To those who are not familiar with the operations of the Gospel of
Christ the spectacle which is to be witnessed in this Territory of a
people congregating together from so many nations and united in their
faith and worship is something that is very strange and must, of
necessity, create considerable inquiry and remark. It is wonderful,
and is without a parallel on the earth at present; and yet when viewed
in the light of the Gospel which Jesus taught there ought to be
nothing particularly wonderful about it, for that which we see in
these valleys is what we might expect to see, from the teachings of
Jesus and His apostles. Jesus taught His disciples the plan of
salvation. He gave unto them the power and authority to go forth and
proclaim that plan to every creature, commanding them to
baptize, and promised them that they who bowed in obedience to their
teachings should receive the Holy Ghost. One of the peculiarities of
the Holy Ghost, as we read of its effects in the scriptures, was to
unite the hearts of those who received it and to make them one.
We find no account in the history that is gives unto us of the labors
of the apostles, of there being any division of sentiment among them
or among their disciples. Although Paul had not been brought into
contact with Peter and the rest of the Twelve for some years, he
informs us that when he went to Jerusalem to meet with them, he found
that he taught the same principles and was as conversant with the
doctrines of Jesus as they were; and so much was he impressed with the
importance of him and his brethren and those who received the
principles they taught, believing in one form of doctrine and one plan
of salvation, that he left on record, to one of the Churches which he
raised up, this sentiment—"though we or an angel from heaven, preach
any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you;
let him be accursed." He endeavored to impress upon those with whom he
had communication, and over whom he had influence, that the form of
doctrine which he had delivered to them, and which, he says, he
received by the Holy Ghost, was the only form of doctrine that could
be preached to the inhabitants of the earth without the curse of
Almighty God resting upon them who preached and propagated it. Hence,
it is but reasonable to suppose that had the doctrine which Paul
taught, which he received from Jesus, and the doctrine which was
taught by Peter, James, John and Andrew, and the rest of the apostles,
been preached and adhered to, by the whole of the inhabitants of the
earth, we should see, today, through all the nations of the earth,
that which is witnessed in Utah—one form of worship and one faith, and
all the people, everywhere worshipping in the same temples and
tabernacles, and being governed by the same principles.
It cannot be expected by any person who has any faith or confidence in
the plan of salvation, or in the scriptures which contain an account
of that plan, that the Holy Ghost would reveal unto man two different
kinds of faith; that it would lead them to believe in different forms
of doctrine, or that it would teach one class of men that one portion
of the Gospel was necessary, and another portion unnecessary; or cause
any portion of the people to believe that a certain item of the Gospel
was essential to salvation, and cause another portion of the people to
believe that the same item of the Gospel was nonessential. Such a
view is irreconcilable with the teachings of Jesus and his apostles
and of all that is left on record concerning the gifts and power of
the Holy Ghost and its office among the children of men. On the
contrary, all that is recorded leads us to suppose that if the Holy
Ghost were to be bestowed upon an inhabitant of Europe, upon another
person in Asia, another in Africa, and upon a fourth, in America, and
again upon another on the islands of the sea, that these individuals
were they to come together and converse upon the plan of salvation
would entertain precisely similar views respecting that plan. To think
otherwise would be to make God, our Heavenly Father, the author of
strife and division.
If we will remember the prayer of Jesus, the last which He offered up, of which we have any account, before His arrest and
betrayal, we shall find that He prayed that His apostles might be one,
even as He and the Father were one. And said He, "Neither pray I for
these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their
word; that they all may be one, as Thou, Father, art in me, and I in
thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that
Thou has sent me." This prayer, it is presumable, was recorded in
Heaven; and it is also presumable that it was the design of God that
it should be answered upon the heads of those in whose behalf it was
offered. This oneness did characterize the Church in those days; and,
as I have already said, there is nothing left on record to prove to us
that there was anything but oneness, harmony and union in the midst of
the Church during the lives of the apostles. The prayer of Jesus was
heard and answered, the Spirit of God was poured out upon the
apostles, and not only upon them but upon those who believed in their
words; and the world in looking on their union had an evidence that
they could not controvert, that Jesus had been sent by the Father, and
that he was indeed the very Christ. It may be supposed, therefore,
that, this being the condition of things during the lives of the
apostles, had the inhabitants of the earth continued to practice the
principles which they taught, the same results would have followed,
not only in the first century of the Christian era, but through every
succeeding century down to our day. For it is recorded in the
Scriptures, and none who believe in them can doubt the truth of the
saying, that God is the same yesterday, today and forever.
