Show amade de in the tabernacle salt lake city lay sunday afternoon oon september fifth 1898 PRESIDENT LORENZO SNOW brethren and sisters I 1 was delighted an 4 listening to the first hymn sung by effae ahe choda igday ay in these ser services rices to i an e t the he words are full fuhl of significance fixsel nd promise they are verily true aus and were by the spirit of truth the writers name is kelly it does not taa itter whether he was one of our peo i pie or not the spirit of truth is the J barne wherever it is manAfe manifested sted I 1 will read two verses so that those who t aua ud not distinguish the words in the ei nging may understand what they are javery JC very human tie may perish friend briend to friend unfaithful prove jj mothers others cease their own to cherish heaven and earth at last remove but no changes z con attend Jehova hs love iove jn iii the furnace god goc may prove thee thence to lu bring thee forth more bright but can never cease to love thee rhu art aipel precious us in his sight god is with thee thou triumph arf his might inight this is very encouraging to the lat lait te deraay day its it gives the assurance abart the love of god can never change inwards them they may be afflicted through numerous trials 0 at f ji 4 severe character but these win will prove 15 mee stags in disguise and bring them better than they brighter and 4 A at a the people of god are a are ifer e to etore precious in his sight his love for them aiu w always endure and in his might and affection they will and ad strength bumph and be brought off more mare th aan they axe are his eb child ildren rein berer 77 ejde in his image and destined obedience to bo his laws to be augh 6 jeenie pe like un unito to him the apostle john t W hs first epistle Epi atle ill 2 says be god and loved now are we the sons of as att doth U not yet chait we shall 1 awn but we know that ahalt when he shall we 1 fidall I be like him for we figh ban see aee I atai as he is and evry every man 3 that hath this hope bope in him purI fleth 11 this la is even as he is pure Vt orious I 1 se when he appears be like him in every to 1 are wt ct we shall see him just as he is tep jw ewt must be alete la 10 a pure being and we also in order to be ma made de like ebbe pure earth said him jesus when on abito evet eveh aba jiju his disciples be ye perfect rather father in heaven Is perfect sm jo your after strive after should all cju is what we latter day i abere Is no n necessity for of this 4 tx to worry over the things our they will WEI all pass away ails should ghoul d be set on thin things gs above that perfect perfection loll which after s strive tri ve it to christ jf jesus tous who was was perfectly father fent in all things unto the 0 o obtained his gral great at exaltation his unto pattern benaime a brethren why should we fret and worry over these temporal things when our destiny is so grand and glorious if we will cleave unto the lord keep his commandments pattern after his perfections and reach out unto the eternal realities of his heavenly kingdom all will be well with us and we shall triumph and obtain the victory in the end it is a matter of great rejoicing and satisfaction to rae me to behold the unity and brotherly love and perfect oneness of feeling existing with the twelve and which was manifested a few days ago when they met in council and the first presidency of the church was reorganized every one of the apostles expressed himself on that occasion and they were perfectly agreed the spirit of the lord rested upon them and prompted them in that which was done it was not expected when they met on occasion that this result would be accomplished but the conditions and circumstances surrounding tine the church rendered it necessary that something should be done in order that its affairs might be properly conducted an and d when it was proposed that the first presidency should at once be appointed every one who was present was inspired by the same spirit and it was unanimously decided that this was the right thing to do we all felt that this was the will of the lord there was no dissenting voice when sustained by my brethren the apostles as president of the church I 1 selected as my counselors presidents george QC annon and joseph F smith and they were unanimously accepted and sustain sustained ed by the twelve I 1 can assure you my brethren and sisters th that at it made me feel very humble I 1 realize the responsibility thit that rests upon me and my brethren of the first presidency but I 1 know that the blessings of the lord have attended me in the past in the discharge of duties placed upon my shoulders and I 1 feel assured that the saints will support us in this position wath ith their faith and their prayers and that the spirit of our calling ddll rest upon us and make us adequate to every task I 1 know that the same spirit which I 1 feel also actuates president geo Q cannon and president jos F smith and that it louwill you will be as falth faithful ful and united as the first presidency and twelve are faithful and united and will follow us as we follow Christ all will be well with you we are determined to perform our duty and to serve the lord and labor for the benefit of his people and the accomplishment of his work we are your servants in the lord and