| Show I 1 sao gad av R 8 bejm 4 ELDER ORSON PRATT i IN mr f I 1 ivea A ew sut sal sui I 1 lako lake c olty city on the occasion of ot the attendance of the anew new england and new york E editorial dic dit orial excursion party parly sunday afternoon afternoons yuly juey july 11 1875 ry K BY DAVID J I 1 will call the attention of the con congregation groga grega tion to a portion of the word of god contained in the loth chapter of th the e gospel 0 according to st Matt matthew liew llew the fh 0 speaker read the 3 4 5 56 6 7 73 1 and 9 verses I 1 have read these pai pak passages sitges of scripture in order to dwell divell this afternoon if the lord will and his spirit shall so direct my mind upon the subject of marriage ana and to show wherein the people called latter day saints differ in their views from other Christi christian ande denominations nomi in relation to this great and divine ordinance and to make such other remarks not particularly connected with the subject as the spirit of the lord may direct first however before taking up t his this divine ordinance it may be the well to state in brief terms some of the views of the latter day saints in regard to the doctrine which they have embraced I 1 shall endeavor to be very brief on every point in order to enumerate as far as possible the variety of doctrines and principles which we WO have embraced that aro are peculiar to us as a people I 1 will commence by saying baying that the church of lat ter day saints has not grown out of the various religious societies that now exist or that have existed in christendom neither has hirs it grown out of any of their institutions our priesthood our doctrine our authority the organization of our church and everything connected therewith havo have been something revealed directly from froin the heavens perhaps you may inquire have you not been guided more or less in relation to these principles by the book which is called the ahe bible 1 I 1 answer that in the organization of the kingdom of god on the earth in the nineteenth century we have been guided by direct revelation te to us from heaven we do not profess that our doctrines and principles are entirely distinct and something entirely dime dITe different rent reat from that which is recorded in the bible wo we are far from making any such profess profession ibn but we believe that the ba same bame me god who organized his kingdom in ancient times and revealed his will to the inhabitants of the earth has revealed revea ledIn in these last days principles in accordance with those revealed in former times and that ho he is a consistent being and that he would not communicate muni cate a gospel for the inhabitants of the earth to observe in tho the century that was ivas not revealed and understood in lii former ages the same gospel therefore which god goil has revealed anew in our day when compared with the gospel contained in shenew the new testament is found to accord in otery every principle and in all its ordinances and institutions with ancient christianity this church was organized on the ath day of april 1830 1630 the very day of the month on which it should be organized was pointed out by new now revelation the officers that were placed in the church were appointed fend and the names of many of them were givon given by new now revelation the duties of these officers were also hp pointed appointed by direct revelation from heaven god organized the church with apostles in it the same as he ancient church he organized it with rovela tors and with prophets inspired from on high the gaine same as he be organized the ancient christian church he ha commanded the people to believe belleve in his son jesus christ as the great redeemer rede Bede emer emor who died in tho the meridian of time for the sins eins of mankind he commanded by new revelation that we should believe belleve in the same redeemer and in the same atonement he commanded iia ila to 0 repent verent I 1 of all eli iii lii our bins eins forsake cil all U unrighteousness coup ceasaro to do evil ovil and as learn to do weil wall wl ind and to reform bur lives in every respect the dame came as he ho commanded tha people in the ancient dispensation 0 of the gospel by new now revelation we were commanded to be baptized by immer sion in water for the remission of our ouk sins the same as he commanded the people in ancient times to attend to the bame divine ordinance anoe ance by new ne neer tr lev elaU oil be ife oom com in banded a kwen kmen rea red I 1 ST ap josties jostles and those th tow hom bom bifi li he e g gave av e power and authority to lay hands bands on all baptized believers and to confirm upon them the baptism of nire fire and the holy ghost tho the same cameras as was practised practiced among amon i the saints its in ancle ancie ancient nt times tines by new revelation the lord promised that certain signs should follow the believers among all nations onsy lind hind kindreds reds neds tongues and people to whom this gospel should be sent all that would belleve believe nien men and women were vero promised certain signs amon among 9 which I 1 will name that they should cast out devils speak with new tongues and if they should take up serpents or drink any deadly thing things it should not hurt them they should lay