Show TRY THE SPIRITS = = Delivered at tho General Conference of the Church In tile OlleOUriO Tabernacle Salt Lake City Sunday October 8 1861 by PRESIDENT GEORGE Qo CANNON I u REPORTED bY ARTHUR uiNtn = = = = hull reed a few words from Pauls Epistle to the KphswUnt Wherefore he goth When he I stacentled She a S-he kd uspolity i aggirive I it gave gift I lii s likeff that tie awooded what 11 a but that J heW he-W laded first into tote lower parts of rise C llh i I 1 T 1 100401 l Is the rew else that vriKM III Ut 1 above 1 all boot that h litAIUIIlhlocvl A I he pirs > 1me apostles ad wine I nt t > nl 1 wmt evangelists and om t mjadlniilMn I iu the Bfilrclrnjof the Saints I or ikt work rir < < oC ikVaualmy for the eddying or tin 1 of Child t l all comis In ho ualty oflbelnl It 1 of Iht huwltdp or he I Son of Ood l4 4 pctfwt moo MIO the meAMire or HIAIirrolllufulneuol Chrlll Th1 we henceforth be no more children oMrtl to mil Int Mid canted about with cry dolikxlorlnebv the > < Jot of men Mil 1 unr ni nlttnM whereby they lie In I wen toe to-e 1vIPeAir I the tnith In ages MAY grow upi up-i in in 7f ihiBti bWi li the bud even In Oman wordi Paul sets fottli with jreal plalnneM the reasons why there iiiuukl be Amok anti Prophets the Jiunli of Christ They were nAy < < n-Ay hi oaii lo bring llie Saints In Ihe unity uf Ihe faith and lo tile knowledge unitg I a Son of God l When title Church iMiiriinlieil II hail In ltAp < Mtleill hail 1 the i 1f IJII1 Is a renuirkable tiling Hi it the Irophct Joseph Snillli altliouiili jilted 1 by the Lord wllh revelations anti vilh pmier to translate the Hook of Motroon and though lie limit received he ministration of angels and hvl even len pciinllted to behold I the ai Father Awl 1 the ion > tt he never resumed to i Hi i ilo In any of the ordinance ol Ihe ijo < pel l until lie was ordained One mil lit think thai having had such high nmlkges I I anil blcsilniii J bestowed upon ni I linn C lie would I have l thought he hail lie iullinrlty to administer the simple ur ilinnie or baptism Hut he did not He I mailed the bettuwal or the author Ih And he received ilnol front linn Urausethcre MM not a man on the lice 01 file earth that 110 know of that Mil the authority but from a meiien rol God l endowed ulih the pouter lo orstow the authority John the lljplUi came and l announced hlmictl at Ihe ser tint of dodwho held the keja of the Altonlc Priesthood 1 belnj a literal ties ndjnt of Aaron by vutuo of which authority ho had l baptized the bun of God I In the waters of Jordan This heavenly messenger came qualified I Inc In-c s cry uy to bestow upon tile men to whom he was seat the autliorily to liar file Could there be any more suitable personage r thought of than Ihe one who rMjbapmcd the Immaculate Son of dixl himself Concerning him Jesus said Amonz them that are born of omen there nath not risen a greater I than 1 John Ihe Haptlit Vet loan the Udpti never SIl any miracles Hut 11 hat greater honor could l a man have Han tu come In the flesh and l baptize < < Hi Son of Cod That holy being I ny came and l hid his hand upon lusrphbmilhand Oliver Cow < luynd ordained them to the Aaronlc Prices hood by virtue of which they hail nitliority to baptize < < Then there was M > mrtlung cite needed John aid I tn bapllie you vilth water unto r cu repentance but He that cometh after nu It mightier than I uhow hoe 1 gin nut worthy to bear he thall baptlie you Kith llie Italy Ghost and uith lire Though John had the authority lobap IIK the Son of God he did l not have the authority to baptize with the Holy 1 Ghost and with lire II 1 le did not hue the I authority to confirm upon men dIII II Iol and omen the I loly Ghost but he aid that OliO should l come niter him with that power referring lo Jesus Jesus II i rlfn IJb ordained men lie himself I having I been I ordained We do not hive the lull account of uhat Jesus received but II we know that angels I administered unto I Him and He did not presume lo act In theminUlry 1 t though lie I was the Sun of i God and the Redeemer 01 the world I until lie hail been ordained tothit I authority You remember what took I place In the transfiguration Oil the mount He was there mlnUtercd by i i heavenly beings and lie and they I doubtless ministered lo