Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-09-21
DISCOURSE
, pavis stake Conference, Pennington, Saturday Sep
psusorsa ~ WV tomoer 7th, 1898, by
PRESIDENT GEORGE Q. CANNON.
IsrroRrrp ny ARTHUR wiSrERl

Lord. is revelation. just rs much as II
II were written. There are some peo
pie that attach great deal Of import.
ance to something that Is written. We
have heard il stated by men who are in
the dark that the leaders OF the Church
do not have the same revelation now as
In the DAYS Of the Prophet Joseph.
have not heard u about President Wood.
ruff. but ! have about other leaders.
Now, this is a great m stake. We err
when We indulge IN any such idea as
this. | want to say to you, that this
Church would stand still, II would not
progress, we would lose the power OF
God, II the spirit OF prophecy and feye'
lation were not with US now. Brother
Brigham Young used TO say--and |
always have appreciated his remark
that ne did not want to write revelations
because the people would be held TO a
slricter accountability team they were.
The Prophet Joseph wrote enough Tor
the guidance OF the Church IN many
directions. At the same time the spirit
of revelation IS wanted constantly In
addition to these written revelations.
What written revelation is there con.
ccfning the organization vi these Stakes
as We see thcm' Here is this DAVIS
Stake with Presidency aud High
Council, what Is there written ~ the
Book OF D1ctnne and Covenants to
sustain thisi Ia the fo7nd section we md
. plan given TOT the organization Of the
High Louncil,and over that High Coun.
cil the Presidency OF the Church pre-.
sided. But as we are nov Organic. d
there Is nothing specially written con.
corning II. How then have these Stakes
been ofganizedl Did President Young
organize them out of hiE own mind, OF
did he organize these Stakes according
10 the revelation OF God9 lie organ
lied them by revelation, just as much so
As u he had written the revelation.
God did not require him To write II,
and yet the Stakes are organized. Aud
Zion is now as perfectly organized as
cireumstances will admit. We have our
ward organic atoms, Ind our Stake or
CARNATIONS, aud they extend throughout
the length and breadth OF Z'on, and
everybody is brought within their com.
pass. These ward organizations have
become quite perfect How has this
been donel Has II been done by writ.
ten revelation TO l. . Church, Has il
been done by anything that Is recorded
IN the Book Of Doctrine aud CovenantsY
No; there is scarcely anything In that
book that gives any clear idea OF the
ward organizations that at present exist.
How have they been organizeip BY the
spirit Of revelation IN and through the
man whom God chose to hold the keys.
Aud so there are constantly arising
reasons why there should be revelation
from God. Does Il conner Certainly II
comes, and at the time Il is needed. IN
this way the organization Of the Church
10 kept perfect; and II will continue to
be so until Christ comes. Tne books
would not do It; the knowledge In the
books would not do II. II is not de.
signed that they should. Changes arc
necessary from time to time, and Il re-
quites supreme and divine wisdom to
make these changes In accordance with
the plans OF Jehovah. Therefore, there
is IN the Church this spirit and gift OF re-
violation. God gives to every man &C.
cording TO his office and calling. II IS
not given to one man alone, (only so
lar as the guidance aud control OF the
Church Is concerned; but every man
that has the Priesthood, from the Presi-
dent OF the Church down to the Deacon
Ia his office and calling, has the RICH,
to revelation, and also has the spirit Of
revelation u he is living rs he should
do. You Elders who have had exper.
fence Ia the missionary field aud a:
home, how often has Ii btsn the case
that you have received knowledge for
yourselves from God and you have been
guided by HIM IN relation TO the orga.
nizaiion OF branches OF the Church aud
the men to select for the various Offices
that were to be filledl You have re.
ccived this Just as much Ia your sphere
as the President OF the Church has in
his sphere. Men 80 out aud bap,ize
people. and after awhile they get suili.
cient number TO form. branch OF the
Church. Now, II they are living as they
should do, they have the spirit OF reyela-
ton resting upon them, aud they know
what TO do, they know whom to select
as the president OF the branch, and
whom to ordain as Elders, as Priests,
as Teachers, or as Deacons. The
Spirit OF Goo reveals this unto them,
aud by its revelations they are guided
IN organizing the branches OF the
Church There Is no man that ever
went out as minister OF the Lord
lesus that ever lacked anything In his
ministry, II he lived Tor II, whether he
went out as a travelling Elder or as a
president
Now. there are many men who 10
around at one time aud another, pre-
tending to have revelation, and pre-
tending that power is lacking in the
midst OF the Saints. Let me say TO you
and | say II in the presence OF the
Great Eternal, before whom we shall
all have to appear to answer for the deeds
done IN the body-lhat God has be-
slowed upon the First Presidency OF
this Church and upon the Apostles
everything necessary to guide this geo.
Pile and TO lead them back into the
presence OF God. know that as |
know that live, aud 1t is my testimony
in your hearing today. There Is no key,
there is no authority, there Is no reyela-
ton, there Is no prophecy, there is
nothing lacking. And though these
ren are earlhen vessels, weak and
lalhble, YET God is with them, Tor lie
has chosen them. He has right to
choose whom Ha pleases, and when
He chooses men He viii sustain them
and lie will carry them oil victorious
over everything that may oppose, IL
they will only do Ills viii. want to
say that to you all. God has not lett
Ills Church; He has not deserted It.
There has been no interregnum during
which the authority OF the Priesthood
has not been exercised, from the days
OF Joseph until this present hour. the
work OF God as we see It Is a testimony
OF this. The prosperity that has at
tended II, the blessing Of God that has