In rising to address the congregation this afternoon, a brief passage
of Scripture is suggested to my mind, as the basis for such remarks as
I may make. It is the latter part of the seventh verse of the
fourteenth chapter of the Book of Revelation, and reads as follows:
"and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the
fountains of waters." Believing with the ancient Apostles that no
prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation; but holy men
of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost," and that "all
scriptures were written for our profit and learning that we through
faith in them, might have hope." I am firmly convinced that the words
of the text have a profound significance; for although it is
acknowledged that the sacred writings contain the most sublime
language, and furnish the most poetic quotations, still I do not
believe that those holy men sought to round off their sentences,
simply for the sake of the music they would afford to the ear of the
reader; but that beneath all the poetry and sublimity of the language,
there is a beautiful meaning to every sen tence recorded, involving the
most important truths for the benefit of mankind. In order to reach
clearly the correct significance of the passage we have read, let us
first consider by whom it was uttered, and inquire into the
circumstances under which it was recorded. History tells us that the
venerable Apostle John who wrote the Book of Revelation, was sentenced
by the Emperor Domitian of the Roman Empire, to be scalded to death in
a cauldron of boiling oil; that this cruel sentence was carried out as
fully as it was in the power of men to execute it. The cauldron of oil
was heated to boiling heat, and the great apostle was submerged in the
scalding fluid, but through Divine interposition he was delivered like
Daniel from the "lion's den," and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from
the "fiery furnace," by the power of that God, whom he served and
obeyed; so that he suffered no harm and simply looked like he had been
anointed. The cruel Emperor was so enraged at this wonderful
deliverance, that he instantly sentenced the doomed Apostle to
banishment on the Isle of Patmos. While in exile in accor dance
with this sentence, St. John was made the happy recipient of the most
wonderful visions of things to come to pass in the future history of
the world. Enwrapped in heavenly vision he beheld, among other
important matters, an "angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the
everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to
every nation and kindred, and tongue and people, Saying with a loud
voice, "Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment
is come:" and then the words of our text, "and worship him that made
heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." Thus
then we find this text was the enunciation of an angel; and as the
time when this angel was to come is plainly shown to be at a most
important crisis of the world's history, "the hour of God's
judgment,"
it may well be supposed he did not waste time in poetic fancy or
simply the elegant rounding of periods, but that every word he uttered
carried with it a depth of meaning, and was in every way calculated to
impress those to whom he was sent, with the importance of his message.
What then was his reason for using this particular language? Why did
he not close without uttering the last words? Or why did he not call
the attention of earth's inhabitants to some other peculiarity of the
Divine greatness? First because it is customary with the Lord and his
angelic messengers to generally give some reason for the requirements
made by them; God is ever willing to show his children why we should
obey his commands, we find his doctrines reasonable; his requirements
reasonable, and his revelations reasonable; hence the angel added by
way of reasonable argument, "and worship him that made heaven, and
earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." But why did he not
call attention to some of the great things in the unseen world; why
not refer to the hosts of heaven or the majestic glory of God, as he
sat upon his throne; or any others of the numerous existences that
create joy or wonder "behind the veil?" No doubt, because the angel
could see prophetically that when the time should arrive for him to
deliver his heavenly message, at the hour of God's judgment, the whole
world would have reached what may be called a scientific age, an epoch
of "Materialism" a time when the universal scientific thought would be
centered on that which was material in its character; and that people
would be more devoted to searching out the matters of the visible
world, than the hidden mysteries that lay beyond the veil. Hence he
called attention to the things which were most engrossing their
thoughts. He saw that men would reach, as they have done, some
conclusions concerning the planetary bodies, and establish some
theories, the correctness of which has in certain instances been
proved, as particularly shown in the precision with which eclipses are
predicted, that frequently occur within a minute, and even a few
seconds of the time designated. Although men have discovered
comparatively little with regard to such matters, and even in our own
solar system are at a loss in some things, still enough has been
discovered to create wonderment and inquiry as to the origin of the
worlds that "roll upon their wings" in the firmament, and I believe I
shall be endorsed by the highest scientific authorities when I say
that they acknowledge the existence of a master intelligence that
organizes, sustains and controls the universe. But who or what
that power and intelligence is, they do not comprehend, neither can
they without he should reveal himself unto them. But when the inquiry
arises as to who is this organizer the voice of the angels comes
ringing down the cycle of time, "Worship God, who made the heavens,"
for, as the Psalmist gives it, "The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament sheweth his handiwork." How charming it is to
contemplate the beauty of the heavens, and then think of the
discoveries that have been made; concerning light, for instance. How
wonderful it is! To think that light, traveling, as scientists assert,
from the sun to the earth in eleven minutes, a distance that would
occupy a cannon ball twenty-five years in transit; and yet,
notwithstanding its velocity, it is so composed as not to harm in the
least degree the tenderest of animal or vegetable substances; the
minutest plant—the most delicate flower is blessed by its influence,
and not in the least injured by the rapidity of its motion. How is
this accomplished? By the particles of which it is composed being so
minute as not to offer any resistance to the slightest substance. And
yet a single sunbeam, which no one can paint or define, looking so
innocent and colorless, is found to consist of seven colors, and will
penetrate the deepest darkness and reveal all existing objects in
their proper and actual form and color. The beneficial effects of the
sun's light cannot be too highly appreciated, and, in contemplating
its blessings we are constrained to "worship God who made the
heavens." Let us now consider the earth; take for instance the
atmosphere which we breathe and by which we are sustained. We find it
in a pure condition originally, but we ascertain that it is rendered
impure by being breathed. Through passing through the lungs it becomes
so highly carbonized that it is unfit for our use; the large infusion
of carbonic dioxide it receives through the process of respiration,
renders it poisonous to men and animals; but strange to say it is then
in the most proper condition to nourish the life of the vegetable
kingdom. Plants thrive on it, and vegetation generally, receives its
chief nutriment from that impurity which animals could not endure.
