I feel thankful, my brethren and sisters, that I have the privilege,
with you, of assembling in this place to worship God; and I feel very
thankful that we are able to meet and worship God in the way that He
has appointed; and that the religion that we have embraced is no
cunningly devised fable of man, but is the very truth of the eternal
God, and has been sent down from heaven in these latter times for our
benefit, for our guidance, and for our salvation, if we will hearken
to and obey it.
The God whom we worship is not a God of our own invention, but a God
who has revealed Himself to us, to a certain degree, and who has
pointed out to us the way in which we should walk. There is a
prevalent idea in the world that all the God there is, is such as men
have framed and fashioned in their own minds. It is true that the
people of the earth in different ages have imagined a great many
things in regard to Deity. They have set up Gods of their own,
worshipping them according to their own notions. But this is not the
case with the people called Latter-day Saints. They have not framed
and fashioned a being to fall down before and worship; but they have
received communication from a Divine Being with instructions how they
should act, and those instructions form their religion. The leaders of
this Church have not invented the system; but every principle
connected therewith has been revealed from on high.
The God whom the "Christians" worship is a being of their own
creation—if, indeed, there can be such a being as they describe him to
be; they have formed certain notions concerning deity, and then they
have formulated those notions into articles of faith or
religion. So with the heathen nations, so-called. They have formed
idols of wood and stone; others have chosen the heavenly bodies, such
as the sun, which represent to them certain qualities which they think
deity should possess. Not that the heathen nations really and truly
worship the wood or the stone, as such; but the images which they set
up, or the objects which they adore merely draw their attention to
something behind and above and greater than those objects. So with the
Roman Catholic. When he bows down before the image of the Virgin Mary,
or before the image of the Savior upon the cross, he does not profess
to worship the picture or the image; these are merely methods to lead
the mind to something beyond what the natural eye sees. But then,
these various deities which people worship are, after all, the
emanation of their own minds; they are gods of their own invention.
Herein lies the great difference between the sects of Christendom and
of heathendom, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The people of this peculiar Church worship a Being who has to some
extent manifested himself to them, and who has told them what they
know concerning Him. And the revelations He has made to us of Himself,
and of the Gospel of salvation that we have received have been given
in this our day and time through men whom He Himself has chosen for
this purpose. So with regard to the different ordinances and doctrines
of the Church to which we belong; and so with our mode of worship, and
everything belonging to our religion. It has all been revealed to us,
and we accept it as having come from a higher source.
Our religion
consists of that which God reveals to us, not of that which we make
ourselves and then offer to Him. Some people seem to have the idea
that God ought to receive their worship, no matter in what way it is
made; that He ought to accept the ordinances which they administer or
receive, no matter what they may be; that all the worship which they
offer ought to be accepted by Deity, no matter in what shape or form
it may be devised. This is because the inhabitants of the earth do not
understand the true and living God and His ways. The Lord will not
accept that which He Himself has not appointed; He will not
acknowledge that which He Himself has not revealed. The inhabitants of
the earth are, of course, at liberty to devise modes of worship, and
they may frame their own religious tenets and doctrines, but these are
not acceptable to the Lord, neither is it reasonable that He should be
expected to accept them. When God manifests Himself to the inhabitants
of the earth and reveals to them truth, and makes known to them
ordinances, then the people are under obligations to receive that
which God has manifested; but God Almighty is not under obligation to
accept that which man has invented. It is true that the doctrines
which God has revealed in these latter days are not new; that they are
not revealed for the first time, because we are living in the latter
days. In previous ages of the world God manifested himself and
revealed to the inhabitants of the earth His ways and called upon them
to walk in his path; and, therefore, a great many things which God has
revealed to us may be found in the ancient Scriptures. Holy men of
old, called in the same way as men are in these days, have left on
record some things which God manifested to them; and they are
written in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, and in records that have
been lost, but which will be brought forth in this great and last
dispensation of God's mercy to man. So we may take up the book called
the Bible, and read a great many principles which have been made
manifest to us in our day; but we do not take them from the Bible or
any of these records. We receive them because God has revealed them to
us; and when we open the Bible or any of the books written by
inspiration, and find written therein many things which correspond to
that which He has revealed to us, they serve to corroborate the living
word of God, which has come down to us out of heaven.
