Show EXCELLENT REMARKS missionaries APPOINTED FOR STEW bishop 0 JP powerful discourse the quarterly conference of the utah stake 0 the church of jesus christ of latter day saints was hold in the meeting honse sunday and monday december ad and ard 3rd 1888 president A 0 smoot presiding birst DAY 10 a m the was called to order by president david john the choir sang the hymn on page J OJ sweet is the work my god ming thanks prayer was offered by bishop brown of pleasant grove p the choir then sang the hymn n page commencing on the mountain tops appearing to the sacred herald stands BISHOP 0 P WHITNEY of salt lake city first addressed the congregation he desired to enjoy the attention of the laople in order that their faith might be concentrated in seeking the things desired in concentration there is power in confusion there is weakness while we allow our thoughts to wander we are not as able to gain the power of the lord as when we are united as the heart of one man in unity there is strength in disunion there is weak ness we are to coma together to drink of tho same spirit and become united in our thoughts our feelings our motions and our godly aspirations we meet together that we may be mutually bene fitted and speak of the things that pertain unto life and salvation we meet together that wo may be united on things that pertain to our temporal as well as our spiritual welfare T attended a priesthood meeting yesterday in salt lake city and things were there discussed that showed me how necessary it is that we should attend our duties I 1 was there deeply impressed with this cna thing if we do not attend our meetings we will lose tho spirit of god and be at variance with the priesthood when one man give his views on a certain principle that was thero discussed and knew of men ho had opposite views I 1 it is that we have the spirit of god that we may be united inthe in the things of god there is mischief in brethren of the same faith holding entirely opposite views on the belt same principle such a course tends to lead astray one man may give his views on a certain doctrine and by reason of his position the people who hear him believe his words to be the words of tion bat another man comes holding an important position and be speaks on the same principle but advocates doctrines that aro diametrically opposed to the propositions of the other speaker hero then is mischief and disunion and the of our having the power of god resting upon us the spirit of god ia arnth at all times and truth is coherent paul said 1 I pray you brethren to avoid disputatious disputations I 1 pray to the same things how shall this be dona unless we all drink of the same spirit that leads and guides into all truth take a man who reads a newspaper regularly who ia a devoted reader of the press and you will find him ready at all times to appeal to his mind on any secular that may come up before him for the newspaper is a popular educator it is not only the bible the book of mormon and athor church works that we read but we should gather wisdom from all good books A man who doea not keep himself posted will not be able to enter intelligently into tho discussion of events transpiring in the world because he has not been a regular reader of the papers aad consequently is not conversant enough to enter intelligently into the of any topic hence how necessary it is that meeting siko this should be hold that we might become familiar with tho events transpiring in the providence of god and study intelligently tho principles of salvation that are discoursed upon we must be men of ia well as precept wo must be boand walking in the path of life and wo exhort others to tread it if we are not then are wo either hypocrites po crites or very mortals I 1 do not say every man is a hypocrite who doe not practice that which he advocates but he is very weak we must climb the ladder ourselves though we be burdened with weaknesses and stumble at every step if wo expect to reach the summit of our hopes and godly aspirations how many are thero among this people who if drawn to the line and tho plummet could stand up and say they were filled with the spirit of god and that they did actually know for themselves that they were living up to their religion that they knew joseph smith was an inspired prophet and that they know this to be tho great work of god I 1 hope all who bavo assembled here today to day are able to bear this humble testimony and should there be aay who cannot do this I 1 conjure them to rest not until they can say so for the day is looming when we will be put to the liest when we will be tried to the very core the day when you will find these words to be true you must know that jesus ie alie that mormonism is true or you will not stand and endure to it then that BO hosny tosny of the dainta ars WS the priesthood which they bear Is it possible that they can honestly believe themselves thai this is the work of god look at the men who aru engaged in the bariou avocations of life why they go to work with their whole hearts and pursue their certain labors with energy and with a will but the work of god is neglected by many of such men in the one instance it is gain they are after in the other to the kingdom of god it is only eternal lifo and that forsooth can be laid me shelf and be utterly