our hearts should be filled this morn-
ing with gratitude and thanksgiving,
that we have the privilege again of
meeting in an Annual Conference of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints. I hope and trust that
the hearts of the Saints will be lifted
up in prayer to God, that during the
time we shall spend together in this
capacity, the Spirit and power of
God may rest upon the Apostles and
Elders who will address us, and upon
the Saints themselves who may hear.

I feel very thankful myself that I
still have the privilege of meeting in
general Conference with the Saints
of God. I realize that we are weak
instruments in the hands of God who
are called to perform this work. The
Lord has chosen the weak things of
the world from the foundation of the
earth, to perform His work in every
age and generation of men. I pray
that the Apostles and Elders of Israel
may be clothed upon with the Spirit
and power of God while they address
the Latter-day Saints. We want to
bear in mind that our strength, our
hope and our power is in the hands
of God, and not in men. The Lord
Himself has stretched forth His hand
to establish this Church, His king-
dom, His work, His Zion, the gather-
ing together of His people in fulfill-
ment of the revelations of God which
have been given to the inhabitants of
the earth since the foundation of the
world—since the day the old Patri-
arch, Father Adam, was brought
forth, and placed in the Garden of
Eden. From that day until now His
work has been performed by the in-
spiration of Almighty God, and not
by the power of man. The very things
in our history that we have been called
to pass through; the scenes which
have been enacted have shown, and
they show to-day to all heaven and
earth, in the warfare, in the opposi-
tion, in the labor that are manifested
among the sons of men—from the
creation of the world till to-day—
that this is the work of God. The
various persecutions, the efforts which
have been manifested against the orga-
nization of this Church and kingdom
for its overthrow and destruction,
should show—and have shown to hea-
ven and earth—that there is a power
on earth outside the power of man.

We have no power in ourselves.
We never have had in the guidance
and direction of this kingdom, only
through the interposition of Almighty
God. I have never read anywhere,
that I know of, of the same power
manifested in any dispensation to
the children of men, which was mani-
fested to the Prophet of God in the
organization of this Church, when
the Father and the Son both appeared
to the Prophet Joseph in answer to
his prayer, and when the Father said,
"This is my beloved Son; behold
Him; hear ye Him." [Joseph Smith-History 1:17] This was an
important revelation, which has never
been manifested in the same manner
in any dispensation of the world, that
God has given concerning His work.
So in its organization, the Prophet of
God was administered to by the
angels of heaven. They were his
teachers, they were his instructors,
and all that he did, and all that he
performed from the commencement,
from that day to the day of his mar-
tyrdom, was by the revelation of
Jesus Christ. We ought to under-
stand this, and, as a people, have
faith in God, in His revelations, in
His promises. We should look forth
for the fulfillment of these pro-
mises unto us in the day and genera-
tion in which we live. They will be
fulfilled. The Lord is at work. He
has set His hand to accomplish the
great dispensation of which all the
patriarchs and prophets have spoken
since the world began. Therefore let
not your hearts be troubled; believe
in God, believe in Jesus Christ, be-
lieve in the Gospel which has been
preached unto us, and keep and ful-
fill the commandments of God; then
all will be right. The Lord will not
fail the Latter-day Saints; He will
not fail in His work, in the gathering
of His people; He will not fail the
seed of Abraham; He will not fail the
seed of Judah. They will be gathered
home to Jerusalem, their holy place.
They will receive their city and Tem-
ple, and be prepared for the coming
of their King.

Zion will arise and prosper. If
the Latter-day Saints will but do their
duty, there is nothing in the way of
our accomplishing all that has been

our hearts should be filled this morning with gratitude and thanksgiving, that we have the privilege again of meeting in an Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints. I hope and trust that the hearts of the Saints will be lifted up in prayer to God, that during the time we shall spend together in this capacity, the spirit and power of God may rest upon the Apostles and Elders who will address us, and upon the Saints themselves who may hear.

I feel very thankful myself that I still have the privilege of meeting in general Conference with the Saints of God. I realize that we are weak instruments in the hands of God who are called to perform this work. The Lord has chosen the weak things of the world from the foundation of the earth, to perform His work in every age and generation of men. I pray that the Apostles and Elders of Israel may be clothed upon with the Spirit and power of God while they address the Latter-day Saints. We want to bear in mind that our strength, our hope and our power is in the hands of God, and not in men. The Lord Himself has stretched forth His hand to establish this Church, His kingdom, His work, His Zion, the gathering together of His people in fulfillment of the revelations of God which have been given to the inhabitants of the earth since the foundation of the world--since the day of the old Patriarch, Father Adam, was brought forth, and placed in the Garden of Eden. From that day until now His work has been performed by the inspiration of Almighty God, and not by the power of man. The very things in our history that we have been called to pass through; the scenes which have been enacted and shown and they show to-day to all heaven and earth, in the warfare, in the opposition, in the labor that are manifested among the sons of men--from the creation of the world till to-day-- that this is the work of God. The various persecutions, the efforts which have been manifested against the organization of this Church and kingdom for its overthrow and destruction, should show--and have shown to heaven and earth--that there is a power

on earth outside the power of man.

We have no power in ourselves. We never have had in the guidance and direction of this kingdom, only through the interposition of Almighty God. I have never read anywhere, that I know of, of the same power manifested in any dispensation to the children of men, which was manifested to the Prophet of God in the organization of this Church, when the Father and the Son both appeared to the Prophet Joseph in answer to his prayer, and when the Father said, "This is my Beloved Son; behold Him; hear ye Him." This was an important revelation, which has never been manifested in the same manner in any dispensation of the world, that God has given concerning His work. So in its organization, the Prophet of God was administered to by the angels of heaven. They were his teachers, they were his instructors, and all that he did, and all that he performed from the commencement, from that day to the day of his martyrdom, was by the revelation of Jesus Christ. We ought to understand this, and, as a people, have faith in God, in His revelations, in His promises. We should look forth for the fulfilment of these promises unto us in the day and generation in which we live. They will be fulfilled. The Lord is at work. He has set His hand to accomplish the great dispensation of which all the patriarchs and prophets have spoken since the world began. Therefore let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe in Jesus Christ, believe in the Gospel which has been preached unto us, and keep and fulfill the commandments of God; then all will be right. The Lord will not fail the Latter-day Saints; He will not fail in His work, in the gathering of His people; He will not fail the seed of Abraham; He will not fail the seed of Judah. They will be gathered home to Jerusalem, their holy place. They will receive their city and Temple, and be prepared for the coming of their King.

Zion will arise and prosper. If the Latter-day Saints will but do their duty, there is nothing in the way of our accomplishing all that has been