The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-02-05
SUNDAY SERVICES.

| in Assembly Hall, On Sunday afte1-
noon, being session Of the quar-
terly conference of the Salt Lake
stake, was the one beginning:
Ger the gloomy hills of darkness,
Look, my soul, be still and Rtze;
All the promises 90 travsii
With q glorious day OF grace;
Blessed jubilee
Let thy glorious morning dawn.
Prayer by Elder w. A. McMas>
ter. The choir sang the hymn
commencing:
o, Lord Of Hosts, we now invoke
Thy spirit me ct divine,
To cleanse our hearts while ", pxItaks
The broken bread and wine.
T President Joseph E. Taylor pre-.
sented the authorities Of the Salt
Lake stake of Zion. all of whom the
congregation voted unanimously to
sustain.
Apostle Albert Darlington adj
dressed the congregation. He said
he was thankful that the bishops
had bean able to make favorable re-
ports from their respective wards.
LIT WA not q matter OF surprise that
sOme we're reportsA az not living
strictly In aeoordAnes with the rnhs
Ief the gospel. The saints knew BY
Revelation from God that they were
living in the dispensafion Of the
fu]lness Of times, just previous to
the coming Of the Son Of Nan, for
which event the Lord IL engaged In
purifying his people. Is behooved
the saints, with all diligence and
faarnestnsss, to live as nearly - pos.
sible in accordance with every word
|frcm tho Lord. Evil had always
seemed to have great pswer over
the human family. In the days Of
Noah there were but eight to give
heed to the principles OF the gospel.
The saints have no occasion for
fear, If they will but remain faithful,
for God will fight their battles for
them. It has often seemed strange
that mankind, with it's glorious
parentage, should be 50 unwise as
to reject the light, and instead of
welcoming Joseph Smith and his
mission for she salvation of men,
should rspudiate them. Human
reason cannot account for such un.
wise conduct, such blindness on the
part Of the vast majority Of the hu>
man family. The Scriptures fur
nished the explanation, in this, that
men love darkness better than they
do light, and they do this because
their deeds are evil. That is why
the nations of the earth are cropping
In darkness, instead Of enjoying the
MONDAY sun. The Heavenly Father
is God of love and infinite kind
ness, and is even stretching out his
hands for the saving Of his children.
He has given his gospel, through
which eternal life may be secured,
and opened the way by which the
human family may obtain everlast-
ing joy and peace. In regard to the
warfare that is going on between
truth and error, the world is pos
seesed Of spirit and influence that
are not In harmony with the spirit
and influence enjoyed by Christ.
The world viii not accept salvaS
ton, choosing evil rather than good.
It was full of bitterness towards the
saints, but the latter felt no enmity
towards the world. They felt cor
row fer the wicked and sinful, bnt
not bitterness. The saints were not
going to be discouraged because the
majority loved darkness better than
the light, nor because the majority
were 80 much opposed to the saints.
The latter were going to do good
and not evil. This was their right,
and the world had the same choice
to make. The free agency is given
to every one on earth, and each will
be held responsible for the choice
he makes. Naturally it is to the in
terest Of the individual to serve the
Lord and obey his commandments;
it is better both spiritually and tenn.
porally. He sometimes thought the
saints let their minds believe that
the world knew something; this
was q mistake, for the world 10
grossly ignorant, not as to the arts,
sciences, etc., but in regard to the
gospel and plan of salvation. The
saints gained their knowledge from
the Lord, through his spirit, which
is the only way it can be obtained,
but the world rejected the spirit,
hence was in Ignorance. The world
had enjoyed degree Of comfort and
pleasure, but no happiness, for
there could be no happiness except
in obeying the word Of the Lord.
Vain, ignorant persons would be-
lieve nothing that could not be de- |
mOnstrated by the exact sciences.
Yet all our senses could be deceived
the spirit Of the Lord gave absolute
knowledge that could not be refuted
or overcome. 1t was strange that
this nation could not discover the
wickedness Of its course with regard
to the saints when the latter are adj
mitted to be the best people on
earth, in all that pertains to good
conduct. The reason why the ma
ton would not zee this was because
it would not. It behooyed the saints
to search themselves day by day,
and ascertain if they were improv-
ing themselves In all that pertained
fO tbo capvioo of tho ord TT fhaV