| Show kie dis BY PRESIDENT JOHN IM delivered at the fhe general confer rence vence ence 3 in the tabernacle tabo Tabe macle sald salt laae lake e city sunday after vl I 1 noon oct 9 MI of REPORTED BY bir jonm JOHM irvine evl owe we have now been in sess session ton lon for gurile some gome time we have haver listened to a beit great many interesting things associated ow socia elated ted with wilh the church wirch firch and find kingdom of god we have hane had also during ur ng the e conference on ere 2 matters to reflect fleet upon ubon f 9 to the departure arture of some bome 0 of nur our bur brethren whom aiom elom we loved and andes teemed esteemed they have been taken away from us and hav have egone 1 gone antol another state of existence which ia Is all perfectly right we have nothing to bay say particularly ticul arly in relation to these mat tim tin tors torb the nord lord tord has revealed unto us his holy will he has by his ills own voice by the opening of the heavens by the ministering of holy angels restored to us the everlasting gospel I 1 that plan pian an that was ordained ey by orvah jehovah more before the world rolled into existence or the morning stars eang wing together for joy associated with the gospel he has restored the priesthood which Is simply in a nw few words the rule and government of god whether in the heavens or on the earth this priesthood this law this tilis government and arid these have been communicated rom from the heavens they originated not with man upon the earth they did not originate with any church up upon 0 A t the e earth or any people or any authority h arlt Y ghisla this thib is the ne gift of god to man this gospel places man in communication with god his hia heavenly father this gospel brings life and immortality to light this gos gospel arf arl el is proclaimed in the interest of all men in all par parts t s of the earth the PrIest priesthood hood bood in connection with the gospel has a commission to proclaim to all the world to every nation kindred tongue and people le it la a mem mew message ge of of salvation a al ration nog rop to 0 the tie lie nations of bf th the tho garth earth r th ema and it 1 wyley kyley ry dim dIX different erent from thai that thab that which many call the gospel whose followers would beek seek to destroy to de defame to overturn and to injure all anity humanity who are opposed to them and to their views and feelings god feels interested in the welfare 0 the whole human nain fain family flYs agid arid for this purpose he has established principles upon the earth which exist in the heavens a gospel el that has baa prevailed among the gods in the mernal eternal worlds contain eon con tain I 1 in principles which are calculated to 19 elevate and exalt the bairian human family amily the principles are a te anal as the gospel dospel itself is eternal ft I 1 duaba and as the love iove of god was 31 n manifested 1 in former times by the giving ving of his son for the redempa tian tion of the world BO so the goodness of grodie god is extended in the last days to bave baie save bave to 16 bless to elevate and to dg the human family and those who are in possession posse of these principles are in possess possession loti not only of the iove Jove of god but of the love of man and will wui seek beehr by every means in their power aided by the spirit of god and that light love iove loveana and intelligence that dwells in his hia bosom to spread these sacred principles and to save meu meb men if possible almost cen trany to their own will it is a mistaken notion let me gay gny say here that some bome people entertain that because mn nion persecute oswe must murt persecute thum them that because men would proscribe us in our religious faith we must proscribe them in theia thela thel a there is no such principle associated with god or with those who dwell in the love of god or who are actuated by the spirit of god everything of that kind proceeds from beneath and not from above god is interested in the welfare of all people all nations all kindreds and all tongues hees he la the father of the sp spirits lotsof of all flesh and h however however narrow roar and cont cout contrasted rated men may be in ideas he can afford to let his rain descend on the evil and tee ifie good and cause his sun to shine on the just and anthe h unjust dorthis por for this purpose H the gor gos lidel lidei pel pei is gathering geth 31 er the influence ce 0 which gospel w when en re reW reb MaR mam nam obeyed im imparts ats the holy oly which ROY ros huly ghost takes 0 odthe the things of god and shows them unto us he re has gathered us together here in this place and in this land in order that ia we may be more fully instructed in his hia jaw for men are not acquainted with god by revelation anywhere eise else eloe to my knowledge very few men upon the face of or the earth believe in revelation from god they believe in their own theories and notions and ideas and principles but they know nothing about thus thus eaith the lord sl as men used to do when they hah bah had the gospel goh and wherever the gospel ex ests thero there there exists with it a knowledge of god and of the laws of life lire god has committed to us the doepel and the high priesthood which is not intended as some suppose to br