Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-01-07
ABOUT PRAYER.

II II not asserting too much 10 say
that prayer Ia an essential pnrt Of true
religion. 10 n person whose knowledge
OF the Gospel Is not confined to It's
doctrines theoretically, hut who has
felt the regcueraling influence Of the
Holy Spirit In his soul, this necessity
OF communicating with God Ia prayer
IL rs natural as tho dcsiro Of
child to DO in tho presence Of Its
parent. Itis one Of the principal means
whereby the spiritual IN, Is sustained.
without II there can bo no real de-
velopmcnt towards that excellence
which may DO called practical hcliness.
The leaders Of the Christian Church
have therefore always urged the duty
and privilege OF prayer upon the
Saints. spray without casing"
says Paul to the Thossalonianp, and to
tho Ephaslans: "Pmying always
with all prayer nnd Bupplication In the
Spirit, anu watching thereunto with
all perseverance, and duplication for
all SANTA" swatch ye aud pray, lest
yo enter into temptation" is onc OF the
last injunctions given by our Lord to
His disciples before His death on the
cross. Similar instructions are given
to the 5aints In this nge. The Lorj
told our beloved Prophet, Joseph
Smith: "Pmy always that yo enter
not into temptation, that you may
abide tho day OF His coming,
whether In life or death" Again,
among the laws given 10 the inhabit-
ants OF u on Is this: "Auda command
ment give unto them, that he thai
obscrveth not his praye ~ before the
Lord In the season thereof, let him be
had In remembrance beto re the judge
OF my people" (DIc. x Cow, sec.
xviii, 33.) From which II ia clear that
Tho neglect Of prayer Is considered a
sin OF omission not to be trltlsd with IN
the Church.
On the subleot ofprayer Il IL insiruc'
tive 10 notice what the evangelist
have recorded OF our Lord. Frequent
reference IL made In their brief blOg-
raphioH 10 the fact that Jesus prayed to
His Father. When lie was baptized
He prayed, and In answer TO His
prayer, the Heavens were opened aud
the III ily Spirit descended over Him,
aud voice washeari, giving Him that
most " onIeriul endorsenent, "rhls IL
my beloved Son." He commenced III
days work with prayer. Marx says:
"And In the morning, rising up Il
great while before day, lilo went out
and departed into n solitary place, and
there prayed" That II was u regular
habit aud not an exception for the son
Of Man to thus prepare Himself for
His days work, may readily b,
inferred from this aud other passages
OF the Sculptures. Az jesus com.
menccd His days work with prayer,
10 He ended 1t II n more than once
recorded that "Ie Withdrew Himself
Into the wilderness and prayed" anC
sometimes that lie remllnsi IN prayer
all ght.
On special occasions He Away
sought God In prayer, Luke state
that previous 20 selecting His Twelv,
Apostles, Gle went out into n noun.
tain to pray, and continued nil might
In prayer to cod" Ate
this preparation He was In
position to psrlorm that most impor.
taut duty, the selection Of the ambas
padors u the Kiuglomot God to the
world, In whose hands He WIS to Gu
trust the work He commenced
Towards tho oll,o OF His life we TN,
Him engaged In prayer ON the mount
Of trsnsAguta lon, when, as an answer,
Moses aud Elias appeared aud con
ferred with Him concerning His deatl
In Jerusalem. UniouoteJly II,
needed o special message from Iii
Father, and He received It when pray
ing for IT, Whpn lbr slsiows NJ
death jeopened apunl HIM aud IN
rxpresnblc tear seized lis soul, II,
sought ami found strength to ouGur,
al, when He was praying in the garden
Of G,,hsemane,that awful night before
His cruclfixlon. Aud Gnslly, during
His sufierings on the cross He still
prayed. He prayed Tor His prosecutors
aud He prayed lor Himself, comments