Righteousness Binds Satan

The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. (John 14: ¶

30.) ¶

These words were spoken by Jesus in his last discourse before his crucifixion — the discourse which ended with that divine prayer that flowed from the soul of the Redeemer. That glorious sermon began with the words that have cheered myriads of souls, "Let not your heart be troubled ; ye believe in God, believe also in me." In the Savior alone are found all the treasures of love, true science and infinite wisdom. He is the joy of the desolate, the hope of the penitent. ¶

RIGHTEOUSNESS BINDS SATAN ¶

The prince of the world is Satan. He is the prince of darkness. Satan could find no taint of sin in the Savior. In the Lord there was nothing for the evil one to fasten on, for he was without blemish and without spot. ¶

Last summer, in a certain park, I observed that a number of the trees were fast losing their beautiful leaves. They were attacked by caterpillars and worms. It was evident that these pests were attracted to those trees. In the same park were other trees ; their foliage was lovely with bright colors. There was nothing in these trees to invite the destroyers. They were immune. ¶

It is possible, thank God, for every righteous man to bind the evil one so far as he himself is concerned. The Almighty alone knows the wonderful help and example we extend to our fellow creatures when our lives are such that Satan can find nothing on which to fasten. ¶

Each man makes his own stature, builds himself, Virtue alone outbuilds the Pyramids, Her monuments shall last when Egypt's fall. ¶

WORKS OF THE FLESH ¶

And Jesus said, ¶

That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. ¶

For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, ¶

Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness : ¶

All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. (Mark 7:20-23.) ¶

After enumerating the works of the flesh and declaring "that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God," the Apostle Paul says : ¶

WORKS OF THE SPIRIT ¶

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, ¶

Meekness, temperance : against such there is no law. ¶

And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. (Galatians 5:22-24.) ¶

There i are certain institutions that can create and maintain a nation. They are the foundation stones of any nation that hopes to endure. Chief among these institutions are marriage, virtue, sobriety, industry, obedience to law, loyalty to country, love of fellowman and an affectionate respect and reverence for God, our Heavenly Father. But when a republic or a monarchy rejects these foundation stones, these roots of Christianity, there shall arise another Gibbon to write the decline and fall of a nation that rejects God and disobeys his commandments. "Righteousness exalteth a nation but sin is a reproach to any people." ¶

FREEDOM IN RIGHTEOUSNESS ¶

There is something grand in being free, and true freedom is found in righteousness. There are those who say that Christianity has never had a fair trial in the way of relieving economic distress, but it has had a fair trial and it has succeeded in improving the temporal needs of the people whenever and wherever it has been conscientiously observed. ¶

In the Book of Mormon we read of a nation that lived in peace for over a century and a half. They had all things in common. There were no rich. There were no poor. Each man loved his neighbor as himself, and they prospered : they became exceeding rich as to this world's goods. Moreover they prospered in the unsearchable riches of Christ, the only riches that endure. But pride crept in, the pride that goeth before a fall, and the words of Byron portray the unhappy result : ¶

Here is the moral of all human tales. 'Tis but the same rehearsal of the past; First freedom and then glory; when that fails Wealth, vice, corruption, barbarism at last, And history, with all her volumes vast, Hath but one page. ¶

AMERICA LAND OF PROMISE, CONDITIONALLY ¶

Moroni, an inspired prophet, whose words are in the Book of Mormon, declared that America is a land of promise, choice above all other lands, but he said, by the word of God, that "whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ," or they would perish when the fulness of his wrath came upon them because they were ripe in iniquity. ¶

That same prophet, in giving this warning, looks down the ages and talks to the people of this great God-established, glorious republic. He warns them of the evils that have brought other nations down into obscurity and covered them with destruction, and says : ¶

And this cometh unto you, O ye Gentiles, that ye may know the decrees of God — that ye may repent, and not continue in your iniquities until the fulness come, that ye may not bring down the fulness of the wrath of God upon you as the inhabitants of the land have hitherto done. (Book of Mormon, Ether 2:11.) ¶

Our father's God, to thee, ¶

Author of liberty, ¶

To Thee we sing. ¶

Long may our land be bright, ¶

With freedom's holy light, ¶

Protect us by thy might, ¶

Great God, our King. ¶

DESTRUCTION IN UNCHASTITY ¶

I want to say to you, my brethren and sisters, that the sinister crime, that destructive sin, which brings down the fulness of the wrath of God upon the people, the iniquity in which they ripen, is the sin of unchastity, uncleanness. Men's hearts are filled with the things that the Savior said defiled them, and of these things they must repent; for if they do not purge themselves of these things God has forbidden, no matter how great their might, they will go down, for sin never was happiness. ¶

I don't know, I am sure, how long this nation will survive disregard of God, unchastity, Sabbath breaking and other evils that are in our midst. Tennyson said: ¶

Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring out old shapes of foul disease ; Ring out the narrowing lust of gold ; Ring out the thousand wars of old, Ring in the thousand years of peace. Ring in the valiant man and free, The larger heart, the kindlier hand! Ring out the darkness of the land. Ring in the Christ that is to be. ¶

I humbly pray that every Latter-day Saint and all men may live such dives that with their blessed Redeemer they can say: ¶

The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. ¶

God help us to reach that heavenly, soul-saving ideal, I humbly pray, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