| Show DISCOURSE I Delivered nt Syracuse Davis County on Sunday August 22nd I I 1897 by i PRESIDENT GEORGE Q CANNON IRTPORTLU BY ARTHUR WINTEIII I nm very pleased this morning to have the opportunity of meeting with the Latterday Saints In this wardnnd i under ueh favorable ehcumtnnce1 thinking while I sat here Side i ma s morning how much President Woodruff Wood-ruff would enjoy meeting with younnd how much you would enjoy his Ne Probably It would be InterestIng ence Ing to you to know that President ioodrurf health Is I Improving and though not very strong still he Is I able 10 come to the olllce every day and attend at-tend to business He has surprised us nil bj the manner In which he has roo 0 cored from this severe Illness which lie has hod It would not have our i rid many I suppose If ho hud sunk i under this sickness It seemed nt times ns though ho was going to leave Us nut his recuperative power Is wonderful and I attribute It to the constant piuyora I of the Bilns which are offered I have no doubt every day from every habitation where the SAints dwell It Is I a very delightful thought to realize that the lAtter day b such Saints are bound togther by tender ties which though tender are excdlngly strong i I have traveled a good deal of late land there It I one < thing with which I h Rve ben Imped I the difference there exists between the LAtter < la Paints and those from among whom Ate have been gathered Outside of our Church and our community ou find the people as a rule taking very little Intert In ich others met fare There does not rem to be that love anti artecllon and kindly Interest taken by the poll ple In each other either In their nf fairs or In their health which Is I vara hibited among u 9 The predominant Cllng appear to be for everyone to take car of himself to look out for his own Interests and thost oC Ill family This Is I In I striking contrast silth the spirit that has ben brought Into eprallon by the Gospel oC the Iord Jesus Christ We do not as a People take that Interest In ach other that i we should do because we hI come front the world and brought with IT i Its traditions Its hablti methods and a good deal oC Its feeling I I V hov e not Ye It outlived these nor link on them off Th Gospel has not freed lie entirely from thee nflue free though It hat a to a very great extent on much no that there is I a trlklng contrast In I this respect between us arid other denomination Tile pmer oC the Gospel has ben felt In till direction lion and will bo felt moro and moro I have no doubt It given us great joy to know that there are others x ho feet for us that there are others ho take Interest In us that there ate others uho pray for on that there art others IC we are Ick who will admin later io us and whose feelings tire drawn out toward us I 10 not wall poe there is I any one In this eongre latlon that ever prays for himself and family without praying for others mith tit praying for his brethren arid rltr mithout praying for President Woodruff and the First Presidency and I the Twelve and for all the olncers In the Church without praying for the flack nM nCnlctJ l the distressed tho poor the widow the fat heriess and I for those villa Moo that they anti y lio comforted I do not suppose that those desires escape the attention of thu members of this congregation NJ congrega-tion when they pray What a t delightful feeling this IV How It comforts PresldentWoodruff to know that throughout tho entire world wherever latterday Saints dwell he has an Interest In their prayers and that the blessing of the Lord Is I sought for In his behalf It comforts us aUto aU-to know that the Saints take this Interest In-terest In us They may not know the iitlllctlons or the trouble that wo have to contend with but they pray for all of their brethren and sisters lIhout regard to name ort placeWhen or-t hear of nflllctlon their hearts go out In sympathy to those who are afflicted af-flicted Brethren nndiSlstcro thin I may say Is I n comparatively jiew feeling In tho xx tirld Ntt bu what there Is I love Fiat remaJnlng among the children of Inl oil Ie not destitute oC love but It I Is I to a yet y great extent limited and eonnned to very fw persons Now whn has tills love that Ire for to clime from Has It cum front our gatl ring together und being 1 In oar Site t of fetls It the mer Va therlr > g together oC the Latterdy flints In this land that has brought this love Certainly not 1toneer mud that may hv contrib u led tot to-t he existence oC tills love It has not Ill E ntlrelyi due to that You breth ¬ tell had oliterm mho embraced thl I in 1 Qsl I In other Jandia where dill you IIrt f1 till love and how did It rolle to you 1 You doubtless can ret re-t all I the time when a nqw loe took lroelon of your heart wlen CI I ngn yu nr h1 known before nore orud In your hearts und rou Celt thot you hd hen born again Your heart crol changed Ill it you bo collie new men and neW women When did this occur All of you who reo c < Ued the Gospel In other lands cnn turn jour minds back to the day you heard the Gospel dcUtmil by n nor vunt i > t God for the first time nnd how nw nlIon took possession of Y OU It fined i is though Pov M of darkm on had been taken from > our minds so that Jim could perceive thins In a low Slight The Hlble with which you hall hen no fmlllar from your youth UI appeared In IL nw light You uIrhloo1 Its contents as You never hall understood them bQ Intel hen You gave heed to the tthllon of the servants of Gods Od their God-s to pent ot our mine to 10 baptized for tho re mllon oC thm and receive the Holy Ohotand I hn OU did this IOU felt that Iou had Indeecd heorne nw cro Lines Your hearts ere louchedyour feelings were iirousednnd ou become neW mn and women In Christ Ju You were literally born again by 1 the bill Hum of the mater and of the Holy Ihusl A love then entered Into jour heart for everything that Proceeded Ill 1 u as You had never limix ny r ol h S itti u ed Your brethren and mist ro When ou mt fill tile Hintsjou hud nodesfrV to separate from them jou wanted to be In I their Moiety to dwell with them And thin nas riot confined to one It extended to all who received the testimony of I the riders A great change num effected J I ildi tooted in jour feelings In jour thoughts and In I jour desires I You I had > no deslro to remain where jou tre lcrythlng that was then round you nil jour old associations frid surroundings with Which I jou had b tell familiar I from jour childhood APPS red distasteful to you They no longer laid attractions for You anti uur hearts went out to a dltnt Illnol lo a Irango I > eopl oC which you had hnl or thought ubliut but Very little before lox as not this the time when this 101 o of which I have spoken was been be-en In jour hearts I think It you were to IIIv I th nJ > J > oetunlty today oC teurylng you opgntatynq Yen that waN the lime It was when I heard the Gospel and obeyed II It 1 was h1I 1 mrTxI waR bapUd by a me rvnt DC Ood n I I received the Spirit J of God through the lajliiK on of hands It wan then in ill I my heart was changed and I felt that I was born alnborn oC led and that a new love had hen aroused III IU y hem which changed he-m u hole belni and all my desires This was the I change that wni wrought In the heart of the peopl who received the Gospel through the I preaching uf the lllders And this I 11 stage ImB not been confined tat nl10 t-at or to One People I but It hun been an universal as tile reaching 1 of the Gospel Everywhere whelc the Elders have gone thy tune I curried this power with them lou n ho had Joined J thcChurch hln other lands know that this was the caNo cons No mutter where you were Tat or T-at laMuo IOU poke whether you let hlte1 In the sea or In it rher or Inn place wherethere was only urater enough to Imme ou this effect follou d lnev nnsfante Why was this Wa the power In men themselves I Did they possess It by I Inherent right I or did they derive It from Homoolhersource lou will 1 ayfor many ot you have had tilt ameexperlence In operating upon other aR other had In laboring wlth jou that this power and this Inllu ene next not Inherent In the men but It had hen bestowed upon them Whore did It come from It came from Ood It Is a wonderful story to tell won oerCul In Ito condercenston onder CuI In the glorious etreets tiiat have 1011 I cd I onderful for this genera 101 to hr wonderful for us to live In nn age such no this arid to he so favored tin W have benthnt Got tho Eternal Father the Creator oC heaven arlll earth the Fountain oC all existence and oC all I r has cnn decenoled In our day to COM dona 00 from heaven flom 1 glolou ado accompanied by His Bon Je No to re store to the earth tills love and Ihese Bins to give to men this wonderful poner anti these ex1rtxordInmx Ill Is It not wenderful to think or1 ought we not ofall people to be the most humble obedient and loving people that live or ever did live upon the earth It seems to me that we should bo I Think of living nt a time when this event so far reaching In Import once to heen and earth has taken plarothe Pthr IhnelC ccnm pllnled 1 Ills Son Ju Christ condescending con-descending to rome from heaven to usher In this dispensation and to pro Ir the way for the restoration of that authoilty by which He Himself ctoan1 governs all things And this has actually occurred Our rather arid Our SIvlor did not confer ill to author try br their own hand one Joseph Smith but GI seat Ills erv ant who held authority to do this He honored tho authority that lie him olf had bestowed Ho had bestowed that authority upon Peter Jamem arid John and lie sent them They were ireeeded by John the DnpUt Niho held the authority oC he Aaronic Priesthood The Lord honored that mn because he had leelve1 the aU thorll and held the keynd 1 sent film to restore the authority to baptize lie then sent the three pnt nation 1 hao namod to confer the Melbl edek rrlcsllirHil with the authority to Lay on hand anti to perform all the duties connected with that Priesthood I Aly brethren and sister this In I the origin of this nulholtj by which thin wonderful change that has taken place In our hearts h hn ateol pllhd It Is I the thorlty Iy hleh