| Show REMARKS BY MR BOB C U we I 1 in rn the tabernacle Ta bernac salt taeg take city aug 17 1879 REPORTED BY GEO OEO F V GIBBS are a few minutes remain ing which I 1 am requested to occupy and while doing sol soi so I 1 earnestly desire desiro that I 1 may be inspired by the spirit that gives light and intelligence telli gence to the human mind and makes plain the things of god BO oo that what I 1 may say to you may bo be profitable and edifying I 1 rejoice olce oice very much that I 1 have the privilege of living upon the earth at the time when god hm has commenced this great work spoken of obby byall all ali the holy prophets since sided the world began when the times of restitution have dommet commenced iced when god has begun to lestore to the inhabitants of the earth the doctrine and principles which were revealed to the people anciently by which thoy they were brought into communion with theP the ather father when the holy priesthood or the authority given irom from god to man to act in his stead has baen restored to the earth when the gifts and blessings which men enjoyed by the ancient saints have also alao been restored when the knowledge possessed posses ed bed by the ancients of the manner in which god could be approached so that they might learn of him has also been made manifest the lat ter day saints in the day when the great work which will prepare the earth and the inhabitants thereof for its prince its rightful lawgiver and king uis has commenced upon the earth I 1 rejoice and thank God with all my heart that I 1 am identified with thi people that I 1 have received the spirit of this work that I 1 have been able to understand these principles and doctrines and that I 1 have cast in my nay lot with the people who are engaged in the work of preparing themselves for the coming of the lord kae tue times of restitution which have been alluded to this afternoon by brother morgan and which the apostle paul speaks of in the words which have been read in your hearing are of the very greatest imbor tance to all people who earth to understand every prophet by whom god has spoken since the world began haa baa had bad some foresight in regard to this work we take up the bible and find all the prophets whose words word are recorded therein speaking of the great work of god of the latter das days of the great day of the lord of the time when righteous righteousness dess Deas should prevail and should cease of the time when misrule mis rule should be cast down when the king kingdoms doms doma of this worlo world that havo have ruled in unrighteousness should lose their grasp upon the children of men and in the place thereof the kingdom of god should be established of the time when the curse which was placed upon the earth in the beginning should be removed and when instead of the thorns and the briers should spring up the fig and the myrtle tree of the day when the animosity between man and man and between mankind and the brute creation should be taken away when the lion and the lamb jamb should dwell together when the spirit of destruction should cease and the spirit of the living god pre pro rail over the face of the whole earth and the way bei be prepared for the coming of ita its rightful moler roler irhe he whose right it is 19 to reign relga and who will rule nule from froni the rivers to the ends of theearta the earth of the time when that wicked brie who tempted our first paren ts in the beginning wha who introduced ev evil iland lland and death in to the world and has ever since made it his aim and object to usurp the control or of the earth shall be bound and with all his hosts be banished from the earth and this whole creation be rid of his influence and when the spirit ef of god will be poured out upon bil ell illesh this period has been foreseen and has been alluded to in much plainness by many of the prophets upon the eastern hemisphere and also upon a the western canti continent nent their words were recorded and have come down to us through the bible and the book of mormon the spirit which god has been pleased to pour out upon us in some do deree degree doree 1 ree opens our minds to a comprehension of these parne fame things when retake up the tho bible or the book boob of mormon and read of the restitution to come we can eee it aa as the prophets saw baw it for the same spirit that rested upon isaiah and jeremiah and upon nephi and moroni and others of the prophets prop heta that lived upon this continent rests upon the people of god in thebo theeo latter iatter days the same evidences are open to our vision and we know as sure cure as we know that god lives that the day Is close at hand when those events spoken of will transpire upon the earth we are living in a time of great wickedness ck edness of great corruption and fid evil of numerous kinds kidds they lare are widespread upon the face of bf the earth and the inhabitants thereof lave have turned from the lord in a greab great degree according to the scripture which has been quoted thoy they othey have trang reseed the laws changed the ordin ordinance aiice atice and broken the everlasting covenant god has withdrawn himself from the children bh ildren of men darkness has covered the earth and gross dark ness the people while they bobst boast oss oas