| Show HR PR n eppa 01 A xe it bis KIS I 1 B y pr es BJ d theold n theO td tabernacle elfy city sunday bunday X match march atch arch 1868 I 1 REPORTED BY DAVID W EVANS we learn as we progress in our experience peri perl ence iii in the church and kingdom of god the necessity of living near to the lorl lora lord in order to enjoy his holy spirit and to reach the standard lo 10 which it is our oun r privilege to attain we can all remember when we received the gospel how elated we were and how glorious Avery everything thing looked to our vision we saw no difficulties but what we were willing to attempt to surmount there appeared nothing in our way but what we thought we could overcome and we felt that so far as in our power lay we would remain faithful so longas long iong as we lived on the earth earthy that thab we would not stumble at anything that might come before us and that we were competent to encounter the evil of life and every difficulty and affliction counting it more honorable to be a doorkeeper in the house of the lord than to feast with cherich the rich and ungodly this is the ex experience b I 1 might say of all who have received re ce IV ed the gospel in sini ic erity I 1 suppose that the apostles and disciples of our lord and savior jesus christ also felt elated with the idea that they were associated with the savior Savio of the world the son of god but we nind find that they shortly afterwards deserted him wim im and even in the days of the deliverance of israel from egypt they doubtless were elated with the mission of moses mops and went forth nothing doubting but we see in a short time that their minds again reverted to the things of the world and the place they had left and they transgressed so deeply that the lord would not permit them to enter the promised land hind yet not to be frustrated or thwarted in his pur purposes oses he decla decia declared red that their children should in herit if it so it is with the latter day saints A abood good many feel I 1 think as though their religion has become an old story they received the word gladly in the first place and were perhaps perlian a good deal elated with the idea of being members of the kingdom of god on the earth but when they begin to live in that kingdom and fond find that those ideas are not realized as bastas fast aa they imag ined they would be they get lull dull and add fancy the work does not progress per haps they neglect their prayers they 1 think it is of little use to pray they become cold slothful and dull and their minds become darkened instead instead of living so as to enjoy a full measure and flow of the spirit of god they become discontented and dissatisfied with the kingdom of god and the principles of our holy religion if wp only reflect when we enlisted in this cause it was for a lifetime for eternity not for a few days or a year or two and then to fall away and return again to the beggarly elements of the world we did not receive these principles c les ies with any such idea but we enlisted etcor for time and for allete aliete all ali eternity mity under king emanuels banner we ve covenanted that we would keep the law of god walk humbly before him and do all in our power to build up zion and hold on to those principles made known in his kingdom that we might attain to the tho blessings which were in the future they who get weary and discontented think perhaps that they are not nob no called and chosen why we are called or chosen to be righteous holy beings and let us remember that the time for being chosen because we have been righteous will come after a while and happy will be that individual who has so lived up to his privileges as to be among the chosen ones if we wish to attain to this great blessin blessing g we must live for lit dt and not to neglectful in regard to the things of god we must apply our religion to our daily lives we can meet and sing and pray and soar away in the spirit for we have a as s much in our spiritual exercises as any people on the earth to raise our drooping spirits and fill our souls with joy but on theother the tho other hand our religion does not consist of that alone it is practical we reread read that when the kingdom king dom of god shall be beset set up the kingdoms of this world shall be broken in pieces and aud an d that the power shall shail pass into the hands of of the righteous and the just preparatory to that day when jesus shall reign shida king bf of nations as ladnow he now reigns king kina of saints 11 we are engaged in this preparatory work the despen dispensation bation of the fullness of times in which this great temporal kingdom which shall stand for ever is being established and you and I 1 brethren and sisters if we are tire united and i earnest in our efforts for promotion of the principles of truth may B e 2 d VS e happy happy instruments dinst ru me n in of the lord lor r assisting in this great work this thesis esthe the dispensation of the fullness fullness of 0 times and it corn coin comprises ses the keys powers and authorities of all the dispensations since the world began and we should live so as to enjoy a full flow of the spirit of god so that we may progress and commune with jehovah and holy holo oly beings for the heavens are ready to drop with fatness if we will nake good