| Show REMARKS 4 a by elder amasa lyman rayman bowery wednesday I 1 afternoon oct 7 18 ia 1 REPORTED BY J T V LONG I 1 can say that J have been gratified edified and bl blest est in in various ways since the commencement of our conference I 1 have not been anything but blest that I 1 know of so far as our meeting here is concerned I 1 have been highly gratified in hearing from our brethren who have just returned return from abroad the spirit with which they have expressed their feelings and delivered their testimony here is a living evidence that the cause of god and of truth is onward that it is progressive that it is loc inc increasing reasin in the earth when we were young and had but just commenced bom to testify of yf the gospel we could not no t hear bear the same testimony that we here liere now still i the tile spirit of god was always good and the testimony of the he servants of god that were inspired by it was always good and the days that are past were very good lays days and the times limes past were very good but today to day is a better time than any other I 1 that ilat I 1 ever saw aa the circumstances that surround us today to day are better than any with which we have 1 ever been surrounded since we have hare been a people our prospects are brighter than ever they were before and the clouds that gather aro around ind und us it if there are any are hardly perceptible from the increased amount of light that is shining they vanish they disappear in the increasing confidence faith falth intelligence and knowledge that exist in the people we need no not t question this if we but for a moment contemplate the the quietude the harmony and the peace that pervade the homes of bf the saints the place where they dwell there is no excitement such as is generally attendant upon an expected war but it seems beems the time approaches nearer that was to effect the establishing a line of division between the kingdom of god and tile the kingdoms of this world that there has been a full and corresponding increase of confidence on the part of the people in relation to the truth they had embraced so that I 1 can hardly see or determine from anything that has outwardly taken place that there is anything that has happened except it is their progress in the truth and their advancement in knowledge nobody seems peem to be alarmed all seem to feel confident that the contest thatis in prospect is to decide the question I 1 it does not seem to be who will prevail it does not seem to be asked at all who will conquer but the matter is all settled that israel will prevail this has bus been written a long time ago and we are happy if we can see it and under understand it if i we can appreciate it to japp ir a within is u s that confidence that would be requisite to our salvation y now is it because we all understand is it because we all comprehend tiie the truth that we are in this position what will be the sequel of bur hist history orv we awe may as well read it today to day as to wait for the future to reveal it what will it be if the confidence and quietude that we enjoy today that pervades our souls today to day 2 is is the result of alir our comprehension of the truth troth it will wiil willbe be the same ever and always the history of the future will never reveal that we have bave departed from fhe iha truth that we have professed to know to understand to comprehend and feel the blessings of th the truth and then have at a subsequent period of bur lives departed from it I 1 do donot ayot know altogether what may inspire inspire your ht hearts arts or what may have all an influence upon your minds minda but I 1 believe that I 1 know I 1 feel satisfied in my own mind that I 1 know why it is that I 1 llave li ave iio lio no fears as to the issue of matters that we are interested in to sum it all up arid and tell what it is in the shortest possible way would be simply to fa sa say i that I 1 cannot see any place for a failure I 1 ca cannot atit side see any place noi doi c conceive conceive of the existence of a pocsi possibility of a failure why say says one there is is no room for a failure the truth upon which is predicated upon which is based tile the declarations of the servants of gud in ancient times ahat that when god should set his hand to buildup build up his kingdom that lie he would build it up tip that it should be established that it should triumph over every other kingdom and stand for ever thae thad fluth is so broad so extensive that there is no nt ro room rn for a failure there is nothing on which fo 0 o hall hali hang I 1 a doubt or on which to ground a single exception tarm tarn ild abt not preaching now of what may be my fate but bilt I 1 am speaking about the fate of the work we ve are that we are engaged in that lias ilas bro brought ils us together that holds us together and that at the tile present moment is influencing us imay apostatize I 1 may leave what could I 1 really leave the truth it is generally implied that it if we leave anything we get away from it but for my part fart I 1 do not know where to go to get away from it I 1 might stand still shut up my ears harden my heart and say that I 1 would not have it I 1 could not get away from it I 1 suppose there is no such fate for me I 1 hope not but for the work of god