Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-02-27

President George =. Cannon, | con-
sidered it privilege to listen TO his re.
marks. rejoice that we have men who
can teach us the way OF life and saliva
ton. As much as love life aud the
good things OF life thatGod has provid-
ed for US, the Gospel is more to me than
all else on earth. have never found on
the pages Of history anything so salts
factory as the Gospel. Through the
Spirit OF this Gospel the Bible has be.
come to us a new book, because we can
read it by the light of that Spirit. 1t is
a lamp that sheds additional ray upon
the scriptures. making us 10 understand
the Bible better than any other people
upon the face OF the earth. Without
this light. the Bible has become n
stumbling block to our brethren and
sisters OF the Christian denominations.
But with this light OF the Holy Spirit it is
possible to walk in the ways Of life and
salvation. And God has granted this
great boon unto this people, because of
their humility and obedience. 1t is the
humility Of the heart, not wealth. nor
fine apparel, nor beautiful houses, that
wins in the courts OF heaven and insures
Gods blessing upon the creature. All
men are born to receive, if they will, the
higher order. 1t will not be intolerable
for the heather in the day OF judgment,
provided they have lived according to the
best light that has been given them; but
it will be intolerable for the individual
who has received the light and then re-
iected it, and sinned knowingly before
God. These are they on whom per-
chance the second death will have power.
find myself with you to some extent in
precarious condition. We are walking
in the straight and narrow path that leads
unto eternal life; and with the knowledge
that we possess, il we but deviate to the
right hand or to the left and turn from
that path that leads to eternal lite, it is
written that we had better never have
been born upon the earth. This is
scripture, and not to have been born up
on the earth would render us, it seems to
me, incapable of receiving celestial
glory in the presence OF our Father.
These bodies are given to us that we may
attain unto this celestial state through ODE
dience. AS Christ assembled and obtained
His supremacy through obedience, so have
His brethren and sisters, the sons and
daughters OF God, to attain unto this
blessing through obedience IN the flesh.
Obedience is at the foundation OF all the
blessings of God. There is no blessing
without it. II blessing is bestowed on
the disobedient, it may become curse to
him; and the more blessed the thing be
slowed the greater tie curse unto the dis
obedient creature. This we nave expert
enced The good things ofthe earth are for
the children OF our Father in heaven; but
when we receive and abuse them they be.
come a curse unto us. Man is peculiar
being. have studied myself enough to
know that am one Of the most peculiar
of all of Gods creations. | know not
myself. | cannot tell who am. may
look at my face in a mirror, but, as it is
written, go away and Immediately for
get what manner OF man am. think
today that will be faithful, that ] will
perform certain act; but influences come
along and turn me from the path would
tread in, and before the sun sets do
things that never dreamed OF. find
myself in a dual capacity, and that there
is warfare going on within me. There
are two distinct parts within me-one the
spiritual, from God, and the other of the
earth earthly. | know that that spirit
dwells in this temple. 1t is here for
season, to purify this house in which
dwell, and TO make il fit habitation for
the spirit in the celestial kingdom of our
God. To my understanding, the spirit is
without house to dwell in when It for
feits the body that God has given to it,
and a spirit without body cannot at
tain to the celestial kingdom. find also
that this warfare within me is OF very
peculiar nature. have two minds in
me as well as two beings. When the
Spirit of God rests upon me and make
up my mind, then the spirit has been
communicated with by the Spirit of God,
and il determines what course it will
pursue. Then il has to deal with the be-
ing in which il dwells, with all those
tastes and innperiections that seem to
have come down to us from our fathers.
The spirit begins its warfare upon the
flesh, upon the appeiites of the flesh, TO
try and overcome them. BY and by
decide that, instead of doing what was
convinced was proper, will cater to an
appetite that have acquired in the flesh.
Here commences a war between the
spirit and the flesh. | am like the man
who resolved that he would pass a GER
tain whisky saloon without stopping to
take drink. He walked straight as a
soldier past the liquor establishment, and
when he got a few rods past he said,
Now I'll go back and treat resolution"
1t is the tendency OF the human family to
treat resolution" | find this war GO
ing ON in me- But my reflections on this
subject carry me at times beyond where
| have power to express my ideas.
Something tickles the palate OF man
and he cannot refrain from it; and after
his taste is gratiiied in one particular,
he looks for something else. 1t is like
our sons and daughters; Just as soon as
one party is over, where they have
danced until they are exhausted, they
want to know when they can have an
other party. And so we go on, hasten
ing from one indulgence to another.
Now, there is conflict going on with
IN us between the spirit and the flesh.
Which win succumb? VIII the spirit
within me, with which God holds con-
verse by His Spirit, succumb to the APP
petites OF the flesh, or will it overpower
every feeling and appetite OF the body
and bring it into subsection 10 the spirit,
that 1t may be prepared, through the
grace of God, for an exaltation in His
presencel This is the question before us
Today.
President Cannon spoke OF prayer. |
have seen in books OF various denomi-
nations form OF prayer printed for al
most every occasion-prayer for thanks
giving, prayer for mourning, prayers tor