Show FIFTY SECOND ANNUAL conference of oaths the of jews jeza christ of laster day saints held in the salt shit lake city DAY SATURDAY april 10 a ro president taylor called the meeting to order the choir sang the hamu en oil page glorious things of thea are spoken pim prayer yer by D clr H wells hymn oi on page ge 37 though deep deepening ning tria trials a throng your way APOSTLE r D said that on occasions of meeting toc toge therna theras in Conference the speakers need the assistance of the holy ghost to prompt what to say to accomplish com the good desired I am reminded of some of the choice promises made specially unto the saints in tho the last laet days one is that tho the lord goes before his people himself to accomplish his purposes and does not even trust it to a angels gels the pan parable blo in thy the book of I bor men monsais said the lord sent ilia his servants t prune his ilia vineyard for the last time and we should not allow ourselves to forget that the work entrusted to as is a consolidation of all the works before commenced and which will be consummated consummate in this the falness of the dispensation of times the lord has bas also said that it was ra his duty to provide for his ilia people he ile has also said that we are not called upon to take up tip carnal weapons of war but that he ile will fight our battles for us these promises assure us that the work is is i not to be let out to others but the lord will see to it himself himsel i seeing ing that we have of wit witnesses n essee of help and operation cooperation co what manner of men should we be let ua us look at some of the outstanding evidences that our father is attending to the work himself in former times in the days of abraham lehi and nephi for instance mortal combat was allowed boover to overcome the powers of paganism aniam ail and the ene enemies niles of god but in this our day it is not for ua us to use the carnal wea weapons I na of war we can remember tow how the lord kept us out of the late fratricidal war yar we ire came none ile too soon across the desert and awne away from the scene of carnage where father was fighting liis ilia son and a brother his brother and wo we have a continuous satisfaction that we arc are entirely removed from fron those scenes where we would have been ap compelled baled to help on one side or the other the ancient ent prophets saw the day when the servants of god should speak comforting words to zion and say thy reig neth and will accomplish ilia purposes though it may be in in contravention of m mens designs wo we should think of these there evidences and not go again to our cups not be friendly and affiliate with the ungodly not be civilized with tho the damnable civilization but remember the works and evidences and keep ace our cove covenants natita pure and fresh in cur tn memory emory I will wil I refer agabi to the time that it waa told us its t that hat there were a million of come out against us uia wo we know that a detachment s started out against us with their mouths full ful of venom and hatred toward us but before they arrived if they were not converted their ardor was very much cooled when they reached ais his city they presented more the aspect ofa of a fourth of july celebration marching marching through the streets F than an ail invading army which started out to destroy us I want to see honesty of purpose and principle among us in in our intercourse one with the other an honest presbyterian an dionest methodist th odist an honest black republican or an lieness democrat can be relied on because you know his principle and he is to be depended on the principles odthe of the constitution were obtained b by our fathers and grandfathers grand fathers and a standard was raised which has commanded respect from all ar parts of the globe every man elected or appointed to office from the down to a justice of the peace has to take an all oath that he will sup support I rt the constitution ution now ahem when congress agress sends an in edict to us as an alta attainder inder or ex post jado law lan they violate their oaths and are overstepping over sUpping the bonds of their duty when men in high places thus forget their oatha oaths they will find a court some day lay that will convict them of perjury even inthey if they do never fin find ser it this thi s side of the grave webster clay and the other bright lights of our nation boasted of the freedon deij of this great and glorious country but they would have hid bid their heads beads if they had lived in th this 13 day when the guarantee that no law adiv should be made touching religion algion was so boldly and dealan defiantly ti v overridden by our legislators and an tho the people restrained of their rights and privileges god has allowed kings to be raised up amon among his ilia children at various times anderen angeren and even to subvert the power powel w which hie existed among the people but the lord also raised up prophets to gawith go with those kings and instruct them in ili addition to the legal sido side of the courts I will s say ay there is an equity gide ide whick the latter day saint cannot avoid no teeing it ia is given in the constitution that the state shall make no law impairing the obligation of contracts contrat tracts now marriage