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Show SUNDAY SERVICES. Three SpraVers Occupy the Mand at the Tabcnucle. Religious services were held at the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday, Sept. 21st, 1S93, commencing commenc-ing at - p. m., Counselor Charles W. Penroe presiding. Thecholranl congregation satig: Wfctre tbevoke of fnenathiji'a btard, boaodla; hie a tartct-tontd bird. Prayer by Patriarch A. H. Italelgh. The choir saug the hymn: Well sinx, all bait to Jes nave; ltooor aad praue ire aire. The Priesthood of the Klglilet iith Ward ouiciated In tho administration administra-tion of the Sacramsnt. ELOEK WILLAltD DONE was first called upon to c iieak. He said the work in which the latter-day latter-day Saints were engaged was of an individual as well as of a collective character, for it was owln to the In. dividual efforts of those who had taken upon themselves the name of Christ that the successor that wurU, the Sitiril or God, and the testimony of Hh Pciuthoad had been enable 1 to remain with the Church during the trying scenro through which it had tossed. There had never been a time, he believed, In tho hlitory of this tjple when there was greater necetlty for care and faith. fulness on tho part of the Siints of G1 than now. The Ciiur.-'i was passing through the narrows an l had doubtles reached that stage 1 1 lie hUtory when God would try all His people, as He bini-elf had expressed ex-pressed it, to the very cort He 'x-lleved 'x-lleved that each member of the Church and Kingdom of God would be tried on thui-e points in uhich ho is the weakest, and therefore it b-hoved b-hoved everyone of us, when strengthened In the testimony of the Spirit, to kx that ojr actions are In accord with the Spirit of God and with the commands which our Heavenly Father had given to his children upon earth. IspecUllr should this be the case with tliOMi who bear the Priesthood, who were looked upon as ex-emplars ex-emplars for the people. When a man took upon himself a responsible re-sponsible position or h temporal character he felt that he should exert himself to the utmost la the discharge dis-charge or the duties appertaining to it. If this were the case, then, in regard to a worldly calling, how much more earnest should be those who had received offlccs which extend ex-tend not only thtoagh titno but throughout eterultj? We should look upon Zion as "a city set upon a hill, that caunot be hid." It must be seen by all the people or the world, and the time would come when the eyes of all nations would be turned toward Zion and see her glory. That ti me, he believed, was not far In the future. His desire had always been and he hoped It always would be tosee that his actions were in accord with the testimony which he had received and with the covenants which h? bad made with Gol. There was not one principle prin-ciple or the Gospel or Christ or which a mail need be ashamed, that was not elevating and ennobling In its character, not one the observance observ-ance or which would fall to make a man better, purer, and more worthy of the Spirit ot God. Our enemies, continued the speaker, may defame us and cur system, they may defame the Priesthood Priest-hood which God has placed upon tho earth; but their words, thoughts, and actions should have no effect upon the falthrdl Balnti'or God who are seeking with all their lower and strength to establish the Church of Christ upon the earth. God has not placed us here to have the Kingdom taken from us again. Let us not, however, bo numbered among the slothful and careless who are allowing golden opjortunltles to pass by without taking advantage of them. It is m cry thing to carry out the covenants which wo ljave made wiUi God, and we should therefore see that everything which has a tendency to turn us aslue from the path of duty Is kept far from us. ELDER JOSEPH JI. FELT next addressed the congregation. He remarked that, on looking upon the congregations of the Ealnta of &xl, people might be led to wonder why so many of one fnitlt bad gathered gath-ered front tho different nations of the wmld Into these valleys of the mountains to worship Gad. There wts a peculiarity in this which those who had not received of the Gospel of tho Spirit of God could not understand. "Go ye Into all the work! ami preach tho gospel to every creature" was the command of our Savior, and the Uders cf the Church or Jesus Christ, in obedience, obedi-ence, thereto, IiaJ gone forth, traversed the plains, creased the ocean, and opened Up neW fields for tho preaching cf God's word among all nations. Although every infiuenceaud power may be brought to bear to draw us from the faith and kuowledgo which we possess, we know in Whom wo trust. We have proven Him In our hours ot weakness and trial, aud he will not forsake us now. After an allusion t) Joseph Smith, whom he showed to bu a Prophet of the living Gl,t!ii speaker observed that ahilp, as Latter-day Stints, they were willing to accord to the liflereut religious sects every liberty, lib-erty, frnodom and rteht that they could desire, the Siints at the cams time demanded the same priv-H-geln return. They claimed that every jnan had a right to worship God accorJlng to the dictates of his owu conscience, but tliat he must