Show BY APOSTLE I 1 D jalc pt DELIVERED at 4 the e general conference saturday morning A april 8 1882 REPORTED BY aeo leo GEO F GIBES tim THE greatly increased numbers of israe israel and the greatly diversified and multifarious necessities which arm are occurring occur ringi and which increase like ilke the bran branches chea upon a great tree call upon us each and all to seok seek continually for the mind of the lord that in all our varied ministrations trat ions labors and duties we may perform the same acceptably to him and profitably to all of his children not only to the balaes saints but to tho the inhabitants cfall of all ail the earth barthin n kamuch aa as they will hearken to his word we have avast a vast number of witnesses and evidences of the mercy the favor an and blessing of god unto us as a people as weli well aa as to ourselves axes individually and as families it being the privilege of all who live faithfully in christ jesus to see and acknowledge the hand of god in ajl all things throughout their checkered lives this morning I 1 am reminded of some borne choice precious promises which the lord has made to us in the dispensation in which we live having a peculiar application unto us though like blessings may have been promised to people in former generations those now referred to were given especially to the saints mints of the last days there is one very significant saying in the revelations you will find it la in the doctrine and covenants section beginning at ati the verse it Is as follows therefore them Ther eforo let not your nour hearts faint saint for I 1 PA eny eay y not unto tou you as I 1 said bald unto your fathers mine ansel angel shall go up jou but t not noh no nax y presen oo but I 1 say unto you mine e anse ange angel hall go beloro belore you you a and daiso aiso also my presence an and d tn in time ye shall shw poises the goodly land here is a very definite and positive dosi rosi positive tive assurance that this thia work is his bis I 1 is that he jae is particularly to figure in ii 1 himself that he has not entirely committed it oten aten to AD us as represented in the parable so beautifully expressed in the chebook book of mormon where the husbandman calls upon his servants to come and help him to prune his vineyard for the last time we are given to understand that BO so we are called to be helpers to the lord lord our god to prune his vineyard for the last jast time we should not allow the cares b or corruptions corrupt ions of the world to lead us to forgot forget that the work in which we are engaged is the lords work we should never forget that the work to which all are called God has undertaken to direct himself Hime elf eif especially as it wab was commenced in informer former dispensations but for obvious reasons remains to be consummated and perfected in the dispensation of the fullness of times in which we live the lord has also aleo told us specifically in his revelations that it is his business to provide for his people most encouraging cou raging word 3 calculated to increase confidence in the hearts oi of all those who walk by faith before him furthermore he has condescend ed to tell us in the revelations given through the prophet joseph smith for behold I 1 do not require at thear their the Elder elders bianda shands to fight night the battles of zion for as I 1 said in a former commandment even so will I 1 fulfill fulfil I 1 will night fight your battles 31 3 1 doc and cov sec see ver 14 one after another passages might be repeated relating to the designs and purposes of god all going to show that he has not let out the work to be done by chance or to be control controlled oled edby by others but that he will direct it himself have we ve not evidences of those theae facts we have as pointed and conclusive evidence of these thead things a al ready before us aa as the apostle paul had when he told the hebrews that through faith the worlds were framed by the word of god through faith abraham j when be was called to go out inta into in ta a place which he should after receive for an inheritance obeyed by faith he sojourn sojourned ed in the land of promise etc let liet us look at two or three prominent features of our history for evidences of his divine favor in overruling affairs for our welfare according to the counsels of his own will in former times there was much destruction of life and a great deal of contention between the enemies emles of gods goda work and his people the latter have at different times gone forth and that the and his people the latter have at different times gone forth and that the by holy command of heaven to mortal combat the lord has hns told us in his revelations of the last days concerning the laws which governed warfare in the days of abraham of lehl lehi and nephi etc which are detailed d very minutely in the doctrine and covenants ho says saya behold this Is the law I 1 gave unto onto my servant nephi and thy fathers joseph and jacob and isa and abraham and all mine ancient prophets and apostles and again this is the law that I 1 gate cave at e unto mine ancients that they sho should aa not go out unto battie battle against any nation kindred or people bave cave I 1 the L lord commanded them em doc and bot bov COT coy sec wy 93 T 3 32 33 pen per an account of the