Show v DISCOURSE BY rhuy PROT JOUN JOHN I 1 at atthe thi quarterly conference in the sail salt lake theatre sunday afternoon january 6 1879 1 REPORTED BY GEO OEO F gibbs I 1 nave HAVE been interested in listening to the remarks that have been made by the brethren who have addressed us during this conference and I 1 propose myself to ommer offer a few reflections that have passed through my mind while listening to the teaching and instruction that has been presented there Is a reeling feeling prevailing more or less among all the branch ea of the human family that the nation or people to which they belong is superior in many respects to others either in government in morals morale in in manufactures fathe lathe in the arts or in religion as the case may be and the latter day saints are not without this sentiment we feel that god has blessed us more abundantly with wisdom and knowledge regarding himself hig hla ways hla hia laws and in relation to eternal our oiin obedience to hla hia will than ho he hab haa others and that wo we are moving ina lna in a higher plane than the rest of the sons and daughters of adam admitting this to be correct there is nothing whereof we as individuals orasa or asa ass people ought to boast II 11 we have received or knowledge pertaining ining either to the present or the future it has been solely through the communications that god has been pleased tomake to make known to us for naturally we are very like liko other men not much taller not much shorter eh orter erter not much more intelligent tell igent not much more mora ignorant than they are there is not so great a diversity among peoples as ome some imagine other things being equal qua it may be well for us to re fleat float a little on tho the position we occupy in relation to others in relation to our zed led ta in relation to trie ene world in which we live and the peoples by whom we are ed to reflect upon the past the present and the facture future and to comprehend comprehends if possible our true status before the alm aim almighty eig olg lity and before all men it is indeed true that god has conferred upon us many great and peculiar blessings for which we are it indebted tobia to him but at tho the bame time the lord feels feela interested iu lu tue the welfare of all men and all p peoples eop les ies of all nations of all creeds and ai d all religions not in their religions as religions but in the people who profess to believe in them and he is acquainted with the peculiar ideas habits dispositions and feelings of men everywhere one of the old apostles in speaking upon these things says god hath bath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth and hath determined the times be fore appointed and the bounds of their habitations that they should seek the lord it i haply they might feel after dimand find him though he be not far from every one of us ug it is further sald said that we are all his offspring and again that he is the god and the father of the spirits of all flesh fl eshand lland consequently he is interested in the welfare of all the thi e human family everywhere among all peoples all nations all kindreds and all tongues now if this be the tho t cabe case which we have no reason to doubt then he is ii interested in all the human alid lie will try to promote their welfare and happiness happi happl nem ao so farl far as he is clip capable of doing according inato to cejtin talu tain laws by which he bb himself Is governed as well zei sef as all itil things in creation aher aner the learning webard web we weh have avo avd heard so much about abou t is simply a knowledge know ledge ledga of bf some principles associated with those laws which chare ChUre aru are generally denominated the tho laws of nature in iti relation to the nat nations ionEl or peoples the luord lord will do ns as well by them as they will let iet him and as far as the laws by which he is governed will permit just the same as we would towards our children we fathers and mothers have children they do not always do as we would like to have them do but we wish to look over their frailties and imperfections feat ions lons as much as pose possible ble bie but when it comes to cert certain at 11 points then both father and mother mot h er have kostop to stop atop if our oar children violate the laws of the land they have to bo be judged by those laws and we can not prevent it neither should we try to still our feelings are drawn out towards our families and it right and natural they should be for these paternal feelings are planted in the human breast by the almighty it la Is therefore proper we should have affection and manifest kindness forbearance lonz ions summering buffering towards all our children and all those with whom are associated god bas baa this of feeling towards his children and it is a portion of the spirit emanates from him that prompts this affection and regard for our offspring these things are connected also aiso with other mattens matters we try to look after the welfare of our childre nwe try that Us la those who are not utterly depraved to lead them in the right paths and to influence their minda und nd their morals and to teach them correctly both in relation to religion education and morals as well as secular mat matters 0 order