| Show I 1 E 0 0 TT T T ira IRI 8 M BY tt delivered V at alae dihe the quarterly terl y stake Con conference ferenc field in logon logan cache county anday mornin morning stav say 6 ath abs tbs 1883 piu wit efim BY JOHN IRVIN 91 I 1 feel fedl greatly pleased at the op anity of meeting once oneo more wj with th the saints in conference in ih this place it la nearly two years since I 1 have had this privilege during which ume time many important events have transpired there is one thing however connected with the work of god which Is that notwithstanding the perils through which we have passed though our liberties have been menaced and the perpetuity of the institutions of the kingdom of god have to human appearances been endangered we bull buli meet together this day in this tabernacle unembarrassed from the efforts of our enemies and free to worship our god according to the dictates of our own consciences this land to which god led us and in which he has planted still alahn a land of liberty to us and egil to all ali those who are of our faith to tome me this Is s P cause of profound thankful ness for it is an evidence that god has not forgotten us that the pro raises which he has made are still kept in remembrance by him and that as a people wo we have been living EO as to receive the fulfillment fulfilment of 0 thoo thoe promises and the benefits which now flow from them and there Is no doubt in my mind that if the latter day saints will still continue to do as they have done will be faithful to god and to the covenants we tre have made with him and will persevere in the path which he has marked out cub and which we have commenced to tread trend that we shall baill be preserved that ve shall still have our liberty that our enemies will nol not have power to disturb or interrupt us to any extent or to bring down upon us those evils which they have sought after so diligently 1 I believe that the testimony of the servants of god concerning the con of the saints in this stake and another in other othen stakes is true and that as a people the latter day saints are striving to live lye nearer unto their god and to put in practice more per factly those holy principles which he yle has hwa rove love revealed aled alea unto us ua I 1 believe there is more diligence being manifested in lue twe various wards and throughout the various stakes than has been manifested in the past I 1 believe that there is a h higher gher i standard of life being a sought ought nimr alter by bv the latter day saints I 1 belleve bellev be liev llev that the priesthood themselves are rete seeking booking more diligently to carry out th tha counsels which god has hns given and to theet set examples unto the people that they shall imitate and I 1 know that the tho spirit of god rests down upon his servants to make them more rigid in the enforcement of the lawa laws that god has revealed unto us concerning the government 0 of f his church so that there may be more mote P purity a higher standard ol of purity enforced and maintained among us than has been in the past we have had from the beginning of this work revelations given to us concerning the lives that we should lead we consider the christian chriatian world who have this biblo bible as aa their guide very delinquent because they do not live up to the commandments which are herein contained because they come short abort of obeying t the a requirements that god has made through the gospel as contained in t the ie bidle bidie thio old and new now testament but I 1 otten lotten think of our own condition we have in this book the book of doctrine and covenants which is the word of god to us a perfect law jaw here are contained bained the requirements here hore are contained the tho ordinances that god requires this people called latter day saint saints to obey now let ms me ask yoa brethren of the tho priesthood iet leb me ask you brethren and sleter of tho the church how many of us who are horo hero today to day live in accordance cor dance with the requirements of gods word as aa contained I 1 in these revelations I 1 can truth fully say bay that as a people we do not y ilva llva up to tho the requirements that god has made of us I 1 can truth A 9 fully say that eis eki a people we do not obey gods commands to us the revola levela tiona tlona which alc aio contained in i this book bool and which to receive as tir lir the word of af I 1 god rod not mot to a past generation CC a people wh who lived arv ind essra 0 acs noi o hilt hill tho the 88 as 19 ho hys hrs aw 10 9 1 rad ead I rho who ha M a statute this thia church of ajesm jesus christ of latter iatter day saints this la Is our rule of life this la Is the law for our guidance it Is embodied in this book and how many of us ties I 1 ask again live in conformity with it II how many of us ua have obeyed and do obey the word of god as itis it js here revealed and as it is here printed and given to mong tons us and yet we condemn the sectarian world all of us who have gone forth to preach the everlasting gospel for not obeying gods goda word given 1800 years ago and have said that in consequence of this the gifts and graces and the blessings of the gospel have been withheld from them we have thus reasoned we have thus proclaimed to the people and said to them that the