| Show SPIRITED REMARKS APOSTLE ON HYPOCRISY elder juliu discourse ou literature the Y M M I 1 A conference commenced in this city on saturday morning last at 10 president geo H brimhall presiding after the usual preliminaries PRESIDENT made a few opening remarks in regard to thy organization of the associations thought it was not wise to change tho officers yearly simply for a change spoke of tha duties of the officers of the associations said that they should meet together in council had arranged plans for this seasons work weekly class work as well as conjoint sessions Textbook shad been gotten up for tho government of the associations ciati ons ELDEK J B followed giving some instructions in regard to the plans that should be adopted by the associations there should be lectures given on different subjects referred to the good resulting from manuscript papers being prepared by the associations the mission of these associations is to reclaim the youth of zion from the error of their ways referred to the work of the associations and the good resulting boll was then called showing the following officers present 13 r residents 8 counselors 16 missionaries PRESIDENT M H spoke a short time on the plans of the associations ciati ons and duties of the officers encouraging cou raging them to presa on in the work of mutual improvement The sue cess of the associations does not depend on the number of members ant the quality zeal and efforts of the members spoke of the responsibilities resting upon the presiding officers especially the secretary in recording the minutes of the associations A circular was read from the territorial rit orial of Y M M H associations in regard to plan sand workings of the associations for the ensuing season singing benediction by pros H E cluff in the afternoon the opening prayer was offered by elder john D dixon BISHOP PACKARD said that a servant of god shonu at all times be able to give reasons for tho hope within him and hoped that the members cama to conference with tho intention to try aad be mutually benent teJ believed that if tho members of the associations had tilled this house we would feel better and have more faith but god has promised that inasmuch as there is a few gathered to bethar in his name there he will be to bless them by his spirit exhorted the young men to study the gospel as contained in the bible book of mormon and doctrine and covenants and prepare themselves for missions to tho nations of the earth youth is tho time to treasure up the truths of the gospel the gospel of jesus christ is as broad as eternity and as high as heaven and embraces all truth the young people should never get the idea that an association or the church could not get along without them but when they are called upon to do any thing an fn the church they should live so bumble that the lord would give them his spirit to fulfill every duty the lord says that he will raise up a host of priests to be rulers kingdom the fjord thinks just as much of a deacon as of a president who performs the duties resting on him if we want to be rulers in gods kingdom we must prepare ourselves wo cannot spend our time as did the prodigal son and then return and expect to ayap the reward oy the righteous and those that have always kept the laws of god we should grow in the gospel and obtain an exaltation in gods kingdom T H H cicro we have what is called the gospel of jesus cerut composed of keya and powers and blessings thai enable men and obtain an exaltation we should what is tho status of our integrity we all hayo our peculiar dispositions and we are not as zealous m the spreading of the gospel as we should be we should get ourselves down to the foundation rock of the gospel what is there desirable outside of the gospel all the luxuries of the world are nothing to be compared to iho blessings the latter day saints enjoy when we compare our position as a people with that of our condition when we joined this church cb we can easily see what rapid progress wo have made in this atako there lit children under ciz years of age sud it is the weight f oar calling to educate them in the way they should go Ws should rejoice to think that there are schools being established throughout the territory where the people can be taught in the ways of the biord all true education is a part of the gospel of jesus christ to be useful in society is ono of the chief pleasures of this life it is oar privilege to be saviors in zion there are thousands of souls who have died that have not received the gospel therefore we have no tima to spend with drunken and evil doers but should cultivate and our nobler powers young men are juffe what they mak we should suppress our objectionable traits of character and cultivate the desirably desir ablo of our aake men of and what is applicable to men to baw TU lord has given us our agency W can choose the good or the evil is enough young people in our city fill this house no man can enter n to a condition that ho has not p i pared himself hence it behaves behoves us a to prepare ourselves for an ebern exaltation we should cul tiva charity As a leopla we are doln more against ourselves than all th united states are doing against u today to day president brimhall said this avei ing there would be an given by the associations of