be amenable to the laws of the land la which he lived, whether America, Knglandorc'-M-whtre. The Latter-day Latter-day Saints claimed, however, tliat there could be lut tme true Church and ope faith, and tliat was the Church of Jrsus Christ. How did the Latter-day Siints he asked, know tliat Joseph Smith received re-ceived a visltaliou from the Father and.theSsn, that theaugdsof God came aud ministered unto him, that John the Baptist who was beheaded by a wicked king laid his hands upon Joseph's head that Peter, James and John mlnbtc-ml ut.to him? Uy the fruits that had followed fol-lowed those who had yieJJcd ubnii-t-nce to the nquiremnU of fiod from that lime until the prt-scut. Ho ntxt spoke ot the power or God which had been made manifest to tuauy among the L titer- lay Saints lit the healing of the sick, the raiding raid-ing up again of persons almost at the point cf death, the gilt of tongues, the ihterprctatiuu of tongues, aniotber remarkable ntant-festations, ntant-festations, and above all the witness of the Holy Ghost The Latter-day Saints did not ask those not of their number without Investigation In-vestigation or on tlulr say so, to embrace em-brace this work which was dcrialvt-ly dcrialvt-ly called "Mormonism,"ju:t as the name of "Christian" was given in Antioch to those who were followers or Christ. Hut as the Lord God lived, the day would comowhen thousands who had not yet re-ceived re-ceived the Gospel would he proud to be acknow lodged as "Mormons." The speaker, In conclusion, ex horteil the Saints to bo fitithful unto Gin! and let nothing turn them from their tilth. That simeGodof Abraham, Isaac and Jacob still livej who had already been ready U bless aud prrftrve 11 U people tho God who tdessed the e. IliU-i upon tills continent, aud wliu, while they humbled themselves before Him was ready to strengthen and save them from their enemies. Let the Saints sees to serve the Lord faithfully, aud his bles&lug would be with tin in continually. coc.vsnijoitciiAni.i3w. rESKotr. said that as a few minutes yet remained, re-mained, lie desired to add his testimony testi-mony to tliat which had been home by the previous speakers tliat the work in uhich the latter-day saints were engaged was the work of God Almighty. Tills church was not an invention of man. Itws not set up by Joseph Smith or by any number of person aocLiUd with him; they were simply the In-Mnmients In-Mnmients In the hands ofalii;hir Power, and tbeefiVcts of tho iwer which oieraled Intbeestibllcbment of tills Church rould be seen in he midst of the people, in the S-t-tering togtthir In theto mountain valleys of peoide of many different nationalities who now had but "one Lord, one tilth, oue baptism." aud who were knitted together in the bonds of hive and unity, to build up the Kingdom of God upon tho earth. They were nuw, measurably at Ia:, or one heart and one mind, no matter mat-ter where they came from, what creed tnsy formtrly trofessed. or whether they professed any creed at all. God had brought lln.ru into these vaileys and made them cue reople, an 1 the work was still goliii forward. The Elders were still preaching the GopvI abroad and gathering tho Saints together, and they would continue to do so, no matter what mii;ht be Iheopjn-'. tion. The numbers of the tvople would increase, their union would increase, their power with God would increase; and before very-long very-long It would lie teen that their lower with man would also In-crease. In-crease. As had been already said, the Saints Were at the ptesent time "passing thtotigh the uarrows." Tney expected to be tried and tested aud to uas through a great tnany diClculUe. They exfected the world to tie against them. This was what the Lord pronibcd to them in the beginning; itwaswhatlleprcm. ised to Hisdiwlples Inantieutdays. -Ve are not of the worl J; for I have chosen you out of tne world; If yo were of tho world the world would love you; but as yc are not of tbu world the world wh! into you." Certainly the world appeared to hate the Litter-day Saint; for whatcause did not very clearly appear on the surface. Tney ha 1 done the world no harm; they did not try todoauy-body todoauy-body auy harm. They had gatbertd to this isolated spot in the mountains moun-tains si that they mlghtbe free to wor-ship wor-ship God, according to the dictates ot their consciences, unmolested, and had no desire t injure anybody, either in an individual or national CJucl!y. They desired no Injury to this nation of which they form a part; their desire was to bless mankind, man-kind, and they did not know how better to accomplish tbls than by endeavorlngtn explain to them the glorious priuclplrs which God Almighty Al-mighty had made clear to their minds; and the truth of whlcifHe had sea'el upon tliclr souls by the gift and power of tho Holy Ghost. Hut this appears to be a source (f Irritation to the world. Themin- liters of the day, of all denominations, denomina-tions, seem to bo Irritated against the Latter-day Saints. Whenever the term "Mormonlsm" is used, it seems to stir up their anger, and they manifest something which Is very different altogether to a Christian Chris-tian spirit, in regard to their treatment treat-ment of the Latter-Jay Saints. Indeed In-deed It 1 chiefly through