The Lord in his revelation to the Prophet Joseph, forty-seven years
ago, required the Elders to meet together in Conference once in three
months, or from time to time as appointed, for the purpose of
transacting necessary business connected with the work, and for giving
and receiving instructions in relation to the duties of the
Priesthood. This commandment has been published in the book of
Doctrine and Covenants, and is a standing revelation which has not
been generally observed. We have had General Conferences of all the
people—Priesthood and laymen—twice a year since our settlement in
these valleys, which only a small portion of the people and a few of
the general authorities of the Church have been able to attend. We
have had occasional Conferences in some places in the Territory, and
in various places abroad. It is time now that Stakes of Zion are
organized, to hold our Conferences with more regularity and in their
order, for the Saints to come together to be instructed, that reports
may be heard from the various Wards, and the Elders enter into counsel
and learn their duties. The last summer's labors of our late
President, Brigham Young, and of the Twelve Apostles, were mainly
devoted to this work—organizing the Stakes and the Priesthood therein,
and arranging a system of reports with a view of holding the people to
closer responsibilities, to awaken them to a better understanding and
appreciation of their obligations. At the same time this rendering an
account of stewardship in the various districts, Wards and Stakes of
Zion, is calculated to encourage those who are doing right, and
reprove such, if there be any, as do evil. You may be sure that if
these arrangements are carried out, and good counsel is given to the
people, they cannot fail to produce good results. Those who love the
truth and hate iniquity, and who keep their covenants with God
unbroken, are not afraid of their works being made manifest before the
people. If they live in the faithful discharge of their duties, they
have nothing to fear from this system of rendering reports of their
stewardship. Presidents of Stakes, Bishops, Counselors, Priests,
Teachers, Deacons, and Presidents of Quorums, who are doing well and
performing their duties, need not shrink from giving reports of their
actions, lives, and general conduct. It is pleasing to me, and to every right-minded man and woman, to hear these reports. They are
not uninteresting nor dry to those who have the welfare of Israel at
heart, and are watchful of the progress made among us. We have been
instructed by the revelations of God to keep records of our
organizations and councils, of everything brought before the
Priesthood in their respective Quorums, of the attendance of members,
who are speakers, what they say, and all things pertaining to the
business and general welfare of the Quorums. Our various organizations
should keep clerks, whose duty it should be to record the acts of its
members, whether or not those members are living up to their
requirements, and whether, instead of attending their meetings, they
are engaged in fishing, hunting, freighting, gold seeking, or anything
else that is contrary to what is expected from them as laborers in the
Church and kingdom of God. It is the duty of the Teachers to report to
their Bishops the relative standing of those under their
supervision—whether their houses are houses of order—whether the wife
is good to the husband, and the husband is good to his wife—whether
the children are obedient to their parents, and whether the parents
are training their children in the way they should walk—if there is
strife where there should be peace, if there are jealousy and discord
where love and unity should exist—whether the mother poisons the mind
of her daughter instead of teaching her correct principles; in
short—whether the house is what it should be—a house of God.
A Bishop should necessarily be a man of sound judgment, full of the
Holy Ghost and capable of adjusting matters in a manner that will work
the least injury possible and for the accomplishment of the greatest
good. There are matters of a delicate nature which sometimes arise in
families, and which should be properly understood by the Bishop and
his Counsel before heralding them abroad. It might not be necessary to
publish them among the people to the detriment and injury of the
parties interested, but be considered in a proper spirit and not
reported in a general sense, to the ward. At the same time, nothing
that may have a bearing on the union and fellowship of the Saints,
should escape the notice of the teachers; and no Bishop should ever
betray the confidence and trust imposed in him through a knowledge of
these tender and delicate matters, but manifest that fatherly love,
tenderness and anxiety that parents feel for their offspring.
Sunday School Teachers also ought not to exercise any undue severity and
harshness toward those under their care, but should be actuated by
feelings of tenderness and love. Every presiding officer of a quorum
should do likewise, and every mother in her house should govern her
children in gentleness, and filial love and kindness should be a part
of their nature.
The Holy Spirit will impress us with these matters, and on the other
hand, the powers of evil will endeavor to influence us to act contrary
to those impressions, to give way to anger, jealousy and envy. This is
warfare—it is with ourselves, whether we conquer or yield to our evil
passions. In our family circles, in our daily associations with our
wives, and children, friends and neighbors, we should be actuated and
governed by feelings of tenderness and love. We should strive to
become perfect in every great and good work and be examples worthy of
imitation in our home and before our neighbors. We can never be truly great until we become truly good.
If we would have a good people to associate and labor with, or to
preside over; if our Wards, towns, divisions, subdivisions and
families must be in order, we must not neglect any duty or leave any
place uncared for. We cannot so neglect our responsibilities without
feeling the effects afterwards. If a wound afflicts the body a scar is
left as the effect of that wound. If we allow evil to dwell in the
midst of the community it will manifest itself in the fruits thereof
in afteryears. In the words of the Apostle Paul, "Whatsoever a man
soweth, that shall he also reap." No farmer expects to raise wheat
when he sows oats, nor can a man gather figs from thorn trees that he
may plant; neither can we expect to enjoy the fruits of love unless we
have sown the seeds of love in our hearts and in the hearts of others.
