Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-07-31


ual crime. | know this is not the view
gefeTally taken Of us. The Lat r-day
saints are supposed TO be licentious
people. 1t is thought that 1t is licen-
tous ess that binds Us together. No
| pr, Mt r mistake was ever mace. But
| tntrs must be an excuse tor ptrsecu-
ton. rs ihefe was in ancit mt days. The
anci NJ SAINTS were ma igned, ard al
| manner of evil was said against them
| fall el and so II has cen with us. All
manner oil evil has been said against us
| "A sely. But bear les imony to you
| this evening hat our aim is TO raise up
righteous and virluous generation in
these mountains We do not want
| dfunkards; we do not want liars; we do
not want dishonest men in any form; we
do not wan. unviriuous people; We do
not want people who will not keep the
commandments of God and live in pur.
| iiy ana h miliiy before HIM. We are
deavoring to cleanse The Church itself
continua w., and 10 keep 1t cleaned.
Per ecution has a tendency to do this.
We get p. rseculiOn enough, occasionally
at least, to clean c from our midst those
who are not built upon the rock. We
are striving in these mopntlin to lay the
foundation OF righteou;uess. II we
could have this State in the condition we
would like, there would he no drinking
saloors, no gambling hells, no disreput-
able houses. II was the c sc with US Tor
years We try to be an honest people;
we try to keep our word, we try to deal
with one another as Christ has com
manded us. We believe it is better 10
suffer wrong than TO do wrong. Tnis is
our Instant teaching to the people.
Tim. will not permit of elaboration at
the pre- sent | have, therefore dwelt up
On these particular points very hastily.
1t is not pleasaut to be sitting as we are
tonight, ia SO crowded and heated an
auditorium; but it is only proper that
you should know some Of the features
Of cur religion and our organization.
We believe in Apostles ana Prophets
We believe that wherever the Spirit OF
God reigns there is the spirit oil prophecy
We expect to go to heaven. We labor
for tnat. And when we go there and
miugle with those holy being, who are
there, | expect we shall notiesl ashamed
to sit down and talk with the ancient
Apostles and Saints. If ,hsy had
Apostles in the Church when they wer.
upon ths tn, the members oil our
Church would be at home in talking with
them, for we had Apostles. So with the
ehto lucy tNhih Say VIC nav Aiic y no
We cont nded tor the gifts. The gilt OF
prophecy was in the Church, and the sick
were called by the laying on OF hand;
that was the practice in our Church
We were perse cuted, We were sent to
prison; we were driven from our homes,
and some of us laid down our lives
The Laitsi-day Saints could talk 10 any
OF the Apostles in this strain There is
nothing that they enj Eyed, there IL no
gilt that they had, no doctrine that they
believed in, tuat we do not have in our
Church. Our teachings are preci,ely
the same as their teachings. Tney
might say, I'VE had experience on the
eaitn in travelling without prrse and
scrip; we went out as witnesses to prove
the world. How was 1t with your"
"Why, Brother Peter, Tor Brother Paul,
or brother John we did the same exact
ly." Many OF us could say: II have
travelled thousands OF miles without
purse and scrip, without any pay or re-
ward, and | have proved the world
When they rejected me and prosecuted
me, have SIX ken off The dust from nv
ieeL as witness against HEM" swell,
then, you have have had the same ex-
perience that we had.' And that would
be the case. think we could lit down
with them in the kingdom OF God and
rel Dice rs no other people could. They
be ieved in Prophets and Apostles, IN
gifts, in the power OF G. ID being be-
slowed upon man; we believe in the
same. They had union and love; we
have the same. We exhibit in our lives
that which the Apostle John says, by
this ye may know that we have passed
from death TO life. because we love the
hat = L.. al.
Latter-day SAINTS Il say it with all due
respect to everybody else-ihat, taken
as whole, is unexampled in the world,
have travelled in many lands and
| among many peoples, but I have never
seen anything approaching the love that
witness among the Latter-1ay Saints.
Therefore, my heart swells continually
with thanklulness TO God our Eternal
Father for having restored these great
gifts and blessings to the earth once
more, that again there is the spirit
| among men which binds them together
in love.
Nov, calamities are gong forth. The
Lord has predicted that they will come
IN the last days. The newspapers are
full OF accounts OF them, anu mems
hearts are failing them in looking for
ward to the things that are coming upon
the earth. But IN this community no
such fear exists. We have no fear Tor
the future for we have been told for up
wards of sixly-six years that these things
would clme to pass; aad God has COM
manded Us to gather together to escape
these judgments. The spirit OF gather
ing has res,ed upon all who have receiv-
ed this Gospel. This gathering Of the
Latter-day Saints from all parts OF the
world is probably as great miracle aS
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