The different sects in Christendom profess to take the Bible, the Old
and New Testament, as their guide to salvation; and they say,
whatsoever is not found therein and cannot be proved thereby is not to
be received as an article of faith. That, in general terms, is one of
the principles which runs through the various "Christian" sects. They
found their faith, or profess to, upon the Bible. While we do not take
that position, while our faith is not founded upon the Bible or on any
written book, when we compare the Bible with what we do believe what
God has revealed to us, we find it corresponds; we find that God is
the same yesterday, today and forever. This Book says that, and that
his works are one eternal round. Truth is not new; it may be revealed
anew, and it may be new to the people to whom it is revealed. But there
is only one plan of salvation, one true and everlasting Gospel. That
Gospel God revealed in the beginning; that Gospel God has revealed at
different times; and in these latter days he has revealed the same old
Gospel again in great plainness, and prepared the way so that all
people who desire the truth may come to the knowledge of it, without
being left to depend upon books that were written hundreds of years
ago, He having poured out upon man again the same spirit to guide and
direct them and to enable them to understand God and His purposes,
that men had who wrote the things contained in the Bible or in any
other inspired book left on record. And herein is another great
difference between the religion of the Latter-day Saints and all other
religions in the world. We have a living faith, a living God, and the
living word of God to guide and direct us every day of our lives. When
we read the letter of the word of the Lord, given ages ago, and that
has been handed down from generation to generation, we have the
satisfaction of knowing that the things which God has revealed to us
were revealed to the ancients, and that by receiving these things they
came to know God, whom to know is life eternal; and we are thereby
encouraged to imitate their examples, and also to avoid the errors
which they fell into.
Now although we do not base our faith upon the Bible or any other
written work, yet at the same time there are no people upon the face
of the earth who believe so much in the sacred scriptures left on
record and handed down to us, as do the Latter-day Saints. Though we
are not dependent upon books for our religion—for our religion would
exist if there were no books in existence, at the same time we
manifest by our works that we have more faith in the Bible than the
people who profess to base their faith upon it. At the beginning of our religion, if I may use that term—but
really there is no beginning, for it is true, and truth is eternal
without beginning and without end; every principle of truth always had
an existence, and when, therefore, I say beginning of our religion, I
mean the beginning of the revelation to the people in the day in which
we live—when our religion was first revealed the world was in
ignorance concerning God and his ways. It is true there was a
glimmering of light concerning him which was obtained through reading
the Bible, and other works containing the writings of men who in
former times were to some extent inspired. For the inspiration of God
in olden times was not confined to the men who wrote the Jewish
Scriptures. The Jewish prophets revealed the word of God; the holy men
of God who moved among the people in that nation were inspired from on
high; but God has permitted His Spirit, which is the light of truth,
and which manifests truth, to be poured out upon all the inhabitants
of the earth to some extent; for in that they live and move and have
their being, and all people of any age, race or country who seek unto
God with an honest heart in fervent prayer, desiring truth and to be
taught of God, will be enlightened by Him. There have been inspired
bards and sages and poets, who have uttered words of truth, words of
inspiration concerning things of which they had been enlightened of
God. And many things that such men wrote have been recorded and handed
down, and scraps of them may be found among all nations and peoples.
As the Apostle Paul says, "God hath made of one blood all nations of
men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the
times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they
should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find
him, though he be not far from every one of us. For in him we live,
and move and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have
said, For we are also his offspring." His Spirit has enlightened
mankind in all ages to a certain extent; for the spirit of the Lord,
which gives light to the human understanding is the spirit by which we
live; it is the spirit of light; it is the spirit of life. And as the
light that proceeds forth from that glorious luminary, the sun, gives
light to the earth, and also light to vegetation, and to man and
beast, so the spirit of Him who created us has been poured out upon
all people, and upon all animated things; indeed, we are told in the
revelations of God, that the light which lights our eyes is through
Him that enlighteneth our understandings, and is the same light that
proceeds from the bosom of God, and fills the immensity of space; that
it is the same light that lightens every man that cometh into the
world—the Jew, the Gentile, the bond and the free. We are told, that
"there is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth
them understanding." This is that spirit. It is the light of Christ;
it is the light of God. It is the life of our bodies, and it is also
the light of our minds. This spirit is not confined to one race of
people, or to one country, or to one age or generation, but it is
universal; it is of Him in whom we live and move and have our being.
