Show DISCOURSE dveres efi vered by apostle P F M LYMAN ift the aole acM scot sam lake oily my sunday january 13 1889 ak IT HAS been something over four k years kince I 1 had the privilege of j meeting rae eting and speaking with the j latter imber da day saints under this roof y and partaking of the sacrament hl do not know whether I 1 shall be able ble to make you hear bear as I 1 am suf av from a cold on my lungs and ness of the throat but possibly after speaking a little time I 1 may be oe able to talk so that you can hear zue it affords me great pleasure y w t ith the latter day saints fr d to partake of the bread ani and ambr with them in memory of the atty and blood of jesus christ thereby witnessing that we fellowship one another that we remember the lord and that we are willing to take upon us his name and keep the commandments which he has given I 1 presume the storm today and perhaps the funeral that was hold held this morning have prevented quite a number from being present here in so great a city of the saints as this there ought to be latter day saints enough come together to fill this house to partake of the sacrament on the sabbath day there is no no more sacred ordinance in the gospel although it is before us each sabbath day and no doubt many of the latter day saints may look upon it as common but it should be looked upon as uncommon and very important and if you had been deprived of the privilege of meeting with the saints and of partaking of the sacrament as I 1 and many others have been you would perhaps prize the privilege the lord has commanded that we should meet often and that we should partake of the sacrament in memory of his body and blood which was shed for our sins and we cannot be too careful in preparing ourselves for this ordinance I 1 was reminded by the prayer that was offered just now of the importance of thinking of the ment that we were about to barbi partake ke of the very prayer that was offered by our oar brother at the opening of this meeting should be the sentiment of every heart in coming to this house the mind of every latter day saint on the sabbath day should be turned toward the house of the lord and the privilege that the lord hath given us to partake of the sacrament it should be the labor of our lives during each week so to keep the commandments of the lord that we may eat and drink on the sabbath day worthily that we may not eat and drink condemnation to our souls it ought to be a witness among the latter day saints when we eat and drink together that we love one another that we fellowship perfectly that our hearts are free from every species of bitterness and ill feeling that we forgive one another that we forgive all men as we would that god would forgive us it should be a sure sign that could be relied upon by us could be relied upon by men that when the saints of god eat and drink together they love one another they remember god they are not only willing to keep his commandments in the future but it should he be a testimony that they have kept his commandments in the past for if we have not kept them in the past we are am not worthy to eat and drink the sentiment should be in the hearts of all latter day saints that it is important for them upon the sabbath day to meet together to worship the lord to manifest to one another god and angels that they remember the savior that they love him that they have honored him in their lives and have not forgotten him and that they lo 10 love e one another that they fellowship one another and that they are am true to one another these are the sentiments that should be in the hearts of the th e latter dap daj saints and if they are not there then the saints stand upon dangerous ground I 1 know of nothing more alarming among the latter day saints today than the fact that a great many of them do not properly prize their privileges of meeting together on the sabbath day what will our children think of their parents if they neglect these opportunities what will children think of their parents who neglect their prayers what will children think of their parents who are inclined to backbite to deceive to defraud to be hypocritical in regard to any principle of the gospel if we would have the rising generation grow up in faith it is imperatively necessary that we should manifest our faith by our works if there is infidelity in the midst of the latter day saints and in the young the older people are measurably responsible for that infidelity if the children can discover from the very earliest moments that the older people among the latter day saints are consistent and honest and can discover in their lives that they love the principles they profess and they live by them it makes them happy it makes them honorable it makes them respectable and they recognize that their parents in their lives are better than the infidel better than people of other denominations they find that their fathers and mothers have greater faith greater influence with god their prayers are answered and they begin in early life to taste also of the good spirit of the lord and appreciate its blessings following measurably in the footsteps of their parents how satisfactory it will be for parents to discover their children thiva following in their wake to find their sons and daughters