The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-01-25
TONGUES OF THE TIMES
Bishop Whitney's Lecture in
the Twentieth Ward.
MONITORS OF EARTH AND AIR.
"Rhsre Are Books In the RunLiI G
Brooks, Sermons ia stones, ana
Good in Every thiDg."

The following synopsis OF the lecture
delivered by Bishop o. F. Whitney
under the auspices of the Twentieth
Ward Institute. Sunday evening, JAN
uarY Is, was secured by HERALD re-
portsr, present on the occasion. The
address, which was listened to by a
large and attentive congregation, was
entitled: Tongues of the Times and
what they tell U.s."
In introducing his remarks the
speaker quoted the words: There are
books in the running brooks, sermons
in stones. and good in everything"
He referred to the multitude of
monitors which were said to surround
as, in the earth, in the air, and in the
waters, speaking to us, with tongues
that were sometimes audible, teachin
those things which the God of nature
deemed proper tosinstil into the minds
Of His children. 1t seemed, he said
that the people of God, at the present
time, were left more or less ito them
selves to listen TO these tongues of the
times, and to heed or unheed the
things which they revealed. Not long
ago ne had been favored with listening
| 10 one of the leading and most eloquent
| apostles of the Church who had been
deprived, for several years, of the privl-
legs OF speaking in public anu mingling
| frsely with the Saints, but VINO hau
said that in this deprivation, sore as it
had been to him and to others OF his
| orsthren, he could recognise the hand
of tue Almighty; for although the peo-
pie had not had the privilege lately OF
listening TO their leaders, there was Il
recompense in the better opportunities
afforded them for self-development.
This apostle had shown that it was not
only the privilege. but also the duty of
the SAINTS, to have within their own
hearts a monitor, a preacher, tongue
to tsach them many Of the things which,
heretofore. had been taught them by
others.
Bishop Whitney said that this should
De comfort TO the people, to know that
in tae midst of this cruel crusade and
the enforced absence OF their beloved
leaders, there was q recompense, snd
that the time had not been spent In
vain. Ii was time, he said, that the
LaBter-day Saints had arrived at that
stage of development here they might
knew right from wrong; and though
there was still need for them to seeE
advice from wiser heads in Weighty
matters, they had lived in vain if they
did no: now know some things without
being told.
In the days of Joseph the prophet,
the church might be said to have been
| an infant, or a very young. child.
dependent necessarily for instruction
aud guidance in every step tha it took.
Men and women would flock around
! the prophet to obtain the wCrd of the
Lord. = The Book of Doctrine and
Covenants, which we cherish ard
revere as q reservoir Of truth, is made
! up OF 1ou's revelations to his prophet
and through him TO other individuals.
! But the truths of tha$ book were no.
simply for tbs benefit Of those indiyi
duals. A principle Is always applicable
| where the circumstances call for its ap-
plication. The words of God unto
Jcsoph Smith, unto Oliver Cowdery. or
Brigham Young are full of instruction
to the saints to day. They had come
down from the past and been preserved
| for this purpose. Even the Hebrew
Bible could scarcely be opened without
calling up a tongue from the times
that are dead; the past sP aking to the
present with most Oracular power
| For the prophet who spoke thousands
OF years age, looked down into the age
in which we are living; although their
conception of their own inspired words
was but drop in the ocean of the
grea tulhlments new nigh at hand. In
the days of Joseph SmIt j., the Church
was as an infant, ca rled, sc to speak.
| in a prophets asmS. Nearly every
move that it made, or that individuals
made in It's interests, WINS directed by an
immediate and expressed revelation;
Auu thus was the intant church nour
ishsd with the milk of-tne word.
joseph passed away. God raised up
another mighty man to take the leader
ship of His Israel, to counsel His PEG
pie, 10 point out the way Tor them to
walk in. When President Brigham
Young took the leadership, there was
schism in the ranks of Gods people.
There were rival claimants for thai
high place; sut Gods choice was
Brigham Yonng. There were some who
did not recognize this, they did not
hear the tongues Of the times speaking
to them and telling them that this was
&c man they should follow. God chose
that man, and made IL manifest To
every pure anu honest soul in Israel j,
10 every ear that would hear, to every
heart that would understand, that be
was the cnossn leader of His people,.
Itlneeded no ire from heaven, no burn
ing bush, no dividing OF the waters, to
eenYince Gods people of this fact
Listening to the monitor within
them. to the voice of the Holy Spirit
making manifest the things
of God, they were enabled to pereeiv,
that Brigham was the chosen OF God to
lead Israel. But many fell away
Why2 Because having eyes, they saw
not; and having ears, they heard not
the tongues of the times. If they had
hesn among the faithful who were
listening and watching for these things,
they would have seen that the mantle
of Joseph had fallen upon The shout
ders of BriGham; and this is the testi
nonv of hundreds anda thousands who
sill live. They saw it with their eyes.
They saw Joseph before them speaking
through Brigham; they heard his very
vaice. That was the tongue they we're