Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-06-12

While listening to the BISHOPS reports
was reminded OF many oil the
peculiarties OF this work. The Bishops
are temporal as well as spiritual men,
and so are we all in this Church. The
Gospel Of lie and salvation embraces
every department OF human lille. Inc
general feeling in the Christian world is
that the religious part OF our nature
should be taken care of on the Sabbath
day, and that nothing but the spiritual is
suitable in connection with the worship
OF God. But we, as ministers OF the
Gospel, are expected to take part IN
temporal as well as spiritual matters.
For we are in temporal world. ms
temporal lie we have 10 grapple with as
well as the spiritual affairs OF life 1t is
important that we be fed and clothed.
Hence it is necessary that we cultivate
the earth and provide these necessities
OF life. We must not only take care oil
our spirits and see that they have spirit
ual food, but we must also take care OF
these temples OF the Lord; for we are in
the likeness of our Father who is in
heaven-in the likeness Of HIS body,
and our tabernacles should be kept
sacred and pure as the tabernacle oil our
Father. We should be perfect as He is
perfect, honoring Him, and maniiesting
our gratitude to Him for the blessings
and iavors that He has bestowed upon
us. He has revealed to us the way OF
life. We know how to live. We know
His commandments, and we know how
to keep them, We are being instructed
day by day, and He bestows upon us
the Holy Spirit to be our constant conf
panion. We need not be left to our
selves and to the imaginations OF our
own hearts; but we are entitled to the
Spirit Of the Lord to guide us in all our
ways. These brethren here who are
leaders among the people in spiritual
and in temporal affairs are entitled to
the inspiration of the Lord TO guide
them. to restrain them from evil, and to
give them strength and courage to per-
form the duties that devolve upon them
Ii Is very important work that we
are engaged in-the work OF lie aud
salvation, and the labor TO purify our
own hearts and to bring into our own
lives that principle of repentance and OF
reformation that will enable us to free
ourselves from the sins that so siiiict
human nature. All have their weakness
SEES; all are sinners; but the Spirit oil the
Lord is given to enable us to fJrSake our
sins and 10 obtain favor with the Lord.
We were wonderfully favored OF the
Lord when we heard the Gospel We
were wonderfully favored of the Lord
when we believed it; for there are a
great many people who hear and yet do
not believe, II is a great misfortune 10
men and women in this world who Cam
not believe in God and in Jesus, the
Savior Of the world; who cannot put
themselves in condition to have their
sins RENTED and to receive the Holy
Ghost. We have been favored with the
gift of faith, and with the gilt OF repent
ance We have received baptism Tor
the remission OF our sins. In order That
we may have the full benefit OF these
principles of life and salvation, it is inn
poriant that we remain faithful. 1t is not
enough that we have heard, that we
u,
fession of repentance, and been baptized
for the remission OF SINS; 1t is not
enough that we have had hands laid up
on us for the gilt of the Holy Ghost; but
it Is an unceasing labor on the part OF
men and women TO SO serve the Lord as
to keep His Spirit. The office OF the
Holy Ghost is to bring TO our remem-
brance whatever we have been taught,
to give us understanding OF the present,
and to enable us to look into the future
and see things that are to come; to APP
preciate today what there is just in front
of us, that we are likely to meet. We
have also the revelations given in olden
times through the prophets of the Lord.
the word OF God given by the Savior
and His Apostles, and the revelations
given TO us through the Prophet Joseph
and his successor. In addition to all
this. the Lord has established among us
men bearing the same Priesthood and
authority that the Apostles bore ancient
= ly, and they are giving 10 us the void of
the Lord today suited TO our require
ments and conditions, just as has Deen
done whenever the Father has had a
work on the earth. When Moses was
leading the children OF Israel out OF
Egypt, he received the word OF the Lord
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of God given to him to guide Israel in
their movements, in their encampments,
in their worship Of the Lord, in their
sacrifices, etc. So in the days OF the
Savior was the mind and will Of the
Father made known through the Son for
the direction OF the disciples OF the Lord
Jesus. They were thoroughly instructed
in regard to His doctrines. They were
taught how TO approach the Father, and
how to serve Him Then they were
sent forth, inspired OF God, to teach the
Gospel to the whole world.
In this day, as in former times the
Lord has established His authority
among men. These men that have
spoken this morning hold measure Of
that authority. and they have spoken as
men who ave closely connected with the
people in regard to the matters that per-
tain to Their daily labors. They have
talked al out the temporal condition OF
The Peep e, about the payments that are
necessary in the building OF meeting
houses, and about the necessities OF the
people. But this may sound to some
rather peculiar 10 be brought up in a
house OF worship. Why, is there any
thing more sacred and important than
the welfare Of the people, spiritual and
TEMPORAL l. il not important that we
be fed, and clothed, and educated? Is it
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