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

becnuae of the fame they have
achieved in their conquests of virtue.
But a poor girl that falls in such
wny. she is tramplcd in the dust and
becomes a lost soul! And her own sex.
while admiring the seducer and receiv-
ing him into their society, viii fire.
uuently be the most fierce and vehe-
ment in their denunclations 9f their
poor sister who has fallen by the wiles
and seductive influences of the man.
Now, all this IL wrong. Yet this feel
ing is among us to some extent. also.
Men ought to be held, and | believe
the Lord does hold them III such
cases, to far stricter accountability
than he does women The woman has
her own passions to contend against;
but when she has the mans ,mpor-
tunIties added t.. these, shall not the
woman be viewed with mercy. and be
looked upon differently to that vile
creature who, possessed of strength
and power, adds his opportunities to
her weakness and overcomes her and
makes her the victim of his unholy
lust? say, Yes, Yesl Such men win
he damned: and IL there is any deeper
damnation than another, they will be
consigned to 1t.
Now, il we want our generations
to live in the earth, and to have them
go down through the thousand years;
IL we want to have representatives
among the children of men during
that happy period, we have to lay the
foundation for that now. AS we have
been told during this Conference, the
day of the Lord cometh: II Is near at
hand; and IL we and our children live,
it will be because we try to be pure
No generation from this time forth
can live for any length of time unless
they are pure; for God has said It,
and His word does not return unful-
filed. Even now you can see how this
Church Is being cleansed as we so
along. Look at the families that we
have known in the Church. ana see
how they are being thnned out. just
as though we were passing through
sitting machine. And when we see how
few Of those whom we have known
have chung to the iron rod and main
tained their faith, we are led to ask,
who then can be saved? Then how
many families there are who, after
the death of the father and mother
are not numbered among the Saints
of God. This is n cleansing process
which is going on, and 1t will continue
to go on more and more, because we
are advancing. The Lord will hold us
to n stricter accountability than He
ever has done. because we have more
light, and because of the near APP
proach of the end. The end does ap-
proach, and the Lord Jesus will come
in the clouds of heaven, as has been
predicted, and He will reign on the
earth, and over a pure people. His peo-
pie will be cleansed and made pure
by the destruction of the wicked and
the preservation of the righteous. That
is the reason every wise man and
woman observes the Word of Wisdom.
They want to live and be preserved
when these calamitles and judgments
shall sweep through the earth. We
ought not to have to preach it for a
minute among "A people such as we are.
Every man and woman should be
determined to keep that Word, that
they may have the blessing, that they
and their children may live and not
be killed with pestilence and sickness.
Such persons will desire every child
of theirs to avoid violating the coun-
sci Of God In these things. They will
also say. besides observing the Word
of Wisdom: II want to pay my tithing.
/ expect there will be n burning some
day, and l want to be preserved when
the day of burning comes. want to
keep the law that will bring the full
fillment of the promises of God"
Should not we here in this year 1897.
live in this way?
Many have supposed that by this
time the Lord would have come in
His glory. He has not yet come in that
manner But He is coming. and His
coming is near at hand Therefore,
we should each endeavor to live so
that we shall be prepared for His COM
ing; we should prepare the way by
keeping His commandments and liv-
ing SO that Satan will be bound, so
far as we and our families are con-
cerned. 1t is incumbent upon us that
We should live this way; for the Lord
VIII not, l can assure you q speak
having knowledge upon this point, al
ways bear with us. Elders cannot wear
themselves out as they have done In
the past, and as they are still doing,
in preaching the word of God to this
people, and the Lord not hold the peo-
pie accountable for their disobedience.
II they reject that word. The Lord will
have a pure people. He will have a
people whose hearts are changed.
Some religious societies, you know,
believe altogether in faith as the only
essential to salvation. on the other
hand, have heard some of our Elders
go to the other extreme and almost
look upon work as being all that ip
necessary, because of the saying of
James. But the word of God which we
have teaches us that we must
be born again, and our hearts must be
changed. and every evil desire crushed
out. Our whole natures 3hould be
changed by the operations of the
Spirit OF God and the principles OF the
Gospel. I think it was Brother Cow
ley who spoke concerning 3ome apos-
tates whom they found while laborinC
in the mission field in Missouri. When
they belonged to the Church they had
not received and enjoyed the Spirit OF
God. There are some probably here
today who have never had their hearts
changed, never had new desires. never
been converted from their old de-
sires. and the "old man" is with them
still. There have been people whom.
probably, we have all known, who
would cheat. and lie. and get drunk,
ind do other evil things, just as much
as II they never had been brought
into the Church of Christ. Are these
the children of God? No: God does
not own such people. When men ana
women join the Church in sincerity,
they repent OF their sins. and they
have new desires. The desire to 10
evil is taken from them. The Spirit
of God VIII not dwell in n man that
has evil desires and does not try to
quench them. We as a people rhould
seek to be converted In this respect, II
we have not been. If we are as wicked
and have as wicked inclinations
since our baptism and our association
with the Church as we had before,
then we need to be converted and be
born again.
We hear a good deal of talk about
re-baptlsm, and the First Presidency
and the Twelve have felt that so
much re-baptism ought to be stopped.
Men, when they commit sin, think
if they can only get the Bishop to re-
baptize them, they are all right and
their sins are condoned. 1t is falla-
will lend IN dpgtrttntfan Th,r.,