union board: George Q. Cannon, Karl G. Maeser, George Reynolds, Thomas C. Griggs, Joseph W. Summerhays, Levi W. Richards, Francis M. Lyman, Heber J. Grant, Joseph M. Tanner, George Teasdale. Hugh J. Cannon, Andrew Kimball, Joseph F. Smith and John W. Taylor.
As aids to the board: L. John Nuttall, James W. Ure, John F. Bennett, John M. Mills, W. B. Dougall, Wm. D. Owen, Jr., Seymour B. Young and Geo. D. Pyper.
General Treasurer George Reynolds made a report of the nickel fund donation received during the last four years.
A kindergarten class of eight little girls from the Eleventh ward, under the direction of Sister Louie B. Felt, sang two selections very sweetly, which were greatly enjoyed by the audience.
GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT GEO. Q. CANNON.
From our statistical report it is seen that we number nearly 120,000, in the aggregate, but if we had all the reports in from the various schools there would be upwards of 121,000. The interest in the Sunday schools is growing. Every meeting that we have of this character shows the importance, the growing importance, of this institution among the people, and it is bearing abundant fruit. There are a great many reasons why we should be zealous in this direction. The reports that come to us from the presidents of missions concerning the ignorance of some of our young men who are sent out to help them ought to stir us all up to diligence in imparting a knowledge of our principles to the rising generation. There is a great field, notwithstanding we have labored for so many years in this direction, there is a great need that the children, the young people of this community, be instructed thoroughly in the principles of our religion. I feel to congratulate you on your labors, and I can say truly that there is much cause to rejoice in what has been done. The publications of the Sunday School Union are of such a character as to be of great benefit. I wish to call attention, particularly, to the Leaflets. I do not think there has been any publications in our Church that have exceeded in value the Leaflets as they have been issued from time to time by the Union. I think they are invaluable. I would like all the superintendents and teachers to take every pains in their power to have these Leaflets thoroughly studied and mastered by the young people.
I do not wish to trespass upon your time, as there are many items of business that have to be attended to, but I say as I have said before, God bless you in your labors and give you great success and great joy in continuing your labor in this direction. I ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen.
From our statistical report it is seen that we number nearly 120,000, in the aggregate, but if we had all the reports in from the various schools there would be upwards of 121,000. The interest in the Sunday schools is growing. Every meeting that we have of this character shows the importance, the growing importance, of this institution among the people, and it is bearing abundant fruit. There are a great many reasons why we should be zealous in this direction. The reports that come to us from the presidents of missions concerning the ignorance of some of our young men who are sent out to help them ought to stir us all up to diligence in imparting a knowledge of our principles to the rising generation. There is a great field, notwithstanding we have labored for so many years in this direction, there is a great need that the children, the young people of this community, be instructed thoroughly in the principles of our religion. I feel to congratulate you on your labors, and I can say truly that there is much cause to rejoice in what has been done. The publications of the Sunday School Union are of such a character as to be of great benefit. I wish to call attention, particularly, to the Leaflets. I do not think there has been any publications in our Church that have exceeded in value the Leaflets as they have been issued from time to time by the Union. I think they are invaluable. I would like all the superintendents and teachers to take every pains in their power to have these Leaflets thoroughly studied and mastered by the young people.
I do not wish to trespass upon your time, as there are many items of business that have to be attended to, but I say as I have said before, God bless you in your labors and give you great success and great joy in continuing your labor in this direction. I ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen.
SECOND ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT KARL G. MAESER.
The use of the Children's Sunday School Hymn Book.
The Sunday school superintendents at the Stake Sunday school conferences sometimes report that the Sunday school hymn books are left at home by the children and have gradually gone out of use in their Sunday schools. Now, the Sunday School Union Board has spent considerable means in distributing these hymn books amongst the schools. A great many thousands, included in several editions have been published. Why has this been done? There is a principle involved in the use of these hymn books to which I wish to call your attention. Look over the congregations of the Latter-day Saints in their public meetings and you will perhaps see some old brother or sister using the standard hymn books of the Church and following the choir in the singing, but by far the great majority of the congregation have no hymn books with them, and cannot, therefore, understand the words which the choir are singing. This is all wrong. Singing is a part of the prayer—pleasing in the sight of our Heavenly Father. When there is a prayer being offered to my Heavenly Father, I for one always want to share in it; I want to be counted in that prayer, whether it is offered on the stand by one of the brethren or whether it be in the form of a song. How can this be possible if I do not understand the words that are being sung? Well, I always have my book with me and follow the choir in the singing. Now, this is the point: We older Latter-day Saints have got into the habit of going to meeting with our hymn books, and we are going to endeavor to get the rising generation into the habit of going to meeting with their hymn books, and, in order to do this, we must train them in our Sunday schools. Sunday school superintendents have come to me and said, "Well, brother Maeser, that is all very well, but how is it to be accomplished? We have talked, and talked and talked, but it has done no apparent good. What course would you advise us to pursue?" I have advised them as follows: "My brethren and sisters, if I were a Sunday school teacher and had been as - signed by the superintendent to take charge of a certain department, and I had found since my appointment that the children in my department were not in the habit of bringing their hymn books with them. I would say, "My dear pupils, I am going to ask you a question, and that question is, which of you have a hymn book' with you? Hold it up and let me see it. That is all. I am going to ask you this question again next Sunday. If any of you have a hymn book bring it along and let me see it." Next Sunday comes. I have sixty pupils in my department. My question comes. "What question did I say I would ask you today?" Someone says, "You was going to ask who had a hymn book." "Well, how many of you have them?" Four children have hymn books and are able to hold them up; the other fifty-six have none. I would not find fault or scold, or make any discouraging remark, but I would thank and bless these four. "Now next Sunday I shall ask you this same question again. You four will please bring your hymn books, and if the rest of you will do so I will be obliged." Next Sunday comes. "How many of you have hymn books with you today?" Seven. I have gained three now. I would continue this from one Sunday to another. I have got eleven perhaps the next Sunday, then seventeen, and so on, until three or four months have passed. Never occupy too much time in asking these questions, only about two minutes, no longer. After three or four months there are just five boys without hymn books, now I will suppose myself one of these five boys. The other fifty-five have their books, I cannot stand this any longer; I am getting ashamed of myself. All are beginning to hold up their hymn books but me and the other four. I cannot stand it. I go home and ask my father to give me ten cents with which to buy a hymn book. I get one and hold it up next Sunday with the rest, and then there are only four now without books. My brethren and sisters, it is not hard to do this, but we must persevere; we must never leave off asking this question. Neither must we think that our labor ends when all bring their hymn books, if we do the scholars will become discouraged that no one takes any notice of their books, and they will, by and by, leave their hymn books at home again. Before the year is ended we are in the same fix—the children have no books with them. We have to keep constantly at it. The children are as full of human nature as we are. They must be noticed, and they need some encouragement. We Sunday school workers, the grown up men and women, like a little encouragement in our labors, once in a while. So do the children. They must be noticed and encouraged in their work as much as we older ones. God bless you all is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
The use of the Children's Sunday School Hymn Book.
