Our measure, full of joy today, To-morrow, may be full of tears; Where joys and sorrows intervene. My friends of early life are gone, Those whom I knew in childhood's day, Save here and there a single one Who sometimes haps to pass my way. My old time friends, I welcome you! Whose love is deep, and friendship strong, Which helps the right, and strikes the wrong! OGDEN, March 23rd, 1900. William W. Burton. EDITOR'S TABLE. TALKS TO THE YOUNG MEN-REGARD FOR THE PRIEST HOOD. BY THE SENIOR EDITOR. In previous talks, I have named places and officers for whom deference and regard should be shown. All that has been said applies with equal force to regard for the Priesthood. But even if it is not possible to regard men for the men themselves, if they hold the Priesthood, they should be regarded on that account. God will not permit unworthy men to long officiate with this authority. What is Priesthood? Priesthood is the authority which God delegates to men upon the earth to act in his name. "And," as we are told in the Doctrine and Covenants (Sec. 68: 4,) "whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost, shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation." Priesthood, then, is the agency of God delegated to those who are called by authority to officiate in the ordinances of the Gospel. "The Melchisedek Priesthood holds the right of Presidency, and has power and authority over all the offices in the Church in all ages of the world, to administer in spiritual things." (Doc. & Cov. Sec. 107: 8.) It is a wonderful responsibility, and a very precious allotment, to any person who has thus been blessed of God with this agency. And likewise, there is responsibility placed upon those who shall reject this authority, or who shall treat it lightly, or who shall disregard it. I have a friend living in a distant country. I can not go to him myself, but I send a messenger to my friend, delegated to deliver my message to him. He goes, and is received with joy. He is treated to the best of everything. My friend receives him because of me, and honors his word as if I spoke, because of me. My messenger delivers my message. He does not misrepresent me. As a man, he regards me too highly for that, and would not think of proving recreant to his trust, and to the confidence which I have imposed in him. Even so in many of the common affairs of our lives, we would not think of proving false to the simple trusts which we impose in each other. We regard the responsibilities of both the receiver and the deliverer of messages between man and man. Should we not, then, prove even more true to the things entrusted to us of God! It is the same in governments. An embassador speaks in the name of his country, and his words are received by the government to which he speaks as the words of the country which he represents. Recreance to his trust would soon place him in the way of trouble; and if the country to which he delivers his message will not listen, the result is the same as if it would not listen to the government which he represents. The treatment which he receives is the treatment which his country receives. There is responsibility on both sides which honor demands shall be held sacred. They who break such trusts, private or public, are cast out and dishonored of men. From these simple illustrations, if you get the idea which is sought to be conveyed, you may readily comprehend the relation which men having the Priesthood, which is the agency of God, hold between God and man; and understand both what is their responsibility and the responsibility of those to whom they, as such agents, are sent. Quoting again from the Doctrine and Covenants (Sec. 84: 35-42): "And also all they who receive this Priesthood receiveth me, saith the Lord; for he that receiveth my servants receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth my Father; and he that receiveth my Father, receiveth my Father's kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him; and this is according to the oath and covenant which belongeth to the Priesthood." Now this, as far as the people are concerned to whom the Priesthood is sent. Under such conditions and promises, how can any person justify himself in disregarding the servants of God who hold the Holy Priesthood? In doing so, such person shows disrespect to the agents of God, and casts aside the message of the Lord, their greatest true and living friend. They act with God as they would not think of acting with their friends and associates. Shall we not act as honorably with God and the messages which he conveys to us through his authorized agents, as with our fellowmen? Some one may object and say that the agent has faults, that he is only a man, that like all men he is imperfect, and therefore is not worthy of our respect. Such argument is wrong. For who then could we respect among our friends? Are not all men subject to weaknesses and imperfections? No; rather let us argue that being the agents of the Father, it is our duty to receive and respect them as we would the Father in person, "For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me." If men who hold this responsibility from God-that of being his authorized servants-shall misuse the trust which the Lord has imposed in them, they are responsible to him for their conduct, and will be rewarded or punished according as they shall honor or disregard the mission assigned to them. We are told in the quotation referred to that all that the Father hath shall be given unto them, and that this is in accordance with the oath and the covenant which belongeth to the Priesthood: "Therefore, all those who receive the Priesthood, receive this oath and covenant of my Father, which he cannot break, neither can it be moved: but whoso breaketh this covenant, after he hath received it, and altogether turneth therefrom, shall not have forgiveness in this world nor in the world to come." From this, we see that there is a terrible responsibility resting upon those who break their trust with God after once having been delegated to perform his work, to deliver his messages. They are even under greater condemnation than those who fail to respect the messages which they bear from the Father. The young people cannot afford to show disrespect to the servants of the Lord, nor can they afford to disregard the authority delegated from God to man, which is his agency, his Holy Priest hood. It is a fearful responsibility which they take upon themselves when they do so. Think of making light of such sacred things! A man who holds the Priesthood, has been commissioned of God to act in his name to bind upon earth, and it shall be bound in heaven; to loose upon earth, and it shall be loosed in heaven-to bless and to curse, and in every way to act in the name of God who has promised to respect such actions as his will, his mind, his word, his voice, and his power unto salvation. And yet, notwithstanding all this, we still find men who do not pay the proper respect to such authority, who even make light of it, or disregard it completely. A want of reverence for the Priesthood is so manifest among the people that President George Q. Cannon, at the April conference, made this the subject of one of his discourses. He pointed out the necessity for a change in this respect. He declared that there never was such a lack of reverence as now, and asked that the people stop and consider the dangers of this course Let me ask you, young man, to try to show proper respect to the Priesthood, and to the servants of the Lord who hold it. It will make you happier, it will make you better. You are ambitious; you desire the blessings, temporal and spiritual, which are the gifts of God. Why not obtain them in the appointed way: by honoring, receiving and respecting the Priesthood, so that all that your Father hath shall be given unto you. Can you ask more? Remember that without the ordinances and the authority of the Priesthood, "the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh." BRIGHAM YOUNG ACADEMY EXPLORING EXPEDITION. This is an enterprise that will be watched with much interest by every young man in The Church, as well as by all the members |