HOW TO OBTAIN BLESSINGS OF GOD. There are blessings which pertain to

the gospel of Jesus Christ and to the world to come, which cannot be

secured by personal influence, nor be bought with money, and which

no man by his own intelligence or wisdom can obtain except through

compliance with certain ordinances, laws and commandments which

have been given. And it is well, in my judgment, for the Latter-day

Saints to continue to bear in mind that the inestimable blessings of

the gospel have been bestowed upon them through their faith, that a

remission of sins has been obtained by baptism and repentance, and that

it is only through continuing faithful that they can retain the gifts

and blessings which pertain to eternal life. There are many blessings,

however, which are common to the human family, which all enjoy, without

regard to their moral status or religious convictions. God has given

to all men an agency and has granted to us the privilege to serve him

or serve him not, to do that which is right or that which is wrong,

and this privilege is given to all men irrespective of creed, color or

condition. The wealthy have this agency, the poor have this agency,

and no man is deprived by any power of God from exercising it in the

fullest and in the freest manner. This agency has been given to all.

This is a blessing that God has bestowed upon the world of mankind,

upon all {61} his children alike. But he will hold us strictly to an

account for the use that we make of this agency, and as it was said

of Cain, so it will be said of us; "If thou doest well, shalt thou

not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door."

There are, however, certain blessings which God bestows upon the

children of men only upon the condition of the rightful exercise of

this agency. For instance, no man can obtain a remission of his sins

but by repentance, and baptism by one having authority. If we would

be free from sin, from its effects, from its power, we must obey this

law which God has revealed, or we never can obtain a remission of

sins. Therefore, while God has bestowed upon all men, irrespective

of condition, this agency to choose good or evil, he has not and

will not bestow upon the children of men a remission of sins but by

their obedience to law. Therefore, the whole world lies in sin and is

under condemnation, inasmuch as light has come unto the world and men

will not place themselves in a proper position before the Lord. And

this condemnation rests with tenfold force upon all who have yielded

obedience to this law, and have once received a remission of their

sins, but have returned unto sin, and have forgotten or disregarded the

covenants they made in the waters of baptism. All men are blessed with

the strength of their bodies, with the use of their minds, and with the

right to exercise the faculties with which they are endowed in a way

that seemeth good to their sight, without regard to religion. But God

has not and will not suffer the gift of the Holy Ghost to be bestowed

upon any man or woman, except through compliance with the laws of God.

Therefore, no man can obtain a remission of sins; no man can obtain the

gift of the Holy Ghost; no man can obtain the revelations of God; no

man can obtain the priesthood, and the rights, powers and privileges

thereof; no man can become an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus

Christ, except through compliance with the requirements of heaven.

These are universal {62} blessings, they are great and inestimable

privileges which pertain to the gospel and to the plan of life and

salvation, which are open and free to all on certain conditions, but

which no persons beneath the heavens can enjoy, but through walking

in the channel that God has marked out by which they can obtain them.

And these privileges and blessings when obtained may be forfeited, and

perhaps lost for all eternity, unless we continue steadfast in the

course that is marked out for us to pursue. It is well, in my judgment,

that the Latter-day Saints do not lose sight of the great privilege

that has been bestowed upon them. No man can become a citizen of the

kingdom of God but by entering in at the door; there are thousands

and tens of thousands, aye, millions of people who will never become

citizens of the kingdom of God in this world, because they fail to

exercise the agency and the power that have been given to them, in the

right direction. Nevertheless, they enjoy many of the blessings that

are bestowed upon the world in common. The sun shines upon the evil

and the good; but the Holy Ghost descends only upon the righteous and

upon those who are forgiven of their sins. The rain descends upon the

evil and upon the good; but the rights of the priesthood are conferred,

and the doctrine of the Priesthood distils as the dews of heaven

upon the souls of those only who receive it in God's own appointed

way. The favor of heaven, the acknowledgment of the Almighty of his

children upon the earth as his sons and his daughters, can only be

secured through obedience to the laws which he has revealed. Riches,

or the wealth of the world, cannot purchase these things. Simon Magus

desired to purchase the power to bestow the Holy Ghost, but Peter said

unto him, "Thy money perish with thee." These blessings, powers and

privileges are not to be purchased except by the atonement of Christ;

they are not to be obtained by personal influence, wealth, position or

power, or in any other way except the {63} direct way in which God has

decreed that they should be obtained. Now, so long as the Latter-day

Saints are content to obey the commandments of God, to appreciate the

privileges and blessings which they enjoy in the Church, and will use

their time, their substance, in honor to the name of God, to build up

Zion, and to establish truth and righteousness in the earth, so long

our heavenly Father is bound by his oath and covenant to protect them

from every opposing foe, and to help them to overcome every obstacle

that can possibly be arrayed against them, or thrown in their pathway;

but the moment a community begin to be wrapt up in themselves, become

selfish, become engrossed in the temporalities of life, and put their

faith in riches, that moment the power of God begins to withdraw from

them, and if they repent not the Holy Spirit will depart from them

entirely, and they will be left to themselves. That which was given

them will be taken away, they will lose that which they had, for they

will not be worthy of it. God is just, as well as merciful, and we need

not expect favors at the hand of the Almighty except as we merit them,

at least in the honest desires of our hearts; and the desire and intent

will not always avail unless our acts correspond. For we are engaged

in a literal work, a reality; and we must practice as well as profess.

We must be what God requires us to be, or else we are not his people,

nor the Zion which he designs to gather together and to build up in the

latter days upon the earth.--_Journal of Discourses,_ Vol. 24, 1884,

pp. 173-178.

{64}

CHAPTER V

GOD AND MAN

GOD HAS DIRECTED HIS LATTER-DAY WORK. It has not been by the wisdom

of man that this people have been directed in their course until the

present; it has been by the wisdom of him who is above man, whose

knowledge is greater than that of man, and whose power is above the

power of man; for it is unto God, our Father, we are indebted for the

mercies we have enjoyed and for the present prosperous condition of

the people of God throughout this intermountain region and throughout

the world. The hand of the Lord may not be visible to all. There may

be many who cannot discern the workings of God's will in the progress

and development of this great latter-day work, but there are those who

see in every hour and in every moment of the existence of the Church,

from its beginning until now, the overruling, almighty hand of him who

sent his Only Begotten Son to the world to become a sacrifice for the

sin of the world, that as he was lifted up so he, by reason of his

righteousness and power and the sacrifice which he has made, might lift

up unto God all the children of men who would hearken to his voice,

receive his message, and obey his law.--_Apr. C. R.,_ 1904, p. 2.

A PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. We are not dependent for this upon the

written word, nor upon the knowledge possessed by the ancient prophets

and apostles. We depend only upon God as he reveals himself today and

administers unto men by the power of his Holy Spirit. And all men in

the world, not only the Latter-day Saints, but those who have never

embraced the gospel, have the same privilege that we have, if they will

take the course which God {65} has marked out. It is their privilege to

come to the knowledge of this truth and to understand these things for

themselves. We have derived this knowledge from the Lord, not from man.

Man cannot give this knowledge. I may tell you what I know but that

is not knowledge to you. If I have learned something through prayer,

supplication, and perseverance in seeking to know the truth, and I tell

it to you, it will not be knowledge unto you. I can tell you how you

obtain it, but I cannot give it to you. If we receive this knowledge,

it must come from the Lord. He can touch your understanding and your

spirits, so that you shall comprehend perfectly and not be mistaken.

But I cannot do that. You can obtain this knowledge through repentance,

humility, and seeking the Lord with full purpose of heart until you

find him. He is not afar off. It is not difficult to approach him, if

we will only do it with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, as did

Nephi of old. This was the way in which Joseph Smith, in his boyhood,

approached him. He went into the woods, knelt down, and in humility

he sought earnestly to know which church was acceptable to God. He

received an answer to his prayer which he offered from the depths of

his heart, and he received it in a way that he did not expect.--_Oct.

C. R.,_ 1899, p. 71.

GOD SPEAKS TO THE HONEST IN HEART. Everywhere the Spirit of the Lord

whispers to the honest in heart who are faithful, and gives to them the

assurance that his hand is stretched out continually over his people;

that, as in the past, he has preserved them and delivered them out

of the hands of their enemies, so in the future he will continue to

preserve and deliver them, and he will make the wrath of the wicked to

praise him and to accomplish the more speedily his purposes. We have

every evidence to convince us that the work of the Lord is a reality, a

living, active, progressive work in the earth.--_Oct. C. R.,_ 1905, p.

5.

GOD CONSTANTLY MINDFUL OF US. I desire to express {66} to you, my

brethren and sisters, who are here today, my firm and fixed conviction

that God, the eternal Father, is constantly mindful of you. He is

mindful of his people throughout all this land, and he will reward you

according to your faithfulness in observing the laws of righteousness

and of truth. No man need fear in his heart when he is conscious of

having lived up to the principles of truth and righteousness as God

has required it at his hands, according to his best knowledge and

understanding.--_Apr. C. R.,_ 1904, p. 2.

GOD'S WILL TO EXALT MEN. We believe that God's will is to exalt men;

that the liberty that comes through obedience to the gospel of Jesus

Christ is the greatest measure of liberty that can come to man. There

is no liberty that men enjoy or pretend to enjoy in the world that

is not founded in the will and in the law of God, and that does not

have truth for its underlying principle and foundation. It is error

that makes bondsmen. It is untruth that degrades mankind. It is error

and the lack of knowledge of God's laws and God's will that leaves

men in the world on a par with the brute creation; for they have no

higher instincts, no higher principle, no higher incentive, no higher

aspiration, than the brute world, if they have not some inspiration

that comes from a higher source than man himself.--_Apr. C. R.,_ 1904,

p. 4.

GOD'S RIGHT TO RULE IN THE WORLD. I believe in God's law. I believe

that it is his right to rule in the world. I believe that no man has

or should have any valid objection in his mind to the government of

God, and the rule of Jesus Christ, in the earth. Let us suppose, for

a moment, that Christ were here and that he was bearing rule in the

world. Who would come under his condemnation? Who would be subject

to his chastening word? Who would be in disharmony or unfellowship

with God? Would the righteous man? Would the virtuous man? The pure

and virtuous woman? The pure and honest in heart? The upright? {67}

The straightforward? Those who do the will of heaven? Would they be

in rebellion to Christ's rule, if he were to come here to rule? No.

They would welcome the rule and reign of Jesus Christ in the earth.

They would welcome his law and acknowledge his sovereignty, they would

hasten to rally to his standard and to uphold the purpose and the

perfection of his laws and of his righteousness. Who would, then, be

recreant to the rule of Christ? The whoremonger, the adulterer, the

liar, the sorcerer, he who bears false witness against his neighbor,

he who seeks to take advantage of his brother, and who would overcome

and destroy him for his own worldly gain or profit; the murderer, the

despiser of that which is good, the unbeliever in the eternities that

lie before us, the atheist, perhaps, although I think that he would

not be so far from Christ as some who profess to be teachers of his

doctrines and advocates of his laws. It would be the rebellious, the

wicked, those who would oppress their neighbors and enslave them if

they could. Such as these would be the people who would not welcome

the reign of Jesus Christ. Are there any who profess to be Latter-day

Saints in this class, and would fear to have Christ reign and

rule?--_Apr. C. R.,_ 1904, p. 4.

THE LESSON IN NATURAL CALAMITIES. There are, in the great world

of mankind, much social and civil unrighteousness, religious

unfaithfulness, and great insensibility to the majesty, power, and

purpose of our eternal Father and God. In order, therefore, that he may

bring the sense of himself and his purposes home to the minds of men,

his intervention and interposition in nature and in men's affairs, are

demanded. His aims will be accomplished even if men must be overwhelmed

with the convulsions of nature to bring them to an understanding and

realization on of his designs. As long as conditions remain as they are

in the world, none is exempt from these visitations.

