Deseret Weekly | 1894-11-10 | Page 1 | Condition of Church and People

4 r v OF CHURCH AN AND PEOPLE delivered at the General Conference Con- Con Conference i 1 ference of the tile Church in the Taber-I Taber Taber- Taber Tabernacle Tabernacle nacle Salt Lake City Friday morn i morn morn- I T t r ing October 1894 1891 by y v- v PRESIDENT GEORGE Q CANNON lg i f BY ARTHUR WINTER 1 J It t must be a pleasure to all of us to have Jae President Woodruff with us this iI morning looming He has been suffering from ay a y very s severe Vere cold that almost prostrated f- f Ii bito for a number of days but he is reo re- re-r re to isable is able be with x Win ing and to us d desires dates however r an explanation made td 0 the tle Conference that his voice is in MUll soh a condition that he does not feel able abl to to speak this morning In other ce is his health is good The Lord has been kind to us in in per per- permitting permitting witting us to once more meet together in g general con conference terence i in the enjoyment ent d t bt a great many blessings especially that we can come here undisturbed and offer fter our praise and our thanksgivings to t oUr GOd Tho Though gh the season that is is now pass pass- pass 1 has has been in some respects a trying one in consequence of the financIal straits straits in which the people have been been placed I 1 think we can come before our oury l F Fuser Father in Heaven and worship Him with hearts be filled with gratitude for His mercy His kindness and His longsuffering longsuffering long- long suffering toward us His people Our l land Had d in the most of places has produced i There is is no likelihood of famine in the land either for man or beast east Our fields have yielded plen- plen plenteously plen and forage for our animals is abundant food also of all kinds sery 1 sarr for f r human beings is plentiful throughout all our settlements It is tiU many suffer for lack of employment ib but this is not confined to Utah it being universal And even in this re- re ref select re-select f out our cir circumstances es are undoubtedly ti better than those of the great gre-at majority of the inhabitants of this continent We escaped tempests cyclones fires jaAd aW abd great disasters war has not obtrude obtruded ed e fl itself upon us there has not been even elemental warfare to disturb us Bitch uch as has prevailed in some places TIle The Lord has blessed lessed the Latter day Latter Saints and not only them but all who live in these mountains and valleys We believe that His blessing is upon this land and will be upon it as long as the people are dit disposed posed to keep His commandments commandments com com- I believe that not only do dothe dothe the Latter day Saints appreciate the ther bounties of providence that we enjoy te re here e but that others not of our faith plainly see that this is a blessed lan land y yr r ti r i r I itI and that the favor of God is shown to it itin its itin-its I in its climate and in all the elements necessary for the comfort and sustenance sustenance ance of human bein beings s Hundreds of people bear this testimony and when they leave Utah they look back to their resIdence here as a delightful spot in their memories If others not of our faith can appreciate these features certainly we who have been gathered I here by the hand of God can appreciate them and feel teel thankful for them And AndI I believe that in n no part of this great republic do the prayers of a thankful people ascend more unto the God of heaven morning and evening for forthe the blessings bestowed upon them than thanin thanin thanin in Utah The incense of praise the thanksgiving thanks grateful heans ascends from the habitations of the Latter day Saints and nowhere throughout this broad land is this praise offered more and mote more sincerely than from the hearts of those who compose the majority of the people of ot this territory Heaven is not deaf to these thanks thanks- thanksgivings thanksgivings thanks givings This incense ascends grate grate- gratefully gratefully fully tully unto God our Eternal Father and the angels rejoice over a people who apprecIate the blessings of the Great Creator It has seemed to me in vIew of all the Lord has done for us every tongue that has railed against the Saints because of their willingness to obey the doctrine of gathering and to come to this desert land would now keep silent for prosperity has attended the Latter Latter- Latter day day Saints since since they came here and the eyes of the whole nation are now attracted to this land which is is- isone one of the choicest spots upon the whole con oon- continent con continent What a contrast there is between between be- be tween the feeling that now exists and the feeling that prevailed when the day Latter day Saints came here hete and for tor years subsequent thereto How plain it itis itis itis is to be seen that God did not make promises in vain or that His servants in making promises to the people did not speak without authority Today out our land is is almost the envy of the people and our situation is looked upon as most desirable The wisdom the foresight the intelligence the unselfishness that have been manifested by the leaders of the Latter day Saints in the arrange arrange- arrangement arrangement arrangement ment of these