It is the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the
world. And if all men would be guided by that natural light,
that natural inspiration which gives them understanding, and by which
they exist, they would be guided directly to Him who is the fountain
of all light; they would then be in a condition to be communicated
with by Him who is their Maker and Creator. But the inhabitants of the
earth have been from the beginning prone to walk in the ways of
darkness rather than in the light, because, as Jesus explained it,
"their deeds are evil." This is the reason why there is so much
ignorance in the world concerning God and His ways.
When the Lord, at different times, has raised up men who sought Him,
who learned of Him, and who put themselves in such a condition that He
could communicate with them, and through them to the rest of mankind,
generally speaking, those men have been despised and rejected by the
multitude. The great masses of the people have gone downward in error
and darkness; it has been hard for them to walk in that straight and
narrow path which leads upward to light, to intelligence, to purity,
to the presence of Him who is the author of truth; and, therefore, the
vast majority of the servants of God, who have been called to be
special witnesses of the Almighty to a fallen world, have met with
cruel and inhuman treatment from those to whom they were sent. They
have generally been persecuted; they have been put to death in many
instances in the most ignominious manner; they have been beheaded;
they have been torn asunder; they have been cast into furnaces and
into dens of wild beasts, and in order to escape maltreatment they
have roamed hills and mountains, concealing themselves in dens and
caves of the earth; men bearing a heavenly mes sage, a message fraught
with peace and good will to all men, a message too, involving their
eternal welfare and happiness. This is the reason why there has been
so much ignorance in the world concerning God; and it is in
consequence of their disobedience, in consequence of their wickedness,
in consequence of their love for darkness rather than light, in
consequence of their choosing the things that come from beneath in
preference to things that come from above. For there are two opposing
spirits or influences upon the earth, just as there are light and
darkness. They cannot dwell together; they always were and always will
be at war one with another, but one flees away at the approach of the
other, as when the light of the morning beams forth over the
hilltops, darkness flees away.
The inhabitants of the earth have been willing to be led by the
influence of darkness; for there is a spirit of darkness upon the
earth as well as the spirit of light, which leads to death as surely
and certainly as the spirit of light leads to life. In the beginning
God gave to man his agency, leaving him to choose either light or
darkness, truth or error, as he might please. When men choose to
receive the light of truth, the spirit of truth prompts them to do
good, but it does not force them to do so; it is gentle and kind, and
will enlighten and bless if people are willing to receive and act upon
its promptings; but if men choose to walk in their own ways, they are
at liberty to do so without let or hindrance, so far as the spirit of
light forcing itself upon them to compel them to walk in the way of
the Lord, is concerned. The inhabitants of the earth generally have
chosen to walk in the paths which lead to death; they have chosen that which is evil and loved it, rather than that which is good;
therefore, they have not been led upward to the Source of Light, or
been able to communicate with Him.
When our Heavenly Father commenced this work with which you and I are
identified, the world was in darkness and without knowledge concerning
God. There was a little glimmering of light among them concerning some
things pertaining to God which men had read about in the Bible; and
there were some individuals in other generations who, searching after
truth, obtained some comprehension of the principles of truth, but
they knew not God nor the ways of God. There was no definite knowledge
in this age concerning Deity until God manifested himself to the
Prophet Joseph Smith in His own person and by His Son. Joseph saw the
Lord, and heard the heavenly voice saying, "This is my Beloved Son,
hear ye Him:" and he was instructed by the ministration of personages
direct from the presence of Deity, in regard to the things of God. So
that when he came to lay the foundation of this work, he did not
attempt to lay it according to his own notions and ideas, or according
to that which he had read in books or that which he had pondered over
or that which he or other men had invented; but he made known to
others what God had revealed to him. And when he bore testimony that
God lived, that Jesus who died on Calvary was the Son of God, he
testified of that which he knew because these Divine beings had
manifested themselves to him.
