Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-06-04

WING God. Men had AGAIN Forgotten
The true God and how to worship him.
Yes, in the midst OF this fun blaze, So
called, Of Gospel light men had aotu-
ally forgotten what had been taught
thousands of years before regarding
the personality Of the Creator They
were worshippins Him again as be-
inK without body, parts, or passions"
who was In the sun. and the moon,
and the stars, who. was In the flowers
and the trees, and In all The manifesto
tons OF nature. And SO He ls In one
sense. BY His Spirit He Is In all thess
thinEs-that Spirit which liFhteth
every man that come,h Into the
world. The light Of the SUM Yes.
The light Of the moon? Vas The light
things for light, like truth, has but
one sOurce-God. But We must not
confound the Spirit Of God with the
personality Of God. our Father In
heaven, He who created msn In His
own image, as Moses taught the uhll-
dren OF Israel; lie who was in tn. ex-
press likeness Of HIS Son Jesus Christ,
who was in the form OF man. ana wis
with others taught this truth IL the
world. This was the qsd that men
were to worship. hut they we're not
worshtppins Him when Jossph Smith
came forth to re-rtvssl and rs-deelsrs
Him, His mind was confused over thu
many conflicting claims OF the
various Christian secls one saying.
This Is the right way" anothsr say
Ing that Is the right way" 10, hsrs
Ia Christ" 10, there IL Christ" inse-
much that he did ndt jein any Of
them. but went to ths Bible. which
had come down through the ages con-
tainlns the word Of God. Hs road in
the Epistle OF James, III any lack wis
dom. let him ask Of God. who Tivsth u
all men literally. and upbrRideth not;
and II shall be given him" He did not
md there that he was to &c to this
man, or that man, to thls church, OF
that church; for the Prlesthosd and
the Church OF GOD were net upen the
Earth; but TO 80 = TO God. 80
directly to his Father In heaven, and
ASK Him for wisdom. In the simple
faith of his heart he carried out this
behes'; and while praying In The woods
near his fathers house, q glorious
vision burst upon his View. First how
ever, he was attacked by an evil iniu-
ence which tied his tongue and mads
every effort to destroy him. but he kept
on prsylng Ia his heart until he raw
a light above his head brighter than
the nooneay sun. and pillar Of glory
descended until 1t rested upon the tops
OF the trees. In the midst Of 1t he saw
two persons in the form Of men; and
one Of them, calling Joseph by name
ana pointing to the other, said, This ~
my beloved Son; hear Him" Could
Joseph Smith doubt from that moment.
n he had ever doubted before, that his
Father in heaven was In the form OF
man, Just as the Lord Jesus Christ
was in the form of a MANI No; 1t was
as plain as daylight; for there was the
vision glowing In glory before his eyes
He was told not to Join any Of the
churches, for God was about to found
His Church upon the earth. and he
huN ka.1 l.a. 81. TO- 4 .
work for God in this last dispensstion.
This was the calling OF Joseph Smith.
He taught anew that God was in the
form Of man; that man WINS made In
the Image OF God; and he taught the
principles or Justice, mercy. charity,
and forgiveness. Therefore, l say, as
one who believes In him as Prophet
of God, Judge the tree by Its fruits.
Do men not inspired of Gcd teach men
to. leve each other; to believe in the
God OF Abraham. Isaac. and Jacob, the
God OF Moses, the God OF Jesus Christ;
to be charitable. to he honest, to be
virtuous, TO be upright, to be kind,
loving and forsivinF, and to return
good f0r evil? No, they Go not. You
do not gather grapes of thorns. or fiEs
of thistles And II men draw near to
God in their lives.and teach and practice
the teachings OF His servants. they
follow In the footsteps OF their Savior
they do not follow after evil; and 10
truths that the Prophets before him
had taught: and he went beyond
them. Yes. for this great movement
pickramed "MermoEism" liz like u
mighty tidal wave rolling up the beach
OF history. destined to make q higher
ripple mark than any wave that has
preceded II. Joseph Smith taught men
q IN n nj OF
God in the form OF man. He taught
them that they could become like their
Father and God. who was IAN exalted
Man. And what is more simple and
reRsonable2 Don't you parents expect
your children to become like you? Or
do you expect your children to be some
thing else than men and women? No.
You men Will see your sons become
men: you women will see your daugh-
tiers become women. Then God our
Father-ye5. and our Mother-in
heaven, looking down upon this world
this school house in which their chill
dren are being educated-expect, and
Joseph Smith taught it as truth, that
their children will be exalted. II they
pursue the proper course, until they
shan become divine beings themselves,
worthy to stand upon that plane where
stand their Father and their Mother
in heaven. Like begets like; and tho
OF man a God.
Joseph Smith also taught the great
principle OF universal salvation. The
Gospel OF Jesus Christ saves all men;
but saves them according to their
merits, in different degrees of glory
True, there are some exceptions. There
are some who cannot be saved who
remain fiithy still because they will not
receive the truth. or, rather, having re-
ceived II, throw II away and trample
upon it Willingly. Men who. knowing
that thing Is true, will not receive Il,
will not live II, cannot be sanctilled by
that truth. Men who are 80 perverse
that they will utterly reject light and
knowledge, knowing 1t to be light and
knowledge. cannot be redeemed by
It. for they place themselves
outside the pale Of redemption
But are there many who would do this?
l have this muah confidence in the hu-
man race: / believe that the most OF
men would, II the truth We're brought
to them, obey II, either fully or in
part; that they would not ny In the
face Of God, knowing him to be God.
nor reject His truth. knowing II TO be
His truth Hence the Savior said.
Father forgive them; for they know
not what they do" But those who
do know, their situation Is far more
serious God is merciful to ignorance
He cannot look upon sin with allow
ance. hut he can allow for human
weakness. He cannot compromise
with sin. He saves us from our sins.
not I'm our sins: and He has Instituted
means whereby We may get rid of our