The Latter-day Saints, though they themselves tremble {68} because

of their own wickedness and sins, believe that great judgments are

coming upon the world because of iniquity; they firmly believe in the

statements of the Holy Scriptures, that calamities will befall the

nations as signs of the coming of Christ to judgment. They believe that

God rules in the fire, the earthquake, the tidal wave, the volcanic

eruption, and the storm. Him they recognize as the Master and Ruler of

nature and her laws, and freely acknowledge his hand in all things. We

believe that his judgments are poured out to bring mankind to a sense

of his power and his purposes, that they may repent of their sins

and prepare themselves for the second coming of Christ to reign in

righteousness upon the earth.

We firmly believe that Zion--which is the pure in heart--shall escape,

if she observes to do all things whatsoever God has commanded; but, in

the opposite event, even Zion shall be visited "with sore affliction,

with pestilence, with plague, with sword, with vengeance, and with

devouring fire" (Doctrine and Covenants 97:26). All this that her

people may be taught to walk in the light of truth and in the way of

the God of their salvation.

We believe that these severe, natural calamities are visited upon men

by the Lord for the good of his children, to quicken their devotion to

others, and to bring out their better natures, that they may love and

serve him. We believe, further, that they are the heralds and tokens

of his final judgment, and the schoolmasters to teach the people to

prepare themselves by righteous living for the coming of the Savior

to reign upon the earth, when every knee shall bow and every tongue

confess that Jesus is the Christ.

If these lessons are impressed upon us and upon the people of

our country, the anguish, and the loss of life and toil, sad,

great and horrifying as they were, will not have been endured in

vain.--_Improvement Era,_ Vol. 9, 1905-6, pp. 651-654.

{69} EXTENT OF GOD'S POWER. I do not believe in the doctrine held by

some that God is only a Spirit and that he is of such a nature that

he fills the immensity of space, and is everywhere present in person,

or without person, for I can not conceive it possible that God could

be a person, if he filled the immensity of space and was everywhere

present at the same time. It is unreasonable, a physical, a theological

inconsistency, to imagine that even God the eternal Father would be in

two places, as an individual, at the same moment. It is impossible. But

his power extends throughout the immensity of space. His power extends

to all his creations, and his knowledge comprehends them all, and he

governs them all and he knows all.--_Apr. C. R.,_ 1916, p. 4.

BEWARE OF LIMITING GOD. Beware of men who come to you with heresies of

this kind, who would make you to think or feel that the Lord Almighty,

who made heaven and earth and created all things, is limited in his

dominion over earthly things to the capacities of mortal men.--_Apr. C.

R.,_ 1914, p. 4.

MISFORTUNE AND EVIL NOT ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE WILL OF GOD. We have it

enunciated in the revelations to Joseph the Prophet, in the Book of

Doctrine and Covenants, that the Lord is greatly displeased only with

those who do not confess or acknowledge "his hand in all things, and

obey not his commandments." Many things occur in the world in which

it seems very difficult for most of us to find a solid reason for the

acknowledgment of the hand of the Lord. I have come to the belief

that the only reason I have been able to discover by which we should

acknowledge the band of God in some occurrences is the fact that the

thing which has occurred has been permitted of the Lord. When two men

give way to their passions, their selfishness and anger, to contend

and quarrel with each other, and this quarrel and contention leads

to physical strife and violence between them, it has been difficult

for me to discover the hand of the Lord {70} in that transaction;

other than that the men who thus disagree, quarrel and contend with

each other, have received from God the freedom of their own agency to

exercise their own intelligence, to judge between the right and wrong

for themselves, and to act according to their own desire. The Lord

did not design or purpose that these two men should quarrel, or give

way to their anger to such an extent that it would lead to violence

between them, and, perhaps, to bloodshed. God has never designed such

a thing as that, nor can we charge such things to the Almighty. People

become sick, suffer pain, sorrow and anguish. They linger for months,

and perhaps for years, in feebleness of body and of mind. The question

arises in them: Why does the Lord suffer it? Is the hand of God in that

suffering? Has God designed persons to suffer? Has he touched them

with his hand of affliction? Has he caused the evil that has come to

them? Too many of us are inclined to think, or lean toward the feeble

thought, that the illness that comes to us, the afflictions that we

suffer, the accidents that we meet with in life, and the troubles that

beset us on our way in the journey of life, are attributable either

to the mercy or the displeasure of God. Sometimes we are prone to

charge God with causing our afflictions and our troubles; but if we

could see as God sees, if we could understand as he understands, if

we could trace the effects back to the cause, and that truly, by the

spirit of correct understanding, we would unquestionably discover that

our troubles, or suffering, or affliction are the result of our own

indiscretion or lack of knowledge, or of wisdom. It was not the band

of God that put affliction and trouble upon us. The agency that he has

given to us left us to act for ourselves--to do things if we will that

are not right, that are contrary to the laws of life and health, that

are not wise or prudent--and the results may be serious to us, because

of our ignorance or of our determination to persist in that which we

desire, rather than {71} to yield to the requirements which God makes

of us.--_Improvement Era,_ Vol. 20, p. 821, July, 1917.

GOD'S WARFARE. God is the greatest man of war of all, and his Son is

next to him, and their warfare is for the salvation of the souls of

men. It would not be necessary for them to use violence or force,

nor to permit their children to use violence nor force in order to

conquer if they would but humble themselves, and obey the truth. For,

after all, nothing will conquer, nothing will win but the truth; and

so far as the wars that are going on in the world are concerned, we

not only want to see peace established among the children of men, but

also justice, but above all things, truth, that justice, peace and

righteousness may be built upon this foundation and not depend upon

the covetousness, pride, vanity, evil desire, and just for power in

man.--_Oct. C. R.,_ 1914, p. 129.

WE ARE IN GOD'S IMAGE. When Brother Penrose shall pray, he will pray

unto the Father of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in whose image

and likeness we are made, or were born into the world, and in whose

likeness and image we are, for we are God's children, and therefore

must resemble his Son in person, and also spiritually, so far as we

will obey the principles of the gospel of eternal truth. For, we were

foreordained and predestined to become conformed to his likeness

through the wise and proper use of our free agency.--_Oct. C. R.,_

1914, p. 8.

GOD'S REST. The ancient prophets speak of "entering into God's rest;"

what does it mean? To my mind, it means entering into the knowledge

and love of God, having faith in his purpose and in his plan, to such

an extent that we know we are right, and that we are not hunting for

something else, we are not disturbed by every wind of doctrine, or by

the cunning and craftiness of men who lie in wait to deceive. We know

of the doctrine that it is of God, and we do not ask any questions of

anybody about it; they are welcome to {72} their opinions, to their

ideas and to their vagaries. The man who has reached that degree of

faith in God that all doubt and fear have been cast from him, he has

entered into "God's rest," and he need not fear the vagaries of men,

nor their cunning and craftiness, by which they seek to deceive and

mislead him from the truth. I pray that we may all enter into God's

rest--rest from doubt, from fear, from apprehension of danger, rest

from the religious turmoil of the world; from the cry that is going

forth, here and there--lo, here is Christ; lo, there is Christ; lo, he

is in the desert, come ye out to meet him. The man who has found God's

rest will not be disturbed by these vagaries of men, for the Lord has

told him, and does tell us: Go not out to seek them: Go not out to hunt

them; for when Christ shall come, he will come with the army of heaven

with him in the clouds of glory, and all eyes shall see him. We do not

need to be hunting for Christ here or Christ there, or prophets here

and prophets there.--_Oct. C. R.,_ 1909, p. 8.

IMPORTANCE OF BEING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. The one

thing now that I desire to impress upon the minds of my brethren

bearing the Holy Priesthood is that we should live so near to the

Lord, be so humble in our spirits, so tractable and pliable, under the

influence of the Holy Spirit, that we will be able to know the mind

and will of the Father concerning us as individuals and as officers

in the Church of Christ under all circumstances. And when we live so

that we can hear and understand the whisperings of the still, small

voice of the Spirit of God, let us do whatsoever that Spirit directs

without fear of the consequences. It does not make any difference

whether it meet the minds of carpers or critics, or of the enemies of

the kingdom of God, or not. Is it agreeable to the will of the Lord? Is

it compatible with the spirit of the great latter-day work in which we

are engaged? Is the end aimed at likely to advance the Church and to

strengthen it in the earth? If its {73} trend is in that direction, let

us do it, no matter what men may say or think.--_Oct. C. R.,_ 1903, p.

86.

HOLY GHOST, HOLY SPIRIT, COMFORTER. The Holy Ghost, who is a member of

the Trinity in the Godhead, has not a body of flesh and bones, like the

Father and the Son, but is a personage of Spirit. (Doc. and Cov., Sec.

130:22.)

The Holy Spirit, or Spirit of God, both of which terms are sometimes

used interchangeably with the Holy Ghost, is the influence of Deity,

the light of Christ, or of Truth, which proceeds forth from the

presence of God to fill the immensity of space, and to quicken the

understanding of men. (Doc. and Cov., Sec. 88:6-13.)

If a man is baptized and ordained to the Holy Priesthood, and is

called upon to perform duties which pertain to that priesthood, it

does not follow that he must always have the Holy Ghost in person

present with him when he performs his duty, but every righteous act

which he may perform legally will be in force and effect, and will be

acknowledged of God, and the more of the Spirit of God he possesses in

his ministrations, the better for himself, and those will not suffer

any loss unto whom he administers.

Therefore, the presentation or "gift" of the Holy Ghost simply confers

upon a man the right to receive at any time, when he is worthy of

it and desires it, the power and light of truth of the Holy Ghost,

although he may often be left to his own spirit and judgment.

The Holy Ghost as a personage of Spirit can no more be omnipresent

in person than can the Father or the Son, but by his intelligence,

his knowledge, his power and influence, over and through the laws of

nature, he is and can be omnipresent throughout all the works of God.

It is not the Holy Ghost who in person lighteth every man who is born

into the world, but it is the light of Christ, the Spirit of Truth,

which proceeds from the source of intelligence, which {74} permeates

all nature, which lighteth every man and fills the immensity of space.

You may call it the Spirit of God, you may call it the influence

of God's intelligence, you may call it the substance of his power,

no matter what it is called, it is the spirit of intelligence that

permeates the universe and gives to the spirits of men understanding,

just as job has said. (Job 32:8; Doc. and Cov. 88:3-13.)

Every elder of the Church who has received the Holy Ghost by the

laying on of hands, by one having authority, has power to confer that

gift upon another; it does not follow that a man who has received

the presentation or gift of the Holy Ghost shall always receive the

recognition and witness and presence of the Holy Ghost himself, or he

may receive all these, and yet the Holy Ghost not tarry with him, but

visit him from time to time (Doc. and Cov., Sec. 130:23); and neither

does it follow that a man must have the Holy Ghost present with him

when he confers the Holy Ghost upon another, but he possesses the gift

of the Holy Ghost, and it will depend upon the worthiness of him unto

whom the gift is bestowed whether he receive the Holy Ghost or not.

Now I repeat--the Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit, he constitutes

the third person in the Trinity, the Godhead. The gift or presentation

of the Holy Ghost is the authoritative act of conferring him upon man.

The Holy Ghost in person may visit men and will visit those who are

worthy and bear witness to their spirit of God and Christ, but may not

tarry with them. The Spirit of God which emanates from Deity may be

likened to electricity, or the universal ether, as explained in our

manual, which fills the earth and the air, and is everywhere present.

