Show RELIGIOUS proceedings religious services were held in the tabernacle salt lake city on sunday december SM 1888 commencing at 2 p mi president angus M cannon presiding the cho chol irand vand congregation sang Mor mortals tais awake with angels join and chant the solemn lay prayer by elder H P richards the choir sang at first the babe of bethlehem of week meek ao and humble mien the priesthood of the thirteenth ward officiated in the administration of the sacrament JOHN MORGAN ada called to address the congregation ile he said he was thankful for the privilege of meeting with the saints under such peaceful and favorable circumstances the privileges afforded in this Za capacity pacify are am seasons of feasting wherein the saints axe are strengthened in the performance fo for mance of otheir their duties this is the last sabbath in the year 1888 and by bj next sabbath the records of the year now closing will be swallowed up in the eternity of the past bu but t the year before us is as a blank sheet to be written upon by the deeds of the next twelve months this is a momentous time alm and the santa saints should reflect upon the position they occupy no people today are in such a peculiar position as we am are not only as to geographical situation but in a religious social and political sense no people on the earth are so completely misapprehended apprehended mis as aa are the latter day saints when we contrast the ideas of the world with the knowledge of those acquainted with the benl genius us of the work we a are r e engaged in there is a vast difference looked upon as deluded ignorant arid ard fanatical fanatic hl we are ostracized ostracised by all the nations af f the earth and all ranks of society the human family famili has become so imbued with sentiments tir dents adverse to the saints that it would seem that generations of time must elapse before a proper understanding of the principles embraced by the saints will be arrived at but those who have witnessed the growth of the church must acknowledge that there is something wonderful in it to tb give it such vitality some twelve or thirteen years ago I 1 when traveling in the state of illi nois as a missionary I 1 remained over night in the vicinity of where ex governor thomas ford died and was buried the neighbors in the immediate locality gave me a recital of his death and burial in the library of the gentleman at whose house I 1 was stopping there was a history of the state of illinois in looking over it casually I 1 read that portion of it which alluded to the scenes at nauvoo and the martyrdom of the prophet and patriarch in carthage jail in closing up the chapter the writer made these remarks let no one imagine that mormonism is dead because of the death of joseph smith and hyrum hymen smith perchance it may be that those who read this volume will live to see the time when palmyra in new york artland in ohio par west and independence in missouri and nauvoo in illinois shall become holy places to be yet visited by the thousands of followers of the slain prophet and perchance it may be that some future historian will record that I 1 thomas ford governor of illinois was the pontius pilate in the history and career of joseph smith reading beading this history published half a century afterwards I 1 was struck with almost the commencing line in one of the chapters of the history of joseph smith recently published wherein the writer states that thomas ford was the pontius pilate in the history and career of joseph smith here was a man not connected connect eti with the latter day saints here was a man who had in his weakness in his cowardice and in his imbecility allowed the spirit sp rit of the prophets to flow through him for a moment the record of those who have opposed the saints should be a warning to those who place themselves Ina in a similar position today incer it certainly should warn them what the harvest will be for truly the word of the lord is fulfilled that the hand that to Is lifted against zion shall not prosper while the hand that is raised in her defense shall grow and increase in all that is good those who are keeping in their hearts the spirit of the gospel are ready for every good work they are walking in the light of the truth while those who are walking in the darkness and shadow have doubts and fears but to the faithful saint there is no doubt of the outcome he knows full well the result of the work which god has set his hand to do difficulties have been met from the outset but is not that natural could we expect this great work to be accomplished without opposition and persecution when we consider the suffering and agony that have always been the price of the establishment lish ment of a true principle but for the providence of god the work would indeed have soon own passed away but his hand has been over lt it the salvation of our lord has baa been manifested and the saints have come out of difficulty unscathed in this connection I 1 am reminded of an incident which I 1 had related to me in regard to one of our young brothers laboring in the state of iowa as a borne bome years ago there are a great many people located along the missouri Biver River through missouri Misso url iowa kansas and nebraska who once had a name and standing in the midst of