Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-06-19

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these grand results II is Outside of
mans power 1t requires the power Of
God And this power of God has been
manifested among the Latter day Saints
which is an evidence that it is Gods
work. II we were not united, we would
not be the peop e OF God. II is the true
sign by which the people of God may be
found. do not care what we may claim
OF what our pretensions may lie, we are
not people of God when we are not
united. Union is one of the fruits of the
Spirit The Savior, in that memorial c
I prayer of His, prayed TO the Father that
tits disciples might be one. as He and
the Father were one. Imagine the one
ness that pre-, ais between God the
Father and God the Son. They are one
and indivisihle, SO far as union is con-
cerned We cannot conceive of the
least difference existing between the
Father and the son. Is it possible
Tor men TO attain to that union1 If it is
not, then Jesus prayed in vain, and His
prayer was waste of words; but Jesus
did not waste words in that way and He
prayed that they might be one as He
and the Father were one From this We
can imagine how close we ought to be
together, and how necessary it is that we
should be united. We can perceive, too
that 1t is not a sin, nor menace to any
human being or community, or nation
for us to be one, because II we are one
as the Father and the Son are one, we
could not be guilty of wrong-doing and
remain one-we won d inevitably divide
and separate.
When household is united-the hus-
band and wife and the chi dren all one
then that family has fore
taste of heaven. Those who live in that
condition app zach near to the throne of
God. Enlarge that circle and extend
that union from one family to another,
until it embraces the whole community,
and so far as they are concerned il may
be said that the kingdom of God is
come, and God is there, because God is
love, and love begets this union. So far
as we do not live IN this condition, so far
are we removed from God. There is no
better test within our reach than this to
judge as to the condition OF an individual
or a community.
know some people think this un.
natural, and, in fact, Impossible They
are especially opposed to it because, in
order to have such a condition as this,
there must be authority and power from
God recognized in the community |
cannot conceive OF condition of society
like this that does not have an authority
in it that is recognized as the authority
OF God. Were 1t not SO, it would be
every man for himself.
Now, the question is, Is it a bad condi-
ton OF society for one man or number
OF men VINO are united, and who have
authority from God, to be recognized in
community as authority, and their
words to be recognized as words OF
weight, because OF their being inspired
of Gou2 Is community in dangerous
condition with an authority of that kind,
and which it recognizes? This is an i'm
portaut question that we as Latter.day
Saints have had to ask ourselves a great
many times OF laie, because it has been
openly avowed that such an authority ia
the midst of this people is dangerous
authority, and one that should not be
countenanced or obeyed. This has been
told us time and again, until many OF
our own people, espt cially the young
and inexperienced, have almost become
convinced that the statement is cor
rect one. If it is correct, then how are
we to bring to pass that which the Lord
has promised? How are the grand re-
suits to be achieved OF which Prophets,
and even poets who never pretended 10
be inspired, have writtenf There is an
almost universal desire among men for
better condition OF things than exists
now on the earth. Every man that as
had any desire for the welfare OF his tel
low man has dreamed OF it; has INDUCED
in hopes that by some means, incOm-
prehensible perhaps TO him, change
would be wrought in the affairs OF the
earth, and the evils under which man
kind groan would be corrected. There
is no righteous man that ever lived that
has not had this desire and this anticipa-
ton. And by what means shall it be ac-
complished? Shall God Himself come
down from heaven among menl He old
once, in the person OF His Son, and He
was slain. He has come down also
through angelic messengers. They
could not be slain; but those whom they
visited, and unto whom they impaired
their power, have been slain. The in
habtants OF the earth have seemed de.
termined that no man claiming the
authority necessary to bring about bet
ter condition of things should live upon
the earth. They have watred against
every man OF this kind, in almost every
age, until they have been extirpaled from
the face OF the earth
But God in these last days has again
stretched forth His hand 10 accomplish
His work. God himself has visited the
earth, accompanied by His Son Jesusl
He has sent holy messengers from on
high to restore the key that has been
lost, the power and the authority that has
been taken from the earth, by means OF
which these great changes and these
glorious ends may be: accomplished.
And no sooner were men ordaine d to re.
celve this power than the evidences of
its oivine origin Immediately appeared.
The spirit Of union to which have re-
ierred descended upon the people, pro-
ducing a union unexampled in the earth,
a union that had not been seen for CEN
turtles, which holy men had desired, but
had not been able to obtain. What was
it, my brethren and sisters, that brought
this changer II was the authority OF the
Son OF Cod-the authority of the ever
lasting Priesthood. 1t was that author
ity that transformed a mortal man, pos
sessed oil all the weaknesses common 10
mortllity into an agen. OF the Almighty,
and gave him almighty power; Tor moth
ing short OF the power oil God would
have been sufficient. Angels who held
the authority and power, by the laying
on OF hands endowed men with it. These
men were touched as 1t were, by the
finger of God. and powers were bes-
towed upon them that no mortal man
possessed. In that sense they became