| Show SUNDAY SERVICES religious services were held in the tabernacle sunday june 12 1887 commencing at 2 p m president angus M cannon presiding the choir and congregation sang may yve we who know tile the jo joyful ful sound still practice what we inow know the opening prayer was offered by elder L edward dward davis the choir sang on that dark that solemn night when powers ot of earth and hell arose the Sacra sacrament meat was administered by the priesthood of the sixteenth ward ELDER K R W SLOAN addressed the congregation the longer he be lived and the more he had occasion to addic acs s congregations of saints the more ke felt himself powerless a I 1 to t give expression bion to the principles princia of the gospel in an adequate maner agles her in liag tic he desired it under i bood the that hla his words were directed to 9 hamsen ILI much as te t wk ms the latter day saints were held by a majority of the world to be a peculiar people whose belief was erroneous on one occasion on his bis mission after a discourse which the speaker had bad delivered one of his auditors said to him it would not do for all of us to see alike no 11 replied the speaker for if we did I 1 should be conscious that I 1 was wrong it Is not consistent to expect that all mankind will see the truth alike the truths which the people of christendom so highly prize today to day originated from one man and he had the whole world arrayed in opposition to him in all fields of knowledge and in all the sciences history shows that the masses of mankind have ever been opposed to truth this is especially true of religious truth thero the komans and jews regarded the teachings of jesus as false and dangerous and calculated to destroy patriotism and family ties among those who believed on him many of the works that have been written in opposition to the lat ter day saints have been dictated by the same spirit that inspired the persecution se against the savior carlisle and other philosophers declare that majorities are always wrong the speaker declared that he would rather be right than as henry clay remarked be president of the united states or even to be ruler of the whole world tor for the knowledge of right will ultimately result in the acquisition 1 by its possessor of the power which god designs to bestow it upon pon the faithful faitha al among men the history dof the edans proves that in their system therease there ther eare are truths of great power their religion has been a shelter in which many millions have rested and the accomplishments of those who have believed in it prove that it embraces much truth and yet we are so conceited as well as stupid that we imagine that we possess all the truth there is the latter day saints can teach the world that the key which unlocks happiness is obedience not to man but to god and the ordinances 0 of his gospel there is no real and permanent happiness for ns in this world nor in the world to come unless we build as we are directed by our beav enly eather bather the latter day saints believe that it is not sufficient ent for a man to rely wholly on his reason for reason to be infallible must be the result of infinite knowledge how do we know that baptism is a means of remitting sin not by the operation of our own limited reasoning powers but because we are so taught by the scriptures in olden times there was a man named naaman an officer who was afflicted with leprosy in his household was a hebrew maiden who told him that if he be would apply to the jewish prophet the latter would tell him of a means whereby he might be cleansed the prophet directed him to wash himself in the jordan seven times naaman was angry at first but afterwards determined to follow the directions he dipped himself in the jordan once but he was not cleansed again and again did he be go into the water and still lie be was not cleansed not until he had complied with the conditions upon which the blessing of health was to be obtained by washing himself seven times after the seventh immersion sionne he was clean from this example we learn that it is by obedience and compliance with the conditions upon which a blessing is predicated thatis is obtained when men learn to be led by the spirit of ef god in all things then will come the time when it will be no longer necessary for a man to say to his neigh neighbor bor I 1 I 1 kno know w ye tile the lord I 1 I 1 and when the knowledge of god will cover the earth as the waters do the deep then will we be willing to forego our own reason if it conflicts with his will bishor BISHOP 0 0 F WHITNEY next addressed the congregation it had bad been said by the previous speaker and many times before that the latter la ater day saints are a peculiar people entertaining or original I 1 i nal views of life lie and death the th e religion which this p people i i teach has been called a mixture i tu re or medley of other systems for men of almost al lother religions christian and pagan have been able to discover a great if not an exact similarity between some of the doctrines of this people and some of their own the catholic methodist presbyterian all find something in mormonism that reminds them of their own religions so with believers in pagan systems t so evident is this that it has been said that the men who framed this systems drew upon all others for materials this however is a mistake I 1 mormonism lisa isa new revelation peculiar in one sense sease in this age yet not peculiar to this age it having been upon the earth before we believe that in all systems of religion there is truth and that god is the source of all truth and intelli intelligence gence all truth and morality have come from god and if mixed with error it is because men have departed from the true way while retaining relies relics of what once existed in perfection mormonism is 18 a system of iop ioli which had its origin in the eternal worlds before