Show DISCOURSES DISCOURSE Delivered at the General C Conference Conference of the Church in the Tabernacle Salt Oily City Sunday October 1804 1894 by PReSIDENT GEORGE Q CANNON REPORTED BY ARTHUR WINTER In standing up this morning to ad- ad address address ad address dress you my brethren and sisters I II humbly crave an interest in your I faith and prayers for if I say anything that will be instructive it will have to be through the aid of the Spirit of God It Itis Itis Itis is seldom that I have felt as weak as I Inow Inow now do in standing in the presence of this vast assembly The conference thus far has been one of great ireat interest to me I have enjoyed the remarks of the brethren very much and I feel teel that the Spirit of the Lord has been with His servants in addressing us usand and much valuable instruction has been given that if remembered and acted up- up upon upon up upon on will cause us to be a better people I 1 think there is no people that ever lived lived- lived at least I do not find an account of any that that has had such a wealth of oi instruction instruction tion and counsel as the Latter-day Latter Saints have had since the organization of the Church in these days It is true that there have been dispensations in which l the people have been further advanced than we are because the Lord and His had worked them for a servants among 1 At have 1 greater greter period of time than they the among among us as for instance w e in in the the days of 01 Enoch but for or the toe length of time that the Church has b been en esta established there has been peen an an outpouring of instruction instruction c- c tion and counsel that I think is without without a parallel inthe h history ory of ot l manki mankind d It we are a great great p good 4 s and fidelity principles of the opal p it it is b because e yie weha we baye y yg neil ct 4 t th g opportunities that th the the Lord ord l ls s n unto ta us and the counsels and rev revelations that have ave b o freely jiin Rr d to us I 1 do trust haf at the words 9 t at at have hav been en spoken at tb s co ference have bave n not been spoken lD in vain that they h have ve not fallen on barren soil that they have not reached unwilling hearts but that the spirit which has prompted them will rest upon us and inspire us to carry them out in our lives I am deeply impressed myself with the importance of the Latter-day Latter Saints living Jiving so close to the Lord that they will feel eel for themselves the importance of the principles are taught to them We live in a p peculiar culiar time There are a great man many agencies at work among the children 0 of men a great many false and delusive spirits and a great creat deal of un- un unbelief unbelief belief un-belief r belief concerning God and His power I and interposition in the affairs of the children of men There may have been times in the history of mankind when an equal amount of skepticism upon these points prevailed but I doubt very much whether there ever was a genera genera- generation generation generation tion that was so completely hardened in their hearts in regard to God and His as this generation in which we live You can scarcely find a people now who have any faith that God interposes in the affairs of the children of men Those who call themselves the most enlightened proclaim that the uni uni- universe universe universe verse is governed by fixed and immutable immutable immutable able laws that effect follows cause and that God does not suspend these laws nor interpose in any manner to prevent their operation Therefore they say it itis itis itis is useless to ask Him in the name of Jesus to interpose in behalf of mankind men must muse endure the consequences of their own acts and there is no way of avoiding g the operation n of these laws There is no doubt an element of truth in these theories still they mislead and have a wrong effect upon the mind For God does ask us to have faith in Him to believe in Him and to appeal to Him and He gives us the promise that if we wedo wedo wedo do so in faith He will interpose in our behalf and He will bless us in ways that are unknown to men and by means which are invisible to mortal si sight ht He gives us this encouragement in the Gos- Gos Gospel Gospel Gos pel and He calls upon us to exercise faith in Him and in H His IS word and we have proved His words tobe true upon these points But it is a difficult thing in the midst of this widespread unbelief and these false doctrines and theories which come come tous to s and to o our children chi dren in inthe inthe the guise of science to prevent prevent the spirit of unbelief from influencing us This als also is one of the great Obstacles s sin in toe t the way of th the education of f fo o our our r chil chil- children children dren The books which are in our sChools and and from which our children are taught Contain theories Hes that are un unSound unsound sound the they ate ate are b based based s d lion upon on fal fale fala e a ise and d that lead to o wro wrong c b Jt i s 's s y iL T Tr r aneL and It requires the e p utmost mo ZAre on on 14 6 artof p rents and hd r rs to tb pre prevent t bad bad effectS following g education bas based d such text books Hence it is that when our young young men go east to obtain education they