Show DISCOURSE BY APOSTLE JOHN W W ff TAYLOR lallum m delivered DeU vered in the tabernacle salt ke city april ath 1888 1 I feel ua this morning for the privilege of meeting with the latter diy aty saints in coti conference ference and inasmuch as president snow has faas requested me to make a few remar remarks kaj I 1 may enjoy the spirit of truth even a portion oi of the 14 holy oly ghost hoat that my words may be thereby through the prayers and faith of the saints we ar are messed with pleasant weather with peace and quietness health and ana tatt and everything seems favorable to the enjoyment of a good conference since we last met together many changes have taken place among the latter day sa saints ilits some of which have been of a pleasant nature and others unpleasant there are those in our midst who have embraced the gospel and renewed their covenants others who have been severed from froin the couick here are two features of the coipel oi of jesus christone is that of pleasure and tho the other of regret and disappointment I 1 trust that should laere be any of the latter present pro sent they wilt will listen with humility to the demarks lemarl ss of your fellow servant this to orning all the children phildren of men are pione to weakness and imperfections some to a greater estert tatti others it seems yi to the laws of the X tee to deal with some indi in rather a summary way when they are guilty of certain of neuses teuses le uses this being the case we have a yearly record of a large number of people who are from their brethren and sisters and others excommunicated entirely from froal the church I 1 desire this morning if I 1 shall be so led to speak a littie unto those who lave imperfections and should there be any present this morning who are perfect it will be entirely a less lass of time tor for them to remain and listen to toy remarks and I 1 will take no offense whatever at such individuals withdrawing from the cou congregation re gatlon I 1 have haac been pained in in my feelings feeling 81 the last twelve tn entha at toe number of per persons gotis that have been cut off from the church and I 1 can realize that the cause of this has been bocen due to alts imperfections perfections a giving way to feelings a and passions that not of god I 1 desire before gaug further in my remarks to say candidly that so far as I 1 am personally concerned it rc requires quires a greater exertion than many people suppose for we me to control myown my own temper to look after mi self and let other people alone if you have any doubt upon this subject inquire ot some ome of my neighbors neighbor I 1 desire t that hat other ther people shall let me alone I 1 presume all have desires of a similar nature however I 1 wish to say that there is a way for all t to repent of their sins II if we are given to drunker drunkenness iness let us forsake strong drink and show to our families that we have repented of f that habit and are worthy of their respect it if we have stolen our ne neighbors 19 ebors property as a thief steals by night or as a legal processor pr ro olessor lessor steals before the courts ol of law law let us repent and steal no more and the lord will forgive us as it if we have been in the habit of I 1 lying pug we should repent of the habit and learn to tell the truth if we have been in the haull habit of loving lies after they have been manufactured by others we should forsake our love for that which Is untrue we read in the scrip tures concerning those that should be outside the city of the new jerusalem should be wh freming hers ers and seducers and whosoever loveth and mabeth a lie that is all who love lies after tuey abey have been manufactured brothers by others are there any such in this congregation if there are ilet let them repent and begin to love the truth it weare we are in the habit of giving way to our temper and speaking harshly to our neighbors we can ann repent and show by our future conduct that we have repented and surely the lord will bless us let us be temperate iu in all things mat health and strength may ba the inheritance of our children and that we may grow up before the lord in purity and if we nave have been intemperate i antem let let us repeat of our sins and the lord will ble bles 14 us in accordance with our reformation formation rp for we are told all men will be rewarded according to the deeds done in the body this to me is a very plain statement it means to me that if I 1 break a law of nature I 1 will have to pay the penalty penally either in ia this world or the world to come if we have neglected our prayers whether family or secret let us repent before the lord and aad have prayers morning and evening thesis this is the order of the church whenever you see a man beginning ginning to apostatize from the church use toe first thing you will notice is that he neglects his afis pray prayers irs therefore I 1 exhort you all nay my brethren and bisters that if you are in the habit babit ot of neglecting this duty repent and return unto thib lord supplicate him for his holy spirit express your gratitude day after day in simple plain in guage for the blessings which have b baen en bestowed upon you morning I 1 attended con COD fer drice in djs hall there were but very lew few cerious pe