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Show BELIEF AND UNBELIEF IN GOD. i JJKFORE TIIK WASATCH LITV KllAnY!Ais'OCIATIONv. . ' : ' This may seem a peculiar theme for one of so little experience as iriyself to comment upon, ye! in Consider;' tiou of rii'y into rbst upon the subject it is not at all iriap- pMpriate." i fl ri d 1 ere a re many whose rrii nds ough t Jo4o-firmlestablish oh this matter, who ; 1 11 verandflbdbtand -"-- query nd wonder and do eveVjthlhg,:alihbsf,--'excep'rjumblo t hemsel ve$-a- n d ';a3k : h frorii d IvInoT a' elp source; even this it will be said requires some faith'in God lb do, arid This belief it will be avcrreuT-- 3 not Strong' enougirinlhe heart to warrant It. Then; there is something serious the-- ' matter; for every Intelligent person is born with7 'inherent prirjciples of reverence for a Supreme' Being, unless they are heathen who Worship ' idols, or perhaps in rare instances ;tho children of ungodly ; ' ,. ? ; strive with man." The pathway of duty is the safest road to happiness, and wo owe a duty to our repay if we parents which werean-nev- er grieve them through unbelief, This should make us cautious in acccepting any other principlesunless we could feel assured within ourselves that we should through those - earliest childhood to.believc in Godand it is something which wd should' cultivate' and retain after we arrive at yparspf discretion, Instead "bf encouraging doubt and uncertainty upon the subject and arguing to find 7 fpU t wlietherwe rcallyareHbelievers --or not . y The great end and afyn of life (very gen-orall- concealed) Js the pu'rsu it of happiness ( ihe : 1 may through their own attain the " highest degreo of gloryagency and everlasting "happiness: Terhaps you will say I have 4,fiakeri'the ground that there is a God with, out proving it. I grant you so much, for : there i3 a testimony ofllis existence dwelling within mc 'which' It shall be my first duty to retain. This very w itness, or faitli which I have in Ilia existenco, aids me in .contemplating Ills purposes, in understand. ing some littlo of His laws and the principles laid down lor those to' follow who would be like unto Him and arrive to that ; perfection which should, in my opinion, he , - principles become capable of doing a greater amount of rral good. I know it is customary to talk of being led blindly, and having no knowledge lor what sound reasoning is there for the sceptic? Is not that all uncertainty and doubt? And supposing even one actu. ally reasons one's self out. of the belief in God what comtort or satisfaction is afforded by it or what benefit is it to mankind? On the other hand the consciousness of the hope one has in the justice and mercy of an alwiso Father and His Constant watch-car- e and guidance which will not allow even a; sparrow to fall to tho ground .with, out His notice, is always under all circumstances of however painful, or distressing a nature, a solace and panacea which affords ' more real consolation than all other things without it. Too much controversy stupefies us, and WP may bo overwhelmed with' a confused ' j qui ble of sophisms and truths and be so perplexed thereby as to distrust everybody, which would be the most dangerous state of the human mind.' We who live in tho days of Gospel light, whose parents have -sought so faithfully to train us up in the nurture and and admonition of the cannot afiord to wander after the doctrines and theories of men and forsake .the Lord and His ways. Therefore we should seek to retain the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, : whom Jesus said He would send to guide ... ..... us into all truth. ono's-self,b- the whblo world will te)l' you there is neith-e- r philbsbphically, looking forward to that happiness in the eternal, which shall more than ' compensate us lor endurance of trials here. t rAuthor of our existence would not Without a law, when He l13 children ' lias so firmly fixed the laws and order of all inanimate thing3, so that they fulfill the 'laws of their creation .and bring forth in duo season and keep their appointed times. Judging from nature as we term it, we may draw this conclusion, that a God who would so carefully devise and plan the workings of the most minute specimen of that which not an Immortal gem, would by "'possesses ' His card for thatwhich must exist3 forever, ' devise tno most perfect laws by which they ut -- ; : i . -- Ird, . Salt Lake City, Dec. G,1S7G, For tho Expos ext. WOMAN. ; ourliighest emulation. I can 'see no beauty, no nhappiness, , : - nnbo-- y lief; consequently, to my mind (ho very .idea tonds downward. vJhero arc so many HU and crones in iifr, so many 'disappointments, so much that is disagreeable and unpleasant to bo borne thatonoftecds all the. stimulus of tho nt ! bleSt qualities and highest aims to pas through life unscathed. There' arc besct- inents On ever hand to draw aside the tm. wary; and "tempt them from the paths v( rectltudo and honor; and lrjman nature is weau ana prone to err; tli- -. ro (hm v ; - merit of any sort hi , . - Inr this kingdom "aaro"hnHaqgfiffromrour perfect rest nor happiness upon this earth in its present condition. Then