| Show of the general conference of the church of tam jesus christ of latter day saints faints held in the tabernacle great salt lake I 1 city commencing april ath 1854 1834 at 10 am president brigham young iw IN TUB THIC STAND STAN D presidents B young 1 II 11 I C kimball patriarch isaac morley of the twelve apontes Ap Apo osiee stes 0 alyde P P pratt W woodruff J taylor G A smith E T benson L snow E snow seventies josi josiph joseph ph young if 11 harriman Harri Hay riman inan Z A P rockwood Rork wood J M grant L hancock B L clapp A high priests quorum david retti pettigrew bettigrew grew R cahoon presiding bishop edwatd edward iminter II inter presidency of tiie the stake D fullmer thos rhoads P H young clerk of the conference thomas bullock reporter george D watt conference was called to order older by president Pre aident brigham young and after the choir had sung I 1 president heber C kimball prayed as aa follows 0 god the eternal father in the he name of thy son jesus christ we come before thee this morning and ask thee to look upon each ore of us assembled together this day for the purpose of worshipping wor shipping thee and to transact such busi ness as shall be for the furtherance of thy cause crause and kingdom and the establishing of righteousness upon the fare face of thine earth aco according ordin 9 to the c counsel of thy will mill we ask thee to dictate all matters pertaining to this conference and pertaining to the he of aasem sem bling together ot of thy people from the dif different Fret settlements of these valleys 0 lord ins inspire pire every heart with the holy ghost we pray thee the this morning to forgive all our sins f fillies alies weaknesses improprieties and everything ve have done to grieve thee in the days ot of our lives li ves remit our sins purify our hearts and sanctify our affections unto thee that our hearts may not be attached to the things of this world nor our affections placed upon them but upon things that are eternal upon things that endure for ever I 1 and viat will make us happy and comfortable comfortable whether we are in a state of poverty or io in a state fate of exaltation in regard to the things of this life help us 0 lord to he satisfied and contented in whatever circumstances we may be placed that we may be like clay in the th hands of the potter and become and fashioned in the likeness of the son of god that we may be influenced by his ap pp rit dict dictated eted lav b v his counsel and that the revelations of jesus christ may be out upon us that we may be filled with oil all wisdom and understanding necessary to forward thy cause on the earl carh h to purify our hearts that we may be sanctified d to enter into the glory thou hast p prepared ye pared for the righteous we pray thee to look upon thy servant brig bam and inspire his heart willi wilh the revelations of jesus christ may the holy ghost descend upon him in gre greater etter falness ful ness to show him things to come and bring all things to his re remena mem brance that is necessary for the well being and salia tion of thy people that he may know what measures to adopt fo for the good of all people and for the preaching of thy gospel and for the spreading of salvation to the remotest parts of the parth oarth bless him with lire life and health re new ne v his age and invigorate his body and cause fresh life to enter every pore sinew sinew muscle and rid bone of his mortal tabernacle penetrating penetrate rati ing very every part from the crown of his head to the i oles ioles or of his feet his lungs his vitals limbs and joints may the power 0 lod od rest upon hi him m and upon his a socrates socia tes and upon all thy faithful elders hear us 0 lord in thing we pray thee to bless blesa thy faithful people thy servants and handmaidens hand maidens in the land of america and those who are scattered abroad throughout the nations of europe and the islands of the sea may the spirit of the lord god rest upon them in mighty power and be j withdrawn from those who do not assist in building up thy kingdom on the earth and in establishing righteousness may the sap and nourishment of the withered branches be given to those that tire re aeve in thy cause we pray thee to take us no into thy care for we dedicate and consecrate ourselves and this conference unto onto thee with this habitation this land and everything pertaining to thy saints let thy blessings be upon our wives and pon fifon our children upon our fl nicks flicks icks and upon our herds upon conr fields aad d upon our barns and may the nessin blessings of the lord god be upon the righteous from from this time henceforth and for I 1 ever we place ourselves into thy hands praying that all things pertaining to th thy I people th this s conference and at all other 1 may be dictated by thy wisdom rind and all the praise honor glory 9 10 ry I 1 and power shall be given to the father son and holy spirit worlds without end amen after president kimball had opened the meeting by prayer president brigham young presented the business of the conference in the following words I 1 will lay before the congregation a few items of business that may probably be pre I 1 rented dented before this conference if the state I 1 of my lungs will permit rhe me to speak I 1 in n the first place I 1 ask