Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-03-07
REMARKS
MADE ny
PRESIDENT GEORGE Q. CANNON,



afternoon In the remarks which hav'
been made. am glad to see No mani
Of the I.at,er-,lay Saints gathered 10
goihcr to this Conference. regrette'
this morning that our local officers, a
least some Of them, were not heie Z
represent their organizations. The re-
ports which we heard concerning th'
condition Of tue stake were exceeding
~ interesting, and should have beer
pleased, personally, to have heard
more, because think we do not know
NJ much about our own affairs and the
conditions that surround Us m We
should do. | thought probably thu
absence Of our brethren was due 10 thu
epidemic 10 which allusion was made
this morning grippo-and which 1,
going through the community
but when we meet together
In conference capacity, every
man that bear, an Official position
ought 10 consider II his bounden duty
to DO present. He OWES It to his office;
he owes II to the people who have
chosen him 10 IN the position; and
II Is an nc, OF uiIsrcspect when n man T.
not nj his post; NJ least, that Is the feel
Ing that have about myself.
We have heard during our meetings
many PRINCIPLES that nre explanatory
Of the Views that we entertain ~ n re-
liglous pcoplr. I think those who
werc present mis- morning would get q
very czcclieht Idea, too, concerning
the characterize our organization. IL
was thcao details that male the meet
Ing interesting 10 the, because they are
not often related IN our public meet
ings. The explanations which wcr.
given conceriing the organization u
the High Council and the Bishops
Courts, aud their mode Of procedure,
would bc satisfactory, am SURE, even
10 members Or the Church, because
many membcrs are not themselves
familiar wlththcsc matters, not having
occasion 10 appeal 10 the High Council
or 10 learn thh manner In which they
treat the cast that are brought before
them.
am often struck, when hear re-.
ports nj conferences, with the grandeur
OF tho equalization which God has
given unto ul. II there were nothing
else 10 give evidence that a divine
hand had Lid the foundation OF this
work aud hal built IL framework, the
character Of the organization Of this
Church ought To be sufficient 10 con-
vince mon, and 10 satisfy them TINT
human wisdpm had not eontrived the
organization nor planned tlic details
connected " al II. A Member OF Con.
grcss, Mr.. Haskell, Of Kansas, once
made a rcma,k 10 me concerning this.
He had been examining our question
somewhat, for tho purpose of sustain.
Ing Liquidation against us. lie said:
"Mr. Cannon what a magnificent or.
ganization yol people havegot. Whence
did you get no lilo was man that
had paid considerable attention 10 re-
liglous matters, 80 no said; but there
was nothing that he had found that
compared with this because OF lts sim.
plicity and IL strength.
The idea pnvails among many PEG.
Pile that the latter.day Saints arc held
together by ifnorance--that Il, appeals
arc made 20 gnorant people, 10 their
lower passion and 10 their cupldlty.
II Il sspposo that our missionaries
have gone f0rh among the lgnomnl
liordcs Of EuDpe and have, In glowing
colors, repfestntcd 10 them the advan-
tagcs that thy would have II they
would only Jdn the Church OF Jesus
Christ OF lattcr.dny Saints, or the
"NIofmon" Church, IA II II called; aud
that by painting TO them the nivnn-
tages they wluld have In land like
this, aud appalling 10 them Ia this
way, especially that they could have
all the wives they wanted, they were
thus converted 10 "MormOnlsni, - and
brought out fom the nations Of the
earth 10 THU lani. may overslate
this In saying that think this l. tho
general oplnim; but have found my
self very man people who seem 10 en-
terrain that itca and have supposed
that our mode Of propagandlsm was 10
send out shrcsi men, who appeal In
this way TO tic Ignorant masses, and
that when ia, people wcre gathered.
they were tbs dupes OF u number Of
cunning mel. For this reason
many attemTz have been. made
10 destroy he influence Of the
leading men o this Church, because II
has been thought that II their influence
could only BE- billed and they bc de-
prved OF theirower, the work of dis
Indignation void commence immedl-
ately, and the whole structure OF "Mor.
moniamn void crumble 10 pieces.
This u the secret OF the constant At-
tacks which to leading men OF this
Church have had 10 endure. They
have been lie 80 many targets, at
which the sha,s OF calumny and Of
malevolcnce hve been lcvelod. They
have not beensafo In their persons;
they have not,eon safe In their prop.
erty; they hav not been safe In their
character; an may add, they have
not been SAFE n their lives. Clearly
illustrated In ur history has been the
truth OF that MIch the Savior said TO
His disciples | ancient days, To the
effect that ma would actually seek
their lives andhink they were doing
God service lIkillIng them.
The facts aH however, that there Is
no freer peoplupon the face OF Gods
footstool than 10 Latter-day Snints-l
mean, free froi any kind OF spiritual
bondage. d not think there IL an
other community on the earth compar.
able with thls.n this respect. Every
man that hold office among us holds
Il because the ,eople choose TO sustain
him In TINT oice. The people are ap-
pealed TO coniantly 10 exercise their
right Ia this respect, In church
capacity, Vile wo believe that God
chooses His segints, II Ia for the peo.
Pile 10 say Whlher they will sustain
Them or not. When the people are In
n right condltln, aud the servants Of
God are In u rlht condition, then there
Ia harmony, lere Is union, there is
that oneness which We have head