| Show PRESIDENT SMOOT ON THE LOCAL SITUATION AT provo on sunday february the con congregation re gation which convened at the tabernacle of that town was addressed A by president A 0 smoot A synopsis of his remarks appeared in and they were so apropos to the existing situation that we here reproduce the condensed report trusting that they will be duly weighed and considered by the latter day saints as they certainly should be 1 I avail myself odthe of the opportunity to tally talk taik to my brethren and sisters upon the subjects that immediately 1 concern us the subjects of the hour YI I 1 am often inquired of as to why the lord suffers his people to be persecuted by the enemies of righteousness the reasons are ure so numerous that it would require more than thau one discourse to portray them it I 1 f understood that at present there la an organized unorganized crusade against us having its origin at the head ot our government 1 can recollect about one liula century ago from the time I 1 accepted the gospel until the present time thi that at the enemy has been in our oar wake taking faking advantage of every opportunity to tb persecute us and god has as promised us protection only onla through obediente to As his laws in the thi e early rise of this church god several tieu tims tirus s commanded ills people to build a temple tempie but they were so poor they lound found excuses and began to speculate and acquire means heeding not the commandments of goethe resul regul that they were driven f from rom their homes at the she sacrifice of property enough to build a temple several beveral t times I 1 mes were the saints driven from their homes for not heeding the words of the lord and for acting according to their own will at nauvoo this Saints built a temple and a f few ew entered therein and took u upon them the sacred ordinances of tre the house of god joseph smith in obedience to revelation organized a company to journey to the valleys of the rocky mountains lie lle find his followers took up their march match but some followed him and up braided him for leaving the theO hurch church and he was tyas taken back to the slaughter but the project was not forgotten and etwas it was left to brigham young lo 10 nil 1111 the pro gramme he led us to these thebe mountains perhaps many are aro familiar with the early settlement of this country then we had been whipped and driven and were humble hence the lord prospered us many times things looked dark but the lord always provided us with food and raiment ile he has since blessed us ile he fostered us in our weakness he has busta sustained hied lied us as a community how grateful have we been are we obedient and faithful in kee keeping pine pins ithe commandments of god if 11 so all Is well it if not we will be bro brought tight by persecution to a knowledge of the fact god signified to brigham youn young t that a t f we should cooperate and sustain 0 one u e another to build u up those who would build up zion to teai teal deai deal with those who would sustain zion this was wa observed by the people for 9 while but how is it today to day and why persecuted why are we persecuted on the right and on the left by our enemies these are important q questions who have fostered and sustained oui our enemies the latter laiter day dax saints they have acted of their own will and ignored to a certain extent co opera inand enaud tion and as it were have placed the sword in t the he hands 0 of our enemies to cut our throats with before brigham young died he laid down some rules as to how howl we should exercise for recreation tile the people must needs see ail all that babylon sees and our stages were crowded with the plays of babylon our dancing regulations have been violated and lately the council of the twelve have taken this up the number of round dances iu in one evening has been reduced to two and I 1 ain am conscience smitten when I 1 8 see ee the rules of the party parly violated we carry our dancing d to an extreme and this is Is a gg growing wro evil in zion this being bisp displeasing easi to god he may suffer us t to 0 be scourged urged but just how we do not know the object of our enemies is ts to scatter the shepherds of our flock polygamy Is the text in all places from the drinking to the presidents cabinet but polygamy Is not the reason for our being persecuted the reason Is to a certain extent because echaus e we have done wrong and if we persist in our evil god will let loose the dogs of war and purify us even if he has scourge us will the elders who hav so important a mission to perform demoralize the spirit of god by their wron wrongdoings wrung wrong doings it so god will punish them these words of warning if I 1 feel eel it my duty to give to israel |
