| Show ad S B X t w 9 GEORGE Q CAMON R 41 dt at 41 or den on sunday morning july HI ali I 1 jast 21 ea IUM very pleased this morning at hay bay having the opportunity of bf meeting with the latter day saints in ogden and I 1 truit trust that while I 1 shall attempt to ad dress you I 1 shall shail be assisted bythe by the spirit of god in making such remarks as shall be appropriate joyous to your jour circumstances ana and and condition bro hardy in his remarks said we were the people of godana that we idereen were engaged ga oed ged in establishing ills his kingdom on tt earth inthis if thesis asso so and I 1 suppose you as latter day saints who are present today can bear testimony that this is 19 the case dase then we ought to be a people entirely different from every other people upon the tha face of the arth because there can be babut but oue one people ol 01 of god or one church of godi godl god brone orone kingdom of godi Gods there thero cannot bi te nor three nor more one opposed to the others everything that has been ref revealed con berning god concerning his church and concerning the principles of sal leads asto the conclusion that there 19 isa a oneness that there Is union lind rand that divisions and opposition n not exist amoc amog the people of god i it would be entirely inconsistent with every idea of the eternal creator to suppose anything else th anthis hence no matter where you find thoad who are i truthfully the people of god you will avill find them und under erali ernil all ali circumstances united thin thinking king kinz alike believing alike and acting alike that is ha having vin I 1 th the e same objects in view the same ails alls aims alms to re achand being prompted by one com corm or impulse therefore therefore having this view I 1 differ upon some rom some jhc are called latter day saints mhd seem to entertain the idea that because weare we are re in theT orld orid we vve must necessarily lly ily be of the world a part of them and that thit the standard which is looked up to and recognized in the world as correct is ope one to which we should conform now in this re i I 1 differ from those of my brethren who entertain these ideas I 1 think it is wui bud our duty making the professions we do and occupying the position we ave do to be ia so far as a necessary entirely original orto nse use a commonly m only use used d to describe us a peculiar people because the world wp rid nid have a pertain way to accomplish certain objects I 1 do it as atall necessary foi joi fo ruto ftc to do tri tre the same lles iles a s they clo cio and I 1 am quite willing that it should be known and kinder understood stood go so tar yar anjam in many respects differ from the world I 1 am stir surrounded rounded i and in biln a lattur latter day saint I 1 claim the right so ion lon long iong ii ani axi it act ach in accordance with avith the rule ruie ru lesof lesot glod order and do xio not violate any rules of decorum to do as I 1 please to think as JI I please cleage and to talk AS I 1 I 1 please this is a right richt that I 1 claim as a latter day saint saintil if I 1 choose to be lieve thau tidd god has established u upon on theearta the thel earth his Ch church at the heator head nead of which he liag kis placed a prophet andi andl choose to believe in that PM prophet ket het to listen to ills lils teachings to be gui gut guided dea by his counsels I 1 claim that so lon ion AS 1 do this alid ariddio I 1 do not interfere with wll my fellow citi citizens zens zeng lii ili the e exercise of ther privileges vile vilt cs it Is mv right to do so jf if I 1 choise to believe that tilt the lord has placed in ills his church twelve apostles to has haa given the keys of the A j apostleship t ostle ostie ship dut aut and aud authority and to vve AVE whom he has committed thelast dispensation pensa tion requiring of them to go to all ali nations as iness messengers agers of life and salvation salvati on or arsee see that the gospel is carried coall the nations of the earth and I 1 choose tt listen to their instructions and counsels and be governed by them choosing to acknowledge them as channels through which life and salvation hali hail shall shail flow unto me and that every administration of the laws and ordinances of gods house is sacred and holy if I 1 choose to do this I 1 think IV it is my right to do it so ion lon ionas long lonas as tn in doing doln so I 1 interfere with no other mans rights and privileges so in relation to gath gathering bring together if as a latter day saint I 1 choose to leave other societies and communities and separate karate myself from them bocast my lotin lot in the midst ofa ota people with a faith similar td my own to choose them as my associates ind them and to td patronize them and uphold them in lif all their thein labor labors s and undertakings who is there that has the right to question me in so doing so lodic ion lon as I 1 do 30 not interfere with the rights of my fellow biti citizens zens in speaking thus ot of myself the same applies to this entire people for that which is right in individual cases is right in cases of arien aller an entire community whether they be numbered by Ahou thousands sands or millions A great deal dekl of fault has been found with us asa AS a community because of these