Show meditations ON OK THE GOSPEL Diw discourse ourse deli delivered verea at the general cox conference of the church in the tabernacle salt sall lake city friday april 6 1894 by ELDER GEORGE TEASDALE BY ARTHUR WINTER 1 I 1 am deeply thankful to our heavenly father vather for the privilege of visiting this cita cit associating with my brethren in council to uncil and attending this conference M my Y soul has rejoiced in the instructions fixin given and the spirit that is here I 1 left colonia juarez on the 3rd ard of march garch to attend two days conference meetings at colonia dublan of the mexican mission we went from there to sonora visited colonia oaxaca on river enjoyed very much the h association ocia tion of the saints and organ iz izcoa ward it is a lovely country for those e who desire plenty ot of room and a mea beautiful su ticul climate we returned from milo ra to colonia diaz held two days ward ard c conference on ference meetings there and then ben came to deming on our way to attend d this conference we were very much blessed in our administrations apostles brigham young and john henry on ty smith and myself have been laboring lab bring in the mexican mission and have hid had a very profitable time with the h S saints amt we have five or six bettl settlements e in mexico and are growing and increasing ncr easing ing we consider that we have ot bt I 1 over the worst of our experience in in alirie the foundation of new settle tic nests the th e brethren and sisters that win ah mexico went there because deause they 10 relieved keli eved that was where the lord ranted their labors one of the breth econ some soma intimation of his being eleaser d from that mission stated that bilia he be had ha no no desire to be released our beav heavenly en ly father had bad opened his eyes to td the understanding that th that at was theire where his labors were required and he was perfectly willing to stay I 1 believe we should bould bee be satisfied in our own minds hat at where hiir our labors are there is where he e lord wants us then we will build dp 60 and make glad the earth beautifying it ft as well as we possibly can and making it blossom like the rose I 1 will say r for or the benefit of those who are inter osted that we are prospering in the ket mexican ican mission and that we are doing 48 w beell ellasue as we could hope to do we e have only been there seven years and nd we e have some very creditable buildings an we have a good tannery and a flour mill we have also a cannery that uses more fruit than we can supply the progress that we have made there is is certainly wonderful those who visit us are very much surprised it is a good country for those who feel that t that hat is the place of their mission we are going the way the prophets have declared concerning that mission and the future of zion I 1 desire to offer a few meditations this afternoon in connection with the principles of the gospel that were spoken of by elder john W taylor this morning these words I 1 wish to refer you to that he read paul an apostle not of men neither of man but by jesus christ and god the father who raised him from the death paul an apostle not of men did jesus christ ordain him I 1 think not who ordained him peter I 1 presume and who ordained peter jesus christ to what end was this ordination in order that this gospel might be preached by authority that mankind might be called to repentance and repenting have baptism for the remission of sins by authority and hands laid upon them for the reception of the holy ghost why because this is the doctrine of christ the only way to be saved the principles of the gospel are eternal without beginning of days or end of years the lord jesus christ said except a man be bom again he cannot see the kingdom of god again except a man be born bom of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of r god 11 we believe that jesus christ understood the principles that he advocated we believe that his is the only name under heaven whereby chereb V mankind can be s saved a v ed and when we appeal to bur hea heavenly v enly father for anything that we desire we ask in the name of the lord jesus christ Paulin paul in speaking of the necessity of authority said for whosoever shall call upon the name of the lord shall be saved how then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed and how shall they be lieve in him of whom they have not heard and how shall the hear without a preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent as it is written how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things on another occasion paul in speaking of the necessity of being called of god gd to preach his gospel said no man this honor unto himself but he that is called of god as was aaron paul declared that he was called of jesus christ were not all th the e apostles called of jesus christ and when one fell into transgression and mathias was chosen to fin fill his place in the quorum was he not called oi of jesus christ was war he not ordained by authority and sent forth t to preach reach his gospel my brethren an and V si sisters it is necessary if the principles of truth are preached that they e be advocated by men who have authority a tk arity in the formula given con berning baptism