He, Himself, says, "For I am the Lord, I change not, therefore ye sons
of Jacob are not consumed." This is the character of our Father and
our God. At all times and under all circumstances in every age and
generation, when men have bowed before Him and have sought Him in the
way He has appointed, He has heard their prayers and granted to them
the desires of their hearts, and has blessed them according to the
faith they have exercised in Him.
Everything that we have on record from those who have had any
acquaintance with His attributes or who have had familiar intercourse
with Him confirms this view of His character. When men sought after
Him in faith in the days of Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses and the
prophets, and then again in the days of Jesus and His apostles, the
same results followed the exercise of their faith. All may not have
had direct and personal intercourse with Him, but all received the
blessings they sought, and the guidance of His unerring wisdom has
been granted unto them. This is proved from the first record made by
Moses, down to the last made by John the Revelator on the Isle of
Patmos. We have no account of a generation, or of an individual, even,
who served God and kept His commandments, that did not receive
peculiar manifestations and blessings from Him. No one was left in
doubt or darkness; no one had to be guided by tradition or by the
teachings of others alone; but everyone, in every age and generation,
received peculiar manifestations and blessings down to the time that
John closed his record.
Seeing that this is the character of our Father in heaven and of the
Gospel of His Son Jesus Christ, how is it that, today, there is
opposition, strife and uncertainty among those who call themselves the
disciples of Jesus, if He is, as the Scriptures say, "the same
yesterday, today and for ever?" This is an inquiry that every
man, who professes any faith whatever, in Christ, should make, even if
he does not endorse the idea that has been taught and testified to by
the Latter-day Saints, viz., that God is a God of revelation, and that
He has revealed Himself again in the latter days as He did in former
days. For my part, with the view I now have respecting God, with the
light that has been thrown upon my mind by the teachings of the Elders
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I could not be
satisfied unless I had something more than the world say it is
possible for men to obtain at the present time. I could not be
satisfied with the records that we have in our midst containing the
testimony of men who lived hundreds of years ago. I could not be
satisfied to base my faith, and my hopes of salvation and future glory
upon a testimony of what they realized any more than I could be
satisfied when hungry by reading an account of a good meal partaken of
by somebody else. I should want something more than this. I should
want to know for myself that God is what others have said He is. I
should want to know that He lives today, as He did 1,800 or 2,000 years
ago, or as He did in the morning of creation. And if it were possible
for men, by the exercise of faith, to obtain a knowledge for
themselves, I would contend for that knowledge until I obtained it.
But the Lord be praised, we are not in this condition. We know that
God is the same that He was yesterday or in the days of Jesus. We know
He is the same God that He was in the days of Noah, Moses, Abraham,
and other prophets who lived previous to the coming of Jesus Christ.
We know this because we have obeyed the form of doctrine taught
anciently, which has been revealed again in our days, and we have
received the same testimony that the people of God enjoyed anciently.
We have repented of our sins, have been baptized for the remission of
them by those having authority; have had hands laid upon us for the
reception of the Holy Ghost, according to the practice of the apostles
of Jesus in ancient times, and we have received the promised spirit
and its gifts, which bear witness unto us that we are born of God,
that He is pleased with our offering and has accepted us.
It is no wonder that we are united; it is no wonder that men from
various nations who have come to the Territory of Utah are united.
They have been alike in their obedience, and are alike in their faith
and testimony. It is no wonder that for five hundred miles—from the
extreme north to south of this Territory—settlements have been
formed, whose inhabitants dwell together in unity and peace,
worshiping God in the same manner, submitting to the same requirements
and obeying the same ordinances. These are the results of obedience to
the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These are the results which followed
obedience to that Gospel anciently; and these results would have
continued to the present day had that Gospel and the authority to
preach it been preserved from the apostles downward.
