Show OH the book ELDER BULLOCKS REMARKS president Sni exhort Jati onto the saints 9 the usual sabbath services of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints wore held in the meetinghouse meeting house on sunday afternoon at 2 president A 0 smoot presided the choir sang ill praise my maker while ive breath and when my voice is lost in death prayer was offered by elder andrew watson the choir sang 0 lord of hosts we now invoice thy spirit most divine the sacrament was administered by the bishopric of the second ward ELDER ISAAC BULLOCK addressed the meeting and desired that the spirit of god might rest on those present as well as himself it is written in the chapter of isaiah that a certain book should come forth isaiah lived about years B C and he said then that when that book should come forth the people would draw near to the lord with their aipa while their hearts should be far from them This book should lie delivered to the learned to read but the learned would answer 1 I cannot read it for it is sealed the book is then delivered to the unlearned but he replies 1 I cannot read it for I 1 am not learned isaiah says that then the lord would proceed to do a marvelous work and a wonder the speaker alamed clamed that the book which isaiah referred the book of mormon and said that he was a witness of a great many of the fulfillment fulfilment of those prophecies of which isaiah speaks there are a great many more prophecies yet to be fulfilled given through him asikis Asi his gospel commenced to be preached after this book came forth many received it with greaton eatoy gr they had a desire to come to the mountains of zion they had a desire to walk in the ways of the lord we leam that at the time when this book should come forth israel should be gathered and hence the desire by those who receive the testimony to come to these valleys although so much concerning the gathering of israel has been spoken yet we find that but a few are meek enough to give the question any consideration the great majority of the people hold their heads too high hence we are promised that it is the humble class that should receive the gospel why the very name of latter day saint or mormon will cause some people to say we dont want anything to do with it there are verv few corn ively who will reflect upon this latter day work one of the old prophets said many are called but few are chosen why are few chosen because the majority set their hearts upon the things of the world and the honors of men paul asked the question of israel 1 I claim I 1 am speaking to israel what advantage hath the jew to them partain the giving of the law now I 1 will ask the game question when shall their rulers be restored again we are told they shall be trodden down of the gentiles until the time of the gentiles is fulfilled the israelites are now being gathered and although israel is cast down and looked upon with scorn and the tongue of slander is rife against them they have the temples of god where they can perform their holy ordinances isaiah saw and predicted that the multitude of the nation that figh teth against zion shall be as a man that drea meth that be leateth and he and is faint you see it id net merely one it is a multitude multi ude the prophet says the hail and storm shall sweep away the refuse and the hars now would you rather be classed among the meek and the lowly of the earth or would you rather be classed among those that john saw that were swept away through the wrath of goj where can you find a people that believed in dreams visions revelations elat ions and so forth and were not persecuted As the world bated the chosen of god in olden times so must they be persecuted in this day those who receive the gospel know what powers of darkness they must fight against this is why we were persecuted in missouri and illinois and is another evidence of the prophecies of isaiah it is the cunning of the evil one to draw us away from god satan knew well when he tried to tempt the savior what he was doing he wanted to win him over to his si to effect this purpose was willing to give him the whole world the meek and the hamble latter day saint will not be turned any more th an jesus was that ie in proportion to his strength thero may be some of the latter day saints thinking too much odthe things of this world and the honors of men instead of the kingdom of god then they are the ones who are called but are not chosen As many of the gentiles as will repent and bo baptized are of the kingdom of god for all persona ba they bond or free jew or gentile who will repent and be baptized are the covenanted of god and to those who have received the priesthood let me ask should you grovel in ake dust or should you gird on your armor I 1 say put op the whole armor of god and fight valiantly for the truth can yon comprehend my brethren thia great and marvelous work and the power that must ba exercised if you can then those holding the priesthood should purify their hearts i do away with their selfishness and back biting and pray tor those that despitefully use them we cannot become perfection in one day in the farat place every man should put himself straight and then set his house in order if we would all try to do this we would all havo the strength and faith promised us bv god PRESIDENT SMOOT thought it was good to have our minds stirred up occasionally casio nally concerning ancient prophecies phe cies isaiah is not the only one that has very clearly predicted concerning the bringing bri aging forth of the book of mormon job ezekiel moses and others had referred to thia event judah held the sceptre until the shiloh came but after that the stick of ephraim being the records of israel on this continent completed the chronicles of gods hand dealings they were here written and here hidden away in the hill cumorah what is better still as an evidence of this great work god has espoused is the perfect organization of his kingdom that exists embracing prophets seers revelatory revelators priests teachers and deacons each officer having his own sphere of action all people who are acquainted with the government of this people concede it to be the most perfect ever known if we adhere to the teachings of the fine shepherd of israel wo will be one and it is the mission of those holding the priesthood to see that the saints are one and that there is no backbiting back biting or wickedness of any kind jesus said my sheep know my voice and a stranger they will not follow they will not hearken to the voice of strangers then ask yourself the question do we hearken to the voice of the shepherds of israel or do wo hearken to the voice of strangers now there is much solicitude felt among the shepherds of israel today to day for the sheep god has entrusted to their care are we doing our duty are we building temples if we aro in the line of our duty it is well with us it is profitable that the lord should provide us with a beautiful zion for it was on thia continent the former was built and it is here that the latter day zion will be erected the myriads of our kindred and friends who are looking to us as saviors upon mount zion will rejoice when the thousand years come and we can work for them in the temples of our god that the saints might so conduct themselves to be there was the prayer of the speaker the choir eang the anthem glory to god benediction was pronounced by elder daniel graves |