The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-07-26


or the agricultural advantages. They
came because they believed it was
a command Of God that they should
do so; because their religion COM
manded them to break up their
homes and gather in these noun
tains with the saints. There was
nothing in history corresponding
with this remarkable feature of
preaching the gospel. 1t was in
conformity with ancient predictions
that this came about. It was i'm
possible for human influence to do
this. 1t was not the inducements
held out by the elders that caused
people who believed the gospel to
come. They were worked upon by
a power higher than that of man.
To keep the saints from gathering
one would have to put them in dun
geons, depriving them of their lib
erty. Here were people belonging
to almost every nationality, speak
ing almost all known languages, land
formerly believing in various re-
ligions, yet they come here as one
family. 1t was not due to the in
fuence Of the leaders, however
shrewd they might be. Let any in
telligent men try to build up COM
munity such has had been built
up in Utah and see what the
result would be. For fifty years
the elders had been preaching
the gospel, traverSing Europe and
America, and there was no failure
in the work, which rolled steadily
onward, every year receiving &C
cesSiOns of people who were willing
to share the triumphs and tolls and
sufferings Of the church. 1t was
not human shreWdneSs that had
done this. The gospel made those
who believe in it love one another,
and caused them to dwell together
in peace and union. The people
were bound together with love
that persecution and assault could
not break. 1t would not be so
strange if they were all from one
state, section or nation, but here
were all nationalities, living together
as brethren, full Of love for each,
and entertaining none Of that
animOsity which men Of different
nationalities and sections have for
each other. The saints moved as
one man. They could be lead by
hair, if the right kind of influence
were employed, but they could not
be driven. They were unyielding
in their tenacity to principle. 1t
was the spirit of God that made
them as they were, united in their
belief and principle, suffering
persecution and death rather than
being moved against their religion.
They were peaceful, quiet, long
suffering, yet tenacious of their
rights. In this territory there would
be no litigation, were it not for the
lawyers who stir it up. They have
a quiet, peaceable way of settling
their differences Of opinion. The
spirit Of God was with them, guiding
and directing their actions, in the
ways Of right. They are honest,
industrious, frugal and conscien-
tious. Where the saints control you
do not find thieving, squandering of
the public money, ETC., but on the
contrary, light taxes, good order,
small official salaries. If one were
to believe the stories told about the
MoTmons he would think the apos-
ties had a man for breakfast every
morning and that a corps of Danites
attended their commands. The
apostles did not look like that kind
Of men. Nor were they. They were
lied about, and the lies had some in
fuence, but the saints were living
them down, and lost no sleep on ac-
count Of the false stories told con-
corning them. They would con-
tinue to livein peace and enjoyment,
whatever might be said of them.
Elder Cannon was thankful that
God had revealed his gospel, and
that ne wanted his people to gather
out OF Babylon, where they could
escape the plaques. In the
world there was q condition of
things that correspondent with
what John said Of Babylon,
and the Saints were trying to pre-
pare for the cleansing of society.
When the speaker thought of the
hollowneSS and vici0usness of
society, if he had no hope beyond he
would have no desire for life or
But when he saw the sys-
tenn and order among saints he had
hope for himself and his children
and thought with pleasure Of the
future. Here then was a desire TO
help each other and care for some
thing besides self. He eXhorted the
people when lifted up in pride to go
to God and ask him to show them
their faults. 1t would humble them
and show how impure they were
and how far from the Lord. The
saints believe in the Lord, and that
he answered prayers. the same as he
did eighteen-hundTed years ago; and
they asked blessings upon them
selves and the lOnestin heart every
where.
The choir sang an anthem, and
Elder Henry Naisbitt pronounced
the benedictiOn.