aek the privilege of wearing my hat you yon may think I 1 am beginning 9 08 11 ilu 9 to feel the infirmities of age I 1 am older r t than han many would suppose me to be in ft short abort time I 1 shall be fifty three years of zahi age more than half a century is a long I 1 time to live lire and endure as much as I 1 have each as A year of my life the business of the conference a ag it regards ie the organization and regulations pertaining I 1 to the leading officers of the church OU etc will be the same as heretofore we I 1 I 1 hah N 1 L have other things which we shall lay before I 1 the assembly but the business parts will pro ro 1 bably he be omitted today to day and perhaps perhaps to 1 morrow i 1 if it should continue weather to oblige us I 1 j to occupy the tabernacle we shall not be I 1 able to accommodate as many of the people as we should like but if the weather should be warm and pleasant the people will con 1 dinue to gather in from the country settlements and many will come to conference from the city that otherwise would not in this case cage we are prepared to accommodate the whole congregation on the north side of the ahe tabernacle we did not prepare the seats you see outside expecting the conre con congregation C re to sit out of doors when it is possible to accommodate them inside when the assembly swells so large that not one half of them can an get into this hallbe hil hillge lwe will then retire to the outside if the weather will permit that whatever business is transact edmay be done before all the people you will recollect that we have had meetings both outside and inside of this house housdon hou seon on conference occasions which caused more or less couf confusion ution it maybe may be expected by a portion of the congregation that during this conference there will be a discourse delivered on the occasion of the death of bro willard richards whether there will or not I 1 am unable I 1 at present to say I 1 can give you my thoughts upon that matter in a few words aud and they I 1 willa will apply 1 y to all matters of a similar nature I 1 were I 1 to 0 preach a discourse to please bro willards surviving friends and the church at large all that I 1 might amigh t say can be summed i 1 u up in i n in these few words bro r willard richards I 1 have known from before be became a member of the church I 1 of jesus christ of latter day saints he lived at my mv house many years boarded with I 1 me from our first acquaintance to his death in the gospel and nut of it as far as I 1 knew him in his integrity and friendship he e was as true and unwavering in his course I 1 as the sun is to the earth or as the earth is in revolving upon its axes there was not a shade of deviation upon his mind or wavering in his actions in his bis feelings or in his faith from the principles of righteousness he was true to his god to his religion rind and to his brethren and in administering blessings to all to whom he had power to administer ile he was careful not to injure any person and lived and died a latter day saint he is in gone to rest and is prepared pre prepare parea I 1 to his body again in the resurrection I 1 nod and then he will be prepared to take his seat I 1 in the celestial kingdom of our god all that can bensaid of bro willards whole life is summed up in these few remarks many that are personally acquainted with him will vall no doubt have something to say touching the manner of his private life but I 1 can say to every person who was intimately acquainted with his bis private character and to those who were not dot but only knew him in a public 11 ic capacity that he was just as faithful I 1 tr true ne good and lived as aa well as any man can do wh who 0 is subject to mortality who is of the earth eart earthy liy no man can do any better than he has done in similar circumstances there may be some things pertaining to his bis private character that an ignorant selfish sectarian would find fault with and raise objections to but it is through ignorance they would do it but if they knew anew him knew his constitution the weakness of his bis body if they knew his mind his faith I 1 his feelings and his bis desires to live they would know at once that he has actually fought with death and overcome it for many years and the very course he had to pursue to keep life in him he knew himself would eventually sink him into the grave but he would have been there years ago had he not taken the course he did now if I 1 do da not any y anything any thina anra concerning him it will be all well let not any of the church or his family think that bro willard is neglected or is not honored and reverenced reveren ced sufficiently because I 1 have not preached a long funeral sermon which is the fashion of the world I 1 will do as aa much think speak and pray as much for him as I 1 wish my brethren and friends to speak think and pray over me when I 1 drop into the grave when I 1 die bury me decently and let me wait till the moring of the resurrection ur to receive my glorified body is 0 all ab I 1 ask my brethren to do for me when I 1 am dead custom becomes a strong law it is almost one of the most powerful ul laws there is amona among the nations of the earth it is customary tomary with them to extol the dead let the most miserable and c corrupt