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Show QUARTERLY CONFERENCE. The regular quarterly conference of Cache Valley Stake convened in Logan Tabernacle at 10 a. m. on Saturday last and continued two days. The attendance during Saturday was fair, and at both meetings on Sunday the Tabernacle was crowded, many having to stand. The time of the first meeting on Saturday was occupied by bishops who rendered verbal reports of the condition of their wards, and by a very interesting discourse by Elder C. W. Penrose. During the conference there were on the stand Presidents John Taylor, Jos. F. Smith; Apostles Wilford Woodruff, Erastus Snow, Lorenzo Snow, Franklin D. Richards, and Moses Thatcher; Elders C. W. Penrose of Salt Lake, Lorin Farr of Ogden and Samuel Smith of Brigham City, and the Presidency of this Stake, and others. SATURDAY, 2 P. M. Opening exercises. Prayer by Pres. M. W. Merrill. Reading of Stake statistical report which showed a total of 15,938 souls in Cache Valley Stake of Zion. Financial report of Logan Temple read. Apostle Erastus Snow read from the 10th chapter of Exodus, 5th and 6th verses: Now, therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people for all the earth in mine. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. He also read from 1 Peter, 2 chapter, 8th and 9th verses. Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. But ye are a chosen generation a royal priesthood a holy nation a peculiar people that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Jehovah set apart the seed of Abraham to make of them a peculiar people and place them in a position of usefulness to the rest of mankind. The Lord promised Abraham that through him and his seed all the earth should be blessed. This referred principally to Christ, but it also included the promise that through his seed the gospel should be taught to the nations and the priesthood be conferred upon men, and that the work of God should be preserved among them and be by them perpetuated among the nations. This was Jehovah's purpose with respect to the seed of Abraham. The promise included both the greater and lesser priesthoods. The ancient Saints were a peculiar people and a royal priesthood. The calling and mission of the Latter-day Saints is a fulfillment of the promises of the Scriptures. All who hold the priesthood, no matter how many there are, should labor as co-workers with Christ for the salvation of souls. The work of this dispensation includes that of all others, and all the priesthood, keys and powers of former dispensations have been restored in this. Reuben forfeited his birthright by committing adultery and God gave it to the sons of Joseph, choosing Ephraim the Younger for the chief. "Ephraim hath mixed himself among the people" say the Scriptures, which also term him the first born, and declare that he should be gathered in the latter days. Joseph's blessing especially changed him with the labor of gathering the "thousands of Ephraim." Lehi was of the lineage of Manassah. The record of Lehi which was first translated and stolen declared Lehi to be of Manassah, but Ishmael to be of Ephraim, and as their children intermarried, Ephraim and Manassah are perpetuated in their seed as is Josiah in the people of Mulek of Zarahemla. Thus on the American continent is the seed of these three perpetuated. It is said of the first elders of this church in the Book of Doctrine & Covenants, that they are of the seed of Ephraim, but that the wicked and rebellious are not. What evidence have we that their lineage is of Ephraim? The best of all evidence, the word of the Lord. The Lord showed to Abraham that some spirits were more noble than others and He has sent His noble ones upon the earth to fill their missions and if they fill their missions faithfully their salvation is sure. This I understand to be the doctrine of election. So God elected the seed of Abraham to be a royal priesthood, a peculiar people, and by their worship of the true God, a standing rebuke to the idolatrous world. When the books are opened and the lineage of all men known it will be found that the seed of Ephraim have been foremost among the nations in every good work, in opposing wrong, oppression, tyranny and priestcraft and they are the ones who were waiting for the elders when the great latter-day work first came forth. The preaching of the gospel to the living is but laying the foundation for a greater work-the redemption of the myriads of the dead. The vision of Ezekiel concerning the resurrection showed him that the dead of the House of Israel will be redeemed. The priesthood is without beginning or end. It ministers in time and in eternity, and men who have received it here and continue faithful, will exercise its powers hereafter. The morning of the resurrection approaches and ere long we shall see the Prophet Joseph presiding over the work of God in Temples build to his holy name. Apostle Wilford Woodruff: The Lord showed Abraham many noble spirits, and said of them he would make the rulers in his Kingdom. No generation was ever called to do a greater work than is required of the Elders of Israel in these last days. In connection with our duties to the living, is the redemption of the dead. Because Congress is opposed to us, and because our enemies are seeking our overthrow we should not relax our efforts, but we should continue our work upon our temples, and inasmuch as we are faithful, we will have power to finish them and dedication them, and work in them. Can the elders of Israel deny their religion? Can they deny God? Can they deny and desert the wives and families that have been given them under the law of God? No. Our enemies may fine, imprison or put us to death, but we cannot deny these things. The action of members of Congress who have voted against us, was based upon false statements that were made against us. They did not know the truth about the matter. They talk about our immorality. We are a thousand times more moral than they are. We have but one tenth of the crime that they have, Gentiles thrown in! We will try to use discretion and to fulfill the letter of the law as well as we can but if any man in Israel casts off his family on the pretext of the law, he will be cast out of Israel. We will abide by our covenants in life or in death, and let all who feel this way say Amen. (The congregation said, Amen!) The matter of having the several stakes unite in building a university was being agitated, and was quite practicable. By doing this we will be able to educate our own youth. We will be good and honorable citizens, and will honor and obey the laws of the land as far as the gospel will permit us to, but we will not do violence to our religious principles for mortal man. Singing; Bendiction [benediction] by Apostle F. D. Richards. |