brief life to shut out the hopes of that to
come, nor quench the light that should
cheer even in affliction. Narrow not the
sources of comfort and happiness by
selfishly debasing godlike powers. Do
not hunger after perishable riches, but
help the needy, thus keeping open the
fountain of mercy, love and charity.
Shun, we beseech you, as you would the
deadly upas, the vulgarity of unseemly
struggles for place and power.

When Eli permitted his sons to asso-
ciate with harlots outside the Temple,
while they lived on the fruits of the
people's labor, the Lord spoke through
the boy Samuel and foretold what
should result. [1 Samuel 2-3] A few of our youth have
followed the example of Eli's sons.
Their course has been downward, and
they have trodden the path leading to
destruction. Among all your acquaint-
ances think of one who, having deserted
and turned away from the Lord, has
gained thereby peace, happiness or
greatness. Have they not, without ex-
ception, been as the moth that falls into
the burning blaze? Have not those
seeking the "liberty" of saloons, gamb-
ling dens and the companionship of the
unclean had their wings clipped in the
flames of a quenchless fire?

As you value happiness, peace and
joy, as you hope for salvation and exal-
tation, go not near the haunts of vice.
They allure only to destroy. Sound care-
fully the causes leading to infidelity and
doubt, note the actions of those who
slur the things of God, and you will find
that vice has stained the body and
blotted the soul. The Holy Spirit of
God dwells not in unclean tabernacles;
and he who sins and repents not, doubts;
and he who doubts is damned. Converse-
ly, to him that believeth the things of
God all things, whether in heaven, earth
or hell, will be made possible. Go not,
therefore, into the wilderness of sin to
lean upon broken reeds, but hold fast to
the "rod of iron" leading to the fruits
of eternal life. [1 Nephi 8:19] While earnestly seeking
for knowledge to be found in good
books, bear in mind the fact that the
Holy Ghost is the safest and most pro-
found instructor. He will bring to your
mind things past and present, and show
you things to come. Seek therefore his
constant fellowship, and his teachings
shall make you wise, good and great,
and finally lead you back into the pre-
sence of your Heavenly Father.

With all the accumulated wisdom,
knowledge and understanding of the
world, what did the people know of the
laws of God until Joseph, the boy pro-
phet, came? In the midst of the glare of
modern civilization and enlightenment
the Bible was as a sealed book. The
harmonies of the universe seemed con-
fusion, while professed ministers taught
the doom of everlasting damnation alike
for ignorant heathens and innocent chil-
dren, neither of whom had heard of
Christ. Holding their dupes over the
flames of an imaginative hell, they pro-
claimed the hideous doctrine of non-re-
demption beyond the grave. While
leading redhanded murderers, all drip-
ping in the blood of innocence, to the
hangman's scaffold and there promising
them, as they died, a free pass into the
bosom of the stainless Christ, they
preached the consignment of unbaptized
infants forever to the regions of the
damned!

Blind leaders of the blind, how could
they know God and His ways? How
could they measure His infinite love?
An earthly father, doing with his chil-
dren what they claimed God daily did
with his, would have been regarded, even
in the dark ages, as an unmitigated,
merciless tyrant. No wonder that such
dense ignorance should produce the soil
of skepticism, out of which has grown
infidel iconoclasts, whose intelligent
shrewdness plays upon the darkness of
such unholy doctrines, as electricity plays
upon the blackness of night. Under
their teachings the loving husband
and confiding wife parted forever at the
grave! How awful the thought indicated
in the mocking marriage ceremony pro-
claiming union only "until death do you
part." Were that all, then indeed would
this world and its brief joys be but a
delusion and a snare! But it is not all.
In heaven there are fathers and mothers
and children; husbands and wives eter-

brief life to shut out the hopes of that to come, nor quench the light that should cheer even in affliction. Narrow not the sources of comfort and happiness by selfishly debasing godlike powers. Do not hunger after perishable riches, but help the needy, thus keeping open the fountain of mercy, love and charity. Shun, we beseech you, as you would the deadly upas, the vulgarity of unseemly struggles for place and power.

When Eli permitted his sons to associate with harlots outside the Temple, while they lived on the fruits of the people's labor, the Lord spoke through the boy Samuel and foretold what should result. A few of our youth have followed the example of Eli's sons. Their course has been downward, and they have trodden the path leading to destruction. Among all your acquaintances think of one who, having deserted and turned away from the Lord, has gained thereby peace, happiness or greatness. Have they not, without exception, been as the moth that falls into the burning blaze? Have not those seeking the "liberty" of saloons, gambling dens and the companionship of the unclean had their wings clipped in the flames of a quenchless fire?

As you value happiness, peace and joy, as you hope for salvation and exaltation, go not near the haunts of vice. They allure only to destroy. Sound carefully the causes leading to infidelity and doubt, note the actions of those who slur the things of God, and you will find that vice has stained the body and blotted the soul. The Holy Spirit of God dwells not in unclean tabernacles; and he who sins and repents not, doubts; and he who doubts is damned. Conversely, to him that believeth the things of God all things, whether in heaven, earth or hell, will be made possible. Go not, therefore, into the wilderness of sin to lean upon broken reeds, but hold fast to the "rod of iron" leading to the fruits of eternal life. While earnestly seeking for knowledge to be found in good books, bear in mind the fact that the Holy Ghost is the safest and most profound instructor. He will bring to your mind things past and present, and show you things to come. Seek therefore his constant fellowship, and his teachings shall make you wise, good and great, and finally lead you back into the presence of your Heavenly Father.

With all the accumulated wisdom, knowledge and understanding of the world, what did the people know of the laws of God until Joseph, the boy prophet, came? In the midst of the glare of modern civilization and enlightenment the Bible was as a sealed book. The harmonies of the universe seemed confusion, while professed ministers taught the doom of everlasting damnation alike for ignorant heathens and innocent children, neither of whom had heard of Christ. Holding their dupes over the flames of an imaginative hell, they proclaimed the hideous doctrine of non-redemption beyond the grave. While leading redhanded murderers, all dripping in the blood of innocence, to the hangman's scaffold and there promising them, as they died, a free pass into the bosom of the stainless Christ, they preached the consignment of unbaptized infants forever to the regions of the damned!

Blind leaders of the blind, how could they know God and His ways? How could they measure His infinite love? An earthly father, doing with his children what they claimed God daily did with his, would have been regarded, even in the dark ages, as an unmitigated, merciless tyrant. No wonder that such dense ignorance should produce the soil of skepticism, out of which has grown infidel iconoclasts, whose intelligent shrewdness plays upon the darkness of such unholy doctrines, as electricity plays upon the blackness of night. Under their teachings the loving husband and confiding wife parted forever at the grave! How awful the thought indicated in the mocking marriage ceremony proclaiming union only "until death do you part." Were that all, then indeed would this world and its brief joys be but a delusion and a snare! But it is not all. In heaven there are fathers and mothers and children; husbands and wives eter-