this planet was rolled into existence and is the plan by which this world and its inhabitants will ultimately be redeemed god to is a being ol of such magnanimity that he has provid provided td d for the salvation of all ma kind and wis th religion called is the plan of la in I 1 its to purity atia 80 W VM net slit art prophet to promulgate thid religion to the world he did not recognize it by the name dame of mormonism when it was first revealed to him mormonism jolts as its nickname given it by the world you may call it mormonism christianity or what you will but it is the original and only plan of salvation the same yesterday toy today to day y and forever adam the first man preached what the world calls mormonism Mormont sm he taught faith in god repentance of sin baptism for the remission of sin laying on hands for the gift of the holy G hoot ghost etc these are ane eternal principles e le by which salvation can be obtained bi t by y these principles all men may be redeemed save only those whose crimes are so great whose vileness is so deep that they cannot be saved these are called the sons of perdition these are they who have hare sinned against light and knowledge crucified the son of god afresh thrown away trampled u upon on the power which would have exalted acted them to celestial happiness had bad they remained true and faitha al and turned utterly from the truth like the washed sow to its wallowing in the mire for such we are told there is no forgiveness in this world or the world to come they must remain filthy still being devoid of the clements clemento of salvation in their own souls and having sinned away the last opportunity port ort unity for redemption pitiable indeed ned is their condition but all the rest of the human race no matter in what age or er country born nor to what system of religion they have been allied after being uly duly punished and chastened chasteney chast ened for their sins sing will be saved in those degrees of glory which they severally merit ment according to the deeds done in the body this plan of salvation has been revealed through many prophets in different ages of the world but of the wickedness and unbelief of the children of men it has been re repeatedly e withdrawn withdraw a and taken back into heaven beaven heave beave e n to be revealed on earth again and a again in whenever god has seen that there a e were e r e souls here prepared to re ceide it though the wicked had put to death the prophets through whom has been revealed this system of salvation god has raised up other men acting in subordinate capacities to keep alive faith in him and in sote some principles until the time again cao caf around to restore the gospel in its ulness thus though the sun may have set the stars were sent forth to light tile the world and keep the knowledge of god burning to some extent in the hearts of the children of men and those who have been living according to the best light they possessed when they hear the f illness of the gospel proclaimed by the servants of god see in it a light simi larto that which they had cherished only greater we W do abot teach baptism by immersion because the baptists baptista do nor juts UH tin cation by faith because martin luther father did we do not draw upon mohammedanism bamme hamme for any doctrines in their system we honor truth and virtue wherever we see it but bat we are not indebted to any portion of the human family for anhof any of the principles of the gospel men is ia every land lana have retained features of the gospel as relies relics of toe the different dispensations in which I 1 it t has existed on earth but we have received it in its falness from its fountain fountana head in these the latter days this is the attitude atti tade which mormonism takes lakes it may seem arro antl but we cannot help what god gas as done christendom has departed arted from the original faith lost lost the priesthood and mingled with the gospel the errors of men all due honor to them for the truth they have retained and all due honor to all men who serve god honest honestly y and according to the best beat light th they ev h have ve but the sun san has now risen anif and the stars must pale the procla proclamation matio n has gone forth inviting sit all men to embrace in its f ful ul ness the gospel of salvation this earth is destined to become a heaven there will be a new he heaven aven and a new anew earth the new heaven which john the apostle saw was evidently this earth in its glorified condition the new earth doubtless an other planet perhaps not yet formed to be rolled into the track of this ope one when it is taken nearer to the throne of god as the city of enoch was taken in days of old it is to save man men not to damn them that god creates them it is to redeem worlds that he rolls them into existence not to destroy them damnation is the last and feard fearful al alternative ater native after all other means have been tried only those will be eternally destroyed who cast the pearl of truth down and trample it jn in the dust after it has bees placed upon their brows we are looking for the return of the city of enoch which was sanctified by truth and righteousness aad which will be the leaven that will aia leaven this whole lump of clay our earth and fit it by gradual degrees ees for celestial glory let not the latter day saints be vain or proud because god has called them to such a great mission as that which rests upon them we must be all the humbler and purer to be worthy of it wemusa we must be as salt that has retained its savor if we would be the saviors of mankind we must exemplify in our lives zion the pure in heart a type of that zio zion n yet to be built up on earth in the day when mercy and truth will kiss each other when zion frow from below as the symbol of truth from earth will rise to meet zion from above the boym DOI 91 1 I trea ROM dmn |