It is the power of God, the influence that he exerts throughout all

his works by which he can effect his purposes and execute his will, in

consonance with the laws of free agency which he has conferred upon

man. By means of this Spirit every man is enlightened, the {75} wicked

as well as the good, the intelligent and the ignorant, the high and

the low, each in accordance with his capacity to receive the light;

and this Spirit or influence which emanates from God may be said to

constitute man's consciousness, and will never cease to strive with

man, until man is brought to the possession of the higher intelligence

which can only come through faith, repentance, baptism for the

remission of sins, and the gift or the presentation of the Holy Ghost

by one having authority.--_Improvement Era,_ Vol. 12, p. 389, March,

1909.

GOD INSPIRES MAN TO KNOW AND TO DO. I am inclined to acknowledge the

hand of God in all things. If I see a man inspired with intelligence,

with extraordinary ability and wisdom, I say to myself he is indebted

to God for that wisdom and ability; and that, without the providence

or interposition of the Almighty, he would not have been what he is.

He is indebted to the Lord Almighty for his intelligence, and for all

that he has; for the earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof. God

originated and designed all things, and all are his children. We are

born into the world as his offspring; endowed with the same attributes.

The children of men have sprung from the Almighty, whether the world is

willing to acknowledge it or not. He is the Father of our spirits. He

is the originator of our earthly tabernacles. We live and move and have

our being in God our heavenly Father. And having sprung from him with

our talents, our ability, our wisdom, we should at least be willing

to acknowledge his hand in all the prosperity that may attend us in

life, and give to him the honor and glory of all we accomplish in the

flesh. We are particularly dependent upon the Almighty for everything

we possess of a worldly character. There is not a man on the earth

possessed of the wisdom or power of himself to cause even a spear of

grass to grow, or to produce a kernel of wheat or of corn, or any

fruit, vegetable, or any material whatever which is essential for the

{76} sustenance, the happiness and the well-being of a human creature

in the world. It is true we can go to the earth, we find it prepared

to a certain extent, and we cultivate, plow and plant, and we reap the

harvest; but God has ordained that the fruits of our labor shall be in

subjection and in obedience to certain laws which he himself controls,

and which he has kept out of the power of man. Man may boast of having

a great deal of wisdom; of having accomplished a great deal in this

nineteenth century; but, if he did but know it, he derives the ability

by which he accomplishes these things from God his Father, who is in

heaven. He does not possess the power in and of himself.

I read a Scripture something like this: that "there is a spirit in

man." Now, if that should stop here, there would not be perhaps

anything very remarkable about man; for the spirit of man knoweth only

the things of man, and the things of God are discerned by the Spirit of

God. But while there is a spirit in man, it is further stated that "the

inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding." There is not a

man born into the world, but has a portion of the Spirit of God, and it

is that Spirit of God which gives to his spirit understanding. Without

this, he would be but an animal like the rest of the brute creation,

without understanding, without judgment, without skill, without

ability, except to eat and to drink like the brute beast. But inasmuch

as the Spirit of God giveth all men understanding, he is enlightened

above the brute beast. He is made in the image of God himself, so that

he can reason, reflect, pray, exercise faith; he can use his energies

for the accomplishment of the desires of his heart, and inasmuch as he

puts forth his efforts in the proper direction, then he is entitled

to an increased portion of the Spirit of the Almighty to inspire him

to increased intelligence, to increased prosperity and happiness in

the world; but in proportion as he prostitutes his energies for evil,

the inspiration of the Almighty is withdrawn from {77} him, until he

becomes so dark and so benighted, that so far as his knowledge of God

is concerned, he is quite as ignorant as a dumb brute.

Again, where are we going? We come here and journey in the flesh a

little season, and then we pass away. Every soul that is born into the

world will die. There is not a soul that has escaped death, except

those upon whom God has passed, by the power of his Spirit, that they

should live in the flesh until the second coming of the Son of Man; but

they will eventually have to pass through the ordeal called death; it

may be in the twinkling of an eye, and without pain or suffering; but

they will pass through the change, because it is an irrevocable edict

of the Almighty. "In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely

die." This was the edict of the Almighty, and it pertains to Adam--that

is, all the human race--for Adam is many, and it means you and me and

every soul that lives and that bears the image of the Father. We shall

all die. But is that the end of our being? If we had an existence

before we came here, we certainly shall continue that existence when

we leave here. The spirit will continue to exist as it did before,

with the additional advantages derived from having passed through this

probation. It is absolutely necessary that we should come to the earth

and take upon us tabernacles; because if we did not have tabernacles

we could not be like God, nor like Jesus Christ. God has a tabernacle

of flesh and bone. He is an organized being just as we are, who are

now in the flesh. Jesus Christ was born of his mother, Mary. He had a

fleshly tabernacle. He was crucified on the cross; and his body was

raised from the dead. He burst the bonds of the grave, and came forth

to newness of life, a living soul, a living being, a man with a body,

with parts and with spirit--the spirit and the body becoming a living

and immortal soul. You and I have to do the same thing. We must go

through the same ordeal in order to attain to the glory and exaltation

which God designed {78} we should enjoy with him in the eternal worlds.

In other words, we must become like him; peradventure to sit upon

thrones, to have dominion, power and eternal increase. God designed

this in the beginning. We are the children of God. He is an eternal

being, without beginning of days or end of years. He always was, he is,

he always will be. We are precisely in the same condition and under the

same circumstances that God our heavenly Father was when he was passing

through this, or a similar ordeal. We are destined to come forth out of

the grave as Jesus did, and to obtain immortal bodies as he did--that

is, that our tabernacles are to become immortal as his became immortal,

that the spirit and the body may be joined together and become one

living being, indivisible, inseparable, eternal. This is the object

of our existence in the world; and we can only attain to these things

through obedience to certain principles, through walking in certain

channels, through obtaining certain information, certain intelligence

from God, without which no man can accomplish his work or fulfill

the mission he has come upon the earth to fulfill. These principles

are the principles of the gospel of eternal truth, the principles of

faith, repentance, and baptism for the remission of sins, the principle

of obedience to God the eternal Father; for obedience is one of the

first principles or laws of heaven. Without obedience, there can be no

order, no government, no union, no plan or purpose carried out. And

that obedience must be voluntary; it must not be forced, there must be

no coercion. Men must not be constrained against their will to obey

the will of God; they must obey it because they know it to be right,

because they desire to do it, and because it is their pleasure to do

it. God delights in the willing heart.

I am looking forward to the time when I shall have passed away from

this stage of existence, there I shall be permitted to enjoy more fully

every gift and blessing that has {79} contributed to my happiness in

this world; everything. I do not believe that there is one thing that

was designed or intended to give me joy or make me happy, that I shall

be denied here after, provided I continue faithful; otherwise my joy

cannot be full. I am not now speaking of that happiness or pleasure

that is derived from sin; I refer to the happiness experienced in

seeking to do the will of God on earth as it is done in heaven. We

expect to have our wives and husbands in eternity. We expect our

children will acknowledge us as their fathers and mothers in eternity.

I expect this; I look for nothing else. Without it, I could not be

happy. The thought or belief that I should be denied this privilege

hereafter would make me miserable from this moment. I never could be

happy again without the hope that I shall enjoy the society of my wives

and children in eternity. If I had not this hope, I should be of all

men most unhappy, for "if in this life only we have hope in Christ,

we are of all men most miserable." And all who have tasted of the

influence of the Spirit of God, and have had awakened within them a

hope of eternal life, cannot be happy unless they continue to drink of

that fountain until they are satisfied, and it is the only fountain at

which they can drink and be satisfied.--_Journal of Discourses,_ Vol.

25, 1884, pp. 51-60.

TRUST IN GOD. The need of one's having a keen knowledge of the truth

is paramount. So also is it that every Latter-day Saint should have

a deep-rooted conviction of the justice of God, and an implicit

confidence and faith in his being and mercy. To rightfully understand

the gospel and to be able to keep his commandments such knowledge is

absolutely necessary. Let each person ask himself if in his soul there

is a sharp and immovable conviction of these facts. Could anything that

might occur to you, or that might take place in the Church, or with her

officers or authorities, change your faith in the purposes, and in the

{80} absolute justice and mercy, of the Lord, or in the saving power

of his gospel, the message of his salvation? If so, your faith is not

deep-rooted, and there is strong need of your becoming convinced. * * *

No person can realize the fulness of the blessings of God, unless he

can approach, in some degree, at least, the standard of faith in God's

justice, exemplified in the examples quoted. He must have founded in

his own soul belief and confidence in the justice and mercy of God. It

must be individual, no man can act for another. Lessons of this class

need be taught and held up before the youth of Zion, to bring forcibly

to their minds the truth which alone will make them free and able to

stand firm in the faith. Let them, as they are called together in their

assemblies, present themselves before God, and be reminded of his

gracious benefits, in bringing forth the Book of Mormon, in the scenes

of Kirtland, in Zion, in Nauvoo, in the trying days of the exodus, and

in the wilderness. This that they might count the mercies of God in

his promises, and behold how past affliction and sore trial have been

turned to the well-being of his people; and so renew their covenants,

filled with a deep-rooted, immovable conviction of the goodness and

mercy of the Lord. Each individual must learn this lesson, it must be

impressed upon his soul, so deep, and be so well-founded that nothing

can separate him from a knowledge of the love of God, though death and

hell stand in the way.

God is good; his promises never fail; to trust implicitly his goodness

and mercy is a correct principle. Let us, therefore, put our trust in

him.--_Improvement Era,_ Vol. 7, p. 53, Nov., 1904.

I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVES. It is by the power of God that all

things are made that have been made. It is by the power of Christ that

all things are governed and kept in place that are governed and kept

in place in the universe. {81} It is the power which proceeds from

the presence of the Son of God throughout all the works of his hands,

that giveth light, energy, understanding, knowledge, and a degree

of intelligence to all the children of men, strictly in accordance

with the words in the Book of job: "There is a spirit in man; and the

inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding." It is this

inspiration from God, proceeding throughout all his creations, that

enlighteneth the children of men; and it is nothing more nor less than

the spirit of Christ that enlighteneth the mind, that quickeneth the

understanding, and that prompteth the children of men to do that which

is good and to eschew that which is evil; which quickens the conscience

of man and gives him intelligence to judge between good and evil, light

and darkness, right and wrong.

But the Holy Ghost, who bears record of the Father and the Son,

who takes of the things of the Father and shows them unto men, who

testifies of Jesus Christ, and of the everliving God, the Father of

Jesus Christ, and who bears witness of the truth--this Spirit, this

Intelligence, is not given unto all men until they repent of their

sins and come into a state of worthiness before the Lord. Then they

receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands of

those who are authorized of God to bestow his blessings upon the heads

of the children of men. The Spirit spoken of in that which I have read

is that Spirit which will not cease to strive with the children of

men until they are brought to the possession of the greater light and

intelligence. Though a man may commit all manner of sin and blasphemy,

if he has not received the testimony of the Holy Ghost, he may be

forgiven by repenting of his sins, humbling himself before the Lord,

and obeying in sincerity the commandments of God. As it is stated,

"Every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on

my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments {82} shall

see my face and know that I am." He shall be forgiven, and receive of

the greater light; he will enter into a solemn covenant with God, into

a compact with the Almighty, through the Only Begotten Son, whereby

he becomes a son of God, an heir of God, and a joint heir with Jesus

Christ. Then if he shall sin against the light and knowledge he has

received, the light that was within him shall become darkness, and oh,

how great will be that darkness! Then, and not till then, will this

Spirit of Christ that lighteth every man that cometh into the world

cease to strive with him, and he shall be left to his own destruction.

The question is often asked, Is there any difference between the

Spirit of the Lord and the Holy Ghost? The terms are frequently used

synonymously. We often say the Spirit of God when we mean the Holy

Ghost; we likewise say the Holy Ghost when we mean the Spirit of God.

