The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-08-10
THE CHURCHES YESTERDAY
SERVICES AT THE TABERNACLE IN
THE AFTERNOON.
Many of the Visiting Fire Chiefs
Were Present-The Discourse De-
Iivered By Elder C. w. Penrose-
Young Mems Rally.

AT fne Tabernacle services yesterday
afternoon Stake Counsellor Charles w.
Penrose delivered the sermon. The
audience almost filed the lower audi
torium, and among the congregation
was a large sprinkling of the visiting
fire chiefs. The services began with the
usual preliminaries of singing and
prayer.
Elder Penrose said ne did not wish to
reveal his own ideas of the gospel, but
the gospel as God has revealed it.
MANY passages of scriptures he said,
are interpreted differently by the Lat
ter-day Saints from the construction
placed upon them by Christendom.
The sectarian world delights to quote
3rd John Is verse: For God so loved
the world that he gave his only begot-
ten Son that WhoSever believ eth in him
might not perish, but should have ever
lasting life ThiSeXpreSseS the essence
of modern Christian teaching. Taken
alone, this passage would appear to
prove that belief, unaccompanied by
good deeds, would save mankind. But
We must not pin our faith to a single
passage. When read in connection with
other quotations it takes on a new
meaning. For instance, in the same
chapter of John is the following: "Ver-
born of water and of the spirit he cam
not enter the kingdom of God" This
indicates that one thing at least must
be done besides the exercise of belief.
What Christ meant when he said those
who believed in him should be saved,
was that he was the truth and the life
and consequently eternal life was in
him Likewise he meant that those
who believed in him would accept his
n oI,n u 1,sc
is further shown conclusively by the
fact that when he sent out his apostles
he told them to teach the people to
observe all things. Faith alone can ac-
complish nothing. James says such
faith is dead and says that faith should
be shown by works.
Jesus was the example of aid he
taught When he began MS ministerial
career he went to one John, a great
prophet, and was baptized of him. That
was the pattern set by Christ for his
disciples to follow. He performed no
superhuman acts. After he came out of
the water he was born of the spirit,
and hence the essentially of the two
bapcfsgns; hence his words to Nicoda-
mus that without Easa men could not
be saved. Philip, after the eunich had
professed belief. baptized MIN Some
thing more than belief in Jesus was
necessary and Christian teachers make
a fatal mistake in teaching otherwise.
After Christ delegated his apos-
ties to preach the gospel to
the world he told them to
tarry at Jerusalem until the spirit
of God should come. When that spirit
descended, the people saw the evidence
of divine power and asked what they
should do.
Peter did not assume that they should
simply believe He told them likewise
to be baptized and promised that if
they would do this they would receive
the holy ghost. All the other apostles
throughout their missionary labors
taught the same thing. These, accord
ing to Paul, were the first principles
and foundation Of the plan of salvation.
Christ taught the fatherhood of God;
he taught that he was an approachable
being; that he was the same eternally
and could not change. He proclaimed
that those who should knock should
find; and he sent unto the people
wise men and prophets. God reveals
to his prophets now as he did of wore.
Every one can receive a manifesto
ton from God as to the truth of his
work The Latter-day Saints have re-
ceived this. The divines OF Christ .anity
argue that revelation is done away and
consequently they grope in the dark
and follow after false gods.
Sects have sprung up on all sides
without the authority of God. No
doubt many of the followers were sin
cere. But sincerely does not make
truth and truth is the only thing that
will save and Hft up. The hight of
truth has penetrated through the ages
and Gods voice has again been heard
among the nations. The priesthood
has been restored, the revelations OF
God received; and the church has been
established with all the gifts, powers
and authority that prevailed in the
early church.