Show ii- ii DI DISCOURSE COURSE By President George Q Cannon Gannon at atthe the Quarterly Conference Salt Lake Oily City Monday Afternoon September 2nd 1 1889 89 This Conference has been a very interesting occasion and I have no doubt but that everyone who has at- at attended at attended tended all the meetings has felt am- am amply amply am amply ply repaid for the time that has been spent nt I suppose the most of us are very busy and could fu furnish excuses for tor not being present if we wished to todo todo todo do ao so But I r do not know any place where time could have been spent more profitably or to better advantage advantage tage e than than attending this Conference There is plenty of work for us aH al to todo todo todo do but if we were to allow ourselves to be deterred from our duties or permit ourselves to be engrossed with worldly cares there theft is no doubt we could justify ourselves to toIK IK some me extent tent in doing so But would this ber be r I have always felt as soon as I 1 reached an age to re- re reflect re reflect upon this subject that our spir spir- spirItual spiritual spiritual natures require as much care as 88 our physical natures need nour nour- nourishment nourishment I 1 believe that we can starve our spirits impoverish them and dwarf ourselves by so doing I have found in my own experience i o although I have labored a good good deal that mentally that by attending meet meet- meeting 1 lug log regularly on the Sabbath day it bas been a day of rest to me yet lam many persons might be disposed to excuse themselves by saying that ther brains were tired and going to meeting on Sunday only added to the weariness I know by experience experience experience ence we can rest by attending ng meet meet- meetIng meetings Ing ings inga l and partaking of the Spirit which which generally prevail ind nd which should always prevail i ings And I am personal obServation that men and women who this prosper in their worldly circumstances and get along just as aswell aswell aswell well and better than those who think they cannot spare the time to worship God You may notice it that men who work on the Sabbath day accomplish no more and fre fre- frequently frequently frequently not as much as those who confine contine their labor to the days ap- ap ap for labor And such occa occa- mons as the present occur none too frequently to gi give ve us the opportunity pity of coming together and listen Usten- listening listening ing to the words of counsel and in- in ink instruction in k imparted by the Spirit of r the Lord unto us l We need constant I have wished since the Conference commenced that every Latter day Latter I f Saint in this Stake could have been present to hear bear the teachings that have boon been given There have been many precious counsels given and many precious testimonies borne I know it takes all an my time and all aJl my attention to keep myself straight might to ket keep p myself in the con con- condition condition I think I should be in and Indeed I am not satisfied even then that that is with myself There are many things growing tp ip among us that are contrary to the spirit of Zion many things operating upon our people that call for grave thou thought ht and careful con- con We are now as has been the case ase with us from the be- be be beginning ginning pa passing sing through new t LL I scenes encountering new dif dif- difficulties difficulties difficulties and so much has I this been the case that our lives as Latter-day Latter Saints have possessed it might be said dram dram- dramatic dramatic dramatic interest Our history as a aChurch aChurch aChurch Church has been like a drama No scenes acted upon the theatrical stage ever possessed more engross engross- ing engrossing interest than have the scenes of our lives as Latter-day Latter Saints And there is a constant of circum circum- sta stances We are en environed by hy new difficulties and it requires constant watchfulness on JD our part to avoid taking a wrong step or committing ourselves in some dir direction that might be injurious urious to us Therefore God has ordained that there shall be Prophets and Apostles whose duty it is to guide and counsel to instruct to reprove when necessary to warn and great responsibility rests upon them in connection with 4 these rn dut dutes 4 ties es T I t tremble at the 1 very thought of it I am filled with feel feel- feelings feelings feelings ings that cause me to shrink when I think about the great responsibility that God has placed upon the lead lead- leading leading leading ing Elders of this Church The welfare the future happiness and the prosperity of the people are to a great extent entrusted to those men ho are called to be the shep- shep herds of the flock of Christ Chri ChristI t I 1 often ask myself how can I appear before the Lord Jesus my Mas Master r if He should call me to account for the charge that He has placed upon me can I 1 stand up and say I have not obstructed the work with which I am connected I have not obscured the light of heaven I have bave not acted in any way to di- di divert di divert vert the rays of truth from shining in the midst of the children of menI menI men menI I I ask myself can I stand in this position and look upon the face of God without f feeling ling condemned