laws that justify warfare the saints can read road this section from the verse verge to the end in those days there was more contention or mortal combat permitted and required in order to maintain the rights of gods cods people and establish righteousness before his face when idolatrous and all manner of worship axce except tt hat that of the true and living god prevail prevailed e d among the nation nations 11 generally but it Is not gi given ven u unto nto us that we should contend I 1 with weapons of mm war r that hat inasmuch as wo we serve him ho he will night fight our batties battles for us how has he don ethis have we forgotten how he managed to ke heep keep e pus us out of th the e late terrible fratricidal idal war when our great country was divided in a sanguinary struggle how did he graciously regard us it was by telling us to arise and go hence some of you well remember Sin in what haste we gathered our kalning substance in nauvoo leaving 0 our ur homes in the winter sea season gon son and how we crossed the river on the ico fco history attests the fact that wo we left none too boon Boon soon to etc escape apo tb the 0 diro dir 0 necessity of taking up lip weapons We of none boon Boon soon to etc escape apo tb the 0 diro dir 0 necessity of taking up lip weapons We of apuna spona war against our fellow follow man the great reason why david vas vaa not a owed to build a house to the lord llord was because he be had been a jsn man of blood he had commenced 0 to o gather bather his bis thousands of talents of gold and liver ilver together and was ready to tulio guild lint but the lord told ilfin him he be should not that be he had hen been too much a wan man man W AU of war ahr had hao shed khem too much blood but that he might get the materials together and that solomon his hix son should build a temple templo to his name it la Is plainly to boveen heeen in an the wisdom of god that the thesa theBa hainta sainta inta are not to take that course bun buton but on the contrary the lord requires of them that they preserve to themselves puri pure hearts and clean hands to build his temples was not this a great and wonderful manifestation ife of hib loving kindness was it not a it demonstration to a great people of kila his tender mercy in preserving us from that fratricidal strife that arose in the nation where Is the heart that cannot catiti ot be bb thankful for this here is one great we may eay say worldwide world wide wida demonstration of his kindness and goodness to provide for his people and to preserve pie pre serve them from dire cala cila calamities the direst of calamities that overtake the human family let notus lotus us then sense tense the feeling and spirit of the ancient prophet isaiah when speaking of the judg ments of the latter days that the watchmen should lift up their voices and speak comforting words to zion and what should they say eay thy god reig neth 11 that is the word to Us as brethren and sisters thy god 11 let us learn to know and benee fenee it put our trust in him and learn leam that it is he ere efe that builds up nations and it is he that levels them to the tho dust duet that it is ho he that raises up and mies makes maces rulers and people to become mighty in the earth and that it is ho he that permits them to go down into insignificance shame and bontem contempt t how has it ma been when our enemies in our midst in violation of a sacred principle of the constitution tu tion lion have said eaid that we should not been wont ta do in celebrating the anniversary of our national iu dependence independence and for our own protection in this thia new and indian country and that too in accordance cor dance with a provision of the constitution when we submitted in silence to this indignity what has been wrought out in our behalf As if it the heavens took momentary record of it from that day to this the enmity that has existed among the unprincipled low mid and degraded Lama upon our borders has been hushed bushed to silence the manner in which we have dealt with them has been felt for good terrible wars have been prevented by the influence of the latter day saints among them themi until today to day it is not necessary that any in this region of country should have arms to protect themselves unless it bo be from professed friends Is there no god in thib thia look all around us god haa has made even our adversaries to be at peace with us he has made the blessings of peace to be multiplied aroun around dus us until the very occasion on for weapons of defence la Is removed the wicked had no sooner forbidden us to bear arms when god in his tender mercies hercles and parental solicitude removed the very occasion of defence leaving us at peace pence with all around 16 us the glorious tidings peace on earth and good will to man have come sounding to us through the ages and they th ey are being echoed and re echoed t to 0 us by the voice of those these who hold t the heikens keys kess of the kingdom and we see it not only in word but in power tower and do demonstration of truth these are none other than the blessings of god unto us my brethren and sisters fil we ought to think of these things we ought to acknowledge in gratitude this dispensation of his providence and we should make mako it our business to sanctify ourselves