Show conference the ilio at on V SPIRITED instruction eloquent addresses from apostles P F D richards john henry smith and H J grant the fifty sixth semiannual conference of the church of jesus christ crist of latter day saints convened ve an the new tabernacle coal ville co utah on wednesday morning oct oth 1886 at 10 a 2 in on the stand were of the quorum borum of the twelve apostles F D richards who presided john henry smith and john W tay lor besides presidents of stakes and seventies at 10 order waa was called by president Ric richards bards and the Co Oal alville ville choir tang eang the hyron hymn be ginning great ie Is tho the lord atis good to praise apostle john henry smith offered ered the opening prayer and the choir ang mang of faith comedown covie down reveal the thi ot of god and make to us the godhead known and witness with the blood APOSTLE F D RICHARDS addressed the congregation it lt was with peculiar feelings of pleasure that hy no and all the brethren visiting met in this place it was certainly of credit to the people that they had built so fine an edifice and that in so short a time it had been prepared for us to meet in we have many th things ings to be thankful for the early frosts have not visited the valley here and hence we are blessed with aban dimitt crops crops we also enjoy liberty a gift which may have not yet learned to appreciate we hear 0 of amany many calamities abroad broils strife elementary convulsions and we should sense that the latter latten day saints are having peace and quiet and return thanks to god tor for it it is true our usual equanimity is somewhat disturbed by those who do not believe as we do and who are not willing that we should enjoy jo religious freedom yet with the caldren children of abraham and the saints of god its has been so in all ages some say bay that our religion tends to heathen notions yet we draw near to god as did abraham and the nearer we draw to him the more valuable will be our instructions we should corn cum the dealings of god with us at this time and net devote all our time to our own personal affairs but spend part of our time in the service of god realizing that in such a course blessings of great value e will be showered upon us we should not be annoyed annoy ed by every little affair that occurs in our midst but remember the great work we have in hand band to do the attainment of high and glorious places I 1 a ces when we consider this fet let us remember also that there bere t must be great changes in our con and education asa as a people this knowledge canno cannot t all come from our schools but the experience fience which we are called to pass through will also educate us for that great r 0 eat work then let all donsife consider r the times in which they live that they may gain the most from the peculiar experience surrounding us we have not yet come coma to experience such scenes ae us were witnessed in missouri and we wish to tal take 0 euch such a course that we can go on our way rejoicing in in the midst of the severest tion lifting our voices voices in in the severest afflictions holding all things in gods hands including our lives and all we own during the conference an epistle from tile first presidency will be read bead so that all may hear bear their views of the situation in this time of plenty none ought to want tor food in our midst even the poor indian should be satisfied eatie fied the lord is not pleased with our carelessness in this direction neither is he pleased with the way many of the saints have of turning the sabbath day into a day of recreant tion visiting canyons resorts and pleasure places and there mingling with the ungodly to such an extent that it would take an angel from haayen to tell the w wicked from tho the good it is not right god docs not ap approve rove of it and the speaker proclaimed c la I 1 c d strongly against it at stating a tid tb that tbt t all 1 I good saints will vill do the t e same another thing coarse rough and profane language should be done away with from amongst ue us let euch such abominations cease and let your language be plain and pure io in all circumstances tame your unruly tongues suppose a member I falls if from the church the unruly konves arc are all agor agog and wrong is ie 4 often committed it was not long ago t that hat a salt lake paper stated that many may of the prominent men of the church were about to be cut off OIT when these same breth yen rea stood well in the church do not be too quick to repeat what is bot true this people to today day are making history and every man and foul soul should make it eo so that he be will not iu in time desire it undone the s speaker eaker closed with a desire desire that th at god gos would bless the brethren who are away from us whose absence we greatly regret and who bear their trials manfully as be cometh sainta saints APOSTLE A JOUN JOUX W referring to the remarks of the previous speaker called att attention ution to the fact that in the latter days nen should become covetous and lovers of pleasure this is a agen general conference and hence he should speak on general topics we are suffering today to day not from what we have obeyed as much as from what we have not obeyed thie this is in keep keeping ing with our god in heaven who will not riot