Ieter James I John He I ordalnrd twelve Apostles and l sent them forth as witness with I the I same rower and authority which I lakh le 11 load received I In speaking I to then on one occasion He laid In aiiHwer to a question put by Paler Ye which have followed me In the regene ration when the Son of Man shall it In the throne of his glory yo also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve r 1I AllImugn f tribes of Israel Alihougn they were the Intimate companions of the Son of God they did not go forth until He I had ordained I them ln to the authority 1 which He himself had exercised He sclectid tlPsc tWelve out of Ihe disciples that followed Hlm and 110 unto them the Aposilnhin ywMcabletodo I I by the authority all that f Paul i of which said the Apostles should 1010 regulate tile tuiriof Ihe Church to teach sound doctrine to be In fact re clatori prophets and seers when the occasion should I demand It to Postage all the Imilas that oil sfve to nun In the I lieMi They were ordained lo tills ndunlil they were they did 1 not pre ume lo no forth and minister In Ihe authority among tlie children of men ululien I they receUed tills authority I they went furth accompanied by I mighty II I yrf And they cao devil mfnv tile llkca and performed nnny uunderful works In the name or tile Lord and through the mi omyin v hlch they h1 received front Man Whll the Church wa thereof under their were guidance flat I castled the about Illembers by tverylvindoftloctrine Th e viera not dcelved by the slefght 07 titan nor their rw conning i craftiness They knew likt whilt they followed tile guidance er the Inspired and dilinelyaulhorld men there wu no danger of dllon or Of tile slfa l 141th l lit they were led to tile Unity God hi Therefore In the last I days kl j W bout lu to restore llls I I Church H Its r i primlthe Psim live purity t and power tclhe I = = earth He deemeil It n ee irylo bestow be-stow Ihe Apostleship I once more iiiion men After Ihe Aaronlc IrleMhood I o JI 1 hxl l been conferred therefore and John the Ihptkt had transmitted thai power 1 which had tee taken from the earth i through I the wickedness of men and Ihe shedding of the blood of I those who II bole It again to Ihe eaith other came from the mansions of blltt anti rommltled to men one more In the llrili the keys and the authority j which I el they hd held when they were In the llro and which I key and r authority were necewary to complete the great work of God In the Ian days The lord when lie wa upon the earth said unto Peter ill 111111 I give unto Ihee Ihe key of the kingdom pfhmen and whatsoever thoil shall bind on earth shall ue bound In heaven I and whatsoever thou shall loose on earth shall be loosed In heaven Peter Jamen and John were the three presiding presid-ing Hih litigate over Ihe Chuichof I Crooks after the Sailor deiurture and these three Apostles decendetl from the mansions of glory and laid their hinds upon Ihe heads of these two Young servants of Goil In thh day and oidilned them to the authority which they held committing unto them all tile ke > < and powers ol Priesthood which they hid received In their day and which I had 1 not been transmitted by them to any others Iwcanse of Ihe wicked newt ul the children ol men Jowph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were or trained to tire Apostleship of the Son of el God by Peter and his fellow Apostles and thin was restored the earth once more that great authority I and bilious Power hith tile Son of God II had bestowed be-stowed when In the flesh I doubt not that the angelic ho 11 rejoiced and every heart thai surrounded the throne of God Wai gladdened 1 at the thought Hut once more on earth were men lobe found clothed with the eternal authority of Ihe everlasting Priesthood by means of which men should bo let from the lowest depths of Ignorance l and sin back Into llie presence of ilia Great Eternal I No doubt peans ot joy resounded throughout tile vaulted heavens when that ient took place for It was an event pregnant with more Importance to t1feclotdrenof I men than t any which hd I taken place since the days or tire Savior When that authority was re stored In Us lulneM ul then Ire Church was organUed Men and women were bapllied < < and