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Show Fortieth Semi-lnnual Conffrence. FOURTH DAY. Sunday lu a. m. Anthem by the Parowan choir; prayer by Elder Albert Carrington; .singiDg by the Tuberrmele uhoii-. Elder JohxTavlor treated on the magnitude of the work iu which he was a participator, its object bein? the salvation of the human family, the overthrowing of error and the establishment estab-lishment of truth the world over. In i performing this work a continued contest con-test was inevitable, for truth and error, light and darkness, the power of God and the power of Satan would never harmonize; and the conflict must be continued until the world and its inhabitants in-habitants were directly under the sway of righteousness. There is in mankind a latent desire to do right, however much they may be in error; and the teachings of old prophets and philosophers philoso-phers were predicated upon this. But the world is full of darkness, confusion, contention and narrow-mindedness, and these lead to wrong, to vice, to cruel and persecuting acts, and to the evil that rises in giant form throughout the world. These things G-od has commenced com-menced to remove by the revelation of divine truth, of which His priesthood are the exponents, that mankind may be brought to comprehend the purposes purpo-ses and designs of Jehovah, their own condition, their past and their future, that they may advance in intelligence and obtainetemaI life. This, the power of man cannot do; nothing short of the Eower of God will suflioe; and hence te has revealed Himself to mankind, and empowered them to build up His Kingdom and teach the human family the principles by which they can become be-come united, saved and eternally exalted ex-alted in the presence of Jehovah. He alluded to the so-called "one-man power" and said he did not believe iu such a principle, and the phrase was too often misused. Every part of the body politic or body religious was necessary to all parts. The motto of the United States, e phiribus ttnum, conveyed his idea exactly ; but with organization there must be order, and the body must have a head. This was the principle of God's government. govern-ment. Many ef the wicked thought if they could kill this head they would destroy the whole body. They thought if they killed the Prophet Joseph Smith "Mormonism" would be destroyed de-stroyed ; and many have thought if they could kill Brigham Young they would destroy the Church. But before be-fore the Church and the truth could be destroyed and swept from the earth, the Twelve, the Seventies, the High Priests and every man enlightened by the truth and empowered of Heaven would have to be destroyed. They were united together by the possession posses-sion of the same principles of knowledge, know-ledge, and they acted intelligently with the head. This was the "one-man" "one-man" power, of which so much had been said. The people of God recognized recog-nized the power of God ; acted on the truth they had learned and the intelligence intelli-gence they had acquired ; and when they thus acted in unison, those igno- ranc of the pewer which animated them called it the "one man power." Elder Taylor then dwelt upon the union of the sexes and the unity between be-tween Christ and His people, reasoning that true love is pure and holy, aud that the union of the sexes as well as of the church and Christ was or should be eternal. Maktin Harris, one of the witnesses witnes-ses to the Book of Mormon, bore testimony testi-mony to the truth of the work. President Young said the gentleman gentle-man who had just spoken was in his eighty-ninth year, and had evidently had Lis days lengthened for 6ome wise purpose. He was one of the witnesses to the Book of Mormon, had written some of the first pages of the translation, transla-tion, and had furnished the means for its publication. The testimony borne by Martin Harris forty two years ago he had never denied, nor had any of the witnesses to that book ever denied the testimony they had borne. President G. A. Smith said that every Latter-day Saint who sought for and received the Spirit of God, had a personal testimony of the truth of the Book of Mormon ; and reciting some prophecies, directed attention to their iulfilment. He bore a testimony to the truth of ths work he was engaged in, and called upon all men to believe, repent re-pent and do the will of God. Elder Gioroe Q. Cannon read from the Book of Mormon the published pub-lished testimony of the three witnesses, of whom Martin Harris waB one. President Young said the reason why the witnesses had not been continually with the Church was, that men had given way to imaginings that the Prophet Joseph had gone a?tra3 Oliver Cowdery, after the martyrdom of Joseph, returned to the Church and eonfesed his sins; but he had not to contess that he had ever denied his testimony to the Book of Mormon, for he had never denied it; and he, after obtaining rebaptism at Kanes-ville, Kanes-ville, returned to Missouri on a visit to his friends, where he died. Martin Harris was now with the Church: and the speaker hoped the other witness, David Whitmer, would yet return to the Church before he breathed his last. He bore teiniODy that Joseph Smith was as good a man and as great a prophet, Jeus Christ excepted, as ever lived on the earth; he was true, faithful, righteous and pure, and ho was manyred for the truth with hif brother Hyruui, while Eider John T.iy-lor, T.iy-lor, who was with them at the time, was shot almost to pieces, but c-caped with his life. Singimj by the Parowan Jioir; prayer by Elder Charles C. Rich. 2, p.m. The vast building was crowded to exees-, there being probably twelve thousand persons present. Singing by the Parowan choir; praytr by Elder George Q. Cannon; singing by the Tabernacle choir. Elder Albert