| Show orr BY nty APOSTLE molses MOSES THATCHERS delivered fidi vered at tle ike general con brence arence ferenc er ence Cf saturday april bah 1882 TP yr reported BY a 0 F amna a ff I 1 have been very happy in attend ing the meeting of this conference I 1 have rejoiced in listening to the remarks of brethren who have spoken and earnestly hope that I 1 I 1 may influenced bo and aud guided in the remarks I 1 may make by the same shirl spirit t and power which has actuated t them em realizing asi ssi as I 1 do that god is working in the hearts of the saints and is at the same time holding as in his hands the destiny of nation sI astl have seen no happier d day dwy than this and while t tive ex eZ post facto to laws abridging the I 1 liberties ibe the artles of the people bave have been and others may hereafter be enace enacted by the lawmakers law makers maters of the nation andl till till the honest and good the meed meek meek and pure in heart rejoice in the holy one of iersel lemel who while preserving their lips from uttering ruile guile macea steadfast their feet feed in zion macea that they blip slip not I 1 am not aware that we as a po pie have any policy marked out by which to meed meet the issues jesues or over come the annoyances which may be forced upon us but with those who merit the constant companionship af 6 the holy ghosts all will be well weil the eight of the eye eyes tho hearing of the ear the touch of the hand may each and all be deceived but the ln in of the spirit are in nail all nil things correct the combined senses may misguide or fall but he who happily escares the companionship of the holy spirit walks in the ways of life and neither fears bo be comm cornea weary nor faints by the wayside carlat as the author of human redemption himself a willing sac bao comprehending by his divine nature the falness of this great truth commanded his disciples to tarry at jerusalem until endowed w with ath power from on high until he should send the comforter whose mission it was to show them things to come bring all things which he had laugh taugh taught t to their re emmerance em berance and lead lax aal knem them into all truth troth they had listened to the words of life and light as the taur marve marvelous lous loua ber eer mon on the mount came from the divine lips of their lord luord and master they had seen him touch the tho eyes of bf the blind making them to see again the ears of the deaf dw to hear and had witnessed his power quicken into life the decomposing body of the tho dead they had traveled throughout the land ilind of judea judem with an and perhaps watched e many weary e night to keep him from the injury of ihlae obe ose who heaired to harm him they had eaten edd and drank drauk with an and bhelt elect by him listening by night nii nil and day to the tho inspired instructions but notwithstanding all the thus gained during years of unsurpassed opportunity for learning tho the truth as ic it was in hirthey Him they y were not yet fully qualified ned nod and au an were ned nod and au an theorized zed to preach that perfect law of liberty the tho gospel of their be re deemer hence the command tarry Tn tarry rry yo in tho the city of Jer jerusalem malem until ye yo be endowed with power from on high the comforter which came to them is the F ame same that has come to us and his mission then as we have demonstrated it now to bebas be was to bring thin things V to tho the remembrance remembran ce show things to come and lead into all truth no man has authority to preach the sospel dospel and administer its ordinances without a from irom jesua jesus christ and the seal of 0 buch such ras aaa always 16 been 1 and nd always will be the gifts blem biem ings inga and endor eudor endorsement of the holy ghost which not only leads to the form forms but also to the power of godliness it la this that cheers the hearts of the latter day saints brings knowledge of 0 things past present and to come unites and makes them in t their thein testimony hopes and ashira aliens distinct from irom all an the me world a peculiar people the elders of israel acting under the authority of an endless priesthood bear tho the message of peace of life and salvation to the inhabitants of a fallen world without money and without price they visit the ends enda of the earth and while warn hirthe in tithe bithe wicked of the judgments to come garne they urge the honest and good to gathor gather benere the coining coming of A thuc thuu ereal great realand and dreadful day when itt lot ion lon mahli all ail bearing 0 a ral ial faithful t how hom testimony they speak of that which they know and testify of that which they have experienced saying do the will of the father and you shall know whether the doctrine is trudor false in this their testimony differs from that of the ministers of all other religious denominations and they not only speak as having authority but thoy they have it where outside of the church of jebus christ of latter day baintin Bai sai there a man authorized to make mahe the promises of the knowledge of god byno byro by revelation hereward ast as the reward of 0 obedience to the principles of the gospel who be side the elders of this church are commissioned to perform ordinances in the name of the father bon son and moly holy