The Sunday school superintendents at the Stake Sunday school conferences sometimes report that the Sunday school hymn books are left at home by the children and have gradually gone out of use in their Sunday schools. Now, the Sunday School Union Board has spent considerable means in distributing these hymn books amongst the schools. A great many thousands, included in several editions have been published. Why has this been done? There is a principle involved in the use of these hymn books to which I wish to call your attention. Look over the congregations of the Latter-day Saints in their public meetings and you will perhaps see some old brother or sister using the standard hymn books of the Church and following the choir in the singing, but by far the great majority of the congregation have no hymn books with them, and cannot, therefore, understand the words which the choir are singing. This is all wrong. Singing is a part of the prayer—pleasing in the sight of our Heavenly Father. When there is a prayer being offered to my Heavenly Father, I for one always want to share in it; I want to be counted in that prayer, whether it is offered on the stand by one of the brethren or whether it be in the form of a song. How can this be possible if I do not understand the words that are being sung? Well, I always have my book with me and follow the choir in the singing. Now, this is the point: We older Latter-day Saints have got into the habit of going to meeting with our hymn books, and we are going to endeavor to get the rising generation into the habit of going to meeting with their hymn books, and, in order to do this, we must train them in our Sunday schools. Sunday school superintendents have come to me and said, "Well, brother Maeser, that is all very well, but how is it to be accomplished? We have talked, and talked and talked, but it has done no apparent good. What course would you advise us to pursue?" I have advised them as follows: "My brethren and sisters, if I were a Sunday school teacher and had been as - signed by the superintendent to take charge of a certain department, and I had found since my appointment that the children in my department were not in the habit of bringing their hymn books with them. I would say, "My dear pupils, I am going to ask you a question, and that question is, which of you have a hymn book' with you? Hold it up and let me see it. That is all. I am going to ask you this question again next Sunday. If any of you have a hymn book bring it along and let me see it." Next Sunday comes. I have sixty pupils in my department. My question comes. "What question did I say I would ask you today?" Someone says, "You was going to ask who had a hymn book." "Well, how many of you have them?" Four children have hymn books and are able to hold them up; the other fifty-six have none. I would not find fault or scold, or make any discouraging remark, but I would thank and bless these four. "Now next Sunday I shall ask you this same question again. You four will please bring your hymn books, and if the rest of you will do so I will be obliged." Next Sunday comes. "How many of you have hymn books with you today?" Seven. I have gained three now. I would continue this from one Sunday to another. I have got eleven perhaps the next Sunday, then seventeen, and so on, until three or four months have passed. Never occupy too much time in asking these questions, only about two minutes, no longer. After three or four months there are just five boys without hymn books, now I will suppose myself one of these five boys. The other fifty-five have their books, I cannot stand this any longer; I am getting ashamed of myself. All are beginning to hold up their hymn books but me and the other four. I cannot stand it. I go home and ask my father to give me ten cents with which to buy a hymn book. I get one and hold it up next Sunday with the rest, and then there are only four now without books. My brethren and sisters, it is not hard to do this, but we must persevere; we must never leave off asking this question. Neither must we think that our labor ends when all bring their hymn books, if we do the scholars will become discouraged that no one takes any notice of their books, and they will, by and by, leave their hymn books at home again. Before the year is ended we are in the same fix—the children have no books with them. We have to keep constantly at it. The children are as full of human nature as we are. They must be noticed, and they need some encouragement. We Sunday school workers, the grown up men and women, like a little encouragement in our labors, once in a while. So do the children. They must be noticed and encouraged in their work as much as we older ones. God bless you all is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
ELDER HEBER J. GRANT.
We find on the 137th page in the Doctrine and Covenants, the following:
"For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart, yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads."
I have, all the days of my life, enjoyed sinking very much. When I was a little boy ten years of age I joined a singing class, and the professor told me that I could never learn to sing. Some years ago I had my character read by a phrenologist and he told me that I could sing, but he said he would like to be forty miles away while I was doing it. (Laughter.) I was practicing singing a few weeks ago in the Templeton building-, and the room where I was doing so was next to that of a dentist. The people in the hall decided that someone was having his teeth extracted. (Laughter.) When I was a little boy Sister Eliza R. Snow exercised the gift of tongues, and the interpretation was given by Sister Zina D. Young; and therein I was promised that I should be chosen to be one of the leaders of the Church, and I stand here tonight in fulfillment of that prediction. All the days of my life I have tried to sing "O My Father," written by Sister Eliza R. Snow. When I was a child, next to my own mother, no woman that ever lived took as much interest in me, gave me as much motherly advice or seemed to love me more than did Sister Snow. I loved her with all my heart, and loved her hymn, "O My Father." I remarked some four months ago to Brother Horace S. Ensign that I would be willing to spend four or five months of my spare time if I could only learn to sing that one hymn. He told me that anyone could learn to sing that had perseverance. I said to him if there was anything that I had it was perseverance. So I suggested that we sit down and I would take my first lesson of two hours on that song. I have been continuing the lessons on it ever since. (Laughter.) I have sung it as high as 115 times in one day. I have practiced on the "Doxology" between three and four hundred times, and there are only four lines, and I cannot sing it yet. (Laughter.) I traveled from Holbrook, Arizona, to St. John, with Brothers Clawson and Kimball, some months ago, and I sang one hundred times that day and gave them nervous prostration. (Laughter.) Now I tried to sing "O My Father" at Snowflake, Arizona, and I only got as far as the "O," and I did not get that right. (Laughter.) I have been delighted tonight with the songs of these little children, and I am delighted with the singing that we have in our Sunday schools. A few months before Brother Goddard died I asked him to let me copy the songs contained in his song book, and I told him that, though I could not sing, yet I would read them to the children and would perpetuate his memory by reading these songs. He made some excuse at the time, but shortly before he died he presented me with a copy of his song book, written in his own hand-writing. I prize it more highly than money. I would not exchange it for its weight in gold. I intended to fulfil my promise, but when I learned, after five or six weeks of hard study, and after singing one hymn thousands of times, to sing a little I decided not to read these songs to the children, but to learn to sing them in the Sabbath schools. Professor Heber S. Goddard is now teaching me to sing, "Who's on the Lord's side, Who?" I do not know how many months it will take him, but I propose to learn it someday, whether it takes six months or six years. (Laughter.) When I do, if I get the opportunity, I will sing it here. I make these remarks because I feel that we ought to encourage our young people to learn to sing. From the standpoint of a singer, I have lost thirty-three years of my life. I was told. when ten years old that I could never learn to sing. I did not learn until forty-three years of age, and I have spent four or five months trying to learn to sing the hymns, "God moves in a mysterious way," and "O My Father." I have learned one because of the sentiments and my love for the author, and the other because the late President Wilford Woodruff loved it better than any other hymn in the hymn book. Now all singers say it is a mistake to speak before you sing, and therefore if I do not sing very well it is because I spoke first. (Laughter.)
