Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-05-16

cause was the Gogpel preached also to
them that are dead, that they might
10 Judged according 10 men IN the
iiesh, but live according TO God In the
I spirit" They were not men IN the
tlesh; they were men In the spirit.
Christ went and preached to them
while His body lay In the tomb. "Be.
Ing put to death In the flesh, hu,
quickcnsd by The spirit.
He went aud preached unto the spirits
IN prison." He descended Into Hades.
lie said TO them In darkness "ahow
yourselves" "Ho lei captivity cap
tive.v
This Is ono OF the principles OF our
faith, ana we expect that the time
will come when the heather nations
that have not heard OF Jesus Christ
will have the gospel preached TO them
In The spirit, ~ those people did who
dwelt on the earth before the days OF
Jesus. There are tho millions Of Jews
who have departed from this life In
unbelief very much through
no fault Of their own, but through
tho errors OF their ancestors.
Every soul OF them, according
u our faith, will hear the Gospel. All
men,in order to be Judged by II, must
hear II. But show can they hear
without n preacher, and how can he
preach except he be sent2" He must
he sent OF Cod, not Of man. Men have
a right 10 preach; they have right "
lecture, 10 publish, ~ spread abroad
their opinions aud views; but ~ preach
the Gospel and administer In tho Of
dinances Of it with authority as the
Lord has appointed, man has 10 be
called Of God, to 10 appointed, TO be
ordained, to receive authority. or his
ministratlon. Will hot be etitotual.
Aud the time will come when, IS Jesus
preached 10 the spirits In prison, 70 His
servants, called, ordained anu mp.
pointed Of Him will 20 TO the thousa nds
AMI millions OF those who are dead aud
publish the Gospel OF peace. And IL
shall come to pass, ~ Isaiah said, that
God shall "punish the host OF the high
ones that are on high, and the kings Of
the earth upon the earth. And they
shall be gathered together, ~ prisoners
are gathered In the pit, and shall bo
shut UP In the prison, and after many
days they shall ho visited" Isaiah
XIV, 81, a2. They also Will hear the
word OF the Lord. As Christ went 10
preach dcllverance TO the captlves, the
opening Of the prison 10 them that were
bound 10 declare the acceptable year OF
the Lord, ~ Isaiah predicted (lxi,
chap. /, verscL 10 His servants,
clothed with His authority will preach
tho Gospel 10 "ovefy creature" until
"cvory knee shall bow and every tongue
confess that Jesus Il the Christ " the
glory OF God the Father"
That II the kind Of Gospel the Latter
day 5ainle believe In. They are not no
narrow and contracted Ia their ideas ss
some people imagine. The Gospel that
wehave received takes In all humanity.
Those who have lived upon the earth
In iormer dAys-those that dwell among
the nations today .heathnns, Christians,
Mahommedans, Jews, all people every
whore, at some time, whether In this
world or In the world 10 which we are
all fastening will hear tho sound OF the
one Gospel aud have an opportunity OF
receiving II or rejecting II for them
solves, OF Their own volition and
through their individual agency.
We also believe that In this one Gospel
Of the Lord Jesus Christ there arc laws
and ordinances aud preoepis which
must be observed, or the bleasinga can.
not come. We believe that all blrsi-
ings are predicated upon law. To every
law there IL a blessing; AMI also a PEN
atty. He that obeys the law will re-.
ceive the blessing; he that docs not
obey II will not receive tho blessing.
There Ia no favOrlti-in In this but tho
pr nclple OF law, and obedience thereto
Is required. He that wilfully rejects
the law OF God, that closes his eyes 10
the light, will not look upon Il nor try 10
receive II and comprehend II, Ia under
condemnation and will be punished
tor his trarsgressiOns.
A have read 10 you, the funda.
mental principles OF this Gospel, Its be.
ginnings, are faith In God aud In
Jesus Christ. Next, repentance; then
baptism for the remission Of sins; then
tho laying on Of hands for the giving
or imparting OF the Holy Ghost; and
TO him who receives these Fundamental
principles will be added line upon
line, pteccpt upon precept, here little
and there n little until he 10 thorough
ly furnished unto all good works.
Faith IL the first principle Of Che
Gospel OF Jesus Christ. Without faith
IL IL impossible 10 please God; without
faith no one can approach God proper.
.iy. II IL by faith that the blessings OF
God arc drawn down upon ua. II IL
by faith that every blessing pertaining
10 the Gospel Of Jesus Christ Ia I'm.
parted, and without faith there Is no
truo religion. This faith must be not
simply an assent Of the mind to the fact
that God lives, that Jesus OF Nazareth
was His son, but living principle In
the soul which IL quickened and
aroused by the preaching OF the word.
Faith cometh by hearing the word OF
God. When that word IL preached by
authority, under the Influence and
power OF the Holy Ghost, faith Ia
aroused or quickened, or brought forth
In the soul OF msu and no Is led to God
his Father, and to believe In the
Lord Jesus Christ. Acting upon that
living faith-for "iaith without works
10 desd"-he goes on to tho next prln.
ciplo, which In repentance, and that
means not simply n sorrow for sin,
mourning over past follics, but a fixed
aud firm determination 10 do right In
the future by the help OF God; TO furn
from evil, 10 put away error, to depart
from all that in foolish aud vain, aud
lay hold upon that which is right, and
true. This 10 real repentance.
When a person believes and thus re-
penis he IA III subject for baptism,
that IL, to be buried In water In
the likeness OF the death and burial OF
Christ, to be- brought forth In the like
ness OF His resurrection; In that he re-
ceives remission OF sins. Not that re-.
mission OF sins comos from the wash
ing OF water or from anything that Ia
tal al ~