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Show DISCOURSE Baar Laka Stak. Confaranca, Pari., Idaho, Sunday, p,llvr" ,n Nov,mbar llth, IBttB, by PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH. KXrolTliD V ATIIU WINTER. I will Uke tl.e litxitir lo read a few .wUlwrnlheNcw Te.iain.nl: . i-,-,. vnln then,, when " i. in ( Mm "11 kn" iiflrd p " . . ', in, of myel(. JTm '"""" M,h ""'" ' "T IuVau ' me i. r lh F.rtwr ; TiEi eiriou.. " w,""d " .. i. ii,ili.vi er hichlf- jri i X,JTJii'Jiin.'iln Irulh'. and Ih. Irulh "'l';., "iTli m. or I Abraham, .re.l. ,.J .ere netfl m l.o.Uj to nr o.an, bow ..-I In.... ' mall I '""' lr..n"-'J It"" ". vir. ". B,10T... """"1"1' ' "am ' lD ,mm '"' : "JlttV iii wi ituii mai. r . f "l"."."'.;. AhrahaaV. aee,l, but ' teri w kill tm. became my word halh no place ' &tk llul otiich I ha. een wlih me r : Fitl'i; J do thai ahitli y ha. een Willi ' '"ihrr eMMferl end xi'l unlo Him. Abraham i n'Ju-h. low -th unlo l...n II J arte Allam chilJien, jr. would do uie k. ol Abraham. , , : Uj, ,. x-k to kill me, man thai hath I iM.votb' trilh, wl.wh 1 lia. heard ol Uud. in. aid n"i Al-raham. Y lie drwl. ol ynir father. Tlim .aid I lhe to Him, we be not born ol lurnkalion; Wfl , Uieoo. rai!f, e,en iiod. . 1 leita md unto linn. If d wera Tour ', 1 riil'.r. e w.m.'l love mel for I proceeded fcrthendcem- horn llod. MiUier taint I ol ai.ie.1, tmlllearnlme. MhTdueeK"! undrntaarl i ipeecli? vea Waieol your Lttlier the devil, and the lu,tl nl r.wr fctll.n ye do. He waa a raurdcter ' 1 Iron the tKrionitijr, and alMle not In II ! taib. Iau thrre la no truth in bim. When 1 be ori.ih a lie. he tprAkrtb of ba own: lor tenauar.udtU lamer ol ik I 1 And Unaiue 1 tell you the Uutb, y believt ' W'.k k ol you ronvinrnh me of ain? And U I u. Ihe tmlli. liv do ye not hellene me. He llul II ol O ld heatelh tiod'. wotdv ye tt..rrixi bear tLcta nul, bcuUM ye are not ol li-l. lra uuaered Ihe Jew., and aid unlo lllm, : u, mt ngi aed tliat thgu an a hainariUn, and J kail a drill 1 call your .pecial altentioa to these twu ter.ee: j Tken uid feina unto tboiw Jewt whlrh be- l kr.ej ue H m. II ye cunllnue In my wold, then are ic my diKtute, mdrrd, , A'MjyeuuaknQv Ibe Irulb, and. liui trutb ; kU.. aau you Irea, I do now know that I .hall .peak to thi.it.i; 1 may .peak a lone; way Irom ! it; but 1 have lead thfse pauaKea of i Smulurr rhu vmrniD; tksl ere may, if ( 1 wt an led by the good apirit, reflect upon the word! llul r.u. apuke and the ttuib which i. conveyed therein. 1- or eiritoldUut II we conunue in Ilia ord, then are we Mi. di.ciplea indeed; and we .hail know the truth, and Ihe tiulh ihill nuke lu lre. Wo are alio told that he who ia in am it a lervant of .in, ami if he he a aervant ol am, then he cannot he free; but if a nun receive Ihe irulh and ahi.le in it, he ia no longer tenant but Iree man in the house of ' trod, becauac the truth hull made hirn "ee. Then if we are niemuera of the inouw, and it wc ruiiunue in Ihe word 'hiclplen; and we hill knuw Ihe truth, and to know the Uulh ind abide lo ii it ireeiloin. Hut ha I hat ha. not freed hiniaelf Ironl sin I. in i """""KJ 'u '". and i. therelore Ihe aer-I aer-I u'"mhoi. th. ol ,)n '" 'V1'" 01 "nd he cannot he I hwd a"e. 'le OMl""'a ' the' 'Z,T h,ve in vic l'"n Ikrah'-0"1,'' ,h" "u,h ,h SrVm .h."l'?. '"-"" I" Una hie, '" 10 "tne, like the Son of 1, ":"'." iKhteou.11,,d " S,t, . l rCk1''" '-"'d. loving one anoiner and .eeking to do eood una. t upt,rz1u,i!',1u' ,'m'lvu "5 K.M ; , ' u, '" ' "inch : a . UUl" ,l,u mt ol U. who ' to b. o!, ' ,0 lortuLi. 'Shleou,n,,t li . ' be on'' '" wurk 'ten i, ,J h""'"" "n "r ' he been ,d l, "i '""been bo, nh"",r "0 ; hllla i, . i "" ll,,er huuld oi u. iKi """" "hrnad. Kor many """"y.'ofT1"" u" '"d lu?ed "union. anJ ,"'u """w. tho.e '"' law wbieclio, T "lv en-""he en-""he uCr S .'0,1"1:!'11'""" "frn l Zala ' C'"'.",e" "' w,lUn.iuLwhu.. ei!r,h iu "" K .huu d be L, 'C" h ''lUuni and L hm ,rt" "urn Ue,r Mhl .. 