ghost through which and by which the comforter comes cornea to the obedient penitent leading him into all truth and showing him things to come who beside bebide them are authorized zed by bod god commissioned by jesus and endorsed by the tho holy spirit to preach repentance baptism lin tin and the laying on of hands baying to the inhabitants of the earth 69 believe bellevo in the doctrin doctrines ea of jesus jesua christ rep nep repent nt of all sins sine be immersed in water for their remission and hayo havo o hands laid upon you for the reception of the holy ghost and you shall know isnow these things to you bo be true for through obedience to the law of life comes the testimony tes tea of jesus jesusi which is the spirit of prophecy ask asik the members of the so called christian sects if their ministers come to them of offering fiering such a test of their authority to speak in the name of him who decender dec ended beneath ail ali things that he might arise aulse above all thing things sask ask them for the testimony of him who led captivity capt captive lire and gave gifts to men what gifts they have to offer what promises of godly knowledge they have to make ask th them em tor for the testimony of jesus and to show the plan of salvation built upon the rock of revelation against which the gates of hell can not pr prevail evall evail and you will be made painfully to feel that they have none of these things A form of godliness they may exhibit but the power they do not have go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature he that believeth beli bell eveth and is baptized shall behaved be saved but be he that believeth beli eveth not shall ho be damned and these signs algae shall follow them that believe la in my name they shall cast east out i devils they thoy shall speak wilh new now tong uee they shall take up serpents J I 1 and if they drink any deadly tha thing it shall not hurt them buch such was tho the commission given to the apostles anciently and the gifts and blessings some of which I 1 have enumerated following the believer whose whoso faith led to were vers evi dences of the authority of the lords disciples who bore that cammi commission selon their testimony being true and faithful fal th received the endorsement of the holy spirit unlike ministers of the various christian denominations the tha elders of this church claim no part of the commission given by the lord to nis hia ancient apostles but they do claim and do have authority from jesus jebus christ to preach his gospel and ana the signs that followed believers then follow them and ana then follow them now as thousands can testify most so called christiana have long since discarded the idea of works holding that falva balva tion coming only b by y grace belief alone ia is essential now I 1 hold that they have havo not only discarded all works but belief as well my reason for EO so doine doing doin doln la Is I 1 think logical and conclusive jesus deel doel afred alred that certain signs should follow them that believes believe but modem modern divines do not even pretend that auy avy one of the signs enumerated follow those that accept their teachings therefore eq relying upon the words of the lord we must we are bound bonna to conclude that they do not even believe the gospel or if they do the romise promise of christ certainly falls fails T I 1 am aware that such a conclusion gives ghea r 6 choice between but two horns of a disagreeable dilemma but we had nothing to tio do la in tho the arrangement of matters which have brought it about wo we only speak of facts as 28 they exist again ask the ministers of any of tha tile protestant churches where wasso their authority to preach they will tell you from the roman mother church which claims apostolic succession from peter peters but they wiil will refer you I 1 think in most in instances stances to the words of jesus already quoted wherein he instructed hils fils to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature etc they will tell you that here la li who e they get their authority and they claim that commission Is to them as well weli A as N to thoas it was di I 1 erectly given lot us submit the test and see how this claim stands those who anciently had the commission and authority by god which caused certain heavenly gifts and blessings bleEs ingi to follow those who believed their testimony end and teachings do any of those thosa gifts and blessing follow the believers in the teachings of modern divines who claim the same bame authority and commission no not one they the ministers themselves hold them non nonessential essential and benca done away they are indeed done away so far as our christian friends are arc concerned and so is Js the authority and commission commiss loft of their ministers done away so 0 far as the end endorsement of their teaching by the holy ghast is concerned I 1 desire here to bear my testimony that the gifts and blo bio bing sing bing abed by the savior as those that should follow believers do follow in this day the authoritative preaching and administration of the ordinances of the gospel and that the elders of thia this church are clothed with au dhority from god it di I 1 not come from the roman mother church church nor from any of her protestant daughters