The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-03-21
SUNDAY SERVICES,

The services in the Assembly
Hall, on Sunday afternoon, were
opened by the choir singing the
hymn commencing:
How are thy servants blest! 0 Lord,
How great is their defensel
Eternal wisdom is their guide,
Their help, Omnipotence.
Prayer by Elder bruce.
The choir sang the hymn beg in
ming:
o Lord OF Hosts, We now invoke,
Thy spirit most divine,
To cleanse our hearts while We pArtake
The broken bread and vine.
PRESIDENT GEORGE @. CANNON
addressed the congregation. He
was glad to again have the oppor-
tunity of meeting with his brethren
and sisters. He said there was a
natural curiosity on the part CT the
saints to know all about their politi-
cal affairs, as well as of religious
matters. 1t was q difficult thing to
draw the line of distinction between
the temporal lives of the saints and
matters pertaining to the soul.
They attach greater importance to
their physical organizations than do
any other people, and their religion
leaves nothing concerning this life
untouched by its teaching. They
give religion full scope. Their God
is not alone a religious God. He
does not confne himself to religious
matters; nor does He solely con-
Germ himself with the spiritual
man. He is a God of science, of
worldly power, of government
who exercises himself in all
matters of human development and
progress. His first acts OH earth
were creative, his lab0rs being of
a temporal character. He taught
man how to live properly, and make
himself comfortable and happy. He
has taught man the best forms of
government. He knew in the days
of Moses and Enoch, the principles
of government best adapted to those
people. So far as they listened to
him they were governed in right
eousness and truth. Our govern
ment to-day is considered the
ripened fruit of the ages of ex-
perience that man has gained on
earth, yet there is not a principle in
it that was not known and taught
by God in the earliest day. These
principles are embodied in the
gospel. There is no principle con-
nected with mans existence on the
earth that is not a part of the
gospel, which embraces all good,
whether in the sciences, arts or
anything else. One principle,
that Of the equality of man
before God, had existed from
the first. There can be no
distinctions when the gospel is re-
ceived and put into operation; all
who receive it are the equals of
their fellowmen. If there be any
thing that will make the Saints a
free and great and influential people,
it is because the gospel teaches
them this principle. Fears have
been expressed that the growth of
the saints was menace to the sur
rounding people and the nation.
There can be no menace in such a
gospel as they believe. Oppression
and tyranny cannot exist in such a
gospel which demands the greatest
possible liberty of thought and action
consistent with good order. With
the views of the saints concerning
these eternal principles, it becomes
their solemn duty to see
that those principles are en-
forced on the earth. They are
the champions of those principles.
The followers of Saten, wherever
there has been persecution on the
earth, were its authors. Wherever
there had been mal-admin;stration
or wrong government, it had been
led and directed by instruments of
the devil. Good men never perse-
cute bad men when they have the
power. Good men are not oppres.
sors. God has given every man his
agency, and he respects it. The
Lord may weep over the wrongful
exercise of that agency, but He will
not interfere with it.
President Cannon was thank
full that the saints were surrounded
by such pleasant circumstances, anC
for the loving kindness manifested
othem by the Lord. When he knew
of the plans of the wicked to DIES
troy the saints, he felt JOY tina
they enjoyed so much liberty.
year ago all who desired to see tn,
overthrow of the saints and thei
principles destroyed, rejoiced that
deadly blow had been struck in tn
jEdmunds law. To-day the saint
were experiencing all the happiness
peace and quiet that they can rea
Isonably claim. If it were not 70
Gods presence how long could the
endure and maintain themselves il
their present position? God ha
made promises, and all would
would be literally fulfilled, not on
, and failing. The influence of til
gospel work was being felt in
wonderful manner in the eartI
The saints are but d small peopl
yet the influence that had gOr
forth from them is felt everywhel
: throughout the earth. Men are a
IknowIedging principles which
short time ago they secuted. Th
work of redeeming the world
progressing. with rapidity til;