Show aj 0 M A M M S br bk PRESIDENT F SMITH at the general conference Gon erenee sun vim day morning oct 1883 REPORTED BY 0 F V GIBBS 1 I NEVER rejoiced more in the gospel than I 1 do at the pres pree present ent I 1 never felt stronger in the faith than I 1 do today to day I 1 have never leon less cause for doubting or for fear than I 1 now see bee I 1 think there Is ia everything to encourage the people of god 0 and aud thine which may inay be calculated to discourage beera beena to ha be de crea sine all the ume time the kingdom of god has been established upon the earth the gospel has been restored to the chil chii childryan children drian of men and the holy priesthood of which bro cannon spoke which la Is after the order of the bon hon of god and of which jesus jesua himself is the great high priest has again been bestowed upon man the church has been organized according to the pattern which god gave in the days of our savior and hia disciples only I 1 think the organization has been perfected to a greater extent perhaps gapasin in this dispensation than in the days of jesus and his disciple disciples a all that way wat given to them has been conferred upon us and as greater things are to be accomplished in the last days than have ever before been accomplished wo we may look for still greater perfection in the organization of the church as well na as for greater things in other directions I 1 expect to bee see the ume tim tiresome come esome when those thosa wonderful works which were esteemed by the people anciently and which are now looked upon as miraculous will no longer be cited to inspire faith wonder or dread of the mighty god of jacob they will be lost sight eight of in the more wonderful things that will be performed in latter days I 1 consider consid er that the gathering of this people to these valleys in the manner in which they were gathered is far more miraculous and will be so BO regarded in time to come than was the gathering of israel from the land of egypt into canaan Cannan what it took 40 years to accomplish then god accomplished in a few months in these days besides carrying the latter day israel a great deal further than he did ancient israel he led thia thib people out of bondage too as he led tho the children of israel israels and he delivered this people out of the power of their enemies as ho he did them and he has planted our feet upon the tops of these mountains and has caused us to grow and to increase in strength from the day the pioneers bet beh foot here to the present it is true that our enemies have to some extent ruled over us up but we possess and enjoy liberties and rights nevertheless and no matter what they may try to do as hereto fore they will be unable to stop the growth and increase of zion zion is bound to grow the kingdom of god is destined to spread abroad and the purposes of god will be ac complis hed and our enemies can not hinder ite its it they may pass laws they may send up armies they may send tend missionaries to rule ruie over us as officers to enforce upon us christian rell neli religion glon gion as ai it is called they may appropriate prop thousands and millions of their thear treasure to establish free sectarian mission schools among us yet all that they do will only tend in some degree at least to extend the work of god and to give it impetus in the earth for it Is written in the scriptures and it is true and it luts hrs been demon demonstrated demonstrate strat d as other things have been in connection with this work that the wicked can do nothing against but for zion 21 they may aim to do that which they thiner will injure the people of god they may desire in their hearts to see the progress of the work of the lord stopped in the earth and they may do all in their power to accomplish com p a their e purposes seg ses but t god od almighty ig will wili rul nul nets acts for t the g good od of his Is people and for their 0 own discomfiture co mures as he c has heretofore done this thib is my firm belief and I 1 have never been seen anything in the last 30 years of my nay experience in the church that has given me reason for doubt upon this point on the contrary everything every eveny thing I 1 havo have witnessed only tends to strengthen my faith and confirm my belief in re gard to these matters the great desideratum which we should keep in view is the obtaining for ourselves a knowledge of the tri trl truth ath to know the doctrine doo trina for our seivel belvel 1 I for instance would be in ri a condit condition jon lon IN if I 1 were dru dro depend pend pond ent upon my brethren for a know knowledge of the truth of this thia work it if this thia were so BO I 1 certain certainly would be in 1 a 1 state of 0 vassalage ue the secret of 0 our ur success so far at least as the union of thia this people la IS concerned Is ia in thle thib they know tha tho doctrine for themselves to bo be of god they are elre therefore free to do his will as it ii ia made known to them and thoy they are not in bondage they are not tyrannized over they are not ruled over by their presiding officers but they are one with them ana are united with them in the faith who I 1 would wk ask holds me in the church of jesus christ of latter day saints does president taylor or president cannon or do the twelve