but was restored to earth in our day by peter james and john to whom jems jesus gava gave it in their charge it was authority that bore frait trait as testimony of its efficacy and divina divine power commit tad to the charge of goda gods servants it doca likewise in this thia ngo ego among 0 thit thin people L lacking the revelations of the hoy holy ghost men and self ted fed ministers are not led into all truth hut but teach instead thereof opinions and vain AS an instance I 1 refer to a sermon preached not long since by an eminent divine in the east for whose liberal views and outspoken advocacy of them in many respects I 1 entertain ad for they had in my opinion a tendency to liberalize thel theodeas the deas ideas of some soma who otherwise would have inclined enc lined to religious bigotry or on the other infidelity in seek seeking beeking ug to illustrate how the various christian bec sec sects were moving heavenward this divine com cam compared pared parea the kingdom of god gad to the cl city ity of philada philadelphia elphia which hab haa nu numerous m e ra u s railway connections loading from fr om a almost 1 every direction but all centering in tha thac c city upon a these numerous railways daily move many trains composed of numerous cars containing many pe people ople opie traveling from flom various directions on different road but all bound for the city of phlin philadelphia delp hla hia now this doctrine being broad and liberal would certainly commend itself to every thoughtful and charitable christian did it not when tested by the aster asted 3 perfect standard reveal a defect a fatal one too which abiel all who rely upon it must eventually find to their dl disappointment is and sorrow the doctrine however is absolutely untrue for jesus himself has haa declared that there Is but one way straight is the gate a and nd narrow is the way ways not ma many ways libe like the roads leading to the city of philadelphia delp hin hir end and few there be that find it now why do eminent edu educated dated influential mens meng men who have chosen the manisty minis ty as us a profession prof sessions and who pretend to teach the caspel to other advocate as doc trica ides idea eo ro diametrically tri cally opposed to the eternal truths advanced by christ himself I 1 the answer is simple lacking tho inell ration and revelations of tho the holy Spirit having no comforter to lead them into all truth bring things to their remembrance and show them things to come they teach for dac trine trino the opinions of men being filled with worldly wisdom but not the power of god they esthey divine for money and preach for hire again christ prayed that his disciples disel ples plea might beane be one with him aa as he was witt with the father and that all ail should believe the th e words of the disciples that they might be one with him as ho he was one with the fath path father are christians claiming clai cial ming mins belief in these words one no the various de nomina tiona tlona are not only oily divided against each other others but hut in in some ansta instances are divided among during the late civil war as was slated elated yesterday mem luers tera of the tho saine same church guth auth of the mason and dixon dizon line lino were praying for the destruction st ol 01 cf of their brethren of the same church north cf of it while on the other hand those north were making a alike like ilke petition to the same god against their brethren south of that line according however to their own ideas of god he ece could hardly have heard and answered either party for having no body he could not hear bear and having no pas passions slona siona he would have been indifferent di had he been able to hear bear notwithstanding however many very many on both sides aides were destroyed dis troyed and aa va we bel bei belcove Jove need leesey of 01 one thing we may be certain and that la Js the members of the various christian denominations are not one therefore Ther eforo there is but one of two conIs lons ions it which the reasoning and thoughtful can arrive either god has ceased to answer the prayer of his son or the various conflicting religious sects are not believers in the gospel and as they put great stress upon faith or belief I 1 have endeavored and think I 1 have not failed to show that they are not even true believers for they are certainly not united end one with christ as he is one with the father nor as his ancient disciples were one with him in yn mentioning these there matters I 1 have tried to do so lna ina ia a respectful manner having regard for the feelings of those who differ from us in religious affairs there aro cro many people in the world who do not believe ai we do but for whom I 1 euter entertain tain a high personal regard for according to the light they have they are moral honest and just and are as devoted i to what they believe to be right as we possibly can be thousands and hundreds of thousands of people in the world are just as aft sincere as are but to bo be sincere in a matter master does not make that matter true while at the city of mexico recently I 1 saw many exhibitions of religious devotion and sInce sincerity rily on certain feast days people theredo thereto stran strange gethings things I 1 have seen been women |