and that my garments are unstained with the blood of this generation that I have been a faithful minister of the Lord a faithful shepherd of the flock fiock of Christ a watchman who has never slept at his post who has never failed faHed to utter the cry of warning when danger has menaced the Zion of God This is a feeling it seems to me every man who bears the holy Priesthood to have I say every man not Dot anyone any one class of men but every man bear bear- bearing bearing bearing ing the Priesthood of the Son of God in this Church should feel that there is a responsibility resting upon him and that perchance e if he be not careful he may wake up in eternity and find himself under serious seri us con con- condemnation condemnation condemnation for having neglected to todo todo todo do his duty to his fellow fellow- fellowman man fellow man and to magnify the holy Priesthood that God has placed upon him It would be a dreadful adful thing in my view to be found with the blood of man staining our garments that that is to feel that God had ed to us powers and afforded us op- op opportunities opportunities op opportunities and laid upon us and we had bad failed to dis- dis discharge discharge dis discharge charge them honorably and faith faith- faithfully faithfully fully funy in the interest of our fellow fellow- fellowman fellowman man fellow man We are at present in peculiar cir cir- circumstances circumstances cir circumstances I need not say to you for you doubtless are familiar with the fact tact that those who oppose e us expect in a very short time to gain a g great t victory over us this in fact fact has been the expectation of our ene ene- enemies enemies enemies mies from the beginning of this work It is not a new thing for those who have opposed this work to anticipate a triumph over it and aud to imagine that the they had laid the plans and perfected d the details for a victory for the overthrow of the church and the destruction of the power ot of o the Holy Priesthood AI Al- Al Al ready they are revelling over their expected triumph revelling in the prospect of having us in their power something they have labored for forlong forlong l long ng and hard Much depends upon us brethren and sisters whether this will be he so or not We hold so to speak our destiny in our own hands If we are overcome we ourselves shall he be to blame the work that we weare weare weare are connected with t cannot annot be charged with this If defeat befall us and we are subjected to the power of our enemies the cause of defeat will be found within our our- ourselves ourselves ourselves selves to our own conduct either through neglect to do that which we should have done or doing that which we should not have done This everyone every one of you should take to heart Trou Trouble ble of any kind has never yet come upon us that was waa not traceable to 00 our our- ourselves ourselves ourselves selves The There never has been a people I dont don't think in any dis- dis dispensation dispensation dis dispensation who have had the flood of light bestowed upon them that has been poured out upon us in this day For forty years and upwards the voice of instruction has bas been heard beard beardin beardin in these valleys the tho voices of in- in inspired inspired in inspired men teaching the people the principles of life and salvation have become become familiar to us Can you think of any people who have had such opportunities as we have had Doubtless the had in some Bome parts of their history But there never was a more favored people than we When I think of the mighty men that have stood in our midst filled fined with the power of God Prophets Prophets and Apostles whom God chose and whom he honored an and upon whom He bestowed His gifts and graces and how bow many of them have worn themselves out preaching to this people entreating them in inthe inthe inthe the most manner ing the greatest and strongest reasons that could appeal to our human natures and revealing to us the mind and aad will wUl of God it does seem to me that a terrible res 1 rests upon us if we depart part from the path which God has marked out We can never nt ver say we have not been taught that we have not had opportunities We can never blame our Father for not Imparting to us in the utmost plainness and through the demonstration of His Holy Spirit His word and His counsel President Young while he lived labored indefatigably to the utmost of his ability never sparing him himself elf but const constantly teaching the people teaching them with his bis counsels and giving them suggestions that are unequalled I Ido Ido Ido do not know kaow such a record any any- anywhere anywhere anywhere where to be found as even the record of his discourses tot to this his people and andt t then think of President Taylor 1 and the others associated with i J ti r 1 Z 1 l dent Young and the effect their lanors ha have ve had in teaching this pec people Now NOW we are brought face to face with this question shall shaH we take these counsels to heart shall we listen to the voice of God through his servants which we have heard now these 42 years in these val val- valleys valleys val valleys leys and follow the direction which they have given concerning the people of Zion or shall shaH we make a anew anew anew new