Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-01-13

Nnlfch IN the very nclEuDOfnOOu WHeIt
such work Is most needed.
There are certain objections TO this
plan think they can be met by the
exercise OF the Christ spirit OF sacrifice
and love. A great many members viii
not be able 10 go that distance TO at
tend service any more than the people
there at present can well come up here.
hut there are six churches left on b
street. what Is to hinder any Chris
tlan member OF Calvary church from
working and fellowshiplng with those
churches II he cannot put in his service
IN the tenement district None OF these
churches is crowded They will well
come the. advent Of more members
But the main strength Of the plan
vi ich propose lies In the fact that II
II be done II will be u live illustration
Of the easerness OF fhe church to reach
and save men. The very sight OF our
church moving down of from this
street 10 the lower part Of the town
VIII be an object lesson 10 the people
and the church viii az once begin 10
mean something 10 them. Once estab-
,ished there, we can work from IL as
center. The distance ought to be no
disbursement to any healthy person.
There is not young woman In this
church who Is In the habit OF dancing
VINO does not make twice as many
steps during an evening dancing party
as would be necessary to take her TO the
tenement district and back again. Sure
ly any Christian church member Is as
willing 10 endure fatigue and sacrifice
and 10 give as much time 10 help make
men and women better as he Is to have
good time himself Think for a mo-
ment what this move which | propose
would mean to the life Of this town
and 10 our Christian growth. At pres
ent we 90 TO church. We listen TO a
good choir, we go home again, we have
a pleasant Sunday school. we are all
comfortable and we'll clothed here, we
enjoy our services, we are not disturb
ed by the sight OF disagreeable or I'M
congenlal people.
But Is that Christianity? Where do
the service and the self-denial and the
working for mems souls come in2 An,
my dear brothers and sisters, what Is
this church really doing for the saliva
tion OF men in this place? Is II Chris
tIapity 10 have comfortable church
an 20 to Il once or twice week TO
enjoy nice music and listen 10 preach
ing, and then go home 10 a good dim
ner, and that Is about all? What have
we sacrificed? What have we denied
ourselyes2 What have we done TO
show the poog or tina slasyl that we
care anything for Nvir souls or that
Christianity is anything but a comfort
able, select religion for those who can
afford the good thiny OF the world?
lkFInt la- a.. atpr,t. ", Nffffn ANN n
make the workingman here feel that II
is an institution that thr0bs with the
brotherhood Of man? But suppose we
actually move our church down there
and then go there ourselves weekdays
and Sundays to work for the u?lift OF
immortal beings. Shall we not then
have the satisfaction Of knowing that
we are at least trying to do something
more than enjoy our church all by
ourselves? Shall We not be able 10
hope that we have at least attempted
to obey the spirit OF our sacrificing
Lord. who commanded His disciples 10
20 end disciple the nationsY II seems
to me that the plan Is a Christian plan.
II the churches In this nelshborhOod
we've not so numerous, IL the circum-
stances were different, II might not be
wise or necessary to do what | pro-
pose. But as the facts are, | solemnly
believe that this church has an oppOr-
tunity before Il to show Milton and the
other churches and the world that II is
willing 20 do an unsual thing. that II
has within Il the spirit Of complete will
ingness TO reach and lift up mankind In
the way that viii do II best and most
speedily. II individuals are command
ed 10 sacrifice and endure for Christ's
sake mud the Kingdoms, | do not know
why organizations should not do the
same And in this instance something
on a large scale. something that repre-
sents large sacrifice, something that
win convince the people OF the love Of
man for man, is the only thing that
VIII strike deep enough into the prob
lem OF the tenement district in Milton
to begin TO solve It In any satisfactory
orschristlan way.
~ 10 not expect the church to act
on my plan without due elaboration.
| have arrived at my own conclusions
after a careful going over the entire
ground. And In the sight OF all the
need and degradation Of the people
and in the light OF all that Christ has
made clear 20 be our duty as His dis
ciples It seems to me there Is but one
path Open 70 us. II we neglect 10 fol-
low Him as He beokons us, / believe
we shall neglect the one opportunity
of Calvary church to put itself in the
position OF the church Of the crucifed
Lamb OF God, who did not please Him.
self. who came 10 minister 10 others,
who would certainly approve OF any
steps His church on earth in this age
might honestly make to reach men and
love them and become to them the
helper and savior and life giver which
the great Head Of the church truly In
tended we should be leave this plan
which 7 have proposed before you for
your Christian thought and prayer
And may the Holy Spirit guide us all
into all the truth. Amen"
III Philip had deliberately planned
to create a sensation. he could not
have done anything more radical to
bring II about. II he had stood on
the platform and fired q gun into the
audience, II would not have startled
the members OF Calvary church more
than this calm proposal to them that
they move their building a mile away
from It's arlstocratic surroundings
that he had said In his previ-
Gus sermons had provoked such a spir-
It Of opposition, This time the church
was reused. Feelings OF astonishment.
indignation and alarm agltated the
members OF Calvary church. Some Of
them gathered about Philip at the close
Of the service.
ut viii not be possible 10 do this
thing you propose, Brother Strong"
said one Of the deacons. a leading men,
Der and man who had defended Phil !
Up once or twice against public criti- |
clsm
why not?" asked Philip simply. He |
was exhausted with his effort that |
but felt that crisis Of some |
sort had been precipltated by his mes
I'M |