The Holy Ghost is a personage in the Godhead, and is not that which

lighteth every man that cometh into the world. It is the Spirit of

God which proceeds through Christ to the world, that enlightens every

man that comes into the world, and that strives with the children of

men, and will continue to strive with them, until it brings them to

a knowledge of the truth and the possession of the greater light and

testimony of the Holy Ghost. If, however, he receive that greater

light, and then sin against it, the Spirit of God will cease to strive

with him, and the Holy Ghost will wholly depart from him. Then will he

persecute the truth; then will he seek the blood of the innocent; then

will he not scruple at the commission of any crime, except so far as

he may fear the penalties of the law, in consequence of the crime upon

himself.

"And that I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father

and I are one." I do not apprehend that any intelligent person will

construe these words to mean that Jesus and his Father are one person,

but merely that they {83} are one in knowledge, in truth, in wisdom,

in understanding, and in purpose; just as the Lord Jesus himself

admonished his disciples to be one with him, and to be in him, that he

might be in them. It is in this sense that I understand this language,

and not as it is construed by some people, that Christ and his Father

are one person. I declare to you that they are not one person, but that

they are two persons, two bodies, separate and apart, and as distinct

as are any father and son within the sound of my voice. Yet, Jesus is

the Father of this world, because it was by him that the world was made.

Even Christ himself was not perfect at first; he received not a fulness

at first, but he received grace for grace, and he continued to receive

more and more until he received a fulness. Is not this to be so with

the children of men? Is any man perfect? Has any man received a fulness

at once? Have we reached a point wherein we may receive the fulness of

God, of his glory, and his intelligence? No; and yet, if Jesus, the Son

of God, and the Father of the heavens and the earth in which we dwell,

received not a fulness at the first, but increased in faith, knowledge,

understanding and grace until he received a fulness, is it not possible

for all men who are born of women to receive little by little, line

upon line, precept upon precept, until they shall receive a fulness, as

he has received a fulness, and be exalted with him in the presence of

the Father?

The spirit without the body is not perfect, and the body without the

spirit is dead. Man was ordained in the beginning to become like Jesus

Christ, to become conformed unto his image. As Jesus was born of woman,

lived and grew to manhood, was put to death and raised from the dead

to immortality and eternal life, so it was decreed in the beginning

that man should be, and will be, through the atonement of Jesus,

in spite of himself, resurrected from the dead. Death came upon us

without the exercise of our {84} agency; we had no hand in bringing it

originally upon ourselves; it came because of the transgression of our

first parents. Therefore, man, who had no hand in bringing death upon

himself, shall have no hand in bringing again life unto himself; for

as he dies in consequence of the sin of Adam, so shall he live again,

whether he will or not, by the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and the

power of his resurrection. Every man that dies shall live again, and

shall stand before the bar of God, to be judged according to his works,

whether they be good or evil. It is then that all will have to give an

account for their stewardship in this mortal life.

Now, my brethren and sisters, I know that my Redeemer lives. I feel

it in every fiber of my being. I am just as satisfied of it as I am

of my own existence. I cannot feel more sure of my own being than

I do that my Redeemer lives, and that my God lives, the Father of

my Savior. I feel it in my soul; I am converted to it in my whole

being. I bear testimony to you that this is the doctrine of Christ,

the gospel of Jesus, which is the power of God unto salvation. It is

"Mormonism."--_Sermon in Tabernacle,_ Salt Lake City, March 16, 1902.

OUR PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. If there is one principle of the gospel

of Jesus Christ that goes directly to the very foundation of justice

and righteousness, it is that great and glorious and God-like principle

that every man will have to render an account for that which he does,

and every man will be rewarded for his works, whether they be good or

evil.--_Improvement Era,_ Vol. 21, p. 104.

THE CHURCH A DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTION. The Church of Jesus Christ

of Latter-day Saints is the most democratic institution in the

world.--_Improvement Era,_ Vol. 21, p. 100.

HOW TO SECURE GOD'S BLESSING. If we desire a continuation of the

blessings of the Lord, we must do his will {85} and obey the laws on

which his blessings are predicated. There is no other way to obtain his

blessings.--_Improvement Era,_ Vol. 21, p. 99, December, 1917.

JESUS IS THE SON. Jesus Christ is not the Father of the spirits who

have taken or yet shall take bodies upon this earth, for he is one of

them. He is the Son, as they are sons or daughters of Elohim. So far as

the stages of eternal progression and attainment have been made known

through divine revelation, we are to understand that only resurrected

and glorified beings can become parents of spirit offspring. Only such

exalted souls have reached maturity in the appointed course of eternal

life; and the spirits born to them in the eternal worlds will pass

in due sequence through the several stages or estates by which the

glorified parents have attained exaltation.--_Improvement Era,_ Vol.

19, p. 942.

JEHOVAH, THE FIRSTBORN. Among the spirit children of Elohim, the

first-born was and is Jehovah, or Jesus Christ, to whom all others are

juniors.--_Improvement Era,_ Vol. 19, p. 940

NOTHING TEMPORAL WITH GOD. We ought to be united in all things temporal

as well as spiritual. With God all things are spiritual. There is

nothing temporal with him at all, and there ought to be no distinction

with us in regard to these matters. Our earthly or temporal existence

is merely a continuance of that which is spiritual. Every step we take

in the great journey of life, the great journey of eternity, is a step

in advance or in retrogression. We are here in mortality, it is true;

but we are ahead of that condition we occupied before we came here and

took upon us mortality. We are a step in advance of our former state.

What is the body without the spirit? It is lifeless clay. What is it

that affects this lifeless clay? It is the spirit, it is the immortal

part, the eternal being, that existed before it came here, that exists

within us, and that will continue to exist that by and by will redeem

these tabernacles and bring {86} them forth out of the graves. The

whole mission of ours is spiritual. The work we have to do here,

although we call it temporal, pertains alike to our spiritual and our

temporal salvation. And the Lord has just as much right to dictate, to

counsel, to direct and guide us in the manipulation and management of

our temporal affairs, as we call them, as he has to say one word in

relation to our spiritual affairs. So far as he is concerned there is

no difference in this regard. He looks upon us as immortal beings. Our

bodies are designed to become eternal and spiritual. God is spiritual

himself, although he has a body of flesh and bone as Christ has. Yet he

is spiritual, and those who worship him must do so in spirit and truth.

And when you come to separate the spiritual from the temporal, see that

you do not make a mistake.--_Deseret Weekly News,_ Vol. 23, July 16,

1884, p. 466.

THE IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION. The important consideration is not how

long we can live, but how well we can learn the lessons of life,

and discharge our duties and obligations to God and to each other.

One of the main purposes of our existence is that we might conform

to the image and likeness of Him who sojourned in the flesh without

blemish--immaculate, pure, and spotless! Christ came not only to atone

for the sins of the world, but to set an example before all men, and

to establish the standard of God's perfection, of God's law, and of

obedience to the Father.--_Improvement Era,_ Vol. 21, 1917, p. 104.

{87}

CHAPTER VI

THE PURPOSE AND THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH

THE KINGDOM OF GOD DEFINED. What I mean by the kingdom of God is the

organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, over

which the son of God presides, and not man. That is what I mean. I mean

the kingdom of which Christ is the King and not man. If any man object

to Christ, the Son of God, being King of Israel, let him object, and go

to hell just as quick as he please.--_Oct. C. R.,_ 1906, p. 9.

"MORMONISM" DEFINED. I desire to say that "Mormonism," as it is called,

is still, as always, nothing more and nothing less than the power of

God unto salvation, unto every soul that will receive it honestly and

will obey it. I say to you, my brethren, sisters and friends, that all

Latter-day Saints, wherever you find them, provided they are true to

their name, to their calling and to their understanding of the gospel,

are people who stand for truth and for honor, for virtue and for purity

of life, for honesty in business and in religion; people who stand for

God and for his righteousness, for God's truth and his work in the

earth, which aims, for the salvation of the children of men, for their

salvation from the evils of the world, from the pernicious habits of

wicked men and from all those things that degrade, dishonor or destroy;

or tend to lessen the vitality and life, the honor and godliness among

the people of the earth.--_Apr. C. R.,_ 1910, p. 5.

THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH. Our mission has been to save men. We have

been laboring all these eighty-odd years of the Church to bring men to

a knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ, to bring them to repentance,

to obedience {88} to the requirements of God's law. We have been

striving to save men from error, to persuade them to turn away from

evil and to learn to do good. Now if our enemies will only charge us

with doing this, all right; and if they wish to oppose us for doing

this, that is their business; but when they charge us with doing

that which we have not done, believing that which we do not believe,

practicing that which we have never practiced, then I pity them. I

pity them because they are doing it in ignorance, or because they are

wilfully disposed to misrepresent the truth.--_Apr. C. R.,_ 1912, pp.

3, 4.

THE PLAN OF LIFE RESTORED. It is the plan of life that the Almighty

has restored to man in the latter days for the salvation of the souls

of men, not only in the world to come, but in our present life,

for the Lord has instituted his work that his people may enjoy the

blessings of this life to the utmost; that they should be saved in

this present life, as well as in the life to come, that they should

lay the foundation here for immunity from sin and all its effects and

consequences, that they may obtain an inheritance in the kingdom of God

beyond this vale of tears. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of

God unto salvation, and it is absolutely necessary for every man and

woman in the Church of Christ to work righteousness, to observe the

laws of God, and keep the commandments that he has given, in order that

they may avail themselves of the power of God unto salvation in this

life.--_Oct. C. R.,_ 1907, p. 2.

OUR MISSION IS TO SAVE. Our mission is to save, to preserve from

evil, to exalt mankind, to bring light and truth into the world, to

prevail upon the people of the earth to walk righteously before God,

and to honor him in their lives and with the first fruits of all their

substance and increase, that their barns may be filled with plenty

and, figuratively speaking, that "their presses may burst out with new

wine."--_Apr. C. R.,_ 1907, p. 118.

{89} THE GOSPEL MESSAGE. I rejoice exceedingly in the truth. I thank

God every day of my life for his mercy and kindness, and loving care

and protection that have been extended to all his people, and for the

many manifestations of his peculiar mercy and blessings that have been

extended unto us throughout all the length and breadth of the land and

through all the years since the organization of the Church, on the 6th

of April, 1830.

The Lord, about that time, or soon after, decreed a decree which he

said his people should realize, that they should begin from that very

hour to prevail over all their enemies, and, inasmuch as they continued

to be faithful in keeping his laws he had given unto them, it was

decreed that they should prevail until all enemies were subdued--not

subdued by violence, nor the spirit of contention nor of warfare, but

subdued by the power of eternal truth, by the majesty and power of

Almighty God, but by the increased power of the righteous and of the

upright covenanted people of God--should be magnified and increased,

until the world shall bow and acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ, and

that there is a people preparing for his coming in power and glory to

the earth again.

We carry to the world the olive branch of peace. We present to the

world the law of God, the word of the Lord, the truth, as it has been

revealed in the latter day for the redemption of the dead and for the

salvation of the living. We bear no malice nor evil toward the children

of men. The spirit of forgiveness pervades the hearts of the Saints

of God, and they do not cherish a desire or feeling of revenge toward

their enemies or those who hurt or molest them or seek to make them

afraid; but on the contrary, the Spirit of the Lord has possession of

their spirits, of their souls, and of their thoughts; they forgive all

men, and they carry no malice in their hearts toward any, no matter

what they have done. They say in their hearts, let God judge between

{90} us and our enemies, and as for us, we forgive them, and we bear no

malice toward any.--_Apr. C. R.,_ 1902, p. 2.