desire your welfare and the welfare of all mankind I 1 the lord has not chosen the great and learned of the world to perform his work on an the eaith it is not those who have been trained and educated in the colleges and seminaries of learning but humble men devoted to his cause whom he has chosen to take charge of the affairs of his church men who abo are willing to be led and guided by the holy spirit and who will of necessity give the glory unto H him knowing that of themselves they can do nothing I 1 can assure you brethren and sisters that I 1 had no ambition to assume the responsibility which now rests upon me if I 1 could have escaped it honorably I 1 should neler have been found in my present position I 1 have never asked for it or have I 1 ever asked the assli assistance tance of any of my brethren that I 1 might alwn to this posit position lon but the lord lora reveal revealed pd to me and to my brethren that this ws was his will and I 1 have no disposition to do shar any responsibility no nor r to decline to occupy any position that the lord requires me to fill I 1 have tried to serve him to overcome the weak weaknesses of the flesh and to bring myself with every power and faculty of my nature into in to complete subseT subservience vIence to his will so that I 1 might eventually reach the highest glory which it is possible for man to attain exalted position posit lon was made anva mam A inest to me at a very early eairly day iata a direct revelation of this it aws most perfect and complete if ever was a thing revealed to man perfectly clearly so that there could be no doubt or dubiety this was waa reve revealed oled to ine and it came in these words As man now is god once was as god now is men man may be this may appear to some minds as something very strange and remarkable but it Ls if in perfect harmony with the teachings ot jesus christ and with his promises he saad to him that overcome ath will I 1 gran grant t to sit with me in fiffy ivr throne even as I 1 also overcame and am sat eat down with my father to in Ms bi throne rev 3 21 the ap apostle tle 11 paul also taught in this thia wise LT let t this mind be in you which was also alao in christ jesus who being in ili the form of god thought it not robbery to be equal with god but made himself ff er no reputation and too kupon took upon hm ae form of a servant and ana was made in oe sie likeness of men ay and being fo an fashion as a man he humbled 61 himself f and became obedient unto even the death of the cross eess 2 5 58 8 this is the high destiny of the be eons bons of god they who ove overcome who are obedient to his commandments who purify themselves even astie ashe is pure they are to become like him they will see him as he is they behold his race face and reign with almin him in his glory becoming like unto himin him in every particular well now brethren and sisters god has set up his church and King kingdom dota on an the earth for the benefit and blessing of the human family to guide them in the way of truth to prepare them tor for exaltation in his presence and tor for sla glorious coming and kingdom onvie on the earth his purposes will be accomplished in spite of all the opposition ton which may bre be brought against them iy ay wicked men and the powers of darkness dankness everything chait stands to in the way of this work will be removed fM ored nothing will beable to tio withstand his power but everyl everything Lhing that ht ia has baddie acree creed will be fully and perfectly et ws 1116 d the love of god for his rill people 11 will continue and abide and they will triumph in HM might well my brethren and st sisters aters I 1 detre to eneo entourage urage you in the work of righteousness I 1 feel to bless you it Is the desire of the first presidency that you may be blessed we wish to bear with the people in their weaknesses and frailties we also desire that louwill you will bear with our weaknesses and firmI ties we want to be forgiving and kind towards the latter day saints we ask them to be lenient and charitable towards us the lord wishes to show leniency towards his children on earth but he requires of them true repentance when they transgress or fail in any duty he expects their obedience and that they will endeavor to cast aside all shi to to purify themselves and become indeed his people his saints so that they may be prepared to come into his presence be made like unto him in all things and reign with him in his hia glory to accomplish this they must walk in the and narrow way making their lives brighter and better being filled with faith and charity which is the pure love of christ and attending faithfully to every duty in the gospel well god bless you all in the name of jesus christ amen REMARKS made in the tabernacle salt lake city sunday afternoon september IS th 1898 GEORGE Q CANNON I 1 feel highly gratified as all of you must have been and I 1 have no doubt you were at the remarks by president lorenzo snow to which we have had the privilege of listening they were made by a man of god who has spent the greater part of his life in the service of the lord and whose character to in beyond reproach his whole course has beep been and unshaken shaken ln in the service of D L the ithe lord we should all be grateful for the mercy which god has