Remarks by Joseph Fielding Smith

"Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul ; ¶

"Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by our good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. ¶

"Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; ¶

"Or unto governors, as unto them* that are sent by him for the. punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. ¶

"For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye mayi put to silence the ignorance of foolish men; ¶

"As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. ¶

"Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king." ¶

Applicable to Saints of Latter Days

This advice which was given by Peter to the saints of a former dispensation is just as applicable in the dispensation of the fulness of times. It is true that we have been called out of the world to serve the Lord, that we have received from him, the restoration of the gospel and the priesthood, and have become a royal people. It behooves us as Latter-day Saints to keep his commandments, to walk uprightly, to honor the law not only of the land, and that we are under the necessity of doing, but also to honor the law of God, and that also we are under obligation to do. Through revelation from the Lord we have been informed that it is our duty to serve God, to keep his commandments, to be subject to the powers that be, until that time comes when he shall come to reign whose right it is to reign and shall subdue all enemies under his feet. ¶

Our Duty to Keep the Commandments

Now, my brethren and sisters, the thing that I have in mind particularly in reading this passage of scripture is to call our attention to the fact that it is required of us as it was required of the formerday saints to keep the commandments God has given us, that we may not, in the eyes of the Gentiles, those who are not members of the Church, be considered as people who are insincere. For this is the will of God, that with well-doing we may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. Any man or woman in this Church who violates the commandments, though it may be one of the least, is doing injury not merely to himself or to herself, but to the entire body of the Church. We individually have in our care and keeping the good name of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and having that good name in our keeping, it is required of us that we walk circumspectly, that we be sincere in our conversation, in our deportment, in all that we do. A man may say that, if he violates one of these commandments which have been given to the Church, he is injuring only himself, but that is not the case, for he is doing an injury to the entire body of the people, because the world will judge the Church by the ¶

acts of the members. I have no right to do wrong, and you have no right to do wrong, although we have our agency and the privilege of doing right or wrong as we may choose in and of ourselves ; but we, as members of the Church, are under covenant and under commandment of the Lord to keep his law ; to observe his words. It is stated in one of the revelations that we are to "live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God." Moreover, in another of the revelations, the Lord has said : "If thou lovest me thou shalt serve me and keep all my commandments." I commend to you all that has been said, but particularly the remarks that were made here this afternoon by Elder Stephen L. Richards, because they appealed to me, and I feel as he does that it is required of me and of you as members of this Church to stand by that which God has revealed for the salvation of the souls of men. We have accepted it ; we have come out of the world, and have entered into the waters of baptism, and received the light and the truth of the everlasting gospel. ¶

How Otherwise We May Bring Reproach Upon the Whole Church

Now if we fail to live in harmony with this light and pose as members of the Church, claiming a standing and yet violating the commandments God has given us, then we are doing an injury to the entire work and bringing reproach not merely upon ourselves but upon the entire body of the Church. ¶

Let me read to you another passage of scripture : ¶

"For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. ¶

"For .every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. ¶

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil; for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. ¶

"And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? ¶

"Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them I will shew you to whom he) is like: ¶

"He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded upon a rock. ¶

"But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great." ¶

No Right to Membership, if We Justify Violations of the Law of God

What right have we to claim membership, to call upon the Lord, and do not the things' which he says? Therefore, if there are any among us who are violating even the least of the commandments of God and feel that they are justified in doing so, they are under condemnation. Remember that it has been written in section one of the Doctrine and Covenants, that the secret acts of men shall be revealed. ¶

The Lord has sent forth his gospel unto the world and the voice of warning is unto all people who are called upon everywhere to repent. ¶

"Wherefore," said he, "the voice of the Lord is unto the .ends of the earth, that all that will hear may hear: ¶

"Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come, for the Lord is nigh ; ¶

"And the anger of the Lord is kindled, and his sword is bathed in heaven, and it shall fall upon the inhabitants of the earth; ¶

"And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people." ¶

This in substance was quoted to the Prophet Joseph Smith by the Angel Moroni on the night of that visitation ninety-nine years ago, when he quoted the 22nd and 23rd verses of the third chapter of Acts, which reads similarly. The angel declared unto Joseph Smith that the time was near at hand when this scripture should be fulfilled, in which it says that they who will not hear the voice of that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people. Now that applies to the members of the Church as well as to those who are in the world. If we as members will not hearken unto the words of the apostles and the prophets and especially to this prophet referred to, who is Christ, then we shall take our places among the stubble and shall be destroyed by the brightness of his coming. The time is near at hand when the Lord will come in power, and shall cleanse the earth. We must not deceive ourselves. I think sometimes that we "are inclined somewhat to excuse the world in sin and to declare that the world is growing ibetter. I want to say unto you that the Lord will save the righteous, but not the wicked. His decrees have gone forth, and his anger is kindled against the wicked, and those who will not receive the fulness of the gospel. In Section 35 of the Doctrine and Covenants, we read : ¶

"And there are none that doeth good except those who are ready to receive the fulness of my gospel, which I have sent forth unto this generation." ¶

The time will come when they who will not receive this fulness shall be swept off and shall not stand, when he comes in his glory to reign upon the earth and take vengeance upon the ungodly. The tares are being bound in bundles to be burned. The wheat is being garnered into harns, and the day of separation is near at hand. Even the Church shall be cleansed, and those who are of the world, who are numbered among the members of the Church, will be cast out, and will find their place among those who are unworthy, where there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Brethren and sisters, let us praise the Lord, keep his commandments, walk uprightly and humbly before him in all things, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