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Show A PERSONAL TESTIMONY OF THE BOSPEL - (Dy Prof. Lofter DJrBasoa, Delif-, Delif-, red at Devotional Exercises' ' Brlgham Young CoUogo, February 1, 1021) " "Old things aro passed awayf bo-lold bo-lold all things arc becomo now."s' Thus It ecemed to Apostle Paul at-er at-er ho had been delivered from "this body ot death" after he bad began to llro tho Christ Ufa and spend hu days "in the labor and travail, In watching after, In hunger and thirst. In fastings often,, tq cold and nakedness." naked-ness." It Is Just ruch a'chango'thatmuiit come to everyone' who fells the stir-' ring Impulse of a 'peroonaT testimony ot.tha gospel. We have aU'beca baptized bap-tized and confirmed members of the Church of Christ, but roost ot us have been passive recipients and have accepted, the hope ot our salvation upon tho authority of our parents and the priesthood of Ood. We have been Inclined to rest contentod after complying with these Initiatory ordinance or-dinance ordinances of tho church. Wo have accepted the doctrines ot faith, repentance, laying on of hands and so on; but this Is as far as wo havn 'gone. It has all boon dono for self In tho interest of self salvation. Whenever a man has attained thn fullness ot a genulno testimony, he no longer rests content with more compliance, ho purposely seeks tho hlghor 11 to, tho Ufo ot harmony with his Heavenly Father and gives hlm-solt hlm-solt in truo nclf-forgctfulnesB to the service of others. His courso In life Is changed, ho becomes a new man, Theiif as with Paul, "old things a'v passed away, behold, all things arc I becomo now." Tho world ho now I views Is a now world fresh and pcau-ttfuf pcau-ttfuf ever changing, ever being rejuvenated re-juvenated and filled with a dlvino prosonco. "A presence that disturbs mo wltn tho Joy of clovatcd thoughts; n sense Eubllmo of something for moro deeply deep-ly Interfused." Tho man thus filled with tho spirit spir-it of Christ llko aervlco finds hlmscir treading constantly on holy ground. His heart beng filled with love, he finds beauty ovsrywhore. In the splendor,. Of-tho dawning day, In the purple, of thc-roflaatin; hills,, lnthe fastnesses :or tho forest, In tho .glory of tho golden harvest, In tho crimson radlanco of the setting sun. In the lives of living prophets,rln tho happy faces of ltttlo children, in ovcry noblo deed and kindly act of man, he be1 holds tho guiding hand and spirit ot God. All tho world la filled with "The light that never was on sea or land. The consecration and tho poet's droam." ' This dedication ot life to tho eor-ylco eor-ylco of tho Father transforms tho ordinary man .InVo a poet, yet moro tv'neer (ono who. sees) It you please, who no longer lives by "bread alono fant by every word ot Ood." Ho lives henceforth a llfb of admiration, divine di-vine contemplation, a Ufa of faith and hope an,d love. Alt that ho hears &nd sees and feels aro. but typical of spiritual realities which "eyo nath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have Intcrcd Into tho heart ot man." He who naa gained a real testimony testi-mony of tho gospel for himself has found God for himself, has established' establish-ed' communion with his Heavenly Father andgalned HIa spirit bo that ho Is nover alono on land or sea, no-whero no-whero alono, nlways In the presence of God's mossengor tho Holy Ghost. "Whither shall I go from Thy spirit or whlthor shall I flee from Thy presonce " "Speak to Hlra thou, for He hears and spirit and spirit can meet closer clos-er is Ho than breathing and nearer than hands and feet." For ono thus filled with the spirit ' of God, to pray ceases to bo a mere "saying ot prayers." cold, llfolcss, and formal. His prayers throb and pulsate with