chastise bis his people without just cause any more than an earthly parent would with his cb children ildreD the bible abounds with illustrations ortho of the results of 0 f breaking the commands ands of god we cannot escape gods j judgment if we break his commandments an any y more than israel of old did lid what do we find in the centre stake of zion in davis and weber counties why thousands of latter day saints floundering flou ri dering in the lake breaking t the he sabbath day the speaker assured the saints that now it had been proclaimed against the judgments of such conduct would would be visited upon those who break these commandments and what a sight eight we see sabbath with their superintendents leading the children to places where the tile wicked abide and where vice and corruption stalk abroad we do not heed council in thia this regard the speaker bad referred to this in the salt lake tabernacle and the very next week three or four sun day schools took excursions to the lake he thought it was because it was spoken against he therefore took the precaution to speak of it now when it was cold so that the people would have six mont months listo to think it over but he be desired to close in regard to this matter or he be feared all the people would go to the lake next year so little do we heed proper council I 1 in n the doctrine and cobena covenants ants we are told to teach our children faith in god and to walk uprightly t ly before him he called attention to thie this because there are thousands of children who are neglected in our midst why the rois eion n schools have close onto of our ur children teaching them other doctrine than the faith of their fathers where are the saints on fast day we need to take example from tho the jews our coop co op stores are in full swing owing with everybody busy on these days and only few attend the meetings these are old and decrepit with only one or possibly two of the bishopric this is wrong and we cannot expect god to bless us under such circumstances this is either the kingdom of god or nothing knowing this shall we treat lightly the commands of god we can noldo it and be blessed the shepherd treats the scabby sheep first lest the whole flock become defiled then he turns turn his attention to the lambs from this arrangement we may alio also take a lesson or all the righteous as in other days will suffer for the r sins ina and abominations of the wicked behold another wrong in in our midst mide fal the daughters of zion are mingling and marry ing ng with the wicked casting aside the sons eons of zion change from thin or sorrow will bo be your lot and look with favor upon the sms eons of zion who will marry you for time and for eternity do not change the happiness of eterei et erni I 1 ty 1 for 0 r the transitory pleasures of tir time 1 thus causing sorrow to your own owl soul in the ward in salt lake city be he L knew new of twenty young ladies of the saints who had married outsiders and where are they today to day some with their mos me there thero some in the east and some in the west but all are without a hus band having baving been unequally yoked together with the ungodly shall wo no not then keep the commandments of god and receive the blessings of god clod so that he will not cast us u aside and raise up another people to take our place letour let our greatest desire bo be to build up the kingdom of god and repeat repent of our sins jf if we do this the spirit of god will grow in our hearts and abide with us from sun to sun eternally that thia this might be the case and that gods spirit would abide with us jn in all our walks of life was the ero earnest prayer the choir bang sang 0 awake I 1 my minstrel let my harp forget ita its spell say ray osay 0 eay in sweetest accents zion won pro apers I 1 all Is 13 well adjourned till 2 pm pray prayer er offered by president W W cluff AFTERNOON SESSION the congregation was called to order by apostle Ap osle F ID richarde choir abe hymn on page 18 I 1 8 aan an angel fromon from on blah 1 the long long lorg silence broke prayer by apostle dieber J grant glant choir cany come cume 0 thou king of kings weye waited long for thee JOTIN JOHN anz hinry ary ea teemed it a great privilege to meet again with the saints in conference and to s see e e a goodly number present what the t h e lord might have in store for fur him to say he could not then tell there has been a tendency among this people of paying attention to many things of lesser importance and neglecting the more weighty principles principle and dutle duties which are so necessary to us the necessity of care in observing principles touched upon by the speakers of the forenoon the speaker s thought was apparent the people had given too much 0 of f their time and attention to excursions etc which occurring on the sabbath day 8 should goulabe be discouraged people were too much wont to notice the fault faults of others and not noticing their own actions sufficiently the saints ought to be more particular to observe the sabbath day and not arrange their travels from one place to another on that day there is no doubt that excuse is found for theae these things as a s he be had known one man to hide his bis faults by tho the acts of another these little feelings of hypocrisy are conspicuous