The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-06-03
Y. n. MI. A. MEETINGS
The Interesting Conference Held
Sunday and Monday.
PREsT.n wooDRUFFs ADDRESS.
His Advice to the Members of the Associa
ton and Other Young Members
Of the Church.


Improvement associations held in the large
tabernacle in this city On Sunday and
Monday. Among the authorities of the
church on the stand were President Will
ford Woodruff, Apostles Lorenzo Snow,
Moses Thatcher, T. NJ. Lyman and A. H.
Lund: Elders Jacob Gates, B. H. Roberts,,
George Reynolds, Junius F. Wells, NJ H
Hardy, Joseph a. West, Rodney c. Badger,
VIM. S. Burton, E. H. Anderson, Joseph E.
Taylor, G. w. Penrose and others
On Sunday morning, the opening piece
was sung py the Harmony and Fifteenth
ward Glee clubs. Elder NJ H. Hardy of
Tered the opening prayer, and Elder Junius
+. Wells, one of the assistants to the gen
eral Superlntendency, was the first speaker
He dwelt upon the necessity of systematic,
practical work in the exercises of the asso
cations, and of the guidance of the holy
spirit, In order that success might attend
the organizations. He hoped that definite
plan would be agreed upon for the next
seasons work, at the meeting on Monday,
June 2
Elder Josiah H Burrows spoke on the
SUBJECT OF the "Origin and Objects of the
Mutual improvement Associations Their
origin was due to President Brigham
Young, who in 1871, appointed Junius F.
Nells as organizer. In 1879 there were
S,OOO members enrolled in the associations
The object of these societies YVES mutual
improvement of the youth and the acquire
ment of testimony of the gospel--the edu-
catlon OF the young morally, socially, re-
ug1ously and intellectually This day.
which may be termed the fifteenth ami
Versary Of the organization, there are
, nearly four hundred associations. with
membership of over fourteen thousand
Their work has been grand and glorious,
and the future has still brighter prospects.
Elder Joseph E. Johnson, of Emery
stake, followed with a very pleasing ad-
dress, on obedience, the Key. of Power
Elder Guy G. Wilson's subject was "The
promises OF God to His People," and he
was followed by Elder B. H. Roberts, who
gave most eloquent address, his su 9ject
being Life of Joseph the Prophet
PRESIDENT MILFORD WOODRUFF.
No man occupying the place that I do at
TINS lime, addressing body of Latter-day
SAINTS, could answer his own mind or the
minds OF those who hear except by the in
SEPARATION of Almighty God and the assist
ance OF the Holy Ghost. If were 10 tell
this congregation which has assembled
together as Mutual Improvement associ-
aton OF the young men and maidens
OF Zion that l was not deeply in
terested in your welfare, l should
deny the faith. Indeed the circumstances
IN which we are placed causes me. as well
as my brethren, to have the deepest inter
est III the rising generation who dwelthere
In tie mountains of Israel / will tell Won
why: | realize the fact that this world
with all its kingdoms, thrones, principal
tiles and powers; with all its wealth. seas.
rivers, lakes, It's shipping, telegraphs. rail.
roads, It's mines, It's gold and silver. the
whole OF 1t has 10 go INTO the hands OF the
young men and maidens who dwell uDon
this earth, who stand in the midst of some
fourteen hundred millions OF the human
family.
Had L the power 20 tell by the visions of
heaven, By the revelations of Jesus Christ.
what will take place when this generation
OF young men and young women shall have
passed through another thirty years OF this
lie, 90 not think 1t would De wisdom for
me TO reyeaiit % the world. Nevertheless. [
VIII say thatno generation of young people
before tbs has Aad greater evidence of the
revolutions, changes, sorrows or Affections
tnat VIII oVerWhelm the world, that will
oFertake the Inhabitants Of the earth. than
those which are to come to pass in their
tlne. The sorroWful fact IS Bef0re US that
never IN our history las such food of
: crime andthe power Of the evil one irving
10 destroy the children o. men been so ram
pantas low. One thousand murders are
committed To-Day upon the lace Of the earth
where there was one a hundred years ago.
or even when the Book Of Mormon was
translated into the English language bv
the servants of God. The same in regard
TO suicides. Look at the black catalogue of
CRIME IN our 1losc today. WHY. the world
VIII not realize all this unless they look at
tae signs OF the times and read them The
fsigns Of all heaven and earth indicate to us
7 that the end is approaching-that the Son
' OF Man is at our very DOORS
TO the sons and daughters of Zion | |
would say: have done my mission TO the
world. | have travelled far enough tol
make a journey around the world six times
within the last fifty or sixty years of nv
lie In preaching the gospel to the nations
OF the earth. My mission is now closed in
that respect, and in the few days l have to
spend. here want TO use my voice in the
cause OF the sons and daughters of Zion.
Those who have obeyed and served God
nave always been unpopular with the
world, IN every age, from the time of
Christ Himself. The Lord raised up
prophet in the nineteenth century. Joseph
Smith, the prophet of God, labored with
US Tor fourteen years after he had organ
lied the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
DAY Saints; he established a work which
Will stand until the coming of the Sen of
Man. myself have travelled with hlm
thousands of miles. and spent q
great deal of time in his comnanv
But he is now on the other side of
the vail; so are also those apostles who
were then with Us, among them Brigham
4oungi John Taylor, George a. Smith, the
FraJts,. and many s-among US viii soon fol-
low them. But the church and kingdom
OF God is here and viii remain to the end.
| would say to the young people of Zion.
''The God of heaven has laid upon your
shoulders the honor and responsibility of
bearing off this kingdom in your day and
generation. You are called to build I'D
Zion, to manifest your faith, TO keep the
commandments of God, to administer in
the ordinances OF the house of Cod both for
the living and the dead. This is the work
your fathers have laid upon you. Rise up
anG magnify your calling, prepare your
selves Tor the great work of God Almighty |
which rests upon You. If you are unpop- |
ular and prosecuted, what of it? What if |
your names are cast out as evil among meng |
There is God IN Israel. He holds your |
destiny as well as that of all nations under |
heaven, and He viii not fail or dis
appoint any of His saints' To those
who are engaged in the primaries. in
Sabbath schools, in young mems and
young womcn's mutual improvement as
sociations, let me say, eve cannot be di- |
vlded in these matters.'' Having spoken |
OF the excellent work which these institu- |
tions had accomplished in the past, Presi-
dent Woodruff alluded to the relief So
cieties, which he said had been a great
blessing to this people
It has not unfreqnently been said by this
and other nations. tsYou Moruons are mt
TT to liTe.'' Hard things have been said
against us: and there have been so MANY
lies told about US that nobody knows what |
Is the truth.
= Some time ago | came down here with