Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-10-03

lowing TO the number of people Who
q left the tabernacle during the services.
president Smith was led to make the
4 following remarks, before commencing
his address):
we will give those who wish to go
4 out ample time to leave the house.
After u pause he continued: ~ think
tl,,aro Guns be&1no objection To people
leaving Il congregation, in the midst OF
4 services, where the necessity is urgent,
II they have to so somewhere on q
train that leaves before the conclusion
z Of the services, oi&in case Of sickness,
or through any real necessity. | have
no objections whatever to offerif rGople
SO desire to leave the congregations;
but when PEOPLE come to q meeting out
y offcuriosity. to remain for a little sea-
son. and then in considerable numbers
arise to leave the congregation. In tiia
midst of the services. ii is. to say the
4 least, disturbing and in some degree
@disrsspectful. | believe that tt,s great
liberty and freedom that is exercised
4 and permitted in our meetings. es-
x pecially in this tabernacle, is Extreme
and not what it should be- IL people
Whoare mostly strangers come just for
moment, out of mere curio3.ty, our
ushers should seat them near the doors.
where tt,sy can easily so out without
disturbing the whole congregation.
do think that if we would observe Il
little better discipline in matters of
y this KIND, We would not be so fire.
Z quently disturbed by exhibitions such
as we have witnessed just now.
We have heard some remarks this
afternoon in relation to the leniency
and freedom that prevail among our
people . fear the liberty that W. ex-
ercisc in carrying out our own pleas
Z ure, very many times. bespeaks a lack
4 of reverence and of Ver,aration for that
which is and which should he held
sacred by all Latter-day Saints. When
81 arose to my. feet, 7 felt somewhat in
sclined to read another portion of TIL.
section ofSthe Doctrine and Covenants
from which Brother John%Henry Smith
has quoted somewhat copiously, (93d
Sec)
Beginning with the first verse, the
Lord says:
Verify. thus saith the Lord, 1t shall
come to pass that every soul who for
s,keth theirssins and cometh unto me, X
and calleth on my name, and obeyeth
my voice and kaepeth my command
5gments. shall see my face and know
4 that j am.
5;5 What 4 privilege this is. that has
been thus offered to You and to me,
4ltlp lace d.,
and that we may absolutely know that
y He Isl; for#upon these two great privi-
@legcs depend att least my happiness
and my faith lin THE religion that r
have espoused. and I presume that, in
Y this respect. am not unlike you and
all others who have embraced the gos-
5pel as it has been revealed In the lat
ter day through the Prophet Joseph
smith | expect that | will. one day,
pass away from this mortal existence
Into another sphere. which i know Is \
j certain, and which | realize, ALSO may
not he far distant, and as truly us
believe and expect this, also expect
to have the privilege OF looking upon
the face Of my Redeemer and my God.
II have no hesitancy in saying this. and
this belief is as sincere IS real as
positive, to me, rs my belief in death tt
self, expcct-and | not only en-
netit. but I have reached the point, IN
"a nSseXperlencc in life. wherein l may
SLY and do say. with all iny heart
that \ know that my Redeemer. lives II
y know that God Is, Why do ] know
this" How do ] know this? How do
Ioit know it? Without boasting. with
out claiming perfection oI, declaIming
against my imperfection. without seek
ing to praise my life and my career IN
the world, Or to pronounce against it
II feel that | may say, and ought to be
able to say-7-and could not stand before
YOU. as ! feel that | do stand befol.
you. without could say. in some meas
5ure. at least. according TO the extent of
my knowledge and ability, | have en-
sdeavored to fQrsake my sins; | have
sought to come unto the Lord; L, In
decd, have called upon Ills name; Il
have endeavored to obey His voice. and
Il have tried. to the best of my ability
and knowledge, to keep His command
1nents: and the promise is: Verify, thus
saith the Lord. whatsoever doeth this
shall see my face aud know that
am. Ii | have not reached the period
of my existence at which | may be
permitted to behold the face of mySRe
'dcemcr and my God, ] have at least
reached that period in my life when /
do know that He is and that He lives
ibis leads me to the assurance. that
is passed all doubt and all fear. that
the time Will come when shall see