Closing Remarks: Honor the Priesthood and Support Church Publications

Six months ago we announced to the people in conference assembled that we expected to carry the Gospel and our testimony to the Saints as far as we had power to do it. I desire to say to this conference that we have fulfilled that promise to the best of our ability. Myself and at least one of my counselors, together with a number of the Apostles, have visited many of the settlements between here and Canada, holding conference in Canada and meetings in several of the wards there; and we have been as far south as St. George. We have attended the conferences of the people as far as our time would permit, and there has not been a Sabbath day that we have been idle. We have visited the Saints, borne testimony and declared the truth to them as diligently and faithfully as we had strength and time to do. What remains to be done, we hope, by the blessings of the Lord and continued health and strength, to be able in the future to accomplish it. Between now and next April we will perhaps be able to visit a number of the Stakes of Zlon, and Wards, too, which we have been unable to reach up to the present. We cannot afford to be idle. ¶

At this conference we have heard from nine Apostles-all that were in attendance. I regret exceedingly to say that President Brigham Young is confined to his room with serious illness; and while we hope and pray that the Lord may be merciful unto him and prolong his life, we feel, from ^ the knowledge we have of his condition and sufferings, that we will have to leave him in the hands of the Lord. If he had been present at this conference, we would have had all the brethren of the Twelve with us, excepting Brothers Lyman and Grant, who are in foreign lands laboring in the missionary field. Besides the Twelve, we have heard from almost forty presiding officers in the Church; and I only regret that we do not have the time to continue this work until we could hear from all the Presidents of Stakes, at least. But, brethren, do not be discouraged; if you will come next Conference we will give you a chance then. ¶

Furthermore, I want to say to the Saints who have listened to the brethren who have spoken unto us, that they are only an average of the Presidents of Stakes. We have not selected the brightest, the wisest and the best to speak to us. "We have taken those from the outer settlements, as far as we could, because we desired to have them heard here. We desire to recognize them, and we would like their people at home to realize the fact that they are recognized in the general conferences of the Church. I believe it to be the duty of the Church to recognize and acknowledge every man that holds an official position in it, in his sphere and in his calling. I hold to the doctrine that the duty of a Teacher is as sacred as the duty of an Apostle, in the sphere in which he is called to act, and that every member of the Church is as much in duty bound to honor the Teacher that visits him in his home as he is to honor the office and counsel of the presiding quorum of the Church. They all have the Priesthood, they are all acting in their callings, and they are all essential in their place, because the, Lord has appointed them and set them in His Church. We cannot ignore them; or, if we do, the sin will be upon our heads. ¶

We have had some excellent instructions from President Lund and President Winder of the First Presidency, in relation to the work in the Temple, to discussions and contentions, in the missionary field, to the education of our children, to the maintenance of schools, to religion class work, and other matters. I endorse their remarks. President Lund has also recommended to us the Juvenile Instructor, of which the brethren have given me the honor of being the chief editor. I am not the only editor of this periodical. Brother George Reynolds is one of the editors; indeed he is the worker, the bee in that hive. He is always busy wherever you find him. So far as industry is concerned, I do not know a man in Israel that performs a greater multitude of duties and labors than George Reynolds does. He is always at work, and always has plenty to do. I desire to remind you too, that the brethren have done me the honor also of electing me to be the editor of the Improvement Era, the organ ot the Young Men's Mutual Improvement association, Elder E. H. Anderson being actively in charge. As the Juvenile Instructor belongs to the Sunday schools, and not to any individual or syndicate of individuals, in like manner the Era is the organ of the young men of Zion. No man has any interest or profit in it more than another; nobody is making money out of it, and nobody is getting any salary out of it, except one or two who have to be constantly employed in the office. We send the magazine to the missionaries abroad, and receive commendations from the Elders with respect to the good that is being accomplished by doing this. We recommend the Improvement Era, as we do the Juvenile Instructor, to the youth of Zion, and we say that you cannot do better than subscribe for it, and have it in your libraries, and still better, read it. Nor do we wish to overlook the Young Woman's Journal, nor the Children's Friend. ¶

Brethren and sisters, we want you to be united. We hope and pray that you will go from this conference to your homes feeling in your hearts and from the depths of your soul to forgive one another, and never from this time forth to bear malice towards another fellow creature, I do not care whether he is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or not, whether he is a friend or a foe, whether he is good or bad. It is extremely hurtful for any man holding the Priesthood and enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost to harbor a spirit of envy, or malice, of retaliation, or intolerance toward or against his fellow man. We ought to say in our hearts, let God judge between me and thee, but as for me I will forgive. I want to say to you that Latter-day Saints who harbor a feeling of unforgiveness in their souls are more guilty and more censurable than the one who has sinned against them. Go home and dismiss envy and hatred from your hearts; dismiss the feeling of unforgiveness; and cultivate, in your souls that spirit of Christ which cried out upon the cross, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." This is the spirit that Latter-day Saints ought to possess all the day long. The man who has that spirit in his heart and keeps it there will never have any trouble with his neighbor; he will never have any difficulties to bring before the Bishop, nor High Council; but he will always be at peace with himself, at peace with his neighbors, and at peace with God. It is a good thing to be at peace with God. ¶

