Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-11-01
DISCOUR Sc
BI
PRESIDENT GEORGE D, CANNON
At TIE
Scn,i- .IHRuok Conference SAT- LoSe
CIR, Sunday lEyrnieg. Oc-
t0J,cr 5th, 1899.

/ trust that all who arise here TO
speak to this large CONGREGATION
viii have the faith and the prayers
OF those Sii6 ere assembled; for it
is awe-inspiring 10 see such a vast
body OF people listening 10 the
words thai arc sr,svh, ALI I Would
not attempt 10 speak unless was
sure that would be assis,ei 10y the
Spirit Of Cod.
These gatherings d. ours in Cen
eral Conference arc fiiiej with in
teresl TO the officers and members Of
the Church, who naturally expect
to receive counsel anu instruction
concerning their duties. and TO ob-
tain information respecting the
progress OF the work. We come to-
geihcr and we receive renewed
strength by meeting our friends aud
our brethren aud being inspired
with the hopes that the Spirit Of
God gices. On these accounts
these conferences are looked for
ward to with great interest by all
the people, and I am sure that this
conference Is rs full Of Interest as
any that has preceded It, in many
I respects.
We are living in peculiar times.
The work Of 0li Is being assaileI
in various directions. This, how
ever, is not 4 new thing. Il has
been our lot from the beginning to
have difficulties to contend with. 10
have obstacles 10 overcome, and 10
have scenes to pass through which
! have tested the faith, the integrity
and the fidelity OF the I.atter.day
/ Saints. The Elders, IN preach
I ing the Gospel, nave not neglected
10 tell the people unto whom they
! preached, and whom they bsp.in u,
Z the character U! the difficulties that
lthey would have 70 meet when they
espOused the work OF Gel. they
warned item that they might tex
Z pect the fate OF the ancient disciples
OF Jesus Chrit. They quoted to them
the scriptures, which told them how
they would be opposed, how their
names would DC cast out as evil, and
/ that men would think they wege
doing Gods service In killing them;
Z that If they embraced the Gospel
/ they should he prepared TO encounter
all these things, AMI perhaps il
. might I've necessary, In the pr6vi-
denec OF God, for them 10 lay down
their lives fer the truth. 7 DO not
think there is a faithful Elder that
has evet gdhe forth 10 preach the
Gospel who has not told this 10 those
who manifested IN interest in the
truth and a desire To spouse it.
Many Of them knew by experience
how much the people would have 20
contend with, and they felt IL 10 be
their duty 10 prepare them for these
things, 50 that their bap.isms, their
combinations ard tEc.s entrance
into the Church would not be use
less. The Elders have not desired
( 70 draw people into the Church for
the sake OF numbers; but every time
they have baptized a soul thoy have
hoped that he or she would he faith
full while life should last; and they
wanted all persons, in entering into
the Church, 10 enter into Il under
staudingly. and with rs full q relli-
zation Of all that they would have
to meet Stir as Il tot!d lie possible
icI person. in their condition to com
prenend. Those warnings have not
ieen in vain. They have net h---
unnecessary, ror notwithstanding
the years that have passed since the
organization OF the Church the trials
Df the faith Of the people have not
lessened. There are as many Csusas
10 test their faith today As tiietee ever
werei net e-arilg ir. Tie slrie form.
perhaps, as those which tie Saints
had to meet In earlier days: but
still they have been OF a sufficiently
trying cbaract.r b test. The Eli.h ofthe
people. TIE WOtds 81 uad Will b. full
filed concerning Us, that everything
that can beshakenwill beshaken. We
shall have 20 passthToughthc furnace
of aflliction and be tried rs gold that
Is seven times purified, until all the
dross OF our natures is cleansed, and
nothing hut Ture Sold' remains.
Why should Il rot lie 80 Other
people may be conInt Ni.b a yer
tain ceCIee II Eapp,ngsa ami El5ry.
and v it'll certain amount OF saliva
ton. But there is no people upon
the face OF the earth who have
higher conceptions aud lOitier views
concerning their future than the
Batter-de. ss.n.s entertain: IN fact.
our conceptions ami our auticipa-
tons are incomparahly greater than
those Of any other people who now
live, OF whom We know anything.
That which would satisfy ordinary
people would not. with our vis,ys,
satisfy ne. lfjved. Out a,uirslions.
to the ordinary mind, seem almost
10 be slc.eiiSicts. cur views or the
equality Of man, gjr belief Concern
ing his rela;irn;tir TO Deity nhd re-
speeding otr future, are - in,meas-
urably beyond the views Of man
Kind Senerally that V lien they At
temp. . Fellow ~ .heS tscprlc lost,
they cannot conceive VI that which
We picture 10 ourselves, aud tina.
which the revelations III God sus-
tain Us Ia entertaining and believ-
ing. Therefore, Il j. quite proper
ard consistent. having such anlici.
paticns ss We indulge IN, that we
should have ali these things 20 COLI
tend with thai afc necessary 70 lest
Us anu tQpfOte us 10 tie veTr utter
meet. We Wotli not y0s seSs the 4
qualifications Iicct=sirr for the
career Of glOTt that le have entered I.
upon, Il We E'eie not tried 10 tine
very dleeriiost, II our integrity were !
not completely proved, or II there
was anything LEFT in Us ike doubt or ,
uubelisl. or 4 want OF courage 10 I
meet Win and OvcrcJ.ie ~: i.e .
prosecutions that could be brought !
20 bear upon u. Other men may .
court ease: otbeg men may seek for /
worldly profit, other men may con !
stantly be lcosinG u,it frr sclSiuie--
est. but not 80 with Us. We can [,
not turn aside from the path that /
God has marked cut for US 70 pursue. /
to promote any worldly interest or
20 crafty any worldly ambition.
We must parsIe that path unaevI- 1
atingly, following the examine Of
our lfcsl si;1 Mss,es. re has
pointed out the path that
we shoald walk ia: and In
asking US to tread In His footsteis.
TO do as He did, He has given unto
US the same promises that He Him
self has received. He has promised
US that We shall be Co-ileiTs with
Him, and Joint heirs IN y-hateyer
glory Ee feteiyes. Whatever *
aitstion He attIinS unto we shall in
ike manner receive, IL we follow
Hisprecepts and Ills example. Cant
any peaplc on the earth desire more
than this? i there anything that
is left out: II compartments ell: il
embraces all glory, all exaliation.
all power, all dominion. The 4
promises are iiiin1itaSie--as bJand-
less rs eternity itself. And these are /
made 20 YOU who are here today.