Show The Church of o Christ a Democratic Institution An Address by Elder James E Talmage in the Taber Tabernacle Tabernacle nacle Salt Lake City Sunday Dec 19 1909 by bs F 1 W V In one rc respect I 1 consider a 1 visitor nt at these services Inasmuch as ast a athis s this Is a ot of a 11 stake to which t t I do not belong It may be of Interest I to those thoro with us to learn that it Js Is a II custom and a practise In the f I Church to hold at stated intervals three months month a usually once onel every cery 1 In each or of the stakes of I Zion The territory Inhabited b by the Saints Is divided Into stakes stake and each stake Is III sul subdivided ant lito wards In each of these territorial dl there thero are certain officers established according to the tho revelations on nn Church government who are charge I 1 with the tho conduct of the tho ot of the Church that respective ward or l stake In like manner the Church a as a whole once onee every six In general conference and Id conferences are arc somewhat dif dlf from the ordinary assemblies f the tho people True they thoy are to be re regarded rev ns as worshiping assemblies nevertheless the necessary pertaining to the tho ward or 01 stake or 01 Church ns as a whole hole Is presented by b the pr gr officers md and Is attended to t and passed upon by the people Thus In n a ward conference the nam names 3 or of those composing osing the bishopric the or of the other officers of the ward warl are aro presented for Cor the vote oto of the peo p o I pie pic and In n a stake slake conference those thos chosen cho Cn to preside the three high priests who constitute the stake I dene dency the I 12 high priests who con constitute the high council of the tho stake stal e ennd I and the other officers are all presented I Ito to the tho people to for I their vote ote und and when voted upon affirmatively these officers of are arc continued In their office for the next period and the people are promise to sustain and support then them In fn the proper and legitimate discharge C of theIr sacred duties CHURCH NAMED AFTER FOP D DER ERIt ER It will thus be seen that the Church Is a democratic institution upon the principles of true democracy e every member of the Church having hang a voice olce In the sustaining or the refusal to sustain the officers who are ure nominated nom nomInated and presented for their vota ot This condition II is expressed In ht the name which the Church bears nn and b by the way that name Is significant in ho ninny Church of Jesus Christ Christof l lof of Saints It Wn was made marle known among amon the ancient Inhabitants o of this continent when after his cruel on Calvary CalaI after his resurrection resurrection tion from the tomb and after aCter his ascension as cension from rom the Mount of Olives the resurrected lord appeared among amon hl hi people here and estal established his Church Churchon on the thc western continent 11 by calling callin and ordaining men to of offices In the tho priesthood and by conferring the tho prIesthood upon to I say a after he had done this he made malle known unto them the name by b which that Church should be called The people had been somewhat disturbed ell as to the selectIon of n a name 0 think Il a great deal of names sometimes Most lost of us have some reason or 01 fancy for or the names we choose for or things for 01 tines timas and for or places But names may ma he be hemore bemore more than passing pat designations th they nr ore Important ns as expressing facts nels and the one great gr at tact fact which th the Christ would have hac expressed S In the Chu Church h he established here hele In carl early days was that thet this was no Church of his him After AHel the people hall had prayed for light Information instruction knowledge Ul upon on the subject he ap appeared amongst then them and reasoned with them and In a manner gently rebuked them for fOI their hesitancy mil and their uncertainty contend over ocr this matter said he In effect Why te Le troubled led Whose church Is it If It be the church of Moses Iose call caB Jt It b by bythe the name of Moses If It be the church of an any man call It by br that mans name nam but If It be pry Church call caB It b by my name And the tho Church established on the western was known as the Church of Jesus JesUl Christ So In the tho nineteenth century when the gospel sospel with all Its and es the priesthood with all 1111 Its authority cane came again to earth when the tho Church was again established after Its disruption when the night of the great apostasy hall passed away cod the light of the da of restoration I was 1 shining the question came up U By what name shall this Church he be known There were man many chur es known of men churches named 11 after le their founders Lutherans named after uner worthy men men who were In t truth servants ot of GOO God men who had founded churches churchs sects religious societies denominations the members of which were proud to hI be called l after ter the tho names or of their great leaders And there were then as there are no now many man churches church that were named after aCter theIr peculiarities or of or Episcopalian founded good Intent churches well named with proper regard to their But did you ou ever eel think of the great and amI