01 world "'"theiruh".. ',etve '""Lord, to lor heir Cr' lo"a a. anv i. tnelr fallieri. I.ur ,A ue to u I,1 , ' m nill iu """" been , nt ea eT'r. """' "" " A tutm tuny err In judgment becatue of a l.ick ol knowledur lo him tlml i oit tn; but h-re tlio lijilil in mnd men c nitnuein (tarknpM, where the truth la and men continue in error, then they are under the bonder of stn and in transKrcflsion, and th: traditions of the father hinder their iricrcsa to the extant to which they yield to them. Now, in Hie Ooftpel of Jetua Chmt we are luj;ht principles of truth. The word ol Ood it truth. There u no word that Uod hath apnken to the children of men lor their guidance that is not true. And it ia the binmr-n of rm-n and women especially ihoie in thit Church to Irarn wnnt ii th word and will ol (iod. When they have learned it, it i their duty to accept it in their hearts, incorporate it in their lives, ard abide by it. Then they become the disciples ol Chrint in very (ImJ. Then they shall know the truth. They atmll not merciy believe the truth because it isstntrd by one in whom they have coulidence, but they shall know the truth, and the j truth shrill make them Iree. It is i only the truth that can tntike men j Iref. bin and error will not; nor I will tradition, unless the tradition i be right and come down through the proper channel. There are holy tra- j dniuns that have been transmitted to : the children ol men as well as ai roneous traditions. Oncol tho holy traditions that has come down from Adam to the present day is, that there is a Cod in the heavens, and that He is the ruler of the heavens nnd of the earth; that Me has sent His children upon this earth to in habit it and to have a pro ha lion, as the prophets have told us in the hooks, that we might serve iod and become con formed to the iniitgo and hktncsa ol Jetua Christ, ami he exalted into the presence ol the Father, trom whence we came. This is a tradition holy and true. It was handed down trom the beginning of man tint is. Irom the beuimung ol man's exutence upon the earth. As to the bt gmning of creation, no man knows anything about that. It was in the beginning' that God created the heaven heav-en and tne earth, and il there it any man in enrth that can tell me when the ''beginning'1 was, then I will tell him when Ciod created this earth and the heavens that are above It. Hut in the beginning of man's ci4lence upon this, earth Ctod taught him by His own presence, pres-ence, by the word ol His own mouth. He waiked and talked with hun face to face, as one man walks and talks with another. That was the beginning of Adam 'a race upon this earth Hut w e now inhui'it; and Irom Adam down to the pretetit there has been handed down Irom generation to generation the tradition tradi-tion that God did walk and talk with Adam face to lace, and that Adam was placed upon this earth by the wisdom of the Almighty fore purpose. That purpose pur-pose was a great and glorious one. Man is not here simply to eat and drink ol the material elements that surround him, and then to die and be loigotten. We are here in l.rm and feature like the Son of Ood, and He in form uud leature is like the l ather. We read in Genesis that "God created msn in his own im-ae, im-ae, In the image of God created he him; male aud female created lie them." We are thus far in the image ol God; but mentally, spiritually, we have wan dered tar fro.n Him. It wui no more designed or decreed in tho beginning that man should be like God physically than It waa thai he should be like Him mentally and spiritually; lor a man ia not entirely like God il ha is only like Him in physical appearance. It takes some tiling more than tins to make a msn like , Jesus Christ; for Christ had intelligence. He not only had intelligence, but He ap-plied ap-plied that intelligence in the doing ol good and in the making ol men Iree from the errors of the world and the evil traditions ol the fathers. He declared in words ol truth and soberness, 'lt ye continue in my word, then are ye my j disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.' i No man ia like God unless