Sowing the Seeds of Truth and Sustaining the Authorities

My brethren and sisters, by request of Brother Grant I arise to say a few words, and I greatly desire to be assisted by your faith and prayers. I always feel my excessive weakness when standing in the responsibility of a teacher to the Saints, or to the world; for I realize that we are not sent to teach our own opinions, nor to advance any theories that have not come to us by revelation from God, and that we are not sent to teach even the revelations of God, except as we are directed and inspired by the Holy Spirit. This is a condition and obligation that is not only required of the authorities of the Church, but is a positive commandment to all who bear the Holy Priesthood,' who administer in the word of the Lord among the people. Neither is it confined to our administrations in the way of public speaking alone, but every man who officiates in any responsibility in the work of God should be actuated by the Holy Spirit, so that his administrations shall be recognized of God, and, being recognized of God, shall be attended by that power which shall make them effective among the children of men, that if you are rejected by the people it shall stand to their condemnation just as much as if they had rejected the Savior himself. The Savior taught this doctrine most distinctly. He said: "He that receiveth you, receiveth me; and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me." The responsibility of this work is of such a nature that we ought to be endowed with that superior spirit which belongs to the Gospel of Jesus Christ; in other words, we ought to enter into that spirit of solemnity, in considering the responsibilities that devolve upon us in this work, and treat the things of God with that sacredness that attaches unto them. ¶

I believe a disrespect for the things of God is creeping in among the Latter-day Saints, a tendency on the part of the young people to speak lightly of sacred things, and, in some instances, to profane the name of Deity. These are evils which ought to be corrected by the parents in the exercise of their influence in the home circle. It ought to be taken up by those connected with the Mutual Improvement associations, and those in authority in the various wards. ¶

There is a statement in the Doctrine and Covenants regarding our responsibility to our children, which I believe I will read a few verses of. You are all familiar with it, but it is a responsibility which I feel we are derelict in meeting, and that is respecting the teaching of our children the principles of the Gospel in their early childhood, so that when they shall attain unto the years of accountability and be called upon to enter into the waters of baptism, that they shall do so intelligently; not because they are coerced by their parents, but because they have an intelligent understanding of the sacredness of that ordinance, because they have come to be imbued with the spirit of faith in the Living God, that they believe that God lives and that He will answer their prayers when they approach Him in supplication, and, in short, because they have an understanding of the first principles of the Gospel. I will read from the 68th section of the Doctrine and Covenants respecting this obligation which devolves upon the parents: ¶

"And again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her Stakes, which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands when eight years old, the sins be upon the heads of the parents." ¶

He enunciates it a sin to thus neglect the sons and daughters that have been committed to our care. I take this to mean exactly what it says, that it is the duty of every father and mother to so enlist the interest and attention of their children that they may call them around the family fireside and indoctrinate them in the principles of the Gospel, the doctrine of repentance, and the ordinance of baptism, by immersion, by the time they are eight years old, and also the sacred ordinance of the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and that they shall understand it, to a very great extent, so that, being thus prepared when they enter the sacred waters of baptism, they are prepared to receive the Holy Ghost, and to enjoy His administrations, His whisperings and His power, that they may grow up in the fear of God and in an understanding of His ways. Now, my brethren and sisters, the Lord says: ¶

"For this shall be a law unto the inhabitants of Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized." ¶

This revelation was given when they were about to seek the establishment of the City of Zion, concerning which we heard something in the Tabernacle this morning by President Duffin. From this city, the New Jerusalem, the stakes of Zion were to expand, from the north to the south and from the east to the west, until they should occupy this broad land of Joseph, from one end of it to the other. This obligation, or law, concerning which I have been reading, was to be a standing law of Zion and to all her stakes upon the earth. I leave you, my brethren and sisters, to ask yourselves the question as to the extent you have met this obligation, and to what degree you are prepared to stand before God and say that you have taught your children to exercise faith in God, and have taught them the principles of the Gospel specified in the revelation. The Lord says, in continuing the revelation: ¶