Joseph Smith was given to understand of the existence of a certain
record written by men who, in former times, in like manner had
received the word of God upon this continent. The place of its
existence was also shown to him, and he was inspired of God to
translate that record into the English language. Now, Joseph Smith in
performing that great work received, continually, evidence of the
divine origin of what he wrote or caused others to write. It was not
the emanation of his own brain, or something that he had concocted,
but was the work of the Lord as written by the servants of God in
ancient times, revealed to him by the power of the Lord God that he
might translate it into our language. So in regard to the revelations
given to this Church, and concerning every doctrine and principle
pertaining to our faith. They did not spring from his thoughts, they
were not the product of his mind; but they were revealed to him by the
ministration of holy angels, and by the inspiration of that Spirit
which gives light to the understanding. For he received blessings to a
greater degree than are poured out commonly upon the children of men,
as was the case with other men anciently who were called to perform a
special work; his mind was enlightened far beyond the condition of his
fellow men, for God bestowed upon him at the proper time the gift of
the Holy Ghost, by which he, as well as men anciently, understood and
spoke and wrote the mind and will of God. And Joseph Smith learned how
to obtain that glorious and heavenly gift not only for himself but for
others, and he was enabled to instruct the inhabitants of the earth
how they could obtain it, how they could come to a knowledge of the
truth for themselves, and commune with God for themselves; how they
could obtain a knowledge of His existence through this heavenly gift, so that they might be guided in his ways and know that they
were walking in his paths. Joseph could not find this out in and of
himself; it was revealed to him from on high; and so with every
doctrine and principle, every ordinance and commandment that is in the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Now although this religion is divine, coming from God direct, it is
not a mysterious religion as some suppose. It is very plain, very
simple and very easy to be understood. All the people upon the face of
the earth may comprehend it; it may be brought down to the
understanding of the weakest of all races; all may learn and
comprehend those simple principles by which they may come to a
knowledge of God and be taught of him, and by which they may take that
course which is right in his sight.
The first principle of true religion is faith. Jesus Christ says,
"Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." This is
verily so. All people must be "born again" to be able to see the
kingdom of God, or to be able to comprehend the ways of the Lord. Is
this a mystery? No, it is plain and easily understood when we get the
spirit and light of God upon it. Jesus said also, "Except a man be
born of the water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom
of God." A change must take place in the human heart. Men must first
be born of the word of God, which lives and abides forever. As the
Apostle Peter says, "being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of
incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever."
The Apostle James says, "Of his own will begat He us with the word of
truth." And again we read, "Faith cometh by hearing the word of God."
God's way is this: He calls men who are fitted for His work, and
inspires them, and endows them with authority to represent Him, and
sends them forth to preach the word of God. When they bear their
testimony to people who are honest in their hearts, who desire the
truth and who wish to know of God, the Holy Spirit that is in the
servants of God, the Spirit accompanying the word spoken by authority,
enters the hearts of such people, and they are born of the word of
God, so that they can see and comprehend the truth. A change is
wrought upon them by the power and influence of divine truth, by which
they are able to see the truth as the speaker sees it; the word spoken
by the gift and power of God carries conviction to the heart, and they
at once begin to recognize the authority of Him who imparts the words
of life to them. They are born of the word and are able to see and
understand to a certain degree, their faith and their ideas having
been quickened by the power of God. The light and influence of the
Holy Ghost radiating and proceeding from the inspired speaker,
accompanies his word. As his testimony is borne under the influence of
the Holy Ghost and by authority from on high, conviction seizes hold
of the people, and if they are honest in their hearts and desires, it
bears record in their souls, "Light cleaveth unto light and
intelligence." We know this by experience. When the servants of God
first bore testimony to us, a different impression was produced upon
us to any that we had experienced when listening to the preachers of
the different sects; it was the effect of truth preached by the power
of the living God; it bore testimony to our spirits, and we
felt that it was true. We could not explain why; we could not,
perhaps, comprehend the change, but we knew that something had come to
us different from anything we had ever before received; we felt that
it was true; the spirit of God bore record in our souls that it was
true; we were born of the word, and we could see that this was the
work of God, and therefore could yield willing obedience to the
ordinance of baptism for remission of sins by one having authority
from God. After we had been baptized we were anxious to have hands
laid upon our heads that we might receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
In using that term, the "gift of the Holy Ghost," we do not mean some
particular gift of the Spirit, but the gift of the Spirit itself—the
Holy Ghost given unto us as a gift from God. We will find that term,
