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Show e e 4. 1 I 0 1 I p It: , THE DESERET NEWS, SATURDAY, 4 0. Foundation Of Peace By Elder John (01,1he Council This address was delivered Oh the Columbia ;'Church of the Air" program, as a part of the General 110th Conference, Sunday, Oct. 8, I Semi-Annu- of al notable book presents the . philosophies of twenty-onet ret lona! n erna living persons of ' flown. Each 'contributor interprets the meaning Of life differently: The essays resemble the frayed flying ends -- Of a rope; each a strand of truth, but tif little strength and no organisation.The resulting picture is one of tatter confusion; a reflection of the world:s ' present chaos in matters pertaining to human conduct and consequent Arecent life , - - Ma physical world, To convert the world's battlestrife into fields into cornfields; l'earea and fear into faith and trust. men mUst rnestly seek out and come to agreement concerning three fundamentals: the true God; fillin.11 relationship to God and his fellowmen; and the purpose of human existence., Only as certainty about these is achieved can humanity hope for re lease from the reign of lei tor upon earth. First men must find (od, if iwace . -- happiness. - One of the writers accepts God; the others Ignore or deny the existence of an intelligent power higher than titan. Several imply that, as a means of winning human happiness, Chris-Vanity has failed. Such airy opinions, commonly current, explain our dimtracted world. ' Christianity has not failed. Human history, from the days of Adam, reveals that, if but one Gospel principle is used, under any name, mankind is blessed and prospered. Man's peace and prosperity have risen or fallen with the degree of his obedience to Gospel truths. The failure of the Christian world to reach its heart's desire lies with the Christians, not with Christianity. As an ornament, Christianity has no it special claim for consideration; blossoms into human value only when used. Man has failed to accept the lifegiving truths of the Gospel. That has been his failure. Thereby hangs the whole tale of human misery. It would be a beneficent experience to have Christendom practice the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the moral world the ever stant battle is between good and evil. Man is a free agent. Whenever he bag' chosen goods he has approached joy; when he has followed evil, the ills of the world have overtaken him. The present chaos on earth, of war- fare and its attendant horrors, are of man's own making. Ile has chosen to allow evil to rule him; and he must pay. the price of his folly. The first and most fundamental error has been that in man's mighty search for the truths of the universe, which has made our civilization, he has confined himself, almost wholly, to the material world. Men are victoriously certain of physical laws there they face the light; but confronting spiritual laws, they. stand in cowed uncertaintyJacing the darkness. Therefore, men have fumbled in the dark, failing to find the road they would travel. In fear they have been ,set for constarhattle. ,"Astooth, for a tooth, an eye for an eye" has become their slogan, however carefully veneered with honeyed wordsand war and contention, famine and pestilence, blood and horror, have filled the earth. knowl Examples of our edge are many. The giant star Betelgeuse, millions of light years away-in space, has been weighed and meas ured; but the intelligent domination of the universe remains a subject of controversy. The law of guivity, by which all things are held together, - and reduced to orderly motion, is a ' school boy's commonplace; but that-aIs on earth under an iotelligent, held to be unproved The as-- . is plan sembling ofselectrons into atoms, and atoms Into molecules, to ,form the 'world known to our senses, is clearly painted picture; but ,21e origin and destiny of man are to most men among the mysteries of life. The pur- and their preconceived opinions, make truth the stole objective of their search,. The pimple tests of truth are at applicable In the spiritual as in the Widtsoe A. in the coloring of Pow Of a butterfly's wing is understood; but human life is often held to be purpose, less. An ant hill or a beehive 'howl; laws of relationship for common good; but human conduct Is measured only by personal expediency, ever changing, never fixed or certain. Science gives no hint as to whether dynamite shall be used to destroy a defens-elescity, (Jr terl be made into swords (Jr Plows. It is no wonder that, as a result, the ethics of our day is the ethics of self preservatioubard, self willed, materialthe ethics of every war; and that. the history of civilized times is strung upon a crimson trail of blood. There can be no hope (Jr permanent peace or true- prosperity- on earth until men turn their thought and power to the elucidation of the spiritual problems and Issues of life. Intelligent man has the power to dis-- ' cover- spiritual as well as physical 1939. , Church Deportment OCTOBER 14, 1939 shall rule. To millions of people He but a name, of no real consequence. The leaders of one great nation have seriously proposed the return It) gods. The true heathen, Cod may and ran be found. It is not difficult. Hosts of earnest men and women have found Him, and know that the universe is directed by a dominant, yet comprehensible, intelligent, creative, loving Being, who, as a per Is man-mad- - - - 1 4 '' , I v , '1 .4"Otedlitlia.00. b Paradise. -- Should we not in this trying day search our own hearts? We need go no farther. V. , - - , , - so-- - - , as--- ' - ELDER JOHN A. IVIDTSOE - sonal Being, can and does speak to laws. 