Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-04-20
SUNDAY SERVICES.
Elder William Spry Occupies the Stand
at the Tabernacle.

The choir sang the hymn COM
mencing:
Praise, e the i,orii M heart shall Join
In work 20 pleasant, ,, oiyiuc.
Prayer was offered 10y Bishop Will
liam u. Preston.
The choir sang the hymni
lie dled, the Great i,eicomer died.
And Israsls daughters wopt arcubd.
The Priesthood OF the Tweu,y.first
Ward OBLIGATED In the administration
Of the Sacrament.
ELDER WILLIAM srRy
Was called to address the congrega-
ton. He said II was pleasing to gather
together on such occasions as this and
listen 10 tho Word Of God. 10 the prin.
ciples-o Of the gospel Of life everlasting
M uttered by those who spoke to the
congregation under the influence and
power Of tho Holy<ihost. As Latter.
day Saints, understanding the Gospel
NJ II had been revealed again from the
heavens, they felt that mas
much " tHt Hioliirc N' hss.
unto them that II they would
do the will Of the Father, they might
have a claim upon the promptings anil
inspiration Of ths Holy Ghost. The
GOSPEL was sweet 20 the Lattor.day
Saint; II was Joyous to his ear, and lie
delighted IN living II In his everyday
life; for II was "the power OF God unto
salvation"
No other people on the face Of the
earth entertained the same ideas por.
tiining TO spiritual things rs the
Lattcrday Saints. So far as religious
matters were concerned they occupied
peculiar and distinct position. He
presumed IL was designed Ia the
providence Of Almighty God that this
should be the ease. They believed Ia
many things which were not nc-
cepted by chrlstondom; ut the
same time, they held that they
hal followed the admonltlon Of
the Savior, who, addressing tliu
multitude, said that II they would but
do the will OF the Father they should
know OF the doctrine whether II was Of
God or man. A. fatter.day Saints
they claimed that they had oheyed the
commandments VI Almighty God and
exercised faith In the promises which
He had ma H. unto the children OF
men. their Elders who went abroad
among tue nations made the same
promises 10 the people Ms did the
Apostles anciently; and there were
numbers ready To accept their testi-
mOny and believe them 10 be men OF
God. Asa result Of this thousands had
gathered together In the Valleys of
these mountains.
A peculiarly among the Latter
day Saints was their belief In the
communication between the earth
and the heavens - that God was
Just ns capable In this age Of max.
ing known 10 US His mind and will "a
lie ever had been since the days Of
father Adam. They saw nothing
irrational In this. They did not claim,
however, as did the Christian world
generally, that the various gifts and
blessings enjoyed by the Church were
placed In Il to give II strength aud
popularity among the people; but they
did. claim that the GIT OF healing by
the laying ON Of hands, the casting out
oi devils, the speaking In tongues, aud
prophcrying were not confined TO any
particular age OF the world-that
whenever the true Gospel had been
upon tnc vhllH tueat Rhtr hiu o'srihsH
accompanied IL.
The Latter-day Saints had been per-
secuted and all manner Of evil spoken
falsoly against them because Of their
belief. They had been brought out Of
the world because OF the principles
they had espoused. They had left its
ways, laid aside their traditions and
false notions In regard to religion, aud
accepted the truth when presented be.
iore them. They had come out on a
platform of their own, and stood prom
ineht among all other people today.
because Of this prominence aud dis
tindtlon they were looked upon as
separated ffom the r,st Of mankind
aud hated because Of their belief In
the name Of Christ and the acceptance
Of the principles which He promul-
gated. hui there was nothing my-ter-
ious In connection with the belief Of
the Latter-day Saints, and when the
light Of reason was thrown upon II,
II was. made 10 plain that, In
the words Of the Prophet Isaiah, "a
wayfarlng man, though a fool, need
not err therein" The honest IN heart
accepted the true GOSPEL with gratitude
when they heard II from the lips Of tho
Elders, anil to all Israel today II was n
familiar sound. The I.atter.day Saints
accepted tho Bible ~ far M II was cor
rectiy translated. Tn y did not believe
In mystlfying its sayings, but took 1t
literally, 70. no man Ind the right 10
construe II to suit his own Individual
notions.
In this great latter-day work the Lord
had a dispensation 10 usher In, aud fol-
lowing the course He had always pur-
sued In relation 10 the children Of men
He selected SOME one TO whom Ho
could communicate His viii, giving
him instructions which should be fol.
lowed In order that they In this age
might les brought 10 n knowledge OF
the truth. While MEN In our day held
that this was strange and contrary 10
their views, yet ut the same time II was
the Lords way, and He always did
what seemed unto Him best. SO the
Lord revealed himself unto the Prophet
Joseph, Just nm He did TO Adam,
Moses, Abraham, and ali the other
Prophets who had had communication
with the heavens. II would remain
the same ~ long as there was u soul 10
redeem. The principles believsd In by
the I.atter-day Saints Were superior 10
those entertained by the world, because
they came direct from God; they were
based upon truth, Righteousness, hon.
esty and virtue, anu hence were supc-
riOr to man-made doctrines.
The Lord was no respector of persons,
lint Ha WINS hesirau. TINT men syery-