Show c ED T S 0 0 TT T T IRI S mi BY isy I 1 im lide SIDE IT JOHN sin fin in tha assembly hail hall temoS arn 00 oo n nJ oai jai an zd nd 1881 1981 reported BY 9 gimm GIBBS fr 1 if t pleased to have another opportunity of meeting with you on this tb first sabbath of the new year and alvill I 1 will tate tha the opportunity f ort unity of wishing yau you hil nil a vasy V M happy N am ivul aau MAH d ifil pit iq tao A I 1 a th 0 f fe fuiten tho thousand usand more of them avor for we 94 as latter day saints do not consider that our existence ends with time as we generally term it but that it reaches into eternity and that while we are here in a state of probation to fulfill fulfil the various duties devolving upon us as saints of the living god while we coma come into the world and exist in it for a time and leave it we have hopes and a aspirations s rations beyond the grave a and pd anticipate that as ages and cycles shall pass along and generation succeed generation if we are true to our trust and live our out rell ii on kee keeping ing the commandments of bod ston od and fulfilling fulfilling the various coven j ants ailts devolving upon us to attend to that tbt we shall associate with the just in the eternities to come therefore spare we 1 are living and hoping and expecting pee pec ting and planning and and con triv i ing and operating for ment of this object t we do ilot not look upon the affairs of thi this s life as those alone in which humanity is interested we have been taught differently by py those who have had communication with the lord and to whom he has revealed his will we have beep ta taught lif differently by the holy priesthood ua that we have in our midst behave been taught differently ferent ly by the holy spirit which we have received in gods appointed way according to his law which spirit has enlightened our minds and given unto us a as an evidence and a testimony similar ato to that winch which we heard brother smith speak of that he klew kiew knew this work vork to be of bf god how diche did lie lle know it through obedience to law of god by the holy ghost and through the union and communion that exists between god and his children upon the earth this is a principle of certainty and testimony and an evidence that tho we all have the privilege of enjoying for ourselves and of knowing kowing that god lives ilyes of knowing that this is the church of jesus christ and the king kingdom dm of god and of knowing also that god jives lives and that lie he is our fatherland father Fathe and that we are his children childre 4 and pf af further knowing that when this earthly house of our taller tabernacle nagle naele is dissolved we can feel like inq of old that we have a building of god an house not made with hands bands eternal ia a the heavens 11 wailing waiting for us and not for us only but for all who love the appearing of our fiord loid and savior sa V or J jesus e sus christ were it not follek for this is hope were I 1 ere it not for spirit were it jot not not for this intel that has hns been communicated unoo unto uby by the light of rov revelation elhilon ana and by the manifestation of the spirits spirit of luf god through the revelations of or god to man in these the last days dayis by the opening of the heavens by the administration of holy angels and by the revelations of thet the will of god to man yere vere it not for this we should not have beeb beeh here today to day this congregation would not have been assembled here as they are the latter lay day saints would not have been in this territory nor would they have been anywhere else eise for it is because god has seen fit in id the falness of times according to th the testimony given by the holy prophets who have prophesied I 1 since the world wak was was according fl g to the designs and eternal purposes of god pertaining to the inhabitants of the earth those aho who vho now live those who have lived and those who will live were it not for the purposes purpose of god ler ige pertaining to these things and the communications of his will vill to us we could not be as I 1 before stated in in i the position we now occupy but god having designed to accomplish his work in the interests of humanity I 1 it Y 1 in the interests of the people of the world in this day and age in the interest of tilo the myr myriads ads who have passed out of the world in tile interest 0 of the living and the de dead td he has commenced liis his work for the salvation for the redemption and for the exaltation of the human family and hence things are as we seo see them amon among us today to day aly when we talk about tile the theories of men they are matters pf af very little importance when we reflect upon their ideas or views they are really unimportant but nhep we talk about the law of god the plan pian of jehovah and his designs pertain ingi to th the world in which vve ve I 1 ive jive aid and its inhabitants and to the inhabitants that have lived and to all hitt litt manity humanity then we touch upon a subject that is grand noble anil and su sublime b lim one that enters into the recesses of the heart and that touches every and ana that causes our hopes and aspirations to reach within the vali vail where christ oar oan foro runner hw cone gonty and we wo feol feel con coa vinced