Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-12-28

saints 10 enjoy all the gifts aud bless.
iHgs appcftainiug thereto VI we hut
walked by faith. Hut we did not, a.
we should, avail ourselves OF the privi.
leges OF the Gospel OF Christ. Instead
Of reaching out with the hand OF faith,
seeking " grasp the inestimahle bless
ings which the Lord had bestowed
upon the Lstter-'iay Saints, he feared
there were too many among US who
clung rather 10 the things Of this
world, 10 those destinations which were
upon the surface and had no depth.
We were now nearing the close Of the
old year, and, NJ was the cuslOm OF
people generally, he supposed now
resolutions would be made for the year
which was about 10 dawn. Let
them, however, not wait un.
I'll thU new year began, but
start In at once with the resolute deter.
mination 10 live better lives than In
the past. Asa general rule he believed
the Lstter.day Saints were seeking 10
live near unto God, that they were
willing 10 make sacrifices In that direc.
ton In order TO bring themselves unto
subsection TO tho Fathers will. Hut
there yet remained u great deal OF
room for improvement We were
placed here on earth not u crafty our
own selfish desiree, but TO do those
things which at last would bring us to
the eternal Kingdom. There was
much work for the Christian TO do,
and hence we should not 10 idle n
moment OF our time while In Gods
service. Let our constant effort he
directed towards overcoming the weak.
nessos Of the flesh and strive TO bring
Others 10 knowledge Of the
true God. Elder Kimball spoke
upon the Word Ut Wisdom,
exhorted his hearers 10 follow strictly
the teachings therein laid down for
their guidance, and strongly urged the
Saints to abstain from the use of tea,
coffee, tobacco, Intoxicating liquors,
and all such things having an injuri.
rlous effect upon the body. Some pco-
pie said there was not much harm In n
limited indulgence In these, but he
Insisted that good deal OF harm
lurkcd behind them, and advocated n
total abstinence from their use. He
desired 10 warn his brethren Of these
evils. They should be not ~ n light
placed under n bushcl, but ns n light
set upon n hill, showing by their works
kNVh w MI Nnt Ilt
counseled the young especially 10 read
only good books, rominding them that
all truths belong TO the Gospel, and cx-
pressed an earnest hope that the young
men OF Zion would wholly abstain
from Intoxicating drink, anu thus set
an example 10 those around them. All
small defects In our daily life should
bo searched after and remedied. As
the many pebblcs formed the sea shore
aud as the drops Of water went TO make
up the ocean, 10 1t was the small things
In the daily life which constituted the
character Of a man or woman.
Tho principle 0f faith was dwolt upon
briefly, for without faith, said tho
speaker, our works were ~ dead. A
reference was made TO tho subject OF
tithing. We should overcome our
disposition toward selfishness, aud use
the substance which God had given as
To benefit our fellow. creatures and 10
sustain the Church and Kingdom OF
Christ. The promise was given us that
II VIZ would make sacrifices unto the
Lord, our measure la return would be
running over. Let the Saints pay their
tlthing and theywould be- blessed ofG I'd.
Many OF them were today trying 20
convince themselves that there was no
need for them 10 do this any longer, te-
lieving that the Church was well of,
others seemed 10 think that II they did
contribute "Uncle Samo would take II
all away again. But he remlnd,d
them that the principle In regard TO
the payment OF tithing had not been
changed, and II ever the Church as
In need Of the Saints paying their
honest tithlng II was today. As they
were just about 10 enter upon the new
year, he thought 1t well that they
should have a few reminders ~ ~
their temporal duties. The Lord had
indeed been merciiul unto His people,
and II we would live nearer unto Him
His blessings would be bestowed
upon IA In proportion. The
Lntter-day Saints today needed the ire
quent visits Of the Teachers more than
ever, and he trusted that this fact
would not be lost sight OF In the various
wards and Stakes Of Zion. He himself
had derived much happiness from the
Gospel; 10 him II was NIL the world.
The speaker urged the necessity Of
regular family prayer, and said that
before leaving our homes Ia the morn.
ing or lying down 10 sleep at night we
should kneel down and thank God for
all His mercles. liy night, while
asleep, We required HIS protecting care,
and for this We should ask before
closing our eyes upon the lsbors OF the
day. In conclusion he eDtreated the
Saints TO live true TO their religion, and
God would give them, II they but
sought for II at His hands, the strength
necessary TO overcome tho wickedness
and temptations ofthe world.
Sister Bessie Dean Allison sang the
solo "Calvary;" after which the choir
rendered the Christmas anthem "lyon-
derful Counselor"
Tho benediclion was pronounced by
Elder George Goddard.