The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-04-07
The. Active Tools in the
Conspiracy.
THE STRONG ATTACHMENT.
The True Inwardwardness OF the Pre-
sent OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Compare
sons - The Question what
Shall We Do? Answered
Dear Brethren and Sisters

Dear Brethren and Sisters:
In the plenitude of Gods mercy the
Saints are once again permitted IL
peace TO assemble in General Confer
ence to worship the Lord, to extoi dis
goodness, to glorify His name, to hear
HIS word, and 70 receive such instruc-
tons from His servants as the Holy
Spirit shall dictate, as well as TO trans
act such business pertaining TO HIS
Church as may be presented for their
consideration But as we, your oreth-
rem of the First Presidency, are, by the
force of peculiar circumstances, de-
priyed on this occasion of your society
and YOU of ours, we deem it consistent
with the duties of our calling 70 al
dress YOU by letter, aud in this way to
Law before you that which under more
favorable conditions we should have
been pleased to have delivered orally.
In the first place, we extend our con-
gratulations to you, as batte r-day
Saints and members of the Church OF
Christ, that affairs with US are so Ia
yorable that so many can meet together
as you do on this the fifty-sixth ami
versary of the organization OF the
Church, in General Conference. Per-
secution has ragged, and hideouG wrongs
have been and are being perpetrated
against US as Church, but thus far
our enemies have not been permitted
TO 20 to such lengths as the persecnt-
Ors of the people of God did in the
days of the first Alma, when they put
tasks upon his people and put task
masters over them and put TO death
those whom they found calling upon
God. Though many of us are de-
priyed of the privilege of meeting to-
gether in public, yet q goodly number
of YOU can assemble as you do this day
and worship your God and listen to
His word; and we all-prisoners, ex-
lies and free-can call upon our God
without danger of punishment there
for. Indeed, we need not go to the
days of Alma for contrast between the
condition of the people of God
then and our present condition,
10 find causes for thanksgiving and
praise to our GOD this day for His
mercies unto US. We have only to re-
which many of you have taken part, to
find contrasts which should prompt US
10 bear our present Affections with pa
tent equanimity. Some of the Saints,
perhaps, feel that their sufferings I'M
der the tyranny which is now exercised
over US in the name of law are very
severe, and they may ask how long
shall these outrages be permitted to
continue? But If they would unSer-
stand how mucn worse our positions
might be let them recall the scenes
enacted in the State of Missouri, when
the Latter-day saints were driven by
mob violence out of jackson County
into Clay County, and thence into
Caldwell County, and finally were
compelled to fee, in the depth of an in
clement winter, out of the State, under
an order of Lilburn w. Boggs, the
Governor, which said "thdt the Nor
plsRs must be treated as enemies, and
must be erteTnindted or driven from the
Stcse," ami this, too, after many of
their number had been killed, and the
remainder had been robbed of nearly
all the property they had in the world;
or, recall the treatment the Latter
day Saints received in the State of I'LL
mole, when, after numbering, in the
most savage and heartless manner, and
while under the pledged honor of the
State, the President and Patriarch of
the Church, ana woundlng almost to
death one of the Twelve Apostles,
mobs organized themselves, burned
the houses OF the saints in the outer
settlements, destroyed their property
QIOhC lOI LuClI llNCc W buC
City of Nauvoo; and then, not content
with this, brought the whole power OF
the State to bear upon them to compel
them to leave that city and the State
and to take refuge, stripped and desti-
tute, in the wilderness, where their
enemies hoped internal discussions,
starvst ton or wild Indians would COM
, plete che work of destruction which
they we're not permitted to accom-
plish. .a -91 81 ~
However grevious the wrongs under
which we suffer to-day, there is much
yet to be thankful for. Our land is
filed with plenty. No CRY ca man or
beast ascends from our borders to high
heaven for the want of food; no beg
cars plead for aims in our streets, and
no destitute soul has denied to him
that sustenance necessary to supply
his wants. And with these blessings
os good food, comfortable raiment and
Sufficient shelter, we have the inestim-
able blessing of the peace of God,
which He gives to every faith
full Saint - peace in our hearts,
peace in our habitations, peace
in our settlements-a peace which the
werld cannot give, and which, thank
the Lord, it cannot take away. Let
your hearts, therefore, Brethren and
Sisters, be filed with Thanksgiving and
praise to our God Tor bis goodness
and mercy unto US as q people: He
has made promises concerning Zion;
be assured He will not forget them.
Zion may say, in the words OF the
Prophet isaiah, 1.-THE Lord hath for
saken me, and my Lord hath forgotten
me"
But the Lord replies: :
"Can a woman forget her sucking
child, that she, should not have com
passion on the son OF her womb! lea,
they NAV forget, vet will / not forget
thee. Behold, l have srsvcn thee upon
the palms of my hands; thy walls are
continually before me-"