filled with faith but if there is apathy in the parents or in the older people in the midst of the latter day saints if there is a neglect of duty then children become sceptical they cannot believe that the older people axe are honest and conscientious because they do not live according to their profession if children discover their parents are neglectful today in regard to the work of the lord the purposes of the almighty the kingdom which the lord has established if children discover I 1 say a lack of faith in their parents or doubt or misgiving can we hops hope to we see the children very firm in the faith why no if a man would establish his own family his own children in the faith he himself must be a consistent of that faith children have good sense people genera generally uny have some good sense some gome good judgment and nd they have the faculty of weighing one another taking measure and stock of one another they come to this ability quite early in life and if we have the gospel as ais we profess as we have borne testimony through all these years yearn it will be profitable to us to honor that gospel and to honor god by living according to the requirements of the gospel goepel we have been taught from the beginning that it is important for every lauter latter day saint to have the testimony of jesus the spirit of prophecy abiding in his heart every individual man every individual woman should have the spirit of the lord abiding in his or her heart should know for themselves what the gospel really is they should not depend upon the presence of bishops elders presidents or apostles but should themselves be able to stand by the support of the lord whether these officers are present or not to labor with them they ought to be able to stand together for a number of years during the experience the church has had in the last few years many of the chief br ethern have been out of the way they have not been easily reached their voices have not been frequently heard amongst the people and in their meetings to a degree there has grown a kind of coldness a spirit of lassitude among the latter day saints this ought not to be and it be tokens a weakness in the feith faith of the people where such is the case they should be more enthusiastic and faithful to local ministers the lesser priesthood and all the servants of the lord who have the privilege of being at home should be more industrious and faithful in the absence of their seniors so that the church shall not suffer it ought not to suffer the lord has so ordained that in every ward in every stake and in every department of the kingdom at home and abroad the Melchi sedek priesthood shall preside there is not a branch of the church perhaps in in the world today without a priest or a man bearing the priesthood of Melchi sedek standing at its head bead there is not a family in the church if the families are 0 organized aga ni zed as they should be without an elder a man bearing the Melchi sedek priesthood standing at the head a n man ian who is entitled to approach the lord and to receive revelations through the inspiration of the almighty in regard to the duties which devolve upon him as the president of a family a ward a 9 stake or a quorum or to receive the word of god in regard to his own or another s life and to know whether he is in the path of duty and safety the lord has thus provided and made us a nation of ministers ministers of righteousness suppose that during these four years yean that have last passed because I 1 was not able to meet with the latter day saints in this tabernacle and in other places and was not i allowed to partake of the sacrament I 1 had grown callous and careless and neglected my prayers duties and obligations and refused to speak when the opportunity offered suppose that I 1 had refused to write when the opportunity offered to answer questions or to give instruct tion because I 1 was not allowed to minister in public as I 1 was wont to do in former times suppose I 1 had b ad 4 concluded that I 1 would do nothing now for the next four years that I 1 would not give counsel exhort or teach the people when the opportunity offered in private or in pub lie lic if I 1 had taken such a course I 1 would have been condemned the j brothers and sisters who have taken to that sort of course during the last four years are condemned already f and the fruit of their carelessness and of their indifference will be made manifest in due time genet ally when trouble comes upon tb s latter day saints either as a community or as individuals they seek to come closer to the lord and that 4 is what they ought to do perhaps they ought to live closer to hiitt f when there are no troubles but whether there are troubles and ana dangers or not certainly they ought to approach the lord they ouge V Z to pray with greater fervency thetla the ought to fast and pray they ought 1 4 1 to testify and seek the counsel 0 of 4 the almighty and not neglect th gift which god gave to them when 0 ai they were baptized but they shou cultivate it and it should grol stronger in them so that out w f every difficulty we may stronger just as men who go 0 00 a mission return stronger in tb faith than when they started now the latter day saints abo vb have kept the commandments w god will 00 come me out of their