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Show TABERNACLE SERVICES. The regular Sunday services of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, were held in the Tabernacle, on Sunday, Oct. 8th, 1882, commencing at 2 p.m. After the usual opening services. Elder James H. Wallis addressed the congregation on the necessity of every Elder in Israel, when called upon to address the Saints, enjoying the Spirit of the Lord, so as to be able to speak words of life and intelligence under its divine influence. For this reason the Elders usually, in their preliminary remarks, solicit of the Saints their faith and prayers, so that the united sympathy of both speaker and hearers might ascent to God for His divine blessing. And although this solicitation might seem a custom ?? by the Elders, yet it is necessary. An Elder arises to address a congregation of people, with whose wants he is unfamiliar, but as a father knows the requirements of every individual member of his family, so also does our Heavenly Father know the wants and necessities of His children upon the earth, and He uses the Elders as instruments or mouthpieces in His hands in communicating words of encouragement and consultation unto them. Therefore we can readily see the necessity of an Elder enjoying this spirit when called upon to speak. This is the same spirit that the disciples of Jesus were told to tarry at Jerusalem for, until the Lord bestowed it upon them from on high. When it came it proved itself to be a spirit of power and inspiration, as it invariably does, in all cases. We have often been told that we are a people more favored than any other upon the face of the earth. This is true. We have had more light and intelligence than any people. We have had prophets, patriarchs, and other good men who have been endowed with the Holy Spirit of the Almighty, and although our prophet and patriarch were taken away from us by the hand of persecution, yet we are not left by ourselves, but have men to lead us who are full of the Holy Spirit, and whose minds are opened up to the mind of God concerning His designs on the earth. We have been partaking of the sacrament of the Lord's supper,-the last ordinance our Savior established in His church prior to His crucifixion on the cross. He commanded His disciples to meet together often and partake of this ordinance; and in consideration of these injunctions we meet Sabbath after Sabbath and receive of the sacrament. Paul said, in his days, to some of the Saints, that if they ate and drank of the Lord's body worthily, they would receive of the Spirit of God, but if they did so unworthily they ate and drank condemnation to their own souls, not discerning the Lord's body. Some partake of the sacrament merely as a custom, having been used to doing so, right from the time they were very young. Such should strive to gain a knowledge as to the importance of understanding what they are doing. Others partake of it while they have malice and hard feelings in their heads against their brethren and sisters; while other receive of this ordinance, at the same time knowing they were neglecting their duties and doing evil in the sight of God. Such should forsake their ways and turn unto the Lord. It has been through this that so many who have gathered in Zion have apostatized. They have neglected their meetings, their prayers, and their duties in general, and their minds have therefore become darkened concerning the work of God, and they have turned their hand from the gospel plow. The Speaker then bore his testimony concerning the truth of the gospel and the divine mission of Joseph Smith, and prayed the Lord to bless and comfort Israel. Elder Franklin Merrill alluded to the embarrassing position be occupied in addressing the congregation, and craved interest in the prayers and sympathies of the Saints. Said he felt a weak instrument in the hands of the Lord in doing much for the edification of the Saints; yet he had proven, from personal experience, that when an Elder feels weak, and realizes he needs the assistance of the Almighty, then he is the strongest; but as soon as he thinks he can do it all himself, then does he find he is the weakest of all men. As an illustration of this fact the speaker alluded to a conversation he once had with a professed minister of the gospel of Christ. When he was introduced to him first, he then realized his humility; but the knowledge that he had the priesthood and had been called of God made him strong, and he refuted all the arguments the minister could produce. The speaker then ?? at some length upon the establishing of the kingdom of God upon the earth and the time to come when Jesus will descend and reign upon the earth as king of kings and Lord of lords, when the Saints shall be His subjects, and when all things shall be in subjection to the Priesthood of the Almighty. We should use all the opportunities we have for the building up of the kingdom of God, and we should understand fully our privileges in relation to our political situation. The political economy of God should be a great subject of our study, as we cannot become too conversant with such a theme. Elder James A. Leishman, in a few concluding remarks, alluded to the rottenness and corruption of the systems of religion at the present, and at the efforts the nations of the earth are making to try and overthrow the purposes of the Almighty, but bore a testimony to the effect that they would never do so. |