neglected they imagine because it is only the salvation of their souls chev are after cihat that is all right thero ig no way of provi fig the sincerity of our professions than by practicing practising them and when a man ceases to practice what he preaches you may rest assured that doubt is creeping over the mind of that man concerning the truths of tho gospel you may say you know of immoral men who know that joseph was a prophet of the most high god you show me such a man and I 1 will show you a man that did not obtain such a testimony in his immorality but when he was living his religion and I 1 will also show you in the selfsame man one who is losing the spirit of god by his own folly for the spirit of god will not dwell in unclean tabernacles the spirit of god may descend and yet not tarry it is only vouchsafed to men who are honest in their professions would apostates be found fighting against god if they knew that he lived and that this was his work I 1 think not no one knows the darkness of a soul has turned away from the light after it has been kindled within them you may have a partial knowledge of it but you cannot penetrate the realty no one knows the darkness only they who have experienced it so it is with those who die to the things of god there is only one way to be united in the work of the living god and that is to keep abreast of it this work nover was intended to stand still it never has from the time god the father and his son jesus christ appeared to joseph and told him he had beba appointed to bo the instrument in ushering in the dispensation of the falness of times it never has stood still no matter the ordeals of the fire and the sword that have swept away the chaff from the wheat and the trials and that the saints of god have encountered since the establishment of his work in this day and age of the world net even at times as it were when it has trembled on the brink of destruction it sever has stood still it never will and when men think that the kingdom ul wilF sink if they take their irom tho ship they are entirely mistaken the end of such mea we know of for wo have seen it verified wonderfully all the processes of purification through which the work of god has gone through havo all been necessary for the benefit of his work it is not quantity that god is after but quality it is the gold he wants not the dross the funeral sermon of thir work has been preached time i and tibiae again in the halls of congress in the pulpit and in other places but still gods work lives and though men may quit the ship aho will ride on breasting the breakers that are ahead until she sails eventually into the haven ct peace and safety we cabaot stand still there is no such a thing you throw a atone into the air it does not stay there it is the way with us we must either go forward or backward whan wo neglect to pay our tithing we aro going back and let me tell you my brethren and sisters you are not excused from attending to your duties because of the misdeeds of men this has been an old excuse from the beginning beg but it will not hold wat erIt shows a darkened mind and a falling away from the truths of the gospel this was the excuse used by some of the prominent men in the church at nauvoo but it did not work no man can stand between us of receiving the blessings of a just god we will not be condemned because of an apostles misdeeds neither will we ba aasved by some one elaey energy the prophet joseph was commanded of god to do things that looked ovil and carnal and devilish in tho minds of the wicked and such men pointed at his actions as a justification for their own evil doings because they thought the prophet was doing evil we must not judge with our natural our natural barwe may say we have beheld a vision of angels because we beheld an apparition with our natural eye do we not know that tho dovil cun transform himself into an angel and come in a bright form but he cannot breathe from his presence the holy katoa has acbo spirit of daria ess with him not the spirit of light he has tho spirit of evil not the spirit of god when you see a man following after evil to make men disbelieve in god persecuting sec christs followers you may know with a certainty that ho is m with a spirit of darkness for satan will not inspire a man to do good no not one I 1 hear of some neglecting to pay their tithing because of the recent action of the government towards the people is man you are commanded to pay your tithing to or is it to god m order to obtain his promise jle that is tithed beall not be burned what matters if a surreptitious hand steals away the offerings of gods people thoy ahu steal from tho temple of god and who steal the sacred drifts rifts of Jehova hs willbo accountable for their deeds thai does not prevent us offering our to god the whole earth is the gifts fullness thereof the ord and tho hills the hidden thousand cattle on a treasures in the mountains and tue adwill come when god will silver and the the gold and the stones to the vision of the precious saints and they will be ed altae find of kioa beautifying construction bead the beautiful and her temples description of the temple that is to bo bucic the last days that apha BW while bams it is for our own that god permits us to attend to these duties and it is a glorious