The Wasatch Stake of Zion, Loyalty, and the Truth That Spreads Abroad

My brethren and sisters, it is rather a surprise to me to be called to address you this morning. I think that I am probably not quite so experienced in talking to so many of my brethren and sisters as Brother Moses Taylor. I have felt perfectly satisfied in the past in listening to the testimonies of my brethren, and my heart certainly felt in tune with the remarks that were made by them during this conference, when they referred to the fact that their parents and grandparents were members of the Church. I felt to say in my heart, thank God I can make the same statement. ¶

I have taken pride, many times, in referring to the fact that my mother walked across the plains to these valleys of the mountains, and I feel that I shall never forget her faith and endurance; and that my father, when thirteen years of age, drove a wagon and some cows and horses across the plains. I am proud of that, and of the fact that their fathers and mothers, my grandparents, had received the gospel in the eastern states, and I rejoice in it. I have rejoiced in the gospel from the time that I first began to understand it, at eight years of age, and I have had testimony repeatedly, from that time till the present, that the Lord hears and answers my prayers and the prayers of the Latter-day Saints. I have had no occasion to find fault with the authorities. They always placed so much good before me and never any evil that I know of, that I have felt perfectly satisfied with their teachings. When things have come up that I did not understand I have said in my heart, I will wait till I learn all about what I have been told before I begin to take exceptions to things I have not yet learned. It has only required a little time to make me fully understand, and appreciate, that all that has been advanced by those whom the Lord has placed in charge of His great work, in this dispensation, was for the interests of Zion, and for the uplifting of the work of our Father in this dispensation. ¶

I rejoiced in hearing the testimony of Brother Taylor about his good stake of Zion. I don't doubt it, it joins ours, therefore it could not be otherwise than good. My stake is about 5500 feet above sea level, and his is only 400 or 500 feet lower elevation. That accounts for it, perhaps; the higher you get the better it is. (Laughter.) The Latter-day Saints of the Wasatch Stake of Zion are striving to serve the Lord, and mind their own business. I want to say, for the credit of those who do not belong to the Church, who live in that stake of Zion, they are perfectly willing we should do so, and they are not, nor have not been, putting any obstacles in our way, nor trying to interfere with us from serving the Lord as we understand it, and there is harmony existing between us, those who are members of the Church and those who are not. We are attending to Religion Class work in that stake of Zion, and no one is trying to prevent us. Our Religion Classes are as well attended as our Sunday Schools, and we are accomplishing a good work. We do not think there was any mistake made when the Religion Class work was started. Some of our schools are holding more than one session a week. I have heard class teachers testify, in meetings of the Religion Class workers, that they would not want to teach school unless they could do so in some place where they would be allowed to teach Religion Classes after school hours. Well, we are willing they should do so, and there is no one up there that is objecting to it, and we hope they won't. ¶

We are striving to serve the Lord, and to obey the teachings of His servants, and keep in harmony with the instruction that we receive from time to time. While we are pretty well elevated, as before stated, we are not trying to take advantage of the situation and dictate affairs to our brethren and sisters. We are willing to let all of the other stakes alone, and follow their own inclinations, and the counsels which they receive. It takes us all our time to attend to the work that we have, and follow out the teachings that are imparted unto us from time to time in our conferences, and in the general conferences of the Church. Zion is growing in the Wasatch Stake of Zion, and the work of the Lord is increasing, and faith in the hearts of the people, and harmony between the people and those who preside. We feel that the Lord is with us as He is with His Saints throughout the length of the earth. ¶

My earnest prayer is that Zion will continue to prosper, for I know the gospel is true; I know that it will bring peace, happiness and contentment unto the children of men everywhere throughout the land if they will only accept it. I pray that truth may spread abroad from city to city, from state to state, and from nation to nation. I fully appreciate the fact that this nation has an important work to perform in the world. It has accomplished a great amount of good already, and I believe it is only the beginning of what this great nation will do. It is the greatest nation and the best country on earth, and the best men have ruled the nation. We do not want any better than those who have occupied those positions from time to time. The Lord gives us the best as occasion requires, and He will continue to do so, and will inspire the great men of the nation with the love of freedom and the rights of humanity throughout the earth, and this nation will seek to protect the rights of other nations and influence them in the lines of liberty, and open up the way that the gospel may eventually go forth throughout all the world, as it has spread in this nation, without hindrance, with no one to prevent it. This people have a great work to do in connection with this nation, because we have the truth. We have the gospel which God has revealed, and, though it may be crushed for a time, it will arise and Zion will shine, and thousands in the nations of the earth will understand the fact that the once despised handful of people in the Rocky Mountains have the truth, and they are teaching the truth, and they have pure minded men and women who are defending it, whose example is worthy of the imitation of any people upon earth. ¶

I pray that God will bless this people, that their course and example in life may continue to be exemplary, and that their children may be well taken care of and brought up under the teachings of the gospel, and possess the spirit of our fathers and mothers who accepted the truth and went through many trials and hardships for the gospel's sake, that we may carry it on from generation to generation, spreading the gospel abroad until the people of the earth will enjoy the blessings that the Latter-day Saints enjoy. I feel in my heart that there is no other people, no other place on earth where there is more of the spirit of freedom in the hearts of the people, and contentment and satisfaction that the Lord is on their side. The Lord is with them and the Lord hears and answers their prayers and they enjoy it with thanksgiving. It is the blessing which we would like to have all people partake of. We are not selfish. We send our elders out by the thousands and invite all of those who will come to come and partake of the waters of life and receive a testimony of the gospel, that God lives, that we are the children of our Father in heaven, in very deed, that we are not a mishap or a mischance, and something that they know not what, but we are literally the offspring of God the Eternal Father, and we are worth saving and worth looking after, as are all of the children of men. ¶

We are the friends of humanity, but they do not seem to understand it. We would do them good, we would inspire them with faith in God and with the truth, and to teach the truth. We would inspire every one on earth with the principles of morality and sobriety and honesty, if they would only let us. Well, let us continue faithful, my brethren and sisters. The Lord has this matter in hand, and eventually will bring Zion off triumphant, as He will all truth, which is my earnest desire and prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