Cariungton spoke on the spirit that should animate thoe who partake of the sacramental emblems emb-lems of "the broken body and shed blood of the son, our Savior;" and of the blessings which attend obedience to the commandments of God. He said tha people were here in these valleys val-leys to. worship and serve God, and this he considered the highest and most laudable duty in which mankind could engage. He dwelt a: some length on the different forms of religious beliefs among professing Christians, and the certainty of knowledge which ever accompanies ac-companies obedience to the gospel; treating also on the subject of man's agency. The agency of the human family extended to the choosing of good or evil, the service of God or the service of Satan. The one led to a union that blessed all and did good to all; the other led to evil, iniquity and corruption of every kind. He referred refer-red to the persecuting spirit which hat been manifested by the wicked, and said that he, an American citizen, had been driven from his own home in the depth of winter, and compelledlto flee from Xauvoo and to cross the Mississipi river through broken ice in "a miserable leaky flat boat;" he had been forced to leave his native land and seek a home on Mexican soil, for no wrong but simply because he had exercised his constitutional right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience. The speaker then entered into an argument to show that by a proper interpretation of the Constitution of the United States, there was no warrant or authority for the formation of Territories, the sending send-ing of Federal Territorial officers to them, and the stripping citizens of their rights of citizenship when they simply cross the hue from a state to a Territory; Terri-tory; following it with remarks on taxation tax-ation without representation, showing that citizens of the Territories have been peristently taxed without representation, repre-sentation, the very cause which had brought the colonies to revolt. He said the servants of the Evil One were seeking by every meani in their power to provoke the people to some overt act, that an excuse might be given for them to call upon the government gov-ernment for troops; but he declared they would be foiled in their every move and the Saints would gain by the efforts made for their destruction. President George A Smith said Congress had the power to do two things, when the Constitution of the State of Deseret was presented to that body; one was to admit it, and the other to guarantee it a republican form of government, one in which all the officers would be elected by the people; peo-ple; but they had no power, under the Constitution of the United States, to make it a half monarchy. He then treated at some length on the ordinances ordin-ances for the dead, and building tie Temple; said he thought it wise to prfc a few hundred teams on to haul rsck, and men to cut it for the further prosecution pros-ecution of the work. He urged upon the people diligence in attending to matters connected with their eternal future, and treated on various sealing ordinances or-dinances relative to the living and the dead. President Brigiiam Younu reasoned rea-soned on the comprehensiveness of salvation, basmg his remarks on the words "All shall be saved except the sons of perdition." He also treated on the condition of spirits after they leave the flesh ; and held that if the ordinances ordi-nances for the dead were incorrect those who received them would be no worse than their fellows who did not, while it they were from God those who obeyed them would receive the accompanying accom-panying blessings, while those who rejected re-jected them would be thus unblessed. God had never revealed anything but had been for the benefit of the human family here and hereafter. He announced an-nounced that the Conference would be brought to a close ; and pronounced a blessing upon the congregation and upon the human family in doing well. Elder George Q. Cannon read the following names of missionaries called to labor under the direction of Elders Charles ( !. llich and Lorenzo Snow : . E.ia T. Clark, Bro. Vitsall, l.nh Ward, .John L. Brushes. David Hess, l-'armingtoii, Xicls Wahlstrom, 7th Ward, Ludwig Suhrke, 14th Ward, Charles E. Robinson, Pleasant Grove .)ohn A. Robinson, " " Charles A Berry, Springrille, Horace Drake, lllth Ward, John Luther Dolton, Weber Cily, Ebenczer Earns, Charles Hubbard, James Peterson, Mill Creek, leppe George Farlkman, Joseph Evans, Lehi, Joseph Thomas Kingberry. Carl Marcus-en, Nonh Og'den, Wilholm Hiskey, J. E. Lnne, Daniel Law, Benjamin Clark, Peere Fordliam, William Jenkins, Walter Huge, Providenc. Jjewis Gerand, Georire B. Mum, lr'th Ward, George Clis-nld, 11th Ward, Vi illiam Andru", Morn County. Benjanr'n Wright, South Cottonwood. Cotton-wood. Frederick Y. Bishop. " Charles K. Wright, West Jordan. Henry Lewi. L't,K h Ward. Joseph E. Mullet, P.'th Ward. Milo Andrus, Jr., Dry Creek. I.aron Andru-, " ?au.uel M. Price. David B. Bybec. Alma Peterson. Cha.-!e Peterson, Wtwr City, Morgan Mor-gan County. Thoma- A'hment. Benjamin Peart. Hiron Iligley, Jr. Henry Duron. Neils Rasnius-cu. Ezra F. Martin, 3d Ward. Andrew J. John.-on, 15th Ward. Robert Collins. Fritz L. Johnson, 1'jtb. Ward. Benjamin M. Harman, loth Ward. Henry Havwood, loth ard. Robert S.Xood. 14th Ward. Stephen Theobald. West Jordan. James Johnson, 16th Ward. Franklin Merrill. Albert M. Merrill. Daniel Bryan. The names wc.-e presented to the congregation, and their appointments sustained. John H. Hart, of guen. aniCharies Lambert, of Salt Lake City, were appointed ap-pointed missions to Europe. Anthem by the Tabernacle Choir ; benediction by President George A. Smith. Conference adjourned until April 6th, 1S71, to meet at 10 a.m. iu the New Tabernacle. j |