settlements in the dis dis- distribution distribution distribution of the land in the conservative course taken in regard to water andin and in 10 inthe inthe the distribution of the blessings of pro pro- providence providence I with as much equality as pos pos- possible possible possible sible and in the care that has been shown shoNn for lor the welfare of the poor all poor these things are beginning to receive at- at attention attention at attention People now are beginning to recognize that the men who led the day Latter day Saints here and who founded this were men of great wisdom They will admit now that they were men who labored for the public weal I never heard a stronger e l gi m delivered about any man than I listened to in Denver recently in the testimony that was borne b by a prominent gentle gentleman man at the Irrig Irrigation tion Congress concern concern- concerning ing President Young The truth troth upon these these points is beginning tobe to be be recognized d and the Ute day is not far distant when the example of the men of Utah will be quoted for others to follow in inI I b up communities that shall shan b be sustaining sustaining self ning free from debt debt and aDd in which h the earth and nd the waters waters- and other blessings shall shan be distributed with some degree of equality and with re- re respect respect re respect to the rights of all ll I thank God for the change that has taken place in inthis inthis inthis this respect an and that though recognition recognition recognition tion has been so 10 long lon deferred it is com conr cow cowing iu in ing our way wa and tl worth of the p pYo peo people pIe their p patient tient la labors ors their and untiring endurance their ther fidelity to princ principle their attachment to the soil combined with their frugality and their heir disposition to help each other are now beginning to be recognized as they should be This ought to be a cause of f rejoicing for all alt altof of us because we know w that we have suffered in the past through misrepresentation falsehood and the the misconstruction of motives Look now where we will wilt wherever the Elders of this Church are laboring and we can see the hand of God with them and His Providence over them Our Elders who go out to preach the Gospel have the same success in some respects that they had in early days They may not convert so many but the same blessings the same gifts the same power that attended the preaching of the Gospel in the beginning of this dis- dis dispensation dis dispensation still accompanies that preach preach- ing preaching by the Elders of this Church They bear testimony to the inhabitants of the earth that God is as willing today to be he- he bestow stow gifts graces and blessings upon those who do His will as He ever was gIVing the lie to the false statements of those who have apostatized from the truth and showing the world that God has organized His Church that He has restored the Priesthood and that that Priesthood will be continued until Jesus shall come through the authority of th the apostleship which He conferred upon upon his his servant Joseph and upon his servant Oliver Cowdery During the past six months in the Northwestern and Southern States the Elders have been very successful in finding people willing to listen to their testimony There has not beer that spirit of persecution that our brethren suffered from in former years and the Elders are encouraged in in their labors Throughout our own Territory T there has been a great deal of ot traveling and aDd visiting done by the Apostles and others In the various Stakes of Zion mission- mission aries do a great deal ot of local labor It Itis Itis is necessary in the growth of the work of God that the labors of the ministry should be more widely distributed be- be because because because cause the people are increasing and it itis itis i is out of the power of the First den dency y the Tw Twelve Jve Apostles and the Seven Presidents of Seventies to do all the labor that was done formerly It should be the aim of the Presidents of Stakes to call can into the ministry young open nen en and to lay the burden upon them of preaching the Gospel at home Let them cultivate the gifts that they may be enabled to speak in power and in the demonstration of the Holy Holy Ghost to the people and I know and you know that when men have that power resting upon them though they are not Apostles or members of the First Presidency the people listen to them with delight and receive their teachings with avidity I hope the idea will never prevail among our people that God confines his gifts and graces to the First Presidency or to the Twelve A Apostles or to the Seven Presidents of Seventies I know that God is the God of this people and andor every young man or middle aged man or aged man who will seek for the power of God can obtain it and he can declare the truth of ot God in the power and demonstration of the Holy Ghost and it is just as good s as as if it were told by the President of the Church or by byone byone bone one of the Twelve Apostles I would like to encourage e the Elders with that view The field is white for the harvest and laborers are wanted It is beyond the of the First Presidency and power T 1 j J 11 T- T Ti i t- t Twelve to do all the labor Therefore the Elders