Brother Grant here sang two stanzas of "O My Father."
Now, when Brother Goddard used to sing, when he got off he would try again. I have sung this two or three times with Brother Ensign, and I know that I am not singing it right; I have not pitched it right. Brother Goddard would try sometimes half a dozen times to pitch a song. I think I had better try and get this in a different key. (Laughter).
Brother Grant then sang the concluding stanzas. (In the same key.)
Now I expect many of you would like to take a trip of thirty or forty miles when you leave here. (Laughter) Now some people will say Brother Grant has made an exhibition of himself by singing here. I have but one object tonight in speaking and singing, and that is to encourage the young men and young ladies not to waste thirty or forty years of their lives before undertaking to sing. if I had told the congregation that I had learned to sing and had not tried they would not have believed it; and many do not believe it now. (Laughter.) But the fact remains that by continued effort one can learn to sing that has no knowledge of music whatever, as was the case with me. I did not know one note from another, and could barely distinguish one tune from another. When I first began to learn to sing this song ("O My Father") I would get off on nearly every line, and did not know it. I have learned to know when I am off. I have been off two or three times tonight. (Laughter). I have been troubled this evening with stage fright and have been very nervous. I have sung this song at least twenty times in this building. Brother Ensign has been behind me to help me tonight. Probably next time I will not have this stage fright.
I want to repeat to the superintendents and teachers that the Lord says "the song of the heart" is a prayer to Him and that it shall be answered with a blessing upon our heads. I have a song in my home every morning, since I learned to sing, and I feel that it is a nice part of the family worship, and I feel that we can increase the capacity of our children to sing and to praise the Lord in the songs of Zion, if we will only teach them to sing over and over again. May the Lord bless you, I ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen.
We find on the 137th page in the Doctrine and Covenants, the following:
"For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart, yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads."
I have, all the days of my life, enjoyed sinking very much. When I was a little boy ten years of age I joined a singing class, and the professor told me that I could never learn to sing. Some years ago I had my character read by a phrenologist and he told me that I could sing, but he said he would like to be forty miles away while I was doing it. (Laughter.) I was practicing singing a few weeks ago in the Templeton building-, and the room where I was doing so was next to that of a dentist. The people in the hall decided that someone was having his teeth extracted. (Laughter.) When I was a little boy Sister Eliza R. Snow exercised the gift of tongues, and the interpretation was given by Sister Zina D. Young; and therein I was promised that I should be chosen to be one of the leaders of the Church, and I stand here tonight in fulfillment of that prediction. All the days of my life I have tried to sing "O My Father," written by Sister Eliza R. Snow. When I was a child, next to my own mother, no woman that ever lived took as much interest in me, gave me as much motherly advice or seemed to love me more than did Sister Snow. I loved her with all my heart, and loved her hymn, "O My Father." I remarked some four months ago to Brother Horace S. Ensign that I would be willing to spend four or five months of my spare time if I could only learn to sing that one hymn. He told me that anyone could learn to sing that had perseverance. I said to him if there was anything that I had it was perseverance. So I suggested that we sit down and I would take my first lesson of two hours on that song. I have been continuing the lessons on it ever since. (Laughter.) I have sung it as high as 115 times in one day. I have practiced on the "Doxology" between three and four hundred times, and there are only four lines, and I cannot sing it yet. (Laughter.) I traveled from Holbrook, Arizona, to St. John, with Brothers Clawson and Kimball, some months ago, and I sang one hundred times that day and gave them nervous prostration. (Laughter.) Now I tried to sing "O My Father" at Snowflake, Arizona, and I only got as far as the "O," and I did not get that right. (Laughter.) I have been delighted tonight with the songs of these little children, and I am delighted with the singing that we have in our Sunday schools. A few months before Brother Goddard died I asked him to let me copy the songs contained in his song book, and I told him that, though I could not sing, yet I would read them to the children and would perpetuate his memory by reading these songs. He made some excuse at the time, but shortly before he died he presented me with a copy of his song book, written in his own hand-writing. I prize it more highly than money. I would not exchange it for its weight in gold. I intended to fulfil my promise, but when I learned, after five or six weeks of hard study, and after singing one hymn thousands of times, to sing a little I decided not to read these songs to the children, but to learn to sing them in the Sabbath schools. Professor Heber S. Goddard is now teaching me to sing, "Who's on the Lord's side, Who?" I do not know how many months it will take him, but I propose to learn it someday, whether it takes six months or six years. (Laughter.) When I do, if I get the opportunity, I will sing it here. I make these remarks because I feel that we ought to encourage our young people to learn to sing. From the standpoint of a singer, I have lost thirty-three years of my life. I was told. when ten years old that I could never learn to sing. I did not learn until forty-three years of age, and I have spent four or five months trying to learn to sing the hymns, "God moves in a mysterious way," and "O My Father." I have learned one because of the sentiments and my love for the author, and the other because the late President Wilford Woodruff loved it better than any other hymn in the hymn book. Now all singers say it is a mistake to speak before you sing, and therefore if I do not sing very well it is because I spoke first. (Laughter.)
Brother Grant here sang two stanzas of "O My Father."