of living in an age ago of gospel light ight they are really and truly ahu shut t out from communion with the L lord ord no prop prophets hats voice is hward beard in their no beer seer discerns the things of god no angel from the courts of glory bears a message of glad tidings to man the heavens are as brass over their heads they have no answer when the they y pray or rather when they say t their hein prayer prayers for it may be truly skid said of them in tile the words of the lord through isaiah they draw near me with their mouth and with their lips do honor me but have removed their hearts far from me and their fear me meis mels is taught by the precepts of men therefore says the lord 61 behold I 1 will proceed to do marvellous marcellous marv ellous work among this people even a marvellous marcellous marv ellous work and a wonder for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid bid to the wak wah w wak aa and despised and poor of the earth whom lod iod god has gathered from the nations he has revealed his will and the precious things of his bis kingdom and they are pre preparing parin 9 themselves for the great grent events that thai I 1 are to transpire in the near future god has commenced the great work of restitution of all ail things by restoring the gospel in its primitive simplicity and every principle and ordinance nging thereto with the authority and power to administer therein every man that has lived upon the earth in past ages who has held the keys in any dispensation of gods mercy to man has come down from the place when whence ca he has gone and re stored thos those e keys they ibey have all brought their priesthood their mit mst hority and the spirit and power belonging thereunto and ordained living men to the authority they theme themselves elves held and the reason why we know this is true it i because god almighty has made this mani manifest feat to every humble soul who has bowed in obedience to this gospel our testimony does not depend upon joseph smith it doe not depend upon brigham young it does not depend upon john tay lv l v or upon the council of the twelve apostles which is now the presiding quorum in the church I 1 pin my faith to no baans s sleeve bleeve I 1 am a believer in uhe the scripture which bays says cursed be the man that tru in man and mabeth flesh his arm I 1 obeyed this gospel because I 1 believed it was true through reading tho the scriptures which I 1 was taught from my early childhood to believe in when the sound of the gospel reached my my ears I 1 believed and having bowed in obedience to its ordinance I 1 re a testimony for myself of its truthfulness and that testimony has never departed from me I 1 know by the power and gift of the holy ghost that god lives I 1 know that jesus is the christs christ the son of the living god I 1 know by the ame same spirit that god almighty has ent sent his angels in these the last days day to joseph smith and others for the purpose of comme eomme commencing neing this work of the restitution of all things I 1 know that work has begun to be ushered in I 1 know that the power of god is belr bell being 9 manifested on the earth that the rame fame power which rested u pon upon the former day saints rests down upon the latter day saints I 1 know that the former day ordinances have been restored and the spirit and tile the power thereof I 1 know it for myself because I 1 have experienced it and realized it I 1 know there is a way to approach the eternal father eathen and learn 0 ol 01 1 him I 1 know that those who beek seek aright in the way appointed appoint td find an answer to their prayers anci ana that the promise made by the savior is true ask and it shall be given unto you seek and ye bhail shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you and in bearing my testimony to the truth of these things I 1 say what most of this congregation know and what the great majority of the people throughout this teri tory could testify to as well bis lis althou thou and anois more who are scattered upon the face of thu the earth ahu are aie ing lug to gather to thep theiu u vales vye vve have it at come flere for tho the mere purpose of our bulves in hold gold oid old and silver allver lu iii flucks fl juab and heard beard or housea houses und and lands things which parish hand clug ling bu bul but t to become rich in lin the imperishable Imperia habTe of ete ralty which we c can n obtain here in the way appointed of god and about which ine ino world know nothing people wonder why it is th that atthe the leaders of this thid people alo aio baill upheld by the u na voice and vote voto or the latter day saints and why it is that we have faith iu in them and cling to them in spite of all against them tuey tucy do not buder under understand stand the secret spring that moves this thia work tae power that unites and guides Us does not rest in any inan man or any set of men neither in the wonderful in this thia etura eterA eternal jal lal unerring spirit which god ha bus sned abed forth in our hearts through obedience to the gope gospel by which wa we can approach Lip him and learn ul of for eur our ourselves seivel we have bave gathered to these mounta mountains insi insl thal thai we may aid in this great work of restitution we ve are building