Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-06-22
Elder B. H. Roberts Discourses
Upon the Two Greatest
Commandments.
MAN MUST BE POSITIVE.
observance OF Negative Requirements
Not To BE the Sole Question oil fit-
ness TO Attain TO Higher Glory.

,,,aor p II. Roberts addressed
large congregation at the afternoon
assslon of the conference OF Ensign
stake. which convened yesterday In the
.ahernacle, Tho speaker took for hts
~, tho answer OF the Savior to the
question propounded by the Scribe ah
10 which was the greatest commando
,reni "And thou shalt love the Logd
INV God with all thy heart, and with
III thy soul, and with all thy mind.
ana Win ali thy strength this Is the
first commandment. And the second
is IKE namely this, Thou shalt love thy
ne,ghbor as myself. There Is none
other commandment greater than
thasen The attributes of Deity We're
noInted out by Elder Roberts, and 1t
was shown that only as men learn to
know God can they love and revere
Him so In like manner mans regari
for his fellow man can only come as
he better understands him. The adj
dress was replete with sentiments or
love, mercy and charity, and the speak
er was listened to with the utmost at
,ention.
The services were presided over by
President Richard W. Young, ana the
musical exercises consisted of the fol-
lowing hymns and anthems by the
which the congregation joined: 'Hark!
Listen to the Trumpetcrs" "Thu
deepning trials throng your way" ana
Let the Mountains Shout for joy The
Invocation was offered by Elde
Thomas A. Williams, and Elder Orson
F. Whitney pronounced the benedic-
tlon.
ELDER B. II. ROBERTS.
The answer of Christ to the Phari-
see regarding the highest command
ment is great piece of literaturt,
declared Elder Roberts; that In all
secular or religious literature he knew
or nothing to equal it. Even the Ten
Commandments, containing the law Us
given to Moses was more than sum
med up in these two sentences from
the lips of the Master, Whereas the
laws OF Moses as expressed in the Ten
commandments are negative, for the
most part, the law as given by Jesus
was expressed affirmatively and posi-
lively, crystalizing the sum and sub
stance. There is great significance
In the change of expression. man
may fulfill all the thou shalt nots,"
and yet be an unsatisfactory character.
1t is not enough to act entirely in a
negative way. The question in the
great day of judgment viii not be so
much, what you abstained from, but
NheN NAVE you accomplished. w nat
have you done for the uplifting of man.
kind2 The positive is OF more import
ance, and men will be judged by char
acter, What they are. The greater
force is in what you do.
The quotation In Mark is open to
the criticism that 1t is given as a
commandment, men do not love because
tney are commanded so to do. Love
grows out of knowing the value of the
onJeex to be loved. The truth were
better expressed as the great law rath-
err than as commandment. To love
God can only come by understanding
God and know Him. for this has been
declared to be eternal life. How can
men come to know God?
In part, Deity can be comprehendei
through His works-a universal book.
Inspired men knew something of God
from what they beheld of His works
about them. When the greatness of
the universe is considered. one stands
In awe. but may be in doubt as to
whether he may love the great Creative
Hand, When one sees many seeming
injustices in this world, he may doubt,
and not find that which compels a love
for Deity.
The revelation of God himself
through His Son Jesus Christ is the
unfolding of the power that engenders
love in the human heart for God,
THE WORLD AWAKENING.
The world is awakening to the neces-
sity of affirming the divinity of Jesus
Christ. Once 1t was well understood,
and among primitive Christians, there
were no doubts on that score. Again
the world realizes the need of such af-
hrmation. OF all the expressions found
In holy writ relative to the divinity of
the Master, none is stronger than His
own words. 'Al power in heaven and
on earth is given unto me- After
those words were spoken. there was no
longer any room for doubt as to His
divinity, Christ was God revealed to
men, and the question as to what man
ner of person He is, Is answered.
With God thus revealed, who can
withhold his veneratlon? Even the in
fidel Is forced to speak OF Him as the
wisest and best of all men who ever
came to earth. All that is conceivable
To the life and personality of His be-
loved Son. The way to bring the world
into harmony with the greatest COM
mandment Is TO show the beauty and
holiness Of the Son of God.
HASTY JUDGMENT.
Men should not be hasty in judgment.
Though some may have seen reflected
Deity In the life OF the Master, and