Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-03-11

ministemand fepresu natives Of foreign
nations.
What airs they assumtl How i'm.
poriant they esteem their positioni
why, II causes them 10 don special
apparel, that they may be,lietinguishcd
fiom the rest Of their iollows; and n
this were wanting, you can pick them
them out BY the extraordinary strut In
their walk. They attach very great
Importance 10 being the rcpfesentn.
tives Of kings and poientatei; and
sometimes clothed with hi. little
hriei authority, hs- one " our CHIEF
poets has said: "rhey play fuch fan.
iastlc tricks before high heaven rs
make the asgols woep.D ! have won.
deted, sometimes, II thcy 10 not laugh.
Compare this brief worldly authority
with the Priesthood, what N ~ Nay,
don't look uron the agents or ministers
of kings, but 80 10 the principal, 30 to
the king or emperor himself, md what
II his authority? A thing which 10.
day Is aud tomorrow ~ not. The
privilege OF waving scrptru Tor n few
brici years over n portion OF Gnd's
fooistoo--hud a very small portion at
that--and aiterH few troubled year, "
unsatished ambition the sueptfe falls
from his hand, and the king, like tho
peasant, passes away. His reign 70
over, his glory ut an end.
Not 40 With those who receive the
authority ~ which | am sYe,klng--
Priesthood. The man who receives
that, receives an everlasting iuhcri.
lance, an everlasting power, " he will
but he true ~ II; II he will but loo faith
full and continue Ia flghtoousAcs "A
thing which will not he stripped from
him when life shall have run "a cuursc.
No, thu pTlesih hood h no such power ~
that. But u has been conferred unon
men that they may be agents Of God
here In time AMI agents OF God IA
eternity. The Prlesthood that man
receives Ia not laid aside even at death,
bat follows him Into the world OF
splflts, where no may continue 20
minister 10 those who Hit Ia darkness
10 those who have lived upon tlo earth
when the truth was ubsrufCt In the
rubbish Of human traditions, and
when people were deceived by the Gun.
ming aud craft Of men. fhrrc they
have the privilege Of enliRhtcniug the
minds OF their fellows aud leading
them 90 the truth, ~ they dill here.
n Nv NNtu Anhll HlllstN nllliA thAth w
reunited with thclr bodies their
Priesthood does not end there, either;
but ~ long n tlmn shall int or lWmur.
taliiy itsclf en- ure, Just 40 long shall
this power continue with those who
are faithful unto 10, and they
thnll have the everlasting pfivi-
lcge Of doing good aud huing the
representatives ior God and help Him
In the work Of redCcming tho childron
oimen. | come 10 this conclusion from
Que " the revelations 10 the Church
through the Prophet Joseph Smith,
which says "rhut they Of the celestial
glory" speaking u the time alter tho
resurrection, "shgll minister to those Of
the terrestrial glory, and they Of the
terrestrial glory shall minister TO thnso
OF the celestial glory" And what Is
the object OF this miuistWtlon2 Why,
II must be- for tho purpose Of leading
the children OF men 10 the truth Of
taking them by the hand anu going
higher aud still higher In the tcslr Of
intelligence and Of progression, until
every tun anu every daughter OF God
shall receive all the honor, all tho
glory, all the power anu happiness that
It h possible for their natures 70 en-.
compass.
Such, then, Is the Priesthood we are
considering. THIS Priesthood 'is de
vljed Into two great divisiona-uetter
not sHy divided, rather lay IT, powers
nre grouped under two great heads: one
called the Melchisoduk and the other
the Aaronic. "rho power and auiho-
Tity OF the lesser or Aaronic Priesthood
IL to hold the keys oftne mluistering Of
angels, mud % administer outward
ordnance, the letter " the Gospel, the
baptism OF repentance for tho remission
of sins, agreeable 10 the covenant and
commandments" The officers In this
Priesthood arc priests, teachers and
deacone; and the bishOpfic 10 tie pr,si-
denoy OF that prieHtho0d.
"Tho power and authority nf the
higher or MrlchlBa1ek Priesthood Ia to
hold the keys OF all the spiritual hless-
lngs Of tho Church, 20 have tho lrivil-
eye Of receiving the mysteries OF the
Kingdom VI Heaven, 10 have tho
heavens opened unto them, to commune
with the general assembly and Church
VI the iintbOfn, and 10 enjoy tho
communion and presence Of God the
Father, and Jesus tie Mediator VI tho
New Covenant The officers OF this
Priesthood are Apostles, Patfiarchs,
Seventies, High Pilests Rnd Elders.
In the section of the Doctrine and
Covenants from which | have been
reading (section l0Tl, concerning the
powers nj the Rriesthoods, find II said
that "Of nectHl ty there are presidents,
or presiding officers, growing out VI, or
appointed Of, or from among these
who are ordained 10 the several
Offices In thtsO two priesthOods"
wlsh TO hero make dis
tinciion between the Priesthood AMI
the rights Of presidency over these
qu0rums. Presidency Il thing quite
distinct from Priesthood itself. 1t f.
simply nm appointment. For inetsnco,
High Prics, may be- appointed a
president OF q stake and after n time
some Circumstance or other may arise
that makes his realgnation necessary.
His Priesthood, however, 10 not taken
frOul him by any meaps, but his az.
lointment has been discontinued.
Ia the Church there are three grtnt
presiding quuruuis equal IN authority.
! rcpi nom the Doctrine ans
Covenants In support ~ thls state
ment: "Of the MelchisBlrk Priest
hood, three Presiding High Priests,
chosen by the body, appointed aud
ordained TO That office, ANA upheld by
the confidence, faith aud prayer Of the
Church, form quorum Of the Prosi.
deucy tho Church.
"Thc twelve travelling eounseloIs
arc called IN be the Twelve Apostles.
or special witnesses NJ the name Of
Chrat In all the world; thus differing
from other officers IN the Church In
the duties OF their calling. And thoy
form aquoIun, equal In authority ANA