| Show BY APOSTLE mm sw at the general conference conferences friday a am M arril april 1882 1883 BY G 7 the speaker read the loth lith and verses vermes of the tho alth chapter of exodus and then said there thera is an important leson lesson contained in these verses and the lesson is not only applicable to thia this community as a whole but to each individual it appe appears anra that the children of israel at the time timo referred to in the passage I 1 have havle read reads were not very well acquainted with the lord or with his ability to carry out his purposes es they howem however had not the opportunities of b becoming inz ing acquainted quain ted with him aa as have the latter day saints they had been the works of theford the lord wrought in the prea presence enco ence of the egyptians as well as in their own presence but their hearts had not been touched neither had their understandings been enlightened by the intelligence of the holy spirit as has been the case with the latter day Saint sand band therefore wh enthey when they were brought to face the nod hod bea sea m which aich to all human appearance vaa wag was impassable and aud with the tile armies of the egyptians pressing close upon them their hearts failed them the latter day saints in latter days have been placed in circumstances very similar I 1 well remember in my own experience the lat ver ter verday erday day saints being placed in situations where it became very necessary for them to rely upon their knowledge of the things of god and their faith in hib hia power to carry out his hit purposes it is not at all strange that thai the israelites at that time pos possessing the little knowledge they did shoula bo be considerably alarmed or that they should display a great amount of ignorance and folly having expressed themselves to moses as being being hi in doubt as to tho the propriety of attempting to deliver them from their fettered condition notwithstanding tho the egyptians had been so severe upon them and had taken the lives ilves of their children call cali dren yet they had so little faith in the tho word of the lord through their deliverer moses Mosess that they were wera willing to still continue slaves rather than place them selves under the direction of the almighty they wished to know of moses if there wera were not sufficient graves in hl egypt that it became necessary for them to ba be dest destroyed ded Wed by the army of pharaoh in the wil der den denness ness nesb and chided moses mosea for t the he course he had pursued and wished themselves back in bondage I 1 do not think the latte fatter day rd saints in any period ot of their history have displayed such weakness gud and lack of faith however trying our circumstances may have been wo we have never been guilty of such pronounced ingratitude to god at the time the mob came against us in BlIsso missouri url uri there were but a few of us and the circumstances were such it was waa impossible to expect deliverance except through the tho intervention of the tha almighty there may it is true have oteen deen some persons persona at that time whose hearts failed them under the very trying circumstances in which wo nevare were placed bat but they were vely very few the latter day saints had received the accompanied compa compan nied led by the holy spirit and it was in consequence of that miraculous influence and power that was and had been upon them at various times which caused them to have faith in their deliverance they did not display the ve weakness akness and folly that wo beo aeo manifested in the children of israel on the occasion referred to in the verses it have read road as well as on many other occasions there were a few however that wished to turn back to babylon and give up their faith the ordeal being too severe in reading ecclesiastical history wo we find that even the prop hots hota on certain occasions displayed more or less weakness and I 1 have thought that moses exhibited a little on this occasion that Is if the translation bo strictly correct he saw the dif and although he had more faith and knowledge in his bosom than all the faith falth and knowledge of the people put together yet there seemed to be a reeble feeble feebleness iness in the course that he advised on thia this occasion with tho the red bed sea ia ILI front and the army of pharaoh pio pro pressing ing lug fd cla sely lely 1 la in 1 the rm rear the thi state of afna afra affairs irb irs of course seemed critical and it was apparent to all and whilo while the people were bewailing their condition moses gave instructions instruct lona iona saying fear fean ye noey novy not now that part of it was wab excellent and may apply to the latter day sainte bainte and will always be applicable in whatever condition they may be placed but the after p part u of the instruction I 1 would s scarcely e ar cily think was exactly applicable on that occasion and it ar certainly would not be to the latter day hainta saints in any situation or circumstance cum stance namely stand nil all and see the salvation of the lord 11 it appears from thia this verse which I 1 will read that moses began to cry unto the lord tor for deliverance and the lord answered hina hira saying 16 wherefore creest thou unto me speak unto the children of israel that