| Show y DISCOURSE BY PREST JOHN r tir TAR LOR log delivered at the conference salt sale lake city gity sunday after noon april 1878 REPORTED BY DY GEO F gibba f t I 1 behall feel very much obliged while I 1 attempt to address ad dress dresa you if you louwill will lii keep heep aa as quiet aa as possible because it is quite a labor to speak speak to 0 eo po large a congregation and unless ess quiet and order As 43 preserved it is is impo impossible bible aible for all the people to hean hear lea iea I 1 ha have hava vo been very much interested and edified in listening to the remarks made by the brethren since we have assembled together in this conference and I 1 have been very much pleased in witnessing the union and general feeling of interest mani nested rested among the people to attend tend theio thebe meetings it Is evidence to me that the people feel in interested te rested in in these great and eternal principles developed through religion and that they have a desire to yield obedience to uha iha law taw of god aud and tu to keep lis Us commandments and in that alone atone is our safety our happl happiness our pro and our exalta to itsu ale p if forwe for fur we derive every b tt t t L aj ag wv euay elj y of a tc yo ya or r of or a i nature i aitu ju ou our heavenly father and witti at him we can clin du do ur or perform io iio ao 40 joi aoi wk wjk str ii lir r in him we live mud nud move and aud leave our being nui aki ai irm la binm mud und through film him we w receive all mil pertaining t 6 j life lire and we shall hereafter if we eternal lives ilves tnt IL iu und aud obain obtain them through the good goodness ness nesi mercy and aud long ut ot guti our eternal father thio the merits nurita aud and redemption of Jesus cui chi lat our savior hia ria vior I 1 it L id Is not iu in man to direct to toman nian age aud control affairs of the kingdom of god no isu man ever did pos possess ess that power nor will he unaided by the the almighty all nation sand all peoples are more or less under his direction and control although many mady of them do not benow n ow it he lie raises up one ono nation and puts puta down another lie he debases the proud and exalts the humble at his hia pleasure and that course among all the peoples and nations of the earth as best unto him and all nations and all peoples are his hia offspring und nd he be is the god and father of the spirits of all flesh aud and feels feela an interest in the welfare of all the human family he ha hae been inthe ages that are past and he is in the present age ago doing all that he can to promote the happiness acdwell and well weil being of the human family this does not always appear tomen to men of superficial minds the dealings of god with man are not always comprehended but ahe he nevertheless does control the destinies of all peoples and if in many instances it does not seem for their plesent benefit yet aa aie are eternal havin to do with eternity as well as time when the secrets of all hearts shall be developed aud and the actions of gods goda shall be made known and fully comprehended in the future destinies of the races of men it will be found thit that the judge of all the tho earth has done right tight the lord hasin hamel n the thero these re lust 1 qt da days tor for or his own special purpose and also in the interest of humanity revealed himself from the heavens made manifest his hia will to man sent bi hia holy angels to communicate and reveal unto us his children certain principles as they exist in the bosom of god and he has pointed out the way whereby we may secure our h happiness ap and an eternal exaltation in the celestial kingdom of god he has been pleased to 6 r estore restore again the ever bAsting gospel in all nil its bulnes ful fui nes with all its riches and blessings and power and glory he ro has haa organized his church and kingdom upon the earth he has chosen men as he be did in former times to bethe bothe be the bearers bearens of his message of life and salvation to the nations of the eath he has through these instruments st instructed usand gathered us together as am we are found here today to day from the different nations where the gospel goppel reached us he hp has brought u chere hers according to certain eternal principles which he had in his mind before the world was and according to certain councils that existed in the heavens among the gods who have been operating upon and with the human family from the commencement to the present and arid will until the winding up seene scene the work that we are engaged in is not the work of man it did not originate with man it was not mot found out by him it is the work that has hns been prophesied of by bi all the holy prophets that have jived lived on this continent on the continent of asia and in the various portions of the earth As the apostle paul describes it it is the dispensation of the as of times spoken of by all the holy prophets since the world was ana anything that we may have received any light an any ly int intelligence lif tence kence any knowledg knowl edoo of the things of god have hava e emanated ma and proceeded froni from him he saw and comprehended the nitting fitting time for this work to commence he prepared the way by once more opening the heavens reveal and his son