Evening journal., 1899-11-10

and they were in position where they |
might reasonably look forward to a |
life of comfort. But the word OF God
came to the Latter-day Saints through
His servant Brigham-"let us move |
out. brethren and sisters;
LET US ABANDON OUR HOMES;
let us prepare to set fire to them If
necessary" The inquiry arose in many
minds. where shall we go? In what
land shall we seek refuge? There was
no response to this inquiry. No assur-
ance was given that there was a land to
which we could go and find peace and
rest. But the people were commanded
ofthe Lord to move, and they did move.
They obeyed the command of God with
a unanimity that now, in looking back
at il, seems astonishing and almost in
credible. But they had been prepared
for that counsel by that which had
preceded it. Those Of you who were
living here at the time remember thel
reformation and its effects upon thel
people; how they were stirred up tol
repentance, and the spirit was pouredl
out upon them such as never had been
known before. In this way they had
been prepared for these trying scenes.
l cite this as one illustration of theI
WILLINGNESS OF THE PEOPLE.
to obey. The Lord has called upon u.s.
to do many things of this kind. When
we left Illinois and launched out into
the wilderness, it was a test of faith.
But look at those who did this: see
how they have been prospered and how
their children have been blessed. Con-
trast their success in the Gospel with
The failure of those who did not have
faith enough to comply with the coun-
sci of the Lord at that time.
BY these trials Of our faith the Lord
intends to
MAKE US A PERFECT PEOPLE.
We have inherited false traditions, and
one of the great difficulties to be con-
tended with on our part is to overcome
these traditions The Lord intends to
Head us out from them. He intends to
teach us new lessons. And there is no
lesson that is harder for us TO learn
than to trust the Lord in money mat
ters. You can try MS. as people
more severely in relation to finance
than probably in any other direction
1t seems to be a constituent Of our ma
lures to love the things of this world.
Gods teachings are intended to wean
us from this love. and to lead us to
4 higher truths. The object God has in
view is not to strip this people, but
to enrich them; to teach us higher
= truths connected with financial mat
tiers; to separate us if possible from the
traditions of our fathers upon these
points. AS a beginning to this He
tried to teach the church the
LAW OF CONSIDERATION
But that was too high a law for the
people. Welded as they were to their
old ideas, enyironed as they were with
the conditions that surrounded people
in those days, they had not faith
, enough to rise to the true conception
of that great law. The Lord desires,
however, to teach us this law, and He
+ is leading us up to it as fast as we will
, be led. But the church. it may be
, said, rejected that law. They did not
j say. we will not obey it,; but they
did not obey it. After a while. the
! Lord in His mercy revealed another
7 law and made it obligatory upon His
Church. My time will not permit me
; to read it to-day, but you will find it in
= section 119 Of the Book Of Doctrine and
S Covenants. II is
3 THE LAW OF TITHING.
Y It was revealed July g, 1888, and it has
never been repealed. There has been
4 no lessening of its Importance from
T. July 8, 1888. until to-day. It is a stand
g ing law unto the church. We have pro.
r fessed to obey that law. We have beer
r called a tithe-paying people-a mis-
o nomer. We have never been a 1.-THE.
q paying people in the full sense of the
o word. But we have made attempts
o at it, We have partially paid oui
d tithing, when we have had the spirit o
- it and it has been convenient. But 4
may be truthfully said. / believe. tha
h we have not been faithful in this re
= spect, and the Lord has seen our care
lessnes sand neglect of this law.
There have been many causes whicl
h have led to this being brought forward
n but the matter that / wish to present {,
g you this morning is this: The voice o
e the Lord to us, through His servant
il lis that unless there is a change in thi
v respect; unless there is greater obedi
If ence; unless the people come forwar'
IS and repent of their carelessness in thi
+ respect,
e A SCOURGE AWAITS US.
n A terrible warning thisl Il sound
% such in my ears. remember the past
e I remember the misery this people hav
n had to endure; the sufferings CT womel
d and children; the destruction of prop
II erty; the abandonment of homes; tn
t loss OF almost every earthly thing tha
-o brought comfort-I remember thes
% things, l say. and ! shrink with drea
4 from fha cOuforf, uloflcr, ~ q rouautal .,