Show hie lim arje dic nic MAJOR maior A 33 li S J tf by K ared vred f the acle acie iafet salt zake a oil oct 0 k r y f 1 y BY D IV EVANS it is a great pleasure to me to have the privilege of meeting with the saints I 1 i delight to listen to the counsels and teachings of ortho mhd servants of god in rela bionto to th those osa things which pertain to our salvation I 1 have enjoyed the instructions that have been given durin during 9 this conference and I 1 calit eair bear my testimony that they have all been good and we will be blessed if we treasure them in our hearts and practice them in our lives wo jyo are a blessed people and we can be more so if we are more bilig diligent ent and faithful for god will mete out his rewards and blessings as we merit them if we desiro desire blessings we must seek after them if we desire advancement we must seek beek 16 to advance ourselves by being ener lener getic and faithful for although we compose the church of jesus christ of latter day saints and it requires the strength of the multitude to perform any great work such as the gathering of the poor the rearing of temples or the building of a taber tabernacle naele like this yet every levery man should per perform forin his part however however small that may be we must do our y in work be faithful for dur 0 r selves and build upon our own foundation i I 1 was particularly interested interred just now in listening to the remarks of bro van cott and I 1 thought while lie ho was speaking that a part of his remarks came cam every overy near hitting me I 1 have had some little experience with our danish brethren and sisters in the endowment house arid have felt sometimes perhaps I 1 when hen a little impatient that it was but little little ilse iube for them to come to get their endowments when they did not understand more than half a dozen word in tho the english language and consequently consequent lv tere vere e re unable to make their wants known but tut I 1 am willing to accept the explanation given by bro van cotts cotti and I 1 think that in the future I shall be more saut cautious ious lous in 6 saying ayin g that it is useless for those who do not lot understand tho tha english lan lad language guage to partake of the ordinances of the house of the lord still I 1 think itis it is highly desirable for our foreign bi brethren ethren and sisters to learn the english ian lan langua gu age geso so far as to bo be able to un under der stand the counsels counsel of the servants 0 of f god for though the gift of interpretation may occasionally be given as in the case referred to by bro van cott yet I 1 think it is by no means a common occurrence I have no doubt that english is very difficult to be learned by those who are ad vanceh in years for its ita construction sounds rounds and ard accents are very different from almo almost stany any still it is quite possible for nearly all to learn it so that they can understand it when they I 1 heart hear it spoken if they cannot learn to speak it I 1 believe this to be true for I 1 rein remember ember on the sandwich islands missionaries of the american board who had labored for upwards of thirty years in the study of the hagalin language in I 1 aho who were scarcely able ablo to speak a sentence intelli intelligibly gib ld but they could very well understand under stan everything that was said sald paid I 1 infer from this that our foreign brethren may jeara Engli engil english englisher sheo so asto as to understand der stand it though they may not bo be able to speak it and as the lord has seen fit to reveal the gospel and its ordinances in the english language it is a duty devolving upon us all to perfect ourselves the therein roin rein BO that we may comprehend the teachings of the servants servant of god incon in connection with this I 1 would say if I 1 may be je permitted to do BO so that it would bo be well for all foreign saints who cannot talk the english langu language 1 age who come to receive their endowments to have their genealogies written bedore before coming in good plain writing by an inter interpreter preter so that their genealogies may miry be correctly recorded at present this is is an exceed bingly difficult matter for it is seldom that ahat there arc are those present who can act as interpreters interpret ers era and consequently it is impossible to keep our records as correctly as they bought to be kept when people can talk and make themselves understood stood all that is necessary is to post their minds in relation to those particulars that will be required of them which they can easily learn from their bishops or from somo some one who has had his endowments and so be able to answer the questions that may be asked of them so I 1 feel thankful that I 1 am associated with the saints I 1 have felt grateful 1 I to the lord forthe instructions and counsels that have been beon given during this conference E every discourse seemed to pos bessmore ses smore than ordinary interest they have been jull of light truth and aud wisdom and of eon Oon consolation to the saints we have a great labor to perform a great mission to fill and it is necessary that wo should be bel faithful and diligent humble dle