Show DELIVERED BY liy ELDER JOSEPH P SMITH A 4 the annu annual conference of the church of jebus christ of latter day saints in the new tabernacle sale lake city saturday afternoon april ath 1876 n EV GEO F GIBBS IT ia Is with humility de desiring tiring that the spirit of the lord muy may rest upon you my hearers he areri as well as upon myself that I 1 arise to address you I 1 am requested to biow blow the gospel trumpet I 1 do hot not know that I 1 shall be able to make myself heard by this thia large congregation unless all keep quiet and exercise that faith which it is our privilege to do dowhen when assembled in a worship ping capacity if we are in the line ot of our duty we are engaged in a great and glorious cause it is very essential to our individual welfare that every man and every woman who has entered into tho the covenant of the gospel through repentance and baptism should feel that as individuals it is their bounden duty to use their intelligence and the agency which the lord kas has has hns given them for the promotion of the interests of zion and the establishment of her cause causes in the earth those who agrenot are not faithful I 1 in n the discharge of these duties cannot be wholly acceptable to god forth for they ey are mor more or less in the condition of the church which was complained of by the angel to the apostle john job as a s being neither hot nor coid cold but b ut lukewarm luke warm and therefore only y litto fil fib to be out or to be dl disowned sow ned of guf go more deserving of thi find rebuke and chastisement are thos 0 who are not only indifferent to tho the t 1 e interests of the cause of god and its growth in the earo earm but hut who murmur and find faur and who instead of putting shoulders to the wheel wheels actually try to retard its it 8 progress by using what little influence and means ahey posses possess to obstruct the onward march marel of the kin kingdom I 1 it t was said by the son of go god d i verily verily I 1 say unto thee except a man be born bom again he cannot see the klair dorn of god this was said paid to nicodemus a ruler of ta the Jews who evidently believed bli bil oved eved that jesus was sent of god but who w vit ont ent to him by night 1 bein hein g ashamed to be seen seeking so humble a person in the day time having no doubt tuat that feeling of worldly pride which animates aul nul mites the bosoms of many of or the present gem ration he dred dared lot not identify lilina elf eif with the tho saviour of the world because his reputation and in society would be sacrificed rac rl but he marvelled marvellee marvel led at the tife ss saying ing of christ and upon further inquiry the saviour explained by de declai jiming mg that except A man be isom of water and of the spirit ha h 0 catinat enter into the kingdom ol 01 gd gud and I 1 may say still further that thit being born of the water und and the spirl barone will not enable a man luau to enter enier into the kingdom of ol 01 heaven there is something still stil beyond which is just as nees necessary ary as this the first ordinance ordina uco uce of the tho ga gospel pel pei which must be observed ad anil honored by those of this nev birth 1 in order that they may obtain the full salvation which is sought after on this particular occasion the saviour was speaking of baptism and andon in order to impress it lt upon u p 0 Nicodemus that it might be under sabod then as well as to be in force in all future time so that people need not be deceived he be spoke thus em emphatically hati cally caily on this point of doc doe doctrine trine it therefore matters mattei snot not how devout devort honest or sincere we might be in the profession of our oui faith in godi god or in the system of 0 religion we might have adopted a and which wa believe to be the everlasting gospel gospels without this ordinance of baptism we cannot be saved but first having repented of 0 our sins with that repentance which not to be repented of in other words putting awa away y from us every eau ana and shunning even the appearance of sins ber be baptized by one god for the remission of those ains sins and for the reception of the holy ghost we wi thus becoming heirs of 0 f god and joint heirs with jes jesus U 8 christy true titia branches having beon boon grafted into Anto the true vine bearing fruit of the good heeds seeds heed seed bil bringing nging forth an hundred fold to the honor and glory of god clod 1 I repeat it matters not how now honest we may be or profess to be in our convictions without this repentance and baptism and reception of the holy ghost which constitute the new birth we are not of the family of christ but are aliens astran estranged d from god and his laws and in t this fallen condition we shall remain whether in the body or in the sp spirit for time and for eternity unless we render obedience to the plan devised in the heavens for the redemption and salvation of the human family the latter day saints may say we were taught this doctrine dee dec trine by the elders in our native lands and we believed it and repented of our sins bins and were baptized baptize ds and we received the gift pf af the holy ghost which was a testimony to us that we had done the will of the fa her and since then our testimonies have often been confirmed