ingmen bring men into bondage or to tyrannize over oker the tho consciences of daens men but to make all men inen free as god is to free that they may arink drink of the streams 41 whereof shall make glad the city of god that they may be elevated and not debi debased sed bed that they map be purified and not corrupted that they may leam learn the laws ot of life and walk in them and not walk in the ways of corruption and go down to death jeremiah tells us that the lord says pays 1 I will take you one of a city and two of a family and I 1 will bring you to zion and I 1 will give you pastors according to mine heart which shall feed you with knowl knowledge efte and understanding we jehae hae learned this that god lives we have learned that when we call upon him he hears bears our cur prayers we have learned that it is the height of human happiness to fear god and observe his laws and keep his commandments we have learned that it is a duty devolving upon us to try and make mike all men happy and intelligent which happiness and intelligence can only be obtained through obedience to the laws lawa of god it is in him that we trust we are not so much concerned about the destiny of this kingdom aa as some people think we are god is interested in it the holy angels are interested it it the ancient patriarchs and prophets and men of god who have lived in other ages ai aie e interested in it and in the councils of heaven it was agreed that this kingdom should be established it Is according to the word angwill and will and eternal designs of jehovah and as he men in other days dava he ha them in gayb anu mis inis lad jad mi minin 1 iatric tora in the earth and in the he heavens avene and when brother moses thatcher talks about a man being called having finished his course here to go into another state of existence Isten cehe be talks understandingly on that point this priesthood is an everlasting priesthood as way wag the priesthood of jesus segus after the order of Wrel and it administers in time and in eternity this gospel brings us into communion with god our father with jesus the mediator of shenew Covenant with the general assembly and church of the first born and while they are operating there wo we are operating here for this reason we are building our temples and administering in them and ghete are th things gs that I 1 wish to speak a little U upon T n to you latter day saints who are assembled here from the various parts arts of the territory it is not an lipe idle idle idie phantom that has bas been presented to us in this matter there is nothing vague or visionary about I 1 it t we are dealing with sober serious solemn facts eluah elijah it was prophesied should come and turn th the a hearts of the fathers to the children and ahe aho the hearts of the children to the fathers that proD pron hesy has been fulfilled and while millions and myriads of the human family have died without a knowledge of the gospel we are instructed what our duty is towards them and while we are engaged in build building in g tern tein temples pies ples and administering therein both for the living and the dead the everlasting priesthood in the heavens are engaged in operating in the same way in the interests of all humanity not only those who wilo now live but those who have lived we need it Is true the assistance and guidance of the almighty and the holy priesthood behind the wall vail also requires our assistance and anti our be help heip p paul who understood these th things n s said that they without us should no not t be made per perfect and we without them cannot be made perfect they in their day had obtained a knowledge of god and his law and we are permitted to obtain the same god has been pleased to restore the same principles and to place us in communion with him and them hence while they are operating in the heavens we are operating here litre upon the earth we build temples and administer in them they are attending to thos thoa who have died without a knowledg ot of the gospel and who will comma licate from time to time with us show shove us our duty it Is written that saviors biln llin come upon mount zion how can a in man an be a E alvior I 1 if f b he e eaves n nobody and how can they save unless god show them thern how bow how can they build temples unless they have a knowledge of the tho work in which they are engaged and how can they administer in these temples unless god instructs them they cannot do it we cannot do ilo it nobody can do it and therefore it is necessary that we should all the time bo ba under the guidance and direction of the almighty for tor without him we can do nothing the reports that we hear conc cone concerns concern ernp ing tiie the temples that are sire being built are very interesting we hear bear they have placed the roof on the one in cache valley in manti mantl they are progressing with another very fa vor ably and the people all around in those districts are contributing and aiding all they can lor the advancement van cement of the work and then with the one already built there will soon be two and three and then four temples in operation for the labor in which we are engaged some people I 1 know will say it is is a very poor speculation a very singular kind of of a vi religion yet we are carrying out the counsel