the person having authority to baptize says to the candidate for baptism calling him or her by etame name having been commissioned of jesus desus christ I 1 baptize you in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy ghost now this would b be e terrible blasphemy if he did not have the authority he e does not officiate in his bis own named name but in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy ghost having authority to do so I 1 look jook upon the rejection of this gospel as a very serious thing I 1 have wondered why the apostleship was taken from theearta the earth and why the church was not continued continued continue a upon the earth and the only answer that I 1 could get t to 0 give i me satisfaction was because of the dreadful condemnation that rests upon the inhabitants of the earth when they reject the word of the lord through his authorized servants we understand that the apostles were murdered and the world re rejected them paul said speaking of t the he or of the church of christ Chris tv god hath set some in the church first apostles secondarily prophets thirdly teachers what for for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the bo body of christ till we all come in the linay unit pathe af the faith th and of the knowledge of the son ol 01 of god jesus taught that to keow god and jesus christ whom he had sent was eternal life and this knowledge asprom is prom ased unto the children of our heavenly HL avell y father when wego we go forth to preach this gospel Gospe twe we bear testimony that our heavenly father has again spoken from the heavens that he has organized his church upon the earth and that joseph smith was a true prophet sent of god and we call upon the people to worship him who made the heavens and the earth the seas and the fountains of waters we call upon men to accept of ills his doctrine and to repent that they may obtain the remission of their sins by baptism and be prepared for the reception of the holy ghost so that they may be guided by it and taught of god goa our heavenly father says look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth he encourages us to hearken u unto nto him the ancient apostles under the influence of his spirit encouraged the C people eople in their day as we do today we say if any of you lack wisdom let him ask ot of god that to all men liberally and up br aideth not and it shall be given him but the people have not faith and without faith it is impossible to please god we must believe that he is and that he is a of those who diligently seek him or we will not seek him we know very well that in all organizations and governments it is necessary to have authority and that no man can act in any position except he has authority unless he be does it fraudulently there are those whose right it is to issue issue that authority and all agents have to receive their proper credentials do you not think that the house of god is a house of order do you not think that our heavenly father has a perfect organization in his church why certainly we learn from the history which has been handed banded down to us in the sacred scriptures that the lord jesus christ chose twelve apostles those were the first officers that he chose he ordained them and sent them forth to preach his gospel jesus christ was a high agh priest and an apostle he also had the power to ordain other apostles and high priests afterwards he ordained seventy others and sent them forth to preach his gospel giving them authority to go forth and to heal the sick and perform such miracles as the people might have faith to receive now had that church continued upon the earth there would have been no necessity for that which john saw in a vision when he was upon the isle of patmos he says 1 I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven daviti having lg the evell everlasting asting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people saying with a loud voice fear god and give glory to him for the hour of his judgment is come and worship him that made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountains of waters As I 1 say there would be no necessity for this angel flying through the midst of heaven it this gospel were on the earth but john in the revelation given unto him had seen the church go into the wilderness and the priesthood taken up into heaven he had seen the establishment lish ment of a great power that was to hold all nations in subject subjection on in the which all would drink of the wine of her fornication and this prior to the judgments of the almighty being poured out upon the inhabitants of the earth because they had bad everia re rejected j acted his gospel and broken the everlasting tin g covenant they had changed the ordinances and they were teaching false doctrines and would not repent I 1 wish to bear my testimony that we are living in this hour of gods judgment and that the gospel of the kingdom is being preached to all nations for a witness thus giving the nations a time for repentance this gospel reached us upon the isles of the sea and upon the continents and we all received our blessing through that priesthood that our heavenly father restored to the earth joseph smith and oliver cowdery bore testimony that john the baptist