Show W DISCOURSE BY ELDER himli lloy SNOW delivered on thursday morning april ath 1877 at ae a two davy 8 j sleeting held by the st george stale I 1 of ciori in the temple at di st george REPORTED tr D BY ci G 41 F GIBBS 1 1 occupying ceu ing the time this morn 1 idi idt i I 1 wish in the first pace y adur OF r to the tact fact that we are latter day saints br bi it t least opi ought ht to be and hud that as touch we are dependent ubon upon the lord for our of instruction n str ct ion E iia lia is in accordance with bur faith falth that we e have tb tro too fook look to 16 him for assistance assis asgis tance under all ali a I 1 circumstances in all nil places in bil all all nil our of life and in all matters pertaining to fui us on in the principles of godliness assembled together er as its we are this morning morning it is 13 very nery necessary that we ask th eLord for hig his his big spirit the spi bpi spirit rest upon 6 us as speakers and as hearers bearers that wo we ml he enabled to comprehend things that may mav be spoken ken ked and that they may be adapt adapted edlo edio to our hil fil individual needs it is impossible to advance iii in the principles bf truth to increase in heavenly knowledge except we exercise our otin reasoning faculties and exert ourselves in a proper manner anek we have an instance recorded in the doctrine and covenants of a misunderstand ilg lug on tn the part of oliver this principle the lord promised hm him the gitt gilt to translate aut ancient lent records like many of us today to day he be had bad misconceptions iu in regard to joithe tho the exercise exe oxe of the rift gift he lie thought al that was nece sary to do inasmuch uch as hla thia t gil gia had been pro mis echimof of god was to allow bli bis hi mint ty til wait in idleness without efluri until it tab otilO operate spontaneously bul but when those records were placed before him there re ivas was no ho knowledge bated they still remained eal shi edas edaa as it were for no power to lo translate came upon him although the gift to trans translate had been confer conferred redi ho ba could poti jitt prosecute the work ne tie failed to exert before god with the view of developing the gift vithinA him im and he became greatly disappointed ulland and the lond lord I 1 in in wll hil blo hio 0 goodness aria iri ili mercy merey erey eroy informed e d him bini of hid bid h bAke using jhb iati lati guage 1 I 1 1 bedol behold d y tou aa llave have jaVe I not understood you have supposed that 1 I would give it I 1 unto you flerl joti oti took no thought save it W was a s to 10 ask hiu hie mi but behold I 1 sa you jou Y bu that you must sudi tout out in your mind then you must mu staak bi k mg me it it it ve right aud and if it is right I 1 I 1 wll 1 bauke that your shall burn within you youl 3 ac go 00 in regard t to u us respect respecting n g thaw th thirl things P s khz wha which we did are under undertaking a effig I 1 if f we ve expect to improve abdia to advance tn in the work immediately booro before us andolin and finally alluto to obtain possession hion bion of those gifts and aud glories coming COMM 1 1 up ta that condition of viv icv we anticipate we ve tike ti ke thought and aud tefle reflect ct we ourselves and that too to the of bur ability the thu at givan us by president young g y yesterday terO ayano asano an to bich which we in our prayer this morning mor hink hini asked ahlie god to direct our rem remarks warthel was the work with which we t lare bare are n naw aw imi im i mediately concerned edric pait if I 1 to aa J oua OUT present wants W and alta necessities n essit L V the thu arises go shall w we regulate our tempora U M to qualify r M uati vig per ibriq tile the duties and alous ln int ing upon us to day oay arid sedore secure a our orr relves itie blessings bles bies sings singa of ead eternal nr liro lire 11 1 TU I v this SU subject bj cob COL so forai th tild d titar alord me his hoi hol holy hols through tle ile tie of your falth faith 1 wish to speak this morning I 1 desire dt sire how bow even ever even ever to connine confine myself particularly a y 0 lo 10 o the relating to our financial union uniting igniting ourselves c together as brethren who bo havo entered into the everlasting covenant of the gospel of the lord jeus jesua je jef us ua christ expecting to td dwell to goi got her in the presence pre schee of god in tho the celestial world we bave have been told through the revelations of god and an to which our attention has often beep called that unless we became one in temporal as s well as spiritual things it vere useless anticipating the fullness of celestial el estial gio glo elory glory ry or a state of oneness ie ilk the spirit spiritual things of god but what course we aie to tu take in order to 0 arrive at id this mot most con 0 seems to remain a di tid tik U unsolved d problems lemd leml nod dod doubtless ess in many have bave asked themselves what can we do and lio iio how W shall we do ity it well let lec our minds revert for a few minutes to the time whence when we received the fuin fulu falness ej af f the everlasting gospel in the countries where it first reached us As soon as we became con convinced i v i aneed of the truth h and arid that the elders who pred preached ched the this were the servants