Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-09-15

hapR was unknown TO iNeult hiN VIZ
had been represented 90 them as sueh
wicked. unprincpled characters.
This makes us. in this, respect nv
least. distinct from every olhtr peo-
pie
LOVE OF TRUTH THE ONLY AN
CHOIR
Then there is another fact that ]
would like 10 call your attention TO w
this connections There Us NO ihuuce-
ment for men and women 90 remain
Lattur-day Saints. only the love OF tne
truth. Men who look simply To Worluiy
ADVANTAGE and comfort can see among
other peoples and In other places OPP
portunltles Gar superior t0 those among
line Iatter-day Saints Therefore, when
the love OF truth dies out OF any Latter
day Saint. you find them ready TO leave
the Church and the community because
when that which caused them To join
the Church--the love of the truth-has
gone from their hearts. there " no IN
ducement for them TO remain ussociat-
ga with the people.
Now. experience has proved that the
love of truth can De extinguishcd IN the
hearts Of men II viii not live under
circumstances adverse 10 purity and %
truth Itself Men must be pure 20 haNo
the love Of the truth remain with them.
DO You know why men ana women
leave this Church? They leave 10 be-
cause the love of the truth dies out In
their hearts. The love Of the truth Is
tho only anchor that viii save them
amid the storms that beat upon them.
II Is that which prompted them TO ems
brace the Gospel when they heard II
declared by a servant OF the Lord; II Is
that which holds them secure and safe
when they are In the Church. When
that Is gone. all that Ties them TO the
work Of God and makes them secure In
the midst Of trials and difficulties IL
zone too The anchor which held them
fast is broken. and they drift away.
But remember this love does not dia
without cause
ESTABLISHING OLD TRUTHS
The history Of this people. I may say,
has been written. In one sense thou
sands Of years. Il has been written
from the placing Of man upon earth
The Latter-day Saints are only work.
In. out results that have been worked
OUT many times before. and will be
worked out many more times in the fu-
ture so long as Satan has power on the
earth. We are only demonstrating
truths that have been taught from the
day Adam was placed In the Garden
Of Eden, and Will be until the great
battle IS fought between Satan and the
Lord. We are working out In our in
dividual lives truths which have been
demonstrated through long ages Of hu.
manity Today we are establishing old
lrH
experience There Is nothing new In
our conduct, whether It be good or evil
The good has been practiced before, SO
has the evll. We are proving the glorl.
GUS consequences Of obeylng and prac.
tlcing truth but they have been
proved thousands and millions
Of times before SO have tho
evil consequences Of wrong-doine
ana dls0bedience been proved in the
past. There is nothing new in the
things themselves; but they are new TO
US, We have 90 learn by the experience
that we gain on the earth. Some men
call life a problem II Il IL. Il is a
problem which has been solved thous-
ands and thousands Of times. II has
been solved again and again In our own
generation. We have demonstrated
anew that which others have demon
strated before us any number Of times.
In this Church we have demonstrated
that men who remain In the Church an
their lives must be men Of purity men
who will Keep the laws OF God. and
who VIII observe the commandments
which He has revealed II they do not.
they cannot hone 20 stand in the
Church II they are guilty Of acts Of
impurity and wrong they must repent
sincerely, or n not cut on bv death.
they cannot remain IN the Church
REPENTANCE AN ESSENTIAL CON
DITIoN OF MERCY.
We preach this truth here Sunday
after Sunday, and how much impress
sion does u make2 II Is "a truth that
has been declared unto mankind from
the beginning. and an who have un-
dersioud this principle have seen the
inevitable consequences OF wrongdOine
These consequences cannot bee turned
aside, only by obedience 10 the COM
mands Of Sod, Just as sure as the seed
! soNn IN the ground produces OF It's
4 own Kind, so sure do mems acts pro-
/ duce results corresponding with those
! acts. A long time may elapse, and the
1 man who deliberately violates the law
| OF God may think he Is safe from anv
| evil consequences; but he viii awake
! TO the fact sooner or later that he can-
/ not escape the consequences of his own
| acts. There is only one condition upon
| which God win lntcrroSo 10 prevent
| eyi. consequences following eyil acts.
| and mat h sincere repentance. God
/ can only extend mercy 10 Ills creatures
| whom they comply with The condition
/ requisite to The exercise OF mercy. He
| Is ready 10 forgive: He s FUN of COM
/ passion for His children. but his child
| rem must rcuent of their wrunVdolne
| before ie can exercise the attribute of
| mercy in their behalf The Creator
| must exercise justice as well as
mercy, or His very throne would fan.
| Justice claims its share. and u cannot
he turned aside. and mcrcy can only in
| terpoee when the necessary conditions
! have been complied with
SAVED by OBEDIENCE
Ny brethren and sisters lct us clear.
| D. understand our position We may be
quilts OF wrongd0ing ana We may
! siaul for @ while in the Church. no
action bcine taken against us. but
| Without sincere rppgnHH.. we cannot
have thr fellowship no tie Holy Ghost
and the favor of God unless we live IN
Accordance with His laws. You can
nor rise higher than tha law IL YOU
do not obey the law of h1p,ism Won
cannot receive thU blessings of that
law. So with all the lows ana COM
mandmcnts of Cod. Sou must obey
them to have the benefits NJ them.
Therefore. % Is the constant EFFORT of
those who speak TO the people 90 have
them understand this and act as rea-
/ sOnablU ana reasoning beings Hut won