"gift of the Holy Ghost," used in the old Scriptures, and in the
latter-day Scriptures. It is the Holy Ghost itself given unto us as a
gift from the Almighty. "Then laid they their hands upon them and they
received the Holy Ghost." The promise is to those who will repent and
be baptized for the remission of sins; they shall receive "the gift of
the Holy Ghost." What is it? It is a greater and higher endowment of
the same spirit which enlightens every man that comes into the world;
a greater power given unto us as an abiding witness, to be a light to
our feet and a lamp to our path; as a restraint against sin, to guide
us into all truth, to open up the vision of the mind, to bring things
past to our remembrance, and to make manifest things to come. It is
the spirit of truth that reveals the things of the Father and the Son,
proceeding from the presence of the Almighty and the very glory in
which He is enrobed, which makes him like unto a consuming fire. If we
receive that heavenly gift all are brought into communion with Him; we
can understand something concerning Him, that we may pattern after Him
until we become like Him; for if we are continually guided by that
spirit, eventually we will come back to His presence and be able to
enjoy the fullness of His glory. And while we remain in the flesh He
will not be a stranger to us; we will not walk in the dark like the
majority of mankind, but we will be the children of the light,
comprehending the truth as it is in Him, and seeing the path in which
we should walk.
We, then, heard the word and believed it; faith sprang up in our
hearts, and we went forth in faith and were baptized; and when the
servants of God who had received their missions from the Almighty, who
had been ordained under the hands of Joseph Smith or others whom he
had ordained, laid their hands upon our heads we received the gift of
the Holy Ghost. What was the nature of the influence that was brought
to bear upon us? Some physical exhibition of power? No. Could anybody
perceive that there was a change in us? No, I think not. I know how I
felt, I can bear testimony in regard to my own experience, and I think
that my experience in this respect is that of others.
When I heard the word I believed it, and rejoiced in it, and I prayed
to God fervently—I was but a boy at the time—in the name of His Son
Jesus, that He would manifest to me whether this was true or not, that
I might not be deceived by any cunningly devised fable; that I might not be led astray; that no impostor might have any power over
me; but that I might be guided in the steps I was about to take, by
the light of God. I prayed earnestly and fervently to my Heavenly
Father in the name of Jesus, time and time again. Being fully
convinced in my heart that this work was true, I applied for baptism;
and when I was baptized I received the assurance that my sins were
remitted, that I was washed and made spiritually clean and that I came
from the water spotless. I could say with the ancient Apostle, "Old
things have passed away, behold all things have become new." I was a
new creature; I was born again. A change had been wrought upon me; and
my desires were to serve God with all my heart, with all my soul, and
with all my strength. And when hands were laid upon me by the servants
of God, and I received the gift of the Holy Ghost, I felt no physical
manifestation. I must say, I felt a little disappointed at first, for
I had expected some such manifestation, but I did not receive any at
that time. What did I experience? I found that my mind was opened,
that I had greater light; that something had come upon me by which I
could see clearly the things of God; and when I read the scriptures
new light dawned upon them. I was brought up to believe in the Bible.
I had read it when a child, and committed a great deal of it to
memory; and when I received this gift from the Almighty through the
laying on of hands, it brought those things that were past to my
remembrance; they stood up clearly and in bold relief before me, and
I could comprehend something concerning God. I could feel that I was
in communion with Him. When I prayed I could realize that my words
were heard, that God hearkened and answered. When I prayed for
knowledge and understanding concerning the things of God, they were
manifested to me. It brought to me that which is called in the
Scriptures, "the peace of God that passeth all understanding." The
joy, the peace, the satisfaction that it brought to me could not be
described in words. I knew that my Redeemer lived; I knew that I was
born again; I knew the Holy Spirit was working in my heart. Truths
were manifested to me that I had never heard of or read of, but which
I afterwards heard preached by the servants of the Lord; all this was
testimony to me that I had received the truth. I make mention of this
because I know this to be the experience of others. When I saw the
gifts and blessings of the Gospel manifested, it was a renewed
testimony to me. When I saw the sick healed, heard people speak in
tongues, and then heard others give the interpretation, and afterwards
saw the same fulfilled, many times in a wonderful and marvelous
manner, all these things were additional testimonies of the divinity
of this work. When I was only a boy I was called to leave my home and
friends—none of whom had received the Gospel—to go out into the world
among strangers, turning my back upon home, and leaving everything to
go and preach the Gospel without purse or scrip, I received further
evidence of the truth of this work, for a great many things were made
manifest to me during my missionary experience. When I baptized people
and laid my hands upon them, confirming them members of this Church,
they bore testimony that the Holy Ghost came upon them, which bore
record to them that God lived, and that this was His work. And
when I laid my hands upon the sick they were healed. All these things
were additional testimonies to me, and to those who received the word
through me.