the latter day saints they have stopped by the wayside and are no longer associated with those who are alive in the work in a neighborhood composed principally of this class of people the young elder was raising his bis voice in proclamation of the truth it at a meeting convened at one of the district schoolhouses while so engaged one man who evidently felt that the elder was a little forcible rose in his place and interrupting him stated to him and to the congregation my father was in nauvoo he knew the prophet joseph and brigham young and the twelve and my father heard the prophet joseph say that if ever brigham Brig harn young led the church he would lead it to hell the young man had not had very much experience peri ence and of course felt a little perplexed by a remark of this kind in public lie he hesitated a moment and then gave his reply in this w wise 1 I never was in nauvoo myself I 1 never met the prophet joseph I 1 do not know whether he ever made such a remark or not I 1 have heard that he did but whether or not he did make it it was all true that brigham young led the church he led it down into hell and out on the other side and you people that we find here are the charred bones that could not stand the f fire re as it went by and were left by the wayside so we find fidd today in the fires of persecution as they ahey rage about the latter day saints there are those who cannot stand the fire and as ais a result we find them stopping by the wayside all along back in the history of the church but I 1 ask you has it paid them to do so has it paid them to stop and allow this work to go on without them god rules and will continue so to do and will be justified in all ilis his works in the commencement of the new year let us see if we are firmly planted on the rock of truth and are in the narrow way that thai leads back to our fathers presence or whether we are neglectful of our duties and are walking in danger there is safety only in the path of duty man made schemes will not bring salvation but the principles of the gospel have been restored with the authority to act in its ordinances and obedience to those principles will lead men to eternal life the condition the human family are should be an evidence to them that the time has come for the establishment of truth and righteousness or as I 1 heard a gentleman not a member of the church once say when he was found fault with for caring for a mormon missionary if joseph joeeph smith was not a prophet he should have been for we need one bad enough the lord knows f when we reflect on the condition that exists in the world do we not real realize the necessity for something to save those of the hum human n family that will be saved religiously socially and politically should there not be something done to save the world from its tendency today I 1 rejoice in being able to testify that prix principles have been revealed which wu will 1 accomplish this work of salvation if the world will receive them may the peace of god be on zion and in all her abiding places and the king dom of god be established J APOSTLE MOSES was the next speaker he said lie he had not thought of being called to j speak today as the labors of the past s week had been severe and he did not feel that he had the physical i strength to make the congregation hear the remarks made by we the previous speaker referring to the misapprehension under which we labor caused a train of thought to pass through my mind that may be of some benefit god has not had bad a servant on the earth who has not been in a similar position at no time was there a people who bell believed eved in revelation who were not misunderstood der stood abelgas abel was not understood by his brother cain and ther therefore ekre lost his bis life noah and abraham were also misunderstood as aa were isaac jacob joseph job amish ezekiel Eze klel daniel and others they were not only misunderstood but were falsely accused as we have been and had to labor under those difficulties no person was so little understood and so falsely accused by the generation in which he was on earth as was the savior of the world who was even accused of being beelzebub himself they who followed him were misunderstood those who garnished the graves of the dead prophets sought to slay the living ones there must be a motive for all this and we must look for it beyond the garden of eden before the foundations of the earth were laid there was a council around the throne of god there Ther eWas was a great subject under discussion the salvation of the whole human family before that council was discussed the problem that agitates the world today the great warfare that will continue till christ will reign as xing king of kings was also allo discussed there satan proposed to save every human being through a plan of coercion and demanded the glory and honor of but christ the first born proposed the plan of sacrifice he recognized his bathers Pa position and labors prom from that time the warfare commenced one third of the heavenly host it followed the autocratic and imperious lucifer the other two thirds followed michael and those who fought for the free agency of tamn man were triumphant and lucifer and his hosts were cast out if the PO pare and upright are falsely accused it to is debause