that they may become intelligent men and women capable of sustaining themselves I 1 that they may improve the talents god has given them and alid that they may be able to comprehend so bome some me few of the laws at least by which the creations the tho worlds are governed and the principles by chiah we are surrounded la in this world as also a knowledge of the laws of life this ii Is all very proper and it Is also proper that men should should cultivate pleaman t relations and have a good kind feeling towards others one on of the greatest evils alluded to in holy writ that it is said would dev developed elope itself in the last days is thus delineated an in the last days perilous times shall come for men shall be lovers of their thein own selves instead of having that kino kind feindt brotherly affectionate feeling towards others they shall be lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud blaspheme blasphemers rs disobedient to parents unthankful unholy without natural affection truce breakers false faise accusers in continent continents fierce despisers despi sers aers of those who arg are good trailers heady high minded lovers of pleasure more than lovers of god having a jormon godliness but denying the power thereof br as being one of the greatest evils evila that could exist among men As I 1 before stated we have a regard for our children and god has also a regard for us we wish to train our children in the way we wish them to go other people wish to do the same talk about the catholics methodists rians riana baptists baptista and other den denominations omina no matter what their ideas or feelings may be no matter how inconsistent and foolish we may regard their manner of worship yet many of them are quite sincere in trying to benefit their children and god is sincere in trying to promote their happiness and welfare as well as he is ours both in regard to this world and the world to come and hence he will do the best beat he possibly can with all peoples people s but aa as I 1 stated slated before being governed by laws law he can only treat them according to their merits they will be judged according to the deeds done in the body whether those deeds be good or evil and when that judgment takes place all men will have to abide its award there bisno is no appeal from it no court to which they can have access whereby they can change the decree of the almighty the lord knows this and he has prepared certain classes so to speak in his school here upon the earth for his people and aud for all the world and he has provided a means of instruction for the inhabitants of the earth looking upon them as eternal immortal beings having to do with time and eternity but all things aa as I 1 remarked are under the influence cont conti oland zoland government of law just lust as much as the planetary system with which wo we are connected is governed by law it makes no difference what a few of us may do or how bow the world may act the sun rises and bets sets regularly the earth revolves upon its axis and eo so it is with all the planetary systems there is no confusion no disorder in any of the movements of the heavenly bodies they are governed by a science and intelligence that is beyond the reach of men in mortality yet they move strictly according to certain laws by which all of them have been are and will be governed and these these laws are under the surveillance and control of the great lawgiver law giver who manages controls and directs all these worlds if it were not the case they would move through space in wild confusion and system would rush against system and worlds upon worlds would bo be destroyed to gether with their inhabitants but bat they are govern governed pd by a superhuman power by a spirit and intelligence that dwells in the bosom of the gods about which mankind knows but very wery little nis his it is BO so with regard to all the forces of nature the earth on which we stand the elements ele eie menta ol 01 which it is composed the air we breathe the water we drink and everything in nature is governed strictly according to immutable eternal eter nai nal unchangeable laws practically philosophical and strictly scientific 1 if 1 these terms are preferred but they te y are nevertheless placed there by the almighty now in regard to the world and the position we occupy in it there is something peculiar about the re lations hip bip we sustain to the world of mankina mankind warn we are eur rounded it is not proper for us to be censorious to upbraid people for things that they do not comprehend and that are beyond their ken we should be courteous and charitable to all and not find fault with men because they do not comprehend things as we understand them but try to understand our true position and the relationship we sustain to our oun heavenly father to his laws to the peoples with whom we associate and to the world in which we live we read of many prominent men who have exsted existed in the world in various ages for instance there was adam beth hobb hoch Me methuen thusa leh koah noah abraham moses the prophets jesus and his disciples the people who came to this continent ether and the brother ef of jared lehi lehl and aad nepal alma moroni and many other prominent individuals who held heid intercourse with the