received the lloly Ghost and officers wee ordained In the Church The organization was not completed all at once but Ihe authority to complete the organisation I was there I and as the Saints lncre ned In numbers so Ihe organization or-ganization of the Church increased In perfection each olhcer being appointed and ordained as the neceuliy arose far that office to be filled Now It was n new thing In the earth It startled Christendom Up lo that lime no one had pretended to say at least my few that there was not all necessary authority on the earth The religious world l looked to the Illble I hey asserted lint it 1 contained the entire en-tire word of God Nothing more vas necessary God had IJkl I the canon of scripture There would be no more revelation from Him I 1vef3 thing had been given that WAS necessary fur mans saltation And the Inference was that God having done title had l retired front any acme participation In the affairs of the earth and had left J the I whole business to men Therefore It was a startling declaration lo have anyone any-one say that God himself accompanied I by 1 Ills Son Jesus ChrKl had revealed Irll a1 hlmwlf lo man once more and equally lly startling was the Statement that angels had l come and that the authority of tile Priesthood had been restored again lo the earth These were astounding lie cliratlons lo the great bulk of tlie ICU pie Of course there w ere honest souls who rejoiced at this proclamation they 1f tziolced clh clll 1Ifl had been searching for the truth Dissatisfied Dis-satisfied nith the existing order ol things they were jMrnlng for the restoration of that power and were anxious to find men who held and exercised It Therefore their hcatu were gladdened by Ihe Intelligence that God had spoken It Was almost too good 1 tobehoe Hut they Intesllgated food Foo They prayed unto the I father about + Yr reautt r anh n J It I The result was they received testimonies testi-monies concerning It and l embraced tlie Gospel IIUII that day slilyfour years agothcre were vary few men In Christendom I lhe who dared lo say that God would siteak front the heavens or who believed that such Ia thing was possible pos-sible Revelation from OoJ was a tiling ol the past It belonged to ages anterior an-terior to this The ministers I of religion contented themselves I by making I these statements How was this new declaration received re-ceived ii Let me call your attention to this During the first persecution against I the Saints ol God In Jackson County one of the main charges made by Iho mob was Hut Joseph imilh was accepted ac-cepted by the Mormons as A prophet I cepitcol lt rhbt tl nnd that l they helmed m revelation I train God It was about at strong an appeal as could be made to the prejudices of the age to nrouie intense hostility I Iftlh people Tim shows how the people felt at that lime lIull I heard Joseph Smith predict tint the day would come when there would l be false spirits forth the children of men go among t eIlJ and that they would deceive them t remember on one otc ision I hit ipeaklng ll caf about the I false prophet that should call down fire from heaven and he warned lie people In the mo t lniBr < Mlennd solemn manner ngalnit liemi deceived by these works that should he wrought lo deceive the children ot men It was only two years after 1114 death that spirit rapping commence I in Rochester New York We had t been driven out her In the wilder and w > did not know much that was transpiring in the eastern world I Hut I happened while on the I Sandwich Islands In 1 Nil 1 to get hold l ol a book Hut had been i uid i > > iplritualWs and l I uaiiurpn < CJ at the manner In which they pre med llilr claim lo the public Argon nt5 that our llders used they had IT ei and revamped re-vamped so to speak anti adapt ol 1 Ihrm I 1 nje to their Ideas A morcdccepiiio tiuolc In the Interests of falsehood and false doctrine could not In my opinion have been published And I fron tint day until the pretenl belief In spiritual I agencies I and manlleslattom I lias spread and Increased until at the present time I liter is scarcely A person to be found who dues I not believe that there Is something some-thing connected with man that he can use to bring I him into close and Intimate