are exposed to dangers that are more terrible according to my view than a contagious disease I would rather my sons and daughters should run the risk of some infectious disease than exposed be-exposed be exposed to the influences that prevail in some of the schools of 01 the land and in the text books that are used therein that therein that is without some in- in influence influence in influence fluence to counteract their effect and to show wherein they are fallacious and unsound We have all aU these things to contend with The rising generation have to be watched over with a care car that in former times was not necessary There is danger in education of this kind Yet Yett t there ere is an en ardent desire on our part that our children should be e educated and upon their part to receive education because it is the spirit of the age Our young people are full of desire to obtain knowledge and to qualify themselves forthe for forthe forthe the duties and labors that are likely to devolve upon them But while giving them education there is danger of their losing their faith in the eternal truths of heaven Although we have taken pains to organize our young men who go east to school and to have them hold regular meetings partake of the sacrament and bear testimony yet the information comes to us that there is an inclination in the minds mindi of some of our young men mento mento mento to adopt the false theories that are taught and to yield to the spirit of un- un unbelief un unbelief belief that is prevalent in these institutions institutions institutions of learning We have also another influence that thatis thatis thatis is seeking to obtain power in the midst of the people of God There was a 8 time when revelation from God was universally denied The religious world announced that the day of miracles had passed that God had given all His reve reve- revelations revelations revelations lations and they were embodied in the Bible and that it was was in vain to look for further revelation from Him This be- be belief belief be belief lief was universally taught Even the Catholic Church that considers itsel the successor of the churches organized by the Apostles Apostle while claiming great power for its priesthood did not believe in revelation from God Of course those who did not believe in io God denied it as a natural consequence of their un- un unbelief unbelief un unbelief belief But what a change has taken place In the days when toe the Saints were driven from Jackson County Missouri one of the chief charges Latter brought against the Latter day Sain miracles s was that dial they believed in mira mira- miracles cles that they believed in a prophet and that that prophet received revelations from God But who is there n now ow that does not nob believe that there are means of obtaining communication with the th spirit spirit world wor d That belief has become almost as universal as the former un- un un belief unbelief was The spiritualists as they are called have risen risen up as well as asI I other organizations entertaining this belief until now no one scarcely will assert that communication with the spirit world is not attainable The probability of it at least will be ad- ad admitted admitted ad admitted Right in this Territory we have pretenders arising claiming that they have the authority of the Priesthood or or that they have the toe power to work mira pira- pira miracles cles Iles and even going going so far in some instances as to reproach the Latter day Saints for a lack of power to work miracles asserting that they possess it itI to a greater extent than we do AU All these influences exist around us tempt tempt- tempting tempting tempting ing the unwary and having influence upon those w o 0 are weak in their faith concerning the divinity of the work of God and the authority of the Holy Priesthood Then again there are influences at work which deny the authority of the Holy Priesthood asserting that it is contrary to mans man's liberty that it is in opposition to the principle of liberty to pay any special respect to the utterances of the bearers of the Priesthood of ot the Son of God This is becoming some some- somewhat somewhat somewhat what common There is a fear in the minds of many that some influence of an improper kind and which they do donot donot donot not want will operate upon the minds of the Latter day Saints because they believe that God has appointed a Priest Priest- Priesthood Priesthood hood bood in His Church and that He has given authority to that Priesthood The effort seems to be to destroy it possible the influence of the Priesthood and to show how dangerous a power it would be if it it were allowed to be exercised as asit asit asit it is supposed that the Latter-day Latter Saints believe it should I e exercised All these things are operating at the present time in our midst as well as In Inthe inthe inthe the earth the evident object being to destroy if possible the work ot of o God and to deceive the people so that they will not receive the doctrin doctrines s of ot the Son ot of God Ot Of course if men can be betau tau taught ht to believe that miracles can be wr wrought by some power that they can obtain without submitting to the ordin ordin- ordinances ordinances ordinances ances of the Gospel that weakens