Show REMARKS HT elder J JHN MX TAYLOR tabernacle saturday afternoon april 6 REPORTED BY J V LONG we have now got through h presenting the various quorums comprising the authorities of the church of jesus of latter day saints it has seemed to be a little difficult to get some of the names right and also to get them in their proper places bu but t we have now pow got them straight and I 1 believe there has been a unanimous feeling to sustain all those officers ceis presented in their respective positions the question estion to me would therece there be the trie same unanimity of feeling in sustaining the same number of officers anywhere lse else ise in the world I 1 do not think there would in fact I 1 know there would not there is a principle of union with us at least in outside 1 show we are united and in our actions to a bertan extent far more so than any other people for other communities cannot even be persuaded to vote alike if there are those among us that feel feh a little cross ways thinking that some 0 her way might be better yet there is so much of the feeling to the contrary that the opposition is readily brought to acquiesce q u lesce in the popular vote whether they really ea I 1 ay feel so or not but they generally f fel fei e I 1 like it but bat still there is a lesson that we have been learning 1 that done eone none of us are perfect in our judgment is not perfect and as aa we are not perfect in our sphere we need not expect to find others perfect in theirs and as we are not berf perfect act ourselves we may have need to come to the throne of oe merey mercy merc mere and ask for wisdom and support and we can come to the lord with faith and full assurance if we have need to come to the lord so BO have you be careful then how you judge we can say to all with what judgment ye judge ye shall be judged t and with what measure ye mete it shall b be e measured to you again in in regard to our criticism on the acts acta of public men whatever we may feel in regard to their acts it is best to let it be laid aside for the general good of all or in other words me e do not think or should not think we are the smartest men in the world ivorid it appears natural to us to think that we are as competent to judge as anybody else and y yet yeb el we think that those who dictate mat matters t 0 ought g h t to have the spirit of the lord to guide them and consequently yield our judgment to theirs and we strive to carry out the principles of the gospel of jesus christ in our actions we do it to a great extent but not so fully as we might night do it is all voluntary on the part of the people popie but generally out of respect to the superior intelligence of those that are associated c with the dictation of altair affairs s we act with them although we may feel an uncertainty in regard to the views of some yet with those feelings we act in unison to a certain extent and we yield to the judgment of the majority and to that of those whose right it is to nominate and dictate in the kingdom of god so far then as we have bave made progress in those things so far have we advanced in the knowledge of the gospel of christ and so far shave we become strong and powerful as a people upon the earth I 1 there is a little difference between our I 1 i principle sor I 1 should say daytha tha principles of the j church of jesus christ of luter L anter day pay saints i and what are called democratic prin principles cip e 5 i Dom Domoci acy governs by the people alone 1 one and d as was stated this morning where the people are pure and living under the influence inal lence of correct principles and are seeking to doright do right i it is one of the best governments on the earth but where the people are wicked and corrupt that alters the case very materially it is not with us as it is with democracy we do not believe belleve that any people are capable of govi ov arning themselves there is no need of eni into an argument upon the matter before this thia congregation but it is my cly opinion that there are no people under the heavens that now exist nor are aie there any that ever did exist that are capable of governing them elves selves there have been a variety of governments on the earth and very powerful ones too have existed in dit dil Terent different ages of the world those governments governia have generally been established and maintained by force of arms by power thus many submit to the few and the majority I 1 have had bad very little to say in the matter we have generally been beeh in the habit babit of supposing that our republican institutions are the most moat perfect of anit anything hing bing that can exist among men inen the ne plus pius ultra of human government and sand hence we have had a very favorite motto ready tready always upon our tongues end voz coz trox tro c def del I 1 do not believe that the voice voice of the people is the voice of god but would ask is it the northern or southern states that are governed by the almighty we have one of the best human governments upon the earth governed by the voice of the people and yet m e ari arg are divided torn asunder and abid confused and appear to be on the eve of having two governments and both republican in their form but which of them is governed by god neither of them have anything to do