It is a very pleasing privilege that we have of meeting together in
Conference assembled in this manner. I have been very much gratified,
interested and instructed, as I am sure all the faithful have been,
who have been present and shared or partaken of the spirit of this
Conference. I hope and pray that while we shall remain together we may
feel the spirit of inspiration resting upon us to guide our minds in
our reflections and our speech into those channels of communication
that shall be most profitable to the people.
We have this day extraordinary reason for gratitude and praise to God
our Heavenly Father for the peculiar manifestation of His kindness and
mercy to us during the past year; not only in granting that the earth
should be fruitful in yielding abundantly for the returning wants of
His people both for man and beast, but for the protection and
deliverance of His people from the machinations and devices and the
subtle plans of men high in authority, who have set themselves to
ensnare us, and if it were possible, to hinder the work of God—men who
have thought to destroy or cripple the great cause which God has
established in the earth for the redemption and exaltation of the
human family, from degradation and sin to the realms of intelligence
and glory in His kingdom. Surely all Saints who have been making
"first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" their aim and study,
cannot fail to have both seen and felt this. It is but another
assurance from on high of his good pleasure in not only having given
unto us the kingdom, but in preserving the rights, the powers and
blessings thereof from encroachment or invasion and from injury by the
hands of the wicked and ungodly.
I am reminded that the time at my disposal this morning is short,
there being several yet to address the Conference. I will, therefore,
proceed directly to call your attention to a passage of Scripture
found in the 15th chapter of John:
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
"Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every
branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more
fruit.
"Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,
except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except you abide in me.
"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in
him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do
nothing.
"If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is
withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they
are burned.
"If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye
will, and it shall be done unto you.
"Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye
be my disciples."
One of the Prophets, I think it was Jeremiah, said that the vine was
the noblest or choicest of all the trees of the forest. The Savior, no
doubt, in view of this general understanding, adopted the vine to
figuratively represent the precious principles which He undertook to
illustrate in the foregoing passages of Scripture, and which I wish to
make some allusion to, in illustration of the importance of our being
in a proper position to attend to our duties faithfully, which is
necessary for the complete growth and progress of the vine, to which
we are attached in all its branches, leaves, flowers and fruits.
Christ's Church is frequently spoken of as a vine of the Lord's
planting in the earth. Our Savior and the ancient Prophets Nephi,
Jacob, Zenos, and others, spoke of the husbandman going forth in the
morning to employ workmen to labor in his vineyard, during the heat
and burden of the day; and also about the eleventh hour, of his
employing laborers to go into the vineyard and prune it for the last
time. I wish to remind you my brethren of the Priesthood, especially
those who are called to occupy important leading positions in the
Wards, the Stakes and councils of Zion, that you are the men who were
spoken of and written about in their parables.
The Prophets of those early days were so filled with the spirit and
power of the Gospel and of revelation, that they looked into the
future and saw in vision the birth of Christ and the work that he was
to perform. They also beheld our day, and the work in which we are
engaged. It must be borne in mind that we are not working alone for
our dear selves, but for those coming after us; and that our work
bears a strict relation to those that have been here and gone before
us to the spirit world, to whom we are as closely related; and without
whom we cannot be made perfect, any more than they without us.
Therefore, every Elder clothed with the Priesthood has a right to
officiate in ordinances affecting the happiness of those who have gone
before, as well as of being the means of bestowing blessings upon
those who follow him; and for the use of this power he will be held
accountable.
Now let it be understood, Jesus said, "I am the true vine." Everybody
acquainted with the art of pruning knows that to make a tree bear
the greatest amount of fruit he must trim it so that there will be no
small branches springing up around the roots, but that there be one
vine with all the sap running through it. He has not only said, "I am
the true vine;" but also "ye are the branches." If the tree be
properly trimmed the sap, which is the life of it, will go from the roots through the vine to all the branches thereof. Jesus
said in connection with this "every branch in me that beareth not
fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth
it, that it may bring forth more fruit."
Let it be understood that the healthy, thrifty growth of the limbs,
the leaves, the bloom and the fruit, all depends upon the close
adherence of the "branches" to the "vine" —the body of
Christ. And
every man bearing the Holy Priesthood must be made conscious of this
in his experience and observations at one time or another if he is of
any use as a living branch in this Church.
To this vine, in our dispensation there are three branches—the First
Presidency—who are closely allied to the powers behind the veil; and
they are the first to receive the mind and will of God, and
communicate the same to the Church. This is that Spirit of revelation,
the sap that comes from the vine, that goes to all the branches. And
not only do we see these three main branches next the trunk, but a
little further along are twelve other branches, spreading out and each
of them, shooting forth other branches, twigs, tendrils, leaves and
fruit, if they abide in the vine.
