The Everlasting Gospel

1 sincerely hope and pray that I may enjoy the favor of the Lord while I stand before you for a few moments during this session of the Conference. I am greatly impressed when I think of the present condition of the world, when I contemplate the inhabitants of the earth and realize that in these last days the Lord has set his hand to do a marvelous work and a wonder among the children of men. In the establishment of his Church he has chosen men to be witnesses for him. He has restored the priesthood and endowed men with power from on high. He has commissioned them to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. ¶

What a gigantic undertaking, when we think that this Gospel of the kingdom must be preached in all the world as a witness before the end shall come, and what a responsibility rests upon this great Church which God has established. Men and women everywhere must be called to repentance and an opportunity must be given unto them to accept the message of life and salvation which God is sending forth through his messengers into all parts of the world. It almost looks like an impossibility, and so far as human effort is concerned it is impossible. Only by the aid of our Heavenly Father, by such instrumentalities as he may bring about, would such an undertaking be possible. ¶

We live in an age of great invention and discovery. Means are being revealed by which the word of the Lord may be conveyed unto his children in the remotest parts of the earth. The prophets of old have foreseen conditions as they exist today. The prophet Isaiah said upon one occasion : ¶

"The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant." ¶

That is a condition that still prevails in the world to a very large extent. The work of the Lord is to overcome this condition for it is his purpose that sin and iniquity shall be banished from the face of the earth and that it shall be sanctified from all unrighteousness, that it may be prepared for the celestial glory which is the destiny of this earth upon which we dwell. How 'can this reformation be effected, or what shall be the method of doing it ? The Lord employs and always has employed at least two separate methods. One of them is based upon fear and the other one is based upon love. The Lord has given commandments many, and disobedience to them brings punishment and penalty. In these matters the element of fear is brought to bear, but he has also made wonderful promises unto those who render obedience to the will of the Lord, not so much out of the sense of fear of the consequences, but with the love of God in their hearts and the desire to be in harmony with him. One we may call the lesser law and the other the higher law. In ancient Israel this lesser law was particularly brought in vogue upon the children of Israel. Great commandments were given and punishments were invoked upon those who were disobedient ; the wages of sin were death, and great judgments were poured out upon evil doers. ¶

The children of Israel, during their four hundred years of bondage in the land of Egypt, became so contaminated in Egyptian idolatry that they were unprepared for the higher law and therefore were given the lesser law "as a school master to bring us to Christ." In both the higher and the lesser law, however, obedience to the commandments is required — the difference lies in the impelling motive. If we obey the commandments because of the fear of the dire consequences — the prescribed penalties and punishments — very well, we shall receive our reward. We shall escape the judgments. But if we live above this lesser law rendering obedience to his commandments in our unbounded love for God and our fellowmen, then we also shall escape the judgments, but what is of far greater importance, we shall also receive eternal life or salvation in his celestial kingdom. ¶

With every dispensation, however, the Lord has employed both methods, and he has sought to win through love those who were willing to hearken unto his will. The introduction of this Gospel in the day and age in which we live was foreseen by the beloved Apostle John upon the Isle of Patmos when he saw the angel flying through the midst of heaven having the everlasting Gospel to proclaim unto every nation, kindred, tongue and people, crying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgment is come." In this we find the Lord employing in his mercy the element of fear, saying unto the inhabitants of the earth that the hour of his judgment is at hand. Must we despise the element of fear? Not so, it is a great motive — the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It is a good thing, a wholesome thing, to fear the consequences of doing evil. We must not despise it, and yet there is a higher law, a higher motive — that of love. Both are employed by the Lord in every dispensation of his providence. ¶

Through obedience to the lesser law, the law of carnal commandments, with all of its punishments and penalties, we escape the judgments ; through compliance with the higher law, the law of love, the law of grace, we obtain eternal life. ¶

"For by grace are ye saved through faith ; and that not of yourselves ; it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast." ¶

Oh, how idle it would be for any man to think that he can earn so great a reward as eternal life in the presence of God, which means the power of endless increase and a never ending dominion that shall flow unto us forever and forever ! The Lord knows full well, and we know it, that no human being is capable of earning such a high reward. A great many men in the secular affairs of life obtain various kinds of incomes. We segregate them, we classify them for the purpose of obtaining our income taxes. We refer to the one as "earned incomes," and the other as "excess incomes." No man can earn a million dollars a year, and so our congress and our legislators take cognizance of the fact of what men may earn, and they deal more liberally with such incomes, but on the other they make greater requirements. ¶

And so it is. No man can earn eternal life, which is God's greatest gift to man. It is a free gift from God. But to whom does he grant that precious gift? Not to those who merely obey his commandments because they fear the consequences 3 Oh, no, but to those that love him. ¶

"Blessed is the man [or the woman] that endureth temptation: for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life, [of eternal life] which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." (James 1 :12.) ¶

And again we read : ¶

"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." (I Cor. 2 :9.) ¶

In ancient Israel both methods were applied, but the Church in its organized condition was charged with the administration of the lesser law and its enforcement by executing its penalties and punishments. In these latter days this lesser law is relegated to our civil authorities. The Church does not undertake the enforcement of penal law any more than by withdrawing fellowship from malefactors. ¶

"No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned." ¶

This is the higher law. Civil authorities enforce the lesser law. Is that not also essential ? Most assuredly yes. Is there anyone who would like to see the civil law done away with? Our whole system of jurisprudence is based upon the law of fear, and penalties are prescribed according to the gravity of the offense. Penitentiaries and prisons are built for their punishment, and the hangman's noose and the electric chair are prescribed for those who are guilty of capital offenses. Such is the need of these things and they are all essential for the welfare of mankind. ¶

The great work of the Lord is to carry the glad tidings to every nation, kindred, tongue and people, and to try to bring into the fold of Christ all who are willing to abide by the laws of God. That is the work of saving human souls. What a great undertaking that is ! What a tremendous work! How hopeless it would be from any human point of view! How grateful then we ought to be that we have been made participants in this great work, this great Gospel which has within it the power of God unto our salvation. How grateful we ought to be that we have become members of the Church and kingdom of God, that we have part in that divine power and influence that enables us to go on to perfection. ¶

The Lord has admonished us, "lie ye therefore perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect." Those who have embraced the Gospel should endeavor to so live that they may grow in the knowledge of God and good works and that they may become better men and better women day by day. Do we suppose that we are already prepared for the celestial glory? I hope we are all making progress toward that perfection that God will require when we enter into his celestial kingdom. If we are to become members of that kingdom we shall have to sanctify ourselves from all unrighteousness. Isaiah told us that the world was defiled under its inhabitants. This world must become sanctified under its inhabitants. Will all men receive the Gospel by which they can become sanctified? What is a sanctified person? A holy being, one who has been sanctified from all unrighteousness is a saint. The Lord has permitted 11s to be called saints. Are we that? The Gospel provides the means whereby we may become that. Let us abide that law and endeavor from time to time to sanctify our souls from all unrighteousness, for we may rest assured that the destiny of this earth, is to be sanctified from all unrighteousness, therefore it must be under the inhabitants thereof. But all will not accept of that Gospel. Then what is to become the lot of the remainder who will not become sanctified and be prepared for the celestial glory? They shall be utterly destroyed from the face of the earth, the prophet told us. What will become of them in the great hereafter? I shall not attempt to say. But this earth is to be sanctified and receive its paradisaical glory and become a habitation for sanctified beings, a fit place for God and his Son to dwell among us and where we may enjoy their companionship throughout the ages of eternity. ¶

Then let us love the Lord with all our heart and may his grace be unto you and me, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