Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-03-16

seen Inc htGu tI8Hh NUNHI lIH IN
.luencc Of prayer. But where prayer is
neglected, the results arc just as we SEE,
them when we neglect 10 irnglic our
fields and orchards. That which IS
planted there begins TO wiiher aud dy
up. So Il i4 with the word Of God Do
the human soul. il must be wlicred by
the Spirit Of God Prayer must De excr.
ciscd In order 20 invoke the power aud
blessing OF God 10 rest upon d. Then
the seed grows; the tree grows and
llOurishUs; is branches spread abroad
and hll the whole man and bee knows
that Il IS the word Of God that Doe has
received he has a living and abiding
testimony Ia his heart concerning Do, aud
doubt has no room within him but let
him neglect Die prayers. lct him neglect
TO cultivate the seed and tl watch over
It. then Do begins 90 wither, aud Doc be-
gins 20 doubt. aud 10 ask himself
whether this is indeed the work of God.
This Is not because the seed was not
good; it i5 because OF the neglect Of the
Individual
This Is the history Of the people who
have Joined this Church. Ihuus ludf
have been faithful TO the Church. The
ground of their lailhlunggs bias been
their devotion TO the commandments OF
God, watching over thcmsrlvc4 AMI in-
vosIug by faith the blessing and power
OF God 10 rest upon them that they
might be kept from sin aud from dark
ness and unbeiel that doubt might
never enter into their hearts. lhc5
have stood firm and Ncadast iu tue
midst OF all the prosecutions that have
come uron the people OF God. There
has been no wlycring iu their a.th, no
trembling iu their knees, no shaking 100
their hands; but they have been firm 90
the power wh ch God has given unto
them, and they have lived and died
faithful 10 The truth, bearing testimony
10 their last moments that God has in'
deed established Ills Church in the last
days; that lie has restored the ever
lasting Gospel from heaven iu iis orig
inal purity, with the power and author,
ity 10 administer the ordinances thereof
unto the children Of men. But there is
o. large class who have not taken this
course. 10 brings very sau1Wlul re-.
Elections 90 think OF ths number who
have Joined this Church and who are
uuw not numbered with DO, and who
have died without the fellowship OF the
Saints OF God and without the promises
which G. made unto them when they
were faithful Is this because the seed
that was s1Wn 100 their heart was mol.
rood seed2 No. We can testify. as did
this ancient prophet, that this is not the
case. II IS not , cause there is any
defect in the wU Il God nor any un.
willingness on tus part OF God To- be.
STOW His blessings, d is rn, because lie
has elected item 10 De d mncd; but 10
Is becauss they have nr. lggtca to keep
the commandments of God. No man
ever fell away iu M this Church without
a cause. God Goes not deal with His
children In that manner. lie does no,
leave them TO themselves; lie does not
desert them. This Is the glorious iea-
turc connected with the service of God.
In the hour OF the greatest extremity;
IN the time when Ills children need
help the most, lie Is always near to
them He surrounds them with His
power. and lie bears them oil as on
eagles wings. Therefore, no man ever
fell into darkness, no man ever became
weak Boz the faith. no man ever lost his
standing To- this Church, without "a cause,
and that cause has had il origin iu him,
self Within himself the cause can De
traced. and the all.pigrC0ug eye Of God
the Eternal Father has penetrated q.
lie knows d. The Spirit of God, from
which nothing can be hidden, knows 10.
The Holy Ghost Is one Of the God.
c j, aud when anything of this kind
ls done, lie Is irevcd and withdrlWs
Himself from tla individual who Is
then lgit 10 TALL into the dark The
light Of heaven wilhdraws itself from
such an individual, and he no long, r
feels the testimony OF the Spirit, and he
wonders within himself how he could
speak as he once did. This does no,
take place all az once, Rarely Is the
Spirit entirely Withdrawn 90 moment
Ii IS like the sinking of the sun IN our
western horizon, We see the great orb
Of day disappear behind the noun
lains, and the heavens are still lllumincl
with his glory; but gradually, and al'
most impcrcCpubly In our latitude
darkness spreads over the scene. So
u Is with the Spirit OF the Lord. Being
grieved aud offended, aud there being
no repentance, Il gradually withdraw
itself from the soul, until darkness takes
possession, and the man Is LET, then Ia
whatever influence and spirit he Ia.
yielded to. one noted man who wa.
once one Of the Twelve Apostles, and
had been cut oil the Church, man
who had testified that DO, had seer
angels OF God, said on N occasion tl
some who had been his brethren, 81
would give my right hand II ,olll
feel as / once felt" That IS a strange
remark to make, but he had become So
dark, aud So hardened IN his heart, thai
there was apparently no room within
him for the spirit OF God, and IL hat
| entirely withdrawn itself, This man, Sc
favored OF heaven, who had tesuhet
time aud again TO the truth of this work
and hal preached 10 IN pJae was let
| In this condition. But be could recall
the Joy that ne mad mad. lie may hsy,
| iait that thea was a time Of ignorance
| but, imoaut though he was az tina
time, according to his own idea, the joy
| that he had he could not forget, and hl
said he would give his right hand II b,
could experience Il once again. Ina
was the result Of sgresslon-tTans
erosion so plain and palpable that al
/ who knew him were satisfied what IN,
results would be. They knew he woul,
80 down unless he rcpented thorough,
/ and sincerely
We have compared the word OF Go,
| TO a seed. We can also compare wrong
| doing to q seed, The seeds OF wrong
| doing are sOwn IN the human heart. i
| there is not care taken TO uproOt thest
| seeds, they also Will grow; and % ner
] ,t,tft.t o., On ON uughtTEau IL none. IA.