Show ex johns fine discourse MAN A LIVING SPARK OP GOD the to cje kegan aerated ly him on friday afternoon at 1 the serviced ser vicea over the remains of SIB ter mercy allin were held in the sec ward meetinghouse meeting house the place was filled with friends of the deceased counselors Coun selorA halladay conducted the services after appropriate singing by the choir and drayer by elder george elders A halladay walter scott edward coay and evan offered consoling remarks president D john then spoke on account of the fine discourse he gave we are compelled to give space to the following report of it if a man die shall ho live again is a question which has been discussed throughout all ages the affirmative firma tive on this question is assumed by all civilized nations although views and ideas assume many forms tho views of heathen nations in regard to the state of man after death are dark and undefined still it is borund that the generality of the human family are inclined to believe that the spirit of man survives his body and continues to live hereafter the love of life is planted in the human heart and leads to the hope that life will be perpetuated beyond the grave this hope is transmitted to the human mind by impressions of pa as well as from the nature and desires of the soul itself the chinese say when a person dies ho has returned to hi family the ideas of persians are whoever ihas lived in purity and has not suffered evil spirits to have any power over bliem passes after death into the realms of light socrates iu his last speech before he drank the poisoned aup said for we must remember 0 men that it depends upon bality of the soul whether we have to live to it and to care for it or not for the danger seems fearfully great of not caring for it yea were death to bo the end of all it would be truly a fortunate thing for the wicked to get rid ar their body at the same timo of their wickedness but now sinca tho soul shows itself to us immortal there can be for it no refuge from eail and no other salvation than to become as good and intelligible as possible the future state of mankind independent of the gross mortal decaying elements of nature is everywhere taught by reason and analogy and above all by the crowning and undisputed evidence of divine revelation the psalmist enquires what is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visit ets him wo are told by mosea that man was taken from the dust of the earth he is inferior to many animals in muscular strength still he was made king of creation and ruler over all things on this planet and god said let us make man in our image after our likeness and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of of the air and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that cree peth upon the earth so god created man in his own image in the hasage of god created he him male and female created he them the psalmist in part also answers his owa query wherein ho says for thou hast made him u little lower than the angels and hast crowned him with glory and honor thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands thou hast put all things under his feet the patriarch job asks what is thou magnify him and that thou sot thy heart upon him and that thou should st visit him every morning there is a wonderful between god and man which is eternal in its nature and which is based on a covenant of love and peace the imae of god is manifested in haman intelligence telli gence thus proving mans luperi arity over all earthly creation hy is a feeble being but he is a thinking being mortal cements may kill him yet he is greater than the elements for he is eternal an atheist may attempt to deny the existence of god and claim baff revealed religion is a myth skill the imprints within himself prove that ho is a spark of god that cannot bo destroyed he lives he moves by tho loving morcy of him whose existence he pretends to question we should bo thankful to god that ho hae revealed himself to u as well as the dignity and future conditions of men wo are called today to day to part for a season with one of our faithful sisters husband and children are caused to mourn wept at the grave of lazarus wo weep at the graves of our friends because we do not clearly see beyond tle grave but we have hope in the blessed promise of christ because Be causo i live yo shall live also the resurrection of our lord from the dead is the evidence of his divine it proves also his deity ana he had power over death and the grave it is an assurance of resurrection of all people bior if christ ba not risen then is our preaching vain and your baith is also vain this fact was declared aud understood al jerusalem in a lew days after his death and his dis pirlea were with forti a arde in the midst of bitter opposition rounded on this evidence the apostle joha says these things are written that yo may believe that jeans christ is tho son of god and that believing yon may have life through his name his enemies not satisfied with his death had undertaken to hold him in his grave they aard anto pilate sir we remember that that deceiver said while he waa yet alive after three days I 1 will rise again command therefore that the sepulcher be made sure until the third day lest his disciples come by night and steal him away and bay unto the people he has risen from the dead so that tho last error shall be worse than the first their request was granted the stone door of his resting place was sealed with the seal of the bomal government towards the dawn of the first day of the week ther was a great earthquake for the angel of the lord descended from heaven and came and rolled tho stone from the door and sat upon it his countenance was like lightning and his raiment white as snow it was supposed by some that his body was by his enemies by others that it was stolen by his friends bat the angel said fear not ye for I 1 know that ye seek jesus which was crucified ho is not here for ho is risen as he said come see the place where the lord lay ho was seen afterwards by his disciples at different times before his ascension and gave positive proof that he was the son of god the glorious results of his resurrection and the final work of redemption will be the universal resurrection of all men humanity perfected halted ex and glorified he that be in the son hath everlasting life if ye then be risen with christ seek those things which are above where christ on the right hand of god life eternal is the great end for which christ came into the gerld and for this purpose it was created but now is christ risen from the dead and became the first fruits of those that slept for as in adam all die even BO in christ shall all be made alive immortality is the original nature of man and the gospel and the ministry of christ brought it to light season conscience and will are eternal death cannot destroy them we shall live in acme condition or other with these attributes intact each one in the sphere which he haa prepared himself for As we have borne the image cf the earthly we must also bear the image of the heavenly christ died for our sins and rose again for our justification our immortality is evident but what kind it will be should be the chief concern of life the glory of redeemed and exalted beings babiles human under standing st john said beloved now are wo the sons of god and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but wa know that when he shall appear wo shall be like him for we shall see him as he is man is pre destina ted to be conformed to the image of the son of god this is his high destiny and this is one of the reasons that god is mindful of him and that the son of man visits him and this ia the reason also that if a man dies he shall live again benediction was pronounced by elder edward sister mercy allin was the daughter of mary and george kirby she was born at winchester hampshire england in 1829 in 1856 she was married to elder thomas allin on march she was baptized baptised sed at swansea south by elder john S lewis she emigrated in 1871 to pennsylvania coming to utah in 1873 settling in provo with her family in 1875 deceased had received her blessings in the house of the lord and departed in the full faith of coming forth in the morning of the first resurrection she was a consistent saint and will ever be remembered for her countless deeds of kindness may she rest in peace |