There is no better evidence that new revelation is needed than is to be
found today throughout so-called Christendom. Visit the cities of
Christendom outside of this Territory, and what do you see? Confusion
and division; the churches and meetinghouses of various denominations
with their spires pointing heavenward, and people passing and
repassing to fill these places of worship, all professing to worship
the same God and to believe in Jesus Christ and the Bible,
upon which they profess their faith is founded; and yet when you
converse with them as to their form of doctrine, one will tell you
that to believe in Jesus Christ and to repent from sin is all that is
necessary to secure salvation; another will say that in addition to
this you must be baptized, and that if you are baptized, having faith
in Jesus Christ and repenting of your sins, you are sure of salvation
if you continue. One will tell you that sprinkling constitutes
baptism, and that a few drops of water sprinkled on your forehead is
all that is necessary; another will contend that this alone is not
sufficient, but that you must have water poured out upon you. Another
says neither of these methods is right, but that you must be immersed
in water; while still another will tell you it makes no difference
whether you are sprinkled, immersed or have the water poured upon you,
and that whether you obey any of these ordinances or not you are sure
of salvation if you only come to the foot of the cross and cast your
burden of sin there.
These are the kinds of faiths that exist in Christendom at the present
time, and they are all, professedly, based upon the Scriptures,
forgetting that portion of Paul's epistle which I quoted to
you—"though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto
you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed;"
also forgetting that Paul says, "there is one Lord, one faith and one
baptism." Not two, half a dozen or a hundred faiths, nor two, three or
four forms of baptism; but Paul actually says, "one Lord, one faith
and one baptism." I say there is no better evidence to be found of the
necessity of new revelation from heaven than the condition of the
world at the present time in these respects.
It is gratifying to reflect that this condition of things is likely
soon to be ended, and that the same gifts, blessings and powers, as
formerly existed, with the same results, so far as union, harmony and
love are concerned, are restored, and are now in existence among the
inhabitants of the earth. It ought to be a cause of thanksgiving, not
only to the Latter-day Saints, but to every man who loves his fellow
men, to witness that which is now being produced in the midst of the
earth, the results of which we see in this Territory. I do not believe
that a man who has any love for his fellow men can contemplate this
condition of things without having his heart filled with joyous
feelings. It is a source of wonder and gratitude to contemplate the
fact that, a few years ago, a few apparently insignificant and
illiterate men went forth bearing testimony that God had again spoken
from the heavens, and had revealed the everlasting Gospel in its
ancient purity and power, and that through this testimony thousands,
from the various nations of the earth and the islands of the sea, have
been gathered to these valleys, and are able to bear the same
testimony. When I contemplate these facts my mind is swallowed up with
admiration, and my heart is filled with gratitude and praise to our
heavenly Father for the great work which He has founded and carried on
successfully in the midst of the most determined opposition, and I
feel that we, of all people now living, should thank and praise our
Father and God that our lot has been cast upon the earth when these
great events are in progress.
I know that the cry of "delusion" and "false prophets" is raised
on every hand, and that the people, generally say, and have been
saying for years, that "the Latter-day Saints are deceived, and that
their organization will speedily come to an end." Yet, despite these
sayings, the work of God still goes on and is making rapid strides
towards the fulfillment of that high destiny which its Author has
predicted concerning it. When you compare this work with the work that
was done by Christ and His apostles you will find a great analogy
between the two. If we are everywhere spoken against and our names
cast out as evil, they were served the same way; if we are hated, so
were they; if we are despised and condemned, they were not considered
worthy the society of their contemporaries, many of whom thought they
were doing God service by killing them. If we were the first whose
names have been cast out as evil, or if this generation were the first
that had hated the truth, our case would be pitiable indeed; but in
every age, from the days of Noah down to the age of the apostles,
this has been invariably the case. Every man to whom the heavens have
been opened and who has received revelations from God has been hated
by his fellows; his life has been sought, and he has had no peace on
the earth. No matter how numerous such persons have been they have
been hunted and driven. So true is this that Stephen the martyr, when
being stoned to death, taunted the Jews with their unbelief and the
acts of their ancestors. Said he, "which of the prophets have not your
fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which showed before of
the coming of the Just One."