nU were baptlredl hleh IOU were onflrmed members of the Church bj hlch the gift of the Holy Ghost was inferred upon IOU It Wall that Illeothnod that com from heaven It I let our gathering together that lien brought this about The gathering of the people to the moon t nine Is I the fruit uf the love that God has begotten In I our hearts which has Inspired us with a desire to be wllh our brethren TaXI our sisters and to be within the sound of the voices of the servants of God I have heard hundreds may Oh I do so want to 0 o tire Prophet of God I want to go to Zion and b with the SalntooC OoDly Irn conllnualll thin prlvllc I have laid t its eall to lite thouand of Lattice In various lands And tills haP ben Irouht about bj being horn again by byleeing the love of iod descendlni upon us anti tilling our hearttrnormlng us Now where we have retained tills feeling II 19 I Im Attroxer withIn with-In its IndaI old trongr thlln it I ever was It Is I not a reeling that is nllned to the first week or month or year but It Increases as the years go by anti there In I only onetnlng that will Clause Its decrease and Ihat Is the eommllon i oC oln 1 mid the Cor getting of the covenants that have ben made wIth God I call Your attention therefore tot to-t lie power hlch has produced all the delightful results 10 which I I a via so trll alludd Whlt Is I that loer1 I It In I tho Irlthoo oC the Hart of 01 It Is I the power hy hlch Ion ni thli gs vote crated and are hold In their place Shall I slarlle you ulien I say that our rather himself controls tnouniverme andoccuples llli me ted station because oC the Priest hood1 Whether It Is startling or riot It I In I nevertheless true Our rternai Father Is I the creator of 1 things thlouh the power oC the everlitting Irlethooltbat Irlothoo1 midh b tax hn bent owed upon atilt exercised hy the servants of Cod In our day That Is I the power which has produced the fruits to which I have alluded Now I believe that many of ua have forgotten all this I am sorry to Bay that I discover among the Latterday Saints u fear of that Priesthood a dread of Its exercise a shrinking from contact with It for fear that some undue un-due Influence will lie brought to bear upon us through It Today the greatest great-est morrow of my bart the feeling taints Wool oil al watollea 1041 arises from the fact that the Latter day Saints In many Instances are turning their lint on the Priesthood li-nt the Hon of God and are disposed to treat I with eontempt I do riot care for myself personally I believe I call truthfully say that I have had little oC the feeling to seek the applause oC tile ultlludo Dr i to reek the favor of men I have not ought ole I have not oouht for place In the PrIes load or < In any other capacilly When I A I an a mile buy the only desln I S all wa that I might ho worthy to be fill Elder 1elon1 that I have mixer lought place or power On the contrary I hv shrunk from It and I live besought ODd to dlvr 1 from It I If I could bo saved without It The Ion revealed to me what I would have to glass thlouh and I Iought 1m H > tleMiutme In This place I I I could get my salvation wllhout It In alludIng allud-Ing to this therefore I do not do It on any personal account I do not WantOn Want-On y honor front men If I can have I ire honor ot God But I do want the Ill thood that God has hotowI and hlch I car In common mILI ny Ielhrn honored I want to He title Nxho have reeeind so many fact whopis whole con Ift imalgriin 01101 hOPII no It Is I I entirely lite to the Prloslhood ot the Son of lodI nnnt to ate them honur this Priesthood Priest-hood villa till their hrt1 want toe to-e e them honor Cod 1 nha ha ton d It lo t see them ree olvc I Us I counol and to bo guided b 1 > It under all clr nstances to not Imagine that they can i live without It mill that they can galll celestial glory without It thinkIng think-Ing that they have received so much and now aria i Independent an1 can gt along wllhoul the aid of the Priesthood Priest-hood I tell you Jf IOU Indulge In thnt I Cellng you mill lose the hlesilngs that God in it promised unto you und 11 mill I withdraw those which He has boned bo-ned upon you You will go Into the dark you will lose all power and all tiose glorious gifts that He has given unto IU You young men oC nom here are so man In this congregation let ne say to ould I think I en a Iek I now as one having had some expert ex-pert cm If IOU want to be happy If 1 IOU unt to h b eased IC You wont to be pronpeied In tho earth listen lo tile louimels of Gods server 1 and obey those counsels Make It the object of our life to obey God In 1 things I no y to jou If you will do till the hllng of God mail the power ot God m I riot 4 1 onn upon you us you have never Imagined I could I tell IOU tills jecnuse I know It through my oxpor ence I know the Lotd wilt hear this and that this will be the ee with You It seems that no are going through trIal The rnlh the Intelty and the stendfastioit oC the Iotteldn Snlnl nre being I tle1 and tested 1100 lord Is I goln ill test us In every direction 1 1 1 I Ibalxav n tried peojle Hi