apostles Is it by their influence that I 1 lam iam am persuaded to serve god or to believe what I 1 do believe I 1 want to say eay I 1 am not dependent upon president taylor or president cannon or upon any other man in regard to my faith it is not based upon mens mena views or ideas I 1 have not received the knowledge which I 1 possess of the principles of the gospel from any man only in this that it 16 may be ba said that when men teach or preach the gospel and are instrumental in the of god in making us ua acquainted v ith the same we may in that light I 1 be said eald to receive it from man but in real ity we do not receive a knowledge of the gospel from man but from lod god led did we receive the book of 0 mormon from joseph smith no we did not noti from whom then from god almighty joseph smith in and of himself did not have power to bring it forth nor to translate it it wab was god through him that gave this record to the world ye yes he was the honored instrument in the hands of god of bringing it forth and wo we are aie indebted to god through him for this book and when I 1 read rend its truths and drink of its inspiration and receive its instruction and admonition I 1 am conscious of the fact that it was wag through the gif git t and power of god that this book came unto us to whom are we indebted for the doctrine and covenants it may be L bald baid that we are indebted to joseph smith for it he having been the mout mouthpiece h VI ece of god through whom the revelation comes so we are in a certain sense but there Is a greater than he beyond him there is ia the source of oc light intelligence and knowledge whence joseph drew hla his inspiration and it ii ia to that source that we are indebted for what joseph smith was raised up and inspired to accomplish while therefore 3 we honor him as the in strument ment in tho the hands of god it is to god alone that we give the glory for to him alone it belongs and none among us appreciated this fact more than the prophet himself we must not worship man but god he alone must be the object of our oun worship I 1 repeat repent therefore I 1 no man keeps heeps me a mem bar of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints neither is there any man professing to be a member of the church who is kept so by the influence of other men if there is then ho he is a vassal a serf he be is in not a man and is not magnifying his manhood ho he ought to know the truth of the doctrine for himself he ought to be inspired of god himself standing g firm upon his own foundation a eo 0 that when the tho etorma come he may not be shaken jesus jesua christ has pointed out the tha way ho he bays says whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and boeth them I 1 will liken him unto a wise man which built his hib hoube boube upon a rock roc kand hand and the ram descended and tho the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell not tor ton it was founded upon a rock and everyone who heareth these sayings of I 1 mine and boeth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man which built his hla house upon the sand and the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blow and beat upon that house hoube and it fell and great was the fall of it if a man Is ia held in nes nea restraint train t by any influenza other than that of knowl edge by any spirit other than that of god it will be found that he has haa built his house upon the sand only to crumble and fall before the approaching pro aching storms the root of the matter is not in such a man he has not drunk from the fountain of light ho he cannot withstand the powers of darkness and he must of necessity fall a prey to the destroyer but the facts are that the latten latter lat ter tar day saints have embraced a religion that Is ia full fuli of light and truth they have received the same spirit that actuated joseph smith and his successors oes ces sors sorn we have drunk at the bame gamo fountain that they drank drauk nt gut the bame same spirit that inspired them inspires us we are engaged jn in the pame hame great work works and are children of the same father you may take a latter day saint sainty no matter where wheres if found in the line of duty he will tell you jn in all sincerity and truth that be knows known the doctrine to be true himself and he be will give you the best of reasons for this knowledge he will prove it by the scriptures sand yand and by every evidence possible to convince the mind of man and he Is able to do this because the spirit of truth la Is in him he la Is not dependent upon othera others for the knowledge he possesses seea he lg ig is 13 a member of the church because he wills to be because he bu chooses to le 40 and he chooses to be associated with the people of god because he knows it to is for his own personal good he he arkens to the counsels caun sels seis of the priesthood of god because he knows for himself that be cannot afford to disregard them that is why I 1 am a latter day saint that is why I 1 obey counsels and 11 I 1 am as free a man at least I 1 think I 1 am as aa walks the foots toots footstool tool of god it is my good will and pleasure to serve god it is ili my good will and pleasure to be connected with tho the people of god it Is wy noy good will and pleasure to hearken to the