Recent Persecution Has Increased Investigation: Missionary Diligence, Gathering, and Church Schools

Since last conference the work of the Lord has progressed encouragingly, and we have good reports from all the missions. There has been some persecutions. Some have sought to stir up the people against the Latter-day Saints, and to get our Elders expelled from the nations in which they are laboring. Even in good old England we have had something of this kind, to such a degree that one of the clergymen recommended that the Elders be carried across the island and dumped into the sea. I do not think that this opposition has had any harmful influence against the Church. In fact, it has caused more inquiry to be made concerning the principles we believe in. ¶

Some ladies in the East who are much opposed to Mormonism, hired a man to go abroad to speak against us. When he got to England he started to tell great things. Much of what he said was not true, and it was not difficult for President Clawson and the Elders to prove that his statements were contrary to facts. When this became known the storm subsided there. Then he went to Holland, and to Denmark; and so much was said ¶

by him, and by a certain priest there, that Brother Andrew Jenson felt it went too far, and he had them brought before the court for libel. Our American man got away. The other one had to meet the issue in court, and did not want to take the official oath. He had to do this, but then he had forgotten everything; he did not know what he had said; however, when the testimony was read to him, he was forced to say yes or no. In Sweden also some stir has been made, and for the first time since Brother Forsgren went to that country, in 1850, four Elders have been notified to leave. In Sweden the laws have been against us, and they have been able to imprison our Elders, but they have not expelled any of them from the country during the last sixty years. In Denmark, where we have perfect religious liberty, there has been quite a number forced to leave the country in years past on the plea that Denmark has the right to say who shall be her guests, but not lately. During this last onslaught the Danish press was friendly to the Elders. The latter declared that the accusations were not true, and so the press took up the matter and demanded that the charges be proved by those who had made them. They were given a chance to do this, but failed to bring proofs. ¶

The missionaries have been very faithful in bringing the glad message unto men. They are diligent ; they report their labors weekly and monthly, so that the presidents of the different missions know exactly what the brethren are doing. They have held a great number of meetings; many books and tracts have been distributed, and many conversations held, to inform men and ¶

women concerning our faith and belief. Even as far as South Africa a little breeze of persecution has been felt, and some of the custom officers did not want to have our Elders land. I think, however, when they learn the untruths that have been told, they will feel to give our people the same liberty as any other religious sect or denomination. Our Elders do not feel discouraged. They rejoice with those whom they are able to bring into the fold of Christ, and the people who join, rejoice in the doctrines of the Gospel, in the testimony they have received, and in the 'love they feel for one another. ¶

The spirit of gathering is upon the people, though our Elders are not preaching it; but when people join the Church they desire also to go to the headquarters, where they can learn more concerning the ways of the Lord ; and for this reason, emigration continues, notwithstanding the Elders who go abroad have been instructed to try to keep the people at home, to help build up stronger branches, and assist in the work of propagating the principles of the Gospel. ¶

Concerning the emigrants I want to say that when they come here, the Saints should try to do what they can for them. Remember that in most cases they have used all their means to come here, and they arrive without any money, so that if they do not meet acquaintances, and nobody receives them, they feel tempted and discouraged. This is the very time when the friendly hand of the brethren should be extended unto them to make them feel that they have indeed arrived in Zion. It takes very little to do this. They are mostly people who are of the laboring class. All they desire ¶

is to get employment. I would advise the emigrants not to try to make a start in the large cities, but to get out into the settlements. They may not be able to get the class of work they have been accustomed to in the factories and the different employments they used to be engaged in, but in going out to the settlements they will be more likely to get a home of their own and in some degree become independent. ¶

I rather deprecate this flocking to the large cities and leaving the rural districts. I believe that persons can sooner make themselves comfortable homes out in the rural districts than they can in the large cities. I allude to such as have no regular profession or trade. For them to locate in the cities means that they will probably always live from hand to mouth, while out in the country there is still lands to be taken up, and homes to make. ¶

