| OCR Text |
Show rv TTTR evrt9- PPSKRET NEWS, SATURDAY. NOVEMBER 24. 19.14. Church Department IDOES FAITH SAVE? BfElderNephi Jensen RADIO ADDRESS SON DAY. NOV. IS, t HEARD vary Interesting sur- -, tnon o"S sight la South Oeor-gls- ii A popular ovangotut was tha bad ona' pronouncad praaohar. Ha was obsession. Ha dlapoaad to apsak 1 , IM4 arlth tha utmost clarity and final-it- To aid la tha attainment of this very laudable and ha equipped htmoeif with a blackboard, which was plaead In a convenient position Just back of tha pulpit. YeAfter reading bis teat "By Grace tookarea Saved Through Faith," be piece of chalk and draw a vertical ling on tha board. As ha did so. be 'remarked with soma emphasis, Thls line represents aalvatiota by yr grace-- " Than be draw another Una across tho board, bisecting the Una that stood for salvation As bs finished this stroke grace. ty remarked with earnestneaa. be "This Una represents salvation by works.1' Ha now stepped baek to tho puland continued bis sermon with pit tha sags observation, "Those two theories are -diametrically opposed to each other- If the doctrine of saldoctrine vation by grace Is true the of salvation by works is false." And o anylng be reaffirmed a doctrine which Id adhered to by millions of people, ii Paul's Words Paul's words "not of. works lest following any man should boost." are saved tho Heat, "By grace ye the Idea through faith" gave rise to Irreconis that! salvation by graoa that cilable with the doctrine reconworks save. Paul, however ciles! the two theorlee before he oonejudes his discussion of tha subexposition of ject. its sumsof up his with the siggrace the dcctrtns nificant statement that we are unto Jetue good "created In Christ works.'' us that salThe apoefle first tolls vation Is not of works; and gives as tha reason tor this statement the fact that "pe are created In Christ Jesus unto good works." From tillsIs -languageof it U oertain that there the saving process that a part Is wholly grace through faith." and a Part that Is of works, 1 i well-meani- goodness of Ood. as revealed In the saving mission of the Christ. Without! any effort on the part of my friend he felt hla heart mellowing-Sooevery vestige of rnneor had left him; and he went from the service with love In his heart for everybody. What had hep nd to him? By the! grace of Christ he was transformed through faith and moved to .goodnoss. This la tha divine The part in tnc saving process. -- utilisation of this awakened goodness, In adherence to the eternal laws of right living-- and - nobis Samoa to .mankind is the human parij In the salvation knd ennoblement of man. The tendency to think that man of himself la the complete master of hie fate; and that he can by his bwn efforts alone win In tha . store battle against the forces of evil,! Is lust Ss dangerous as the .Idea that ha la saved wholly oy tha grace of God. Dr. Everett, tho distinguished author of Moral Values, dells us that great and good man of every nge have held that our i"esaentlsl goodness le- - of n power not of ourselves." Paul was one of these great and gcjod men. His doctrine of tbs saving grace of Christ Is tha embodiment of tho ttv , - great' fundamental truth that our real Inner goodness is awakened by dlvlnp power. The very sense of depeitilnncej upon God that this truthlnvolvcs, has a purifying effect upon human lives, This spirit ! i -- "f faith. . In 'order to understand Peni s It la necessary to get point' of view a glimpse of the religious atmoswhloh the apostle found In. phere! himself when he discussed this docto the Ephesians. bis letter In trine people had been taught to Thesq mere ceremonial acts bellavt that would and ritualistic performances make them acceptable to God- Paul of works that them tells struct. In g this kind uninspired by a not will God In faith save. Illia conclusion la baaed upon - hcart-purlfytm- a great fundamental truth. have rot performances no ennobling affect upon the soul-Thsullen acta of a slave may aid demoralhis mas tor. but they onlyserves out ise tho slave, unless, he It was master. JTov hts for of a to this bsslo truth -- that led Paul thd rim elusion that tho greet essential In man's moral and apirltual development Is the Inner .change of disposition that comes through the awakening of n love Inspiring faith In oof Grace of Christ It vlas through the grace of Into the Christilhat this faith cams world.! By ..awakening In tha heart Jesus crestv" . this piirlwng faith, or disposes the soul to love Inspired sodil works. This' kind of so ml works! have real Saving efficacy! because they are motivated bv soul stalling faith In God. Uu tithe awakening of the eoul to ood tho spirit of rlghteousneas or savworks! does not complete the basio Is Brest the ing prOcrss. It sssentthl without which there' ran he no Seal moral and spiritual adthe ' vancement.