before him yea yen let I 1 the he man that t athi hab has taken staken to ills hla cups cupa depart from them and let he who has drunk of the spirit of the world and who fraternizes with the ungodly turn from the error of his way swash himself from tho filth of unrighteousness and purify himself before god and call uren his name that he may forgive and extend his pardoning favor navor it itis la t be deplored that there are eo many that aze are so easily to be civilized by this damning civilization that has come among us it is an occasion of sorrow to the latter day saints that among us it is an occasion of sorrow to the latter day saints that so BO many are BO so easily drawn away to affiliate with the ungodly when wo we remember tho the mercies and blessings sin bin g ll 11 of god to us it is a il nitting fitting time to t turn u rn aud and heek his face and favor afresh and nud renew our covenants before nim him and become worthy in his sight bight I 1 might enumerate many other instances of the goodness and mer mercy cy of god unto us no how bow ho fed the buffering fering saints with quails on the bahk of tilo mississippi how ho W he bent sent gulis gulls to rid us of the crickets when they threatened us ud with here I 1 must refer to the time when the lord permitted the united states to send an army to utah it was told to us that there were a million of bayonets in the states ready to be turned toward utah we did not count them but we know the details of tha their coming and how the soldiery arrived here they came with their mouths full of ribaldry full of threaten ings inge full fuli of animus and destruCt destruction ion ibn towards president resident young his family the A apostles pos ties and aud towards all that were immediately associated with them threatening to hang them like haman hainan upon a tree but god in ma his mercy before they got here very much cooled their ardor and when they arrived they came aa as harmless as any ath of july celebrators celebratory they marched in quiet through our streets no man daring to commit commet an indig anity as they passed our heavenly father sanctified this to our good for while they scattered much means among us bea Pea ec arcely reely an act of hostility was co committed m and when the time of terrible destruction came they marched away to the violence of death Is not the hand of god to be seen in if so should wei we not acknowledge with thanksgiving his mercy in thus ma making kingus us the objects of such care we ought to bestow the best efforts and energies of our lives to build up his kingdom establish his righteousness and make him our friend for time and eternity I 1 would not dwell too lengthily upon these things although they show the divine goodness and ten bernes der nes Is there a loving father that deals more affectionately with his children than this could the lord deal more lovingly with us it Is to be feared that his tender mercies are so abu abundant and we become so used to them as to grow ingrate un grate ful A few words in regard to the fundamental da law established for the i guidance e of the people of this great nation called the constitution of the united states that instrument was framed by our forefathers who purchased the power to do so with their blood they were men who went into the i evolutionary war pledging their thein lives their fortunes their sacred honor and placed everything they possessed upon the altar cf of liberty the constitution they adopted has been admitted by european statesman teEman sta to be the grandest palladium of human rights known upon the earth the flag ting of our nation has commanded respect in every part of this habitable globe whether on land or sea all representatives and officers of the government state or national from the highest to the lowest lift up their hands bands to heaven and swear that they will observe that constitution and the laws of the nation or state as the office may require to the beat of their knowledge and ability so help them god when congress so far descends as to make special laws and send forth its legislative missiles to us bearing the oder odor power and character of attainder ta inder and ex dost post facto facia I 1 laws aws when they can provide direct directly y or indirectly for conviction without trial ly by jury when they frame and pass measures having for their object the deprivation or spoliation of rights common to all citizens and that in direct opposition to the pro of the constitution as ap pears peare on the face of the edmunds bellg bill they themselves violate that oath of office which they took before god and their country they may standing in high places think that it does not become citizens to question their acts sets but citizens of this republic are the sovereigns of the nation and when the constitution was created it was provided that every power not granted by that instrument ment was retained by the people public men in the true s spirit of the constitution of our government aro are the servants of the people put in office to administer the will of the people as defined in that instrument ment when men in places forget themselves and in violation of their oaths dictate or forbid what shall or what shall not be observed ag as 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