in many of us As a rule we wa find ours cursives ives sitting in judgment j U dament 1 upon magnifying ta their 11 ir binig mistakes and not our own As a people we have not as a sought for counsel and when we have received counsel we have been slow to put that counsel into practice every one who makes this excuse for doing evil because others did when he be stands before the great judge he will be given to understand that the ret res waa was upon himself and he will have to bear the blame and cons sequence brother taylor bad pointed out the evils that resulted by certain associations of young people in our early years none of us reflect eo so much as we should do in after years in many cases seemingly but a move of the hand band is sufficient td turn the youth to one side or the other A young lady came ameto to mo me during the last few month saying a kind consid ate young man had come to her lor for her band hand and her sympathy elie she married him he was moral and true but in a him was the spirit epi of infidelity he be crepta cc epta the belief in no prospects ecta beyond the grave 1 I love him as the apple of my eye the young on lady aid but 1 oh who iho can t tell e T what what feel feelings of so sorrow row I 1 find in my heart now I 1 that bat with children reared and surrounded with barthl earthly y comforts we can can not live in union of fe feeling efing questions arise as to where those children shall go to be trained to be od educated 1 I 1 would say to chemor the mor mons ions 11 wed with each other I 1 would say to the catholic to the methodist M to every denomination wed with each other and not with those of other persuasions the principle of fasting as had been said by brother taylor has been much neglected fast meeting gs should be bold hold and there the sal sainta rits should gather and partake of the influence of the spirit of god there they should hold receive the inspiration te to speak eak in tongues to prop prophecy bley they should F there receive the faith aith and the power by which the sick might be healed if we as a people have not these blessings us if the devil is not cast out and the sick are not riot healed among us then we aa as a people are cut loose from our mooring as iha aa people of god for god had lial promised these things wings and upon us rests the responsibility if we walk in the ways of truth keeping gods laws we will stand against the ig nomy of the world and feel we have the approbation of the almighty and the good will of our brethren and st sisters aters the speaker plead with the people to observe the fast and if they would woul do that he be would promise them as an apostle of jesus christ they would receive the witness of the spirit of god just as much go did tb the apostles on the tile day of pentecost god has eaid said that his people would be willing in the tile day of hie ilia power today to day the elders were willing to go forth to preach the gospel and if something c had to come about to make them ready and willing to per perform every duty it would come the enemies of this tills people do not see swe the good that they are doing I 1 would not revile them for their efforts against al alast us but god would judge jud e them the word had gone fort forth comenout Com Come cout out of babylon on my people have they done it you and I 1 will see the clouds dispel dispelled I 1 ed ae as we hyve seen the clouds in the sky dispelled felled by the noonday sun I 1 believe eve that the prospects were never so briedt from tito commencement as they are today to day I 1 do not believe that there is that obscure obscures the horizon in the least lest so far as the work of god is concerned may the blessings of god be with wit us that each one on leaving the conference may bo be inspired and enthused so to speak with the spirit of god and with a love for his truth and d with a determination to carry 21 out hie his principles APOSTLE n 11 J after a few introductory remark remarks said tho the uppermost desire in the heart of every latter day saint should be to know the fill ot of the lord and to tocarra carry it U out I 1 believe that we often let our minde minds bo be so much occupied with the of the tile world that they do not reach out as they the arl should to the things of god all such labor if we neglect the things of god will bo be in vain for we have been told that be he that 6 abeth his life shall lose it lt A person with a little means can pay MY his lis tithing liberally but the person who makes per e r month feels it very hard to pay ia 50 0 of that where romen men have been blessed abundantly with the things of this world it takes them all their time to take care of them when the people af the latter da day saints first came ranie here they came ame for the liberties they might enjoy now the same kind of intolerance and pei that were heaped upon the colonists coloni ste of our country are heaped upon us it behooves us as RS a people to be careful to observe the commandments of god I 1 do not pct believe that the man neglects the tie minor thine things of his religion ie is firm but there is able to occur a leakage in the ditch and the banka a of that mans man P position itsou fall out we claim that god has his spoken from the he heavens avene tellin telling us what to do dome do |