The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-04-07

arch who preSldeS over the ueSIlIlleS OF
the church. Yesterday he appeared in
the pulpit for the first time during the
present general gathering of the Saints.
As he walked slowly to the presidential
pulpit, the great audience recognized
their sturdy leader, and, moved by one
instinct, the multitude arose. and i'm
mediately a sea of white handkerchiefs
fluttered above the heads of the con-
gregation. It was a tremendous and
moving scene.
The president arose slowly and with
a gesture OF greeting returned the salu-
ration of his people. God bless you
all" he said.
President Woodruff appeared some
what enfeebled from his late illness.
but his immense vitality has enabled
him to recuperate quickly, and there
was little change in his appearance.
NO APOSTLES APPOINTED.
As intimated in The Herald of yes
terday, no appointments were made to
fill the vacancies IN the apostolic
quorum. The failure of the presidency
and apostles to endow two of the
priesthood with the mantle of apostle
ship caused considerable surprise as a
general belief prevailed that the filing
of the two vacancies would not be al
lowed to go over until the next confer
ence. The vacant seat among the first
seven presidents OF seventies, caused by
the death OF Edward Stevenson, will
also remain unoccupied until some sue
ceeding conference. The general au-
thorities were presented for the vote of
the people at the afternoon meeting
and as usual there were no dissenting
voices raised against any of the preSid-
ing priesthood.
PRESIDENT WOODRUFF SPEAKS.
After the customary preliminaries. a
sermon was delivered by President
Woodruff. His voice rang out clearly
through all parts of the building. He
said: ] want to say to. my brethren
and sisters and friends that through
your prayers and faith l am here this
morning. have been considerably IN
der the weather, as the saying is. for
a little time past, but I am glad to
meet with you and feel TO say few
words TO you this morning. know it
would not be wisdom for me to attempt
to occupy great deal of time or say a
great deal. First 1 win say that 1
have followed the reports and sayings
of the apostles and elders from the
commencement Of this conference until
this morning: What I have not read
myself has been read to me. l want to
say TO the Latter-day Saints, the God
of heaven is at work carrying out his
purposes in fulfllment of revelation
and prophecy and inspiration, which he
has given through his prophets and
apostles and patriarchs from the crea-
lion of the world until this hour-And the
Lord is not going to fail on his part in
any of these things. 1T IS for US as a
people to do our duty. to labor for our
selves and for our felloWmen; to oc-
cupy the tire that we have here 10 the
best advantage we can, in trying to
honor the priesthood and people, to
build up the kingdom of God, to set
good example. and to establish right
Sousness. And I want TO say to the
young men and maidens, my young
brethren and sisters, who may be pres
ent here this morning, ] want you to Z
make your aim high and realize that /
YOU have your generation, that you /
have your times granted in connection I
with your fathers and mothers in the (
building up of the kingdom of God. Do /
rot spend YOUR time in the follies and /
frivolities of this world, but try 10 i'm
prove your time. I on occupy one OF the !
most important dispensations and gen
era tions God has ever given to men,
and I have a great interest for the /
rising generation. l know for myself,
and not for another, that the Lord has
raised UP our children, our sons and our
daughters. to stand in the footsteps OF
their fathers in the winding-up scene
of the great work Of the Zion OF our
Cod. I realize that they do not COM
nrehend. in fact that there are very few
who comprehend today the position we
occupy. and the responsibility we are
un6er to God and the holy priesthood,
who have raised US up and placed US
here in the midst Of a generation OF
men and women, children of men, upon
whose heads are going to rest great re-
sponsibilities. in the great events Wh'ch
are to follow each other in QUICK sue
cession in the day in which we live.
As far as ! am concerned, do not
know. il has never been revealed TO me,
why NV life has been preserved. While
the Lord has taken away prophets ana
apostles and other men of God who
have sDent three or four, ten or twelve,
fourtaea or fifteen years in the capac-
ity Of the building up of the kingdom
of God. Our Savior himself was only
three wears and a half in passing
through his experiences of teaching the
people the organization of the king
dom Of Cod. the choosing of the twelve
apostles, his crucifixion, his death and
bis resurrection. The Prophet Joseph ]
spent about fourteen years in translat-
ing the Book of Mormon. the history
of the Jews the House of Israel on this
continent. and the dealings of God svith {
hat people lie preferred that work. ]
and brought forth the book of Doc !
trire and Covenants. q code of revela- Z
ions as great in language and princi !
pies. and the account of as great and !
important events as have ever occurred l
N the earth. He performed all this
work in about fourteen years and a
lalf My brethren, the apostles, two or I
hree quorums, have passed away since I
nv ordination; nearly all but myself !
ID 10 a certain period, have passed. 1
IN not speaking these things boast '
'ullv. You have done a great work here,
md there is a great deal more to do You 6
re rNdeeming the dead and the living.
nd sending abroad thousands Of the
.lders to warn the nations of the earth
f those events which are to come upon :
hern and upon US. Therefore, the ell
Iers should try to be faithful. and we .
houId watch over our sons and daugh- n
ers. give them good advice, and set :
hem a good example that we may :
ave no regrets Of their falling into :
,rinciples and practices which are not :
light and righteous before God, on ac-
cunt of our example d
/ say. God bless you; labor for the :
oiv spirit, labor for light and truth, +
or revelation and inspiration. learn :.
he mind and win of God concerning n
ourselves and the truth of the work of s
iod on the earth. Keep your eyes open d
o see. your ears to hear, and your q
carts TO understand the truth, and +
hat you may see the hand of God Wis /.
pie throughout this land and through II
ut this nation, and throughout the Y