Show TZ nes ner res E by pi Pd zue erit 1 anam anah delivered in the tabernacle salt sall lake city sunday april 17 1870 1670 s is BY BT DAVJD DAVID vye vve V NS Iwo tild liet lik the attention of tee the con oon gregutis n first to my bret ea au d sisters stera si how do y you ou do rho are well my health beaith is very excel excellent lint lunt I 1 lam iam am happy to gre again me plea piea pleasure sure suie to hee see ee the people but greater pleasure pleA ples ure Uro to seed eee see the them striving to do the will of god I 1 anderst understand under aud and that this morning the congregation were treated to a discourse giving the thed euils eltis of ou our r traveis travels nor for fifty two days I 1 have no doubt they were very satisfactory those who heard the remarks of brother george A smith this morning must be aware that we are somewhat fatigued 1 in body and want a little rest reu we went from here to rest but tra velling every day for nearly two months and holding sometimes two or three meetings a day does not amford afford much chance for I 1 rest however I 1 it was a change a change of climate scenery congregations and friends and we have had great pleasure in visiting the saints it ift is delightful to see those who profess to bo saints living together in unity and peace which I 1 am um happy to say is the case to agrest degree with the people among whom we have been traveling ag when we talk to and instruct the people wo we have to chasten and correct correen them sometimes so as to lead iad their ther minds to principles more advanced than they are in the habit of practicing the latter day saints are an excellent e nt good people but when we contemplate the perfection of the inhabitants of zion we see that there is an opportunity for a great deal of improvement of the time that is allotted to man here on the earth there is none to td lometor lose losa or to run to waste after suitable rest test nest and tion there I 1 la is not a day hour or minute that we should gp nain endia idleness but every minute of every day olour of our lives I 1 we should strive to improve our minds and to increase in the faith of the holy gospel jn in charity good works that we may grow in the knowledge of the truth as it is in jesus christ iffe if we are not saints I 1 do not think I 1 ever saw any but still there is a lack alack in I 1 the faith and works of this people preparatory to the inhabiting of the zion that is spoken and anit prophesied of and written about there are a great many texts which might he be used very comprehensive and full of meaning but I 1 know oenone of none nono either in the old or new now testament more so than that saying said to have been made by the savior and I 1 have no doubt it ft was I 1 if ye loye love me keep my commandments you recollect that after the resurrection when jesus came camb to peter and others who had been fishing all night but had caught nothing he said to them n net dt to the right side of the ship they did so I 1 and we read that they drew a multitude tu do to shore and then they beheld behold their savior after broiling and eating of their fish jesus knowing their feelings and how apt men are to forget that which they once knew said to peter simon bon eon of jonas lovest thou thon me more t than han these pointing to the fish they had professed to love bim him H im they hey t had followed him and had suf lEered persecution se for his hia sake they had delighted in his words rejoiced in his labors and had seen the wonderful works which he performed and some which innis in his name they had performed themselves yet after all this they seemed inclined to turn away ard aad go a fishing aad when they had caught fish and had drawn them to the shore jesus sald said do you love iove me moreT than you jav lov pe ea ea these he lad had previously them if ye love iove me keep my roy command commandments how long son sor a day keep the commandments r of the morer biord for or a week observe berye 6 and do iris bris his eris a month orn ern ora beart year yeat phere there is no promise to any individual that I 1 have any knowledge of f that lie lle shall shau receive rec ree elVe elde the reward of I 1 th ejust unless heista J ahful td the end nwe hwe fully understand and faithfully carry out ini in our lives the saying baying of jesus if hedve ye me keep my com I 1 I 1 V we bhail shall be prepared t to 0 oj ac J and dwell in the presence of the Fa laherand Fat herand the son wh adare lire ills hia commandments did re heaven heaver ever teach tha the peo people p to any anything thin 9 that is wrong if we read the requirements ril rii adeby by jesus by the father or by suy auy messenger a ent sent from the heavens heare ns M ito the ahe children of leiwe shall find tho nothing thing that will injure any human being or that will destroy the soul of one of the sons br daughters of daan darn adam and eve many think k that the say sayings in I 1 ga and doings of the prophets and gen ben ier servants of god in modern times baid said and done in obedience to t the he commands eo m man di of the thi biord almighty ty ted end it is not eo so all ali goas requirements quire ments tend tedd to good to his hia chil drene die drent n 1 af any notion to the contrary is bce bhe he result of ignorance the human