Report on a Visit to the Saints in Mexico

My brothers and sisters, on the 21st of February I started upon a journey to the state of Tabasco, telling President Smith upon leaving that I would return to attend this conference. My purpose in going was the discharge of a sacred duty, and also in the hope of securing my complete return to health. I presumed that I had so arranged matters that I would be able to be in attendance at the first day of the conference. Two weeks ago yesterday I left the town of Cardenas, in an Indian canoe, to make my way with my companions to the capital of the state, San Juan Baptiste. We reached that place in the anticipation that, on the 28th of last month, from Fontara the steamer would bring us to Vera Cruz; but upon our arrival we learned that the steamer would not sail until the 30th, and so we remained in the capital of the state for a few days, mingling with the leading people, having interviews with the governor and Jifipolitico, and finding to our surprise a wonderfully fine people. The city is said to contain about 20,000 inhabitants, and is located upon Gijalva river. The people are mostly of Spanish extraction, with an intermixture of the Indian races. We were treated with the utmost courtesy by the governor of the state and by the people with whom he mingled. We left there on the 29th, in the anticipation that upon the 30th we would be enabled to leave Fontara upon our way home. On arriving there, we learned that the sailing of our boat would not occur until the first of April, and on the evening of that day we left Fontara. We reached Vera Cruz, crossing the Gulf of Mexico, just after noon on Sunday last, and at once made our way to the railroad. Part of our company remained in Vera Cruz; Elder B. F. Grant and myself started immediately for home. We succeeded in making our connections along the railroads very nicely until we reached El Paso, Texas, where we found that a quarantine had been put into operation against what was said to be the fever districts of Old Mexico, and as we had come from Vera Cruz, which had been especially tabooed, we were restrained from continuing our journey for 24 hours, thus preventing me from reaching here yesterday as I had expected to do. ¶

I desire to say that my experience in southern Mexico has been one of the most pleasant; 10 days of my time on horseback, six in Indian canoes, and the balance of the time looking over the country, studying the conditions, making the acquaintance of the people and satisfying myself as to the characteristics of the land. My associates also have been well pleased with their experience. Some of them, I presume, are on the way to this city, and I arrived here at 1:30 today. ¶

I am pleased to be with you in conference, to hear the voices of those who have sung their glorious songs for us, to listen to the remarks of the Elders, and to hear the words of prayer that have gone up to the Supreme Being in the interest of the people of God and of all the children of our Father. I rejoice in the glorious work the "Lord hath established, and have always held in remembrance the promise which has been made that no weapon that is formed against this work shall prosper, and they that rise up in judgment against it shall find themselves utterly discomfited. I trust that, in fulfilment of the great mission God has assigned to this people, the spirit of liberty, of justice, of mercy, of determination, and a willingness to devote themselves to the betterment of the conditions of mankind, shall in no sense be checked, but that in the onward march and growth of this work its sons and daughters shall be found upon the side of every correct principle and in favor of the broadest liberty and the greatest good to our Father's children. When we remember that beneath the folds of this great work the whole human race, excepting those who have rejected God and consented to the death of the Redeemer of the world, shall find lodgment in the various kingdoms our Father has established, and obtain the reward that they justly earn as the fulfilment of their part in the world, it should be a joy to every one of us to krow that we have part and lot in its accomplishment, and our efforts for its fulfilment and upbuilding should be shown in every direction. Our Father has never abandoned this work from the moment that He and His Son spoke to the Prophet. It has been one continued onward march. Many things have arisen to interfere with its development and growth; many schemes and devices have been put upon foot by mankind looking to its overthrow; but the promise that nothing should prosper that was raised in opposition to it has been fulfilled to the letter, and in future time, as we move forward in the accomplishment of the destiny God has marked out for His work, the same will be true. ¶

I have nothing but good words for the people of Mexico; for President Diaz and his cabinet; for the governors of the states which it has been my privilege to visit, for the mayors of the towns, and for the people themselves. Those Indian races in Tabasco are among the finest and most industrious people I have met. They lack in some degree that trained mentality which is found among the larger portion of the Christian people of the world: but there are within them the elements of success, as has been shown in the lives of such heroic men as Porfirio Diaz and Benito Juarez. I trust that the heroic spirit shown by these men may continue through their generations, that liberty and truth, justice and mercy, may characterize that people, and that the visitation of the Savior of the world in past times, which made such an impress upon their souls and led them to anticipate His coming, causing them to surrender to the minions of Cortez because they were looking for the coming of the Redeemer, mav be realized more fully and more correctly in the future than it was realized in that experience of theirs. ¶

My brothers and my sisters, I feel it would be unwise upon my part to take more of your time. I stand with my associates in the declaration of that eternal truth that the Father has established. I stand with them as a witness for God and for the Redeemer of the world, as a witness for Joseph Smith and the men who stood with him, and who have made successful the work established through him on the earth. I trust that in future, at no time or place, shall my voice ever be raised in condemnation of His work or of its continuance among the children of men. While I thus speak of the work of the Lord itself, I speak also of my country and its glorious constitution. I pray for its continuance and for the principles enunciated by it. I trust that in the future, as in the past, we may be ready to maintain the liberties of all men to the utmost limit, and never betray a trust, nor turn back upon those principles, while God shall give us breath. May peace and love abound in your hearts and homes. May the songs of praise that come from the lips of the sons and daughters of God be heard in every land and clime, and may the choice spirit that He bestows in the Holy Ghost lighten your souls and lift you up to obey His will and keep His commandments during time and all eternity, is my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