WE ARE AS LEAVEN. While it may be said, and it is in a measure

true, that we are but a handful in comparison with our fellowmen

in the world, yet we may be compared with the leaven of which the

Savior spoke, that will eventually leaven the whole world. We have

ample assurance of the fulfilment of this thought in the growth and

development of the cause from its incipiency until the present, for

it has steadily and increasingly progressed and developed in the

earth, from a mere half dozen of men, seventy-nine years ago, until

today the members of the Church may be numbered by the hundreds of

thousands.--_Apr. C. R.,_ 1909, p. 2.

MAN INSIGNIFICANT COMPARED TO CAUSE. We are learning the great truth

that man is insignificant in his individuality, in comparison to the

mighty cause which involves the salvation of the children of men,

living and dead, and those who will yet live in the earth. Men must

set aside their own prejudices, their own personal desires, wishes and

preferences, and pay deference to the great cause of truth that is

spreading abroad in the world.--_Apr C. R.,_ 1909, p. 2.

WHERE THE GOSPEL SPIRIT LEADS. The spirit of the gospel leads men to

righteousness; to love their fellowmen and to labor for their salvation

and exaltation; it inspires them to do good and not evil, to avoid even

the appearance of sin, much more to avoid sin itself. This is indeed

the spirit of the gospel, which is the spirit of this latter-day work,

and also the spirit that possesses those who have embraced it; and the

aim and purpose of this work is the salvation, the exaltation, and

the eternal happiness of man, both in this life and in the life to

come.--_Apr. C. R,_ 1909, p. 4.

THE FRUITS OF TRUE RELIGION. The fruits of the Spirit of God--the

fruits of the spirit of true religion--are {91} peace and love, virtue

and honesty, and integrity, and fidelity to every virtue known in

the law of God,--while the spirit of the world is vicious. Read the

5th chapter of Galatians, and there you will discover the difference

between the fruits of the Spirit of God and the fruits of the spirit

of the world. That is one of the great and chief differences between

"Mormonism," so-called, and the theology of the world. If "Mormonism"

is anything at all more than other religions, it is that it is

practical, that the results of obedience to it are practical, that it

makes good men better men, and that it takes even bad men and makes

good ones of them. That is what "Mormonism" will do, if we will only

permit it to do it, if we will bow to its mandates and adopt its

precepts in our lives, it will make us the sons and the daughters of

God, worthy eventually to dwell in the presence of the Almighty in the

heavens.--_Apr. C. R.,_ 1905, p. 86.

LATTER-DAY SAINTS POSSESS THE SPIRIT OF SALVATION. The Latter-day

Saints possess the spirit of salvation, and not the spirit of

destruction; the spirit of life, not the spirit of death; the spirit of

peace, not the spirit of disunion; the spirit of love for their fellow

beings, not the spirit of hate. And for the enjoyment of this spirit

by the Saints of the Most High, we all have great cause to render

praise and thanksgiving to him who has so ordered it, and has given to

us humility to receive that measure of his Spirit which inclines our

hearts to good and not to evil.--_Oct. C. R.,_ 1905, p. 2.

MAY ISRAEL FLOURISH. May Israel flourish upon the hills and rejoice

upon the mountains, and assemble together unto the place which God has

appointed, and there prosper, multiply and replenish the earth, and

thence spread abroad throughout the land; for the time will come when

we will find it necessary to fulfil the purposes of the Almighty by

occupying the land of Zion in all parts of it. We are not destined to

be confined to the valleys of the mountains. {92} Zion is destined to

grow, and the time will come when we will cry aloud, more than we do

today, "Give us room that we may dwell!"--_Apr. C. R.,_ 1907, p. 118.

THE WORK OF THE LORD WILL GROW. The kingdom of God and the work of the

Lord will spread more and more; it will progress more rapidly in the

world in the future than it has done in the past. The Lord has said it,

and the Spirit beareth record; and I bear testimony to this, for I do

know that it is true.--_Apr. C. R.,_ 1909, p. 7.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD TO CONTINUE. The kingdom of God is here to grow, to

spread abroad, to take root in the earth, and to abide where the Lord

has planted it by his own power and by his own word in the earth, never

more to be destroyed nor to cease, but to continue until the purposes

of the Almighty shall be accomplished, every whit that has been spoken

of it by the mouths of the holy prophets since the world began._-Apr.

C. R.,_ 1902. p. 2.

ZION ESTABLISHED TO REMAIN. Zion is established in the midst of the

earth to remain. It is God Almighty's work, which he himself, by his

own wisdom, and not by the wisdom of man, has restored to the earth in

the latter days, and he has established it upon principles of truth

and righteousness, of purity of life and revelation from God, that it

can no more be thrown down or left to another people, so long as the

majority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will abide

in their covenants with the Lord and keep themselves pure and unspotted

from the world, as all members of the Church should keep themselves.

Then it will be as God has decreed, perpetual and eternal, until his

will is accomplished and his purposes fulfilled among the children of

men. No people can ever prosper and flourish very long unless they

abide in God's truth. There is nothing, no individuality, no combined

influence among men, that can prevail over the truth. The truth is

mighty and it will prevail. It may be slow in the consummation of its

purpose, in the {93} accomplishment of the work that it has to do, but

it is and will be sure; for the truth cannot and will not fail, for the

Lord Almighty is behind it. It is his work, and he will see to it that

it is accomplished. The kingdom is the Lord's, and the Lord is capable

of taking care of it. He has always taken care of it. I want to say to

you that there never was a time since the organization of the Church of

Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, when a man led the Church, not for

one moment. It was not so in the days of Joseph; it was not so in the

days of Brigham Young; it has not been so since; it never will be so.

The direction of this work among the people of the world will never be

left to men. It is God's work, let me tell you, and I hope you will put

it down in your memoranda, and do not forget that it is the Almighty

that is going to do this work, and consummate it, and not man. No man

shall have the honor of doing it, nor has any man ever had the power

to do it of himself. It is God's work. If it had been the work of man,

we would have been like the rest of the world, and it would not have

been true of us that God has chosen us out of the world, but we would

be a part of it, and "Hail fellow, well met," with it; but it is true

that God has chosen us out of the world; therefore we are not of it;

therefore they hate us and they will fight us and say all manner of

evil against us falsely, as they have ever done from the beginning.

And they will continue to seek the destruction of the Latter-day

Saints, and to feel towards us in the future, as they have felt in the

past. Now, don't you forget it, my brothers and sisters. When you go

home, if you have not been in the habit of doing it, or if you have

neglected your duty, when you go home today or to your homes in distant

settlements, carry this injunction with you: Go into your secret

chambers--go into your prayer-rooms--and there by yourselves, or with

your family gathered around you, bow your knees before God Almighty

in praise and in thanksgiving to him for his merciful providence {94}

that has been over you and over all his people from the inception

of this work down to the present: Remember that it is the gift of

God to man, that it is his power and his guiding influence that have

accomplished what we see has been accomplished. It has not been done

by the wisdom of men. It is proper we should give honor to those who

have been instrumental in bringing to pass much righteousness. They are

instruments in God's hands, and we should not ignore that they are such

instruments, and we should honor them as such; but when we undertake

to give them the honor for accomplishing this work and take the honor

from God who qualified the men to do the work, we are doing injustice

to God. We are robbing him of the honor that rightfully belongs to him,

and giving it to men who are only instrumental in the hands of God in

accomplishing his purposes.--_Apr. C. R.,_ 1905, pp. 5, 6.

THE PROGRESS OF GOD'S WORK CANNOT BE STOPPED. Now, we are thankful to

the Lord that we are counted worthy to be taken notice of by the devil.

I would fear very much for our safety if we had fallen into a condition

where the devil ceased to be concerned about us. So long as the Spirit

of the Lord is enjoyed by you, so long as you are living your religion,

and keeping the commandments of the Lord, walking uprightly before

him, I assure you that the adversary of souls will not rest easy; he

will be discontented with you, will find fault with you, and he will

arraign you before his bar; but that will not hurt you very much if

you will just keep on doing right. You do not need to worry in the

least, the Lord will take care of you and bless you, he will also take

care of his servants, and will bless them and help them to accomplish

his purposes; and all the powers of darkness combined on earth and in

hell cannot prevent it. They may take men's lives; they may slay and

destroy, if they will; but they cannot destroy the purposes of God nor

stop the progress of his work. He has stretched {95} forth his hand

to accomplish his purposes, and the arm of flesh cannot stay it. He

will cut his work short in righteousness, and will hasten his purposes

in his own time. It is only necessary to try with our might to keep

pace with the onward progress of the work of the Lord, then God will

preserve and protect us, and will prepare the way before us, that we

shall live and multiply and replenish the earth, and always do his

will; which may God grant.--_Oct. C. R.,_ 1905, pp. 5, 6.

DIVINITY OF THE GOSPEL. Somewhat unexpectedly I am called to stand

before you, but I do so with pleasure, as I have a testimony to bear

to the work we are engaged in; and it gives me pleasure when an

opportunity is afforded to give expression to my feelings in relation

to that work. That we have the gospel and have enjoyed its blessings,

and that the ordinances of the gospel have been administered to us as

Latter-day Saints, there are thousands of witnesses in this territory

and in many places in the world can testify. The testimony of the

truth of this work is not confined to one or to a few; but there are

thousands who can declare that they know it is true, because it has

been revealed to them.

We as a people are increasing in numbers, and the Lord Almighty is

increasing his blessings upon us, and the people are expanding in their

understanding and in the knowledge of the truth. I feel grateful to my

heavenly Father that I have been permitted to live in this generation,

and have been permitted to become acquainted, somewhat, with the

principles of the gospel. I am thankful that I have had the privilege

of having a testimony of its truth, and that I am permitted to stand

here and elsewhere to bear my testimony to the truth that the gospel

has been restored to man.

I have traveled somewhat among the nations preaching the gospel, and

have seen something of the conditions of the world, and to a certain

extent have become acquainted with the feelings of men, and with the

religions of the world. I {96} am aware that the gospel, as revealed in

the Bible, cannot be found in the world; the ordinances of that gospel

are not administered in any church except the Church of Jesus Christ

of Latter-day Saints. If we make ourselves acquainted with the tenets

of the religious world we shall find that they have not the gospel nor

its ordinances; they have a form of godliness, and I have no doubt, are

as sincere as we who have obeyed the gospel as revealed from heaven in

these days. But they are devoid of the knowledge which we possess,

and it is from the fact that they deny the source by which they might

receive this knowledge--namely, revelation from Jesus Christ. In their

minds they have closed up the heavens; they declare that God has

revealed all that is necessary, that the canon of scripture is full,

and that no more will be revealed. Believing thus, they close up the

avenue of light and intelligence from heaven; and this will continue so

long as they continue in their present course of unbelief. They will

not listen to the testimony of men who tell them that the Lord lives

and that he is able to reveal his will to man today, as ever. They will

not heed this testimony, consequently they close the door of light and

revelation. They cannot advance, nor learn the ways of God nor walk in

his paths.

We testify that the barriers which separated man from God have been

overcome, that the Lord has again communicated his will to man. "But,"

says one, "how shall we become acquainted with these things? How can

we know that you are not deceived?" To all such we say, repent of your

sins in all sincerity, then go forth and be baptized, and have hands

laid upon you for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the Spirit will

bear record to you of the truth of our testimony, and you will become

witnesses of it as we are, and will be able to stand forth boldly and

testify to the world as we do. This was the path pointed out by Peter

and the apostles on the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit of the Lord

Almighty {97} rested upon them with great power to the convincing of

the hearts of the people who cried out, "Men and brethren, what shall

we do?" And Peter said unto them, "Repent, and be baptized, every one

of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and

ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." This was the counsel

given them, and inasmuch as they obeyed it, they were entitled to the

testimony of the Holy Spirit which would bring peace and happiness,

reveal to them their duties, and enable them to understand their

relationship to God.