Now, when Brother Goddard used to sing, when he got off he would try again. I have sung this two or three times with Brother Ensign, and I know that I am not singing it right; I have not pitched it right. Brother Goddard would try sometimes half a dozen times to pitch a song. I think I had better try and get this in a different key. (Laughter).
Brother Grant then sang the concluding stanzas. (In the same key.)
Now I expect many of you would like to take a trip of thirty or forty miles when you leave here. (Laughter) Now some people will say Brother Grant has made an exhibition of himself by singing here. I have but one object tonight in speaking and singing, and that is to encourage the young men and young ladies not to waste thirty or forty years of their lives before undertaking to sing. if I had told the congregation that I had learned to sing and had not tried they would not have believed it; and many do not believe it now. (Laughter.) But the fact remains that by continued effort one can learn to sing that has no knowledge of music whatever, as was the case with me. I did not know one note from another, and could barely distinguish one tune from another. When I first began to learn to sing this song ("O My Father") I would get off on nearly every line, and did not know it. I have learned to know when I am off. I have been off two or three times tonight. (Laughter). I have been troubled this evening with stage fright and have been very nervous. I have sung this song at least twenty times in this building. Brother Ensign has been behind me to help me tonight. Probably next time I will not have this stage fright.
I want to repeat to the superintendents and teachers that the Lord says "the song of the heart" is a prayer to Him and that it shall be answered with a blessing upon our heads. I have a song in my home every morning, since I learned to sing, and I feel that it is a nice part of the family worship, and I feel that we can increase the capacity of our children to sing and to praise the Lord in the songs of Zion, if we will only teach them to sing over and over again. May the Lord bless you, I ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen.
DR. J. M. TANNER.
"All Sunday School lessons should have a bearing on the Gospel or its principles.
We are engaged in the instruction of something like one hundred thousand children. When the population of the Latter-day Saints is taken into consideration, this is unquestionably the largest organization of children in the world, and our Sabbath school has its distinct objects, and, among the aims of our labors is the cultivation of the faith of the Latter-day Saints among our children. It is our aim to teach them the principles of the Gospel as we have learned them, and to make of them followers of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and to inculcate a love of that religion as it has been taught to us and as we understand it. It is therefore desirable that all of our Sunday school lessons should have some direct bearing upon our faith. They should have those distinct qualities and characteristics that impress upon the little ones the thoughts and feelings associated with the religion of their parents. For that reason pamphlets have been prepared, courses of studies have been mapped out and instructions have been given in the methods of presentation, and yet there is found, very frequently, a disposition to make this work in the Sunday schools purely an argumentative work, and it would be ofttimes very difficult to discern any difference in the qualities of those lessons as taught by us and those taught by other denominations in the world. It is distinctly our aim and purpose then, to give a direct quality and bearing to this work and make the lessons correspond with the spirit of the faith which we have. Naturally enough, therefore, we should adopt those means that will best aid us in this direction. We want to know, then, how to present a lesson from a "Mormon" point of view. We want to know how to give these lessons a direct application to our faith, and that is the object of my remarks tonight. I cannot enter into the details, as time will not permit, but I can mention two means by which this may be brought about. The first, and perhaps most important one is that we understand at the outset that the purpose of religion, the purpose of teaching religion, is that our children may be taught to feel as well as to think; for religion is not a system of philosophy, however much scientists or revolutionists may desire to reduce it to a scientific basis. Religion is the Gospel of correct living, thinking and feeling, of correct lives, if you please, including all that we are, including our feelings as well as our thoughts, and for that reason we ought to be instructed how to think correctly and how to feel correctly. It is particularly the duty of the Sabbath school teacher to rouse within the hearts of his children those intense feelings that are engendered by a strong conviction of the truth of the work as he has received a testimony of it. And how we can teach the children to feel—to feel as we feel? In the first place we. must have strong convictions ourselves, and we must be intensely interested. It must be a work of love and come from the heart. It must be with ourselves a question of correct living, and above all things we must be pure in heart, pure in our thoughts and undefiled in our feelings, constantly, within ourselves, dedicating our lives to God and to His work. The Sabbath school teacher has to deal with children who are pure, who are pure from their infancy, whose lives have not been contaminated with the ways of the world, and he should be a man, or she should be a woman, qualified in every respect to come in contact with the purity of youth, and for that reason there should be a constant effort on our part to so conduct our thoughts and feelings that they shall be pure and sanctified before God. Therein lies our safety; therein lies our success. Every man carries with him a certain influence. There is within his character those qualities that make up his general disposition. We cannot always define that influence, but we know that every man carries with him an influence coming from his own individuality, and that individuality comes from his own thoughts and feelings. Those subjects upon which his thoughts dwell are the subjects that reach, through the influence of our presence, the feelings of others. Hence the necessity of correct living. If there is a Sabbath school teacher that is not constantly striving to better his life, to purify his thoughts and feelings, he is not fitted for the sublime work of a teacher in the Sabbath school. For that reason, therefore, we should constantly keep before us the thought, the idea, that we are directing the feelings of the children, and that convictions are forming within them that will carry them through life, that we are making impressions upon their young minds that will be lasting, and those impressions should be of the very purest and chastest kind. I hope, therefore, that the teachers will feel, when they have their classes before them, that they are to carry convictions to the hearts of their listeners, that they will remember that it is an important part of our teaching to instruct the children how to feel as well as how to think, for both are necessary in a complete life. Then again the Sabbath school teacher should be familiar with the history of the Church. If the Sabbath school teacher has had experience as a missionary he will find striking comparisons between the sayings of the ancient Apostles and Prophets and the Apostles and Prophets of the present time. The missionary will find that the conditions of life anions: ancient Israel were very similar to the conditions of life among us. He will find many striking peculiarities in the system of worship of the apostolic age that are also characteristic of our own system of worship at the present time. In other words, the Sabbath school teacher should be familiar with our own history, with the history of the Church, its organization, the labors of the Elders abroad, and so on, that in bringing up these lessons either from the Old or New Testament he can point constantly to the parallel existing between ancient and modern Israel, and in this way he will have constant illustrations that will enable the scholars to understand how we are like ancient Israel, for if one thing has impressed the Elder in his labors it is the great similarity that exists between us and ancient Israel, the similarity of organization, teachings, etc. The student should understand that if persecution overtook us it also overtook them; that if we were unpopular, they were unpopular; that if they had Prophets and Apostles, we have them likewise. The children should understand that if they believed in continuous revelation, we believe in continuous revelation, and in this manner bring constantly to their attention the similarity that exists between them and us, between our methods and theirs, our lives and theirs, our missionary work and theirs. This similarity may also be shown forth in teaching them geography. The location of ancient Israel was among the mountain tops, as is the case with us; their lakes resemble our lakes; their lake Mermom our Sevier Lake, their Galilee our Utah Lake, their Dead Sea our Salt Lake, their River Jordan our River Jordan. The impressions and ideas that they imbibed and that grew up in them on account of their homes and surroundings are peculiar to the Latter-day Saints today. All these things may be shown, and the constant comparisons that may be made in teaching these lessons to the Sabbath school children may reveal and will reveal to the minds of the children the great similarity be- ' tween us, and these evidences will actually carry with them a conviction of the truth of our religion, and they will be more firmly convinced of its truthfulness than ever before. I hold, then, that these two means may, and ought to be, adopted everywhere in promulgating our doctrines and faith among the children, whatever the subjects may be in the Sabbath school. We are teaching the Old and New Testaments as well as our Church works, and it is as necessary, therefore, that these books—the Old and New Testaments — should be as valuable in establishing the truth and the evidences of that we believe as those books known to us as the Doctrine and Covenants and the Book of Mormon.