solemn an and awful tact fact that until the year ear In which the Lord IAn restored hi ids priesthood to the earth through tine the Joseph Smith there was 5 not on earth n a church b bearing the name or of the Christ If It he Luthers church call It b by Luthers name nn and as long longas as he does docs not take unto himself and arrogate unto himself the powers or of Deity and Is thus free flee from rom the taint of blasphemy let him be honored as the head or of that great religious oran that has hns d done ne so much to lead I I I I men assay from sin I If It ho be Calvin Calvins s church do not rob Calvin of his right rightful ful Cui honor caul It by his name If It bo bothe time the church ot of John Wesley an and hl his brother call It b by their name and amI let nil all who choose to range rane themselves under tinder the banner of the tha re rejoice Jolce joice In them title of they have hayo the fight But let those who ho profess pro profess fess to be following J Jesus us the Christ range ranse themselves under his banner md and call b by his name nume It If this thisbe he be the Church ChUlCh of Joseph Smith It Il Is wrongly named and Its name Is an ex expression expression or of blasphemous assumption If IC this be Brigham Youngs church why not call It by his name Why Yh rob hIm of the honor But BUl we claIm that It fa 13 fathe the Church of Jesus Christ After ACter the people Instructed by 1110 the experience of the tho ancient haul had given Ien this name unto the new Church of Jesus was made wn b by revelation that In n a way a that name nume teas as still incomplete It Is the Church of Jesus Christ the revelation explain explained ed In Intent and In fact but It ls Is also alm almas as nn an earthly organization the Church of those who compose It they Lave a voice oIce In Its affairs under the and the will of the Lord and It Is the Church of Jesus Christ of distinguishing It rout rom the church established estal In th meridian of oC time Not Nol only Is Uri distinction made malic clear In the name hut but the fact that as the church of the Lat Saints the Saint Saini composing It have under corder time the direction and through the of Jesus Christ the tho rights and the powers of oC perpetual succession In that Church I ASSUR D When hn the Church was established amongst tine the Jews Its early earb disruption disruption tion was foreseen but foretold The tact fact that time the Church would become apostate was WI q known unto the prophets of old and was mad clear cleal through prophetic utterance rime Christ himself spoke In no uncertain terms In pr that great reat depart departure ure and his apostles not on only pro proclaimed claimed the tho great ailing away that should conic come but bul solemnly tu to the fact that the had al already read ready begun while they yet et lived lIed ani ministered In time the Hash When ho how however ever eer the Church wall w as reestablished In Inthis Inthis this tine the dispensation of the ulness or of limes s the solemn promise and prophet prophetIc Ic declaration was given tint that It Il should never neer more morl be taken front from the tiro earth never nevel mora ho overthrown never neer more suffer even cen temporary temporal defeat at the hands of the powers of evil nod amI this restored and ami reestablished Church re received the power and the authority re requisite requisite to Its unbroken ken continuation Its perpetuity Is assured unless the limo worth word of f God Goel hI be false The power to con continue Its organizations has been given unto the lime people p ople and In that sense as asun un nun earthly Institution It Is time tho Church of the people under umber and through the direction of the Christ lIe stands at atthe time the head I say this peculiar organization to which I referred In connection with the several stakes and wards or of the Church Is In harmony harmon with the profession ex expressed expressed pressed by b its name The people are arc required to come together and consider con consider sider and pass upon and conduct the of the Church as an earthly organization and though revelation Is given unto them front time to ta time itis It Itis is for or them to accept or reject that reve and take the consequences At Atthe Atthe the forenoon session of this conference as I an am had duties In cot my myown m mown own and was not nol ness was attended to and the organizations organizations or of the Salt stake of Zion were made measurably complete and were continued by vote vole of the people for fOI the next period of three months I take It that thal this Is significant as af showing the plan of oC organization pleas pleasIng pleasing Ing unto the Lord He has said hl that even the high priest who stands at atthe atthe the head of th the Church shall occupy his exalted position as president of the high and president of oC the Church only as Inc he is sustained by b the theote tote ote of the people over oer whom he pro pre presides sides Thus is the voice olce of God heard In the tho voice of leis his people anti and thus Is the law of God carried out b by the ac action actions tion and doings of his people WHAT IS IN A NAME AlIE Ye We claim that the name which this Church bears has been given ginn by au authority and that consequently we have a right to