American Fork citizen. [volume] (American Fork, Utah) 1912-1979, 1914-10-10
Prayers Of Peace

Last Sunday was peace day and
prayers asking the great Ruler Of the
universe to bring peace to the war
| ring nations were made in all OF the
churches In America.
The prayers by Presidents Joseph
| #. Smith aud c. W. Penrose were
notable, and the sermon by Rev H.
/ Goshen was one of the most strik-
ing in the thoughts advanced. Ex-
tracts follow
Rev. GOShen's sermon
This whole movement proceeds on
the theory that God has to be begged
TO do what lie ought to be wiling
to do without begging, provided that
lie ought to do anything. IL assumes
that the prayers Will induce Him to
do what lie would not do were the
payers not offered. II this is true
then there is no use In making the
prayers. For unless these prayers in-
hucuce God to do what He otherwise
would not do. then the prayers are
useless.
NOulu llOl Hluht llbHl vi lnls sun
Jet, nor would ! scoff at anyone who
are revercnt In their attitude. mis-
guided as ! may think them to be
cut thinking In practical manner
cannot refrain from wondering why
this day OF prayer for peace was put
OFF so long. If the prayers of the
churches are going to be ehicacious,
then why were they not made weeks
ago, SO that the terrible suffering
might have been spared?
The fact Is that ii these terrible
things III war and famine and pestl-
lence were TO be solved by prayer,
then they would never exist For
prayers for their removal have always
been made. If men were half as
ready TO pray for guidance In their
councils as they are to pray for re-
lief after they have ruined all by their
half-sighted policies, then the worst
horrors of life would never exist.
The time to pray is before we have
ruined all by our prayerless attitude.
The time to pray Is when we are maxi
ing plans and determining councils.
Prayer for guidance Is great: prayer
for relief from consequences is cheap.
the murderer has no business to pray
for liberty after he has murdered a
fellow creature. lie ought to have
prayed for light and guidance long
before. II VIII not do partical of
good to pray for sound arm after |
have foolishly burned my arm by put
ting II In the fire The drunkard ought
to pray for strength to resist drunk
enness, but II he is any sort of man
he VIII not pray TO escape the effects
Of drunkenness already incurred.
1T is pitiful TO see a man praying
FOR the first time In years when the
Titanic Is going down. That Is the pitt
'ul weakness OF humanity. And we all
share something In II. But the time
70 pray Is when the skies are blue and
when the evil days come not nor the
years draw nigh when | shall say
here is no pleasure In them.
This prayer for the removal of
evils assumes. II one thinks logically,
that God Is the one who is sending
the Ills that Cypress humanity. That
Is the old idea. the false idea, the
terrible idea. And this idea has driv-
en- thousands OF good men to abandon
prayer altogether. They cannot pray
to God who is responsible for the
woes and the sorrows of the world.
"lf | had TO think that God sends
the crushing sorrows, the bu,ning
feyors, the devastations that sweep
the earth; II ! had to think that He
was back of the wars and famines
and pestilences. then for one right
eous moment ! would stand In my
own integrity, curse God and die. But
TO think anything like that is trav-
esty upon all that we know OF the
goodness and the love of God. God
is father and not tyrant: God is
a lover and not hater; God is the
giver of life and not the sender of
death.
And II will not do at all 10 say
that God knows best and that He will
do what is best That He will answer
the prayer that makes for right and
that He will refuse the prayer that
would make for wrong. II that is
true then why pray at all either way?
lt God Is going to answer the prayer
this is for the cause of righteousness.
then he will do the thing that makes
for righteousness whether there is
any prayer or not Inst Il pitlful |
that I'm this age OF the world we have
not advanced further than to think |
OF God as one who can be weedled |
out OF his purpose? Isn't is pitiful |
that we have not any higher concep- |
ton than the primitive people who |
oracle TO give success to their arms? |
Isn't II a sad commentary upon our
thinking that We look upon prayer |
as means OF getting what otherwise |
we would not get? Dosont II de- |
grade the whole thought of prayer
when we make il to be the means of |
getting something? True prayer does
noe seek TO get anything. True prayer
Is communion with the Spirit of the
Universe, 1t Is the lifting of the spirit
Of a man to the realms of truth. IL
IL the way man seeks and finds God
Mon have always prayed and men
VIII always pray Sometimes their
prayers have been selfish and very ip-
norant. Sometimes they have been
very simple and very great. And when
men have prayed In the spirit of de-
yotion and fellowship, then they have
.ound their hearts renewed, their af.
.ectlons purified, their mills strength
med, so let ms pray. Not for thinks
Not Tor release from what we ought
% bear, Not TO have God do what
II. D