truo spiritual life and meaning. His prayers become a real communion with tho Holy Companion, Compan-ion, a child's plendlng with a bonac olent and generous paront, tho portions por-tions f a devoted son addresses to nn nftectlonato father. Through hi prayer ho gains dlvlno wisdom and power and love. So long as ono's testimony rests (Continued on Tago Eight) I : ft PERSONAL itS- ' TIMOfvY OF THE I BQtfEl BflJ .iConttnticd From Pago One) BB trft the testimony, of others, Is BH v'-ar'f;o- sllmhny bused BB I upon passive acceptance) one has not BH " prnvrr. H .' When enc finds for' himself tho true H and living God nnd Ilia plan ot snt-Bfl snt-Bfl ', -viu) rnnktfi (Ills plan function H In his urety ct in life, ho flrnt be-' Hj gltis In know tho deeper significance BB -fs of prayer. It Is not necessary for B $ Jin t fo discuss IV lint ma bo accom- BB i shftl through prayer. Ho does not BB r'-Iltopltlzf. about prayer, He does Bfl , v "say his prayers," ho prays. Ho BB jjj ripraaches his Heavenly Father full BBj '; confidence' nnd love. Ho opens H $ Jiln heart to him, tells Him all his BB M i -ret longing and aspirations, all j I hope and Joys and fears. Ho B , docs not stop to ponder over what I he stall ray or bow he shall say It BlB fi He rfofs not stop to analyze what Is BlB I Important and what trivial. Ho feels H J and Knows that the patience and B I sympathy of bis Father aro Infinites BBfl "are not flvo eparrowto sold for two 'R fnrtblugs and not one of thorn Is B fi forgottea by Odd? But oven tho very B ,0 hairs of your, .head arc numbered. BftV h Fear not, therefore, yo aro of moro Bljj vnloe than many sparrows." BBg j. Having obtained a personal teati- B 3 mony, pno no longer fears.- Ho de- BBj Jj Telops a trust and confidence that B f snrroounts all fear. Dpubt and de- BkB j patr aro removed from tho mind. The sout unfolds as anpontng flor- BBg !,; ( er. lie becomes lika unto a troc, by B ' a slowing strcatftMbcaTlngi rrull'to J ; the. honor end glory ot Ood. Such s B ' man'sUUe begins to Ehow.a.je.flnUq H ff itr.s or piirpoffi .hitherto unknown. 1'' To hln ''Take W Ihbught for your B n life,"' docs nt nean "a happy-go-lucky, fl attitude, to live vrltlVout palnataklr...! Bfj pfaif, tjllhout 'proper ptovlalon' for H tho future; it meant .t.q.Uve a fp ot BBg ' ccKtefitmcnt, free from anxiety, tor- H,l mentinp care nnd fear. It Is tho op- M f, tlRifatlc lire, 'full of Joy and nappl- &Y8 il( ihh One may not always bo con- H i! scloon of the great victory for ono extn not always lire In elevated splr- J ' Jtr. Emotional ardor Is suro to bo- Vj ccm cool at times and the men ot J tTV-.(ct faith must necessarily feel Ht atttmrn that the burden or porplex- J ! lcr homan rsperfences are' almost H rrwtei- titan they pan bear. But ov- 1' ra JrliVbc darhect hourthore Is -born I In wri'th'e soul 'of a nfan"' of God. the toothing etlllness bf'thr gcntln yrict that whlopcr! ''I'ctcc, peace!" ! (K'comes tho comforting assur- J- "Vbv ctoads ye o much dft-ad are H t.T; Wlth mercy and wll break with ' ' lirttlrifir onyoun head." I H' tAfne (hirticr bourn ot this pro-. Hi txtitonary oxlatcnco a cry of agony J Jl roajTbc wrung from tho ntoutost i ' Aii tt was w,'ung frcint th hoart t Jmuh tn the Oa,rden of Gethsom-ai-f But confidence will not fall V T-rWro has long put his trust In H ',f jiiord and he will feci It ho does H i ntferbally express the words or H ' u rjudecmer; "OJi, my Father, If, B fltircnp ran" -,ol p?, nwny trom me, H ' r.-fp I drink It, Tl-y will bu done." H .( irri: k'ao Urc constantly In follow- H ' i ?(m hi'H ITcnvonly Father, U H ( Y'"V.Mr distal bed by tho dll- H ? e ft lIoi'U tuid vollsloin problems of B ( ' " viiltii holirro and now, le unable H I f.