b crupt wretch on the earth die if he has fr friends I 1 ends enough to I 1 speak in his favor he is made to appear one ona of the most angelic beings that ever lived A man may live and die like a brute and in his life behave like a demon but if he has plenty of money and a circle of influential friends they will extol him to the skies when he is dead and adorn his moral character with the virtues of a heavenly being and commit his bis body to the grave saying wn WA commit this our brother to the grave dust duat to dust ashes to ashes with a sure and certain hope of a glorious resurrection they have no doubt in their minds alpar antly but that he is gone to abrahams bosom that is what custom does that is a specimen cime n of the habits babits customs and traditions of the world these things I 1 wish to leave behind and attend to things that will promote life salvation peace and the best beat interests of the kingdom of god on the earth th let us attend to that which will redeem isreal place life and salvation before the inhabitants of the earth that will do good to the living an anil l tend to save those who are in the broad road to destruction both in a national and individual capacity let us snatch them as brands from the burning if I 1 weep for any body let it be for those who live and do not live their religion but set let at naught the counsels of god and j will have none of his reproof never let me weep for a man or a woman who has been prepared in life for a glorious resurrection after death and are gone in in peace when their bodies ale sleep ep in the grave under these circumstances they are all right I 1 have no mourning no tears or grieving for thorn them if I 1 mourn for any any it is forthe for the living I 1 more cause weeping over many of this people because of their guiltiness of heart and corruptness of affections towards god and our holy religion than there iii ia for those who have died in the faith and goner gone to rest I 1 hope the brethren and sisters will be satisfied with these remarks if there are any of the brethren who wish to take up the subject and speak on the occasion of bro willards willarda death and on the death of sister smith geo A smiths mother and preach a funeral sermon I 1 am perfectly willing they should but if they do not feel to do it I 1 do not wish it reu required ired at my hands now to the business that will probably be laid before the conference I 1 first of all brethren and sisters I 1 wish to enquire distin distinctly atly of your dour feelings to know if each individual wl who 0 professes to be a latter D day my saint does know for a berta certainty in this morning mor alog that that their peace Is made with god that their peace is is like 96 an ever sowing river that the spirit of the lord t I 1 I 1 I 1 11 jesus jesua christ is in them like f p fountain of I 1 living 1 n water to y if Spirit of god i is s in in you I 1 like ik e t this goishi sp springing ringing up nip to everlasting life it is known to you this is the most h import a ant n t part att of our conference business busi ua wi f mo more re essential import could no not t be pr r ted bj before our conference if it were to continue in in session session for years it is 24 years today to day since this church was organized I 1 suppose millions of people belonged to it or suppose there were only a few and they had forsaken the spirit of the holy gospel goepel had bad back in their affections faith and in in the 9 spirit r it of revelation had forsaken the lord their their god ceased to have the inspiration of the holy spirit spirit the ministering of angels and the gift and blessin blessings I 1 of the holy Gh they assemble mere merely aels y out of form in compliance to an established i custom and they exercise themselves in the ordinances of the kingdom a of godfellow God follow the rules rides and regulations in the organization of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints and it is nothing more than a dead form to them they could not derive one par of real benefit by meeting together in a capacity like the present one then first of all I 1 ask k the brethren who have been in the kingdom for twenty twenty ono one awen 1 ty two and twenty three years as there I 1 are those here who nave ave been in the church from the beginning how they feel this morning what is the tate of your minds how is your faith do you feel as well as I 1 lo 10 you u did when you first embraced the gospel Is the spirit of revelation in you jou as much now as then what shall I 1 receive for an answer were I 1 answered truly I 1 can give you my opinion I 1 believe there abre are many that I 1 can trul truly y say that the spirit of the lo 10 lod d has taken up his abode with them and dael continually with them from day to day from week to week from month to month slid nd from year to year they are never without it for it is in them and round about tiem I 1 I 1 continually they are full of it from the crown of their heads beads to the soles of f gaeir I 1 feet it has become their constant comma companion with evera every man and woman who will be faithful to th their air godana to their religion i I 1 and who has bee been n fully tried and brovec the lord will actually take up his bis abode and I 1 dwell with them and they will not be lift |