of god we offered ourselves as candidates for baptism for the re remission remis sidn of sins receiving the holy ghost through the laying on of their hands and then feit felt determined td do whatever the lord should require through lils 1114 ser ter servants vanta and continue to follow their cotin counsels in all things even evon to the sacrifice of ali all we edit edif dif necessary whether pertaining to the the tho worlds wealth we althor or that which we held in higher and und dearer esteem je teem we jeh JeA tiled an and sig tact fact that we sere nere his bis off s spring rang inheriting in fa torm form the f same ame fame attributes he himself possessed and ano that thai through probationary elpe fience by passing assink the ordeals of earth rejecting the evil and accepting the good these attributes could be developed until eventually we might rece receiver ivera a falness of the godhead go ohead obeal and arid dwell in the presence of the eathor father we jve became acquainted with this thi fact and were convinced in our hearts that the object which now appeared bethic us was well weli worthy of all that we could bestow upon it hence we resolved that we would accomplish the undertaking though at the sacrifice Ba crince of our all we ve well understood that in order to attain to that thiet would entitle Us to this exaltation it would be necessary lo 10 submit ourselves holly wholly to the mind mina and will of god we feltin felt feit in our out hearts to consecrate our wives our children and our property if we had any ady and our time haft and abilities to the service bervice of god hal had this thir law lof consecration been presented at ut that ho doubt would have ben veen hailed with joy nsf aff it was iu lit exact with df a our coLven covenants tints I 1 Accor according dLug diug to the order of the celestial world as revealed to the latter day saints respecting the property prop erty eity we might posses swe were required to consecrate all to the lord and then to be made stew stow 1 ards as pointed out by revelation the book of doctrine ud Q covenant ovin and were to continuo continue tode might be eu entrusted trusted tous service of god and so farl fail fadias farias as we inc increased reaped the prop properly gity raj df stewardship ioup we were to devot devote e to the benefit of the kingdom of god which would bemused be used for the building of temples emi emli i grating and sustaining the poor and on the great wak wok work of redeeming israel this feeling chwe entertained at ning was to continue to burn jal ouro our y bosoms and we were ito to be honest in our profession I 1 knew know that many of us when we camb to these valleys conformed to this law of consecration which is now in the booke doctrine and covenants we deeded our property and many were willing perhaps not all that if it feces 1 i sary every part and portion of it should have havo been used ag As the servants of god should have directed This was the kind of feeling that we then entertained and ju just st a asi long as we maintained this condition of mind of willing obedie obedience negi jt it was aliphat ali all that was wag required but I 1 feat that this feeling which gave usta Joy which tended to in 4 crease our faith and confidence in ira god and in one another has baa not continued to grow correspondingly with our general prosperity ex perl peri ence enee and aad knowledge of the gos goo pel peli testimony to you jis is that so 50 far as this ibis is thin the cae cake we stand this day not wholly approved of god although Rlph ough we have the privilege of worshipping shipping wor in this tempie temple reared to his holy name burjust but just so far for aa af th this s willingness exists in our hearts to appropriate our means mean that we have accumulated forthe for fon the up building oc of the of god on the batth and that too without tit grudging even as the former da day saints laid down theirs at the feet of the apo apostles aties atles so far are we approved and aud accepted rd or bf god who among the latter day saints within the hearing of my voice voide this th laday taday day could fail fall to comprehend this thib in knuch of our business relations one with another there does not exist that spirit of union and brotherly interest that should he be maintained we need i 0 take such a as aa will enable us to acquino it ana and this 8 spirit should prevail throughout thi ou ghost all our settlements who cannot perceive the hand band of god in bringing us away from the turmoil and strife of the business world to these mountain vales valea where we have the opportunity and the privilege of building up yil lages and cities upon the principle of unity which has been revealed to us thus thua affording that necessary ry discipline which we could not have bave obtained amon the cities of the gentiles this training cannot be acquired in one oce year jear nor in five years but its acquisition ac qu is enhanced in proportion to our willingness lin gness to make sacrifices in order to obtain it by and by vy the tue tord will have prepared the way for some to return to jackson county there to build up the centre stake state or ot zion how homr easy this work can be accomplished after we have learned to build up cities and temples hire here to his bis