| Show to SERMON by ny cl kr gm geo A smith smithy tabernacle march 28 im 0 BT JIT 0 30 WATT brethren and slaters I 1 must my gratl fi cation at the waddress which was delivered for rot our consideration in the tim former part of the day I 1 do not pot feel as much in the tho spirit of preaching as I 1 do in that of listening but as there still is a short time to be occupied atthe at the tho request of ibb ibe brethren I 1 will offer for your consideration a few remarks according to tile tiie example already given this aft quoon I 1 shall commence by taking a wui wll bo be found recorded la in the tho chapter of tha the gospe according to st matthew 0 jerusalem thon thou that gillest tha tho prophets and a soonest them senti benti unto tie thee tle e hoof ten would I 1 have 94 gathered thy children together even as a hen chickens under her wings aud and ye would not 1 while I 1 call cali your attention 0 to o this abis passage of scripture I 1 have in view the tiie rich items that have been presented here today to day the light of the spirit which has been manifest in revealing to us our duty that purity of life that submission of conduct that correct course which are aro calculated in all things to enlighten fhe iho saints and prepare them for exaltation and eternal lives how of ten says the savior would I 1 have gathered thy children together 0 jerusalem as a hen gather eshher chickens under her wings and would have nourished nourished hed you but you would not these words were uttered by the savior while whilo looking at the vast city and surrounding country which was then inhabited by lle ile tile lie jews who were residing there in fit security surrounded with plenty and were at the same time almost universally versa ver sally ly in open rebellion against the law of heaven it has been a very common saying in the world that the lord was able to do every thing that he could do 6 any thing he had a mind to do and accomplish com pleased that he possessed universal power and could coald ae accomplish com what he bo undertook der took but what says our text how oft would I 1 have gathered you but ye would not this indicates that he be could not do it brause they were not willing that is the way we understand the language it is plain also from the file text that if it the people of jerusalem the he children of israel Is rael would have listened and would hive have been gather edhe would have nourished them and conferred upon them the principles of salvation the tho davs aws of exaltation which it was his desire to give them let me say th enthat from the foundation foun four dation orthe world or in other words from the tha fall of pien plen man until the period of the declaration of the words of our text we find plainly illustrated in fit the whole history contained in the sacred book tiie tile the principle that the lord wished to reveal unto Ithe the children of men things thinas which had been hid from before the foundation foul four dation of tile the world principles which would exalt them to celestial thrones but they would not or which amounts to the fame came same bame lie he could never find a people could liever never communicate with a generation or a very vary numerous body of men that would obey his commandments listen to his hi bousel and observe his wisdom doln or be led by his revelations 1 some of my friends may think I 1 am tim doing injustice by these remarks to the zion of enoch iam farll fam aware that the lord did in the tho dys days 0 enoch gather together enough of the inhabitants of the earth to build a city but in consequence of the tha the rp rebellion bellion the wickedness and oppression of the great mass of mankind he could not save ehst cit city y from destruction only by taking it unto lanto hla hia own ow bosom hence went forth the tho saying of oid zion is fled so far as revealed records show that is the tile nearest he ever came to the point 0 accomplishing the end of his undertaking touching the redemption of the human family up to bathe the days of the tha savior I 1 As we have learned from elder hydes hydea sermon this afternoon tha the same thing is illustrated in fit the tile history of joseph he wished to reveal llie tile will of god io to his brethren but they rebelled and sold him into egypt moses undertook to give nive the children of israel the tho laws of tile the priesthood pries tho iod lod to make mahe them a holy people le a chosen gindrat generation gi herat ion iou a kingdom of priests but what wha t was the result they would not receive it and altho aitho god dod had delivered them theta from the plagues of egypt from tile the hands of pharaoh brought them through the red lied sea and led them by a cloud by day and a p pillar ular of fire by night yet when whon moses went into the presence of god to receive hla hia law 1 to toree receive elve eive those principles that were to magnify them thern and make them a kingdom of priests a holy people they a whole people concluded that it was ws best to worship a calf culf why sald said they our neighbors worship calves they have gods they tiley have idols and we wish to worship something that we WO can see for we do not kno know v what has become of this moses and we want a god that we can see and handle i 4 in IA taking a passing glance of