The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-12-16

Ger the gloomy hills of darkness,
Look, my soul, be still and gaze.
p Elder VIM. 3. Barton offered the
opening prayer, and the choir sang an
o.her hymn:
Lord of Hosts. we now invoke
m Thy spirit most divine.
The Sacrament was administered by
the priesthood of the First Ward.
ELDER WIN. PALMER addressed the
congregation, and said he was pleased
to have the opportunity to speak in de-
Tense Of the principles of eternal life,
which we have received. Our position
compared with that of the world, who
are in darkness as to the ways of Ged),
is one that should cause us to be con-
tinually grateful. The emissary of evil
is trying in every way to destroy our
efforts to 90 good, and to impute unto
US all that is evil. Our enemies say to
Us, I'VE wish you would be like us,
then you could enjoy all the rights and
privileges that We have" We cannot
come to their standard OF action and
belief, and be consistent believers in the
Holy Bible. The spirits of men existed
before they came upon this earth, as re-
terred TO in part OF the Sth verse of the
18th Chapter of Revelations. Man and
woman were created in the beginning,
as described in Genesis. God gave the
woman to the man for helpmate in
this world and in the life to come. The
Apostle Paul defines their position
plainly in his epistle to the Corinthi-
ans. Marriages when performed by the
servants of God are made for time and
eternity. Judicial and civil marriages
are not, because the power Of man can
not make eternal covenants, hence the
Christians marry for time only. God
has ordained law that joins together
the sexes in. covenants that cannot be
put aSsunder. Gods ways are above
mans ways, as much as the heavens
are above the earth. Men have changed
the ordinances and broken the ever
lasting covenants. The Bible declares,
in the sayings of Christ and His apostles
as recorded in the New Testament, that
the ordinances of the gospel are faith,
repentance, baptism, etc., the religious
principles. one sect insisting on one
thing and some on another, but all
differing. Satan has worked upon the
children of men until they have changed
the laws and ordinances. And neces-
sarily Satan feels enraged at the re es-
Enlistment of the kingdom of God and
the restoration of the eternal principles
of life. God has given unto US toe
powers and authority of the priesthood.
by which we can be united together for
time and eternity Marriage for eter-
nifty protects women, and gives them
to be honored and respect
ed as the companion of man both here
and hereafter. Many are anxiously in
quiring after the principles of truth
that we teach, and 1 do solemnly say
that this is the kingdom of God. We
may fall aside, but it viii continue to
grow and increase without end. :.
ELDER JUNIUs T. WELLS said: We be-
lieve and know that God has again
spoken unto the children of men in this
day, and revealed the same principles
of the gospel as taught by the Savior
when upon this earth. This has not
by our own volition, but
the goodness food. We have
covenanted with Him to refrain from
sin and do His will. We have promised
TO serve the Lord and keep His COM
come what will whether
good or i'll. We have prepared to make
every sacrifice, even of family ties and
and to be 'cast out as evil J
because we have chosen to accept the |
truth. The gospel is free to all men. |
We ask the world to believe that God !
lives, and that He has and does speak !
unto men and reveals His mind and !
will unto them. We ask men 20 repent
and turn from their sins. Our elders,
many of them simple minded yourg !
men, have In declaring the plain truths
of the first principles, incurred the |
hatred and aroused the ire OF the MIN
listers of the so-called Christian world, |
evidently because their craft is IN danger.
Some of our elders have sacrificed their |
lives as martyrs for the testimony of
Jesus Christ. It seems strange that
such should be the case in this the en- !
Iigh tenment of the nineteenth century. |
God has. restored the principles of ever
lasting life, through His servant the |
Prophet Joseph Smith. We ask men
TO have faith in that God and to make I
repentance which needs not to be
of. We ask them to be bap--
tiled by immersion and to receive all |
the gifts and blessings of the gospel as
taught by the Savior. God revealed to
Joseph Smith every principle necessary
for,tke salvation of man. be estao-
lished the kingdom of God according to |
the promise made unto His ancient
never more to be thrown
down nor given to another people. God
has directed the footsteps of this peo-
pie and blessed and p-ospered US. Man
has not the power to stop the progress
of His work The believers in HIS
work have continued TO increase, and
to-day we enjoy peace and plenty: The
Saints are lawful citizens, and IN the
strict sense are true American citizens
believing in purity and honor and de
pending upon the eternal justice OF God
to vindicate them. Those who live
among us, and know the practices OF
our lives and at our firesides. can sub
stantiate our assertions. The course
of social life among the American peo-
pie is deplOrabIe and rotten and IN di-
rect contrast with the gospel OF lie.
Those who look closely into this sub
ject know it TO be so, and l assert that
no honest man, in face of these facts,