Show DISCO DISCOURSE burse JURSE aati president GEORGE A SMITH DELIVERED AT tue semiannual semi annual in ih the mew new i salt alt att lake 9 I 1 city ci october 7 th Is 7 73 reported BY ny DAVID W i EVANS I 1 FEEL a deep interest in the subjects which have been brought before us this morning by the elders who have spoken aswell as well weli as in every discourse that has been uttered since the commencement of the conference and I 1 chopo that the impressions pres which havo have been made will be lasting in relation to intemperance we ail all of us as latter day saints should observe the word of wisdom and if we do not observe it we lay a foundation to weaken ourselves you will see young foung oung persons come mc to the table T in in the morning and they want some tea or coffee or a cup of good strong warm brink drink A habit of this kird kind has perhaps already been them theland the mand and it is likely to continue until they become slaves slave to it in a little while it affects the complexion it weakens the mind and the body throughout and lays the foundation fora weaker generation to follow of course it Is bisno no use usg to talk to men abo about u t tobacco bacco it takes a man of energy to quit chewing tobacco a man who has a mind and independence boys who undertake Wt it eldom seldom accomplish alish it though they are very foolish sh ever to indulge in the habit I 1 feel like exhorting my brethren and sisters to abstain from everything prohibited in the word of wisdom and accordance with its principles as near as our climate and the productions of our country will permit so far as intoxicating drinks aie ate concerned it is worse than madness and folly for men to indulge in them there Is something comparatively innocent in tea conlee coffee or tobacco when compared drinks of course a man who uses tobacco freely for years gets arf an appetite for liquor he belays lays a foundation for an appetite for liquor and after a while he craves it and must have it he hould should let tobacco alone in the start tut but yet tobacco does not make a man insane in a minute some of our epst most promising busi busl business fiess men who have come to salt sait lake city at different period periods shave baye haye carried themselves to untimely graves by indulging in intoxicating drink men blen whose voices have been heard in the tabernacle men who have rendered service in the offices and who have been honored have died died like a dog in a ditch or in a most degraded manner in consequence of indulging in intoxicating drinks A man says to another come take a drink aarink 11 no I 1 dont wish any oh dont be beso bebo oo 00 pious come and take a drink with ua dont be a coward and so for fear of being a coward he be takes the drink shame on such a mant man why not quietly say wo no I 1 do not need it and if the indita invitation tion is repeated say no more of that gentlemen 11 and be man elou enough aa fp let it al alone ne rather than yield leff and let a habit creep upon him that will destroy him I 1 have heard men say 1 I can drink or let it alone then let it alone but some of those who can drink or let it alone will get drunk every day they have sold themselves to the cursed alcohol let the elders of israel cease this habit and learn wisdom when you come to meet the presence of your father in heaven when you wish for the rewards of couf priesthood you who have not obeyed tb the e woj wod word of wisdom will wail wall at the loss you have sustained jn in conse consequence of your folly think of or these things continue to think of them pray over them and set an example before your children that is worthy of imitation if an old lady of seventy comes cornea to my house at conference and I 1 get her cup of tea if there is a girl there thereof of fifteen she will want to drink with grandma and she will think she must have it because grandma does dods this has been my experience in times past I 1 do not have it now I 1 do not get tea for people reppie unless they pretend to be sick siek then I 1 tell my folks to make them a tin cup full of good strong catnip tea that is a rule I 1 have prescribed ido I 1 do not know how my folks keep it I 1 certainly do not intend to place any restrictions on them any further than their own wisdom dictates but if they use these things they do it in violation of my advice and run their owa ova risks riska aud and so do all othere others I 1 say brethren and sisters let us observe the word of wisdom we are doing a great business in tea coffee and tobacco in the co opera tive store when we first established it we thought we would not sell tobacco at all but pretty soon the superintendent asked the directors if he might not bring in some poor kind of tobacco to kill the ticks on sheep it was very soon discovered that unless they sold tobacco so many latter day saints used it that a successful opposition could be run against them on the tobacco trade alone and they had to commence it I 1 believe under the plea piea that it was brought on to kill klit the ticks on sheep shame on such latter day saints so far as tobacco is concerned I 1 will say a word in relation to the colleges which brother jesse jessen N smith spoke about As he said we ve have struggled against many affail affil difficulties as far as education is concerned and our university and our colleges so far have simply been schools for the education of teachers in the primary branches we have sometimes employed professors and taught many different j branches but a great effort has been made to educate teachers for primary schools and some of them have nave taken great pains to inform themselves they have held associations ciati ons and got up a normal and training class have given lectures and this summer they spent six weeks voluntarily to instruct each other it has been the uniform custom of the general government Govern mont to give the different states public lands and money to a liberal extent for educational purposes none of this has ever been made available for utah we have had to carry every thing by our own individual effort now that there are many young men and women among us who wish to study more advanced branches than we have as yet been able to organize they would like to g go to famous seats of learning in distant parts of f the country for that purpose A co cooperative operative opera t ive lve e effort is now required on the tile part of the people as a matter of domestic economy to establish schools of a higher order and to provide the tiie professors and apparatus necessary to impart instruction in the tile higher branches of learning that our young people may be able to obtain the education they desire at home for while they would go away and spend five or six undred hundred li dollars a year each the same amount expended here would establish schools for the higher branches and cut off a large proportion of the expense in all time to come we would like to have all the wards and settlements cons consider itier loler these questions and make it a matter of real interest to bring about an organization and to supply the means necessary for this object in the foundation of a count country ry I 1 it t is necessary of course to look well to its primary school swe have tried to du do this we are still doing it and I 1 believe considering their circumstances the people of utah have done more for education than the people of any other territory may the blessing of Israel israela 3 god be upon us in all our emmin effin ts oos to guide yur aur children in all our efforts to maintain the principles of temperance to observe the word of wisdom and keel keep the commandments of god an and to establish such schools and colleges as shall shail enable us to advance in all branches that are useful for our religion includes every good and true principle cip I 1 e th there ere f is 4 no principle on tErin the e face of the earth or in heaven that is true belongs to 11 mormonism 11 may god enable us to do these things as we should in the name of jesus amen |