JOURNAL OF DISCOURSES. IDEAS HELD BY THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS WINNING THEIR WAY—TERRITORIAL PROSPERITY—"MORMONISM" NOT FAVORED OF THE GOVERNMENT—LATTER-DAY SAINTS TO SAVE THE GOVERNMENT—GOOD COUNSEL ON MANY POINTS. DISCOURSE BY ELDER GEORGE Q. CANNON, DELIVERED AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE, SALT LAKE CITY,SUNDAY MORNING APRIL 7, 1878. REPORTED BY GEO. F. GIBBS. It is somewhat unexpected to myself and will be poured out upon us. It is a that I have the opportunity, this morn- great relief to one who has been absent ing, of appearing in your midst. Impor- for any length of time, mingling with the tant business demanded my return to world, to have the opportunity of asso- this city for a short time; but in conse- ciating with you, my brethren and sis- quence of certain responsibilities devolv- ters; at least I esteem it as such. I never ing upon me at Washington, it seemed turn my face homewards without experi- imprudent for me to leave and come encing joy and gladness at the thought of here. A week ago last Friday morning once more being reunited with you. I scarcely thought it possible that I could get away; but during the day I was fa- I never in my life have had a deeper vored in making such arrangements that interest in the welfare, in the pros- I felt I could leave with safety, for a few perity and in the advancement of the days at least. And I immediately started cause with which we are identified, than for this city by way of Philadelphia. at the present time. This feeling has I am glad to have the opportu- rested with great weight upon my mind; nity of meeting with so many of I feel we are living in a most im- my brethren and sisters, of beholding portant era of time. I feel that the your faces, of listening to the instruc- mission assigned unto us is one that tions which have been given, and in we, at the present time, scarcely be- sharing in the spirit that has been gin to comprehend. The most important 2 JOURNAL OF DISCOURSES. results that are to flow from it have nated, have had a wonderful effect upon scarcely begun to dawn upon our minds. the human mind throughout Christen- At least personally this is my feeling. dom. If those of you who have had ex- When I contemplate the immensity of perience in the world, who have arrived the field of labor that lies before us, the at middle age, will let your minds revert evils and wrongs that have to be cor- to the time when you first heard these rected, as I believe, through the agency principles, and will compare the condi- of this people, as also the reforms that tion of human thought at that time with have to be effected and to be carried out the condition of human thought today, successfully, it seems to me that as the I doubt not you will agree with me in days roll around, I begrudge the passing saying that, although men and women hours; I feel as though the days are en- have not become Latter-day Saints, nor tirely too short, and that I should like to have the mass of mankind received the live for a millennium to help those with religious truths in their entirety, as they whom I am associated to bring to pass were taught by Joseph, and as they have the great, the important, the soul-saving been taught by those who succeeded as well as body-redeeming plans that are him, yet there has been a very visible to be carried out in order to bring to pass and a marked advancement by men and the designs of Providence in relation to women all over the world wherever the man and the earth. Elders of this Church have traveled. So Already the Latter-day Saints can see that it is not in the baptism of people, that the leaven that has been planted it is not in the gathering of the people by the Gospel has been doing a grad- together alone that we are accomplish- ual work in effecting important changes. ing great results; but it is in teaching It may be thought of a people confined the world the principles that God has re- to these mountains, numbering no more vealed to us, and gradually indoctrinat- than we do, that our influence must ing the mind of mankind, to some ex- be necessarily very limited, and that tent at least, uplifting them from the we can accomplish but very little. But prejudices and the darkness and the ig- the ideas that have been propagated norance in which they have been en- by the Latter-day Saints, though they shrouded to a higher plane, to breathe have not converted as many to our faith a purer and a freer spirit of inquiry in as they should have done, have had a religious and scientific thought. Much, most wonderful influence upon the re- however, remains to be done, and it de- ligious, the philosophic and the scien- volves upon us, as a people, to discharge tific world. Ideas that men now believe our duty, each one of us, as though the in and receive readily, Joseph Smith entire responsibility devolved upon us. was persecuted and denounced for pro- And herein, probably, there is as much claiming. And while there are mil- fault to be found with us as upon any lions who do not believe that he was other point—a non-recognition by the a Prophet of God, or that the prin- Latter-day Saints of the fact that God ciples he taught were revealed from holds us, each one of us, individually re- God, there is no mistaking the fact that sponsible; for there is assigned unto ev- his teachings, that the truths he ad- ery man and every woman an individ- vanced, and the ideas which he dissemi- ual labor which he and she must per- IDEAS HELD, ETC. 3 form. For myself, I know that the influ- selves from their financial difficulties, ence of one man rightly exercised is po- Utah Territory occupies, it may truly be tent for good; or, if improperly exercised, said, the unique position of being out for evil, upon his fellow man. Each man's of debt: no Territorial debt to speak of, life, each man's conversation, each man's no county debts. Notwithstanding the deportment and walk before his fellow innumerable temptations that have ex- man, wields an influence that he most isted, and that our officers might have probably does not begin to comprehend, succumbed to, we are, I am happy to say, or understand. And if we all understood free from debt, and also the most lightly this, and acted accordingly, living up taxed community now within the con- to the light and knowledge we possess, fines of the government. When I men- just think of the influence that we, as a tioned these facts to President Hayes, he united body, could wield among the in- remarked: "Your position is certainly an habitants of our land, and in fact among enviable and unique one." This is con- the inhabitants of the whole earth. ceded upon all hands. In our own neigh- boring territories, take, for instance, I look upon our position, politically, as Wyoming, the people of which are justly one that is most important, far more im- proud of their position, because they portant than that of any other commu- have comparatively little debt; yet their nity with which I am acquainted. To- taxes are 2 1/2 higher than ours; and day it is conceded upon all sides, and so with all our neighboring territories. the fact is not disputed by intelligent Our percentage of illiteracy is lower than persons, that the Latter-day Saints, or, that of any of the territories, and also to speak more properly, the people of than many of the states; not but that the Utah Territory, occupy a position supe- illiteracy of Utah ought to be lower still, rior to that of any other Territory within for there is room for great improvement the confines of the Union. This is con- in matters of education. We have 1,200 ceded. And for temperance, for frugal- miles of telegraph line owned in this Ter- ity, for economy, for good government ritory; we have upwards of 300 miles of and for submission to the law (if I may local railroad, not counting the Union except that relating to plural marriage, and Central Pacific railroads. This is the which is in violation of the constitu- condition of this Territory. If we take tion, and which was passed as a blow the statement of the last Federal cen- at our religion), for the honest admin- sus respecting our population, and ap- istration of financial and governmental ply the ratio of increase during the pre- affairs, for the preservation of good or- vious decade—that is the increase from der and the maintenance of peace, and 1860 to 1870—to the last eight years, it for the promotion of education; on all will be seen that Utah has a population of these points, it is conceded if we are of at least 150,000. But our ratio of in- not superior, at least we are the equals, crease has been greater during the last of any other people of our Republic. eight years than the previous ten.