Show REMARKS 1 by R egen preside auen ii bei BRI aham OHAM YO t livered delivered w in the tabernacle tad Tab made aade salt 4 ghe lake ke city sunday lt ma map may Y als 1871 I 1 REPORTED BY DVID W EVANS i m IF I 1 neeri eeerg rm to bear my testimony to the truth as Rs far as we have heard it lt today to day and to all truth 11 we have been hearing of the gospels gospel of i lifa iffa and salvation salva tiona tlona a SU subject eject which should whole hum human family as soon a as they can cau can cau become acquainted with it the of salvation should occupy occue y tile tiie thoughts and reflections or every intelligent tell igent being the salvation and re demotion demp tiou tion froug lit out by the savior saviors Sa vioris is for us it wa was purchased for us the charac ter we have been hearin hearld heaning hearing of is our savior andRe andee deemer doemer the savior ot of the whole world of mankind and of all creatures pertaining pert part lInIng to the earth and the earth itself for all will bee deemed by the blood of tu the son of god we should have a part in ha this and we can say truly that we have a part in it whether it le will bene beng fibus fitus as it might do depends upon our own thoughts 1 reflections and actions upon our obedience required ants of our tather rather in heaven to secure to lus us life everlasting the father has hag adne all he can do dd on his gert birt he has given his only begotten sone has sent light into the world he be stows his spirit upon the children of men he lights up the understanding of every person thai that lives that ever did or cir ever wiil will I 1 live live upon the earth christ is the light that 11 lights lits r every man that comes into the world W we have this light will we improve on it in my reflections on the gospel of life and salvation and the theories of the children of men I 1 have contrasted the various beliefs faiths ordinances and operations of people who profess to worship a supreme being Noton sot not only lythe the christians for I 1 do not know of any nation on ou the earth but what has some object which it worships as supreme and to which it renders adoration this is the case even with the heathen although they worship gods which their own hands make no matter about this they are ignorant but that spirit that dwells in the children of men prompts them to worship adore to seek after that wat which div will better their condition and make themselves happy this is the condition of all the inhabitants of the earth whether christian or pagan although the innate disposition to render homage to some invisible power as the supreme ruler kuler is modified and diversified according to their varied traditions the effects of tradition ire as visible among christians as among athens ne and these traditions as well as our own superior intelligence lead us to regard the worship of the heathen as nonsensical and we may say ridiculous we can have no faith iu in this we see no propriety in bowing down to gods made with our own hands whether they be gods of bf gold silver wood or stone this would be folly in the extreme to persons who believe in the tho new testament we say we worship the neing being who has redeemed us him who created us and all things aua ana and who rules and governs all things according to his good pleasure whether in heaven or on earth but bat will we worship according to the directions that he has his given will we believe the doctrine that thit jesus has left lofts on record in the new deiv testament or wll wil wo we believe in something that varies from this we see that christendom is full fall of rell relli i gion in fact the world is full fall of it no mat i ter where we go I 1 have been brought up to believe on the lord jesus christ T am uni taught to believe inyim in him Perhaps XI my awas arents parents before me and the nation in which iwas born and brought up had never heard of his bis name 1 I would treat it with as much indifference as the heathen do dd when they hear of it and yet if men ren d did but understand the light of christ that in is athin them it would prompt them universally to adore and admire we will say the god of nature him who has created and formed the earth and all things it contains including us who in the image of our creator dwell upon and inhabit it I 1 say that did we all understand this light of christ possessed by every human being when born into the world it would prom prompt t us to worship the god of nature and did did we heed it as we ought we would not be likely to come COMO to the conclusion that there is no personal god among the remarks made herd here this morning was one worthy the notice of every intelligent being and that was that if we do not understand the mysteries of the being of our creator shall we wo deny it shall we deny the existence of that which we do not understand if we do we would want to keep an iron beads tead to fa measure every person according to our own measurement su and dimensions and if persons were too long we would cut them off and I 1 nf if too short draw them out but we bould should discard this thi s principle and our motto should bes bbs beg tw we will let lot every one believe as he pluses phases and follow out the convictions of wn mind for all are free to choose or refuse they are free