| Show ix GENERAL conference the eif elf fifty ty fifth th annual general conference of the church of jesus christ of latter lattey day saints convened in the I 1 logan tabernacle log logan an city on saturday april ath 1885 1883 in pursuance of an announcement by the first presidency I 1 apostle franklin D richards ric Elc hards presided present on the stand of the twelve apostles franklin D richards francis marion marlon lyman john henry smith heber agrant JG rant also a number of presidents of stakes bishops Elder eider sand and other leading brethren f from roin various parts of utah and ind adjacent territories the conference was called calletto to order by president richards Rich aids the logan choir san sang bang glorious things of thee are aro spoken I 1 zion city of our god I 1 the opening prayer was offered by apostle john henry smith the choir san sang 1 f r f it AU our re redeeming deemin g lord nord who joins loins us by ibs ibi 1178 grace PRESIDENT F PD D said it was wa an occasion lor for heartfelt gratitude gratitude that we were permitted to meet anderso favorable circumstances as those that surround us it was a matter of regret however that the presidency of the church were unable to I 1 be present and others othero of our brethren were necessarily absent from this conference if any additional 1 1 evidence were wanted to show that i a this church is no of the world it exi i ests i today notwithstanding the peculiar pecullar surroundings of the saints a ir i brister brn bri day never appeared for le the imo iwo i church than tham this trees jrees that are shaken bythe by the winds seem as if they be torn u up I 1 the soil of the earth i is loosened around the roots ih the Tha trees are thus tested at such A times betimes the tallest of them are most ex 4 i P posed to jhb hurricane it is not therefore a matter of surprise that some of our leading brethren are not I 1 with ith asto us today todar to day dar there are times of winter when the frosts cause the trees ys coshow scarcely any folia geor Feor appear 1 ss ance ance drife but willie white the adverse sy season geason is ohi on the sap down in the ji sa s A roots root sand land if the winds have loosened thel thel earth they are extending them selves 7 and when the season changes the jesuit willbe will be larcer larger and betten belter fruit some ot of codr our oun brethren and sisters may kay feer feel timid tat lat atthe the threatening cona whua exists M but there Is no cause fori for corteal ie alarm it is a time when the it saints ahn can go before the lord ins in secret e obtaining the spirit of revelation that eney may be lea iea leaders ers and instruct rAto borato to their taff faff families illies the present hour finds knots the standing of men and ome ii those who arg are not grounded ia rb th b by the love of it are show PC i themselves and thus the church I 1 is s made purer and db better etter such situations ah of tri trl T periodically necessary to sh separate the corrupt from the pure ir thy to bring us to repent ance anoe of all our shortcomings the f i speaker hoped that those who whet should 4 so follow him in addressing the people would be enabled to feed the flock of christ the saints of cache stake are peculiarly blessed being under the jw ji ve very ry shades of a W temple tempie I 1 e b 1 e 0 of f god lie he pl prayed that the blessing e s ng of the lord might attend the proceedings edings of the conference f 1 BISHOP lavid II 11 cannino N I 1 lor rp lot ot of st george was wa the next speaker 1 nile alle ile lle had been beba called upon to 0 represent I ka ithe ibbe the st george georgo stake of zion the i masses of the people of which were j striving to serve god the threatening c aspect of affairs was causing them to be more unite united ii the stake was somewhat scattered panacea one of its sety tie ments being miles from st george cgeorge and the roads were somewhat difficult to travel at one time there had nad been a go good d deal of speculation as to what would form a line of demarcation between the ri righteous oteous and the t hypocrites it appeared at atone one time abhat the united order which was so iauch advocated by president young would produce that effect and also 4 create that union union that is necessary this thid result has bias not however been bained by that means neither has it brought the sinner to repentance the y present crusade against the saints was cresent having a strong tendency in that direction many W who 0 had been previously Trevious ly J jis ais iaci laci in relation to their duties were r already returning to the lord perse ai Acut cution loni ioni in the shape of hunting and harassing the servants of god and driving tile the innocent from their homes I 1 vils its not only to but also to enable the wick edito fill nil up the cup of M Z ak theirs iniquity after aften which the flie lord will come bome out of ills his hiding place and a evex x this and other nations with a sore f ve vexation aatlo their sufferings will be such as to create sorrow among the saints the speaker testified that the work of god would go on the gospel would 80 be preached in the world in order to lits 1111 lle lie cleave tle y the wicked without excuse and 1 gather at erthe rhe honest and thus prepare at mie wie e way for tha