Show sunday services religious services were beldin held in the taberna salt lake city sunday august commencing at 2 pm president angus M cannon presiding the choir sang the hymn commencing 0 thou at whose supreme command the hosts of darkness fly Ry prayer by elder edward the choir sang he died I 1 the great redeemer died and israels daughters wept around the priesthood of the fourth ward officiated in the administration of the sacrament APOSTLE JOHN W TAYLOR addressed the congregation he deemed it a great privilege to meet with the latter day saints in a worshiping capacity each honest hearted person has come here to learn of the ways of god and to partake of the lords supper and make covenant that he has no ill feeling toward his bis neighbor he should partake of the sacrament worthily and in remembrance of our lord and savior I 1 trust that those who have partaken partaker par taken of this sacrament today have done so worthily that we might be blessed I 1 feel like calling your attention to the admonition of jude wherein he says contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints the latter day saints believe in the whole bible as far as it is tr translated correctly there here have been many different translations and they differ in minor matters therefore we e say as far as it is translated correctly we believe we are children of god and that if we are faithful we will someday some day reach that degree of intelligence and wisdom and glory which he possesses today therefore we are diligent in keeping his laws many strangers seek to know what the saints believe in and some of them get their information from such unreliable sources that they become doubtful whether any good can come out of mormonism the ways and ideas of men differ greatly but the actions and laws of god are harmonious we find fi nd many different creeds among professed christendom but shall dball we take the opinions of men as the standard of religion if we did would we ever come to a unity of faith in god we know by the history of the world that time is not a corrector of error in this regard for there is no less diversity of opinion today than there was thousands of years ago the proper standard by which to judge whether or not a religion be of god is the word of god himself the latter day saints believe as paul says in the chapter of 1 corinthians wherein he be speaks of the gifts of the spirit and the fruits of obedience to the gospel which he taught jesus said ye cannot from gather ather grapes from thorns nor figs from thistles whistles es in the chapter I 1 have T tl ca read paul tells of the officers that exist in the church of god and of some of the doctrines of the gospel the latter day saints are of the same mind w with I 1 th paul and have the identical organization of which he speaks the glorious gifts of the spirit of which he tells are also believed in and enjoyed by the latter day saints these gifts are exercised only where faith exists these doctrines are strange to many who come to visit the saints where will lyou find them believed in and practiced outside of the latter day saints sainte not anywhere As hosea predicted there is a famine in the earth lor for need of the word of god the world at large say tb there ere are no prophets that those peculiar administrations ceased in the early days of the christian era surely this is the condition described by the apostle when he be said men would teach for the gospel the doctrines of men it ceia certainly I 1 I 1 is not ilot harmonious with that w which iab christs teachings teach I 1 bring forth amo among ng men it is that which haws has bee been n brought about by a departure from those teachings teaching the gospel of jesus christ includes all knowledge and intelligence it is a system of progression that embraces all truth the latter day saints believe that all denominations have some truth among them but that none outside of that church that god has organized possesses all truth his holy spirit does not testify of the truth of that which contains error so that all the different sects cannot have a testimony that they are true because none of them are strictly in accord with the truth there is but one church one plan of salvation that is recognized and approved of god if we desire to receive his blessing we should seek out and unite ourselves with that church then will the holy spirit rest upon us and if we follow it we will be guided into all truth then will the gift of prophecy be with us notwithstanding the tact fact that prophets are unpopular today god placed the various officers in the church and they cannot be changed by men those who desire salvation salvati on must come in at the door as jesus said peter tells this class that they should repent and be baptized and he promised them that they should receive the holy ghost this apostle had authority to make this declaration and he further stated that the promise was to all that the lord should call in the eighth chapter of the acts of the apostles it is recorded that philip had been baptizing in samaria but those whom he had ba baptized did not receive the hof holy y ghost why because philip had not authority to lay jay hands bands on them but besent he sent to jerusalem to peter and john and they came and laid hands on them and the hol holy y ghost rested upon them this laying on of hands bands for the gift of the holy ghost by those who have authority is one of the doctrines believed in by the latter day saints the world considers it a new doe doctrine trine but it is one that was taught by christ and those who were with him before his crucifixion this laying on of hands must also be by authority or the lord will not acknowledge it any more than he acknowledged the unauthorized baptizing which paul found had been done amborg the Ephe ephesians and which was without force so that he had to 1 them christ and his apostles taught faith repentance baptism for the remission of sins and the laying on of hands bands as the means b by which to g receive membership in the e church of christ I 1 testify that the these seare are princ principles ples of the gospel when we obey them we receive a testimony which no man can take away nothing but sin on our part can deprive us of that testimony the saints believe in all the teachings of the lord jesus and in nothing outside of the truth as revealed b by him for his gospel embraces 71 all truth and light I 1 exhort the latter day sal saints ants to walli walk in the paths of righteousness wo unto those who keep not the commandments of jesus christ wo unto those who remember not the sabbath day to keep it holy wo unto those who violate true principle in any way instead of trying to do right in all things but blessed are they who do tho the works of righteousness they who do will have with them the testimony of the lord and will partake of the glory that he will pour out upon zion I 1 warn you as a servant of god to avoid the paths of evil fear not those who work iniquity but turn to the lord with full purpose of heart remembering the judgments that have been visited upon those who were hypocrites and sinners I 1 say to you that god the eternal father and his son jesus appeared to the prophet joseph and revealed to him the gospel the saints know this to be true therefore they turn not when persecution is brought against them they are building on the rock of revelation and evil will not prevail over them those who seek to measure bands with almighty god will find that they have made a great mistake his purposes will be brought about and christ will come to reign on the earth as lord of lords and king of rings kings may we live in righteousness and baing forth fruit to the honor and glory of god I 1 ask strangers to bear a truthful report of the testimony they have heard among the saints and may the right triumph saints sainte endure your pains yet for a little season live pure just and upright A ht lives and the blessing of god avill will sanctify all for your eternal benefit the choir sang how beauteous we are their feet who stand on zions hill benediction was pronounced by patriarch john smith |