The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-09-21

altogether No; those VITO have DO
heard the gospel in s1is life viii hsV'
an opportunity OF hearing it hereafter
But, you may think, is there not s
little Injustice in some hearing the
gospel here while others are compelled
q 70 waltz The reason for this was be-
cause they had become so wicked
that they should wait. Moreover, had
God ree.tablished bis church sooner,
there would have been more shed
ding Of toe blood OF the prophets; and
be desired they should be saved from
this grea: sin; therefore, he waited
until the political governments should
so change that he could reehsblish
MS church With 3 degree OF safety;
and even in this great government
the bsst on the face OF the earth, see
how the saints have been driven aud
prosecuted herel Hence ne did 70.
establish it before. The sAints. though
perseouted, and their prophets put to
death, have survived and the Lord
has preserved his cnurch until the
present time. God has promised
eternal life to his children. l hope
for eternal life; have had this hope
for the last fifty Years; if / receive the
word of the Lord, nope TO live for
ever. Bot, says one, did not Jesus
die? That is what is termed the
death of the body; but the spirit is OF
eternal life. 1t is not expressed 10
millions OF years, bat it is through
all years and all eternity. There
may be a beginning, as l data my
birth into this earthly tabernacle GO
years ago; but l would ask ia there
any end to this immortal tabernacle
when once changed. We live for
ever in the flesh. l have this hope;
you Latter day Saints have the same
hope; you pray for it and desire life
that figures cannot express in the
endless durations that are TO come.
Eternal life is said to be the greatest
gift God can give; he has many
gifts, but this is the greatest,
and but for the giving up of bis son
by the Lord, we should have had
eternal death. Do We understand |
what eternal death means, which We
should have endured but for the |
atoDement7 But for this We would |
have no opportunity Of repenting, |
hence We see the gift of repentance.
The atonement came without con-
dition on the part of man; it was
something given through the pure
love OF God for fallen man. Would
there have been any light, good or
happiness to man but for the atone.
ment? No; it is the gif; of God
without work. Eternal life is not to
be compared with all the other gifts.
l must, before taking my seat, bear
nv testimony, that | do know, by the
many manifestations of the goodness
o; God to me, that God has sent his
angels TO the earth; that be has es-
tAblished his church, appointed
apostles, and sent missionaries to all
the earth to bear the great titiDgs of
his last message TO the earth.
ELDER MILFORD WOODRUFF then
spoke. We are not in the habit of
praisiDg any map, but il there is any
man who has been longer in the
church than Brother Pratt l do not
Know him; if sny man has travelled
more miles to preach the gospel, 1 do
not know him. When he Joined he
was boy. and what he has learned
he has learned since coming into the
| have been associated with
him for forty-seven years, and l have
never known q man to waste less
time; there may be men who know
more OF mathematics or of the starry
heavens in this world, but ] do not
know Of them; and l have never
known him to be without his book.
On the ocean, when We would be
shipping seas, and in danger, Brother
Pratt would sit with his book in his
hand, and only close it until wave
had washed over, 60 that the pages
would not get wet. This is an index
to his whole life, and by this means
he hiss become possessed OF his great
knowledge. But il any man has any
power, and this too regarding Brother
Pratt, or any knowledge, he must
give all the honor OF it to God. He
was one of the earliest men to shoulder
his knapsack and 90 to preach the
gospel; have seen him, when croz-
sing the prairies, compelled TO lie
down with fit OF the ague, and then
get up and walk to settlement and
preach a sermon at night; and for one
| am glad to hear his voice with US
still, which has always been lifted up
loud and strong in the cause OF the
Lord. He then related some OF his
personal experience relating to the
revelations of God, and how it controls
the missionaries of God and leads
them whittier it will; snd bore his tes-
timony to the truth of the work.
Choir sang the anthem:
The Lord will comfort Zion"
Benediction by Elder Jos. F. Smith.