"And they shall also teach their children to pray and to walk uprightly before the Lord." ¶

It has been complained of to us, from time to time, that some of our children are becoming very indifferent and disrespectful to the arrangements of their parents, and that they are found engaged in hoodlumism on the streets at night, and that they stand upon the corners of the streets learning to blaspheme the name of the Lord, especially in this city, the central city, so to speak, of the stakes of Zion, as now organized. Little boys, even, are blaspheming the name of Deity. One of them stood out here as the congregation passed out yesterday, and witnessing some of the people going to some of the restaurants for dinner, and, taking the name of the Lord in vain, said, "Look at the 'hay-seeds.' " These are the expressions they are learning, and I believe, where this state of affairs exists, that the parents are not fulfilling the obligation enjoined upon them by the revelation of God contained in the Doctrine and Covenants; for it says: ¶

"And they shall also teach their children to pray and to walk uprightly before the Lord. ¶

'And the inhabitants of Zion shall, also, observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy." ¶

Now, a statement is given further over in this volume concerning the presiding authorities of the Church, and it is a very positive statement, expressing the disapproval of the Almighty, because the Presidency of the Church did not see to the education and training of their children in the principles of the Gospel as they should have done. Brother Taylor read from this revelation yesterday, showing how we might grow from grace to grace in the knowledge of God, even as did the Messiah, by listening to the words of God and being controlled and directed by the inspiration of the Almighty in our duties in life. Now, the Lord said to the Presidency of the Church, concerning our children: ¶

"Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning, and God having redeemed man from the fall, men became again in their infant state, innocent before God. ¶

"And that wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers. ¶

But I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth; "But verily I say unto you, my servant Frederick G. Williams, you have continued under this condemnation; "You have not taught your children light and truth, according to the commandments, and that wicked one hath power, as yet, over you, and this is the cause of your affliction." ¶

Now, my brethren and sisters, let us be practical, and ask ourselves whether we have taught our children light and truth or not. We should not be satisfied with the Mutual Improvement association, the Sunday school, the Primary, and other institutions which the Lord, in His great mercy, has established in the Church for the benefit of our children; we cannot justify ourselves in allowing these institutions to do all that we should feel obligated to do in the education of our children in the principles of the Gospel. It is the duty of every man and woman to see, just as far as possible, that their children are taught light and truth, that they are taught to pray in their infancy, that they are taught to observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy, that they are taught the doctrines of virtue and honor before God, as being dearer than life itself, that they are taught to respect the holy Priesthood, that the Priesthood of God committed to man upon the earth is, as it were, the representation of God in the flesh; for God has given the authority that whatever His servants shall do in His name, actuated by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, shall be just as binding among the children of men as if He had done it Himself. This is a great work, my brethren and sisters, a great responsibility to fulfill these obligations in regard to our children. It strikes me that, if we do our full duty and seek to instruct our children and to bring them up in the ways of the Lord, there is no time for us to join the institutions of the world, that there is no time for us to join the secret orders of society and look after the duties and obligations placed upon us by some lodge that has been established by the instrumentality of men, no matter what their ideas may be, for the obligations which are placed upon us as Latter-day Saints are so broad and extensive that they demand all our time and attention and all the talents which God has given unto us. ¶

The Lord extends, in this commandment, concerning which I have just read, these injunctions and reproofs to President Sidney Rigdon, and also to President Joseph Smith, because they had been under some condemnation in this respect. This being the case with them, then, what must be the condemnation resting upon many of us who are guilty of neglecting to train and teach our children in the principles of the Gospel. I do not say that those who do their full duty will always have the greatest success, for some are rebellious, even as Laman and Lemuel were rebellious to the commandments of God, given through their father Lehi; but inasmuch as Lehi did his full duty, his garments are clean, and he is under no condemnation for their infidelity and rebellion against God, the Eternal Father. ¶