Every careful and reflecting mind will appreciate the Apostle Paul's
words.
Have we not seen children flee from their parents? And why? Because
they have not sown in the hearts of their children the seeds of love,
respect and goodwill, but have themselves given way to evil passions,
and, by such a course have driven away their offspring. On the other
hand, you may see men and women who, by their kindness, gentleness and
love, have drawn towards them not only their offspring but the
offspring of others. Like cleaves to like. Those, therefore, who lead
the Saints must be men who have within them these same feelings. Can
the wicked lead them? No! Jesus says, "My sheep know my voice and a
stranger they will not follow."
The object of our Conferences, Priesthood meetings and reports, is,
not only to ascertain how we stand according to statistics, but that
we may be able to learn what our individual condition is as members of
the Church, to see ourselves in a glass, as it were, and find out
wherein we need improving; and that men who have the charge and
general oversight of the people may see at a glance the condition of
the people in the different Wards. They may by this means form correct
ideas of the feelings, faith and works of the Saints, how far the laws
of God are observed, and whether the members are keeping their
covenants, attending to home duties, paying their tithes and are
engaged in all the laudable works required at their hands, so that if
the Lord commands any service at our hands, there will be a unity of
purpose and a concert of action, on the part of the people, in
carrying it out.
The people in this Territory are classed into three grand divisions
for the purpose of Temple building. There are a certain number of
stakes grouped together to build a Temple in Manti, another to build a
Temple in Logan, and others of the more central stakes to build one in
Salt Lake City. The presiding officers of these Stakes and the various
quorums will vie with each other in the accomplishment of this work,
that the people may officiate in the ordinances of the house of God
for themselves and their dead.
These things being necessary for working out the Lord's purposes, and
for the general welfare of Israel, have another good effect in the
experience they give to us. They are valuable in the training of the
people and give an increase of power that will prove of benefit to the
Saints in years to come. That experience and increase of power we
shall find necessary in our future warfare against evil. There is and
always will be, until the Savior ap pears again, a great battle
fought between the Priesthood and the powers of darkness. The wicked
do not comprehend this. They witness various manifestations of unseen
powers operating in the human family, but whether they are good and
truthful or vile and deceptive they are unable to comprehend
satisfactorily, because they have not applied to the fountain of
light, truth and knowledge. The Saints, on the other hand, can
comprehend these manifestations and judge this wicked world by the
light of the Holy Ghost. We shall see the manifestations of the powers
of darkness in an increased degree in the future, deceiving the
children of men. So far as this generation is concerned it has been
since the Prophet Joseph came forth and declared his belief in
revelations, visions and angels that the powers of darkness have
operated by external and supernatural manifestations, and as the power
of God increased with the people and extended throughout the earth and
was felt by other nations besides this, the Evil One manifested his
power among men to a greater extent. When the Prophet Joseph appeared,
announcing his belief in these things, there was a general unbelief
among religious sects in regard to them. Professed Christians
disclaimed any belief in manifestations from heaven, had no faith in
visions or angels, and considered the claims of any man to be absurd
who professed to have communication with the unseen world. Those who
had faith in visions and dreams where looked upon as superstitious
beings. Joseph's professions were viewed as inconsistent with the
spirit and enlightenment of the age. But how great is the change! We
find men and women seeking communication with the unseen world, with
spirits of departed friends, and receiving spiritual man ifestations in
various forms. In the days of the Prophet Joseph there were only a few
who entertained any faith in such manifestations, but now they are
numbered by millions. What has all this effected? Has it produced any
more unity in the world than existed before? Is there an increase of
happiness or aught that is praiseworthy? The effect it has produced is
evident, to the reflecting mind. Infidelity has increased as the
powers of darkness have spread their influence over the minds of men.
I do not expect many of the Latter-day Saints to be able to fully
contemplate the subject, not having mingled with the world since these
great changes have occurred, but there are some who possess a general
knowledge of such things by seeing, hearing and reading. The testimony
of the Elders is that the world is almost universally infidel—priests
and people. Religion is used as a cloak with the great majority of
professing Christians. There appears to prevail an almost general
disbelief in Jesus and his Apostles. The Bible is counted unworthy of
credence or attention, and religion is deemed a farce. This general
tendency to infidelity is also the result of men's efforts to put down
Mormonism. The world rejected the power of God made manifest by the
visitation of holy angels, but when the devil manifested his power
through the visitation of evil spirits, assuming all sorts of
fantastic shapes, the people eagerly ran after them and became blind,
bewildered and stupefied. Such persons would rather "believe a lie and
be damned;" they willingly follow after the "strong delusions" that
the Apostle Paul referred to. These powers of darkness will continue
to come upon them and spread over the earth, as we advance in truth
and righteousness.
We that have this warfare to meet, should keep ourselves prepared for
any and every attack of the evil one. It becomes us to draw ourselves
together in the bonds of unity, to cling to each other, our covenants
and our God. We are called upon not only to uphold and sustain the
Priesthood over us but each other. If we do this, and perform the
duties we owe one another, we shall perform the duties we owe to the
Priesthood and to God. God bless you. Amen.