The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-02-22
SUNDAY SERVICES

: the building. The opening hymn
| was the one beginning
; Great is the work, my God my King,
To prsise thy name, give thanks and sing
To show thy love by morning light,
: And talk Of all thy truths az night,
Elder William w. Taylor offered
the opening prayer
The choir sang the hymn com
mencing
Spirit of faith com , down,
Reveal the things of God,
And make to US the Go5head known,
And witness with the blood.
ELDER HENRY W. NAIsBITT first
addressed the congregation, saying
that on certain occasion a null
titude of hungry people followed
the Savior, who asked his dis
ciples if they had any food for the
company. The latter replied that
they had nothing except a few
small loayes of bread and some
| fishes. vet the bread was broken and
the multitude fed until all were sat
isfied, and after the feast there was
more food than at the beginning.
An elder in attempting to feed con-
| gregatiOn like the present one, some
times felt that his supply of spirit
ual food was small, yet he realized
that the Savior could be applied TO
| for what was lacking, and that each
person could get what he required.
The elder was but the instrument
through which intelligence from
God passed to the hearers. The elder
himself also needed the food of
truth from the Great Source. The
speaker said the purposes of the
Latter-day Saints were pretty
generally known. The saints were
pupils in the school of the Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. They were ig
norant and at first the lessons had to
be simple so as to be brought to
their understanding. They were a
good deal in the condition of the
schOol-boy who was frequently
brought in contact with intellectual
superiors. Their minds and feelings
were wrought upon by the spirit of
intelligence, and they gradually grew
in knowledge of God and his truths.
To better illustrate the subject of
his discourse Elder NaiSbitt here
drew a smile. The farmer who had
experience i'll his business and
knowledge of the soil and seasons,
plants the seed at the proper time,
cares for it as it grows, and as the
grain, green and beautiful, waves
III the field, lie takes pride in
the sight, and promises that it
shall be presented to the king.
Finally as the grain ripens
the reapers come along and
cut it; then others put it i'll shocks,
and afterwards it is taken through
the various processes of stacking,
sweating, threshing, grinding and
boiling, the tlOuer is mixed, and
baked and finally comes forth in the
loaf in which shape it is presented
to the king; and so the promise to
the growing field was fulfilled. So
it was with man. lie had to 90
through various processes in order
to be refined and reach the high |
position for which he was destined. !
Like the wheat in the stack when
some Of the ander SheaveS COM |
planned of their hard lot, some |
men complained that others were
above them. But the order must |
be Obeyed. There must be cap
sheaveS, rs well as lower tiers, and |
each was necessary to the support |
and well-being of the others. All
must pass through the various pro-
cesses in order TO get rid of the
worthless chaff, and come forth |
refined. fulfilling their destinies.
ElderN aisbitt related the seemingly |
hard, but ordinary experience of |
those who embraced the gospel in |
the early days of the church. Their |
minds were worked upon by the |
spirit of the Lord, old acquaintance
gradually withdraw from their |
society, new associations became
necessary, the feeling came over
them that they should go to Zion,
and they would bend all their ener-
gies to that end. After arriving,
they would look about for some
congenial labor, that they might !
maintain themselves, and severe
trials frequently beset them. Some
times the trials led them to inquire |
whether Zion was worth the suffer
ings that it seemed to intlict; but if
the Spirit remained with the believ-
erS they were happy in their trials
and poverty and unpleasant eXperi-l
enceS. The social influence sur
rounding them was good, and in
those days there were enjoyments
and happiness on every hand. Fin
ally the Gentiles began to come
among the saints, and tried to make
the people, and especially the young,
think they were deluded in their re-
ligion. Those who did this little
knew Of the power and influence of
the saints religion. The gospel
was making better and purifying
the people, preparing them for pres
entatiOn 10 the King. The oppoSi-
sition did not check the growth of
Zion which was advancing rapidly
and steadily.
ELDER c.. W. PENROSE followed
with a brief discourse. in much
the same strain as that of
the first speakers. He said all men
were expecting to be brought into
the presence of the Great King. All
must appear before his throne. In
vision the Apostle John saw when
all stood before the judgment seat,
and each was called upon to give an
account of the deeds done in the
flesh. They were judged out of the
books that were opened. Now do
all expect to remain in the presence
of theKing, enjoying his society and
laboring under and with him ?
According to the Scriptures only a
few would be permitted to remain
with God. Joseph Smith and Sid
ney RigdOn had been permitted to
behold the disposition OF the human
family after this life. They saw
some taken before the Father, there
to remain; others were assigned to
another place, and the great multi
tude were given a third degree of
glory. These were the celestial, ter
reStrial and celestial degrees of glory.
Those in the laSt-named place were
not to enjoy the presence of the
Father worlds without end, but
would be administered to by those
higher in the favor of the Lord. All
must 20 before the Lord, when
each would be assigned to the
place or degree of glory where he
was to stay. This world was a pro
stationary sphere where all must be
tried and fitted for the positions
they would occupy hereafter. Some
thought if they had made this world