to serve god or to den deny v him kim alm aim we have the scriptures of divine truth and arid we are free to believe or deny them but we shall be brought to judgment before god for all these things and shall have to give an account to him who has the right to call us to an account for the deeds done in iu the body what shall we believe then when we reflect upon and consider all these things believe on the lord jesus christ who can ean object to him when his character is set forth in its true light what fault can be found with him I 1 have no quest question ionas fonas as an individual but that the jews believed they saw a great nany defects in the savior 1 I would just as soon believe that the ignorant wicked can see no defects detects in the character of a modern prophet as to believe that the jews could see none in the savior I 1 have had the privilege in my life time of reading some of the writ writings ings lugs which have been preserved and handed down bythe by the jews which contained their description 0 the saviors character and certainly nothing could be more moke ridiculous and ana I 1 remember that on ond one de casion occasion when taik talk ing to the prophet joseph joeph about these thew things I 1 sad sald to him no matter what they 1 say about you I 1 will defy mortal man man to say bay corae about a modern prophet than the jews have said sald about abou the tho savior and that the character of the redeemer pre present seni seRi i ed no defects whatever to the eyes of those among whom wh in he lived is what I 1 would not say sax I 1 in may say t bov hov boy however ever that men mon iwho who did not riot hai bei helie belie eve vein tn him hird looked through pre pro prejudice bij baij a dac e eyes and hence they were unable to vie him in in his true light and no man who has as ever lived on on the earth was more ridiculed and land traduced traducer trad than he was wis but when we that is the christian war world d read an account offis character and doin doln doings s not the least blemish or defect is seen it might be different howey however pr if af he e were here in lix dour our oui midst suppose that he or his apostles were to walk through christendom preachy preaching i ng the gospel 0 pel pei without purse ar or scrip do you think that if they tried to gain admission admission to the pulpits in the churches or places of worship which have been erected in their honor and called the 0 churches of the savior or of st matthew john paul peter peutor bartholomew and so on that they could gain admittance let reason guided and enlightened by the conduct of the people answer and it will give the negative at once to every building of this kind erected in christendom so ar ai as my knowledge extends this would be the result except ex 1 dept among the latter day saints perhaps some may say that I 1 have too much faith in the prophecies of god godwin in the latter iatter day work and in ia the administration of individuals that now live and have lived on the earth in our day be it so no matter to me I 1 am here to testify in the name of the god of israel that for many years past there have been men tra trav velling 1 ing through the length and breadth of the earth who possess the same power and authority as that with which jesus endowed his apostles when he ile told them to go into all the world and 11 preach reach the gospel to every creature and he that believeth beli bell eveth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth beli beil eveth not shall be dar damned nned and these signs shall follow them that believe in M my name they shall cast out devils heal thy the sick speak with new tongues 11 etc elc I 1 am a witness here today to day that that chese these sayin sayings s and aud promises have been fulfilled in latter iatter thesa these latter days ays as much as they were in the days of the savior haye hays the dead been brought to life yes or those who to all appearance were dead and this is so to my certain knowledge but were they dead no they were were not what did jesus say to his disciples and those who followed him to the grave of lazarus when they were mourning and bewail bewall bewailing ln and beseeching beseeching chin ehin chip him to say the word conf only and ana it should mould be le don d ane e 7 jesus hid said kid he is noti note not dead but hut s iee leg lee peth 11 so it has been in these latter days dai to all appearance life and breath had departed but they yet lived land and potha some bome who under such circumstances ware were restored by the power hovver of god are living still the eyes of the blind have been opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped thelamae the tho lame jame have been peon made toleah to leap and foul spirits have been cast out has this been the case in la every eyer instance not by any means neither wa was it in the days of the tho savior they who have falth faith cecelie receive these blessings if they live elivd ac dording according to the 1 spirit irit of the holy bolk gospel Is there any harm in preaching and be lieving roving in such doctrines and realizing the blessings I 1 ofton ask myself this question but I 1 fall to see harm or impropriety therein I 1 know that some say we can be saved without a savior if parties like to believe this all right