of god for all these things are designed by the almighty and emanate from him and if wedie we die dle what then meshall we live and reign throughout eternity worlds without end and we know it therefore we weare are satisfied aa as to the work in which we are en engaged gabed it is all right I 1 suy say to the brethren and all who are engaged in this labor I 1 osy say god bless you and if it you could hear the voices above you would hear loud cries of amen for all heaven is interested in the work in which we are engaged and whatever other men may think about th ahse se thin things we know what we are doing and we shall ry in the name of the lord and under his guidance and direction to build up his zion upon the earth that that there may be a phalanx ot of people that god will ac acknowledge knowl dge a phalanx of people that will bow to the behests behesta of jehovah ra a phalanx of people in whom the heavens are interested a people who bre are enraged engaged in lu rolling uth uin boita the work or of godana establishing not only the church 0 w ohr Chr chrisia isil but lall ilia zion rind and the kingdom of god upon the tiie earth this is a wora that is noe not popular among men they want their ideas their theories and their notions we want the ideas and theo ries the word and will and the guidance and direction of the al mighty and if we are connected with his kingdom if there ia is such a thing or ever will be such a thing as the kingdom of god upon the earth it ni means ns the rule and government of god peradventure some seome w will aa say eay V wont let you do it now nw don stop the lord will you no 0 matter about the theories theor leb les ideas and notions of men god has committed to us certain principles and by the help of god we mean to carry them out in doin doln doing g this thia it devolves upon us to send the tb e gospel to ever creature under heaven and for this we have a first presidency for this we have the twelve apostles for this we have some seventy times seventy of seventies for this thisbe we have several thousand high priests for this we have some eight or ten thousand elders and god has called us to do his work and by the help of god W do it in the name of the jorj lon lor and let all israel say gay amen amien the vast congregation responded amen these are our feelings on that subject and let lot the twelve let the seventies let the nigh high priests and iet lec the elders work up to the dignity and importance of their calling and feel that they are under com eom command mand maDd as the servants ol 01 god to do his will in spreading the gospel of life arid and salvation al to the nations of the tiie earth the world will hate hat you eyou no matter they hated your master before you they persecuted him before they persecuted you he endured it we will try to what then we will go 0 on building our temples and wh when e n we have built them we will administer in them according to the word of god and who else knows this or cruder but us let the latter latten dav day saints build these temples and hand them over to the divines of the world and what would they do why ali ail all tall they would do would be to quarrel about theology what do they know about the ordinances of the gospel nothing what do they know abou about t salvation for the living and the dead noth i c I 1 y not know how to tu uti t lr L arii r in temple TempI elf it they had une und lurther we should not know if god had not shown us how we are dependent upon she lord but we have our friends as I 1 have said behil behind id the vail they have the sarn same e priesthood which wc hive and they are operating in oui our interests and it is that which frequently operates among men now silently working when they know nothing about it they rage in many marly instances n and foam and get up reso lut iut lenh generally very religious people well it was that class of people that persecuted jesus and his disciples they thought they were unfit toive to jive what of it do you hate them no would 91 injure any of them atto they are injuring themselves UP ged knows ten thousand times more than I 1 could do any man who departs from the principles of right any man who tramples upon human rights and human liberty men who cannot allow other men to worship god according to the dicta dictates tek teh of their own conscience are in a deplorable condition they are fast going back to barbarism and it is necessary that god should introduce principles to lift man above these groveling idea ideas we can look upon all mankind as our brothers and can try to benefit and elevate the human race this is the mission that god has given us to attend to first in regard to reli alous matters and afterwards to political matters that all men may enjoy perfect freedom in every respect re not in name not in theory only but in reality I 1 find that time is passing we scarcely have hate time in our assemblages to attend to things and talk about principles that we would like to there are ten thousand things present themselves before my mind that I 1 would like to jay before this congregation but we have not time we shall have to take these things by degrees little by little line upon line precept upon precept there is one thing I 1 wish to speak about here politically what do you think about the |