- To consummate savins 'work, the spirit of goodness In the which tin been evoked heart must be eapressed In persistent oljtdtenc do divine law; and translated Into actual constructive Works f righteousness. P Illustration A celpimonplsce Illustration will Hn understanding the relaaid us tion between grare and works A friend Qt mins had boen offended and trip real surly and moross one Bimdnvtln this hateful mood he attended (the evening saernmept eer. vice. There was present at thin meetlnA a beautiful spirit of devotion. f Tha speaker spoke with heart hunching mellowness of the , i of humility Is In fact tbs real anti-dotor the proud which is the and very source cf ell selfishness and behavior. An Knergctlo Faith The faith that Paul speaks of as having special saving efficacy Is an energutlo faith, that expresses itself in persistent obedience to divine law. This Ides is quite In contrast with the great Martin Luther's conception of faith. Luther thought thore can be real faith without works. He said, "Man Is not Justified who performs many but hs who without great Corks has much faith in Christ." Luther sleo held that the theory of. salvation by faith Is Irreconcilable with the Ides of salvation by works. What Is the real origin of the of these IdessT This question cuts right to the eore of a persistent aspect of religious development. In Its prdo-tlcexpression religion partakes largely of human nature. We naturally dislike persistent struggle. We prefer the life of undisturbed ease. Our nstures are ss disposed that In every department of life we gradually gravitate to the level of effortless exlatenoe. This tendenry finds expression In the evolution of religions. Every greet religion haa been born of a deep, genuine desire to attain dialling righteousness. Buddhism, ex-in Its original form, was a fine pression of the soul's earnest long- ts antt-eoct- al history, of Zion's Camp JEN HON, Ai latent ( liurr-Historian. WEDNESDAY. JUNE 11 The MONDAY, JUNE t. Utlti members of Zion's Camp, who hail Thin Was a regular wash day for sojourned on fait IUver since June the members of Zion's Camp at Sait Tth. mado preparations to contlnul In which sot was up River. ;A shop the Journey; they fixed their gups Tubbs Nelson Htratton rum and Hy were and out kept thorn loaded. guns ss repaired such David shod EUiott and In of order Joseph Smith what wa done by the summarising our homes. j Camp whllo tarrying on Halt River says; TtlfcflDA Y, JUNE Toi Zion's "Ws lemutucd ion at salt River unHat Camp, i In its encampment til the 12th, refreshing and rehis lllver was reorganized. !Of orreorganizing tho camp, which Moses Jdsrtln writes; Ws were organizing was dons by electing Joseph ganized into companies. Lyman Wight general of the Smith those twenty ewordnmen for Camp (Jueeph Smith, however, a life guard. These were dlvtJod was commander - In - chief, and Into tens with Hyrum Smith as hjman Wight general), i chosg captalnf of the first ten and Roger men for tco. twenty llfo second of my Orton as captain cf the whom my brother Hyrum guards, was choThen twenty of the best riflemen sen w A. and noie captain, George Smith were chosen out of the Was my arnipr-benrrThe remain! camp for rangers, I being on of der of tho company was organized the flnq company. Col. Frederick to the pattern at New according (J. Wlllbims was chosen captain of WniJo at Salt lortiign. Ilivcri the second company. Joseph Smith. General murched the Wight and O. Williams Lyman Frelerhrk on tho pralrl). Inspected our camp fire! Wight Were Isadora for the whole locks, ordered a of thd camp. same at targets bydischarge platoons, drills breththo ed us half a day and returned toi Elijah Ford, one of ren trot Michigan, who had Jolnod eamp. About. this time I dispatched! the came on Salt lllver, two days Elders Orson Hyde and 1. bofore, 'writes: 1'ratt to Jefferson City Tarley with a into were formed "The brethren message to Governor Dunklin, to tha If he woe ready to ful-- l ascertain companies and exercisedout In on tho fill the proposition whloh hs hod to re noon and afternoon Michiproviouaiy mado to the pralrlo. iThls day Ws (tho of our to reinstate them. on tholr brethren lands in gan Saint) eowacrnted allcausa to Zion's Jackson for lead money and County, and loavo Doctor Brown. there to defend themselves." them Commlsary-GenerTHURSDAY. During the .day Brother Samuel JUNE 12 Zion's Bont was appointed steward In tits Hs Camp and refound green rorn 2 2 Journey place of! Mro. Lyman Wight, feet high signed. end Bro. James Dunn as ready to shell head. Tho Journey led through a rough bis assistant. . country abounding with large quantities of Gsorgd A. Smith writes: Into wss 'limestone, reorganized very rapid streams and "The Llamp At length high bluffs. a largo tens. Joseph Smith was acknowf. and prnlrle was (28 miles across) ledged ss commander-lo-chle-second officer. on reached, which os tha the Lviuan Wight night camp was made, after traveling of two companion selected during Joseph the day about fourteen mllee. At ten men seach as his Ilfs guard. the place of encampment the wawas appointed his armor-bea-cter was mu lily' but the grazing "and during the rest of .the Journey good. Joseph the Frophet writes; 1 took cars and kept his arms load"Tho Inhabitant of Balt River ed and Ii order; they consisted of settlement manifested s great rea braes fof fins spect for us, and many of them d horse pistols, which ue some distance on our had been itaken from a British of1 Instructed Journoy. the camp la 1811. rifle, ficer in the war of Is the morning that Jt a guu was Bred now In no also s word. which It bo would on considered Woodposseesiomof Elder W Ilford but In the course of tho day,alarm; whllo ruff. I generally