this subject we find the same sama attempt was made ill iu the days of solomon the ibe wise king of israel the lord undertook to prepare a place a house wherein he could dould reveal unto his people the law of exaltation ile he made the attempt but before that house could bo be completed one of the very men through whom the ordinances of exaltation were to be revealed must be put to death by the cruel treachery of wicked kicked men stirred up by the adversary which frustrated the design desiL rn the keys of the priesthood consequently had to be kept a secret and years after the prophets were lamenting mourning complaining and finding fault with the people because the lord could never ba be permitted to reveal the falness of his will to the tiie children of men micah aft after br reflecting how often the lord had attempted to reveal hislaw his law and as hi his hia s eye by the spirit of prophecy glanced down through the vista of time to the tha last days exclaims in a transport of joy but bat in the last days it shall come to pass that the mountain of the house of the lord shall be established in the tops of the mountains and it shall be exalted above the hills and people shall flow unto it and many nations shall come and say come and ana let esgo us go up to the mountain of th the lord and to tha the house of the god of jacob and he be will teach us of his ways and we will vill walk in his paths for the law jaw shall go forth of zion and the word of tha the lord lori from jerusalem I 1 I 1 I 1 this thia was just a glimpse that the tire prophet had bad of tha tile establishment of the purposes of or je bovall in in the last days he saw the tha nations flowing to the tops of the mountains to receive that law of redemption which the world would not receive in the meridian of time when the savior made his appearance and presented hini bini self seif to the bouso ll 11 usg use of israel chose his bis apostle conferred up anthem tho keys of the priesthood and sent them forth to 0 bear testimony to the tha sons fods cf of men th e raff result uit of his divine imis slow siow is the words of our text aiani how often ofton would I 1 have hava g gathered hered bared yo you adaven as a hen ten gat hereth her chickens under her wings ye would doo DOW not I 1 I 1 L says john when speaking of our savior lie ile he came unto his own and his own received him blin not bot but as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of god Po power was given them to become the sons of god and joint heirs with christ hence the principles of exaltation were clearly illustrated by jesus christ and his apostles yet the people would not receive them ina lna in a few years afterwards we find that every person who preached the pure gospel of jesus christ was doomed to destruction destruct lo by bv the tile hands of wicked men the power of the adversary increased paganism overwhelmed the true church and pagan institutions were substituted Ini instead tead and the Christ christain aln religion either had llad to hide bide itself in tile the dens and caves cavas of the earth or bow to the unmeaning mummeries mum meries of ancient pa gan rome notwithstanding thi this the lord had his eye upon the great point to be attained the great object to be accomplished when lie would aga again in attempt to gather the children of israel ta gether and nourish them and teach them of his ways wave and learn them to walk in his paths the very first moment after linner the angel 0 oc god had bad communicated to joseph the revelation of the fullness of the tiie gospel what ait do we discover covert we discover that all the blood hounds of earth and hell liell were let loose U upon neon on him the very girst first attempt that aliat could be male made to be belr bear teb les of the gospel was to be tit fit thwarted by persecution se the editor ial lal thunder vas immediately let loose and as the oid olo quaker said to trl tri th dog that camb fame came to his store etore being i blittle tittle little offended at the animal ii i il I w will ill no not kill thee but 1 I will give div e thee a bad so he turny him ont out and hol loe loes bid dog judging rightly that somebody would suppose him to be madana mad and shea shoot liin llin him that was the devila devit plan pian when this go gospel fel pel was wag first introduced the the tho cry bry was balsa falsa prep prophet wit et imposter delusion mixed up with every every kind of or sl alider slander every person who is ivell well acquainted with the history of this Church knows that at lle pie commencement men cement of it the commenced and they continued to increase increase until th thadea 1 ath lh of tiia ilia prophet het forty seven time timea lie lip was wah ringed b before eore he e tribuna kcf gor of law arid and had A to sustain all the expense of defending hims himself of ill in t we thole vexatious bious suits and was every L linh line m e acau ad he ile was never dever found guilty bu but tAce occo I 1 ilava been beebi told by par patriarch latch larch emer that ona on a certai certain it occasion h he e was brought beffre a aa V crate irate in hi the state of new york and charged kli kil ith havin having cast but devils the after I 1 hearing 1 the tha witnesses decided that 11 lieras 0 wa guilty but bat as the tile