| Show THE SACRAMENT A Divine Institution and Its Observance REMARKS BY ELDER BY WATER It Should be Partaken oMInderstand Incly by the Saints A Few Words by Elder H G Park The services al the Tabernacle on Sunday Sun-day afternoon were begun by the choir and congregation singing the hymn commencing Great God attend while ZIon sings The joy that from Thy presence springs Prayer by Bishop McRae SingingYe Ye children of our God Ye Saints of latter days ELDEE GEORGE G BYWATER desire that the paayer of Bishop McRae might be answered and realized that the congregation con-gregation should be so conditioned as to be worthy of the blessings of heaven He had come up to the house of the Lord to worship the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and had no doubt those before him had done likewiseand hoped that all would experience the Spirit of God while congregated If they did this their coming together would not be in vain On the contrary without that Spirit there would be little or no benefit derived from their gathering gather-ing together Ic behooved every elder to so live and deport himself as to be ready at any and all times to respond to the calls of the priesthoed to be as it were a minute man and be ever ready to bear his testimony to the truth of the gospel to fit himself to instruct and teach the principles of life and salvation salva-tion He wished to direct attention to the Sacrament and what occasioned this Divine institution When Jesus was in the flesh and moved among the inhabitants inhabi-tants of the earth He revealed the principles of God He revealed the plan of the redemption of the human race who had fallen through the transgressions transgres-sions of our first parents We are informed in-formed that their disobedience of Gods commands resulted introducing every variety of evil and that death was the penalty of that disobedience It was also followed by a train of consequences conse-quences that places the world in an inextricable in-extricable and mysterious conglomeration conglomera-tion of conditions that often puzzles the human intellect to fathom We learn through the revelations of God that He had prepared a sacrifice from before the foundation of the wo Id in connection with which there were to be brought lortn ana estaoiisnea that wnicn would redeem mankind from the effects of the transgressions of Adam and EveAmong them was the atonement for sin by the shedding of blpod This was a doctrine plainly taught in the volume of Sacred History Tnis sacrifice was no less than the Son of God himself It was accepted ac-cepted by all who had an intelligent conception of the Dietv that it required infinite wisdom and almighty power to perfect this glorious plan of redemption Elder Bywater had metfew who denied the principle of the atonementbut they could not romprehend or explain its details They would submit that what God done He did well 89 was it with the creation and so also was it with the atonement Mankind in all generation genera-tion acknowledged principles and incorporated incor-porated them in their faith but were not willing to practice them in their daily lives The doctrine of the atonement atone-ment as recorded in history must be acknowledged as necessary to the salvation I salva-tion of the human family Jeans declared i that unless His followers ate of His flesh and drank of His blood l they should have no life The object of the Sacrament Sacra-ment was to memorialize the crucifixion The sacrifice was the event which the Saints commemorated every Sabath If any partake of the bread and water unworthily un-worthily they would eat and drink condemnation to their souls It behooved be-hooved all when they came together to partake of these elements that they see that their hearts are in proper tune It was an offering of love planned and Instituted by the Father of love None should partake who had malice or hatred in his heart as it was an em blem of love and forgiveness It was of vital importance that the Saints should understand this He apprehended that the shortcomings of the Latterday Saints were largely due to allowing their affections to be corroded by grasp ing aft < r money place and power that they had not been sufficiently inspired when they met by the spirit of the meek and lowly Jesus He said as a warning to ell that unless their hearts are free from covetousness the spirit of greed and avarice the love of riches the root of all evil the attaching of too much vanity to the acquisition of wealth their hearts would be turned from God their thoughts absorbed in the things of the world they would not be impregnated with iheSpintof God there would bean impoverishment i of good leeiing aim blessings and rewards As the indolent pupil neglected his studies so he lacked in proficiency at the endof his school days and so also would the neglectful Saint prove in regard re-gard to growth aud progress They must be diligent he continued if they would bp intelligent and blessed of God He did not ignore the acquisition of property and wealth it was necessary to be possessed to a certain extent in order that their nses may be known i but he deplored and decried idolatry in the matter of their accumulation The desire for wealth often creates questionable question-able means of obtamingit He impressed upon his hearers to love God and their I neighbors as themselves He could could not ask God to give him certain I gifts if he neglected his duties The Saints were counseled not to make idols of money and property to the extent of forgetting God to whom everything belonged It is forbidden by the Almighty Al-mighty and the Saints would be held accountable if they did so He Impressed Im-pressed once more the force of par taking of tho Sacrament with pure hearts and clean thoughts that through obedience to the laws and commands of God they might grow in grace ELDER HAMILTON G Pans spoke for a few moments but before doing So desired the Spirit of God to dictate him He had listened with pleasure to Elder Bywater and testified that his remarks were app liable to all Latterday Saints who were on the earth in a short probation and our heavenly I Father had revealed his mind and will l1 in regard to our daily walks and con veisition The love of God should be c t in everyones heart they should love Him with till their heart might mind and strength and love one another God would add unto all according as they deserved He considered those most foolish who barter their happiness and salvation for the things of this world those who act dishonestly In order to acquire wealth Those are wise who by love charity and wisdom help their fellows and lift up the human family they are laying up treasures in heaven where moths do not corrupt nor thieves breaK in and steal The gospel had found many in the old world who had gathered with the people to this western country How foolish for such to forsake the Lord their God and sacrifice sac-rifice eternal lifefor temporary accumulations accumu-lations which perish What shall it profit any if they owned Utah and the surrounding sur-rounding mountains with their wealth if they lost their souls Let all cultivate that love he said which was planted in their souls when they first heard the gospel j learn to know the will of God and do it according to the best of theirs their-s 111ty In conclusion he urged upon all to walk in the paths of God and learn of His ways He counseled the putting away of bickerings evil speaking etc the forsaking of sins and walking uprIghtly up-rightly before heaven The had enlisted to obey God let them do so and let others do as they listed build up the kingdom gather Israel from the four quarters of the earth that righteousness righteous-ness may fill the earth May the Lord help us to this great end Singing of the anthem In Thee Q Lord bv the choir and benediction by Elder Milando Pratt |