I take it that the purpose or aim in asking me to speak upon this subject tonight was to call your attention to the disposition, on the part of some of the teachers to make our exercises in the Sunday school argumentative rather than to keep them in the line of our faith, that we shall have a distinct purpose in view in the education of our children in the. Sunday school, and that purpose is to make every one of our Sunday school children firm in the faith of our fathers and faithful and lasting Saints. God bless you. Amen.
Miss Judith Anderson sang in good style, a contralto solo entitled, "The Children's Friend,'' which was much appreciated, showing a well-trained and beautiful voice.
Elder John M. Mills read the program of the exercises of the annual Sunday school Stake conferences of 1900.
"All Sunday School lessons should have a bearing on the Gospel or its principles.
We are engaged in the instruction of something like one hundred thousand children. When the population of the Latter-day Saints is taken into consideration, this is unquestionably the largest organization of children in the world, and our Sabbath school has its distinct objects, and, among the aims of our labors is the cultivation of the faith of the Latter-day Saints among our children. It is our aim to teach them the principles of the Gospel as we have learned them, and to make of them followers of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and to inculcate a love of that religion as it has been taught to us and as we understand it. It is therefore desirable that all of our Sunday school lessons should have some direct bearing upon our faith. They should have those distinct qualities and characteristics that impress upon the little ones the thoughts and feelings associated with the religion of their parents. For that reason pamphlets have been prepared, courses of studies have been mapped out and instructions have been given in the methods of presentation, and yet there is found, very frequently, a disposition to make this work in the Sunday schools purely an argumentative work, and it would be ofttimes very difficult to discern any difference in the qualities of those lessons as taught by us and those taught by other denominations in the world. It is distinctly our aim and purpose then, to give a direct quality and bearing to this work and make the lessons correspond with the spirit of the faith which we have. Naturally enough, therefore, we should adopt those means that will best aid us in this direction. We want to know, then, how to present a lesson from a "Mormon" point of view. We want to know how to give these lessons a direct application to our faith, and that is the object of my remarks tonight. I cannot enter into the details, as time will not permit, but I can mention two means by which this may be brought about. The first, and perhaps most important one is that we understand at the outset that the purpose of religion, the purpose of teaching religion, is that our children may be taught to feel as well as to think; for religion is not a system of philosophy, however much scientists or revolutionists may desire to reduce it to a scientific basis. Religion is the Gospel of correct living, thinking and feeling, of correct lives, if you please, including all that we are, including our feelings as well as our thoughts, and for that reason we ought to be instructed how to think correctly and how to feel correctly. It is particularly the duty of the Sabbath school teacher to rouse within the hearts of his children those intense feelings that are engendered by a strong conviction of the truth of the work as he has received a testimony of it. And how we can teach the children to feel—to feel as we feel? In the first place we. must have strong convictions ourselves, and we must be intensely interested. It must be a work of love and come from the heart. It must be with ourselves a question of correct living, and above all things we must be pure in heart, pure in our thoughts and undefiled in our feelings, constantly, within ourselves, dedicating our lives to God and to His work. The Sabbath school teacher has to deal with children who are pure, who are pure from their infancy, whose lives have not been contaminated with the ways of the world, and he should be a man, or she should be a woman, qualified in every respect to come in contact with the purity of youth, and for that reason there should be a constant effort on our part to so conduct our thoughts and feelings that they shall be pure and sanctified before God. Therein lies our safety; therein lies our success. Every man carries with him a certain influence. There is within his character those qualities that make up his general disposition. We cannot always define that influence, but we know that every man carries with him an influence coming from his own individuality, and that individuality comes from his own thoughts and feelings. Those subjects upon which his thoughts dwell are the subjects that reach, through the influence of our presence, the feelings of others. Hence the necessity of correct living. If there is a Sabbath school teacher that is not constantly striving to better his life, to purify his thoughts and feelings, he is not fitted for the sublime work of a teacher in the Sabbath school. For that reason, therefore, we should constantly keep before us the thought, the idea, that we are directing the feelings of the children, and that convictions are forming within them that will carry them through life, that we are making impressions upon their young minds that will be lasting, and those impressions should be of the very purest and chastest kind. I hope, therefore, that the teachers will feel, when they have their classes before them, that they are to carry convictions to the hearts of their listeners, that they will remember that it is an important part of our teaching to instruct the children how to feel as well as how to think, for both are necessary in a complete life. Then again the Sabbath school teacher should be familiar with the history of the Church. If the Sabbath school teacher has had experience as a missionary he will find striking comparisons between the sayings of the ancient Apostles and Prophets and the Apostles and Prophets of the present time. The missionary will find that the conditions of life anions: ancient Israel were very similar to the conditions of life among us. He will find many striking peculiarities in the system of worship of the apostolic age that are also characteristic of our own system of worship at the present time. In other words, the Sabbath school teacher should be familiar with our own history, with the history of the Church, its organization, the labors of the Elders abroad, and so on, that in bringing up these lessons either from the Old or New Testament he can point constantly to the parallel existing between ancient and modern Israel, and in this way he will have constant illustrations that will enable the scholars to understand how we are like ancient Israel, for if one thing has impressed the Elder in his labors it is the great similarity that exists between us and ancient Israel, the similarity of organization, teachings, etc. The student should understand that if persecution overtook us it also overtook them; that if we were unpopular, they were unpopular; that if they had Prophets and Apostles, we have them likewise. The children should understand that if they believed in continuous revelation, we believe in continuous revelation, and in this manner bring constantly to their attention the similarity that exists between them and us, between our methods and theirs, our lives and theirs, our missionary work and theirs. This similarity may also be shown forth in teaching them geography. The location of ancient Israel was among the mountain tops, as is the case with us; their lakes resemble our lakes; their lake Mermom our Sevier Lake, their Galilee our Utah Lake, their Dead Sea our Salt Lake, their River Jordan our River Jordan. The impressions and ideas that they imbibed and that grew up in them on account of their homes and surroundings are peculiar to the Latter-day Saints today. All these things may be shown, and the constant comparisons that may be made in teaching these lessons to the Sabbath school children may reveal and will reveal to the minds of the children the great similarity be- ' tween us, and these evidences will actually carry with them a conviction of the truth of our religion, and they will be more firmly convinced of its truthfulness than ever before. I hold, then, that these two means may, and ought to be, adopted everywhere in promulgating our doctrines and faith among the children, whatever the subjects may be in the Sabbath school. We are teaching the Old and New Testaments as well as our Church works, and it is as necessary, therefore, that these books—the Old and New Testaments — should be as valuable in establishing the truth and the evidences of that we believe as those books known to us as the Doctrine and Covenants and the Book of Mormon.
