--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Smith, Joseph F. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 12 number: 8 published: 1909-06 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Joseph F. Smith, "Editor’s Table—Devotion to the Cause of Zion," *Improvement Era* 12, no. 8 (June 1909): 668–673.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1208unse 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: improvementera1208unse start_page: 668 end_page: 673 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1909-06) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1208unse publication_year: 1909 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 1909, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Editor’s Table—Devotion to the Cause of Zion his pleasure. These are principles that should pervade the minds and hearts of all the Latter-day Saints. We should have gained sufficient experience by this time to realize that no man, no indi- vidual, no clique and no secret organization can combine with force and power sufficient to overturn the purposes of the Almighty, or to change the course of his work : Many and many an individual has arisen in times past; and these individuals have been falsely impressed with the idea that they were going to work a wonderful reformation in the Church; they anticipated that in a very short time the whole people would desert their standard, the standard of truth to which they had gathered and around which they had rallied from the beginning of the Church until then. These persons thought the people would follow these "new shep- herds," but the people of God know the voice of the true shep- herd, and the stranger's voice they will not heed, nor the counsels of him who assumes authority that does not belong to him. None such will they ever follow. * The Latter-day Saints know the spirit of the gospel; they understand the spirit of truth. They have learned their duty, and they will stand by the truth no matter what may come. From the beginning until now, we have had to face the entire world; and the whole world, comparatively, is or has been arrayed against the work of the Lord, not all on account of hatred, not solely with the intent or desire in their hearts to do evil or to fight the truth but because they were ignorant of the truth, and. because they knew not what they were doing. Many are deceived by the voice of the false shepherds and are misled by false influences. They are deceived; they know not the truth; they understand not what they do, and, therefore, they are arrayed, as it were, against the truth, against the work of the Lord, so it has been from the beginning. From the day that the Prophet Joseph Smith first de- clared his vision until now; the enemy of all righteousness, the enemy of truth, of virtue, of honor, uprightness and purity of life the enemy of the only true God, the enemy to direct revela- ; tion from God and to the inspirations that come from the heavens to man, has been arrayed against this work. You have never found the friend to righteousness, the friend to revelation, the friend to God, the friend to truth, the friend to righteous living and purity of life, or he who is devoted to righteousness and is EDITOR'S TABLE. 669 broad enough to comprehend truth from error and light from dark- ness—I say you have never found such as these arrayed against the cause of Zion. To be arrayed against the cause of Zion is to be arrayed against God, against revelation from God, against the Spirit that leads men into all truth that cometh frGm the source of light and intelligence, against the principle that brings men to- gether and causes them to forsake their sins, to seek righteous- ness; to love God witn all their hearts, mind and strength and to love their neighbors as themselves. The spirit of the gospel leads men to righteousness; to love their fellowmen and to labor for their salvation and exaltation; it inspires them to do good and not evil, to avoid even the appear- ance of sin, much more to avoid sin itself. This is indeed the spirit of the gospel, which is the spirit of this latter-day work; and also the spirit that possesses those who have embraced it, and the aim and purpose of this work is the salvation, the exalta- tion and the eternal happiness of man both in this life and the life to come. Will any man, or any men who really love set of righteousness, love God, love purity of life, and who are seeking for the truth, I ask, will such men array themselves against the work whose very object is that which they themselves seek? Those who fight against Zion or against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are fighting against God : against his truth; against light and knowledge and revelation from the heav- ens to man, which we know man ha's received of God in the day in which we live. What shall we do? Our plain duty — so plain that none should misunderstand it, none can misunderstand it, unless they allow their prejudice and weaknesses to prevail over their bet- ter judgment; our plain duty is to live in the spirit of forgiveness, in the spirit of humility before the Lord, in the love of the truth more than the love of ourselves and our personal interests. The Lord told the young man who loved the world, that if he desired to be perfect, he should sell all that he had and give it to the poor, then, said the Lord, "Come and follow me." This may be a very simple manner of expression, but there is a great deal of truth in it; there is an essential principle involved in it. It is the putting of that which is sacred and divine, that which makes for the peace and happiness of the souls of men, before our riches, before all our earthly honors and possessions. The Lord 670 IMPR VEMEN T ERA. Almighty requires this of the Latter-day Saints, and every man and woman who has embraced the gospel ought to feel in his and inher heart today, and in their souls always that "whatever the Lord require bh of me, that will I do, " or that will I give, no matter what it is. To a certain extent we have reached that point, to the extent at least that we can forego the pleasures of home, the opportunity of making means, of devoting our time to labors and industries that bring great profit to us. We aie willing to leave these things and for years consecrate our time and our efforts to the preaching of the gospel to the nations of the earth' and remain preclaiming the gospel in the world until it shall be said to us, "It is enough," and we receive an honorable release to return to our hom a s. This is, of course, a step in the right direc- tion. Many of us can do this and many are doing it from time to time. Occasionally we come across an individual who thinks he could not do it. He thinks he could not sacrifice his home inter- ests, and the profits of his business, which need his personal atten- tion. He thinks he could not leave these interests to go out into the world to preach the gospel, and he asks to be excused from being called to such labor as this. I fear that in such cases, if he were called upon to make a sacrifice of a portion of that which he possessed of a worldly character for the building up of Zion, or for the spread of truth, or for the defense of the people of God, that he would be wanting in his willingness to comply with such require- ments also. For my own part, I would like to so live that with open heart and mind, before God and all men, that if I were required to go to the ends of the earth and remain there proclaiming the gospel of Christ, I would be willing to do it; or if I were asked to give up what I possess in the world, for the building up of Zion, for some special necessary purpose, for advancing the cause of Zion in the world, that I would be prepared and ready to say, Father, here is all I have; I place it upon the altar freely and give it for the benefit of thy kingdom upon the earth and for the advancement of thy cause. I would like to live so that this would indeed be my determination and that I would be able, if the requirement were made, to carry it out not only without regret but with pleasure. — But this I earnestly desire I want to live so that no matter what EDITORS TABLE. 