Opening Remarks

President George Q. Cannon, said he had listened, as no doubt all present had, with exceeding great pleasure to the testimony borne by President Joseph F. Smith. He felt that this was a time when they, as a people, could rejoice and be thankful unto God. This Conference would be a memorable one; for when they thought of the many changes that had occurred there was great reason for thanksgiving and giving praise to their Father in Heaven for His kindness and mercy unto them. He was satisfied that no power but that of God could have wrought the changes they had witnessed or delivered them as they had been delivered. Hence it seemed to him that this general Conference was a fitting occasion on which to join with all their hearts in thanking God, as a people, for that which He had done for them; and they might rest assured that He would yet continue to fulfil the many promises given unto His chosen ones. ¶

It was a glorious thought that in the midst of affliction, sorrow, and trials that they had a Friend so powerful as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Dreary prospect before them, indeed, if it were not for the consolation that God had given them upon this point. God had called them to endure trials and to pass through tribulation. The hearts of His people had been wrung in anguish; their faith had been tested to the fullest extent; and had it not been for the promises of God and the faith given unto them they would have fainted by the wayside. But in the midst of their peculiar circumstances He had been near unto them; He had comforted their hearts, He had whispered peace, He had been on their right hand and on their left, and they had proved Him to be the God whom they declared Him to be; and those who were faithful would yet see the outpouring of His power, a bestowal of heavenly gifts, and an increase of heavenly manifestations such as they had never before witnessed. ¶

He knew and could bear testimony that God was pleased with the Latter-day Saints and had accepted of their offerings; He had recognized their fidelity to His cause, their determination to do that which was required of them. There were many things yet to be accomplished and they would be done in the good time of the Lord. Brother Joseph F. Smith had told them that morning that he thanked God for the testimony he had received. It was something they should all be thankful for—that their great Creator, in the midst of the darkness, gloom and uncertainty which prevailed over the earth had condescended to reveal Himself to a few humble individuals who had sought to do His will; for though the Latter-day Saints numbered thousands, yet they were but few compared with the great family of man. They could not, however, pride themselves with the reflection that this blessing was for them alone; God was just as willing to remove doubt and uncertainty from every other heart as He had been to remove it from theirs. He was not a partial God; but when they saw how the inhabitants of the earth wandered and indulged in all manner of speculation concerning God and eternity and then reflected upon what God had revealed to the Latter-day Saints, it should fill them with inexpressible joy and thanksgiving for the mercy that He had shown unto them, and for the light and intelligence which He had poured out upon them as members of His Church. ¶

The great bulk of mankind at the present time seemed to have very little hope concerning the future. He was very much struck with the writing left by Boulanger, the French general, who suicided in Belgium a few days ago. His closing words were that he “went to nothingness,” died without hope, looked upon himself as going to annihilation. That, at least, was the only interpretation that could be put upon his last expressions. What a future for a man to contemplate—a man in the image of God, full of the attributes—though perhaps undeveloped—but still the attributes of Deity! Only imagine that by blowing his brains out he thought to end his existence for ever and become a clod of the earth! This was not, however, an exceptional belief; it was too general in the world today. God had not left the Latter-day Saints to be a prey to these dreadful feelings, but had implanted within them principles which gave them correct ideas concerning the future, the object of their creation, the purpose of which our Father had in sending us here. With them it was life eternal; there was no limit to the blessings that God intended to bestow upon His people if they would only continue faithful. But He would still try them; they would still have to pass through the furnace of affliction, as many had already; and be tried as gold that was seven times purified; they would have to pass through the deep waters. Poverty, privations, and persecutions might yet be their lot; but if they endured these things and remained faithful to the end, glory and blessings unlimited would be their share. He besought them to have unwavering confidence in God and let their faith be strong, for by the exercise of faith they could accomplish wonders. The things they had endured of late should increase rather than diminish their faith in God and His willingness to save them. ¶

When they sought for gifts and blessings from God, let them not do so in order to satisfy their own requirements merely, and that they might be able to say “I am better than my fellowmen.” If they asked for gifts, let them also pray for grace and strength commensurate therewith, so that they might bear them meekly and humbly, realizing that they were not ours, after all, but the gift of God, who could at any moment withdraw them from us. The nearer we live to God the more the spirit of testimony would rest upon us, and everything connected with our religion was then made simple and plain. No man or woman in this Church could grow in the work of God who did not constantly commune with Him and constantly have answers to their prayers. ¶

President Cannon next remarked that there were many subjects which might be talked upon at this Conference, and many upon which the Saints needed instruction. The two or three days now before them were scarcely sufficient to get their hearts as mellow as they should be. They came to Conference with their minds absorbed and clouded with various business affairs. They should forget these, and enter heartily and prayerfully into the important work in which they professed to engage. Let them forget their anxieties and business cares and concentrate their thoughts entirely upon the work of the Lord. ¶

That was the first day of their Conference, and he hoped to see it close as it had begun, with crowded congregations—the people hungering for the Word of God and desirous to hear the counsel of His servants. If they came together in that spirit, he knew they would not go away unsatisfied, but would be thankful for the good they had received. ¶