Discourse 1896-07-26
PRESIDENT WILFORD WOODRUFF
then arose and said: "Blessed are the
dead which die in the Lord from
henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that
they may rest from their labors; and
their works do follow them." [Revelation 14:13]
If there is a spirit on earth who will
rest from his labors it is Brother Abra-
ham Hoagland Cannon, whose body
lies before us this afternoon; and his
works will surely follow him. I have
almost felt that his labors were too
much. He was overwhelmed with
labor and care. He labored for the
benefit of Israel, for his brethren, for
the work of God; and certainly his de-
parture from us is a heavy blow to us
all. It is not confined to his wives and
children, his father, his friends and
relatives; but it rests upon us all; we
all feel the weight and force of it. I
want to say a few words to his
family and friends in relation to this
blow that has fallen upon us as
a Church, as a people, as well
as upon his family. I will say that his
father, President George Q. Cannon,
has received this with all that patience
and humility that belong to his charac-
ter. I have hardly ever seen a man
called to part with a son as he has
exhibit the same composure and recon-
ciliation to the will of God as Brother
Cannon has. As to his brothers and
sisters, it is a blow to them all. It has
come suddenly upon them—unexpect-
ed, we may say; and, of course, it is a
trial. But there are two sides to this
question. With regard to his wives
and children, I want to say a few
words upon that subject. I do not
intend to talk long; but in order to an-
swer my mind with regard to his fam-
ily I have to pursue a course. I have
never pursued before this people or
before the world appertaining to this
subject. I want to refer to the
plurality of wives and to the
plurality of families that men
possess in this Church. It is a subject
I have left alone as a general thing in
all my observations and instructions
before the public. I refer to it now
because I want to allude to Brother
Abraham's character.
The course he has pursued has been
before the world and the people. It
has not been hid behind a bushel. Nor
has been the course that the Latter-
day Saints have pursued. It has been
different in a great measure, from that
of the inhabitants of the earth in our
day and generation. We have had a
plurality of wives and families. The
principle was introduced to this peo-
ple by the revelation of God through
the Prophet Joseph Smith. This was
carried out and practiced by a small
percentage of the Latter-day Saints,
until the time came when the law of
the land forbade our carrying out that
principle, and we submitted to the
laws of the land, as a body and as a
people, with regard to this principle.
But I want to say this—and I want
you to hear it; there is not one par-
ticle of law on any statute
book of the United States, or a ruling
of any court, from the district court to
the Supreme court of the United States,
or by the President of the United
States, or his cabinet, or the Congress
of the United States, wherein a man
who has received wives and children
under the law of God is required to
cast those wives and children into the
street and make vagabonds of them.
No such law as this had been given,
and if there were such a law it would
be a very cruel one. Inasmuch as
these women have been taken under
the law, and have given themselves to
our care, and have done so righteously,
in virtue of holiness and uprightness
before the Lord, is any man justified
in casting these women and children
into the streets? No. And any man
in this Church who has got a plurality
of wives, given to him under the law
of the Lord, who will not feed
and clothes those wives and children,
and educate, and take care of them,
he is under condemnation before God.
No man is justified in that. If
I have any wives given to me of the
Lord, it is my duty to take care of
them, and to take care of their chil-
dren, feed and clothe and educate
them, and do what I can for their
benefit. Why? Because they belong
to me. They do not belong to any-
body else, but will be mine in time
and in eternity, if I do my duty and
keep the commandments of God. And
so it is with you. I hope there is not
a man in this Church that will feel to
cast off his wives and children because
of the laws that have been enacted for
our benefit.
Brother Cannon has carried this
principle out to perfection. He has
thoroughly provided for his wives, as
far as I know, all alike. He has done
all in his power to lay a foundation to
make them comfortable after his de-
parture. He has done the same by his
children. And he has been blessed in
this principle. Therefore, I con-
sider he is justified. He has
finished his work here. He has
gone into the spirit world. His
mother is there, and, I suppose
with him now. I have no doubt that
they are rejoicing together. But he
has left a family. He has done all a
mortal man could do to leave them
comfortable after his departure.
Brother Cannon has been a very
peculiar man. He has been a man
that never has complained scarcely of
anything on earth. He has been will-
ing to take a great load upon him, and
to do all that he could for the benefit of
the Church and of his brethren wher-
ever he has been. Of course, his labors
are cut short, suddenly. But he
awaits the morning of the resurrection,
the coming forth with his wives and
children, his father and mother, family
and friends, to be united with them
upon that occasion.
I want to say to the children of
Brother Abraham Cannon: It will be
but a little while till your father will
be with you, standing in his immortal
body and glory, that death cannot
destroy nor affect. When I look and
reflect upon this Church, upon the
blessings and revelations of God, upon
the salvation of God, I consider that of
all men and women under heaven we
have the greatest reason to rejoice be-
fore the Lord. We have had a good
deal to do in our day and time; but the
Lord has assisted us in performing
this work. One goes, and another
comes. I look around me, and how
many there are departed from us! Yes,
a large host have left this Church here
and gone to the grave with their
bodies, while their spirits are in the
spirit world preparing to return with
the Lord Jesus Christ when He shall
come in the clouds of heaven to reward
every man according to the deeds done
in the body. When I reflect upon
this, and realize what a little time will
elapse before Abraham Cannon will
stand with his family and friends and
the Saints of God in glory, In immortal
bodies, I think these things should
comfort us, and comfort our children
and our families.
Brethren and sisters, I find myself
hoarse, and I do not feel that I can
talk much. But I felt I wanted to say
so much to my friends and to my
brethren and sisters. I say, God bless
you. May God bless the father of Broth-
er Abraham, and bless his wives and
his children, his brothers and sisters,
and all the family. They are a family
that have been united in love. They
have had a good example set them.
The blessings of God have been over
them. I hope and trust we may all
pursue that course that we may be
justified and be prepared to pass to the
other side of the veil as he has done.
God grant it, for Christ's sake. Amen.
