The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-08-24
SUNDAY SERVICES.

the cnOlr singing the hymn DeSln-
lining:
Awake, ye Saints of God awakeI
Gail on the Lord in mighty prayer,
That re will Zion's bondage hTe *,
And bring to naught the io"ler's snare.
| Prayer by Elder E. SnelgrOve.
! The choir sang:
He died! the great Re1eemer died,
And IsraePs d lighters wept around:
A solemn darkness yelled The sky;
A sudden trem bling shook the or uOd.
| ELDER II. w. NAIsBITT addrc Ssed
the congregation. He SAID the
saints had been gathered from many
lanGs, where they had been trained
under the religious institutions that
belonged to ChriStendOm. many of
them having once belonged to the
various sects of the world, hence
they were advanced beyond the le-
| ligiOus principles and theories OF
the other churches. One thought
was held by the saints which was in
| danger of becoming obsolete in this
generation They held that excel
lence was the product of well-di-
rected laber. The tendency of the
age was to reach that which was de-
Sirable by short cuts, rather than by
persistent and continuous labor,
whether it be in the pursuit Of
wealth or political prominence. This
was particularly so in America,
where the illimitable resources had
made vast number Of men i'm
mensely and suddenly rich. This
nation was faster in its necessities
and products than any other. This
condition was full of danger. What
ever is to be appreciated at its full
value must be acquired by proper
labor. Suddenly acquired wealth
| is hard to retain, and one
who gains position by the
sudden display of genius is less
likely to retain it than he who plOds
along, attaining prominence as the
result Of long continued toll and
faithfulnesS. The Lord was a being
mighty in work, who accomplished
nothing except through effort di-
rected by intelligence. The greatest
men in the world were patient, in
telligent and persistent, and through
the exercise Of those qualities they
achieved success. If we had the de-
tails of the early life Of Jesus Christ
they would doubtless show
that he was devoted. per-
seYering and remarkable for his
labor. He seemed to know
little of the word rest. He told his
disciples that these characteristics
were those Of his Father who, he
said. worked. All the early Christ
ianS believed in the dignity of labor.
They did not shrink from the duties
of everyday life, nor to live off their
neighbors; nor did they believe in
proving upon their fellow men by
creating corners in fish OF the pro-
ducts of the land. They were the
toilerS, the fishers, who were taken
by Christ to perform his work upon
the earth, and when they went forth
they were industrious and labOriOuS,
travelling not in palace cars, but
walking from place to place, spread
ing the gospel that God had given.
In this age it is said that faith |
simply is necessary to attain that |
salvation which the world is Striy- |
ing for; but in ancient times they |
were told to work out their saliva
ton by diligence and patience. They |
had to work as well as have faith,
their faith being shown by their
work. Any system that recon |
mendS idleness, that teaches
that salvation is easy to be ac-
CURED, that anything good may be
acquired without labor, is not
according to Christ. The saints had
been from the first patient, devoted
laborers, who did not expect any
thing without they worked for it,
and what they had accomplished had
been brought about through work.
They are not afraid of work as every
place where they have lived would
testify. In that labor they best eX-
emplified the characteristics of their
Father in heaven. They have will
ingly traverSed the globe in spread
ing the gospel and performed the
duties that have been putupon them
by the Lord. How different were
their ideas of labor to that of the
Christian Sects. The saints held
they were children of the only true
and living God, and that there was
a vast gulf between them and him
which could only be bridged by
much and hard labor They felt
that there was only one way through't
which salvation could be reached.
They found that way marked out in
the gospel, and because of this they
looked with comparative contempt
upon the organizations and theories
and doctrines of men for attaining
the desired end. 1t was BECAUSE of
this that they were willing to go to
the nations of the world. telling of
the inspired audience better way for
the redemption of the human fam
lily that God had laid down There
could be no excellence without
labor, and when man expected
they would be mistaken.
PRESIDENT GEORGE Q. CANNON
was the next speaker He, with
President Taylor, and others had
been absent from the city for some
weeks, visiting the counties north
and east. They had held twenty
four meetings, and enjoyed them
selves exceedingly. The people
generally attended the meetings.