I take it that the purpose or aim in asking me to speak upon this subject tonight was to call your attention to the disposition, on the part of some of the teachers to make our exercises in the Sunday school argumentative rather than to keep them in the line of our faith, that we shall have a distinct purpose in view in the education of our children in the. Sunday school, and that purpose is to make every one of our Sunday school children firm in the faith of our fathers and faithful and lasting Saints. God bless you. Amen.
Miss Judith Anderson sang in good style, a contralto solo entitled, "The Children's Friend,'' which was much appreciated, showing a well-trained and beautiful voice.
Elder John M. Mills read the program of the exercises of the annual Sunday school Stake conferences of 1900.
ELDER JOSEPH W. SUMMERHAYS.
If you remember, one year ago last November, we had a Sunday school convention which lasted two days. The general superintendency of the Sunday School Union board feel that it would be good policy to hold another convention next fall similar to the one held last November, a year ago. The reason we mention it tonight is because there is considerable detail work connected with it, and if we hold a convention we must get to work immediately. We desire to ascertain the feelings of this meeting with regard to holding such a convention next fall. All in favor of holding another Sunday school convention some time next fall similar to the one last held will please make it manifest by raising their right hand.
The vote was unanimous.
We wish to announce to the Stake and ward superintendents that we are still lacking the histories of some of the Stake Sunday school organizations, as well as those of some of the wards. If you remember, at the close of our fifty years last December it was proposed that we get up a history of our Sunday school movement, to cover that period. We have been working on this book, and it is now being delayed, waiting the histories of the Stake and ward organizations that have not yet been sent in. We trust the lacking information will be forwarded immediately, that the work may not be delayed.
If you remember, one year ago last November, we had a Sunday school convention which lasted two days. The general superintendency of the Sunday School Union board feel that it would be good policy to hold another convention next fall similar to the one held last November, a year ago. The reason we mention it tonight is because there is considerable detail work connected with it, and if we hold a convention we must get to work immediately. We desire to ascertain the feelings of this meeting with regard to holding such a convention next fall. All in favor of holding another Sunday school convention some time next fall similar to the one last held will please make it manifest by raising their right hand.
The vote was unanimous.
We wish to announce to the Stake and ward superintendents that we are still lacking the histories of some of the Stake Sunday school organizations, as well as those of some of the wards. If you remember, at the close of our fifty years last December it was proposed that we get up a history of our Sunday school movement, to cover that period. We have been working on this book, and it is now being delayed, waiting the histories of the Stake and ward organizations that have not yet been sent in. We trust the lacking information will be forwarded immediately, that the work may not be delayed.
ELDER THOMAS C. GRIGGS.
Since coming to this meeting I have been requested to draw the attention of this conference to an item that pertains to our growth and interests.
It must be realized that, in the existence, approximately, of the Sunday School Union of twenty-five years, from an enrollment of 30,000 it has increased to the number of 120,000, over a fourfold increase in twenty-five years. Our labors have been wonderfully blessed, and I trust that this growth will continue, so that at the end of the next twenty-five years we may be able to show another four-fold growth, bringing it up to nearly half a million.
The attention of the Union is drawn to the desirability of establishing branch Sunday schools. The rule of the Union Board is embodied in the following: "Urge the desirability of establishing branch Sunday schools in wards where there is need of it; where, for instance, the children have to come long distances, or the school is overcrowded. The Union Board favors, where the distance is great between the different parts of the ward, where two or more Sunday schools are established in the ward, that each be fully organized with a separate superintendency." I will say but a few words with regard to this matter; many might be said. There are conditions existing in places, we find, where, through growth, the buildings have become so crowded that there is not room for more. Where these conditions exist it would be well for the superintendency to look abroad to provide means for establishing branch Sunday schools. This, of course, should be done with the consent and approval of the Bishop of the ward. Where children have to come a long distance also branch Sunday schools could be established with profit, in order to give them the advantages of our Sunday school teaching and training. It is not necessary in all cases that public halls or buildings should be provided. My experience has been that many profitable branch schools have been established, at the beginning, in private houses, where one or two rooms had been opened by some good brother or sister and the children of the vicinity have been gathered in, and in such instances, so far as I have experienced, those branch Sunday schools have grown wonderfully. There is this pleasing feature also connected with the branch Sunday school, as it has been established, and that is that it is largely a missionary factor; for not only do those that are active in the Church become members of these schools, but the facilities being placed within the reach of those that have become somewhat indifferent and who have not attended fully to their meetings and duties, their feelings and interests become aroused and they will send their children to this new school, and in this manner a good work is accomplished. Nor should we rest with this. There are the children of our friends, all brothers and sisters in the human family, to whom we should extend the advantages and privileges of the Gospel, for these principles are as valuable to them as they are to us. The in Gospel word has been increased in the mission field by establishing Sunday schools; why should this be done only abroad when we have many opportunities at home? It may, perhaps, become necessary, where deemed advisable, in the establishment of these branch schools, that the main school render them their support and aid. This assistance should be freely given by sending brethren and sisters, experienced if possible, to assist in the teaching and also by sending music books, class registers, hymn books, etc., that they may have material to work with. We trust that the superintendents will be broadminded in this matter and not become circumscribed in their feelings and efforts or think that their work should be confined to their own schools only.
