Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-04-06


aS 10 what | shall say / believe thut
! can say to you with an conadcrr,
mat so far ms my knowledge ovtonls
we Latter-doy Saints throughout tEis
lhlerihountain region and the adiom-
uB country and so far as know
throughout the world are In excellent
spiritual condition, ! believe that rho
Latter-day Saints etioy as much tod,y
OF mat thorough spirit Of their religion
HH lheT ever have enjoyed. I belieyn
tnere Is as much union among ,ur neo-
PIE throughout the length ana breidtb
OF the land as has ever pyI.tul i'm iba
Dhurch ! think / can confidently saw
that there are as fcW local dIWculties
ana troubles among the people com.
ilg be.ore the Church courts baf,ro
me Bishops and before the Hlgh Conn
Vl', as nave ever known before within
Lne scope or my remembrance and
NIuN IcuBt' we are perhaps never free
on'nely from little m.suuderstandlngs
among helghhors and members Of tho
church, and 20 Is often tho caso' maj
these little misunderstandings arising
among our brothers and sisters. ara
brought before the teachers and per-
maps before the Bishops for adiudlca-
non and reconciliation, hut think |
WI! De Sate IN saying, and that the
uu'Ii VIII verify the same, that within
my knowledge and according To NV
pest understanding, there never was.
since ] can remember, any less Of these
lttle Misunderstanding and difficulties
man exist today Indeed | may saw
1lat Misunderstanding have been far
more pronounced in years that have
gone by than they appear to be now.
PEOPLE ARE CoNTENTED
u believe that there is a feeling OF
general contentment among the Latter
gay SAINTS, and a feeling NJ satisfaction
IN tnelr minds and In their hearts With
reference to the divine mission Of the
Irophet Joseph Smith and to the great
ulNlhlty and atonemeut OF our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ. In other
words | believe that the Latter-day
saints today are as devoted and fer
vent and firm IN their convictions Of
the truth aud in their knowledge Of the
truth, as they ever have been at any
period of the Churchs history from its
beginning down TO the present time.
l believe that these statements can be
seconded and vouched for by the pre-
siding authorities OF the Church
throughout the length and breadth OF
the land. We have these brethren here
before us-presidents Of stakes ANA
their counselors the Bishops and their
counselors and the presidents of our
various missions and | am satisfied
that they will, one and ALL verify the
statements that | have made with ref
erence to the present condition of the
Church"
PROSPERITY PREVAILS.
Not only is this 50, but ! believe that
the time has never been when the
tnanclaT the temporal condition. Of the
Latter-day Saints was better and more
encouraging than at the present time.
believe that our people are generally
prosperous and | am satisfied that
there is still greater prosperity IN store
Tor them through their con-
tlnued faithfulness before the
Lord. believe that the Lord viii
bless the earth for their sake, that lie
win temper the elements for their good,
that lie viii prosper them IN the labor
or their hands and I'm the thoughts Of
their minds; that He will guide them
by the power Of His Spirit into all truth
and into the possession of those tenn.
pordl blessings that are so needed TO
make people happy contented and
blessed In the land, with reference 10
this matter ] desire to say that we
nave ] believe a very correct criterion
by which Ia Judge the spiritual and
temporal condition of the Church OF
Jesus Christ of Latter.day Saints. The
records Of the Church win show at the
closing Of the accounts for the past
year that the tithing and the OFFER
ings Of the Latter-day Saints have been
little above, actually a little above,
what would be called the average. We
have had one or two more prosperous
years In the past Judging II by this
criterion, the fittings Of the people,
but last year was equal and a little
above the average, Notwithstanding the
fact that during the last few years our
people I'm many parts OF the country
have been suffering from a protracted
drouth I'm which they have come short
In their crops in which they have suf-
fered materially I'm their focks and
in their herds; and I'm many
places the duuth has been so severe
that the people have been under the
necessity of hiring or borrowing means
with which to secure for themselves
grain for seed for this present year |
want 20 say TO you, my brethren and
sisters, and those who preside over
the Church, that It is a matter Of pride
and of satisfaction to my mind that
the Church is I'm a condition to assist
those that are In need Of this kind Of
assistance, and we have done So II
anyone should feel dissatisfied with the
Trusteeyln-Trlts and his counselols
and associates In the matter OF extend
ing aid To the Latter-day Saints In
such matter Of extremity as this, they
know where TO enter to make their
complaints, and ! should be glad to
meet them and consider the question,
We wish ii distinctly understood that
while the Lord preserves us In the po-
sltions TO which we have been called,
the positions which we lid not seek
hut which, by the providence Of God,
have been brought upon us, we viii
hold ourselves responsible before God
and before His people to render ma
tcrial and financial aid to the people OF
God In every direction where we feel
that It is necessary to do so our peo.
pie in the south have been unfortunate
in that barren country, in having their
dams washed away by floods, For a
long series OF years they have had
drouth the earth has become parched
and dry and when the late rains and
floods came they washed away some of
their dams. and the people send up
their cries to us for help and we have
helped, them, ana we thank God that we
are In position to help them, and so
far as am concerned ! would be pleas.
ed II | could know that every dollar OF
the tithlng that | pay to the Church Is
only employed In some good work OF
this kind by which the people Of God
are strengthened in building up Zion, In
establishing their settlements and In
holding the FORT II YOU please,
WHERE THE TITHING GOES.
In addition to this ! am happy TO
say 10 this congregation and to all the
world so far as my words may go, that
we have taken the liberty, ana we have
taken pride, and stlll feel proud Of the
opportunity that has been afforded us,
and OF the ability Of US TO accomplish
ito render aid TO many Of our mis-