Show amsi ic VIRIES IDENT JOB joh TA AT vasi w a on sunday afternoon on J march ift 1880 ty bf ea Fd 6 fiB yeb WE have been voting farour officers ardd arid for those li holding places in the chuich and kingdom of god in this stake state of zion and it js is well for us sometimes to understand do in relation to these matters matten we hold held up our right hand when voting in token before god that we will sustain those for whom we vote and jf if we cannot feel to sustain them we ought not to hold up our hands because to do this would be to act the part of hypocrites and the question naturally arises how far shall we sustain them or in other word show far are we at liberty to depart from this covenant which we make before each other othen ot herand and before our god for when we lift up our ou r hands in this way it is in token bogod that weare sincere in what we do and that we will sustain the parties artle we vote for that is the way t look at these things how far then should we sustain them and how hov far should we not this is 18 a matter of serious importance to us if we agree to do a thing and do not do it we become covenant breakers and violators of our obligations which are perhaps as solemn and binding as anything we capenter cau can enter into we frequently pass by many of those important thi things up w which h ae h we have engaged to abide baand sometimes begin to whisper byway by way of complaining or finding fault one with another after we have entered into solemn obligations that we will not do it what is meant by sustaining a person do we understand it it is a very simple thing to me I 1 do not know how it is with you for instance if a man be a teacher and I 1 vote that I 1 will sustain him in in his position when he visits me in an official capacity I 1 will welcome him and treat him with consideration kindness and respect and if it I 1 need heed counsel I 1 will ask it at his hand lind and I 1 will do everything 9 1 I can carl to sustain him that thit would be proper and a principle of righteousness aud and I 1 would not say anything derogatory to his character if that ii not correct I 1 have it yet to learn and ahen then if f anybody in my pie pye presence sence senco were to v whisper soi something nothing about him di disparaging 1 to 0 his reputation I 1 would say nook look here are you a saint yes did nid you not hold bold up your hand to sustain him hi yes then why do you not do it now I 1 would call an action of that kind busta sustaining sustaining inin 9 him if any man make malm an attack ulon upon his hia reputation for foi all mens reputations are of bothem them 1 I would defend him in some such way when we vote for men in in the solemn way ill in which we wedo dd shall we abide by our covenants core coye nants or shall we violate them if we violate thenice them we become breakers we break bia our faith before god and oun our brethren in regard to the acts of men whom we have covenanted to sustain but supposing he should do something wrong sit sui supposing ly he should be found lying or cheating or defrauding somebody or br stealing or anything else or even become impure in his habits would you still sustain him it would be my pi y duty then to talk with him as I 1 would with anybody else and tell toll him that I 1 had understood that things were thus and so and that under these circumstances 1 could not sustain himi himl him and if I 1 found that I 1 had been misinformed formea formed I 1 would withdraw the charge but if not it would then be my duty du ty to see that justice justic was ewas administered to him that he he was brought before tho the proper tribunal to answer for the things lie he had done and in the absence of that I 1 would lave have have no business to talk about him it is well for us to get at some somo of ot these ailiese little things they are matters however of a good goud deal of importance what I 1 hava have said sald id with regard hegard to a teacher would apply to the priest and the deacon then again we have bisho bishope pg we vote for them and they holta hold hoid a portion of the priesthood which renders their duties many times very unpleasant that is naturally they would be unpleasant but no duty ought to be unpleasant to the servants of god now supposing s the bishop should do something thail that is wrong what would be our duty it would be to go to him and say If bishop I 1 have reason to believe belleve that things are thus and evidence so P haeng been presented presen ted tod to it antt t fy AX is of 0 such a character char acter that I 1 am in think that you have been 4 taking g a wro wrong ng marse course and therefore I 1 h have ave com come a to talk to you yourself about the matter who wight to do this anybody what would I 1 riot at right of approaching finif bup sup posing you had been iril him else had deen been injured by kirn lil ms or or had M occurred uirt that garso garsh caused you to entertain feelings him it would be much beuter better to probe the thing to the bottom and have it straightened out than i to foster it and allow it to corrode and an d interfere with your peace and happiness because lecause you rave bave covenanted to sustain him on ou the befi other er hand we cannot sustain anything that is unrighteous impure or unholy we go to him and say