Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-11-21

| lieve that they have assembled or been
evolved from lower order OF creation9
No; for God has revealed to this Church
that we are His children. made in His
image, and possessing the gifts and at
tributes OF God-not in their perfection,
not in their developed condition, but
possessing them nevertheless. We have
these Godlike powers and attributes.
| We have descended from God, and can
claim our parentage from Him, as much
| as our children can claim their parentage
from us. Men may have lived in a low
condition. The evidences of this can
be produced. 1t can be proved that
men fell from their high estate, and that
in many instances they have lived in
degradation, just as the Lamanites have
| descended to their low estate. But we
| know, from the record that God has given
to us, the causes that have produced
this. We know that the Lamantes were
once noble race of Leople. But through
centuries of wrong.doing they have be-
come degraded and low. This has
been the case with many races. Our
own ancestors have been in this condi-
ton, il we trace back far enough.
Originally, however, man stood IN the
presence OF his Maker, and his Maker
recognized him as His son. He bestow.
ed upon man blessings such as One SO
exalted would naturally bestow upon His
| offspring. But there was another pow
er at work. Satan, who rebelled against
God and sought TO destroy the purposes
| of Jehovah, spread abroad his baneful
influences, and these evil influences
have had to be contended with through
all the generations OF men until the
present time.
You can see. my brethren and sisters,
the advantage that we possess in having
the truth revealed to us. 1t ought to be
the aim OF our lives to preserve that
truth, and to teach II to our children,
that they may be tine custodians OF it
and preserve it from the false ideas and
vain philosophy that are being so indus
triously propagated at the present time
in the highest institutions OF learning in
our land. This is one OF the reasons
why our young men who go away to
college incur such risks OF losing their
faith. Nearly all the text books and the
teachings OF these institutions OF learn.
ing, not excepting theological ins,itu-
tons, have tendency TO make the stu
dents accept as true the modern ideas
concerning the antiquity OF man and the
age of the earth.
] Now, this Church is the repository OF
b.
cation on the earth that is made The GUS
todian OF these grand truths which the
Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter day
Saints holds. This is very important
I mission that God has entrusted TO us.
| He has communicated to us these truths,
and has borne testimony 10 them unto
us by HIS Holy Spirit. Men may phil.
osophize and say they can prove that
man lived on the earth more than four
thousand years before the Savior came,
and that the earth itself was organized
and inhabited long anterior to the time
assigned in the Mosaic account. Sup
pose they entertain this idea and think
they can do this, it ought not to disturb
our faith. We have seen theory after
theory dissipated, Scientific men are
continually advancing theories and Great
ing hypothetical conditions only to be
shattered later on. Almost every
generation changes its views in regard to
these things. That which was believed
fifty years ago is overturned today; that
which is believed by the scientific world
today may be upset, il things don't
change, fifty years hence, by new the.
cries as unsound probably as those they
displace. But this is not our condition.
The Lord has revealed the truth to us,
and the records that we have confirm
HIS revelations to us.
We may be called ignorant and ianati-
cal Tor clinging to these things. But it
is like the rod OF iron that Lehi saw in
his vision; II we cling to it, we have got
something firm in our grasp,an though
the mists OF darkness may surround us,
making it difficult to see the path before
us, we may rest assured that we will be
brought safely through.
Aside from these evidences, however,
would rather believe that was literal
descendant of the Almighty, and lift my
eyes TO HIM as my Father, and aspire
to be like Hin, than to entertain any
other belief, however well supported it
might be by the evidences Of men. No,
no; we have not assembled from any in
ferior order of beings. We have, re-
peat, descended from the God of hea-
ven, the Creator OF the heavens and the
earth. The sublime words OF this hymn
that we have sung this afternoon are
true.
My brethren and sisters. we come to-
gether on these occasions to be taught
OF the Lord by the outpouring OF His
Holy Spirit upon us; and when we come
with this feeling, am sure none OF us
90 away empty, How often we hear the
expression, ~ have enjoyed this con.
ference better than any conference
ever attended," and there is no reason
why this present conference should be
an exception. The Lord Is willing to
bestow His blessings upon us and to fill
our souls with light and intelligence.
We have heard this morning testimonies
that consider OF the greatest impor-
lance to us. Too much stress cannot be
laid upon the principle OF recognizing
and acknowledging the counses and
the guidance OF the Priesthood OF the
Son OF God. OH that our eyes could
be open to see and our hearts be made
10 understand that which God has done
for us in placing the Holy Priesthood in
| His Church. II we could but compre-
bend il, every heart would swell TO its
utmost capacity in thanksgiving and
praise to the God OF heaven Tor His in
| Unite kindness and mercy in bestowing
the Priesthood upon men in this day and
age, in giving unto US the organization
oil the Church and the Gospel, with its
glorious principles, and in giving unto
us men who have the authority to ofiici-
\ ate in all the ordinances OF the Gospel.
Do the servants OF God want TO lit
themselves up and become objects OF
alteration among the people? DO they
want YOU 10 bow to them and to do re-
| ,.ranra IN theft,r there are any