--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Halls, William collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 11 number: 5 published: 1908-03 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'William Halls, "The Philosophy of Faith and Worship," *Improvement Era* 11, no. 5 (March 1908): 321–328.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1105unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera1105unse start_page: 321 end_page: 328 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1908-03) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1105unse publication_year: 1908 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1908, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Philosophy of Faith and Worship THE PHILOSOPHY OF FAITH AND WORSHIP. BY WILLIAM HALLS. Why should men exercise faith? Why engage in Divine worship? In this age of education and philosophy, with a learned skepticism or "higher criticism" seeking to cast a doubt on the truth of the scriptures, it may be well to consider what intelligent reason underlies these principles. If asked why we ride on the railroad cars, we might answer, because that is the easiest and quickest way to travel; if, why we build a bridge across the river, we would say, because the safest way to cross is over a bridge. For many other things \^e do, we might give a good reason. But if asked why we build a chapel, and meet to sing and pray, and worship an object above, whom we neither see, hear nor feel with our material senses, many a good Christian might hesitate before giving an intelligent answer. Not that no good reason may be given, but because many of us worship all our lives intuitively, or, as a matter of tradition, without thinking of the reason why. We know many things in nature to be true that we cannot easily explain. For example, two plants are growing side by side in the same soil, drawing their life apparently from precisely the same elements: one is good to eat, and if taken into the stomach will sustain life; the other is deadly poison, and if eaten will de- 322 IMPROVEMENT ERA. stroy life. Of a pair of twins, one has black hair and a very dark skin, the other has red hair and very fair skin. The vocal organs in all men are constructed on the same principle, yet no two voices are alike. These, with a hundred other things, are true, yet not easily explained. If we are conscious of so many natural truths that we cannot explain, may we not be equally conscious of inexplicable spiritual truths? The skeptic ridicules the Christian for his credulity, and pities him for his simple faith and blind obedience. But is not the skeptic just as much a child of faith in natural things as the Christian is in spiritual things? The skeptic, who prides himself on his freedom from superstition, who takes nothing for granted, who will see the depth of the pool before plunging in, who takes no chances of being imposed upon, when he becomes sick, goes to a doctor, who tells him he has a certain disease, that he can help him, that it is a serious case, and any further delay may prove fatal. How does he know that the doctor is telling him the truth; that he is not imposing on him, for professional or selfish purposes? Can the doctor prove his word? that is impossible; yet the man puts himself under his care. He who will not exercise a particle of faith in the word of a doctor of divinity to save his immortal soul, exercises a simple, child- like faith in the word of a doctor of medicine to save his mortal body. A man wishes to travel from Salt Lake City to Liverpool, he buys a ticket for New York, and boards a car. On his way he passes through several large cities; he doesn't know which of these is New York until he is told. Of all the steamers in the harbor, he doesn't know which is bound for Liverpool, until he is told. He lands in a large city which they tell him is Liverpool; it may be London, for aught he really knows. From the time he leaves Salt Lake City till he arrives in Liverpool, there is no second of time when he really knows where he is, or in what direction he is moving; he gets off this car onto that, goes here and there, does this or that as he is directed, in simple faith and blind obedience. It is hard to imagine anyone in a position of more helpless dependence. A company of farmers wish to bring water onto a certain THE PHILOSOPHY OF FAITH AND WORSHIP. 323 tract of land; they engage an engineer who surveys a line for a ditch. He tells them he has allowed so much fall, and if they make ^'he ditch on that grade the water will run all right. How do they know that is true? Can he prove it? that is impossible. Yet they spend thousands of dollars without the possibility of knowing they are right till they see the water running in their ditch. The exercise of this faith is essential, as without it no work would be done, and no water would reach their land. In the natural world, without the exercise of faith, the wheels of progress would cease to turn ; business would be paralyzed, and human life become extinct. As in the natural world, so in the spiritual, men must move by faith, or not at all. When Noah predicted the flood, he could give no proof that his word was true ; it was a matter of faith with him; as we read, "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, prepared an ark to the saving of his house." When Moses predicted the destruction of the firstborn of Egypt, he had no proof beyond his word; and this prediction was of a nature very hard to believe. If he had foretold a pestilence that would be general in its effects, they might have believed him, as they had suffered from several plagues before ; but to say that a scourge would pass over the land, and select just the firstborn in every house and slay him, while all the rest, in every family, without exception, would escape, was contrary to experience, reason, and common sense. When the destroyer passed over, he would not be likely to know Hebrews from Egyptians; he would be governed