I refer to this also because this is the experience of so many of the
Elders of this Church; and you have the testimony in your hearts that
what I say is true. Wherever the servants of God have gone bearing
this message, and the people have received it and obeyed the
requirements of the Gospel, they have received the Holy Ghost as a
gift from on high; and if they have been led by its light it has
increased in them day by day, and they are still going on, their light
growing brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. They know that God
lives; they know that His existence is not a myth; they know that He
is a veritable Being, that He is their Father and their God, ever
ready to hear the cry of His children when they are willing to hearken
to His counsels; and they know that they are framed and fashioned
after His likeness, and that all the functions and attributes of Deity
are duplicated in them, that through years of faithfulness and
progress in the scale of being and enlightenment, they may develop
into the full majesty of His perfections and become like Him.
The Holy Ghost, this greater endowment of that spirit which naturally
enlighteneth every man that comes into the world, is conferred upon us
through a simple process, the way that God has ordained; and it can
come in no other way. If there should be any in this congregation this
afternoon who desire to know God, or if they desire to know
themselves, they must take this one course—they can do as they please
about it, either to receive or reject it, but if they want the
blessing of it, they must seek for it in His way. They cannot get it
through man-made systems; God has His own way. He acknowledges not,
neither does he recognize the ways of men; but if people will hearken
to Him and walk in his ways he will be nigh unto them, and will bear
testimony to them in language that they, by the power and gift of His
spirit can understand. But they must believe; they must also repent;
and that repentance that is necessary does not consist in weeping and
mourning over sin, but in turning away from it. No man can make God
his friend by continuing in sin, neither can any woman. In order to
come near unto God and to be taught of Him, they must be humble and
childlike, they must be willing to receive instruction, being
determined in their hearts to turn away from wrongdoing of every
kind, and to cleave unto that which is right. This is a lesson for
Latter-day Saints as well as latter-day sinners. If we want to learn
more of the things and ways of God, if we want to draw near to Him, we
must be humble and childlike, tractable in our nature, making
ourselves acquainted with that which God has revealed, and walking in
the way which he has pointed out. If the inhabitants of the earth will
walk according to the light that God has given to them, whether by the
spirit that came to them naturally in their birth, or by that higher
endowment called the gift of the Holy Ghost, they will receive a still
greater degree of power and light, and their pathway will become
brighter and brighter even to the perfect day. If there be any
darkness in them, it is because they walk in the ways of darkness, because they do the deeds of evil. No man can come unto God
unless he has put away his sins and his follies and is willing to be
taught of God. If he thinks that God will come to his terms and accept
his whims and notions, he will make a failure of it. If he is willing
to hearken, is childlike, willing to be taught, saying in his soul, "O
God, manifest thy ways to me, and with thy help I will walk therein,"
the Lord will hear and answer him and he will learn of God, and the
more he walks in the ways of the Lord the closer he will get to God.
But only by faith, repentance, baptism, and by the laying on of hands
of those whom God has authorized, can the inhabitants of the earth
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by which they may fully learn and
comprehend divine things.
People marvel at the condition of the Latter-day Saints, at their
tractability, at the mode of their worship, at the manner in which
they sustain the authorities of the Church; and they conclude that we
are a people led by the craftiness of men, that we are under men who
are desirous to exert authority and power, and be looked up to as
superior to their fellows. They reason in that way because they do not
understand us; because they do not comprehend our ways, nor the way of
the Lord. The reason why the Latter-day Saints are as united as they
are, as tractable, as willing to be obedient, is because they have
learned for themselves the truth of the Gospel they have espoused.
