Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-02-16

! same Aplflt tnat we nave itttlNeAi W.
order that they too, our brethren and
| sisters, may attain unto the same re-
/ suits and be enabled to anticipate the
| same exaltation as we do.
The history OF the Latter.day Saints
is no triiling thing. 1t IS testimony
/ that will stand against the children oil
men. Il Is something that cannot be
/ challenged. II Is an evidence of the
sincerity Of this people. IL Is an evil
dcncc that there has all along been a
power with them that cannot be ac-
counted for in any other way than that
/ Il is the power OF the lost HiPh God.
| How often have we seen critical periods
! IN our history when IL seemed as ifthere
was nothing for us but overthrow
nothing but the blacl iess OF night IN
! front OF, behind, and all around Us; but
by and by, alter having IN patience and
humility waited, pcradventurc ia lasting
and prayer we have seen the clouds
break and disappear and the sun OF
righteousness shine again upon His
| people. The real TACT Is that God has
established His kingdom upon the earth
and that no opposing power can over
throw a. And although, IN His prOW-
dencc, we are called upon togo through
fiery Ordcals. Il is for the express purpose
Of maniicsuug a testimony to the nations
and OF testing the people who have taken
upon them the name Of Jesus Christ, to
see whether they are willing to prove
themselves worthy oi the cxaItatou aud
eternal life that they are daily soliciting
at the hands Of God.
Il IS no tniling thing, my brethren
and sisters to he a Saint What does %
require OF us' Il requires OF us our
whole heart, our whole purpose OF
mind, and correspondent acilons. Il is
not a mere matter Of profession, that
we meet together, sing praises to the
Most High aud receive instruction from
those who are called upon to address
a.. Do you realize, my brethren and
sisters, that Il Is quite possible Tor people
to hear too many good instructions;
that the more Ol them they receive,
unless they put them into practice, the
worse oil they becOncl We meet
together and hear Of the good
ness OF God and the glory OF His
coming kingdom, the greatness Of His
power aud majesty, might and domin-
ION, and they create au cXalting impress
siuns upon our minds, and we feel. 'Ol
how good a thing It Is to be a Saint"
But d We return To our every day life
aud give no thought upon what We have
heard, neither apply the instructions we
have received, and come again the next
sunday Go meeting without ever having
Thought any more about those sacred
things, aud hear q similar statement OF
iacts made, the impression by and by
falls seusiDly lighter upon our minds,
and finally the result Is that We become
casc-haraeugd ln religion; aud instead
Of ..HtU.IaH..I Ia.
Saint, we have shut our souls even
against the reception OF the passive i'm.
pressiuns that We received from hearing
the things OF God. What Is IL then that
we are to dor We are to act upon
those Impressions. We are To incorpor-
ATE them In our lives aud characiers.
We arc TO manifest our religion By our
works. We are not simply TO say how
lovely Il Is TO feed the poor, 20 clothe
the naked, to visit the sick and the
afflicted, 10 cheer aud console them. Il
may be all very well TO talk about this;
but the thing Is to practice u IN our
lives, and by that practice create our
own characters and develop habits Of
religion. You know well enough that
physically our organs are cultivated by
use. II they are disused. there Is no
development, no growth, lust so with
our minds. As with our physical nature
so with our spiritual nature. II we
would develop any junction OF remind.
II we would improve M moral as IN
physical habits, we must incorporate
them into our character by the things
we do, not alone by the things we say.
llihInk it Is Aristotle that speaks on this
very subject. lie comments uponthe folly
oistudents attending college and listening
10 Instructions, and going away without
ever thinking OF putting them Ia prac.
tee; but just meeting rom time TO time
and acquiring little more learning. and
never apply what they SO learn. lie com.
nares II 10 man who would 70 TO a
physician, lay his ailment before that
physician aud ask him for remedies
and after hearing all that he had to say
would content himself with listening
and never applying the remedies. II Is
Just SO with our religion.
Let any one who Is conyersant with
the history Of the Latter-day Saints see
how the Lord, through His providences.
has manipulated events that they have
been brought as people IN direct contact
win universities, trials and suherings.
Was II TOT no purpose, think you? Was
II SIMPLY because the Lat,er.day Saints
forgot themselves thatthe Loru chastiscd
them littlyf Did lie chastise them
merely for chastisement saNep No. Who
among you chaslisc your little ones
simply because you are angry NJ their
ill doings' Is II not that YOU may inn.
press upon them the necessity OF d1iur
better DO you think our HelyepIv |
Father would be any less kind 10 His
children' WIat lie has called upon us |
10 pass through as q people has been 10 |
improve our condition, 70 brighten our
to increase our faith, our love |
one towards another, our fellowship one |
lor another, our charity Tor all men. |
There Is not people under the sun SO |
qualihed AS are the iatter.day Saints 10 |
extend religious tolerance 90 every PEG.
pie, because they have iould out the |
value OF tins by experience. Il IS lust /
80 with the principles OF charity. love |
and iorbcaranCe. They have been called |
upon TO need all these things az the |
hands OF Others, and they appreciate |
their worth.
In short my brethren and sisters and |
friends, while all people have come upon |
ms earth Tor the express purpose of |
earning by experience, do not Know
d any lhai nave ever been brought into |
20 good a school as have the Lalterday
saints Aud we shall be brought face |
% lace with everything that is necessary
% purge out the dross from our nature,
mi purify our hearts from everythinr
nat IS opposed TO truth and righteous.
less, that We may be able TO offer them
Is a sacrifice TO Jesus, our Redgemsr