| Show MINUTES OF A conference of the church of abw christ of latter day saints beld held at jogan logon june anmuth an dUth 1869 1860 j i commenced at 10 am about 2 2000 persons being present the logan logan nogan choir sang go when the morning sh chineth shin shia ineth eth 11 prayer by B young jun wellsville choir sang ill praise my maker while ive dve breath president D H wells addressed the congregation on the union of the saints the blessings of peace and prosperity enjoyed by them in these mountains and the gift of the holy priesthood and its accompanying power and spirit pinit to enable us to overcome the evils in our nature and the influences aroun around d us he said in gathering out of babylon we should leave not only all its corruptions corrupt ions but as far as possible our own faults and imperfections or else we brought babylon with us he spoke 0 the progress of the people and their privilege of enjoying the light and revelations of the holy ghost if they lived faithfully before the lord and communed with him in earnest secret prayer he referred to the order of enoch 11 the word of wisdom and other commandments which should have been received and practiced practised tided in the early days of the church gae gac hu r ch and urged the observance of them hd ho said from sixty to one hundred thousand persons in the united states die annually from the excessive use of intoxicating liquors and said the time would come cume when latter day saints would be known in the world not merely by their name but by their strict observance of the word of wisdom he contrasted the dishonest course of many public men in the world with the faithfulness of our leaders and the wise and just appropriation of the means that passes through their hands he dwelt upon the benefits of cooperation operation co the necessity of observing the celestial law before we could gain a celestial glory and of having our minds prepared paret to receive with joy every principle that may be revealed for our salvation and above all things of not opposing that which we cannot understand but of seeking the lord lor 1 in faith and humility for the light of his spirit to enlighten our minds and to enable us to comprehend his purposes purposes and counsels I 1 elder Q G Q CANNO CANNON T said a new era was waa dawning on the people and ano a marked change was observable in the character of the teachings from our leaders the lord was moving on his servant sto plead wl with th the people to prepare for the changes that are coming god had chosen the latter day saint to effect a great reformation and revolution in the world for its good and salvation he spoke of the wisdom and of the beneficial effects of co operation nd regretted C the blindness and darkness of the minds of many in regard to this and other important movements inaugurated by the servants of god men alen have in every age been inspired to lead out in III movements for the benefit of the people but then as now they have had to contend with the reluctance and opposition of the people themselves to those measures designed for thel their own rown benefit he spoke of the tyrannical aristocrat cies existing in the old world and said the gospel was designed to prevent the existence of such an aristocracy er of money or land amongst us cooperation is of the measures designed to bring about that equality in temporal as well as spiritual things which must exist among the latter day saints he spoke ortho evils attending the past mode of conducting mercantile affairs he did not blame the brethren for making money by merchandising izing etc in the past but showed the evils that would result from the establishment of a donled aristocracy in our midst and now the time has come for a change in these matters and all are required to operate cooperate co with president young in every measure for the elevation and salvation of the people of god and their universal benefit in temporal matters the smithfield choir sang how will the saints rejoice to tell conference adjourned till two benediction by elder E snow 2 pm P M logan choir sang 0 lord thy people bless prayer by elder woodruff fl wellsville choir now pray we for our country 11 elder W H spoke of the evidences of the blessings bles blea slugs sings of god upon tile the people peoble ardd arid of cache valley he referred to the aftem attempts ts made a few years y ars ago to winter stock in this valley by the government as well as others othera which proved an utter failure winning for the valley the name of a cattle grave yard it was also deemed too cold for the cultivation of cereals and vegetables but today to day under jander the counsel and fostering care of Wes kes resident president ident young prosperous settlements haye have been established throughout the county while the people have been sustained and abundantly blessed ath the necessaries and comforts of life he said baid there had never been an hour since the organization of this church but what the hand of god had been over it even in the darkest hours of trial and apostasy he referred to the calling out of the mormon battalion paying a high but lu just st tribute to their memory and services and showing how the lord blessed them and overruled even this design of our gur enemies for the good of his saints he said