Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-01-11

hence they would be- Tor ever satisfied
10 sing praises 10 Jestis the Pedeemer,
to cast their crowns ut His feet and
praise Him for evermore. This might
he sufficient for some people, but II did
not seem sufficient TO satisfy his own
mind. lie thought that the things
which we saw In this world were In
some measure typical OF those which
would be met with hereafter, and that |
our natures were not 90 very much |
changed from what they were before
we came here, OF from those that were |
behind the vail. He did not think |
they were 30 very different from what
they would be hereafter, only 20 far us
We were under ihe cloud OF degeneracy,
ignorance and superstition, which had
crept Into the world because Of dis
obedience 10 the commands Of God.
In other words, he believed that "
matters here below were organized
as they should be, and the poo-
pie observed those organizations ns
they ought, we would find that society
was fashioned very much after tue
pattern that II was organizrd III the
presence Of God our Heavenly Father
He believed We should Ind when we
passed beyond this vale OF tcars, this
stage Of action, TINT we were not NO
very different from those who now
dwelt on the other side, except that
| perhaps many who had gone before
were perfected, developed In intelli'
geuce, In wisdom, In Judgment, In
Understanding, IN knowledge, In right
eousnes., IN purity, anu In holiness
before God.
In the Gospel as received from
heaven IN this dlspensatiou We were
taught that We had an existence be-
| fore we came here; that In this proba'
tionary state We were doiug-and II
was necessary for us TO do--a preparn'
tory work for an existence that was
beyond aud above the present. a great
many people, with the Bible In their
hands aud with the beet sources OF
| knowledge Mt their command, indie
pendent Of the revelations OfGod direct
| 10 the children OF men, conscientiously
| believed that there was no existence
prior 10 this stage Of action, that the
spirit was begotlon with the body, anu
that this was the origin Of man. A
great many people believed that the
spirit NJ well N the body mUuldered In
the grave; aud these were "Chris.
tians." too. They believed, also, that
only when the body was resurrected
would the spirit be resurrected with II
and bccom. n living soul. But In
/ Gods revelations 10 the children cf
men In this deportation we were in-
| formed differently; for lie had therein
told US that we had a spiritual Identity
| before We came TO tabernacle In the
| ilcsh, aud that We were here taber-
uncling IN the flesh so that we might
become coniormed to the likeness and
image Of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ-that We were 10 forcordained
anu prvicatined that through obodi-
ence 10 the principles OF life and saliva
ton we might eventually become like
Him, that We should "seo Him as lie
H." and be exalted with Him.
When We looked back on the history
of the world and saw how few had
been prepared in this life for this life 10
come, we might draw our own coDclu.
sions M 20 the vast work that remained
set 10 be done IN the spirit world, In
bringing those who had passed away
toa knowledge OF the truth. The
Gospel taught US, then, that this mortal
existence was n preparatory one. IL
was one Of the important links In the
lilo Of Gods children. IL was aba0lu-
tely necessary; for II II had not been,
God would not have ~ ordained II. Ii
was n part OF the economy OF God,
part NJ His great design-the great
plan OF redemption and exaltatlon, VI
eternal increase and power. We had
TO sOjouTn her, or else become the sons OF
perdition, like Satan anu the one.third
OF the hosts Of heaven that were cast
out aud denied this privilege OF becom.
lug like God aud Jesus His Son, OF
becoming qualified and capable OF On.
Toying all the blessings ana glory aud
exgltation OF the Son Rs well
a- of the Father. From the days OF
the flood until now great mass u the
people had died without a knowledge
OF God, the principles Of the Gospel
and It's saving ordinances, which were
necessary 10 prepare men 10 enjoy the
fuiness and presence Of God the Eter-
nal Father; and those good and right.
eOus men who had received the holy
Priesthood In this life, who had re-
ceived the git Of the Holy Spirit, the
gift OF the Holy Ghost, were qualified
In this existence to preach the Gospel
to those In the flesh; aud when they
went hence they would 20 and preach
tue Gospel 10 III. desd, that was, dead
Ms TO the flesh, but living In the spirit
world. II people imagined for mo.
ment that this was simple and thrilling
work-they were certainly deceived,
for there were millions and millions
who bad never heard tho Gospel; the
Gospel must be preached unto them,
and they must he brought out from
darkness into the light, from ignorance
IL knowledge, from destitution 10 the
possession Of the riches Of eternal life,
which was the greatest gilt that God
could best0w upon man. To this end
the Lord had revealed this great and
glorious principle Of vicarlous work
for the dead; aud In this We saw the
scriptures fulfilled---that the hearts Of
the fathers should be turned TO the
children and the hearts OF the chill.
dren to the fathers, lest the earth be
smltten with curse. This great work
had been begun In this Gospel dlspen.
satl0n, and from now henceforth II
would be continued until 1t should
have been con summated.
There were no people In the world
that could oppose or contend against
the principles OF this Gospel " they
only knew and understood them, bc.
cause In such case they would be op.
posing that which was for their own
good, TINT which was Intended for the
salvation OF the human family. His
belief was that there were many per-
sons living today who knew that Nor.
monism was true; but they were OPP.
posing II because their deeds were evil
and they loved darkness rather than
light. Therefore they were under
condemnation,
| ~ 80. F..ls - a. 4. 4 n