The record-union., 1896-09-14
MORMON ORDER"
Last Evenings Discourse by Elder
Tanner.

Elder Henry ). Tanner, President Oh
the California Mission Of the Church OF
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
spoke last night in Pythian Hall on
The Lord as an Organizer. He said:
ITO organize is to systematize dis
arranged parts in a suitable manner
for attaining desired results To ac-
complish desired ends the Lord has
! used the best possible means, with the
development of man as the object in
view. That man might have COM
| plete happiness, but be compensated
for what he does. The Scripture
teaches that we had an existence prior
| to this one in the flesh, and that there
| III that pre-existent state Jesus was
chosen as sacrifice for man.
The order that prevailed in heaven,
and the plan for peopling the earth is
| made quite clear in the book of Abra-
ham. (The writings of Abraham, upon
papyrus, while in Egypt, but exhumed
from the Catacombs of Egypt in the
early part of this century) Now the
| Lord had shown unto me, Abraham,
the intelligences that were organized
| before the world was; and among all
| these there We're many of the noble
| souls that they were good, and he
stood in the midst of them, and he
said: These will 1 make my rulers
for he stood among those that were
| spirits, and he said unto me, Abra-
| ham, thou art one of them =
From the faithful ones who kept
their first estate the Lord has chosen
his rulers, and others for special work.
Therefore, The gifts and callings of
God are without repentance Peter
said that Christ was foreordained be-
fore the foundation of the world and
was manifest in the last times.
The same system and order contin-
| ued when the earthly creations were
| effected. All the species of Gods crea-
/ tionS We're to increase and replenish
| the earth maintaining their identity.
In the sterility of species and hybrids,
on the one hand, and the fertility of
varieties descendants from a common
| stock on the other, we see conformity
| to the great law of nature, as an
nounced in holy writ, that every seed
fish, fowl, beast, or man shall bring
| forth after his kind
! THE same unanimity is manifest in
| the laws given to Israel. Being too
carnal to submit to the higher law, a
system of governing their peculiar
| needs was given unto them, even to
| regulate their social life. After the
law had been used as an educator for
! l,0OO years some of the people We're
| prepared to receive Christ our Re-
! deemer chosen before the elements Of
| this earth were brought together and
an earthly abode prepared for man.
| Christ could not be everywhere at
| the same time, 50, as his father had
| sent him, so he called and sent others
| Twelve special representatives We're
chosen and then seventy others to
preach unto the house Of Israel that
the kingdom of heaven was at hand.
/ These apostles labored directly under
| Christ's supervision, and when they
had received sufficient strength, he
| committed the keys Of the kingdom to
Peter, and taught them that the church
would be built upon the rock Of reve-
! lation, for it the gates of hell could
not prevail against. Soon after the
| crucifixion, according to promise the
| Holy Ghost came, and the church or
ganizatiOn was soon in operation
| Churches We're established under the
direction of the Apostles, who held the
reins of church government that order
might prevail and the people be truly
edited. Accounts of this organization
may be found in First Corinthians
| twelfth chapter and the second and
| fourth chapters of Ephesians
The same oneness Of purpose ever
! manifest in the Lords work cpeake
volumes in the organization and dis
cipline of the Church of Jesus Christ OF
Latter-Day Saints to-day
| Elder Tanner closed by saying:
| When Joseph Smith was asked how
he governed the Mormon people SC
we'll and kept them united, he replied
/ teach them correct principles and
| they govern themselves