he is free. ; God ia tree Why? Because He ponsesses i all righteousness, all power and all wis j dom. Ho also possesses His agency, and Hit agency is exercised In doing that which ia good, aud not that which , la evil. So no man can be tike unto Him until he cao subject himself unto that which is righteous, pure and good, and until he can forsake error and sin and overcome himself. "Choose ye this day whom ye will serve." II we are like unlo Jesus Christ, we will serve God, and sav in our hearts, "Father, not mv will, but thine, be done.' it we are like the Savior, we will say that he wtio would be greatest among you must be Ihe least ol all and the most subject unto the requirements of heaven. He that ia mot pliant and submissive to the will ol God shows the greatest wisdom among all men. He that sets up his opinion in opposition to the wishes and purpose of the Lord ia of all meu the farthest from God in that regard. Though he may be fashioned and lormed in the image and likeness of the l ather, vet he ia most uuhke 1 be Son unless he can say hi nil heart, "l ather, not my will, but thiue, be dune." It is the will of the Lord that we should posscHS this spirit, and understand this truth. It is true that there ia to us but one God, the Father, aud that all men will have to be subject unto Him and are required to obey His commandments, in order that they may be tree, and the due (plea of Christ indeed. in-deed. There ii a weakness In man and as they tuiy in the South. It is a powerful weakness to servo himself, to gratify his own deMret, to accomplish his own purposes, no matter what It costs to others, Rugardlcus of the evil consequences conse-quences that may How unto others, he seeks to gratify his own ambitions, his desires lor his own aggrandizement aud the promotion of his saltish interests. This is one ol ttie errors of the age. It is one ot thoso weaknesses that make man unlike his Muster, separating him Irom God and the truth, and causing him to become a luw unto himself. Tina is wrong If I were to dwell in a community, and bad no other desire than to build up myself and enlarge my own possessions, and by any and all picana within my power, nut stopping lor a moment to consider the welfare ol that community ns well as my own, 1 should be consult red truly and justly an unprntiiHble citizen, an unwholesome ncighhor, and a utclets member ol ttoci ely. Not only that, but an enemy to the people, because ( acting regardless of their rights. And ihis would be the case with any indivitlu.il. If individuals set themselves up as stnndards and follow their own selfish ambitions regardless ol the rights ol others and ot the wullbeing ol the community in which they live they may well be considered as penile who deserve to have no place theimn, but ought to be banished lo some desert des-ert ur other rtUce whera thev eon Id tint! only people like themselves, il sui h a thing could be. 1 am sorry to sav that there is tar too much ol Ihis kind of feeling feel-ing in the world. In some communities it is, to use a vulgar expression, every man lor himself and the devil for the rest. Men who act upon this i nnciple are euemles to the people among whom they dwell unless all the people are like them, and then each is nn enemy to the others. God never intended to build up in the midst ol these mountain a community ol this character. He did not call your fathers here lor that purpose. pur-pose. Vou have not been born in this hind for that purpose. We have been brought here and we have been born here t at we may become goo I citizens, that we may become like unto Jesus Christ, that we may be nude Iree by and through the truth. I. very man that ( Wtlls iu a community ought lo conform hu actions and his conduct to the welfare wel-fare and happiness of sll the people, and to the sacrifice ol his personal ambitions am-bitions and desires, if necessary. He shuuld be willing to sacnlice every ambition am-bition auddesiie that i not in harmony with the welfare of the people. 