there is nothing but victory the triumph that has been spoken of and written about by many of the ancient ancients hae wa found the time when that triumph is to tae take 01 place e I 1 think we have good reason to believe that w we have if for no other reason than that we have searched for and found the place if it Abra abraham haril went to seek a country that he knew not of so have we been seeking a country I 1 do not care whether we were in the ilia company of the pioneers who came to salt lake valley f girst first or whether our pioneering has been in other places preaching and calling upon the inhabitants of lle ile lie the earth to embrace the ilia gospel and trying to induce them to td gather together ve we have bavi all been pioneering berin we have all been exploring under the tile direction of our father for what for a place on which to guild up hs lus kingdom upon the earth what else have we been doin doln doing 7 why we have been doing 11 some other things that are equally necessary as the finding of a place when the experience that we have gained is the accomplishment of his work if we have at the same tinie time found the place a which the tile work could be accomplished then two points are gained preparatory to building up his lna hing king kingdom doin doln and carrying out his purposes without either elther of tase these thebe he lie could hardly be calculating to accorn accomplish lish his llis work unless he lie works differently from what we generally understand that lie he does when we shall in a future day look back over our travels in connection with the lii ill story history of church we will not set them down as awful per as we may have regarded them in days that are past we shall look at them as we now look at the wanderings of israel in the wilder nesi between the land of egypt where they were held in bondage and from which they were led tc to the land of canaan which was given to them as a pos possession why did not they travel directly we generally understand it was because they were rebellious it was because they would not learn sc so much of the truth as was necessary to qualify them for fon entering into the rest of god th prolonged ged fed their travel in the wilderness and they traveled and traveled and continued to travel till there was wap a people that could bo be iet let led that could be bli controlled that could be managed and led to possess the land and te ted 6 w he the thule thing that was designed to done at that time the lord had il it in in his heart to accomplish a work with the people of this dispensation in the proclamation of tile the gospel to call them to the knowledge of the truth and then by the revelation of his will from time to time he laught them the things that they could believe and that they could receive receives and lie IM imparted ried those things that were eu suitable liable for them ta the things that they could not and would not receive ceide were withheld from their sight until limes and ad other circumstances surrounded them thenia until there was a disposition developed in the people that they would receive them and this kind of guidance we have traveled west even under the direction of god then the tile devil devi has kicked us east and then we have traveled west again and finally our journeying has lias led u to this place the first place that tile the saints have ever occupied where the thao kingdom of god could be built up this makes me calculate that the time has come when the kingdom of god should be up when it should become a nation cation a kingdom 1 a power ower upon the earlb earth whose en 1 argement rg ement fill auld ouid be the diminution the dee dec decline ili ill the falling away of bil all other powers of the tile earth well gieh then should abound w we be he driven away from here or should we be trodden down here admit this is to admit that this thisie is not the kingdom and work of god this is the work of god and this is his kingdom and we are here not because the devil would have us here for he is 13 very sorry that we are here neither are we here because our enemies enemies have desired to have us bushere here but because it was the design of our father to bring us here his own right hand has brought us here and his spirit has led us and dictated his people and servants until he has brought us liere here however this may appear to us it is the lords loras own doing why so sol because he could not ae campli h his purposes without it and if it is is the lords work then there is is no fa failure ilare then we are axe not to be destroyed we are not to be driven away we are not to be wasted any more we are not to I 1 be trodden down any more by the iron iron heel or of oppression but we are here fo to gather strength 7 to put on power and might and to be in the tiie M midst odst of the nations what our father has designed from the ilia beginning of his kingdom upon tile the earth in in these last times what should webe wese driven away from here for has god any purpose to serve by our being annoyed by our being again driven away it if he lie has it is is something that I 1 do not know of he has blought bi ought us here through ii immense labor and loii loil W we t thought 0 O 1 I 1 it t was awful hard when we ole heir here 11 c came here w we e n