This is a bit long, but once I started I couldn’t stop – there are some laugh-out-loud moments, at least to my quirky sense of humor, as well as paragraphs that I doubt we would ever hear in a meeting today.

Manti, Saturday, May 19, 1888.

The Quarterly Conference of the Sanpete Stake of Zion began at Manti at 10 o’clock this morning. There were present on the stand Apostles Lorenzo Snow, John Henry Smith, Heber J. Grant, John W. Taylor and Daniel H. Wells, Patriarch John Smith, President A.O. Smoot, of Utah Stake; President Petersen, of this Stake; President John R. Murdock, of Beaver Stake; Presidents John B. Maiben and Henry Beal. Of the Presidents of the Seventies there were John Morgan, Jacob Gates, Robert Campbell, Bates Nobles; Judge Bean, of Richfield; George C. Lambert, David James, Robert Patrick, James Dwyer and Frank Taylor, of Salt Lake City; David John and Isaac Bullock, of Provo; Lorin Farr, of Ogden; Dr. Isaacsen, William Taylor and many others were present.

The choir sang the hymn on page 166.

The meeting was called to order by President Peterson, Elder John Morgan offering up the opening prayer.

The choir, under the leadership of Prof. A.C. Smythe, formerly of Salt Lake City, sang in fine style the hymn on page 27.

Apostle John W. Taylor was the first speaker. The last time I met with you in this city it was in a schoolhouse. I am admonished, this morning, to make my remarks brief, and I will endeavor to do so. It is very difficult for me to do this. When I have but five minutes to speak, I am thinking of the time and not what to say. The first time I ever spoke I was as now called upon to speak five minutes, and I do not know whether I thought of anything but the time. It takes me about one meeting to get interested in a conference. I presume it is so with us all. That is why the Prophet Joseph told those called upon to administer not to make a social visit, but to pray and make the administration the object of their visit.

At Sister Eliza R. Snow Smith’s funeral, the elders were called upon to make five-minute speeches, and none of them said anything. They couldn’t in five minutes. I expect that an elder should speak as the spirit directs and quits when he gets through. I always feel great freedom in speaking where I am not known. In this valley I am not afraid, for I have done wrong to no one in it – where my daily conduct is unknown, and therefore I may say something by way of rebuke here that I would not say where I am better acquainted. I don’t see how anybody can talk to the clock. I can’t.

Apostle Snow here rose and stated that there were about twenty-five persons to speak at the Conference, and it was thought best that the addresses should be brief – about twenty to twenty-five minutes. Brother Taylor’s difficulty in speaking for a brief time had not been taken into consideration. Brother Taylor should now have an hour that he might speak in.

Apostle Taylor – I am daily reminded of my own weaknesses. When I get into trouble and have done all I can to help myself, I go to God and ask Him to help me. I want you to ask God to give me strength to say something that may lead us to keep His will. I feel that you are praying for me. When an elder asks for the faith and prayers of the people, I feel in my heart to ask God to give him a portion of His spirit. Humility, above all, is necessary to a Latter-day Saint. I remember being in a humble fast meeting one day. Previous to this a young man and I had prayed for a testimony. We had prayed for a number of months. When I got to this meeting, a peculiar spirit took hold of me, and I wept like a child. One sister spoke in tongues – as with a tongue of fire. After she finished, another interpreted. It seemed to be concerning myself, and my bosom burned, as it does to-day, when I would decide that which is right from wrong. It directs me continually when I am humble. When the interpretation was finished, I arose in a way that astonished me, and gave my testimony.

I have seen humble persons in lowly fast meetings bear a testimony that has filled my heart with joy, because it was the power of God made manifest. It is by this spirit that God is to confound the wise things of the earth by the weak. On missions, our young men show an intelligence and an influence that gives them the appearance of learning when they have not been to college. The power of God has quickened them and made them bright and powerful. When the Spirit comes upon a person, it makes him as humble as the meekest person in the world. It was said the Savior was like a lamb and was meek and it was because of this spirit that he was humble. When a person is not willing to listen to the most humble person in the church, he will fall away. A song, accompanied by the spirit of God, fills my bosom as with fire, and I understand the spirit of the words sung. I never, in all my experience, heard two testimonies alike. We all differ; our understandings vary and what convinces one will not convince others. Two persons will not receive the same testimony unless by revelation of God himself. It is given to each as the understanding of each requires.