privilege to bo allowed to do the will of god there is no man who pays his tithing with an honest heart but what does it for the benefit of gods work they who do it to be seen of man are not fit to be as socia ted with the saints of the most high there is within every mans heart a lamp that ought to be trimmed I 1 and burning and every man should follow the glimmerings glimme rings of the light kindled there by the spirit of god the world say we are told by our leaders how to vote this is not so I 1 nover was told how to vote in my life I 1 am a free man the gospel made mo free and I 1 have always voted for the best manThe world also accuse us of coming here for earthly gain preposterous think of men and women crossing frozen rivers and snow covered plains enduring hardships and privations and plunder ings whippings and and then say they do it for earthly gain it is not so there has been one groat motive m all of it and that is a desire to serve the lord and do his will when the world admit these facts they will have struck the key that leads to the unraveling and solution of the mormon problem but not until then I 1 say it is a progressive work it changes its color as the glorious sunbeams do to make the ladder of light it changes its appearance but it does not change its nature ii is the same mormonism and those who keep pace with it will go en to perfection while those who oppose it will break to pieces on the rocks of destruction from little things spring great things and men who despise small beginnings despise the works of god mormonism adds to itself it embraces truth it seeks after righteousness it takes of the things of god as fast as we are able to grasp them iso prophet ever appeared to benefit mankind but has been persecuted and hounded while many have been imprisoned and slain because they dared to preach their missions columbus who unfolded the western world died of starvation m a prison stephenson by whose means the world is bounded in a network of railway was stoned and clubbed martin luther the reform mer blood ap at the peril of his life in the midst of his enemies and dared to preach what he knew to be right jesus christ the savior of the world died on the cross joseph smith followed in his footsteps and died a martyr it is the same old story men garnish the sepulchres chres of the dead while they kill the prophets god grant this people may never fall into such a path remember member Ee the ard lias caples and he will yet reveal principles that will test us more severely than any he has yet given ou backs have but been made to benr the burden of trials that are to come let by the lessons of the past let us live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of god had the jews done soy they never would have crucified the humble nazareno they worshipped wor shipped the past and shut their ears to the teachings of the meek and lowly jesus our watchword must be on to canaan we must honor the prophets of today tind we will be prepared to receive he glorious principles that are yet to be revealed in the dispensation j of gods providence the choir sang the anthem greit are thy works jehovah benediction was pronounced by president jacob gates 2 p m the choir sang th hymn father how wide thy mercies shine how high thy wonders rise prayer was offered by eldor W EL kelecy of springville Spring ville the choir then sang ye children of our god ye saints of latter days the sacrament was administered by the bishopric of tho first ward JACOB GATES had joy in looking back to the acenas of tae past and contemplating tho manifold goodness of the lord to his people the position the saints occupy in tho nineteenth century is one that cannot help but cause a great deal of serious reflection it is a glorious privilege to know in an age of infidelity and unbelief like the present that jesus still lives we know that god hs opened up the heavens in this generation and revealed himself and his son unto the humble boy joseph smith and there aro many present in this congregation today to day who has heard the voice of that prophet who himself saw and conversed with god almighty and holy beings it is a pleasure to know that wo and participants air the gain gospel as was the apostolic age and in reading the history of the acts of the apostles we see striking similarities of the power of god there manifested as in our day we are told to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints if the apostles and the savior in the ancient days taught faith certainly it is our duty to enjoy this groat blessing in obedience to the cultivation of this principle pain ciple we find the ancients enjoying the blessings promised by the savior have we not witnessed similar occurrences in these last days yes there are hundreds hund who have and it is our privilege to enjoy the benefits of the gospel preached anciently one of these benefits is the principle of pro paul has designated the spirit of god as the spirit of pro I 1 checy take away this glorious i blessing and religion is but a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal i wo should bo always moving onward this is a work of progression the most important position in the church of god in ancient times was a prophet aba witness of god thon come otho officers as enunciated by paul in epistles if |