bishop so and so I 1 have come to see you on unpleasant business you may be polite about it or you may not but people can always afford to be polite I 1 have learned thus and so 1 I hope I 1 am misinformed can you explain that to me if the matter could be explained to your satisfaction you vou would id be glad of it but whether it could be or not you would have the satisfaction of knowing that you vou had performed your duty if not fiot however and the matter be of such a character as to call foran fon for an investigation it would be proper that it be inquired in into by the proper authorities it ae 8 then you are free and you have not violated any covenant if any covenants ants auts have been violated it is he that is guilt yand it is for him to account for his acts to the lord and his brethren and if no wrong wrong shall be found in him there is no good man but what would be bep bey leased pleased to see such a man acquitted but while we seek equity and justice on the one hand on the other we ire must not interfere with the rights of anybody bod no matter who it is th that a t indulges du 1 I 1 in n 1 iniquity the their ir in iniquity 1 t will find the them m out soo sooner ner nen or mt later laten e and it is better for us instead of talking to this one and the other it wrong exists to go directo directs to the persons S themselves and have it adjusted jul then bring it up according to the rules laid down governing such matters then thorl the doer of the wrong is is accountable for the wrong not somebody else then when he is dealt with wi th by the church whether he be be a teacher priest deacon bishop or anybody else you are arg free from all responsibility afterwards of sustaining that man and until the proper course allm ba leen loela laken taken with ith such a person we wem should be very veny careful what course we pursue in relation to this kind of thing so that we do db not violate our covenants there is an uneasy feeling existing among some bome people they can tan see plenty of wrong all around if the they y have a mind mend to and some will apostatize because because fo somebody melody else has done wrong what a foolish course that is to pursue if we allow follow god gods Is gian glan plan pian we can bring the sin bin right home ome to the mun man who has done te the wrong and if he uld did not repent of it he would have havel to be cut off but the devil would say 1 I would not stop in a church where there were suph folks he would first inal influence U a number of the people to do wrong and then he would try to get the ot others hersto to leave the church because some of then the embers members were doing wrong that however would be fool foolish ishri and contrary to td the order of god the lord mord has placed in his church apostles and Prophet sHigh priests seventies elders etc what for for the perfecting of the saints are we all perfect t to begin with no these various officers are for f roc the perfecting pe fecci n of the saints what else for t the E work of the m ministry ministry ini stry that men ruen might be qualified and informed and be full of intelligence wisdom and light and learn to procia procla proclaim lin jin the principles es 0 of f eternal truth and to bring out from the treasury of god things new and hinga calculated to promote the welfare of the people now then these offices having been placed in the church every man ought to be res respected pecked in his office I 1 know fiame of you think we can respect i Qt some ome aud and some we cannot r respect e s we can respect some of the prominent rom ent authorities I 1 do not know now who they are do you you ren rqn remember ember when jesus was upon the earth some of Mis his followers were contending as to who was the greatest and he took a little child and placed it in their midst he said sald he that can be most like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven and I 1 will tell you more than that that the teachers or deacon that fulfill fulfil his hb duties is a great deal more honorable than a president denton or any of the twelve that do not aad there aro are duties and ra re thi AP 1 devolving an all ail of us tb these ma matters t n a n tk we ought 18 ae very verj careful in all 0 our ur acts that we do not transgress the htwa af pf god in lna ina a foft I 1 i re re the church dh and T to th some same of the leading duties thal that devolve to attend to there are duties devola fineu po n v ut w cannoe f ignore duties as apostles duties as bs presidents af stakes duties ditties as bishops dugles duties as high councilors councillors Counci lors duties pertaining tor tr all the various officers omeera in hi the church well wel can any man that has received the holy priesthood and jhb comprehends the position he occupies before god which very few of us can oo docan dorcan can he afford to neglect any of those duties ies jes I 1 think thlik not nott we call this organization hat that we are associated with the church and kingdom of god Is it the church of god yes then it is gods church is it not yes who is at the head of it the lord ought to be and we ought to be subject to him who why everyone of us myself say and all the twelve the presidents of stakes the bishops the high priests the elders the seventies the high councilors