Show SUNDAY SERVICES The opening hymn at the services rn the Tabernacle on Sunday afternoon after-noon was the beginning Hark listen to the trumpeters I They sound for volunteers On Ziuns bright and fljwcry mount Behold the officers Prayer by Elder Theodore Mc Kean The choir sang the hymn beginning begin-ning Behold the great Redeemer died etc ELDER JOHN NICHOLSON addressed ad-dressed the congregation He rejoined re-joined at having the glorious privilege privi-lege of being identified with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints which has been restored through revelation from the Most High The saints claimed that God in this generation had raised up a prophet for the purpose of establishing estab-lishing his church on the earth for the last time If the saints position posi-tion was correct there must have been a departure in the world from the system that was preached by Jesus and his apostles anciently That there had been such a departure depart-ure should be plain to all those who read the sacred history The ancient system had in connection with it the principle of communication between be-tween heaven and earth Holy men wrote and spoke as they were I moved upon by the Holy Ghost n Inch was a spirit of revelation The officers of the ancient church enjoyed the gift and power 01 prophecy by which the church was governed When it was desired to receive the word of the Lord on anj subject the word was sought and obtained The organization 01 Christs church was made plain in the Scriptures and if it existed today to-day it would be similar in its organization organ-ization and its officers to what it was formerly The people now however almost invariably repudiate repudi-ate that organization the apostles the seventies the elders the gifts etc The fact was the churches of the world did not have those officers and gifts but that was no reason why they were not needed If we say they are no longer necessary then the ministry is no longer required re-quired for the gifts and powers were given for the prosecution of the work of the ministry All the gifts powers organization organ-ization and officers that belonged be-longed to the church anciently were necessary now and for the same purposes as they were formerly for-merly A church that claims to be 1 I the church of Christ but denies revelation rev-elation has not the holy ghost and its consequent gifts The true church of Christ had not been on the earth since revelation from God ceased and without revelation no man knows whether he is serving God acceptably or otherwise The spirit of revelation was a gift to the church as a whole and not to individuals indi-viduals excepting in one particular All thiugs I i elating to the govern n XUUAAU vra luw xitiJ xj CAO aLL JL l < llllLil lion must come through the head which now was President John Taylor But as to all else each person per-son was entitled to revelation for his own guidance The ancient aints looked forward to a realization realiza-tion of the promises given them from the earliest ages j that is when the Saviour would come and when there wouid be an era of mace inn all would know the Lord from the least to the greatest Some expected ex-pected that period earlier than tlu time appointed for its coming but Paul had said the day should not come until there had been a falling away from the church established by Christ and the apostles The saints say the falling away has occurred oc-curred and that there has been a restoration of the gospel which Christ said would be one of the signs of his second coming Christ said the gospel should be preached Ito I I-to all l the earth as a witness and l then should the end come The i principles and doctrines now being preached were identical with those taught by Christ and the organization organiza-tion of the church was the same today to-day as formerly hence the time of the second coming was near at hand this being the last dispensation PRESIDENT GEORGE Q CANNON follow saying the principles that 1 had just been advanced were so strictly in accord with those taught in ancient days that every one must b acknowledge that in order to have a L church of Christ there must be the I spirit of revelation In the Bible the record of Gods dealings with his people from the days of Adam down to the last apostle of Christ we are told that every man who was a follower of the Lord enjoyed the spirit of revelation There were any number of churches professing to be churches Christ saying the canon of scripture was full that all the revelations to be given by Christ had been given that God had ceased to speak and communicate his mind and will to his children that the channel of revelation had forever closed The natural conclusion con-clusion from reading the Bible is that every person belonging to the Church of Christ has the privilege of receiving revelation which was the distinguishing characteristic of Christs Church It seemed a singular sin-gular idea that God should leave his children to grope hi the dark without any means of learning his divine mind and will concerning the affairs of the earth Elder Cannon was happy that he lived in a day vhen God had again spoken from the heavens communicating his will to every person who humbly seeks for it It was cause for thanksgiving that a people had been gathered who were relieved from the dissensions concerning points of the doctrines of Christ It was a natural desire of man to know something of God and his plans of salvation and concerning concern-ing the future of mankind Because God does not coincide with mans idea of Him many deny that there is a God saying if there were one lie would certainly reveal himself We cannot comprehend God nor dictate to him the plan he shall pursue regtrding his children Men say it would be easy for him to reveal himself so that none could doubt When the saints preached that God had again revealed himself him-self they were met by the question why did he not appear to somebody or some people whose testimony would be accepted instead of to an ignorant boy in New York The same argument applies to Christ who was lowly and humble Gods ways of doing things do not comport com-port with mans ideas He had purposely J pur-posely thrown a veil Between himself him-self and the inhabitants of the ft t earth He had the power to reveal 1 himself to open the heavens and I show all that they contained his power was unlimited He petmitted i Aga fullinsider thataman fPJ 1Ji 1Jg nt ws ft purpose in this and God comprehended it all Christ was ordained to atone for the I fall from before the world God designed that we should come here struggle and contend con-tend with this probation with a little knowledge but he had promised prom-ised that to him that knocks the door shall be opened But he only revealed himself through the exercise exer-cise of faith if he showed himself as some desired there would be no faith Because we could not see God or hear his voice should we say there is no God Certainly not He would enable all to comprehend what was necessary for them to do And they would know and understand under-stand for themselves if they were faithful all that was good for them know They need not be in doubt When the gospel was restored to the earth and the elders went forth to preach it they found people ready to receive it earnestly pryIng for the restoration of the ancient order They felt that the religions of the day were deficient and not from God When they heard the teachings teach-ings of the elders and humbled themselves before the Lord they become be-come convinced that they had at last found the truth They forsook all to embrace the gospel of truth suffering social ostracism and persecution enduring all manner of hardships because they knew they were in the path of righteousness righteous-ness A brotherly feeling a spirit of unity brought them together and cemented them by a bond of union that could not be broken Nowhere else on the earth could anything like this brotherhood be found It was a foretaste fore-taste of heaven where it had originated orig-inated It takes faith and a great love of the truth to embrace the gospel which act carried with it so much hardship and suffering so much scandal and such malicious libels as were imposed upon and circulated cir-culated concerning the saints But the saints knew they had the truth and could endure whatever was put upon them through their adherence to the gospel They were striving to reject the evil influences of the world leading upright pure and righteous lives in the hope of obtaining ob-taining eternal salvation They know that God gave revelations and hat he answered the prayers of the faithful They had proven him It was his arm that had preserved and rescued them when it seemed there was no escape from destruction There had been no end to the plots for destroying the people and many attempts in that direction had been made but God was with them shielding them by his protecting hand The mobs the opposition and persecutions had served to purify the people and tiake them better binding them more closely together If everything did not go as they thought it should it wickedness did not cease they mght not to be discouraged It was their duty to withstand and combat evils doing all in their power to bring about righteousness but should not borrow trouble They could not do everything and should not be discouraged if they failed to accomplish all the good attempted i God overruled everything for the eventual triumph of good Elder Cannon urged the saints to be happy as they progressed When adversity ad-versity came they would be as well prepared to meet it as if they borrowed bor-rowed trouble from the future i l he choir sang the anthem < < Beautiful Beau-tiful are thy towers 0 Zion I Benediction Ben-ediction by Counselor D 0 Calder |