The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-07-07
TABERNACLE SERVICES.

4hOGL1A aOAE OEh lOEOs
The services ia the Tabernacle o.
Sunday afternoon were largely at!er
ded, the building being we'll filed
this being the closing day of th
semi-annual conference of the Sal
Lake Stake. The choir SAM tn,
hymn beginning:
Sweet is the work, my God, my King, etc
Prayer by Bishop Craze, OF Henri
man.
Choir:
How sweet communion, etc.
ELDER JOSEPH T. SMITH addressed
the congregation. He said it was the
duty OF the saints Ia so live that they
could at all times enjoy the spirit oil
the Lord that would ct any time
enable them to perform the lsbors
they we're called upon to do. II an
elder we're called upon to speak he
should comply, even without special
preparation, and ought not to be ct q
loss for a subject. The gospel which
they believed in embraced all truth,
no mater where found; but this was
not saying that the people who pro-
fessed belief in the gospel possessed
all truth. They possessed the truth
only in proportion to their intefli-
gence. When they possessed all
knowledge they would possess all
truth. Referring to the matter OF
the Lord debating TO men in ten
poral affairs, the spe aker asked why
God should not guide and control
men temporarily as well as spiritually?
In the werld 1t had come to be that
man to be prosperous, must commit
his body to the doctor, his purse to
the lawyer and his soul 10 the minis
ter, and one was not supposed to in
terfere with the other. The speaker
believed the Lord had as much right
to control men in their temporal
affairs as il their spiritual. A mans
spiritual hereafter depended upon his
temporal conduct. 1t had always
seemed strange that God could not
instruct aud guide man temporarily,
when 80 much depended upon his
temporal conduct. Man owed every
Thing of g physical nature to God.
as the earth bulonged to the Lord and
the fulness thereof. No man who
was born into the world, brought
with him houses, lands or other prop
erty. He cams here destitute and
though he might be prosperous and
successful on earth when he dies he
leaves all behind him. He can tske
nothing with him that Belongs to the
ealth. This fact should convince any
intelligent person that We could claim
nothing as our own. All WAS here
before we came, and will be here
after we are gone. Others had owned
what we now possess. before We OBJ
tanned it, and others will possess it
after we are gone. We may hold
property and use it for cur own COM
fert, but it is not ours. 1t belonged
to God. 1. Ua9 the Lord who con-
trolled these thing. He giveth and
he tskelh away. W1at the speaker
was STRIVING for WGs reward here
after for fsithfulness. and good actions
here upon the earth; a reward OF
eternal life in God kin gdom. He
knew that wbCsoever shall live cody
in Christ Jesus will receive the re-
ward, and no man could deprive him
OF it. God will reward those who
work for salvation and deserve it.
1t was said God was no. a re<pecter
OF persons and in one way he wss not,
yet ia another he was. God respects
not the apparel, habitations or pre-
tentions OF men. The poor man who
serves God with all bis heart, is as
acceptable to God as the rich man
who serves him With al his heart.
God was a respecter of persons in
that he would hear the prayer OF the
fervent man when be would not hear
and answer the prayer of the proud
AID Maynard. God would not listen
to the prayer of the Pharisee, no
matter now correctly worded, but he
would accept the prayer OF the
humble, the lowly, and the righteous,
but those who are hard-hearted, proud
and vain will rot be acknowledged.
God respects those who obey the
truth. who respect themselves snt
their fellow creatures, for this was
part of the law OF God. What man
possessed he was permitted to occupy
for his comfort and the good oil Others.
1t was committed to his care that he
might render an account OF his
stewardship On the judgment day.
ALI that WAS on the earth had baen |
created by God for the benefit OF his
children. He owned it all. Then |
why should man say God had no
right to guide and direct him in his
temporal affairs? 1t was Lot the in
telligent man who denied the right
OF God to dictate to him. 1t |
was the ignorant and wicked who |
denied this right. God should be
found and heard everywhere, in Con-
gress and legislative halls, by judges,
by all officisls, by farmers and
mechanics, one just as much as
another. Elder Smith once heard an |
eminent preacher say before COZ
Of 5000 persons in Liver
pool, that God was not drawn out |
towards the righteous and the sane,
but his love, his kindness and sfiec- |
tons were drawn out towards the
wicked and wo~L e.iadvd. Ia tLat
connection the preacher referred to
the parallels Of the pro1igal son, and
the 10y in heaven over one sinner |
that repenteth more than over ninety |
and nine just persons which need no |
and as illustration |
that the moment Adam partook of
the forbidden fruit and became a |
sinner, Gei's love and affection we're |
extended to him. Elder Smith did |
not believe in that doctrine. The
greater the affection OF a man for |
God, the greater was Gods
love for him. The parable of
the prodigal waa true; but
the fatted calf was not killed
because the son bad sinned, hut be
cause be had repeated and iorssken
his evil ways, and become a son OF
God, and there was prospect OF his
being saved. He had heard that
same preacher say that no man
could prepare himself for entrance
into the celestial kingdom, which
was also an error and in direct oppo-