are called to the ministry and they should seek for lor the gifts gilts ana and for the power and authority of the Holy Hol Priesthood and exercise it and not think thin because they are not Apostles or Presidents Presidents Presidents dents that therefore they have not the right to teach and to speak with author author- authority authority authority ity If you have any doubts upon this read the sixty eighth section of the Doctrine and Covenants and see what the Lord says upon this point Among the nations where the Elders are laboring the blessings of God rest upon them In the islands of the sea a great work is being done Samoa has received the glad tidings The Friendly Islands have been preached to Doors are being opened there for the conver conver- conversion conversion conversion sion of these degraded remnants of the House of Israel The Sandwich Is- Is Islands Islands Is Islands lands is a long-established long mission The mission The Elders are laboring there witha with a good deal of success On the Society Islands Islands our Elders are bringing many into the fold of Christ In New Zea Zea- Zealand Zealand land and Australia the work is 18 prosper prosper- prospering prospering ing The Elders have lately opened a anew anew anew new field in Tasmania and are laboring there with some degree of encourage encourage- encouragement encouragement I ment mente In Scandinavia the work is pro pro- progressing progressing progressing gressing particularly in Sweden and andI I souls are being gathered out In Ger Ger- GerI Germany Germany I many the accounts are most favorable There is is an immense field opening up before the Elders in those regions Austria and Hungary and the principalities will yet hear the Gospel The Lord will break down the barriers As the Elders go forth He will open the way before fore them and they will be the means of bringing souls into the fold There are regions which seem almost impenetrable at present but if we are zealous in our labors if the spirit of our calling rests upon us and our souls are filled with ardor the Lord will open the way for the preaching of the Gos Gos- Gospel Gospel pel in lands now closed to the bearers of the Gospel In Great Britain the work is apparently reviving there and we receive reports that there are more baptisms now than there have been The people are paying better attention to the preaching of the Elders and at a recent conference at Preston the hall hallwas hallwas hallwas was filled to overflowing Preston you know is the place where the Gospel was first preached in Great Britain These are encouraging reports con con- considering considering considering the circumstances which have I surrounded the Elders and the missions The First Presidency have been led to advise the President of the European mission not to rush the people out here too hastily We have suffered from this Some of our Elders in the south and in inthe inthe inthe the northwest and our Elders in Europe have seemed to think that as soon as a aman aman aman man is baptized into the Church he must be rushed off to Zion This is unwise and we have cautioned the pres pres- presidents presidents presidents of these missions not to do this Let the Saints stay there and get a little knowledge and experience of the work and not come here almost entirely un- un unacquainted unacquainted un unacquainted acquainted with the trials that Latter Latter- Latter day day Saints generally have to contend with Let them remain remain and be a sus sus- sustenance sustenance sustenance for the Elders who are laboring tb there ere to comfort them and strengthen their hands and not leave the mission wholly destitute of experienced mem mem- members members members bers There has been too much of this disposition manifested by many Elders You who have had experience know that to have new members immediately gather to Zion is not attended with good results They come here unprepared to meet the trials that they have to con con- contend contend contend tend with and frequently apostatize We do not want to bring people to this country to apostatize We want to bring them here to be steadfast to the faith and to prove a support to the work of God Their faith should be ripe through experience so that they can en- en endure endure en endure dure the vicissitudes and trials which naturally have to be contended with in incoming incoming coming comin to a strange land We believe that this this tEis policy will be attended with good results According to my view there had ha been too much ofa of a spirit pre pre- prevailing prevailing that Elders must go away from here well equipped financially not without purse and scrip as in former years furse I do not believe in such doctrine doctrine doctrine rine I never have believed in it God will have to give me revelation that I have not yet received to cause me to be- be believe believe be believe lieve in it as a proper method of preach preach-j preaching preach preach- ing the Gospel of f the Son of f God A j to toI I the he nations of the earth I do not be- be believe believe be believe lieve in the Elders going with purse and scrip I believe God is able to feed and clothe His Elders today as He ever was This is my personal expression I do not speak for everybody It may help the Elder if branches can be left lett awhile to be