Show REMARKS made at the tabernacle salt lake city sunday afternoon june 1898 by JOSEPH F SMITH I 1 realize the day is very warm and that the oie congregation must suffer more or less from the excessive heat but it Is not as oppressively warm in this building 1 I think as it Is today at some of the pleasure resorts to which a number ef cf our people perhaps have gone I 1 believe that those who have come to the tabernacle will enjoy themselves wes as much it not more than those who have absented themselves vVe froni from their duty on the sabbath day for roe me I 1 have enjoyed exceedingly the remarks which the tb testimonies and ibave have been made by our young brethren who have just ret returned arned from their foreign mis missions slon I 1 a am pleased to hear these se elders bear testimony to the truths of the gospel of jesus christ I 1 one of the brethren referred to the claim chich to is made by the opponents of f the church that the young people of the latter day saints are departing from ahe ways of their fathers and are not following in their footsteps to believe in the gospel now while there may be more or less ground tor for such remarks as this I 1 think I 1 am safe in saying that it will be found on examination that fewer of the children of latter day saints are depart im ing from the ways of their fathers than of the children of the members of other religious denominations in the world I 1 bellev believe e that the children of the latter day saints as a whole are following more cloudy closely in the footsteps of their fathers athers and in the faith of the gospel gomel san loan are the children of members of any other church those who are not growing up in the nurture and admonition of the lord are the excel 1 diony and not the rule in my opinion still SM I 1 avi am asony y to say that in some cases aes th examples exum cab amples ples of the fathers axe are their children and that while the children are following the examples of 41 their fathers they are not growing nearer unto the lord this is more the fault of f the parents than of the 3 children that many of the latter day saints are neglectful of their chilly arev drev an and do not set before them a u prop per er e example a is a pity and I 1 am aid that there in ID tar far too much m uch of this a of neglect i there ir if ore request t that I 1 desire to vt of these young men who have re taa from their and who V we been brightened up in the festl any y of the spirit of the lord and the e of the gospel and that to is ade that they wilt will keep the armor of oie gopel upon them and the spirit of 49 th in their hearts and will volun y constitute themselves miff mission idon t to 6 took look after the youth of zion an Wa noring from the strai straight X wherever they find young men momen who are in any degree departing from the way of life and salvation let them take up a labor with them and if possible bring them to a realization of the consequences which will follow the course they are pursuing that these young people through their faith and efforts may be brought to comprehend and obey the truth if there is any considerable portion of our young people going astray certainly there is a field at home for the labors of those who are endowed with the holy priesthood everyman every man who holds the priesthood ought to be a power in himself in exercising its authority by precept and example in the proclamation of the gospel to the young people of our own land and to all as far as possible who sit I 1 in n darkness tor for it to Is our duty to preach the gospel for the salvation of mankind I 1 was surprised to hear a young man say that during his whole life and he be was born bom in the church of goodly parents and has been brought up among the people no man had ever taken the trouble to come to him personally and point out to him the error of ills ways no one had ever come to him as a friend and as a brother to reason with him and to point out to him that the course he was pursuing was displeasing in the sight of the lord and would result in great injury to himself if he continued in it it let me say to the elders of israel and especially to those young men who have been out into the world to preach the gospel and have returned with honor hono wherever you see a young man who to Is doing that which is not right take up a labor with him go to mm him personally so nally and it if you do not succeed the first time go again and keep up the labor with him until you vou can it if possible make some impression upon him labor with these young people who are going astray until you can con convince vinet them that you love them and are seeking their welfare for it if you can convince them of this then you will have a chance to do them some good ve go out into the world and preach the gospel we endure the scorn and contumely of the world but we do not get discouraged because of this we still persist in our labors if a man insults us we do not cast him off if ff a man shows his ignorance we do not condemn him but try all the more to enlighten him thus we keep on laboring until frequently many of those who have been bitter enemies to the truth are converted to the gospel or become friends to the elders and to the cause of zion let us labor as persistently at home as we do abroad let the bishops and ward teachers labor in this way when the teachers go around to visit the houses of the saints let them enciu Ire diligently after the young men and the young women and if they find any of them remiss or doing anything which is not right let the teachers take up a labor with them preach the gospel to them and try to influence them to do good it to la a labor of love and of oal salvation a labor that is in worthy of the laborer let us be diligent in these things at home and then there will be less ground for the publication of such huoh reports as we have heard of here today in the newspapers abroad I 1 spoke here last sabbath and dwelt a little upon violating the sabbath day I 1 have heard various comments in relation to my remarks since then them I 1 have heard it said that brother joseph IF smith and the presidency of tho church of jesus christ of latter day saints are interested in Sal Salta saltair tair lr and yet brother joseph P F smith is preaching to the people not to visit pleasure resorts for amusement on the sabbath day while at the same time they are advertising sacred concerts and amusements on an the sabbath at saltair Sal tair I 1 say to this congregation that those who are managing saltair have hare no more right to violate the sabbath day than anybody else