is a contract a I civil contract and ana a sacred contract and with us extends into eternity by an ail eternal covenant it ia is laid down by the ablest jurists ta of our country that the relation of husband and wife should be maintained ds as the basis of the preservation of society and should be hedged hedge around by the courts more than any vested rights in chattels and the v world orld will know some day that there is a court that will wield its power to protect us in these righta rights and the persona persons attempt attempting in to defraud us will understand der stand atlie ane force of an overruling i injunction injunction issued against them T there re is one thing the government has done that ia is an ail excellent tl thing in that our el lidren born before 1883 88 are and shall be but there is a peculiar feature connected with this matter that ia is while legislators isla tors have said paid our chi children laren are and will be legitimate children the mothers of these children are not our legal wives it is peculiar legislation i but it may be a precursor to other subsequent legislation for our good it enough as far as a it goes we need not bo be weak kneed or trembling at any prospective trouble the men and women who lived here in 1848 and suffered what was suffered then cannot be made afraid of adv any of mans mails efforts against them or against ot this church many of the people in those days walked very near the valley of death and fear fn r and trembling ilig has entirely left them we can stand upon our record and send our missionaries sion aries to the nations of the oarth earth bearin bearing testimony that prophets testimony have teen been raise raised moy up and sealed scaled their testimony with their a blood many and varied efforts have been made to destroy the saints and to destroy polygamy but our enemies enemies have not been able to unite upon a plan they differing in their views of the modus operand to efface the twin tin relic there is no telling to what ex ox trem esthe nation will go if the loid will let thorn them armies were bent sent into the south and the they y spread de vacation and death in their efforts to Cle stroy shivery slavery and it is my opinion that the forty two vo inep who voted against the sending out of a commission to overturn our government who voted against ain st our being bein dis di franchised without a trial spoke e from the experience peri ence they obtained in the history of commissioners and returning boards at then their own homes home we can feel assured that if we are faithful to our covenants and our duties the lord has the power and will k keep beep the nations in in J just the position lie ile wishes them to be in their dealings with us Terr terrible ble judgments arc are foretold and bill will follow our testimony among the nations of tho the earth ELDER GEORGE TEASDALE felt that wo we had bad been greatly encouraged cou raged by the review of gods dealings with man wan about half a century jago igo this nark was commenced by god and one man the speaker narrated the circumstance of the angel moroni comm coming to the prophet joseph smith atif and telling where rethe the plates were laid and joseph got them he did net mt dodge but kept right on then the rec restoration tora of the priesthood by john the baptist t for there was no one upon the earth holding li the power berto tn confer upon men that priesthood flood we have the testimony ill on of f joseph smith aud and oliver oiiver cowdery collery Cow lery that john the baptist had conic and restored the power of the priesthood to call eal to repentance and baptism by immersion for the remission of sin sins here we nie have two mca and god then caisie came the relations to joseph teaching him in detail the order and powers of the dac priesthood odthe of the elderathe elders the priests the teachers alid ad deacons and g giving mug i a prom promise ise that ever every y man who bent botho to tho world inviting the honest should have power to guarantee the gift of the holy ghost to all who would obey the principles plea of the G gospel I all we have oane tasted the effects of ane gospel and we could keep talking of tho the goodness ot of god for a long time the work is us full of eviden mand we shall continue to get them we have no fear no reason to fear we have traveled without purse or script to carry the messa message c of god I one or two among thousand of strangers strang cra and enemies and amon among those who threatened to mob us im and slay 61 la us but we kept moving along and did not fear we arc are increasing in in righteousness tithes and oile rings are being paid temples are being erected the tto people are seeking their endow endowments mento and a attending to t the he ordinances for th their air dead there is not a spot on earth where re morning and evening more sons songs and prayers prayer rf ascend mend to the F father at her of the human camly than in these mountains and we should continue to sanctify theeo these valleys we pay rey our tithes and we need not quibble about what is tithing for the prophet jacob said isaid it was the tenth all that the lord gave him and we cannot get around it il T sony JOTIN hoped that tha bishops wl will 11 look after the brot bien an and ibbers who ar are iff hr from