Aurelius Miner

“ I presume there are many in this congregation who have been buried in the water of baptism when the ice has had to be cut, and they will tell you that by obeying these simple forms of doctrine they have received for themselves, by the laying on of hands of the Elders, this Holy Ghost, and that it has borne record to them of the Father and the Son? Is not the experiment worth trying? Is not the prize of sufficient value to induce you to sacrifice the follies of the world to put on Christ? Shall we not run the race that is set before us? ”

“ But what are these principles which; if we adopt them, and practise them in our lives, will enable us to attain to this exalted position and power? These brethren have told you that they are made manifest in the teachings of the elders of Israel. How do we know this? Ministers of other denominations will tell us that they have the truth, the way and the life; that they preach the Gospel, the word of God to the people. But they propose different plans, teach different systems. One will teach us one system, another a different one. ”

“ Are the promises to men in an individual capacity? In one sense, yes, in another, no. When the conditions prescribed are complied with, then the fulfilment of the promises must be forthcoming, for God cannot lie. Is it the individual that acts then? No. He is simply the representative; it is the ministering servant of God who acts, not in his own name but in the name of his principal, by virtue of the power behind the throne. ”

“ And if the Gospel does not come with blessing and benefit, with intelligence, power and exaltation to the human family, it is of no practical benefit; and if of no permanent benefit it is not worth our time to meddle with. So the Latter-day Saints may feel sorry for the poor people in England, whose deplorable condition has been described to us this afternoon by the brethren who have just returned from missions to that country; but if they do not put their hands in their pockets and assist them to the extent of their means their sympathy will not amount to a hill of beans. ”

“ The Savior gave and observed this form of doctrine, and if he taught not a correct system let us do away with it altogether; for if he is not the author of our salvation, who is? There is no name given under heaven whereby man must be saved but the name of Jesus Christ, and if we do not preach the form of doctrine he taught where shall we find it? ”

“ Yes; but the theory is worth no more than the theory of anything else; it is the practical part we want, that which brings benefit and blessing; that which comes like the old Yankee to the man who fell from his horse and broke his leg. ”

“ And if God could by the power of faith organize these vast planets which revolve in most perfect order through space, if, I say, that he could do this by the power of faith, how great a portion of that power would it take to remove the Wasatch range? ”

“ His knowledge comes to us with an assurance which is stronger and more convincing than the seeing of the eye, the hearing of the ear and the handling of the hand put together. For it is as Paul says, the sure word of prophecy, which is more satisfactory evidence to the human mind than all other evidences combined. ”

“ It will enlighten your minds and will lead you step by step, giving line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little. But owing to the weakness of the flesh and the weaknesses of our fallen natures that are ever present with us, we learn slowly. ”

“ This figure of 2 and 2 are 4—3-6, may be appropriately applied to the teachings of the religious world; for we find one class who profess to be the teachers sent of God, who declare to us one set of principles, another class who declare another set of principles, or doctrine, diametrically opposed to the first ”