peculiarities because we choose to bo be geve deve lieve that god our eternal father has ha established his church and placed at the head thereof it a prophet because ile he has established ills his church and placed lac lae ad therein apostles prophets evangelists teachers and other helps because ile he has restored the everlasting gospel iu in its simplicity and power and alno aino alko alfeo the gifts sifts thereof so that men can enjoy them again because I 1 say we believe belleve be enjoy iove in this and claim this a great many are til spose d to with us NOW 1 I I 1 clain that it is no hodys busine obrown what wa e 1 I believe as to how bow as ow we do or bow how ourselves velv y m j lef ler 1 4 s 0 lo 10 M as ay ivetus ned 0 not violate I 1 law aw h and nd d do n noc nou 0 V tra trample 1 upon the rights of those hose t by we maybe surrounded A who are our fellow citizens I 1 speak thus because of some things which I 1 notice in our midst now I 1 am away considerably and when I 1 get backi back I 1 SUP suppose Osel osei I 1 look upon the condition of anna amna affairs urs here with a little more scrutiny than if I 1 were here altogether and I 1 notice this that there Is a disposition among some gome who belong to the church to truckle a tendency to bow a ten debey to arif drift t in the direction of ty as it H exists elsewhere and I 1 have noticed that some people are dreadfully af afraid mid of the association of church and state dreadfully afraid that somebody will be mingling politics and religion that someone who holds office in the church among us may hold hoid some political oli office I 1 do not share an fn in that f fear ear car in the least I 1 never have shared in it I 1 hope I 1 never shall and have no idea I 1 ever shall to do this I 1 am too conscious P of the fact that the latter day saints have been led to these mountains by the almighty through his servants and that ile lle has given unto us rights rl ats as citizens of the land and being in n the majority it is our right to govern this land to govern it in such a manner as shall secure to all men who enter its borders fieira nights rights whether they be latter day saints methodists presbyterians rians infidels or anybody else either heathen chinee I 1 or civilized american the lord has given us ability thus far to govern gova vrn lra th the land and it affords me moe no little pleasure to be able to say that there Is no part of this nation so well governed as this territory which has since the day we came here been governed by the 11 mormon morman cn people and there is no part of these united states that compares with this territory for prosperity for good order for good I 1 govern government men t and ann for or freedom nin kin from taxation and everything else that is burdensome and to whom v is the credit duet duez due it is due to the lord and next to him it is due to his llis servants and people there have been attempts and there will be continued attempts made to wrest the control of this land from us we are engaged la a warfare we vve have been told from the beginning that it is a warfare that will wiil not cease until righteousness prevails on the earth eiery every man that enters into this church if he understands the nature of his calling understands that he enters into a warlane warfare to contend for the triumph of truth do not those who are opposed to the latter day saints recognize this certainly they do and their efforts have been and are so directed today to day and will continue to be to wrest that power f from rom us which the lord has given unto us they would throw dust in the eyes of the latter day saints if possible and try to fosten foster in tile tiie minds ands of the people that there is something very inconsistent with the constitution and genius of our institutions sor lor men who are religious to have anything to do with politics it is considered all very well for a wicked man to hold office he can mingle in politics and help to frame the government overn ment of the country but the mau who makes any profession of religion especially if he be an official in the thy church to which he belongs has no right to meddle in politics or interfere in any way with the government of society this is all wrong from beginning beg bex nning to end admitting what I 1 said in ill the beginning that we are the people of god I 1 would ask what better people cair be found and what more suitable people to take charge of the affairs of mankind in the earth and establish righteous principles and maintain laws under which all men can dwell in peace and be entirely free from oppression and every thing of this character who I 1 would ask are better qualified to do this than the men mett who understand the principles of truth suppose for instance that today to day and f from rom this day forward the lat ter day saints those who are active in their religion and in the performance of the thel duties of their reil rell religion lon ion were to withdraw from politics ezana etani and leave the government of this land to others lyli ivil anat atwould would he be tile the result it would not be but a little while before the scenes we see in other places and that are deplored by every lover of of liberty libert ert in the country would be enacted in this part of the land 