671 any other man in the world may do, or say, and so far as I am concerned, there is but this one thing for me to do, and that is to be true to t'ue covenants that I have made with my God and my brethren to stand firm and steadfast for the advancement of Zion and for the building up of the kingdom of God in the earth. I want to so live that I can have in me the spirit and determination to forgive my brother his trespasses, as I would desire him to for- give my trespasses against him. We should all live so that the spirit of reconciliation, the spirit of peace, the spirit of love and of union may arise above the passions and feelings of anger and resentment that may be aroused in the hearts of men, inconsequence of circumstances which might arise from time to time. Our lives should be such that these worldly things may sink into insignificance, and that the love of God in the hearts of brethren might rise above all other things, no matter what conditions or circumstances may be brought to bear upon us to provoke or wound our feelings. There is no salvation but in the way God has pointed out. There is no hope of everlasting life but through obedience to the law that has been affixed by the Father of Life, "with Him there is no variableness nor shadow of turning;" and there is no other way by which we may obtain that light and that exaltation. These matters are beyond peradventure, beyond all doubt in my mind; I know them to be true. Therefore, I bear my testimony to you, my brethren and sisters, that the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth, that he lives and that his son lives, even he who died for ihe sins of the world, and that he rose from the dead; that he sits upon the right hand of the Father; that all power is given unto him; that we are directed to call upon God in the name of Jesus Christ. We are told that we should remember him in our homes, keep his holy name fresh in our minds, and revere him in our hearts; we should call upon him from time to time, — from day to day, and, in fact, every moment of our lives, we should live so that the de- sires of our hearts will be a prayer unto God for righteousness, for truth and for the salvation of the human family. Let us guard ourselves so that there may not come into our souls a single drop of bitterness by which our whole being might be corroded and poisoned with anger, with hatred, envy or malice, or any sort of . — 672 1MPR VEMENT ERA evil. We should be free from, all these evil things, that we may be filled with the love of God, the love of truth, the love of our fellow men, that we may seek to do good to all men, all the days of our lives, and above all things, be true to our covenants in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that this is Christ's Church. I know that the prin- ciples we have received are true, as far as I have been able to comprehend them. I need not enter into a lengthy talk or dis- course in relation to these principles, for you are "familiar with them; but I do know that every principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ, that has been revealed through Joseph Smith the prophet in these last days is of God and is true, and will stand for ever that is, on its merit, as to its truth, it can never be overthrown. I know this with all my being. God has made me doubly assured by the presence and influence of his Spirit, and by the inspiration awakened in my soul to love that which is good and to desire to forsake that which is evil. I know, too, that the Lord Almighty will accomplish his pur- poses, no matter about me, no matter what individuals may do, or scores of individuals, for that matter, or hundreds of them, or perchance thousands of them that may turn away from the truth, or who may fall by the way, stumbling over their own weaknesses as a result of the little strifes and bitternesses that arise in their hearts, one against another. Hundreds of thousands may fall by the way, but the kingdom of God will never fall. The work of the Lord will never stop, nor cease, for God has decreed that it shall continue to progress in the earth until his purposes are accom- plished. This being true, no power beneath the celestial kingdom can hinder its progress. It can't be done, for God has decreed it. I see in the progress of this Latter-day work, from its incep- tion, that mighty irresistible power, — that wonderful divine provi- dence that makes for righteousness and for truth and for the ad- — vancement of the cause of Zion, working in and under and all around this Church, until it has brought the Church to where it is. That same power will become stronger and stronger and will work with greater rapidity and greater impetus in the future than it has done in the past, in proportion to the growth and development of the faith and knowledge and fidelity of the people of God in the EDITORS TABLE. 673 earth. The kingdom of God and the work of the Lord will spread more and more; it will progress more rapidly in the world in the future than it has done in the past. The Lord has said it, and the Spirit beareth record; and I bear my testimony to this, for I do know that it is true. We believe in righteousness. We believe in all truth, no mat- ter to what subject it may refer. No sect or religious denomina- tion in the world possesses a single principle of truth that we do not accept or that we will reject. We are willing to receive all truth, from whatever source it may come; for truth will stand; truth will endure. No man's faith, no man's religion, no religious organization in all the world, can ever rise above the truth. The truth must be at the foundation of religion, or it is in vain and it will fail of its purpose. I say that the truth is at the foundation, at the bottom and top of — and it permeates this great work of the Lord that was established through the instrumentality of Joseph Smith, the prophet. God is with it; it is his work, not that of man; and it will succeed, no matter what the opposition may be. We look now at the opposition arrayed against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and smile, so to speak, with feelings of confidence, doubly assured by the experience of the past, in comparison to the feelings that possessed the souls of our fathers and mothers in the early days of the Church, when they were but a handful, with all the world arrayed against them; just a few poor, homeless people, driven from their possessions, cast out from the communities in which they sought to establish themselves and build their homes. When I think of our people, thrust into the wilderness, wandering and seeking for a place where the soles of their feet might rest, and to see, then, the world arrayed against them, and to think of the little chance that appeared be- fore them for success and the accomplishment of God's purposes, I wonder that more of them did not tremble and falter than did; but some of them were true in the midst of it all, even unto death. If it had been necessary for them to have been martyred for the truth, willingly would they have given their lives, as they gave all else that they possessed in the world, for the knowledge they had of the divinity of the work in which they were engaged Are we . as faithful today? Are we as devout as our fathers were? Oh,