They know there is a God; they know that he lives; they know Jesus is
the Son of God; they know by experience that if they hearken to the
voice of the Lord—the word of the Lord given to them through His
servants—that they are happy, that they have that peace of which I
have spoken; and on the contrary, if they disobey the counsels of
heaven, they have not that peace, they are not satisfied with
themselves, and they are in the dark. The reason why the Latter-day
Saints are so tractable, so united, and so devoted to the Gospel of
this Church is because they know something about it for themselves;
they know it is true, for God has borne witness to them, they have
been brought into communion with him, and this is the secret of it.
Now, my brethren and sisters, you know that what I am talking about is
true; you know it in your own experience. The Holy Ghost has borne
record to you that what I am telling you is not fiction, but is a
living fact. And we need not take up the Bible to read the books
contained therein to find out the truth of our religion; we know it is
true without that. Yet, when we read the contents of this book we find
that it corresponds with that which God has revealed to us. We do not
depend upon the man who baptized us, or him who laid his hands upon
us to impart the Holy Ghost, for a knowledge of this work, we depend
upon the inspiration of the Lord—the only source of knowledge of
divine things. Every man and every woman in this Church, and every boy
and girl who has received the Gospel in sincerity and has verily been
born again, has obtained a testimony concerning this work and knows of
its divinity for himself or herself. But God has set in the Church for
our guidance and direction, Apostles and Prophets, Evangelists,
Pastors, Teachers and Bishops, and other authorities, that the Church
with all its branches may be taught in the ways of the Lord, that
there may be order in the Church, and that all things may be
governed according to the will of God. And we know that when we
hearken to the voice of those men we are blessed of God, and when they
speak to us under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit
in our hearts bears witness to us that what they say is true. Some one
may inquire, if all the people have the Holy Ghost, if all the people
are brought to the condition that they may learn of God for themselves
and be gradually led into the presence of the Father, what need of
Apostles, what need of Prophets, etc.? There is great need of them.
They are absolutely necessary to the government of the Church and
kingdom of God. Without them there could be no proper church
government, and, indeed, without them we could not receive the
blessings that come from the ordinances. God's plan is to call certain
men and endow them with authority, and place upon them the authority
to act for Him. This is called the Holy Priesthood, and in that right
and authority they preach and administer the ordinances of His Church.
It is through the authority of this Holy Priesthood that people are
inducted into the Church—through that channel they receive the gift
of the Holy Ghost, without which it could not be conferred. The Holy
Spirit is poured out universally, as I have before remarked, so that
all people receive it; but the gift of the Holy Ghost is a higher
endowment by which man may be brought into communion with the Lord
after having received the ordinances, which must be administered by
men holding the Holy Priesthood, and authorized to officiate therein.
That is God's way. When people receive this divine blessing they
become members of His Church, an organization ordained for the benefit
and blessing of God's people; an organization which in all respects is
after the ancient pattern. In becoming members of the Church we
subscribe to the rules thereof. No undue influence is used to induce
people to join our Church, or to retain their membership after they
have joined it; if they do not wish to subscribe to the rules of the
Church, they are at liberty to sever their connection with it; but if
they do retain their standing in it, they are expected to subscribe to
its rules. At the head of this Church are three men who are united in
all things as to its government, representing the Holy Trinity who
also are one; not one in personality, but one in spirit, one in faith,
one in action, one in desire, one in object. We have a President and
two Counselors, who stand at the head of the Church. The President
stands at the head of that quorum. God calls him to be His mouthpiece
to the whole body. If the Lord has any revelations for the Church, as
an organized body, He communicates them through the head. In the rise
of this Church He warned and forewarned the Latter-day Saints as an
organized community, not to receive revelations through anyone save
the head of the Church. The Lord said, "And this ye shall know
assuredly—that there is none other appointed unto you to receive the
commandments and revelations until he be taken, if he abide in me * * * for if it be taken
from him he shall not have power except to appoint another in his
stead. And this shall be a law unto you, that you receive not the
teachings of any that shall come before you as revelations or
commandments; And this I give you that you may not be deceived, that you may know they are not of me." This is the order. While,