If we look at the condition of the world today, we must come to the

conclusion that peace is not likely soon to be established on the

earth. There is nothing among the nations that tends to peace. Even

among the religious societies the tendency is not to peace and union.

They do not bring men to a knowledge of God; they do not possess the

"one Lord, one faith, one baptism," and "one hope of their calling"

that are spoken of in the Scripture. Every man has gone according to

his own notions, independent of revelations, and hence, confusion and

division exist; their churches are broken up, and they are quarreling

and contending with one another. And as it is in the religious, so it

is in the political world; they are all divided, and the more energy

they put forth to make proselytes, the greater are their contentions,

and the further they go from the mark. This is the condition they have

been in, and the course they have been pursuing for almost eighteen

hundred years, until today they have become so divided that I think

it would puzzle anyone to tell how many religious denominations there

are in Christendom. There are thousands, too, who, in consequence

of the strife and contention among the religious sects, have become

entirely skeptical respecting religion of every kind, and they have

concluded that there is no God; at any rate, that there is no God among

"Christians"--that all religionists are fanatics and are deceived.

The sectarian systems {98} of religion are calculated to lead men of

reflection and intelligence into skepticism, to cause them to deny all

interference of God with men and their affairs, and to deny even his

right to interfere.

The Lord Almighty is the Creator of the earth, he is the Father of all

our spirits. He has the right to dictate what we should do, and it is

our duty to obey, and to walk according to his requirements. This is

natural, and perfectly easy to be comprehended. The gospel has been

restored to the earth, and the priesthood again established, and both

are enjoyed by this people; but those unacquainted with the working

of the gospel and the priesthood look upon us with wonder, and are

astonished at the union that exists in our midst. We move as a man,

almost; we hearken to the voice of our leader; we are united in our

faith and in our work. The world can not understand this, and they

behold it with wonder.

Let me tell my brethren and friends that this is one of the effects of

the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have become united in our faith by one

baptism; we know that Jesus Christ lives, we know that he is our Savior

and Redeemer; we have a testimony of this, independent of any written

books, and we testify of these things to the world. This unison in the

midst of the people called Latter-day Saints, and their prosperity, are

hard for a great many to understand. I have, however, heard it said,

that we boast that we are not so wealthy as our neighbors. But when our

circumstances, and the condition of our country when we came here, are

considered, I think this statement cannot be sustained. When we came

here we were penniless, and we have not had the advantages of wealth

or commerce to help to enrich us, but all we possess is the result of

our own physical labor and the blessing of God. We have labored under

great disadvantages in freighting our goods and machinery over these

vast plains, and besides this we have had a barren {99} soil and drouth

to contend with, and when all these things are considered, I think we

have been prospered more than any other people. And as it has been in

the past so will it be in the future--we will increase, and extend our

borders, for this is the work of God; we are his people, and he will

continue to bless us as he has done hitherto.

Our business is to learn our duties one towards another and towards

our leaders. This is a lesson that we seem rather slow to learn. But

it should be with us: when our leaders speak, it is for us to obey;

when they direct, we should go; when they call, we should follow. Not

as beings who are enslaved or in thraldom; we should not obey blindly,

as instruments or tools. No Latter-day Saint acts in this manner;

no man or woman who has embraced the gospel has ever acted in this

way; but on the contrary men and women have felt to listen cheerfully

to the counsels of the servants of God, as far as they were able to

comprehend them. The difficulty is not in getting the Latter-day Saints

to do right, but in getting them to comprehend what is right. We have

obeyed the counsels of our leaders because we have known they have been

inspired by the Holy Spirit and because we positively have known that

their counsels have been given for our good. We do know and have always

known that our leaders have been inspired with wisdom superior to that

which we possess. For this reason we take hold of everything they

present to us for the good of Zion.

We are engaged in the great latter-day work of preaching the gospel to

the nations, gathering the poor, and building up Zion upon the earth.

We are working for the triumph of righteousness, for the subjugation

of sin and the errors of the age in which we live. It is a great and

glorious work. We believe it is right to love God with all our hearts,

and to love our neighbors as ourselves. We believe it is wrong to

lie, steal, commit adultery, or do any act forbidden by the gospel of

Christ. We believe in all the teachings of the {100} Savior and in

everything that is good and moral, and calculated to exalt mankind or

to ameliorate their condition, to unite them in doing good. These are

among the principles of the gospel, and these principles have been

taught to us from the commencement of our career as members of this

Church. These principles are carried out among us to an extent not to

be found among any other people. We do not believe in worshiping God

or being religious on the Sabbath day only; but we believe it is as

necessary to be religious on Monday, Tuesday and every day in the week,

as it is on the Sabbath day; we believe that it is necessary to do to

our neighbors as we would they should do unto us, during the week as

it is on the Sabbath. In short, we believe it is necessary to live our

religion every day in the week every hour in the day, and every moment.

Believing and acting thus, we become strengthened in our faith, the

Spirit of God increases within us, we advance in knowledge, and we are

better able to defend the cause we are engaged in.

To be a true representative of this cause a man must live faithful to

the light that he has; he must be pure, virtuous and upright. If he

comes short of this he is not a fair representative of this work. The

gospel of Jesus Christ is the perfect law of liberty. It is calculated

to lead man to the highest state of glory, and to exalt him in the

presence of our heavenly Father, "with whom is no variableness, neither

shadow of turning." If there is any folly to be seen in the midst of

this people, it is the folly and weakness of man, and is not because

of any failing or lack in the plan of salvation. The gospel is perfect

in its organization. It is for us to learn the gospel, and to become

acquainted with the principles of truth, to humble ourselves before

God that we may bring ourselves into subjection to his laws, and be

continually willing to listen to the counsels of those whom the Lord

has appointed to guide us.

{101} We know that God has spoken; we testify of this. We stand as

witnesses to the world that this is true. We ask no odds of any man,

community or nation on the face of the earth in relation to these

things. We bear a fearless testimony that they are true. We also bear

testimony that Brigham Young is a prophet of the living God, and that

he has the revelations of Jesus Christ; that he has guided this people

by the power of revelation from the time he became their leader until

the present, and he has never failed in his duty or mission. He has

been faithful before God, and faithful to this people. We bear this

testimony to the world. We fear not, neither do we heed their scorn,

contempt, or sneers. We are used to it. We have seen it and heard it,

and have become inured to it. We know that the One in whom we trust is

God, for it has been revealed to us. We are not in the dark, neither

have we obtained our knowledge from any man, synod or collection of

men, but through the revelation of Jesus. If there be any who doubt us,

let them repent of their sins. Is there any harm in your forsaking your

follies and evils, and in bowing in humility before God for his Spirit,

and in obedience to the words of the Savior, being baptized for the

remission of sins, and having hands laid upon you for the gift of the

Holy Ghost, that you may have a witness for yourselves of the truth of

the words we speak to you? Do this humbly and honestly, and as sure as

the Lord lives, I promise you that you will receive the testimony of

this work for yourselves, and will know it as all the Latter-day Saints

know it. This is the promise; it is sure and steadfast. It is something

tangible; it is in the power of every man to prove for himself whether

we speak the truth or whether we lie. We do not come as deceivers

or impostors before the world; we do not come with the intention to

deceive, but we come with the plain simple truth, and leave it to the

world to test it and get a knowledge {102} for themselves. It is the

right of every soul that lives--the high, low, rich, poor, great and

small, to have this testimony for themselves inasmuch as they will obey

the gospel.

Jesus in ancient times sent his disciples forth to preach the gospel

to every creature, saying they that believed and were baptized should

be saved, but they that believed not should be damned. And said he,

"These signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they

cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up

serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them;

they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." These are

the promises made anciently, and there are thousands in this territory

and in this congregation who can bear testimony that they have realized

the fulfilment of these promises in this day. The healing of the sick

among us has become so common that it is apparently but little thought

of. We have also seen the lame made to walk, and the blind to receive

their sight, the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak. These things we

have seen done by the power of God and not by the cunning or wisdom of

men; we know that these signs do follow the preaching of the gospel.

Yet these testimonies of its truth are but poor and weak when compared

with the whisperings of the still small voice of the Spirit of God. The

latter is a testimony that none who enjoy it can deny; it cannot be

overcome, for it brings conviction to the heart that cannot be reasoned

away or disproved, whether it can be accounted for on philosophical

principles or not. This testimony comes from God and convinces all

to whom it is given in spite of themselves, and is worth more to men

than any sign or gift beside, because it gives peace and happiness,

contentment and quiet to my soul. It assures me that God lives, and if

I am faithful I shall obtain the blessings of the celestial kingdom.

Is this unscriptural or contrary to reason or to any revealed truth?

No, it is in compliance with and in corroboration {103} of all revealed

truth known to man. The Lord Almighty lives, and he operates by the

power of his Spirit over the hearts of the children of men and holds

the nations of the earth in his hands. He created the earth upon which

we dwell, and its treasures are his; and he will do with us according

as we merit. As we are faithful or unfaithful, so will the Almighty

deal with us, for we are his children, and we are heirs of God and

joint heirs with Jesus Christ.

We have a glorious destiny before us; we are engaged in a glorious

work. It is worth all our attention, it is worth our lives and

everything the Lord has put into our possession, and then ten thousand

times more. Indeed, there is no comparison, it is all in all, it

is incomparable. It is all that is and all that ever will be. The

gospel is salvation, and without it there is nothing worth having.

We came naked into the world and shall go hence the same. If we were

to accumulate half the world, it would avail us nothing so far as

prolonging life here, or securing eternal life hereafter. But the

gospel teaches men to be humble, faithful, honest and righteous before

the Lord and with each other, and in proportion as its principles are

carried out so will peace and righteousness extend and be established

on the earth, and sin, contention, bloodshed and corruption of all

kinds cease to exist, and the earth become purified and be made a fit

abode for heavenly beings; and for the Lord our God to come and dwell

upon, which he will do during the Millennium.

The principles of the gospel which the Lord has revealed in these

days will lead us to eternal life. This is what we are after, what we

were created for, what the earth was created for. The reason that we

are here is that we may overcome every folly and prepare ourselves

for eternal life in the future. I do not think that a principle of

salvation is available only as it can be applied in our lives. For

instance, if there is a principle calculated in its nature to save me

from the penalty of any crime, it will avail me nothing {104} unless I

act upon it this moment. If I do this and continue to do so, I act upon

the principle of salvation, and I am secure from the penalty of that

crime and will be forever, so long as I abide by that principle or law.

It is just so with the principles of the gospel--they are a benefit or

not, just as they are or are not applied in our lives.

Then let us be faithful and humble; let us live the religion of Christ,

put away our follies and sins and the weaknesses of the flesh, and

cleave to God and his truth with undivided hearts, and with full

determination to fight the good fight of faith and continue steadfast

to the end, which may God grant us power to do is my prayer in the name

of Jesus. Amen.--Discourse, Nov. 15, 1868,_ Journal of Discourses,_

Vol. 12, pp. 326-332.

THE GOSPEL ALL COMPREHENSIVE. The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ

embraces all the laws and ordinances necessary for the salvation

of man. Paul declared it to be the "power of God unto salvation to

everyone that believeth." No man can be saved in opposition to its

saving ordinances, but must receive each ordinance in the spirit of

humility and faith. Technically, the term "gospel" signifies "good

news," and is said to be taken from, or founded on, the annunciation

of the angel who appeared to the shepherds at the time of the Savior's

birth, declaring, "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which

shall be to all people."