their hands u upon the gick sick and they should recover the ihme came promise va was s made mads eby rby by our saviour under the ancient dispensation pensa tion of the gospel he commanded his servants in these days to go forth and preach to the gentile nations first and when we had faithfully borne our te testimony stimon y to them and they were re sufficiently warned then we were vere to tur turn nto to the scattered and dispersed remnants of isra israel 01 in th the e four quarters of the earth and preach the gospel to tg them he commanded by new revelation that his servants should say unto the inhabitants of cfall bli all the earth that would believe repent be baptized ardd arid receive the gos gospel p e of the son of godf godi god that they should ou id leave th their thein e ir respective na nations tio ns a and aud n gather together in one place a which wh ic the lord by new revelation S should hou i appoint all this was given by new reve rove lation does it agree or disagree with the scriptures 6 contained onta ined in the bible bibie judge ye for yourselves did the ancient christian church have inspired apostles who had power to call upon god and receive new revelation fram him so ibo does doea the modern Christ christian iann laff church which god has reorganized izea anthe on the earth claim to have tho the same officers apostles not in nam name merely but inspired from he avento receive new revelations as the ancient apostles were Is there thero any disagreement agreement gre ement then between the lormer pattern stein and the iatter jatter day li pattern attern did id the ancient christian chur church la a multitude of inspired prophets men meu and women efio ano could prophesy concern concerning ng fu future ture events so the latter day christian church organized by new now revelation has an abunda abundance of prop peets and prophetesses prophet esses to whom the tho future has been opened and aud they tuy foretell future events hence there is no tio disagreement Le tween between the ancient pattern and the latter day pattern did the apostles lay on hands for the reception of the holy ghost and did the Spi spirit of god descend from the hea fall upon the baptized believers through the lacing laying on of hands so in the latter iatter days ays have the same blessings been given iven among all the nations and people Andi and kindreds and tongues wherever this thia gospel has been preached no difference i then so far althis as this is concerned did the ancient tir bir istia n ch church hate have a great variety of members pos possessing a variety of spiritual gifts so e docs acs the tho lat ter day saint christlar church bell beli believe eveln in the game same did any tiny in th the christian church presume in id ancient times to take unto themselves the authority of the ministry without being beins called of bf god by hew bew revelation nev never neven er no beverl all ali were called by new revelation to officiate in the tha various offices of df the church after the sime hime bame same pattern that aaron was called no man say says eaul taul taice taire talce athia athla honor unto finto himself save sate baie he be called of god as was wab aaron 11 everybody everybody Every tody knows from vom the hatry history latry oven reven riven how havi aaron was called by new revelation nave have any among all the peoples and nations of the earth aut authority horl borl to administer baptism yes who are arc they those who arm are called by new now revelation and none else have any authority to administer the lords supper amon among all tha tho christian nations of the tha earth earthy yes who are they those to whom the lord has s spoken whom the lord has hae called as ho he cam cau called aaron have hare any ChrIst christian lan lau denominations who deny new revelation mit wit authority bonty to administer this sacred ordinance not one upon the face of the whole earth are ordinances administered by those thosa nho who den deaynes ydie ifie reve lation accepted bytha bythe by the most high not one of them why B because cause god does not sanction that which is not spro appointed into lutO by him perhaps f ome oma may inquire if this does docs not ni cut eat off the Christ christain christian lin church from the daza laza of the tha earth r I 1 answer it does doeg un lers lees goi has a Christ christian laz laa church with row rev end pron prophets bets la in it and whose og on eters are called by bi new rez rev elation inquires inquirer on ondo osedo one ose onedo do you mean to say eay that tilsa wo we have had bad no true christian church on tho the earth for a preat ecat many centuries Idomea t do mean nto to say this unless there thero have been persons W who ho have been authorized a cc to the requirements of the holy scriptures if it wo we can find a church anywhere on the face of the earth that has apostles n jt t and and inspired berf men then wo we bave haye a true christian chi church charch anch arch but tuat if we can not find this then we have no such euch church if we can find god a church that has the gifts and the signs spoken of by the new testament we can find u true christian church but if it we cant find such we have no reason to believe that thit there la Is such a church on the earth but bays says one oue we