Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-12
REMARKS
-..,n,e,e Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon
yss, at the February 9Th 1898. by
PRESIDENT GEORGE @. CANNON

will hear us, and He will grant tn, de-
sires of our hearts unto us. AS indi-
viduals and as "A people, we should
| cultivate this habit of praying to Hin
constantly. This, my brethren and
| sisters, is our strength, II We win make
| use of It, We should also have the gift
| of prophecy, like the Elder V,ln has
/ been alluded to here, who said to II
! family who We're In danger from Il
| cyclone, Don't leave the house;
| promise you in the name of Jesus that
| you will be safe If you will stay in the
| house" What prompted him 20 say
that? The Spirit Of God. The spirit
OF prophecy rested upon him, just as
| II did upon Paul when he was on board
the ship and he said that not soul
should he lost. The Elders of this
| Church have right to that Spirit; and
they enjoy 1t to a very great extent.
| II is one of the gifts of the Gospel and
| instances innumerable might be men
| toned where that Spirit has saved the
people. Elders have been about to 90
on vessels with companies OF Saints
and the Spirit has said to them. DO
not go on that vessel" and by that
their lives have been saved. one in
stance comes to my mind, where Presi-
dent Woodruff was about to embark
on vessel with a company Of Saints.
and the Spirit said to him. DC rot em-
bark on that" and 1t only went few.
miles down the river when 1t was
totally destroyed. II Is n remarkable
thing that Notwithstanding the many
thousands of Latter-dny Saints who
have travelled on the ocean, there s not
on recn'd an instance of n company of
Latter-day Saints being lost in their
journeying on the ocean. There was
sad catastrophe occurred on the
Missouri river, but there are reasons
for that, which those who are familiar
with the circumstances have described.
That is the only instance in our his
tory where such an ,9Scident has DC
Cured II is miraculdhs that there
should be so many thousands of peo-
pie immigrated to this land. covering so
long period Cfor our migration from
Europe commenced in 1910, and 1t has
been continuous from that time to the
presently. and yet nothing serious hap
pen them. But there has been and Is
protecting care over this people. be-
cause the Elders who have had charge
of companies have generally been men
of God, who have sought to know the
mind of the Lord, and who have been
led by revelation from Him.
In this manner this whole work has
been carried on from the beginning.
The servants of God have sought to
know the mind and will of God, and
they have obtained that knowledge,
whereby they have been enabled to lead
the people. These valleys have been
settled in this way and by this spirit.
We, therefore. are living witnesses Vt
the truth that God lives, and that He
bestows His gifts, as in ancient days,
upon His servants. We profess, as the
ancients did. to have the Pif's of the
Spirit of Cod. We teach the people
to seek for these gifts. We say that
God is the same today that He was
yesterday; that in Him there is no
variableness nor shadow turning
But men want to know why, II this be
the case, there is not more knowledge,
more revelation, more of these gifts
from Him. The absence of these gifts
Is due to unbelief. Men do not seek
for these things, because they do no.
believe in them; and they have cast
out every man that professed to believe
in these principles and In this power.
They have been prompted by satan.
who would have destroyed this whole
Church long ago II God had per-
mitted it; but He has restrainsd
dispensation of the fullness of times.
and the promise has gone forth that
this Gospel shall not be taken from the
earth again and the Church VIII not pc
destroyed. But this spirit OF satan that
you see manifested is the spirit that
crucliied the Son of God. and that slew
His Apostles, and that has slain the
Prophets in our day. 1t is the spirit
that drove this Church out from the
midst of civilization, and compelled us
to take refuge among the Indians in
this far distant region. 1t is the same
spirit that has annihilated every rim
ciple of faith in men. 1t has been
constant warfare to maintain the prin-
c,ples Of the Gospel and to declare them
to the people. Men who have gone
forth TO preach this Gospel have been
exposed to violence In every form. Not
only have their characters been ma
nI lnt ~
evil, but bodily violence has been eN-
tended to them It Is only the power
of God that has kept this Church in
existence up to the present time, But
1t is in existence. God has revealed the
Gospel. He has restored the ordinances
and the gifts, and He has commune
Gated His mind and will to men once
more: and there are men on the earth
who know these things.
Now, our young men and all who
have been. engaged In the work OF God
as missionaries should not allow them
selves to be diverted from these labors
and to have another spirit take posses
sion of them. can bear testimony to
all--there ought to be no necessity FOR
1t, however because the men that have
gone forth to preach the Gospel ought
to know for themselves how much nap
piness they have had In that labor
but | do bear testimony that through
-
vicssitudes have had TO pass
through. I have been happy In the
principles of the Gospel, have thanked
God. and do every time think OF 1t
that am I.atter-day Saint, because
the knowledge OF the truth and the
Spirit of God have gladdened my en-
tire existence. And | rejoice In 1t as
much today, ] am thankful to say as
ever did in my life. | know, there
fore, that there is no path that we can
pursue, there are no labors that we can
perform, that VIII be SO repletc with
happiness and bring such peace and 10y
as keeping the commandments of God
and being Jealous and faithful in His
work. This Is my testimony; and have
had abundant opportunities In my life |
to prove It, MY life has not run in one |
channel; II hns not been surrounded by |
one set of circumstances; but 1t has |
been greatly varied, and In this variety |
of circumstances / have proved II. And |
in saying this know | only give voice
to the testimony Of hundreds Of others |
in this congregation who have had |
similar experience. There Is. therefore |
every incentive for us TO he faithful !
to the cause of God. and get all the |
benefit and blessing and all the gifts |
that can be obtained
! am very DESTROYS that the Latter |
day Saints should keep their second |
estate. Every one who is present be- |
fore me kept his and her first estate. |
The Lord has revealed to us that before |
we came here we had an existence. our
Savior existed before He came in the
flesh 1iJ al 81 CiIr