The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-09-30
THE TABERNACLE.
Services at This Place of WOr-
! ship on Sunday.
PRESIDENT CANNON's ADDRESS.
He Discourses Upon the Subject OF
the "FalI and the Redemp-
ton of Man,


gan by singing the hymn commencing:
When Gods own people stand in need,
His goodness will provide supplies;
Thus when Elijah faints for bread,
raven to his succor flies.
Prayer by Elder Lorenzo D. Young.
The choir sang the hymn beginning:
Behold the great Redeemer die,
a broken law to satisfy;
He dies a sacrifice for sin
That man may live and glory win.
PRESIDENT GEORGE @. CANNON said that
in rising to address the congregation he
desired an interest in the faith and
prayers OF the Saints, that what he
might be led to say would prove of bene
fit to all. We were living in a peculiar
age, he continued, and as people the
Saints were doing Il work which was at
tracing the attention OF mankind; their
name was known for good and evil
in all lands, and more probably
for evil than for good. At no
time in the history of mankind, that
there was any account of, has there been
people who have attracted so much
attention as those known as Mormons
or Latter-day Saints. In the present
age, knowledge is communicated with
graph wires and other facilities which
the age affords, and everything in con-
nection with the Saints as people is
heralded to the world. Unfortunately,
with these facilities for the spreading of
of truth, there are also those for the
spreading of falsehoods. The adversary
has not been idle; no pains have been
spared by him to create false impress
sions concerning the kingdom of God
and the church which he has estab-
lished. The Saints have been prepared
for this. The inhabitants of the earth
had been warned of the character of the
prosecutions which would follow belief
in and obedience to the principles of the
gospel, and the warfare of undying
hatred which would be waged against
the Saints. Nothing has taken place
that has not been made manifest through
revelations which God has given them,
and this has been a great cause of
strength, enabling them to meet and
bear with some degree of equanimity
and fortitude the prosecutions from
their enemies; it was well that this
| had been the case. There had been a
spirit of peace experienced by those who
had espoused the work of the gospel;
had it not been for this they could not
have borne the trials and prosecutions
they have endured. He doubted if there
| could be a people found on the earth
who were enjoying the perfect happiness
which the people of Utah were possessed
of, and while they have been reviled and
spoken evil of, God had recompensed
them by bestowing the blessings which
events which pointed to the near future
he thought they might prove interest
ing. There was no one who had obeyed
the gospel, complied with the ordi-
nances, been baptized and had hands
| laid on them for the gift of the Holy
Ghost, but had received testimony for
him or herself of the truth of the princi-
pies; that testimony should always be
with them, in all their acts of life; they
should so live that the Holy Ghost
would always be with them. He had
often heard that it was necessary that
those only at the head should know
that MormoniSm was the work of God [;
this was incorrect; every member OF the
church, no matter how humble, in every
condition OF life, should know for him
or herself, and be a living witness that
God is their father and that they are
doing his work. God has placed
people on the earth to ac-
complish certain purpose, which has
been revealed to the Saints. 1t was
difficult, perhaps, for strangers to COM
prehend this; but in this respect the
Latter-day Saints should be the most
happy, joyous and contented people on
| the earth. Beside their present life on
the earth, and the knowledge of whence
they came, the future has been opened
up to them. If man only knew
whence he came, how happy he would
be! Much of the unhappiness of the
world arose from ignorance of this. Do
you think, he asked, that if men knew
this they would commit suicide? Would
they destroy that which God in his
mercy had given him? No; he did not
believe any man would ever raise his
hand to commit self-destruction; would
never dare to destroy the temple-the
tabernacle which God had given him to
protect. Itwas comfort to him to re-
flectsupon this subject We ask our
selves, he continued, "Whence did we
Gomez" The Bible SAYS we came from
God that God is the father of our
spirits. 1t had been argued by some
that because we had no previous recol-
lection OF our existence, that is, previous
to being born into this world, our being
dated from our birth. Christ existed
in the past; dwelt in the heavens; was
the creator of all things, before he took
upon himself humanity President
Cannon often wondered how the Chris
tan world could entertain this belief
and not believe that man did not have a
pre-existence also. If it were possible for
Jesus to assume mortality, to be
born of woman, is it not possible that
all mankind could have similar exist
ence, and that they came in the same
way upon the earth? The Bible con-
tains proof of this. Jesus existed with
the Father, and descended from his high
estate to become mortal man. Is there
anything ridiculous in the thought that
mankind also came from the Father?
In the first chapter of jeremiah it is
written, "And before thou earnest out
of the womb sanctifed thee, and or
dained thee prophet unto the nations; !"
Thousands of others have known or felt
that they were called to accomplish
great work on the earth. The reyela-
tons given to the Latter-day Saints had
been given in great plainness. Prior, to
mans existence on the earth, he mad
place with the Father; all born ana 10
be born had an existence with Goa De-
fore coming to this world.
The speaker was here interrupted py
the rising in the congregation OF some
300 strangers, who were about 10 leave
by the afternoon train. He stopped III
his remarks. and when the visitors naq