1 want to impress this upon the minds of this congregation, that the nun who pr.H fi-Hurs v be a latter-day h.iint ai d is not obedient to the rules aud regulations ot the Cnurch, Is an enemy to the Church and to the people ol God; and he should change hi course or Le cast out of the Chun li and the hand of h 1-low 1-low ship be withdrawn Irom him. Yuti cannot fellowship a traitor in your niiilst, whose only purpoie in dwelling among you is to build up himself at the expene and ruin ot Inn Hstiiiriette-a, regard a man that will sell .iquur against the will of the people as one ol this class. He is i4ti euemv to the community. commu-nity. Kpe.ially is he an enemy to a community who have set tlnir faces ag iuist such a thing, and who have ex-piesscd ex-piesscd tliemselvt.s against it. II the community in which a man dwells say they do not want this evil iu their midst, ill it man should conform t i ttie wishes ol the peo le, and he should not act up his sordid desire lor gain against their will. Il Ihe entire people wanted whisky saloons, Hiid cousideiud them uecessuiy to their happintss, then that man wo dd find a welcome here, however periderms the results ol his business might be. In all cuirmuuitiea there are more or less ol those who are inclined lo the wicke 1 ways ol the world, and to those habits that ate Injurious to mankind, but when the majority ol the people are against these evils, and they have ex pressed their will that tli se evils should not be to I era tea in their midst, he who opposes their will in this regard, Is an enemy to the people, and they ought to withhold the hand of fellowship Irom htm. Not only that, but they should adopt such measures and lake such precautions pre-cautions as will best preserve their children chil-dren and the unwary, as well as those who are prone to iniquity. Irom being brought under the baueiul influences ol such a man. A man who will conduct himself like this and set himself up against the wilt ol the people simply for the paltry dollars there are hi it; that man professing to be a Latter-day Saint, is a viper in society, and should be spumed and despised. I have never yet been able to secwtiere there la the least justification in distributing an element among the people that wilf destroy their virtue, thai will aap their substance, ruin their mural characters, destroy their peace and happiness, and sow the seeds of depravity and death in their midst. 1 cat) not see the least justification fur any man to deal in this liquid poison. There is no good in it to any one, except to the nun who dispenses the poison; and the good that cornea to hun trom such a practice ia certainly very questionable indeed I cannot see that U is a good at all. Money gotten by this practice, which is based upon the ruin ol others, is certainly obtained in a very questionable questiona-ble way; and the man who makes money out of the sale of intoxicating drinks is in one respect a robber. Now, 1 am not a temperance lecturer. I have not thought much about this sub ject. It has come to me; and I feel in my weak way and with broken words to protest against this evil in this community commu-nity and in every community of the Latter-day Saints, because it is a wrung. On the piinciple that one man would be justified in selling liquor lor the profit be gets out of it, auother mau would be justilied in establishing a house of ill fame. The nun that sells liquor does it to make money; but those who patronize patron-ize bun do so to their own loss and hurt and to Ihe bringing of oorrowj to their hearthstones, A man who lullows these questionable pursuits ia an enemy to society, aud he ought not to be fellow shipped by righteous people; for he is in sin. It is a sin to him that knoweth to do good and docth it nut He is in the bondage ol sin; he is not a free man; he would destroy the happiness of others and would rob the family of the means the husband or brother earns lor their support, to gratify his own ambition to nuke money and become in part it not wholly responsible