second coming of iChrist the signs sl sins sius ns of bf whose advent are everywhere a parent apparent J the saints may r have to be tried buethe but the just will live boy toy faith falth ant ani stand the testing hour it was through trial that abraham was i t tr t and so thess who shall be 16 among hife flip dh i ildren hildren and be arn irs to tg tha tho rame sumo promas alyen klym to Q bim him and mid as abraham was dellver delivered edio so will ivill the saints saint s J be in the due pime of the lord PRESIDENT preal debt DEIT SILAS S SMITH of san luis luls stake addressed the con arence it had been beell his fortune to be during his identification with the church most of the period of hl his life a resident of frontier settlements the stake to which he de was attached in colorado was composed mostly of people from the southern state states 9 A great many many of had been compelled to leave their former homes on n account of persecution and had mostly reached their new location in an almost penniless condition business was dull and labor scarce but all the institutions and organizations that existed in other parts of the church were established there and are prospering the present attack upon the church had the contrary effect upon the people than that of discouragement the saints were increasing in faith and good works the tho clouds which nad had gathered kate gatE gathered ered will in due line time be dispelled and ind the sunshine of peace appear in renewed splendor PRESIDENT W W cluff of summit stake addressed theaon the conference fer fei ence today to day we are passing through a peculiar experience a time of triai trial but the saints have been anticipating tiei tiel just such scenes these events alve h ave avo all been foretold by the servants ot of god who have lived in indifferent dif dlf dispensations if the saints were not expecting such circum stances fc it would show that they do not have faith in those inspired predictions the world however look upon such euch things as marvelo marvelous us some visitors from abroad express wonder at the animus that is exhibited by some of the people of this nation toward the latter day saints the speaker related expressions to this effect that had bad been made in his bis heaning hearing As had bad already been boen remarked the attacks made upon the saints acted as a L stimulus to cause them to be more faithful it is not a hiew fiew new struggle it has always existed when wian god has had a people on earth who were ready and willing to serve him and it will continue until the power of satan Is destroyed tile the speaker cited the case of daniel damel who was cast into the lions den hose nose those who bo caused the decree to be issued to bring ring about that result imagined they had accomplished something that would effect the destruction of the prophet but he was miraculously preserved so in id other instances related in the scriptures the efforts that are now being made against the church of christ and which it is fondly hoped will accomplish its tion will also finally be overturned the history of this church from its incipiency till now Is full of wonderful deliver ances wrought out by the almighty and the lord will never forsake it the present efforts against it will be just as unfruitful ot the results anticipated by those who are making them as former attempts of the same kind have been ELDER N X C counselor in the presidency of the weber stake was the next speaker the preceding speakers have referred to the peculiar times in which we are living from the time we embraced embrace d the truth we have understood th that at we would have to suffer persecution we have been aware that it would be said bathe by the wicked let zion be dedd deft denied led we have for over thirty years enjoyed comparative immunity from fram persecution and during the lull the gathering of the te elect anif and other departments 1 of I the work of the lord have been forwarded it is gods work and we are merely instruments to 9 be used in building it up we have to be tried that we may mai may laya lays lay a foundation for eternal llory by proving our worthiness under difficulty the present assault upon the liberties of the saints will draw them nearer together that they may be one ane in accordance with the command of our heavenly father they will gain grain a better understanding of the principles and institutions of the kingdom nom of god and be better prepared to carry catry out Hi his swIll we have come out of the nations to do the bidding of god through his servants and andi it itis is to be hoped that we have not because of the cares of the world forgotten our sacred obligations our condition cannot be stationary it must either be forward or retrogressive the choir san sang the anthem I 1 will sing ot of the mercies of the lord nord benediction by apostle heber J grant 1 1 jl j l the choir chol r sana san 1 1 nark hark hark I 1 the rang song of jubilee tta loud almighty as mighty thunders thun ders roar ah t I 1 prayer rayer by apostle heber J gran grant now let us rejoice athe day flay of salvation no longer as strang strangers erso erbo on earth arth need needs we e roam t was sung by the choir elden elben JUNIUS y F WELLS addressed the congregation ile he esteemed it a privilege to bear