Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-01-02

SnIlSt, anu IL was sOilletiihe pcioic shS
glad message OF salvation could be
placed before the inhabitants OF the
earth. 1t was small beginning; but
now it is within the reach OF all who de-
sire to know these principles which have
been testified OF here today. There was
time when these young men who have
spoken were as ignorant OF the princi-
Piles of the Gospel as the people OF the
world are. When they went on their
missions they were made to understand
that this was not the work OF man, but
OF God.
Now, ask you, my friends, is it wrong
to believe in the living and true God,
the Maker OF heaven and earth, the seas
and the fountains Of water? Doyou not
the Lord Jesus Christi Do you not be-
lieve that He is the Savior of the world?
Do you not believe in His doctrine-that
it is necessary we should repent, and
cease TO do evil and learn to do well!
Can you not believe that 1t is necessary
Tor us TO be baptized by immersion Tor
the remission OF sins, III order that we
may fulfill all righteousness The Lord
Jesus Christ said that unless man was
born of the water and OF the spirit He
could not enter the kingdom OF heaven.
He himself set the example. He went
to Tohn and was baptized oil him, ito
fulfill all righteousness" They went
down into the water, and they came up
out of the water. There was no sprink-
ling or pouring little water; He was
buried in the water. That was The mode
of baptism in that day. We are told
that they baptized at certain places be.
cause there was much water there. We
must accept OF this baptism by INNER.
sion Tor the remission of sins. 1t is also
necessary that the person who ofiiCiates
in this ordinance should have tine
authority to do so, else il would be void.
1t is an ordinance OF the Lord Jesus
Christ, and it has to be done by some.
one having His authority. We read in
the Bible that when Phillip went down to
Sanaria and preached the Gospel, when
they believed they were baptized, both
men and women. Why were they
baptized? Because it was essential to
salvation. How could they fulfill all
righteousness without ii2 How could
they be born OF the water without it1
How could they receive the remission
OF their sins without iti Then again,
when the apostles that were at Jerusa'
lem heard that Samaria had received the
word OF God, they sent unto them Peter
and John:
"Who, when they were come down, prayed
for them, that they might receive the Holy
Ghost:
Tor as yet he was fallen upon none of them (:
only lthey were baptized lin the name OF the
Lord Jesus.)
Then laid they their hands on them, and they
received the Holy Ghost
And when Simon saw that through laying on
of the apostles hands the Holy Ghost was
given. he offered them money,
Saying, Give me also this power, that on
whomsoeyer lay hands. he may receive the
Holy Ghost"
This shows clearly the order OF bap-
,sm and the laying on OF hands for the
Holy Ghost. We also receive the
sanctifying efficacy of the blood of
Christ, which follows the water. 1t is
frequently remarked that we say moth
ing at all about the blood of Christ.
Why, how could we be sanctifed with
out the blood of Christi There has to
be preparatory work to make us fit for
the Holy Ghost, for it will not dwell
in unclean tabernacles. Consequently
we have TO repent, and we will never
repent unless we believe.
Ii we want to be in the service of the
Almighty and to be called by His name,
it is necessary that we should accept OF
these principles. The Apostle John
tells u.s.
There are three that bear record in heaven
the Father. the Word. and the Holy Ghost:
these three are one.
And there are three that bear witness in
earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood
and these three agree in onc."
We are baptized in water after which
comes the sanctiiying influence and
power of the precious blood of Christ,
which sanctifies fits and prepares us for
the reception OF the Holy Ghost. These
principles are eternal. Wherever you
find man having authority OF God to
preach His Gospel, he will preach these
everlasting principles. Jesus Christ has
revealed these principles to the inhabit.
ants OF the earth, and He has told us
how to baptize. 1t is essential that
man should be commissioned OF Jesus
Christ in order that he may preach the
Gospel and oiiiciate in the ordinances OF
the House OF God. The glad tidings of
great Joy that we take to the nations is
that God has spoken, that He has or.
ganized His Church with apostles,
prophets, evangelists, pastors and
teachers, for the work Of the ministry.
and for the edifying OF the body of
Christ. We testify unto the people that
we are living in the hour OF Gods judg.
ment, and that the angel that John saw
flying through the midst OF heaven, hav-
ing the everlasting gospel to preach 10
men on the earth, crying with loud
voice, Fear God, and give glory TO him,
for the hour of his judgment is come
we testify that that angel has flown and
has committed unto us the Book OF Nor.
mon, which contains the iulneSs OF the
everlasting gospel.
This is the message that our young
men have TO go forth and declare 10 the
world. They may not know much about
it when they go out, but they soon learn
OF 1t, because they are taught
OF God. They receive witness and
testimony from Him. and they are able
when questioned to give an answer for
the hope that is within them. Perhaps
il they were highly learned and were
orators, it might be said that they were
trained for it, just as they are in other
systems. But the Lord has His own
way OF accomplishing His purposes. and
He takes the weak things of the world
and things that are naught, and sends
them forth 10 preach His Gospel They
come back, alter two or three years in
the missionary field. having wonderful
testimonies oil the power and blessing OF
God, in iulfillment OF the promises made
to them by the Apostles who set them