but tut if we yve can be saved without we certainly can with some will say we can be saved without believing in baptism ver very vecy well we surely aurely can be then if we do believe believe belleve an fn in it some say gay we can be saved just as well without having hands laid anfor on for the reception of the holy ghost grostas Gh as with if we can be saved without we certainly can be with if an ad elder of israel lay idy his hands upon us and say receive yo the holy ghost there is not the least harm in it it is conferring a bles bies blessing sinz 1 I desire to bless you says the elder older and if I 1 had power I 1 would woul bless you and according to the faith falth in me I 1 do dispense the holy spirit to you yhu it is a blessing pure as the angels in heaven II 11 I 1 say to the sick siek be healed and blessed or bid foul spirits pain revenor any disease whatever depart I 1 it lit Is isa h blessing to the patient and there is not the least harm in it in the world and now suppose the elders of this church have power to say receive ye the holy ghost and the holy ghost is given is there any harm in id it not the least in the world and if we can be saved without these things we certainly can with so we are on sure ground suppose that we can be saved without doing precisely as the savior has told us we most certainly shall be by observing what he has leit on record for our salvation but he has said that not one jot or tittle of his word or of the law shall pass without being fulfilled and it is no matter whether bespeaks he speaks by his own voice by the voice of an angel or through mth uth ful fui servants here on the earth all the words of the lord almighty almighty will certainly certain lv be fulfilled then if we believe elleve on the lord jesus christ and comply with all the requirements quire ments of his gospel we are on safe ground if it is acceptable in the sight of heaven for a minister to dip his finger in water contained in a gold silver or marble marbie vase and then wet the foFe forehead head bead of the child or the adult and call this baptism where can be the harm hanh in going gong I 1 d down own into the waters of baptism as jesus did and as the eunuch did I 1 say where is the harm in being I 1 buried burled with christ in baptism I 1 ican lean can not tsee isee see the least harm in it then if we are safe without baptism for the remission of sins degre we are certainly safo isane with it if we are safe without haying having hands laid upon us for the reception of the holy roly ghost we are certainly safe with wi thit it if we are saved without having the gift of 0 faith to heal the sick or cast out devlia we are assuredly saved with then where is the danger of those who believe on theford jesus christ and keep his commandments the cry of the christian world is the bible the bible bibie but who will believe it who will believe that jesus is the christ that he is the son of god and the express image of his father but a few will believe these things and yet the salvation that jesus has purchased will raach reach the whole human family and save in a kingdom or in some place where they will enjoy to the extent ot of their capacity those who reject not the gospel and despise not the savior those who set seraf at naught the counsels of god are the only ones the gospel will not reach and save in a kingdom but who will go into the celestial kingdom those who obey the gospel of the kingdom son on of god and then walk in all humility before the lord and keep his commandments in all things they are the ones who will enter in at the strait gate jesus said strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life that is our translation the original is that leads to the lives ilves and few there be that find it while broad is the gate and wide is the way that leads to destruction and many there be that go in thereat many will there be who will miss receiving the blessings and being caught up with christ in the air and being saved in the presence of the fattier fattler and the Son that now anticipate enjoying the glory excellency and exaltation which god has prepared for the faithful the enquiry arises with a great many what are you yon going to do with all the rest ol 01 the human family are you going to send them to hell I 1 will answer the question as Jeseph joseph once otice did when a person asked him will everybody be damned except the latter day saints yes yes 11 said joseph and many of them unless they take a different course from what they are now taking who will be saved in the celestial kingdom and go into the presence presence of thi the father and son soe those only who observe the mhd whole law who keep the commandments commandment man mand dment ments of god those who walk in newness of life observe all his precepts and had do his will are we going to send all the rest to hell not the sectarian hell hall pardon tho the expression the wicked we are told twid wiil will be turned into hell with all the nations that forget god and that is very true but where is hell read bead for yourselves what Wha tishell is hell heli read bead for yourselves our you may call it hell hades or the world of spirits it is where jesus went and preached to the spirits in ih prison all who have not received the gospel who have not had the |