Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-02-16
THE IMPORTANCE OF REVELATION.
Discourse Delivered Tabernacle. CITY, Sunday
18th.
ELDER DAVID MCKENZIE.
tRKPoRrEp uy ARTHUR WHIT rR.l

WY NtiuNtA uItAuFCu ana sisters, u
has fallen to my lot this afternoon Il
occupy this stand. How long | ma,
address you will depend upon III,
amount Of your faith and influence thai
may receive, and Of the inspiration o
the Holy Spirit that shall enjoy. IIav
Ing been called to occupy this position
and having, as | believe, quite a dcgrc,
OF faith In the authority OF the Hol,
Priesthood do expect to be endowed
with a portion Of light and intelligenc,
while ! am acting in this capacity that
may probably do.some OF US. at least,
some Of the good that we require.
Our presence in this assembly would
seem to indicate on our part desire "a
be enlightened In those things that
more Immediately pertain to our re.
ligious and moral obligations. We Ger
tainly did not come here this afternoon
TO discuss politics; neither did we come
expecting to be enlightened on propo.
sitions affecting exclusively our business
interests; but In accordance with our
religious training we have assembled
here that We might lay aside our TEN.
poralities and devote a goodly degree
VI our attention to the obligations we
are under to learn aud TO do the will OF
God our Heavenly Father. This, at any
rate, think Is the feeling that should
inspire every worshipper who has as.
sembled In this Tabernacle on this oc.
casion.
The position that the Lattcr.day
Saints occupy IN the world is unique.
We stand here representing the only
true Church Of Christ. We represent 20
the children OF men that we have re.
ceived the oraclcs OF the Holy Priest.
hood, and that the administration OF
that Priesthood is In the hands OF those
who have received that authority direct
from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
in this generation. We do not make
this assertion without believing IL. We
have not embraced this faith simply be.
cause we consider il the most tenable;
but we have embraced II because we
believe It in It's entirety, and by believ.
ing and obeying it have received the
Holy Ghost which has borne testimony
TO us OF the truth OF the teachings that
We have accepted. We, therefore, In
the name Of that Jesus whom we serve,
and being entrusted with a mission
rom Him, call upon all the children OF
men to give heed TO the glorious intel.
iigence, that God has spoken from the
heavens IN these last days, and has
called upon all men everywhere to re.
pent OF their sins to be baptized for the
remission OF them, and to receive the
gilt OF the Holy Ghost.
II has always been a marvel 10 ME
why the children OF men regard this
invitation with so much indifference,
and how little interest IL seems TO
possess for them; and | try 10 discover
the reasons for this indifference. Ger.
tainly there is nothing OF greater i'm.
purtance to the inhabitants OF the earth
Than such mcssagc-a message eman.
nting from our Father In Heaven.
through our Lord and Savior, command.
my all OF us to repent Of our sins. to be
baptized for the remission of them. and
10 receive those blessings that will
qualify us for exaltation in the celestial
Kingdom, For the sake OF illustration.
II you will indulge me a short time,
viii give you lutte OF my own cxper-
fence, to show how this testimony may
reach every heart.
forty-two years ago, religion was a
subject that possessed no attraction for
me. ! was not then a believer In the
Bible, nor In the divinity OF Christ. |
had been brought up with associates
who Affected scupucisni. say affect.
ed' Il, because | believe, like myself
they never looked far into the subject oil
religion. One day read an editorial In
the Family Herald" a London paper.
headed Live Tor an Object" and il inn.
pressed itself very deeply upon nv
mind. The gist OF the argument was
something like this: every Young
man should set before him an object m
life. II he would live for that object
and make all other things bend 10 lis
attainment, there was hardly ANYTHING
under the sun that he might not accom-.
pllsh'" ! read and re,tead the article.
Il seemed TO iill me with desire to live
Tor an object Aud | went to work TO
consider what object / would live for
The hrst thought that came into my
mind was that the object | ought to live |
Tor should be to learn and TO do the !
VIII OF God. But / did not believe In |
religion. / thought there was no truth |
IN Christianity, That il had been in |
sllluted for the purpose Of aggrandizing |
a few aud holding the masses In bond |
age and superstition. Then | replied |
to that thought this way: 1T may be |
true, however although | don't under
stand it," Having reached this conclu. |
SION, made up my mind that there was |
only one way to find that matter out
and that was to 20 on my knees, In
to the God that | believed |
existed and was the nearer and answer.
ef OF prayer ! prayed to Him night
alter night and day alter day, the burden
ll my prayer being, 20 Lord, II there Is
any ruth IN Christianity put II into my
heart to understand it," 1 attended ne.
.lgious meetings. II were to tell you
frankly the truth, | would say that the
result was that the more | listened to |
NE preachers the less liked them.
attended deislical meetings; / liked
mem. Atheistical meetings ! could not
endure. But | kept up my prayers, and
ihstained from all evil associations.
emember the FIRST tangible answer that
got to my prayers. | went to my
odgings one night, IN the year 1883, Il
lad never heard OF the Latter'day SAINTS
ip to that Iime) and in going into my
oom saw bound volume laying on
ny bed 1t had been left by stranger