Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-07-18

upon these men-loseph Smith and
Oliver Cowdery-who were called their
fellow servants, and they bestowed the
authority oi the Apostleship and the
power To Law on hands tot the gilt Of the
Holy Ghost, and also the power to or
dain Others to 20 forth and do likewise.
In this manner the Church OF Christ
In the last days has been founded. IL
has not been done by man Man has
been but the instrument Man cannot
be glonfied for any OF this; It does not
belong 10 him. The man that would
seek 10 take glory for It God will con
denim. NJ, Il has been done by Gods
power. II was God that sent these
glorious messengers; It was lie WHO au'
thotized them to bcstow this power
upon tthcir fellow servants. And the
moment that authority was restored the
work OF God was founded In a way that
Il had not been for centuries. Although
the faith Of the people, In consequence
OF traditions and false teachiugs, had
become very weak, nevertheless the
power Of God was stored and miracles
began H. uc manifested: the sick were
healed, PRAYERS were answered, the
blind we're restored to sight the deal
were made 10 near, Just as ] have read
from this revelation. And, greater than
all these gifts. the gift OF the Holy Ghost
was poured out upon the people, aud
the hearts OF the people were united as
never before since the days OF the Apos.
ties. A love, peace and a JOY allied
their hearts that tongue could not cN'
press, exceeding anything that The
world could give. A new era dawned
upon mankind. Spiritual starvation
began to cease. The famine for the
word OF God and Tor the gifts and
graces OF the Gospel ended; and from
that day until the present there has
been no need for any soul To siafyc ior
the want Of spiritual food or Tor any Of
tue gifts and graces that men received
IN the most favored ages oil the world.
Prophets were raised up, the gilt OF
prophecy was poured out.upon the peo'
pie, and by that gilt this Church has
been led from It's foundation until this
| day. To the precious gifts Of prophecy
and OF counsel which God has restored
do we as a people aud as individuals
owe our present safety, our present
prosperity. We have not been without
the word OF God. There has been no
need for us to go hungry In this respect.
| There has been no need Tor Us 10 gtope
| IN the dark, or to be uncertain as to the
path which We should pursue. For by
the restoration OF these glorious gifts
and powers all these evils have been
obviated, all uncertainty has been re-
moved, and knowledge and light have
taken the place thereof. God has done
this.
"Ahl but" some say. I'VE don't be.
lieve that the Lord warrants men IN cX'
crcising that power and authority In our
day. We eau believe IL about the
Apostles Of the Savior, but We cannot
believe II now"
Well. those who will not believe this
will have to perish IN their unbeliei just
az the ancients did who rejected the
word OF God in the days OF Noah. The
people then did not believe that Noah
was a prophet and they rejected his
message and persisted because Of their
unbeliei. and so perished also the inhab'
itanis Of Sodom and Gomouah. The
Jews Mt Jerusalem did not believe, and
they were either destroyed orwerc scat
tered abroad. As II has been, so 1t wll
be In our day. Men will refuse to be.
lieve. Then they will have TO take the
consequences OF their unbeliei and their
hardness OF heart, Just as other genera
tons have done which have refused To
believe and have prided themselves on
their unbelief, and ridiculed those who
did believe. That is the spirit that