before God. Therefore, There-fore, he ia injuring his neighbor and Is committing: a grievous wrong. Hence he is not Iree. I he truth is men should not engage in such occupations as these, They are not legitimate occupations. They do no good to any man or to auy commuuity; but they do harm to men and communities. Therelore, the man that conducts himself in this way should repent and forsake his sin; he should leurn the truth and abide in it, that he may be indeed a disciple ol Christ and that the truth may nuke him free. The man who ignores the Sabbath day is not altogether on a par with the man who keeps a saloon, or with frequenters fre-quenters ol siulul resorta or with gain biers; but he ta treading a forbidden path aud it will lead him to these tilings if ho does not repent. The Lord has said, "Kemember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." It ia a law of God, not only unto this people, but unto all mankind. The member ol the Church who does not honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy is In transgression; he continues not in the word ol truth; he is not in very deed a disciple ol Christ; he will not know the truth, and Ihe truth cannot make hun free utilise bo docs know it and live by It. The nun thai prolanes the name of God h also a trans-grefsur. trans-grefsur. Therefore, he is a servant of mh; a bondsman, and not a free mnn in the house of God. The man who neglects neg-lects I is prayers, and furgets to call upon G xl in the name ot Ids Son, in humble acknowledgment l the merri-s ami kindnesses ot the Father unto His children, is nUo in the bonds of iniquity, and he continues not in the word ol the Lord. And these commandments are given to nit mankind, bond and free. Mack and white, Christian and heathen. The law of God is to all the world and is applicable to every creature that Is born in the Image and likeness of the Father. The Lord "now commamteth all men everywhere to repent;" ami if you repent not, then are you tiie servant ol sin, and not free men. Another thing: God has established an order in his Church. He has revealed re-vealed the Gospel in its fuilness. He has restored the I'llcsthood to thu earth. The l'ricthood means the authority of God delegated to man, by which man can act in the name ot the l ather and of Pie Son, and by which he can forgive sins and they will be forgiven in the wcrld to come if it be done in righteousness. righteous-ness. No act per lormed in unrighteousness unrighteous-ness wU God accept. Hut il man nnsse-uinft " keys ol the Holy Wiet fiood will act in right eoiisnos by lore Him, then tiiat which he does will be accept. ib'c in the sight of God. If He shall hies, Meetings Meet-ings will follow; If He shall pronounce a curse, the curse will follow. Now, while the commandments ol Got arc to all tho world, there are some special commandments that are applirnhle to the Latter-day Saints only. What arc they? One of thene commandments is, that we shall honor those w no preside over us; In other w rdi, we sha 1 h jiiur the I'riesthnod. I aK uo man tn h nr me, unless 1 do that which i strictly in accord with the spirit of my calling and the prie,ttiood which 1 hold. No nit-til-her of the Church is bound to honor me if I step beoud that pneatho-jd nnd Authority which ha beii conlerrcd upon up-on me by the chuire of God and the voice of the Church. Hut when I do speak by the Spirit ol thu LjhI in accordance ac-cordance with the duties of my oil. re, it is pro,r lor f-v-ry trmlur of the Church to hearken to that which I say. l or if it is said by the Spirit of God and in accordance with my duiy, it is tho word aud will of the Almighty. And w.uUorwr th-y shall - xk wVn moved iip..nl.yih Holy tihoM. ...... I I,- .Ncnpu.re, lill Ik- ibe will of the I.nJ, n.vl rmml of Hie Lout, thill 1 id- vuk- .l the Loid, IMni;.l tint (! prom.-.- 1 ihe Urtl unto, vou. Ove mr vrvanti. loctiii,c lJ Cuve-aains.tecuunbl. Cuve-aains.tecuunbl. 4. 