Show SUNDAY SERVICES pros Sni sound counsel to the saints HE EXHORTS THEM TO RETURN TO THE LORD elder 31 W speaks upon the persecution of tiie ilin ali from mondays D VILY the usual sabbath services acro held at the bousu housu yesterday yeat erday the choir sang lord we force al tin feel we humbly bow prayer was offered by elder J P gates jr the choir sang he died the great deemer Ite aud israels daughter wept around the sacrament was administered ly the bishopric of the first ward elder 31 L pratt said these are perilous times yet there is no cause for tear on the part of the latter day saints we do not know what the future may hold in store for us hut wo know that if we are faithful we will have the assistance si stance of the lord and will come out victorious do you suppose that old Luci fier does bot know his time is getting short alien he sees temples being reared why he knows that his days are numbered and he is striving to make the best 61 them I 1 siope we will be found on the right side for blessings have been pronounced upon our heads that will be fulfilled if we are faithful when we look upon this congregation and see that nearly every seat is filled what is the natural question Is it cot as to whether we have come out to serve alie lord the congregations of the saints are growing larger and it is a good sign in the fourteenth chapter of revelations john has written fear god and give glory to him for the idour of liis judgment is come we have gathered out from the nations of the earth coming here with the supposition that we would be remitted to servo god according to the dictates of our conscience for years wo were allowed this privilege but as we grew in numbers and gathered wealth around us we began to forget the lord it was the same with the Nep hites when they were left in peace awhile and began to bo prosperous they entirely overlooked the fact that god was the giver and the Lama were permitted to come upon them and bring them back to a remembrance mem brance of their god it is the same in this day I 1 do not think we have been living up to the commandments of alie lord I 1 feel somewhat guilty nry self and often wonder if the cry was to 10 lo the bridegroom corabeth co how many of us would have oil in our lamps and be prepared to go out to meet him have we paid a just tithing as merchants mechanics and farmers into the coffers of the lord we can be our own judges in this matter we must attend to our meetings and our prayers do we call our children and family around us in the morning and evening for family devotion this is our duty as well as a privilege and then again have we visited the poor the siuk and afflicted are we speaking good of alie servants of god or are we speaking ill of them these my brethren and sisters are some of our duties some of our essential duties this nation makes the proud boast that it accords the greatest religious freedom under the sun and yet it seems from every appearance that all of our rients are to be taken from us in the language of heber J grant it seems that the only privilege we will be allowed is to pay our taxes and die but there is a court above that wo can appeal to and there we will be sustained there are millions in the united states that really do not know what they are doing they hear nothing but evil reports about ua and from them alone do they draw their conclusions we are too small in numbers to demand our rights but we will appeal to god and I 1 have faith that our prayers will be heard and eliat the lord will put it into the hearts of the people of this great nation to give us our lights we cannot measure swords with the government neither do we want to we simply stand on equal ground as common citizens and appeal for our rights president A 0 smoot quoted the saying of the savior he that liveth godly in christ jesus must suffer persecution se when jesus sojourned sojourn ed upon alie earth in the meridian of time there were a great many religions es tant the devotees of which stood upon street corners and made long prayers thanking god eliat they were not like other men these same religionists professed to believe in ahe ancient prophets and yet they took jesus and crucified him we have been warned by joseph and the other prophets of these day eliat bus now come jebus also warned the concerning this time it is vain for the latter day saints to suppose that wo will glide smoothly along hand in liand with babylon andyes be called the people of god the anem is on alie aler tAll alie nations of alie earth ao a o fighting against zion we have been driven from city to city from county to county and from state to state until we were finally expelled from civilization we rested our feet upon Mexican soil but our enemies have followed us we raised the stars and stripes on ensign peak and on capitol hill we rever our forefathers for that matchless instrument the constitution ution of the united states under which document god has reared his churchard chur chand under which instrument we will still seek protection what have we done to grieve alie lord we jiahe not paid our and our offerings we have for potton his commandments while he has blessed us in our outgoings and in our ings we ibave like ephraim of old grown fat and kicked we have invited babylon into our midst and we have j joined hands her the covenants made with our god have been forgotten hence god lias suffered up to pass into the hands of the gentilla Gent ilca perhaps if wa should return to the savior and do his will god would again fight oar bata ties when we read the history of our what do we find do we see of israel seeking first the kingdom of god and other things after perhaps BO in some cases amt I 1 am afraid not in the majority of instances teacher does not attend to his doties lie does not seek the welfare of zion and so with the elders the bishops and even ap to the presidency of the stake higher than this I 1 will not go but J havo a right to speak of the presidency of the stake of the high council of the bishops and the lesser priesthood vor ship the things os thia world and civo them more attention than we do the things of god wo aro in n fair way to be chastised when we have accumulated riches without the protecting of god they will be like the dews from the heaven liable to be melted bv the rising sun president brigham oung established societies in our midst for our own fashions and styles but his counsels were ignored the sons and daughters of zion sought to follow babylon can we not trust god brethren and sister and let hun add riches to us do we build temples not many do we send our children to latter day saint schools some of us do we pay our tithes and our offerings vo pay them a little wo want to fast and pray tomorrow to morrow and reflect on these ti lings tomorrow to morrow is the birthday of the prophet seer and revelator rov elator joseph smith and he will no doubt be looking down upon ug brethren cease associating with babylon and tipping the cup with her followers for I 1 feel alarmed let us put down all evil in our midst some even go so far as to advertise mask balls even christianity has aside told the manager of the theatre that if masked balls were held in that building I 1 should withdraw as a stockholder daughters of zion spurn these mask balls if you attend them you disgrace yourselves let us come here tomorrow to morrow and fast and pray and rely upon the arm of the lord the choir sang an althem glory to god benediction was pronounced by pro aident david john |