that anore ft nit kit intern eternal nt WA in la oil tl tho laa lat fil lil t m VA IE tru truths h s in all the ordinances and I 1 in n 7 jevert devert vertaim hing that god has rev revealed baled nor for northe the salvation sa and exalt atio atlo n of the human family we are here and how did we come here what was it that brought us here some hardly know and then there are a great many who do understand th this Is thing very well wall we are here because wei we listened to the eternal truths of the gospel and that gospel could not have been known unless uless u it had bad been revealed reve aled aleo for no man nor any set of men today understand under thos principles which are calculated to exalt men in the celestial kingdom of god nor could they comprehend them unless god had revealed them aud and when we hear bear of the folly the raving and ranting of ignorant men who know not nod god bior his laws who would presume to dictate d detate to beho would teach something that they know nothing about but being without revelation are fitly represented in the be scriptures I 1 tures aa as 11 knowing nothing but what they thes know naturally as brute to be taken and desir destroyed 10 ed I 1 for instance we have our cattle eattle oun our ur sheep and other which we raise and provide food for and abe feed d and fatten them what for for the knife HOW could we do it i 1 they know what we adro were doing it for I 1 do not nut think they would get got very fat S ati 11 one ene of the old oid prophets tn in speaking of these men who are without revelation says they know iio lio nothing thing but what they know nath natu naturally rally raily as brute beasts we wo certainly do not wish guch guch for instructors many liany men at the present danwill day will tell teh us ils that they will believe n nothing but what they can see with their eyes handle with their hands and comprehend with rith their judgments and what are they prepared for I 1 might h ere ask what does man in reality know of cod od and of his laws or of the proper fitness of things what does he know about that vi vitality that he himself is in possession of or that which any other animal jis s in n possession of he knows knos nothing not liing pertaining to it nor can he impart it when we talk about the wisdom of man ho how w far does it go we learn a few of the laws of nature who gaye gave these laws who originated or organized them tho aho who placed these eternal laws lava in nature who made the solar system for instance to move with that accuracy and rind punctuality ity liy according to exact rules and laws who made any portion of that system gave it its original force or sustains it in its ita motion who Wh planted in matter its exact and various laws can any of the learned and the wise of this day and age make anything of that kind or anything approaching to tb ita it who gives iv es lie life and vitality to man does man give it we are told that there is a spirit in man ma kanand nand and the inspiration of the almighty alm aim aty it understanding der buo bub without that what are we although our organization may be complete in all lt its parts yet without the spirit p irit the body is lifeless motionless and inanimate what alewe are we at best beat but little specks in ini motion moving about in the world puffed up in many instances with things we profess to know when really we know nothing only as god communicates it and can understand nothing only as he makes it manifest canall canali can all ail the philosophers fet fit today to day make a grain of wheat and give vitality to it much lessa less a world or can they make a simple edo blade blado of grass grao s it is not a big thing to ask a wise man to do especially those who wito desire to ignore god in i his works butkau but hut can oan the wisest of our philosophers do it ko no noran they they discover the secrets of life nor the impulses which act upon all nature in all fa its varied operations shogo who governs the planetary system the great god the same who causes our carthas earth as well uell as other systems to revolve upon their zes and provides for them und and has ha measured alid and I 1 given oiven given them their times tunes and seasons and their laws who is it that causes the blood to flow through our veins VOIDS he that has given and does give intelligence telli gence to man can anybody poin point tout out any of these vital principles and show that they originated inde of god no they cannot and so it is through all crea no matter what you touch peri to nature f when man dr discovers covers a law of nature either in the mineral the animal the thu vegetable or any other kingdom he wiil ind find that it is governed by strict eternal and ind unchangeable and undeviating laws and whon when men nhen discover that what do they theby find out something dhigh god baa haa laced placed thore there that has h alwayn always edista ex ista ts tw wik cs r bivel ihm ibm about tho h gruit we maye mave naeme rua rug del det vve we will refer to gas for instance some of us can remember very well weil when there was no such thing known among us as gas for lighting purposes who originated the elements of which itis it is composed the grea great t god and that principle pie always existed we speak about electricity and the uses