Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-02-15

darkness the people," In the midst Of
this confusion there was no faith In
the minds of the people who believed In
the Bible, IN the doctrine OF immediate
revelation. The mistaken notion WAS
entertained that the Bible contained all
that God had ever revealed, There was
no phophet to say, Thus saith the
Lord" as there had been In times past,
and the world, notwithstanding its pro-
fessed belief In the Bible, was In
state Of darkness and unbellef This
was the condition which existed at the
beginning Of the nineteenth century,
when Joseph Smith, the Prophet, was
born.
The speaker referred to the first Wis
ion OF the Prophet and the answer CIV
Ell him that all the sects then existing
were wrong Not that there were no
good people among them, but that all
the scots and denominations had gone
astray, And here let me say said
the speaker, that We do not contend
that there Is no truth IN the various
organizations Of Chrlstendom, but as
the Book of Mormon declares, all that
leads TO do good, is Of God, no mat
ter where found or through what chan
the Latter-day Saints or to any one
sect or denomination. But all truth
comes from the same source. 80 We can
honor all who stand up for truth and
hold TO II with sincerity But the ny
pocrlte we abhor and | believe the
devil holds them IN contempt What Is
the standard Of truth? The gift OF the
Holy Ghost the Comforter which
Christ said was to lead and guide into
all truth. The Spirit Of truth Is the
standard Of truth, II 'searcheth all
things. yea the deep things OF
God The authority to declare the
word of the Lord can come from Him
alone and be living oracles.
'"In the last chapter OF Luke Christ
is quoted as sending his Apostles to
preach the Gospel to every creature,
and In the last OF Matthew is quoted
as saying Go ye therefore and teach
all nations, but they were commanded
10 tarry at Jerusalem until they we're
endowed with power from on high. This
power they received at Jerusalem on
the day of Pentecost. Then was the
first Gospel sermon preached by Peter.
He held the keys Of the Kingdom,
and therefore had divine authority,
When he had finished his sermon, we
are told the multitude were prlcked In
their hearts and they cried out, Men
and brethren, what shall we do| Then
1t was that Peter stood forth and de-
clared, Repent and be baptized, every
one Of you, in the name of Jesus
Christ. for the remission Of your sins
and ye shall receive the gift Of the
Holy Ghost This gift was admins.
tered by the laying on of hands of those
who held authority, and its effect was
TO unite them and give to them testi-
money Of the Spirit"
Elder Penrose said that for many
hundreds OF years the pure Gospel or
the Church Of Christ had not been upon
the earth in its fullness Hence the
need OF its restoration In the last days,
So the Lord promised Joseph that in
due time the Gospel would be restored
and His Church established upon the
earth The speaker referred to the res
toration OF the Aaronlc and Melchise-
dek Priesthoods, the first by John the
Baptist, who held the keys Of that au-
thority, and the latter by Peter, James
and John, whose right II was to confer
1t. Thus THE dlspensatlon OF the full
ness of times was ushered In, and men
We're once more commissioned to preach
the Gospel and administer its ordi-
nances. And the promise was made
that this work should never be taken
from the earth or given to another peo-
pie, but should continue and be perpet-
uated, Elder Penrose said the Holy
Ghost was the test of truth and man.
Kind did not have to depend upon that
which was written hundreds Of years
ago. II they had the revelations OF God
to guide them. He was thankful for
the Bible, but the living present word
OF God was the guide for us today. But
God, said he, VIII never reveal any
thing contrary to that already reveal
ed FOR His word IN true and eternal
and viii endure forever.
The speaker quoted literally from
the New Testament, and from the Doc
trlne and Covenants concerning the
last dlspensatlon, showing that II was
TO continue, rsbroken, 10 the great con.
summation, God having declared that
the keys Of authority had been sent
down out Of heaven for the last days
and for the last time" and that I'm this
He would bring together
fall things that are In Him, both in
the heavens and on the earth; all truth.
all power, all authority all His people,
and everything pertaining TO the re-
demptlon OF the race.
The work Of the Latter-day Saints In
an educational way, as taught by the
Prophet Joseph Smith was referred 10
rs was also the fact that they were
bending every energy possible toward
the spread Of the principles OF truth
and righteousness, They were like
wise utilizing the plans Joseph received |
for the ordinances OF the temple and the |
redemption of the dead. Said the speak. |
or; I'VE honor the Prophet Joseph ana |
his successors But we do not Worship |
him or them. We worship no man, but |
honor all az God honored them. Joseph |
Smith stands at the head of the dis |
pensatlon OF the fulness OF times. and |
we are his humble followers and are |
attempting 90 carry out his teachings |
We welcome. the truth from every |
source, and wee have no enmity against |
those who are In error" Concluding, the |
speaker bore a ferycnt testimony 10 the
divine mission OF the Prophet Joseph |
and predicted the triumph Of the latter
lay work.
The choir sang the anthem, There's |
4 sound from the vale, there's a voice |
from the mountains" and the benealc. |
ion was pronounced by Patriarch John
Smith
AT the close OF the service there was
m enjoyable and well attended organ