This, brethren and sisters, Stake and ward superintendents, is but the skeleton of the idea in regard to this matter. I am satisfied that if we were to enter into the field in the Spirit of the Gospel as we should do, the skeleton army, mentioned by the Prophet Ezekiel, will stand upon its feet and be clothed with sinew and flesh and have a body pleasing to look upon.
May the Lord bless us in these labors and in our efforts is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Since coming to this meeting I have been requested to draw the attention of this conference to an item that pertains to our growth and interests.
It must be realized that, in the existence, approximately, of the Sunday School Union of twenty-five years, from an enrollment of 30,000 it has increased to the number of 120,000, over a fourfold increase in twenty-five years. Our labors have been wonderfully blessed, and I trust that this growth will continue, so that at the end of the next twenty-five years we may be able to show another four-fold growth, bringing it up to nearly half a million.
The attention of the Union is drawn to the desirability of establishing branch Sunday schools. The rule of the Union Board is embodied in the following: "Urge the desirability of establishing branch Sunday schools in wards where there is need of it; where, for instance, the children have to come long distances, or the school is overcrowded. The Union Board favors, where the distance is great between the different parts of the ward, where two or more Sunday schools are established in the ward, that each be fully organized with a separate superintendency." I will say but a few words with regard to this matter; many might be said. There are conditions existing in places, we find, where, through growth, the buildings have become so crowded that there is not room for more. Where these conditions exist it would be well for the superintendency to look abroad to provide means for establishing branch Sunday schools. This, of course, should be done with the consent and approval of the Bishop of the ward. Where children have to come a long distance also branch Sunday schools could be established with profit, in order to give them the advantages of our Sunday school teaching and training. It is not necessary in all cases that public halls or buildings should be provided. My experience has been that many profitable branch schools have been established, at the beginning, in private houses, where one or two rooms had been opened by some good brother or sister and the children of the vicinity have been gathered in, and in such instances, so far as I have experienced, those branch Sunday schools have grown wonderfully. There is this pleasing feature also connected with the branch Sunday school, as it has been established, and that is that it is largely a missionary factor; for not only do those that are active in the Church become members of these schools, but the facilities being placed within the reach of those that have become somewhat indifferent and who have not attended fully to their meetings and duties, their feelings and interests become aroused and they will send their children to this new school, and in this manner a good work is accomplished. Nor should we rest with this. There are the children of our friends, all brothers and sisters in the human family, to whom we should extend the advantages and privileges of the Gospel, for these principles are as valuable to them as they are to us. The in Gospel word has been increased in the mission field by establishing Sunday schools; why should this be done only abroad when we have many opportunities at home? It may, perhaps, become necessary, where deemed advisable, in the establishment of these branch schools, that the main school render them their support and aid. This assistance should be freely given by sending brethren and sisters, experienced if possible, to assist in the teaching and also by sending music books, class registers, hymn books, etc., that they may have material to work with. We trust that the superintendents will be broadminded in this matter and not become circumscribed in their feelings and efforts or think that their work should be confined to their own schools only.
This, brethren and sisters, Stake and ward superintendents, is but the skeleton of the idea in regard to this matter. I am satisfied that if we were to enter into the field in the Spirit of the Gospel as we should do, the skeleton army, mentioned by the Prophet Ezekiel, will stand upon its feet and be clothed with sinew and flesh and have a body pleasing to look upon.
May the Lord bless us in these labors and in our efforts is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.
ELDER GEORGE REYNOLDS.
Brother Mills, a few minutes ago, read to you the program of the forthcoming annual Stake Sunday school conference. I now wish to read to you the dates on -which these conferences will be held.
April 28th and 29th—St George.
May 6th and 7th—Parowan.
May 12th and 13th—Malad.
May 19th and 20th—Juab—Utah.
May 26th and 27th—Jordan.
June 2nd and 3rd—Wasatch—Granite.
June 9th and 10th—Cache.
June 16th and 17th—Oneida—Millard.
June 23rd and 24th —Bear Lake—Sanpete.
June 30th and July 1st—Star Valley.
July 7th and 8th—Panguitch and Woodruff.
July 14th and 15th—Kanab—Wayne.
July 21st and 22nd—Morgan—Sevier.
July 28th and 29th—Boxelder—Cassia.
August 4th and 5th—Beaver.
August 11th and 12th—Davis—Bingham.
August 18th and 19th—Uintah—Fremont.
August 25th and 26th—Emery—Alberta.
September 1st and 2nd—Tooele.
September 8th and 9th—Summit.
September 15th and 16th—Weber.
September 22nd and 23rd—Bannock.
September 29th and 30th—Pocatello.
Elder Reynolds, continuing, said:
There are one or two items to which I desire to call your attention. One is with regard to the Leaflets. Some of the superintendents think that, because there is a date upon each, they should only be used on that date. This is a mistake. They can be used at any and at all times when desirable. We think that the length of the Leaflets now being published, as well as their great importance, is such that it will take at least two Sundays to consider each one properly, that no teacher should attempt to go over all the matter contained in any one of these Leaflets in one single Sunday. We have already published twelve numbers this year, but no more will be published this month, to give those that are behind a chance to catch up. We shall again begin distributing them to the schools for the first of May.
The general board of the Deseret Sunday School Union issued, some time ago, another Bible chart, connected with the life of our Redeemer, known to us as number Ave, the superintendents and teachers have apparently not understood this, as our sales have been very small. A copy of this chart hangs on either side of the stand, giving a sample of the pictures contained therein. We wish to call the attention of the superintendents to the fact that we have a large number on hand at the Sunday School Union office.
The Sunday School Union has also just published a chronological chart of Nephite and Lamanite history, which they propose to give free to every Sunday school which has an enrollment of more than seventy-five members. We have restricted it to this number for the reason that we thought a small Sunday school with less than seventy-five members would probably not have a Book of Mormon class large enough to use this chart profitably. This chart comprises the history of the Book of Mormon from the time that Lehi and his colony left Jerusalem, 600 years before Christ, to the end of Moroni's record. It likewise contains a tabular statement of contemporaneous events that took place on the eastern continent; also the time during which each Nephite historian held the records and wrote that people's history. It also contains a statement of the years of the reigns of the Judges, as well as other information which will aid our students in the understanding of Book of Mormon history and chronology. We shall also send a copy to each Stake superintendent, and they can now be obtained at the office of the Deseret Sunday School Union. Any persons wishing to purchase a copy can do so. The price, mounted like the one I have in my hand, backed with linen and mounted on rollers, is one dollar. We expect soon to have a large number of copies on hand in paper, which can be folded up and placed between the leaves of a book, the price of which will be only twenty-five cents.
