Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-04-17


| His Spirit upon US when we sesk fir il
lie will dissipate darkness, and will sho
us the truth He will give us stfengil
III temptation and trial and He will de
| liver us from snares. II we are true T.
Him, and put our trust in Him, He viii
no. suffer US to be led astray by ials,
and delusIve spitits. look back to th,
Yeas OF trial through which we hav,
passed, and recall with great satisiac
ton and pleasu how the Lord assisted
aud sustained His servants and people
| When everything was dark, and il lloket
as though the powers of darkness woulC
| prevail over the Church OF Christ, II,
sustained His servants ana His people
Though the blessing of the Lord ou
SISTERS were filed with a strength tina
was almost superhumln, and the Who'll,
| people lelt tie sustaining hand Of ou
| God And He will continue to do ihi.
iot us II we will put our trust in Him
When We pass through the deep waters
| lie will he there 10 guide and sustain us
| when we go through the fiery furnace
| lie viii be with us as He was with the
three Hebrew children.
The Young Mems and Young Ladies'
Mutual Improvement Assoc lions have
receive quite an impetus Of late, and in.
creased interest is being manifested in
them The prospect is that hey viii do
great amount OF good among the
people. We have not the statistics at
hand concerning them as we have oil
other institutions.
find that the Sunday schools are
growing. There has been an increase If
nearly six thousand during the past
year We number now in our Sunday
schools about one hundred and five
thousand, officers, teachers and pupils.
This Is an exceedingly gratifying show
ing. In the missions abroad, where
there is opportunity, Sunday schools are
est ,bliihed. and many people who are
not members Of the Church send their
children 10 them, because they see that
they are taught the word Of God and the
principles oil righteousness and true
morality. 1t IS very encouraging to
know that through this humble instru-
mentality so much good is being done.
We ought to be di igent in like manner
at home, aud seek after the souls of our
own offspring, who certainly ought to be
as dear to US and as worthy OF sacrifice
on our part as the of prlng OF strangers,
There has also been great increase
IN the Primary associations They show
mem ershlp OF $4,000. Besides hese,
there are 277o officers. No doubt, ii
every stake reported with care, there
would be found 10 be a much larger
number. 1t is estimated that there are
at least IS 90.
linen there are the religion classes,
You are aware, no doubt, that it was
deemed proper 10 have religion classes
established in some settlements, SO that
II there should be any tendency on the
part OF some OF the pupils of the district
schools to drift mo unhelief, these
classes would have the ell. ct to check
That tendency. We do not want to saw
one word disresps clful TO the district
schools We have excellent schools in
our State. But there app ears to be a
nltura tendency in the human heart to.
wards unbellei. rem, mber when was
Chance Tor OF the Deseret University.
me charge was made several times that
The teachers OF that institution were dis.
posed to implant skeptical thoughts and
suggestions in the minds OF the students.
We investigated The matter. and we
lound mat this was not correct. We
learned. however, that the text books
ana the general drtt in such an insiitu.
'Sh, NhSAS hOt NOuultI dCtt u Dy TellplOlS
teaching, was in favor of unbeli,f (. The
text books in all our universities and
colleges have a tendency to unsettle
Iaith in the Bible To counterfeit this
tendency in our district schools, It was
deemed wise to establish religion
classes. The statement is made that
here are at least seventy classes now in
operation, with over three hundred in.
'tfuctois, ami an estimated attendance
81 nearly four thousand pupils These
'lasses should increase. There are
places, no doubt, where they are needed, |
md they should receive attention, be,
'ause i is when the children are young.
md when their minds are plastic. that |
as'ng impressions can be made upon |
hem.
lpray God to bless us in our Confer.
nee, and that His Holy Spirit may be |
poured out in power upon all who shall |
peak. That this may be the case. we |
" should pray in our hearts for the
elders who shall address this Confer. |
nee, that they may be inspired, and |
hat each OF us may be filled with the
'pirit to receive their instructions and
o be profited by attending this Confer. |
nee. God bless you, Amen.