| Show v Divine Inspiration = = s = Dlcoun Dllvred at tin SixtyFourth SmlAnnual Coneene of the Church In the Tabrnaolo Salt Lake City Saturday morning Octouor 7 IB03 by ELDER ABRAHAM H CANNON urOkTAU IV ARTIIUa WINTER I 1 hope and pra my brethren and listen that while I occupy this petition for a few moments I may hue an Inter Ml In your prayers and lallh tint what 1 lay may be tint which the Lord desires de-sires to hate sail win have The Gospel wlikh we hive tense las l-as all mutt know who hate listened Io the remarks of the brethren during this Conference leaches ut different principle prin-ciple and l illlTeront ways of doing hints than are generally known the people of the world God has commented a marvelous work and a wonder and He hat said that lie will carry It forward lies own way lie duet not legend upon the counsel of men fur Hit wisdom wis-dom lie duet not lease lilt work In the hind of men for lit accomplishment accomplish-ment Hut iie directs In all things which pertain to the lipbuildinr of III l Church He hat laid through one ol Hit prophets For my thought are not your thoughts neither are jour ways my ways with the Lord Fur ai the heaven are higher than the earth mare m-are my way higher thin your ways and my thoughts than your ihoughli We have len this exemplified In all the course of Ihe Latter daybalnls torn the ortanfiatlon of the Church until the preterit day It vat not according Io the Ideas and way of men that God ettaUlihed Hit Church and revealed the Gorptl which we have received lie did it In lilt own way and In the carry me forward of that work He hat acted according to the plan which lie ilc signed I and has not submitted I lilt par putet for the crlllcltm ol men t be Cue that In the future no less Hun In the rut God will do this lie designs that we thall be different to men III educational edu-cational mallertai well at In religious matter In financial well at In social aflalri He designs that In our education educa-tion we ahall occupy A higher plan to that which It I common In the sound that we shall not depend alone upon Hit dh coverlet and Invention of mankind l lor our knowledge but that tt a shall seek to receive If f1 I Him that Inspiration and revelation which hall make ut grain In a moment that which It sometimes takes yearn of unity and research on the pail ofunlniplied men acquire ofG irI God hat shown lit > o far at we have gone In Hit work that lie It i perfectly capable of pointing out to ut truth which the human family even alter filly pram announcement by the Ildett of this Church love not yet understood Take for Initance the Hjjk of Mormon a revelation giving knowledge to Hilt I people concerning the inhabitant I of this land telling of their forefather ol the cause of the dark skins which iney hate and l of their destiny j describing the country which we Inhabit and the travel of the people who built these great clllrt In the south the mint of which we find alnioil everywhere In Ihe southern part ot I this continent This truth the people of the vtoild ire only beginning now to verify through their eiplorationi and their iludy and etery discovery which they make every lrulh which they accept It I only A further evidence of the divine source from which this aced record came God hat resealed sealed this truth to the children of men but they have rejected became of the source whence II came and became of the beaiertof this great historical record to the people of the earth I God will open the heaient to lib sir cants If they will leek Him I In faith < I bellete It It I the duty of the teachers < > r the youth of israel not alone to leach from the text books whkh I are htotlilcil for the j school I but to have I their I minds continuous open to the hnpre lon > ol the Holy I Spirit that I when they speak Io their i pupils they may speak hip the I Spirit of God 1 do nut feel that a manor man-or a oman who occupies I the position I of leacher I WK he l youth of Israel It 1 limit Ibo potlllon In III completeness who docs not teach by the spirit and In I plrallon of Almighty God The Ilible Itself it even now a book ol science and revelation to the world notwithstanding all the advancement urbane made thus far In science and In art It speaks thereof there-of the rotundity ol Ihe elIh1 truth which was rejected I In ancient limes In k that book which was written to nnny centuries ago we read of God having given lo the air lit weight but nol until 5 Iorricelli announced to the world 1 that the air had weight would < the people accept ac-cept 16 We read I in Ilili h sacra r 1 book that the promise to Abraham was that hit teed should be at the stars of heaven Innumerable and yet In early days people ridiculed I the ripresslon urbftl ln became It was announced to thou r worm f that there were only some o car thousand stars In the heavens ahove lit and If hit seed sass to be limited to this small number II was no very gnat promlie l Hut through the diicotenes of thn telescope tele-scope lIlu1 Is resorted I to us thai the I heavens are betel with the woikman hip or our God and Ihe truth