divine acceptance our experience is a very needful one without it we should be totally unfitted for the he per perform form abic e of such a work we read that thai the temple which solomon built was ez arec rec wed ed without the sound of a hammer being heard there had been beedia a previous preparation and an experience gained in some distant locality and a proper train training ing the materials were accurately prepared and when brought together were gere were ready for setting each ajl piece deit to 0 its proper place As know ledge and abid efficiency are obtained gradually we may expect that the experience that we ve are retting getting now in earning learning how to build up cities leour in our oun present condition conform j ing as near as possible to the holy order of god is in order to prepare us by and by to return to Mis missouri zouri wuen when whence cewe we were diven driven and there buildup build up cities oitis and temples to tho the name of the blost most high fligh upon which hia hla glory wll wil descend A condition of willingness to conform our will to the divine will is lehat what we n need ded eed it might not be deemed policy to enter into covenants by leed deed in lp our property mat it may be hereafter but so long as the emotions of our ouis souls prompt us to exclaim in the language of joshua that 1 I ir and my household will serve the lord I 1 so long as this willingness dwell dwells s in our hearts karts to give ourselves up mil nt leely icely to the service of god we are then in the condition to ask the father to hasten the day when his I 1 w will ill lii shall be done doue on earth as in heaven fur further when the proper time comes to require the of our property fa fn the interests 9 othe tbt great work we are engaged in the b bare a re mention of it will be sufficient but we ask should not the bishop who op operates aerates in iri our temporal matters be a very iery wise and good man mau Certainly he ao should uld and a man of honor and integrity full of the holy ghost most loving his neighbor as himself and loving the loid our bod with all his might mind and strength streng pi on this we are told hang the law and the prophets blessed is he in whom these two principles are developed 1 for such a one la without condemnation conuel he be stands the peer of him referred to in the scriptures by the saviour as one swi without guile the people will iii soon learn to confide in such a man as he can establish unmistakable proof before god and before his bis brethren that he obeys these command commandments men i ts in ILI which are involved all that the tho prop prophets bets ever lived for we will wiil suppose 3 further that such a an individual as I 1 have described bed who really lad obeyed thebe these commandments werta vere placed to preside over a city 0 of r thousand peaple all ali of whom too were living in 16 thea the advanced dv an ced bed go condition refer referred reci to he m musti bear fr in mind his important position high I 1 ites and gho who appointed him to this positron po sitton he or th they ian in whom god had lind vested the authority aut borit why 1 is such a man called to act as president over a people I 1 Is it in order to acquire an ail influence and then to use that influent influence e direct directly y for his awn aggrandize aggrandizement me nt no but op on the contrary he is ca called le d to act ird iri jauch a position oh the same principle as the priesthood was given to the sen ben of Godt bat hat he should make sacrifices for himself no but in the interests of the people po ople opie over oven whom he presides would he be bid required to offer himself up on oil the cro cruss cross s as did t the saviour to no but to become the servant of his brethren not their master and to work in their interest and welfare not to exercise the influent influence thus obtained to benefit his Is family and relatives and person personal friends but esteeming all as his breth brethren reni reul having rights in corm corn conw mon witti etli himself and ami th ere fore 2 beeking io to bless and benefit all ali equally according to the talents and worthiness wort biness binesa they may posse possess and thus by so doing develop in himself that fatherly feeling which always exists in the bosom of the father at the present time it is too often the case that the men who are called to act in buch euch positions instead of thus acting according to their holy cal oal lingl use use their influence their priesthood the sacred powers conferred upon them for their own benefit and that of their children and personal friends this is highly improper it is wrong and displeasing pleasing in the sight of god and of this sin we are called upon to res rez repent I 1 by putting it away from aromus fr omus I 1 us and to live the lives ilves V of latter day saints according to the sacred covenants we have into when you find a man who tAkes tihes the same interest in those over whom he presides pre ides ldes as he does in himself and family you will natu naturally r be begin gin gln to have confidence in that individual bucas but as soon as you find that his bis feelings by day and by night and the course offis of bis his conduct are such asta as to tend directly to benefit himself liim seif self and his bis family you |