rious aus present of course aoun e 1 I naturally came to the conclusion that the cause of this small attendance was that the people hal bl gone to fast meet mg in their sf veral several wards this is a daod thing it is pleasing in the sight of the lord that you should last fast and pray at the proper season and in the proper way I 1 trust you had an excellent time f r it has been my experience peri ence the testimony meetings of the church are the most interesting ot of any that I 1 attend among the latter day saints at these meetings ps we can carry out the admonition of paul if I 1 any one of us have a doctrine to teach or if we desire to prophesy or speak in tongues ate e cila can at these meetings speak one at a time for the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets and there is no confusion in the assembly I 1 say therefore to those who may have been in the habit of neglecting their fast meetings repent and attend these meetings in the fluture I 1 also desire to exhort you yon to pay your tithing timing faithfully before the lord abraham of old a man whom god so loved that he calleo called him the father of the faithful paid tithes of all he possessed unto the great hi hiiro h priest and Melch isedee blessed him with the priesthood the law of tithing was instituted by toe lord himself through the prophet moses it was observed by the children of israel throughout all their travels in the wll wilderness Id erness the priesthood was set apart tor for the purpose of handling handbag one tenth of all they possessed the lord has revealed the same law in this day for the purpose of conducting the machinery of the church and providing for those who are in want if there are any here this thia morning morning who have neglected to attend to 0 this duty uty I 1 say unto them repent and make covenant with the lord that you yon will pay tithes in th thi future then you will be blest blessed sed in your outgoings and in comings it if the lord has given unto you u an inheritance in zion bolessza blessed y you ou with a home appreciate such a blessing as one that is of great va value jae if you have made covenant with the lord tor for time and eternity in your r marital relations remember to keep koep such covenant sacred before th the e lord lora it if you on have failed to do this repent and do your first works over again and the lord will forgive you your sins I 1 do not wish to dwell further upon the duties of the sain saints ts I 1 have said so much in order to introduce a line of remarks to which I 1 desire to draw your attention it is this my experience in the church has convinced me ot of one fact and that is 16 whosoever receives a testimony of the gospel Gosp elof of jesus christ that testimony will remain with them as long as they keep the commandments of god and do not tin ein t E in sufficiently to drive away that testimony when I 1 do that which is wrong does the testimony which god has given unto me cause me to rejoice no it causes me to bow my head anc and feel ashamed why because I 1 knowd shall be rewarded according cor ao ilg to the deeds done in the body if I 1 do evil my wy reward will be evil it if I 1 do good my reward will be good hence christ said concerning evil doers let them alone for they vv wib ill alligee rewarded when I 1 do good which is not dot very often but little good I 1 do it causes me to rejoice when I 1 magnify my callip git causes me to rejoice all the daylong but when I 1 neglect any duty de devolving olvia upon me it causes sorrow in in nay my feelings Is it not so with you all ajl it is so with all the saints I 1 desire now having said so much to go a little further I 1 have had come unto me during dunns the last year men and wo women men who have sinned la in one way or another some came crying like children what shall I 1 do to recover my fellowship with the church or to retain it ii anat reparation can I 1 make before the lord is there any way by which I 1 can caa break the chain of my sins and throw off the ot of my imperfections what did I 1 say bay to such people e that as long as there is repentance pen tance in a man or woman there is hope the great god who created the children of men never designed that the principle of hope to overcome im perfect perfections io us should be destroyed within the bosom f the children of tore fore I 1 say unto you yon if you have sinned before the lord repent make covenant with him and he will grant unto you forgiveness how should we repent when we have sinned isaiah the prophet says let the wicked man forsake his bis ways and the unrighteous nis his though fl and return unto the lord and he will have mercy upon him and unto our god for he will abundantly abua dantly pardon chois who is a wicked man who I 1 is an unrighteous man it is he who commits sin therefore I 1 say lift up your heads 0 ye saints and trust in god the eternal father heits not a tyrant he loves his children if aney make inake mistakes he Is willing when asked to forgive he will not denounce them for ever and ever that is a long time but he will chide abide us ua uy us and call us back to the ways of peace and salvation hewlin he bijl let us os pay the penalty for the law we have broken anen we can make atonement with him many of you yon may not understand my remarks