Show 3 3 S 0 0 U M iese mese ISSE S M BY BEST uh lii Q 11 ti ii n dih dib ON DELIVERED in A the tabernacle salt sait lake cit city Y sunday afternoon aug REPORTED BY JOHN jonn IRVINE tim THE work of god in all ages has been a peculiar work coming in contact with popular ideas anz and with mens men 9 preconceived notions and meeting with opposition frequently of the most deadly character in every age when truth jas aas ijas been revealed it has had bad hostility to contend with no great principle has ham ever been established among amonn 11 the children of men without costly costi sac nices the religion reile relis rion of our lord I 1 and savi Savl savior orvas was established at the cost of precious and it may be said inestimable blood and lives and it has been the characteristic of truth in every age to be hated and to be opposed if therefore we as latter day saints are tire exposed to opposition and hostility having our names cast out as ag evil and men thinking that they are doing gods goda service in killing us it Is no more than men have endured in past generations for the truth for that which is now decol recognized albed as the purest and most heavenly truth it liswith as with our generation enervation ene ration as it was with the generation in which the savior lived and as it has been with all generations truth that has been established has been revered or men have thought that they revered it and in looking back to the acts of their ancestors or of other people they have said to themselves if we had bad lived in the days of our fathers we would not have killed the prophets and those that tha were sent unto us they said this at the time of the son of god and ile he reproached pro ached them thern for these expressions and charged them with bein being the sons of murderers and they themselves willing to do the very acts that they reprehend reprehended ed and condemned in their lathers fathers it would be an incredible thing thins II if we had not seen ilund it and known it that men and women would be persecuted in our day and in our time and in our nation for religions sake Tomake to make such a statement a few years ago half a century ago or a little over would have been to have raised incredulity men could not have conceived of the possibility of a church however ignorant however misinformed however untrue its doctrines might be being persecuted and its votaries vot aries slain because it taught false doctrines it has not been the case in the history of our race that true religion has sought to de destroy s troy false faise religions and the advocates of false religions by the shed ding g of blood bat that has never been t uhe the he practice of true religion or of those who believed in true religion ilow how preposterous it would be for tor us to imagine the savior and the apostles killing those who differed with them in their views about religion 1 the mere thought is abhorrent to all our ideas of the religion of jesus it would be inconceivable for the son of god or for ills lils apostles or for an any y of ills liis disciples to go forth with the sword or br with any other weapon of destruction destro destroying jing those who did not believe as they believed in intact fact such has never been the case it is not the method that true men take ali ahl I 1 but it is said of us we are such a wicked people wa we are arc so law defy ing we are so bigoted and fanatical that itis itts justifiable to kill us it Is a terrible ter confession to make that ina lna in a land of law a land of constitutional principles a land anere men can be dealt with who violate the law I 1 that there should be no resource res ourse for the checking of false religion except violence and the shedding of blood it is a terrible confession to make in our time that this is ils the only way vay in which to meet false doctrines and anu to quiet or put an end to or overcome those who propagate ate ave them now my bre brethren diren and sisters in espousing ng the gospel of jesus christ the lau liu latter ater day saints were taught and those of us who were too youns young to understand der stand it at the time we entered the church we were taught when we were old enough to comprehend the principle that its espousal might cost us our lives that it might cost us everything thin we wc held dear upon the earth and thus far in the progress of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints we have not been disappointed dis d the espousal and propagation of the truth has cost precious blood and it is not being established in the earth now any more than at any previous time without great sacrifices on the part of those who arc are its devotees god will test us as a people ile he will prove us ile ue will give us the most ample opportunity un of showing our faith in flim him and our confidence in the truth that he ile has revealed it should be worth everything that we have we cannot make too great sacrifices for it if we look at the example which has been given unto us by our savior we will win see the path that lie he walked in and that which ile he endured when we think of ills his origin his glorious orious el origin the creator of heaven and eart earth a being that had bad reigned in galo glory a and n power coming down here and being e rig clothed with