Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-05-08
AY s, 1897, SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

OUT eyes-priest and people; for we are
all blind to a certain extent; tut we want
to see and understand the purposes Of
God and that which He is striving to
accomplish in the earth. He is building
place OF refuge in these mountains,
He wants us TO be united people, and
TO make this a place Of refuge, SO that
the eyes OF mankind will turn to these
mountains, that they may say: "Why,
there see people living at peace and
in harmony, Undivided, loving one au-
other and seeking the welfare of their
fellow men," This is the object for
which We gathered. When You divide
and split up, and join factions. and seek
to DESTROY the influence oil the PRIEST
hood OF God you defeat, so far as your
action is concerned, the design oil God,
God wants US to be united people.
do not mean by this that we must all
vote one ticket. But we can vote
without quarreling and getting into
bad spirit We should love the Lord,
and be willing to be guided by Him,
and we should listen to the voice oil the
Lord. What a power then the people
would bel The Lord would come in
very little while; for the earth would be
prepared Tor HIS coming This Is what
VIC WhHl, hOt iOI l-dttSl-Ody DdllltS dlDHe,
but for this who's nation, which God
loves, and which He established and
made free nition-the best the strong
est and the most liberty loving nation
upon the face of the earth. Aud we
love it because God has founded it. He
raised up men to found it, and He gave
it those forms OF liberty which permitted
this Church to be Organized This
Church could not have been organized
in any other land, or under any other
form oil government Therefore, we
| love this land, we love this governm ant,
| and we love the Constitution and the in
| stitutiors OF the land. We believe in the
Constitution more than any other peo-
| pie, because we know ii has been in
| splred o. The Lord. Let not our people,
therefore, divide, or go hther and
thlther after every WILT -the-wisp there
| is in the land. he Lord wants US to be
| united, and wants the influence of this
| Church TO be increased by the union of
| the people. He wants the influence OF
| the Priesthood of the Son Of God ele.
| waited and strengthened in these noun
| tains and among the nations. tell it in
| great plainnsss. for it is the truth OF
| heaven. Aud the pc ssbiiities that will
result from this You cannot conceive OF.
| God has chosen us expressly for this
| purpose and 10 do this work, and we
canuo, get out OF il. Personally tried
to get out oil this responsibility The
Lord revealed to me in my youth that
was to be an Apostle. Ia alter years
besought Him that He would not choose
me to hod this office, for had seen
| what ! would have to go through. and
shruuk from it. But we are chosen, and
we cannot get out OF 1t honorably. No
| matter what the consequences may be,
We have to magnify this Priesthood in
the midst OF HIS people and in the earth.
| Every one OF us have had charge of
| this kind given to US.
Brethren and sisters, ask the Lord
about these things. Go to Him and
beseech Him, in the name OF Jesus, to
enlighten your minds and to fill you with
His Holy Spirit. that you may see and
understand, and soften your hearts, and
then strive 10 live the principles OF the
Gospel that Jesus taught. and that we in
| our humble capacity have been endeav-
| oring to teach to you, so that when men
come into our midst they will see a peo-
| pie who will excite their admiration; for
just as sure as we live and rs the Lord
has spoken, this people will at some
| time-and the distanc. of that time de-
ponds upon our faithfulnsss-be sought
after, their counsels will be sought Tor,
| and men will say: Those Latter-day
Saints are capable OF governing them
selves, and OF maintaining good govern
ment, they love their fellow men, and
respect their rights, and we want to live
among them, or we want to have their
iniiuence among us" The time will
come in this lanj-I tell you now, we
fant-hearted ones, the time will come
when the coun.e!s OF the servants OF