Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-09-11

,,,o,,,bts and concentrate them for Il
,tue season upon our spiritual duties.
rror, the very nature of the RESPONSE
bnlties that rest upon us. large por-
,t,, Of our time is devoted to providing
Cor ourselves the temporal things OF
,,fe. and 1t is only on occasions like
,hIs that we are enabled to throw off,
On a certain extent, our worldly cares,
,,,r daily tolls and labors, and place
opr thoughts upon some things that
.r, higher and more important to us
,han the temporal affairs of life are
7 an, aware that 1t Is difficult matter
20 make people sense the fact that
,here ia something more beneficial ana
- Greater Importance to us than
,,hread and butter" There are great
nanny people in the world who esteem
.,ohas and the temporal things of life
- cr.ater Importance than anything
else. When such thought arises III
,nv mind, l hasten to call the fact 10
remembrance that, long as we may
live in this world, our lives are but
short. In looking back over my own
,vnerience, which has been only very
,,iaf in comparison to some mems,
oon see how very many OF the ac-
ouaintances of my youth and of the
men who oficiated in responsible posi-
lions then. have passed away and now
very few of them remain today. By
Cor the greatest number of my early
ocouaintances are now beyond this
vale of tears, In another sphere of ac-
,inn And this has not been
confined to those that were
prosperous. nor to those that
r,.r,t loss favored I'm temporal things;
ibis lot has befallen the great and the
small the learned and the unlearned.
the leaders and those who were led.
The faces with which / used to be so
familiar have passed beyond the Veil'
and now | see growing up around me
other generations-young men ana
Young women who in Il few years VIII
occupy the positions that are now held
Nv the leaders of the people, while we
I'm our turn will have passed to the
other sphere. This proves to me that
the affairs of this world are of com
paratively small importanc In con-
elderatlon OF the great things that are
10 come to us in the future. our lives
here cove but few years. When a
man getsAeyond 60 years of age he
begins to Nal the weight of age resting
upon him, Ind both his body and MS
mind are weighed down by the respon-
aibnities and labors of his life. lie
commences to look over on the other
sldo and TO consider that his days are
shortening. and that his turn Will come
soon. Now, 1t seems to me TINT II
there is anything which ought to bring
to our minds the great Importance OF
preparing ourselves for that state
which all nature and all the evidences
tn 20
mortal and eternal. 1t is the fact that
our lives are so brief here, and that
whatever extent Of power we may pos
sess here 1t is only for very bricf
space; 1t is not ours by right but IL
is loaned to us for the time being
Whatever influence or power we may
have In this world-gold, or silver,
houses or lands, or whatever else we
may set our affections upon-they are
ours only for n few moments. This
proves to me, and 1t ought to prove To
every intelligent man, that the earth
and the fulness thereof belong To
God and not to us. No matter what
we may gather together of this worlds
goods, we can only use II for II little
while BY and 10y we will be called
away from itand II will be left to our
successors, or 1t will perish and
fade away. Then, say while II Is
good thing to have comfortable
and calculated to FIJI our hearts with
10Y and gratitude to be surrounded
by that which Is needful in this world,
and while God designs that we should
enjoy all these blessings to the full
extent OF our necessities, yet there IS
something that Is of more importance
10 us than these temporal things. Ana
what is 1t? It is a knowledge of the
principles which pertain to immortal
life, Il knowledge of the principles
which pertain to the government ot
God among the children of men,, a
knowledge of those principles whlth
are calculated to make pure men ana
women Of us. to exalt us in the scale
Of intelligence. to make us pure ana
noblominded. and to influence US to
feel for others as well as for our
Selves
God has taken the pains in this dis
pensation to reveal to us the fulness
OF the Gospel, which deals with these
things which teaches to men this
principle of self sacrifice for the good
Of others. and which teaches US that
we are doing ourselves good when we
are doing good to other men. AS Presl-
dent Cannon said this feeling Is al
most extinct in the world. Nowadays
You find almost every man struggling
Tor himself and for his Immediate as
soclntes. II a man happens TO have a
family, his whole thought IL for him
sell and for his family. and he cares
not how he may get wealth. so he gets
u. Too many in the world are so
bound up in themselves and 80 IL
liberal in their souls that they are not
even willing to struggle for any but
themselves. You find thousands of
men today who, to crafty their own
Just, would ruin hundreds If II We're in
thelr power, while they would not turn
ttnelr hand over to build up. to save, 20
pltss and to comfort anybody
Who live upon that principle. They
I'VE apparently for that which they
can obtain and use upon their own
.usts and for the qualification of their
own desires In this world, and they do
SOY care for anything beyond II. What
VIII be the condition OF such men when
'lty stand before the Judge Of the
pllyk and the dead, to give an account
ot me deeds done In the flesh? VIII II
npt be said Take from him that which
NJ seemeth to have, and give IT to him
tnat hath?' For unto every one that
main shall he given, and he shall have
opun lance: but from him that hath
h9l SHAH be taken away even that
winch he hath" The duty OF mankind,
~ understand It, under the holy Cos
~ winch We have received, Is TO pro-
vet the innocence, the virtue, the hon
VI nud the rights Of all men and WOO
tNth MS Jealously as we would protect
yul own That ~ the great principle
n'at Is taught us In this Gospel of
ugeu0m ana liberty that we have re-
nclNed from the Lord I'm our day and
neheration. And when you talk about
Yhe Priesthood and the servants OF the
,-'Iu trying to take advantage OF the
roll 1u..Ns.