cause of the absence of the gifts the tho cause of the disappearance ol of the tha power the raube cause of there being no faith in the land among the children of men to receive the blessings and the gif rif gifts ts of god was to be found in the fact that they had bad not obeyed the commandments command mand ments of god as revealed to them or as revealed to the ancients rather in the new tatar Tatai testament by the son of god yet I 1 believe notwithstanding wha what I 1 now say res pec peeling us that there is a growing disposition among the people I 1 can feel it myself among the priesthood and I 1 believe it extends to the whole body of the church a growing disposition to obey the word of of god as it is given to us in its plainness in its simplicity and in its fullness and because of this growing dla dib disposition position god having mercy upon us in our weakness and in our infirmities blesses us as he does and he saves us from our enemies but you jou can readily perceive if you will reflect a few moments how much the power of this church would bo be increased in the land and before the heavens if the latter day saints were wore all to obey the word of god as it is given to us in his latter day revelations you can readily perceive how unite united dand and strong a people wo we would be and how much the heavens would be moved in our behalf the power that would be evoked and that would be brought down to aid us and to deliver us if we eniy only lived in strict conformity to the words of god as they are contained in this book boob the book of doctrine and covenants leach each man and each woman can interrogate ter rogate himself and herself upon this point each man can ask him self in the light of the holy ghost how near he cornea to fuit fult lilling all the requirements which are here made or how far he is from arriving g at that perfection which these theae revel allons demand and each woman can do the sume bame and we can ju jn this mirror of divine truth look at our selves solves in our true light and see our reflection by the spirit of god as it is revealed unto us in these revelations for one I 1 know that I 1 am far individually from coming up to this perfection yet it has haa been the labor jabor of rny moy life to be a latter latt e r day saint it wab las been the strongest wish of my feurt all my days to be a latter day saint to be a perfect man if I 1 could be before the lord yet yeh when I 1 read t hese these revel rovel revelation conr when whew I 1 see the requirements which god has made of us as it a people I 1 bow myself before the lord and confess in his presence that I 1 am far from being that which I 1 should be and it may bo be said that the same is the casewitz case with the church now god designs that we shall be just bucha sueha people in every respect as these revelations describe god did not give us ua thebe these rEvelation revelations a in vain they kero vero not spoken idly theyS they were not given through the prophet of god without a pur purpose there was a design on the part of god in giving them and when you come even to the very weakest it may be balds baid said of the revelations or that which is the least obligatory upon us that which was given merely as aa a word of counsel coun leel the word of wisdom I 1 ro re for to we can judge of the rest by the manner in which that is observed among us as a a matter which pertains to our bodily life and healt hand band which is bo ao simple that the weakest can receive and obey it there will be a people raised up if we will not be that people there will yet be a people r libed up whose lives will embody in perfection the revelations contained in this book hook who will live as aa the doctrines here taught require as the laws here revealed show unto us and they will be ba raised up too in this generation and such a people will have to be raised up before zio zion ai ean enn ba fully redeemed and peford before tho the ak of our god CAU can bo be rully fully established in the ta S aa thi te ea I 1 hat ig said bald Is the pattern of the zion of god here are embodied the doctrines precept ss laws awes ordin ordinances ancess everything in fact that is necessary in lir order to make us ns a perfect people before boton the lord the perfection that wo ve have ar ri rived vedat at to dayis daw day Js due doe to these revelations lat foris the organization of this people is such as aa is not to be wit anywhere else on the face of the earth you may travel from one end of the land jand to the other you may travel from the equator to the pole poles and in no land and among no people will you find such an organization aa that which we have bave in this land or rather that which be jones to i church and it is due to the fact that god gave command ments through his servant joseph joeeph smith by which we have been organized upon a principle and a platform that Is fu en perlor to anything known among men there is nothing to equal it this church in its organization is ia adapted to a branch to a small handful of people it wab was well adapted to the condition of the six persons wha wh composed compo eed bed the church on the ath day of AprI april it is as aa well adapted to the condition of the saintes today to d dey day ty covering hun hum deeds of miles of territory aalt as