provo aji the benefit of the provo beading boom in the theatre B Y academy choir aang an anthem and benediction was pronounced by brother stephen L SEC DAT 10 a ro the services were called to order by superintendent geo H brimhall the choir sang with all my powers of heart and tongue all maker in my sony prayer was offered the choir sang great god attend while zion cing the foy that from tny presence springe PRESIDENT was pleased to see uny bithe youth of zion present the speaker read a telegram from apostle moses thatcher Tha of the general of the church expressing his regret at not being able to attend ELDER P WELLS said it afforded him pleasure to meet with the young people in conference for the reason that this conference wah held at the beginning of the winters wint erb work he took especial interest in talking upon the nature of the duties that the youth of zion are entering upon every year we can seef that this work is growing of more consequence to the youth and wo are commencing to see the nature of the great structure that will be reared by the I 1 improvement improve men the cul ti of our min ds the preparation of ourselves early in life for the duties encumbered upon us as children of life is the labor that has been undertaken by these associations we noeo the help of god in this work for if there is one characteristic noticeable more than another it is the possession of the spirit of the lord upon us in this labor god has encouraged us and this gives us the assurance that we ned that our footsteps are in the proper paths and that it will leadus to safely I 1 know not of any aim that is more worthy for us to dedicate a lifetime to attain this work will not only benefit ourselves but our fellow men mutual improvement will help us guard and preserve ourselves early in life while our characters are bein formed and show us the dangers th wc should avoid it is for success in life that wa have joined ourselves in these associations and to show to each other that we have an object in life to stimulate us to gcoy and refrain from evil it is a labor that we delight in or should delight in we have made some progress in the great labor that lies before us and it is the constant thought of those interested in this labor to dea vise ways and means for the more rapid progress of the youth and in this connection wo have some matters to present of benefit to all in the winters work that lies before us with the great interest in education that has been manifested in this county and in this city especially the young men have had the privilege of knowing what kind of reading will best be suited for them it has been thought that wo caa best interest the young jsn and young ladies this winter in reading methodically this subject was voted upon by the general conference of the associations held in salt lake city last june ve have issued a series of books to meet this three of which have been issued at home one of these is called doctrine by elder B the second book is the first book of nature by elder james E of nephi by president george Q cannon one that has been considerably read but which has been greatly revised and arranged to conform with the method the general have adopted in this course of reading tho other two works are selections from the great mass of literature of the world and which lave been closan with this object in view we are sanding young men on missions and it is well for them to know something of the countries to which they go and the i people who inhabit them and it is to obtain a knowledge of something of the world that we have chosen two books and adopted the m in oar associations for the first years course wo have taken up the history of england by charles dickens Dic kons prepared by him tor the perusal of children and there will bo bound among us some young men who will doubtless feel affronted at being addressed by the author of that book as little children but for all that they will discover tho policy which has been pursued by the author will interest them mure in the that it was written so that a child cannot fail to comprehend its historical truths it is a work thai haa been adopted in all the schools in england the other work wo have selected is called examples of american literature from the writings of washington Irvin pr this work is calculated to draw abo line as to what is good for us to read and what will not be of profit this work will complete the series and will prove of incalculable benefit to the youth it they will observe the methods of studying them thai have been adopted by the authorities it is expected that this set of books will be ishu edby the rember and the officers of each asso tion are expected themselves to be informed upon tho truths contained in tasso books and get all the young men and young ladies interested I 1 confidently by this deans there will be anve thousand readers in zion this winter all storing their minds with precious truths that cm abate from god by thia meace a great amount of trash and frost w lidit wo will bo reaping a harvest of god 1 ivan instead of the habits and avils we find growing among us while we are we must not let our other faculties lie dormant we must pursue a course that will ead us to the salvation and exaltation of our own iguls when I 1 was but a boy I 