Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-01-13
RESTORATION And REFORMATION
Remarks made in the Tabernacle Salt Lake CITY, December
81, 1899, by
ELDER RUDGER CLAWSON.
aemony OF the Prophet Alma Space Between Death and the Resurrection
responsibilities in the Priesthood Shared by All - Worthy Example
= Judged by our Desires Efforts

established In the Church have come
TO as by revelation. / think the Lord
has been very gracious 10 His people
In comforting upon them The right and
the privilege 10 assist In His great
work and 10 exercise authority even
In q humble way. And we must not
despise the calling OF our brethren In
humble positions In the Church. be-
lieve that IL a Deacon In this Church
will magnify his calling and Priest
hood, he VIII be entitled to a measure
Of the Spirit OF God, and his labors VIII
be acceptable before the heavens, and
through his faithfulness and diligence
he viii be called to higher positions
and greater responsibilities In the
Church OF Christ. In this Church
there Is an opportunity for every boy
and girl and for every man and woman
10 advance and grow In understanding
and In influence and power with the
heavens. Very often Il has been my
experience that the people. young pe0-
pie especially, stand In their own light.
A young man sometimes Will grow
careless and Indifferent In reference to
his duties In the Church, and perhaps
the next thing you Will hear him say
is that the Bishop Is against him and
passes him by and does not show him
that attention which he feels he de-
serves; or, that the Bishop has his
knife in him" or the Bishops coun-
selors or the Teachers. or somebody
else. He blames some man or men
in the Church for his lack OF advance
ment. when the trouble nine cases out
Of ten, Will be found in himself.
A WORTHY EXAMPLE.
I remember the case OF young man
with whom was associated that Illus
trates this idea very clearly. He was
what we sometimes call young
American" What / mean by that Is
that he thought "he knew IL ALL" OF
course, Il In an honor 20 be an Ameri-
can, but / do not use the term In that
sense This young man knew more
than his father. and more than those
who presided over HMM his own es-
timation. He had reached the age
when he felt that he had gone beyond
the counsels OF his father and he was
them. Therefore. he did not listen to
somewhat disrespectfu TO the Bishop
Ofs his ward and the President Of the
Stake. But the president Of the Stake
saw that there was the making OF q
good man In him. provided he could
be led to take a little different view OF
things. This young man was called
to go upon a mission. Perhaps you
viii say that the president Of the Stake
was not altogether Justified In recon-
mending him; bun he felt charitably
towards him and had faith that he
would be all right. When he went
into the mission field and
faced the duties and obllga-
lions OF that calling a new world
opened UP 60 him He saw very clearly
that he could not go on as he had been
doing at home He realized at once
that unless he turned 20 the Lord end
obtained the spirit Of his mission, he
would utterly fail so he besought the
Lord diligently for His Spirit and he
began 10 study the Scriptures. He read
the Bible the Book Of Mormon, and the
Book OF Doctrine and Covenants. and
sought to make himself acquainted with
the principles set forth In those good
books. Finally, through his diligence,
his humility and his faith, he obtained
the spirit OF the Gospel and oh. what a
change came TO that young mani How
differently he felt then towards his par
ents! He began To- see that his father
did really know something and was In
a position TO counsel him. This showed
that he did not have the Spirit before.
The Lord has said, Honor thy father.
and thy mother, that thy days may be
long In the land" This young man
had not studied that scripture. but he
realized II was from the Lord when
this Change came over him. He began |
10 reflect upon his course towards the |
Bishop, and towards the president OF
the Stake and his counselors, and he |
remembered that he had not treated |
them with that respect 10 which they |
were entitled as men Of God. This was |
brought wildly TO him by the Spirit Of
God which he had received, and he re-
solved In his heart that he would apol-
oglze for the. wrong he had DONE when
he returned from that mission, and he
did SO, humbly.
] want to testify to you that that
young man obtained the spirit OF
the Gospel and the testimony Of Jesus
He was power for good In the mission
field, and he met with abundant success
IN his labors; for he was humble and he
was willing 10 learn. Whenever a man
Is willing TO learn, and his desires are
good that man, as We read In this scrip.
ture, viii then begin 90 grow and pro. !
gress In the things Of God. When this
young man returned from his mission.
everybody that had known him saw
what wonderful change had been
wrought In him during that short two |
years. They were perfectly astounded
He seemed TO be another man. IL was
n thorough transformation He had
grown head and shoulders above the
young man that he was when he left
home. He was called 10 make a report
before the people, and Il was the prlyl-
lege OF the president OF the Stake and
others 10 listen 10 the report and they
felt to praise the Lord for the reforraa-
lion That had been wrought In that
young man's heart. II was a wonderful
testimony He testified there In all
humility how God had heard and an
'Wefed his prayers, and how that he |
knew this was the work OF God. He no
longer ignored the testimony OF his
'ather but he stood there and testified
before the people that he knew for
himself that Joseph Smith was q
prophet, and that this was the work OF
io1, Finally. through his continued
and diligence, he was Sc
ected 20 be a Bishop in this Church.
Those who presided over him saw the
prit that he was actuated with, and
hey had confidence that he would make
good Bishop
After he had been called 10 be a Bish-
p. the president of the Stake had talk
nth that young man, and said to him,
n substance: do you know why you
'ere called to prealde over several
undred precious souls residing in the
'ard where you now live. and over all
he organizations In the ward?' The |
Dung man replied, mo, do not know;
cannot imagine, because l feel my
lck OF ability and my inexperience TO
old such q responsible position, and
eally and truly cannot say why Il is"
Me president OF the Stake said: IL will
ell you why Il Is. When you thought
ou knew 30 much; when you would not
listen 10 counsel. but felt TO do Just as
'ou pleased; you would 20 10 meeting II
, suited you, and II II aid not you would
tay away; you would say your prayers
I You happened 10 be In the mood TO
10 so. and n you We're not you would
lot say your prayers. when you were
n that state OF mind you were
Tot called TO be Bishop. ana
I you had continued IN that
a