which Joseph Smith announced In one of the revelations that there Is no space In which there Is no world It tended by the discoveries which hate been nude through the Intentions of modern times Now It Is said th1 In one system alone which we can see by meant of the telescope there are at least eighteen millions I of r worlds like I this upon I which wettandl And of systems them Is no end l endGoJ poke s by Ills Spirit through the holy nun Iellt and thus revealed I rhln which I It will 1 take t the people of the world many years yet to ditcom by their slow processes of study and research re-search He intend to speak to this people and reseal lo them scienllni Iruthn I r 01 llIa trullii is He luaa 1 rcllgiouitrutlit which the world will not readily accept and U will take curator them to he brought lo the knowledge of that which Cod will reseal innlanlly to His servant whowill seek knowledge blunt this sontre I believe 1 i that m every allair of life It h our J privilege to hate the guidance ol ften the Spirit of God Hiljham I Yuunr in founding this Territory HI light the lit splration ol H e Lord and worked continually con-tinually I tinder I the 1 Influence ol limo llny I Ghost We see th results of hi > luaum fluent labor and huts n ud Injuuciluns whiih lie I sous InsplreulOinr Ho told the people to pi tine a course whii mm s contrary to Ihe itidgninit ol mi n 1uu uid r I1 7 k l < will remember how It was in the early amlelll lIt of this talley c When the sold excitement was ratsed In ntlh California i I lie counseled the Saints not to leave these valleys forWddir as they dllltfe were lo which Gad had led them and ha promised lhat those who would 1 remain richer reward main should receive a than those who sought their fortunes in the troth of wt t The results proved the truth of his ptediction for tboie wlm remained not only prospered In their temporal affairs but their spiritual strength increased Many of those who left Ibis lam ami went west lost t their faith or wavered In the Irulh the people who remained here pinched by hardship hard-ship tiled byadtcrsliy were stronger III f llrA IWJ in their faith and In the lord and they tally are nunibt red among the rich and wealthy among the cople of Gush lie told Ihe Slims again thai they should not engage In mining lie told them that the basis of their prosperity was the lUllivalion i f Ihe soil and thus manufar lure of those thing nciesary lor their sustenance t The principle levealed In the Doctrine and Covenants was made expressive In the midst of the people of Gal and they were advised to have the beauty of their apparel the wurknun ship itf r their own bands The result whith have followed show the wisdom of the counsel which God gate through rflI while Ills servants In those I times For while Ihe mines have been opened and I am thankful In the lard for the wealth Ihey have yielded for the lien lit of Ihe people peo-ple we lend l today that the prosperous people of this I Territory are those who have 1 detolcd I themselves I lo lie culllva I lion of the soil and who have sought to produce according lo the ability which Gush has given them that which they needed for Ihe sustenance of themselves and their families A fell weeks ago I supposed In my Ignoranci that nearly all the Ialler day Saints were In a species of bondage throuth heir Indebtedness I thought that almost every latin In Ihe Territory was nmurlR aged and almost every home tllL II S rX punched r by lime Latterday Saints was obligated to some person or firm be lndebterlnmw I r nl i cause uf the Indebtedness uf the owner Hut within n few day t hate bad this Illusion dispelled and lam I luippy lu say I that the condition i of the latler daY lll eU aI Saints U nol by yn means as bad as I supposed It was The census bulletin uf lnttguernmtntol I i the United Mates which was recently Issued concerning this lenltory < how how wise and farseeing far-seeing was the prophet of God In counseling Ihe people to take the course which he suggcstm I because It shows lhat of the arm population of this Territory Terri-tory there arc out of every onu hundred families eightysix thai own unencurn bered the land upon which Ihey dwell and the houses thai Ihey occupy five out of every hundred occupy encumbered encum-bered 1 possessions while only nine out of every hundred families who ale Using upon farms are tenants You go rorn Ihe farms r Into the villages and low ns ol the peopleconi lave llmr condition with tl li farming I raw 3 Hut ol thin farming population and you will find lhat out of every hundred families fam-ilies who hate their hones In the country coun-try without owning the arms there are hi I hilly six families only thai own heir I I homes while five own homes encumbered encum-bered and l thirty nine rent the places they occupy Then > JUu come Into O den and Sill Lake CllrIho only dun mentioned In this census and we find there the happy condition ol the farming people reversed In this city and OalllI out of every hundred families fam-ilies occupying home there are only thlltylwo whoown unencumbered the homes In which