Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-01-15
REMARKS
, -. Tabernacle Salt Lake City Sunday December &C.
|Msde w W by
s., DER ABRAHAM OWEN WOODRUFF.


we come upon the stage, and we pay
our part to the best of our ability, ana
then we are willing to leave the result
with God. 1t has been said that Guu
buries His workmen, but continues
His work. So one by one those VINO
have been Identified with this work
pass away Some OF them leave a wit
ten history, to a small extent, OF what
they have passed through ana what
they have known; but their run ms
tory or their characters can never
be made as plain to US on paper
as they can by conversing with them
So | say that IL is very essen
tial that all people who have any
interest In this work should make use
of the opportunities that present them
selves to hear those who are yet among
us who have been with the work from
the beginning; and they should seek
TO know for themselves concerning this
Gospel. If they find for themselves,
md not for another, that II is of God,
then there Is no sacriilce too great Tor
them to make for this cause. If we
become thoroughly converted to the
Gospel of Christ, we will not pfize our
lives as anything in comparison with
our standing in the Church of Christ
and with the saving OF the souls OF
others who have not yet come to II
knowledge of this faith. Therefore, our
brethren go to the nations of the earth,
leaving all that IL near and dear to
them, and place themselves in the
hands of God to preach His Gospel.
They go abroad. not feeling that their
time is their own, but that 1t belongs
to God. who gave them life; feeling that
everything they have they are indebted
to Him for, and that He has given and
He can take away. This morning at
tended the meeting of the German
Saints, held In the Assembly Hall, and
had the pleasure of talking to them
in,
seated upon the stand there my heart
was made to rejoice ut seeing number
of those with whom l had labored in
Switzerland and Germany, and also q
number whom 1 had not met before In
Zion, but whom had had the pleasure
of bringing into the Church through
baptism. l thought. OH IL could only
dediccte all the talent God has given
to me and all my powers to trying to
keep these souls in the Church, and If
! could cause that they should remain
faithful until the end of their days. how
happy / should be! But in administer
ing in the ordinances of the Gospel we
do not, as servants of God feel to take
any praise or honor unto ourselves. We
have been left helpless so many times,
we have been shown our weak
ness so many times, that we
are in no condition to take
praise or honor unto ourselves.
But we rejoice when others are made
happy; we rejoice when Others are
brought TO see the Gospel as 1t is; we
rejoice to see souls sought out of the
dark corners of this world who are
willing to come forward and unite
themselves with the work which has
been set up by the power of God, and
which will never be destroyed. 1t gives
us pleasure to see people who. notwith-
standing the opposition that Is aroused
as soon as they express their willing
mess to become members of the Church
of Christ. are still willing to come for
ward and show their individuality and
manifest by their course that they are
men and women willing to stand for
what they know to be right. no matter
what public opinion may be. Public
opinion has led more people to degrada-
ton than anything else that know of.
The Latter-day Saints have not gone
very much on public opinion. They do
not care what the world thinks as long
as they know they are trying to keep
the commandments of God. The Ell
ders, In preaching the Gospel from door
to door. may be turned away, may be
rejected, and their testimony may not
be received; but If they are true and
faithful in bearing that testimony and
in discharglng their duties, they are
happy. and they are willing to leave
the result with God. Those who bring
members into the Church of Jesus
Christ have no right to take any honor
unto themselves; for one has planted.
another has nourlshed, and another
may reap Those who are brought into
the Church by one may be the result
OF the efforts of another. But IL we
are able, through our efforts, to touch
the peoples hearts. to get them to nm.
derstand the Scriptures which they
have read for years and years and have
not understood. and to realize that ii
they only get the Spirit that they will
not only have the dead letter but they
VIII have the Spirit which maketh
alive, and which will bear testimony to
their souls concerning the written word
OF God, and what Is necessary for them
to do to be saved in the kingdom of
our God-if We are able to do this we
perform great labor. This Spirit ac-
comp MES the testimony of the Ell
ders. II bears testimony to all who
VIII receive 1t that this Gospel is from
God. II has caused those who have read
their Bibles without understanding
them to read and understand. This is
what Is meant by the reception of the
Holy Ghost, which is promised to nll
those who will repent of their sins, be
baptized, and have the hands Of the
Elders laid upon them. We cannot nm
derstand either the written word or
the living oracles OF God, except we
have His Spirit. II is only through
the spirit of man that we understand
the things pertaining to man; II is only
'Hl'ubu tlt spirit OF GOu tnnt we are |
able to understand the things pertain
Ing to God. II the world have not the |
Spirit of God. having led lives that |
would not entitle them to the enjoy |
ment of that Spirit, Is II any wonder |
that they cannot understand the work |
of our Heavenly Father? Not at all, |
because they have alienated them |
selves from His Spirit: and In many |
cases His Spirit, which has striven with |
them from time to time, has become |
grieved. We understand that the Spirit |
OF God Will not always strive with man. |
therefore, the world should give heed, |
while there Is yet time, to the teach |
ings of the Gospel. which Is so simple |
that even child can understand II, |
and yet so deep that man win never |
be able to fathom the beauties thereof. |
rejoice with you today, my brethren
and sisters, In living in u day and time
when God has again established Hts
work. Why, when the Manifesto was
Issued and went forth to the world, |
the Idea got abroad that Mormonism
was thing OF the past. They thought
mat plural marriage was the principle
upon which our faith was based, and
that when this was done away with,
al the rest would soon pass away. But
how different II is to this, And right
among those people who have enter
tained this idea, the Church of Jesus
Christ IL growing today more than ever.
There are more Elders in the field to-
day. proclaiming the word of God, than
we have ever had. They nre rneetinv |