Remarks

I have listened with great interest to the remarks of the speakers who have preceded me. God has been merciful unto us in imparting His mind and will through these Apostles who have addressed the conference. Though the church has been organized nearly sixty-one years it is still in its infancy. The events of the past will in future be considered small compared with those which will yet be developed. When we reflect concerning what God has said about the latter-day Zion, and the great things which are yet to come, we must see that we have scarcely passed the stage of childhood. We have not reached that maturity in which our greatest strength will be exhibited. Notwithstanding this, in comparison with the religious world at large, we are in the brilliant sunshine. In spiritual things the Saints lead the van of progress. In other things we, as a people, occasionally are very deficient. We have not learned how to live as Saints because we have not learned to take care of temporal blessings. We have not yet brought temporal blessings under subjection to the law of God. We are not as just or forgiving as we should be. We are not as diligent in attending our meetings as we should be. The Gospel plan means temporal as well as spiritual salvation. It relates to time as well as eternity. Unless we learn more fully the temporal lessons of life we will come short of a fulness of blessings. Industries necessary for the future growth and benefit of Zion are not as much encouraged as they ought to be. They languish in consequence of this indifference. It is not possible for Zion to grow and become a heaven to the honorable of the earth unless we take a more consistent course in regard to temporalities. Consider for a moment the financial difficulties passed through of late. It has been deemed necessary to induce capital to come here from abroad to build up the country. Why not put forth our own efforts and establish permanent industries? In 1875 shortly after the Franco-German war, France had an immense indemnity fund to raise. It was so great that it would seem as if it must crush the nation. Yet it was all paid in an astonishingly short time, and France recently was able to loan England an exceedingly large sum to bridge a financial difficulty. The poor peasantry were able to come to the assistance of their government in paying the indemnity, and the latter pay the interest to their own people. Thus they build up their own country. Why cannot we emulate such an example? The time is foretold in relation to Zion that her people will yet become lenders and not borrowers. These thoughts have come to me while listening to the brethren. ¶

Some people have predicted that the destruction of the Church is near. A greater error could not be made. Those who take this view have not read aright the history of this community. ¶

The speaker went on to state that those who assert that the Church is going to decay, point, as an evidence in that direction, to what they conceive to be the mistakes of the authorities. What they hold to be mistakes are, however, only what was proper should be done under existing conditions at the time the steps were taken. The same class of pessimists regard the act of Adam and Eve in partaking of the forbidden fruit as a calamity to humanity, when it was a part of the divine plan whereby man could be brought to a knowledge of good and evil, and gain an experience that would advance him in the scale of being. A certain class of the contemporaries of Moses condemned the leading of the Israelites out of bondage into the wilderness as a mistake. But the glorious results of the exodus is a manifestation of divine wisdom. The lowly character of the birth of Christ has been regarded by some as a mistake, as it would, in their estimation, have been better for him to have come into the world under affluent circumstances so that he might have been received by the rich and the noble. It was deemed a mistake for him to be nailed upon the cross, and even His disciples imagined when it occurred that their calling was gone. Yet that glorious act of sacrifice constituted the atonement of a God for the redemption of humanity. It is the judgment of men not illuminated by the Holy Ghost which commits mistakes. Men’s thoughts are not as God’s. The men who have led this Church in this dispensation do not make mistakes, although viewed by individuals devoid of the Holy Spirit, some of their acts may assume that appearance. I testify that President Woodruff who stands at the head of the Church is directed by the revelations of God. So with those associated with him. They may make mistakes in their personal concerns, but the affairs of the Church of Christ are moved forward by the power of inspiration of the Almighty. The Church will not diminish in power, but will increase in every gift and grace and in the power of salvation from this time forward. ¶