cail call ourselves christians that lda lia Is a very verk easy matter but calling yourselves christians or christian churches does docs not ma make maue keyou you such inquires one no Is it not contrary to the scriptures to suppose that the world would beleff be left for BO so many centuries without a christian church no it la Is in ia accordance with the scriptures for they foretell the apos tacy the fallan falling 9 away an and d the tho darkness darene 89 that should reign over the nations and show that instead of having true teachers men would heap to themselves teachers without authority from god bod uninspired spire d men whose ears would be turned away from the truth unto fables this arcag about the close of the first century of the christian era and it has been waxing worse and woree from then until now A short time after the death of the last of the tho apostles the christian el church lurch what few of them remained were persecuted from mountain to mountain from den to den from QUO cave of the earth to 6 another and from nation to nation until they were entirely exterminated terria maud haUd and rooted out of the earth well what was left aa an apostate chris ti aulty anity a christianity without tors without any voice voice of god without any prophets to unfold the future without visions without any communications icat ions from the heavens apostasy Apo stacy succeeded the christian church and has borne ruie rule over all the nations of the earth and these scriptures have havo been fulfilled fai fal filled for they say eay ahat that P a certain power powen should arise and make war with the saints and oTer overcome come the theland mand they should be given into the hands of that power but is our earth always to bo be jert left without the church and kingdom of god and without apostles prophets or a voice from uhe the heavens no vision on how the gospel should again be preached among the nations after great babylon should arise after she should persecute the saints and destroy them from the earth and present her golden cup full of filthiness and abominations for all nations to drink thereof after aften he h had seen this he saw how the christian church should again return to the earth in the fourteenth chapter of revelations and sixth verbe veree he says fays t 1 I 1 saw another angel flying through the midst of heaven having baring the everlasting gospel to preach reach to them that dw dwell cllon on theearta the earth unk unto every nation and kindred and nua tongue and people saying with a loud voice fear tear god and give glory to himfar the hour of his judgment E is come and another ang angel anzel el followed abs tbs one that had the gospel sayin baying babylon Is fallen is fallen why because she hath bath made all nations drink of the wine ot of the tha ol 01 her immediately after this the son of man xan was seen by john sitting upon a white cloud coming in his hia glory and power lo 10 destroy the natio nations ure urt 0 of the earth here then were three throe great events por portrayed ly by the ancient apostle john which should take lake place just prior to and at the time of bf the coming of the son json of man the gospel is to be brought by an angel for whom for all people now if there had been any people nation nat lon ion kindred or tongue in any palt part pait of the earth that thit had the gospel and hadtke had bad the authority to administer its ordinances ordinance there would be no necessity for this hn angels gells comin coming all fl we would have had to doc dor do would be to hunt up that people peoble and there among them we should have found folind apostles prophets and men having power to call upon god and get revel revelation atlow and then persons would be called by new rev elation to the ministry but buino do such buch yeo ICO pie existed and heng hence when the angel brings the gospel it has to be c preached to all people nations and tongues under the whole heavens now the latter day saints have happened to live in la the day when the lord has rent sent sent reut this angel angell and when he has again azain established his church and has command ed his servants to go forth calling them iby khy byname name to preach the gospel to the tho people VI L without purse pulsa and scrip to organize his people among all ail and andt to osay say bay unto them gather au out t from all these nations unto one place adt says abne one what does this mean did the ancient apostles and the ancient christian churches gather I 1 answer that the kame iame same doctrines which they taught are taught in these thebe days ye yet t w when hen it comes to some of the great reat tem temporal oral orai principles of salvation U god hakr habr has varied variedly rie pd ln his plans in every dispensation to noaha noah a command wab was given to build an ark that was I 1 the way in which was to bo be effected the temporal galya Balya salvation tion of all Nl believers Ievers levers in his day Abr abraham awara aWard was commanded tole toie to leate leave avd hla hia country kindred and frI friends endi that wa wag was a command of a very different character to the one given in the dispensation of noah in the days of moses mosea another command was nelven iriven quite ignite different from that given to either cither noah or |