ty wb who 0 were placed b by y the lord in a position whereby they could receive communications from him could learn his bis will and teach it to others we look upon these men as great men and justly too as wise men raen as intelligent and philanthropic ic men as men who were interested not only in their welfare e but inthe in the welfare of the peoples b by whom they were surrounded and the world would in which they lived men mea dad noe aoe ooma coma ar div did censors of the world they did not come to aggrandize themselves to build themselves up nor to control or coerce others what was the great blessing conferred upon abraham 2 11 in rn thee shall all the tami lies of the earth be bless biess blessed edn not cursed not destroyed not annihilated but as a messenger of god as the elect of heaven as a man whom he had chosen to accomplish his work and whom be he would use uee through those principles that existed in eternity to pour blessings upon fallen humanity that was the feeling which was manifested as I 1 understand it itis it is true that abraham when a parcel of thieves came along in the shape of a confederation of kings hinge and took away his bis nephew and others and despoiled them ot of their good goods that he gathered together his ho household olds pursued them and smote many of them and delivered those they designed to oppress and brought the captives back again to their own places and when he had done it what then why said eaid they abraham you have done a good deed you have delivered us and brought I 1 back this spoil taku tako what you please but he told them that be he did not want any of it you were injured robbed and despoiled and carried captive these those men came upon you and fraudulently despoiled you of your goods and here la Is my may nephew lot who is an honorable man and one in whom I 1 am particularly interested and I 1 was only doing for you what one man ought to do for another I 1 will take none of the spoils here are these young men who were with me you may give them what you jou you like but you shall not have cause to say that you made abraham rich prominent men who were the descendants of abraham acted in the same earn way true benevolence makes all cosmopolitans it has been the feeling the design of all good men to benefit their fellow men and eyen even the philosophy of the heathen has advocated this to a certain extent what was the message of moses mosea when he was sent as a deliverer to the children of israel whom the ungodly egyptians had bad oppressed and made slaves of he as the sent of god delivered a message thus saith the lord let my people israel go A message of mercy to israel and not even injurious to the egyptians unless unies s opposed by them did he de deliver them by any inherent wisdom or intelligence in him no but by tho power of tho almighty by the tho revelations ef of god and by the intelligence telli gence that god gave to him hla hia labor was especially a message to deliver israel from bondage and unjust oppression H he 0 brought them out and god wo worked aked with him and when their enemies pursued them he protected them he opened the sea and made mado the waves stand up while they passed over dry shod some of these phi people I 1 do not call them scientists but ignoramus ignoramuses es eay says that is contrary to the laws of nature but it is not contrary to the laws of god nor the power of god 1 for he can do things just aa he plea plen pleases seb sep and manago manage them according to his own will and purposes and he is acquainted with other laws in nature of shiell men ruen are ignorant moses we are aret told was a stranger in a strange land where he saw a bush that burned with fire nire and the bush was not consumed it might be said that this was contrary to natures jaws laws also and a voice spoke to him which proceeded from the bush buah telling him to take the shoes from off his feet for the ground whereon he stood was holy also telling him that he was a chosen messenger of the lord to accomplish a certain work and the lord taught and instructed him and moses went before the king of egypt and the powers thereof and delivered the message that god had bad given unto him it was not a very agreeable message for them to hear nor a very pleasant one for him to communicate but he was a man of god and had the fear of god before him the lord had selected him as an instrument and although comprehending his weakness he shrank not from the responsibility but went forth in the nance dance of israels israelis god to perform the commission committed to his bis care and he be delivered the israelites it is true they were rebell rebeil rebellious feus and ignorant and it is true they were self willed and many of them were very corrupt it is true they could not endure the light of the blessings of the gospel and it is also true that when god would have made of them a kingdom of priests they utile mot receive that khat dri esth dod nor be governed by its influence he fie then took from them the mel ch isedee priesthood leaving them the lesser or prie priesthood Abood because they would not and were not competent to magnify the du ties of the greater and of that they were necessarily deprived what then god did tho the best he could with them as he be has bas done with every |