Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-06-19
DISCOURSE
Delivered at the Utah Stake Conference
PRESIDENT GEORGE @. CANNON.
(REpoRTED BY ARTHUR wINrER.l

morning and this afternoon, and have
been greatly pleased 10 hear such good
reports concerning the Stake, and the
wards which have been represented. 1t
is very gratifying to hear OF the condi-
ton Of the Saints and OF their DISPOSE
ton to perform their duties as members
OF the Church. We have had instruc-
ton given to us concerning seeking the
Spirit Of the Lord and having it TO be
with us. 1t Is a cause of constant sur
prise to those who pay atlention 10 the
subject, that the Latter-day Saints are so
united. 1t has been one of the great
objections urged against us at times. and
has caused people to fear us. They
have looked upon the union OF the
people and their willingness TO be gov
erned as almost menace 10 the rest OF
the world, and have thought there was
something very wrong in the influence
that has been exercised and in the
people being willing to be governed by
the counsel Of the leading men, because
this Is SO contrary to the usual practice
in the world. 1t is very uncommon to
find large body OF people SO united
and so wiling to listen to the counsels
and advice OF their leading men; and as
have said, it is looked upon by many as
something dangerous, and many evils
are supposed to result from such COM
bination. They forget, or, at least, If
they do not forget, they do not under
stand that il the people had evil designs
and il the leading men were actuated
by improper motives, that union would
be impossible. The union of the Lat
ter-day Saints is only possible through
doing right. We would not be united
il we had wrong objects in view or were
prompted by wrong motives. But the
world do not belive that, Irepeat.how
ever, that the only cause OF the union OF
this people is the disposition to do right
and to keep the commandments OF God;
and II the leading men of this Church
had wrong objects in view and sought
to accomplish them, their influence with
the people would cease. So that really
the union Of The Latter-day Saints is not
a menace ii Is not 10 be feared; we can
do no harm to mankind by this union.
We are not bound together by improper
ties, nor combined for any evil purpose.
A people.sca,t=red as widely as the LAT
ter-day Saints are, and occupying such
an extent Of country, could not be held
together by evil bonds. 1t would be an
impossibility Tor lew men, living, say,
in Salt Lake City, to control two or
three hundred thousand people and
keep them united by the means that men
ordinarily use Tor that purpose. There
fore, as | say, II men understood the ma
ture Of the tie that binds the Lattei-day
Saints together, they would see that the
union of the people is only possibl un-
der one condition, and that is, upon the
principe OF righteousness. No man can
have influence among this people to any
ext, mt who is a wicked man, or who has
wicke d ends in view. OF course, we are
all falhble; we are human beings, SUBJ
ject 10 all the frailies OF humanity; but
there must be a disposition among the
leading men to keep the commandments
oil God and to teach righteous principles,
or they could not succeed in holding this
people together
It Is Of the utmost Importance that we
should be united. II we are not united,
we are not the Lords. The Lord has
comm anded us to be united, and He
has placed the means of union within
cur reach. Every unit Of which this
whole body is composed has access to
the means of union; and when every
unit avaiis itself of the opportunities
which God has placed within reach,
then we form a compact whole, and we
asslmilate like SO many crops OF water
and become one. 1t is the power OF
God that does this. not The power OF
man. Man cannot doit. We see mans
incapability to do this exhibited in all
organizations OF which he is the author.
There is no power oil human origin that
can bind men to men Tor any length OF
time. There are occasions, when some
great exigency or peril arises, when
people will C ing together. When ma
lions are attacked, and when all their
liberties and perhaps their lives are at
stake, they will then move forward ami
mated by one common impulse, and they
will cling together with wonderful tena-
city. There are numerous instances of
his kind in history. We have seen it in
our own day. But apart from these
great crises in the history oil individuals
and nations, there is no power among
men that will unite and hold men TO- |
Eether. They will differ in little while;
ihey will secarate. We see this in the |
religious world. AS soon as men at |
tempted to reform religion; as soon as
hey dissented from the mother church,
and began to establish reformed re-
Iigions, they began to differ, and they |
went on differing and separating until |
aow the whole OF Christendom is filled |
with churches, among which there is no
inicn, Notwithstanding they call them
Ielves the churches OF Christ They |
nave not the secret OF union with them. |
Now, the difference between this |
Church and other churches is this: when
men receive this Go.pel, wherever they |
nay be, however wide y separated they |
nay be, as soon as they are confirmed
Members OF the Church they receive a
pitt that fills them with that union, and
when they are brought together from the
,nds OF the earth, they feel alike and are
irawn together. True, they have their
aiings and their weaknesses; but they
POSSESS spirit of union that no human /
icing is able to impart unto his fellows.
comes from God. 1t is the power that |
eigns in heaven. 1t is the power that
makes heaven the glorious place that it
described TO be by all who have any
conception OF it, in contradistinction to
he'll, the pace Of misery and torment