Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-04-08
GENERAL CONFERENCE.
Practical Character Of instructions Given the
- latter-day Saints Today.
THE PRINCIPLE OF 1.-THE PAYING.
Necessity for Avoiding Financial Difficulties
How Prosperity VIII Come by Adj
herence to This Practice.

-ls.s2L.

April oru, ~ H. III.
The choir and congregation sang:
Redeemer of Israel.
Our only delight.
On whom for blessing we cali,
Our shadow by day.
And our pillar by night.
Our King. our Deliver, our All
Prayer by Elder John w. Hess.
The hymn which begins,
Zion stands with hills surrounded
Zion Kept by power divine.
was sung by the choir.
ELDER MARINER w. MERRILL,
of the quorum of the Twelve, was the
first speaker this morning. He had
been much interested In the Conference.
and endorsed what had been said thus
far He had testimony of the truth
of the work of the Lord. whose hand
was over His people. OF all the in
habitants of the earth. the Saints had
the most reason for gratitude. AS
whole we We're. generally speaking, bet
ter situated financially than the people
of other portions OF the Union. II was
amazing to consider the amount OF
means expended by the people of the
Church This was evinced by the
large amount constantly used for mis-
sionary purposes alone, and the Lord
enabled us to meet these important
obligations by opening up the way.
A young man OF his acquaintance
had some time since been greatly exer-
cised over the depressed condition of
his financial affairs. The speaker
asked him II he had paid his tithing.
The reply was that he had not done so
ne a. trtl M "a IL. a
vised to attend to this duty.reduce his
expenses and perform his duty in every
direction and he would be delivered
from his difficulties. He took this ad-
vice and he was now prosperous and
consequently happy. The speaker felt
would act on similar advice. the
Church and the people as individuals
would be relieved of all their business
embarrassments. The result would
be that the people of God would be
lenders and not borrowers OF money.
In the payment OF our tithes and offer
lngs. The principle OF tithing was not
Instituted by man. God revealed II.
II was law. and the Latter-day Saints
should live up to 1t.
The speaker made an individual
promise that II the Saints would fulfil
these requirements and refuse to sign
notes and give mortgages, they would
be extricated from all their financial
burdens. The banking system was sup
ported by the payments of interest on
borrowed money. Numbers of people
had lost their homes by engaging in
enterprises In which the Lord had no
part. The path of the counsel of the
servants of God had not been pursued.
II was day when retrenchment and
prudence In all things were necessary.
The speaker related individual in
40 pf at off IL In
hold, which he was afraid was alto
yether too general. Nothing that could
be utilized ought to be allowed to so
to waste. .t
Reverting to the mission field. 1t was
predicted that, although 100 Elders
we're now engaged in 1t this was scarce
~ a beginning to what would be In the
future. The messengers would be In
sufficient number to go to all the
world and preach the Gospel to all ma
ions as a witness. before the end would
come. We were here to be taught in
The things of God not only the things
spiritual but also In relation to mat
.ers temporal. that the designs of God
in reference to His great work might
pc fully carried out.
ELDER JOHN w. TAYLOR,
Of the same quorum. followed. He
bore testimony to the good advice of
Elder Merrill and the spirit of encour-
The instructions of the Conferences; the
ruling principle being that God gives
no commandment unless he opens the
way for Its accomplishment He had
oeen particularly pleased with the
ldea of the sisters accompanying their
husbands on missions. on account of
he opportunity thus presented to teach
The women of the world, even. II neces-
sary, in the temporary absence of their
husbands. Good results had followed
this work in some missionary expert
snces in Colorado.
Elder Roberts had referred to the
witnesses OF God in the earth-the
His work. There were other witnesses
referred to in III Nephi. rs. where
Christ was speaking to the Twelve
Apostles on this continent. and prom
sing three of them that they might re-
main on the earth until His second
soming. the same privilege that was
granted to John the Revelator. They
were rendering great assistance In
turning the hearts Of the people of the
world toward the truth OF the Gospel
md the minstrations of the Elders.
ELDER JONATHAN @. KIMBALL,
II the First Council of Seventy. was the
next speaker. Through the great de-
lire of the Saints for the word of God,
hose who had spoken had been blessed
With great freedom. 1t was now the
iuty of the people to digest and carry
nto practice the Instructions given.
lie was very much interested In the
financial condition of the people. be-
iause under monetary difficulties, II
vas hard for men to be cheerful and
'aithful in the work of God. One way
nut of this difficulty was to give en-
,loyment to the people. Work was
more worthy OF desire and considera-