5 It Is the privilege of all to know whether I apeak the truth by the Spirit ol God or not. To the Church ol Jesus Christ ol Latter-day S-iiuts it is given as a commandmei.t that we shall hearken to the voice ol the Spirit nude nianile-tt through those channels that God has appointed lor the guidance ot His people. peo-ple. If they do it not, then are they in transgression and in sin; and bondmen, not fiee men. If we apeak the truth and It we do tho truth, then te people are under obligations by their covenants and by the very name tiiat they bear, by the allegiance that they owe to GoJ and His work, to hearken to the counsels ot those men whose right il is to counsel. If I counsel in unrighteousness, 1 will be brought to judgment. No man can teach wickedueas to this people and continue in it Ion 4; for God will detect him and will reveal the secrets of his heart; his purpose and intent will be made manifest to the Saints, aud he will stand judged of the Spirit of God before be-fore the Saints. If you acknowledge Wiltotd Woodruff to be the I'resideut ot the Church, and he and his counselors as too presiding authority, then ihe I member who does not give heed to their counsel deserves pity, lor he is in transgression. trans-gression. These men wdl not counsel you wrung. They have never counseled you wrong. 1 am at the defiance if I should give way to that feeling ol any nun to point to a thing that has been said or dune, or to any counsel that has been given to the people, which has been lor iheir injury, and has not been sustained sus-tained by the blessings of God it wisely obeyed. The Lord Almighty has magnified mag-nified His servants. Ho has honored , .'resident Woodruil, President Cannon and those faithful men in the quorum of the Apostles, before all the world, giving them houor. that a few ol the Latter-day Saints are not willing to give them. j This has convinced me that some ol the people are not living up to their privileges privi-leges nor enjoying the light that they 1 should possess. j brethren and sisters, let us be free. I I contend and I think 1 have a right to 1 do so that 1 am a free man, in accordance accord-ance with my observance of the com nundments of God. Il 1 do wrong, 1 , am in bondage to that wron. If f commit com-mit sin, I am in bondage to that am. If 1 transgress the laws of God, I am ras-ponsible ras-ponsible bctore the Lord. But I contend that aa lo liberty, as to fieedoin of ! speech, freedom of will, freedom of action as to everything that goes to make a Iree nun in the midst of men, 1 do not believe there is another man on earth any freer than I am. Bless your soul, 1 can commit sin If I wane to. 1 have aa mucli liberty to commit ain as any man. No man has any right to commit sin; but all men have the liberty to do so il they wilL God has given lo them their agency. Is there any man hood displayed iu my committing sin because be-cause 1 have liberty to do ui 1 have liberty to go to a saloon and drink liquor, if I choose, or go to a gambling hell and gamble. 1 posscas jut as mucu , liberty in regard to thae matters as any ' man living on earth. Uut the moment i should do such a thing as this 1 become a slave and a bondsman to iniquity. On , the other hand, il 1 am not guilty ol 1 visiting saloons, or of playing cards, or ! of gambling, or of other crimes I am I innocent of them and so far I am a free man. The truth has made me free in regard to this. No man can say to me, "Brother Joseph, you are guilty of oppressing op-pressing your brother and grinding him down into the dust," lor 1 have not done this. Uut 1 linve spokun of transgression, trans-gression, I have pointed out errors and evils in the midst of the Latter-day Saints; and if by telling the truth and by admonishing those who are guilty ol wrong, 1 am in transgression, then I stand a transgressor. I never want to see the day come when these men, to whom you have entrusted the right and power to preside, shall have their mouths closed so that they dare not reprove re-prove sin or rebuke iniquity. That never can be. The moment you shut their mouths that they cannot