Closing Address: God's Blessings Upon the Saints

(closing remarks.) I desire to say to you, my brethren and sisters, God bless you. I invoke the favor and protecting care, the mercy, forgiveness and loving kindness of the Father of light, in whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning, upon all the Latter-day Saints, and upon all the honest in heart and upright in all the world. May the Lord God bless the people of this State and of the nation, as well as the rulers of the nation. May peace reign in the midst of all the people. May the strife, contention and discontent which exists more or less all over our land be settled amicably, that peace may dwell within our borders, and that our people may be prosperous and happy, and continue to grow in power, number and glory in the land. May the Lord God bless the President of the United States, and his Cabinet, and all the honorable men in public life in our nation, and in the other nations of the world, that peace may dwell on earth and good will towards man. ¶

Our mission is to save, to preserve from evil, to exalt mankind, to bring light and truth into the world, to prevail upon the people of the earth to walk righteously before God, and to honor Him in their lives and with the firstfruits of all their substance and increase that their barns may be filled with plenty, and, figuratively speaking, that 'their presses may burst out with new wine.' May God bless the Presidents of the Stakes of Zion and their counselors, and all the officers in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. May He help them to be pure, holy, honest, upright men, after God's own heart, free from the sins of the world, broadminded, full of the love of truth, charity, the spirit of forgiveness, mercy and kindness, that they may be as fathers indeed in the midst of the people, and not tyrants. You, my brethren, are not called to be masters; you are called to be servants. Let him that would be great among you be the servant of all. Let us follow in the footsteps of our Master, the Lord Jesus Christ. He alone is the perfect example for mankind. He is the only infallible rule and law, way and door into everlasting life. Let us follow the Son of God. Make Him our exemplar and our guide. Imitate Him. Do His works. Become like unto Him, as far as it lies within our power to become like Him that was perfect and without sin. ¶

God bless the mothers in Zion, and the sons and daughters of Israel, and keep our children from the ways of the world, from transgression and from temptation that will lead them astray. May the power of God be over all the household of faith. May Israel flourish upon the hills and rejoice upon the mountains, and assemble together unto the place which God has appointed, and there prosper, multiply and replenish the earth, and thence spread abroad throughout the land ; for the time will come when we will find it necessary to fulfill the purposes of the Almighty by occupying the land of Zion in all parts of it. We are not destined to be confined to the valleys of the mountains. Zion is destined to grow, and the time will come when we will cry aloud, more than we do today, Give us room that we may dwell! ¶

Now may the Lord God of Israel bless you, my brethren, my sisters and my friends. May the mercy of God be extended unto our enemies. We wish them good, not evil. They will bring sufficient evil upon themselves by the course they pursue, and we need not wish evil to come upon them for it will come soon enough if they do not repent. May God have mercy upon them. May He turn the erring from the error of their way, and he that wandereth into the paths of certainty and truth. This is my prayer, and I invoke these blessings upon this great congregation and upon all the people of the Lord throughout the land, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶

The choir sang, "Inflammatus," with solos by Sister Lizzie Thomas Edward. ¶

Benediction was pronounced by Patriarch John Smith, and conference was adjourned for six months. ¶

Prof. Evan Stephens conducted the singing of the choir and congregation at all the conference meetings in the Tabernacle, and Prof. John J. McClellan played the accompaniments and voluntaries on the great organ. ¶

The stenographic reports of the discourses were taken by Elders Arthur Winter, Franklin W. Otterstrom and Frederick E. Barker. D. M. McAllister, Clerk of Conference. ¶