Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-12-11

Saints have not only the advantages
II the Holy Ghost here, and the power
IF faith; but o, the love that fills our
hearts when we hear the pure princi-
pies of the Gospel taught to usl How
happy we have felt as we sat to-
gether while the Apostles ministered
unto us the bread of life. How Joyful
the people feel when they are full of
love to each other. The principle OF
charity and the blessedness of the
Everlasting Gospel belong to this peo-
pie as 1t belongs to no other people.
1 rejoice greatly in this Gospel, be-
cause it opens up unto us transcend
ant joys, blessings and glories in the
future, which we have knowledge of.
which our Savior taught. and which
are taught to us here in our times.
aNd which He has condescended to
Think of what this Savior has done
for us here, and has gone to the
Father to interccde for us. to forgive
us of our sins, to heal us of our back
slidings; and has condescended, after
the lapse of eighteen hundred years,
to come with His Father the glori-
Gus Father. The Creator of all came
and introduced that Savior. His Son.
to the boy Joseph Smith, when four
teen years Of age, and taught him to
commence II great and mighty work,
of which we are today some few OF
the fruits. The Father said, This is
my beloved Son hear him" And the
Son taught Joseph, and sent His angels
to administer to him. to teach, to bless,
to bring forth the Book OF Mormon.
and to build up the Church again,
bringing 1t forth out of the wilderness
through great suffering; and we ought
not to forget that the truth is n costly
article, ond always has been. 1t has
cost the best men that have ever lived
in the flesh. their mortal lives. and
may yet again. 1t is a work that is
made altogether of what has been
considered as sacrifice. Indeed, the old
Prophet said, Gather together my
Saints, unto me, they that have made
covenant with me by sacrifice"
That is the principle upon which we
are brought together. We sacrifice
our sins, our pleasant enjoyments and
worldly lusts, and turn unto God and
serve Him.
This Sabbath day may become very
grave question If we are to build up
the New Jerusalem. 1t was one of the
first things that the Lord complained
of through the prophets anciently,
that they had polluted His Sabbath,
and they had profaned 1t, and they
had not observed 1t: and when they
got so they could do these things with
impunity, they left Off paying their
tithing, and the Lord told them they
them--they had robbed Him because
they Ind withheld the tithlng which
they owed Him. And when they
could do n few of these things, they
went on in their transgressions into
fornications, adulteries and murder,
from one step to another, to the most
heinouS crimes until, finally, they
could cruelty the Lord Jesus Christ.
We must look out that we do not roll
any manner of sin as n sweet morsel
under our tongue, but strive with pen
itence day by day to put away from
us everything that is contrary to god
Illness. that would hinder the working
of the Spirit within us, that we may
be able to get grace for grace, and go
from faith to faith, until we can be-
come pure in heart, for we are assured
in the word of the Lord that nothing
that IL unholy or impure can enter
into His presence. What saying!
No wonder the brethren said to Him,
Lord, are there any that shall he
saved?" when we look at the touch
stone, look at the criterion, look Mt the
rule by which these things have to
be brought about. And we should la
Dor continually. striving to subdue
ourselves and to put away the vices,
the sins and the besetments that do
so daily and so easily beset us, until
we bring this living body of clay into
the subsection of the Spirit, that our
souls may live.
The Sabbath is the day that the
Lord has appointed for a time of
rest. He says that He fin-
ished His work, and that He rested
on the Sabbath day. the seventh day.
When the Lord came. in His day, He
instituted the first day of the week.
and ever since then Il has been "His
day." and He says. that we may keep
ourselves unspotted from the world
we are required to meet together on
His day and offer our sacraments, and
make our acknowledgements. and our
confessions, paying our devotions to
the Most High. II Is a common thing
for the people to violate that sacred
law concerning the Sabbath day.
Many of the people, II they go on a
journey, take pains In their calcula-
ton to make the Sabbath count
one day in the trip, and many things
are put off for Sunday especially. /
would like to have 1t taken up with the
people. and have the women make cal
culations on Saturday. and have the
food cooked on that day, for the Sun
day, and then go to meeting, in
stead of roasting over the stove cook
ing. and see to having n little more
leisure and good instruction, and feed
the soul. instead Of being so much at
work and having so much to do on
that day. The Lord said to Israel
six days shalt thou labor and do all
thy work, for on the seventh day. the
Lord thy God rested from His labors;
and thou shalt not do any work neither
thy son nor thy daughter, nor thy man
servant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy
cattle, nor the stranger that is within
thy gates" Now IT was strict rule
and law and commandment to Israel
| anciently. and you will find IL you will
look into the Book of Mormon that IL
was so there, and is going to become
| just as binding upon Gods people in all
time as 1t ever was with them. and we
ought to be looking to 1t and practic-
| ing on IL, SO that we can do right, SO
as TO be able to do the right thing
when we get to 1t.
l testify to you, my brethren and
sisters, that this Gospel is the Gospel
| of all others on the earth. the only one
that is worthy the attention of mortals
as fast MS II can be brought to their
| consideration. And as we have been
blessed to learn these principles and
| to know them. and TO know of the
| things of the future and to know OF
some things of the past. we have reas-
| on to rejoice above all other people
and we have reason to deny ourselves
| of all unrighteousness Just as fast as
| we can. and to learn the way of life
and to hearken to the oounsels of those
that are called of God and to walk In
| His ways, and to receive continually
| the word of the Lord and His direction
! in all our affairs. / rejoice greatly In
| the work of the Lord. and 1 pray that
| His blessings may abound unto tho
! Al.