Some think when they come here and see the comfortable homes of many of their brethren, that if they had only come here in the early times they would have had a much better chance to obtain property. Well, you who came here before the advent of the railroad, as was alluded to yesterday, know that, to build up a settlement meant much work and many hardships. There was a great deal of labor to do to bring about the conditions of today. There were roads to make into the canyons, fields to be cultivated, fences to be built, schoolhouses and meeting houses to be erected, a great deal of labor to be done in common before we saw things as they are seen today in our midst. Those who come today, though they may not be able to take up lands in the neighborhood of large cities as cheaply as formerly, still they come into a country where much of the hard labor has been done, and they can join with their friends, their brethren and sisters, in enjoying the fruits of the labors of the pioneers. But there are places — new places where they can go. There is the Uintah country, where there is plenty of land and water ; and to our young men who have no homes, I would say: go to such places. Try to get land. Land will grow in value, and the land-owner is the one that is more inclined to be patriotic, both to his country and his Church. Try to get places of your own, where you can feel "This is my home. No landlord can tell me to leave. I am independent, though it is but a small cabin." Young man, don't be satisfied to spend your young life in day wage earning. Of course, there are many that must do this, many are adapted for it, and it is perhaps the life that they like most and would make them the happiest ; but to our young men generally, who have initiative of their own, I would say, strike out for yourselves, and though it means hard labor, and in many cases deprivation of things you could have in the city, yet by and by, what you are doing will come back to you with more than interest, and you will be thankful that you have started for yourselves. This is a week day, and we can talk about temporal affairs, I suppose. ¶

I want to say a word in regard to our Church schools. The Church expends a great deal of means for Church school education. It is not simply to give our young men and women an education. We have splendid state institutions, and now high schools are springing up everywhere, where a good secular education can be obtained. Our Church schools are not running in opposition to any of these. Of course, it may be that some of the courses are running parallel. That can not be entirely avoided. But in our Church schools we are teaching the principles of the Gospel ; our religion, and this can not be done in the high schools or state institutions. It is necessary that the latter be kept free from religious teaching, because nobody would like to send children to an institution where they would be taught a religion not believed in by their parents, and hence our state institutions and common schools are kept free from religious instruction. The Latter-day Saints, however, feel that of all teaching, the teaching that leads to God and gives the children a knowledge of why they are here upon the earth, and what they must do to obtain eternal salvation, is of the greatest importance. This is what we are trying to give in the Church schools. We are glad that our people are in favor of education, and that they make so many sacrifices to have their children educated. I hope that our children are taking advantage of these opportunities, and that they are striving for an education for education's sake, and not with the idea in mind that by being educated they can make money without labor, and that labor is beneath them. We want our children taught that all labor is honorable, and that the hand ought to be trained just as well as the brain. This will make the best citizens. And again, brethren and sisters, remember that in the Church schools we are at liberty to teach the principles of religion and morality, and to instill in the hearts of our young men and women love of God and the things pertaining to Him. I would like to encourage our people to take advantage of the Church school system at the side of the others, and any man who is going on a mission — and nearly all our young men will have that privilege— ought to have an opportunity of going to a Church school. We find that when such go abroad they are better qualified for the work to which they have been called. ¶

A word to the people of the rural districts, our farmers. I want to put them in mind of what they can do. When I hear of so many things being imported into our state that could be raised here, I think that we are not using the wisdom that God has given us. We send our products east and west, and have them packed and returned to us, and we buy them here back again. Such a course needs no comment. I hope that our industries may multiply, that those who understand manufacturing will take hold and start such enterprises in our midst. We have too few of that kind. And then our farmers, instead of devoting themselves entirely to raising wheat or grain, ought to try to turn their attention to raising other things that will pay. Those who live where there are sugar factories are blessed in having the opportunity of raising sugar beets, which bring the ready cash. When beetraising was first tried, it was thought that it would not pay, but we find that in all the districts where there are sugar factories, the people are thankful that they have the opportunity of raising beets. People living in other districts too far from the factories think that they cannot raise beets to advantage, but this is a mistake. I had .a talk with the editor of the "Indiana Farmer," and he informed me that the farmers in Indiana have learned that by raising sugar beets and using them on the farm, they can make every ton into nine or ten dollars; especially by feeding them to the hogs. And here let me say that we import too much bacon. We send hundreds of thousands of dollars out of the state to buy bacon and hams, which we could raise at home just as well, and we would know better what kind of meat it is we get. I am not encouraging people to eat pork, but they ought to raise hogs enough to furnish the state with all the ham and bacon required. And I could mention many different things that we import, and which we could produce ourselves. Canneries ought to be established wherever we can raise the meat, fruit and vegetables for the canneries, so that we could export instead of import such things. Now, time will not allow me to talk more on this subject, but it is an important one and our people ought to give it some thought. We want to raise wheat and grains, the different cereals, but other things ought to be combined with it, because mixed husbandry is found to be the most profitable. ¶

Before I close I would like to say to all of you, let us remember the saying of Jesus : "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness;" and to seek His kingdom is not alone to find it and to do the first things required, but it means to continue to keep His commandments, to work for the upbuilding of His kingdom, and to exercise that righteousness which belongs to Him. Let us show to the world that we are earnest and sincere in that which we have received. Let it not be a matter of indifference to us, but every one seek to be full of the Spirit of the Lord, feel its burning influence within us, and ever be ready to do what we can to further the purposes of the Lord in this our probation. God bless you all. Amen. ¶