| Show sunday religious Belig ious services were held at the tabernacle salt lake city sunday july 1890 commencing at 2 p m counselor charles W penrose presiding the choir and congregation sang the hymn commencing the time is far spent there is little remaining main ilig to publish glad tidings by sea and by land prayer by elder wm L binder the choir sang how ow aw et communion is on earth with those dhove realized the birth the priesthood of the tenth ward officiated in the administration of the sacrament ELDER ORSON A WOOLLEY WOOLLEY was called to address the congregation he said the latter day saints sainte were engaged in the work vork of god in the redeeming of the human hL family rally the religion of jesus christ was a practical religion a religion which called for action in our everyday life a religion that should influence all our doings whatever our avocation might be we should at all times be able to ask the bless blessing iLig of our heavenly father upon all we do it was waa only through obedience to the principles of the gospel af jesus christ that we could be saved and exalted in the celestial kingdom we forgot the great promises which whish the lord had made to us as a people in the revelations which he had given anto us from time to time it seemed to him that we lacked faith in those promises or that we did not desire T to obtain them the speaker exhorted his hearers to pay strict obedience to the word of widd wisdom om and said that the latter day saints were engaged in the work of god which had bad beau established for the last time nevermore to be taken from the earth or given to another people BISHOP ORSON F WHITNEY next spoke in the course of his remarks he said that among the first things told to the prophet pi ophee joseph smith by the angel of god in relation to this work of the last days was that the lord was about to commence in the earth a marvelous work and a wonder before which the wisdom of the wise should perish and the understanding ot of the pru dent should be hid bid the angel quoted these words from an ancient prophet who had bad spoken them concerning the great work which the lord purposed to perform in these days dabi when joseph smith went out into the woods to pray on that spring morning inthe in the year 1820 and the father and the son dev from heaven in a cloud of alory according to big hi testimony and nd opened this dispensation upon the world that marvelous work and wonder was begun it could scarcely have been com in any more marvelous 4 and it is no wonder that joseph smith looking at things naturally was deemed an audacious impostor nap ostor or a madman when at the age of fourteen he declared that god as a m in had appeared and s 81 to him and that too in the r midst of a generation which had decided for itself that the heavens were closed that god no longer communicated with man and that god himself was a being of such a character that it would be difficult indeed for him to so BO communicate in such a mauner manner that man conid understand him for at that time it was taught as it is taught now by many sects that god was a being without body parts or passions a spirit universally diffy diffused ed but with no personality the speaker next melt referred to the visit of the angel moroni to the prophet joseph and to the subsequent visitations of john the bap tabt and of peter james and john the conferring of the and Melchi sedek priest hoods upon the prophet and oliver cowdery and the work they wre c by heaven to go forth ardd and perform some came forward he said listened to the gospel which was pro cl timed to them theland the mand and received the blessings of god while the great mass of the people as was the case today stood aloof and regarded the claims of the prophet and his confreres contreres con freres with cold contempt or poured upon them holand hostile criticism tens of thousands can today however de dare clare that mormonism as it is called is divine that it is indeed the work and wonder which G god d promised ages ago that he would bring to pass in these thes e latter days the time has gone by if it ever was when men can say with any show of reason that the latter day faints aap are deceived and lei astray by designing and scheming men the secret of the unity of taij people of the emphasis and assurance with which they claim these th things ings to be true is that each man and woman has haa received a testimony tor for himself or herself nor are they exclusively exclusive ln in their feelings and views tor for they turn with an open and generous hand to the people of the whole world and say if you will follow in the same path and obey the same principles you too may many receive the same testimony some ome people say I 1 it is presumptuous for you mormons cormons to claim that you can see more clearly than we can and tatt your position is the safe one 11 it my may seem presume to them joseph smiths claim appeared presumptuous but we can only say in reply if you will have faith enough in god to put these things to the westfor test for yourselves and investigate them on their merits you shall know as we do that they are true and that what you call presumption impudence conceit and self sufficiency is only that natural zeal and desire for your w welfare which any child of god ought to feel and does feel for his fellow creatures who are in danger and need help the natural man is an enemy of god when we look at things naturally it means doubt darkness and despair but when we look at them spiritually it is light hope assurance s urance it is the prediction diction in our hearts of glory triumph and everlasting life we must not look down we must not take an earthly view of things if we do we will doubt every everything until bye and bye we will doubt our very existence the greek philosophers went so far as to do this spoke of things which were happening around them as things which seemed to be and could not make any positive absei assertion I 1 11 t is the spirit of this world which causes men to doubt and derido deride spiritual things thi they who doubt that joseph visitation ti from the father and the son from the angels peter james and john who doubt that he looked upon the glory of the celestial terrestrial rs re trial and teles bial worlds the eternal destiny of all gods creatures who are to be saved iq in various degrees g of glory according to their works they who doubt chete things be they saints or sinners Ger gentiles tiles or jews are en shrouded enshroud 2 by the spirit of this world which leads to darkness and despair the reason why there is ia so much darkness and distrust in relation to spiritual things to some extent among us hattei day saints so that we instinctively doubt a thing for the reason that it is a little marvelous is because that other prediction of the prophet is being fulfilled darkness shall cover the earb and gross darkness the minds of the people but concerning zion he said the lord shall arise upon thee and his glory shall be seen upon thee and the gentiles shall come to thy light and kings to the brightness of thy rising ab latter day saints let us not doubt but believe with all our souls doubts are traitors traitor they never accomplish com anything it is the men and women who have believed that have turned this world from the beginning g they are the steam and the electricity of the human race those who believe and have the courage of their convictions no matter how they may be derided denounced and despised who know for themselves find and have the courage to practice what they know and whose hearts are filled with a desire to illumine and save the souls of others let us keep the fire burning which god has kindled in our hearts do not give way to doubt hold on to the iron rod believe in god believe in joseph smith believe in our living prophets and apostles Ap ostlee accept miracles revel adom and all let the gentiles laugh and mock as they may it is not your place to imitate thern keep your lamps trimmed and burning for in such an hour as ye chak not the son of man cometh the greatest marvel of all the choir sang an anthem the song of the Ile redeemed deemed 1 the closing prayer was offered by patriarch john smith tiie THE offices of the western IT union ulon and dese et telegraph companies inthis in this citraro city aro to be separate alliy august 16 15 |
