| Show DISCOURSE by PRES pees PRESIDENT MENT DANIEL II 11 WELLS IVEL LS delivered in the new raer tabernacle naele nacle salt lake city sate saturday afternoon augus august 9 REPORTED BY DY david DAVJD W EVANS I 1 FEEL to bear my roy testimony my brethren and sisters to the doctrines and principles of the holy gospel of our lord and savior jesus christ which wo we read in the scriptures is the power of god unto salvation to all who believe and obey the tho same it has been stated here that we are arc a peculiar people and that we have a mission to perform on the earth this is true our father in heaven has a work to perform on the earth and we have been called to be co work ers era with him in bringing to pass his purposes among the children of men this is a blessed privilege for us if his purposes could have been advanced and established upon the earth without his having revealed himself wo we would not have been called and the angel would not have come and restored the everlasting gospel in our day we may go po tarter farther back and say that if it it would have been as well for us to remain with our F ather father in the spirit world and not to come forth into this world to pass through the ordeals which awalt await us we should not have been sent but wo we have been sent for a purpose and that purpose is thau thai we may accomplish the full measure me asure of our creation which we could not do without an earthly probation this was necessary to our advancement as intelligent beings and for the progress of the kingdom and glory ot of god we had a pre exis tence in the spirit world and we kept our first estate there or wo we should not have been privileged to command come como and take bodies and by IY jiving according to the principles of the holy gospel prepare ourselves for salvation and exaltation and to return again into the presence of our father and partake of his 9 glory lory in this connection come in 11 tile the principles of redemption and of tile the resurrection through the power of which our bodies and spirits after hey they have passed the ordeal of dath death will be reunited re united and clothed with immortality and endowed with eternal life I 1 say ay if it would have bednas been beon as well for us to remain in the spirit world we should no nov not b have been sent forth to be tested with the misery woe sorrow borrup eions evils and death so prevalent on earth but it was in kindness to us his children that our father ben sen sent tusto us to this earth that demay we may show whether we will be faithful in all respects to the principles of truth and righteousness and to the commandments of bod when in the midst of evil all the requirements of our father cond conduce uce I 1 to 0 the blessing and benefit bene bone til tic of those who observe them while they live here as well as ensuring to them the blessings at the end of the race tile the luord luond our bod never did and lie never will reveal a principle give a commandment or make a of his children on the earth but what if it is carried out will prove a blessing to every one for it will enable us to work out our salvation and exaltation by establishing the principles of truth virtue and honor upon tile the earth and iid ild rid these principles in the very nature of things must purify and elevate those who live and govern their actions by them these are the only principles which will endure and stand for ever while that which is of an opposite character will pass away herein is the warfare in which we are engaged and fabich we shall continue to wage as long as we live on the earth for the evil one is ready if we will listen to him to lead us astray and to cause us to make shipwreck ef of our most holy faith he will causo cause light to appear as darkness and darkness as light and he will lead us down to destruction if it we are not continually on our guard against his wiles and suggestions but if wo we observe tho tile principles of the gospel and the commandments of the lord our god they will bring us peace in the life that now is as well as in that which is to come some people seem to think that the pursuits so prevalent alent in the world are all that are worth living for and that they will nind find joy and happiness therein but such pleasures are neither solid nor lasting and there is nothing that can be considered real genuine joy and pleasure within tho bach of the human family j but b ut what is to be found within the purview of the everlasting gospel the gospel makes men and women free free tree from sin gin the greatest of all tyrants and there is no greater slave on the the earth than the man who ia is under the control of his own passions and who is subject to the dictation of the spirit of evil which is so prevalent in the world the acts of all such persons bring their own punishment and it is swift and certain while those who are controlled by the principles of the gospel have a joy and peace under whatever circumstances in life they may be placed which the world knows nothing of and which it can neither give nor take away for they have an inward consciousness that their course secures to them the confidence of the lord our god we are placed here on the earth that we may be tested we are very independent beings we havu have our agency and can choose