to which it can be applied who originated that principle 0 it was found out a few years ago and we found it very useful in communicating one jone with another through its use we can send a message today to day from one part of the world to another and can bo be in communication realla i with the world well w we e thin think we have hay e done something very remarkable in discovering something of that kind and it really is a great discovery but th then en that principle always exist ed ever since e the world was framed the only thing that we can boast of is I 1 4 that we have disco discovered ive lve r ed h a certain principle which we did not knew know of before and there are ten thousand other principles beyond which we have not yet discovered but when we do discover them we wei shall tind find them to be ba the same eternal laws of god I 1 am reminded sometimes of a little infant you look at the body bod it comes into in to the world it has haa M w common faculties by and by it makes a dis discovery coveri it finds out that it has a hand and ii it looks at it as much as to tobay cosay say eay it is 1 a very curiola thing and it is a remarkable discovery that I 1 hate have made why ital ways had llad a hand but the baby did not always know it it has bas been remarked here by bro penrose that all things are governed by bv law this Is i BO so whether in the material world or whether 1 I was going to say in the immaterial world but we do not know knot of such a thing I 1 will aay therefore the spiritual world if you please we are very singularly ing a combination of body and spirit we learn leam a little about the bodies of m men en but what do we know about the s spirits we know from histo history ry of some things which have taken place in the past but what do we know about things pertaining to the future who can comprehend god or his ways one of old oid i n peaking speaking upon this subject says it itis as high as heaven what canet thou do deeper than he hell heil what thou understand there are some prominent features which god has re healed td us and therease ther there eare earo ame are oen ten en thousands of principles which he has not revealed those principles that he has revealed to us like everything else pertaining to the works and the designs of god bring a degree of certainty certainly taint y assurance intelligence and satisfaction that nothing no thing earthly athly can impart the saints themselves do not in many instances understand the whys ghys and the wherefores pertaining to these matters we ame are taught to obey certain laws we are taught to repent 0 of our sins and to have hands bands laid U upon n our heads beads for the re reception of ta the hol hoi holy y ghost here hero is a law jaw that god has appoint appointed edi just the same as he has regulated these other systems of which I 1 speak and with which we are more or less familiar we have electricity floating around us in every direction in order to make it our desires we have to use it according to certain laws at present wo we have to string up wire Tro wro properly Perly connecting it and use a and a machine made for the purpose in order to convey our thoughts to others at a distance and rind without first paying due regard to these or other appliances that perhaps haps might be substituted we could not hot communicate communicates when you comply with the law governing this matter that is when you erect the boles boies e s 1 string the wire make your at battery t ry and have the machine and und the circuit complete you may then convey your thoughts correctly over the wire by the means of bf electricity to others at a distance you know they have been correctly ent tent because you can receive your answer back and if necessary ha have ve t the he message yon sent repeated now th the e L ame same principle le is is tr true ze in regard I 1 to the other things things md and do the persons who operate nhe the telegraph ph machine always understand all about the philosophy of ft it no but very few of them comparatively yet yel they learn to operate while somebody else does the thinking and pre prepares Dares the machine and appliances fon for hor for them for the purpose of introducing this mode of communicating now then look at the principle that looks to many very simple simpie associated with that way which god has ordained and appointed for man to become acquainted with him and to be introduced to iliin illin liivand bug rug to hs his wa laws how is IV it why the tipe eidor eider doeg goes foch W and Is bo told io preach faith in the lord jesus christ repentance and baptism cism for the remission of sins and the laying on of hands for the reception of the holy ghost now how these look jook to many as being very simple things very simple yet they are things which god has ordained they are his laws they ero were ere in former times they are in this time we cannot violate these and receive the blessings and no other people can I 1 do not care who they arethay are they cannot do it IL let us go back to our experience there are hundreds of you present who have received the spirit of the living god how did you receive it you say cay an elder came along and we heard him preach he told me to believe belleve in the lord jesus jesus christ and to repent of my sins |