these thedo temples that the lord may come and arid lenher powers and keys and knowledge pertaining to tue holy which has been heidin helain held hula in reserve for we have aa as yet only recta leota received veu the dropp drupp droppings ings of the shower tu to come we have but received a few things compared wi with leh ith guht le mains to be no revealed rave sled aled there is not a principle nor a blessing re jered druied lo 10 in theae which has his been eju elu enjoyed by the baines balms of 01 any former time but what jhb dord lord our out god will restore and be stow etow upon his people of the latter times the timea oi of the restitution of all things this doctrine of celestial marriage that creates created kuch euch hueh a stir in thu tho world is only one ol 01 the believed in and practiced by the ancients and that tou too tae tao immediate sanction anu aud tiie the alaf Almighty that god has hus commenced to rea jea lesl lest 1 L orein orela in me the latter day the lord hus baa lest that in connection with other principles and it is a truth which this people can testify to whether others it or not god is the of ity its it and if men man choose to fight them fight ac ib lis wod and them for it I 1 bear my testimony that god Ai mighty almighty has revealed this doctrine ol 01 celestial marriage or marriage marri aa for eternity including the the doctrine of plurality of alv kivee ee he maue made tula thia to the prophet joseph and hab has revealed ic it to thuu thou thousands sands sanda by the me gift and power of the holy ghost but these are only the beginnings of things we have come here hure to learn of gods ways and anti to walk in his hla paths pathe our fathers have inherited lies aud and vanity and things wherein there is no profit whey they have been fed upon husks while uhe une kernel was not with them they have been taught by the traditions of men they have been led by theologians who knew not god who could not describe him ham or ex plain his hia laws to the people lor for they linew anew not of him themselves and how could they when according to their own admissions the voloa voice of had ceased and god would no more apack to the children of men we have come out from the traditions and false the thu orles orlea leb iea of our fathers and gathered here that we may learn of gud god and god has his church and we are receiving line upon line and precept upon precept here a little and anti there a little for our profit to prepare ua us for the things to be manifested in the future and if we would only live up to the things that he has revealed to ue up if we would be as pure and virtuous and honest and arid upright and cons cou beien bious and long ing and charitable as we are corm corn banded to be iu in the revelation lne the lord has given unto ua us iu in these latter times timea we would be better prepared for the great tili eig fig yet to be unfolded if ebe ibe deop e called latter day saint desire to receive further of these great things which have been kept hid bid from the world for let them live jive up to the principles already revealed let them be saints sainta in very deed As they have come out from the world bodily let them be sepe rated from the world in spirit let them be temperate and true let them be honest and honorable with all men let them live up to their agreements and gallnot fall not to keep their prom promises lEes one with another always remembering with due regard their sacred covenants nan as and isolean obligado lots to the lord and buus they will cume come up near to him and as a natural con can at quence the lord will draw near to them his spirit will bu be upon them and god will fight their battles and overcome their and aud break off every yoke for the lord is nigh at hand and not afar off he has commenced the great work of restitution and will roll it on to its consummation he will restore every power arid and every gift and grace every key revelation and inspiration that has ever been enjoyed by the ari uri ancient clent saints in it that all nos no my brethren and sisters it is not all for after afier god has restored everything that has bas been lost he will in this dispensation reveal things kept hidden from the foundations of the world lie he will reveal them to babes and ducklings suc duc klings to the children born in zion who are ate heirs to the holy priesthood trained up in the way they should go not trained up as some of our children are but in the way god has ap up pointed As we are arc living in these there momentous times it behooves us to be what we prore esto to be baines we are called to be saints whether we are hainta saints or not ii ancher thing many are called but few are arc chosen and why are they not chosen read bead the book of doctrine and covenants find out your own weaknesses your own failures your own omissions as well ay as commissions find out wherein you have ceased to jo do that which you ought to do and have done that which you ought not to have done and repent repentance is needed to be taught to the L litter lifter itter day saints as well ae as to the world for we are called with a holy calli calling fig and if it we do not live up to our professions it were better we had never mado mada them let us return to the loni lori and the |