Most of the prophets that ever lived on the earth, of whom we have any
account, have suffered martyrdom. And not only has this been the case
with the prophets, but also with Jesus himself, that Being who came to
the earth clothed with the power and authority of the Godhead—although
His glory was hid from men. He who spake as never man spake, and
labored as never man labored in the midst of the children of men,
performing mighty miracles and doing wonderful works, but what kind of
treatment did He receive? He was hated, spit upon, cast out from
among men, and finally killed; and His disciples and apostles after
Him shared the same fate.
We have a glorious array of predecessors; and it is a source of
consolation and encouragement that we do not stand alone in this
respect, and that in former times, men have been hated and despised as
we are hated and despised, today, and for no other cause than for
preaching the truth in its purity and standing up in defense of holy
and pure principles revealed from heaven. In fact the persecutions and
hatred the Latter-day Saints have been called to pass through, instead
of being an evidence against, are an evidence in favor of the truth of
the work they are engaged in. Jesus says, "woe unto you when all men
speak well of you." He warned His disciples of danger when their
names here honored and when all men spoke well of them.
I have said that the Lord has blessed His servants in sending them
forth to preach the Gospel. The same results have followed their
preaching as followed the preaching of the Apostles of Jesus
anciently. Those who obeyed their teachings were united, so are the
Latter-day Saints. I have seen them, and so have you, coming from the
four quarters of the earth, mingling together, not knowing each
other's language, nor familiar with each other—baptized by men
whom they had never before seen—men who had never gathered to Zion nor
associated with the heads of the Church; but who, like Paul, had
received it away from the Center Stake or place where the authorities
resided; and yet they could all testify in their own languages, to one
another, that they had received the Gospel of Jesus, and the testimony
of the Holy Spirit in consequence of their obedience to the form of
doctrine taught unto them; and they are able to dwell together here in
this Territory in peace, love and union, although, as I have said,
brought up in different countries and trained in different creeds.
What more could the Gospel have done when preached by the apostles?
What more did it do when preached by Peter on the day of Pentecost?
The results which Jesus prayed for have been fully realized in the day
in which we live, and in the midst of the people to which we belong.
It may be asked why should not these results be realized by this
people? I have told you that God is the same yesterday, today and
forever; I have told you that the Spirit of God produces the same
results and the same testimony all the world over. And why should it
not? Is there anything strange about that? It would be strange if it
did not do so. If there be anything strange, wonderful or worthy of
remark it is that among those professing to be the followers of Christ
and claiming to be His ministers, there is not that love, union and
knowledge in these days which were possessed by those who believed in
Him anciently. It is strange that men professing to be followers of
Jesus today do not enjoy the same manifestations and blessings as
they did who believed in Him anciently.
There is one thing worthy of note in this connection, and that is,
that when Joseph Smith first proclaimed to the people that God had
spoken from the heavens and sent His holy angels to minister to him,
and bestowed upon him the knowledge and authority necessary to build
up the Church, he met with opposition and ridicule on every hand.
Scarcely a man whom he met would acknowledge that such a thing was
possible or at all consistent with God's mode of dealing with the
children of men in these days. It is true that he was successful in
convincing a few that he had the testimony of Jesus. They obeyed God's
doctrine taught to them and received the testimony; but for years
after he started out to make this proclamation he had this kind of
opposition to contend with. But he said the time would come when there
would be strong delusion and lying spirits permitted to come forth
among the people. He declared that God had restored the priesthood to
the earth, and the ordinances of the Gospel, and had established His
Church in its purity; and that those who did not believe the testimony
of the servants of God and obey it, would be given over to hardness of
heart and become subject to evil influences that were known nothing of
previous to the establishing of the Church and the restoration of the
priesthood.