the road to life or the road to death just as we please if we would secure eternal ilfe life we shall have to take a course to command jhb confidence of our father in heaven and to accomplish this we must not be weary in well doing for if it is said that only they who endure will receive the reward endure what why the trials temptations and difficulties that we may have to encounter in the path which the gospel marks out our path as followers of the savior is beset leset with evil on every side and with influences which if yielded to will bring us under under tte the the power of the oppressor they may seem alluring to a greater or less extent and so they are for the power of evil has great influence in the earth the wealth of the earth has lon ion long iong been control edby the epilone ev evil ilone one andee and he has bestowed it upon whomsoever lie ho has seen fit perhaps this has been ordered so in the economy of our father forthe for the benefit of his children we must learn to trust in god As was said here this morning in arnin wo we must ilvo live by faith what is a man mangold goo good d fo for who iwho justas just as soon as an obstacle pre presents engg itself before him flies the track and says 1 I will have no more to do with this or with that it is true it purports to come from our father in heaven but I 1 can not see the benefit that will accrue to me in observing it and I 1 will seize that which offers present benefit regardless of the consequences that man proves to all that he lie is not worthy to receive eternal riches A latter day saint should live so that he can bear thi th s scrutinizing eye of the almighty in secret a as i well as in public this should be his course all the days of his life then when the day comes in which the wicked will call upon the rocks to hide bide them from the face of the lord lie he will rejoice in meeting liis his father and will join in rendering praise and thanksgiving to hi name for the privilege 0 of again be holding him this will be the idt lot of the righteous those who have served god in their actions as well as with their lips but sad indeed will be the fate of those been hypocritical who have professed with their lips but have not possessed in their hearts they will dread to meet the face of th the lord they shave a certain fearful looking for of the tho fiery indignation 0 of the father now it is true that while in the flesh we are subjected to many trials and temptations but we are not like those without hope the apostle apost c says wo we are su subjected acted in hope in hope llope of what latter da day saints who faithfully live their religion have the hope of a glorious glor gior loiis resurrection and e eternal life I 1 it is part of the experience of latter day saints to bo be subjected to trial in some things perhaps more than the wicked that they may gain the as tendency over their own passions and all the evil evils which beset them our passions are given us for rt a good and wise purpose they unil underlie erho erno our existence they alyous glye give us nerve and energy and power to execute and carry out but they are not given to bo be our masters choso heaven given gifts reason and intellect telle ct should reign and bring passion into complete subjection and they will do so if inspired and directed bythe bytho by the spirit of god we have been gathered from the nations of ahe the earth that we may be taught the ways of the lord it was remarked here this morning that there was need of a reformation in the world if it were not so the lord would not have undertaken itald it and aud things would hayo have been permitted to go along as usual but theford saw cawtho tho the necessity for forn fora h ch change ange inge all had departed from tho rot path 11 of life the authority of the tot tit hilj 3 priesthood had bad been taken back into the heavens for a wise purpose and also forthe for the advantage of the children of men upon tile the earth better for them ther nto to be without it than to possess and dot pot to obey obes lits high beh behest ests sj but when the set time was como come ier for lor the lord to establish his kingdom lie he again sent forth the gospel to the children of men knowing that it would find many honest hearted people who would be willing to receive instruction st from heaven and stand in the day of his power the gospel is to go forth to all nations and tongues on tile the earth that all may have all an opportunity of being coworkers with god in establishing his kingdom on the earth which is destined to baand for ever and to absorb all other kingdoms this i is inevitable and will come to pass pasq in the lords own due time 1 the I he elders of israel nrc arc going to the nations and gathering the tile honest in heart and through them the lord is revealing his purposes to the children of men and the institutions of high heaven this is the mission of the latter day saints and every one of them who is faithful to his calling is a coworker co worker with the lord in the establishment of his purposes and he be will find his reward here and hereafter Is it not glorious to know that we are engaged with our father and god and with holy beings who have gone behind the vall in car carrying crying I 1 on on this great reformation which the lord lias has