Show DISCOURSE BY president DANIEL H WELLS DELIVERED at the semiannual semi senti annual conference in the neu yew tabernacle salt zahe lake city oct 6 73 REPORTED BY DAVID W EVANS IT is with great pleasure I 1 rise to bear testimony to the great truths that have been announced here this morning the president has given some reasons for the testimony that he has borne and the testimony te stimon y that the servants of god bear to the truths of the everlasting gospel I 1 too can say that I 1 know this to be the gospel of the son of god which is til the e power of god unto salvation the great plan of salvation devised by our heavenly father before the world was organized when it la Is said the stars sang together and the sons of god shouted for joy has again been revealed in accordance accordance with the prophecies of the servant of god tho lord made his own selection lie he chose from among the children of men whom lie he would and joseph smith was the favored individual who received the tile visit of the angel bearing to this generation the gospel of salvation to be preached unto those who dwelt on earth it was taken away in fulfillment fill ment of prophecy if it had not been taken away what necessity would there have been to restore av it if it had not been taken away the tiie apostle could not have seen in the future the angel flying through tile the midst of heaven bringing it back to earth carth to preach to all nations kindreds tongues and people we bear testimony that it has been restored it is not a new gospel it is that which existed from the beginning and which was devised before the world was made for the salvation of those who should come corke to dwell upon the face of the earth it is true that the terms of the gospel are inexorable every son and daughter of adam will llave have to bend the knee to this plan of salvation either here or somewhere else tile tiie ordinances of the gospel pertain to this tills existence and they have to be attended to in the llesh flesh or by those in this state of existence except a man mail is born of water ho lie cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven there is no getting around this it is the declaration of the savior the son of the living god and I 1 count that this is pretty high au authority thorit Y every man and every woman including including those who have died and passed behind the veil without hearing the gospel before they tiley can enter heaven will have to render obedience to the gospel ordinances and as they cannot be administered to in the spirit those in the flesh will have to administer for those in the spirit you can not grapple a spirit to baptize it neither can you perform the sealing ordinances in the spirit hence the savior said eaid there was neither marrying nor giving in marriage in the tho resurrection it is an ordinance pertaining to this state of existence and by those dwelling in the flesh upon tile the earth have all these ordinances to be performed if they are not by ourselves during this life they must be done by some one acting for and in our behalf still existing in the flesh and in the authority of the holy priesthood which has come down from heaven the th acts and ordinations of that irles erles priesthood are ate just as legitimate here ere as in any other state of existence it is the same authority aa a exists in the heavens Th through roligh tile tiie authority of the everlasting priesthood channels have been opened up between the heavens and the earth by which we may seal seat upon earth and it is sealed ill in heaven this is the same authority that has always existed in the church and kingdom of god when it has been upon the earth why because it lt Is the same authority that exists ill in the heavens it is the authority by which the gods are governed and anit by which the worlds are organized and held in existence it has been conferred from time to time upon the tile servants of god in the llesh flesh to enable them to perform the tile ordinances which pertain to this state of existence and reach back again within the vail vall having been called of god we stand ready to administer the ordinances of the gospel and of the house of god to the children of men we stand ready to bear off this gospel to the nations of the earth this great plan of salvation devised by our father there has never been biell any other and there never will be men alen have tinkered at it and tried to change and pervert it but their efforts do not change gods plan it is likaits like ilke its author the same yesterday today and forever god is the fountain of truth righteousness and grace all true science and every good food thing emanate from him it is from this heavenly source we draw our information and our in and as a matter of course it comprehends everything good and worth having within the kingdom of our god is everything benj enjoyable syable that I 1 is a last lasting ng I 1 if f w we e do do not build upon this basis then are we lost because it is the only foundation that will stand everything else will be swept away in the tile due time of the lord the people are suffered to go their own way to walk after the imaginations of their own hearts to do this and do that because they are agents unto themselves to do as they please we can accept these principles or reject them it makes no difference in regard to their truth they are true whether we receive or reject them and they are calculated to save all the children of men the plan is ample and will save all who will let it and if wo w are not saved by this we shall shail be condemned now may god help us and all the nations of the earth to see the light that we may all come to a knowledge of the truth and be saved in his kingdom is my prayer for jesus sake amen |