tri k and persecutions with greater fai e when the clouds pass away 1 7 1 they had when the clouds gatherl gather 0 t around them in times of dark 0 dos and peril and the threaten bigO ott w 1 the powers of evil we ought to 1 the closer together there 0 not to be division schism A ness nor indifference on the pa va the people but every man a 5 aji woman should be more and faithful to the lord than tha U al y have been in times of peace brally Ws this is the case how about the latter day during the last four years progress have they made advancement individually IY ij have they grown stronger I 1 believe they have 1 I believe that they have had many testimonies from the lord to strengthen their faith I 1 believe that the brethren who have suffered persecution and have been incarcerated for the gospels sake for the keeping of the commandments of the lord are stronger in the faith today than they were before it is the natural consequence of persecution that the people axe are drawn together and become stronger in their faith than they are in times of peace and this I 1 believe to have been the case with the saints we have heard of no serious apostasy the greatest apostasies apost asies we have ever had have been when the people were in peace and when let alone not in times of great trouble and serious difficulty trials seem to draw the people together to make them seek after the lord and become better acquainted with him and the workings of his holy spirit than is the case in times of peace I 1 have heard a great many express themselves as though they thought the latter day saints were to in rather a perilous condition that I 1 is at home in the wards and in the stakes that they were growing cold neglecting their duties etc now there may be an appearance of this and there may be some truth in it for a foundation but let me testify to you that the artter day saints bre not going to apostatize they are rot not going to desert the kingdom for the lord has made no mistake and he has chosen the very spirits that he wanted he has sent them at the time he wanted them on the earth arth and he sent the gospel at the time he wanted it on the earth fw them to receive he is with our t brethren whom he has chosen lu n their missionary labors he has bet t ills his hand to establish his kingdom and to accomplish his pur apses and he will make no failure gods kingdom the work of the lord is established in the earth and d it will endure men may fall fail but there will be plenty remain nency that will willon endure dure faithfully to the end just as our brother did who was buried burled today brother morris died ed in the prime of life he died in the faith so will we generally die the lord has given this people a very y remarkable schooling and heir trials have been effectual and brought fought out great good to the souls of men n and the people are asha so BO that they will endure tle he lord has planted a little spark 14 each h heart hea and established an anchor in each individual soul among the latter day saints saint and they are not to be shaken nor to be turned away from that anchor for it reaches within the soul god will preserve his people we need not be disturbed at all for the work is the lords and not of man it does not belong to the prophet joseph it was not his he did not originate it not his thoughts or counsels or revelations but gods formed the foundation for the establishment of this work the lord will take care of it and preserve it through all the vicissitudes and changes and difficulties that we have to meet in this life the lord will sustain his work and bring it off victorious and you will be mortified and ashamed to turn away from it everyone who grows careless and neglects a known duty will be mortified and and made ashamed and sorrowful when the lord comes to make up his jewels do not act thus let me exhort and plead with you not to neglect your duties renew your energies farget not your prayers and obligations to the lord and to each other and be united be true to god to each other and to the world be honest in all your ways be upright and seek to know the will of god concerning your individual selves and the flocks over which you have the care so that your duties shall not be neglected and that the lord shall be with you I 1 sometimes look over the history of the church at different periods and particularly have I 1 noticed it during the last six years it is thought that the latter day saints have been pawing passing through a very serious ordeal and so they have rather a serious ordean ordeal but how bow many of them have been disturbed not one in twenty have their trials been very serious not one in twenty there have been a very few deaths how many I 1 cannot say possibly a few have occurred that would not have happened under other circumstances the homes of the latter day saints have not been very seriously disturbed their homes have not been burnt they have not been mobbed and driven out into the frosts of winter they have not been driven from their homes but the lord has established his people here the families of the brethren who have been required to suffer have been generally at home surrounded by their friends yet the trials have been quite severe upon some but how much more serious they laight or could have been the |