shall wo admit we arc pursuing a phantom which eludes us when seemingly ' within our grasp, or shall wo so harmonize ourselves with pur Individual being and surroitndings as' fp be able to bear alf thing need of some strong support and where does it lie?' Can wo find balm inGHead? Is there perfect trust in any source except our faith in God? I think not. Death may snatch from us the nearest and dearest treasures, those in whom wo place the most implicit confidence often prove false to us in our irreatest needurJiearts misgtvi feeling our weakness and insufficiency, and unless we have faith in God we are liable to - y fall, at any moment. Therefore my friends and ' companions, you whose welfare here aud hereafter is dear to me (and I trust, to one another,) let :me entreat you not to allow yourselves to get into darkness and unbelief,lestin an evil hour the Holy Spirit which has been given to all who have obeyed the Gospel, should be grieved away and you be left to wrestle with tempations, alone, unaided by Him Who has said 'Mills spirit will net always ; y va EXPONENT. WOMAN'S ill 10 How few there are who realize that every thought, word or deed go to mako up their general appearance and true character, and leave tleir inevitable mark upon their faco a.swellas help clothe the soul in light which Is from God, or darkness which comes from a depraved condition ofonly the - heart. . ; How few there are that can conceive the good or evil that may comb from even secret thoughts, the influence of which arc as lasting as time, and may be as boundless as eternity. She that thinks, talks and acts nobly, she that strives to live up to her high privilege, she who is truly what God made her, a Woman, is oneof the greatest works of the Creator, a' blessing to all both high and low; her influence for good Was Dounaiess as ine sun ugm, im ner power is something wTottdorful. Look at a true woman as wife, mother, or sister, and say hat ean-bwho can weigh her power, for though she rules with love which' is God-likyet her love Is more po werful than the sword er all the engines of death combined. When in her presence we feel her hallowed influence, and though we may butlook upon her, we go away feeling truly blessed that we have been permitted to receive of that wealth of loveliness which cau only come from a pure fount, and we in a measure impart to others the sweet influence which lingers with us, blessing those with whom wo associate-Whwoman should be called "the weaker sex" I know not, unless it be her deep and pure love which gives her the lasting faith (of which men so frequently take the ad, vantage) ;fbr she being pure thinketh no evii, until her eyes are opened to see that sh9 like "Another Eve,, has been deceived by Satan appearing in form of man instead of a serpent, and when once deceived she is often left like the vine torn by ruthless hands,dragged from its loftyplace upon the branches of the towering oak where it has climbed io hask in the warm sunlight, to the ground from whence no one cau replace it, or even tries to lift it up, and ia left to bo trampled under foot and die. Thus is woman when betrayed ant Jpft with no one but God to pity or see that a soul is lost or saved, and though she lies far beneath the sphere for which she was, made, like the flower that in being crushed imparts its rich perfume even under the foot of its de. stroyer,her soul ofttimes goes out in earnest prayer in behalf of him who has brought her low he whom once she loved as only ou e, y . , woman can love. But what is woman to man? To some she is only a toy to be put aside When tired of; to others she is a gay butterfly whose colors they admire, to another she Is but an object of convenience to keep his home in order and attend to his every care and want; to some she is a pretty thing as is a favorite horse or deg, for her sweet face or form which others admire, ho is proud to say she is his wife, and to the man whcan appreciate her, woman is what vegetation is to the earth, what the sun is to the flow, er, what tho rose is 'to tho thorny bush, what the diamond is to the gold in which it is set, or what tho sight is to the eye. She is what God intended he. Jo be, a part of his very life, that abundantly enters into all that is good in him faring an impression for both time and eternity. The chords of her pure love twine around his hearfand bring out his noblo manhood," raising his aspirations to things that arc great and good, and when ho is about to faint or fall, she in her rich wearth of goodness imparls to him of her strength of soul by her helping hand, encouraging words, good counsel, or by but a look' from the love.Iit eys, (which appear to him the windows of heaven) and he is encouraged to mako a greater struggle, strengthened by the aid of her noble nature, and perchance attains the goal which may be his salv' ation0' :-- ; ; . A man's name, often goes forth as one ot tno crrcat and honAralIo mon hf his nVe. by the help given him through woman's influence; or if he stands among men as docs tho giant of the forest among its smaller neighbors, and by storms of adversity is felled to the gruun I, she, like the vine which'stil! |