| Show GENERAL IF RAL conference the fiat fifty y ninth general annual ChT of the church of jesus of latter day saints v VR e oya ean 0 lt led ed in ill th the tabernacle salt lake y at 10 a in april ath 1889 the here re were on the stand of the bilford of the twelve apostles woodruff lorenzo snow gyin A richards george Q on moses thatcher Tha teher john SKy mith heber J grant and ta 3 n W taylor of counselors to p twelve iba daniel niel H wells john hn smith of the glenry besa mariman Mr bounell of the seventies st iman riman jacob gates 6 11 cannon seymour B john morgan of the pre 2 bishopric B preston adb rt T burton john R winder there were also present a large nu number niber of presidents of stakes and other prominent brethren from various parts of utah and surrounding states and territories conference was called to order by president wilford woodruff the choir sang all hail the glorious day by t prophets long foretold when with harmonious lay the sheep of israels fold on zions ziona till bill his praise proclaim and shout hosanna to his name the opening prayer was offered by apostle moses thatcher singing by the choir the great and glorious gospel light has ushered forth unto my sight which in my soul I 1 have received from bondage and from death relieved PRESIDENT WILFORD WOODRUFF said I 1 feel that our hearts should be fired filled with gratitude and thanksgiving to our heavenly father this morning fr for the blessings which we enjoy we have again n the privilege of assembling b in the tabernacle of 0 our u r god to hold the general conference and while we attend this conference I 1 hope that our hearts may be lifted up in prayer to our heavenly father that we may enjoy and receive his holy spirit that our hearts may be united together that the spirit of god may be with us to instruct us and guide us and direct us in our teaching our counsel our labor while we are here together in this capacity I 1 feel thankful myself to have the privilege of once raone meeting with the latter day dal saints under these conditions I 1 feel that the lord has been very merciful to us in granting us this privilege and the benefits which we have enjoyed in these valleys of the mountains we will call upon our brethren to bear their testimony and teach and instruct us as they shall be led by the holy spirit APOSTLE HEBER J GRANT expressed his pleasure at once more meeting the saints in general conference he said substantially I 1 trust we may be blessed with the spirit of god that we e may be strengthened in the faith of mayg the gospel os and that we may form resola eions and adhere to them that will enable us to be more energetic in keeping the commandments command mente of our heavenly father the longer I 1 live and the more experience I 1 gain the more gratitude I 1 feel for the breadth of the mercy of the almighty to all mankind none can read the revelations given to the saints with an unbiased mind without being grateful for the principles I 1 communicated to this people we e are liable to become narrowed in n our conceptions of the glories and economy of god and lose sight of the fact that he is the father of all peoples it is however difficult to realize real ize that he fie will bless even those who oppose his work we should remember that it is according to his design to in course of time save all mankind except the sons of perdition the saints are accused of being illiberal in their views this is unjust to those who understand the true genius of the gospel of course there are those among us who are contracted tr because they do not understand the scope of the plan of salvation and do not live according to their requirements this is no fault of the system but the wrong lies in those who do not conform to it we are called upon to proclaim the fu fullness 11 of the gospel to all peoples until christ shall come all will be rewarded according to the tee deeds done in the body there is but one individual in every case came capable of impeding the progress toward salvation of those who nave have professed to embrace the gospel that is the person himself A disposition to run in gro grooves oviEs to is often sown shown by people belonging to the church they select one principle and follow that to the exclusion or neglect of other doctrines of equal importance we must conform to the whole item and thus erect a perfect individual religious structure we should not merely follow those principles in our practice that are am easy of appU application cation to us because of our natures or circumstances those wag imagine that merely to know that the gospel is true as a whole will save them in the presence of god without reducing the doctrines to practice are laborin laboring under a delusion it is in line with sitf the sectarian idea of the efficacy of deathbed death bed repentance which is a fallacy imbued with this error some people p le have held that a murderer r by y a confession of faith at the last moment before he expiates his crime upon the scaffold will be saved while his victim who probably made no such profession for want of time perhaps will be lost the breaking of every law brings its own punishment and the keeping of the law brings its reward unless the conditions of future reward are complied with it will not be forthcoming inge I 1 desire