Show PREST JACOB GATE discourses ON THE BY atie present trials to eternal clooj the usual sabbath services of the church of jasus christ of latter day saints were hold in the meeting hausl on sunday afternoon at 2 the choir sang praise w the loid my heart shall join in arks so pleasant so divine prayer was offered by elder S S jones the choir sang on eliat dark that solemn night when lowers of earth and hell irose the sacrament was administered by the bishopric of the first ward PRESIDENT JACOB GATES considered it a gratifying privilege to meet with alio saints and talk to a body to whom only the lord speaks ana with whom only the lord is pleased and yet in my reflections I 1 sometimes wonder if the lord is always pleased with us as a people certainly the plan of salvation we have embraced is worth our whole attention yet we are prone to deviate somewhat from the path of truth and do those things that god has commanded us not to do there is a promise to the meek that it they will be faithful they will inherit the earth this is certainly a glorious blessing there are many who do nofa own a foot of land who would feel blessed most abundantly if they inherited a small parcel of the earth men pay a large price for u piece of real estate but we have the promise recorded blessed are th mock for they shall inherit earth if we so live as to enjoy the spirit of god that spirit will not leave us in darkness it will not leave us in uncertainty it will remind us of that covenant we made with christ when wo went down in the waters of baptism and took us his is not only necessary that wo partake of the sacrament sabbath after sabbath but wo see to it that wo partake of it ly and with an oyo single to the glory of the lord we must not be fault finding we must not of th sacrament haing feelings in oui hearts against our brother if we should partake of it in this condition wo eat and drink condemnation to our own soul not discerning lords body when the savior wa hero upon the earth he in his reflections enquired referring to the kimt when ho should como again the son of man find faith on earth it was very evident that he could see when he should come th second time to earth that would be jargon and contention tha there would be a falling away men having itching cars who would turn away from tho truth and listii unto cables the prophet malachi bays that he will send his gebsen ger before him to prepare his wa and who shall withstand his corn mgt he will not bo bom in a man ger when he comes again but F will be as a re finers fire and fullert fu llort soap and tho wicked ahall be utterly consumed are we prepared for this great time if we aro not ie us go to work and sanctify ourselves before the lord let us bo clothed upon with that immortal power the holy spirit of god that we may bo as a city set upon a fiill choso whoso light cannot be hid that men seeing our good works kiy be led to glorify our father which is in heaven in reflecting upon the dealings of god with his ancient people israel we find that he become discouraged at the idea of sanctifying sanctify ing them so thai they could enter into his rest and he swore in his heart that they shoula not enter into that rest I 1 sometimes ask whether lord wi bo moro lenient witt israel in this day if wo do no purge ourselves of wickedness anc rise up in the strength of god and d what jehovah requires at our hands shall wo fold our hands and say zion prospers all is well whilo wi syo all around us alio hosts of tho de arrayed against this people shall wo straddle the fence and war until we see which bide is going to b on top in tho fight or shall wo bi firm and steadfast as the rock of gib baltar not in the least ashamed that wo have boon gathered from tho ends of tho earth to be exalted above the hills and to whom all nations shall flow I 1 sometimes think we have lost that fire that spirit that wo obtained when wo were baptized when the elders of god laid their hands upon our heads and said receive ye the holy ghost are we only like tha sectarians sect arians we hope were right or have we got the surety that this is the work of god if we have not lot us enter into our closets and seek a testimony from the lord paul said was written aforetime was written for our learning and it is BO there are innumerable channels of communication and god requires that wo go to work and feed our spirits our intellects on that eternal food that emanates from the lurd shall wo sit down and pino simply because the sky looks a little dark and gloomy and because wo are tola there are sixty million pi people to crush us out if wo will not forsake and renounce principles of life and exaltation revealed from heaven who are these sixty million of people they are all in the hands oi sod just as wo are and he can turn them he will he has before today to day mae the wrath of men to praise him we ire going to stay in these beautiful valleys just as long as the lord wants us to president young once said when wo move again our course will be toward jackson county I 1 felt when I 1 heard him to say in my heart amen some have consoled themselves with the thought the lord dela yeth his coming this is not so when he does come he will come as a thief in the night no man his coming not even the angels in heaven let us regulate our lives by the rules laid down in the book of life and judge ourselves for paul has said he that vill judge himself shall not be judged let us all of us purge out iniquity and then wo will have no need to ask our neighbor know ye the lord for all will know him from the greatest to the least righteousness is yet to cover the earth as the waters cover the mighty deep lhnn there will bo but one lord one feitli and one baptism how will this all bo brought about i simply by the saints living their re 1 ligion becoming united and serving ho lord wo have every aid to help accomplish this we have the priesthood of god and can demand power that the outside world nothing about let us show to god angels and men that we are in reality what we profess to be latter day saints in word and deed after nearly fifty five years of experience in this I 1 still rejoice in the lord and in his cause 1 can still bear my testimony to the truth of the gospel as revealed through joseph smith and know that biere is power in the principles of eternal life great and glorious blessings are in store for israel and zion and if we live according to the plan as laid down we will reap the reward of the faithful as the lord liveth the choir sang the anthem jehovah benediction was pronounced by elder karl G maeser |