unless I 1 make a lew few more I 1 will therefore say pay unto onto you yop who hear the words of my mouth this day clay there dave bave been remarks made by myself at times perhaps by others many times the object being to terrorize the people against sin and wickedness and the ap speakers eakers have gone so far in their remarks in deno denouncing unclog sin din and abd corruption that they destroyed in the bosom of the children ot of men melt all hope bope and I 1 believe that gofta to excess lu theve these thing thine does more harm barm thau good take away all pro prospect hect of redemption from any man or uman woman and that soul is lost wh wb because ambition is gone they do not endeavor to make amends for their sins alas because they are told that efforts will be of no avail I 1 wish to say that when such doctrine includes time and eternity except lor for the sin of murder and the si sin a of lying against the ho holy y Gho stall such doctrine is false before the lord I 1 say to one and all repent of your sins and return unto the lord and serve him and he will wil I 1 abundantly Y gardon pardon and you yon yet you will have e to pity pay the penalty for the sins you have cAna littel the savior in speaking of such things says bays that sons shall be cast lute into prison and they shall not come out from thence until they have paid the uttermost farthing meaning that there would woula be a time when they should be relea released seo let me read to yau you this morning a little piece from f rom the book of doctrine and covenants Whee wherefore etore fore I 1 revoke not the judgments which I 1 shall pass iut hut docs woes shall 0 go o forth weeping wailing tind land gua gnashing slung of teeth yea to those who are found on my lef left hand nevertheless it is not written that there shall be no end to this torment but it is written endless torment again it is written eternal damnation wherefore it is more express than other oher scriptures that it might work upon the hearts of the children or of men altogether for my names s g glory I 1 ory where wherefore fore L will explain unto you this mystery for it is meet unto you to know even as mine apostles 11 1 I unto you that tha tare arc chosen lit in this thins thing even as one that yon may enter into m my v rest for behold thel the mystery of godliness how great is it fur behold beheld I 1 am endless and the punishment which is given from my hand is endless punishment tor for endless i is my name wherefore eternal punishment is gods punishment endless punishment is ii gods 11 in order that you may understand ma I 1 will give an illustration in regard to the law against murder marder when george washington lived after the declaration of 0 independence was passed in the united states of america the law for the punishment of murder in ia the first degree was that the murderer should be hinged hanged by the neck until he was dead dead dead it Is s the same law today that human law exterminates all hope for this world then there isslam is a law for the punishment uni of manslaughter the conditions talons of which are that a man may be confined la in a dungeon for ten fifteen or twenty five years men havu have gone to prison under that law they have stayed ten years then they hawe have been released having paid the penalty according to all human law that la law w has been in force probably tor for the last one hundred years so se far as this Is s concerned asto As to the term eternal punishment it does not follow that a man is to be punished vanished tor for ever aften he be has complied with the law he will have to pay the penalty for every offense but the punishment unish ment will not bs be eternally inflicted feted I 1 speak to in this in order that the sinner may not be without hope but that you may look forward until the time of refreshing shall eeme come from the presence ot of the lord when ile he shall pardon the sins of those who have repented before him how shall we repent we should rend our hearts and pot not jui garments and return unto the lord loid in gleat humility and he will have mercy upon us it if we sin no ore yesterday reference was made to the preach lne of the gospel to the dead I 1 wish to use the saw sam quotation in order to illustrate to your minds that there is hope for men though they fail to obtain forgiveness in this world there will be an opportunity in the next world it if they have not committed the unpardonable sin the apostle peter speaks of this in his bis epistle istle he refers to the savior after we he was put to death having gone during t the he three days that his Is body lay in the tomb to preach to the spirits in prison who were disobedient when once the long suf fering of god waited in the days of noah while the art ark was preparing what does this mean it simply means what we read here in the book of genesis that the lord saw that the wickedness ox ol man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually they were com committing mittin whore doms and all kinds of abominations before the lord and he eon con eluded that the better way would be to drown them all wilh a flood after teeing warned to repent by his prophet noah A few thousand years afterwards christ preached to these in prison did he go to preach to perfect |