| Show courses given PRES WOODRUFF AND APOSTLE CANNON encourage the saints to become united the largest attendance ever known at any quarterly Conf orenco in the history of utah stake was that at the conference that opened sunday mom ing and closed last night for hours before the time for the opening of sunday mornings services people from all parts oi the stake began to arrive ia vehicles and flock to the new stake tabernacle which had been nicely and comfortably arranged for the convenience of the people the trains from the south and north also brought hundreds of visitors by the time the meeting was called to order all the seats in the building wore not only filled and every available bench from ether sources called into requisition but hundreds who were unable to obtain seats occupied every portion of standing room it was estimated that fully four thousand people were present SUNDAY at thirty minutes past ten president wilford woodruff and apostle george Q cannon entered by the northwest door of the bidding with president A 0 smoot as they came in tho vast assembly of people as if actuated by a budden impulse rose en masse and remained standing until the distinguished apostles ascended the stand and were seated president smoot who was still feeble from the affects of his recent accident was assisted to his seat by apostle cannon the vast assembly was called to by david john who announced the hymn the morning breaks the shadows flee lo 10 ziona standard ia unfurled the dawning of a brighter day lisas on the world prayer was offered by elder george reynolds hark 1 listen to the trumpeters trum peters they sound for volunteers on zions bright and flowery mount behold the officers WooD Kurr first addressed the congregation he said I 1 feel thankful to god that 1 have libed long enough to meet so many people in provo in this house I 1 have not been in the habit of talking much the last ahrie or four years of my life yet I 1 like all of the rest of my brethren depend upon tho lord for strength to perform this duty you cannot expect as much from me as from a young man I 1 certainly feel it a privilege to have the opportunity at my age of bearing my testimony to the truth of the work of god I 1 have now lived in this church fifty aix years and upwards I 1 have been with it from its rise to the present time and I 1 sometimes marvel that I 1 am alive I 1 reflect upon the number of the apostles in the spirit world and I 1 am led to think that like elisha of old who said I 1 am lett alone yet 11 cannot say this for I 1 am standing in the midst of a host of people who have kept the commandments of god the holy priesthood has bean bestowed upon ua it is tho same priesthood that the lord has used to redeem worlds in all ages without that priesthood no man has power in this or in any gother generation to go for ward and labor for the living and the dead we should go forth as sons and daughters of god and magnify that priesthood and the important calling attached to it the lord has set his hand to establish his work once more prophets have left their testimony con corning the nature of this work A generation has now passed away since the lord restored his priesthood to earth and I 1 want the saints to understand that the lord is not trifling in this matter but that he will fulfill fulfil every word he has spoken and he will uphold his kingdom until it becomes like a mountain and fills athe whole earth this brethren and sisters is our work your work as well as my ork and the lord requires us to be united there is one prin caplo I 1 want to impress upon you this morning in building up zion redeeming tho dead and doing all other works ve must be united it has been quite a length of time since we have been enabled to meet with the sainta but we now intend to visit you more than wo have done the last few years tho lord has called upon this and other nations to embrace the gospel and it is our duty as servants of god to preach it to all mankind if they reject it our garments aro clean god does not any man to receive his law he never hag he never will we preach the gostol and it ia for mankind to eay they will receive it or reject it many have embraced this work but there is 1 this principle concerning it the powers of darkness prevail and there is every inducement made to draw away souls from the work of god this persecution and this opposition is in a measure doica this wo all have before us tha sayings of jesus they wore calculated to reach the hearts of men but we all know the reception jesus received in jerusalem from the time herod bought his life by slaying all the male children until the time he was offered up on the cross he was net popular his disciples were not popular but the power of god waa with them and they did the work god committed unto their care p asic all of us who have read the history of the jewish nation know what it cost to shed the blood of the lords anointed we all know the prophecies jeans made concerning that race and we all know how thay have suffered and will suffer until they have paid the bill it is a matter to shed the blood of the lords anointed look at the jews since they killed the savior they have been persecuted and driven from place io place it has always bean a fearful thing to shed the blood of tho servants of god