shown to us in raising up such men as he has hag called to preside over us and over his church men in whose mouths has haa been found no guile who have pursued the path of duty without turning to the right hand or to the left who have been true and faithful to every trust reposed in them and who have never flinched in the hour of trial president snow bonow Is and has been like his predecessors in office a servant of the most high god and if the people will hearken to his counsels they will be guided aided aright and be blessed of the C lord rd in all things referring to the organization of the first presidency I 1 may say that there never was a more united spontaneous and hearty operation cooperation co of a body of men than the action of the apostles a few days ago age in the confirmation of president dent lorenzo snow as president of the church and the selection by him of ma his two counselors the tion of the first presidency has been accomplished sooner than most of the people anticipated for it had become almost wast an established precedent to wait tor for some time after the death of the president of the church before the appointment polut ment of another president when the prophet joseph smith died the council of the apostles with president brigham young toung at their head led the church for some years before the first presidency dencY was again organized there was a reason for this after the martyrdom at toe the prophet joseph there was in tenae reeling footing against the church the cirit of persecution raged there being no first presidency eucy hatred was not concentrated against any one jsn as jt would tave have been doubtless doub doubt les had bad the first presidency been organized the twelve therefore presided over the church until we had left illinois and come west after the death of president brigham young again some time elapsed before the first presidency was organized at the death of president john taylor the twelve again acted as them the presiding council the first presidency was organized with president wilford woodruff at the head and thus it might be said a precedent had been established and the general feeling was that no immediate action would be taken in organizing the first presidency but on an september at a meeting of the apostles while discussing the necessity for the appointment of a trustee in trust for the church the necessity also of organizing the first presidency appeared clear to the brethren and one after another of the twelve spoke in favor of such action being taken at that time after hearing their views president snow then arose and stated to the brethren that he had since the death of president woodruff felt led to present himself before the lord clothed in his priestly robes in the temple and the lord had revealed to him that the first presidency should be organized and also revealed to him who his counselors should be he did not give any expression to this however until after the apostles had spoken on the subject this statement of president snow was evidence to them that the spirit of god had inspired the remarks which they had made and approved of the work which they had proposed to do and it caused them to rejoice greatly for myself it was very unexpected to me for action to be taken at that time though I 1 was heartily in favor of it and have always felt that the first presidency should be organized as quickly as possible or as soon as the lord would inspire such action president lorenzo snow was called of god to occupy the position in which he stands today and he will be sustained by the lord as hla his mouthpiece to the church and also by his counselors and the apostles and the whole church ciuch will approve of the action taken and sustain it if fully I 1 think I 1 am safe in saying that a thrill of joy went through the entire church when the word was sent out that the first presidency had been reorganized and that lorenzo snow was the president although there has not been time to hear from the diffie rent organizations in the church at a distance still I 1 am perfectly satisfied that this action on the part of the apostles has been received with delight everywhere certainly that Is the feeling of the saints in this part I 1 can say that president wilfard woodruff shortly before his decease expressed his desire that there should be no delay after his death in perfecting the organization of the presiding quorum the action taken was inspired of the lord and it is a matter of gratification and rejoicing jo that this has been so soon ac complis hed I 1 it Is wonderful how the church moves forward without a jar or a break in its course notwithstanding the departure of its leading spirits the authority of the holy priesthood remains the th keys with the church the order of the priesthood Is maintained and the revelations of god axe are given through the designated authority for the guidance of his people nothing that occurs will interfere with its progress or with the consummation of the purposes for which the lord designed it ft this authority and the keys will remain with the church no pa matter atter what wha t bilay filay happen or who may be taken from us tor for this is the work of the lord and it will not be hindered by any power beneath the heavens what an impressive isson lesson |