by the sign given him, and when he saw blood on the door-post, he would pass that house by; so, if any of the Egyptians by faith had sprinkled their door-posts, they would have saved their firstborn, and if any Hebrews, through lack of faith, had failed to use the sign, they would have lost their firstborn. They were saved from natural death by faith, obedience, and the blood of the lamb, which was a perfect type of things to come, as the Christian is saved from spiritual death by faith, obedience, and the blood of the Lamb. When an angel announced to Joshua that by the blowing of ram's horns and shouting, the walls of Jericho would fall, he had 324 IMPROVEMENT ERA. no proof, and such a thing seemed unreasonable, Joshua had to move entirely by faith, Jesus said, "My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me ; if any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."' The only way to prove the truth of that promise was by obedience through the exercise of faith, putting it to the test. The same in this dispensation; when Joseph Smith announced to the world that he had been called of God, and given authority to preach the gospel and organize the Church of Christ, and he called on the people to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, repent of their sins, and be baptized for the remission thereof, and promised them that they should receive the Holy Ghost, and should know that the gospel is true, and that he had been called of God, the proof lay entirely with the people in putting it to the test. That the Saints in the days of Christ received a witness of his divine mission, that he was the Son of God, and the Redeemer of the world, is evident from the fact that they endured all manner of trials, even unto death, rather than deny their testimony. That the Saints in this day have received a witness of the divine mission of Joseph Smith, and the truth of the gospel, is also evident, from the fact that the elders of the Church are willing to leave everything, and go without salary, at their own expense, suffering all manner of hardship and persecution, taking their lives in their hands, to preach the gospel; and that those who receive their testimony are willing to leave everything, and gather to the body of the Church, making sacrifice of all things for the gospel's sake, at the same time bearing a humble testimony that they know the gospel is true and that Joseph Smith is an inspired prophet of God, There is no doctrine, theory or principle whatever, either temporal or spiritual, that can be proved true, only by experience through the exercise of faith. This is not merely a law, it is an absolute, eternal condition; it is not the work of designing men; it is a necessary, self-evident truth. It cannot possibly be otherwise. It cannot be changed nor modified in the least by any decree of the powers of earth or heaven. The infidel says to the Christian, if the gospel is true, as you say it is, why does not the Lord make it known to me? Simply because that is impossible ; a THE PHILOSOPHY OF FAITH AND WORSHIP. 325 knowledge of truth cannot come to us by some gracious gift, as a special favor. Faith may come by hearing, but knowledge comes by the exercise of faith. By a strict compliance with the law involved in the condition, we solve the problem, and verify the truth of the proposition. Faith is the gift of God, and is offered freely to all meu, but cannot be forced upon them. The will of man is supreme; by his agency, he can accept or reject the offered gift. This makes him a responsible, accountable being. If he had not the power to believe, he could not be condemned for unbelief. Jesus says, "He that believeth not shall be damned." There must be a principle of justice underlying such condemnation. Seed is sown in the earth, and by a natural process are developed the bud, the blossom, and the natural fruit. So faith is sown in the soul, and by nurture and cultivation is developed the spiritual fruit, a knowledge of the truth. We would not expect to get a full grown tree, a hundred years old, in a second of time; neither would we expect a full grown man without a natural growth from infancy. Though the creation of Adam and the birth of Jesus may be involved in more or less mystery, the fact is, there was no exception in their cases. If Adam could have been created a full grown man with all his faculties fully developed, with a knowledge of good and evil, becoming as the Gods, without having gone through the natural stages of development, then all men might have been created in the same way, and there would have been no need of male and female, the pains of maternity, the care of infancy, our schools and all our institutions of learning. Our juvenile blunders and the follies incident to ignorance and inexperience might have been dispensed with. This theory is so obviously absurd that no sane person can believe it, but it is no more absurd than the theory that a full knowledge of the truth can be gained without obedience to the law by which it comes. Those who ignore the principle of faith, rebel against the inevitable, put themselves out of harmony with eternal law, become a law to themselves, and compass their own undoing. The wheels of time cannot veer, nor the forces of the universe side-track, to suit the vagaries of skepticism . In regard to worship, we know that all races of men worship 326 IMPROVEMENT ERA. in some form. Veneration seems to be inherent in man; he is impelled by nature to worship some object that he conceives to be superior to himself. This is a divine attribute, and when exercised intelligently in the worship of God is an effectual means of spiritual growth. But when perverted may become a means of debasement. Every good thing may, by perversion, be turned to evil. Love^ though divine and essentially good, when turned to jealousy, is the basest of passions. We never discard a good principle, because it may be used for evil. Many people ruin themselves and others by going into debt, yet most of the