Show AND PRO prospective for many centuries goleby go neby twit hearn and earth silence had reigned the voice of god the great eternal who called abram abrain forth to leave his kindred and his native land had not for ages reached a mortal ear foote fools in their hearts declared 11 there is 18 so no god 11 though jesus said except youre one you are not mine the christian sects pacts who claim to i have the gospel as he taught were multiplied and each contending tor for the preference and all maintained the body of the th lord Is represented by the church on earth but it if these sects can be acknowledge his what a vast multitude of bodies else his one must be in many fragments torn the wheel of time roald on and met the verge of a new dispensation this the last the closing one the set th appointed time tor for god to do a strange a wonder work ork preparatory to messiahs reign prefacing acing this august sublime event the long long silence must be broken and the voice of god on earth eaith be heard one once more As aa was his wont cheneler neler he converse held with mortal man hold hed prophets at corn com to bear his messages pee and teach his will I 1 or orthis this grand purpose he had bad raised up one an unsophisticated honest youth whom wham he had chosen and had fore ordains ord aind to see his face his ape vice to hear to take the lead in the last of A fallen world to stop the downward ebb of lifes coT corrupted apted stream and bid it through A purifying channel upward flow to organize the church of jesus christ precisely by the former pattern givena with prophets and apostles governments with gifts and powers to heal authority to cast out devils and to speak in tongues A church which jesus christ will own as his the prophet did gods bidding thol op posed by hellish wrath and human ignorance unfettered and by man made creeds his mind upward to the living fount of truth and wisdom knowledge faith and power he mast erld languages and sciences and principles of vast eternal weight A worker and a student till his death having a mission great and grand ho he sealed scaled his bis testimony oay with bis big blood but bat yet the church of christ of latter day which by the prophet god established lives and wilt will altho opposed by earth and hell bell though persecution which our savior said would be the lot of those who follow him has oft full of oft t with arms outstretched the path bestrode the church has never made a halt oft times from place to place by robbers driven and last of all they drove us from nauvoo to go as abram did we knew not where perchance they wished they hoped they thought wed starve and die and buzzards fatten 0 on 11 our flesh our bones be left to bleach upon the lone wild waste human toot foot but god was with us and they pew it not he by his noble chieftain brigham young with wisdom from the courts on high endowed led to te these isolated mountain vales A desert wilder wilderness neds a sterile waste A crowning climax of all dreariness but peace was vies here sweet peace our lega claim usurped by those who forced our exile light flight for centuries the soil had slept the sleep of death while none but savage feet had kissa the sod no tree nor shrub adorned this salt lake city plat flat the mountains then with their attractions uncontested chatin charm drew to their summits all of showers and left the valleys dry and here we were the church of god the saints of latter day must draw forth from this death soil a sustenance tena te uze or perish what a predicament I 1 who of mortal mould unarmed with mighty faith in the eternal god but would have quailed before the ghastly prospects sullen scowl not so the saints in an the almighty arm we put our trust with willing hearts and hands NervI dby by a living faith we worked and prayed and with thanksgiving ate our scanty bread I 1 we dug dag the ChA channels for the waters coursel course and taped the creeks the creeks were very few and far between and strewed their waters on the thirsty land which drank and craved braved and drank I 1 11 till it revived and brought forth nourish ment we tore the saplings from the mountains brow which grew the lovely shade trees that I 1 adorn adom our oar cities sidewalks side walks and in summer heat produce a grateful cool refreshing shade yes such it was and what is utah now the boast of friends and envy of our toes foes who wrought the change god and his hie saints sainte and made the desert blossom as the rose A crusade now inaugurated in our midst retards regards progressions onward move but what disturbers disturb ers of our peace shall do against the church will be berru ed or good the drama will enacted be each acts a part to all the choice is free our persecutors make a sad mistake they earn our pity by the cloice choice they make all in the harvest reap the crop we sow and they in theirs will garner garnar only woe who shed the blood of innocence will feel the wrath of god from which theres no appeal our foes in bl blindness I 1 now exult and think the church beneath their lash is bound to sink crushed it may seem in their distorted view and still be gaining strength and prestige too from vile vile oppressions oppress ions bondage twill come forth in glorious light with to gladden earth but Bute ere rethe the dramas clo close seand and curtains tall fall will good good result from scenes which now appall tins this crusade furnace heat will purify the church from hypocrites and all that lw lie from those whose hearts arg are set on worldly gain and all who sacred covenants cova covI ants nants break in twain and justice will resume their throne thione and mans oppressiveness shall be unknown the son of god the prince will come again with all his saints in majesty to reign I 1 EBBS S salt lake city jan 1887 1881 |