hn IT nld thl irjlhlrK that con I to shaken will be shaken Wo wi have to how our Integrity In the midst of IrHls and temptations Went will have to k1111 lo I be obedi We-nt In all l things lite Lord Want to have a people oft of-t his kind He hap tell ran to tills fault has given us n goodly heritage ant there In I nothing In the orld to Ie vent urrom belng n very great unit mighty people before the 1ord except our 01 n misconduct Hut I we allow ourselves to lie diverted front thlnt follow false teachers fall huldel anill 1 Uten to the film ndish 1Its uC the 111 One no mute n do this We will wi loeo those blexAngo Itat 10 hn prom Ised to u still settle upon us for i Ieur i that the mot oC us have hd great hllng settled upon uo In tire house of the Lord This la n good time and place for us to talk tiench other a god time to get th I llrlt of God and have our her softened ito under its Influence nnd i-to talk plainly I I feel so Went n We-nt to find out what tile mind of the Lord Is I concerning us He want to make us a front people He will do It nil IT those who II 100 obedient to I Him But I often think It I a ood deal wit Ue a It wo x till the chall dren of Israel hn the nPro led out of ieyp Lvtry matt or t le1111 ears oC ng that In Egypt eeItng two dlJ In the wilderness not rlch Ing the Iromld land Two men Caleb and Jovhl woie KO full of Inn togritr IlId In-n to the Iord ithic h they howed lhen they n ere sent ill CIL Man fill tn other ople and wit re the only one that brought back a good reportMat the Lord fire I oev1 thom unit they were the only two out oC the n h1c hot oC Israel that I el oee twenty years of ag when thy len gYt mho I entered Into the iromlsed land Why was 11 Was It not the will of the Lord that the whole of them should enter In1 Certainly It was but they rwokd War In the ldernt 11 their unbelief their hardness oC hart their rebellion and the result am they died before the IIromld land nns reached Will It be sO lh un I fear It 1 wih many hecu DC their mant of tsdlltne their want oC obedience their disposition disposi-tion to reject the counsel of God who has rnlght such mighty miracles In nur might I i He did In the sight of the children oC brlel Look buck through the history oC our people anti Pre ullat mighty mIr u cles nod hits rouht In our behalf Why the gathering of us together hereIn here-In the mountain to I one oC lite mont topendo mhuel vr wltned God led us forth out oC homIng withIn nn outstretched arm planted us i In this land and ban converted this wilder aces Into a fruitful Held and made It I may be said the joy of tile wl hole earth People look upon It now and say It Is I the most blessed land them Is I In the United States This I ad iltted by very many and will be more arid more 00 W ve go on Now thei rae mlrcl have > een wrought In our ad I ght we have sn them God hits done nl this for us and Yet today there In I a largo element oC the Later day 9ulntr Nitta do not want the rule of Ilio church who do not want the oent ot God to talk to them do riot want our counsels dq not want do to 1 them ht to do Tho mere mention of th Irlethood or oC the Churdl sortn thern 1 not tills the ease I hope I Is I not here you know hether It is I or not but that in I the came o Isem 1 here And what h likely to IMI the result 1 I say to You Ind I say It Ith all due respect to every man right and without I de siring tu Interfere In the least with any political platform or tiny political declrallon of principle liters Is I nothing that en t Like Place or be attended at-tended to outside of the Priest Stood oC the Fell of God What I moan by thot I tho Irlthood embraces the A I hole lire oC 101 us and oC every human being who will obey the Gospel Gos-pel And It will do that without In tottering with our political or civil rights or with any privileges that the mot Independent of us may have I none to say It tooulth n i clear un derstandlnay of Its nprehenslv ene oC all that It embraces I know that the adversary Is determined to close arid seal UI the mouth oC the el I unto oC God N that we hall not have may oleo In the government oC till people yt eery blessing that make title ornmonucalth famous today e erthlng that I makes Utah preemi 1 nlt today 10 traceable directly to the counsel a and labors ot the servants o f God You all know that And It I call be continued an It has been I I the people will listen to rounI I Nor will they rInd their rights Intruded upon up-on They will not land curtailed cur-tailed In the least degree They cart be polllleans tn the fullest extent nne have every right that a politician has I have hail some experience In thin mjself nnd I know that the counsels DC 0010 servants he never Interfered with the full exercise of every political tight I that I am entitled to I hao proved It through long years oC e perforce I pray I Ood to bless you and fill you with II 10h Spirit and that wo may all rejoice at theme meetings that our hearts may be softened under i Its influence and power arid that me may go away fed and refreshed which I humbly auk In the name oC Ju Africa I 11111111N |
