Show SUNDAY I 1 remarks on the necessity closely observing the laws of god religious us services were held in the tabernacle salt lake city sunday august 5 b h 1888 commencing at 2 p in president angus M cia cao non presiding the choir and congregation sang we thank thee 0 god for a prophet to guide us in these latter days prayer by elder joseph horne home the etoir sans sang behold the great redeemer deemer Ee die A broken law to satisfy toe the priesthood of the thirteenth ward officiated inthe administration of ef the sacrament ELDER JAMES JAMBS it TALMAGE was called to address the congregation he said teat in complying with the request made of him tie he relied upon the tae faith of the saints that the promises made to those elders who speak in the name of the lord might be realized in his behalf the prayers ot of the saints have great effect and influence at the throne of god I 1 re spond to this call as aa a matter of duty knowing that the elders should ever be ready to bear their testimony to the truth I 1 am proud of my office in the grogel church of go god and feel that it if you yon exercise faith in my behalf wo we will be blessed we hav met ta worship god acco according to the patte pattern refe repealed aled by b him we have also met to engage in a holy and sacred ceremony one of great importance in the sight of god to partake of bread and water would be of little import under other circumstances those who par take of ef the Pac sacrament unworthily are under condemnation when we partake of 0 it worthily we renew our covenants with him ane blessing upon the bread and the water has been pronounced in the name of the son of god to act in the name of deity is of great importance our god Is a jealous god and will not silently submit to a desecration of things sanctified to his use we are led to respect those who possess authority an officer of tie the government performs his official acts in tue name of the people of the united states and the people bow with reverence and bub submission mission to his authority it an officer of the nation comes here we look upon unon him with great respect should we hot then look with reverence to those who come to us as ambassadors from the courts of heaven who have the auchoi ity to act in the name of god our elders pray in his name they preach and officiate in his bis name and sometimes wt wo do not noc attach sufficient importance and honor to that name the piya pays great reverence to the name deity he be may be regarded as going to an extreme tu lu atals respect but better bette that than be when hen the apostles were on the earth in the meridian of time they acted in the name of deity and rebuked the powers of evil they also bestowed the holy ghost upon believers on one occasion a sorcerer offered them money tor for the power to bestow the holy ghost and the apostles severely rebuked him on another occasion there were seven brothers song sons of a jew who saw evil powers rebuked in the name of jesus they made an effort to do similarly and the evil spirit seized upon them and when aney escaped they were naked and bleeding it is not a trilling trifling matter to use that name or act with it tty 7 if an officer of the law uses his power wrongfully wrong lully he be renders himself liable to severe penalties so be it is with those who act in the same name of the lord we covenant today to in partaking of the ifie sacrament that all is peace among us it if this is so all is well with us but z we should see that we are sincere in this the laws of nature are the laws of god sometimes he be acts in Wor accordance dance with laws with which we sze are not yet acquainted bat I 1 believe that t tor for every effect there is a cause uwe we are sick there must be a reason for rl it we may not net always be suffered because oz of dd sinfulness ulness it maybe may be that we are god way try us but whatever it is there is a cause it our prayers are not answered there is some reason lor for the failure while the telegraphic oble cable is unbroken we can speak with the eastern Homi hemisphere sphere but it 11 the wire is cut communication is broken it the channel of com communication with havea a to Is open the message manage will pus pass buteff there be sin the communication is cut ox off the power ol at prayer is being recognized today by the leading winds of the world many prominent men inen say they disbelieve in the god that to la taught by christendom who does not answer prayer says prof tyndall there to is some mysterious power con necked with prayer he men tells of cases where the sick were beyond the power of medical skill mid and where the lither lather member or er near relative wald py pray to some power the professor could not see and did not understand and the disease would be checke check edana dand convalescence set in this power of prayer the science of today cannot explain but the influence is there and cn be felt these powers are an free tor for the benefit of all woo who will avail chevi selves of the advantages offered it matters little in what language the prayer is clothed if it is sincere it will obtain that consideration its sincerity demands god would not be a loving and tender parent if it were other otherwise wige he is pleased to have his children approach him in love ind and confidence and will give us those things that are glod lor for us if we bu but ask him in the proper spirit the brahmins Brah mins of old taught a very peculiar superstition but it conveyed a good lesson they said that would be found standing at the gate of the city ot of god the angel of prayer listening to the supplications ions of the people faey further claimed that sincere prayers ers changed to beautiful flowers in his i hands scattering frag ranee rance all around and attracting marked attention it is ie but a story but it teaches that sincere prayers are a joy to the lord the effects of the power of prayer have been recognized in all ages once when peter the apostle was under sentence sentence of death and in the morning he be was to be led out by the roman rulers to martyrdom a few saints met in a house and prayed that it if it was the will of god he might