use of the blessings already conferred upon us when we do this with clean hands and a pure heart before the lord blessings will flow to israel in greater abundance than ever before look where you will upon the faed face of the earth and you can find no people blessed as we are even now why is it t because we have a better country and have better opportunities for brin bringing ding forth the biess bleis blessings sings of the earth in a teia tera temporal point of view no we laborin labor under many disadvantages that are unknown in most inapt other places and yet we are more comfortable and happy than any other people peopled it is because the blessings of the fhe almighty are gre with wit husi jisi and we ab shall ail all have them in greater abundance inasmuch as we will cleave to the lord and prove to him our integrity but I 1 fear there is a great neglect of prayer in the midst of this people it is our privilege nay may more it is our duty to seek to the lord frequently that we may enjoy the full fuli measure of his spirit 13 rad venture there maybe something between us and our brother or sister m we may have spoken evil of chemor th emor they may have spoken evil of us we manhave may have havo neglected neglect edour our secret prayers or to pray ray in our families and if so we shall decrease in that good spirit which ought to pervade evely breast and we are more liable to yield to the evil influences fluen ces that are around us and to become more captious in our remark remarks with our brethren and less courteous civil and circumspect in our intercourse one with another and more apt to pay say bay things that are calculated to injure thet feelings of our brethren perhaps we neglect our fences and letour stock tres 1 I pass on bur neighbor neighbors 41 fields gardens or orchards and give them occasion to say hard things about us and go and nud retaliate and speak hasty words to carry this idea a little further perhaps we take that which is not our own or borrow and do not return or perhaps we go and takedown take down our neighbors feghe fec fee ne on purpose to let our stock go a and hid fid get his hay azue okue amongst ua us go hunting stock on sunday or to the cail canons wons lons with our teams when we should b be keeping the sabbath day holy it may be possible that a great many of this people practice 6 some of these things and thus prevent i a free flow of the spirit of god unto them selves and get darkened in the coun counsels seli seik of their minds this should not be if any of us find ourselves in this dilemma let us seek at once to remove the obstacles from our path just as we would raise the gate if necessary to let down the stream to irrigate our gardens many a soul may be drooping for the want of spiritual moisture and they do not know what the difficulty is there thero alq aree area obstacles in the way that need removing that our minds may be enlightened by I 1 the light of the spirit of the living go add d it is moreover necessary that ivd we should take this course that we may be 16 united that when the word shall shail come from our bishop or a call is made upon us by any in authority who has a right to dictate we may be ready to resli resil respond ond and bo be glad of the opportunity ofa doing A man should never fail of iiii im I 1 1 proving the opportunities that are eiven given him for do doing ng good or he will be bouhe the loser if he dies A man may perhaps I 1 fe fel fei 1 a little 1 atle elated if he escape the call bf a b bishop ls bo p or get excused thinking that thab it militated a little in his favor but who is there who has ever felt so bu but bui t what he has lids had seasons of regret for nor 1 going forth manfully and atad freely p per pei er forming the duty required of him 0 ow much better such persons would they had done so on the other aad holwell how well weli they feel who have always responded to every call made upon them I 1 do not think the there is I 1 a person eror erah that lives who feels diff different er elt lif if heroes he feels very different to wh at I 1 do doi doj haw H w often have I 1 witnessed witness dd the pride I 1 an and joy J 0 the breth brethren reh have felt feitt in relation y to this is in their reunions reunion re r unions euni s at the partido parti ele ejr of the normon mormon Battal battalion lont loni the ajo and zions camp and blud stirel Jt oil sti hier tier assoni associations actions how many have sal sai d to me I 1 1 I was with you at such a place fand and sae h a place and 1 I was mih wih the saints in their troubles in illinois and misouri missouri and they speak ak of it a as though they were proud to have been abbt there and even in thelt the inies times of trouble wei we i had in our earlys earic settlement ett lement here when clothing add provisions were scarce the same feeling is manifested r iii iti 1 I wager was belef 1 I says one and I 1 says another andt heraud herand g a C d they feel glad that they were recounted we C 0 u anted worthy to endure these trials add and s stand iland firm it isa iwa matter of satisfaction to every one who has proven himself worthy gorthy thus far and when we shall have passed a little further along and have got through this state of mortal existence will we not in that great reunion re union beyond the