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Show RELIGIOUS SERVICES. The regular Sunday services of the Church of Jesus Christ of Lattter-day Saints were held in the Tabernacle, on Sunday, Sept. 10th, 1882, commencing at 2 p.m. After the usual singing and prayer, Elder Jas. A. Leishman addressed the congregation: A question oft occurs to my mind, and I have no doubt but similar ones oft rise in yours. It relates to the object and purposes for which we became "Mormons." Why did we embrace an unpopular faith? Why did we forsake the religion of our forefathers? Why did we leave our business, our parents and everything that becomes endeared to us in our youth for such a despised system? Cannot we understand what induced these changed feelings to come over us? Yes. We fully understand the why and wherefore, which induced us to come to the valleys of Zion. We knew we had espoused the doctrines of Christ and had to obey His commands. We may be spoken evil of, condemned, abused, and made to suffer for our belief, but we are in the hands of One who is mighty to bless and save us. We must go on in the even tenor of our way-attend to our duties according to the covenants we have taken upon us. It has been said that we are not intelligent, that we are fanatical, that we are poor. Let a true comparison be made with any similar body of people, and we fear not the result. Many may have been born of humble parentage, but God does not despise people for that peculiarity. He says: "Blessed are the poor." We espoused the doctrines of the Latter-day Saints because we delighted in God's ways; we have compared the various religions existing in the world, with the words of Our Savior, and we find little similarity between them. The Apostle Paul said: "If any man preach unto you any other gospel than that ye have received, though he be an angel from heaven, let him be accursed." How many sects to-day are obeying the command? None, outside our own. It is as binding to-day as when spoken by the apostle. The Bible contains the history of his work and teachings. He taught man to believe in God, to repent of their sins, to be baptized for the remission of them, and to have hands laid upon them by the Elders of the Church. He also taught baptism for the dead, who had died in their sins. On the day of Pentecost was the first time that the apostles had undertaken to preach, without the presence of Jesus Christ, and we learn in the second chapter of Acts, that the disciples waited in a room, until the Comforter, came, when they spake in divers tongues, and afterwards preached in the streets of Jerusalem, and great numbers embraced the teachings of Jesus Christ. The excitement ran strong, and many bystanders said that the apostles were drunk and unfit to preach. but Peter rebuked them. Many others asked, what they should do to be saved-a touching question that all generations since might have asked. The Savior promised that the signs should follow them that believed,-the gifts of tongues, of healing and of prophesy, were to follow. Without the gifts of the Holy Ghost, there could be no church of Christ. If in former times, the people of the world rejected and reviled the Savior what can be expected in these days, but that they will revile His servants? Nearly all the Apostles were martyred in olden times. None after them had the authority to preach the gospel and carry out its teachings. Revelation has been ignored and those who have undertaken to make changes in religion have had the religion called after their own names, not after the name of Christ. All have taught differently because they had no Divine authority for their organization. They established Churches after their own ideas, not after God's. All these things have been foreshadowed by the ancient prophets; history proclaims it. We know that Joseph Smith, an unlettered youth of fourteen or fifteen years, stood up and proclaimed all the religious sects wrong. He laid the axe at the roots of the corrupt trees and knocked away their foundations, and with line upon line and precept upon precept, blazoned to the world the doctrine which he had received from above. We must thank God that we have been permitted to live in favored times, when we could be taught to do right in this world. The gospel came upon us with such force that we could not resist it. It is in perfect harmony with the Bible. We believe in those good old Bible truths and we have obeyed them. We have been taught in tongues, our sick have been healed, our lame made to walk, and many other signs have followed believers. This is the reason we have left our country, our fathers and our mothers for Christ's sake and obeyed His commands. Be ye faithful with the gifts bestowed, and you shall obtain an everlasting crown as the reward of your labors. I appeal to all Latter-day Saints, wherever situated to declare whether these things are true or not. With us has been committed the duty of preaching the everlasting gospel throughout the world. We have to do this before the end of all things to fulfill prophetic history. There are only two kingdoms, Christ's and Satan's. Satan's wrath will be aroused against the Saints. But no matter what phase that wrath shall assume, whether it be in Congress, in parliaments or in law courts, we must keep straight ahead and in the even tenor of our pathway of duty. How were Noah's teachings received? He preached repentance for 120 years, and warned the people that he was building an ark of safety. The people in those days regarded him as a fanatical fool. He was very unpopular and his teachings were disregarded but the floods came and the scof-scoffers found out too late the truths he had taught. The same as it was in the days of Noah shall it be in the days of the second coming of the Son of man. How are the doctrines of the Latter day Saints received? Not with plaudits by the nobles and divines of the earth, but as unworthy of being listened to. We shall continue to teach God's doctrine's even if the lessons are set at naught. To-day it is fashionable not to believe in Jesus Christ. Profanity, drunkenness and debauchery are more fashionable. We will continue to send our missionaries to all parts of the earth warning the people thereof. We shall be the witnesses against these people in the day of final reckoning. They will then truly know and estimate our religions worth, and understand why we were the despised among men. Brethren and sisters look after your own eternal salvation. Whatever may be said against you or done towards you, constitutes but temporary trials. Bear with them, and your reward shall be great in the day when the Master cometh to judge the good and evil. Amen. |