Show sunday services religious services were held at the tabernacle bernacle ra salt lake city sunday april 12 1891 commencing at 2 rpm pm president angus M cannon presiding the choir and congregation sang aang the hymn commencing do what is ie right the day dawn is breaking hailing a future of freedom and light prayer by elder hamilton G park the choir sang the hymn come deaett lord descend and dwell by faith and love in every breast the priesthood of the twentieth ward officiated in the administration of the sacrament APOSTLE JOHN HENRY HENBY SMITH addressed the congregation bially as am follow my desire is that during the time I 1 shall occupy I 1 may have your sympathy and the aid of your prayers and that I 1 may have the fellowship of the holy spirit I 1 have been led to wonder many times that the savior in sending forth his hie bisci ples pies should instruct them that it if they were taken before rulers and judges they should take no consideration beforehand as 88 to what they should say for it strikes one as singular in this day when the habit has become so common to make preparations for speaking on all occasions of a public character and yet jet to the latter day saints this to is not peculiar nor is 18 it in the least strange for our schooling from the commencement of the work we are engaged in has led us to be deDen dependent dent upon the spirit for our prompting if we cannot have the aid of that divine instructor in administering to the world it is better for us to take ou our seats reemts and give way to those who may be more largely ira im aued with the inspiration of the spirit of titita ofT there has been an idea among mun men from the djoi nen cement of the faith which we have espoused that its devotees te were laboring under a delusion and that the doctrines held by the lat ter day saints would not stand the test teat of civilization that as soon as the revelations given to the youthful prophet joseph smith were brought in contact with the systems of the world the deception would be manifest it was thought that with the removal of the prophet and his bis personal influence the system would fall to pieces feces leces this idea has not yet ceased C to exist the opinion was vae also aiso held that the death of brigham young would break the system in pieces and make it impossible for us to maintain the distinct standing stan dieg we had bad in the early time when we established our homes home sinthe in the rocky mountain region but it was discovered that the death of tue toe prophet joseph did not have the deleterious effect upon antici oi ci there appeared on the scene men capable of leading the people and they were continually inspired inspired with respect and love forthe for the doctrines introduced by joseph smith and although many were disappointed who claimed to be latter day Sain tsin the death of the prophet because they thought it next to that his hid life could be taken yet yei the mass maase of the people had received the testimony of the spirit of god and understood der stood the course they should pursue a ue the latter were never shaken in their faith the experiences of those days are remembered by only a small portion of the latter day saints now ving but these will recollect how the church with brigham young at the head notified the world that the elders would continue the work and that there was no necessity for any break in the regulations for the establishment lish ment of the people in the principles of the gospel amidst adversity and trials the community being mobbed and robbed they started westward and for many years were able to congregate together ande and enjoy the wise wine instructions of brigham young peace reigned within our borders until we were falsely accused of being in rebellion against the government and of having destroyed the records of the courts up to this time we had enjoyed ourselves in the principles principle of chegos the gospel i as in a measure a distinct people clue true there were those among us who were not of our faith and who came in the early times and in some instances they still remain here and enjoy the privileges and prosperity attending us when food and clothing were scarce and we were surrounded with hostile tribes the power and influence of our great beader leader were felt fellmore more than it may be today possibly for then we were few compared with what we now are the circumstances surrounding us then required an exercise of power not now necessary the wisdom of the counsel of president young who founded this commonwealth mon wealth was seen when he urged the necessity for the people to gather in villages and protect themselves this thin we can now understand but very few can comprehend the great responsibility that rested on his shoulders the same remark applies to the methods adopted in procuring food clothing and other necessaries for then to waste food meant starvation and not to take care of clothing was to suffer buffer from exposure to the cold since our sou journ in our mountain home states stated have grown up north east and west of us savage tribes who formerly used to come in upon us from all sides to steal our cattle are now comparatively harmless when they were hostile we were taught not to retaliate but our duty was to feed cloth and educate them as far as we possibly could it was as much a crime to shed a red mans blood as that of a white man the great man who stood at the head bead of the church lived and labored for the development of this land in order that peace might prevail and we e learn to practice the principles of the gospel as revealed to us in our day the world did not understand the spirit in which the people gathered in the days of brigham young but they believed it possible to scatter them if they could destroy the leader he passed away peacefully however after many years of successful administration a as president of the church president brigham young was followed by other brethren no 1 0 special change transpired through his hia removal the saints continued to labor everywhere in the same spirit as aa before we grew in numbers and exercised every right belonging to us the feeling of the country was worked up against us and a spirit of hatred jealousy lea lousy and strife was engendered in our nation largely through misrepresentation and misunderstanding der standing we have endured a terrible strain of late years the govern ment wanted to suppress certain conditions among us as our fellow citizens seemed to feel that we were not as they wished us to be but we have accepted the conditions imposed upon us wisdom and prudence guided the counsels given to the people th they ey knew why they had gathered and hoped all the time lime that their grievances would hat be by b y lawful awful means this had been narl tried ed and the battle was all the time fought within the constitutional limits the saints being all the time determined to be in harmony with its principles there have been changes in the leadership of the church and chope I 1 hope these have not affect affected elthe the faith of the latter day saints we have met in a manly way the demands of our govern human nature no other people would have submitted to such conditions without being dismembered but our father has relieved us of the responsibility of contravening the laws of this or any other country in the world the spirit bears testimony to the wisdom ol 01 this movement and the saints who will seek to know the truth will per perceive celie that they are on the right side we have gone through the experiences of the past the work has Iro progressed gressed and we are in a position to transmit our knowledge to our posterity and impress upon them never to forsake the faith but to continue to warn the world to escape from the wrath to come it makes no difference who may lead the church or what our conditions ruay may be if we only stand in oom com munion with god for he will instruct us what to do in all emergencies the work was in some degree dependent upon joseph smith in his time and afterwards on brigham young for these were chosen instruments to establish us in this region now we are here and we are surrounded by many who are not in harmony with us the views and rights of such should be as sacred to us as our own and I 1 trust that our rights will be sacred to those with whom we have to associate I 1 trust the people will prove themselves equal to all emergencies of the future as they have to those of the past until they shall have accomplished their great mission on the earth men have misunderstood us not knowing that we have accepted our mission from the lord to warn the world and to point out the pathway to eternal life we have no strange doctrines we believe levein in christ and in all the principles which he taught these tend to exalt men they teach us to love our fellowmen lowman fel and I 1 think I 1 can say that we have exhibited this love as much as any people on the earth and though misunderstood we have the of our consciences that we have done our duty to the best of our ability utah has been the home of the poor and even those who have spoken evil against us have had the benefit of our work I 1 have the satisfaction of knowing that christ is the redeemer of the world and that the principles he taught are those by which men can be saved and exalted the gospel must go forth unto the ends of the earth until all have heard it and either received or rejected it and only by faithfully carrying out this work can we be redeemed from the blood of our fellow men PRESIDENT GEORGE Q CANNON made a few closing remarks urging the saints to observe the monthly fast days the intention of these fast observances ser vances was that the saints should bring their offerings together for the benefit of the poor if each family would faithfully do this the reasonable wante of the needy would be supplied without it being necessary to apply to the church for funds for this purpose the choir sang the anthem song of the redeemed Ee deemed benediction was pronounced by elder george goddard |