speak the truth, that moment you destroy the very principle ol government 111 the Church and you teu asuudcr the puwej ami authority necessary to control and govern the work of God in the earth. While God is with dispeople and His servants, this cannot be. Men cntinof shut the mouth of l'reudenl Willord Woodruil, nor mine, when it conies to rebuking iniquity. It is our duty to do it. We are here lor that purpose. We are watchman upon the towers of Zion. 1 1 is our busmen and duty to point out errors and follies among men; and il men will not receive it, they must go their own way and abide the consequences. consequen-ces. Those who will not oliey righteous counsels will he the xuf.rrer.s, ami not i those who rebuke iniqmiv. I President William HudKe and hh ! coume ors are pared over Ihe Hear j Lake Stake in the similitude ol the Presidency of the Church. As the Presb I dencv of the Chinch preside over the I whole Church over ad the stakes, all thewardi, and all the misMonary helds in the world so these men preside over this Stake ol .ion, ami all the ir.ls and branches therein; and when they call upon the people to sin tain them 111 th.it which is right, if the people fail to sus tain Ih, 111 the vuilM-quein es shall be upon the he.uls ol ti.e people and iint upon the heads of these mm. It is their duly lu rebuke iniquity ami to reprove unrttrhte.iusn'-'.s. L is their duly to countel and exhort the people tube faithful faith-ful and diligent throughout all their Make. And no man has authority to say, why do you so? Brother Itudgc is the man who presides in Ibis Stake of ion. No apoile prrsidea here, unless he is sent here by th Presidency 1 f the Chun h to hll a misv mi ihey have appointed ap-pointed unto him. I wml you to distinctly dis-tinctly underst ind this, brother Wtlli.un Hu'lgs is the President ol this S.-tkc. it :s ins right to presivlr, to counsel, lo d.rrct, and laP 1 over the m'.crexts ot the people her-; d 1: is not the riiiht fil .my ul lue Twlvr to come into thu bia.;e a.id t hen iid-,j d-.iv, "I fin ihe man dm n-ides l'-r ." N -body can do I'us "-hort of th Pt .- . ' 1, y of the Cnurch ot J-sus Christ ot Latter d iv hainis. A :d tu.y would not do it, except for cause, 1 1 ttjev snw it necetsarv, having found transgression in the h- ad, then tiiey could come, or tin y could send Apostles here to at t. this u the order ol th? Church. Vou can read it in the Hook of llnrtrintr and Covenants. The duty of the Twelve Apostles is to prc.ich the Gospel to the nations of the earth, nnd where they ran not go, they shall call upon the bcvcutiei and send them forth to preach t ie Goqtcl to every creitute. The duty ol th? Apostles is n it to preside over Stakes, unless they are cal ed to do so by the presiding authority ot the Church If the PiCMdciu-y ol Ihe Church c.dl upuii one ot the ApoMles and ei hun apart to preside over a Stake ol ion, he will preside by reason ol his nppoiit-ment.und nppoiit-ment.und not by reason ol his Apostle-ship. Apostle-ship. The Presidency ol this Stake are not called to be Apoules; but they are called to be Hih Priests, and Pie right ol presidency r sts upon them in this Stake ol ion by virtue ot their appointment. appoint-ment. 1 do not know that it is necessary to talk ttm to this people. Vou uuht to know these things. Vou do know them unquestionably, and you know that lhe.u things are true. Hut some-limes some-limes there appears to be individuals who do not understand them as they should, and Jt seems to be necessary at times to talk about them in order 10 instruct in-struct such people. 