Show THE PAST wig WE ame ABE inclined t to believe that as a religious community the lat ter day saints do not pay sufficient fent attention to the lessons afforded by sacred history A careful perusal permal of the records of the people of god in pantages pae past ages enables those of thear the present to see clearly the rocks upon which alio h they split it is difficult for people to take lessons from what has bas occurred in the distant past pan but it is I 1 very profitable it is exceedingly necessary that the elders be oon con reminded that they should not be mere men of the world but servants of god entrusted with a high and noble calling in the establishment lish ment of divine truth amongst mankind one of the most formidable obstacles in the way of the exercise of that calling is the placing of too great values upon material things when this to is done those whose bent Is ia in that direction are liable to forget that there is a world groping in darkness requiring the light to be disseminated in their midst it is often the case that where there is an am absorbing search after riches there is a commensurate growth of pride which to is an abomination in the sight of the almighty the latter day saints have been warned against those two obstacles to spiritual growth groth the lord having said add to the church through joseph the prophet beware of pride lest leet ye become like unto my people the Nep hites of old if there were no danger of the church becoming tainted with those conditions in these days there would have been no need for the expression of this solemn warning A wealth seeking wave as to Is notoriously known has passed over this land during the last two tivo or three years there appears to be no diminution of it it increases in volume we should as a oom consider whether tot or not it has struck the latter day saints to any extent an analysis odthe of the situation would deteel assured result in an affirmative conclusion I 1 n u the history of thia the ancient people pleto to whom the lord referred in this connection these there are some clear delineations of the condition in that respect that existed amongst them the almighty found it necessary through his servants to sharply rebuke them because of their forgetfulness of his laws and statutes conspicuous among these instances Is that given in the book of jacob that prophet was commanded by the lord to go up into the temple describe to the people their misdeeds reprove them and call upon them to repent we here introduce from the book of mormon a portion of his discourse qa Z and now behold my brethren this is the word which I 1 declare unto you that many of you have be 1 gun to search for gold and for silver arid and all manner of precious ores in the which this land which is a land of promise unto you and to your seed doth abound most plentifully fuli M 13 and the hand of providence hath smil smiled U upon n you most pleasingly that you have obtained many riches and because some of you have obtained more abundantly than your brethren ye are lifted up in the pride of your hearts and wear stiff necks and high heads because of the costliness of your apparel 1 and a n d persecute your brethren ca because us e ye suppose that ye are better than they 14 and now my brethren d do ye suppose that god d justi fieth you in this thing behold I 1 say unto you nay but he condemn eth you and n if ye persist in these thin things I 1 his judgments must speedily come un unto you 15 0 that he would shew you that he dan can pierce you and with one glance of offis his eye he can smite you to the dust d st 16 0 that I 1 he would rid you from this iniquity and abomination and 0 that tha ye e would listen unto the word of M his commands and let not this pride of your hearts destroy your souls 17 think of your brethren like unto yourselves and be familiar with all and free with your substance that they may be rich like unto you 18 but before ye seek for riches seek ye for the kingdom of god 19 and after ye nave have obtained a hope in christ ye shall obtain riches if ye seek them and ye will seek them for the intent to do grood good to clothe the naked and to fee feed the hungry and to liberate the captive hunger and minister administer 1 relief to the sick ad and the afflicted 20 and now my brethren I 1 have spoken unto you concerning pride and those of you which have afflicted your neighbor and persecuted him because ye were proud in your hearts of the things which god hath given civen you what say ye ve of it 21 do doye ye not suppose that such things are abominable ble unto him who created all flesh and the one being Is as precious in his sight as the other and all flesh is of the dust and for the selfsame self same end hath he created them that they should keep ills file comm commandments nd ments and glorify him forever 51 Is IB it not appropriate in view of the warning given to the latter day saints through the prophet joseph respecting these things that we examine the present situation and ascertain by honest scrutiny and j just u at criticism of our condition whether there is any resemblance between it und and what was sharply reproved by the prophet jacob if there is a resemblance then the sooner this community sets themselves to work to make instead a wide distinction the better |