has and I 1 raise my protest here as I 1 would anywhere else against the management of saltair violating the sabbath day if they do soi so I 1 would condemn wrong doing in m salt air as much as I 1 would in garfield or in any other pleasure resort I 1 say to the people called latter day saints sainta for I 1 have a right to counsel them keep away from saltair and garfield on the sabbath day and from every other place where people go in violation of the sabbath I 1 do not want to mince the matter in the least it is in true that presidents woodruff cannon and smith and members of the council of the apostles devised the building ot of saltair Sal tair we did it for the purpose of having a place in which the latter day saints might have some voice in its management all the other places were in the hands of strangers and whatever the reputation of saltair way may be I 1 want to tell you that I 1 never contributed tri buted one wordner word nor act in any shape or form to make saltair other than a place as pure and holy as an I 1 would have my own home I 1 never went there to drink and guzzle beer or in toxicants toxic ants of any kind I 1 never went there to violate the sabbath day I 1 never went there to desecrate anything that Is holy or to take advant advantage ag of any circumstance for evil neither do I 1 encourage anything of the kind in others if there should be any wrongdoing at I 1 would condemn conder rm it there as fervently and is as truly as I 1 cond condemn eftin it in any other place we do not want anything wrong there and there would be nothing done there that is not acceptable in the sight of god if we could help it well then says one why does the manager of saltair advertise concerts on the sabbath day I 1 will give you what I 1 think would be the reason probably for doing it it Is in the hands of a manager and he controls it I 1 suppose the manager sees seem other pleasure resorts advertising amusements and attractions on the sabbath day and so I 1 in order that he may compete with them and catch his share of the pennies of that class clan of people who regard not the sabbath day in common with his competitors peti tors he also advertises now while he does it I 1 want to say to the latter day saints one and all keep away from there on the sabbath day and keep everybody that you can from there and from every other place where people go in violation of the sab bath keep away yourselves and keep others away amay from there as far as you possibly can no matter how much they advertise amusements and entertainments on the sabbath day that is their lookout and they will be responsible for it I 1 know I 1 run the risk of incurring the displeasure of many people in talking this way but I 1 am telling you my convictions vict ions and what I 1 would give to you and to all the world as honest and fervent counsel honor the sabbath day and keep it holy worship the lord on the sabbath day do not work go not out to seek vain pleasures on the sabbath rest and refresh the mind in prayer study and thought upon the principles of life and salvation these are legitimate labors for the sabbath day now I 1 mean what I 1 say I 1 do not SO go to saltair Sal tair nor to garfield nor to any other pleasure resort on the sabbath day I 1 do not allow my children to do it and not one of my children will ever do it with my knowledge and consent nor any member of my family that to is where I 1 stand with regard to the sabbath day I 1 ashore drunkenness profanity and vileness in every shape and form I 1 1 I abhor the violation of the laws of god I 1 abhor evil but I 1 adore good I 1 adore virtue purity righteousness and honesty of heart in all men I 1 want to encourage ev everything ery that is good and to dis discourage cou rage everything that is not good that is say my mission which I 1 am determined to perform to the best of my ability let the people go from here to their homes and take this with them and extend it to the absent members of their gamiles Ta miles say to them that the presidency of the church of jesus christ of blatter day saints are against the violation of the sabbath day no matter how much interest they may have in salt air or any other place we helped to build saltair Sal tair and it is partially under our control thank god and we could shut it down if necessity required it and if it were true which I 1 do not admit nor believe that our people because we happen to have an interest in it were determined to violate the sabbath day I 1 think that would be sufficient cause to close it you are welcome to go there any day you choose except on the sabbath day and if you go as I 1 go it will result in no evil or harm to you but in good you will have relaxation and rest and the cool air of the lake and every benefit that accrues from visiting a 0 place of that alad without any evil consequences because you will not commit evil you not go there to get drunk nor to gamble bamble nor to violate any principle of 0 truth and righteousness it if you go there at all you will go to have a social visit with your family or your neighbors and friends and to have a few hours of relaxation and rest from toll and care and heat beat and perhaps a i cooling refreshing bath in the briny waters of the lake in doing this you will do nobody any harm you will 10 do lo yourselves no harm but possibly a great deal of good but not on the sabbath day we are against that that which id 19 lawful may be done es ea pecia ltv when it Is right there are arc some which are lawful but which are wrong the law does doea not alway ve or protect that which Is 19 absolu absolutely absolutes tel right it to ie often found that laws lafa axe are pawed passed to regulate un rIghteous righteousness new to protect wickedness and nd to license corruption where such auch laws law exist it is in not or expedient tor for men to engage in those things mugs lot us do that which is right and pleasing in the sight of the lord wherever we see a man or a woman making a misstep and going into error or darkness or doing something that will bring sor row or shame upon them or tLe theirs irs let us take them by the hand as brethren and as slaters sisters and try to convince them of the error of their way and it if possible bring them into the marvelous light of the gospel of truth that they may be saved this is our mission may god help held us to do this and be with us by the presence and power ot of his holy spirit that in all our efforts to do good we may be seconded b by y him and enabled to accomplish all that we have in our hearts to do is my prayer in the name of jesus arnen amen |