they dwell nine out of etery hundred hate mortgages upon Ihelr residences while the remaining liftnine hire Ihe places which they 11 use Now IOU Ie how It It I People In the country bate not the temptations to ettrivagance which ale presented daily la those who live In the clues They have not encumbered them selves and they are comparatively free They can go to bed at night knowing that the roof slut covers them Is their own The I labor thai they expend upon their home is I for Ihelr own benelit On Ihe memo they I cannot be thrust out Into the worth I without rI home ur rl possession posses-sion It Is theirs Ieople should be happy who hate their homes In this condition and they should seek to pursue pur-sue inch a course that They will not t lose possession ol their lands but bring them up lo the highest possible i state nttl cultivation J cul-tivation make them places of beamy and use Ihe energies and talents which odlutlten them for the benefit of themselves and those who are lc pendent upon them I say that herein tte can see haw God h as Inspired His servants to teach slue people and though al times they have nol understood the wisdom concealed in Ihe counsel that has been given tel In follow strictly 1 that counsel they lkV have found blessing and profit Take tor Instance the principle ol tithing 11 you announced thai lo et world and asked them lo observe II would 1 they not consider It one of the most burden some taxes that could 1 be Inlllctcd upon thrn Yot every Latler day Saint tl cam tnen Ihat the houllowtrlcUy life law of ttlhuug ainan I Ike people of II NS orlh God do I not find ta a hurler huh rather Imd It a temporal at well at a tplrltual i litilng i for their properly has been huimantlv blessed so that they hate not misted the tithing which they hate glten to the work of the Lord Take again the missionaries which we menu I t Into the world If fn a mill hl In ee world was called to lease I hit busine lor twn > ears or more to preach the Gospel he would dunk II was ruinous all hit temporal allalrs Hut here are Elders who KU out and spend year alter year and the tery man who have spent time most tuiR In the mlttioiury held i and lc NhIo r fti ft kua i who I stand 1 at the head I uf the Church luday arc the men who are Ihe nuuet prosperous and Ihe most free from debt And I w the Lord will show faith the wisdom of t oitrne which He pitunit lathe people through the rcsiitt whirl follow rue ellorlH uf the latler 1 day Saints We um tlv no Utter than lu obsrrte trimly every cumminI Hut in i Bivrn us 111 Ihe fiervants I of the Lor hnweter much thup may umlllct will our prestnt Idea 1 1 und God will bless us in pursuit Him conr r r have before us the iiromui of great hleiainits I Onl > ltl if > eiterday we i had nmioiimed Irom I tin stood a prophecy in 1 whicn all ol I ut i ul t r tale comluri llmi u sluml1 I u uu ou t of oor i lreut tr jidm wills mum en 0 land l-and l In a b r i cr financial < millionth II i sue lute ever et sru n I know me I around me and 1 liavt tlunU In the f cling in self who lute conslderc I with horror the thought that our nannies we to be dhnorcI I um I I w 1 t mnrouch our I u K > because perhap < IlIru < I wisdom or Irons om uuhcraimwe have Involved ourteltes m ili II bt win h i It seemed we would lie unablt lo pale pal-e have 1 thouRhl this the great si trial 1 I of < itrdtet because obi in Hit in M 1 oft We thought al onr Urn the I realest trial was that which sent our brethren lo prison exllel our rand I < I and capered them here and III rt on the face of the earth without any human I prospect of their ever again being gathered i gath-ered together or of our being > ermlllp < l 10 ee on these stands the men whom we honored as Hie leaders of Gals 1 people 1 on the erth Yet out of tI that dank cloud the Lord Its brought t the glorious light of 1111 I Spirit and today we are enjoying greater freedom and blessings than any we hate had greater lie wIll for many year So I believe vet bring us out of our present broubla mslths no low oft hotter I testify thai the prophecy which was uilered yesterday Is I thus word of the t Ird for every nun who will serve God a f I hoi 1 I In hl y heart the Influence ol 1 l li Spirit will come nut ul 1 these troubles I and these sermmt dltssten brighter and clearer and letter for the cupeilence trough wh ch he has Iell l called lo Ivan II I It just j tu nt possible for God lo lolhls wllh all the darkness which up pears be ore us AI It woo fur God through Hit servant to tell the widow who went out lo gather slicks that she Inlght bake a cake with which to feed herself and son once more beloro Ihey lint and who out ol that Rave to the prophet Hut her barrel of meal should not wane nor Ihe cruse of oil fad until the earth brought forth again in its abundance So it will be In this case Die famine for money which has spread over ut and the lack of thing which seem necessary fnr our prosperity God will supply in one ol the many way which It possible for Him to adopt toM iriiijC about salvation temporally and eternally lo I i His children r upon the earth Amen |
