Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-11-28

souls of the sons and daughters OF God
a knowledge oil the truth, that is the Of
fee and calling of the Holy Spirit.
when the Savior announced that any
man who would do the will OF the
Father should know of the doctrine, He
knew that il man would do the will oil
the Father He would receive the tes,i'
mony OF the Spirit OF the Lord, and
there is no power. no light, no intelli,
gence, no knowledge that can begin to
compare with the light, intelligence and
knowledge of the Holy Spirit; for it is
the power, influence and wisdom OF God.
That Spirit is planted in the soul OF every
man and woman who serves the Lord
and keeps His commandments; and
VIXEN that Spirit abides in our hearts,
then we know, without a question in
our hearts, in regard to the doctrine.
When we lack that knowledge. or when
that knowledge is scant and hardly
exists within us. It is because our lahors
are scant and our devotion 10 the Lord
hardly exists; Tor say that Just as fast
and to the extent that we serve the Lord
and keep His commandments, so does
the light and inspiration of God come
into the soul OF man. The doing OF the
will OF the Lord opens the windows OF
the soul, and that light and revelation
pour into the soul as readily as air pours
into these windows when they are
opened. That Spirit is ready TO
come into the soul OF every child
that is born into the world, at the first
opportunity, although it can be easily
offended and driven away. When there
is sign OF repentance and humility and
devotion in the soul OF man, that light
is ready to enter there and to bear re-
cord of the Father and OF the Son. 1t
is our business. my brethren and sisters,
to make ourselves acquainted with that
Spirit, to obtain it and to retain it, and
not allow it to depart from us, When 1t
departs from US, we should turn to the
Lord speedily and humble ourselves be-
lore Him, that we may regain ii.
The Gospel is positive in its character.
Jesus said to His disciples, go we into
all the world, and preach the Gospel to
every creature. He that believeth and
is baptized shall be saved; but he that
believeth not shall be damned" That
was a positive declaration. Peter ex-
pressed himself with the same positive.
ness when he said, on the day OF Pente-
cost, Repent, and be baptized every
one OF you in the name of Jesus Christ
iot AOliiioSlOli VI SillSt anu yC SudiI
receive the gilt Of the Holy Ghost"
Whenever the Gospel has been present.
ed to man on the earth these positive
terms have been used, Consequently
men have something to rely upon. 1t is
not a possibility or probability that
such may be the case; but it is made as
positive as language can make
it, II man will do the will OF
the Father, he shall know OF the doc.
tfine. II men will repent OF their sins
and be baptized for the remission oil
them, they shall receive the Holy Ghost.
These are positive statements, and they
were spoken by men who were not mis-.
taken. The Son OF God was not mis-
taken. His words were reliable. PETERS
words were reliable; for he spake by
the power OF the Holy Ghost; and any
man who speaks by the Holy Ghost
speaks scripture, speaks the mind and
will OF God, and it cannot be questioned.
But in order that we may OBTAIN what
is thus promised there is very careful
charge given in the modern revelations
through the Prophet Joseph, that wish
to call 10 the attention Of our leading
brethren in the stakes and wards; for the
Presidents OF Stakes and the Bishops,
particularly the latter, are the men who
have the Jurisdiction over these organ.
lied departments OF the Church. There
are no baptisms, no combinations, no
blessings of children, or anything OF
that kind done in ward without the
consent,and iull approval of the Bishop.
Elders, High Priests and Seventies, al
though thoroughly endowed with
authority 10 baplize, confirm, ordaln,
and to bless children, are subject, to the
man who presides over them in the
ward. In order that baptisms may be
properly administered and acceptable to
Him, the Lord made plain, in April 1890,
that men and women should be in a
certain condition before they should be
received into the Church. The Bishops,
who are common judges, are entitled to
know whether men are prepared for
baptism or not. II man comes to
them who is unprepared and not worthy
to receive that sacred ordinance, they
are Just as competent TO say, mo, my
dear friend. you are not ready to be
baptized" as they are to say, "Yes, we
shall be glad to baptize you." The
Bishop and his counselors are the ones
to whom all these matters come in a
ward. OF course, in the world, these
things come to the travelling Elders and
tuty tHeu are COuStltutGu tne Judges,
and they are entitled to the spirit OF
judgment and wisdom, to enable them
TO judge all men and women when they
present themselves for baptism. 1t is
not well that men should be received
prematurely and before they are ready.
As Paul says, clay hands suddenly on
no man." | believe to that injunction
might be added, baptize no person sud-
denly. We do not want to baptize peo-
Pile into this Church who have not faith,
who have not repented. and who do moi
come forth with the broken heart and
the contrite spirit; for when we do that
we bring reproach upon the Church, be-
cause the promises we make to them are
not fulfilled. They do not receive the
Holy Ghost; they do not obtain knowl- |
edge OF God and OF this work, they do
not receive testimony. as we promise
them they shall, il they have not faith. |
And if man has not faith, then he has |
not repentance; for faith precedes re.
peniance. There is no incentive for re.
peniance unless there be faith in God. |
Repentance is the fruit OF faith, and the |
fruit oil repentance is reformation. |
Where there is no repentance there is |
no reformation. The Lord has laid |
down plainly in the 57th paragraph of |
section Xxx OF the Doctrine and Cove.
nants, the.conditions necessary to bapt-