The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-12-25

and there were wonderful manifesto
tons OF the power of Jehovah. The
disciples spoke with new tongues; and
those who had assem- bled together
from the various nations to Jerusalem
heard the gospel in their own language.
The apostles taught them the same
doctrines that are now taught; and so
powerful was the preaching of Peter,
and the rest of the apostles. that those
who heard believed that Christ was the
Savior, that He had been slain and had
risen again from the dead. In conse-
queuce OF this belief, they were pricked
IN their hearts, and they asked saving:
Men and brethren, what shall we do ~
Peter made this declaration: Repent,
and be baptized, every re of you, il the
name of Jesus Christ tor the remission
of Gins, and We shall receive the gift of
the Holy Ghost. !" You can. there fore, see
the nature of the gospel which they
taught. These things were taught,
not by men who made religion trade,
not by men who sought to tickle the
ears OF the populace that they might
gain their praise, but by men who took
their lives IN their hands, and who un-
dertook to fulfill the great work that
WIS given them TO accomplish, preach
ing that men should believe and be
baptized In order to be saved and that
they who rejected their message should
be condemned.
If the Bible is a guide to the Chris
| tian religion, what authority. aside
from revelation from God, is there
for changing principles that are eternal
in their character, as everlasting as
God Himself. No one has claimed a
revelation of that nature, but men have
undertaken 10 change the gospel of
their own motion without authority
from Him from whom the gospel came.
But God will not receive that He has
not appointed; and it appears to me,
as consistent believer in the Scrip
lures. that if one-half of the world
were to say that baptism is merely an
outward sign of an inward grace, l
would say to that one-half of the pop
| ulasion of the esrth that would take
In preference the word and the author
Ity which are divine. Christ informed
Peter that the church was to be built
on the rock of revelation, and He also
said: 81 give unto you the KEYS OF
the kingdom, and whatsoever shall be
bound on earth shall be bound in
heaven, and whatsoever shall be Ioosed
on earth shall be Ioosed in heaven"
], would rather take that authority
than the testimony of one-halt of the
globe, because it is based upon revela-
ton from the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter
said the object of baptism was the re-
mission of sins. 80 E1H a.
Now, there was another ordinance
that was taught and practiced in an
Gent times that is done away with now
for obvious and potent reasons. Read
the history of those commissioned
servants of the Almighty, and you will
discover that they laid their ands
upon those who had been baptized for
the remission of their sins, and these
converts to the gospel received the
Holy Ghost, and spake with tongues
and prophesied. They received a wit
ness OF the truth OF the gospel which.
they had accepted. l ask sensible peo-
pie what they know about religion
without revelation. As a matter of |
certainty, absolutely nothing; but if |
TIE feet of a man are placed upon the |
rock OF truth in religious sense, he |
KNOWS that he has received that which |
comes nom God. 1t was universal |
promise that those who should do the
will OF the Father should know of the
doctrine whether it was of God or
whether it merely proceeded from q
human source. Now, if there is a peo-
Pile who are doing the will of God. thew
will have this knowledge. If thew do
not have this knowledge, it must be
conclusive evidence that they are not
1oing the fulness of His will, otherwise
this result would be present. al9
tits popular to Tepudiate the state
nents of the elders of the church of
Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, to
make sport OF their utterances, and to
point at them the finger of scorn.
But this does not furnish an argu-
nent against the truth; and people
Who are properly constituted and
disposed, will always afford fair treat
nent no matter how much they differ
rom the Individuals who are entitled
% this respect. What is the claim of
The elders of the church and of this
people in this connection? The Savior
declared that, before the end of the
world should come, before the end of
he rule of wickedness, this gospel of
he kingdom should be preached in all
he world for witness, and then the
md should come. 1t is held by the
Latter-day Saints that a most re-
and astonishing event has oc-
,1rred in these times. 1t is no more
lor less than that God, as in ancient
ines, has manifested His love for the
of His hands, has raised
Up a prophet and established the
,hurch of Christ in its fulness on the
earth. That body is the same as the
church which existed in ancient times,
,eing organized with apostles, pro-
'hets, high priests, elders, seventies,
I'D all the Offices that characterized the
,hurch in ancient times as described in
he Scriptures. But ii is fashionable to
lay that apostles and prophets are done
away, Notwithstanding the fact that
Paul said that all the officers and ordi-
lsnces of the church were needed. The
head could not say to the feet, 81 have
10 need for thee;" nor the eye to the
land, II have no need for thee"
1twas stated that in the latter tim
nen should be lovers of themselves,
ready, highminded lovers of pleasure
ather than lovers of God, having the
orm of goodness, but denying the
)ower thereof. The power referred to
) that of the Holy GAost permeating
he body, religious from the head to the
eet; for 1t is this power that constitutes
he life of the church.
The Latter day Saint who has within