jesus and by afterwards sending pending holy angels to communicate his bis will and his pur poses posea and designs to the human it therefore did not originate with us nor with any sect or party or people jor mor nobody not even joseph smith or brigham youba or any of the twelve apostles knew anything about the great principles that were stored up in the mind of god it was waa the mind wind and will and revelations of if god gud maue made known to the human family inthe in tho the place to joseph and through him to i and and aud i when the tho elders eluera of this church went forth to the tiati nations lations uns of the earth as bearers beaters of the go gopel gospel pel pei me message if they had gone upon their own ro they could have accomplished nothing but ent having aeeti bocu chosen and sev set apart of the lord isford they went furth as his mes geu keu gely gels without purse or scrip trusting bilig in him and he opened up their way and prepared their path as he said beforehand that he be would behold maid mald baillie baid lie lle 1 I send you forth to the nations of the earth and my spirit shall go with you and my angels angela chall prelate the way for you 1 I 1 send you forth not to be taught but bui to leach not dot to be instructed by the world of mankind or the intaj intelligence of the world but by the wisdom and ind intelligence telli gence genee and power and spirit I 1 shall give you and it is through and by this influence that we have been gathered together and why are we gathered tuese these elders could not have gathered yuu you unless god had been with them they could not have influenced you to come here unless the spirit and power of their mission had been with them but the lord said in former years yearn through his prophets 1 I will take taise you one of a lity city and two of a far fae family and I 1 will iring bring you to zion and I 1 will give ou pastors according to mine heart which shall feed you with knowledge and unde understanding r t va and through the operation r and influence of the of the living god manifested through the priesthood gods ministers on tho the earth you have been brought t together e 1 her as you are today to day but wily y should wo vvo bo thus gathered togo toge thet that there may bb a body of people found to whom god golf can cau communicate his will bat that the there re might be a people who should be prepared to listen to the tile word and wiland wili I 1 voice of god that there might be a people gath eted together rom from the different nations who ad uri der the influence of that spirit should become saviors upon mount zion that they might under the inspiration of the ami almighty allty and through gli the power of the holy priesthood hood which they should receive go forth to those nations and proclaim to tho the beope principles of hat that they might indeed become the tho is saviors of men and if we could coald fully comprehend our position we should see thin things Os very differently from what we now do if we ouid comprehend our relationship to bogod god to each ot other h er to hilk his fili chur church i ch upon the ilic eart earth haud baud aud and aw also the greatness and magnitude of the work in which we weare are engaged edana and the rt responsibilities that devolve upon us as elders eldero in israel as saints f P the most moat high god we should see kee things in a very different light from what we lve now do we ari are not bere here as they say gay in I 1 n the church of england to follow the devices alid arid de deares ares dres sj of our own hefts hearts we are not liot here to pursue our own individual interests and emoluments beato we aro not dot here merely to attend to our own secular affairs but to learn the laws of life and eiho then teach the people the wa way y of Ml salvation there was an old L aying saying among ancient Israel Hear 0 israel the lord our god is one lord and thou worship the lord thy glod god with all thy heart with all thy mind with all thy soul and thy strength and him oi ily lly thou worship 11 an and d jesus jelus 1 esus egus 1 in after time added a little more tc to this I 1 Thou shall ahalt love thy neighbor as thyself god is one and they who dwell with him are one those who will inherit the celestial kin kingdom adom will be one when they get there and we as a people ought to be ohe OHO one in faith one in principle one in practice one in on dur our interests one in our associations with each ot herand berand in our families onedith one with codone Go god done one with the holy angos antes one in time and one in eternity I 1 to bring about a union unon of this kind the principle of baptism has been introduced that we all might be baptized into one baptism by the laying on of handa banda i and through the various i orders of his partake part akke afee of the same spirit tp irit and being brought brough t into union and communion with god that we all might feel reel after god that the tens of thousand 1 and hundreds of thousands might be brought lum into connection with the almighty whose prayers could bould ascend into the ears of 0 the lord of and for foe the tha the tra accomplishment of this purpose it hn selected joseph smith to be the first apostle in his him church he was called not by the will of man nor by the power of