One year ago today, as near as I can recall, we were honored by the presence, and with the privilege to hear the voice of President Snow. Shortly after he was called home to his final account before the great Judge of the quick and the dead. The Lord preserved his life to a goodly age, and I want to say that the Lord Almighty accomplished some things through President Lorenzo Snow that neither President John Taylor nor President Wilford Woodruff accomplished in their day. Although the same questions had been brought before them, yet they were never thoroughly decided and settled until President Snow did it. Therefore, I say, all honor and praise be unto that instrument in the hands of God of establish. Ing order in the midst of uncertainty, and certain rules by which. we know oui bearings. I wish to mention this, because I feel in my heart to thank the Lord for President Snow, and to honor him as the instrument in His hands of accomplishing his mission, for which the Lord preserved him so long in life. He lived to bear his testimony to the world that Joseph Smith the Prophet taught him the doctrine of celestial marriage. He lived to declare to the world that he knew positively that Joseph Smith did receive it by revelation and that that doctrine was true and of God. And if he had done no more than this he would have accomplished a great work, because he was a living witness, an eye-witness and an ear-witness, and he knew whereof he spoke. You and I will have to meet his testimony, and so will the people of the world; and when we go to give an account of that which we have heard and known in the world, we can not dodge this, but will be held to an account for it, just as sure as the Lord lives and President Snow did his duty. ¶

I want to say a few words to the Mutual Improvement associations. You young men and young women, officers of the Mutual Improvement associations, I implore you to go from this conference and do your duty. Look after the wayward, the disobedient, the thoughtless, and the indifferent. It is necessary that they should be guarded and looked after. As it has been expressed here time and again, it is better for us to save our own boys who are being misled at home, than it is for us to go out into the world and spend years of time and endless means in order to gather in a few people from the world, while some of our own boys and girls need redemption as much as they, besides these people of the world are so full of the traditions and superstitions of their fathers when they gather to Zion that it is difficult, if not impossible, for them to entirely overcome these traditions and get down to a full comprehension of the Gospel and a complete reception of the truth. Yet a soul saved out in the world is as precious in the sight of God as a soul saved at home. But we have work to do right at home, at our own doors; and it will not do for us to neglect the work necessary to be done at our own thresholds, and then go out into the world to do work that is no more necessary. Let us do our duty everywhere. ¶

I desire to speak a word of commendation of the Primary associations. The sisters who are engaged in this noble work are most worthy women and very energetic in their labors. They are accomplishing a wonderful work. It is soul-inspiring, delightful and encouraging to see the results of the labors of these sisters. I commend this work to the attention of presiding officers everywhere, and would ask that the Bishops encourage and foster not only the Sunday schools and the Improvement associations, but also the Primary associations; for theirs is a work necessary to be done among the little children, which cannot be done, it would appear, in any other way. ¶

Furthermore, I desire to commend the work of the Relief Society, an organization that was effected by the Prophet Joseph Smith. The objects of this organization are manifold. It is not designed to look only after the poor and the needy as to their bodily necessities, but it is also intended to look after the spiritual, mental and moral welfare cf the mothers and daughters in Zion, and all who are engaged or interested in female work. I commend the Relief Societies to the Bishops, and say, be friendly to these organizations, because they are auxiliary organizations and a great help to the Bishops. ¶

I regret very much indeed that we have not had time to hear from the Seven Presidents of Seventies, but neither they nor you need to feel very bad about it, because we expect to send them out to visit you. If you have not had the privilege of hearing them here, we will let you hear them at your homes. It is their business to preach the Gospel, and another time they may have a chance to preach it to you here. I would love to have heard them and — I was going to say — hundreds of others, whom we would like to have heard, if time would permit. ¶

I now say to the brethren of the Priesthood — the High Priests, the Seventies, the Elders, and the Lesser Priesthood— magnify your callings; study the scriptures; read the 107th section of the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, on Priesthood; learn that revelation, which was given through the Prophet Joseph Smith, and live by its precepts and doctrine, and you will gain power and intelligence to straighten out many kinks that have heretofore existed in your minds, and to clear up many doubts and uncertainties in relation to the rights of the Priesthood. God gave that word to us. It is in force today in the Church and in the world, and it contains instruction to the Priesthood and the people in relation to their duties, which every Elder should know. ¶

I will say now to all of the Latter-day Saints, Let us live our religion; let us pay our tithing and be blessed; let us remember the poor and the needy, and sustain and help them; let us visit the sick and afflicted, and administer consolation unto them; let us help the weak; let us do all in our power to build up Zion, to establish righteousness in the earth, and to plant in the hearts of the people the glorious truth that Jesus is the Christ, the Redeemer of the world, that Joseph Smith is a prophet of the living God, whom the Lord raised up in these last days to restore the everlasting Gospel and the power of the Holy Priesthood to the world. ¶

That the Lord may help us to accomplish this work, and sustain us in every good word and work, is my humble prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