nearly had to waste away all that we hal had all that was given to us not pot what we hail hall of our own in tit reality but what was ilven given given to us we have had to lose nearly all that we had to get here and now we are in in the place where god designs we should be will he build up ins his kingdom on tile tiie eaith ye p s lie he will well then we will not be driven I 1 away has lie he found the people the material I 1 I 1 0 out lit tit of which chic 11 to build his Ikin kingdom glom giom 9 ye Yes he has I 1 we have been traveling and preaching backward and forward to prepare us for these things Is there a people here that is is capable of being governed and not only that are capable of being i governed but capable of becoming go governors gov goy enors 7 where did these governors come from why they have been bean manufacturing all the time from the time that we first heard the gospel we have I 1 been trying to be obedient to its behests behesta and requirements ei quire guire ments from tile the time lime that men began to learn obedience and gain knowledge god has been I 1 preparing and manufacturing them out of tile tila mate material ridi rial of 0 which I 1 he is is gong to build up his kingdom kingdo I 1 in nauvoo nauvoo when our enemies repealed the I 1 charter we wre wro better off than we were before and I 1 do not Elip e appose pose that we have letro graded but we have come out here and have made a government a state government govern ment meat anil and then uncle sam thought he would have a finger in the tha pie and lie he made us a territory and we have got along very well I 1 expect that the next time we are made anything it will be the kingdom of god and no amalgamation ga mation and it will be made of the material that god has manufactured in in the course of the training that we have had this is is what we are here for tor we have found the he place and the material of which to build tile the kingdom and this his leads me to 1 1 think that we will not be driven away for I 1 can cau see a the hand of god goa in in our comine coming here and land why one may ask because lie said in in the beginning that this was his work to build up his kin kingdom and knowing that there must be a place to build ud it upon and then seeing the lord lead us to a place and seema seeing his bis building it up through his guidance ui darice and counsel cannot I 1 see the hand of god ad in if it I 1 can for he told me this tins in in the beginning 11 then is is it not his ilia hand it is 13 can you se see 8 it many mans will answer yes then why not be contented 9 this esthe is the reason that the tile peace of heaven pervades tae land where we dwell and why fear is is banished from our hearts tile the spirit of truth the spirit of the dwells in in the saints and inspires them with confidence and victory is is the song of every everk heart tile the saints do not sing any other song ane songs are made in it prospect beforehand but they all speak of victory they tiley all are songs of triumph now I 1 do feel well as the tha western man says I 1 reckon I 1 do wily why do I 1 feel so well weli because I 1 cannot find anything to feel bad about I 1 a great many things to think about and what are they arid and where are they if I 1 can only maintain my relationship unbroken with the cause cf god and remain remain identified with it wily why then I 1 am saved aud and wily 7 because the kingdom of god will make me just as great ss es I 1 can be and greater than I 1 know elou enough gh to I 1 speak of 0 now wily why because I 1 will know more then it is is all embraced la in the kingdom of c god Is not ibis ilis a simple thing tiling that this is 13 gods kingdom and that he has ins allowed allotted our enemies to kick us till they have kicked us to I 1 ihie his pointe and when they reached at anything an thing elce they have always been r strained restrained e but while the devil was kicking us to this point the lord waa was well satisfied and lie he kept his haud hand over him and sad now old fellow do not kick too loo hard these ure my people when you 5 ou have kicked them so far tar all well but you must not kick any father now the lord h has as got us hene here it ere ou our r ebern enemies lee ice wa want tit to drive BS us off further still bat now comes the declaration that thit meets with a hearty rca rea response ISRAELIS ISRAEL IS FREE free from what from labor from toil from I 1 watch no not at all then what are tire we free from from the restraint that we have been under now WP we are ara declaring boldy that we are the kingdom of god and that in in the of god we tre ire are determined to defend it iland and to defend i the truth f now all these things considered are among the he I 1 things that in make ake me feel we weli well 11 this is is the reain reaia reabon reason j that I 1 think we shall prevail that is is in the strength of our god I 1 GO co not feel any other way than that we are a part of the work of f god and that the deci declee ee cf of the almighty has fixed it immutably and that his kin kingdom kindom 11 dom shall be built up and I 1 that as it rises in its greatness and grandeur lle ile lie he I 1 has fixed our exaltation and glory if we ire iro so happy as tb maintain our relationship unbroken unchanged in harmony |