visited them and conferred upon them the priesthood they also bore testimony that peter james and john visited them and conferred the apostleship and high priesthood these testimonies are true those of this congregation who have obeyed the gospel Gosp eland and received the holy ghost know that their testimonies are true As I 1 know so they know and I 1 know that god lives I 1 know that jesus is the christ I 1 know that joseph smith was a true prophet sent of god I 1 have seen the signs promised by christ fo follow I 1 the believer it was said by one of the brethren this morning that some claimed we did not enjoy the gils and the blessings of the gospel like we did in the early days of the church I 1 would be sorry if that were true why because it would demonstrate to me that instead of increasing in faith the church was waning in faith I 1 can testify that where I 1 have labored that f faith aith is not decreasing for I 1 have seen marvelous healings by the power of god that the people have confidence in the ordinances of the house of god is manifested on fast day by the number of bottles of oil that are brought to be consecrated to be used in the administrations rations unto the sick I 1 do not know how it is with you here but with us generally the oil is consecrated upon the thursday fast day I 1 know that the organization of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints is the church of the living god I 1 have known it for a great many years I 1 was educated in the episcopalian church I 1 came out of that church in 1852 and from that time to this I 1 have been more or less engaged in the work of the ministry in this church I 1 have had a variety of of experiences have traveled a great many miles and have preached a great many times to the flory glory of our heavenly father be it said I 1 have borne testimony to the establishment of the church of christ time and time again and I 1 am not afraid to meet anybody behind the veil who can say to me your testimony was false I 1 have had ample demonstration that the gifts and blessings promised are in the church I 1 know that the spirit of prophecy is in the church I 1 have been on missions I 1 have been set apart for these missions under the hands of apostles and the they have predicted concerning me as though though they knew the work that I 1 was about to accomplish and those prophecies have been fulfilled I 1 am here today a living witness to testify to that now in all loving kindness we oner offer this gospel to priest and people we ask them to consider these things we ask them for their own sakes to repent of their sins to turn from the error of their ways and to worship the only living and true god to come and assist us in the establishment of his righteousness upon the earth to cease their false doctrines and to humble bumble themselves like little children before our heavenly father as we had to do and to present unto him the acceptable sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit it is on the same principle that we entreat the saints to be kind to themselves to pay their just tithes and offerings to live their religion to be faithful in prayer and in setting a godly example to act honorably and uprightly to be honest and cli chaste aste to be tov lov ing gentle and kind we thus appeal to them with all love in our hearts that they may enjoy the blessings that are bestowed by our father upon those who love him and keep his commandments the lord has said that if we will love him and keep his command ments we shall prosper in the land he has also said in reference to the law of tithing if my people observe not this law to keep it holy and by this law sanctify the land afi zion unto me that my statutes and my j judg ments may be kept thereon that it m may be most holy behold verily venly I 1 say unto you attl shall not be a land of zion unto you then what shall we do will we b be faithful and true and do his will or will we be satisfied with the theory of the gospel and be like the man that sees see his likeness in the glass and goes away and forgets what manner of mani man he is are we g going 0 in g to lish the character that we heard the word but never obeyed it and that by our ejai example aple we used our influence against his statutes being beings kept in the land we are making some kind of a record we are either willin willing and obedient or we are unwilling un unwilling willin g a anat disobedient this comes to us 1 d iv id bally do I 1 keep the commandment commandments command men 1 of god do I 1 rob god D do 0 I 1 treat trea him with contempt do I 1 despise hi his counsels or am I 1 willing and obed bent le arping of his ways and walking in his paths doing his will that I 1 mayl may be established in his everlasting righteousness I 1 tell you if we were to do so there would not be any qui question s tion with regard to our children for we would have such love for our childr children that we would not neglect them but we would teach them the principles or of righteousness by practice as well as by precept we we would be able to say to them follow me as I 1 follow christ if we are his disciples ought we not to t be I 1 think so this is whit what our heavenly father requires of us 1 think he has exhorted us to be ex 4 men and women |