cou counsels couns coune nEels ela eia of these goodmen good men with whom I 1 have the privilege of associating I 1 know them to be men ot of truth I 1 have grown up under the droppings of the sanctuary under dinder the inert tra lra lion of these men and from my youth I 1 have known them to be men of god when I 1 say this thin I 1 am only giving expression to the feelings of the majority of the people of god they know what they are doing they know what they believe in they know of the doctrine they are not ignorant they do not yield blind uund obedience nee nce but they yield willing intelligent obedience because they know of the truth and it would be ba useless for anybody to try to convince them to the contra TY ly unless it were possible for them to bring greater light to beaz bear upon their minds than they themselves have received and that la Is the only way that a formon mormon A can be converted if he can be shown something superior to that which he be has received ha be will willingly accept it it Is ia greater truth and greater highl that we are after more righteous nes greater harmony and more perfect union unions peace and good will to all men in ia v what hat we are striving to establish upon the earth this Is why we let our enemies alone why we wa do not strike back when we are struck we want vant peace not war we are opposed to contention and warfare among our fellow men on tho the contrary our mission is to preach the principles of truth of peace of life and salvation ples pies that will if received and obeyed produce in the heart of man joy and gladne gladness and love for his hib fellow beings I 1 might MI 9 ht turn t U rn if there was waa times time to the books and read and expound some of those these principles I 1 might repeat repent the ten commandments mand ments thou not 1103 iles io thou ahalt not blaspheme the name of the lord thou bhail shall not commit adultery thou thoa shall not commit murder thou worship the lord thy god and none other ehalt thou thoa serve etc these are a portion of the principles of the tho gospel they faey are principles that we ive ine have es pou doused sedas as latter day baino balno fia ints they are arc doctrines of christ and they are part of my religion and if a com corn will ba governed lo governed verned according to these principles which are regarded as the moral law the penalties of that law jaw will not be known among euch buch a people eat bet the question may be asked do not the christian world believe in these principles ples pies yes ye they profet to and are they not therefore ther eore as aa good as wo we are ye yoe correspondingly as they carry them out in their lives so far they are as good as we are but la Is that nil nii no not by a great i deal I 1 there thera are other requirements made mado of t the he children of benj men in connection conne edo cdo n with the organization and establishment of the church of christ chris tonu onu of which I 1 is 8 that we should gather together to a certain appointed piece place pla pia ca now SUPPO supposing that I 1 sh should ouid keep the ten commandments mand maud ments and refuse to obey the law jaw providing for the gathering of the people and was waa not willing to receive in my heart the constituted authorities author atles cf the church as they now exist what good would it do me in the long run to accept part of the word of god and reject part when the whole was essential to my salvation I 1 should then be in the condition of the young man referred to in t tho the he scriptures who it la is said sald went to jesus J ca us to know kno W what V b a t ha he a should do to obtain eternal life the savior answering him said keep beep the commandment Lw and took the pains to enumerate them the young man in replying said this be had done from his youth up what lacked he yet jesus jesua perceiving the true state of his mind au answered and said to him if thou wilt be perfect go and bell beli sell that thou hast bast and give it to the poor and thou have treasure in heaven sud und follow me when the young man heard beard this he turned away awny forrow horrow ful because he had great possessions the Theli lord ord knew know his weakness he knew know that the young man did not love god with nil nii his heart with all ail his hla might mind and strength he knew that he loved hig his hl riches more than he loved ged and rather than comply with this requirement a requirement qui rement that is higher needing greater faith to obey than the moral law he it is said turned away sorrowful thia this I 1 fear would be so with many of us ua if we were put to the test we believe in the moral law and in much of the scriptures but we curme come to something by and by that we cannot accept because it involves too much sacrifice either of feelings or property and like the young man we content ourselves with the progress we have made that places us also in the fori poRi position tion in which the man was wan placed who received lec rec elved the one talent you remember the parable to one wag was given one to another two 0 to o another fave thea they who z re e calved the greatest gumbar of 01 talents put them to feury and gained other talents ta lente but the man receiving one talent hid it up in a napkin and burled buried it in the earth and when the |