Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-10-03

thcif1. Can we not imagine such a scene
and such a mingling OF noble men whom
God ordained aud sent forth 10 do His
will In the midst OF the peoplc' Aud
then a host Of Elders who have gone
whose experience has been precisely
similar to the experience Of the Elders
In the ancient church, can those Of
former days relate anything concerning
their lives that their brethren OF the
latter days cannot understand Can
they describe any persecution. any 10y,
any happiness, any gifts, any powers
that they had on earth. that their
brethren Of the latter days cannot undsr.
stand and appreciate and couoboratc
and parallel IN relating their own ex
penencesp They believed the same
doctrines, they tught the same pfinci.
pies, they administered the same ofdi.
nanccs, they exercised the same
authority, aud they suffered the same
consequences. And then the Latter.
day Saints. humble AMI perhaps obscure
IN some Instances, wh1 have had a
varied experience through long years In
the Church, will meet thousands, and I
hope millions, who have had a similar
experience In that blessed land 20 which
We are all haNcning. How delightful
Il will be to talk to the Saints Of former
days-to compare experiences, to relate
Incidents Why II will add to the bliss
Of heaven. Jesus, our great Rcdecmer,
standing II the head and surrounded by
cohorts Of holy beings who have had
the same experience that He had, from
the prophets aud apostles down TO the
humblcst member who embraced the
Gospel on carth-it will be heaven
TO meet such pcfsonagcs as these and
to rejoice with them.
In this respect, rs ! have said, the
Church Of Jesus Christ OF Latter day
Saints differs from every other church
on the earth. We have not lived IN the
lap OF luxury. Our ministers have not
been paid, and have not depended upon
their learning Tor teaching the Gospel.
They have gone out a. the ancicnts did,
without purse aud scrip. IL IS q delight
FOL ihing--l enjoy Il exceedingly when
We have any leisure TO sit down and
talk with my fellow servants about their
experiences IN preaching the Gospel.
have Travelled thousands ul miles, and
for long periods, without purse and
scrip. They have done the same. We
eau compare each others experiences,
aud cur hearts are knit together because
Of these common experiences that We
have had. Is Il not the same with you
Elierp Certainly ID Is Occasionally
We have reunions OF the Elders OF u
mission, and what is the chief cause OF
their fcjoicingP Why. they have had a
common experience; they understand
each other, aud It adds TO the delight OF
these OCCASION. VIII not this be the
case in heaven Undoubtedly u will.
would like 10 know, without speak.
ing with the least disfespect OF any
ncr denomination, how modern
minister, trained as these ministers are,
would feel In the company OF the old
prophets and apostles aud saints Of Godl
Would they not be completely ont OF
their element There would be moth.
ing In common between them. How
could they underl,and what Jesus passed
through Have they ever had such cx.
peieneep How could they understand
the sutierings II tie prophets and
apostles and the old saints OF Cob
There l, no common ground upon which
they could stand Take a congregation
Of so called Christians aud pm, them in
the midst OF the old saints who went
through the fiery prosecutions OF those
days, and what would there be that they
could converse about Everything
would be dsimilaL II asked "iiavu
YOU ever had the gii, Of the Holy
Ghostp'
No" they would say. I'VE suppose
the giit OF the Holy Ghost had been
Withdrawn from men,
Did you have revelation, and visions.
and the power OF God when you were
on toe clTthf
NO, we did not believe in that, Our
minister never preached by the power
OF the Holy Gbost, we Judged him By
his education. lie went 20 a theological
school and was prepared, and II we
liked his preaching we accepted him as
our PASTOR"
Then the old saints would be apt to
remark, what q strange experience
YOU had. That Is not the case with Us.
We had the Holy Ghost; we had the
gins; we had the power OF God; we
mad the revelations Of Jesus Christ; our
prophets and a.ostles. our elders went
out and preached the Gospel without
purse and scrip, testing the world, and
exhibiting their own ialth."
"A congregation OF one OF the denomi.
nations nov eXtant iwould be
completely amazed under such circum.
stances. What similarity would there
be between theml True, they believe
In Jesus, but they do not believe In His
power. The devils believe, aud
iremble." A man may believe a great
many things, bu. Il he is not doer OF
the word, according to that which
have read to you this afternoon his
house is built upoa the sand, and when
the rain falls and the wind blows Il will
not stand. There Is only one way that
man can be sayed--that Is, IN the highest
eNaltalion The Latter-day Saints be.
lieve that large number Of the children
OF men will be saved, but there will be
a difference IN the Character OF the
salvation Men will receive glory, and
honor, and reward according 20 that
which they do. The same with punish
ment; men will be punished for wicked.
ness, and II will be severe for those who
sin against light and knowledge,
expect that II we are faithful to the
end when We 10 from here we shall go
into society Of those whom we are like
Therefore, | anticipate to be where
Iesus is, aud where the prophets and
apostles aud saints OF old are, because
we have done Just as they did in keep
ing the commandments Of God. We
will have a society that will be exactly
alike. There will be blending OF the
different dispensa,iuns and generations;
that Is, OF the SAINTS who have lived IN
these Different dispensaiions. But
others will have a heaven also, and II
,,ftlt ~. far hauauH fhFtr unttgtn.fgn,a