-. tjofvo. He Is aware of tho llmlta- K ( tkriti of hut'.r.:: Unowledgo and tho H'l it valui' or faith. Hn known thai H I ic t notoipected of him to know H ' r-c than In part. "For we know M . j In part and wo prophesy In part. For low wo nee throustr a glaiuj darkly: but then face to face; now I know In pnrt: but thon ahall t know cvqn arja also I am known." It Is not dcorocd that man shall know It all. (a this "frail cocistenco:" ho has all tho cter-iiltlra cter-iiltlra In which to acquire this perfect per-fect knowledge. "When that whfch Is perfect Is some thon that which Is In part shall bo done away." Somewhere, Some-where, aometlmo, nomehow, under I tho dlyllno guldanco of our Elder Ilrother theso dlfllcult problems of life will bo solved to our satisfaction. I Kr this life the man of Ood Is iwllllng to walk by faith a'lono hold-Ingest hold-Ingest to tho "Iron rod" and "the guiding thread so Mnof along tho mighty labyrinth." Ho Is convinced that to have partial knowlodgo la no ovll, for It gives him tho opportunity of developing much faith, "tho power pow-er bV which worlds woro created," nnd nre- now being created by his Hoa'venly Father. What ho conceives to bo his duty, ho docs gladly and willingly. Ho never shirks a. responsibility. He prays, ho trusts, ho tolls. Every remediable re-mediable human Buffering, he tieoks to relieve; all wrongs ot human relations rela-tions he atrives, disinterested, unsel-Ushand unsel-Ushand untiring Berrtco.r Every act that furthers tho establishment ot tho kingdom of Ood on earth gives him pieauro. He dollghta In human progress. He learns to lovo all his struggling brethren of whatever nfi-tlon, nfi-tlon, kindred, raco or creed they may "ho, for 'does 'not know that his Father loves thorn all InflnUoly. "Ho comes to feel that Is an instrument In tho hands of God to rodeem them that "out ot weakness" they too may Thus consecrated, thus dedicated i to holy purposed, lrv tho abiding as--jurnfico ot, faltH J?'. tho joy ot bono-Mccnt bono-Mccnt sorvleowlll'tho days of a man nt God. pass Jnto years. ' Every succeeding suc-ceeding y&irn will bo better "than tho preceding ono, fuller of heavenly Joy and 'dlvlno content. And when old agcporaqs on, it will bo transfigured glorltled. One Bhouldh6t think ot ol dago as a porlod f Ufo to ba dreaded, a period or vain rcgrot, of gating backward, towards the Joys and satlsraction or youth. To ono who takes that viqw ot life, the human hu-man spirit must seem subject to decay de-cay and death. To one imbued with a personal testimony, old age will bo a period of eager, Joyous anticipation of "best that is to be." Tho tru 'servant of God will grow beautifully' 'as tho loavoa of tho trees of our val-l'cys val-l'cys of tho mountains, grow taoTO .beautiful as thcypass from the. grcon ,of summer to tho crlinsou and gold of autumn. As tho fruits of our or-'. rhards mellow and ripen toward tho I 'harvest so will tho nature ot a man of God mellow and rlpea with advancing ad-vancing years. With the confidence '.ot tho faithful ho will approach his gravo as one, I "Who wraps the drapery of hto couch about him, And lies down to pleasant derams." Yes. ho will' look forward to somo-thlng'moro somo-thlng'moro than pleasant dreams. Ho will look forward to helping his Father In the great work of creating worlds Innuuierabfo to bo peopled by coucoulccs of -God in embtys, no will feel the trust and confidence tho Inspiration nnd anticipation of tho world'B greatest poets and prophets pro-phets who boekotrhlm to set sail w'th thorn oa the great ocean of lllmita'jlo opportunities. "Joy, nfc'.pT.r.t'i, Joy! .(Plrat-M to ray bou! at deMh I er-.j Our Urn Is rlowd. our Hfo be -s, The long, long nnhorce 'o l-vo Tlio ship is clear at last, she leap?, She swiftly courses trom tho shore, iJoy, shlpmato, Joy!"' |