| Show i I I IMPORTANCE T Of RECORD Undo I nt l a hue iho tin J Hh 1101 lOOt I by h hELDER ELDER CLAWSON i i I IThe Th The Mv Wo k of 0 the th Wonderful ri O V h hOr Or n of oh the n pon nUng Upon the Saints una 1 I I My Mr 1 brethren and sister Iter It 1 II very Impressive to t look down upon this volt nit t congregation of ot people popie and I 1 realise that lint If it my In voice shell shall be he heard by you youIt yoUit It will wilt bu ho for me Ine to peak straight ahead without turning to the light or to 10 the left ot u the Im tm Immensity of ot this hula Tabernacle Wo We have present with UH us this title morning authol ties of DC the ito Church and 3 Saints from nil alt parts of or Klon Canada Conda from troll Mex Mexico MexIco ico leo trolls from tho Ito adjoining state und ter tel and alii ruin ram some soma of or the ml Blonn We Wo have como come together to tu wait upon tho ho Lord to receive n a at Ills 1111 hands hanas anti and to son soo what lIe He liu Mil lute In store fur for us Ud I believe that the th Lord 1011 will meet beet with us tie u during tile the conr COli rt 1111 ClI f I that Ills His SpIrit will bo ho upon the tho Presidency of or the tho Church trod and upon Ulon the tho who rosy ba ho called upon ulon to sPeak irons from thi this stand I 1 believe that uc we shall shah be b led fed upon the broad bread of or lite lIfe and I greatly t rejoice juke In tills this belief I olaV wondered sometimes while In the midst of this people whether e ii really understand what tho tim Lord Is If doing whether we w comprehend Ills groat gront purposes and can con recognize Ills IlIa hand I lam am sure auro ot of one thing that thero nr cv many who aro ete numbered with the tito Church particularly among tho young who are Iro passing passim through life Ufa without a n serious thought I 1 havo seen It In families In wards antI in stakes that t thou their minds to vest rest mom particularly upon tha tito pleasures of ot life lito anti and An the lie things of tho the world And yet yot thin the Lord said aRId In the lie very vory beginning of title this dispensation that Ho lIe WHO wits about l out to t commence a n marvelous work and anda nd a n wonder that It ft should bo be out of ot tho the ordinary that it should be bt of such lIuch a t character ns its to attract atten attention thin tion in tho Ito world so much so BO that men would be tie loa led to exclaim Truly it H Is la n a marvelous work stork I am reminded now new of a IJ revolt revel revelation lion tion Hint thet was len Given to 10 the tha Prophet Joseph Smith upon Ullon the very vary day clay that thu Church wa was 01 the Gilt day of or April 1830 nt Fayette FI ette N New w York and I will wll reM read the words of the Lord lArd to Smith upon ullon that occasion Behold there shall be n It record recon kept among you mid and In It thou thuu be called a Il seer a translator n a prophet an all apostle of ot Jeans Christ an elder eldor of at the church chinch through the will of at God the ito Father and the tho lie grace graae of your Lord LortI Jecus Cm Christ 1st Inspired of ot the Holy Ghost to tolay tolay tolay lay the Iho foundation thereof and to build It Ie UP tIp unto the tho roost most holy faith raith faithA A Which church A ins a organised or lilied mid and es established established In the year rear ot of your Lord eighteen eighteen teen hundred anti and thirty in tho tito fourth month and on the sixth day of ot the month which Is I called April Wherefore meaning the church thou le heed unto all aU his itte words and anti commandments which he lie shall give un tin unto unto tinto to you on a as l he them walking In III all nil holiness before me roe Per For his nil word ye yo shall receive as If Jt irons from mine own mouth In itt nil alt patience and faith For by b doing doln those tholO things hinge the gates of ot lieu hell ahall not prevail against you yea NI and the tile Lord Iora God Goti will disperse the tho powers of darkness from before you anti and cause tho tim heavens to eunIce for tor your our good and aM his hits names glory elory For thus the tho Lord God him have I Inspired to move moo tho tim causo cause ot of Zion tn lii mIghty power for rood good and anti his diligence I know lenow anti and his prayers I have Yen Yea his Ills weeping for tor Zion I have havo seen cen and I will tIt cause couso that he ho shall mourn for tor her lies no longer ons r for his days of ot re to rejoicing rejoIcing juicIng erie nt come unto the lie remission of ot othi his hi sin bins and Ilna ho manifestations of ot my ny i blessings blessing upon uvon his works For behold I will bless bloss oil ell those who labor in my vineyard with a 11 mighty blessing anti and thi shall shah believe bellevo on his lt words which are given lIven him through ir irby ire ireby by the r which that Jesus JIUl was wa crucified by sinful men Inan for tor Or the tha sins ulna of at tho lie world yea E for tor ho tb remission of at sins lins unto tho tue contrite heart hearl Wherefore It me ma that lint ho should b be by b you ou Oliver Cow dory davy mine apostle This being belm an ordinance unto you I that lint you are aro an nn elder eldor under his hla hand he lie being the tho unto yoi 01 that you might be an 1 1 thO unto Into this church ot of Christ hearing