much has been said aboab what will transpire in the latter days joseph said fifty years ago last june that the signs of the coming of the son of man had already commenced in the earth wars bloodshed famine other judgments predicted by the savior while on the earth and through the prophet joseph in this day are heard on every band we are passing through a history a history containing the of many ot the prophecies of the servants of god we are living in perilous times and while the lord holds this nation responsible for its actions so also does the lord hold the saints responsible for their transactions we are held to a more strict accountability on account of the important positions we have been entrusted with ve have had the priesthood conferred upon us and we can not afford to use it to any other purpose than the work of god I 1 have before me this morning hundreds and hundreds of brethren who bear the priesthood of god there have been but very few in any generation who have aver embraced the gospel of the son of god and had the courage to honor his work there were but few in the days of adam but few in the days of noah but few in the days of enoch but few in the days of jasus and but few in this day comparatively ively speaking I 1 tell you my brethren and sisters it will better to attend prayers to attend to your meetings and to attend to your many other doties than to be spead ing your time in seeking the praise of this world we have god on our si we are carrying out principles that will decide our destiny do most sincerely hope and pray that my brethren and sisters will bear in mind that without unity we can nver be brought back to our father in heaven I 1 desire when I 1 get through with this world to go where my heavenly father is where joseph and hanim are and where brigham and hebebrand berand He all who have proved worthy in this cause havo gone to I 1 have had great joy and satisfaction in the work of god ever since I 1 embraced it when I 1 was but a boy attending sabbath school I 1 saw by reading the new testament that jesus and his apos ties exercise the power of casting out devils healing the sick and other blessings and I 1 hoped and prayed although merely a boy that the day would come when I 1 would bo enabled to see an order or system of re ligion like ehst that existed in those days I 1 am happy to say that I 1 have lived to see it all tho power man possesses could not organize a church like god has done with apostles with pastors and teachers with helps prophets and governments for the work ef the ministry from the very day that this gospel was restored to earth the world have had tho privilege of accepting the glorious truths but they have thought it would not pay them them to embrace it why the very fact of our having the power to enter temples and redeem the of becoming saviors upon mount zion will pay us to work faithfully in the kingdom of our god I 1 do not know how much longer I 1 am going to stay in this life all that I 1 know is that god has blessed me and that he will contine to bless mo inasmuch as I 1 live for it god is willing to bless all his children inasmuch as they show a disposition to do right our history is before tho whole world and we have fulfilled volumes of prophecies made by the savior through his servants I 1 was in provo in its early history There has been a great change since then now you have a great city the kingdom of god has come here to stay and it will stay here on thia earth until jeans comes again to reward every man and woman for tho deeds done in the body not ono jot or one title of the sayings of god will ever fall to the ground unfulfilled and it matters not what thia nation may do whether they grant ns our rights or not tho zion of our god will remain the earth and the purposes of heaven will be fulfilled there is a power above man who holda the destinies of nations in his hands and when he chooses to say thus far and no further this persecution will cease I 1 expect to go behind the vail before a very great time passes away and I 1 spend many hours at night lying on my pillow meditating upon xiv friends and kindred behind the vail I 1 pray god conr heavenly father that he will bless us that ho will let his spirit rest upon those who may address us during this conference I 1 pray that our sons and our daughters may prepare themselves for tho responsibilities that are devolving upon them for they will have to carry on this work when wa who have spent our lives in it shall pass away may we acknowledge the band of god in all things is my prayer in the name of jesus amen P JACOB GATES was glad to see president woodruff and brother cannon again in the midst of tho saints and to see the hearty welcome the saints gave them when they entered the house he had a desire as he advanced to do the will of god he was in no hurry to atop behind the vail but so me times wished he was some twenty or thirty years younger that he might be strong n body he might raise his voice in defense of the principles of jehovah and cause the enemies of this work to see the error of their way ever since the year 1833 when j the speaker embraced the gospel he i had seen tha power of god manifested on all occasions the speaker referred to these times and cautioned the Saints to be careful how they conducted