The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-12-21
SUNDAY SERVICES.

- tuo COuRI6BnAtODs A0 S1i1 SpSS'@'
commitment had been give
|. to the elders OF the church, by ih
!; Lord, through Joseph Smith: it va
to the effect that they should preaci
= the gospel, but should not teAcl
9 unless they bad the spirit. some
. times the greatest difficulty presentst
0 to the mind OF the elder was in re
gard to the topic upon which b.
should speak, the subjects were 81
numerous. But one subject wal
always of great Importance to the
saints, namely, that in regard to the
work to be perfol med upon thi:
earth for the salvation OF mankind.
In pursuance of this WORK, the salt t.
were building temples. In 1886 Ger.
tain personsges appeared to Joseph
Smith and Oliver CoRdery, in the
RIrtlsnd Temple. One OF those per.
sonsges was the son of God. Another
vas the Prophet Elijah, who bolds
the keys OF the eternal world for
turning the hearts OF the children to
the fathers and the hearts of the
fathers to the children. His coming
bad been predicted by Malachi. who
foretold that the keys would be re-
stored TO the earth, in order that q
curse should not fall upon men.
Joseph Smith claims 10 being a pro-
phet of God we're proven beyond a
possibility of doubt to the mind of
the speaker. One proof was that the
elders 90 forth to the world, preach
Jog the gospel OF the kingdom, as bad
been predicted by Mslachi. They
are clothed with q portion Of that
priesthood which was FIRST bestowed
upon J seph Smith. Their preaching
Is acknowledged by the heavenly
Father. Ia obedience to the call,
hundreds and thousands repent OF
their sins, and turn away from the
beliefs in which they had been reared;
they are baptized in order thst they
may receive the ordinances snd spirit
which had been promised. Who was
to Judge if one received the Holy |
Gnosi? The individual himself was
the best judge as 10 whether he had
received the blessings that had been |
promised. Those who repented, were
baptized and accepted o! the doc
trines of the church, we're witnesses
that they had been blessed as had |
been promised. One who has not |
complied with the doctrines of the |
gospel cannot say that this is not the
WORK OF G1G. In addition, those who
believe are prompted by the spirit
that Elijah brought when he conferred
the keys upon Smith and CoWdery.
Those who comprehend this work,
come for the purpose Of being like
Ssviors on Mount Zlou, to perform
a work for those who have gone be-
fore. The hearts of the children are
thus turned to the fathers, that they
may do something for their salvation.
When the elders go into the world,
those who are opposed to the WORK
endeaVor to find something TO oontro-
vert the assertions of those who
preach the gospel. They accused the
elders OF being narrow, because the
after claim to be members OF the
only true church. The world BAY, if
t be true that the saints have the
1nly church, and there has been al
interval of darkness. what lie to 10
come of those who livei during that
Iark period? The reason OF this OBJ
ection is because of the blindness OF
he people which prevents the world
rom comprehending the gospel.
The gospel is saving those people who !
nave not had the opportunity tor
hearing it proclaimed in the flesh.
The same gospel Is being preached to
hose who have not heard it here, but
are now listening to it in the spirit
world. Il had been fcreiold by one
IF the apostles that the dead should
near the voice OF the son OF map, and
hey shall come forth, they who have
lone good, in the resurrection of the
ust, and they who have done wrong.
o the resurrection of the damned.
Christ, after death, had preached to
he saints in prison. he delivered to
hem a message of salvation just as We
lear it in this life. He did this that
hey might be Judged according to the
light they received, just as men to day !
Ire to be Judged. If We escape con-
we must walk in accord
.uce with the instructions OF God,
md SO also must those who hear the |.
gospel in the spirit. The law of God
must be obeyed in its tullness. No
,srt Of it may be broken with i'm
,unity. All must believe, repent of
heir sins, be baptized, and have Z
hands laid upon them for the recsp-
ion OF the Holy Ghost, otherwise
hey could not be ,aved. Christ
himself had been baptized, and all
Sho entered the kingdom OF God
must follow in the footsteps OF him J
Who had led the way to salvation.
Christ was without sin, hence be did
lot require baptism io- the remission
If Gin, but be was born of the watr,
n order to conform to the strict letter
If the gospel law. A man must be
porn of the water, and OF the spirit,
o be saved in the presence OF the
Father We say spirit cannot be
baptized, but by the law of substitu-
ion, OF one person performing an
act for another, the work could be
lone, and the object accomplished.
In ancient times, the saints under
stood we'll that in order to have the
approval of God. their hearts must be
turned to the fathers. In the days of
Ohrist's sojourn upon the earth there
we're various sects and religious de-
as there are to-day.
Then, as now, the saints brought into
the church many sectsrian ideas.
As a consequence, schisms arose, rs
they have done in this age. Formerly
there were disciples who preached
that there was no resurrection of the
dead; but Christ was TesuTrected, and
the Apostle Paul had asked if the
dead do not rise, why was there bsp-
tlzing for the dead. There was law
that the living might be baptized for
the dead, in order that sll might have
sn opportunity to be saved. That
law had been restored to this earth,
through Joseph Smith, upon whom
the keys had been bestowed in the
Krtlsud Temple, as above stated.
when Elijah the prophet appeared, |
as il had been predicted. Elijah |
came to prevent tbs Lord from smit
ing the earth with q curse. The
world denied that be had come; but
the saints claimed that he bad come,
sod that these were the latter days