I say you have to have the Spirit of God among you; and he who stands here and tells you the Spirit of God is among us, and its fruit, lies before God. Where is the gift of tongues, of healing, of prophecy? This spirit is not among us as it should be. We will find, if the gift of healing and other gifts are not among us, that we cannot survive. We are getting wealthy; but of what avail is it? We may build temples until they touch the sun that has been given to light the world, but they will avail naught if we do not serve the Lord and keep his commandments. We are getting rich, but we are apostatizing. I want you to hear me, for I am in the same boat with you. I say we are not keeping the commandments of God. Do we enjoy the fruits of the Spirit? We do not.

Why are there so many deaths in the family? My sisters, there is a way to stop so many deaths – by doing the will of the Father. I have heard young men say they never heard a person speak in tongues, never saw the gift of healing, never heard the first principles. It is promised that if we keep the commandments of God our children shall live to be as old as a tree and shall not die. We find boys, bigger and more handsome than I, smoking cigarettes and puffing away as though it was the source of everlasting life. I find a bishop stinking of liquor like the very devil. They say they do it for their infirmities. There is nothing that grows that I would not take, if I knew it would do me good. But what do we find? Some of the towns already half apostatized. The presiding elders use liquor when they like, and they like it very often, and the people are falling away from this cause; and the people follow in the sins of their officers.

How many of you have fasted this last year? I will warrant that not over one-half of you fasted fifty-two times the last year.

How many of you pay tithing? Is there one-half of you that pay an honest tithing? I do not say you do not. The danger is that the disease of one will affect us all.

Your graveyard is getting too large. The distance between the headstones is too short. This may be corrected by keeping the commandments of God.

There is also a lack of respect for the priesthood. If we forget the respect due those called by the Lord the Lord will forget us. Bishop Whitney and I were traveling south. We got to Salina, but the team of the brother who was taking us was fagged out, and he tried to get a team in that settlement to take us to Richfield. He went for an hour and a half, and came back and said he couldn’t get them. Then I tried to buy a team, but they wouldn’t sell. Then we started to walk with a boy; and were afterwards overtaken and carried. Whenever I see any elder, or officer, in need of a team, and I refuse to help him along, I hope the Lord will take from me my teams, cows, even my wives and children, and send me forth as I came into the world.

In Logan, the great town we hear so much said of, I was twenty-four hours before I was asked to eat a mouthful, and I made up my mind I would starve before I asked for a meal. I had such an experience in Randolph. A brother kept me talking while the wife and son ate up the dinner. When I left he asked me to call and stay with him sometime. I told him I would, but it would be when I was not hungry. He told me how much he was prospering, and I wondered why he could not feel it in his heart to offer me a meal.

Apostle John Henry Smith spoke next. I rejoice in the gospel of Christ. I have a testimony of its truth. The duties that pertain to us are many. Our hearts are burdened with the cares of life. The Lord has seen your sacrifices. He rejoices in the goodness of your heart and liberality. Let us come in fasting and prayer, that in each heart the whisperings of the Spirit may say that our sacrifices have been accepted. While we may not discharge our duties as wisely as we might, we can at least show to Him that we are prepared to dedicate our lives to Him. I have had joy in my visit here and trust that joy may be yours. I know that God has accepted your work and that we will have peace and joy. May our hearts grow in peace and joy, and our minds be filled with wisdom and a desire to do God’s will at all times, is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ: Amen.

Elder Bates Nobles took the stand. I am thankful for the privilege of bearing my testimony to the truth of the gospel. It was my pleasure to be acquainted with the prophet for a time. I feel that if our desires are pure before God, and that we desire to do right, all will be well with us. The foundation of all good is the cultivation of ourselves in good and pure principles. We are making our own record. Mark this well! I accompanied the prophet the day he left for Carthage jail. I visited them in prison. I had then as I have now the joy and satisfaction of knowing that this work has come to stay.

Elder Jacob Gates was thankful for the opportunity of meeting so large a congregation. In the privilege of being in this important era of the world, and seeing Israel spreading forth and fulfilling the words of the Prophet Joseph. My heart rejoices beyond the power of words to express. I can bear my testimony to the truth of this work. We may feel weak in everyday toil yet when the inspiration of God rests upon us, we feel like a man refreshed with new wine. I am thankful that I have the privilege of entering these temples and doing a work for the dead of common flesh with me. It is for this purpose that our temples are pointing heavenward. Let us not be discouraged in the work before us. May God hep us to become Latter-day Saints. That is all that God requires of us. Amen.

Apostle D.H. Wells next said: It has been my fortune to be called to take charge of the work in this Temple, although I do not feel equal to the task; but as God has helped me in the past so I felt to hope He will do so in the future. We have made selections of persons to assist in the work. It may be that all those persons will not be able to respond to this call. I would like to meet those that are here.

The choir sang “What shall the Harvest Be?”

Benediction by Elder Lorin Farr.