councillors Counci lors and all aji men in in the church ought to feel that we are the children of god inthe in the church of god and subject to the law of of god we talk about a priesthood who are the priesthood a and nd what Is is S it asi As I 1 understand it it is the rule and the government overn ment of god whether it exists id hi the heavens or on the earth whether we refer to the things of time or to the things of eternity whether we refer to spiritual things or to temporal ral rai things 1 they by are or ought t tim tem to 0 1 be under bilde r the guidance and dominion of god HOW and from whom did we receive our authority let ua u he go haek hack for a while dmd who could we find anywhere upon the earth that had authority even to proclaim the gospel or to administer in in the ordinances of we the gospel could we find anybody no we could not riot I 1 could not in my younger days and I 1 sought diligently for it but I 1 could not find anybody who possessed it what not among the religious professors of the world no not among the religions religious professors of the world nowhere among the learned the intelligent the scientific no nowhere very well hew did we come at a knowledge of this god revealed it through his fc joseph smith and anav when hen he did so he did not say much about it himself the erst thing he did when he ho appeared to Josep Joseph ilyas was to introduce his son pointing unto gelover him he ht said this is my beloved son hied fied hear him 11 and what did the son 49 say we have his teachings s in the gospel trl til in ili his hig communications with the Nep himes hites and others then there were others who held the priesthood with him who held it on the earth and who now hold it in eternity and who held the keys of this priesthood luh inh ani those saye save several ral rai parties came came and conferred th the tho keys heys which they li belc elal upon him afim bot but but not hot until aa th eLord had come comb ank and given them permission to aa cp so s salience hence alien we got our priesthood through that indans means and we got our I 1 priesthood through uli ull u r ii that means and any office or ar ord ordinance cnance that any apy of you ha haw q received you received re cel cei v 0 it through hixt that r edlum medium or you sou llave have reg received elved non none e at ati all very well nell eil eli ell what ape it lead us to to those whom we call sons song son of god just as it i was aai aal said sai ld op oll briner former times abw are we sors sons s jbf god and it t doth not yet appal appear what we wp shall be but we know that when he shall a appear r we we shall be like him for we wes shall seail it ma 1 see spa him as ae Q is very well weil 11 we are the sons of god d anthe then the chosen of god the elect of god called by himi him set apart by him through the medium of this holy priesthood of which I 1 have llave spoken and if we have received any office or callin calling or alt wit ait authority hority or any power bower to administer adminis ter in any of the tho ordinances we have received that from the hand of god and we can only perform these or ordinances dinane Cs according to the priesthood we are permitted to possess yos sess for instance an elder cannot perform the labor of an apostle a bishop bishor cannot perform the tho labor fabor of an apos tie tle and a bishop bishops as a bishop outside of other things lils has not authority to lay on hands to impart the gift of the holy ghost whatever he may do in that capacity it is i s through ahr ugh the priesthood which he holds and he could not do it without can a priest lay hands upon people and sal say say receive ye the woly holy oly ghost no it does not belong to him todo toda to do it well weil then men are necessarily confined to operate within the limits limit sand and authority of the various offices of the priest priest rt n t rii i i hood to which they are called and br ordained dal dai n ed an elder to perform the office 0 of f ari arl an elder elde r a priest to perform the office of a priest in early days it fc was quite common for a pi priest t to go out and preach the gospel p and baptized r 1 I M r tha thi sion of sins sine and an then tre call cali c all ali upon an Eldert Eldery tf lay hands upon them to confirma con nirra firra them jn embers members ol 01 of the church nor for the Priest did n not 0 have av the power to do it and while the priest could baptize a teacher or a deacon could not not having the authority to do it R it if they were to do it it would not amoun amount tto to anything there is strict order about these things associated with the church and Kingdom gorgod of awl well then on the tile other hand if ive we perform our dutie duties sr each one of us ip lp our proper position god gives us power to accomplish the object we have nave in view no matter what it is or what priesthood we hold bold no matter whether it is the president of the churcher Chur chor ebor the president of the stake a bishop a high councilor a HI high 9 Pr nesta iesta seventy or an eide elde Priest 1 t teacher or deacon deacons Dea conj no matt maat matter w what at if they perform du duties aties atles with an eye single singie to the glory of god he will sustain theman them in their operations and administrations now I 1 will |