the influence of the Gospel If It you say to mankind You must believe in Jesus Christ you must repent of your sins you must put away evil far from Irom you you must deny yourselves and bring your appetites and passions into sub sub- subjection nub to the Gospel of Christ in order to receive the Holy Ghost and the pOW power T which accompanies it and if at atthe atthe the same time they are taught through some other agency that it is not necessary necessary sary to repent repeat of ot sin to forego the gratification of lust and to put away evil can you not see ee how it weakens the influence of the Gospel and how cun cun- cunning cunning cunning ning a plan it is to destroy the children of men So in reI relation to these other things of ot which I have spoken When men sreD and women found that they could receive communication from the spirit world through some other agency than the Gospel of course they seized hold of that They did not want revelation and communication from God when it had bad to be obtained by self-denial self and by bya bya a strict compliance with the laws of God But when the bars were thrown down and they were told that that no matter what they w drunkards were were drunkards whoremongers mongers or sinful in every they respect respect they could obtain spiritual communication then the whole world speaking generally ran after atter this false doctrine and these pernicious practices because they cou d obtain these without any regard to pur pur- purity purity purity ity of conduct or of life Satan has hastak tak taken n these methods to destroy the chIldren of ot men Men say Oh Oh there is no devil They deny the existence of that bt being ng But you day Latter Latier Saints who have received the G l do you yuu not know by your personal ex experience pen nce that there is a being ot of this kind though your eyes may n never ver have beheld td him him Certainly you do You u k know w it at by these evidences that I have mentioned know but you know know it better per pee perhaps haps by bf personal je experience When W yon join joined d the ike in in your native mauve lands you know the storm of opposition opposition opposition tion that raged against you You saw the effect of Satans Satan's influence and you have seen it ever since since We have con con- constant constant constant stant evidence of the existence of this power in the falsehoods and misrepresentations misrepresentations misrepresentations that have been indulged in inand inand inand and the murderous spirit that has been heen manifested against the people of God GodIf If the world were to open their eyes they would behold before them the I evidences of these two great powers powers- powers the power of God and the power of Satan Satan has bas inspired men with murderous hate and with the spirit of falsehood He has done this from the beginning Jesus in speaking of Satan said he was a liar and a murderer from Irom the beg beginning And those who follow him receive the same spirit We have seen it manifested It has cost the best blood of this nineteenth century It is this spirit that has stirred up hatred and animosity against us through which all manner of persecutions have been v sited upon the Latter-day Latter Saints It has cost human suffering to an indes indes- indescribable indescribable indescribable extent in our generation It has cost human life beyond computation computation computation tion Men women and children children- have died through the sufferings that have been entailed upon them through this inhuman spirit which Satan has dis dis- disseminated disseminated among the children of men It would require the pen and the tongue of an angel to describe the sufferings that have been entailed upon the people of God through this power of Satan God alone knows the anguished hearts the pain and the sorrow which it has caused Virtue has been trampled un under under der foot Truth has been maligned and vilified until it has been made to appear of the blackest character All An this has been done through the influence of I which I speak Satan has rei reigned ned in inthe inthe th the earth he has built up a great power in the earth and he is determined that he will maintain his dominion in this earth He and those as associated with him are benton destroying the work of 01 God and wresting from the hands of Jehovah the authority that belongs to Him This is his determined purpose and he has sought to accomplish it from the time when man w was s placed upon the earth until the Cie present present Under his influence blood has lias flown in torrents le Ie is the father of c contention and of strife and he se seeks ks to td destroy the child child- children children ren of ot men He is determined to de- de destroy destroy de destroy stroy the work of our F Father and to bring us u's us u's us into subjection to him The great contest that is going on in these last days is a contest for tor the control and supremacy of this earth Satan being de- de determined determined de determined that he will maintain D his con con- control control control and the Lord having spoken and said that the day is at hand wb when n the earth shall be redeemed from the power and dominion of Satan and shall be swept from its face lace W We e are engaged my brethren and sisters rs in |