The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-02-19

come from Him and derived all that
We have from Him; we should give
Him the honor and glory for all that
we are or do. No man possesses the
power or wisdom to cause even q
| spear Of grass to grow we pillow and
plant, cultivate and reap, but God
has ordained the harvest shall come
In obedience to certain rules and
laws which He has kept from the
knowledge n Of man. There is q
spirit in man, but the inspiration of
the Almighty giveth it understand
ing without which man would be
an animal like the rest Of the ami
nal creation. The spirit OF God
giving man understanding he is ele>
waited above the brute beast, and he
can reflect, resaes, pray, etc, aud
lnasmuch az he puts his
intelligence to good purposes he
is entitled to more Of that spirit, but
If he thali prostitute his intelligence
he will degenerate to the animal.
The speaker had lately heard enc
regarded as intelligent say We knew
nothing about the future, which
which must be left unthought of
because 1t was beyond our reach.
This is not enough for him, for he
desired to know something about
the future, to know why he came
here, and where he wss going. Those
who say 1t is sufficient to know only
of things which we can sea are but
little removed beyond the animal
creation. He had heard another
intelligent gentleman say that the
sum OF life was to enjoy the things
of this world-to eat, drink and be
merry, and let the future take care
OF itself.
He considered this ignoble and
groveliDg, there being nothing In it
to exalt or purify the mind. Ii we
were to give way to the depraved
appetites OF the flesh, the end would
invariably prove bitter, hurtful and
Injurious in every respect and to all
concerned: on the contrary, II we
are pure and noble, doing good to
ourselves and others, looking to the
future and laying up treasures where
neither moth nor. rust can en-.
ter, we. will not only enjoy
ourselves here, but obtain the
great reward hereafter, which Is
of more value than all else.
II there is nothing TO be gained ex.
cept what can be gained through
gratifying the appetites Of the flesh,
then the world is a bubble: and its
pleasures are as nothing. Jesus did
not prostitute his intelligence and
gifts for the qualification Of the
lusts of the flesh instead, he went
about doing good, causing people to
have joy. One could have his rel
ward as he went along, but 1t would
be unsatisfactory and vain indeed.
After pleasure comes pain; the
bitter Will follow the sweet in this
world; but ii is not go with the
spirit of the Lord, for this leaves
Joy and pleasure in the heart, and
there are no painful effects. This
spirit leads to the doing of good, and
it IL more pleasure to d. good than
evil. The people Of the world is |
bent on gaining the pleasures CT this |
world; all their energies are turned |
in that direc iou; but one OF these |
lays, after they have gone from
earth, they will find that their pea
.uies have departed, and their por,
ion will be sorrow; they have done
nothing that will entitle them |
70 the reward after life that |
has been promised to those who |
lightly employ their talents during |
life. In the mind of the speaker the |
greatest source of joy is to know
hat his sins are forgiven, and that |
nis course in life is acceptable to
The Lord; to know that he enjoys
The rights and privileges of the
priesthood; to know that he is in
he fellowship of the Saints, and
Enjoys their faith and confidence.
These are worth more tt him than
Ill the world be,ide. He would not
exchange the portion Of ,he priest
mood that had been Conferred upon
1im for all that the world could
rive. In regard to the beginning,
when the stars sang together, and
he plan was devised for peopling
md redeemiDg this werld, we were
all there and te2k part in the work,
,omprehendipg the scheme; and
,ver since had been coming to earth
whenever opportunity presented it
elf. He had learned this through
he gospel; the Saints had also
earned it from JosephSmith and the
Inspiration ofthe Almighty. Each
las the privilege of tobtaining his
for himself, not being
lependt MT upon Joseph Smith,
Brigham Young, John Taylor or
,there. Man has come upon earth
hat he might be like Jesus Christ,
md obtain the fullness Of JOY for
eternity, and not for the flesh
merely. The Lord does not desire
hat We deny ourselves legitimate
pleasures, nor that we 60 about
and mourning; but there
3 Joy aside from that which
nds in misery and sorrow.
The joys which come from doing
God are eternal, and these We
hculd strive t. obtain. 1t was ne
essary that all should die, this had
,een ordained by the Lord, but
Ieath is not the end. We had ex>
stence before We came and will
ave existence after leaving The
srth. though it may ba in 8 differ.