accompanied Jos1 was a I mile shot a ahead, he went, carrying eph wherever Dro. for when squirrel Foster, hs me. Whenever these arm with several of the brethron came runeither of them. I discharged fScsc matwss up what ning thy II. and acted as a personal ter. 1 told them Bro. Foster was guard. This duly rellsv.id me In a want to sick: 'I you for him.' pray great measure from welting upon George A. Smith writes! good our cook. Who was not slwayw whom I novvr Joseph bought a large horss naturod, but with and which me hs called Mark Anthony. a gate had any difficulty, He sent Orson Hyde and Ittrley better opportunity of hearing the 1 1ratt to Jefferson Cltv to Govcounsels and Instructions of the Afernor Dunklin to accept Ills Excel. "rophet Uutn I. had previously. Icnry's proposal to reinstate ths ter our organization was completflnlnt on their lands In .Jackson ed, ws west on to the prnlrle and countv nnd leave them there to tlcneral Wight drilled us. defend themselves. Brother James We discharged our rifles at the tarhers Allred, hla sons and others of ths get by platoons. The treated us kindly and branch at Salt Lake Rlvor, Joined (Salt River) us and camped with ns this avaafforded us every facility In their us resume to oar enable to power iling, (Continued Next Week) Journey." 1IY ANDREW h r. al X r. brsss-barlele- ng fur enlightenment and purification. Primitive Christianity glorified ths sanctity of ths human personality! and souept to bring about the soul' eternal ennoblement. But hy reason of man's disposition to beoomo spiritually indolent. both Of these great religions, In course of time, becume extremely ritualistic: and eventually developed into mechanical rot ceremonlnl . observance. disassociated with heart righteousness. purlfling I'lnt-lnThis natural Emphasis tendency to get away from continuous robust for righteousness rcsuPs struggle "In cmplinsls being placed upon ceremonial sets that ar to ho especially ' pleasing tothought Ood. Act of this kind are 'largely mechanical. and ca. be performed without robust effort and rsal heart purification. Tho Protestant reformers - had the deep spiritual Insight to doted the laok of saving efficacy in the dead formalism of their times. But they dtd not altogether get away from the Idea that the distinctive function of religion Is io plans God, rather than promote rlghteousneas. Having rejected tho Idea that there la saving efficacy In ths sacraments, they fell Into the error )f thinking that faith Is a sort of sudden act, especially pleasing to God. that may win instant complete divine favor for the vilest sinner. This conception of faith guv rise to the ld.-that the mere fretful revolting confession of a condemned murderer will awing hi guilty eoul from ths hangman s noose to the height of eternal felicity Example I met with an extreme fication of this error whileexempliin law school In Chattanooga. Tennessee. A theological student 'of the college where I ws pursuing my studies, mounted a scaffold Icgnl and promised Instant salvation to condemned wife murderer in hlaa confession After this gruesomo ministry I asked the student If he thought the went to heaven ,orrU1" ho did." was the Inemnt lo be sureffnlly response. "He confessed Christ." "What became of tho murderer's wife. I asked. "If she had not Christ before she "She went to hell." wan died"" the ready reply. And tho theological student manifested; no sense of as he guviK the answer. Irrstionnllty This egregious error is the of tho misconception that saving faith can be completely expressed with a few fruntlb emotional words. But as a matter of fact salvation Is not Instantaneous, ie progressive victorious in Its most vital aspects R laliving the'pro. cess of being lifted Out of the degrading darkness Of Ignorance, mid la being delivered from the tyranny of sinful desires. This cimplria moral and spiritual eniant nation comes through the Joint operation' of divine power and persistent effort. It Is not won by a nuire fearful fretful Confession Christ. The eternal victory of sal-of vation Is won by constant falth-ln- . Plred sdherene to eternal truth. tii-- eon-fess- th 1 hu-nt- an Faith That Naves The faith that saves la a eonvdctlon that Christ ! the verltsbl Ron ofJesus God; that out of his infinite love for mn- tor l bln of world, that by the might of tits tha In him divinity he rose the dead and conquered deathfrom for that his Ilf Is the one perfect living pattern of lire. A dramatic Incident In the Ilfs or I etor furnishes an Inspiring example of this robust faith. ,h part of reter's min- numhrr of sick persons and mo tnoo ho wore voxnj wjik uncelan spirits" wer brought" to the apostles and were ,Th "'eh Driest boramS greatlr Incensed because of this , manifestation of divine power lls caused the apostles to be lmnrls. nM of th oSHll,.,hU prison doors," end the servants of Ood: and tho liberated apostles entered nirnlit Into tho temp l and commenced to pro eii, Th report that th apostles wnra " P reaching In the name of Christ was brought to th counetl of tha Jew. Tho apostles wore before this eoun-mWhen they wero arraigned, thsl, high priest stornty asked. "Did ws not atralghtly command that you should not speak In this name?" to obey Ood rather "w (Continued On Pats Eight) soul-toot- all-an- wlr 7 |
