Sermon 01

Sunday Sermon

My friends and my brethren, I would call upon the Spirit of the Lord to touch your hearts that you may hear and understand my words which I shall speak unto you.

For behold, if the knowledge of the goodness of God at this time has awakened you to a sense of your nothingness, and your worthless and fallen state. I say to you, if you have come to a knowledge of the goodness of God, and his matchless power, and his wisdom, and his patience, and his long-suffering towards the children of men; and also, the atonement which was prepared from the foundation of the world, that salvation might come to us that should put our trust in the Lord, and should be diligent in keeping his commandments, and continue in the faith even unto the end of our lives, I mean the life of the mortal body. I say, that this is the man or woman who receives salvation, through the atonement which was prepared from the foundation of the world for all mankind, which ever were since the fall of Adam, or who are, or whoever shall be, even unto the end of the world. This is the means whereby salvation comes. And there is none other salvation save this which has been spoken of; neither are there any conditions whereby we can be saved except the conditions of faith in God the Father and his son Jesus Christ.

Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man does not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend. Believe that you must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart in the name of Christ that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things, see that you do them.

I say unto you as I have said before, that as you have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if you have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causes such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that you should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith. I say unto you that if you do this you shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and you shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true.

If you will not have a mind to injure one another, but to live peaceably, and to render to every man according to that which is his due. And you being good parents will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will you suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, he being an enemy to all righteousness. But, will teach your children to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; teaching them to love one another, and to serve one another.

You yourselves should be an example to your children helping those that stand in need of your help; giving of your substance unto those that stand in need; and you will not suffer that the beggar put up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish. Perhaps you would say to yourself: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just. But, I say unto you, whosoever does this the same has great cause to repent; and except he repents of that which he has done he perishes forever, and has no interest in the kingdom of God.

For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and clothes, and for money, and for employment, and for all the luxuries which we have of every kind. Even at this time, have you not been calling on his name, and begging for a remission of your sins? Has he suffered that you have begged in vain? No, he has poured out his Spirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with joy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that you could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy Now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that you have and are, and does grant unto you whatsoever you ask that is right, in faith. You then ought to impart of the substance that you have one to another.

If you with your riches judge the man who puts up his petition to you for your substance that he perish not, and condemn him, how much more just will be your condemnation for withholding your substance, which does not belong to you but to God, to whom also your life belongs. I say unto you, hell waits for you, for your riches shall perish with you.

I say unto the poor, you who have not and yet have sufficient goods, that you remain from day to day. In this I mean all of you who deny the beggar, because you have not; I would that you say in your hearts that I give not because I have not, but if I had I would give. And now, if you say this in your hearts you remain guiltless, otherwise you are condemned; and your condemnation is just for you covet that which you have not received. For the riches of the world is a curse to the unrighteous.

Now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you, that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that you may walk guiltless before God. I would that you should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he has, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants. And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. It is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.

I would that you should remember, that whosoever among you borrows of his neighbor should return the thing that he borrowed, according as he agreed, or else you shall commit sin, and perhaps you will cause your neighbor to commit sin also.

I cannot tell you all the things whereby you may commit sin; for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them. But this much I can tell you, that if you do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what you have heard concerning our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, you must perish. Now, my brothers and sisters, remember, continue in the faith, and perish not.

Because of the promise which you have made to God through your faith on his Son, you shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he has spiritually begotten you; for you say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, you are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters. Under his blood you are made free. There is no other name given whereby salvation comes. Therefore, I would that you should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the promise with God, that you should be obedient unto the end of your lives. Whosoever does this shall be found at the right hand of God, for you shall know the name by which you are called; for you shall be called by the name of Christ. Whosoever shall not take upon them the name of Christ must be called by some other name; therefore, you will find yourself on the left hand of God.

I would that you should remember also, that this is the name that is given unto you that never should be blotted out, except it be through transgression; therefore, take heed that you do not transgress, that the name be not blotted out of your hearts. I would that you should remember to retain the name written always in your hearts, that you are not found on the left hand of God, but that you hear and know the voice by which you shall be called, and also, the name by which he shall call you. For how does a man know the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?

Therefore, I would that you should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that you may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God above all. Amen.