themselves when placed in perilous positions the time is coming when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that jesus is the christ men who have taken upon them the name of christ have got to live uprightly if they over expect to enter the presence of their father it is natural for man to hang tenaciously to life but if we only knew what blessings there were in the eternities awaiting the faithful we would look with pleasure to the day when god would summon us to leave this existence ear bath not heard nor eyes hath not seen the glories which god has in store for the frh fuL the speaker closed with an earnest exhortation to the saints to prove true to their covenants the choir sang the anthem israels anns with ane accord benediction was pronounced by president harvey H claff conference was adjourned till 2 p m the afternoon services commenced i by the choir and the vast congregation singing we thank thee 0 god for a prophet to guide ua in these latter days wo thank thee for sending the gospel to lighten our minds with its prayer was offered by president ThosE Kicks of tho Bain stake the choir sang while the sacrament was being administered the hymns arise my soul arise shake off thy guilty fears the guilty sacrifice in my behalf appears before the throne my surety stands my name ia written on his hands the bishops from the various settlements tle ments administered the sacrament apostle george Q cannon said he would not attempt to describe the feelings he had while entering the house and witnessing the faces of so many who had assembled to worship god and listening to his word as it should be given by the inspiration of the ghost he was the sight of the beautiful tabernacle it spoke well for the energy and liberality of the saints in altah stake it would be a credit to any people it shows a spirit of zeal and devotion I 1 have heard of this hou seand I 1 have greatly desired to meet in it and I 1 am thankful today to day for the privilege I 1 trust while we shall meet together that we shall have the pre sense of the spirit of god I 1 do not want to say one word unless I 1 havo that spirit it would do us but little good to meet together if wo did not have the lords holy spirit te bo with us I 1 do not know your hearts bor the wants of your hearts I 1 know not what you hunger or thirst after god alone knows the hearts of binen and though I 1 might bo acquainted with your wants still I 1 would be dependent on th e ive me the instruction st and counsel that I 1 should say unto you we have become a great people we are in the centre of the continent as it were and the of what is called civil are surging around us when we came here looking at our surrounding it seemed impossible for us to coma in contact with the world as we now are II 11 of course was known that the advent of a railroad in our midst would partially accomplish this but we little dreamed that w would bo like we are today to day the kingdom of god is like a city set on a hill its light cannot be held I 1 remember several years ago having a conversation with prof powell on his first arrival in this territory he said to mo when I 1 look upon your beautiful cities and view your happy homes I 1 wish that your people was remote from everybody so that you work out your own problem in peace I 1 replied to him it makes no matter where wo should go though it be to the deserts of sahara it would bo impossible to remain long concealed for the qualities we possess would attract and draw visitors from all parts of the world it has been an acknowledged fact that we are in possession of the finest tracts of lands on this continent cont ineat utah today to day is lauded to the skies the eyes of all the world are directed to utah our own nation looks upon utah as one of the most important parts of the republic 0 coarse opinions vary respecting us but there is no division of opinion concerning the greatness of the land to which god has brought us and bloss edus in developing ve loping all that we now witness today to day aad much more that our eyes have not yet beheld is in direct ful ailment of the predictions of the holy prophets we who are here today to day have not gathered here by chance it has been no freak it has been no cunningly devised plan of emigration that has brought the people of utah to these valleys there has been a purpose in it all there i has been a plan well devised not attributable to the power of man or to any of the elements that man controls but there has been a alanm the carrying out of which we have enjoyed goda holy spirit men may say what they please about us and attribute the worst of motives to us they may say that this work is a delusion and that the men who lead us are impostors shrewd and cunning but while they say this the great fact remains that there is no power that man can wield that can accomplish the glorious results that we see here in utah territory go where you adl in the wide world examine every system of government ern ment both religious and civil and after examination you will return and say the government wo find in these valleys is without parallel on the earth nowhere among all the religious sects and denominations can a people be found BO united and bound together laboring forone common aim as in these favored valleys whence come this |