In the theological sense, the gospel means more than just the tidings

of good news, with accompanying joy to the souls of men, for it

embraces every principle of eternal truth. There is no fundamental

principle, or truth, anywhere in the universe, that is not embraced in

the gospel of Jesus Christ, and it is not confined to the simple first

principles, such as faith in God, repentance from sin, baptism for

the remission of sins, and the laying on of hands for the gift of the

Holy Ghost, although these are absolutely essential to salvation and

exaltation in the kingdom of God.

{105} The laws known to man as the "laws of nature," through which

the earth and all things on it are governed, as well as the laws

which prevail throughout the entire universe, through which heavenly

bodies are controlled and to which they are obedient in all things,

are all circumscribed and included in the gospel. Every natural law

or scientific principle that man has truly discovered, but which was

always known to God, is a part of the gospel truth. There never was and

never will be any conflict between truth revealed by the Lord to his

servants, the prophets, and truth revealed by him to the scientist, who

makes his discoveries through his research and study.

There is a great deal that is taught in the religions of the world

as gospel truth that the Lord never did reveal, and which is not in

harmony with revealed religion. There is also much that is taught

in the world of science that the Lord never did reveal, which is

in conflict with the truth. A great deal that man has put forth as

scientific theory is founded in error and therefore cannot prevail. The

conflict between religion and science is founded in error and therefore

cannot prevail. The conflict between religion and science is due to the

fact that there are many ideas advanced in false forms of religion and

false conclusions reached by men of science. Truth and error can never

agree; but truth, no matter where it is found, is consistent and will

always harmonize with every other truth. The Lord stated it as follows:

"For intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom;

truth embraceth truth; virtue loveth virtue; light cleaveth unto light;

mercy hath compassion on mercy, and claimeth her own."--Doctrine and

Covenants 88:40.

The Lord has revealed that man was formed in his image and that we

are his offspring. This is a glorious gospel truth. Anything that we

may be taught, whether in false forms of religion or in the field of

science in conflict {106} with this great truth cannot endure, for it

is error. It may be cherished for a season and seem to prevail, as

many falsehoods have done in the past when put forth as truth, but the

time will come when all theories, ideas and opinions which are not in

harmony with that which the Lord has declared, must come to an end;

for that which remains and will endure and abide forever, will be the

truth, even the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.--_Juvenile

Instructor,_ Vol. 51, pp. 164, 165, March, 1916.

LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE. Christ, teaching his disciples, called attention

to the importance of their position and place in the world. Though poor

and despised of men, yet he told them they were the salt of the earth,

the light of the world.

Then he encouraged them to effort and achievement by showing them that

their exalted position would avail them little, unless they made proper

use of their high callings.

These conditions and instructions apply admirably to the Latter-day

Saints, who are indeed the salt of the earth, and in whom is vested the

gospel light of the world; who, as the apostle said of the Former-day

Saints, are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation,

a peculiar people; that they should show forth the praises of him who

called them out of darkness into his marvelous light.

But all this availeth little or nothing, unless the Saints consider

themselves of some consequence, and let their light shine, collectively

and individually; unless they are model in their behavior, honest,

zealous in the spread of truth, tolerant of their neighbors, "having

your conversation honest among the Gentiles; that whereas they speak

against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they

shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation."

One fault to be avoided by the Saints, young and old, is the tendency

to live on borrowed light, with their own hidden under a bushel; to

permit the savor of their salt of knowledge {107} to be lost; and the

light within them to be reflected, rather than original.

Every Saint should not only have the light within himself, through the

inspiration of the Holy Spirit, but his light should so shine that it

may be clearly perceived by others.

Men and women should become settled in the truth, and founded in the

knowledge of the gospel, depending upon no person for borrowed or

reflected light, but trusting only upon the Holy Spirit, who is ever

the same, shining forever and testifying to the individual and the

priesthood, who live in harmony with the laws of the gospel, of the

glory and the will of the Father. They will then have light everlasting

which cannot be obscured. By its shining in their lives, they shall

cause others to glorify God; and by their well-doing put to silence the

ignorance of foolish men, and show forth the praises of him who hath

called them out of darkness into his marvelous light.--_Improvement

Era,_ Vol. 8, pp. 60-62, 1904-5.

NO CAUSE FOR WORRY. The Saints and their leaders have redeemed

the waste places, founded Christian homes, churches, and schools;

established industries--because of the very nature of their

necessities. Why should they not be permitted to enjoy the fruits of

their toils, and why be sneered at and condemned for their energy and

enterprise, and especially by men who prove themselves to be hypocrites

and liars, who live on what others have produced? Are the Saints to

be condemned because they have appropriated the land, paid for it by

hard labor, cultivated and made the best out of it by their united

strength, under the inspired direction of wise leaders? It will be

noted that it is not the people who are complaining, for they have been

assisted in many ways to better themselves by such leaders; but it is

the ministers, who have no interest whatever, either in our material

or spiritual advancement. And then again, {108} are such leaders to be

condemned because they have directed and led the way in these things?

Had they not done so, whence would our enterprises, our temporal

salvation, have come? Never by the help of sectarian ministers, that

much is true, at least.

No; young man, you need not be troubled over ministerial accusations

against this people, nor over what the people of the world say against

us. I have no fears for the Church from these sources, but I confess

I have fears when our young men begin to weaken, and to take sides

against their fathers; to profess to think that the priesthood is

selfish and self-seeking; to follow lies and accusations rather than

plain truth; to join in derision against the leaders of the Saints,

and to laugh when unfriendly editors and ministers hold them up to

ridicule. I fear, when young men deny the truth and follow falsehood;

when they become self-sufficient, unvirtuous, worldly and proud; when

the sterling qualities of their fathers are derided by them; when they

seek the plaudits of men of the world rather than the kingdom of God

and his righteousness.

There is no genuine truth in the arraignment of the Church and her

officers by the ministers, but much to you, young men, in the way

you look upon it, and in your acts and decisions. Especially without

careful consideration, should you pay no attention to the accusation

of ministers, to whom with force the sentiment of Emerson applies: "We

want men and women who shall renovate life and our social state, but we

see that most natures are insolvent--cannot satisfy their own wants,

have an ambition out of all proportion to their practical force, and so

do learn and beg day and night continually."

I say that nothing can bring peace to our young men in this world save

the triumphs of the principles of truth which have been revealed of God

to the Latter-day Saints, for our doctrines are the practical precepts

of the gospel of {109} Jesus Christ, and to behold its triumph should

be the overpowering ambition and desire of every righteous soul. This

is spiritual salvation which includes the temporal. Seek to know the

worth thereof, and let these men's ravings be put under your feet.

Remember that "when a man lives with God his voice shall be as sweet

as the murmur of the brook and the rustle of the corn." The Saints and

their leaders strive diligently to this end.--_Improvement Era,_ Vol.

7, p. 303, February, 1904.

THE GOSPEL A SHIELD FROM TERROR. We hear about living in perilous

times. We are in perilous times, but I do not feel the pangs of that

terror. It is not upon me. I propose to live so that it will not rest

upon me. I propose to live so that I shall be immune from the perils

of the world, if it be possible for me to so live, by obedience to the

commandments of God and to his laws revealed for my guidance. No matter

what may come to me, if I am only in the line of my duty, if I am in

fellowship with God, if I am worthy of the fellowship of my brethren,

if I can stand spotless before the world, without blemish, without

transgression of the laws of God, what does it matter to me what may

happen to me? I am always ready, if I am in this frame of understanding

mind and conduct. It does not matter at all. Therefore I borrow no

trouble nor feel the pangs of fear.

The Lord's hand is over all, and therein I acknowledge his hand.

Not that men are at war, not that nations are trying to destroy

nations, not that men are plotting against the liberties of their

fellow creatures, not in those respects at all; but God's hand is not

shortened. He will control the results that will follow. The will

overrule them in a way that you and I, today, do not comprehend, or do

not foresee, for ultimate good. He foresees the end as he foresaw that

war should come upon all nations of the world, and as the Prophet has

declared it would. The Lord knew it would come. Why? Because he knew

what the world was doing. {110} He knew the trend of the spirits of men

and of nations. He knew what the results would be, in time. He knew

when the time would be, and the results that would be manifest, and

so he declared it by the voice of his servants, the prophets; and now

we see the fulfilment of the predictions made by the servants of God,

as they were inspired to utter them, when they declared that the time

would come to pass when war would be poured out upon all nations--not

to fulfil the purposes of God, but the purposes of the nations of the

earth in consequence of their wickedness. It may be a very difficult

thing for me, with the range of words that I possess, to express my

thoughts and to explain my full intent; but I repeat to you that the

Lord God Almighty is not pleased, nor was it his purpose or design, or

intent, to foreordain the condition that the world is in today; nor

did he do so. He foresaw what would come, by the conduct of men by

their departure from the truth, by their lack of the love of God, and

by the course that they should pursue, inimical to the well-being of

his children. He foresaw what would be, but he had given them their

agency, under which they are bringing it to pass. The results of it,

eventually, will be overruled for the good of those who shall live

after, not for the good of those who shall destroy themselves because

of their wicked propensities and crimes.--_Improvement Era,_ Vol. 20,

p. 827, July, 1917.

THE GOSPEL TRUMPET. If we are in the line of our duty, we are engaged

in a great and glorious cause. It is very essential to our individual

welfare that every man and every woman who has entered into the

covenants of the gospel, through repentance and baptism, should feel

that as individuals it is their bounden duty to use their intelligence,

and the agency which the Lord has given them, for the promotion of the

interests of Zion and the establishment of her cause in the earth.

It matters not how devout, honest, or sincere we might {111} be in

the profession of our faith in God, or in the system of religion we

might have adopted, and which we believe to be the everlasting gospel,

without repentance and baptism and the reception of the Holy Ghost,

which constitute the new birth, we are not of the family of Christ,

but are aliens, estranged from God and his laws, and in this fallen

condition we shall remain, whether in the body or in the spirit, for

time and for eternity, unless we render obedience to the plan devised

in the heavens for the redemption and salvation of the human family.

The Latter-day Saints may say, we were taught this doctrine by the

elders in our native lands, and we believed it and repented of our

sins, and were baptized, and we received the gift of the Holy Ghost,

which was a testimony to us that we had done the will of the Father,

and since then our testimonies have often been confirmed through the

manifestations of the power of God, and the renewal of his Spirit in

our hearts. Why, therefore, say they, is it necessary to refer to these

things now? We perhaps forget, in consequence of the things of time,

which so tempt our fallen nature, that having been born anew, which is

the putting away of the old man sin, and putting on of the man Christ

Jesus, we have become soldiers of the Cross, having enlisted under the

banner of Jehovah for time and for eternity, and that we have entered

into the most solemn covenants to serve God and to contend earnestly

for the establishment of the principles of truth and righteousness on

this earth continually while we live.

In referring to the subject of baptism as essential to salvation, it

may be asked by some, what would become of those who heard not the

gospel and who therefore had not the opportunity of being baptized,

claiming as we do that the gospel was taken from the earth in

consequence of its being rejected when proclaimed by Jesus and his

apostles? I would say to such, that God has made ample provision for

all his {112} children, both the ignorant and the learned; those who

have not had the gospel preached to them in the flesh, will hear it in

the spirit, for all must have the plan of salvation presented to them

for their acceptance or rejection before they can become amenable to

the law.

In connection with this work is that spoken of concerning Elijah the

prophet, namely, "The turning of the hearts of the children to the

fathers, and the hearts of the fathers to the children," which if not

done the whole earth will be smitten with a curse.

The kingdom of God must be erected upon the principles which Christ has

revealed, upon the foundation of eternal truth; Jesus himself being the

chief cornerstone. Those holy and sublime principles must be observed

and honored in our lives, in order that we may obtain an exaltation

with the sanctified in the kingdom of God.