1 you would see sec a condition of affairs that would cause you to mourn and you would be willing to flee to any place almost to be free from participating in them would be the result if those who are active as latter day saints were to withdraw irom from participation in these matters but is this the design of the lord not yo it is not ile he never did dia design that this should note be ethe the case and it would by bu a want of wisdom on our part as a people tu to allow any such a condit condition lon ion of affairs to exist I 1 maintain that latter latler dav day saints have a perfect right to hold office and the thea should not be excluded from callee that whenever the people choose t to elect on one of theiu it should not be considered improper in the least degree no matter what his llis standing lie he lias has a perfect right to hold hoid that ollice and if lie be a righteous man wan the better it will for the people if he will cn condescend descend to take upon him the duties in of the office instead of ing such a person 1 I 1 would feel thankful to him to tor till fill it feeling assured that stich nuch men would give satisfaction and that while they were in ijo power powen wen boort government would 1 ju pres preserved elved riu flu tn fit the laud some offu r enemies have come to congress con ss and have llave I complained E F i fv about mormons cormons Mor mons ns boidin holding obo oby office ce if 1 have said gentlemen if you would exclude exclude a mormon formon f from roin holding office because of his ecclesiastical authority you will have to exclude every man 0 of worth in the territory for there Is not dot aman a moan roan of worthin worth in the Territory who docs does not hold some office in our church the shoemaker who works at his bis trade lor isor a living may bi be called anthe sabbath to preach t 0 o the people the carpenter the blacksmith the mason the man who works from monday mor morning ni ng to saturday night may be called calle d upon to preach the tiie gospel of salva galva salvation t lon ion and such demure men are all the time b einz eing called to go to the nations of the carthas earth as ministers of the gospel and if it be a crime for a man to hold a political office who Is a minister ih ili our church then you will have to exclude every man of worth in our territory for our Bishop our most prominent and active business men and there is this feature those who act in this territory they act without pay and the men who distinguish themselves in a the manipulation of their own affairs are generally selected to manage the affairs of the public and they are arc men most suitable to attend to business affair sto act as probate J judges ud el or in any other office when this Is explained it Is ver very rarely you will wll I 1 hear a man moan fint finy find fault but there are ane some who complain about the Alor mormon hierarchy who do not seem to know that it consists of the entire people and that every man of worth professing the faith and religion of the e lat ter day saints belongs to that hierarchy I 1 trust none of the latter day saints are tender on this point I 1 would proclaim rociale it to the world that we llave have such confidence in our lead inc ine men the men who have made this country and who have bave planted our feet in these mountains the iben men who have all the day long iong urged the people e to habits of industry indus and to become self sustaining the tue men who framed our governments our city government or county government our territorial government such as we have today to day and who organized hs kis as we are organized here I 1 say I 1 am not ashamed to acknowledge that I 1 am willing to be led and governed by the couns counsels Ts of men who have done such wonders as we witness on oh every hand call them Apostle them prophets call them bishops call them elders call them anything you please that is honorable I 1 lam iam am not ashamed of it I 1 would just as soon they dictate hs as to have a little caucus do it I 1 have seen these caucuses outside of this territory and among non mormons cormons A few men get together and caucus and plan pian ian lan and arrange and they get up a ticked ticket and lay their wires so that others will will sustain it and the convention will w ili III sustain it and by this means get th their air favorites into power this Is a common practice all over the united states I 1 would deplore it as one of the greatest evils that could occur to us mat there should about be it a scramble for office among amon the latter day saints when two or threet brethren who aspire for office try to divide the people this Is s something to be deplored I 1 therefore have always advocated keeping down our salaries that offices may not be very desirable so that men shall not desire to 9 get et possession of office to nse use it or feel that because they are elected once to office they ought to always have it we should always 1 be bb read ready yand and willing to serve when called upon and just a as willing to decline when when required having at heart the good of the community A great reat many of the members of congress during the last session were exceedingly anxious for tor an early adjournment why that they return home in time to manage the primary meetings |
