Marvelous power of Faith manifest in modern as well as ancient times

This morning we have met together in a continuation of the feast we have enjoyed during the last two days, and I hope that the prayer which has been offered may be realized, that our Heavenly Father will pour out His Spirit upon those who address us, that we may continue to be edified and our faith increased. ¶

In reading the scriptures, which I trust this great congregation is accustomed to do, not occasionally but frequently, our faith is strengthened and our minds are directed towards the Throne of Grace. In the 11th chapter of Hebrews, we find recorded: ¶

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. ¶

"By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead, yet speaketh." ¶

"By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God." ¶

"But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." ¶

"By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark" and was able to save himself and family from a watery grave. Abraham, by reason of his faith, was able to go into the mountains with his son Isaac, of whom it was said, "In Isaac shall thy seed be called," and would have offered him as a sacrifice, assured that God would raise him from the dead and fulfil His promise. But the Lord provided another sacrifice, accepting his obedience and accounting it unto him for righteousness; and verily in his seed have all the nations of the earth been blessed. By faith Moses led the children of Israel from bondage, passing through the Red sea as by dry land, which, the pursuing hosts of the Egyptians essaying to do, were drowned. The multitude were fed with bread from heaven. When Moses smote the rock in Horeb, water gushed forth to slake their thirst; and, passing through the wilderness, they were led to the promised land. By faith the three Hebrew children, who were cast into the fiery furnace, had their lives spared; and the prophet Daniel was taken from the lion's den unharmed. ¶

It was by faith that all the miracles were wrought by the Redeemer of the world, and by those who were associated with Him. From the beginning of time until now it has been the faithful man who has had power with God. ¶

In this latter dispensation it was because of his implicit faith in God that the boy prophet went into the woods and knelt down and prayed, and received the first great heavenly manifestation that came to him, by which the personality of the Godhead was again made known to mankind. It was by faith that he was able to go to the hill Cumorah and receive from the hands of the angel those sacred records that he later translated by the gift and power of God. It was by faith he led his people from Kirtland to the land of Missouri and back to Illinois, and though repeatedly plundered and driven from their homes, the faith that had been planted in their hearts remained with them, and they knew that God was mindful of them. It was by faith that the great city of Nauvoo was founded, under the direction of the Prophet Joseph Smith; and by faith the glorious truths contained in the Doctrine and Covenants were received by him. ¶

It was by faith that Brigham Young lead the people into this western land; and, when he arrived upon the summit of the mountain and looked over the valley, God gave to him a witness that this was the place where Israel should be planted. It was by faith that the irrigation system was perfected, by which it was made possible to develop this great intermountain country. It was by faith that the people laid the corner stone of this great Temple, in their weakness and in their poverty, believing that God would prepare the way and provide the means whereby the structure might be completed. It was by faith that the mercy of our Heavenly Father was extended to the people, when, in their distress, they saw their crops being consumed by the crickets, with no means of preventing it, and, in the providence of God, their prayers were answered, and they received a witness of it in the coming of the gulls to preserve their harvest and deliver them from starvation. ¶

It has been by faith that the elders of Israel have gone forth, leaving home and loved ones, and enduring the reproach of the world, to bear witness that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ, and that Joseph Smith was a prophet of the Lord. By faith your sick have been healed, your dead have been raised to life. Were the records available of the miracles wrought among this people during the past century, it would be a testimony of the power of God, through faith, unsurpassed in any age of the world. ¶

It is this principle, my brethren and sisters, that points us heavenward, that gives us hope in the battle of life. When we become confused, and find ourselves confronted by obstacles we, seemingly, cannot overcome, having faith in the Redeemer of the world, we can go to Him and know that our prayers will be answered for our good. Only a few days ago, one of our sisters, visiting in the east, in a conversation with an educated man, was told by him, "I cannot believe as you do but I wish that I could. It is beautiful." And so it is with many of our Father's children, who, observing the character of this work, watching the actions of the men and women who have embraced the truth, they are filled with amazement at what has been accomplished, and the peace and happiness that follows the sincere believer, and wish that they too might have part in it; and they could if they had faith. ¶

We know that faith is a gift of God; it is the fruitage of righteous living. It does not come to us by our command, but is the result of doing the will of our Heavenly Father. If we lack faith let us examine ourselves to see if we have been keeping His commandments, and repent without delay if we have not. It has been by faith that the men who have stood at the head of this work have been inspired, from time to time, to give the instructions that we have needed. It is by faith that we are edified on occasions like this, by those who minister in the name of the Lord, and the Comforter quickens their understanding, bringing things past to their remembrance and showing them things to come; thus evidencing the spirit of revelation. ¶

May the Lord increase our faith, and may we live to be worthy of it. May we inspire faith in the hearts of our wives and children, by lives of righteousness and devotion at all times; and may every soul that comes in contact with us, whether they be of Israel or not, be able to recognize in us virtues worthy of children of God. May we prove ourselves deserving of our opportunities in this dispensation, and when the time comes to be gathered home may we receive the welcome plaudit, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord," is my prayer for you and all our Father's children, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