Show kiso DISO OTTISE BT DY ELDER ERASTOS ERASTUS snowa at brigham city sunday morning october 12 1879 iE PORTED reported BY ily gio gi GIX O F I 1 FEEL somewhat weary in body from the offsets of labor and infirm daies and were I 1 to consult my own feelings I 1 would be inclined to waive this privilege and sit and listen to my mv brethren indeed I 1 may my eay I 1 irid lyia hrather lier iier counted upon a rest in coming to brigham city yet I 1 never allow myself to shrink from bearing that portion that properly attack attaches Cs me in life to the calling and auti duties es devola in inc g upon me I 1 feel that we areail here in a school that we have a work to th perform and if when we shall have llave done that work we shall be satisfied with it we will not regret having worn ourselves out in accomplishing it but on tile tiie contrary we shall rejoice at our success in having got sate sare through and entered dinto into the rest which is prepared forthe for the people of god in the future state this is a scriptural phrase arase implying that there is a rest 4 luyand beyond for the people of god but I 1 have sometimes thought that strictly speaking rest was only a change and that a change was rest bee bec because ailse to be ab at rest to be entirely free from labor and caro care would be inconsistent with our existence ds tence in such a con condition di tion ou our r being would le bo a blank biank blanka bianka ra nonentity the cours course cof of godbe god we are told by the prophet nephi is one eternal round that like eternity it has neither bo ginning finning nor end and is illustrated jn in the book of abraham by the hieroglyphic of the circle you may start upon this tilis ring at any given cc in poin p 0 iii ili t and in traversing it you will eomme corne 0 m e to the same point it is without beginning without end we sometimes speak of eternity in contradistinction to time and often say th through time and and hao eter etor ter ten alty 11 and aga again in from eternity to eternity which is simply another form of expressing the same idea and pass through gir time into eter etez jaity in other words time is is a short period allotted to man in his probationary state and we use tho the word time in contradistinction contrades con tradis unction to the tile word eternity merely forthe for oon the tho accommodation of man in his finite sphere sp liere that we may comprehend and learn jeam to measure periods and anti for this purpose the lord gave unto adam his reckoning r after the move ments heuts of bhe bho the planets which would appear to him stationary or at least 1 comparatively so making q a suitable 0 standard by which man in his mor mot tai stal stai tal state may measure periods and 1 I 1 count munt out the days and the months and the years and t the ae cyal s 4 the scriptures speak of a time e when time shall bo no more and A JL athe the thel apostle john jolln in his vis als ons f while wh lie lle banished to tho the isle isie of patmos heard the angel say time shall be AIjo jn more we may not nol fully com corn the meaning meaning and the purport r r of this expression express on all phrases or expressions whether used by uy men at angels or god have a relative mean I ering er ing aa one thino thing is compared with another and to understand the full force of them we must uit uil der stand that to which it has refer once ence by comparison I 1 simply imply understand by this that so far as x wo we are concerned time will be no mor more ewhen when we shall be merged into eternity and we cense cease to reckon Te elon clon ejon our periods by the diurnal revolutions eions of the earth and the changes of the moon etc when wo we shall enter inter into a sphere where wo vo can 4 mingle with tile the gods and become ath with their reckoning and tho the eternal tr I 1 per periods lods or cycles of revolutions of the numberless creations in space which today to day the most profound astronomers of the earth are unable to fathom or mark their place of beginning and this is called eternity by man an and as far as man is concerned is in contradistinction to other periods and modes of reckoning known and I 1 ili iii in use am among ong the gods ads fen per they have lave their periods and rem ree reckoning koning as well as we only on a vast and to us incomprehensible scale we are in in a state of progression very small beginnings gin gln binnin nin but onward and upward for a more exalted sphere in which they move but I 1 conceive of no stopping place I 1 conceive of no absolute resting place but only as before remarked a change a allan change 1 e in our circumstances and 1 conditi condition and consequently a ch change ange ango in i n our labors I 1 speak now of man as an immortal being having no reference to t his car ear earthly tilly house of our tabernacles for tor this mortal house which we occupy for the period of a few short years upon the earth will not be associated soc socia ted with the immortal man tile tilo god in embryo the clothing C we wear covers the tile nakedness of the bo body d y it answers a good purpose for a little season until it becomes worn out when it is cast aside as of no further use for that purpose bo so with the outer house of our tabernacles this mortality serves the purposes intended for