therefore, every man and woman can receive the Holy Ghost and know
that God lives, can ask and receive, seek and find, knock and have the
door opened to him; while everyone can have divine light and
comprehend the truth for himself, while it is the privilege of every
man to so live that his soul shall be full of the light of heaven, by
which he may comprehend the purposes of God as they shall affect men
and nations, yet, as a member of the Church he must hearken to the
voice of Him who stands at the head, for that is the order. "My house
is a house of order, saith the Lord, and not a house of confusion." If
He has anything for the Church, as an organized body, He will speak
through the head; and if we are enlightened by the Holy Spirit we will
see the safety of it, we will see that without this order we would be
liable to be led astray. God will not speak to His Church, through the
foot, but through the head. And if the body is of the same spirit as
the head, it will respond, just as the members of the human body, if
in a healthy condition, respond to the will of the head, in anything
that the individual attempts to do. The man standing at the head holds
the keys of revelation to the Church; but each individual may receive
revelation for himself, if he has the gift of the Holy Ghost. And the
Spirit by which God reveals through the head, is the same spirit by
which He reveals to the individual for his own benefit. The Church of
Christ is a united body; it is not divided against itself, because it
is true, and truth is indivisible, it is eternal and cannot be
destroyed, neither does it bear testimony against itself. Herein is
the unity of the Saints. When the President of the Church speaks, the
whole body responds, and when he brings forth anything for our
guidance, we say in our hearts, under the same influence by which he
is inspired, that is the word of God, and we rejoice in it and hearken
to it. Thereby are the faith and obedience of the Latter-day Saints
made manifest. And they do this not to man, but to God. Through the
head of the Church the voice of God comes to the people, and when they
obey it, it is not to man they bow, for the Latter-day Saints are not
man-worshippers. They have come out from the midst of priestcraft, they
have thrown off the yoke of bondage, and put on the liberty of the
everlasting Gospel; and when they yield to the authority of the Holy
Priesthood, they bow to God Almighty, their Father, who is represented
in His servants upon earth, and not to man. "Cursed is he that putteth
his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm." We worship God our
heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, under the influence of
the Holy Spirit, and that which we obey we receive as coming from him
and not from man. That is the order, if we have eyes to see, and
hearts to comprehend it. And it is the same with all the different
authorities of the Church, each one in his place and calling; one not
interfering with another, every part and portion of the holy
Priesthood being adapted to every other part, as each part of the
human system is adapted and essential to the well-being of the other
parts. The head cannot say to the feet, I have no need of thee;
neither can the foot say to the head, I have no need of thee, but each
part has need of the other. And there is unison in it; there is beauty in it. No one officer or member of the priesthood can encroach
upon the privileges of another; but each one has his duties defined,
and all are necessary for the order and government of the Church, for
the preaching of the Gospel, for the gathering of the Saints, for the
instruction of the people that all might be led in the path of life,
until they come to the fullness of the knowledge of the Son of God,
and be like a perfect man in Christ Jesus. Apostles are necessary in
their place; Seventies in theirs; High Priests in theirs; Elders,
Priests, Teachers and Deacons in theirs; Bishops and Presidents of
Stakes, etc., in theirs, all having been appointed and ordained of
God. This organization is unique in its character; there is nothing
like it among the institutions of men, there is nothing like it in the
world. There is nothing of an earthly character to be compared with
it. It is beautiful, it is glorious, it is harmonious, it is perfect,
because it is the work of God. And if we would carry it out fully and
perfectly, what a splendid organization we would have! What a mighty
people we would be! A people whose God is the Lord, all moving along
in perfect harmony, each one accomplishing his part in this great and
mighty work. But we are like the rest of mankind to some extent—we are
prone to do evil, we are prone to follow our own ways, to take our own
course, to be stiffnecked and willful.
Now, my brethren and sisters, we have come out from the world, we have
come measurably to a knowledge of the truth, to a knowledge of God; we
know that He lives, and we know that by taking the course pointed out
to us by the servants of God who have been appointed to lead us, in
due time we shall return to our Father and God, and we shall see him
as he is, and be like him, and inherit the fullness of his glory.
That we may be able to take this course is my prayer, in the name of
Jesus. Amen.
- Charles W. Penrose