Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-01-20

/ remission Of their sins, OF course. they
/ having fepcnted Of them aud he having
/ the authority 10 administer the ordinance
| OF baptism. There need be no afgu.
/ mcnt on this, for the reason that the Son
/ Of God himself came aud presented
| himself as a candidate for baptism lie
| did not question Johns authority, and
/ lie certainly did not go g. the river
/ Jordan merely to comply with a form. IL
/ was an essential ordinance; aud when
| John demonstrated with Him. consider
/ ing himself unworthy to administer this
I holy ordinance to the Son OF God. lie
/ plainly told John that % was right Il
I should be done, 80 fulfil all i.htuOus-
ness" The Savior was willing aad dc.
/ sirous to obey that holy ordinance, aud
| in doing this lie set an example ~ all
| the children OF men.
Paul undoubtedly received revelations
10 establish In his mind the importance
Of being buried with Christ In barusm.
| His writings prove that he had received
that knowledge from on high So also
with the other Apostles. They had
been taught by the Son Of God in person
the necessity Of obeying al the ofdina1.
I ccs that had been Instituted Tor mans
salvation, faith IN the Lord Jesus Christ
being the FIRST principle, repentance OF
sin the second. anl baptism Tor the re-
mission OF sin the thirl, John had not
| authority 10 go beyond ihis. but hc said.
| He tnlt comclh after me IS mIghtcr
/ than ], whose shoes ! nn not worthy TO
/ bear: De shall baptizc YOU with the Holy
| Ghost and with fire." This authority
| Jesus received, and this authority lie
bestowed upon others, enabling them to
| go forth and give promises unto the
people concerning these precious gifts
/ OF the Holy Ghost and have those prom.
| iscs literally fulfilled.
Now. Paul says that III any man
/ preach any other gospel unto you than
yc have received, let him be accursed."
| IL seems that they had IN those days
/ men who preached different doctrines
I and who cndcavorcd to weaken the
faith Of the converts to the true Gospel
| by teaching false doctrines, and there.
fore he speaks IN this emphatic manner
/ concerning the principles and ordinan.
ccs that he had taught. Do these prin-
/ ciples OF faith, repentance and baptism
constitute the entire Gospel Of the Son
Of Godf DO they comprise the full
/ plan OF salvation which God has re-
/ vealed and will reveal for the rcdemp.
/ ton Of the human iamily2 Certainly not.
All truth. no matter what Il may be, Is
part Of the Gospel Of the Son OF God.
These principles and ordinances are cs.
sential. They must be obeyed By the
inhabitants Of the earth. There is no
| way to obtain full and complete saliva
| ton without obedience 20 them. And
| that which Is important, too, Is that
these ordinances must be administered
by men having authority. For man to
believe IN Jesus. repent OF his sins, and
then 10 be baptized by a man that has
not the authority would not bring com
plete salvation. To have hands laid
upon one by man not having authority
would not bring the gin that the Lord
has said shall follow the administra.
ton OF this ordinance by His servants.
Repentance will always bring a bles-
sing. Faith In the Lord Jesus Christ
will always bring blessing, ! do
not care what nation man may
belong to, nor what church he may
enter, Il he will only repent Of his sins
Il will bring a blessing TO him. lie can
do that II he Is a Mohammedan, or II he
y Iot a believer In the Lord Jesus
Christ; he can repent OF his sins and he
can receive a blessing from God for
doing so. For God will accept the re-.
pentance OF His children. No matter
what a mans standing or what his con.
nections may be, he may propose 10
become a member Of the Church Of
Jesus Christ OF Latter-day Saints, or a
member OF the Catholic Church, or OF
the Episcopal Church, or Of a pagan
organization, so'called, and n he truly
and sincerely repents Of his sins, the
blessing OF repentance will rest down
upon HIM. This may seem strange TO
you; Il Is nevertheless true, OF course,
II he were a Mohammcdan, he would not
have faith In the Lord Jesus Christ, he
would not believe IN the Son Of God as
the Redeemer OF the world: but SO far
as repentance goes and turning away
from sin with a determination to live q
purer and better life, the blessing Of
God would rest upon that individual
II he believed IN Jesus, then the blessing
OF that belief wonld rest upon him; and
the man who Is In that condition Of faith
has the advantage, so Gar as that goes,
over the unbeliever. But will repent
ance save people' Is that all that IS
necessary for salva,ion' No. That IS
only one Of the requirements which The
Lord makes Of us, lie requires Of ~
that when we hear the name Of Jesus |
allh arc khNklA ANN Nllhalhl hl lhAhH w
shall accept Him rs Our Savior as the
Son of God, as our Redeemcr, aud have
faith In Him. Then we are required 10 !
repent OF all our wrongdoing. How !
shall we know that which IS wrOng' DO !
we derive the knowledge Of Il rom
books alone2 No. God has given TO |
every human being who possesses the |
powers Of his mind knowledge, to a |
certain extent, concerning sin. II Is !
born with MS, Il is the direct gilt OF the |
Father. We have that portion OF Ills |
Spirit within as that tells as that which |
Is wrong. We may have Il In different |
forms, because OF the difference IN our |
education. That which our consciences, |
so 10 speak, may tell MS is right under !
one set Of circumstances, may be con- |
sdered In a different light under other |
circumstances. But there rs o certain |
amount OF light Of intelligence, OF spirit |
that comes from God, that causes the |
truth and the right to appeal instantly |
q an honest.hearled man when he hears |
IL, and he has testimony within himself
concerning this truth. This Is not, as
say, confined 10 one class. nor to one |
nation, nor to one creed, Il Is as extern
sive as the human family Wherever |
the human family live they have that
spirit with them. Hence It Is that when |
the Gospel is preached, when the Elders |
bear testimony 10 the truth OF me |
Gospel, and men and women hear II, !