mortality and su suffering er rig as he suffered enduring that wh which I 1 ch ile he endured and dying the ignominious death which he did when we think of him and ills life we should be reconciled to pass through and submit pa to every trial triai t that 11 at the lord our PO may mav pee see fit nit ca call to lye iye ye should khouli be willing to do this if it costs us our homes as it has done it if it costs us our friends and our good name naine and even life itself it is not more anan it t has cost others and if we would enter into the glory that god has attained unto if we would sit down with him and ills his apostles and with the faithful of all aires azes we should be willing to endure that which thy have endured god calls us to pass through these things and to endure them for the sake of the truth there is this consolation however connected with the work with which weare we are identified iden tined that god has made promises unto us that it shall never be given into the hands bands of another people the apostles looked forward to the time when there would be a great falling away and the mau man of sin would be revealed and they warned the church in their day y of that falling away but god has ha s given unto jinto us the assurance that this church this work that lie ile has established shall never be given into the hands of another people but that it shall stand forever and it shall go f orward forward acom peishing pil shing ills liis designs until it shall fill the whole earth this is a gior glor glorious lous ious promise given unto us and to our children and we can rely upon it men may be slain bial as they have been people may be nd driven riven as they have been efforts of the most herculean character may be made to extirpate this work from the earth but we have the promise of our god gob that it shall stand arid and that it shall not be overthrown and this is very consolatory in the midst of the afflictions and trials which we will be called upon f from rom time to time to sub submit mitto to Lookin looking wat gat at affairs naturally however it would wood seem as though it was presumptuous in a people like us to entertain such hopes how often have we been told that in a very little while the opposition to this work would be of such a character that it would completely overwhelm it and that it was useless for us to attempt to stem the tide of opposition or outlive the storm of persecution that has been raised against vs us but there is a wonderful howerin power iu truth wonderful woud erf ul power in the principles les ies of life and and when dod bod god is on the side of a people no matter now how may he be are bound in the course of time to be victorious already great results have been accomplished by the preaching of the truth it is riot not the latter day saints alone who feel segi the effects of truth other people feel its effects who may not espouse it openly the proclamation cla mation of the principles of life and salvation by the latter day saints has caused thousands of persons to recognize error many manx errors that they formerly believed in and to take different and higher views and this will continue to be the case but the duty that devolves upon us as is to patiently labor in disseminating semina ting the gospel of jesus christ through throughout ont the nations of the earth it is dur our duty to carry these principles to every nation to every kindred to every tongue to every people upon the face of the whole earth not to the united states alone not to E europe u ra alone but to asia africa and the islands s of the sea throughout our own continent through these southern nations and everywhere here in fact where the children of men reside and to lift up ap a warning voice and declare to the inhabitants of the earth that the time Is near when the judgments and calamities of which the prophets and the apostles have spoken are about to be ared u upon on the ungodly this is our duty antt auTt and this lils gospel of of the kingdom as we have been told must ge be preached as a witness unto all nations before the end come jt it is a labor devolving upon us a people and though it may cost many precious lives to do this the obligation rests upon us nevertheless aud abid we cannot be f reed freed from it only by the discharge of the duty my aly mind while brother teasdale has been speaking has rested upon a revelation which god gave through joseph smith in the early days of this church in which lie ile described to the church the spirit which they should have concerning concerning of fences that should be extended to them orv or wrongs that should be perpetrated upon them as a a people we arc are called to occupy a very different position from that of any other af pf people ople opie we must be lovers of peace ace we must be men mun who shall shail seek to establish the pure principles of righteousness in the earth and to continually cultivate and carry out practically the spirit that jesus endeavored to inculcate you know how lie he felt when he was upon the cross ile he said father forgive them dorthey for they know not what they do we also must have that same spirit we have been accused I 1 know and very freely accused of indulging in a different feeling and having sentiments of revenge and a disposition it if we