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Show AUDIT rilA11.lt. Ills not averting too much to say tint prayer Is an i ssentlal put uf true religion. To a ofS3ll whoso Knowledge oflhuUosol Is not coo tilled to lis doctilms theoretically, I ut who has felt the regenerating Influence of the HolyBplrlt In his soul, the uecoislty ofcimmunloatiugwlth Clod In prayer Is M natural as tho deilrn of a child to bo In the presence nf IU parent. It Is one of the principal means whereby tho splrltusl llfulstustalntd. Without It there can bo no real development de-velopment towards tint excellence which may be called practical holiness. Tlu leaders of the Christian Church have thcteforo always urgoJ tho duty and privilege of prayer upon the Halnls. "Pray without csnslng," says l'aul to thoTlussalonlniiP, and to tbu KphinUna: "Praying always with all prayer mid supplication In thu Hplrll, and wauliliig tliireunto wills all perseverance mid sui plication for iiIIHaluts." "Watch )e aud pray, lest ye i liter Intu temptation," Is ono of the Isst Injunctions given by ourliord to Ills diiolplos before Ills death 'on the cross. Hlinllnr lu.tructloQS ilre-glveii to tho rlaluls In this n-f. 1'lie l.orJ told our beloved Prophet, Joseph Smith: "Pray nlwiys that yo enter uot Into temptation, that you may ablde tho day nf Ilia aiming, nhelhor In life nr iliath." Again, among the laws given It the Inhuhlt-ants Inhuhlt-ants ot. on Is this; "An Jo commandment command-ment I glvu uuto thorn, that ho that bhseivelh uot his prayers before thu Lord In tbu season thereof, lit him be hidln reuisinhraucu bolero the Judge of my people." (Die. A. Cov., sic Ixi III, "3.) I'Vom whlah II Is clear that iho -neglect of prayer Is i-oualderej a bin ol omission not to be trltloJ within tho Church. Uu thu subject of prayer it Is Instructive Instruc-tive to nolle" nlnit tho uvangvllsta have reoirJudof our lord. Krcpiont rtfetencelsinvjo In their bilof biographies biog-raphies t J the fait that Jems prayed to lUsTallier. When lie was baptized lie played, and In answer to Ills praer, tho Heavens weru openudand tholldy Hi lilt descended over 1 Urn, and nvolcuwashoirJ, giving lllm that most won lorful endorsement, "This Is my beloved Hon." llocommenco i Ills dsy's work 1th prayer. Mail: says: "And In the morning, rising up h great while before day, Itu went out anJdepartellntonaollltry place, and there rayed." That It was n regular habit and uot an exception for the Hoo nf Man to thus prepire ltlmtelf for Ills dsy'a woik, msy readily bii Inferred from this nuj other pasiages of the Hfilptures. As Jesus corn, uiiinccd His dt'iiwork with prayer, RollecniloJ It It Is moro thin unco rccorJed that "He withdrew Himself liit J the IMt-rrii-xi nnd proyed"and sometlmi-H that He romilnoJ in prayer nil ii gbt. On rtoclal occasions He always sought Hot In puyir, t.uku state that previous to selecting Hla Twelve Aportler, "He wunlout Into n nnuii-tain nnuii-tain to pray, nnd continued all night In player to II ;d." Alter tills irepiiallon Ho was In a posltlcutu psrform lint unit Important Impor-tant duty, tint selection ot the amuas-rajorsdf amuas-rajorsdf the Ktngdootiit UjI lo thu M or lil, in wlioru hands Ha wi s to entrust en-trust tho work Ho commenced. Towards the cl no of Ills life uu find Him engsg.u In prayer on t'io mount of transflguta bn,wheu, us an ndsn er, Moses aud I'.IUl appeared and con. fined wltn Him corioeriilug Ills death In Jerusalem. Undoubtidly He ntMilfil n special mrssigo from Hit 1'jtlier, auil llu received It when praying pray-ing fur It. Wiien tli- sialows nf death ileepuned anid ll-ni and In ixpreMblo tour sel.'-dllli jul, He rought uu t lound etrongth lo umture idl,when H was praying In tho garden of Udihiiiia!te,tuat awful night bo'oru Hlacruclllxlon. And finally, duriug His mUtirlnss on thu cross He still prnji'J, He prayed for Ills persecutors u ud He prayed lor Himself, commend ing with Ills la.t brosth Ills m lilt tJ tho fatherly can' of Jlisllml. 1'roui nil this tbu Halnls can loirn what pr.)ir was to their lior 1 while In tbollesh. In It He found rest wl.tu weary; Inspiration for new VotV; u meausof oommuuloitlotiwlth Heaven; strength to endure euirerlngs nnd to forgivo enemies; by prayer ll iro. vallod v.ir Ids powsrsof Uatkness nnd faosHl death with tlio happy assurance that beh'nd the vellalovlng father's arms wira oocned to receive Him. Aul this Is what rayor nlwsya waa anitstllllslqlhefollowirs of Jeui. Mstvrlalists miyniubt thu-'elllcacy of rayer aud assert tint tho Inter'ir-encn Inter'ir-encn ot Providence In human attain Is linpotaible. Htperlencs rufhtes tills statement. About tho eftlmoy of prayer thero need be in argument. It Is a mittor demonstrate J In tho ex per. lencoof every man mil womtn who with faith and humility turned to tiod In supplication. Those who never trleJ to pray may doubt, but thosa who hnvo milu It an earnest practice, tliuiu who havocilloJ. upoa tho IntJ regulntly In great mil small emergencies, emergen-cies, tlnso who havo nuuy time and olt experienced bow secure an nnchor It Is to thu soul, know that "tho fervent prayer of a righteous mm avallelli much." |