I’ll Take You by the Hand, Brother
Improvement Era, vol. 17, no. 8, June 1914, p. 724
Joseph Longking Townsend
— ; •
724 IMPROVEMENT I'.RA
as solemnized in the temples of the current dispensation, already
number many millions and the continuation of the work is marked
;
by unabated zeal and devotion.
"The Gospel of Jesus Christ is given for the salvation of
human-kind its requirements apply ahke to the living whose
;
blessed privilege it is to hear its glad tidings while in the flesh,
and to the dead who may accept the truth in the spirit world. The
genius of the Gospel is that of altruism unbounded its power to :
save extends beyond the portals of death. As the vicarious work
for the dead can be done only in sanctuaries specially devoted
thereto, there will be an ever-present need for temples so long as
there are souls awaiting this ministry.
"The present is the age of greatest import in all history, em-
bodying as it does the fruition of the past and the living seed of
the yet greater future. The present is the dispensation of fulness,
for which the dispensations of by-gone centuries have been but
preliminary and preparatory. The saving and sanctifying labor
incident to modern temples surpasses that of the temples of earlier
times as the light of the full day exceeds the twilight of the
!awn."^
I'll Take You by the Hand, Brother
Tliough oft you've stumbled down, brotlicr,
Tliough oft been spurned by men,
I'll take you by the hand, brother,
And lift you up again.
The great heart of the Master,
With love so kind and true,
Is ready to forgive, brother.
Is yearning now for you.
I'll take you by the hand, brother.
When ship-wrecked in life's storm;
The haven of the Lord, brother.
Has hearts both true and warm.
Oh, come where friends can greet j'ou,
Let me not plead in vain!
I'll take vou by the hand, brother,
And lift you up again.
Come while we wait for you, brother.
Come, gather to the fold
There's hope and joy for you, brother,
There's love and peace untold.
Think how the Savior loves you, —
His call is to all men,
I'll take you by the hand, brother.
And lift you up again!
PLEASANT, UTAH JOSEP'I LoNGKING ToWNSF.XP
/See "The House of the Lord," pp. 23.3, 234.