relation with the spirit world Snee relA1tyw1hdcdke thai lUy there hus been a wonderfil stride taken In this direction Tne world has been progressing that can be called progress In a mMl remsrk able linnner Theories that prttailed when Ihe Grxnel was revealed mid the Priesthood ol the Son nf God was restored re-stored have been discarded and today the popular nugaimes are lilted with communications concerning these occult towers hit are being brought to light Talk to men aim lot dreams and visions and 1 rpiritui mtniicilatloni fail I they admit I that such things are Possible l butt they 1 cannot explain I them but-t 1 This It I one of the results tint followed the revelation ol the jspei anti the bestowal Ihe authority the Holy I Prieslhoo 1 The doctrine latiicht by the riders have had their effect The hate been rectucdto a greater or tem I extent In the world without the source from which they came being I acknowledged I hear thai there are advocates ol jl what is i called Christian Science In our midst I hear that they creep Into our housi and lend silly women attray by telling ih lnl 1 AtfAyl rl1ll r r them of wonderful thieve tint can be done bv meant ol Christian Science A law days ago a father came to me and told me about two of his daughters one 11I ll 1412cliters of whom I had been alllicteiT l and i had Wen told 1 by Saints of them portions how she mUht be cured Now that It a compimthcly new doctrine In the world It was not Iwanl of until Ihe Church of Christ was orgnnixed We taught this and were persecuted for teaching It Htery kind uf ohloijuoy was thrmt upon in because we beheted thai there was a power wlikh God would gite lo those who obeyed His commandments that would result In the healing of the sick the casting out of detlls and other miraculous things Hut a great clnnge has come over men Mtan hal been buy Men uy as the Hook of Mormon says they wiulj In the last dais that there U no hell and no devil Satan Is whispering this Into the ears of the children of men and today there are thousand of people who do not belle a that there ls any hell or any personal devil Nevertheless there li a personal devil just as sure as there Is I a personal God He has not a tabern icle1 but lien is I a living entity anti he lsen I deatonng to destroy the work of God by producing Imitations of U kind showing show-ing unto the Inhabitants of Ihe earth lint they can obtain power without obeying the lawn of God Wherever tapir r Almnihasafoothold faith In GoJ ilecrrascH Whenever you see a Litter diy Stint begin to dabble In spiritualIsm spiritual-Ism you will find lint he begins In doubt Ihe atonement t of the Savior and the redemption wrought I out by the shedding rIi I bio jd and the doctrine of the resurrection ol thenody Tnese are Silvia that accompany splrituillsm Satan is laboring with all his might to lead men and l women lo these conclusion conclu-sion binding them In chains ol darkness dark-ness and leading them down to everlasting ever-lasting destruction U Is the same with Christian Science whose doctrines are being Insidiously spread throughout the country They are publishing books and circulating them gratuitously and endeavoring to undermine the faith of tho people in the ordinances of the Gospel and In the words uf Jesus J contained con-tained In the New Testament They tell the sick not to believe they are sick In exercise their will power and to consider con-sider sickness as Imaginary and we are told they 1 are doing 1 rin works in 11wnoktIJne healing the people I would not be surprised at that because I know that Satan Is almost capable ol deceiving the mill rvbocsl f very elect I believe that Satan can make himself appear lo those who cannot can-not discern as an angel of light I and II he has that power he has power also to deceive men and l women In the flesh by performing mighty works Was not this I done in the iUS of 34 ost Was not Pharaoh heart hardened by the works ol the nngiclansr lie did not believe that I Moses ami Aaron were servants ser-vants ot God but that they had a little more skill perhaps than his imildins had So It Is now Satan Is capable of deceiving the people I want in this conference before we separate to lilt my voice In warning lo I tile people of God against