Sunday Services
The usual Sabbath services of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were held in the Assembly Hall, yesterday afternoon. The choir sang as an opening hymn, “Awake ye Saints of God, awake.” Prayer by Elder George B. Wallace. The choir sang the sacramental hymn, “He died, the great Redeemer, died.”
Elder Royal B. Young addressed the congregation. Expressed an earnest desire to speak by the inspiration of the Spirit of God. Esteemed it a grand thing to be able to say that he knew the religion revealed through Joseph Smith was the work of God, and that Joseph was a prophet of God. Described how he knew this. It was because God had revealed it to him individually. Referred to the scriptural incident where the Savior said to Peter, after receiving from him a reply that he was Christ, the Son of the living God: “Blessed art thou, Simon Bar Jona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto you, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say unto you, thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church,” etc. The speaker believed, according to the testimony of the Savior, every baptized believer in the true Church is entitled to the revelations of God, and to a personal testimony of the truth of the work in which he is engaged. If he did not have it, it was either because he had not complied with the conditions upon which such testimonies are given, or had lost it after its reception by straying away from God and disobeyin His commandments. The strength of one’s testimony will be according to his righteousness. He compared the acquiring of a testimony to the strength of the oak which springs from the scorn. Though at first a small and trivial thing, it grows from stage to stage, from development to development, until it becomes a mighty tree, withstands the war of the elements and almost defies the power of man to uproot it from the earth. The speaker bore his testimony to the Gospel and closed his remarks….
[Journal History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Feb. 27, 1881, 2]
[Deseret News, Feb. 28, 1881]
[transcribed and proofread by David Grow, May 2006]
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