It and having a right to the name we have a right to all that It implies for or names glen given of God are never neer empty cognomens are titles of rank ranle It if you OU please lf nu au and of power We e have many man worl worldly l titles that are arc ns as empty empt of oC meaning as Is the sounding brass and andas anda a as are arc time the tinkling cymbals but these ame alo names and titles given of men I Inot not of God hen God honored his I faithful servant Abraham and said un unto unto to him him Thou no longer he be called Abram but Abraham lie he con conferred conferred upon him a title with iI a great meaning Father or of a great multi multitude tude of nations and amI tell me has I title not been vindicated Has Ha It ht proved to be an empty empt name Whan Jacob wrestled by b nl night ht with his heavenly visitant and said In the fer Cr fervor vor 01 of his faith raith I will not let thee go until thou hast blest m me that heavenly being blest him by b giving him D a name and It was no empty name either What Is thy name Jacob Jacoh Yell Well thou no mora memo bf be called calle Jacob Israel Is thy name nam namand and amid he had occasion to In the title thus given Ono One who prevails with God Is what the tho name means lie He rose to the possibilities of o that title and until this duty the followers or of the Lord Jesus are aro glad to bo be known also nf as the children of Israel There I 1 a I vital difference bot between the names glen given of oC men and amid I tho tithes or of worldly Import and those thoo that have hae meaning beyond the mean meanIng Ing of earth Call to mind If you will the thc Incident or of that outcast wife Ha Hagar gar who tied fled from the house ot of her mistress She was a plural wife of Abraham given unto him by Sarah but bul she fled from tho house because been use of time the treatment she received and went Into the tho desert There In her anguish she wept But there came unto her hel heran helan an an angel el ot of the Lord and ho he bade her hem herbe be of good cheer cheor and sought to com comfort tort fort her troubled heart said Inc ht I bring ou n a blessing You shall be the mother mothel or of a son lIOn ot of promise and as that boy grows up Inc he shall turn out to be bea a 1 wild man his hand shall be against every man nod and every overy mans hand against him He shall lIe Jive In the desert and shall wandel hander from rom place to place Indeed it would seem that this was little of a blessing the promise of such sucha I a son to he an outcast permanently as al his hiM mother seemed to be an outcast for fOI the tho time but the an angel el told her hor sonic some something thing more he said When that child chilli Is born hIs name shall be 00 Ishmael Then she rejoiced because that was wasa a nnnie namo glen given or of God through his ap pointed messenger and It Is an honor to own and be entitled to such a name it Il means God shall hear him when Inc ho calls That was a blessing Indeed So with the tha names given ghen of God unto Iris hIs people His chosen servants have hae been named before their birth anti and names that did not suit him have hae been changed RELIGION NOT NOI MErlE FORM FORMIs Is It any wonder wondel then that when he established his Church upon the tho earth ire he should he be so particular as to th the name b by which It should be known Imon But that munt carries with It responsibility My friends If we are arc In fn ve very truth members of tho Church or of Jesus Christ It is required of WI us that we live IS as would become members of such a aChurch aChurch Church This religion or of ours Is s no mere matter of form orm It has been said that In con our OUI theology we are arc painfully ma material material there thele Is little mystery In the the theolo theology olo ot of thIs Church Why Yby we belle believe In a God who Is just ns as tangible ns as a being as you me ate and as I m an Ye be belove love that Is an exalted perfected and perfect being or of the same race raco to which you and I belong Yo We dont be hero In the metaphysical conception of cf Deit Deity whIch represents hint him ruI as a amele amere mere mele force or power or influence or essence wo we I believe In him as D a being controlling these forces of nature op crating through h the forces Corces witch which lire are so often mistaken for limo him Yo We In Inthe Inthe the l light and the warmth that come unto us from the sun hut but we do not 1101 believe that tine tho Tight light and warmth are arc the sun or 01 that either elther or of them Is s the sun and We do not believe that the force and Influences of God are arc to be confounded with tine tho Delt Deily himself Ve believe the I Father ather to bo be just as tangible n a being as was the Son while he lived In the Iesh and andas andas as ho 10 was waR after artor his resurrection and ands andas as s he Is now If after aftel he had taken taleen up his pierced and wounded bod body from the tho tomb Il ii was possible for the few privilege ones to h feel the print o otho of time tho nails In hIs hands and feet and the mark of the he soldiers soldier spear in hIs side Hide If the they could feel his bod body feel eel his flesh and his we he be believe lieve ee will he be the condition of tine the human soul after the resurrection |