th the secret of the prosperity and welfare of the saints is their obedience to counsel as much now as in tile the past and the blessings resulting from this partial obedience in the past should encourage us to greater faithfulness in the future he rejoiced in a the privilege of beld bein being associated with the people of god ana and and of assisting in the development of his purposes ur poses and said that though we had done e a mighty work in years yeara gone by still more remained to bo be done but though labors and duties may appear very difficult and almost impossible in prospect yet we should find our strength abundantly equal to them when the time came to encounter them he exhorted the saints to obedience to counsel truthfulness to each other faithfulness in all the relations of life and the observance of the word elword of wisdom said if all who heretofore used te tea eo coffee filee tobacco snuff whisky etc ha had a k kept ept an account of or such expenditures tures they would have found that these unnecessary u and injurious dj urious articles cost more than their clothing urged the necessity of beautifying our homes however humble they may be and of making them attractive and arming charming ch to our children and seeking to educate tile the latter in the knowledge and love of the truth he dwelt at some length on the principle of operation cooperation co showing its benefits and necessity as a means of uniting the saints in temporal as well as spiritual things elder W woodruff expressed the hope that the saints would be profited by this conference we have had preaching enough to build up a dozen zions inthe if the saints only remembered and practiced what they heard beard what joy and consolation it would have been to joseph smith if ho he could have had a vision of the condition of the churell church today to day president young is simply carrying on the work the foundation of which was laid by the tho prophet jo seph he spoke ot of the desire of new revelation but said wo we had not yet obeyed and carried out those revelations which the lord gave in the rise nise of the church had wasted money enough in tea cottee coffee tobacco liquor etc to have built up a big zion in these mountains we must learn to obey what the lord has told us before we can expect him to impart moro more to us we must learn to operate cooperate co in our mercantile turing farn farming illig and mechanical pursuits before we can be prepared to receive all the lord has in store for us he said tho the lord has determined to have zion built up on the earth and no power can prevent it andia and if he could not find men aud women now on the earth to carry out his purposes he would send them from the spirit world he dwelt upon the blessings of the sealing power contrasting our position as latter day saints with that of the millions who have lived without the priesthood during the last 1700 years having no claim upon their husbands wives or children iu in the eternal worlds he spoke very interestingly on a it variety of subjects such as public and private prayer kindness to our families S wives I 1 children friends and even t the he brute creation to be just merciful and kind in our government showing the folly of men quarreling with their wives or with each other and concluded by urging the saints to prayerfulness prayerful and integrity not to be ashamed ail asi barned bained of their religion or any of the tho revelations of the lord but to study them and seek to understand them smithfield choir sang do they pray for me at home meeting adjourned till tomorrow to morrow at 10 a in benediction by P kimball thursday june iune 24 conference assembled at 10 a m logan choir bang sang great god attend blie bile zion sings prayer by elder john W youn young biord wellsville choir sang the lord shall comfort zion elder geo Q cannon said we had received sufficient instructions during this conference to make us the peculiar and favored people of the almighty if we carried them out in our lives there never was a people of whom we have any account who were so highly favored as we are ever since he became acquainted with the gospel he had loved it because its principles were calculated to bless and elevate not only one class clasa of individuals but the he masses of those who would receive and obey it this is not the case with any other system the governments of the earth have failed to remedy and correct the evils extant in society because they are not adapted to develop the capacities and to answer the necessities of the people even under our own the best form of government ever delivered to man previous to the restoration of the gospel the same evils exist to a great extent but god has revealed to us the order of heavenly government we alethe are the most free and orderly people on the earth tyranny and oppression are unknown among us or if there be any thing which some feel to be oppressive it is the result of individual mismanagement or ignorance and not through the operation of the principles of the government of god this system of government is designed eato to bestow upon allwoo all ali who will become submissive there thene thereunto tinto everything necessary for their present and eternal purification fi flea fica tion perfection and aud exaltation in temporal