| Show SUNDAY SERVICES evidences by which the church oi of christ may be known religious services were held in the tabernacle salt lake city sunday nov 25 commencing at 2 pm president angus M cannon presiding the choir san sane thereat and glo gl orione rions gospel light has ushered forth unto my sight prayer by elder john cottam the ohp choir sang 0 jesus the giver of all we enjoy too the priesthood of 0 the eighth ward officiated in the administration of the sacrament ELDER P F WELLS was the first speaker he said he had bad learned early in life that it was vain for a person to endeavor to address the saints to their edification except he was inspired by the holy ghost it is promised that anere the saints are assembled in the name of the lord he be will be there to bless them it to is a source ot nf gratification to see the many assemblages ot of the saints where they are gathered to worship god they approach him in confide confidence dee understanding the relationship which exists it is a marvel it the midst ol of professed f christendom to meet one who is an exemplar of the doctrines of the lord jesus who accepts all the truths and is governed by the precepts which he taught who truly exercises faith in jesus as the savior of mankind mankin dand and trusts in him tor for salvation the pro of so called christianity will admit that the power of faith does not exist among them as it did with the members of the primitive church they accept the bible closed and believe it in part only more afore than halt bait a century ago Joseph smith the prophet declared that professed christianity had bad gone astray and the world was without authority to administer in the name of the almighty joseph was called to be the instrument in the hands of the lord for the restoration ol of the everlasting everlasting gospel with all its gifts powers an and blessings essi he filled this mission but the divine truths which he be taught ar are e rejected by the world at large I 1 it t is unbelief litt in the principles of truth which will bring condemnation upon this generation the light is presented to them but they reject it and draw to the lord with their lips while their hearts are far from him the religion ot of the latter day saints enters into their everyday life it is to them dearer than all else in mortality without it their lif life e is a blank the duty that rests upon them thein makes their whole existence a mission for the abe establishment of the truth the speaker knew by his bis own experience that this was the noblest life where all was devoted to the kingdom of god the practical workings of the gospel goepel had bad marked the saints as a peculiar people the cause of this was that all the actions of those who kept the faith bore the impress of the glorious principles they had espoused this course had bad caused many of the world to declare that the latter day saints were not christians not notwithstanding withstand ijac their belief in christ and all the principles which lie he taught but boi those who pride themselves in being called christians are frequently found doubting many of the teachings of the savior the saints have no doubt of the virtue vartue and efficacy ot of strict obedience to the laws of he be gospel they believe it necessary that all of those laws should be conformed with in order that the holy ghost may be benj enjoyed oyed and nowhere outside of the organization of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints can be found the gifts gift of the spirit among no other people does the spirit of union so exist for the cementing the people into one this is because they have the gospel Gosp tl which will make of one heart and mind all who obey it I 1 is exemplifying in their lives the principles they profess that gives power to the saints by this course of life they receive the ministrations of the holy spirit which bestows bestons u upon on them a never falling failing testimony of of the correctness and safety of their position it if we examine the effects of the gospel upon the saints we will the magnitude anthe work they are accomplishing and the steady advance they are making this improvement is especially noticeable in the case of immigrants by observe ing them when they arrive in utah and then ln in a few years at the latter time they will be faund to be head and shoulders ShOU Iders above their former stature in virtue honor integrity and the love of god they grow to be leaders compared to what they were before and when duty calls cafes them to go amons who were their former equals and associates they tower above them as giants in intelligence and all the virtues the latter day saints have devolving upon them tile the duty of establishing the kingdom of god which shall never be thrown down in proportion to their faltha faithfulness ulness the po powers of the heavens abide with them it is vain for men to contend against the principles the saints have espoused for man cannot prevail r evail against god and lie he Is witt with his people may he make us exemplars of his truths in all things ELDER WN WM M next addressed tile the congregation he said that if all elders felt as he dig did they truly felt their weakness in speaking age aking to the people and desired t their air prayers john t the e apostle says whosoever trans gresseth and abid etti eth not in the doctrine of christ hath bath not god he that arideth in the doctrine of Christ tie bath both the father and the son how hew are we to judge whether theror or not professed christians are preaching the doctrines of christ isaiah says to the law and to the testimony it if they speak not according to this is because is no light in them then it professed ministers aisters mi of christianity speak not according to the whole law and testimony they cannot be accepted as orthodox if they do LO ed conform to the standard given by the savior they cannot be his disciples it to is through the principles he be taught that salvation comes to us he proclaimed falth faith repentance aud and baptism for the remission of sins and the bestowal of the holy ghost by one having authority the latter day saints proclaim the same doctrines and present the same claims to divinity that the savior did anciently for the laws which he revealed this is because they are the same doctrines revealed duew anew by the lord jesus any departure from the plan that he has laid down brings with it condemnation it is vain tor for sectarians sect arians to say that the ordinances are not necessary to salvation tor for the lord has plainly declared that without them mankind could not be saved the position assumed by professed christianity shows that they are without god and christ for they deny the power that attends those who have authority to act in the nameon name of the lord they assume that jesus has done all tor for our salvation but reject an essential feature the ordering of our lives in harmony with the principles les of truth upon which the lord E based abed his promise of salvation jesus and his apostles in ancient times required the people to have faith to repent of their bibs sibs and to be baptized for the remission of their sins being thus prepared they bestowed upon them the holy claring that they should observe to do all thi 11 s whatsoever he had bad commanded etem them 11 this then was th the plan of salvation falth faith exemplified by a godly life The speaker quoted liberally from the scriptures in proof of his declarations and cited the examples recorded in the new testament of 0 the manners manner in which the lord and his apostles administered in the ordinances odthe of the gospel upon the latter day saints had been bestowed the authority to officiate in the name of the lord in the latter days there was no other people divinely commissioned to officiate in the ordinances ot the gospel and proclaim it to mankind they had bad the organization ot of the church instituted bythe by the almighty asHeh as he had addone done anciently every test could be applied to them sod and the closest investigation would prove that they were the church of christ at the head bead of the church stood apostles in the place where god had appointed them and all other officers in their proper order the helps governments Rovern ments diversities of tongues toB gues mi miracles and all the operations of the spirit were present to testify of its divine origin and PO 0 w none of the features which aich ebara characterized c te the church anciently are lacking today as the gospel has been restored in its falness ful fulu ness ess elder palmer bore a strong testimony to the restoration of the gospel and exhorted the saints to live closely to the choir sang the anthem hear my prayer benediction was pronounced by elder H P richards |
