Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-07-09
RULE AND OBEDIENCE.
Some Of the ConscqusBces of Disobsdi'
euce Which Are ilofOre Us

sorIetv would be disintegrateu,
chaotic, a prey to Its own iawlets
forces. All society, human or divine,
embodies them. They are the warp
md wool OF lie fabric, the Essentials OF
its structure. When chaos presented
a discordant scene OF connlctlhS gre
mente, while, as yet ORDER hau NJ
throne, ana atom tfespassed o" ulotn
in wild confusion, there, OnIy' couiu
ne found an illustration OF the dire
efyect Of tho absence OF these potent
factors. BY the nat OF the eternal
Father, through the agency Of His
beloved Son, orier arose frum chaos'
The elements were disenthraiieu.
Law held dominion. Light shono out
of darkness. These eternal opp7sltes
were marked and distinot. IN the
LANGUAGE OF revelation "God dlvluuu
tina iipht from the darkness" Night
and day were alternate petiOdr. Anu
the Gods eaid, awe will organize them
md behold they shall oe worry one
uient.n This expression Of the COOS fo'
fers to the heavens and the earth, whlcn
were now created, also u tue hshea OF
the sea and the fowls OF the ar, IN.
deed, to the whole physical anu anu
animal creation. MARI, "lhey snhi
be very obedient.n 1nus the obeui'
encs OF the uimal creation IL eecuteu
by an unalterable decree. Ofder, ue'
sign, adaptation Of meane 10 enus,
now proves tho agency OF an ailwito
Intelligence. The otupendous paris OF
our solar system irfiuenoe anu are
influenced by one another; oil move
in absolute harmony, each part OF tue
celestial machinery filtiug as the parts
OF a ohronometer. One glance at thie
marvellous eystem impressee the mlnu
with mn infinite skill acting In ubeui-
ence to law, light spreading lis etht-
rial force throughout the whole. by
obedience, El0ch eHnctifeb hie people
30 that earth could mot retain them.
Moses was Gou's Oracle 10 thu
Israelites, Noah to the antediluvians.
DISC bedienco TO these men, as the
oracles OF the Divine VIII, brought
most awful consequences; IN the latter
almost universal destruction, IN the
former death by thousands, banish-
ment, exile, captivity, the rupture OF
civil governments, the Destruction OF
their temple, famine ana plague,
slavery Of the worst type, Their once
renowned nationality abolished, ana
they "a hile and a by-word among
IUe uhllOItt
Gentlles, for neatly two thousand
years.
Obedience defined, may, in my
Judgment, be classed under I0ur heads,
viz: Perfect, imperfect, voluntary
Involuntary. The Savior lie, perhaps,
the only example OF perfect Obedience.
He fulfilled the law ~ all points.
Man. In the weakness Of his fallen
estate, may aim At the perfect luihl-
ment OF the law, yei, In some instances
fail, however great mis- efforts. Suon
obedience 10 voluntary, but Imperfect.
Involuntary obedience Is that rem
uered by Satan anu the fallen
angels who are compelled TO obey
against their own volitioD, and who,
through the abuse OF their agency by
open rebellion against the Will OF the
Father, have forfeited their right to Its
exercise, their crime being that OF
high treason against heaven. The
agency OF man has always been given
him, although in some cases God has
surrounded MIN with circumstances OF
o very adverse and trying chAracter,in
order TO secure his obeuience. Such
an instance IL recorded Of Jonah, who
sought to get away from what ap-
peared TO HIM m irkscme duty. His
subsequent obedionce may not have
been altogether voluntary.
The Lord, In Book OF Covenants,
speaks OF the Saints "loarning obeui-
ence by tho things they suffsr,"a very
unpleasant but sometimes necessary
experience. As kind father chat
tises at times a uisobedieDt son for the
purpose OF enforcing obedlonce, 30 the
Lord chatt,ses his Saints. All the
comma nus OF Goa call Tor oheuieu ce,
which menns compliance with.a COM
mand, prohibition or known law or
rule Of duty prescribed. Webster says
"to constitute obedience the act
or torbearanee to act nuAt be
in submission to authority; the
co@maud must be known to
to the persoD, anu his compliance must
be In consequences OF 1t or 1t 10 not
obedience." The following commands
include prohibitions:
"Thou ehalt not steal"
"Thou shalt not commit adultery"
"Tbou shalt not bear false wit.
ness."
The following enjoiu performance.
"Remember the Sabbath day TO keep
1t holy"
"rnou shalt love the Lord thy God,
etc."
One very mistaken idea with regard
to obedience, which IL prevalent Of
late, ID that mans first Allegiance "
due TO the state, his next to God. NOx
PopuIi, Vox Del has become IA stnli-
ment, almost q maxim, hut facts re-
lutte II as u principle. The voice Of the
antediluvians was against God, With
eight exceptions only, 80 with that Of
the Egyptian and A5syrian nstione,
the iormer OF whom arose in Open re.
bellion against him, mud upon whom
he sent the most grievIus curses,
and against the latter OF whom the
Lord sent an angel, who cut oil
in single night, the flower OF tho
AssyriAn nation, or an army of
$4,000 mer. All OF the nations OF
Palestine fought against Israel. The
Romsn empire perseeuted the Sainls
unto death, ana the voice OF judah
sent the Son OF God 10 Calvary's cross.
The voice Of the state may anu should
be the voice OF God. The state may
be EN- rapport with tho divine Will. L;
may be Jure. To use the language vi
Ieaiah "lts officers should be pence
and Its eXac.oTs TighteOusnees.'
Courtp should administer Justice, law
or no law, the wrongs OF the poo,
should be Tedtessej, money or nc
money. A murderer should not be
turned loOsed through the influence o.
friends, or the plentltudo OF his purse
TO prey upon the deienceleys. Th'
naopI. lnnu far a dav nj Ftphtqnuanpaa