the settlements without any places to stay there aro plenty lenty of iia its who can take care of of ani them and they must be made comfortable choir sang the anthem jiow how beautiful are the feet of them that bri ngeth good tidings composed by lo 10 jno Tu lUdge sr benediction by apostle J H smith adjourned until p in P r n choir sang the hymn on page 41 jesua jesus from whom all blessings flow pr prayer a cr by president A M Cami cannon tn blymn hymn on page guide ua thou great jehovah APOSTLE MOSES had ad rejoiced in lis listening tenino to the remarks of ortho the brethren w who had spoken he ile had bad never seen a happier day than this lor for the spirit and power of god is borki working in in the hearts of the people the evidences of our eyes may fail us the hearing of our ears may deceive us the senses of our natures one by one may be misguided but he lie who rho has the companionship companions bip of the holy spirit irit will ne never vere err thed the disciples of ichrist christ had heard the sermon upon on the mount tl they e had lad seen been him feed the multitude te with the few loaves and fishes they had seen him open the eyes of tho blind they had seen him raise the dead they had traveled with him and hung bung apon upon the words of life aa as they fell from his ilia lips and had bad doubtless watched his acts and ways durin during the whole time of his ilia ministry b but they did not have bare the power to act in in the ministry of the gospel until it had been specially confirmed upon them anen they could go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature and every one that believed end and was baptized could be saved and tho the signs would follow tho believers we claim that wo we are called of god OB as was aaran aaron qualified and Fm empowered powered by revelation to minister in in the ordinances of the house of god the faith of the believers in modern churches is pinned to a belief and though I respect these believers for their sincerity I must differ with them in all sincerity and r respect act and tell them their W belief cef is a U dead ud d letter to them I respect sincerity I have been seen women walk wi th bare feet upon sharp stones for long cea for their belief I have seen wealthy women mingle with beastly indians and kneeling for hours on the filthy floor of a cathedral for their belief I have seen devotees devote esi willing ill inet to wear a crown of ot thorns for their belief but that be belief cef lacked the power of efficacy of acknowledgment of god from froin the days of ad adam lam man was commanded to increase and multiply I the decree still hold holds on the R fishes Ls of the sea and the fowls ortho f the air but the catholic church edys to somo of its members that they must not obey that law and the congress of the united states has fhaid that many many of the people of thia this country shall not obey the law I do not ai look for utter later destruction to come over ove r this nation very very rapidly many congressmen are honest as far as their cl knowledge bowl edge extend extends and there is salt suit in this nation yet many more can be found than the five required to eave Bave Sodom and guird it t was a remarkable show of bravery for any congressman to vote against the edmunds bill when the party labh was swung about the care can of every one of them and the fist of one member was held close to the nose noes of another daring him to vote against the bill bat but several dared the party lash and placed themselves on record against the bill because it was so alarin glaringly gly unconstitutional tut ional we bent our petitions signed by thousands of settlers here askin asking merely for an honorable lo 10 commission to come and hear the busy hum bun of industry in our vales seo see the brightness tuesa odthe of tho children in our schools look it tit tho the happiness of our homes and find out tho the truth of th alie e accusation concerning our ur depravity that was all wo we asked for but lift our prayer was not granted do I lieve ae any feelings of hatred towards the congress s tho the president or the people of the united Sta no my religion has taught roe me to pray for them I saw men in the east who said eaid their names were affixed to documents asking for tha destruction of this people without their consent but they lad not the moral courage to stand up tip in public and say so now talk about the oppression among a the mormon people when compared to thia I have seen in tho the east tast I never saw the day nor tho the hour when I would not raise my voice and in my I liand I in in defense of the opar oppressed without inthout askim asking any mans or any set of mens opinions y yet et these eastern men talk about our oppression I am happy and proud in being an american citizen but am prouder of being ng a member of this church and of tho the knowledge I havo have obtained my nature is proud roud and I could not hn have borne tho L t ic contempt and scorn heaped upon TOO me as a ft member of tho the C church hurch by persons who were my inferiors mentally morally niora Uy and physically I in call Y had it not been ny my L knowledge fowze ili that it tho the werk work and its il ri embers were so to much to vered great men have not floated flouted with th the tide nor |