a few short years until it is worn out with use like tip tio the farmers farm ers erh agricultural implements like the machinists or mechanics chani cs tools or any other piece of machinery for the human pody body is one of tile the finest and most perfect pieces of machinery known upon the earth there is none superior indeed most of the mechanism employed by men in various branches 0 of f industry is founded on the anatomical 0 structure of the human body bod y the tile angles the joints the the cords by which they are bound together the wonderful construction not only of the outer portions of the body but butt the very fine mechanism of the nervous system and also that of the eye the ear and of tile the means of sensation and that by which knowledge is communicated from one ono part of the body to the other if the finger be abu abused sedor or injured in jureda ca telegraphic communication is made instantly to the seat scat of knowledge the government of the body conveying the information that a finger is Od in danger anger and wherever C pain Js is felt in whatever part of the body it is but the ringing of the bell of alarm giving notice otice n of a hostile attack and to make preparations for defense lest the enemy making the assault take possession of the citadel and destroy it the wonderful mechanism of the nervous system through which the spirit makes its impressions upon the body is as it were an intermediate organism between the fine spiritual body and the tile coarser elements of our tabernacles and those who have given the most time and study stady to this wonderful machine are led to fully appreciate an and d endorse the saying of the psalmist 1 I am fearfully and wonderfully made its adaptability to the uses and purposes intended with its remarkable endurance when suitably ulta uita bly guarded and protected against disease and what we term accident is in itself sufficient to call forth the admiration of all intelligent beings we look upon an aged pers person n say 70 80 50 or loo 0 years old oid 0 id and realize that there is is a machine a mechanical structure shall we call it a model representing perpetual pe tuai motion not exactly but a machine that lias has been been in motion say 1 ay years a double action pum pump p that has been constantly going distributing tribu ting the fluids of ot the system by way of keeping lip up a constant circulation atlon of the blood sometimes working very cry hard to remove obstructions arasin arising from colds and other causes to keep the channels from becoming stopped up and at other times working slowly and the functions of the body are kept in such suell constant use for such a period of time without the touch of the mee mec mechanic hanie banle to repair a break unless it may perchance be the surgeons saw to remove a disabled limb that threatens to encumber the whole body or the tying up of a broken artery to prevent the escape of the vital fluid but otherwise the most skilful physician is unable to make a single repair af alt r or improve any part or portion of it and the most lie can do is to give something to be taken into the stomach to ent ett act a chemical change on the fluids of the system to neutralize tr perhaps an access of the acids thus working a change in the qua quality of t the he blood and consequently a change in the deposits that are being ng made in all parts of the system by the circulation of this fluid but this wonderful machine is kept in motion by what power we say it is the power of god we say it is in him we live and move and have our bed being and yet yeh he always works means all his wonderful works being performed by agents but ho he is not confined to one agent nor any special method agent in p performing erf arming his works but ut there 1 is s a spirit in this earthly tabernacle of ours oura that is a relative to our father eather and god and who is the i owner of this tabernacle and for whom the tile tabernacle is organized as his dwelling house it is this spirit that keeps the functions of this tabernacle in motion when wilen this spirit leaves leavis the body it is either elther because tile tiie father calls aills it away wishing wis liing to use 1 ii in another sphere considering 1 ng th the e time it has spent in t his this tabernacle sufficient clent for the purposes required and therefore takes it to a higher school through special do sign to do a special work vork vo rk or it may be it has used its tabernacle until it is so worn out that it has become like lite a bow which has been long and constantly bent it has lost its elasticity tic ty its bones impaired in strength its muscles stiffened and the whole whole frame ready like our 0 bokr clothes to be thrown aside and the spirit comes to the conclusion that it has had its run with this old tabernacle and that it is time this old garment were laid agide oaldo for a new one our father comes to this conclusion and gives the spirit a ticket ficket of leave and removes it into another sphere bu bul but t this is all necessary as a school for us tile the various pains 1 I i li s and sorrows to be endured in pi life f 1 are all necessary sa y in their time and place tile the trials as we term them are all no necessary in their place they are li ll all ali 11 a part 0 of the scheme of