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Show EDITORIAL PAGE The Devil Is A Liar teach that the Devil is been from the begin- scriptures The liar, and has ning. But he is not the only one, for he endeavto ors persuade all else to become like him-elWith many he succeeds abundantly, much to his own gratification. In speaking of this propensity, the Lord says of the Devil : He saith unto them, deceive and lie in wait to catch, that ye may destroy; behold this is no harm. And thus he flattereth them and telleth them that it is no sin to lie that they may catch a man in a lie, that they may destroy him. And thus he flattereth them and leadeth them along until he draggeth their souls down to hell, and thus he causeth them to catch themselves in their own snare. (DC f. L0: 24-2- SINCE DISHONESTY, insincerity and a passion to save face have become such a part of our modern way of life, this scripture brings a timely warning. As criminality has soared tremendously in the recent past, so has lying to cover up dishonesty. Deceit, wearing a false front, misrepresentation of facts, and scheming for our own aggrandizement, are all part of the same package. Lying is as despicable as is stealing. Often they are the same, for in lying, peoples good names are often stolen away. It is a vicious form of character assassina-"tion. . This is par ticularly true in such cases as are referred to in the above mentioned scripture, where people tell lies in an effort to destroy another person. MURDER IS a crime for which there is no forgiveness. How near to it is character assassination ? And yet, how many ostensibly respectable people indulge in it! Let us ask ourselves frankly: If no unclean thing can enter the Kingdom of Heaven, can a liar do so? Is he clean? Is about him there anything pure or Christ-lik- e or her? We might well remember the eternal place to which the Lord says liars will go if unrepentent: These are they who are liars, and sorcerers, and adulterers, and whoremongers, and whosoever loves and makes a lie. These are they who suffer the wrath of God on earth. These are they who suffer the vengeance of eternal fire. These are they who are cast down to Hell. (DC 76:102-106- ). WHENEVER PEOPLE lie or even color the truth, they place themselves in league with the Devil, and he is hardly good company for the Saints. How different is the liar from the true Saint, who endeavors to exemplify the teachor ings of Christ! How different are his motives. her The true Saint is one who loves his neighbor as himself, who does unto others as he would be done by; it is he who judges not, that he may not be judged; it is he who is forgiving and kind, patient and long suffering; it is he who seeks a friendly reconciliation with his brother with whom he may have a difference, and does so even before he comes to worship at the altar of God. The Saint is a good Samaritan, not a robber on the road to Jericho. The Saint will go the extra mile and give his cloak and his coat also, but will nevei steal anothers cloak, and certainly not his good name. TIIE SAINT will know that unless he loves his brother whom he has seen, he obviously does not love God whom he has not seen. He forgives, but does not condemn he helps, but never hinders he holds out a light that others may see, but never blinds them. So strongly does the Lord feel on this matter of lying that He has said : These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands h that shed innocent blood; an heart that wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. (Proverbs 6). dev-iset- GEMS OF THOUGHT Salvation Is Born Of Obedience To Gospel Ext e pH from an address by Elder Bnue R McConkie at Central Conftrthce nj :be C.hurcb. October 1 90S. Salvation is born of obedience to the law's and ordinances of the Gospel; salvation conies to those who obey the statutes and judgments of that God Who created it and ordained the laws whereby it might be gained. Salvation comes by getting Christ into our hearts today, by being born again, by becoming new' creatures of the Holy Ghost, by receiving personal revelation, by exercising the gifts of the of Spirit, by having the power God manifest in our lives. Jesus sent His apostles forth to "preach the same Gospel He had tau$ 16 CHURCH ihMhjpTOmise : WEEK Signs shall follow them that believe (Mark 16:17). In other words, when men believe the true word of the Gospel, then God begins to manifest Ilis power in their lives. They begin to enjoy the gifts of the Spirit, to work miracles, and to have those spiritual experiences which always and everlastingly attend rue believers. And, we might well ask, if a Gospel does not have power to heal the sick, raise the dead, and work miracles in this life, why would anyone suppose it had soul powrer to cleanse a or to raise a man to an inheritance of eternal life in the presence of God? sin-lade- n Now we are bold to proclaim that that God who is no respecter of persons, who is the same yes- - ENDING DECEMBEP. 7, 1R68 terday, today, and forever, has spoken again in our day paying His respects to those systems of religion which have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof (Jos. Smith 2:19), and restoring again both the word and the power of His Gospel. We announce that God, according to the promises, has sent His angel to restore the fulness of the ancient Gospel, W'hich Gospel is now found in The Church of Jesus Saints. The Christ of Latter-daword of that Gospel is now writ-te- n in the new revelations which y have come from heaven, and as rapidly as the true believers conform their lives to the new and everlasting truths involved, the power of the Gospel is manifest in their lives. BOOK OF MORMON PROFILES The Brother Of Jared The Brother of Jared was a large and mighty man, highly favored of the Lord. His name, said the Prophet Joseph Smith, was Mahonri Moriancumr. It is not given in the Book of Mormon. No man of greater faith has walked the earth. He e arid it was said to the Mountain removed. He pleaded with the Lord that his language the pure language of Adam might be preserved, and the Lord personally led him and his people away from the confusion of tongues at the Tower of Babel. No man received greater spiritual manifestations than those given the Brother of Jared, wrote Moroni, who abridged and translated his voluminous writings. So beautiful and powerful were the Jaredite records that Moroni, writing in The language of the Nephites, confessed to his own ineptitude. Once, when Mahonri .Moriancumr failed to call upon the Lord for four years, the Almighty appeared unto him in a cloud and chastened him for three full hours. ("For whom the Lord loveth, He chasten-et- h Zerin,-"Remov- . . .) Once, the Brother of Jared asked God to put light in stones, and the veil was removed from his eyes and he saw the finger of the Lord. So shaken was he by this experience that he fell to the earth in surprise, and when the Lord asked him why, he explained he did not know God had flesh and blood and feared he would be struck. Never, said the Iurd, had n.an come before him with such faith. Did he see more than this? He asked. Nay, answered the Brother of Jared, "Lord, show thyself unto me." The Lord then made himself manifest in the spirit and told Mahonri Moriancumr that because of his faith which had brought to him this knowledge, he was redeemed of God. "Never have I showed myself unto man whom I have created, for never has man believed in me as thou hast, God said. The Lord then ministered unto the Brother of Jared "even as he ministered unto the Nephites. What itiis was we know only briefly, for at one point in Mormons record of the Saviors visit to the Ne- phites, he wrote: "The eye hath never seen, neither the ear heard before, so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak . . . and no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak . . . The Brother of Jared led his band of people to the Western Hemisphere where they soon created a mighty civilization. When he died, full of years and honor, he left a posterity of 22 sons and daughters. Iliu tration adapted from "The Book of Mormon Story," Deseret Book Co . 9onaid Crosby, artist. |