with the lord they are not under his guidance or direction and without his dictation it is impossible to govern correctly the principle of human government as now practiced is wrong for m what hat man knows the things of god what human wisdom can dictate to the inhabitants of a world human governments have always been fluctuating and changeable they have their rise their progress and fall and have always contained within themselves the elements of their own destruction the proper mode of government is this god first speaks and then the people have their action it is for them to say whether they will ivill have his dictation or not they are free they are independent under god the government of god is not a species of after the order odfer of the church of rome where one man dictates and everybody obeys without havin having a voice in it we have our voice and agency and act ant with the most perfect freedom still we believe there is a correct order some wisdom d om and knowledge somewhere that is superior to ours that wisdom and knowledge proceeds from god through the medium of the holy priesthood we believe that no man or set of men of their own wisdom and by their own talents are capable of go governing vernin the human family aright these are our opinions we believe that it i requires the same wisdom that governs the planetary system sped time and harvest day and night that organized our system and that implanted intelligence in finite nite man that it needs the same intelligence 17 to govern men and promote their happiness upon the earth that it does to control and keep in order the heavenly bodies and we belive that that cannot be found with man independently it is a principle that exists with god and he will not confer it upon the wicked and ungodly neither will he sti str sustain stain those that trample under foot his authority and his laws hence behas bebas organized his kingdom with the express intention intention of governing his children himself according to the wisdom that dwells with him through the medium that he be has appointed and hence having appointed a medium he brings it before the people that they may have an opportunity of expressing their sentiments then if they do not like the method which he has adopted or any plans that he may introduce if they do riot not like his officers they have a voice in it and can say so there is no man nor government under tinder the heavens that have so strict a scrutiny as we have in the church of jesus christ all the authorities of this church have to be acted for twice a year by all the saints throughout all the world this is very rigid sentry more searching than that of our democratic rulers but these men with whom we associate in the kingdom of god do not take it upon themselves alone to dictate and re regulate u these important matters pertaining to the king kingdom dorn ot of god and the salvation of man because ca sue they do not consider they have got the intelligence intelli c ence hence my remarks so far and hence t the he course of procedure pursued today to day in the presentation of the authorities of the church in bringing all leading matters before the people we can acquiesce generally in the guidance of the lord and with pleasure obey the dictation of his servants have we by doing this thia progressed in a knowledge of the law of god an and d the rule ani and government of his kingdom upon the earth if we have any intelligence telli gence we shall show that we have learned a great and important lesson done rone one that we might have learned some time tune ago but I 1 will t el 11 on what it IQ i wh n god dictates through tc the channel that he has placed upon the earth he be directs through the g gift ift and power of the holy ghost and in this way manifests his will to those whose right it is to know it in this way he makes known the things of his kin kingdom dom and the principles that are ne necessary cestary to the salvation of the people then all the congregation lift up tb their thein air hands as a token before god that they sanction what is presented and then the voice of the P people is the voice of god he first dictates and nd then we sustain his nomination thus we have the wisdom of god associated with the concurrence of man and god being governed by the spirit of truth and the saints possessing 4 sin and being guided by the gift of the holy ay ghost it is the voice of god and the v voice ice of his people tinder under his direction and god and anahis his people are one as jesus said 1 I in them and them in me that we all may be one this is the way we look at things and by pursuing this course we have made great progress ess esq in the principles of eternal life and in all ali those things that devolve upon ua to attend to what is it that we are after Is it to revo reto lut ionize these states of america by force by physical power bythe sword and by treading underfoot their rights no are ate we striving to overthrow the nations inato and ald to put fut I 1 our feet upon the necks of men no we care but very little about them or their can con cerns but is their not a kingdom that god od should setup set up yes Is not this the son stone to e hewn out of the mountain without hands that is to grow into a great kingdom and fill the whole earth it is then how