Show SUNDAY SERVICES four returned missionaries give I 1 their heir testimony regarding mormonism 11 religious services were held in the tabernacle salt lake city sunday dec 11 II 1887 commencing at 2 ln in president angus M cannon presiding the choir and congregation sans sang 0 jesus the giver ot of all we enjoy prayer was uy oy hider elder john sears the choir sang again we meet around the board ui ot jesus our rede redefining eining lord the bishopric of the twenty first ward officiated in ia the administration of the ELDER DAVID EMERY was called to address the congregation he said that a little over two years ago he had been called on a mission to vie southern states and had labored in the state of mississippi sippi he had felt it a great greal honor to go I 1 orth forth and preach the everlasting gospel epel all manner of emilis evil is spoken against the latter day saints because they testily tout mat god has again spoken from the heavens beavens and established ills his king kingdom dona for the last time and because tirey testify of the same powers and gilts gifts that were enjoyed by toe ancient saints the world nas been to believe that all these things are arc done away that it is not necessary to do toy the works of righteousness but only oaly to believe in christ I 1 in order to secure the blessings of eternal lire IA the lat ter day saints under stend that these teachings of al apostate otate christianity are erroneous they believe that hose e who are pure will receive salvation while those who repent not of their sins will not obtain so great a blessing the elders go forth to preach the gospel and teach its fuad fundamental principles many people enquire abow plural marriage but in mississippi nearly two years ago a law nad been passed forbidding the teaching of this principle and the elders were ere thus thas inhibited from irn answering any questions relative thereto la in the youth south at the present time there was more of the spirit of inquiry among the people as to the doctrines of the gospel than there had been for years yet these who embraced it are cast out oui e from among toe people and even turned agal against by their nearest relatives tives the elders in their labors realized the truths of Ia isaials Isaia lahs hs declaration regarding zion no weapon that la is formed against ainest thee shall prosper and every lougue tongue that shall rise nse in judg thee thou ehalt condemn the testimony of the holy ghost follow ed the acceptance of tile the gospel by the people some in utah al for the welfare and lives of the elders in the sout southern r states there was no occasion hi for r this fear the speaker had bad felt as safe while in his held as he did at home when he was first called lie he lett uneasy but realizing that t ue ne call was from god he be went and in his missionary labors the uneasiness passed away and even when he was called to meet with mobs he felt perfectly calm and through the blessing of the almighty he was preserved from harm the speaker bore testimony to the restoration of the gospel and the ultimate triumph of the kingdom of god the truth would overcome the evil and with this assurance the saints had every reason to feel encouraged in obeying all the commandments of god gad ELDER ELDEK JOHN W SAUNDERS was the next speaker he was pleased with the privilege of meeting with the saints after an absence of twenty six months in the southern states lie he did not realize the contentious condition of the professed christians christiana until he went on a mission the calling of the latter day saints was to preach the gospel in all the world preparatory to the second coming of christ they had received the authority tor for this work through the revelations of the lord to the prophet joseph smith the gospel they taught was identical in all respects with that taught by jesus and his apostles and as he was opposed and persecuted so also are the saints opposed and persecuted b by y the world but the true saints are b built alit the sure foundation of the t truth ruth which had been revealed from h heaven eaven in this dispensation they expect to partake of persecution the beri heritage tage of those who live godly in christ jesus jestis they have been chosen out of the world and the world hates them they preach the gospel to tile the poor and proclaim it without money and without price the reward toi fox which they look is the blessing of eternal life which was promised by jesus to those who did ills his will tae saints had letl left all for the gospels sake and had been greatly blessed spiritually aad temporally temporal lr the elders teach that the signs will follow the believer aud these teachings are exemplified among the people toe the saints inandan in and appreciated precia I 1 recia ted these gifts aud blessings F if f there is an instance where the testimony of abe truth is not given it is because tho th will of god has bits not been obeyed the saints dainis of today are en titled tilled to the blessing promised by the savior just as the saints were anciently the thedo do brines trines they teach are infallible being from heaven they have the authority to proclaim those bioc trio trios tints s and to officiate in the name of the lord navina navi nj received that authority from him film if they adhere to what they know to be i they will al always progress on en tia road to eternal life the speaker commented upon the discordant becs secs of christendom and exhorted the saints to be united in the cause of truth doing all things whatsoever gd commanded them the present adeis age is the time when bhea the lord in pruning arumn his vineyard for the last time for the accomplishment of this work the saints saidea were being gathered together and they should not fall fail to so live that they might have the approval apuron al of their heavenly father elder saunders bore testimony to the truth train ol of the gospel and aad its ita promulgation by the latter day saints their work was not yet complete but under the blessing of at the almighty they would continue in their holy calling 11 notwithstanding all adverse circumstances cum stances eldell R 13 T TAYLOR said that for three years past he had been on a mission to toe tae sandwich Is islands lauds there it had been nece necessary to preach in the toni conae tue slid and he be now f found 0 and some city to in expressing himself in public in his own language he had gone out in response to the call of the servants auts of god and he preached the gospel as taught by the lord jesus and ills his disciples he had called on toe people to love and and to conform to the plan of salvation which he save gave the speaker had bad witnessed the gifts eitts of the holy ghost signs follow those who obeyed the gospel and knew that these things were with the church it was necessary for all to have bave a testimony of the truth and if they failed in obtaining it id the fault was their own the everlasting gospel had aad been restored to earth as predicted by john ahe the revelator it had been brought in its f falness to prepare are a people for tho the coming of the lord tord elder taylor testified that apostles apos les and prophets and revelation were as necessary lu in the church today as thy were anciently he exhorted the saints to be faithful in all their actions to that which they knew to be right brother taylor concluded by sida a few remarks in the E kanaka tongue tangue to the hawaiian saints present H BURROWS was the last speaker he bad also been on a mission having reen r een cen I 1 in a virginia for over two y yf ars his experience peri ence in ia preaching the gospel had bad been a great bl blessing essink to him the elders of the cb church of jesus chr christ is tot ot litter latter day saints saint were called by livine authority they trusted in the lord and when they were humble they were never confounded they proclaimed the restoration of liae everlasting gospel an idea which was wag not very acceptable to most of the bodd woi ld but some were led by investigation to realize its truth and to receive the plan of salvation A universal apostasy had been foretold by the ancient prophets and a comparison of the doctrines christendom today with those promulgated lord jesus as well as a review ul of the history of the world showed plainly that that apostasy had taken take ty place ares A restoration to ration ot of the gospel had bad also ben been predicted and had bad come to pass ag the revelations of god to the prophet joseph smith the latter day saints claim to t be the true cauich of christ and present undeniable groots of the truth of their claim elder burrows barrows exhorted the saints to be true and faithful and bore a strong testimony to the truth of the gospel the choir sang and benediction was pronounced by elder henry heary P web ards |