It is a great pleasure to meet with the brethren again in Conference,
and it is certainly very gratifying to see the people so comfortably
seated, with a prospect of enjoying the benefits and blessings of the
Conference; even should the elements not be favorable we have a
shelter and a shade. It has been the fortune of the Latter-day Saints
never to stay in any place long enough to build a house sufficiently
large to hold the people; but, with the blessing of the Lord and the
united efforts of the brethren, we have room sufficient to hold a very
large audience, though no doubt occasions will still occur when we
shall cry out, "More room," and probably before our Conference closes.
I think, however, that we need not ask any of our brethren who reside
in this city, as we have had to do, to stay at home to make room for
those who may be in from a distance; all may come and be accommodated.
The acoustic properties of the Tabernacle are evidently improved by
the erection of the gallery, and if all who attend Conference will
leave their coughing at home, sit still while here and omit shuffling
their feet, they may have an opportunity of hearing pretty much
everything that may be said. It will certainly require, even when all
these conditions are complied with, considerable effort to fill so
large a house with one voice, and that effort must be met by a
corresponding effort on the part of the audience to preserve perfect
stillness.
It was forty years ago on the 6th of last month since the organization
of the Church took place, in the chamber of Father Whitmer, in Fayette, Seneca county, New York, with six members. The history of
that forty years would require volumes to record. The institution, as
it then commenced, was in its infancy; yet the Lord revealed to His
servant, that He had laid the foundation of a great work; the truth of
that saying has been realized by the progress of events. The changes
that have transpired in connection with this people have been very
remarkable. The work commenced by preaching faith in the Lord Jesus,
repentance and the ordinance of baptism for the remission of sins, and
the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, which was an
innovation upon the creeds and practices of every other religious
sect; I am not aware that any one denomination believed in and
practiced all the principles that were introduced at the organization
of this Church. The first three of these principles were faith in the
Lord Jesus, repentance, and baptism by immersion for the remission of
sins. The next principle was the laying on of hands for the reception
of the Holy Ghost, precisely as it was pointed out by the Savior and
practiced by his disciples in Judea.
There were denominations who believed in baptism by immersion, but not
for the remission of sins, they believed that remission of sins was
necessary previous to baptism; but they were ignorant of the
possibility of the reception of the Holy Ghost, and, consequently, of
the doctrine of the laying on of hands. The Church of England, it is
true, would confirm by the laying on of the hand of the bishops, but
not for confirming the gift of the Holy Ghost on the heads of the
believers; and while all the professed believers in the doctrine of
Christ had some portions or fragments of his Gospel as revealed and
established by him and his Apostles, it was the Church of Latter-day
Saints which introduced and established, complete, the principles of
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance towards God, baptism for
the remission of sins, and the laying on of hands for the gift of the
Holy Ghost. These principles were all important, and the moment the
Bible was brought forth everybody could find that they coincided
exactly with the principles set forth by the Savior, and it required
to be spiritualized and changed to make it appear otherwise. But the
Christian world had gone astray from these things, and when they were
restored they rejected them. There were, however, honest persons in
all of the denominations, and God has respect to every man who is
honest of heart and purpose, though he may be deceived, and in error
as to principle and doctrine; yet so far as that error is the result
of their being deceived by the cunning craftiness of men, or of
circumstances over which such have no control, the Lord in His
abundant mercy looks with allowance thereon, and in His great economy
He has provided different glories and ordained that all persons shall
be judged according to the knowledge they possess and the use they
make of that knowledge, and according to the deeds done in the body,
whether good or evil.
"And again, we saw the terrestrial world, and behold and lo, these are
they who are of the terrestrial, whose glory differs from that of the
church of the Firstborn who have received the fullness of the
Father, even as that of the moon differs from that of the sun in the
firmament. Behold, these are they who died without law; And also they
who are the spirits of men kept in prison, whom the Son visited, and
preached the gospel unto them, that they might be judged according to
men in the flesh; Who received not the testimony of Jesus in
the flesh, but afterwards received it. These are they who are
honorable men of the earth, who were blinded by the craftiness of men.
These are they who receive of his glory, but not of his fullness.
These are they who receive of the presence of the Son, but not of the
fullness of the Father. Wherefore, they are bodies terrestrial, and not
bodies celestial, and differ in glory as the moon differs from the
sun. These are they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus;
wherefore, they obtain not the crown over the kingdom of our God."
In opening this Conference it would be well for us individually to ask
ourselves, Have we received the first principles of the Gospel of
Christ, and have we continued in those principles which were first
taught unto us; or is it necessary for us again to lay the foundation
of repentance from dead works? It is very singular that when the
principles of the Gospel, as I have stated them, were presented to the
different sects, they were disposed to reject them and to persecute
those who preached them in their fullness. Such, however, was the
fact, and it is owing to this that the Latter-day Saints are now in
the Great Basin of the Rocky Mountains, in the heart of the American
continent, in the enjoyment of political and religious liberty and
freedom, for which they have sacrificed more perhaps than any other
people on the face of the earth. And we have the greatest reason of
all people to be thankful to God for these blessings.
