Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-02-27
[REPoRTEp by ARTHUR wINTER.1

morning and evening, prayers for the
| birth OF a child and also for the christen.
ing, etc. Everything i'll the shape of
| prayer seems to he prepared for the
| people. The way to serve God is made
| just as easy as poss BILE. 1t is like boy
| saw in a certain city which has a large
number of images and everybody that
| passes an image takes his hat off to it,
| This boy was about fourteen years old
| and he was passing one OF these images,
J and without looking at it, but simply as
/ matter OF habit, he DOTTED his cap to the
image and went on. What is prayer? Is
| it simply the glincing OF the eye on the
written page which tells YOU what YOU
are to say TO God? If this is all there is
\ in it, why not let our religion be made as
easy as possible2 We might go so far as
,, to be like the man who had got tired OF
even reading his prayers, SO ne had his
evening prayer printed and posted up at
| the head of his bed, and before he would
jump into bed he would say, Lord,
| them's my sentiments" But il the
| heart of man is to be schooled in the re-
ligion OF Jesus Christ, and the appetites
OF the flesh are to be overcome, as Jesus
overcame, and this body is to be brought
into subsection to the law of Christ, OF
what use is all this eXtraneous natter
None whatever. 1t is but device of the
enemy to lead the multitude astray.
Now, this people are not going to OBJ
tain salvation in an easy manner. The
Latter.day Saints have got to war with
the appetiles OF the flesh, with the ira.
ditions OF the fathers, and with those
things which God has commanded us to
eschew. When we retire at night, in
stead OF having a printed prayer, we
must kneel down before the Lord with
broken heart and contrte spirit, and
then the Lord will surely bear US of
victorious. Brethren and sisters, have
we undertaken this warfare to conquer
or are we yielding to the insidious in.
iluences that are brought among us2 |
am reminded OF story read on one
occasion OF an old man who was ascend
ing steep hill, and there were seven
devils pulling at his skirts and jerking
him back. A traveller observing this,
wondered why there should be so many
little devils pulling at the old mans gar
ments determined to defeat his efforts to
get up this steep place; but he went on
and came to great city, where he saw
one little devil perched up on the pin
nacle OF shalt, half asleep. He
seven OF these little fellows trying to
annoy an old man who was striving TO
climb up steep place, and here was
great city with a hundred thousand peo-
pie in 1t and only one little sleepy imp.
He asked what the meaning OF this was.
The reply was that this old man was de-
termined to follow in path that led to
somewhere that was good, while the
| hundred thousand people were resting
easy following their own pleasure, and
the little fellow had nothing TO do, for
they were travelling the road he wanted
them TO travel. say TO you Latter day
Saints,you are climbing a steep hill, and
there are more than seven devils to every
one OF you, determined that you shall
not gain the prize that you are laboring
for And the warfare is internal as well
as external, and is going on constantly.
The Latter.day Saints have the world
upon their back determined TO overthrow
them, II it is in their power to do it.
Why do say tbisS Are there not good
men and women in the worldl Yes, Just
as good as we are. But here is a system
that is superior to any system that has
ever been discovered since the Gospel
was revealed to man upon the earth.
The Gospel never has been revealed
before in the perfection that we behold
it today, because the restitution of all
things in one has been left to the last
days. This Gospel is to regenerate
fallen man, through the instrume ntality
OF those who will engage in the work;
and every man and woman is called to
this work, if he or she will receive il.
God will give to all freely who will re-
ceive it, and as you have undertaken this
toh lat ls 10,
will carry it to successful issue. But
say TO you that every man, woman and
child will see the time when they will
bow the knee and confess that Jesus is
the Christ TO the glory of God the Father.
God has committed this work to the
Latter.day Saints; and He calls upon us
now, in this time OF tsmptaiion and trial,
SORROW and gladness-the most peculiar
time that ever was upon the e3rth-to be
as faithful as our brethren and sisters who
have died and gone TO their place Of st,
as faithful as Joseph Smith and Hyrum
Smith, who gave their lives to perpetuate
what we enjoy today. AS Jesus laid
down His life for the whole world, so did
the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Patri-
arch Hyrum Smith lay down their lives
in Carthage jail ,sand John Taylor spilled
his blood, 10 make possible what We
enjoy today in the blessings OF the ever
lasting Gospel, We stand today upon
the foundation of the blood of martyrs,
and the fiat has gone forth that this work
is perpetuated through the shedding of
the blood Of the hest men Z. the nlne-
teenth century. Shall we, then, forsake
the benefits that God has given unto us1
Shall permit these fleshly desires and
appetites of mine to destroy the hope
that have of everlasting life2 oh, no!
Nor will the Latter-day Saints do it; but
they will cleave to light and truth What
kind of prayer shall ofierI Shall
offer the prayer OF my heart, or shall
say that the printed prayer is good
enough for me? God requires the heart
Jesus has bought us with price, by the
sacrifice of His life. Again our Father
has bought this people by bringing them
out from the midst of their enemies and
planting them here, where they can have
every blessing that their hearts can de.
sire in righteousness. Never has a
Latter-day Saint done good thing with
out the Lord being present Immediately
to reward him. Whenever have done
a good act God has rewarded me right
then. Yet. as it is written in the Book
of Mormon st II owe Him my life, my
family, my surroundings, my good father
and mother, and all that / have that is
beautiful and lovely. Now, after He has
blessed us with these things, shall we
L a. a a.