The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-10-10
FIFTIETa SEMI-ANNUAL CON
FERENCE.
FOURTH DAY.

o Lord, our Father, LET thy grace,
Shed It's glad beams on Jacobs race;
Restore that long lost scattered band,
And call them to their native land.
Prayer by Elder David o. Calder.
Choir sang hymn on page LOG.
With you we own thy servants, Lord
Thy ministers below,
Ordained 10 spread thy truth abroad.
That All thy name may know.
ELDER THATCHER said: I never
stand before the LA.ter-day Saints to
undertake to address them without
feelings OF timiditY. Not that l fear
my brethren and sisters, but that |
fear l may have done or said some
thing which might be displessing in
the sight OF the almighty and thus
render myself unworthy of the in
iueuce OF the holy spirit. We must
realize how weak snd faiable Is
humanity. To be left without the
sweet influence of the spirit after
having felt it can only be described
By those who have experienced it.
And in standing before you this
morning. crave an undivided in
terest in your prayers. have been
fed with the bread of life in listening
to the elders who have spoken TO US.
1 have been made glad in coEtem-
plating the goodness Of eur heavenly
father in permitting Us to meet IN
peace, with none to make afraid. /
feel that the Lord is near US, aud ia
still feeling after the Lstter-day
Saints. We, as q people. should be
careful in regard TO the covenants We
have made; We should bear in mind
that although many have been called,
but few have been chosen. We
should not feel that We are entirely
safe, for the voice OF God, and of his
servants, has warned US of the dan
gers who surround US. How glori
GUS would it be il we could always be
guided by the holy spirit. | can con-
ceive of no greater blessing, for no
man can sin when under the infu-
ence OF the spirit OF Goo. / will read
a portien of the Book of Covenants
upon this subject. The speaker then
read from page 423. section 121, COM
mencing With paragraph "a. To my
mind, | have never read anything
more beautiful than this. and If We
could have every word OF this pro-
phesy written upon our hearts, what
q guide it would be for US. Ii 1t
we're so, how many Of Us would turn
cur affections upon the things OF this
world, or how few OF US would ever
speak words of deceit and guile, or
entertain feelings OF luminosity against
each other2 Ii this were our guide,
our bowels would be filed with
charity for each other. We would
not grieve the spirit of God, and
thus be left alone to kick
against the pricks. Have we any
promise that We shall have an
everlasting dominion unless We can
have the companionship of the holy
spirit2 This spirit will fill us with
love for all mankind. 1t was the
vibration of the chord OF love in the
heart of God that enabled him to give
bis only begotten son to dis for the
sins of the world. This also made the
Savior call his disciples to go and
preach to ell nations the gospel.
What conditions are necessary to
secure the guidance of this spirit?
Those only which have read. Many
are called and but few are chosen.
Why are but few chosen? because OF
The love thoy have for the things OF
this world. Each and all OF US can
answer for ourselves whether We have
q disposition to aspire to rule over the
hearts of men, Who does not know
that the holy ghost makes man feel
humble and small, and that he is but
q speck amongst created thiDgs and
thus re may realize in part hew
Moses felt when the Lord commanded
him to 20 down and free bis people.
Wbo cannot sympstbize with him
wien he pleaded to God to send some
otner man, aud while this fear was
still before his eyes and be submitted,
yet how strict was the Lord with him.
The frat act of this man was in the
defence of bic people. and in this
defense the Egyptisn rose up in
wrath, and being slain was buried IN
tue sand. Afterwards when inter
posing between two of his brethren,
one reprcached him. askeg him if he
was going to kill him as he had done
the Egyptian. We know what be
and his brother Aaron suffered when
leading the children OF Israel. The
Lord mas eaid that be is displeastd
with the ungratsful Yet how I'M
grateful we're those Isrselites to-
wards God and towards their leader.
Although they could not bear the
glory OF God, and asked Moses to be
to them as God, yet in a lew days
after, We fin1 them threatening to
stone him. This great man erred IN
one instance, when the people wanted
water and they murmured. God told
Moses how to procure it. yet in doing
so, moved, no doubt. By some feeling OF
the natural man end worked on by
their cries be said: rye rebels. must
we fetch you wster out OF this rocky"
and shifting the rock the water flowed.
Yet for this neither he nor Aaron
we're allowed to enter TIE promised
land. Do you remember the answer
which Christ made to the question,
which will be the greatest in the
kingdom of heaven? Calling little
child and setting him amongst them
be said except ye become as little
children ye can in no wise enter the
kingdom OF heaven. There should
be no disposition to go into the
sanctuary and say to God ! thank
thee that am not as others. Do We
see the manifestation of the love oil
the things Of this world. Show me a
man who has been willing % 60 to
the ends OF the earth to preach the
gospel, and then show me the man
who has forgotten his experience,
aud Z will show you man who can
not comprehend the things l have
read to you. Have We any such
men2 We have. When we seek to
use the holy priesthood Of God to
advance our pride, to seek to hold
dominion over the children of men,
We may know we have lost the spirit.
When We cease to feel humble We
may know that the spirit is not
with Us. Can man have
the spirit of God while seeking to Ad-
vance the 6uancisl standing Of the
kingdom OF Gcd7 God does not want
to see distinctions Of clsss or q mon
led srissocrscy among his people.
Why il II that sone are meek. hum