| Show PRESIDENT WOODRUFFS communication 49 weeks ago yesterday august jtb eje was published in this journal a to fo the latter day 6 ante throughout 1 I the world from wilford biord goodru oo dru LT in be behalf hall ga ate tae quorum quork of the twelve apostles it was vas reveled received with gladness by wry every faithful ua member ember of t the e church to off it reamed reached 4 ly them t it ft has jaqw I 1 been duly duli reec rejected ted upon P tits its spirit and exhortations taken to V heart the leading object object of the epistle was to im erqin promulgate the fact that as ge q h nf aylor had cosed passed behind the tuto 0 oln his faith faithful qa breth brethren ria who F t preceded qi ded him to cooperate co operate with 0 PIN in n bringing rini rin I g to pass the ri righteous libeous kioses a 6 of the te I 1 almighty in relation fase P W e earth ari th the twelve weave apostles 4 postle g as W asir hag had ahsu assumed aed it 94 qt ch chief ef V presidency reside ilcy oyer over w church 4 ta abis a B catlon was tr e by av adice t co to which every LAX day y sant should give biye due at tie communication was necessarily Peu dious there be belag ipg a great dea 1 ed wa duhin thin a umsted space those WHO possess the same spirit by which welch it was dictated cap elaborate it aan their reflections truth troth be peung truth within aa the du all leant at and fruitful mind As a reminder 14 of the purport of the letter the me memories morits of the baines may be stirred rtin ed in relation to it we will introduce duce a jew adew quotations beginning begin with the a tollow following tug at As saints of the most high herh while aln let us give our hearts to god ourselves by keepin keeping his commandments have oil in our lamps amps our houses in order and hopefully an bad look forward to the day of e verance the pet time for the accomplishment of which is fast ap pros ching 11 in III order older that a people may give their newts byte to te god and sanctity sanctify themselves oy keeping his commandments they wat taut be religiously devoted in the full fall we seme of the term they should be filmed in the direction of the truth troth intellectually and morally this ihas means that the truth mast be named learned through ith the faculties with which mankind are endowed this is reached by diligent ion siad and the stimulus given to 41 by the presence cresence of the holy kerit the exer exercise else of the rt otman maus nature implies the culli Tir f a broad and comprehensive love not only ot of god and truth but of toe the human race there must be but little room in a narrow soul seul whose affections ate centered in himself and radiate within a narrow circle to receive ce ive a copious blessing blessi baw blak Dg from the father of love the cultivation of the moral nature is the adoption of a persists per persistence sisti nee in pursuing a course consistent with right and justice to determinedly edly regulate late the conduct by principle no matter what way may be the consequence indeed the immediate re result suit may aay appear to be disadvantageous 0 but the ultimate effect mu must st necessarily e e aarl 1 y be an increase of power there can be no departs departure e from truth disaster Ei separate from ultimate disaster nor can there be a conformity therewith without ultimate justification and reward all things are justified or condemned by law aw according as it is obeyed or infringed upon and no blessing is obtainable except upon the conditions upon which its possession is in predicated hence there is no royal road to exaltation the path aba leads to the glorious goal Is the path of principle thus by giving the exercise of 0 the whole nature of a mortal to the learn in g got of truth the love of god and his big fellowmen fel and obedience to correct principle can theT ulness alness of the stat ure ofia man in christor stor after the pattern of our lord be ba attained A man might yield a technical obedience to all the ordinances or sacramental secra menial observances of the gospel and yet fall far short of attaining attai ains an exaltation in the kingdom of god they are eternal laws and as necessary as any other portion of the plan but they are but the framework so to speak ol oi the religious superstructure that should be reared in every individual case they probably bear the same relation to the cultivation of the powers of man that the skeleton does to the body the high hiah spiritual cultivation clothes it with symmetrical shape and beauty the saints are advised to have oil in their lamps what does docs this auve expression tseu in me parable of ithe wise and foolish dirgins mean in to reference to the former a modern revelation states that they are those who have taken the holy spirit tor for their guide the other class are professing saints who have been absorbed in the pursuit of merely worldly advantage or have regulated their con duct by light forgetting thatis that it is the privilege of each tor for himself by comp complying loing with the conditions of companionship to be in possession of that monitor to garect h him an la iii the sphere in which he moves it appears that this class will aea ei en exercise the borrowing proclivity at the last moment and want to obtain a little oil from their more fortunate and consistent brethren who will then however have in the crisis that will prevail no time to w ste in looking after those who have hitherto perhaps held on tenaciously to their coat tails to have a supply of oil the holy spirit on band baad sufficient tor for every emergency it is necessary to trust in god and not rely upon the arm of flesh and to aili diligently gently seek to discover what conditions are congenial to that influence and what reau repugnant that spirit is exquisitely sensitive low if a cultivated pire pure and in telli gest friend be invited into a habitation and when he enters he nods finds eiery everything thing ip in copf confusion and ina in a filthy condition with