are you going to accomplish th this is great graat 9 reat work we answer precisely sely as the 10 lord lora rd tells us we have existed for thirty years and we have used a great deal of our time and labor tor for the promotion of df this kingdom but have we at any time interfered with the rights of others we have been outraged and abused in ohio nils dils missouri and illinois butcho but who have we interfered with we are at the defiance of the world to point out a single instance have we attempted to overrun texas or new al mexico exi exl to trample underfoot the people of nebraska and kansas and made everybody tremble and succumb by the power of the sword hav we interfered with california oreon oregon ore on or washington territory no we have bave not then what have we done to cause people to be so jealous of us why we have just let everybody else alone we behave have bave preached peace and salvation built up zion and proclaimed the kingdom of god they would not however let us alone but we could not help that the very move that they have made and all the steps that we have taken have broucht broulet us before the nations and manifested the power teen ower of god in a way that never could have been done otherwise they may say what they wi 1 but this is 13 the result of it we did not kill them when we had a chance they came upon us and sought to destroy us and 1 why did they do this it was waa because the lord was with us we could not help them doing as they did and I 1 suppose they could not resist the power that prompted them to do ao as they have done Ilo lio however wever it is all right the hand of god is in it and has been from the beginning do we rejoice at the present time ovir over the difficulties of our ene nies mies in the states state no we would be glad to do them good if they would only let us but they hey are unwilling to receive the truth have we forsaken our covenants or have they violated the law in their treatment to us it was shown very clearly this morning by b prest wells that they hunted us like the boves in the desert they came with their armies fully bent on our destruction but a barrier stood in the way the lord said thus far shall you go and no far farther therl you yon can now stop you can ean an shiver and shake out there here in the mountains during the cold chilling blasts of a dreary winter but touch not my anointed and do my prophets no harm they have now got the difficulties at home which they intended to create among us we have tave not injured them we have not hurt a hair of their heads and we still feel willing to assist them we feel wiping willing to help to preserve the nation arld alid our elders have traveled thousands of miles to bless the people yes we feel to bless ever everybody y body and what will we not do to benefit our fellow beings brethren let us try to conquer ourselves let us ils try to understand our ow 0 n position to magnify our calli calling tig that we may be prepared to aut ait in that sphere in which god may call us its to operate the lord has chosen his servants he has lifted up his bis standard in zion be ba has 8 proclaimed reclaimed peace and happiness on earth he be E has as taught us how bow to live and how to die the way is pointe I 1 out whereby we can obtain salvation in his kingdom he has hag made mani man 1 afes unto us ils his will and we feel glad we vve rejoice and sing bing hallelujah the lord god omnipotent ni brethren arid and sisters slaters we have a great mission to perform we have to try to govern governour ourselves according to the laws of the kingdom kindom of god and we find it one of the most biffi difficult tasks we ever undertook to learn to govern ourselves our appetites our dispositions our habit habitt our feelings our lives our spirits our judgment and to bring all our desires into subjection to the law lav of the kingdom of god and to the spirit of truth it is a very critical thing to be engaged in the of the he kin kingdom adom of god a nucleus of which we have lave here whatever good feel feelings in s originate from the spirit of the lord a and if from the light and intelligence mel mei irence that come from the gospel of jesus christ for all we owe our oblation of thanksgiving to the great giver of all good we are assembled here from different nations having a variety of prejudices different kinds of education leaving h abing imbibed different feelings notions and peas leas and we have now novy come together to learn to bend our minds to yield ou our r opinions and liot not to follow our own notions not to cling to our peculiar whims and ca prices but to bow to the holy priesthood which is the rule of god upon the earth you should understand that when you have been voting here to sustain the presidency of the tee church of jesus chrit of latter day bay saints the twelve apostles the high coun I 1 ical the jou you have bee been to ftp sustain the legitimate and 1 thofiel zed red officers of the church and kingdom of 0 god whose right it is to rule and amt govern whenever and wherever the almighty has a peale people upon the earth now ow then brethren and sisters do not go away from here and run against those very garties parties whom you have covenanted coveri anted to sustain because because the very moment you yon do every sensible man |