to overcome my shortcomings realizing that I 1 cannot attain to a glorious destiny in afia other way he who trusts in the arm of flesh will have nothing to loan lean upon in the day of final j judge ment but he who takes the holy spirit for his guide will be enabled to paw pass by the angels and the gods god to his exaltation unless we are so guided we are liable to meet with obstacles that will cause us to stumble and perhaps fall brother grant concluded with a forcible exhortation to personal righteousness APOSTLE JOHN HENRY HENBY SMITH SAUTH said he was a believer in the fullness of the gospel as revealed anew in this age it is rational and man can rely upon it there is no promise 0 m made in that gospel but 1 is gr based a se d upon po mans doing something ng to obtain 0 b its fulfillment fulfilment in none of the walks of life have I 1 been enabled to see that the rewards that men and woman receive are the result of negligence we can never obtain any good thing but through the exercise of the powers we possess and by which we seek to secure the same to some blessin blessings appear a to come easily but it 9 oe observable that when such is the case the boon is appreciated but lightly I 1 am so dee deeply ay fixed in my own view as tole to the need of practical religion that there is but little room in me for theories established by the wisdom or gifts gifts of men rewards are the resu result ft of performance this is a elear clear proposition and by its aid one is able to clearly go to work for the production of practical results when the divine master proposes to give rewards to men as a result of the purity of their motives the exercise of their faculties the use of their powers this is indeed of worth thus comes to us in this day through the revelation of correct principle a glorious field for intelligent operation it is inconsistent to expect the reward without the performance of the labor on which its production is predicated ica when en me men reflect e upon on the he idea as presented to us aby by brother brather grant that they can disobey these laws and conditions continuously can revel in wickedness and sin and expect the reward of righteousness they are deceiving themselves how inconsistent to outrage every law and requirement of heaven and expect to stand an equal chance with the obedient those who have done right and have sought to fulfil fulfill in all respects the requirements quire ments of high heaven there are none of us who are the fathers and mothers of families but who know with our hearts the abiding confidence we have in the dutiful son in the thoughtful daughter in the consistent and upright child while the wayward and thoughtless cause us anxiety concern and deep regrets we may cling to the latter and labor in their interests to train them in the way of light and into them a love of honor and truth but that confidence dence and that love are not so fixed in them as in the obedient the upright and the thoughtful we can only judge of things pertaining to the future and the judgments that will be meted out to the sons and daughters of men in some measure by those things which present themselves in our present experience we have gathered from the world to these mountains and have come for the purpose of keeping ourselves in practical training in the principles of life theoretically received in the first place many of th the e preachers to whom we had previously listened had been of the opinion that no matter what might be a mans weekday week day practice so long as he was devout on the sabbath he was wag relieved from great responsibility those who have been warned and forewarned through the medium of the gospel fullness should take heed to the greater requirements quire ments now imposed upon them those who have entered into holy places laces should remember the obligation lion of chastity imposed by the divine master they took upon themselves there need be no mistake regarding those requirements they pertain to the higher hig her law forming fo the basis of future exaltation these things cannot be too deeply impressed upon the minds of the young they should be taught that they ought to prefer to sacrifice life 1 rather than their virtue this should be embodied in our teachings nesboth both by precept and example thus will the hosts of israel become pure and clean in the sight of the almighty how great is the importance porta nce of this instruction unless virtue is practiced sad indeed will be the condition of the community comm community unit T to be exemplars and inspru instructors rs in this regard is one of the chief duties of parents there should be instituted with all saints a searching self scrutiny the inquiry should be whether they individually have been living according to their professions fes in in relation to the purity of conduct of the young there has been a large measure of success as thousands of the youth of botti bof sexes would I 1 am satisfied rather give up life than sacrifice their virtue yet the seducer is abroad and nothing should be more closely guarded than chastity ELDER CHARLES W PENROSE said he could echo the words of president woodruff uttered at the opening of the conference that our hearts should be filled with joy and gratitude because of the privileges we enjoy enily such is