7th, . REPORTED BY DAVID W. EVANS. Yesterday morning when I came into this tabernacle it was some little time before I could tell whether what I saw was in vision, or whether it was real and literal; but I soon became thorough- ly convinced that I was in the taberna- cle of the Lord built here in the moun- tains, and saw before me some ten or twelve thousand Latter-day Saints. I have been interested in the counsels and instructions which we have receiv- ed here in this house, and when we, as elders, have texts given us to preach from I feel that we, in a measure, are bound to confine ourselves to those texts. In the few remarks that I may make I wish to speak upon them. The first text was the emigration. We have been gathered together by the gos- pel of Jesus Christ. We have partaken of its blessings, and as far as lies in our power we should extend those blessings to our brethren and sisters abroad. It is our duty to do all we can to assist in emigrating the poor from the nations of the earth, for the Lord requires it at our hands. The second text was the education of our children. The subject was address- ed to mothers; it applies also to the fathers. This is a subject of vast im- portance to the Latter-day Saints. If any one were to ask me when the edu- cation of our children begins; I will not tell you what you believe, but I will tell you what I believe—I believe that edu- cation begins when the spirit of life en- ters the tabernacle of the child. That is the way I view it. If the mother has the spirit of God upon her, when she prays and calls upon the Lord for his blessing, I believe that that power and spirit affects her child, and will do so until the day of its birth, and will affect it from that time henceforth and forev- er. While the mother lives her influ- ence, example, and teachings will affect her child through life. If she teaches her child virtue, honesty and righteous principles, if she teaches him to pray, these teachings will have their effect upon him through life. If parents know the effect of their example on their chil- dren, we should many times do very different from what we do. When a father gives counsel to his wives and children about anything he desires done about his place, his orchard, his garden or farm, and the wife teaches her chil- dren to obey their father, that has its effect upon the children—they work together. But let the mother, as soon as the father's back is turned say to her children "your father is gone and you may go and pick those apples or grapes, or you may go and gather this, that and the other, your father will not know anything about it, and it will be all right," she sets a very bad example be- fore her children, she teaches them to steal and to take an evil course; but let the mother carry out the counsels of the father, and they both work together in teaching their children righteous prin- ciples, and their children will grow up having learned to obey their parents. Mothers in Israel should remember that, unless they do their best to carry out the counsels of the head of the family, they set a bad example before the chil- dren and take a course that the Lord will not approve and bless; but let them be one with their husbands in carrying out his counsels and the Lord will bless them and their children. Many a time, when in the vision of my mind, I con- template the great duties and responsi- bilities that will yet rest on the rising generation among the Latter-day Saints, I feel that we as parents are too slow in our duties towards our children. No better legacy can we bestow upon them than to teach them every truth which we ourselves are in possession of; then they will honor us, honor the priesthood, magnify their callings, and carry out the great purposes of our God. The next subject referred to by the President was the call for a certain number of teams to haul rock for the temple. I need not say much in relation to this. The people have built this tabernacle, and we have got to build the temple. If the inhabitants of Zion felt the lack, weight and bless- ings of the most high God that are with- in their reach, there is not a man in Is- rael who would refuse for one moment to do anything in his power to further the building of the temple. God designs to bestow the blessings of heaven upon the Latter-day Saints. There are very few in Israel who have received the ful- ness of the blessings of the kingdom of God, while there are thousands, proba- bly, who are worthy to receive them. We must have a temple in order to bes- tow these blessings. The next text was some young men were called to go south to strengthen the southern country. This is all right, they may just as well go there as any- where else. When we received this gospel we entered into covenant to obey the Lord. We then received a mission that will never close as long as we dwell in the flesh whether we go east, west, north or south. We are fulfill- ing that mission whether we go to Eng- land or to Dixie; it is all the same as long as we are under the dictation of the holy priesthood. Then let us fulfil all missions and comply with all calls made upon us. The next pleasing text given was for the young men and maidens to marry. I want to say a few words to the young ladies. A great many men are called south. They are required by the Holy Priesthood to marry. Now, when these young men ask you young ladies to marry them, do not ask them how rich they are, or how much gold and silver they have; but let the question with you be, are they good, are they virtuous, are they Latter-day Saints, are they obey- ing counsel and trying to do what is required of them. If they are doing this, you should not require the young men in Israel to be worth ten thousand dollars in gold, nor a dozen carriages; and any father or mother who throws obstacles in the way of the young folks being married through such considera- tions does not do right. Let them ful- fil the commandments. You may ask them if they have three straw beds all but the ticks, and if the young men possess them, then marry them. The next text was to lay up your wheat. I do not want to say much about this. The army of our God that has gone through this territory and which is about to visit the nations of the earth will soon teach us this lesson. We certainly should begin to feel the importance of carrying out this counsel. It has been given to us for years and years past and gone. The next text presented by President Young was upon the necessity of learn- ing and observing the laws of health. I may say this is of vast importance. I do not feel that I am particularly qualified to teach you on this principle; but I am satisfied that if we will keep the Word of Wisdom, be temperate in our lives and be faithful before the Lord that we shall have more of the Spirit of the Lord, and may considerably pro- long our lives. It is a maxim with President Young—and I believe it is true—that a man should not teach what he does not practice. We are intempe- rate in many things. We are intem- perate in labor as well as many other things. I have been intemperate in this myself. I have seen so much to do in the world, so much around me that I felt ought to be done to save things from going to waste, that many times I have felt that I have done wrong in laboring so hard. I do not know, how- ever, but that it is better to wear out than to rust out. I would far sooner see a man labor hard than see him a lazy vagabond depending upon the exertions of others for his livelihood. The Word of Wisdom covers a great deal of ground and I am satisfied that the day will come when we shall change in a great many things in our manner of life, and shall more properly appreciate teach- ings on this subject than we do now. The last text given was for the Elders to preach only what they know. This is good counsel, and as long as we keep within the bounds of this rule, we will always be right. I never had more of the spirit of God in my life than when teaching the first principles of the gospel, and bearing testimony to the in- habitants of the earth that Joseph Smith was a true Prophet of God, that the Book of Mormon was true, and that the first principles of the gospel, as re- vealed through him, were the plan of life and salvation. Whenever we, the Elders of Israel, go beyond these limits we are in the swamp, we do not know where we are nor where we are going; but as long as we keep within the limits of our knowledge—within what we know and have been taught us by the Holy Spirit, we are safe and we will be saved with full salvation, even so: Amen.