Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-08-12


nnnindor of tho meeting, and that !
may be- assisted hy its presence.
We have been greatly favored of The
Lord IN very many ways. Tho greatest
favoru however. nro not altogether visI-
bic in the temporal prosperity NJ the
people. although in thnt We can plainly
see the favor and hlOsslng of God upon
~. look back 10 the time when ! nrt
entered the salt Lake valley ! dli noe
come IN with the nut Pioneers, hut thc
following year ifis. and Was ola
enough To- appreciate the privilege we
were afforded IN entering The valley NJ
tho Gratt Salt Lake. whore wr might
have o. place " rect flr little season.
My memory went back t1 ihH days "
Nauvo1. aud tn the expulsion ut tho
I.ntter.day Saints from that city lt tho
mouth oi the cannon and ~ mufkeiH
IN the Latdf of nu Infatuated mob then
TO our jD rnoyinFa through what was
at that time tho Territory OF Iowa Go
our resting place. f1r % season on the
banks of tho Missouri river and nnal-
~ our Journey across thr mighty plains
and deserts On Salt lake. which ilur-
ney n; that time seemed 90 me o. ho %
long, dfphfv. titgHume unD#ruNUrlnE "a
period which tried the hearts 90 Tho
strongest men. Tho WnHkuoHHn1 ~
mon wer, brought 90 llght hy tho trials
and hardshlps N That Journey across
tho plans. The people were IN poverty
They had been driven from their homes,
and could not carry with Thorn that
which WnH necessary Tor the Journey
they had IN make. They were depend
ent upon the Lord from day 20 day Tor
food nud other means win which 20
continue the lahorl0ua journey before
them. Gndcr these circumstances the
people were fOrcly trled-trlcd Go tho
corN--nt the imprrfrCtiOuH ~ one nu-
other with their own weaknesses, with
poverty Sickness fatigue, toll and
watching, until mons hearts wei,
not know then. nH they ana uflor-
wards. whore they worr going. There
were no people established In the vnl-
leyH of these mountains who would rns
ceive them with open mr. y or who w1ul
from year 10 year send back hundreds
OF teams with provisions and outfits
necessary 20 bring tho people from the
frontiers. Those Of ne who crossed the
plains FIRST know not whore We were
going. only 20 fnr NE the Lord guided
Ills servants from day 10 day, Tho
trials and difficulties OF those who made
compared with the trials ana dinlcul-
TICS OF those early Pioneers. Then when
We landed In Salt Lake Valley and
looked around ~, there were no trees,
no verdure. nothing TO gladden. tho
heart. All was barren, deHolutc ana for
bidding. Tho face of tho earth was ~
Il had lain for ngoH-dead, unprOduc.
tive o. much n desert me- this country
Il around here. which has never beon
touched by the hand Of man. Look at
tho valley Of the Great Salt Lake today,
and see u fllod with trees, with shrubs.
with flowers, with orchards, with fruit.
ful fields and beautiful homes all
wrought by the people since We nrnt
came Into the valley. I once heard "a
GENTLE oxclaim, "iiow IN tho world ala
you ever md such beautiful placer"
I thought 10 myself. n he had seen Il
first saw II, whom tho Pioneers FIRST
saw II. he would not then have thought
there was 80 very much beauty about
a. / have taken some pleasure In tCll-
Ing our young people that when l ilrnt
came 10 tho valley OF tho Great salt
Lake there was not q house In a. There
were a few old los ana adobe huts built
by the Pioneers " 1871 around "a block
Of ground Tor fertilization ana Tor
winter quarters; but that was ull
there was In salt Lake valley when I
FIRST saw H. 4 have had the pleasure
velopmcnt u everything that has
grown Tor the use % man and 10 rlBd-
den tho eye and the heart In an these
valleys, In the short space of "a little
over nfty years, when 1 look NJ what
has been accomplished through the
blessings ~ God and the lnhDrs OF lllB
people. during the last nfiy years, with
but fHw people 90 take hold of the Htur-
lie elements and develop them, I aFk
myself. what may not be accomplished
In the next nfty yonrHi From tho
foundation that has boon laid who can
tell today what the next ATTY years Will
bring forth In these valluyH'uf tho
mountnins9 II We should De- taken from
here now, ana be permitted ~ come
back again In nfty years, what would
we behold7 l am of the opinion that
there IL not one of az with lmuginnIinn
growth, the Increase and the develop
ment VI this barren desert that viii uc-
cur within tho next hfty year=prp-
vided always that the people continue
faithml ana atcndnH in keeping tho
commandments of the Almlghty,
desire a. read a little from tho 2sth
chapter uf Deuteronomy.
"And It shall come 10 pass, II thou
shalt hcnrken diligently unto the voice
of the Lord thy God, Ia observe ana Co
do ain his commandment which j cuW-
mand thco this day that the Lord thy
God viii set thoo ON high above all ma
lions OF the EARTH
"And an these blessings shall come
on thee, and ovort1ke thee, u thou shalt
hcarken unto the voice vi the Lord thy
God"
My brethren and FstDrH, let Ms take
Into consideration tho fact that God
was leading the children 90 Israel, the
seed u Abraham, Isaac aud Jacob, Go
the promised land They aud their
fathers had been iu captivity Boz Egypt
fOr 900 years, ana had been mltggul1uss
~ delivered by the power uf God,
through Moses ana Aaron. They were
forty years WANDERING lu the WlllHr-
ness. II wuH q very short distance come
pared with that which we Travelled tO
come 10 this land. ana we were not
forty years ln transit oIthDG We have.
however, hrUu over UIly years now
gathering the people from the nations
Of the earth Co This land. ana the Uuujl-
tlons uudUr which we pNlHt are very
similar 90 th0s" under which ancient
Israel existed, Therefore. the laws NJ
God that were EIyuU i0 them are very
applicable Co uH. IhU promises made
10 them ARE especially applicable 90 uH
under the circumstance Iu which wn
are placed ana that Dr. why I want Go
read a part OF this chapter to you,
blessed shi thou ur In tho city, ana
blessed shalt thou boz Boo tho npli.
"Hlosaed shall Doe the fruit VI thy
body, and the fruit ui thy ground and
the fruit OF thy D1ttI. the increase of
Inv klup and the NHrNa of thy sheen.