Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-02-17

Brethrcn and sisters, good morning.
God bless you. am happy to meet
a, many Of the Latier.day Saints upon
an occasion Of this kind What ! may
say to YOU this morning will, Of course,
he very limited, compared to what ! feel
Ia my reflections concerning ourselves
and the Church and Zion Of God with
which we all stand connected.
sixty years ago this month / listened
10 the first sermon in this Church OF
tr,us Christ Of Lat,er.day Saints that /
ever heard In my lie. Al the close Of
,bs meeting / invited the Elders home
TO my house, and read the Book Of
Mormon all that night, and the next
morning went down with the Elders to a
stream Of water and was baptized.
In embracing the Gospel | had the
consolation that the Lord had preserved
me from my boyhood up and given me
realization Of my hopes and prayers
10 see an Apostle OF Christ, an Elder, q
man of God who could teach me the
Cospei that had read ol IN the Scrip
mrcs In my boyhood In the Sabbath
schools had read OF the Gospel Of
Christ. aud reflected on the kind Of
religion the Savior and Ills Apostle
taught and what the fruits Of that rciiE-
Ion were as manifested by every Apostle
and by the Savior Himself And though
very Young boy, had strong desire
10 hear some man teach the same
Gospel that read Of in the New Tesla.
ment ! could hear OF no man who did
this. Said they, we live iu the blaze 81
the light Of Chnsts Gospel and with
the next breath declared. that I'VE dono
need those gifts and gracss which char
actcuzcd the ancient Gospel In those
dark ages" Then. said ], give me the
dark ages OF the world u this religion
will give me power to unlock the gates
Of Heaven and converse with angels,
aud enjoy the gifts Of healing and the
powers and blessings that ! saw by the
Sculptures were manifested IN the ApOs-
tolic Church And ! prayed the Lord
20 allow me TO live on the earth TO see
an Apostle and Prophet who would
teach me the same Gospel With the
feelings ! then had ! would have gone a
thousand miles to see an Apostle.
Aler much prayer and anxiety the
see q Prophet, aud live TO hear the
Gospel. and live TO embrace Il and
preach Il to the children Of men. The
uIhlmcnt OF these promises Is what
makes me thankful when ! meet, as
do this morning. with so many Latter.
day Saints under such favorable circum.
stances,
! commenced my missionary labors
soon after | was baptized, went up with
The Prophet Joseph to lions Camp TO
visit our brethren in tubulation. and from
that hour until this Il has been my lot
and privilege TO stand with the Saints OF
God and bear my testimony TO the Cos.
pei OF Christ travelled some,
thing over $4,000 miles. ami without
purse and scrip a good deal Of the
time, and preached the Gospel. waded
swamps, swan rivers, enduring many
puyatons and hardships went
10 Missouri holding the office Of
Teacher, and held meetings with the
Teachers quorum, and was afterwards
ordained a Priest, and started out on
my mission.
On my late visit TO Jackson County /
was struck with the comparison be-
tween the past and the present Now
the Mayor Of Independence. with fine
carriage comes out TO meet as and give
rs cordial welcomes while on my mis-
sion IN 1874, 10 escape the violence OF
mobs, We took refuge In the cofnhelds.
and appeased our hunger with the grow.
Ing corn was struck with the marvel.
Gus change We now found In our favor
The Lord hath In His own time aud
way for the accomplishment OF His pur.
poses wrought this great change con
corning Zion, the Prophets and the
Saints IN the day in which we live.
] have been through all these things
N my day, and through the history Of
Alofmonism, travelled hundreds Of miles
with the. Prophet Joseph, been forty
years with the Prophet Brigham Young,
and nearly the same time with the
Prophet John Taylor and remain until
today have seen the progress OF the
work Of God, | have never lost any
llilh with regard to the final consumma.
ton Of the Zion OF God, the work OF
God. For the Lord has set his hand to
the lulhlment Of His divine word written
N these sacred books-the bible, the
Book Of Mormon. and Doctrine and
Covenants, All will be fuhlled In the
earth, and that too in our generation
OF In the generation OF our children who
are rising up. The great work that Is
being performed today is marvellous In
the eyes OF the inhabitants OF the earth
ana OF the Heavenly hosts, The word
OF God is true, and He means what He
says, and there Is nothing that has been
written by inspired men but what will
come to pass.
Now ! am meeting with the sisters Of
ule Relief Societies, Many OF these
sisters are aged | want To say few
words to you In regard to your position,
w regard TO these various organizations.
Ihey are all Of God. Your Primary As.
sGoeIalons are in the right direction,
wv sisters so forth and take our little
.nhdTen, and gather them together In
'nesa Primary Associations. There they
aie taught Of the Lord. They are taught
To pray. They are taught righteous
p'lnelples and purity and virtue. The
minds Of these liule children are i'm.
NNgd with the principles Of the Gospel,
ana lhey are taught TO carry out in their
uay The principles that the Lord has re
'ealel for the salvation OF man.
ana then come our Sunday schools.
we nave some seventy thousand chill
llen IN the Sabbath schools. II Is a
10y TO see the progress OF the work OF
nol upon the earth; and these insttu.
IONS are glorious to me, and we feel
pleasure in these labors TO prepare the
,nlng generation for the work of God
upon the earth.
La.