Now if those branches by any means become injured, or are not in a
healthful condition from any course—no matter what—so that the free
flow of the sap from the trunk and main branches is arrested, or
retarded, the consequence is that the lesser branches, the twigs,
leaves and fruit depending for nourishment and life upon the injured
or deadened limb, are more or less affected, hindered in their growth,
dwarfed in their development, and must suf fer death unless relieved by
a healthy pruning.
I wish now to call the attention of the Presidents of Stakes to the
consideration of this fact.
It is the duty of every President of a Stake to attend the annual and
semi-annual Conferences, which are held in this place so far as
practicable, but if it should so happen that a President himself could
not be present, then he should see that one or both of his Counselors
come, or some faithful man of an excellent spirit from his Stake who
shall be capable of receiving the instructions given, and who is able
to communicate the same to his President and to the people. And such a
person or persons should be men whose duty it shall be to stay until
the Conference is over, attending every meeting, and paying the
strictest attention to all instructions given and to all Church
business transacted.
They should not come here in a hurry to get away before the business
of the Conference is attended to; they should not feel as though they
could leave before receiving all that the Presidency have to say to
them; so that when they do return to their homes they may go laden
with counsel and filled with the spirit of the Conference, ready to
impart the same to the people of their several Stakes. The President
who does this keeps alive the fire, the Spirit of the Lord in the
hearts of his people. By attending such conferences he goes home with
more efficient instructions to convey to the people at home, and at
the half yearly or quarterly conference over which he presides, he is
enabled to impart to all who were unable to attend, the spirit of this
general conference.
I hold it, then, to be of the utmost importance that the Presidents of Stakes do make it their business to see that they as
branches abide more carefully and more strictly in the vine, and that
they receive the sap and nourishment of these conferences to the
utmost capacity and carry it home to support every twig, every leaf,
and every particle of fruit on the vine, for their proper, healthy
growth and maturity. This principle is not only applicable to the
Presidents of Stakes, but it is applicable in like manner in your
quarterly conferences to every Bishop.
In those conferences every Ward should be represented by the Bishop
and his Counselors, and as many of the people as possible should be
present to receive the counsels there given. What is the result
sometimes when instructions have been given by President Taylor
through the Presidents of Stakes, and only a part of them were
present? Why, it is found, when some important matter comes up, that
this counsel has been neglected, and those who ought to have been well
informed are heard to say, "Why, we never heard of this before." Why
did you not hear of it? Why were you not there in your place to hear
of it, and thus be prepared to carry out the instruction given?
In like manner every branch in all the missions abroad should observe
and secure a correct and proper representation in all the conferences
that are held in the various missions wherever the Gospel is preached
and branches are raised up. This is an absolute requirement. (See
Doctrine and Covenants, section 20, verse 81 and on). By this means,
and in no other way, can the law of the Lord go forth from Zion, and
the spirit of Zion extend to the most remote branch or member of the
Church on the face of the whole earth.
This is the principle. You brethren of the Priesthood, as branches of
this vine, are expected to abide in it, to have the fullest connection
with it, and be prepared to convey the sap, which has been conveyed to
you, through the trunk to the extreme branches, the tendrils, the
leaves and the fruit that are under your care. But unless you do this
your people will suffer for want of intelligence; they will have to go
short of that spiritual food which you are made the dispenser of and
which you are expected to impart for nourishment and support, not
only in spiritual matters, but in temporal things as well.
Now, there is a feeling among mankind—it is a feeling that is common
in the world, and it is not strange that some who have been brought
up in the world should retain it—a feeling of independence, a feeling
of self-sufficiency, a feeling that we are capable of doing without
counsel, and that we can do this and that as we think best. My
brethren, the less of this feeling we carry with us, the safer and
better for us and for the people we have to instruct. We should
understand our dependence on God and on our brethren who are placed
over us in the Priesthood for that counsel necessary to sustain us and
that will enable us to bear off the Kingdom of God in righteousness.
Let me cite you to an instance of a man in the early days of the
Church—Lyman Wight showed this kind of spirit when Joseph lived. It
was all Joseph could do to keep him in subjection to the counsels of
the Priesthood, but he did conform when brought to a consideration of
his position in the Church so long as Joseph lived. But when the
Prophet Joseph died he did not recognize the right of Apostle
Brigham or his brethren of the Council to preside over him. And where
did he go? He started an offshoot of the Church by himself, and both
he and those who followed him went out into the world to destruction
and to the devil together. This is the fate of those who think they
can "run" themselves and can "run" the affairs of the Church and
Kingdom of God separately and independent of their brethren. If he had
continued and abode in the vine and made himself one with Brigham
Young and the Apostles, he would have gathered with us to these
valleys of the mountains, rejoiced with us, and laid down his bones
here, and been one with the people of God. But, no; he went off by
himself, feeling totally independent of his brethren. He abode not in
the vine, and brought forth no fruit.