the Influence In-fluence which they carrr in the world that legislators, Judges and officers of the government have been stirred up against us. People cannot understand how it is that we are so united. The unity manifested among the Latter-day Saints is a marvel to the world, and some even consider it a menace to the nation. ItisEuppoteii that we are an Ignorant lple, brought here from different countries, under the influence of the leaders of the Church, and that wc are priest-rid den. that we are bound together under the dictation of one : o-ncra few men thatTTo do Just as w" are Khaswhen thcytake- snutTwo snetirT that when tbey pu tuo strtncS we jump, that when they Sluslobotiulefwosltdown. All thisUacndmltake. The kind of people who have been brought to theso mountains cu?d not be coerced, hoodwinked played upon in tub sort of way. When the gospel camo to us I o I a forelcn land, where wo were born, H breathed The spirit cf liberty and set us free from the dogmas of men and the churches or the woj-sl-It set usfrto from priestcraft; It toM us It was nectary that wc, Individually, Indi-vidually, should find out tho truth for ourselves and not bo led by men. but that every nun, ayo and every woman, should be perfectly free to worship God as hiaorJierconsiience dlctateS. 'e received the Gospel In that spirit, and wire opposed by the people around us. A great many Latter-day Saints had to obey the Gospel at the sacrifice sacri-fice of their homes, many others at that or their dally labor, which involved in-volved their dally bread; but Uiey thereby showed an Independence oi character and a dtterminalioa or spirit which would not comport at all with the slavish feeling which some people think the "Mormons ' have. Tho Laltrr-day fcalnts left their usllve soil and came here, not for tho sake of worldly wealth or gain, but the Utter to uulte with their co-religlonUU to bring about the punwea of God In the earth and to build up Ills kingdom. J-cav-ing behind homes relatives aud friends, they ctme to tills land independent, ucdef uo no contract or lend, exespt to serve God and keep His commandments. Their great desire was to send the gospel, which they themselves had received, to every lacd and clime, to glvu every other people an optor-tuui'y optor-tuui'y or obeying It, and or gathering gather-ing with them in order to build up the great latter-day kingdom which all the Prophets foresaw. Tliclr hearts renebed out also- to their ancestors an-cestors who died without a kcow-ledge kcow-ledge cf the true Gof 11. Some of those who had gone into the spirit world were good Christians, Chris-tians, some w ere not very good, and some ere not Christians at all. They had gone behind the vail out or right, but tho Latter-day Saints knew tliat tbey lived; and now, in their temples reared in these valleys, val-leys, tbey were attending to the outward ceremonies for their dead friends and relatives who were ro-cUvIng ro-cUvIng the Uj-pcl in tho spirit World. The churches which men had built in the world no doubt had within them many good people a greatdealoftruth,buta vast am sunt of error. Many of their ideas and dogmas were non-ensIcaL Much cf what is called ChtbUaulty is miserable rubbish; you cannot can-not find it in the doctrines of tho New or Old Testament. Tec vagaries of celibate monks chut up in their cells hundreds of years ago, In the dark ages, account for much of this They concocted tbeotles about religion; these have gone out to the world, aud the Protestant sects of modern times are more or lrsstluged with these heresies. The Christian world are destitute of divine authority. They have the form ofgodllnessjbut deny the tower thereof. Tile Spirit of revelation, the Holy Priesthood is not there. They havo forms and Ceremonies enough but they are tho-e of men, and they are powerless because net backed up by the authority of the Most High. In these days God Almighty lias revealed His truth anew, ile has set up His Church anew. He has seut down from heaven men who held the keys of authority received from Him hundreds cf years ago; they have re-conferred that authority, authori-ty, and that is what stirs up the world, and Chri-tendom especially, against tho latter u'ny Saints or Mormons"; it i- the power and authority of the Holy Prirttliood to officiate in the name of the Fattier, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Our ml-sion is to preach the (!o--11 to every creature, and our mis-ilonarira mis-ilonarira will rontiuue to go abroad, uo matter what may rise up against us or nhat difficulties we may U-called U-called upon to nasa through. We expect by the help of God to stand gnu in our faith and worship God according to the dictates of cur consciences, uo matter what may stand in the way. We are not rebellious re-bellious In our spirit, and we do not want to defy law or resl't good government. gov-ernment. Let us be Into and faithful and stand by the principles which we liave received, fearless of what may come, and all will bo well. The speaker closed by testifying totiiettuthof this work, exhorting non-believers to Investigate and invoking in-voking the blessing of God upon alL The choir sang the anthem I will lift op mj ejc. Tho benediction was pronounced by Hlder George GoddarJ. |
