Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-01-18
SATURDAY, JANUARY is, 1896 SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

lects ris prayers, and iorgc,s to call
upon God IN the name OF His Son, in
humble acknowledgment OF the mercies
and kindnesses OF the Father unto His
children, IS also Ia the bonds OF inuuity,
aud he continues not In the word OF the
Lord. And these commandments are
given to all mankind, bond and free.
black and white, Christian and heather.
The law Of God IS to all the world and
IS applicable to every creature that Il
born in the image and likeness Of the
Father. The Lord nov commandeth
all men everywhere to repent" and II
you repent not, then are you the servants
Of sin. and not free men.
Another thing. God has established
an order In his Church. lie has re.
vealed the Gospel in is fulness. lie
has restored the Priesthood to the earth,
The Priesthood means the authority Of
God delegated to man, by which man
can act In the name OF the Father and OF
the Son, and By which he can forgive
sins aud they will be forgiven In the
world to come-ifit be done In righteous.
ness. No act performed m unrehteous.
ness will God accept. But II man
possessing the keys OF the Holy
Priesthood will act in righteousness
before Him, then that which he
does will be acceptable In the
sight OF God. II He shall bless, bless.
ings will follow; II lie shall pronounce
a curse, the curse will follow. Now,
while the commandments oi Goi are to
all the world, there are some special
commandments that are applicable to
the Latter.day Saints only. What are
theyf One Of these Commandments is,
that we shall honor those VINO preside
over us; In other words, we shall honor
the Priesthood. | ass no man 10 honor
me, unless | do that which Is strictly In
accord with the spirit Of my calling aud
the priesthood which hold. No mem
Der oi the Church is bound to honor NE
II | step beyond that priesthood aud
authority which has been conferred up
on me by the choice OF God and the
voice Of the Church. But when I DO
speak by the Spirit OF the Lord 10 &C.
cordance with the duties OF my office, II
" proper for every member of the
Church to hearken TO that which say.
For II II is said by the Spirit Of God aud
IN accordance with my duty, 1t is the
word and viii Of the Almighty.
And whatsoever they shall sprll, when moved
upon by the Holy Ghost shall De- Scripture
shall be- the will Of tho Lord. shall be- the mind
Of the Lord, shall be the voice OF ihc Lord
and the power OF God unto salvation.
Behold this Is the promise Of the Lord unto
YOU o yc my ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and Cove
nanu, secton6s. as.
It is the privilege OF all to know
whether ! speak the truth by the Spirit
OF God or not. To the Church OF Jesus
Christ OF Latter.day Saints II is given as
commandment that we shall hearken
to the voice OF the Spirit made manifest
through those channels that God has
appointed Tor the guidance OF His peo-
pie. II they do Il not, then are they in
trausgression and in sin; and bondmcn,
not free men. II we speak the truth aud
II we do the truth, then tie people are
under obligations by their covenants and
| by the very name that they bear, by the
allegiance that they owe 20 God and His
work, to hearken to the counsels OF
those men whose right II IS 10 counsel.
II | counsel In unTighteousness, will
be brought TO judgment. No man can
teach wickedness to this people and
continue in II long; for God will detect
him aud will reveal the secrets OF his
heart. his purpose and intent will be
made manifest to tho Saints, aud he will
stand Judged OF the Spirit OF God be-
tore the Saints. II you acknowledge
Wiliord Woodruff to be the President
OF the Church, and he and his counselors
as the presiding authority, then the
member who does not give heed to their
counsel deserves pity, for he is in trans
gression. These men will not counsel
you wrong. They have never counseled
you wrong. am at the dehance-ii |
should give way to that ieeling-oi any
man to point to a thing that has been
said or done, or to any counsel that has
been given to the people, which has been
Tor their injury. and has not been sus-
tanned by the blessings OF God II wisely
obeyed The Lord Almighty has mag.
nihed His servants. lie has honored
President Woodruff. President Cannon
and those faithful men IN the quorum Of
the Apostles, before all the world giving
them honor, that a few OF the Latter-day
Saints are not willing 10 give them.
| This has convinced me that some oil the
people are not living up TO their priyi-
leges nor enjoying the light that they
should possess.
Brethren and sisters, let us be free.
| contend-and | think have right to
| do so-that | am free man, in accord.
ance with my observance OF the com.
mandments Of God. II | do wrong, |
am in bondage to that wrong. II com.
init sin, am in bondage TO that sin. II
| transgress the laws OF God, am res
ponsible before the Lord. But contend
that as TO liberty, AS TO freedom Of
speech, freedom OF will freedom OF
action-as to everything that goes to
make a free man In the midst OF men,
do not believe there Is another man on
earth any lreeT than | am. Bless your
soul, | can commit sin II | want to. /
have as much liberty to commit sin as
any man. No man has any right 10
commit sin; but all men have the liberty
to do 30 II they will. God has given 10
them their agency. Is there any man.
hood displayed m my committing sin be.
cause have liberty to do sol have
liberty to 20 to saloon and drink
liquor, II | choose, or 20 to a gambling
hell and gamble. | possess lust as much
liberty in regard to these matters as any
man living on earth. But the moment /
should do such a thing as this become
a slave and bondsman to iniquity. On
the other hand, II am not guilty OF
visiting saloons, or OF playing cards, or
Of gambling, or Of other crimes | am
innocent of them aud SO far am free
man. The truth has made me free in
regard to this. No man can say to me,
brother Joseph, you are guilty OF OPP.
pressing your brother aud grinding him
down INTO the dust" tor have not
done this. But have spoken OF trans
erosion, have pointed out errors and
evils in the midst OF the Latter-day