as well as spiritual things we have to attend to a great many things in order to become the people eople that god designs wo we should be we must learn to confide with all our hearts ourselves our wives our children and all oui our substance to the care and direction of the priesthood placed to guide us how shall we reach that union in temporal things we must enjoy and which will alone correct and remove all the evils to which the world is subject we must change the management of or our temporal affairs we must be organized upon the basis of heavenly principles through the priti prin cip lesof the Almighty These evil evils swill willbe be averted by our being banded more closely together temporally as well as spiritually wealth rules in the world we have the element wealth in our possession and we must concentrate our means and our influence to resist the encroach ments of our enemies god has made the path plain for us schools of the prophets are organized in various parts of the territory and have been the means of doing great good as also ladies belief relief societies sunday bunday schools and every other means of spreading the influence and power of the truth he spoke of operation cooperation co as a means of uniting and exalting the people said whoever opposed or sought to weaken the influence of this institution had not the spirit of the gospel and was opposing the kingdom of god the sisters are organized and can do a great deal to further the progress and development of or the purposes of god and the union of the saints the teachers should not confine their teachings when visiting in their respective wards to mere merely ly s so 0 called spiritual matters but should also be capable of imparting instruction in temporal things spoke very forcibly of the responsibilities resting upon our sisters in the training of their children their influence upon the young and the great good they can do through their organizations as relief societies and by visiting the homes of the saints and endeavoring to carry with them aad and impress upon those they visit the spirit of the gospel explain its principle sand also instruct them in relation to the laws of health cleanliness housekeeping etc he said the time would come when the teachers the bishops or some of the authorities of the church chure h would dictate unto us as to how and where we should build our houses keeping our gardens and farms in proper condition our yards yarda clear and our houses and su surroundings roun dings pure and healthful god does not ask us at present to sacrifice our lives as martyrs to his cause but to yield ourselves ours elvesa a living sacrifice in willing obedience to the counsels of his servants hebald he said he felt that the majority of the people were willing thus to be governed boutwe but we need to cultivate faith and to seek to enjoy more of the spirit of the lord that we may be prepared prepa for ane changes which are at hand band he said we must improve in our carmill farming operation operations that millions would yet live liv where thousands now do that we must mus t make it a study to economize and right ly iy apply all the ahe products and ele eie elemen merij Qi around ua us to improve the earth he concluded by an exhortation 1 u the to purify their minds bodies houses bouses and surroundings to beautify fj their homis homes build the tabernacle ani and fence in the lol lot upon which it stank standi and surround it with shade tree trees sand sano and ano to prepare by every means in their power for the great blessings bles bies sings singa awaiting those who are faithful in keeping their then I 1 covenants and the command commandments mi ants ra v god his remarks were intensely interesting and practical and made a veri verj strong impression on the minds of the saints the smithfield choir sang aher theres love at home the following names we were rethen then callec callet as missionaries and unanimously sustained by the conference jeremiah hatch louls louis Vande burgl burgi Howell Wm henry king kling thos rich ardson son wm douglass thos tar Tai bett uett elder BYOUNG jr j rs spoke poke of the excel lent instructions given during this coni con i ference and wished for the trump of at a angel to sound them in the ears of ti tb Saints so that th at they might mi lit all hear andle andre member them he illustrated illustrated the fai fal fol foi and evil of allowing ourselves to beill belli sta fla encee by thearon the wrong actions and badu badel ample of others even if they are those from whom we have a right to look fot for fo better things he spoke of the rights and duties of the teachers and the kin and humble manner in which they aa received rec ehred during their official visits b tile the first presidency as an example exam piet all of us to honor them in their callice and to listen to their teachings E chewed the necessity n of exercising grei care wd aud wisdom in our association and of or guarding our wives and famille bromall from all ali contaminating influence influences sg il lu it by relating several exam pies ples that had come under his no notice ticen not being sufficiently careful in this n he spoke in very high terms i the faith and labors of the saints in thi tit south and of their union and consequent prosperity and urged |