Years elapsed before this prediction was fulfilled, but it was
eventually verified. I recollect very well the first time I got any
intimation of it. I was on the Sandwich Islands on a mission; I had
stepped into the house of a man who afterwards became a member of the
Church. I happened to pick up a book, upon examining which, I found a
good many things that struck me as being very strange. I thought, at
first that it must be a work written by the Latter-day Saints;
but I soon found that it was not. The argument of the writer was in
favor of communication with the spirit world, through the ministering
of angels, being as possible in these days as at former times. He used
precisely similar arguments to those used by the Elders of this
Church; and quoted largely from the Bible to prove that it had been
quite common for men in ancient days to have such communications and
to possess the gift of prophecy and the spirit of revelation, and he
argued in favor of these modes of communication in these days. I was
very much surprised at seeing such principles advocated by this book;
but immediately, the recollection of Joseph's predictions flashed
across my mind. I was but young at the time he made the remark, but I
recollected it. I have had opportunities of watching the growth and
development of this movement from that day to the present time. I
have come in contact with many who profess to believe in spiritual
communication; and in traveling through the United States at the
present time you will find a great many individuals who entertain this
belief. What has produced this change? Why, it is the very thing
which Paul said would come. The people in his day would not receive
the love of the truth, that they might be saved, "therefore" said he,
"for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should
believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believe not the
truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." They would not believe the
testimony of the servants of God, therefore they were given up to
hardness of heart and spiritual blindness. When these things overtake
them they are ready to fall in with any spirit or influence that will
manifest itself amongst them in an extraordinary manner.
For years after the truth was revealed men would continue to ask for a
sign. "If you are the men you profess to be," they would say, "give us
some miracle—cause the blind to see, the dumb to speak, the deaf to
hear, or the lame to walk, that we may know you are sent of God." How
many thousands of times have the Elders been urged to give some
exhibition of power that men might know they were sent of God.
Thousands and thousands of times have professed ministers of the
Gospel made this request of them. They would not believe the words of
Jesus that "these signs shall follow them that believe;" but they
wanted the Elders to give signs to prove that Jesus told the truth.
You know what Jesus says respecting those who wanted signs—"It is a
wicked and adulterous generation that seek a sign, but no sign shall
be given them."
The Elders of this Church have proved the truth of the words of Jesus,
that it is a wicked and adulterous generation that seek for a sign.
You will generally find that they are wicked men who ask for this kind
of evidence. A wicked man is not satisfied with the truth or with the
testimony of the servants of God, nor with the calm, heavenly
influence of the spirit of God which rests down upon those who receive
the truth in honesty. No, such a man wants a sign; he wants to hear
somebody speak in tongues, or to see the eyes of the blind opened, or
the deaf made to hear, the dumb to speak, the lame to walk, or the
dead raised to life. Something of this kind he must have; the testimony
of the truth, though borne with angel's power, has no effect on such a
heart. He wants something to convince his outward senses.
Thousands of such have rejected the Gospel of life and salvation as
they did in the days of Jesus. They then rejected the testimony of the
servants of God, and they hardened their hearts against it. But as
soon as something came along that gratified them in the way they
wanted—something that could tip a table or give some other singular
manifestation of power, such as feeling invisible hands laid upon
them, or hearing music played by invisible performers, or something of
this character, they were convinced immediately that it was possible
for spiritual beings to communicate with mortals, and now the
Spiritualists number their converts by millions; they probably number
more than any other denomination, if they can be called a
denomination. They boast of their success.
In this manner the nations of the earth are being subjected to strong
delusions; and you will find that as the kingdom of God increases, and
as the work spreads abroad and the priesthood gains power and
influence in the earth, these systems will gain power and influence,
and that strong delusion will increase and spread among the
inhabitants of the earth. They did not make their appearance until
this Church was organized and the testimony of its truth had been
borne; but as soon as the genuine priesthood was restored the bogus or
counterfeit made its appearance; and as this work increases in
strength and potency in the earth, so will these delusions of which I
speak, until those who reject the truth will be bound up in a strong
delusion and delivered over to hardness of heart. It is written that
"the spirit of God will not always strive with man," and when the
truth is offered to men and they reject it, that spirit will be
withdrawn and another influence and spirit will take possession of
them, and they will be led captive by the Adversary.