be delivered that prayer was answered and an angel came to peter the cell where he was confined was tilled filled with light the prison doors were opened an and le the angel and peter walked out the latter when free was alone ana hastened to the house where the saints were wont to gather one of the sisters met him and was so overjoyed that she forgot to unlock the door to let him in so anxious was she to tell the saints that their prayers were answered the arm of the lord is not shortened and he is as ready today to bless blesa us but do we not sometimes tail fall to recognize his voice are we not much like little samuel whose mottier gave him to the service of tte the lord samuel lived to in the temple and one night he be heard beard a voice calling cai liaf his bis name he supposed opposed it was the prophet ell bit but the latter said he be had bad not called A second time the voice came and again samuel went to eli bit bur bui he be had bad not called the third time the call was heard beard and samuel answered it was the voice of the lord who then talked with ith him and told him things of deep import do we not sometimes hear the voice of god as did samuel and judging it to be the voice of man tall tail to recognize it let us as learn like samuel to know the voice of god and be willing to heed his laws these are principles connected with our religion the true religion reh gion let us learn to serve god with all our might to make an any and every sacrifice feces sarito do his I 1 w will ial to set act every day so that the lord knows that we will respond to 10 ills his call we should study stady with great care the science of our church there is no excuse for one holding the priesthood being ignorant of the duties of his bis office but bat a knowledge of the scriptures will not alone save us it will take knowledge that is put to use that is reil religion on a religion that brings salvation salvati what does it benefit a man t to 0 know that the lord says thou cobalt not steal if he be defrauds his bid neighbor theology and re religion igdon should be sought after by the latter day saints our father has never placed a premium on ignorance he has sometimes excused it as a matter of mercy and justice but he a man cannot be saved in knowle I 1 igno e we should seek alter after that knowledge ge ti that t pertains to heaven our elders frequently bear testimony with strength but we are all expected to bear testimony daily by our lives this consists not in words alone it is in the power and sincerity and spirit and comes in simple sentences as well as in the fiery words of peter when the multitude arose and inquired what shall we do to be saved I 1 ftc have heard beard finely friely rounded sentences and known the spirit to be absent A it is the eloquence of a sincere soul that is heard and felt in heaven our oar duty Is to be better and purer as t the days roll by to be more ardent in the practice atice f the Onci principles ples of truth to keep open by our lives the channel of communication with heaven strive to be hu humble rAble to have a knowledge of all that is good to use all that we have in the service of god and to be ready when the voice comes to answer as did samuel when he be knew who w 0 was aa calling him speak lord thy servant hea heareth such is my prayer in the thas name of jesus amen ANGUS M CANNON next made a few remarks he said A little more than fifty years ago owe our father called joseph smith to whom jesus revealed great truths joseph was subsequently ordained to the and the tee priest hoods then others were ordained and set forth by joseph and as a result of their ministrations the saints are here today the gospel was revealed to Jr joseph oseph smith by the almighty he translated the book of mormon by the power ot of god the saints know these things and today enjoy the blessings of obedience obedieh obedie bce ce to the will of their father they are happy in the knowledge that ahat ile he his bas not forgotten them but bat do we truly love each other as disciples f the lord Lor jesus dJesus or are we forgetful of our covenants where are our sons and daughters today many professed Saints desecrate he be sabbath by pleasure see seeking in times past we would travel many miles to hear bear a ser vaut of god speak of the principles of life and salvation have we forgotten the Lp pledges ledges we then made are we forgetful of the of elders now 9 behind prison bars for keeping kee pins the law of the lord do 0 we rejoice while chile they suffer or do we heed the responsibilities ties upon us I 1 could not but think of the illustrious example of et the mother of sam uel patient and faithful fattlis it she was blessed of god f for or her course I 1 awas awas thinking how it would be today if the servants of god told the people the truth and rebuked them for their waywardness samuels mother was wrongfully accused but there was no rankling in her heart against the lords anointed how would it be today it if the elders were to speak the truth to the people would there not be a different feeling to that exhibited by El kanahs wite wife we should learn a lesson from samuels example shall we forget from whom we received protection or will we continue higa minded and lofty ty neglect the poor and do similar wrongs wron firs it if we humble ourselves before god the clouds cloade that now lower will be removed but we must mast do his bis will or we will not receive the blessing we cannot obtain it unless we honor god and devote ourselves to his service let us pour out our souls in prayer to te him that our leaders may be given liberty and our brethren be freed from bondage but bat it if we forget god we will go into bondage deeper and deeper till the last vestige of liberty is gone woe unto fia us it if we neglect t the he needy and love not each other M may ay god bless us that we may turn from rom the idols we now bow down to let us turn our eyes from babylon and his power will be with us let us put away the evil and pride that is among us that we may receive the favor of the almighty and glorify him the choir sang the anthem ye shall dwell in the land benediction by patriarch john smith |