Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-01-06
SUNDAY SERVICES.
Full Text OF Elder d. H. Roberts
Discourse Yesterday.

Full Text OF Elder ID. H. Roberts
nj Discourse Yesterday.
n Religious services Were held in
the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City,
Sunday. Jan. ), 1890, commencing
e at Q p. M, President Angus NJ.
s Cannon presiding.
5 The choir and congregation sang:
Come let Us anew our tourney rursue,
Roll round with the year,
= And never stand still till the Master appear.
Prayer by Elder William c. Dun
bar.
The choir sang:
;, How fleet ths precious momcnts roll
How soon the harvest viii be DER.
The Priesthood Of the Second
Ward ofiiciated in the admins
tration OF the Sacrament.
! ELDER B. II. ROBERTS
addressed the congregation. He
commenced by remarking that his
experience had been sufficient u
convince him most thoroughly that
the Elders who occupied the posi-
ton which he had been called upon
to fill that afternoon certainly need
the sustaining power Of God. With
out it they would be altogether I'M
equal TO the task Of teaching the
Saints those things in which it was
necessary that they should be
instructed. When in answer to the
united faith and prayers Of the peo-
pie continued Elder Robertsl the
Spirit OF the IHord dgscgnds upon a
congregation and the speakers who
address Thai assembly, then the
people are taught indeed, for they
are taught of God.
Since coming TO this stand and
looking upon the decoration of this
building, | have thoughtthere Is one (
point connected with it that might
be regarded by strangers as some
thing very peculiar, owing to the
reputation which the I.atter-day 1
Saints have abroad; and that is, you
are sitting and woTshspping God un-
der the American flag, which con- I
stitutes q part OF these decorations.
Because, through Misrepresentation
anu misstatement, it Is supposed
that the Latter-day Saints have Little
or NO respect for this national en-
blem. 1t occurred TO me that this
fact was n Of many, both in theory
and practice, that would go very far
toward dispelling misrepresentation
which have gone abroad in relation
10 u views concerning the Ameri-
can flag and the principles which 1t
represents.
1t is the common belief among US
as a people that our destiny is in
separately united with thai OF cur
country and with the principles
which underlie that government.
The BOOk OF Mafmcn-whiCh we re-
gard as equally sacred with the
Jewish Scripturrs-gives us to un.
derstand that the land in which we
live Is a choice land, that the provi-
dences Of God have been over Ii. that
He will guide its destiny and work
out His purposes upon il. Ii might
not be amiss to call your attention
to some Of the passages which touch
TINS idea. When the Prophet Iaehi,
who left Jerusalem with a cslony Of
people aud finally reached thisland,
was about TO pass away he called his
sons about him and blessed them. as
was the manner of the ancient patii-
archs. In blessing two Of his sons
who had been born TO him during
his travels in the wilderness. after
leaving Jerusalem, he said:
Notwithstanding our Affections.
we nave obtained a land Of promise, a
ands; a land which the Lord God haiti
coyenanted with me should he a lrud
for the inheritance Of my seed. Yea.
the Lord hath covenanied this land
unto me, and TO my children for ever:
and also all those who should be led
cut OF other countries by the hand OF
the Lord"
1t would appear from this that
lehi had no exclusive claim upon
II, but that il was dedicated 10 him
and his seed ami TO all other peoples
whom the Lord should bring unto
this land.
Wherefore, y continues the Pron
", Lehi, prophecy according To- Tho
workings Of the Spirit which Is in mo
That there shall none come into This {
land, save they shall be brought bv ]
the hand OF the Lord. {
Wherefore, this land IS cousecratad I
unto him b o he shall bring. And !
II II so be that they shall serve him I
according the commandments which I
ne haih given, IL shall be a land of .
liberty unto them: wherefore. tbev =
snail never be brought down INFO can l
uvlty; n 80, it snail be because or
iniquityi for il iniquily shall abaund q
cursed shall I've the land for tHeif :
sase' but unto the righteous it shall L
be blessed for ever" a
Another Prophet OF an earlier Jav I
SAID words Of similar import. He i
was a Prophet among the JareJites q
a people who originally came from o
the tower Of Babel and preceded fbe y
Nephltes in the occupation of this y
anu OF America by a number of y
centuries. Moroni, in giving an ac- !,
count OF the words OF this Prophrt q
one Bther, and speaking OF The :
Iavels oil this first colony to Anne u
RIGA, says: "
THE Lord would not suffart hat they !.
should stop beyond the sea in tbs \
wilderness, but he would thai tbev :.
mould COM forth even unto the lHnd =
promise, which vas choice above ~
III Other lands, which the Lord had y
preserved fora righteous people. Il
anu ne mad sworn in his wrath unto II
ne erothei OF Jared, that whose pl
possess this land of promise III
ON that time henceforth and f~orever Is
mould serve him, the true and onIv :.
iod, orthey shoIld be swept off when ~
ne iulness OF his wrath should come ~
lpon them. IN
And now we can behold the DEGREES y'
God concerning this land, that il + ~
land OF promise, and whatsoever q
ation snail possess it shall serve ,
fod, or they shall be swept off when ~,
Iuihess OF his wrath shall come on
them- And the fulness Of his -
'rath cometh upon them when tbsy ~
ripened in iniquity; ~
For behold. this is a land which is y.
1olce above all other lands; where
re ne that doth possess Il shall serve a.
90; or snail be swept off; for Il Is the "a
Teriaslng decree Of God. And II n -.
ot until the fitness Of iniauitv among ~,
le children Of the land that they are ~,
yept off," no
this cometh unto YOU, oh We an
entities, that We ma know the o.,
'crees OF God, that We may repeut. h.,
ID not continue in your iniguiiies -.
ltii the fulness come, that We NAV IN
u bring down the fulneSs OF fhe =
raih OF God upon you. "a the inhabi- mo
MS OF iand hath hitherto done-n Ii
Behold. this is a choice land. and ,
soc nation shall possess II UsI
al De free from bondage, and cap tbe
beaven - 81 osnsr nations up
Cod =, ~ snS VII out serve dee
,rist wbo hash Lna, VINO Is Jesus bio
g things which We havn urilton !. i