Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-07-18
DISCOURSE
c,uvored at Tabernacle city Sunday July 9Th
PRESIDENT GEORGE Q. CANNON.
IMPORTED ny ARTHUR WINTER ]

arouse within the minds OF men the |
faith that God would listen to them,
and that He would not only listen to
them but would answer their prayers
and tell them whether | was an i'm
poster or a servant Of His, aud whether
the doctrine that ] taught was His doc.
trine or was Of men, That has been
one Of the chief labors ! have thought
u my duty to perform IN my ministry
among the nations Oi the earth; for
knew that II could only arouse within
them disposition to seek unto God
and q iaith that God would hear and
answer them, my mission, so far as they
were concerned, would be accomplish
ed knew that u they were honest
they would get testimony from God
concerning the doctrine that ! taught
and my tight and authority TO teach IL.
In this respect we differ from every
other religious organization that know
o, upon the face VI the ear h. We do
not appeal 10 antiquity. We do not ap.
peal to an uninterrupted descent OF tho
Priesthood to us. We do not appeal TO
ancient history to make connection
between cur Church and something
that has existed anterior to US. But
we do appeal to the God Of heaven.
We say to the people, Go to Him, aud
obtain knowledge from Him, and then
you will not be deceived. you will
know then whether you are being
taught false or true doctrine. The re-
suit OF this has been that there have
been gathered together IN the various
branches that have been organized
throughout the nations of the earth
people whose faith has been based upon
a knowledge derived from God In an.
swer 10 prayer. They have prayed to
God earnestly. because la the most Of
Instances Il has been very serious
thing Tor them to espouse the doctrines
that we have taught. The espousal oi
these doctrines has involved, In many
instances, very grave consequences. II
has involved loss OF friends, the alicna.
ton OF kindred, the hatred and pcrse-
cution OF those VINO were not willing TO
receive the doctrines themselves.
Therefore, Il has been a matter OF the
inst importance that men and women
should know what they were doing
that they should have testimony from
God concerning the doctrines presented
to them. And then, IN order to & ,thcr
as they have done to these mountains It
was necessary that they should
have a testimony concerning that. For
this reason, they have been urged con
tinnnlly to seek unto God to know
Ties 'hines for thcmsolvel.
his D. one OF The laboTs connected with
the great mission We have to perform.
II is to lay the foundation IN tue earth
again OF that faith that was once de.
livercd to the Saints, and which the
Apostle said we should contend Tor; II
Is to bring God near unto US, or, more
properly speaking, for us 10 draw near
unto Him.
The Lord. as | have said, has made
great promises: one OF these promises
Is, that II We will draw near unto
Him, lie will draw near unto Us.
lie has made this promise to
every member Of this Church, lie
has made It to this generation. II
we will draw near unto Him, lie will
draw near unto rs, lie will near US, lie
will answer US. lie will grant unto us
the desires OF our hears, so far as those
desires are In righteousness We are
living witnesses OF the truth OF this.
The ,Church, collectively, has proved
that the Lord has spoken the truth IN
making these promises, for who can
read the history OF this Church without
being compelled to acknowledge this
Think OF that which we have passed
through from the beginning, the dangers
TO which we have been exposed, the
yicissitudes which we have had TO en-
counter, the many times when II has
seemed as thyagh we should be over
whelmed, aud when there seemed TO
be no possible escape, aud yet the peo'
ole have been delivered from every
peril aud from every danger aud have
been brought to this present day To wit
ness the peace and quietness which we
now enioyl Thus nave the promises Of
God, made to Ills servants IN the begin
ming OF this work, been literally fulfilled,
| Never in the history OF our race has
there been greater, a more palpRble
and tangible iultillment OF Gods prom
ises unto the children Of men than that
which this Church IN It's career has illus
trated. Every page Oi ITS history sus'
| t1ins that which / say, How often has Il
brrn the case, when We have been en-.
yrloped in darkness, our path hedged
no, and an apparently impossible bar
rier before US TO prevent further pro-
press. enyironed on every side by dan
/ GERS, and our destruction threatened
| how often, say, has God, by Ills mir
nrulous power. opened the pathway aud
nrepared a way Of deliveTance, and the
nenple have escaped from these penls
| uniniufedl Not only can We say this IN
regard TO the Church, but II has been 50
| In regard 10 individuals. ! suppose the
major portion Oi this congregation, It the
opportunIly we're given them and time
would permit, could rise 10 their icet
and testify that this has been their ,nti'
vidual experience Is well AS the expert
snce OF the Church. They could testify
that they had received the iulhllmeut OF
the PROMISES OF God themselves, and
that ihey knew God lives and hears and
answers prayer that Is offered to lin IN
faith,
Ash have said, It Is one Of the duties
uf our mission to establish faith IN the
earth, and also to set examples to tne
ehildren of ucn. Through the lack Of
L,ith on ,le part Of our fathers and the
Traditions which have come down to Us
nom tDrm, we today occupy a very low
nlaue, so lar as God aud Godltugss rs
concerned. The world hos made great
uroyfsgs in many directions; but the
sniTitual decline Of the world is perhaps
more apparent than rs growth IN other
matters, Thete has been a complete
decadenee spiritually. Faith has de.
clined. spiritual gToWth has ceased, and
Gods power Is not recognized among
men, Men .have grown INTO the belief
that there IS no necessity for His power
The spiritual part of man IN this age is
dwarled, stunted, sliaed, and the growth