Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-04-14

together by the authority OF the Holy
Priesthood for time aud Tor eternity
that their children should be adopted or
be sealed 10 them. They are legitimate
heirs Of the Priesthood and OF the bcs.
sings Of the new and everlasting GOV.
enant. hut not SO with those who
have been born outside Of this covenant.
There has to be some ordinance per.
formed IN order 10 make them legiu'
mate; and that ordinance, the Prophet
Joseph revealed, was the ordinance Of
adoption. that IS that word covers the
ordinance or law, although we do not
use the word adoption when we seal
children To- parents, we call that sealing.
But To Illustrate the principle aud cx'
plain the law, the word adoption Is
used. You will ind Il frequently IN the
scriptures. and 10 has become q subject
among us that has been very much
thought about, and every man and
woman, who has wished To do all that
is required OF them in order 20 obtain
lll the blessings that eau be had through
obedience to the commands of God, has
desired TO understand something about
this principle of adoption.
We arc told iu the words that we're
read in our hearing that one dispense.
ton must be- linked Co another OF, in
other words that the dispcnsationH given
tu the children OF men must Doe united;
that we must all De united to our father
Adam; ;hat there must be bond OF
union between us and our great parent
and that that will be done through the
ordinance of adoption where children
are not born 900 the covenant.
Hence 70 is shat 10 falls TO Our duty to
trace up our lineage, and, as has been
beautifully explained this morning by
| President Woodruff. Il is our duty To- be
sealed to our parents, that our lineage
may DE preserved; that we may preserve
our families In direct descent, and trace
them back, ascending lincally until we
reach, u Il be possible, our ancestors
Who held the everlasting Priesthood, and
who were either born boz the covenant ur
| who were sealed tu their parents under
| the Law Of adoption when the Priest.
hood was upon the earth This has TO
! be done by this generation and their
| successors, IL Is the labor dcvolying
upon MS as "a people 10 perform this.
The Prophet Joseph revealed this, but
hc died before Do was fully explained
When President Young died, the ST.
| George temple was the only one hn.
ishcd, and IL had barely been dedicated
when he passed away There is not %
doubt Ia my mind that, had he lived.
/ his mind would have been directed 10
| this great subject aud he would have
/ inquired OF the Lord TO know that
/ which was right. ior Boo the minds OF
/ many there has been "a feeling OF doubt
IN regard 10 tins principle of adoption
as d was being pmglicgd among us,
| well remember myself In my boyhooi
] days that which President Woodruff has
| referred to-thc spirit that was maui
/ Tested hy many at the dedication OF the
/ temple in Nauyoo when the ordinances
were administered there. Some men
| thought to build up kingdoms To them
selves. they appeared 20 think that by
| inducing men and women to be adopted
into their families they were adding TO
their own glory. From that day until
| the present. have never bought OF
this subject Of adoption without having
a certain amount OF fear concerning IL.
There Is nothing m the Gospel OF Jesus
Christ that leads TO disunion There IS
no true principle Of the Gospel that will
/ produce division. There Is no true
/ principle OF the Gospel that will separate
this people and divide them And this
revelation that God has given to His
servant. the President OF our Church,
! removes all the danger which seemed
to threaten us through an imperfect
understanding OF the manner In which
the law Of adoption should be carried
out
To Illustrate this point, let me suppose
that the Fist Presidency of this Church
were TO seek to build up families Tor
| themselves from among this people
each one seeking TO have men and
women sealed to him 10 order that he
/ might have q large following; and sup.
| pose each OF the Twelve Apostles was
10 do the same. and suppose the High
| Priests and the brethren officiating In
| the temples were 10 do the same what
would be the RESULT You can see 10
once that Ia a little time we would be
| divided into tribes and clans each man
having his own following, and each
| following looking 20 the man to whom
they had been adopted Tor counsel and
for guidance, and In this way the gov'
erning authority OF the Holy Priesthood
In our midst would be divided and les
sened. Who eau not understand the
danger there would be undgr such a
condition OF ailairs' But how to obyiate
Il, how to remove Il so that Il should no
longer exist God has removed Il by
making II plain that Il is the duty Of
| every man 20 be sealed to his father
where his father Is not a man that has
| proved entirely unworthy. Aud when
such a case arisrs-Which will be very
seldom-wc have the man In our midst
who has the keys Of the Priesthood and
unto whom this question can be SUBJ
mitted Tor him to decide what should be
done.
My brethren and sisters, | have this
belief concerning u.s. that Il was ar-
ranged before We came here how we
should come and through what lineage
we should come, We were not born ui
the seed OF Ham, we were not born OF
some questionable race; but, as the
! Lord has taught as In the elghty-sixth
section Of the Book o., Doctrine and
! Covenants, our Priesthood has been hid
with God. That section says.
Therefore, thus aH mr Lord unto you.
! with whom uc pu# HIlI bath continued
| through thr l.uHIgr H. your father,
| lur Sc ure lIH'H. hrU, according 90 INC ilgsh
and have been bid from Doe world with Christ
| 900 God
Therefore your Ir and ths Priesthood hath
! remained and must uHHli remain through you
/ things pohcn HI tIr mouths of 90 Wc holy
prophets Nea He world uesnn.
am as convinced that IL was
predestned before was born that
should come through my father as ! am
that | stand here. And d God chose TO