Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-02-12

| VI SIN, anu lntIe IL u uiiLtitHtt IN the
| degrees; but no man or woman, in
| listening to the confession of another,
need pride himself or herself and say,
| II am not u sinner. Here IL this poor
| creature, sinner; oh, how 1 pity
| mimi" If we come to God IN humility,
He Will show unto us our sins, and our
| lnlperfections. and our faults; and we
| Will feel merciful to our brethren and
| sisters who, like ourselves. are weak
| and erring. We will be fun of pity
| for them, and we Will forgive them.
This is the feeling that should exist in
every bosom when men and women
VINO commit sin come and confess
their sins and are humble and con-
trite. When Latter-day Saints hear
| such things. there Is feeling Of pity
wells up IN their hearts, and their
souls overflow with sympathy, and
they say. Yes, yes, wen forgive YOU
and Wen try and forget all about It,
Go on, dear brother, COR sister repent,
and do better from this time forward,
and we Will give you our faith and
prayers" That is the way Saints
should feel when their brethren and
sisters commit sin and repent OF 1t.
The Lord, also, Ia moved with COM
passion; the angels are moved with
mercy and sympathy; and the Lord
Jesus, who stands as n Mediator be
tween our Father and ourselves, Is
filled with compassion for His
brethren and sisters when they COM
nit sin and repent Of IL. oh! all
heaven is moved by the repentance Of
sinner and stirred up with desire
to help the poor creature who con-
fesses his sins and repents truly and
sincerely.
Brethren and sisters, now that this
Conference Is drawing to II close, let
us endeavor to profit by the teachings
we have heard. | have been gladdened
I'M
| believe the nomination Of the two
brethren who are appointed to I'LL the
vacancies in the quorum of the
Apostles came as a surprise to the
community. If not to the Saints. !
have not seen what the napers have
said at different times; but l un-
derstand they have been picking and
choosing and mentioning the name
of every man that is at all conspicu-
Gus In the Church, as likely to be
chosen. 1t Is evident that the Lord
did not tell them anything. Since
these names were presented yestcr-
day have had several come to me
and tell me that the Lord had re-
vealed to them that these men would
be chosen. one man said to me that
last April. when they were presenting
the names of the authorities in the
Stake to which he belongs. it was
made manifest to him that Matthias
Apostles. He said SO to his COM
panions, and told them TO writ, It
down, as II would be fulfilled. Sew
eral instances of this kind have come
to my knowledge. l have not mingled
much with the people. because we
have been so busy; but I have been
gratitied beyond expression to learn
from these instances that the Lord is a
God OF revelation, not to the First
Presidency and the Twelve alone, but
that the Latter-day Saints as a people
have the spirit Of revelation. 1t IL a
blessed thing to live in an age when
God reveals His mind and will to
those who seek for 1t. 1t is not al
ways that we have everything told to
US; but when we want to get light
upon any subject, the Lord has pro-
vided the way. He is God that hears
and answers prayers, He does not
conceal Himself. / am thankful that
we are not as Israel was irtSie days
of Elijah. The prophets of Baal cried
aloud, jumped upon their altar. cut
themselves with knives, and INDUCED
in all sorts of extravagances to reach
the ear of their god while Elijah
haunted them and said perhaps he was
asleep or had gone on a Journey
That is the condition OF the world to
great extent. l speak this without
intending any disrespect because
there are Just as good people in the
world as we are; but l say 1t because
there is no revelation among them.
nor any idea that 1t can be obtained,
and therefore, men call in vain when
they do call; though there are honest
souls who believe the Lord will hear
their prayers, and whom He does
hear. When the Prophet Elijah called
our God heard and answered him.
So II is with this Church. 1t is the
Church of Jesus Christ, and when Its
members call upon God they get
revelation from God, according to their
faith and diligence and the RESPONSE
bility that rests upon them. AS ] said
last night at the Priesthood meeting,
there has never been one minute since
this Church was organized that 1t has
been destitute OF the knowledge of God
and the voice of God. The will of God
could be obtained; 1t has been OBJ
tained. And the Church win never be
left without 1t. The authority is in
the Church to lead IT, us Brother
Reynolds said, The angels and heads
OF dispensations that have been upon
the earth have come and restored the
keys they held and bestowed them
upon the Prophet Joseph Smith, and
he sealed them upon tina Apostles.
The same authority. the same keys,
the same power that had been con-
ferred upon him, he transmitted in
their fullness to the Twelve Apostles
In this way the keys and that au-
tnOT1ty nave Deen preserved pure and
in the fullness of their power on the
earth. and are here in the midst of
this people. In this respect We stand
at the head
1t is written that the ten tribes will
come forth from the north country,
and they will come here to those who
hold the keys In this dspensation, to
receive the blessings they do not have
themselves: Here Is Ephraim, and
Ephraim holds the keys. The ten
tribes are there, but the authority to
hold the keys is here. God is doing a
mighty work among the nations OF
the earth, unknown TO us to a great
extent. Powerful agencies are operat-
Ing under His direction in all the ma
tons, to bring to pass the fulfillment
of His designs. While this is all going
on, and we may seem only like little
handful in the midst of the millions of
the earth. here in the midst of this
people the authority is held which God
recognizes, and here are the keys by
which the purposes of God will be full
filled. All that has been spoken by
the mouths OF the holy Prophets will
be accomplished. There will be a high
way cast up; the ten tribes will re-
turn, and they will come to the chill
dren of Ephraim to receive their bless
ings.
There is everything, therefore. TO
encourage us. Let us live SO that we
shall be heirs and recipients of these
great blessings. Let us endeavor to-
have our families live so that we