through the manifestations of the power of god and the renewal of his spirit in our hearts why therefore say pay they is it necessary 0 o refer to these things now perhaps a reason may b ba found for so doi dol doing 13 g in the fact that judging from he the actions of many who profess to be je latter day saints it would seem that they had come to the conclusion that they had completed their work that the requirements of the gospel were all complied aed with and nothing now remained ned but for them to enter upon the inheritances heri promised to the faithful we perhaps forget in consequence of the things of time which so te tempt m atour our oun fallen nature that baving been born anew which is the putting away of the old man sin and putting on conof of the new now man christ Jesu jesus swi we have bave become soldiers of the cross having enlisted under the banner of jehovah for time andhor and for eternity and that we llave have entered into the most solemn covenants to serve berve god and to con tend earnestly for the establishment of the principles of truth and righteousness e on this earth continually while we live and having been 1 bought with a price prices that is having bee been redeemed from the power of sin through the atoning blood of the saviour as the apostle says bays we are not our own we are hiss his bis and we are dependent on him not bialy for the light and knowledge which we have received by vi virtue etue of the gospel restored in this dispensation pensa tion through the prophet joseph smith but for all temporal blessings and even for our very earthly being therefore There foros fores it is not consistent with our high and ho holy y calling to 9 allow ourselves to become careless s and indifferent different to the I 1 interests of the cause causse we have despou espoused ed lest we fall p our p r inconsistency and arld return jike like the sow that was washed wished to her wallowing in jq the ibe mire and peradventure be found traitors to the sacred cause in which we have bave enlisted and for forfeit f ei t th the gift of eternal life to which we have been bee q noade roade heirs there The thereisa relsa reisa is a course marked marki d out for us to walk in n it is that strait and narrow path p ath which leads back to the pris pres pres ence enee of god the lamp to light our onward march is the holy ghost which ilich ve we received onor after our new now birth if we falter and turn aside our lamp viii will burn dim and finally go out outs when lo 10 the com ort brt erthe source of revelation will leavo eave us and darkness will take its place liace ilace then thou how great will be that dar lar knes kness S in p portion to the ight we lye pos possesses possessed d will dark peas overpower us up and miless unless a ii sp eedy cedy dv repentance is made the darkness will increase within qu until unfit we ya iose lose ose sight bight of our calling and forget bim HIM sim who redeemed us usand and claimed us for his lifs own the Api afi atie atle pauly hauls pu in n his first epistle to tp wi tho the corinthians says know ye not th hat at ye are the temple of god and ind t that a he Spirit of god dwell eth in you y 0 U if f adv any ihian man defile the temple of pf god hod hlin him shall god destroy fol lor the che fhe he temple of 0 god is holy temple ye are effig language is lap applicable to us as rt day saints and destruction must overtake us which la Is as certain as it is that god rd is a just being if it we render renden our se selves ves unworthy ef of the calling and name we bear by failing to perform the duties upon us in referring to tho tha at subject aj e bof of baptism 3 as essential to salv salvation atlon it may be asked by some what wha tl would y become of those who heard not the gospel and nd who ho Md therefore had bad not t the ORP opportunity lip IRP aulty I 1 af pf of beld befog baptized C cl claiming I 1 in as we 0 wat hau hat theat the gospel WAS wa staken taken from the i arth fato lato in consequence S of its being rejected when proclaimed by jesus te ina and his apostles say iy ta il uch that gad has hns templo arr for all his children both the ignorant and the I 1 learned earned those who have not had t the lie lle gospel beached preached bothem to them in the fl flesh esh will hear ear it in the spirit for a all ail I 1 must have the plan of salvation presented to them for their acceptance cep tance or rejection rec ton before they can become amenable am abie able to the law for says paul bauix where there is no law there is no transgression to those who have not heard the gospel pel rel in the flesh if they have not already heard it preached in the spirit they most assuredly will and that too by men who have previously preached it on the earth who wh 0 have died faithful servants hey they will continue their labors in he the spirit world and those who re eive the gospel from them will live according to god i in the spirit and all who hear it will be judged accordi according n g to men in the flesh for ll 11 says the apostle peter for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are e dead 1 reter peter 46 I 1 G when I 1 I 1 1 therefore the law Is r revealed e v baled t to 0 them and they become instructed in its it then hen will they be held responsible if f they receive it their