pio probably bably a hog a at t ting emblem ot of selfishness reposing in oud one corner of the room abom how feng Is ia it suppo supposable sale he would remain and how long won would d it be before he be returnee after taking his bis departure certainly not that aw dwelling aling had undergone q a thorough scrubbing 9 and an cleaning c ano and the appropriate I 1 inmate n lie of the sty bd b ien ed replevy removed to m bit his own quarters quarte well then the be saints should be tho the bem fem em pies of god 11 or of the holy ghost who has no fellowship for actual material f filth nor for ar an unclean spiritual ual condition such as selfishness impure thoughts ht s I 1 lustful or covetous desires in all the aagat affairs 8 of life every incident that ha occurs it is needful that the correct reg principle upon which to apt ve be ascertained pertained erta ined and then adhere to it 9 otherwise ther emust be a loss of 01 spiritual power the matter pt setting the bluses gf gathe the faints ailts in order is ia one ofte of momentous importance the family is a compact compart organized organised organ sed led body of which the man is 13 tae tae head cud and the woman being united with him blip the two in their relative spheres preside over their rp children hildren gach each member occupies his or her sphere and when there is any do departure from it a schism in ig the rev result v sad and confusion inevitable it sometimes occurs that conditions in the family circle are completely reversed the cull dren ruling the women woman and the women woman her huso husband and comparing the patriarchal or famil lankily tk a ays ya tem lem to the kuman body when aba reversal of its order exists it is equal to the incongruous spectacle of a man endeavoring to walk on an his bands with his hia leet feet iu in the air asa necessary consequence when such is the case locomotion is impeded progress imperceptible and the exhibition absurd A well ordered and regulated family where the spirit of devotion and love of god permeates is one of the best institutions on earth for young people to graduate from la that respect it is far ahead of the most thorough coll college that was ever established it is there tb ar where the f fundamental principles that should underlie a sound education are implanted in the human mind it to is there where shape hape and impetus are given to 10 the future life its current being thus directed into proper ard and useful channels let us not seek occasion casioa oc for offense one against another is the language of the venerable apostle how necessary it la is tt the people should obey that the nonobservance of which is a prolific sot source irce of injustice and dit disunion union no man should be made an offender for a word and the role of the mischief maker should be studiously avoided the talebearer tale bearer who is also a mirrel re of facts is unworthy the title of saint he is the causa cause ol of incalculable trouble by his bis capacity for forbearing bearing false witness jae he will frequently make statements regarding his bis brother that cause a feeling to exist against the latter leaving him in entire ignorance of the reason tor for estrangements estrange ments that may ensue and without an opportunity to defend himself against aspersions cast upon airon him la in some instances the receiver and believer of the insinuations of ibis clas is a participator in the wrong ata effectual antidote to the doings doing dof of tte rhe tattler who seeks to build himself upon the shadows he be casts on otla others ers is to bring him hiba face to fact face with those upon whom he reflects A few lessons in that line might result in some instances in a 4 cure when the complaint has not reacted the chronic stage one of the most important injunctions cont contained aimed in the communication is in reference to the proper and legitimate use of the holy priesthood it has bl been een given tor for specific and saying saving objects and when diverted from channels to the purpose of gaining personal advantage the power pertaining to it departs the possessor being lett felt barren of its authority and gitts I 1 when used for tle the furtherance of the h e objects for the attainment of which it has been bestowed tie he who thus employs it is en rapport rap 1 with the invisible church behind tr the I 1 vail and the powers of heaven by whose wisdom and not that of mere mortality be will be led on this su subject there is nothing more beautiful appropriate or strikingly true than the following words of the prophet joseph smith behold there are many called but few are chosen and why are they not chosen because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world and aspire to the honors of men that they do not learn this one lesson that the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness that they may be conferred upon us it is true but when we wb undertake to cover our sins or to gratify our pride our vain ambition or to exercise control I 1 or dominion domia ioD or co ca upon the souls of the chil childred dreu of men in any degree decree of unrighteousness behold the heavens withdraw themselves the spirit of the lord Js s grieved and when it is ia withdrawn amen to the priesthood or the autho authority Lity of that man behold ere he is aware he is left unto himself to kick against the pricks to persecute the salute saints and to against ve ast god we have learned hy by sad experience that it is the abe nature and dispost tiou tion of almost all men as soon as t they hey get a little authority as they suppose they wilt will begin to exercise d unrighteous brighte ous dominion hence many are palled but few are chosen so no power or influence can or ought aught t to 0 b be e maintained by virtue of the priesthood only by persuasion by long suffering sufferina by gentleness and aad meek meekness ness and by love by kindness I 1 and pure know knowledge fedge which greatly enlarge the squi without without geue vi |
