The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-08-22


saying, "FolloW me and will make you
fishers of men," He called upon the
poor and the humble to proclaim His
gospel. God called upon an humble
youth who knew very little, so far as
the learning of this world was con-
cerned, to proclaim the gospel message
IN this age. This youth had in his
heart an honest desire to understand
the will of Heaven. dissatisfied with
| the conflicting theories of the various
religious sects with which he came in
contact, he gave his attention to the
Bible, which he had been taught was
the word of God. He therein read the
| following passage: IF any Of you lack
| wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth
to all men literally aad upbraideth not !;
and 1t shall be given him." Joseph
was deeply impressed with this passage
of scripture. and having faith that the
promise would be fulfilled IN his case,
he retired to a secret place and poured
| out his soul in prayer to his heavenly
Father, asking for the intelligence
| which he nee0ed. While he prayed,
he felt almost overcome by some
evil power which seemed as if it
He struggled WI b tuls evil power,
dispelled from hin. At length two
and he was told something concerning
the work he was to do. Joseph Smith
made known this revelation and the
| Latter-dsy Saints are willing to bear
testimony that it is true.
When we speak of the first principle
of the gospel, faith in God the eternal
| Father, our Christian friends are will
ling TO go with US thus far. But we
| believe the statements which were
enunciated by the Propaet Joseph
| Smith. S)De of our Christian friends
may say, "ls it possible that you Lat
ter day Saints believe in such state
ments?" | would say, yes, 1t is de-
cidedly possible; not only y 0ssble, but
you can gather from the testi monies Of
the Latter .dav Saints that these things
are verify So"
Ny desire is that the inhabitants of
the earth may Investigate these sacred
matters, for they are true. May God
enable US to realize and to investigate
the truth of these statements and to
place our feet in that path that will
eventually lead us to the presence of
God. This is my earnest prayer in the
name OF Jesus. Amen.
BISHOP o. F. WHITNEY,
who had also been called to the stand j.,
said:
The remarks of Brother Morgan, es-
pecially the early part of them, brought
to my mind passage ct scripture which
reads thus: las it was in the days of
Noah, so shall it BE in the days of the
coming of the Son of Man." To those
who gaze at things with the eve of
faith, it needs no argument to show
that this passage of scripture is being
fulfilled. Of the same spirit was the
declaration of the Apostle, Paul, who
spoke concerning thtse days, when he
said that in the last days perilous times
should come, for men would be lovers
of themselves and pleasure, rather than
lovers of God; that they would be truce
breakers, heady, high minded, ETC.,
having form Of goodness, but deny
ing the power thereof. have no doubt
that could we retrace the paths of CEN
turtles and stand upon the earth when
the Prophet Noah was pre- aching and
pr0phesying to his ge- GRAFTON we would
| find it, in many respects, similar to
now living. We would find, |
think, that m were lovers of pleasure.
We would find thai they were self
seekers. We would find that spiritua
things were at dis cunt, and that
great temporal wave had passed over
the earth prior to the literal wave
which deluged the planet. And as it
was in the days of Noah, so was it to be
in the days of the coming the Son of
Man. Even as they ridlculed m, the
prophet of God who wsrred them of
things that were coming upon that
generation, so the world at large ridi-
Guile now the man who lifts up his voice
in sincerity OF heart and warns them
of the judgments and calGmities that
are impending over the eaTth.
We will find that obedience to the
voice of the spirit, that reverence and
honor for the warnings of the prophets,
obedience TO the laws of God
are just as necessary in one age
of the world as in another.
And there has never been found
a substitute in all the philoso ,hies If
men, in al the scieAces and arts, in
all the learning and civilization of the
world, in any age; an adequate sub
stitute TO: the plain and simple ODE
dience to the laws which God has
given.
Tie universe, the government of
men. of nations, are under the way of
the Creator and ruler of the universe.
And it will always be found that ODE
dience to His laws brings blessings, and
disobedience brings cursings. 1t never
was anyother way, apd it never will
be, and all who choose 10 deviate from
the principles which the Almighty has
established for the redempt on of His
earth and the salvation of His chill
dren, must of necessity suffer the
penalty.
l am remind ed of q passage in the
book of Doctrine and Covenants which,
if l had time, would read IN eGtenso:
but will simply now refer to it 10 the
best of my recollection. 1t is as fol-
lows: That all kingdoms have a
law given; that there is no space
in which there is no kingdom. and
no kingdom in which there is
no space; meaning, not the kingd m of
this earth, established by man with
the permission of the Almighty, but the
kingdom of the universe, the planets,
the worlds on high. that shine as stars
in the heavens; the sun, the moon, and
all the heavenly bodies which give
light unto this earth and warm it with
their rays. The gospel teaches. us that
fhesa ora tha KINGDOMS of Cod Thav