The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-05-27

The chu1ch was commenced. "You
name shall be spoken OF for coed ant
evil" No truer words coul(
be spoken than these, for every,
where his name had been spoken o.
for good and evi; his name was hello
in veneration next to Jesus Christ
with an intensity Of hatred OF equa
strength 1t was spoken OF by the
enemies of the church. A better
fulfillment of prophecy had never
been recoI ded. So also with the pre-.
dictions regarding mnltitudinOus
conversions; he never predicted
smooth sailing without opposition
on the contrary, he told all to
prepare for prosecutions, and so
instructed all the missionaries who
we're sent out, even to the / sing of
life, property, good name, ETC., and
there was no conceslment of this.
When the elders went forth they real
lied that they would find but few in a
place. waiting for the gospel, and
that they would not effect any great
conversions among the Gentiles.
The preaching to the Lamanites
had been foreseen and predicted con
corning. The growth of the church
had been gradual few at time.
Those who had first heard the gospel
had been found waiting for it's ad
vent. President Taylor was one of
company who wee apxiously
waiting the coming of some direct
revelation from God; and Elder
Woodruff, also, had been engaged In
praying for it. All were conscious
Of the absence of the power and con-
dition of things which existed in
ancient days, and the few who re-
ceived it accepted it as a matter Of
course). 1t was remarkable that
wherever the elders had gone they
had no trouble among those of the
house Of Israel In converting them !;
it seemed as though their hearts was
prepared. The speaker himself had
been to the Sandwich Islands, where
he believed, the aborigines existed,
and found no trouble in baptizing
them; they were of the covenant
people. 1t was difficult to convert
the Gentiles.
President Cannon here said he had
not yet touched upon the SUBJECT of
the chapter he had read when he
first arose, in which it was recorded
that God had said he w3uld send
Elijah the prophet, singular pre-
diction for these days, when men
did not believe in prophets; he did
not kzow how Christendom would
arrange for his coming. He then
read from revelation given to
Joseph Smith and Oliver COwdery,
in which it was stated that they be-
held the Son Of God
and other glorious personages,
whom Was the prophet
Elijah. The statements in that
revela ion were similar to those in
Malachi. but the reference to the
hearts Of the fathers being turned
toward the children and the hearts
of the children toward their fathers
was particularly noticeable as being
Of the divinity of the
former one. Peter said that Jesus
preached to the spirits in prison
the Episcopal prayer book went so
far as to say He decended into hell |
Y hen Mary met Him in the garden
after His resurrection, He said to
her, "Touch me not, I have not yet
to my Father" This was
an evidence to him that punish
ment was not eternal; there was 3 !
day of relief and a chance for re-
pentau ce, as was manifest by Jesus
repentance to them; God
had revealed this to the Latter-day |
Saints, and this was one of the
purposes for which they were
erecting temples. What was to be.
come of the millions, he queried, |
who had never heard the name of |
Jesus? What would become of I
hose who die yearly without hear
ng the name of Him who was pro-
claimed to be the only one through
whom humanity could be saved?
This doctrine of salvation for the
Ipirits in prison was one which |
;ormed part of the teachings Of the
Latter-day Saints, and he ridiculed |
md scorned the idea of God con-
lemning men to eternal damnation
or ignorance; all who died with.
'ut knowledge OF the gospel would
yet hear it, and salvation would be
to them. The God of the
Saints was endless and eternal, and |
IS long as the world stood the labor I
or the redemption OF souls and the
Aviation of those who had died in
ignorance would go on; repentance
n this life and the life to come
would be preached, and hell itself
would be made to give up of its
occupants. This was part of the
Had tidings the Latter-day Saints !
lad to offer TO mankind. In the
)ressts of the Saints their ; esrnings {
lad been turned to their faT hers anu I
rom the fathers to the children, jn
deserving the ordinances of the +
house of God, among which WIS
hat Of baptism for the dead. 4
lifferent spirit prevailed now to
what obtained forty years ago, with |
egard to ancestors, which tended 10
u'fii the redlctions concerning the
carts of the fathers being iurnei
oWard the children and th;s Of The
children toward toe father societies
we're being formed for seeking and |
securing chronological data. and