my condition I 1 am in full faith of the principles of the gospel my heart is engaged in this work such has been the case ever since I 1 first rec received it I 1 know the doctrines are true and I 1 am willing to bear testimony to them wherever my lot may be cast I 1 have not been idle since my absence from you but have been bee busily engaged in forwarding forward forwarding the interests of the work of god I 1 endorse the principles that have been advanced here this morning we will be rewarded according to our lives and opportunities and so shall we be judged the lord offers rewards for good deeds and for good actions because of our condition the time will come when neither rewards nor punishments will affect our course when on a higher plane we will do right for the love of it and refrain from wrong because of its being wrong we should so far as practicable reach after and approximate to that condition in this mortal sphere it is to that state that god go wishes to bring us he desires us to be influenced by the holy spirit S irit which is the mind of uw god the T ve lord is just and it is well that he will not judge us as we sometimes judge each other man views the outward evidences god comprehends compre pre bends ends all the circumstances motives and temptations lea leading dLag to the courses we pursue he will also judge according to the principle 6 le of oi mercy which however WJ aiu not rob justice both principles will meet together and each have its ia due we should think of this when we attempt to sit in judar judgment nent upon each oth otherie erWe have no right to toj judge audgo dersons er sons unless we are pointed appointed to perform that function age be not too cons censorious orious especially regarding the th acts of those set to guide the rf at fairs of the church each should rather sit in judgment upon than upon his neighbor there a are times and places when and where w to talk and to be silent we should find out where these times and an pla places cesare are we should do awre elrean iL rean and talk falk less if we did we would place fewer stumbling blocks in our own way and in the way of our neighbor will As we show ourselves here so wua we be placed in the world to come if we are not entitled to an exalts exalt ton tion we will sot get it if we are worthy of it we will obtain it n matter what may be thought of colw Us by our brethren and sisters when we get there we will be valued value for what we are no ta iatter as to appearances let us be merciful and charitable and a help each other and put vv no stumbling block in the way of our 0 neighbors it is bad enouf enough gh for blin who has sinned that he has done su so FOB I 1 F him there is sorrow and hula fit aaion X without more being bein g annec essa rily heaped upon him may y we learn to overcome evil and devote ue ourselves to the interests of the kingdom of god that the crowns aw inheritances of the just way may be our the choir sang 0 my father thou that dwell dwelle eat ot in the high and glorious gloriene gl orione I 1 when shall I 1 regain thy PrOse presence neef and again behold thy dlce closing prayer by president angus aap M cannon adjourned till 2 pm saturday Aftem proceedings resumed at 2 p 01 singing by the choir glorious things of ef thee are spoken zion city of our god lie he whose word cau can not be broken chose thee for his own abode prayer by bishop orson F whitney singing were not ashamed to own our lord and worship klim him on earth APOSTLE MOSES THATCHER addressed the assemblage his remarks being substantially as follows I 1 feel the need of the faith fad prayers players of the saints unless the elders alders are inspired by the holy spirit there is little profit in their utterances may my remarks be of a character to forward the interests of f truth and righteousness I 1 am glAte grateful ful to the lord for his mercy and kindness to this people we are favored with the presence of f a greater number aber of apostles now than we have had for several 5 ral years we meet under the tev presidency re of brother wilford woodruff to those who 0 o have been suf suffering flaring wrong these hese are great privileges leges when alien vve w meet as we xo do now we should beseech the lord for his spirit that we may be united with each other and exercise a great degree of faith tu us fulfilling the prayer of to tte w the father regarding the prin ale aple of unity unless we are e we are not in the full sense nse the people of god we would should conduct ourselves in a way to w tend to bring this to pass to be baited united we must also be in the e bond of union in temporal things if this course be taken there ere might be restored the condi lon which existed among the ancient Nep hites when every man dealt alt justly with his neighbor hi that JP p I 1 e however lost that bi r essed s state site subsequently indulged al pride disputations disputatious aw ami d general righteousness all proper action Is 8 the product of correct belief the forrler cormer being a product of the latter the rhe speaker gave details of the es Ush ment I 1 in ri one of the counties of utah in 1874 of a board of trade which undertook the exportation of beat wheat to the pacific coast A mu wa agreement was entered into i 1101 the producers for mutual the business was done |