Scientific experiment has proved that a sprig of mint placed in a
bottle of air rendered impure by respiration or putrefaction, will so
absorb the impurity, and nourish itself on the unwholesome carbonic
acid gas, as to again render the air sufficiently pure to sustain
human and animal life. Thus we find that the atmosphere which would
otherwise become unfit to sustain our lives, is purified, and at the
same time is enriching us through the medium of the vegetable
creation, from which we derive much of our support and sustenance.
Then think of the richness of our fields, of the mineral wealth in
these huge mountains, of the beauties to be seen and studied in the
floral creation, of the grandeur of earth's scenery, and the capacity
of the soil to support its wonderful population, think of what is on
the earth's surface, and consider what is discovered in its deepest
recesses; and when the inquiry arises as to the originator of these
blessings, and men of science and reflection ask who and what is the
controlling power that bestows and regulates all these things, the
loud voice of the angel comes down through the ages, "Worship God who
made the earth!" Then there is the mighty ocean that covers
such a large portion of our globe. Now, some people have thought that
there was too great a proportion of our earth covered by water; but
scientific men, who have thought deeply on this subject, declare that
if there were any less, there would not be sufficient to furnish
moisture for the fertilization of the land. Here, then, is an element
prepared, from which, through the action of the atmosphere, the
moisture is drawn up into the clouds, and, what is very wonderful, it
is not emptied out in torrents, to ravage and destroy by its furious
impetuosity, our fields and gardens, but is carried in the clouds as
they are gently wafted by the wind, and beautifully distributed in
grateful showers, to refresh and nourish the crops of the husbandman.
Then, again, see the provision for preserving those large bodies of
water, called seas, so that they may not become putrid and malarious;
they are strongly supplied with salt, and thus turned into brine,
which preserves the water in a wholesome state. Upon the surface of
the seas are the vessels of the commercial world, laden with treasure,
and down in those almost unfathomable depths are found endless
varieties of the finny tribes, that delight to dwell there, and are so
useful to man. The sea is their home, from the smallest specimen that
floats near the surface, to the huge leviathan that lashes the ocean
in his fury. They are perfectly adapted to live there, and the element
is specially fitted to supply their necessities. Then, too, beneath
its surface we discover beauteous and precious gems for the adornment
of the person; providing even for the pleasures and fashionable tastes
of "them that dwell on the earth." And when we ask what intelligence
and beneficent power has provided for our happiness, we still hear the
voice of the angel as he cries, "worship God who made the sea!" There
is still another branch of the subject to which we must briefly refer,
and that is the "fountains of waters." What can be more delightful
than a fountain, or spring of pure water? Up in these glorious
mountains which have inspired the Saints with a love of liberty, we
can see and hear the rippling brook as it escapes from a bright, cold,
pure spring in the nook of a canyon or the crevice of a rock! How is it
formed and sustained? We find that through the process of evaporation
before alluded to, moisture is drawn from the oceans and lakes up into
the clouds; some of these clouds pass over the mountains, and deposit
sheets of snow, and showers of rain in the canyons and on the mountain
sides. These sink into the crevices between the rocks, and here and
there burst forth in bubbling springs of fresh water which feed the
rivulets and streams, and form the creeks that descend to the land in
the valleys, then pass into rivers and finally return to the bosom of
the oceans and lakes from whence they came, there to be again
preserved till again evaporated. But one peculiarity we should notice
here, and that is, the water in these springs is fresh and sweet,
although the bodies of water from whence it is evaporated are salt.