had the power to wreak wrev ik veng vengeance bance upon those who are opposed to lis ils us nut kut if we did so we should falsify ourselves and the doctrines that vc ve teach we should deprive ourselves of the tile spirit and ancl blessings of god we should mccu occupy 1 a position antagonistic to that which cl behas he has commanded us to occupy the lord says in this revelation and whoso choso haveth down his life tn in my cause for my bhines names sake s shall shail h all ali nind and it again even MR lifs eternal 11 therefore be not afraid 0 your enemies for I 1 have de creet creel ercel in my heart saith the lord that avill I 1 will prove rou jou in all things whether yon you will vill abide in my covenant even unto death that you yon may be fauni round worthy it I 1 would seem strange that such ian lan 91 guage gnage should bo be used lathe inthe united states tates in the tho vear year 1833 con concerning cornIng th 7 ch church tili tho 1014 lor 4 knew the spirit with which this people and the proclamation of this truth would be met and ile he forewarned ills people eople that they should be found wort worthy t y or rather that they should be true even unto death says the revelation for if ye will not abide in my covenant ye are nol nog worthy of me lne therefore renounce war and proclaim peace and seek neek diligently to turn the hearts of their children to their fathers and the qt of toe the fathers to ta the children and again the hearts of the jews unto the prophets and the prophets unto the jewe dewe lest I 1 come and f mite the whole earth with a eurse curse and all flesh be cont consumed umed be fore me ule now N v I 1 speak unto you concerning your families it if men will vill smite you yon or tout tont families once and ye bear it patiently and revile not against them neither seek revenge ye shall be rewarded nut hut it if ye bear it not patiently it shall be accounted amounted unto you yon as being meted out a just measure unto you and again if your enemy shall smite unite you the second time and you revile not against 3 your jour our enemy and bear it patiently patiently your reward shall he bean an aundre hundredfold rold roid and again it he lle shall smite yon the third time dime and ye bear it patiently your reward shall shail be doubled unto you four rold roid and these three testimonies onles onies shall stand against your enemy it if lie he repent not and finall not be blotted out but and now verily I 1 say unto you if that nemy enemy shall escape my vengeance that he be not brought into judgment before me then yo ye shall see to it that ye warn him liim in my mv name that he lie come no more upon you neither meither u upon 0 n your family even your child tens children unto the third and nd fourth generation and then if he conle conie upon yo you u or your bour children or our childrens cli oll ildren lidren r en until the third an ana fourth generation I 1 have bave delivered thino thine enemy into thine hands and then if thou wilt spare him thou t h a it be imi rewarded for thy righteousness e 1 I and also thy children and thy c childrens hildre c children unto the third and fourth genera tation nevertheless thine enemy Is in thine hands bands and it if thou reward him according to his awk works s thou art Justille justified dif dlf ho he has sought thy life and thy life is endangered by him thine enemy is in thine hands and thou thoc art justified behold this is the law I 1 gave unto lily iny ervant servant X nephi ke hi and thy fathers joseph and jacob and nj isaac and abraham and all mine ancient prophets and apostles an inq again this is 13 the law that I 1 gave unto mine bline ancients that they should not go out unto battle against any nation kindred tongue or people save 1 I the lord commanded them and if any any nation tongue or peo people lve e should hould proclaim war var against them they should hould first lift a standard of unto that people nation or tongue and if that people did not accept the offering of peace neither the second nor the third time they should bring these testimonies before the fhe lord then thien 1 I the lord would give unto them a commandment and justify them in going out to battle battie against that nation tongue or people and 1 I the tiie lord would fight night their battles a and nd their childrens battles and their childrens childrens child until they had llad avenged themselves on all their en enemies endes to the third and fourth generation behold this is an unto all peo 1 pie flaith the lord your god tor for justification before me this revelation continues in this strain stra inand an d it is well worthy of our attention especially at the present time it shows unto us most clearly my brethren and sisters that there is no toom room for revenge in the heart of atrue a true latter jatter day aday saint god designs that we shall be a peaceful people a people who shall love and cultivate peace a people who shall seek by every ancans in their power to avert war and to avert bloodshed to proclaim peace and to entreat people for peace and god has said to us most emphatically that lie he would fight tight our battles that lie he would defend us against our enemies lie ile does not intend that the latter day saints shall be a people shedding blood god did not permit david lavida |