Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-02-04

experience In reading over passages
OF Scripture that the Spirit has
brought to my mind new light, and
has shown up 70 my understanding
thoughts and Views which eeemed 10
he now to me, notwithstanding had
been familiar with those Scriptures
and had read them over and over
again. In fact, there IL peculiarly
which have found accompanies the
reading OF tho word OF God, that
whenever read II is calculated to re-.
fresh the soul, to revive the spirit OF
man, and 10 draw him nearer, " POSI-.
BILE, TO the fountain Of llght,
truth. Wisdom, love aud knowi.
edge. Therefore, II IL good
thing for the Lattcr.day Saints 10
read very often the word OF God as AZ
Is recorded In the Bible, this Book OF
Mormon aud Doctrine and Covenants,
and a. 1t has been discussel also by the
leading Elders Of the Church with "A
view TO making plain the laws OF Go !
10 this understanding Of the children OF
men. Aud In reading tho word OF the
Lord we should take into consideration
its application 10 Us under the circum.
stances and In the conditions In which
we find ourselves, ard Va should re-
llect as to whether re complying
with the requirements Oi the Gospel or
not, aud whether we have the Spirit
III our hearts which accompanies the
work aud word Of the Lord. We
should not read merely 10 say that we
have read; but We should read with
the spirit ami with the understanding,
IN order that we may bv proiited, ami
that the truth may be revealed, as far
a. possible, unto our understanding,
and may be 30 impressed upon our
minds that 1t will never depart from
US, but Will be iu Us like n fountain
which springeth up unto everlasting
life, anu which shall be mn unfailing
source OF truth, Of Hight, Of Joy and OF
peace In our hearts continually.
"Bohold, blessed saith tho Lord, nro
they who have como up unto this land
with an eyo single to my glory, according
10 my commandments
Now, ask myself, am | blessed OF
the Lord because oi my having como
up Ito this land, agreeable 10 the
commandments Of COR Is my eye
single to His glory, aud am | speXing
to keep His Commandments? These
are the questions which arise In my
mind. Am really enjoying this
pr mise and this blessing, and am /
living 20 that 1 shall he worthy OF y
continuance Of this blessing? IL |
am not, then why nm | not,
aud what excuse shall | give that
| am not receiving the blessing
that IN here promised2 WHAT acc1un.
will be able to render Of my steward
ship and the course which am puf-
suing II this blessing IL not realized
by me In this lana unto which the
Lord has brought mr2 | have come
hvIo, what Toy? l zane hero In my
childhood for the purpose OF finding q
place OF safety, place Of rest, home,
somewhe where my head could lay
In peace, uudisturbed by the hand Oi
mobs and Of violence. came here In
fuliilmen. OF the commandments OF
God.
II iStrur,tiriss tyvela,ion; was given
In 1881. IL had, perchRnce, ut that
time reference directly to the lana Of
Zion In Missouri. BUTT also applies 10
this land with Just the same force and
the same con istency as II applied 20
that land. For, mark you, the laud Of
Missouri Ia not alone the land Of ZION;
but wherever the people OF Gou are
gathered together und they sanctlfy
the land through obedience 10 the
commandments OF God, that land will
become land OF Zion unto them
This, therefore, IN the land Of Zion
unt1 us, Men may ridicule the use OF
the word "Iion" ss applied to this
land In connection with this people
men may look upon liz use with con-
tempt and may despise II In their
hearts; but II you are the people which
you profess 10 he, and you are living
according 10 your covenants, aud are
observing the commandments and
statutes which God has given to you,
then you are the people OF the Lord.
Perhaps you are not all the people that
the Lord has In the world. We will
not DO 40 egotisticsl, or 40 vain, or 90
narrow In our hearts as TO suppose that
the Lord has no other people upon the
broad face Of the earth than
this people; but We will concede
that In every nation, among every
tongue and every people the Lord has
men aud women who honor Him In
their hearts, who love Him, and who
are seeking to keep His command.
ments according to the knowledge
which they possess and the under.
standing which they have. All honor
be to them! We do not despise them,
neither viii We reject them nor cast
them out. IL IN this class OF people
that the Elders OF the Church OF Jesus
Christ Of Latter.day Saints are sen,
forth to hunt up and TO gather out from
the nations OF the earth; and wherever
they are found aud the Spirit Of GOD
has power to reach them, when they
hear the voice OF the Good Shepherd
they know IL, and they are willing to
render obedience to that voice and 10
the commandments OF God. | verify
believe that there nre thousands anu
tens OF thousands, and purchauco
millions, OF the children OF men today
who know nothing about the truth oi
the mission OF the Prophet Joseph
smith. and who have perhaps scarcely
heard OF the Book Of Mormon, or OF tho
Doctrine and Covenants, or OF the
Church Of Jrsus Christ OF Latter-day
Saints, who are today, 30 far an they
have knowledge, the children Of God,
and are blessed OF Him, aud are ac-
knowledged and owned OF Him ms HIS
children. We most cheerfully nc
knowledge this great truth--for It Ia a
truth. IL 1t were no., we would cease
to send our Elders TO hunt them out
from the nations OF the earth. Why,
there II scarcely q man or woman
In the Church OF Jesus Christ OF Lat
ter.day Saints who has not been
gathered out from the nations OF the
earth, or who has not descended from
those who have been gathered; and our
kindred are still among the nations OF
the earth, and perhaps us honest as
many OF us are. Many OF them never
had the oppOrtunities which we