bearing my m name And the tue first preacher of ot this title unto tilt the lie church and before tho world yea ea before tho the Gentiles you yea on and nd thus HIP Lord God 10 o lo iO to the Jews also alo Amen Amon Those rh o words florda brethren and eind sisters delete anti and ft were ere the words of at Jehovah delivered to the Prophet Joseph Smith upon the day that list the Church was or The Tho Church was vety very weak In numbers then tb but strong in sprit spirit In this revelation the Lori Lord Intimates that hat He lie WM wu about to move mot the Ih call cause O of Zion in mighty might power nod talked to tho the Prophet as if Jt It U were ware we an accomplished pushed fact He no desired delred it seems that His flu people though few In number be he l e impressed with t tIle the ie fi ft t that thata a 1 Prophet Seer and od 01 at atthe atthe the tho head for tor Ho lie Instructed that a II rec reo record ord to this effect should be kept keIt He lie also desired to impress slI the people coplo with tho he great grent truth that this Church should be built up tip not by the power of ot man but by the tho power of tho the Holy Ghost that no man moan though he ho might night bo be n t Prophet or 01 an Apostle should take the tha honor unto himself of building up the Church of ot Christ but that the tho honor and the glory lory must be given ghen to God Did not the Lord nay to the tho Prophet Daniel Danle that In the tho latter days th the God of ot heaven would set up Ills kingdom u I and It should lie bt 1 si n a stone cut cuL out ou of ul I tn toe lilt mountain Iterate roll It II nUt hued thu ho whole Tite of ot heaven llIn ua was nl to no tulle but Iut lie Ue would two men mu tn Jl a its 11 Ills His In III Alter Atter tin to tn Church was V organized It In III all too coo region about and finally trw thu tf J o p l 1 o 0 01 ti Ut I Into tutu Satan It US lingered angered suit persecution totted it lilt Ito the Uli of or am lUll air ull ut ifor Hur fur ho scriptures declare that thai tie he Is thu prince and ana power of tho 1119 air In III lua ills determination to overthrow overthrew this oik Hut Ito iho grew mid multiplied Hi Iii number und and was greatly by II b tho tim aCl that hint came cUne from VIeM Britain It In ill power anti and In and alid cities of tOo tho Saints heti In iii the Tile The elt city of was waa built the tho city of ot was founded The Tho ho taints Saints spread over overlie tile the laud They wont wout into Missouri mud and located the th city of ot lon Lott ot of which h we heard beard this morning where whole the tha he groat great temple of or the tho Lord Lurd is to bo be built In this generation However persecution lion tion stIlt HUH raged the Tho Saints were driven from one place to another r until we wo be behold behold behold hold a very remarkable which has not occurred In the tile history of tie the IO world to 10 o far as eta I aare since the tha days when whon Moses Mosos lad lod tho the children of ot Israel out of Egypt l In these latter times we wo behold n whole people migrating log ing to tho the West leaving their homes anti and theIr and find everything that God had hod prospered thorn thom with and alid launching forth Into lotO the wilderness Thu fit mighty plains Q with wagons anti and with people moving to the tho West After n a time they thoy disappeared dl troll from view as Olt if It the tho th earth corth had opened up and them thorn anti and their thel fate fato excited but little interest In the country where whelO they thoy had lately resided It was wao hoped by many of their enemies that Mar ilor had ceased to be lie a factor In Inthe Inthe the world and amid that the Church of Dt Jesus Christ of ot Saints had forever If It it be proper to Lo draw a 11 comparison let lel us suppose that one of oe the thi enemies of this people at cit that lint time had been permitted to look upon this great west westward westwArd ward movement Wo We will lit take tako for Cor In Instance instance stance Governor Hoggs of 01 Missouri who was W B one ono of the chief persecutors of ot tho the Church who was hitter against the truth who was determined to overthrow thIs hits people mInd who used tho the authority of ot his high office to per persecute anti and vex the Saints Let us suppose suppo that hunt ho ito had hind been ben stand standIng log Ing thero there when whon tho the exiles disappeared from view In 1817 then lion as lIB by a ft mira mire miracle cle a IJ deep sleep hind come upon pOll him hlll and aol he lie had continued hile Rip flip Van Winkle In that condition for Cor y years ars Let him be bo awakened suddenly anti ami ani what would meat hIs lili hi gaze gazo Ills We astonished eyes would a n great anti and mighty people established In tho the Rocky Hecky Mountains Mountain and doubtless he would be led lell to ask VIm t great t com om commonwealth Is After Aller having been b en asleep years ho lie might well ak ask such a question qU llon Who are these th that have established themselves so firmly In the chambers ot of the tho moun talus If he lie should look a 11 little closer ho Ito would find that HInt this tItle great grant people hUll hind I from that band of ot pilgrims who vho were driven out horn the nation notion partly by his lila Influence From rom the small