The remarks made by the brethren this afternoon, and all through the
day, have been to me exceedingly edifying and instructive. If I could
impart to you one tenth of the feelings and reflections that have been
awakened in me by them, I would be satisfied. So many points have been
touched upon that I think every person present has felt to rejoice for
the outpouring of the Holy Spirit which we have enjoyed. There is one
point in relation to the great work with which we are identified, and
its further movements, to which I wish to refer. It has been alluded
to this afternoon that some entertain the idea that we may have to
leave these upper valleys and retire to the more southern ones before
our enemies. For my part, I cannot believe this. I never have believed
it. I believe we are in the very place which God designed we should
occupy; and I believe with all my heart the words of President Young,
when he spoke respecting our movement south and the sacrifice we made
of our homes here, which we were willing to put the torch to and burn
sooner than our enemies should possess them. He said, when we came
back again, that we had begun to return—to retrace our steps in the
path we had been compelled to tread by the inhumanity of our enemies,
and we would not stop returning until we should re-occupy the lands
from which we have been driven. I felt then that it was true, and
still feel so; and, to me, it looks like childishness for any of us to
cease improving the advantages our Father and God has given us in this
valley and in the valleys north, south, east, and west.
The Lord has blessed us to a very great extent. He has constantly
poured out upon his servants the spirit of instruction and revelation.
There has been no move that it has been necessary for us, as a people,
to make that we have not been forewarned of by our leaders; and when
they counsel us to take measures for the improvement of our city or
the adjacent country, or for doing anything that will make us great
and powerful, it is our duty, being the mind and will of God, to
adhere to and obey their counsels and instructions; and he who would
think by word, or thought, or expression to weaken the effect of that
counsel, is an enemy to the Zion of our God—he who would try to
weaken the counsels of the Presidency is an enemy in disguise, and
unless he drives that spirit from his heart, he will sooner or later
be found arrayed in the ranks of the enemies of God and truth. There
is but one course that can be pursued in safety, and that is the
course pointed out by those who are placed to preside over us. It may seem unnecessary to say so; but it is necessary. It seems, at
times, as though we had not sufficiently learned the lesson of
obedience, and it requires the servants of God to continually remind
us of these things, and impress it upon us that in this path alone can
we obtain salvation.
The Lord told us years ago that we were called to lay the foundation
of a great work. The Latter-day Saint who looks to his own benefit
alone, and does not recognize the extent of the work and its influence
upon the people—not only upon the people gathered together here, but
upon the nations of the earth, has failed to comprehend the position
he occupies as a servant of God; and, unless he changes his course,
instead of increasing in the things of God, he will decrease, and the
Spirit of the Lord will not be with him to the extent it would be,
were he alive to his duties and responsibilities as a servant of God.
We are engaged in a work that affects ourselves, our neighbors, our
posterity, and progenitors, and all the nations of the earth, and it
will not do to be blinded by petty interests; to think in relation to
the counsel to bring out the waters of Jordan, for instance, is it
going to benefit my farm or my city lot? To reason in this way betrays
a narrowness of mind that does not harmonize with the greatness of the
work we are engaged in. If we look at matters in this light, we are
not worthy to occupy the position we hold.
While Brother Joseph W. Young and Brother Gates were speaking, my
mind reverted to the history of Joseph, who was sold into Egypt, the
progenitor, perhaps, of the greatest portion of this congregation. An
axiom came to my mind, that history repeats itself. And the great
majority of us who are his descendants are not unlikely to accomplish
a work similar to that which he accomplished. You know what has been
meted out to us by our brethren. It has been our fortune, like him, to
be dreamers. Like him, we related our dreams to our brethren, and they
acted towards us as his brethren did towards him. They said, "We will
not have this dreamer to rule over us." They put him into a pit, and
afterwards sold him to the Ishmaelites, and he was carried to Egypt,
where they thought they would never see him or hear from him again.
But God overruled their acts, and the fulfillment of the dreams for
which they sold him into slavery was brought about by that very means.
So our brethren, instead of owning the truth of our visions, acted
towards us as the brethren of Joseph did towards him. They would not
own the power of God, nor look upon us as their benefactors, but
abused us and treated us cruelly, driving us from their midst; yet out
of it God will bring salvation to the remnant which is left of them.
You may depend upon it, we are repeating the history of the past. We
will yet have to feed our brethren in the flesh; we will yet be the
head and will extend unto them the salvation and deliverance,
spiritually and temporally, which they need. We can see plainly that
the Lord is overruling circumstances for the accomplishment of this
end. Shall we not, then, be willing agents in his hands, and seek with
all the energy of our nature to do what he requires of us? I believe
this is the feeling of every Latter-day Saint, and those who love
righteousness are determined in their hearts to do all that is
required of them by the servants of God. There is no one under the
sound of my voice today but has felt happiness in doing what has been
required of him by the servants of God. This is the secret of the
power wielded by President Young over this people. Because they have a
living and abiding testi mony of the Spirit with them when doing
their duty, their hearts are filled with joy, thanksgiving, and
happiness; but when they take an opposite course, and go contrary to
what is required of them by the servants of God, they feel miserable,
they know they have taken a wrong course, and, if they are wise, they
repent speedily of their sins and are obedient to the counsel given.
I hope to see the day when we will have land and water, food and
fruit, and everything that is pleasing and useful, everything that is
necessary for the comfort and well-being of man, to enjoy ourselves
and share with those who come to us and live with us. And I know the
measures taken by our leaders now will be attended with these results,
if we abide their counsels. Whenever there has been a failure in
carrying out any measure that has been counseled, it has been because
of a lack of faith on the part of those to whom the counsel has been
given. It is time we should begin to think what we are going to be,
and rise above those little petty feelings that are characteristic of
the world. We should allow our minds to be filled with the Spirit of
God to such an extent that we can have enlarged thoughts and views. We
should feel to say that "anything which benefits my brethren and
sisters, whether it furthers my interests or not, let it be done; let
the community be blessed, whether my personal interests are prospered
or not by the course taken." The person who cherishes this feeling
will be sure to receive temporal prosperity.
I know we live in the kingdom of God and serve a liberal Master, and
though we may be called upon to make what we may view as sacrifices,
if we do so willingly and liberally, God will give to us a liberal
reward. "The liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things
shall he stand," was said by one of old, and can be said in truth of
the day in which we live. If we act upon this principle, God will deal
with us in a similar manner. I know this to be true, and that God will
reward us with every blessing we need, as a people, if we take the
course that is pointed out. There is no circumstance or difficulty we
have to contend with but what is for our good; and will ultimately
prove so, if we are faithful. No matter what labor we are required to
perform, we are in the very position, and doing the very work, God
requires at our hands. It is necessary for our development and
increase in the faith of the Lord Jesus. This is a glorious
consolation to me.
I know that everything will be overruled for our good if we do right.
No matter how difficult circumstances may be to bear at the time, they
are for our good, and God watches over us; his angels are round about
us all the time. The spirit of prophecy and the angels of God are
continually with His servant Brigham; and when the people receive and
act upon his counsel, it results in good to them. May God bless us,
and fill us with more faith and power, that we may go forth in mighty
strength to accomplish the work of our God on the earth. Amen.
- George Q. Cannon