these Insidious Insidi-ous advances against spiritualism against Christian I I Science and t against nil such Isms however much they may pro fees to be of God I hear that men who claim to be the Iteorgan lied Church say that they liitc power lo work miracles Perhaps they hate but that Is not etl dence of the divinity l of their I cause or tint they are the authorized servants ol God Ihls I evidence is I to be found l my brethren and sisters In the blessings that God l bestows upon Ills people Read words Ihall I hate read In your healing Remember them The Aposlloshlp has been placed In this Church to lead men to the unity of Ihe faith That U w hit Paul said In ancient days concerning the 1 Apostlcshlp What have been Us fruits today What have been the fruits that have attended the nMoratlon of the Apoiil shlp In this Church Has I It not led all who have been guided by It to the unity of the ilthf Latterday Saints here assembled from almost cry nation Christem dom what do > oitaiyf Hal not the Apostleshlp restored by the ministrations ministra-tions of holy angels to the earth brought ion from oIr ends I ol Ihe earth lo the unity of the faith In this land Where 1 will IOU find a people more united Nowhere No-where That Is one of its fruits Another Is It U for the I perfecting of the Saints I I leave I Itlo I the Lat terday Saints I lo say whether Ihe teachings and the labors of the Apostles jour midst have not led to greater t perfection among > ou You t Iwt 10 J are our witnesses t and 1 Gods witnesses lo this for you know for yourselves whether these hue been tho results that delr followed or not If you hate followed i Ihe teachings I of the Apostles you have not been carried about by every wind of doctrine nor hate you been deceived by the cunnini craftiness re men None of you have been misled In this way tint you lllvo been cuar 1 8 ded against this God has 1 placed Apostles In the Church lor title express They are not selfchosen niose ell II knows and you know that those c who bear the Apostleship hate not sought this authority Do > on think that we ore presided over by a mill who has sought tills olhco of himself We all know the man too well lo suppose II 110r I suppose that Vtlford Woodruff would evr f ho had Itted to the = Mctluisjleh have put forward Ills hand lo guide this work ol our Oml Rod has degIhd anti pared him lo this psopje cluth1 with the Apsxtleshln of shot Sell of r 1 to lead the people Jusl At He did I John Taylor just as I te did frllghann ciung rX aAn and the others who id 1 1 en be n anocMiil i wllh Im I appeal to you jc 1111 I r gfj S daSlims I 1 ill = co a Wait to know whether thesmeare lI trust tint I am I p I aking whether you Iwve n I had 1 I In your midst the eflJencsw of IIIl I divine origin of this work and of the authority which prnklttt ore fill i LIMIT God has borne teilmon I vIll this by Ihe fruits thai 1 liave followed oui ministrations I Include Clet1 d I I though I consider mysilt unworihv 10 be In the rank ol these men Cod Ila blesssKl I the I people l inlMenlnx to lilt counsels of f Ilia MtvJnU He l has brought to these mountain and hmlt UP l n mighty people here We hate erected temples and hive gone Into them and performed ordinances which I Go I has revealed Where else c in > ou find these things upon the face ul the earth lly whom are Midi doctrines t taught What would yCau dofuryiur dead If I It were not for the Ugh that Gnd has mealed through the Aim > tle 1hroucithe lf I ablp comtinlng the pfenol itvat m lor Ihe dead The look world is groimg In darkness regarding ilis 00 matter They cannot tell w hal sh ill he done with the heathen or with Ihu who have died in ignorance of the 6 Is pel of Christ they teach that there U no other name given under he iven whereby man can be savede cepiiiig tire name of Jesus Already some minister Christendom are reieclmg the doctrine that salvation li confined lo those alive thus following in the wake of the teachings of tile servants uf 101 Hut I how shall we know rllliI if Ihe heavens are as brass over our he ids and If there Is to be no continuant ition Iran God lo man On ann a-nn we might receive it II I It came from tunic other source than II does Now It Is a peculiar feature ol the work of God In nil ages