1 leel that 1 have spoken the truth to you. I ask you to receive it in good and honest hearts. It is found in the books; but the books are the dead letter. It is Ihe spirit that giveth lile. It is the living oracles that have the right to organize or-ganize and direct, to counsel ami exhort, ex-hort, admonish and reprove. These books can never organize a Stake of ion, or a Presidency, or a High Council, Coun-cil, or a Hikhopric, or a quorum. Hut we have the written word lor example, lor instruction, lor admonition, tor re-prool, re-prool, lor counsel and lor exhortation. Kvery nun shuuld read and understand them, and then all will know that the oracles of God are in their midtt. Hut when they do not read ttie word of God nor understand it, when the oracles speak they may not listen to them. The blake Presidency are your oracles here. They are chosen ol the Lord. We know them to be good, pure men; vet no men can be so pure and upright but wicked men will find fault and complain about them and charge them with all manner ol evil falsely. Wicked men have done this from time Immemorial. They did it to the Son of God. As I have read here lu you, the Jews said, "We be Abraham's seed, aud were never in bondage to auy man." Hut Jesus said unto them, "ll ye ate Abraham's children, child-ren, ye Wotdd do the works ol Abraham. Abra-ham. Hut now ye seek to kilt me, a man that hath fold you the truth, which 1 have heard of G d, this did n A Abraham." Abra-ham." hrcauje He told tueni ih.- I U Ii they pcrtecuted Jinn; and il they pet-secutcd pet-secutcd the Mazier of tne hou?, iiw much more may they persecute those who are ul the house. '1 here is no nun 10 good but th tongue of slander may revile bint aud speat evil against him lalscly. "Hlenitcd me ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner ut evil against you t.ibely, for my saao. kej iicv, and be eicceuiug glad: lor great is your reward in heaven. Hut let no man apeak evil ul you ju-.ll'. We do not believe there is any nun who can speak evil of your Presidency here justly We do not bo lieve the n.au lives that can point lo crimiual acta, designed to injure the people, on Ihe part ul these men that nave been placed to preside ovi-rtui-. Slake ol Ziuu, We know tnem too well tor mat. We know tueir spirit, and we know that tuvy intend to no good, and aro good men; and you ought lu sustain aud upnold iheui, aud listen to their counsels. They will nut guide you wrong; ihey will not direct you in wickedness; wick-edness; they will make no mistake in their counsel to you; tor they stand as a beacon light to the people not too only beacon l ght, but they stand in their place as tue presidents ot the Church in this Stake ot ion, aud (.iod will make himself manifest through tuuiii to the people. Furthermore, it is thu right ol every man and woman to have revelation and wisdom from the Almighty, to know these men are good men, and are doing their duty. So in regard to the Higu Council. They should be exemplary. Do any of 1 hem get drunk? Are they prulligatei Uo ihey violate the Sabbath d.iy? Do thuy speak evil of the Lord's anointed? Ho they make light ol sacred things in the Church? 11 they do, and williiol repent and turn away from those evils, wo call upon the Presidency ol this Stake, to icmove them uut ol their places and chouse meu Uut will not violate their covenants. Unrighteous men have uo busiuess to bear tula; tor where tho wicked rule the Cfople mourn. Righteous m-n should e called to these n sitious. K ghteou:-men ghteou:-men should be called to he bishops nnd counselors, and to be tr.ich'M among the people; men that will set a worthy example, not men who prol m- the n une of God, not men who sh-nl and like advintage of their neightfoM, not men who are drunken or corrupt. If men are all right when they are chosen and they afterwards become wicked, then deal with them, and if ihey will not repent, re-pent, turn them out and choose men that are faithful. In this way prune the tree, that the fruit rnav be good. not let it grow wild. 1 hi not let dead branches remain upwn it to cumber the tree aud hinder its growth. Cut oft the dead branches, if tl ey are so dead they cannot be revived, and let only the live hranrhes remain. Tnen vou will be healthy, full ol lite, full ol mercy, full of fcrgiveiiess, charity nnd love 0110 for another, loving your neighbor as yourself, your-self, and loving God with all your hearts, which may God grant, in the name of Jesus. Amen. |