commenced on the earth I 1 say it will never be confounded never no never the principles of the larit holy gospel will jast last for ever and they will exalt all ail whose lives and actions are controlled thereby and who will live by every word which proceeds from the mouth of god such tsuch persons will never bo be prevailed against in time and in eternity there is nothing surer than this because this gospel will go on from conquering to conquer until all nations kindreds kindred 8 tongues and people will come und under r the sceptre of immanuel and every knee shall bow and every evers tongue confess that jesus is the christ L alvil al will work out its own overthrow the wicked will prey upon each other to their own grey destruction nd in the lords own due time the earth will bo be rid of evil doers whereas those who are based upon the rock hook of ages will endure oon foe ever this is just ai as natural as any principle of philosophy that exists and it is bound to come to pass our father has passed through these ordeals and has trodden the paths we are treading he kept his second estate and has attained to his exaltation we have the privilege of following in his footsteps it has been revealed lioun day who ave ase we are and the relationship we hold to god wo we have learned that god is our father and that we are his children oona bond II 11 aide fide d a his children not in in a spiritual ual sense alone but when we say our father who art in heaven we mean just what we say we have not only learned who we are but the purpose of our creation and our future destiny I 1 have not given myself a great deal of uneasiness about the fluture I 1 have felt th that if I 1 could act my part properly as 1 I pass along through life whether I 1 attained to an thing hereafter or not I 1 should be content the peace and happiness which I 1 have day by day in my inmost soul is its own reward and I 1 have long been satisfied that there is nothing worth having outside the purview of the holy gospel and the peace satisfaction and joy which it brings me I 1 would not exchange for all that this world can bestow As for the future I 1 am satis satisfied nned fled that it will bo be altogether satisfactory and will bring all that I 1 can ask for and moie than I 1 can now comprehend if my course day by day lay now is what it should be I 1 havo have no fears that my exaltation will not bo be as its full and complete as I 1 shail be capacitated to enjoy and whether it is or not I 1 havo an inward through taking this tilis courso that of itself js a continual feast feut which sustains and buoys me U up under every difficulty and obstacle c I 1 which presents itself before me I 1 think this should bo be attraction ano enough ugh to antico c very every son and daughter of adam I 1 think that the children of our father can call not afford to throw away seway these blessings I 1 think that we cannot can not amord afford to take the tilo name of god in vain wo we can not allard to drown our reason in ardent spirits we can nt accord afford to sin ag against god and rid to violate his commandments these practices cost too much no man or woman Toman can afford to walk in the paths that lead to death they are beset with misery envy jealousy and with everything that produces discomfort and at the end thereof death anu and misery boul both before and after death said baid jestis Jesu fear foar not him who has hag power only to destroy this body but fear him who can cast both soul and body into hell let us take talle the course then that will save cave us liero here and awl hereafter let the body go if necessary it it intervenes between us and the falth faith of the holy gospel and our d uty t 0 god if we are brought into a 4 position in which tho the ilfe life of the body imperils Im perils our falth faith in the gospe gospel ilet liet let iet the body go cheerfully and willingly we should pour out our blood as freely as the water that runs rather than violate our fidelity to the principles of eternal life or our most holy covenants bedole before the lord or rather than deny the word after having tasted the powers of the world to come to know god and jesus whom he has hag sent is eternal life ilfe lifland andrether and rather than deny them and turn again to the things 0 of f the world like a sow that is washed to her wallowing in in tb themire thomire emire omire le lec lef this poor body go it will go soon soonee exor ezor or later anyhow and we should es teem leem ita it a privilege to lay jay down our lives in defence of the principle the everlasting gospel we should not rashly run into danger but we should tako take a wise course courso and at any cost determine to tise rise above the evils that are in th the e world and be faithful to the truth holding on to the iron rod without shervin swerving to the right hand or to the left and and if there iamo is no other alternative ra ther than thau swerve let leb the body go irwill it will be a happy exchange and vie we will receive it again crowned with glory immortality an and d eternal life now latter day saints are you willing to do this oli OH yes hundreds and thousands woul dif dlf necessary walkup to the cannons mouth in defence of the ane truth and prier priesthood who will not live the their i r religion Stich such |