they go forward there was no standing still there never has hns been since the day that 1 commenced to eatn eata establish lillah his work the people have always been required to move on and never stand still although the lord will work and accomplish wonders in regard to the deliverance of his people when impediments arise arlee in the path ot of their progress and no human power or ability can remove them then god by his power will vill do BO so but it is the bu business of those who profess to be engaged in his work to move on to go forward and that too without murmuring or having to be urged so long aa as there remains a step forward to be taken that step should be taken As in this case it was not wisdom for tha tho beope to stand still to bea sea the salvation of the lord but the word was move ongo forward have faith so that when they should come to the watery edge and place their ifert therein that then the lord would either move upon the egyptians to stay the thebaud hand of destruction or show chow ills his power in delivering them in some other way but so GO long cs as they could make a I 1 move in the direction that god but so GO long cs as they could make a move in the direction that god through mosea moses had appointed it was their duty to do BO so it may appear through our ignorance in not understanding g fully the ways of the lord and his purposes that in our onward march in carrying out the pro gramme before us we sometimes come to a stopping place sor lor the time boeing toeing but the fact act is ip there is no buch each thing in the uno pro gramme and there cannot bo providing the people continues continue s their labors putting tbell their trust in the promie ea of god the apostles notwithstanding a g the opportunities port pont unities they had of acquainting themselves themselves with the purposes es of the almighty through personal con verse with the eon bon of god thought there was a time when they would have to stand still and cease their labors as ministers of god when achen they saw the savior hanging upon the cross in the agonies oi of death their hearts failed them and they concluded that all was waa over with them they had thought that jesus waa was to bo be keing king of israel and deliver them from the gentile yoke but now their hopes seemed val vai vain n and all was lost now said I 1 heir their leader let us go a fishing was there a cessation of the work of god when jesua jesus was suffering g upon the cross no tho work was still going on but the apostles did not understand it they did not seem to comprehend the fact that the purposes of god vere were being carried out when ho he was suffering upon the cross butchon but whon whoa jesus appeared to them after he arose from the tomb he gave them to understand that in his sum suf fierIng suffering and death the words of were boing fulfilled and he opened their understanding that they might understand the scriptures but the high priests of the jewish faith and all those who were foremost in the crucifixion ol 01 the savior believed they had bad accomplished their purpose in putting to death him whom they feared would take takee away their name and nation and doubtless felt satisfied with their work especially as he failed to come down from the cross when whan they cried out if he ba be the son of god let lot trim him coms coma down from the cross there is no standing st andini andIns g still with wih the latter day saints when we were driven and jackson county by mob violence the purposes of god were being fulfilled and the work was undergoing changes necessary nece seany seary to its growth and progress and the trials and afflictions incident thereto were wera necessary to the proving of the saints and the establishment of the kingdom of or god upon the earth and I 1 would bay eay lot lat tho the motto be to every elder in israel and to every person worthy to be called a saint fear bots nots not and never stand still but move on let lit the farmer go forward making im prove ments mente plow and sow and reap and those engaged in proper and anil useful enterprises continue to do what seems good according to the spirit of god that may operate upon them and let lot every man be faithful and very diligent in keeping the commandments of god clod and cultivate do good to those thosa around him and if in reflecting on the past put we find vie nie we have not acted strictly in accordance with the dictates of our consciences and duty let us make oure ouri ourselves elves right before god and man that we may be prepared for every event that may transpire let lot the work of building temples and houses of worship go on let israel continue to educate their chil chili dren and bring them up in tho the fear of the lord and let the gospel still be carried to the nations afara afar and israel be gathered and the people always be found moving on as the purposes of god continue to be fulfill fulfilled ed do not stand still and expect to see the salvation of god but move on so 80 long as there is a step to be made to in the direction that he has commanded and then see the salvation of the almighty this is the work of Goda godana ndUe he is directing its course coupe and progress in the earth and this work should ever be uppermost in our mind and eo so long as we are found