1 was ailed on a mission to england before leaving president brigham oung laid his nay head aud made promises unto me in the name of the lord providing 1 would abide the conditions upon which the blessings oles sings contained in those promises ever since then I 1 have labored hard to do what I 1 was commanded to perform and I 1 feel thankful to say that I 1 have realized considerably the blessings promised there are some that start out early jn life with their profession consid drably in advance of what they do now it is not good that wo profess too much what I 1 mean is this as we go step by step we must be triin of the ground that we go over md not have to go back and gather ap things that we should have accumulated on our first journey there b nothing fao pleading in the sight of god as a believing and christ pointing to a child aid once unless we become as little children we cannot enter the kingdom of god nothing pleases the so much as a humble believing heart we have got to practice the principle of faith in all that we do notwithstanding that it is tho first principle of the gospel there are acme things that cannot be tolerated among us as the youth or zion we leave allowed ourse hes to become negligent in things that unto salvation we have allowed our delves to become profane no man can give a reason tor swearing it is one of the most foolish acts a person can permit himself to fan into there is no provocation to justify ourselves in fouling our language with oaths and certainly there is no justification m coupling tho name of god with profanity if we think of it in a moment thera is not a young man in the community who if taken aside and reproved kindly but what would see alie folly of swearing the same with drinking and sab bath breaking we ought to be wise in the selection of our friends we are living in a timo when politics are among us we have been isolated so long from the active political arena that we have almost forgotten the principles of the national parties but we have those who think more of the political contest that is going on in the east than they do in the contest thatis that is going on among us I 1 call playing at politics 1 consider that our platform of politics should be abo right of religious freedom in this we have the whole world against us yet for the attainment of this we should be a unit the main thing that the world has honored us so much for and which has met the approval of heaven has been our unity we have no bargain to malo with the world wo cannot do t ns and we are not called upun to do it there has been no demand made upon us my brethren and sisters to create disunion wo musa remain united for the protection of ourselves we have everything that the youth of zion can wish for to encourage them to unity abid fidelity and to occupy a place of honor and distinction in the world above any other people we will emerge from the present clouds or darkness a more honored stronger and greater people in the eyes of the world than we imagine this is our destiny men of zion the speaker closed with a fervent appeal to the youth to be faithful and true in the cause of truth ELDER J K said it was a joy to him to live in a day and age when revelation was again enjoyed by the sons and daughters of god and should bo a satisfaction and joy to every soul and especially to the children of israel belive in a day when god has spoken again from the heavens and has spoken to ahe people giving a plan whereby they by walking in it can obtain salvati cu no one should give our father in heaven any rest until they know themselves that GD has established his work avei thing as encouraging in though persecution may rage know that zion will come out triumphant by the persecution that is upon us will be attained the sanctification of the people ELDER T BL made a few remarks in which he expressed pleasure in the plan that had been laid down for work in the improvement t ons dm ing earning winter after the choir sang and benediction biad ben pronounced the meeting adjourned till 2 2 p m tho choir sang an anthem and prayer was offered by elder walter cox the choir sans great redeemer died anil israels wept around abo sacrament was administered by the bishopric of the fourth ward the general and local anthenes an of YM M I 1 associations were than presented and sustained an epistle from the general in of the church was read by elder joy B keeler ELDER jouy NICHOLSON saia it has fallen to my lot to address you this afternoon on the occasion casion os of a conference of the Y M M I 1 A of utah stake in coming forward to perform this duty I 1 fool somewhat different which fact may appear unaccountable to yon daeing I 1 have more or less appeared before the pub lie in this capacity for a number of deurs veurs I 1 hope that you will give me your sympathy and faith endeavor to collect few thoughts ind them to you I 1 feel that I 1 am in the midst of my friends not only in a figurative sense because I 1 havo my friends all around me and above me andr above me therefore I 1 au literally in their midst I 1 think this afternoon f m conr coming together ony eted tp aba el w and the partaking of the that that much would have been ant alicent to repay this is a large amount of work laid out in this circular and it has interested me very was |