If there be any among us who say in their hearts I received my
blessings from President Young, he bestowed upon me all blessings,
authority, Priesthood, and keys of power that anyone else has
received, not excepting President Taylor or any of the Apostles, and I
have just as much right to advise and build up according to my own
direction as he or they have—let such take warning by the course of
Lyman Wight, Geo. Miller, and others, who have struck out
independently and see the end which their course has led them to. As
the Savior said, "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a
branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the
fire, and they are burned."
There is no other way for the brethren of the Apostles, the Presidents
of Stakes, the Bishops of Wards and for all those who stand in
authority in the Church—there is no other way for men to have the love
of Christ in them, to have the power of the Priesthood, to grow with
God's Kingdom, but that they abide in the vine, be one with their
brethren, keep fast to the truth, and derive their full share of the
sap that comes from the roots through the body of the vine.
This is the principle I wish the brethren would consider. It is a
beautiful figure which the Savior draws, and beautifully represents
the great truth that should be fastened upon our minds, as He tried to
fasten it upon the Apostles and Priesthood of His time. "Every branch
in me that bringeth not forth fruit he taketh away: and every branch
that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit."
Then, we must look out and see that nothing offends us; that we live
in harmony with all the instructions and counsels of the Church; we
want to see the spirit of love and power flowing not only through the
body, but through all the branches, until it reaches the utmost
extremity of the vine. Not only the Apostles, Seventies and High
Priests, but the Deacons and members, all who have been baptized into
Christ and who abide in Him.
Some of you may have noticed and seen that there are vines whose
branches extend quite to the tops of the tallest trees, and that it
was difficult to fell such trees because of the sustaining power of
the vine. The vine bears the choicest of all fruits. This vine which
God has planted in these last days is the choicest and greatest of
all, and it will make itself manifest as such. And we wish all those
brethren who are called to labor in the vineyard, to be in a position
to attend these conferences, especially our annual conference,
so that they may hear—and if they have not minds sufficiently strong
to remember everything, to bring pencil and paper and take notes of
all matters that need to be remembered and carried home and imparted
to the people who reside in their various Stakes and Wards,
Conferences and Branches.
There is another beautiful illustration that might be made with regard
to the vine, but I have not time save to refer to it this morning. It
is this: If you take a vine that has had growth for awhile and you go
carefully and dig it up from the earth, you will find that there is a
very striking similarity in the roots to the appearance and character
of the branches above. Did you ever notice this? Did you ever think of
it? Well, this is a beautiful illustration of the order of the
Priesthood in the eternal world. The Apostle in speaking concerning
these matters, refers to a "hope we have as an anchor of the soul,
both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the
veil." The Priesthood behind the veil are all interested in us, all
anxious for us, all ready to minister to us as far and as fast as
occasion permits or requires, as the roots continually generate
nourishment and minister to the branches or top of the tree; so that
we may be found efficient in our spheres and in our fields of labor.
We ought never to feel that we are alone. We cannot be alone. We ought
to know we cannot live without them, nor they live and be glorified
without us. And while this responsibility is extended to us, we should
sense that we and they are parts of the great whole of father Adam's
family, and that there is a responsibility resting upon us that is
great and that is general. This vine has yet to yield great and
glorious fruits, while its branches must fill the earth and the fowls
of heaven, the angels, will lodge in them. What are we doing to bring
forth these fruits? What to promote the growth of this vine in the
earth? What are you Presidents of Stakes doing? Do you realize that
you are raising up and professedly educating in the name of the Lord a
nation of Kings and Priests to God? Do you impress upon the hearts of
the Saints that this is our work? Do you instruct the Teachers, and
those of the lesser Priesthood how to deal with the people, and to see
that there is no iniquity permitted in their midst? This is the kind
of fruit that grows on this vine, brethren, and this is the kind of
fruit that you are called upon to nourish, strengthen and protect. And
don't you know the grape must not only grow but it must gain color.
The fruit must be fully ripened. It is a fruit that needs a good deal
of warm sunny weather, the sunshine of the Holy Spirit. It can only
ripen in that right kind of climate, and that climate is right
here—the shining of the sun of the Holy Spirit and the understanding
thereof. This nation of "kings and priests" must be so reared that
when the Savior comes He will find a people ready to receive Him; a
people who shall be full of the faith and the power of the Gospel; a
people whose lives shall in all respects comport with the character of
Saints of God; in fact, who shall be the people that the Apostle John
speaks of when he says: "They sung a new song, saying, Thou art
worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast
slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred,
and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God
kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth." This was their
song of joy and rejoicing, which was expressive of the glory and
power, exaltation and gladness that filled their souls.
There are other interesting and important phases of our great work
which bear a striking analogy to the vine and its branches, but I
cannot take time to dwell upon them now, lest I wrong those who have
yet to address you. I think perhaps I have said enough to call your
attention to the subject and the Spirit will aid you to pursue it. My
earnest desire is that we may master this and all principles of the
Gospel, and make them our own eternal riches, through our Lord Jesus
Christ, Amen.
- Franklin D. Richards