man nor by the intelligence of man but by god who revealed him himself elf eif unto vlis vils youny youly the jilt sp havior savior io r I 1 committing unto him a mission t to 0 perform to the thu inhabitant inhabitants 4 of this earth he was endowed with pow er and authority which was given him for that purpose that he might be the legitimate representative of god upon the tho earth he atso also taught him how bow to organize his church and put him in m with many of the ancient prophets who have long iong buice passed away who also communicated with him hini aud and revealed unto him further the plan and design of the almighty in Te relation lation to this earth and the salvation of all who would listen to the principles of truth the nations of the earth ha have V e their representatives their er ers erp their plenipotentiaries empowered and sent forth by the recognize rec bedau hority of the several seve rail nations he wa A the representative of god his credentials came from god and his mission extended not to one nation only but to all nations ad aal ayl d he war waw authorized to h ad organize wh chatas what atas stas was wab termed the church and kingdom of god upon the th earth and every step that he took every principle that he cate daDd dand and every doctrine that ht taught came from froin god by the re reve ve lations if f bcd to him and through him to the people he selected others by revelation apostles high priests seventies E bishops elders priests teachers and deacons also eiph high councils and bishop bishops councils ci s and p all the various authorities and organizations of this church joseph smith neither knew how to select men whom to select nor what their offices should bo until it was communicated by the hie lord and yet wo ive find that unit these principles reve leve revealed aled to him with those that existed in former a aes ages es whenever gud had bad a church or people ou on tile the earth 1 and hence the ushering in of the gospel amply means menns the revelation of the dillof will of god to man it simply means the placing of mankind in communication with the lord that he may not be governed by his hii own follies or notions or theories but by the will and word of god ged and the examples that you heard defered to here of our stakes with their pre presidencies cies eles together with the bishops and their council etc is a part of the system of lihaven hf lit aven caven as it exists in the eternal worlds and the priesthood that we hold bold is the everlasting priesthood and it administers in time and it will administer in eternity and a knowledge of the works that we are now dow engaged in in to the building of temples and administering therein all came from gadaud are a part martof of the eternal system who knew about them until god revealed i i nobody who knows bow how to adm administer inister ac in these temples without rey revelation elation nobody but those to whom it has been wn communicated it came dame from god and our preach lug to the living and our administering for the dead aie ate all of them parts and parcels of the same fame concern the acl fact act is we are in a state of probation we have enlisted under the banner of the almighty we have dedicated ourselves to him for time and for eternity andee and he expects pe it at our hands that we be true to the trust conferred upon us that we be faithful to our obligations and fuifui them that we honor our god that we magnify our calling callings 8 and priesthood and that we stand forth among the people and before the nations as the representatives of god upon the earth we have a f view to that of the apostle paul pala who paid when ad addressing addressing to the Corinth corinthians lann iann ye 7 e aro ar not your own for ye are bought with a price therefore glorify god in your body and in your jour spirit which are god goilo 11 we have enlisted in a work bave baye engaged in a ware fare that will wili last while time shall shail be and if we live our religion and keep his comman commandments dinen i ts the he principles that we are in possession posse suon sAon ot of will bear us onn off triumphant aver death hell bell aud and und the grave and laud us among the just among the celestial host that dwell noll with our Fa father therin in heaven we really have no I 1 time to attend to those iriv trivial fai fal affairs that some people seem beem to abi xhi think i ought to occupy BO so much of our time I 1 wish now while we are together to talk upon some general principles ed with the priesthood which has been conferred upon ua us it was waa bald said of ancient israel if they thy had kept the commandments that he would have made out of khem them a kingdom of pi lesta iesta we wt are literally a kingdom of today to day our is not to follow our own wll will our own desires and plans but hut to beek to know and xola able wiil will ot god to carry out these principles which he haw haa repealed Ive lve aled and in our happiness and aad exaltation in time and will be throughout the eternities that are to bome W we ought to be operating with i god and with the holy angel angele we ought to be feeling after them we ought to be operating with the ancient uti elent clent priesthood that have lived jived before the patriarchs the prophets the apostles and ana |