Ite cause satan batan continues his warto as he commenced it and will continue it till he christ is overcome by there have are millions perhaps who been made to believe that the l after day saints ate are a wicked PJ PW just st as there th peo ere were who thou thought many they were doing god gods s service jesus when they hey slew SIM the followers of law of christ the gospel aspel ospel is a perfect liberty and the struggle is upon this basis one seeking to maintain the jhb free age agency of ncy mankind and afi the other the principle ff coercion the the wf awful scenes knes enacted by the inquisition 1011 by nero by charles IX were the work of the power that advocates coercion that is the po power that has bas ever brought arid and carnage sorrow dw among men but those glose who follow jesus we are free the lat ter day saints are the freest of ear earths s people today they are not dominated by priede raft they are mt cast out by the world and in them am are the elements element characteristic of a free and inde independent pendent people there are an many eaf even n in this nation who bellve believe that the president I 1 of our church is responsible to rf none ie while all axe are responsible to hl him this ia wrong ng for the founds tion of the church government la Is the principle of the consent of the governed there are three things necessary for holding office in the church first th the e nomination by proper authority second the consent of the people to sustain that officer third ordination by the power of the priesthood or the authority of god there is no man who is not subservient to the courts of the church we refer to our territorial government as one which we dislike we have no choice in its principal officers it is a system of government without the consent of the governed we do not believe in such a government there is not a line in the constitution that justifies it from the beginning to the end there is not a breath of the spirit of god in the declaration of independence which Ju justifies it in the least and the people 0 01 the territory ought to be as free to govern themselves as the people of a state they believe that after they shall ahall have been misrepresented and borne it patiently after they shall have been cast into the pit and sold into bondage that god will deliver them and make them the saviors of the nation we are not aliens as has been misrepresented but we are amerlean american citizens god has made maae us ug free not only in the of the gospel but free in the declaration cl of human rights and by and bye when our brethren and the nation understand us better they will receive us gladly as did those who sold their brother into egypt may god speed the time when every man and woman shall be understood as they are and then the kingdom of god will not be looked upon with envy hatred jealousy and dread but every christian hepa heart that beats for freedom will welcome the coming of him whose right it is to reign the choir sang the anthem i while shepherds watch their flocks fircks by night benediction by counselor daniel H wells Marl M ar copa stake the Mario opa stake held a conference on sunday and monday december rd and in mess mesa president C 1 I robson bobson presiding the reports of the different wards quorums and associations showed them to be in a fair spiritual condition the subjects treated were the proper culture of our youth word of wisdom education care of de ane poor and obedience president robson closed with a strong exhortation to the saints to preserve their homes intact much rain min fell within the PRA past week GEO clerk sunday school conference the superintendents assistants officers and teachers of utah stake sunday schools met on saturday morning dec 1888 at the stake priesthood room boom after singing and prayer by elder george webb the roll was called eighteen schools were represented with quite a number of officers and teachers from the wards superintendent D john said they had called that meeting to adopt some better plan in their schools it was suggested that they should all have a uniform system of administering lat ering the sacrament nt some schools adopted one plan and some another he urged the necessity of monthly lectures in each ward of the stake and where there was more than one school in a ward all might meet together and have short lectures interspersed with singing our se schools he continued have their anniversaries and jubilees jubil ees so arranged that two or three schools do not meet at the same time so that the stake superintendent in or his assistants can be present assistant superintendent 8 S jones remarked that they had met to agree mutually on the plans suggested for the future good of the schools and they can exchange their ideas and express their views on the various subjects which had been laid wore before them assistant superintendent G H brimhall was particularly interested in these matters he had visited the schools in thi the stake heartily agreed with monthly lectures and was in favor of framing subjects on the bible the book oi mormon and other church works for the teachers of classes in the stake by this method they could teach their pupils the principles of the gospel assistant george webb favored every move and plan of his bis co laborers |