teotimo testimony I 1 1 y to the truth in the presence of the deop people e of god the saints had assembled 1 in a accordance with ail an annual custom that had been established for more than nifty fifty years sears such occasions had been pregnant with blessings to those who are disposed to obey therill the will of god business has always been transacted at such times that is of great importance to the people of the world ambassadors bass adors for christ are commissioned to go forth bearin bearing the massage of the gospel which is tidings tiding of great borto jov joy to abo honest in heart it R was wits a hu happy time you Inte fiod to thy the preach ing g of wha what po god d haa had revealed fo for r the benefit of his 1119 children you received the message gladly and obeyed it in doing so you laid your worldly prospects on the altar of sacrifice you received the ministrations of the holy ghost and through that medium a witness of the truth because of that testimony you ou gathered to this land that you in might 2 increase in a knowledge of the tho truth and la an consequent obedience to it those who possess the truth are filled with courage for f or such a foundation promotes the highest phase of valor the lord has in this dispensation revealed an order or system of government that f fully ully meets the requirement of the human race because of this revelation the world is arrayed against those who acknowledge it tt it Is but a repetition of what has occurred in the history of the world we know that there Is nothing in the religion that we have espoused that has any other effect than to exalt it and improve those who put it into practice the speaker had he ae said been subjected to many allure ments to lead him from the faith of his father he had asked of those who had llad offered such inducements to show him any truth of a progressive and desirable character that was not incorporated in his religion it was stated in reply that the saints nad had no standing inin society at large that they were degraded the speaker said that the hatred of the world was no evidence against the saints and they were far from being degraded A good deal had been said salci about the status of the you young 14 pd people pie of the community some bad proved recreant burthey but they were exceptions and the majority were stron strong in their integrity brother wells well s said it was far from a proper method to draw him away from the religion of his father to hold up his parents as tiie the type of criminality he lid knew that they had taught him to honor god and walk uprightly and if he did dotso not so conduct hini himself relf self it wak was was no fault of theirs ile he concluded by stating that the gospel developed all that is good in man PRESIDENT adram HATCH of wasatch stake was the next speaker this Is gods work we are in his hands to do as he desires he ile through his servants will instruct us as to what course we should take under all circumstances while listening to what was said by the speakers this morning the mind wandered back to the scenes of illinois when the pro kroph h ec joseph lived and then came nis Js death by violent hands subsequently came the driving of the saints from their homes many people looked upon those t times imes as involving great hardships as the saints had hac done nothing to deserve such treatment being peaceful and law abiding the gathering a to this place under pres president ident young was accomplished the people have established themselves in homes and have spread out on every hand if we are faithful we are as sure to remain here as we live we fear nothing only that we should dowlong do wrong prosperity has in some instances caused us to be proud forgetting that what we wa have received has coile come from the almighty the wasatch stake extends over a large extent of territory it includes wasatch and uintah counties formerly one the people are attentive to their duties being diligent prayerful and sober the little ripple of excitement that has passed over utah has scarcely reached wasatch stake the people are staying at home attending to their farms they feel for their brethren who are harassed by pers persecution elution and do not know but it may come their turn after a while there was very little business for the high council to do disputes being but few and far between there are three indian tribes within the borders of the stake the people archery kind to them and a friendly feeling exists between them and the ther settlers god requires of us obedience to his ills law and to do the labors of life in the spirit of the gospel PRESIDENT E D WOOLLEY of kanab stake addressed the conference lie he left home on te of march to attend the ga gathering therin of the saints ills his residence is in the extreme utah the stake he represented was ina lna in a prosperous condition the number of the people is small but they are generally speaking good latter day saints there are lew few if any permanent residents who do not belong to the church consequently their interests are arc common they feel like sustaining and protecting one another they had passed through some trials of late but they had effected but little harin harm the saints have no occasion to fear times ot of the past lave been more trying let iEr their |
