The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-07-01

TO him the principles of the gospel
which had lain in the wilderness
for $500 years. 1 he Jews were
scattered and peeled because OF their
treatment and cruoifxlon of Christ,
snd their kingdom was given to the
6entiles; there was q falling away
from the time that Christ ana His
apostles were put to death, and
there had not since been man au-
thorizsd to 60 to work and admin
lister in the ordinances of the
church of Christ, with the priest.
| hood that Melchisedec, Moses and
Adam held, and which was held by
the apostles, and with which God
Himself had redeemed worlds. As
result, the world had been filed
with sects, until Joseph Smith was
called and auth rized under the
hsnds Of holy men. the first of whom
was John the Baptist, and the SUBJ
sequent ones were Peter, James
and John, who conferred upon him
the priesthood, without which no
work could have been accom- plished.
God has since then called men like
Elder Cannon, young and mex
perisnced in many things, but who
have testimony sufficient to salts
fy them of the truth of the gospel,
to go into the world and preach.
The greatest testimony received by
the speaker was that ,of the Holy
uhost, which was given through
the laying on of hands. He ex.
planned the principle of
the laying on of hands. The
Bible, Elder Woodruff asser-
ted, contained numerous re-
ferencss to the building up of the
kingdom OF Col in the last dispen-
sation; the ancient prophets foresaw
and spoke of the peorle who were
now called Mormons. The "travails
of the church had been through deep
waters" Persecution was necessary
FIR any people of God to exist; it
was not in the history ofmen to live
without it. God had put forth his
hand to set up ard establish his
chu Oh on the earth. Here Zion
is located; here. where tie pio-
neers of the Mormons cane on
the Oath OF Juls, 1S47, and found q
few wandering Indians and d wi d
waste. Now LOOK, he said. at the
Tabernacle, the Thousands of people
and hundreds of beautiful places in
the Territory Of Utah, the evidences
of the power of God manifested
through those who believed and
obeyed the gospel. He could say,
with the Apostle Paul, "But though
we, or an angel from heaven,
preach any other gospel unto you
than that which we have preached
unto you, let him be accursed." The
Latter-day Saints had come to Utah
by revelation and inspiration; they
were led hither by an inspired man.
Truth was the most unpopular
thing in the world; error was most
popular nowadays. The Saints were
doing the will of God as best they
could. and while denominations and
evils were rife in the world their
elders would be sent out to preach.
He bore his testimony that he was
laboring to build I'D that kingdom
which was destined to fill the whole
earth and break in pieces all other
kingdoms. If he was given eternal
life he would be satisfied. Joseph
Smith, he said, had prophesied that
the nations and even the people OF
the United States would combine
againet the Mormons, whose affairs
now had become national affair.
1t was pitiabie sight. he remarked,
to see Wiee Senators take lies into
their Councils to operate against the
Mormons; thare wasn't a boy, II
years of age, who had read the state
ments of Senators regarding the
text books used in the district
schools of the Territory, but who
would ridicule them as being un-
true. He wanted the right under
the Constitution to preach the Cos
pei OF the Savior, and he would be
satisfied; the right was given to
think, but not to act; and he asked
If that was what Jefferson and his
co.laborers contemplated when they
inserted the clause respecting relig-
ious liberty in the Constitution.
The powers that be in the east were
straining points to take away the
rights Of his Acknowledgements and
himself; but the Mormons would
ultimately not be the only ones af-
, fected by their legislation. He con
cluded by saying the Constitution
, was good enough for him and fol
every Latter-day Saint, and by pray
, ing for more wisdom for those en-
, gagged in making laws for the coun
, try at large.
PRESIDENT JOHN TAYLOR said i
/ was some time since he had take1
the privilege Of talking, as he hat
been absent, visiting through tn,
t Territory. He was always pleased
i, to meet with the Saints and to hea
3 testimonies concerning the gospel o
4 the Son of God. In relation to tn
4 testimonies borne by the elders O
the church, the Saints understoo
r .hem, but the world generally di
d not comprehend them, and it wa:
| - L. Ill