Show PRESIDENT GEORGE Q CANNONS REMARKS we have also been permitted to publish in full the remarks of president george Q cannon on the same occasion president cannon said the remarks which have been made by elder john W taylor have been exceedingly pointed no doubt there are conditions existing in our settlements and in this city that we would be greatly gratified it if they could be corrected it to is too true that there are births after the marriage that are untimely we have such cases brought to our attention in some instances the first children are born a little quicker than those subsequently we deplore this very verr much and take every step we can to have a reformation in this respect tor for such conduct is not according to godliness and the principles of the gospel as elder taylor has told us but we have regretted I 1 speak tor for the first presidency that there should be any mention of any particular place as being worse in this re than others for we have n no reason to believe that this is the case cas Ther therefore kore it was with regret that we heard mentioned kamas prairie or rhodes valley the saints from that place many of whom I 1 know to be good faithful people would feel to a certain extent I 1 wont say disgraced but hurt by a public announcement of this kind in this general conference we think that when the elders speak concerning sin and evil practices it is not a wise thing to mention either the names of individuals or ot at wards or stakes as was done by elder taylor now what has been said by him or that which he had heard somebody say it may be true as he says and it may not he himself characterized it as an exaggeration and the mention of the place should have been left alone because it may be an exaggeration and we have no reason as the first presidency to think otherwise to think that kamas prairie is an exception in this respect such cases may arise in all the stakes but every pai pains is being taken to repress and correct these to teach our young people how immoral and how bow wicked it is to do any such thing marriage is easy every bishop is authorized zed to marry and if the young folks cannot go to the temple they can be married by the bishops or by the elders in their wards ward and there is no do need heed to commit sin it is contrary to all our principles to have practices of this kind prevail among the latter iatter day saints I 1 do not know how the congregation fett but I 1 know how WO we felt concerning the allusion to the choir we know that there is a fine body of young people connected with the choir young ladies of purity some of our own ow daugh daughters tera perhaps whom we know to be pure and to mention meitlon a few of them as being un throb a reflection upon the whole choir I 1 do not know now how they feel but I 1 know they must mast feel very muett hurt and imas I 1 was very sorry myself that brother joan W taylor felt tipon to peak of this it was wa only a report somebody mentioned it and you know how gossip gossiping no tongues there are gossiping tongues love to dwell on evil you will find people continually who are harping on the wickedness and the corruption and imm morality of the people and how we are all going to the devil or nearly so that we are a bad people getting worse instead of better I 1 do not believe that I 1 believe that the latter day saints are striving to get better although there is sin among us and it needs to be denounced and denounced in strong language but we should not take up a body of people and mention some as being corrupt because it throws a reflection on the whole body I 1 have no doubt that the young ladles of purity must have felt greatly grieved this morning to have heard this allusion I 1 we have felt as though there should be something said on this subject that the congregation would under omand our feelings another thing when one of taft h twelve talks in this strain before the congregations of the saints other men in the settlements take license from it and they also will talk and mention names and organizations this is not wise under the circumstances better take them apart talk to the bishop of kamas talk to the president of summit stake ask him what the is whether these things are true or not talk to the leader of the choir tell him what has been heard it if there are any people let it be known let them be found out and I 1 have no doubt that the leader of the choir wll be only too anxious to know if there is anything of this character that those who are guidy of this conduct should be told their services in the choir are no longer needed 1 I speak in ahja way with the utmost respect for my brother brother john W he has been carried away awat by bv zeal in this matter you know he is a very zealous man and he feels very strang ly but in mentioning these names w 4 have felt that he overstepped over stepped the bounds of at wisdom |