The beauty of these principles is that they are true, and the

satisfaction derived from their adoption is the knowledge which we

receive convincing us of this fact. We have not believed a fable,

neither are we cherishing a cunningly devised scheme, but we have

been inducted into the truth, having Christ for our head, who is our

forerunner, our great High Priest and King.

The Holy Ghost is a personage who acts in Christ's stead. Just before

the risen Redeemer left the earth he commanded his disciples to tarry

in the city of Jerusalem until they should be endowed with power from

on high. They did so, and agreeable to promise, the Comforter came

whilst they were met together, filling their hearts with unspeakable

joy, insomuch that they spake in tongues and prophesied; and the

inspiring influence of this holy being accompanied them in all their

ministerial duties, enabling them to perform the great mission to which

they had been called by the Savior.

I know that God lives and that he has revealed himself. {113} I know

that the Holy Ghost has been conferred upon the children of men, and

that the gospel has been restored to the inhabitants of the earth in

its fulness. I know that the Holy Priesthood, which is the power of

God delegated to man, has been restored to the earth. I do know that

God has delivered his people and that he will continue to deliver us

and lead us on in his own peculiar way from conquest to conquest, from

victory to victory, until truth and righteousness gain the ascendency

in this his earth, inasmuch as we remain true to him and to one another.

It is the fool who has said in his heart, "There is no God," and it

would indeed be a weak and foolish mind that would rest satisfied

without knowing beyond a doubt the Author and Source of his religion,

when the opportunity of ascertaining the fact is extended to him.

I know the fruits of my religion are good, they are flavored with the

sweets of heaven, and they impart health and life to the soul, and I

know that God, the Creator of heaven and earth, is its author. No man

need wonder whether this be really true or not, for all may know for

themselves; all may partake of the fruits of the vine and eat and live;

all may drink of the eternal spring, and thirst no more. These things

I declare to you to be true and faithful. I have been acquainted with

them from my youth, and I have felt their influence from my childhood.

I have seen the effect of their opposite, and I know whereof I speak. I

cannot deny these things, neither can any man who has ever known them,

although he may apostatize from the Church, except he deny himself and

his God.

The man who embraces what is called "Mormonism," but which is really

the gospel of the Son of God, and lives according to its precepts,

will never lie nor steal; he will not dishonor his parents nor despise

his poorer brethren; he will never, no never, speak against the Lord's

anointed nor be ashamed to own his God, to whom he owes homage and

{114} gratitude now and forever; he will never do a dishonorable act,

nor fail to acknowledge God in all things, neither will he refuse

to render implicit obedience to the revelations of God which are

applicable to him. It is true, man may err in judgment, he may be

wanting in many things because of his fallen nature, but the system

of salvation is perfect. Jesus, the Only Begotten of the Father, in

whom there is no blemish, is its author; he is the standard to all the

world, and will be forever. He had power to lay down his life and take

it up again, and if we keep inviolate the covenants of the gospel,

remaining faithful and true to the end, we too, in his name and through

his redeeming blood, will have power in due time to resurrect these our

bodies after they shall have been committed to the earth.--April 8,

1876, _Journal of Discourses,_ Vol. 18, pp. 271-277, 1877.

WHAT CHURCH LEADERS ADVOCATE. We wish to advocate the principle of

unity, the love of God and neighbor, the love of a purpose that is

great, ennobling, good in itself, and calculated to exalt man and bring

him nearer to the likeness of the Son of God.--_Improvement Era,_ Vol.

21, p. 98, December, 1917.

OUR MESSAGE ONE OF LOVE. We bring a message of love. We wish to

show how much we love you, and to find out how much you love us in

return.--_Improvement Era,_ Vol. 21, p. 98, December, 1917.

WHENCE? WHITHER? We want to know where we came from, and where we are

going. Where did we come from? From God. Our spirits existed before

they came to this world. They were in the councils of the heavens

before the foundations of the earth were laid. We were there. We sang

together with the heavenly hosts for joy when the foundations of the

earth were laid, and when the plan of our existence upon this earth and

redemption were mapped out. We were there; we were interested, and we

took a part in this great preparation. We were unquestionably present

in {115} those councils when that wonderful circumstance occurred

when Satan offered himself as a savior of the world if he could but

receive the honor and glory of the Father for doing it. But Jesus said,

"Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever." Wherefore,

because Satan rebelled against God, and sought to destroy the agency

of man, the Father rejected him and he was cast out, but Jesus was

accepted. We were, no doubt, there, and took part in all those scenes,

we were vitally concerned in the carrying out of these great plans

and purposes, we understood them, and it was for our sakes they were

decreed, and are to be consummated. These spirits have been coming to

this earth to take upon them tabernacles, that they might become like

unto Jesus Christ, being "formed in his likeness and image," from the

morn of creation until now, and will continue until the winding up

scene, until the spirits who were destined to come to this world shall

have come and accomplished their mission in the flesh.--_Deseret Weekly

News,_ 1884, Vol. 33, p. 130.

LATTER-DAY SAINTS ARE LAW-ABIDING. I wish to enter here my avowal

that the people called Latter-day Saints, as has been often repeated

from this stand, are the most law-abiding, the most peaceable,

long-suffering and patient people that can today be found within the

confines of this republic, and perhaps anywhere else upon the face

of the earth; and we intend to continue to be law-abiding, so far as

the constitutional law of the land is concerned; and we expect to

meet the consequences of our obedience to the laws and commandments

of God like men. These are my sentiments briefly expressed, upon this

subject.--_Deseret Weekly News,_ 1882, Vol. 31, p. 226.

{116}

CHAPTER VII

THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE GOSPEL

HOW THE SINNER MAY BE CLEANSED. You cannot take a murderer, a suicide,

an adulterer, a liar, or one who was or is thoroughly abominable in his

life here, and simply by the performance of an ordinance of the gospel,

cleanse him from sin and usher him into the presence of God. God has

not instituted a plan of that kind, and it cannot be done. He has said

you shall repent of your sins. The wicked will have to repent of their

wickedness. Those who die without the knowledge of the gospel will have

to come to the knowledge of it, and those who sin against light will

have to pay the uttermost farthing for their transgression and their

departure from the gospel, before they can ever get back to it. Do not

forget that. Do not forget it, you elders in Israel, nor you, mothers

in Israel, either; and, when you seek to save either the living or the

dead, bear it in mind that you can only do it on the principle of their

repentance and acceptation of the plan of life. That is the only way in

which you can succeed.--_Oct. C. R.,_ 1907, pp. 6, 7.

FALLACY OF DEATH-BED REPENTANCE. I do not believe in the ideas that

we hear sometimes advanced in the world, that it matters but little

what men do in this life, if they will but confess Christ at the end

of their journey in life, and that is all-sufficient, and that by so

doing they will receive their passport into heaven. I denounce this

doctrine. It is unscriptural, it is unreasonable, it is untrue, and it

will not avail any man, no matter by whom this idea may be advocated;

it will prove an utter failure unto men. As reasonable beings, as men

and women of intelligence, we cannot {117} help but admire and honor

the doctrine of Jesus Christ, which is the doctrine of God, and which

requires of every man and woman righteousness in their lives, purity

in their thoughts, uprightness in their daily walk and conversation,

devotion to the Lord, love of truth, love of their fellowman, and above

all things in the world the love of God. These were the precepts that

were inculcated by the Son of God when he walked among his brethren in

the meridian of time. He taught these precepts; he exemplified them in

his life, and advocated continually the doing of the will of him that

sent him.--_Oct. C. R.,_ 1907, p. 3.

THE CHANGE THAT COMES WITH REPENTANCE AND BAPTISM. That change comes

today to every son and daughter of God who repents of his or her sins,

who humble themselves before the Lord, and who seek forgiveness and

remission of sin by baptism by immersion, by one having authority to

administer this sacred ordinance of the gospel of Jesus Christ. For

it is this new birth that was spoken of by Christ to Nicodemus as

absolutely essential that men might see the kingdom of God, and without

which no man could enter into the kingdom. Each of us can remember,

perhaps, the change that came into our hearts when we were baptized

for the remission of our sins. Perhaps it is not proper for one to

speak of himself or of his own experiences, because there may be those

within the sound of my voice who object to a man speaking of himself,

and especially when he shall say any good of himself; yet I speak not

of myself, I speak of the influence and power of the Holy Spirit that

I experienced when I had been baptized for the remission of my sins.

The feeling that came upon me was that of pure peace, of love and of

light. I felt in my soul that if I had sinned--and surely I was not

without sin--that it had been forgiven me; that I was indeed cleansed

from sin; my heart was touched, and I felt that I would not injure

the smallest insect beneath my feet. I felt as if I wanted to do good

{118} everywhere to everybody and to everything. I felt a newness of

life, a newness of desire to do that which was right. There was not one

particle of desire for evil left in my soul. I was but a little boy, it

is true, when I was baptized; but this was the influence that came upon

me, and I know that it was from God, and was and ever has been a living

witness to me of my acceptance of the Lord.

Oh! that I could have kept that same spirit and that same earnest

desire in my heart every moment of my life from that day to this.

Yet many of us who have received that witness, that new birth, that

change of heart, while we may have erred in judgment or have made many

mistakes, and often perhaps come short of the true standard in our

lives, we have repented of the evil, and we have sought from time to

time forgiveness at the hand of the Lord; so that until this day the

same desire and purpose which pervaded our souls when we were baptized

and received a remission of our sins, still holds possession of our

hearts, and is still the ruling sentiment and passion of our souls.

Though at times we may be stirred to anger, and our wrath move us to

say and do things which are not pleasing in the sight of God, yet

instantly on regaining our sober senses and recovering from our lapse

into the power of darkness, we feel humble, repentant, and to ask

forgiveness for the wrong that we have done to ourselves, and perchance

to others. The great, earnest, overwhelming desire, which is born of

the truth and of the witness of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the

people who obey the truth, assumes sway and again takes possession of

our souls, to lead us on in the path of duty. This is my testimony and

I know it is true.--_Apr. C. R.,_ 1898, pp. 65, 66.

THE NECESSITY OF BAPTISM. "The Light has come to the world, and he who

will not see it shall be condemned." The truth is here, and shall men

living now be heard to complain hereafter that they have not the truth

in their hearts? {119} Certainly not. It is here for all who will seek

it, and it shall be to their undoing if they do not obtain it.

The Savior said to Nicodemus, "Except a man be born again, he cannot

see the kingdom of God," and that is true today. A man must be born

from ignorance into truth, today, before he can expect to see any

difference between a Latter-day Saint and another not of the faith. If

he is not so born, he is more blind than the one whom Christ healed,

for having eyes he sees not, and having ears, hears not.

Is there any difference between the baptized and the unbaptized man?

All the difference in the world, I tell you, but it is only discernible

through the Spirit. It is a vast difference too great for one not in

possession of the Spirit to comprehend. Take two men, they may be

equals in point of goodness, they may be equally moral, charitable,

honest and just, but one is baptized and the other is not. There is a

mighty difference between them, for one is the son of God redeemed by

compliance with his laws, and the other remains in darkness.

The Scriptures say that a rich man would hardly enter the kingdom of

heaven, but it does not mean that riches will condemn a man, not at

all. God is pleased to see us acquire riches, for he intends ultimately

to give to us the whole earth as an eternal inheritance, but it is the

love of riches that kills. A great gulf separates those who enter the

house of the Lord and take wives, and those who do not thus marry--a

tremendous gulf, but to the unspiritual eye no difference is apparent.

I thank God for "Mormonism," so-called; it is the power of God unto

salvation. It is the duty of every Latter-day Saint to know of its

truth and to exemplify it. Its destiny is to overwhelm error and

supplant it with righteousness and peace.--_From a sermon,_ given in

Logan, Feb. 2, 1909.