Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-04-13

will sustain me W 1"u' f'"''
toin, know that the Gospel Is true.
also know that the standard and abil-
itv nj man does not compare with 1t,
and that 1t is only by the inspiration Of
the Holy spirit that the Saints are edi-
fed. This is one Of the distinctive fea-
tures Of the Gospel. We are command
ed to trust in Him for what shall be
said 10 the people; and not only that,
hut the High Priest or Elder who pre-
sides over the meeting Is to conduct
the meeting by the Holy Ghost. When
that is done, all is well, and the Saints
of God are edited and strengthened In
their faith.
The testimonies which are borne to
the people by the Latter-day Saints
have a most peculiar sound to those
who are not of our faith. The testl-
mony which Elder A. G. Clayton has
borne to us, that the true Gospel has
been restored, Is one that the world
seem unprepared TO receive, They feel
that II is presumption on our part TO
bear such a testimony, and that 1t casts
reflection upon hem and their faith,
This testimony Is borne however, not
10 lnjure or offend but because the con-
viction has come TO us that the Gospel
has been restored to the earth by reve-
lation In the nineteenth century. 1t is
borne to the people TO benefit and bless
them, and not to detract In any sense
from the truth they already have.
When wa reflect carefully and with
prayerful hearts, having a desire to
learn the truth and not to establish
some theory OF our own, we must be
convinced of one great truth which
stands out prominently In the religious
world today, and that is, It Is
impossible for mankind, by their in
tellectual efforts only to ascertain
what is the true plan Of salvation. |
remember reading some time ago, in
Smiths Dictionary Of the Bible--a
work endorsed by sixty-flve ministers
Of Christian ohurches--a statement TO
the effect that we must not expect to
find In any faction OF Christianity. nor
In all the factions combined, the Church
Of Christ as He established It, consist
ing in Its Church government Of Apo
Ties and Prophets, and such other Off
GERS as are designated in the New Tes-
lament, actuated in their ministry by
the gift and power OF the Holy Ghost
Then the very peculiar statement Ia
made that we still have Apostles and
Prophets upon the earth, but they do
not know their places In the Church
In the face of such a declaration II Is
remarkable for men protesting to be
ministers OF the word of God to state
tnat II is not necessary that we should
eljoy inspiration and revelation from
God as II was enjoyed in ancient times.
This seems a very striking contradic-
ton and yet It is in fulhllment OF
prophecy. The Apostle Paul. In bear
lhg testimony concerning the condition
Of mankind in the last days as found
recorded In his second letter 10 Tim
othy, makes this statement:
THE APosTACY FoREToLD.
This know also, that in the last
DAYS perllous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of their own
selves, coyetous, boosters, proud, bias
phemers, disobedient to parents, un-
thankful unholy,
Without natural affection. truce
breakers, false accusers, incontinent.
fierce, desplsers Of those that are
good,
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers
Of pleasure more than lovers Of God:
Having a form Of godliness but
denying the power thereof"
There Is no ambiguity about that
" means exactly what II says, and one
thing we learn from It Is that the
Worli at large in the last days would
DC 'despisers Of those that are good"
How striklngly this reminds us OF the
statement Of Jesus, when He said:
III | had not come and spoken 10
them, they had not had sin; but now
xv, %.
And this Is the condemnation thai
light is come into the world, and men
loved darkness rather than light. be.
cause their deeds were evil."-John M.
10. 80
And that did not only apply TO the
self-acknowledged skeptics and inhdels
indeed, 1t applied more distinctly to
those who We're rellgious-to the Phari-
sees and Sadducees and other religious
sects, many of whom pretended 10 be.
l!eVe IN the law Of Moses and had upon
the pulpits In their synagogues the law.
the Prophets, and the Pslams. which
tney professed 10 expound for the sal
walton OF the people It was this class
OF people who fought with exceeding
bitterness the testimony OF the Lord
Jesus Christ; and when He denounced
them for their hypocrisy they prided
themselves In having paid their tthes
on the mint, the annis and the cummln.
He did not deny the propriety OF their
observing the Law OF Moses so far as
us application was appropriate TO them
before the coming and offering OF the
Messiah, and He said unto them that
u was right for them to do that, but
they had omitted the weighter mat
ters OF the law, Judgment mercy and
faith' These ought We TO have done,
and not 10 leave the other undone." lie
sent out His Apostles as His duly au-
tnorized servants, and said unto them;
He that receiveth you receiveth me,
and he that recelveth me receiveth him
that cent me. Matthew X. 40.
he that despiseth You despiseth me,
and he that despiseth me desplseth Him
that sent me,"-Luke X, l6.
They shall put you out OF the syna-
gogues; yea, the time cometh that who
ssoeyer hlleth you will think that he
ooeth God service" John xvi. @
OCCASIONALLY tHey lOunu IN tnelT MIN
lstry man like Gamaliel who had
common sense enough TO know
vat all men were responsible 10
God for the exercise of their
onency IN religious worship: that the
only boundary "a human rights on the
'ert OF the individual was the line that
vented that exercise Of freedom from
coaching upon the rights Of others.
they were about 20 lay violent
upon Peter and John. Gamalipl
~ In their midst and said:
in from these men, and let
,aISe. for II this counsel or This
NJ Of faen, II will come to nought.
~1t II II be OF God, ye cannot over
thiow 10; lest happy ye be found even
10 night against God"-Acts v, So, 49,
To show .,ou that the Apostle Paul in
Tended to apply this prophecy that
nave read concerning the last DAYS 10
s.s religious world, wish to call your
fnuon TO this verse: Having a
ofm OF goodness but denying The pow.
u eheteet This prophecy then an.
49, 10 the religious world. n has
SAINT "S experience % the Latter-day