| OCR Text |
Show I Taberuaeje Meeting. I A larga congregation a-'-uil in lbs Tabernacle last Sunday. Tt.e firet speaker was Elder Jons Vcs-Qan. Vcs-Qan. He thought that one great testimony of the truth of the work in which the paints were engagtd, was the manner in which their meetings were conducted. Elders came into the congregation without the least anticipation of speaking, and were called upon with scarcely a moment's warning, to address a congregation ol 3.000, 5.000 or 6 000 people. To edily Buch a corgregatinn among the sects wouli require con-dderable pre paration on tue part ol the epeater He then referred to the latter part ol the biutory of Christ, involving bin crucifixion, and tbe feelings thai exKt d at the time of his martyrdom. Doubtless the people thought at tbe time that tbe doctrine would die out and its adherenU dwindle away. But Peter, after being duiy commissioned to preach the gospel told the people of the ascension of lbe Savior, an i siatbd that "ibe heavens musi contain nim Uutll tho limn nf thft refttnrattnn ot all ibingM." Now things could nm be restored which had never before heen popeeeeed. Tbe speaker then quoted largely from Ihe Old and New Testaments to show the pn existence of the Bpirits ol men. He Bhowtd thai the spirit was tbe intelligent part oT man, and that when it leaves the body it siill retains Us intelligence, and toes behind the vail to continue its wurk o( intelligent progression. He then referred to true lepentance. also to baptism for the remission oi sms, and lbo laying ou of hands for the gift ol the Holy Ghot. Ho luuulh mai me aosence oi mis oral nance and its glorious results, was tbe cause of the political weakness weak-ness and fearful lack of statesmanship among the nat'ons. Relerred to a conversation he bad with a religious leader in the east on the subject of ihe Holy Ghost teaching its possessors "ihings to oome." "Why," said the party ad dreBaed, "that would be prophesy; and il I should commence to prophesy they would kill me; I could not live here a week." "What, not- among Christians, with Bibles circulated everywhere?" "Nol they would never allow me to Hvb here if I snould prophesy." Theso were principles aud gifts and blessings that were being restored to tbe earth in our day, the "time of the reaiitu lion of all things." These were principles that were enjoyed in daye of old. Besides these, there was the authority io administer the ordinances ordi-nances ot baptism and the laying on of hands. "Some may disbelieve, but this does not aflect tbe truth of the fact." Ho bore bis testimony lo the restoration of these gilts in the latter days' What u singular proceeding it would be for about 500" learned men Irom the east to come- here and try by argument ar-gument lo convince us that there is no lake h re. that il is all delusion aud a myth, and then when they railed in argument, for them to Bay, "Well; if we can't convince you that you are wrong, we'll imprison and Sneyou, and peiaecute you until you coufess that you have been mistaken.'' This would be a singular proceeding, but no more so lhaa it is for people to uudertake the same treatment to couvince the Latter-day Saints that they do oat know thai God has e vealed to them the truth. Relerred to a gentleman in ihe east, to whom he had suggested th.t they should each take nis Bible, and search lor truth, and eann should accede every truth that the oilier discovered there recorded; io which the parsj replied, "I won't do it." Such people went by a cerinin discipline, and they did not want to nave their ideas overthrown, over-thrown, although they might be incorrect in-correct aod unreasonable. He prophesied prophe-sied the coutiuued growth and development de-velopment ol the latter-day work till Ziou should be "set upon a bill" aod all the world ehuuld see her glory. Elder C. W. Penrose then addressed ad-dressed the congregation. He rusted that lie should enjoy the spirit "thai giveth light" while speaking a short time to the people. He rejoiced that bo was identified wth tbe neo p!o of God, and was privileged lo live ou tbe earth when the lime bad come "lor tbe restitution of all things" enjoyed en-joyed by the ancieut saints, Relerred to the millennial reign that was about soon to commence oo the earth, when the Messiah would sit on his throoe, and the wicked oue and his hosts be banished from the earth. Touched on the harmony existing between the Bible and the Book ol Mormon, and aleo the revelations given in our day. Alluded to the dark condition of tho inhabitants of the earth, for God had withdrawn himself, as it were, from them, and they were ignorant that He was restoring all the gilts and ordinances of the gospel. The presidents of all the various dispensations had come and conferred the keys of these powers upon men living on the earth. Tbe speaker declared that he received Ihe gospel because he believed it to be true, he pinned his faith to no man'e aleevo, but depended upon God who bad revealed tbe truth to his mind: and be knew for himself thai it it was ' true. They had as yet received only 1 the droppings of the shower that was to come, and they were building a temole here for the purpoxe of recoiv I ing more of the great principles of 1 truth, some of which had not yet been revealed. The remarks of both speakers were very interesting, and t were listened to with the gieatest at s teutiou by the congregation present. |