education or training to prepare us for the future one of the sacred writers in speaking oi 01 jesus said eaid for we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our in fir firmi ties but was in all points tempted ilke like as we are yet without sin and again for god not the spirit by measure unto him it is measured out to you and me in the providence of the lord but for him there was a storehouse to draw upon as it were without measure he could continue to heal the sick and raise the dead and perform great and marvelous things and yet the supply of vitality was not in the least abated mortals less gifted and less favored who should bethe be the means of healing many sick by the power of god would feel that in tam taking their infirmities upon them they were sinking under the weight and would want to hie themselves away to rest and recuperate their exhausted frames jesus was an exception in this respect specht he took upon himself our in aides firmi ties and bore our sickness as had been predicted by isaiah the prophet he truly did heal lical the E blek iek rick wherever he went and some found that if it they could even touch the hem of his garment the disease from which they suffered ered could be rebuked 2 and one instance is given where this was done in w which aich case we are told virtue went out of him but notwithstanding the great burden that he bre bore together tog ther with the vast amount of vitality that was at various times communicated from him to others he did not faint under finder the load his mortality did not give way hut but but no man unsupported as lie he was could have done it without sinking under this weight 0 none other could have grappled wh with devils and cast them out of individuals and held them at bay as he did without su frering suffering from bodily exhaustion ha and therefore had to seek retirement and rest ile he howe however ver waged war constantly and was well prepared for this work having g an inexhaustible source of strength to i draw from the spirit having been given to him without measure but at length the time came when the father said you must succumb you must be made the offering ing and at this dark hour the power of the father withdrew itself measurably from him and he was left to be taken by his enemies and dikea like ilke a lamb was led to the slaughter but he opened not his mouth because his hour was come and when he was led to exclaim in his last agony upon the cross my god my god why hast thou forsaken forsa en me tile F father ather did not deign to answer the time had not yet come to explain it and tell him but after a little 1 when lie he passed the ordeal made the sacrifice and by the power of god was raised exom the dead then all was clear an was explained and comprehended fully it was necessary in that the father should thus measurably forsake his son leaving him to his enemies oth otherwise erwis e they never could have fulfilled what had been prophesied concerning him so we may say with others it is only a sample for us to reflect upon that may be equally applicable to us all in our times and seasons it is not necessary in the providence of god that we should all be martyrs it is not necessary that all should suffer death upon the cross because it was the will of the father that jesus should so suddler suffer neither is it necessary that all the saints of this last dispensation should perish because our prophet perished but yet it may be necessary essaiy that some should that a sufficient number of faithful witnesses of god and of his christ should suiter suffer and even perish cr by the hands of their enemies enemies to prove and show unto the world the unbelieving and unthinking unthinking hinkin 9 that their testimony is true and that tb they ey are ready not only to bear testimony in word but in deed to sustain and lionor honor their testimony through their lives mid and also in their death and greater love than this no man can have for his friend or for his bosom companion not even david and jonathan whose love for each other is said to have surpassed the love of woman ko no one can give a stronger assurance of his devotion to the principles principle he be has received and which lie he teaches to llis liis fel lowman than to patiently patient lk endure chaure suffering ing for their sake and if need be lo 10 continue that su frering suffering and endurance even unto death in the economy of heaven beaven it has been deem deemed ed necessary ay at various periods of the worlds history that such witnesses of christ should suffer death for their monys sake and that others ri may yet have to suffer in our own time Is probable nay the scriptures give us clearly to understand der stand that such will vill be the th e case that more or less legs will suffer but to what extent the servants of the lord may be called upon to thus su suf for is not given us to know nor is it necessary we should for wb what at difference does it make when wilen we have performed a good work or so far completed if it that the lord accepts of it and is willing for us to pass joss behind the veil and perhaps gives his consent wilether whether wo we go by a bullet or through violence at the hands bands of our enemies or whether it be by a jin lin lingering 1 sickness in most cases the former |