world's business is done on credit. Many become nervous dyspeptics by over-indulgence ; but we don't stop eating and drinking on that account. Notwithstanding the many divorces, infidelity, and abuse of the marriage covenant, men and women continue to marry. The senses through which we receive the most exquisite pleasure, may also give us the most intense pain. Divine worship is indispensible to spiritual growth, yet in its perversion it has caused the most evil the world has ever known. One very important mark of distinction between those wha worship God "in spirit and in truth," and those who worship idols,, is the difference in their attitude towards those who do not worship as they do. It is the will of God that all men be free to use their agency without constraint; and those who worship him, however careful they are to guard their own freedom, are just as careful of the rights of those who do not worship as they do. And no true disciple of Christ will use any power but persuasion and kindness, to induce others to worship as he does; while those who worship false gods, when persuasion fails, will use force to compel others to do as they do. This intolerance has brought the principle of reverence into contempt, till many believe it is intrinsically eviL It is true, it has numbered its martyrs by thousands, and its victims in battle by millions. In the light of history, many feel alarm at the prospect of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints becoming a power in the land, lest that power should be used to curtail the freedom and bind the consciences of their fellowmen. Judging the future by the past, there seems good ground for such fear; it seems to be the nature of man, when he has power, to coerce his fellowmen. THE PHILOSOPHY OF FAITH AND WORSHIP. 327 This is not only so ecclesiastically, but also in political, social, industrial, and commercial affairs. As the outstanding boy is pelted to bring him into the ring, so the man is boycotted or ostracised to force him into the union or combine. But as far as the Church of Christ is concerned, there need be no feci,r, for it is founded on the democratic principle of common consent. "We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may." (Eleventh Article of Faith.) The gospel is a "perfect law of liberty;" it is a fundamental principle in God's government, and any departure from it would destroy the Church. Satan, knowing the power of this principle, has invented a thousand devices as objects of worship to lead men away from God , insomuch that for many generations the whole world wandered after the beast, and worshiped his image. The first of the ten commandments given to Israel through Moses was to call them from their idols to the worship of the true God. One object of the gospel, as restored by an angel from heaven in the last days, as recorded in the 14th chapter of Revelation, is to call all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, to "Fear God and worship him who made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of water." In this principle, Jesus set all men an example. When Satan offered him all the kingdoms of the world if he would fall down and worship him, he refused the offer, saying, "It is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Jesus not only prayed to his Father himself, but taught his disciples also to pray, saying, "seek and ye shall find, ask and ye shall receive." "Pray to your Father in secret, and he will reward thee openly." "Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." If it were necessary for him who was without sin to constantly pray to his Father for strength, how much more is it necessary for sinful men to pray ! There are many examples in the scriptures of blessings received through prayer; and in this dispensation, the blessings that came to Joseph Smith, and through him to the Church, have come in answer to praver. The saints in this day are required to call their families to- 328 IMPROVEMENT ERA. gether morning and evening, to bow in prayer and praise to God; and also to meet on the Sabbath, to worship God in songs of praise and prayer, to partake of the sacrament in remembrance of the atonement of Christ, and to receive instructions in doctrine, in theory, and in their duty to God and each other, from the elders, as they are inspired by the Holy Spirit. By withdrawing themselves from the caras of the world, and humbling themselves before God, their souls are brought into harmony with the divine Spirit ; they are impressed with greater love to God, and charity for each other. The Spirit of God is poured down upon them ; their testimonies strengthened, their faith increased; the sick are healed, the spiritual gifts of the gospel enjoyed. They separate with renewed determination to keep themselves unspotted from the sins of the world. The results are love, union, peace and prosperity, in their homes and communities . That the observance of these principles is necessary is shown in the conditions of those members of the Church who neglect family prayer, and fail to keep the Sabbath day holy, and who do not meet in public to worship God, and receive instruction. They become indifferent, neglect other duties, become weak in the faith, and drift away with the multitude down the broad road to destruction. So great are the weaknesses of the flesh, so many the temptations of Satan, and the inducements to sin, that, in order to practice the self-denial, and make the sacrifices necessary to walk in the narrow way that leads to eternal life, men must not only on Sunday, but every day in the week, in all the affairs of life, lean upon the Lord, and seek the guidance of his Holy Spirit, through the exercise of faith and humble, earnest prayer: "Prayer is the Christian's vital breath, the Christian's native air; His watch-word at the gates of death; he enters heaven with prayer. No prayer is mads on earth alone: the Holy Spirit pleads, And Jesus, on the eternal throne, for sinners intercedes." Mancos, Col.