Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-06-04
DISCOURSE
,ed in the Lake City Sunday May g. 1893 BY
ELDER oRSoN F. WHITNEY.


latter times. We cannot half appre
ciate, except by great effort OF i'm
agnatiOn, the value of the service
rendered by Moses, the Prophet Of God
when he taught men whom they were
10 worship.
Jesus Christ taught the same truth.
lie had been speaking of the Father
to His disciples, and Philip said to
Finn, Lord, show US the Father, and
- The Savior answered.
Have been so long time with you.
md yet hast thou not known me.
Philip? he that hath seen me hath
seen the Father" Christ was in
the form of man. Paul tells
us that He was the express likeness
Of His Fathers person. Hare was
a accommodation of the same principle
taught BY Moses, but which had be-
come dim in the minds OF men, as
truth will ever become dim through the
lapse OF ages. II we do not taks a
course TO keep the testimony thereof
alive in our hearts n We do not live
near to GOD, prsctielnr the principles
lie has revealed. and II We do not have
among us inspired men to teach us and
remind us continually OF the truth.
Any fire will die out II It Ia not sup
piled with fuel. Any lamp will be ex-
ungulshed II II Is not repltnished with
oil. The testimony OF the truth. how
ever mirnculously II may have been
kindled In the human heart, however
brightly 1t may burn for time, will
grow dim. will gradually die, and the
living embers will become dead aAhes,
II the works that dod has enjolned up.
on Us be neglected, II we do not inset
together often, SIS He has commanded.
and hear His word taught, II We do
not submit ourselves to the discipline
that lie has instituted for the purpose
of renewing and keeping alive our faith,
and II We do not have liying prophets
and oracles Of God to guide us. to re.
mind us, to admonish us, and to teach
us anew the everlasting truth. These
things come about very naturally, very
gradually. but surely and inevitably. II
we do not take the course that God has
marked out. And so II was that, al
though Moses had taught the knowl-
edge Of the true God to the children Of
Israel, they were continually turning
their backs upon Jehovah. forgetting
the Invisible Deity and worphiping Baal
and things that they could
see. You remember how prone theS
were to i1olatry, even In the days Of
Moses-talnted with 1t no doubt from
their long sojourn in Egypt; 90 that
while Moses was up In the Mount, re-
celving the knowledge of the true God,
conversing with him face to face, In
both seen and heard the God that
Israel was to worship. the people per-
suaded Aaron to make them Il golden
calf-one OF the Egyptian gods.
II is the tendency OF the natural man
TO demand signs and outward mani
festations; the lsraelhes wanted a god
that they could see; and hence they
erected the golden calf and bowed
down before 1t. They were seduced
N ana r. y, hao~4fuA fhay
I'D to do the things that God required
OF them. and their minds were dark
ened IN consequence The knowledge
that Moses had kindled in their hearts
became dim, and gradually died away.
They forrot TINT their God was in
heaven, and they worshipped the sun
and the moon, like the hoathsn nations
around them. Hence It was necessary
for the Lord to send prophets again
and again. to reklndls the old fire to
revive In the hearts OF His chosen peo-
pie the original knowledge that they
received from Moses, reminding them
that they mus not walk by sight, but
must have faith In the invisible God
ana believe the testimonies of thsrs
who had been worthy to see and con-
verse with him. The maHEe. OF the
people were not worthy to see God
nores tried to make His people wor-
thy, but they would not submit them
selves to the necessary discipline; so
the MelchIsedec Priesthood and the
fullness OF the Gospel were taken into
the heavens when Moses departed and
Israel was left with the law of Moses
with the law of carnal commandments
with the Aaronie Priesthood to rule
over them. until the dawnlng of q
brighter day.
When Jesus Christ came. He taught
them new doetrines-talat is. they were
new to that generation, who were
astonlshed at them, and because He
taught them as one having authority,
and not as the scrlbes. He told them
He vast he Son OF God, and that He
was in the image OF His Father. He
taught them that up above this world
In a heaven of happiness peace and
glory, dwelt their Father, from whom
He had oome--come in fultllment OF
Moses and the Prophets, who had tes-.
titled Of Him. He came to restore the
knowledge that was lost, He came to
fulhll the requirements OF the Law,
which had pre-ngured by It's sac.
lihees and offerings the Of
fering up Of this great
sacrifice, the Lamb of God, in the
meridian Of time. Think not" said He.
that ] am come TO destroy the law
troy but to fulfil" But He came to
teach new principle. "a new COM
mandment give unto you that We love
one another" This was to His disciples.
He also said, as He sat upon the
Mount OF olives delivering that great
discourse called the Sermon on the
Mount:
Eye have heard that It hath been
said. Thou shalt love thy nelghbor. and
hate thine enemy.
But i say unto you, Love your
enemies, bless them that curse you, do
good to them that hate you. and pray
for them which despitefully use you,
and prosecute you;
THAT we may be the children Of your
Father which is In heaven; for He
maketh His sun to rise on the evil and
on the good, and sendeth rain on thu
Just and on the unjust.
For IL We love them which love
you, what reward have ye? DO not even
this publicans the same2
And II ye salute your brethren only,
what do we more than others? DO not
even the publioans SO?
BE ye therefore perfect, even as
your Father which is In heaven is per-
feet"
They were astonlshed al His doctrine
Why? Was It new doctrine? No; Il
was as old as eternity. 1t was part
Of that everlasting Gospel that had
been formulated In the heavens before
the world was, and had been upon the
earth IN different dispensatlons. This
same principle had doubtless been
taught by Enoch, who With his city
reached such Il state of perfection that
they were taken into The heavens 10y
Can you conceive that
lnoch did not teach his people that