Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-03-08
and thanksgiving that they are 20

1titeI-GaN cIlll--
1 have been absent few weeks.
come hack more deeply impressed, u
possible, with the holiowness of nf.
fairs outside this work; more i'm.
pressed than ever with. TIE I'm
meusity OF evil there is in the world,
with the growth and development
Of everything that is opposed to God
and TO holiness. Wickedness is in
crelsing 10 a most extraordinary
extent, and righte0uness and virtue
and truth are fading out Of exist
ence, they may lie said to exist only
in name. Not but what there are
virtuous people, but they are
so few that their influence for
good is almost lost in the
whirlpool Of giddy life, and that
love which inen and yppnen cugh.
20 have for their iieighbOrs; that
care, that hrotherly affection and
feeling which ought TO exist he
tween man and man, and that sister
~ tenderness that ought TO exist be-
tween all the daughters Of God; is
scarcely felt and scarcity 20 be found.
I And Z havb turned my eyes towards
| Zion, ami notwithsiandingour many
faults-and they are numerous, for /
am conscious Of my own, and know
they belong to all Of us-I turn my
eyes and heart 10 Zion with feelings
Of indispensable thanksgiving 10
God Tire Eternal Father that | am
connected with such a people rs the
Latter-day Saints. l thank God
that He has built up His Church,
and that He permitted me to be
born when X was built up; | thank
Him for the restoration Of that
love from the heavens which was
so fast departing from the earth
that love which binds us together,
which causes our hearts 10 be united
together; and that He has restOred
the everlasting Gospel in its fitness
and in its purity with its primitive
power, and with the gifts that ac-
companied ii when upon the earth
and taught by His disciples ard
Himself. And the influence Of that
Gospel and its fruits, which were
disappearing so rapidly from the
earth, are being brought to the sur.
face among this people. and are be-
ing cultivated here, and are being
developed here, and they are hav-
ing n mighty influence on character
here, in making men more like the
pattern the Savior set. Elsewhere
in the world you may look for those
fruits in vain. AS have said con
corning virtue itself, there are, no
doubt, people who try TO cultivate
it; but they are lost in the great
mass; their influence is cOmpara-
lively unfelt; and thoughtful men,
who are desirous 70 see a better day,
mourn over the hopelessness of the
prospect that presents itself before
them aud the poor results which at
tend their efforts 10 elevate their
fellowmen and to maze them better.
There are ut the present time or
carnations being formed for the pur-
pose Of carrying out some Of the
views set forth I'm n novel lately
written by n gentleman named Bell
amy. The novel is called, "Look-
ing Backward" IL has had an
extraordinary effect In many quar-
tiers, aud organizations have been I
formed in various places with the I
view Of carrying out practically some .
of the views set forth therein. In .
thinking about this l was struck .
with a remark made 10 me many I
years ago by the late General ThOs.
E.kane. General Kane In his early
life, wnea secretary Of the United
States Legation at Paris, became
deeply interested in the labOrs and
efforts OF Fourier and 1t. Simon aud
other French socialists and COM
muhis.s for the purpose Of ele-
waiting the French and intro
ducing n better order Of society
there, and they strOve dill
gently for some time 10 carry out
their reforms. General Kane had
been = close Ob-etvcr OF these efforts
and the results Of them, and on one
occasion, in speaking about such
systems, he said: Mr.. Cannon,
am satisfied ofone thing. that It Is
20 have anything Of that
character effective, or that will re-
suit in any permanent good without
religion. There must be religion, he
,aid. and that must be appealed 10.
lnd its aid must re sought ami rva-
Tered I'm order 20 make such schemes
or the amelioration Of the condition
# men successful.
| have been greatly Impressed OF
ate with that thought, and l aut
ure il is true; and however desir-
IDLE il may be, or however great the |
.flOrts put forth Of the character 10 4
which / allude, they, / am sure
an result in no great success, or /
lasting and beneficial 10 Z
unless religion, true Teli- I
zion, thu Gospel OF the Loni Jesus, I
5 associated with them. It's prin- !
iples alone viii save mankind; I
here is no other plan Of salvation. d
ither temporal Or spiritual, than @
hat which Is found In the Gospel. /
nd THERE is no salvation, temporal :
T spiritual, excepting that resulting q
ron, obedience % Il. It's principles j
re from God; hy its principles God c
) what He Is today. by observ- a
nee Of It's principles heaven is made O
eaven, aud j. peor,-i b;' beings d
Tho have obeyed the Gospel, and II
trough their practical obedience n
} the Gospel have produced heaven, n
r mther made themselves fit to 3,
well In heaven. And Though q
lose glorious principles, which We =
ave received 10 Some extent at n,
asst ard Through obedience 10 n,
lem, carrying them out practically h.
our lives, the children Of men o,
IN he elevated into the region Of ~
Cd and angels, and heaven can be a,
ought about, to 2 certain extent at "a
ast, upon the earth, thus full. =,
ling The prayer Of the Sa+ior when or
ecOmmGnded His disciples stormy.
Thy Kingdom come. Thy viii ie m
me in earth, ms II is IN hsaven.r III
o man-made scleme, however ~
lnningly and wisely arranged, can g,
ing this state Of things about. Ii MI
true something may be done to 81
Up men: meh by combining 4
n help each other; but 10 bring a,
out perfection in this direction. IN
bring about results that will he an
recty satisfactory, recourse must of
had ~ the principles Of the ever mn
ting Gospel; and through them NJ
me, administered through the oil,
thority that He has restored, can IN
: condition OF mankind be truly as
or the human family vi,
put in condition such as men Rr
their aspirations and dreams IN
We yearned for. In this respect. sor
: brethren and sisters, we have mn,
nj advantages. We have no ad- nir
ntage in regard 10 n code of sur
rails. l have heard beautiful dis In
Inscs, rs you no doubt have. thr
IN moral principles I have sal tuI
! wondered why the people were the
better, having such grand moral ME
tbs haght to them. Eloquent ssj,
:, men Of large conception and he
ended views, men who have loved Dec
II fellow men, have discoursed hi
# eloquently aud learnedly upon we
good effect Of better moral are
ng. / suppose that from every II /