departure Sha Shall we throw aside all that we have heretofore been taught as the correct course and policy to be adopted in building up the kingdom of God shall we throw it aside cast it behind us and adopt some new principles some new policy and practice concerning ng the Zion of our oar God in the earth This is a question that is fa forcing it- it itself itself it itself self upon us I have seen things alrea already y which I never believed J I con would see I have witnessed con con- conduct conduct duct I never believed I would wit wit- witness witness witness ness I had hoped better Letter things I have observed a disposition to dis- dis disregard dis dis- disregard disregard regard the counsels of the servants of God to turn aside from the path that God has marked out to spurn that authority which He has said shall shaH reign I have seen disposition a to bend and aad bow to the wishes of the world to take to heart and to partly believe as true the and me the the misrepresentations and the charges that have been made by b Good the enemies of the Kingdom of God against the Kingdom of God and its po policy licy and against the men rod whom God has chosen And today in our midst there is a great amount of falsehood in circulation concern concern- the concern the truth concerning the work of God and concerning the servants of God and a disposition to believe evil and to misconstrue conduct and counsel and various things of this character If this spirit should prevail among the Latter-day Latter Saints it will wiH certain certain- certainly certainly ly Jy prove disastrous to those who re- re receive receive re receive it and afford it a lodgment in their hearts I do not think that those who are present today are the ones who are susceptible to this influence at least very few If any Many of those that are absent I am afraid are the ones who ought to be talked to and reasoned with upon thi this point The men and women who attend meetings regularly and who think It important to com here hereto to receive instructions are not the ones as a arule arule arule rule who require censuring or re- re reproof re reproof proof as a general thing they are found in the path of duty and are walking in the ways of the Lord One One of the speakers at our meet meet- attention ing meeting last evening called 1100 your atten atten- tion to and spoke upon the subject of Latter union Whenever the day Latter-day Saints become divided whenever you see one Latter-day Latter Saint arrayed against another you may know that one or both are in the wrong When they become divided in their their inter inter- interest interest interest est when they seek geek their own ag ag- ag gran aggrandizement careless about the rights of their fellowmen when when- whenever whenever whenever ever you see this spirit prevail then i jt it betokens trouble among ourselves and we shall ahall lose power Let me ask you what is it that gives us tren h Are we numerous W Why y 1 I j jt t J rI r I S a r f we are but a sma small handful of peo peo- people people our opponents outnumber us by Are we wealthy Our wealth is not to be mentioned iu in comparison with the wealth that is opposed to us Are we It learned arned We do not compare in worldly learning with those who are arrayed against us In what then does doer doe our strength consist It consists in inthe inthe inthe the union of the people and their faithfulness in keeping the commandments of God it consists in our obedience to the counsels of Go Js J's servants I When ver vel this people sh fellow fellow- fellowship fellowship ship a 9 spirit to disregard the cou counsels of the Priesthood seeking to accomplish ends by methods that I are popular in the world then they become like other people and their strength leaves them Sam Sam- Samson Sam Samson son SOD after he disregarded certain commandments to him personally by shaving his head and divulging the secret of his wonderful strength easily fell a prey to the Philistines nes This will be the case with us if we take the course ad advocated by many called called so-called Latter-day Latter Saints and which they think it right to take takeI I reputation will tell you and risk my tion as a prophet upon it although I dont don't often talk about being a pro pro- pro pro- prophet prophet prophet phet I say I am willing to risk my reputation as a this that the man who t takes kes this c course urse the family or the community that takes it will become as weak as water and eventually become part of the world for departing from the way that God through his servants has pointed out Our strength con con- consists consists con consists not of being part of Babylon but the very opposite of that Our Ou r strength consists in God and the fact that this is so has made us a peculiar people Divest ivest ourselves of o othis f this peculiarity and we the then become like the the rest of the world no better no stronger than they are and we will wm be beI I overcome by them for their forces are stronger and greater than ours Can Van you not see th this is To me it is as clear as the light that shines If we are ar arstrong e strong at all we are strong because e we are Latter-day Latter Saints That is i ithe s the cause of our strength the strength e strength which God has given unto us through His Gospel |