'Knock and it shall be opened, seek and ye shall find." If as much His children on earth. .Whoever finds God wins certaintime and energy were spent to search out the true basis of human conduct ty; and conquers fear, the ancient as are given to any one subject in our enemy of man, the distilled essence of uncertainty. A sense of power and schools, or in our social and political activities, the foundations of faith Justice comes to him who learns that there is no chance in the universe, would be well laid. Then,, the existence of God, for .example, would be but that the laws of nature, are the known with the same assurance that Jaws of God,and, that humanity lives under a system operated by an intelthe sun shines. of the cause ligent mind. To find Gott is humaniAn equally basic ty's first need. How many of you, in world's confusion is the lack of agreement concerning the spiritual truths,,,.. this vast congregation, seen and Unpossessed by humanity. In the world seen, have learned to know Him? Second, many sorrows of man are of physical phenomena men general-,- . due to a false conception of man's rely see alike; but in the study of the lationship to the ,Lord and his fellowspiritual domain personal opinions man. There can be little respect for and philosophical abstractions are alThere is constant human welfare or life, if man is but lowed entrance. definitions. God, the a higher animal, an accidental intrudquibbling about first of man's spiritual concerns, is er on earth, or a creature of God, made at His pleasure, 'as children to one group, though of infinite majmake mu cl pies. Man is a very,solof order the a esty, personal Being of God, begotten of God; he was with of man; to another a personal-- Being Since of an order wholly different from the Father in the beginning. man; to another an impersonal, benef-- , he is of a divine pedigree, with a icent power filling, the universe; and spark of divinity within him, he rises to yet another only one of the many immeasurably in the world of things. Then, the brotherhood of man, forces of nature. Contention and warfare prise-ov- er varyfilg definitions or spoken of so lightly, often with 2 descriptions of beliefs. Unity of be- sneer, acquires a profound meaning. All men are children of God; brothers lief must precede fun peace on earth. This can be done, if men will shed, in fact; of the same divine pedigree; . one-side- , with the same high destiny; under the same loving guidance of the Father of the spirits of mete Then, every man Cod's own remust assume some in the children for caring sponsibility of men, A person cannot let his very brothere go hungry. unclothed. shelterless or bowed down in sorrow, le cannot be cruel to them, and be true to his royal tteseent Had this true relationship among men been fixed in human minds, fewer bombs would have fallen on Europe. Again, do we of this vast audience, seen and unseen, look upon our fellows as our very brothers, and strive to give them brotherly help? Third, the true purpose of life must be understood. When the idea of chance in the universe is driven out, purpose in all things step; in. The life of man on earth Mortal life Is part of a divine program for the eternal progress of mare The earth is designed for man's progress; and man's efforts should he in harmony with this purpose. There would be no warfare, if that purpose were understood, and held inviolate among mankind. May I ask each of you: Is your life ordered for progress? These are truths the world needs to know and accept: The existence of Cod; the real brotherhood of man; and, an intelligent purpose in life. Upon these foundations, peace, plenty and prosperity, and all the gifts of our bounteous earth would be available to all men. No longer then would man drift upon the ocean of uncertainty. The course of his life's voyage would be laid nut before him. His life's Journey, guided by knowing and doing, faith and works, would lead him to the house of happiness. Another question presents itself: How do these high truths, found and accepted, express themselves in human lives? How may those who shall bring peace upon earth, be recognized? What quality sums up Christian living? There is a sure, unfailing mark of the true followers of Jesus, the Christ. This mark is the power to forget oneself. In the needs of otherswe call It unselfishness, the highest achievement of man. It is the only means by which swords shall be beaten into plowshares and the earth become as - - Are we ready to give of our surplus, to give of ourselves, to those in need? Is it a joy to us to give to the Lord that which He requests of us? Is there unselfishness in our homes? Does kindness rule there? Does an unselfish love direct our family life? Then we have made the beginning of the worlds conquest of peace. What about our neighbor? Are we solicitous of his welfare? Do we look charitably upon his weaknesses? Do we recognize his virtues without jealousy? Do we try to love him? In our business affairs do we re--- - fuse to take even lawful advantage of our fellowman?"' Will we possible profits with him? You shepherds, officials of the Church, are you true fathers to the flock, givinglove and more love to Your brethren in your charge? These are the simple unfailing - -- de di-vi- tests. this congregation,-a- s followers of the Prince of Peace, would order their lives for unselfishness, a notable beginning would be made toward world peace. Others seeing the beneficent results would follow our ex- ämpl., and the spirit of good will would spread among men. Shall we not resolutely try to do so? is the sequence of qoul-liftin- events when unselfishness rises in the human heart: when the real brotherhood of men is accepted, when there is a surrender to the divine program! Charity and mercy soon flow from (Continued on Page Eight) t |