The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-01-11
SUNDAY SERVICES.

The services in the Assembly Hall
on Sunday afternoon. being the close
of the Semi Annual Stake Con-
ference, were opened by the choir
singing the hymn beginning:
May we, who know The joyful sound.
lllpraciiee what we know;
Not hearers of the word alone,
But doors of it too.
Prayer By Bishop Edwsrd Hunter.
The choir sang the hymn COM
mencing:
Twas on that dark, that solemn night,
When powers of earth and hell arose
Against the Son, cen Gods delight,
And friends betrayed him to his fees.
APOSTLE WILFoRD WOODRUFF I'D
dressed the congregation, quoting the
words OF Paul "Woe is unto me, if
preach not the gospel" The speaker
would also say with Paul, woe be unto
him. and to the apostles, the high
priests, and all elders Of Israel if they
preach not the gospel. The gospel
was given for the salvation of the
human family. The Lord had given
his commandments to Joseph Smith
and others to go forth and preach the
gospel against the day of his judg
ment, and the coming of the son OF
man, when the wicked OF Babylon
would be destroyed. II was no light
thing for any people to have q
dispensstion OF Christ committed to
their hands. When such thing did
occur that people were responsible
for the use they made of it. He felt
that the saints held too lightly the
trusts that had been committed
to them. The hour oil Gods judg
ment was at hand. Joseph Smith
and those who we're associated with
him were commanded to go forth and
proclaim the gospel, and do it with
out purse or scrip. They were op-
posed and oppressed. The world Was
against them, but they obeyed the
command. and established the gospel
of Jesus Christ according to the
ancient order OF things. God sus
tanned them or they could not have
succeeded. The work was now upon
the shoulders of the priesthood. They
must bear of the kingdom or they
would be damned. They must pro-
claim the gospel, and coulI not treat
lightly the things that had been com
msnded OF them. They were called
by God through the mouths of the
prophets. and their duties we're plain
before them. They must serve God
or Msmmon, and could not serve
them both. The Lord was preparing
a kingdom for his coming. God had
always, before bringing judgment
upon any people, sent a warning. He
was doing so DOW. This was a wicked
generation. Darkness spread over
the earth, but God had sent O wsrn-
ing voice to the world before the
judgment came. Apostle Woodruff
mere referred ID the law of tithing.
upon which In the morning President
Taylor had preached sermon. The
principle OF tithing was like any other
law Of the gospel-unchangeable. IL
mad been law in ancient times and
was 50 now, and should be obeyed by
the saints. 1t was their duty to offer
their tithes before the Lord. The
authorities could not change il.
President Taylor had said to give no
recommendations to those who failed
in their duties as to the payment of
fittings. and the speaker felt 10 en-
dorse the instruction. The saints were
engaged in a great work. They had |
been given much instruction from
heaven, and they must labor accord
ing to those instructions. They had |
been inspired. and would continue
to be if they attended to their prayers
and offerings, and obeyed the instruc !
tons that had been given. If they |
did not obey thev would lot be !
b essed with the spirit, and would be
like the foolish virgins, who were nn-
provided with oil when the BRIDE
< DOM came. The authorities OF the (
church paid tithing, and they would
not be justified by God If they did not
All the saints had was the Lord's.
He gave it, and be takes it away. He
nad given laws for the government of
those here, and one OF those laws was
that of tithing. God had placed us
here to pass through the world, and
see how many OF His laws we would
keep. There were few who had been
able to abide by all the laws of God,
even unto death, bat those who could
not 90 abide by thoss laws, we're I'M
worthy. The world hated the saints
because they were trying to o6ey the
celestial law OF God, but 1t would pay
the saints to obey that law, no matter
what tae prosecutions they suffered.
Those who went back to the LORD,
where the apostles and prophets who
mad lived faithful unto deata were.
would have to observs the ceIe tial 1
aw.
ELDER JOSEPH F. SMITH followed. Il
'peakIng on the same subject as the
Abo'e. He did not see how the !
laints could misunderstood the in !
'tructions that had been given during +
he present conference. They were
90 plain tn be misunderstood. He 8
lad always delighted in plainuess. i
he did not like obscurity, or ambigu- .
~. 1t had been bis aim in preach. =
ug the gospel, to dwell upon facts. /,
ringing them before the people.
While man may preach good doc
rine to the benefit of others, except 4
lie adopted it in bis own life 1t would y
lot benefit him very much. When u
be speaker drank tea and coffee, his :,
onscience would no. allow him 10 %
reach against them. 1t was DOT v
onsiste Mt for the user OF tobacco 10 CT
dmonish bis neighbors to abstain u
rom 1t And so 1t was with all evils. IL
fnen a man breaches what he prac. 4.
ces. he will be able to convince that /
e is at least sincere. From Elder
mith's childhood be had believed 81
lere was no blessing withou. obedi-
nee to the law which governed the re
lessing. All that had been promised -
? God was conditional upoa obedi
ace to some laws. The speaker re- eli
fred to the "Word of Wisdom" BY
'ying certain principles of obedience WI
e7e laid down therein. Il was not o3y
1ssib.e 10 obtain the blessings %
,erein specified without com en-
ying with the conditions there of
1 down. 1t was 80 with sIl promises &c
! the Lord. as to the Law OF tith- III
G it had been made so plain that ma
} one need err therein. There we're o.
her laws that had been given by p
e Lord which were as important as ia,