My dear brethren, sisters, and friends

My dear brethren, sisters, and friends, I do not know whether I shall be able to make you hear what I may have to say to this vast congregation gathered upon these grounds. I am very grateful to my heavenly Father for the blessings that we enjoy through his Holy Spirit, poured out in great abundance upon the Saints who have been gathered in this Conference. The blessings of our heavenly Father have come to the people in these valleys of the mountains. His gracious care has been over them. Prosperity has attended the efforts put forth by the people who have gathered from every land and clime, and God has been merciful unto them. He has granted unto them health and strength, the comforts of life. ¶

My reflections have gone out to the time when I first saw this spot, in 1859. The first worship that I attended was in a little building that was located here in the southwest corner of this block, as I remember it. There were none of these elegant buildings erected at that time — the holy temple here, the tabernacle, and these other magnificent buildings of worship erected for the good and blessing of the Saints and the preaching of the gospel. All these have come since that day. I remember vividly the instructions given by the late President Brigham Young upon several occasions, not only in the services held in the tabernacle, but I also remember vividly the instructions given by him on the tours that he made of the various settlements of the Saints in the southern part of the country, where I was reared. ¶

I remember the counsel and instructions of a practical nature given unto the gathered people. I remember distinctly the counsel in relation to being self-sustaining, frugal, and building up homes and cities in this land of Zion. Those practical words of instruction have been followed up, as we heard, too, in the opening session of the Conference from our beloved President Joseph F. Smith. ¶

I believe in a practical religion. I believe in that which shall build up, advance, comfort and bless man upon the earth. I believe in that which shall bring about the preaching of the gospel of the Son of God, both at home and abroad, and aid this great work that God has established in these the latter days. I am thankful for the work that has been accomplished in the building of temples in our midst, in which the gospel of salvation can reach the living, and the dead as well, for the gospel is not all to the living, it is also to the dead. I believe in the literal scriptural sayings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and his apostles. I believe they are literally true, and that our Master, when he went into the spirit world, preached the gospel to those who had gone before, who were sometime disobedient in the days of Noah when the ark was preparing. I believe in the mission of the elders of Israel who have gone before. I believe that the gospel is to be preached on the other side as well as on this side. I also believe that it is the duty of Latter-day Saint elders to preach the gospel in every land, clime, to every people — for I believe that the Lord has said that when this mission shall be finished that the end will come. The testimony of the message of life and salvation must go to all people of the earth, before the consummation of that which has been spoken by the prophets of the Lord. ¶

The gospel means a great deal to us, not only in the word but in the living of it. I believe it is right to have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in his mission and being. I testify to you of this knowledge, and I am grateful for the testimony I have that God lives, and that Jesus Christ is his Son. I am thankful, my brethren and sisters, for the principles of the gospel wherein repentance is brought to those who need repentance ; and I am grateful for the blessings of baptism for the remission of sins, the laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost. These are principles of salvation, and no one, according to the holy scriptures, can enter into the kingdom of God without these ordinances being administered unto them. This is the word of the Lord, and these principles are plain scripture. They are set forth for our guidance. But these are not all that Latter-day Saints need to observe. They are the ordinances that are required. Then there is the living of the gospel of the Son of God, there is the putting into practice the teachings which he gave unto men while he was upon the earth. These sometimes are difficult for us to observe as we ought to. If we did so, we would be the best people upon the earth. Notwithstanding, I say, that we would be the best, we are the best people upon the earth, inasmuch as we observe the commandments of the Lord. Ours is a practical religion, it is an every-day religion — with us it is not simply going to the house of worship upon the Sabbath day. That is required of Latterday Saints, and a great many of them forget this great blessing that they enjoy of observing the Sabbath day and assembling in the worship of our heavenly Father. I believe that wherein we do not observe the day set apart for the worship of him, we become spiritually sick, and become dead branches, as it were ; and the Spirit of the Lord will withdraw from us, inasmuch as we do not observe this commandment of the Lord. ¶

I have had a great deal of pleasure, my brethren and sisters, in the work of the salvation for the dead. I have had the honor of associating with my brethren who have presided over the Manti temple from the beginning, in 1888 — President Daniel H. Wells and President Anthon H. Lund, President John D. McAllister, President John B. Maiben, and others who have been there. I had great pleasure in associating with and partaking of the spirit with which they were imbued. I remember very vividly the instructions of our beloved President Daniel H. Wells, who was the first president of that temple. I remember what he said relating to the preaching of the Prophet Joseph Smith in the city of Nauvoo, and of his own conversion into the Church of Christ. It will be remembered that at that time he was not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but a staunch friend of the people of God who had assembled there. And he said upon one occasion that there was nothing in the gospel of Jesus Christ that so appealed to him as the principle of the redemption of the dead, brought forth by the revelations of God through the Prophet Joseph. He had, he said, gone to many denominations. His father had not been a member of any church. His anxious question was as to his father. Where would he be? Of course, he was answered that there was no redemption for him ; he was entirely lost — his father and mother were lost, and they would not associate together! That was the word that he received. But the Prophet said that we should be joined together with those of our kindred who had gone before ; that there was salvation for those who had gone behind the veil, for the dead ; and the gospel was being preached to them the same as to the living. We have an abundance of scripture relating to that matter, which gave him comfort and joy, and which upheld him, and he said, "Where my father is and my mother, there is where I desire to be, and with my kindred." ¶

That is the doctrine of Christ, who gave it. His apostles who followed him, also preached it. ¶

My brethren and sisters, I rejoice in the blessings of our Father unto us as his people; and in the gifts and blessings that we enjoy in this land. I am thankful for the freedom that exists here, the blessings that have been poured out upon this land of Zion, land of liberty; and I trust that we will be found worthy, and in the ranks of those who shall defend the principles of right and liberty all the days of our lives. It has been said in times past that as a people we have not been loyal ; we have been falsely charged with not being a loyal people to our Government. I do not know of anything that speaks louder than the works that have been and are being done by the Latter-day Saints today in offering our sons and our daughters to go to uphold and sustain the principles of right and liberty ; and in contributing of substance freely for the cause that we believe to be right, and for the upholding and sustaining of the great Constitution of our land. By the blessings of God, no king shall rule upon this land ! God has decreed it, and I know that his words will not fail. God bless you, my brethren and sisters, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