grave feel still more to congratulate ourselves and each other that we have passed safely through and that we have had virtue strength and integrity sufficient for our day and we shall be glad and rejoice that the difficulties we encountered were thrown in our way and that we had the opportunity of proving 0 ourselves before the heavens do not let us be discouraged at difficulties and trials for we are sent to this state of existence for the express purpose of descending below all things that we may pass the ordeals and trials of this life and thereby prove our integrity and be prepared to rise above all things and after all we haye have not been called upon to endure to that extent that the savior odthe of the world was wa buthe but he was not subjected to the afflictions he had to endure without hope neither are we but we are called to pass through them that we may prove whether we have power and strength to stand in that day when all things shall be shaken and nothing doubting cleave to the lord lord our god with full fall purpose of heart no matter how much things are against us apparently iffe if we can pass these tests and trials we shall prove to god and angels that we are worthy to receive the welcome plaudit plan dit well done thou good and faithful servant enter thou into the jo joy of thy lord hese these great principles are known to the latter day saints and they know also that there again exists cation between the heavens and the earth and that the way has been opened through the ordinances of the house of god for the full flow of his spirit and yet some of them begin to falter in their feelings and slacken in their duties and to go into darkness let it not be said in israel rael or in in all the borders and coasts thereof but let the saints as with the heart and voice of one person continually strive to promote those principles and that unity which are necessary to wield an influence with the heavens for the kingdom of god on the earth it was once said facetiously by one odthe of the founders of american independence that it was necessary for them to hang together because if they did not they would most likely hang separately meaning that if they did not succeed in gaining their independence they would be e convicted of treason and put to death it is so ad comparatively with the latter day saints unless we act and in concert in temporal as well as in spiritual things we shall suffer loss A lat ter day saint in the world may live his religion as circumspectly as we do in the valleys of the mountains but what power w er or influence can he wield for the uil ril kingdom g dom standing alone all the surroundings roun dings of the world are against him but iffe if we are united inthis in this great work we shall in the due time of the lord become a great and mighty people on the earth that can never be uprooted nor overcome bythe by the floods of sin and corruption that have so long deluged the world the latter day saints have no rights that the world consider themselves bound to respect and if we expect them to do sowe so we shall be deceived especially ally iffe if we live cearto god chave I 1 have seen this tested over and over again in my own experience what lights rights had the latter day saints in the state of mis missouri souil souli wh why every r ight right that man could ask for were bere kere they respected by t the he people or the authorities odthe of the state no but nu t they the ri rights lits of this people were t trampled r am p ed under foot and they were expelled pe I 1 ed from the state it was thel same in illinois and in every place where they gathered together in view of this it was a great blessing conferred upon us when the lord brought us out here where the wicked could not have such control over us as they formerly had since that time we have become a great and mighty people in comparison to what nde we nie were then and we are exerting in an influence in the earth ahall shall we who have enjoyed the spirit of the lord and I 1 might say have a knowledge of the powers of the world to come summer suffer bickering strife and division to enter into our midst let it not be said in the midst of israel but let us be more careful hereafter in our intercourse one with another than we have been in times past let us not trespass upon what is ls our neighbors elther either in feelings property or possessions let us be courteous and instead of engendering strife and destro destroying ing each other as they do in iq the corli world let us build each othe pup we have to prepare to operate cooperate co with the lord lora in lri the and wid it should be our special business to first perform the duties devolving upon us and let our dur individual matters if we have any be secondary this kingdom is made tip up of individuals as much as any other kingdom and is prospered and built up by our individual efforts but if we vee can have our labors wisely directed then he who acts as he is counselled counseller coun selled is not only attending to and sec see securing tiring his own interests but he is working forthe for the good of the kin kingdom 9 dom generally for instance the farmer w who ho is engaged in rals rais raising ing the various kinds of grain and is industrious frugal and aud economical is a ii good citizen |