Then let us ask ourselves, Are we prepared for the great blessings
which God has bestowed upon us? Are we living up to our callings and
magnifying the same? Do we observe the duties which are imposed upon
us by our holy religion? Or are we foolish enough, while recognizing
its truth, and professing to be Latter-day Saints, to treat it with
carelessness and neglect, and failing to live up to our high and holy
calling?
From the earliest days of the preaching of the Gospel by Joseph Smith
men were tried and tempted and led astray by false spirits and
doctrines of devils. We find at the commencement of Joseph's mission
that many who entered into covenant turned away, and some became very
bitter enemies. It was necessary from the very beginning that there
should be a sifting, for the Lord declared unto His people that He
would sift them as with a sieve. This sifting had to continue, and
hence every time the Latter-day Saints were driven, scattered, or
otherwise persecuted, it caused those who could not abide in the faith
to pass quietly away, or to make their wickedness manifest unto the
church and unto the world. But while this was going on, the strength
of Zion was increasing. It is said, and I presume correctly, that
Oliver Cowdery remarked at one time to Joseph Smith, "If I should
apostatize and leave the Church, the Church would be broken up." The
answer of the Prophet was, "What and who are you? This is the work of
God, and if you turn against it and withdraw from it, it will still
roll on and you will not be missed." It was not long until Oliver
turned away, but the work continued. God raised up men from obscurity
to step forth and shoulder the burdens, and it was hardly known when
and where he went. In about ten years he came back again, came before
a local Conference at Mosquito Creek, Pottawatomie Co., Iowa, Oct.,
1848, and acknowledged his faults. He bore testimony of the mission of
the Prophet, Joseph Smith, and of the truth of the Book of Mormon; he
exhorted the Saints to follow the authority of the Holy
Priesthood, which he assured them was with the Twelve Apostles. He
said, "When the Saints follow the main channel of the stream, they
find themselves in deep water and always right, pursuing their journey
with safety; but when they turned aside into sloughs and bayous, they
are left to flounder in the mud and are lost, for the Angel of God
said unto Joseph in my hearing that this Priesthood shall remain on
the earth until the end."
Oliver declared he took pleasure in bearing this testimony to the
largest congregation of Saints he had ever seen together. He was
rebaptized and made arrangements to come to the mountains, but died
soon after, while on a visit to the Whitmers, in Missouri.
This circumstance shows how little God depends upon man to carry on
His work. He does it by His own power, His own majesty, by His own
mighty hand and for the accomplishment of His own glorious purposes.
It was thought and felt throughout the world, about the year 1844,
that if Joseph Smith, the Prophet, could be destroyed, that would be
the end of the Latter-day Saints. Men conspired together to shed his
blood; they sought occasion against him; they made him an offender for
a word; they swore falsely against him, and some who had been his
friends turned traitors and conspired with the wicked and shed his
blood. It was generally believed by the enemies of the Saints that
that was the end of the work of the Lord. The pulpit resounded with
thanks to God that the great arch-impostor, Joseph Smith, was slain.
The priests rejoiced over it; and though there was a feeling,
tolerably widespread, that it was barbarous to kill him, under the
plighted faith of Illinois, yet the general feeling was that it was a
good thing that he was dead. But God had a work to perform, and it did
not depend upon the life of one or two individuals. It was His work,
His kingdom, His Church, His plan of salvation, and He, by His own
wisdom and His own mighty hand bore it off.
These were the facts, and these continue to be the facts; and all that
the Latter-day Saints have to do is to live within the confines of
God's holy law and up to their privileges. Are we doing so? Are we
walking in accordance with these principles? Let us ask ourselves
these questions, and if any of us are remiss, let us immediately
commence to reform, humble ourselves before God, and be ready to
sacrifice ourselves and all we have, if necessary, for the building up
and redemption of Zion and for our salvation.
We have come together as a Conference to compare notes with each
other, to rejoice together and to receive instruction; and let every
man and woman that has come or that may yet come, lift their hearts to
God in solemn prayer that His blessing may rest upon His servants,
that they may be inspired with a double portion of His holy Spirit,
that the Priesthood, in all its life, power and glory, may speak forth
the words of truth, light and intelligence that shall pour comfort
into the hearts of the Saints, and guide and strengthen them, and
illuminate their path, that we, one and all, may continue in the great
and glorious work which we have commenced.
May the Lord God of Hosts bless you, and peace be and abide in your
hearts, that you may appreciate these things, and exercise faith,
union, knowledge, power, and wisdom in your walk and conduct
henceforth, and that these meetings may be a blessing to all who
attend them, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
- George A. Smith