Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-06-10

ment without hope Of end. Christianity
presents no such appalling doctrine
This Scriptures teach that repent
ance, or turning from sin, la neccs'
sary preparation for receiving divine
forgiveness for wrongs that may have
been committed; that this "eodly sor'
row worketh repentance tosalvaiion.'
ON no occasion dil the Lord intimate
that divine forgiveness followed repent
ance only when exercised while men
were in the flesh. lie declared that
the sin against the Holy Ghost would |
not be- forgiven sin this world,
neither In the world to GOMEZ"
but that outside Of this
call manner q elm and blasphemy
shall be forgiven unto men" This
forgiveness, however, could not come
I'll men had rcpeuted, for He also
taught thpt unlssl they lid this they
should also perish. II, therefore, men
who commit the "sln aud blasphemy"
which can be parioned fail to repent
before they die, they must have q
subsequent opportunity for repentance
or the promise Of the Lord would fail.
10 make 1t good, those who die unre.
pentant must have a chance 10 turn
from their sinful Indications sin the
world 10 come" and then obtain the
forgiveness which could not be extend.
ed 10 them In this world. II by his
stubbornness the sinner delays his
repentance either ia this or the spirit
world, the exercise OF divine forgive.
ness Is thereby deferred, and no 10
therefore the loser through blocking
the way 10 his own progress.
When Christ was upon the cross the
penilent thief appealed to Him TO he
remembered. The was no time there
for the one who was condemned Justly
TO "bring forth fruits meet for 10.
pentance." So he was not told that his
Sins were forgiven, or that he was
saved or would enter the kingdom OF
heaven. He was informed that that
day he would be with the Lord In
paradise. This was to him u mere
statement that both would die In the
ilesh aud should be- together ia the
spirit world that day. Tue Temon.
brance which the thief nsFsi for was
still n matter Of tho future. II his
sorrow should prove to lie ofthat world
~ character which "w rkelh DEATH"
and was only Temporary elect Of
his suffering deserved penalty, then
IL would not avail him. Hut n
II was that sorrow which "worke,h
repentance to salvation" then that
repentance would operate to Its legit-
innate result; and he being In the
spirit world mus. OF necessity continue
under ils influences there.
The Lord declared that tho dead
should hear ''the voice OF tho Son Of
God" He fulfilled this prediction
when, during the three days that inter
vened between the time Of His cruel.
hxion and His resurrection lie was In
Paradise, or the spirit world. His
purpose there was u teach the same
Gospel Ho had taught Ia the flesb,
"the everlasting Gosper' which IL
"tho power or God unto salvation"
that those who had died and
passed to tho spirit world might
hear His votes and receive His promise
Of life. Aud as repentance was iuu-
damental principle Of the Gospel which
lie taught, unless It could DO oou.
formed to by those In the spirit world
His preaching to them would In that
respect have been folly and IN vain.
The purpose OF the Lord In going to
the spirit world and speaking to those
who were In that state was that they
might avail themselves OF the bless.
ings OF salvation which He had TO
oder; that u they were unropentant
they might repent aud turn to Him
for salvation, just ~ they could have
done when In tho Il ish. The
chief Apostle is very explicit on this
point when no states that dor this
cause was the Gospel preached ali) to
them that are dead, that they might
be judged according to men In the
flesh, but live according to God In the
spirit" In the spirit world they
were 10 iorsake sins OF which they
had previously been unrepentant, ami
live Ia accord with His rules OF con-
duct.
This preaching In the spirit world
was not TO those alone who had sought
righteousness In the flesh; II wal
10 people who had so far pursued
an opposite course that they were
suffering imprisonment therefor.
Some Of them, at least, were those who
were dlsobedient Sin the days oil
Noah, "and they were being given
another chance to accept that repent
ancs which on former occasion they
had rejected. The Lord "went and
preached unto the spirits In prison
that they might receiy OF the diyin,
mercy aud forgiveness or be left with
out excuse for refusing the Offer.
The idea that the Redeemer aban
dOns the sinner when he passes
Into the spirit world Is az uu
lust rs II lie unscriptural, II
| GOULD F..tr,,, a.. .t.rn.I ,,avu..