Here we live on the borders of the Great Salt Lake, yet did you ever
notice any saline flavor to the springs and streams sustained by the
evaporations from the lake? No, and yet this is a body of water having
the strongest saline character in the world! What a glorious provision
to have pure fresh water in constant supply! And how beautiful to
contemplate is the present fertility of these valleys! When we look
back to the time when those grand old pioneers set their feet
on this soil, and realize its past barren, and condition, we are led
to thank God, "who made the fountains of waters;" and we can see the
literal fulfillment of his word through the ancient prophets, that he
would "turn the dry ground into water springs," and "make pools in the
desert;" we see that "fountains of waters" have sprung up in unexpected
places, to enable this dry and unpromising soil to yield an equitable
return for the toil of the laborer; and we can now say that indeed the
"Desert has been made to blossom as the rose." In short it seems that
"the heavens and the earth and the sea and the fountains of waters"
have formed a grand combination to introduce their united evidences of
the Divine existence—and the rich Divine dealings with mankind.
Through the ages that are past every method consistent with the
perfection of omnipotence, has been adopted to impress man with
reverence for the Deity; angels from the heavens declare the glory of
God, and the music of the spheres as they perform their wonderful
course in the firmament, invite our attention to his glorious
handiwork; God has written his being on the imperishable rocks, has
recorded the existence of Deity in the granite mountains and among
"the everlasting hills;" if we "go down into the depths of the sea, he
is there;" and at his bidding, "fountains of waters" burst forth in
fertilizing streams, to nourish the barren soil that it may bring
forth its rich fruit for the sustenance of the Saints. Thus the
heavens in their glory, the earth with its rich blessings, the seas
upon which we ride, and the "fountains of waters" that supply us with
an element without which we could not live, furnish us with a chain of
material evidences, of the existence and goodness of the Deity, that
cannot be successfully denied. But I would still fail in the
performance of my duty this afternoon, if I should close without
touching upon the subject of spiritual evidences that are furnished in
such rich abundance from the very commencement of the world's history
to the time when God revealed himself to Joseph Smith, a young boy of
fourteen or fifteen years of age, unskilled in the sciences, and
unlettered in the learning of the world. God revealed to him not only
the fact of Divine existence, but even how he became God; that it was
through living up to correct principles, and by developing within
himself every sublime sentiment that had its origin in truth. He
taught him how the people "who dwelt on the earth" might also be thus
exalted to be angels of God, and finally Gods themselves; how they
could scale the ladder of intelligence step by step, till they finally
overcame all evil, and sat down at the right hand of the "majesty on
high." Read and consider the beautiful prophecies in the Book of
Daniel! Read his florid account of the wonderful visions given to him,
of the method he was commanded to adopt in order that he might be
worthy to receive them. How he was required to fast, "to eat no
pleasant food;" to subsist on flowers and other innocent kinds of
vegetation; and then ponder over his prophecies, and the prophecies of
angels recorded by him, especially concerning the four beasts, which
represented the four great kingdoms of the world, Babylon, the kingdom
of the Medes and Persians, the Macedonian Empire, and the Roman
power. Read his prophecies concerning the last days; and com pare them with the writings of Gibbon and other historians whom
while they denounced God and religion, and declared the prophets were
impostors, actually recorded the most literal fulfillment of their
glorious predictions; and it will be found by those prophecies and
their recorded fulfillment, that Daniel and his colleagues were
not simply writers of poetry for the amusement of themselves and their
neighbors, but that they were ministers of God, chosen to warn mankind
of the great things that should come to pass on the earth, long
centuries after those prophets should be called behind the veil. God
has painted the history of the world in the rich colors of prophecy,
and mankind, under Divine Providence has sculptured its fulfillment in
the marble of history. The two records are before us, and I am ashamed
of the intelligence of the nineteenth century when I think that
scientific men, and learned people can be induced to impute to those
holy servants of God other motives than the advancement of God's
purposes in the earth. But I do not condemn the caviler by any means,
or consign him to endless torments; no, I regard him as being of great
use and of infinite importance to society; he, acting like the
tempestuous elements, promotes a healthy condition of the atmosphere,
and stirs up the great ocean of thought; this leads us to reflect and
consider, and while investigating more closely the works of God, we
are apt to come to right conclusions and be more firmly established in
the principles of truth.
May God add his blessing, is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
- C. W. Stayner