Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-12-08

have been unexpectedly called to occupy
the position Of your speaker for short
time. trust that you will patiently bear
with me, and exercise for me your faith
and extend TO me your sympathy, that
speaker and hcarer may be In accord
with each other and that the time we
spend here this afternoon may be profit
ably used. It Is somewhat difficult
when an individual Is called to I'LL so
important position as this, to speak to
such a vast and intelligent congregation,
to select a suitable subject. There arc
many themes, however, that can be
proflably dwelt upon when We come
together as we have for the purpose for
which we have convened on this oc.
casion.
As great portion Of this audience Is
aware, few days ago was the anniver-
sary OF an event in which this commun-
ily OF La,ter.day Saints took an unusual
interest. On the 3rst OF September OF
last year. our choir, which has rendered
the beautiful music to which we have
listened since we entered this building,
arrived In the city OF Chicago for the
purpose Of contesiing for the premiums
that were offered there for the best
chorus singing that the world could pro-
duce, or the best, at least, that could be
rendered by those who would be present
on that occasion to engage in the con-
test Of superiority in the divine art OF
music. Besides thus engaging, our
choristers, led by their efficient leader
Brother Evan Stephens, gave number
Of concerts on the way to very large
and delighted audiences. There was
one song that was rendered At these
musical ieasts that perhaps attracted
more attention and created more sym.
paihy than even the splendid singing Of
the choruses-about the best In the
world; that was the rendition. by Brother
Robert {. Easton, of the most beautiful
composition, so far as Us poetry and the
truth that Il conveys are concerned, that
has been produced by the poets OF the
Church OF Jesus Christ Of lattcr-day
Saints, land we have had and do have
quite a number who have genius In that
direction.) | refer to the hymn written
by Sister Eliza 4. Snow, beginning:
o, my Faihet Thou that dwellest
In the high and glorious place.
When shall regain Thy presence,
And again behold Thy heef
The hymn goes on To state that the
singer, In q primeval condition OF lie,
dwelt In the presence OF God the
Father, and was nurturcd near His side
and an invocation is uttered expressing
the desire that, after finishing all the
work that had been given him TO per
form in other conditions OF existence, he
might return from whence he came.
do not believe that the ecstacy OF the
audiences that listened to the singing Of
this sublime production was created al.
together by the mastery musical effects,
but a large portion OF It was due to the
truth that IL conveyed and the sublime
sentiment embodied in It. ! am OF the
opinion that the expression Of this grand
thought found a lodging place In the
hearts OF those who listened, and there
was In their hosoms an echo TO Il, rs II
II were something that they had heard
before, or truth that they had been
previously familiar with. The principle
that is expressed In II is one with which
the Latter-day Saints are all conversant
that Is, the pre.existence OF all the
sons and daughters OF God who come to
dwell In this condition OF mortality; that
is 10 say, that before coming here and
taking upon ourselves the conditions
that pertain to mortality and beng
clothed with bodies that partake OF the
earth, we dwelt In the presence OF Him
who is the Father OF the spirits of all
flesh, There are objections raised to
this principle, and have heard many OF
them; but there has been none that has
appealed so potentially to my reason as
has the enunciaton OF the pre-mortal
existence Of man,
Is not man a wonderful being2 Is he
not a marvel to HIMSELF As stated in
the language OF the great English poet,
Shakespeare,
What a piece Of work Is mani How noble
IN feason how infinite 100 lcuIucll in form and
moving. how express and admmbel In action,
how Ike IN angel In apprehension. how Ike a
God.
Why Is he like a godp have no other
idea than that II is because he is the
spiritual progeny OF God. When the
Redecmcr of the world was Himself
clothed with mortality, lie taught His
disciples to pray. He warned them not
to pray as the scribes and pharisees,
who thought they would be heard be-
cause OF their much speaking; bu,
later this manner therefore pray ye,
Our Father which art in heaven" Aud
when Christ, after lie was risen, APP
peared to Mary IN the garden, lie said
TO her:
Touch me not for am not yet ascended Ia
my Father but 30 to my brethren and say unto
them, ascend unto my FathcEand your Father
and to my God, and your God,
Christ is the Son Of God and lie an,
nounced that we are His brethren. aud
that we are the children OF the same
parent as ie-that we are the children
OF God. lie existed before lie came
here. He was the Lamb slain from
before the foundation OF the world"
and when the Jews sought to cavil with
Him, and referred Him to Abraham,
their father He said, "Before Abraham
was, am" Yet He lived long time,
so TAR as generation ON the earth was
concerned, after Abraham. But before
Abraham was, He was, because lie ex.
i3led before Abraham. The Prophet