We have been commanded, in these last days, to study from the best books, to acquire information upon all useful subjects, themes that have a tendency to qualify us for usefulness in the community and in the Church and kingdom of God here upon the earth. "We. are to seek for wisdom out of the best books; and we have been equally enjoined, by the living oracles of God upon the earth, that we must be careful as to the character of the literature that falls into the hands of our children. What they read has its effect upon them, whether it be for good or for evil. We have learned of a recent terrible occurrence in this city, where a little boy was influenced to commit murder by a wicked man, and the testimony of his friends was that it was brought about through reading dime novels and falling into diabolical habits, taught by the wicked and ungodly among the Latter-day Saints. We have the scriptures to read, the revelations of God. There is nothing so edifying as they are, or so instructive. We have histories, and works treating upon various subjects of usefulness that will occupy all the time our children have to devote to reading and informing their minds; and it is a good thing for us, my brethren and sisters, > to occasionally read the things that are written, from time to time, by those not of us, concerning the faith and achievements of this people in these mountain valleys. : I was pleased, the other night, that the works of Mr. Charles Ellis, a series of pamphlets, were recommended to the people. Mr. Ellis, who is not of our faith, has been in this city for about 12 years, and has had the courage to stand up and defend the rights of this people, from time to time. When he first came to Salt Lake City, he stood up in the Salt Lake Theater, and defended the rights of the American Indians against the impositions heaped upon them by the emissaries of the government. He is a man who sympathizes with the weak and downtrodden. ¶

Brother Grant, yesterday, in his interesting report of the Japanese mission, stated that God had raised up men in that land to defend him through the press, to write articles in defense of the doctrines, history and character of the Latter-day Saints. We ought to be sufficiently broad-minded and liberal, in our associations with men, to give those credit who stand up in our defense, or say a good word in defense of the rights, and the doctrine and character of the Latter-day Saints. ¶

It would not be becoming in me to occupy more of your time, but I wish to bear my testimony to the truth. I wish to testify that I know that God lives, and that Jesus Christ is the Savior, and that He visited the earth in these last days and restored the Gospel in all its fulness and power, and that I know that Joseph Smith was and is a Prophet of God. standing at the head of the most glorious of all dispensations. I also desire to testify that Joseph F. Smith is a Prophet of God, and that he is guided in his administrations by the spirit of revelation from on high. ¶

I felt to rejoice at this conference that the opportunity has been extended to the Stake Presidents and some of the Bishops to take part in the proceedings of this conference; also in listening to the remarks of the Seven Presidents of the Seventies, who are men of God, filled with the inspiration and power of the Holy Ghost, as well as in listening to what has been said by the Presidents of the missions of the United States, who have made such glorious reports of their labors among the inhabitants of this great land. I rejoice in all these things, my brethren and sisters, and desire to be thankful. ¶

I ask an interest in your faith and prayers, for while we are called upon to stand in responsible positions, we desire and need to be sustained by your faith and prayers. We are weak, and are mortals, and I know that there is power in the hands of the people of God to draw out the blessings of the Almighty upon His servants; and I do not know but there is power in the hands of the people to close up those blessings. ¶

I desire to refer to a verse or two in the 29th chapter of the Book of Alma, and then I will sit down. He said: ¶

"O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people." ¶

I want to say to you that the most important doctrine to be taught to the people, both among the Latter-day Saints, and those who are not Latter-day Saints, is the doctrine of repentance. The Prophet continues: ¶

"Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance, and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth. ¶

"But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me. ¶

"I ought not to harrow up in my desires, the firm decree of a just God, for I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, according to their wills; whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction. ¶

"Yea, and I know that good and evil have come before all men; or he that knoweth not good from evil is blameless; but he that knoweth good and evil, to him it is given according to his desires; whether he desireth good or evil, life or death, joy or remorse of conscience. ¶

"Now seeing that I know these things, why should I desire more than to perform the work to which I have been called? ¶

"Why should I desire that I was an angel, that I could speak unto all the ends of the earth? ¶

"For, behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word; yea, in wisdom, all he seeth fit that they should have; therefore, we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true." ¶

Now, my brethren and sisters, God bless you, and help us to remember these things and to put them into practice, and that we may say, as Joshua said: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." ¶