it was wa 0 o d the bisp nods leho who the church at that time it will be as well adapted to the government and organization of the people when the church of christ shall shail extend itself throughout the earth and when the whole people will become the people of god when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that jesus Is ia the christ just jast j ost oat as well adapted then as it is ia now sow god organized it god has prepared d the way for it and when zion is organized properly it will be found to be as admirably adapted to the wants of the children of men as the organization of the church is today to day to the wants of the people There will be nothing lackin jacking 9 in every particular it will be found adequate to the wants of humanity the evils under tinder which mankind groan today to day are at attributable tributa ble bie to the taire organization of society the evila evils under which we groan as a people an and d from which we buffer suffer are not due duo to any lack jsck of knowledge as the method or the means that will correct these evils but bus they are due to the fact that we ourselves fall to conform to the organization which god has prescribed pres cribei which god has revealed 1 I wish we could all understand I 1 thle thib but it is true it is ia as aa true as aa go god 1 lives ives that the gospel of jesus J eans christ is admirably adapted in fact perfectly adapted to save man from every evil under which he groans coday co eo day what has it done for us why as far as it has gone it has saved us it has caved leaved us from every evil to far as we have gone and ata aba for adultery to which allusion has been made and fornication there are no people on the face of the earth that will be damned with a greater damnation for that heln ehin than we if we be guilty of it why because there is ia no necessity ton fon forit it the necessity that men may plead as an extenuation for their practices with the opposite sex in the world ceases to exist in the midst of the latter day saints what necessity hab has any man to meddle with any woman that does not riot belong to him in other lands the laws make men adulterers ers erb in many instances that is a hard baying saying but it is a true one men are driven by their pae sione very frequently because of anja t laws to commit crin crimes crimea nesa mesA that melr heir soule souie sou revolt at air but ja a it so BO with us no god has haa given unia unk i ua w a more perfect law he hils has conom commanded us to marry all that can marry and there Is no ma man n among ul that can plead that which others amsy in a different state of society no i man can do that among ue and aud ther eare ezore I 1 say eay that those men meu abd niad woman among u us a who commit adultery and fornication will be damned with a deeper damnation than any other people because there is in no necessity for it if a man wants a wife LO le can get one among the latter day saints you yu organize society aright as god contemplated in thebe thee 0 revelations and those evils under which we now groan this dishonesty and this disposition to take advantage of each other will be done away with god hab hns debited a plan and lins ilas revealed it that in its operations will relieve mankind from those evils ani anil anti the commission bom mission of those bins sins to which they are now subject when we are organized organised eed sed properly prop erly theft will ceaba cesab amerig us for the temptation to steal will te be removed organize tta tha properly and ah the a tem tom IP katip U to 40 taka tako or ac ler ier ivill wid C A V man mum ula uia gsa will ylli ga w V sw fit in it or connected with it and it is all contained in this book god has reve teve revealed aled it fifty years ago in plainness to this church and we for nifty fifty jeara have been crawling along at our slow gatt gait without obeying the werd wora of god that is so plainly revealed andt and that hat might relieve us if we oid old did obey it from all those evils nowa my yiew view of the tho gospel Is ie that when it to is obeyed by mankind the p power ower of the devil will cease that Is my view respecting a part of the power that will be brought to bear to bind satan satan will be bound because he will not have power over the hearts of the child ren of men why one reason will be because they will have obeyed the more perfect law jaw which will have relieved them from hib his power you yon take the majority of the elders eiders of this church who are faithful to the gospel of jesus jeans chiist and satan has but little or no power to tempt them to commit adultery to commit sin with their neighbors neigh bora boxa wife 0 or with the opposite bex sex they are to a grest great extent relieved from that and so eo far as thai that crime Js is concerned satan has but little power to tempt themi themy because lecause they have obeyed a more perfect jaw inthe in the of the lord jebus christ as god has revealed it unto us there thero are laws jaws so perfect that when this people called latter day saints shall obey them they will be so far lifted up above the power of satan that he will have but little power to tempt them but wo we never shall be emancipated from the giwer of satan until we do obey these laws of god an obedience thereto |