die h and n d suba isslyn in all things require di 1 of li us s if we ardi called to go on a mis nils lloil let us be on liand lland handte to go no matter whether to preach or build buildup up zion with our hands this is the express business of every man and woman who has a standing in the church andic and andl kingdom C of god if any of us have not yet learn ed this it is certainly time timo we wr had this is 4 a lesson we have havo to learn and the lord will teach it to us sooner booner or later er we want to learn it or not unless we WO turn away from the truth we must be willing to hearken and be obedient to all the counsels of the servants of god or we cannot retain our standing and fellowship in the mid midst of the saints then let ua us go to and adopt the counsels given to us let us make our own clothing and hats and bonnets gather the poor from the nations haul the rock from the canons callons to build the temp leand let the young men who have been called to go south take wives along with them let lebb us contribute our mite as far as the lord requires of ua us that we may A do something towards the building u up op of his kingdom this is the way izeer I 1 feel I 1 have ever felt that my interests were identified with the kingdom of god in other words wolds that I 1 had no interest apart from the kingdom of god no friends aside from the sl saints of the most high I 1 seek no friendship and desire no familiarity mili mil larity arity or associations but with those who have embraced the gospel of the son of god goti this has ever been my feeling so that I 1 could no more associate or mingle with those who are not saints than I 1 could be persuaded to cut off my right arm I 1 can not do it such associations are repugnant to my feelings feeling andi andl have never yet been able to overcome that repugnance I 1 have been placed in circumstances cheri cherel have tried to be toe sociable arnd arid friend friendly L y but it was all I 1 could do to be courteous and pleasant and I 1 am of opinion that it was all that was necessary I 1 desire to be numbered with the saints to dwell dell with them in time and eternity I 1 my afy interests are with the kingdom mid arid I 1 desire to labor to build it up and for the establishment of the gospel in the earth that wickedness may cease and r night right ht r ausness predominate that the wis wisdom iio igo M of the lord may prevail and take possession of our minds bhawe that thay we may know the truth understand god and his hie ways work righteousness be faithful pure holy and upright in all our thoughts and straightforward in all our dealings one with another this is our mission as saints we see sin and folly all around us ignorance and superstition everywhere we see that the adversary of souls has great power over the minds of the children of nan men we see that the world is prone to folly right hight t in the midst of israel we see this the rising gener generative atice Is given to ta vanity and foolishness they seek after and follow the fashions of the world it is a part of the mission of the latter day saints to overcome these things to put them under our feet and to make 6 all ail subservient to the accomplishment of the purposes of the almighty L let atthe the gospel of jesus christ be the rul rui ruling I 1 ug passion of our minds our guide all t he the day long and let all other things b be e secondary then we will not be ledgway led awny away and become subject to the world when we begin to follow after the fashions and follies of the world we are like the sow that was washed returning again to hr br wallowing in the mire or the dog to his vomit we are ret returning dining to the pit whence we were dug we are bringing ourselves into bondage to those things that are forbidden we are acting foolishly in the sight of god for we are commanded to abstain from these things you can easily tell the young men or women whose minds are solely occupied with dress with their external appearance or with the desire for admi artion you may tell by their walk an and d actions what occupies their minds young menou ahny anny easily tell whether a young woman will make you a useful wife a help meet or not by observing her actions her walk and conversation I 1 advise young men and young women to be careful we all have experience to gain experience is a dear schoolmaster and we are such dull scholars that we oftener learn by buying our experience peri ence than by being taught we are slow alow to believe to listen and receive instruction st and admonition from those who have had bad experience and we too often go blindly along until we learn by the t things go in ga we suffer look well be wise make a wise choice of your company your principles speak wisely and kindly seek wisdom at the hand of god ask the lord to teach you the way to walk that you may keep in the path of truth and prosper if we take our own course we are sure to fall I 1 believe I 1 have occupied my allotted tim time I 1 ivana thankful to be lith you Y 4 p 7 u he here hero and aadil 1 I pray that thit the lord will iii bless r us individually and collectively that we his faithfulness and all good bood works which chic may god grant for christs sake amen |