The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-06-10

nuat conference OF the Young Men >
Mutual Improvement associations of
the Mormon church abounded in inter
esting discourses, and drew a large
attendance. Apostle Moses Thatcher,
who has been compelled by i'll health
to be silent for some time, made a
strong address on the reading of
young men; the venerable President
Woodruff spoke in the afternoon, and
Bishop Whitney delivered the address
of the evening, while a number of
stake presidents made reports as to
their work.
in the morning Apostle Moses
Thatcher was the first speaker, after
the usual preliminary exercises.
Apostle Thatcher's Discourse.
MIR. Thatcher said in recent months
of resting he had learned that the
mind, as well as the body, must be
exercised to gain strength, for where
intense thought and concentration are
not pracCiced. strength is lost. The
clear thinker is d hard worker. Young
people complain they need Ian
Suage to express their thoughts, when
the trouble is not lack OF language
but OF concentration and clear think
made plain in crudest language. This
explains the force of the Mormon Ell
ders, who, concentrating their minds
on the principles OF God, have clear
ideas which, in the simplest language,
can be made plain % the high and
lowly.
We should read nothing lightly
We often hear OF wonderful memories
IN persons. They viii always be found
to be close students, who strengthen
tho mind by unders landing all they
hear or read. Further no man can
acquire all knowledge in this day. He
must choose some one branch and
thoroughly inform himself on that, but
not let 1t wholly engrOss him. Our
educational institutions now cultivate
the intellect too much and neglect the
SOUL turning out intellectual giants
and moral pigmies.
Best Thoughts are Written.
To some extent We may govern our
thoughts, and lay a foundation for a
pure life. Careless reading of BOD
hooks viii not bring this about. The
best thoughts have been written, not
with ease, but with care. Yet there
is much trash. Even Carlyle has
much worthless chaff with perfect
wheat. Ruskms best thoughts are
said TO be held in one small volume,
though he wrote many. Many young
men approve books expressing their
own ideas, but most good comes from
those writer's who have gone out into
new fields, and not valued the polish
more than the jewel.
Z Progress i'll religion is possible only
with increased faith No faithless
nation has accomplished deeds worthy
TO be made history. God will long
pass by careless Indifference and even
idOlatry dictated by compassion. But
q hoG -1.n hot
ter and are idolatrous. In the Chris
tan world today the doctrines OF men
have been substituted for the preceptS
of Christ. But here this people have
the true principle of faith. wide as the
universe, the foundation of the Gospel
and dearest gift of God unto man.
We should read only such books as
viii preserve il, rejecting the chaff
from the wheat. Sacred works cannot
be read lightly like fiction. Their
principles must be pOndered over, and
our judgment should be turned in
wardly instead of outwardly.
Go Back to First Principles.
Take for instance the words, Let
there be light, and there was light"
tIppantly expressed they mean little.
But taken in all their truth. they ex-
press the omnipOtence OF God, which
even the elements must obey. When
we consider the truth, we will see
how MOrmOnism has startled the re-
ngiOus world, and how much less is
their comprehension of the hereafter,
with al its endearnig ties. Those
bonds which bind us to eternity are
so free as TO lose their value in some
eyes. Therefore go back to first prin-
cipies. Study them, that they may
have renewed weight on your
mind. Advanced institutions rec
ognize final forces, and expa-
tate learnedly on light, heat,
and magnetism going from one to an
other and giving life. Predicated as
they are on hard Study these are but
dry leaves from the tree of life given
TO US without money and price. Many
here have seen wonderful cures
through the gospel. Hypnotism,
magnetism and kindred things are
but fragments of that garment torn
by the handmaiden Of God. Our
young men study for years, losing
health and wealth to find that miss
ing link connecting man with apes
They study mOrosely over the lowest
forms of animal life and forget the
saying, Man, know myself" Why
not study the latest and greatest
work Of Cod?
Ambition is not TO be condemned. A
young man should start with a good
load Of self-conceit. or before he is
GO the attritions of life are apt to
make him a cynic. But it is well to
discourage that education which al
lows a girl to play the piano while
her mother bends over the wash tub
or the boy to attempt a profession.
while his father earns his living for
MIN. Sweat is good. DO not look con-
temptuOusly on those who earn their
living by labor Dignity labor above
capital, for without it there would
have been 10 capital.
Religion Founded on Faith.
Religion founded on faith is the only
way to truth. Sift out your philoso-
pliers, digest their reasons, and you
come back with hunger of soul to that
open channel of prayer leading TO
Cod, more humble than the prodigal
son before simplicity of faith.
Young men should honor those who
a1e about them. None honors Brig
ham Young more than he We adj
mlred him, bit now the world is try
ing TO outstrip us in admiration. He
seemed like tall peak above all
others. But we are too prone to look
back all over flowers on graves.
1t would be much better
to strew some in the pathway of
those who are bearing heavy burdens.
Eo2or the president of the church.
who presides over the associations.
Should we not watch his counsels and
make his road easier. Let us work
for mutual Improvement, making no
mistakes and approaching those who