that lie chose men fur this purpose II I le did nut send angels lo minister unto all nun but He chose men to minister unto their fellow men The prophets I are mm and l full ol tailings and frailties Lien the boil of Gad perfect as He 1 was was not recognized among men as divine Now God has chosen men In 11114 day Although they may feel unworthy of such high honor and that He I auld have chosen probably better Imam oJ metals nevertheless God has chosen I them and He I will honor them n the e > ea ol tile people if I they will lie humble II I lepeopie I make Otto His mouthpieces declare unto the > hill rOil of men Ills word and will He will fill them with the Holy I Ghost l on 1 the il IIIII I JI b people who listen to them will be led In the pith of Salvation and be delivered from the many evils I that arc coining upon Ihe Inlubltants 1 of II the I earth My brethren and sisters Ihete are solemn truths I would like lo arouse faith in your hearts 1361Y I to you that llha sick cm be healednd are healed in this Church and the nravcr fr faith Is I laird The proper way for people to receive an answer to their prayers and lo hive the r Jr d IU blessings attend that are desired It lo obey Ihe ordinances of the Gipcl lla not go straying after false gods l Ij not be looking after those who have no authority but are false guides for I Irei tell you that they will lead those who follow them down to destruction I do not care how holy they may profess to be I do not care how many miracles they nil profess to perform I do not cnro though they may be the sons of the holiest men that ever tied upon the earth II they do not keep within the lines which God has preiirlbed I tell you thai they will lead those who follow them lo destruction I bear testimony to this and am responsible for It Ills not miracles that are the sole evidence of the truth of an > thing We hate been taught that from the beji mine Hut It Is I the spirit and power ul God when It Is I poured I out upon the people uniting I I Iheir hearts filling th111 with love prompting l them to con M their tins one to another and lo the Lord i These are Ihefrilts tint we see in these valleys among the people who keep Ihe commandments com-mandments ol God When you hear men begin to doubt and say Well I dont know about this 01 that It is an evidence that I they arc In the dark for frvl they would I live In I the light I God r would tar testimony I to them by the power nf the lIuly Ghost concerning these things I therefore sty to all who are here If any of you have felt In our wumoI11ll hearts that I you on toll what I call false godsfalse lights false teachers if 1 any of you have felt to weaken ln lour nttichmcnt the work ol God audio entertain doubts concerning its validity I ask IOU this afteriiom to repent truly and 1 sincerely of that and turn lo God with I lull purpose of heart and with a determination lo save Hint all the rest of rOUt daS If you ever had Ihe love of God In our hearts and that Inexpressible In-expressible joy that GoJ gives unto tlht GoJmlvnejm li vnejm those 1 who keep Ills commandments you know it is sweeter than tile sweetest honeycomb There is nothing on earth sweeter than the spirit of God l when it Is enjoyed by a humble Latterday saint I And God has ul placed this t within our reach He Ins opened a fountain 10 us at which we may drink until our souls are filled tooveifl ming Isayto I you that Sitan would tell I I > you nineteen truths Hid would perform nineteen miracles get you to an opt one untruth un-truth and lo lake a w tong step That Is tho kind ol powerlieexscs i Dollar bo I deceived I r my brethren and I misters Try the spirits and see whether they are of lod l or not Cling to the authorIty author-Ity I of the Priesthood whuh God sent 1111 I messengers to behOW upon mm 11 you do BO I will figure vouns a servant ser-vant nf God joii J will be led back Into Ihe presence of God am1 the Lamb tl there to dwell ciernall and to receive that glorious reward II clh He has III p r on IFs ad unto I I the luihiul God grant unto us thai we mat mne this that we may never step 0 smille I I Inch from the path which lie I is m irked out nor do a thing that will IUI gntvi fo Spirit of God from this I time lunceforth 1 and forever Amen |