Show SUNDAY SERVICES elder C F wilcous Wll Wil coxs discourse at the tabernacle yesterday religious services were held in the tabernacle salt lake city sunday may 20 IM 1888 commencing at 2 p in high councilor H P richards Eich ards presiding the choir and congregation sang great god attend while zion sings the joy that froin thy presence springs bp rings prayer by elder joseph horne home the choir sang behold the great redeemer die A broken law to satisfy the th priesthood of the second ward officiated in the administration of the sacrament Sacra meat ELDER CHARLES F WILCOX was called to address the congregation ile he said that the had bad met to worship god and to pal time of 0 the sacrament of t e lords supper to those who partook of the sacrament worthily the Lord had promised eternal life and saia that he be would raise them up at the latter day these assurances su gave great consolation to those who had bad faith to receive them to know god and his son jesus christ carist was eternal life this was the greatest gift ol of the almighty and it should be me lne greatest desire of the human family to those who sought first the kingdom of god and his righteousness all ather things were promised the wiry way of the gospel gospee had been plainly pointed out it was a straight and a narrow path but many preferred to go 0 o in the broad way wai that beadet to destruction this might seem st strange but it was nevertheless the fact in all parts of the world whether christian or heathen men professed aBed to worship a superior being yet the diversity of their worship showed that but comparatively few were walking in ili the way of life the cause of this failure on the part of the many to find the true way was that the many did not seek first the kingdom of god and his righteousness things temporal are in the likeness of things spiritual tuai As earthly kingdoms have kings officers subjects etc so the heavenly kingdom has a klu king jesus who appoints his officers to act among the subjects in his kingdom in the meridian of time jesus came and offered himself as an atonement lor for sin BID that man might be redeemed before his crucifixion he called twelve apostles whom he commissioned to act in his name when ile he ascended on high he gave to them and to those who received his message the various gifts of the gospel and placed various officers to act in his kingdom in the ithe work of the ministry these officers and gifts were bestowed that those who believed might be brought to a perfect knowledge of god the officers of the church were also to protect the saints f from rom evil and to guide aide them according to the laws of of gods kingdom faith is the first law of the heavenly kingdom faith in the existence and power of god the knowledge of god was handed banded down from generation to generation he e appeared to father adam p to abraham to moses and ot others er in th the e various gospel despen aa lations sat I 1 ions F when hen jesus was baptized a voice from heaven bore testimony that he was the son of god through the medium of revelation in various ways the knowledge of the existence personality sona lity and power of god came upon the earth he had vp corded his existence and power and and goodness in all things in heaven and on earth in addition to the material evidences that god lives Is the unmistakable voice vol c e of revel revelation a ton I 1 given to those who do his will following the principle of faith in the plan of salvation came repentance from sin then came the ordinance of baptism am that we might be purified from sin in and prepared to press r ess for ward in the path that leahl leads to his presence As in the case of paul who before his bis conversion persecuted the saints he be received the manifestations of the power of god when he had repented anted he obeyed the ordinance of realized its necessity he might be cleansed from sin cornelius also alse was directed to receive thi this 8 ordin ordinance a n C e that he might enter the way of salvation the laying on of bands tor for the gift of the holy ghost is also an ordinance necessary to salvation eternal life is to know god and his son jesus christ this knowledge comes through the I 1 instruction 1 0 st of the holy gho ghost at which is the guide to all truth wit without hout which there is not a falness of salvation to officiate in these ordinances and to bestow the holy ghost it was necessary for those who did so to be called of god as was aaron the power to officiate came from on high and was not inherent in man man made systems though they might follow fellow closely the true organization were easily distinguishable from the true church because they possessed not the spiritual power the church of christ were in possession of the powers of heaven and the gifts of the spirit follow tollow edthe believers it it gave to the faithful al saints power over unclean spirits elder wilcox testified that the sifts gifts and powers of the gospel were with the church of jesus christ of latter day saints he had bad himself been a witness of these things with the church was the true organization ot 0 apostles prophets etc who possessed d divine I 1 vine authority t to 0 act in christs name and by his power the various of christendom had bad apostatized from the gospel plan as was evidenced by the fact that the power of god did not accompany them there was but one church with the organization powers and authority that characterized the church of christ and that was the church to which the latter day saints belonged arid and which was established la in the latter times by divine command and authority tho rity the statement that the almighty had bad a appeared tapin in this age was scoffed scoff edat at iby by I 1 the e world generally but it if was nevertheless erth eless true it was also reasonable for his power to te appear unto his children was surely not taken away by the lapse of years he had bad appeared in ibis dispensation fulfilling the prophecy of daniel and other inspired men who declared that in the latter times the god of heaven should set up his kingdom which should never be bb thrown down john johntae the revelator saw the time tame when the everlasting gospel would be restored to the earth and testified that an angel came to it if it was on the earth what need was there for an angel to proclaim it none but the fact was that there had ha d been a universal apostasy from the truth and the gospel had to be restored from heaven to earth john the baptist ba p aist ordained joseph smith an and d oll oliver ver cowdery to the priesthood which possessed the authority to baptize subsequently the priesthood was bestowed on them by peter james and john and on april 0 6 1830 the church of jesus christ of latter day saints was organized by divine command in seneca county new york persecution raged against the saints and they were required to remove to Kirtland Ohio where they built a temple in which christ himself appeared moses also came and restored the keys of the gathering elias el the restorer brought other keys and elijah gave the keys of the gospel for the redemption of the dead others also appeared and all the keys necessary tor for the salvation salv atlo n of mankind were restored in the latter days the great principle of salvation for the dead opened the way for those who had bad died without having heard tile the gospel its vicarious ordinances were in accord with the atonement of christ while it was doubtless well understood in ancient times yet so little was recorded in the bible regarding regard ln inz it that without additional revelation it could not have been comprehended in this age the latter day saints receive this principle and andin in their belfi temples ples was being performed er ormed a great work for the salvation salvat fort of those who had bad passed beyond the veil after jesus was crucified he went and preached to the spirits in prison and those who received his message and lived according to god in the spirit had bad the privilege of having the ordinances performed in their behalf and of being beidl judged according to meal men in the flesh thus was the way to balt 1 va ton opened to them T alie lie gospel plan embraced all true pr principles I 1 nel ples and none who would receive ce I 1 ve it were beyond its benefits la in the degree to which their deeds entitled them those who were faithful in all things received of a f cluess ful ness those who were faithful to a lesser degree received a lesser leaser condition of glory all would receive a reward commensurate with their works of good or evil and be judged according to their deeds justice thus being brought to all the speaker testified that the saints were preparing for the building up of zion the fulfillment fulfilment of t the he predictions of the Prophet sand the second coming of christ when he would appear in great glory and would come and reign in the midst of his pr people eople the choir sang the anthem low how beauteous are their feet benediction was pronounced by el 1 der T E taylor |