Brother Mills, a few minutes ago, read to you the program of the forthcoming annual Stake Sunday school conference. I now wish to read to you the dates on -which these conferences will be held.
April 28th and 29th—St George.
May 6th and 7th—Parowan.
May 12th and 13th—Malad.
May 19th and 20th—Juab—Utah.
May 26th and 27th—Jordan.
June 2nd and 3rd—Wasatch—Granite.
June 9th and 10th—Cache.
June 16th and 17th—Oneida—Millard.
June 23rd and 24th —Bear Lake—Sanpete.
June 30th and July 1st—Star Valley.
July 7th and 8th—Panguitch and Woodruff.
July 14th and 15th—Kanab—Wayne.
July 21st and 22nd—Morgan—Sevier.
July 28th and 29th—Boxelder—Cassia.
August 4th and 5th—Beaver.
August 11th and 12th—Davis—Bingham.
August 18th and 19th—Uintah—Fremont.
August 25th and 26th—Emery—Alberta.
September 1st and 2nd—Tooele.
September 8th and 9th—Summit.
September 15th and 16th—Weber.
September 22nd and 23rd—Bannock.
September 29th and 30th—Pocatello.
Elder Reynolds, continuing, said:
There are one or two items to which I desire to call your attention. One is with regard to the Leaflets. Some of the superintendents think that, because there is a date upon each, they should only be used on that date. This is a mistake. They can be used at any and at all times when desirable. We think that the length of the Leaflets now being published, as well as their great importance, is such that it will take at least two Sundays to consider each one properly, that no teacher should attempt to go over all the matter contained in any one of these Leaflets in one single Sunday. We have already published twelve numbers this year, but no more will be published this month, to give those that are behind a chance to catch up. We shall again begin distributing them to the schools for the first of May.
The general board of the Deseret Sunday School Union issued, some time ago, another Bible chart, connected with the life of our Redeemer, known to us as number Ave, the superintendents and teachers have apparently not understood this, as our sales have been very small. A copy of this chart hangs on either side of the stand, giving a sample of the pictures contained therein. We wish to call the attention of the superintendents to the fact that we have a large number on hand at the Sunday School Union office.
The Sunday School Union has also just published a chronological chart of Nephite and Lamanite history, which they propose to give free to every Sunday school which has an enrollment of more than seventy-five members. We have restricted it to this number for the reason that we thought a small Sunday school with less than seventy-five members would probably not have a Book of Mormon class large enough to use this chart profitably. This chart comprises the history of the Book of Mormon from the time that Lehi and his colony left Jerusalem, 600 years before Christ, to the end of Moroni's record. It likewise contains a tabular statement of contemporaneous events that took place on the eastern continent; also the time during which each Nephite historian held the records and wrote that people's history. It also contains a statement of the years of the reigns of the Judges, as well as other information which will aid our students in the understanding of Book of Mormon history and chronology. We shall also send a copy to each Stake superintendent, and they can now be obtained at the office of the Deseret Sunday School Union. Any persons wishing to purchase a copy can do so. The price, mounted like the one I have in my hand, backed with linen and mounted on rollers, is one dollar. We expect soon to have a large number of copies on hand in paper, which can be folded up and placed between the leaves of a book, the price of which will be only twenty-five cents.
ELDER GEORGE D. PYPER.
About a year ago a committee was appointed to secure the photographs of the Stake superintendent of Sunday schools of all the Stakes of Zion, as well as those of the members of the Union Board and the general officers of the Union. These photographs were to be grouped together and a picture made containing all of these. A committee was appointed, as I stated, and they have now, after considerable time, completed their labors. The picture is ready and we will be pleased to present a copy of the same to the Stake superintendents, if they will call at the office of the Union, No. 408 Templeton building, tomorrow, or any time after.
About a year ago a committee was appointed to secure the photographs of the Stake superintendent of Sunday schools of all the Stakes of Zion, as well as those of the members of the Union Board and the general officers of the Union. These photographs were to be grouped together and a picture made containing all of these. A committee was appointed, as I stated, and they have now, after considerable time, completed their labors. The picture is ready and we will be pleased to present a copy of the same to the Stake superintendents, if they will call at the office of the Union, No. 408 Templeton building, tomorrow, or any time after.
GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT GEO. Q. CANNON.
Our time has expired. We have been here now nearly two hours. I am down for some closing remarks. I will not trespass upon your time but a minute, but I want to draw your attention to the remarks made by Dr. J. M. Tanner. I think there should be more attention paid to the character of the instruction given in our Sunday schools, and every effort should be made to give the children and the youth a knowledge of our principles. I think we cannot devote our time and attention in any better direction than in taking this subject to heart and carrying it out as well as we can in our schools. We feel proud, I think, of our progress, but I can see a large field stretching out before us yet to be occupied. The children and young people are not receiving, with all our efforts, the thorough training that they require. I pray God to bless us in our labors and to give everyone the spirit of this mission and labor.
The choir then sang, "God be merciful unto us and bless us."
Benediction by Elder Reed Smoot.
HORACE S. ENSIGN,
General Secretary.
LEO HUNSAKER,
Reporter.
Our time has expired. We have been here now nearly two hours. I am down for some closing remarks. I will not trespass upon your time but a minute, but I want to draw your attention to the remarks made by Dr. J. M. Tanner. I think there should be more attention paid to the character of the instruction given in our Sunday schools, and every effort should be made to give the children and the youth a knowledge of our principles. I think we cannot devote our time and attention in any better direction than in taking this subject to heart and carrying it out as well as we can in our schools. We feel proud, I think, of our progress, but I can see a large field stretching out before us yet to be occupied. The children and young people are not receiving, with all our efforts, the thorough training that they require. I pray God to bless us in our labors and to give everyone the spirit of this mission and labor.
The choir then sang, "God be merciful unto us and bless us."
Benediction by Elder Reed Smoot.
HORACE S. ENSIGN,
General Secretary.
LEO HUNSAKER,
Reporter.