family are enveloped in ignorance bojar so tar far as the origin and object of their existence nep here is concerned their ignorance aidee suber super superstition sim sif flon darkness I 1 ness dess tare very apparent to all who are in th the least enlightened by the bpi spi spirit ef truthe They seek to hide themselves in ignorance ignorance jg jg apt norance and blindness x ather rather than jeann deann who they are and the object of their being here what do the human family know lidow of god or of the words which yelo ve me keep my commandments search the for in them ye thinkie yo hato bato have eternal life says jesus jesusi and add khey oiley bre are illey they which of me mp I 1 they testify of the savior of his doctrines and requirements and of the ordinances of hla hia house the plan of salvation is there portrayed and any person who follows it bitsi dictation may redeem himself from the thralldom of sin and know by the spirit that jesusma jesus is the christ all who will take this course will know by revelation that god is our father they will understand der stand the relationship they hold to efm ulm bim him and to their fellow beings the world may in vain tain ask the question who are we but the gospel tells us that we are the sons and daughters of that god whom we berver server some say weare are the children of adam and eve so we are and they are the children of our heavenly father wo are all the children of adam and eve and they and we are the offspring of him who dwells in the heavens the highest intelligence that dwells dwelis any hard hurd where that that thab we have any kno knowledge Medie of here we find ourselves and when in fant athe most helpless and artel needing nee needing heeding hee ding mhd hi 9 t jeary ta roand and a ia flany ny creature that comes into being on the face of the earth here wa wie findan ourselves the germ and the foundation the embryo of exaltation glory immortal eternal lives As we grow up we ze receive cel cei ve strength knowledge and aud wisdom some more and some less lesa but only by keeping the commands of the lorck jesus jebus can we haye the privilege of knowing the things pertal pertaining n in g to eternity and our relationship to toche the heavens Heaven sr i i when cheni I 1 contemplate the effects of h keeping e eyl eli n the commands of th eLord theford the lord an and look 0 0 gk at the christian world I 1 can ff e r ence enee of the results which flow from erving serving god and ana satan i n I 1 have dwelt form for many any y years yearb eater in the christian world th ave tried to 0 learn all butr what does it amount to nothing haw many chapters cb apters pamphlets and volumes vo luines have been beeri written upon the roly holy Ghost the birth of the savi savl savior 0 r and concerning i the being of that god we serve but who knows the to these subjects or to any one of them not ane but all who mho keep iffie riter of jesus derit anding of these things if we draw cearto him he will draw near to u us s if wee web ve eek him early we shall find v id him if f we apply our minds faithfully and da da by day day to know and understand the mind and will of god it is as easy aa asi yes I 1 will say easier than it is to kilow althe minds reinda of each other for to knowland know and understand ourselves and our own being Is to know and understand god and his hig being it is true there is a great deal of speculation in the world and it becomes more apparent every yc year year ar and it will continue BO so until the tho people believe in the gospel of the son of god or are given over to infidelity see the sects and parties springing up here and springing up there from this and that and embracing this and the other phantom or following after this thia and that dream or of their imagination they are dividing and subdividing and drifting as fast as time can toll into infidelity who will know the son of god who will know that jesus jesua is 18 the christ who in this thia our day can say aa peter did thou art the christ the bon son of the living god 11 how many will come to this very few how often I 1 have contemplated the condition conditi of the christian world billave I 1 have preached the gospel gosal to hundreds hundred 4 of thousands of them did they thoy believe belleve if they did they did not yield obed obedience lence lenee they would contend and argue against the truth bub but only one here and another there therb or aalfs is whitten written I 1 one ond of or a city and two of ofa a fd family bally or to reverse it one of a family and bud two of or a city would obey it and gather with the saints many of those who have gathered when they have been blessed with a few of bf the good things of this life have lifted thein heir heels agai agal against ritt rist jesus jesue and in appo opposition to his commands and revelation sand band an dh have ave turn turned d away to fables I 1 have often aske asked asko d this question has one hillo hilio of who have obeyed the gospel aria and been ed into the church ever evet gathered with ith the saints no they have havo not mot and to many who have live gathered the gospel soon became like ilke a dream they have had their minds opened and been seen things correctly they have had the manifestations of the spirit of the lord and have bale