Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-09-21

apostasy, The reflections that ] have
spoken OF concerning the number Of peo'
pie who have lost their standing In the
Church have produced very peculiar
feelings within me. have asked my.
self, when will this ceasci When will
apostasy ceast2 When will the people
be true to God and keep His command
| ments' When shall the reign Of right
eousness be ushefed mr. When will
Satan be boundl How long shall this
| be delertedp There must be on the
part Of the Laitef-day Saints a deter.
mination not TO listen to Satan, not to
be governed by him, not to allow him to
lead them into sin, because u Is sin that
causes apostasy. No man ever aposta.
TIED from this Church who had not
committed sin. God does not desert
those who are faithful and keep His COM
niandmcnts. But when they commit
sin, when they tfansgress the command.
menis Of God, when hey dehle them.
selves, then they have no claim upon
the promises OF God. Do We want
apostasy to ceasep II we d., then we
must break away from sin, aud we
must teach our children to do the same
and not commit sin IN any form, Or II
they do not, they will apostaii1s aud be
destroyed, Tot God Is going 10 cleanse
the earth OF the wicked, until there will
be but few men lcf. We read In tle
Book OF Mormon that PRIOR 10 the mani.
fesiation Of the Savior to the Ncphitcs
there were great destructiOn3. The
earth was almost rent asunder by the
commissions OF nature. Darkness spread
over the land for the space uf three
days, so dense that even fires could not
be kindled; and when the light returned
there were comparatively few people
left. The result was that ntw era
dawned upon the land and upon the
people. Three generations pas, Cd away
NJ righteousness, not soul being lost;
and a number OF the fourth generation
also passed away In righteousncss Dut
AFTER they fell away, and continued to
increase In wickcdness until the nation
vas bloiied out. Now, want to inn
press you II can with that which awaits
us. We are told that the Lord intends
to have a reign OF peace and righteous.
ness On the earth that shall last tor one
thousand years. Enoch saw u aud
pluphcsied concerning H.. aud number
oi other prophets ioreslw II aud len on
record their testimony concerning H..
The Lord himself, by direct revelation,
also has spoken concerning II, and has
taught Ills Church In this day that this
period will come, aud Satan will be
bound. But we must understand that
we cannot be deprived OF our agency.
God has given IL unto Us. We have Il
jus, as much as lie has II. We have
our agency 20 do right or TO do wrong.
Therefore, " there be a reign OF peace
for one,housand years IL will be because
mankind use their agency In the right
direction and in favor OF righteousness.
What will produce the change at the
end OF the thousand years, when Satan
will be loosed again. The same cause
that produced the change among the
Ncphitcs oil the fourth generation.
Satan regained his power over that pco.
pie because they chose to exercise their
! agency In listening TO him instead OF
listening to the son OF God. So II will
be at the end of the thousand yeats;
mans agency will be exercised to do
wrong. and Satan will regain his power,
at least over some portion OF the human
family. Lctus not misunderstood this, my
brethren and sisters. Some have had
an idea that God Is going to bind Satan
regardless OF mems righteousness. That
Is a mistake. God does not coerce His
children. lie does not force them TO do
right; but lie cntrea,s and persuades
them. lie cannot, according to HIS
purposes, take away from any OF us our
agency. This being the case, you may
depend upon II that when the Milennial
glory Is ushered In 1t will be because
mans agency IS exercised In the right
direction; and when Satan fcgains power
at the end OF the thousand years Il will
be because man chooses TO listen TO him.
Az the same time | would not have you
think that God does not help In this
matter. We cannot do anything OF this
kind without God. God will bind Sltan
aud will remove his power TO tempt,
seconding the efforts OF His children to
be righteous and to exercise their agency
In the right direction. The point that /
am trying to bring TO your mind is this.
that II the destruction Of the wicked
among the Nephites was necessary in
| order 10 bring about a Tsign Of peace
aud righteousness for three or four gene
| ralions, do you not think that there will
have to be great and overwhelming de
sluclions to cleanse the earth oil the
wicked and to lay tn; foundation OF a
| thousand years oil pace and righteous.
|
| flourish ! tell you, no. The wicked
will be destroyed, according TO the words
OF all the prophets, and the righteous
only will survive. There will be a cleans
ing OF the earth from the wicked, as
great In its place as the cleansing OF the
earth by the food that came IN the days
| OF Noah, though this time Il will be by
fire. Malachi says the day will come
when the wicked shall be ashes under
the soles OF the feet OF the righteous.
Already, as have said you can see the
/ operation Of this cleansing process
among us. The wicked are gradually
being purged from among us. II Is not
very perceptible; we have got to think
| about II and call II to mind TO become
aware OF il; but we can become aware OF
II II we will reflect. And this will be
more and more the case as the power OF
God increases and the responsibility OF
the Latter-day Saints becomes greater.
Therefore, am looking Tor distractions
and for judgments; | am looking Tor the
| cleansing power oil God among Us as
well as among the nations OF the earth,
In order that the foundation OF that
| great and glorious time shall be laid
when Jesus shall reign upon the earth.
have spoken about the effects OF
| wlckedness. Let us now look at the
other side. There is not people upon
the face OF the earth today, so Tar as
| know, over whom Satan mas less power
In some respects than he has over the
Latter-daY Saints. For instance, how
| many men are there In this congrega-