statutes of bf new york did not Dr provide ovide a al punishment ment for cas casting tl ing ou out t d devils e v i Is ilg tig 0 was yas ac the limited amount of time which 1 loy py lay use this afternoon me atako bu but a partial glance at certain points that tt isal t to 0 police lt lit lix c with vulli pur ui teki text among the fait principles abat were revealed to the children of f men itlen tu in tg tda last day duy swi tile tha gathe gathering rind rino the fi first revelations that were given to the tile chuh church were merb to command them thein to ot gat herand berand saed seed brn d eld eid elders eiders rs tu to seek out a puce ngoe dor for the gat gi liering of the saints ainu what is tha the gathering 1160 nor for why was it that tie the savior wished the tte children gf israel to together 1 ither to together etherl ethert ft it was hat they might hight ba be bei i corfis come united and afia provide sp a plade place wherein he lip could reveal unto them keys which leqve reen peen ee n 11 hid ia fram before the foundation 1 0 I the wor world that bat thal he could unfold 11 nito unto nto them thein thie the laws of or exaltation and make them a of or priests e veu yeii the tile whole people and exalt them 6 to throne fand dand 0 and dominions in the celestial world roi rol fotch tl os in 18 1833 33 the shi sainta n ts commenced to blira baita brila build a ale temple 1 in kirt KiTt kirtland land t ta cost of which wal was not less than one hundred bundred thousand no usand dolbea amere A mere ba handful ll 11 wilful of or saints commenced that work but til tir tily eliy yvet were full of faith and in energy ergy and willing ai thes they 1 supposed t to sacrifice ein fia ayery thing for the building build iring up of or zion in a few weeks some gome of them the trials werk weri wera too great the tile troubles weib were foe toe severe I 1 know persons who apoi apostatized because taiti thy s supposed they had reasons foi for in instance a certain family aeter atter 1 having traveled a along long journey lourney arrived in kirt lind and the prophet asked them to stop with him until they could find a place syte 91 V r I 1 emma ram a in the mean time lime V asked I 1 th tho the told old oid lady if she would have a cap cup of tea to refresh her after efter the fati fatigues gues of the journey or a cup of coffee this hoie hole hole family apostatized because they were invited to okae a cup of tea oi or coffee coffie after the word of vis wisdom was given another famil the same sime th ilme lime ari ars apost acosta sized because joseph josep smith c cane came lime lame down oat of the tha translating room where he lie kai kad been dag translating slating by the tha gift lift and power of god and commenced I 1 playing placing with his little children some ench trials as these you know had to be encountered I 1 recollect a gentleman who came from canada and who had been a lieth Aleth methodist odist and ind h had ad always been in the habit of praying to a god who had no ears and as a matter of course had to shoat shout and halloo pretty loud to make him hear father johnson asked him to pray in their family worship in the evening and he got on stich such a high keland haloed hallea so loud that hs he alarmed the whole village among others joseph came running out saying what is the matter I 1 thought by the noise that the heavens and the earth were colim coming to together oether and said to the manthai man that he be boucht not to give way to such an enthus enthusiastic lastic spirit and nd bray so much like a jackass because joseph said that the poor man put back to canada and apostatized he be thought lie he would not pray to a god who did not want to be screamed at with all ones might we progressed in this way wiy while we were building the kirtland temple the saints had a great many traditions which they had borrowed from their bathers fathers and laid the foundations and built that temple with mth great cod col compared with what whai we bave have how bow now to endure they gotthart got that thit building io so ar to be I 1 dedicated alca dica ted this is wai was was what the lad lord wiz want edhe d he aivish wished them ahem hem to provide a place wil wll wherein er ein eln he auld reveal vea I 1 to tile the chil children drin of nen dien those principles that will exalt them to eternal glory and make them saviors on mount zion four hundred and sixteen elders priests teachers and deacons met in the kirtland temp temple le on the evening of its dedication I 1 can see faces here that were in that assembly tile tho lord poured his spirit upon us and gave us some little idea lied of the law of anointing and conferred upon us some blessings ile he taught us how to shout hos hosai hosar annall annail inah gave joseph the key keys s of the gathering together ot of israel and revealed to us what why the fact of it was he dare not yet trust us with the first key of the priesthood ile he told u us to wash ourselves and that almost made the women mad niad and they tiley said as they were not admitted into the temple while this washing was being performed that some mischief was going on ozi and and some of them were right huffy about it we were instructed to wash each others feet as an evidence that we had borne testimony of the |