kindred or friends who remain upon the earth perhaps during the millennium will act for them that laj las is they will be baptized for and in their behalf for the remission of sins and be confirmed members of the church of it jesus jesua chiist christ in the same m mander manier anier ander anden manlen aa as that work is being done now here there being only one faith one lord and one baptism which law is eternal and unchangeable and therefore it is applicable t to the dead aa as the living in in all ages and climes ellmes and further no living creature who has becom become e subject to sin and the power of death in consequence of mortality 3 can evade this law and be redeemed for it is the door to the fold of christ which fold cannot be entered only through the door bo so great and important la Is this labor and BO so n necessary for the salvation of the human family both the living and the dead that that as tha the prophet joseph said it will occupy the whole period of the mil to consummate it in connection with this work is that spoken of concerning elijah the prophet name famely v the turning of the hearts of the hildren children to the fathers and the hearts of the fathers to the children which if not done the whole earth will be smitten with a c cunee curse I 1 the kingdom of god must be erected upon the principles which christ has revealed rei mi I 1 resealed led up upon the foundation ot 1 etel eternal etell I truth ils ims himself being thel the chief corner stone these holy and anu sublime principles must be observed and honored in our ur lives in order that we may obtain an exaltation with the sanctified in the kingdom of god th the beauty of tame these principles m Is they are true nue rue and the satisfaction derived from their adoption adopt lon ion is the knowledge which we receive convincing us of this fact jact we have not believed a raut faut fa bie tie neither are we a cunningly devised scheme echeme but we have been inducted into the truth h having hig I g christ for our head who is our forerunner our g geat mt high priest t and d king it is 1 true there nrc arc few jew comparatively who acknowledge allegiance to him an and there are many of these thew chodo who do not apparently comprehend the importance and binding character of their covenants or allegiance this is greatly to bo be regretted not that the loyal and faithful subject will lose anything in consequence Ee but because they who refrain from exe exercising themselves in his cause will till sustain the loss a loss too to which they cannot edw estima estimate t c it is indeed that any should be indifferent to this nil all important matter who Is there of those that have been or now are associated with this church who have haye not felt the power of the holy ghost and realized in I 1 some measure the bene benc benefits fits lIts of that spirit through the knowledg knowledge ige which it afir imparts m this question will meet 0 all ail 1 1 0 of f us those who turn away from the t truth r th and those who are and will remain indifferent to the cause causel of zion as well as the faithful when we shall appear beford before the bar of G god to tb render an amount account olour of our deeds don done in the flesh the holy ghost is a personage per who acts I 1 in n christs stead just gnage before fore fole the risen redemer left the earth he commac commanded qed his disciple disciples to tarry in the tha city of jerusalem until they should ba be endued wit with h power froin from on high they did barid barud aa and a agreeably gree grec ably to promise the comforter camo came whilst thy they we wera were met together ther filling with unspeakable joy insomuch that they la in tongues and prophesied and the inspiring if influence queng qt f thI this holy being accompanied acif coni compa nied hem them t in all their mInIster ministerial ls duties enabling them to perform the great tg which they trad had been called by tho S Savio satio 1 nr we wc aro r infer ed that b on a certain oma oms occasion glob slob whilst engaged breaching preaching the gospel many who heard beard d them were convinced a ot 01 tha divinity of their mission and they crded cried out saying men and brethren what s shail a all ail we 40 do they were no ta told d io 9 c come 66 to the anxious lons seat to be prayed ra e for or to believe in jesus for they already r pelt eved evea end and were wen conTI convinced need bit reter peter r said 1 wo them Re repent perit and be baptized d every one of you in tho the name ot of jesus christ for the remission of al bin sin and ye shall shail receive the th gift of the holy ahl the tha me ot 1 the holy spirit 1 to lighten enlighten u th tho tha minds ind inq of the tha leopla with ith regard to the things of god to convince them at the timo time of their conversion of their haring hating done the will of the father and to be 1 in them an abiding testimony as a companion th through h ilfe life lif e a acting as the sure bare and safe cafe guide into all truth and filling them day by day with joy and clad nes ness s with a disposition to do good to all men to bummer buffer wron wrong ra rather ther than thin to do wrong to be el kind in dail dasi and in merciful erel ful fui long suffering buffering and charitable all who possess this inestimable gift this |