in the path of duty we can surely burely remain fixed and unmoved and determined in our purpose and thus exhibit to the world our faith and devotion to the principles of truth which god has revea ledos did the faints when they were driven froin from their homes as recorded in the history of the church and because i of this exhibition of faith god blessed us wonderfully and miraculously y after we ve had passed through the trials which followed in tho the accomplishment of this work trials which seemed indeed to the world almost unbearable however we regard those afflictions they were not so very disagreeable we regard those afflictions they were not so very disagreeable when the three hebrew children for instance had been brought to a certain position cast into the firey furnace because of their undying faith and integrity they could not after all perhaps have been placed in more pleasing and agreeable circumstances Eft haa nees A holy being it is said appeared and walked with them side by oda odo in the midst of the flames flan flar aeb aee and EO so with kith daniel under similar circumstances did they wait to see bee what god would do for them no etwas it was move on with them they knew that in the hands bands of their master were held the issues of life and death and that to die in him liim ia Is to live live eternally to go on on to perfection until they should become even like unto him and having a living an abiding faith and a knowledge of thelrue the true and living god they were ready to live and the they were ready to die for it tho truth it was no not with those men as it was waa with te tho children of israel of whom I 1 have read they were in in possession of knowledge through the operation of the holy ghost which prepared them for any circumstances in which they might be placed and so with regard to the tile latten latter day saints when compelled to sign over our oar property to the mob in missouri wo we were advised to disperse disper aa and mix up among the people and not attempt to gather together again and yet under these circumstances a the lord llord moved upon the legislature ro of the state of illinois to grant us a city charter in which there were f favorable provI provisions alons that were not found in any other charter and this wab was as ils he lele had told us he would do namely that ho he would soften the hearts of rulers from time to time that they should show favor to his people I 1 do not believe as rome do that no good can come out from nazareth we talk sonie bonie sometimes timen rather harshly about some of the politicians of our country and deservedly edly too but notwithstanding the tho illiberal and uda unjust ua policy they show towards us I 1 believe they can do us a grent great deal of good provided i the lord lond operates upon tho hearts of ruling men na as he hns has done in the past end und aa as he will do in the future which will result in their showing and granting us favors and future which will result in their showing and granting us favors and blessings a that many now little imagine the tho circumstances under which we came to these thesa mountain valleys are well known they need not ba recited now alten alter we had passed through the chastisement uhe the lord moved upon our national govern ment to bestow favors upon the people of god thley gave us what la is called the organic act a bill of rights as aagoot good as we could expect from their haada and aad what was wag mires mere they conferred political favor upon our leader our prophet and president presidents brigham young by hy making him governor of the territory and who miho would have thought of such a thing any man that would have predicted buch euch a thing at the time we were being driven from missouri would have been considene cons d to aay say babides the least an enthusiast and besides bides eldes that one of our united states judges was a mormon elder the secretary of the territory was also a mormon elder and who lot let me ask did this was it the congress or the president of the united stats well now I 1 would dislike ver vex veny very much to say anything that could be construed into ungratefulness on our part or in failing to recognize all the good that our nation has designed to do us for we recognize it aa an our uncle and sometimes it has been a pretty good uncle but notwithstanding we seo ECO in all this the hand of our god who through them has wrought out this god go sod d and an id tah ghisi deliverance for his people while we are ready and willing to kiss the rod of chastie chastlE ement we are also ready and willing to acknowledge an overruling providence in the good that comes to UP and for one I 1 am ever ready to acknowledge that good also can come out of nazareth we can certainly afford to suffer buffer a little when at time times we perceive magnanimity displayed toward towards sus us by our government which has been the cage case in the past and which I 1 firmly believe will be in the future despite the pressure that Is being brought to bear against t us and the nature of the means that are being now employed the thelford Thel lord jord moved upon rulers in former generations he moved upon infidel kings to favor his people and he is the bame same god now as then we talk about the edmunds bill Is going |