be he beginning beginning ginning of six members nt at Its Ita organ organization In 1830 1530 ito lio would find that the Church haul had Increased until there thoro were wore fifty fitly In Canada one ono In Oregon three In Wyoming eight In Idaho ho one In Colorado four tour In Arizona one omie In Mexico and ani In n Utah Then Thon If It he turned his hla oy oyes from the mountains anti and looked abroad he would discover fourteen groat missions of ot thus the Church of ot Jesus Christ of In tho the Eastern States one In iu the tho Northern States one In tho the Southern States Stated Sin tell one In the Northwest Northwestern ern orri States one In the Southwestern States one In Colorado one ono In Call Calt one ono In Australia one cite I ne In New Zealand one In the Hawaiian Islands one in the lie Samoan Islands one In the Society Islands one OliO great mission In Europe comprehending several missions anti and a II mission just now opened up in Japan Then If he lied Imd any de tie desire sire to know the tho numerical strength of ot the tho people whom ho lie had sought to do de destroy stroy and In saying this I do not malign or misrepresent ml for lor it 11 itIs itis Is III so recorded In III the time annals of the tho nation he lie would find nn 1 that the time membership of tho lie Church amounted to IGO souls loul in the Stake of ot Zion and souls ollin In tho tim Missions Minions malt mak making ing log In all souls There figures figureA that I nm ant giving you ou come como well within the facts They wore taken from last years yearl statistical reports Of Ot course by this time those there would necessarily be ho some lome changes but nevertheless they are conservative on and probably do not notT reach aoh T the Ito actual number at nt the tho ito pres pros present ont cot time Included In the total of ot three hundred II sad and ten thousand there th rl I are art thousand children under I eight yours year 08 of ngen agen mighty host that will soon oon become of et the Church of ot Christ t Then If It lie Ite desired I to In know the strength ot of that meat great body bod Of or men alluded to 10 by President Smith this morning tho l he ho would find that there thero are arc two of ot the First Presidency 12 Apostles O PattI Patri Patriarchs archs arche 61 6 tOO 00 High Priests Seven Seventies SeventIes ties lies 0 OO Elders making a total of ot those who bear beat the higher Priesthood Teachers Teacher IGo Deacons making as con constituting the lesser Priesthood and a n grand total of ot 2411 bearing the tha Priest Priesthood Priesthood hood of God He Its would find also con connected conn connected n with the auxiliary associations of thu Iho Church Chuich members member of ot the lie Society cheers and teach teachers ers elI anti and lI ODO members of ot the tho Sunday schools member of the Young Mens Mutual Improvement I lion tion members of the lie Young La Ia dies Mutual Mutual 1 1110 ve t As Aft ta anti of ot tho the Primary association fluid about ro OO belonging to the tho th Religion Cine n a grand total of belonging to titles time th aux PUX awo assocIations Then hen If It he its aerial to go gut any RUY farther ho he would Vault timid find t that tbt la there about farms owned by the thu Saints arid and that of these bees faints lIm arm aro Are actually trot tree from all Still further lit II would find ninety per flor cent of ot tho hi Saints own and anti occupy their own homes horneR while the lie average throughout the tb United States i Is thing like R 6 p II list r cant Than Thun he lie would 1 thou if It he tue h cared to know I now that In the they thear y year ar 1197 1891 when whon the tha Me antI and a 1111 nulls num bored tour four millions In hI the United States State mimi Anti their total tatal Increase tor for one out year ear eer wot wai fifty nety thousand souls the tie Lit Lat Saints Saint numbered In the same lame samey y ers ear ar a 1 little over a 11 quarter ot or a mil lion lieu and amI their limit increase tot fir the Ibl year ear wan wat twenty settle Twenty thou lieu thousand sand land in l with n a total of ur a quarter ter tr of ot a n million a as al against fifty tifty thou thousand sand Increase for tor tour Iou After obtaining all thi hits information would not lie ime bo ho compelled 1 to ledge hut surely Burely tile I III ii a marvelous work anti and GUlla a wonder wooden The rhe Lotti Lnla salt ald to Joseph Smith ami Kidney hine on oil one that there th rl Is ia I no mm weapon that I Is formed against you ou shall hall pro lure proper per pari I anti and an If It any lift his hll lil voice volet against you bo hit shall be he confounded ell In mine own onui duo due time I fancy that lint thi this man unan If It he hud hind received A 1 change ohlin of or heart would bu hi led lad I II to Sure ure ly the prediction of 01 God Clod hat hal been U ful tilled filled IlIJ d at 11 A t ui ut 1 reference inference to tu myself Now anti onil sister l let Jet t mo tue call your attention to the fact tRet that whereas Cli i Uti ii t a t H Ser er mind nit at itt the luoc of ot HI mi Church when It was Willi III In 1530 1830 with six Ix souls Ho He hurt n it Seer eer and nt lit the tits head of HI lIla Ills people bt lit l the time who Is II en deWed dowed with the kIWI key of ot power |
