Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-02-15

kind Of men and women that
laid the foundations OF this work,
deep and strong - so deep and
so strong that they will never be
uprootcd until the contamination Of all
things. One Elder who hesitated in the
days OF Joseph to answer to call TO
80 upon mission was told by the
Prophet to 20 or be damned. That
was the word to him. No hesitation
was allowed. What was that threat
to his person. No, il was threat
greater than to his person; II was a
revelation Of what would be the result
OF his disobcditnce. lie accepted the
mission, and performed a faithful one.
too. There was no thought OF disobcd-
fence. at that time. Now people are
asked as 10 their condition. II Is well
enough perhaps that 1t is so do not
complain OF II The people are In dif.
lefent circumstances. But still believe
that there should be sufficient faith In
the hearts OF the people Of God that II
they are called upon missions aud they
cannot obtain means to pay their pas.
sagesj they should answer that call aud
travel Without purse and scrip. trusting
IN God to provide Tor their necessities.
with such spirit In the people as this
we VIII md a courageous race growing
UP m these mountains. Speaking OF
that, | want to say that / sometimes
ieel Inundated at the spirit manifested
by Elders Of this Church, who are
afraid to DO what Is right because Of
the fear Of public opinion. Pubic
opinion Is good thing, because IL
often festrains the vile aud the cor.
rupt from doing things which would
iWutc the community. Bat every Lat
ter.day SAINT should feel like the old
Commodore who was told OF what the
result would be IN the public mind con.
corning the course which he had deter.
mined to take. lie said, "rhc public
be damned II We know thing Is
right, we should 10 il regardless OF the
consequences, trusting IN God to bring
good out Of what sometimes appears TO
nc evil. DO YOU think II public opinion
had controlled the world we would
lave reached the plane We now occup5'
No. we would not, not by any means.
The Savior would not have come forth
establishing a new order OF things
among the Jews; Luther would not have
tIsen rs he uid IN tue dark ages to call
hal, upon the iniquiiits Of ihs great
mother church, Joseph Smith would not
have revealed to the world the Gospel
that God gave TO him. 10 these men
had been governed and controlled by
public opinion, the Church would not
have been established aud we could
not have been ~ tie COnui,ion We arc
now. II public opinion lad restrained
meu, Fulton would never have launched
his ship on the Hudson river; .Stophtn.
son would never have sought TO drive
his engine over the road, IN the face OF
the udicule Of the English PEG le;
Morse as he pleaded with Cong ess for an
with which to construct
telegraph line from Washington to nilt,
more, would have been restrained and
would have ialtercd In the great mission
that God had given him to do. But
these men were inspired by the spirit
which He dlspenses among His children,
and In the lace Of ridicule. In the face OF
the public, they performed the duty
that God assigned them, and the world
Is made better and purer and higher by
their nobility oil soul.
II LatteT.day Saints are inspired as
they should be, there is nothing that
will cause them to tremble or to fear the
power Of man. have seen weak wo-
men, who seemed almost incapable OF
moving, and yet with the Spirit Of God
In their souls they have faced the world,
their friends and their kindred, have
faced what seemed death to them, be.
God and keep His commandments.
We want In this day men aud women OF
courage who whenever they know what
IS right will do Il, even though they
know their lives will be required for the
establishment OF that which they know
to be right II the people Of the Latter
day Saints arc possessed Of any other
spirit than this, they have not got the
spirit OF the Gospel IN their souls. We
want TO be a race Of men and women
who have views OF our own, who have
characters established, who have un.
ilinching faith and Interchangeable inicg-
Hty; men and women, as we already
have the reputation of being, who can
face a irowning world without any Tear
OF the consequences OF the conflict which
may ensue. And this does not imply
that we should be slaves, In any sense
OF the word, to the Priesthood OF God;
for obedience to the Priesthood makes
US independent. 1t gives us intelligence,
wisdom, strength both with men ana
with God.
While have spoken Of the changed
conditions that exist today from what
they were IN the early rise Of the
Church, do not misunderstood me, my
brethren and sisters. do not mean
that We should return TO old conditions,
except as those conditions will result In
our exal,ation and blessing. Because
the railroad did not cross the plains
when the emigran,s came to TINS coun.
try, would no. say to the Latier.day
Saints, you should go in OK teams aud
with handcaTtS from here to OMAHA OF
Council Bluffs" No; be progressive
men and women. Seize the tIuh that
God is dispensing among his lis chill
dren so literally in this day. OGen
your minds and your hearts to intelii
Eencc; Tor every item OF intelligence and
knowledge that mankind has recti ved
Is the gift Of God. lie is true Himself
and everything that lie gives to US IS
true, and Is intelligence and wisdom.
Go on In the path Of progress, Of wis
dom, OF learning. BE second TO no peo-
pie upon the face Of the earth IN the &C.
mankind. But above all things, ! i'm.
plore you, as do myself, To Keep burn
ing within our hearts faith In God that
will give us eternal wisdom aud eternal
riches, and the love Of the Gospel that
will make US as one great family IN the
service OF God. Amen.
as. t.,,d.,,tt ia ,r.un.tttra Ia. la d, "a