But this is not the case with the work of God; the testimony of those
who have embraced the Gospel of Jesus Christ is different in this
respect. It is as it was of old—"line upon line, precept upon precept,
here a little, there a little." God has revealed to His people
according to their strength to receive. He has given to them knowledge
just as wise parents give it to their children. He has not bestowed
upon them something that would destroy them; but He has given to them
light upon light and knowledge upon knowledge in order to lead them
along and train them in the path of righteousness which will
ultimately lead them back into His presence. What joy, peace, love and
union have been bestowed upon those who have embraced the Gospel of
Jesus Christ! What light has been shed upon their minds in relation to
the Scriptures! No sooner have they gone forth into the waters of
baptism for the remission of their sins and had hands laid upon them
for the Holy Ghost than it has seemed as though a heavenly peace has
taken possession of them. Who, that can recollect anything about the
time they entered the Church and their subsequent experience, cannot
say that they felt unspeakable gratitude to God for the blessings they
received? It has been "like the dew from heaven descending." It has
descended upon the people and filled them with peace, and has knit
their hearts together in love, and they have rejoiced in the power
which God has manifested in their behalf. But they have not had these
wonderful manifestations of which we read among the Spiritualists;
there has been no necessity for them.
There is something remarkable in the growth and development of
Spiritualism. When Joseph declared that angels had come from heaven
and had manifested themselves to him in bodily presence, and had laid
their hands upon him, his testimony was rejected, the people declaring
him to be an impostor, a false prophet, and not worthy to live; and
they were not satisfied until they had killed him. But how changed has
all become since then! What advancement the world has made in beliefs
of this kind! You may tell almost anything about spiritual
manifestations, and the people are ready to believe it—that is, if it
is outside of the priesthood and does not come from the Latter-day
Saints; their statements are received with as much incredulity and
scorn as ever.
Well, the difference between the two systems is apparent. The
Latter-day Saints are united, just as Jesus Christ prayed that His
followers might be. It is true that we are not yet one as the Father
and the Son are one; but we are approximating thereto. The principle
of oneness is in our midst and is continually growing. But how is it
with those who are the base imitators of the servants of God? Why a
thousand vagaries are indulged in by them. There is no form of belief
in which they unite; there is no union amongst them. They are divided
and separated into thousands of fragments, all having their own
peculiar ideas and views. Is the work of God rolled forth by them? Are
the inhabitants of the earth benefited by them? Is the earth made
better, more beautiful or lovely by their labors, or by the
revelations they receive? No, there are no fruits of this kind to be
witnessed among them; but all is division, confusion and chaos. There
is nothing to cement them together or make them one. But the work God
has established is rolling forth with giant strides and accomplishing
great results. It is bringing thousands of the poor and ignorant from
the nations of the earth and emancipating them from the poverty,
thralldom and bondage under which they and their fathers before them
have groaned for generations; and it is revealing to them the Gospel
of peace, the plan of salvation and planting them in a land of
freedom, and bestowing upon them every blessing which the heart of man
desires. In addition to this it is producing mental results of a
wonderful and elevating character. It bestows upon those who obey its
precepts heavenly knowledge, makes them wise in all things, causing
them to become an infinitely better people than they were before. Who
cannot see, if he will open his eyes to the evidence that God has
caused to accomplish His work, which is God's work and which is the
Adversary's?
In speaking in this strain I am speaking of what I know. I am not
telling you what John, Peter or Paul said 1,800 years ago, and what
Moses left on record. I stand here as a witness, corroborating what
they have written. I know for myself that God has spoken from the
heavens and restored the everlasting Gospel in its purity to the
earth; that He has ordained His servants and given them the power and
authority which were held and enjoyed in ancient days. I know that He
has restored to the earth the ordinances of the Gospel and the Holy
Ghost with its gifts and blessings. These things I have received and
have enjoyed them myself, hence I know they are true. I know God is
the same yesterday, today and for ever, and bestows His
blessings upon all who will humble themselves before Him, and seek
unto Him in the name of Jesus.
May God help us all to live so as to secure and preserve this
testimony is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.
- George Q. Cannon