rejoiced in the truth but hut by and by through the luts luta of the fieh flesh they havel have become sordid have turned again to ta the world ond have forgot the gospel and its blessings Is this the case with the saints itis it is the case cage with many who have been beu called saints and yet we say gay that the latter day saints as a body are the best people that can ean be found who would have done as they have who in inthe the world are ara willing to td manifest that they are believers in the lord jesus jestis christ in the prophets prophete tg and apostles and azid in joseph smith one of the apo aties atlea writing of confes confessing ling king the says bays every spirit that con fenseth that jesus jesua jeus is the christ is of god and every spirit that connes confes seth not that jesus is the christ is not of god I 1 say that every spirit that con jeus jesus to be the savior of the worlds the old and new now testament and chebook mon to be true truland and joseph josehh smith to be a prophet is li of god but every spirit that does not confess these things is not riot of god godi I 1 can say to my brethren and sisters who profess profesa to believe in the gospel of the son of god as it hns has been beell revealed to us in thee these latter iatter days that we need to pay attention to our out faith I 1 and to observe obi the principles of our religion inviolate and to lve ive live by every word that p proceeds out odthe muth of bi god or we i shall not hot be pre pro prepared oared pared to inherit that glory that we anticipate Is this 0 oo 00 o it ia Is most aklu assuredly I 1 know that many latter day saints think when they have obeyed obey edthe the gospel made a sacrifice badri flee in forsaking their homes perhaps their pk parents rents husbands wives children farms faring native lands or other things held dear deaf th that atthe the work is done but it is only just jungt commenced tho the work of purifying ourselves and preparing to build up the zion of god on im this thia g gorfti rient hns has only just juat begun with us when we w e have got as far as that are prepared now biow to Ota establish blish th ewon evou eVon ibn that the lord lb td designs to build up I 1 have iriana time basked the questions Where Is the mart that knows abw how to lay the for nor the wall that iff 1 to surround the new Jeru jerusalem barem sarem 6 ar t the fie zio zion n of god on the earthy where is the man that knows how to eon bon bonstin construct stid et the first gathof gate gato of the city where is the man who understands how to build up the kingdom of god iu in its purity and to prepare for zion to come to meet it well weil says one ofie 1 I thought the lord was going to do this I 1 n so go he ile is 19 if we will let him that is what we want we want the people to be willing for the lord to do it but he will d do 0 it by means he will not send bend his angela angels to ta gather up the rock to build up the 1 new mw Jerd jerusalem rie he ire will not send HIs a from th the ife tie heavens iveria to tb go to the mountains to cut the timber umber and aid make mate it to adorn ther the city of zion he has called upon uron us todo toldo this work and if we vre will let him hira work by through and with u us he ha ean can accomplish it otherwise we shall fall short abort and aud shall never have the honor of bull buli building fing up zion on the earth la Is this sp 99 certainly well then let na us keep tho the commandments what are his commandments to ua us has had he commanded us to build an ark no he told noah to do that for the salvation of those who would go into it and after he had built bulit it IV and had preached righteousness for a longs space P ace of time warning the people of ing judgments of the tug almighty how rainy many believed his testimony only ohly eight souls and they were members of his own family all the rear reat were swept from the face of the earth this is according 1 to the thoe account given to is in the old oid Testament which we believe I 1 know that there were are a grea bredt t many in ibi the world who 16 eyes that they are not dl disposed posed to believe the account contained in ili the bible bibie cration oration of larn adam and eve in mhd garden of eden eded the antediluvian world ani afi and dOther othea things but we profess to believe bellev 6 and we door doot oe should believe belleve lieve thebe these thi rigg tits I 1 the Lord has sald said id that he will naver never r again destroy the world worl worldly dby by a flood what will the next great catastrophe be it ift will be gire fire he ili lii will wiil cleaned the earth darth as by fire and will purify and make it holy and prepare it for dr the fi habitation bi of df his saints sainter but in doing thi this which will be accomplished by the united labors of his saints wader uglier his direction he has not told lusi lufi to build ah an ark he has not told boldus lai lal to go godat dut dat of sodom as he did lot and abd his rig fa family nilly 4 neither has he hd us uso ubo dori into ma eget or to came ont out of egypt gut Mut haHe has he told us he has told us and annd itts itis recorded in the revelations contained in the new testament that ill in the latter iatter days he would send his angel augel flying through the midst of heaven having |