Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-26

| among men. without utSflnS Il pflNl-
lege Of showing the Willingness of ths
heart by being buried in the liquid
| graves to answer good conscience by
the resurrection of Jesus Christ
After writing the account given OF
the Snvior's ministry to the remnant
OF the seed of Jacob, upon this CONT
| nent. II was easily to be seen, as the
Prophet said would be. that darkness
covered the earth and gross darkness
the minds of the people. on rejecting
| further II was easily to he seen, that
| amid the great strife and noise CON
| corning religion, none had authority
| from God to administer the ordinances
| Of the Gospel. For the question might
be asked. Have men authority to ad-
minister In the name of Christ who
deny revelations. when His testimony
is no less than the Spirit of Prophecy.
and His religion based, built and sus-
| tanned by immediate revelations I'm all
| people on earth? If these facts We're
buried, and carefully concealed by
men whose craft would have been in
danger If once permitted to sblnc in
| the faces of men, they were no longer
to us: and we only waited for tho
commandment to be given, Arise and
be baptized
"This was not long desired before IL
| was realized. The Lord, who Is rich
| in mercy, and ever willing to answer
| the consistent prayer Of the humble
| after we had called upon Him in a
| fervent manner, aside from the abodos
of men, cOndescended to manifest to
| us His Will on sudden, as from the
| midst Of eternity, the voice OF the Re-
| dccmcr spake peace to rs. while the
vail was parted and the uLgei Of
| God came down clothed with glory.
| and delivered the auxiously looked Tor
message, and the keys of the Gospel
of repentance. What oyi what won.
| der! what amazement, While the
world was racked and distracted -
while millions We're cropping rs the
blind for the wall, and whle all men
general mass, our eyes 1eheld. cur
| ears heard. AS in the blaze of day.
yes, more-above the glitter of the
May sunbeam. which then shed its
brilliancy over the face of nature,
Then his voice though mild, pierced
to the center. and his words, I am thy
fellow-servant, dispelled every fear.
We listened we gazed we admired!
Twas the voice of an angel from
glory twas a message from the Most
Hight And as we heard we rejoiced,
while His love enkindled upon our
souls, and we were wrapt in the vision
of the Almighty! Where was room
for doubt? Nowhere; uncertainty had
fled, doubt had sunk no more W rise.
while fiction and deception had fled
furever
But. dear brother think. further
think for n moment what JOY filled our
hearts, and with what surprise we
must have bowed Cfor who would not
have bowed the knee for such bless
tngH when We received under his
hand the holy Priesthood as he said
Upon you my fellow servants. In the
name of Messiah, ! confer this- Priest
hood and this authority. which shall
sos al La L.
Levi may yet offer an offering unto
the Lord IN righteousness
II shall not attempt to paint to you
the feelings of this heart, nor the ma
iestic beauty and glory which sur
rounded us on this occasion: but you
Will believe me when / say, that earth
nor men, with the eloquence of time
cannot begin to clothe language in as
Interesting and sublime a manner as
this holy Parsonage No; nor has this
tarth power to give the'toy. 10 bestow
the peace, or comprehend the wisdom
which was contained in each sentence
as they We're delivered by the power
Of the Holy Spirit! Man may deceive
his fellowman, deception may follow
deception, and the children 'of the
wicked one may have power to seduce
the foolish and untaught. till naught
but fiction feeds the many, and the
fruit of falsehood carries In its cur
touch with the finger of His love. yes,
one ray of glory from the upper world,
or one word from the mouth of the
Savior from the bosom of eternity.
strikes II all into insignihcance, and
blots IL forever from the mind! The
assurance that we We're in the pres
ence of an angel; the certainty that
We heard the voice Of Jesus. and the
truth unsullied as II flowed from a
pure parsonage. dictated by the will of
God, Is to me past description, and |
shan ever look upon this expression of
the Savior's goodness with wonder
and Thanksgiving while | am permit
ted to tarry; and in those mansions
where perfection dwells and sin never
comes, hope to adore in that day
which shall never cease!'
| find that 1t is wearyinC me to
speak, and that 1t would not be wis
dom In me to continue my remarks in
the line | have started and as they are
mapped out in my mind. But / re-
joice that this man. Oliver Cowdery,
did receive baptism and died mem
Der of the Church. / rejoice In the
gifts and the graces of the Gospel
rejoice In knowing that the promises |
OF God are true and faithful to those |
who believe. do know that the gift |
OF tongues exists among the Latter
day Saints. do know that God hears |
lay their hands upon the sick, many |
of whom are given up to die by the |
doctors. | know that God healed nv |
children when they were afflicted in |
Washington, through the faith and |
prayers OF the Priesthood know. |
spiritual medium |
told the lady in the house where I was |
stopping that she saw one of my |
die, that by the power and |
authority OF the Priesthood of God my /
little girl was raised mp frcm her bed |
OF afilictlon, and she is In the valleys /
OF the mountains today enjoying good |
health. know that in the hour of af-
niction God hears and answers our
prayers and comforts our hearts. /
nave been through these things,
Knew as well before | went To the hos
pital that would return as | know IL
today. ] knew by the Inspiration of
the Spirit of God to me that l should
recover, bear testimony to you that
God lives, and | know It, | bear testI-
mony to you that Jesus is the Christ.
the Redeemer of the world bear
testimony to you that Joseph Smith
was Prophet of God. pray that
God may lead us one and all by the
light and Inspiration of His Spirit and
ask II in the name of Jesus. Amen.
CONFERENCE RATES.