--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Hyde, William A. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 20 number: 12 published: 1917-10 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'William A. Hyde, "The Charter of the Priesthood," *Improvement Era* 20, no. 12 (October 1917): 1041–1053.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera20012unse 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: improvementera20012unse start_page: 1041 end_page: 1053 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1917-10) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera20012unse publication_year: 1917 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 1917, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Charter of the Priesthood IMPROVEMENT ERA Vol. XX OCTOBER, 1917 No. 12 The Charter of the Priesthood By William A. Hyde, President Pocatello Stake of Zion Charter: "(1) The act of a sovereign power incorporating an insti- tution and specifying the purposes and privileges thereof. (2) A formal instrument by which a sovereign grants special rights or privileges to a person or people." Certain opponents of the Latter-day Saints have in the past professed to have had fears that the "Mormon" priesthood, or "hierarchy," as they were pleased to term it, would, if left to the full development of their plans, seize upon the liberties of the nation. This charge formed, and I believe still forms, the basis of an extensive campaign against the "Mormon" people, but happily losing its force as the facts are becoming more gen- erally known. To assist in allaying any such fears that may re- main in the minds of the unenlightened, and with the further view of placing before the priesthood of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints some of the powers and limitations of their callings, this article is written. It is not intended as an exhaustive study of the cmestion, so much as an introduction, merely, to the fundamentals of the subject, such as the length of a single article would permit. Contending and maintaining that God's authority to act for him is on the earth, and that it has been delegated to the Latter- day Saints, it is proper to ask: "Are there clearly defined ar- ticles which together may constitute a charter as in the defini- tion at the head of this article?" In this consideration, the word "priesthood" is always used with reference to that body of men who collectively form the executive, administrative and judicial departments of the Church of Christ, which organization was instituted by the Lord for the carrying out of his plans as outlined by the gospel. Furthermore, it will be well to keep in mind that this body of men is a relatively large proportion of the entire membership of 1042 IMPROVEMENT ERA the Church, graded in authority from the Presidency, supreme in its rights, under the inspiration of the Lord, with reference to the Church, down to the immature men and boys who operate in the minor offices, each having well defined powers, with ref- erence to, and in harmony with, the others. In the preface to the Doctrine and Covenants, the modern scripture of the Latter-day Saints, the Lord made known that the commandments therein were given that his servants "might have power to lay the foundation of this Church, and to bring it forth, out of obscurity and out of darkness," and among other rights they were to have, was "the power given to seal both on earth and in heaven, the unbelieving and the rebellious * * * unto the day when the wrath of God should be poured out upon the wicked without measure." Here are broad, general grants of authority that constitute a charter. All that has been done by the priesthood in this dispensation is comprised within this authority, and our object now is to analyze and reduce this general grant, to its elements or articles. Of this we may be cer- tain as we proceed, that these elements are everlasting in their character, for we shall find that they were given to men in former dispensations. They were fundamental, because founded in truth, and essentially needful, and they will be found to con- stitute the life, and heart and power of the priesthood. The priesthood is "without beginning of days, nor end of life" (Heb. 7:3). It was instituted before time, as marked by us, began. "It is after the order of the Son of God" (Doc. and Cov. 107). The Psalmist refers to the Savior as "a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek" (Psa. 110:4), and it is an inter- esting question, and pertinent to this sugject, as to the connec- tion the priesthood of our Lord had with his mission. The sinlessness of the Redeemer was a necessary attribute for his redemptive work, but power, also, was needed. Said he, refer- ring to his body, "No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself, I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again. This commandment I have received of my Father." Purity, humility and power, were blended in the sacrifice of the Son of God, and power was not the least of these elements. Without omnipotence, the redemption of the world could not have been accomplished. An ancient writer has said (Heb. 2:17), "Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. * * * For in that he himself has suf- fered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempt- ed." And again (Heb. 7) "The Lord sware and will not repent, thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better THE CHARTER OF THE PRIESTHOOD 1043 testament. And they truly were many priests, because they were not suf- fered to continue by reason of death: but this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heav- ens; who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for their own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself." The writer in drawing the distinction between priests of the Mosaic dispensation, with its carnal laws, and the priesthood of Christ, said (Heb. 9:11), "But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect taber- nacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal re- demption for us." The supreme accomplishment of the Re- deemer, operating as the great High Priest for men, is an ex- ample of the object of the priesthood. It is intended to bring about the redemption of mankind from death, and also from the consequences of their own sinfulness. Its chief mission is to save and exalt. In a world that is largely controlled by forces not in sym- pathy with the plans of the Almighty, and in which other agen- cies than those which are righteous freely operate, the priest- hood has always found itself opposed in carrying out the pur- poses of its Divine Founder. The governments of this world, and the Kingdom of Heaven, are not conducted upon principles that entirely harmonize. The one is essentially carnal, selfish and worldly, while the other is spiritual. That the priesthood has not always been predominant and thus enabled to exercise to the fullest extent its saving principles and beneficent powers for the happiness of humanity, is due to the ebb and flow of the battle for the conquest of the earth, and its redemption or sub- jugation; and with the issue of authority arising between the forces engaged, the spiritual government has at various times been seen to stand apart from the civil authority, and a distinct line between them has been drawn. Such an issue came in the history of the Christ. Jewish teachings and traditions had in- vested the coming Messiah with omnipotent power. He was to rule with righteous sway and dominion, King of the Earth. On a certain occasion, while engaged in teaching, he faced a group of bitter antagonists who, by a question, drew the issue sharply and clearly, as to what rights he possessed or claimed with reference to the authority of Rome, and his wise answer: "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's" acquitted him before his enemies of any desire to usurp earthly or civil authority. Though the Son 1044 IMPROVEMENT ERA of God, he came to do the will of the Father. In him exists inherently the power over life and death, which is the essence of Omnipotence, but he is now essentially a man, whose mission is to persuade and not to compel; to present to the world sav- ing truths, but not to enforce them. It may be argued by some in defense of contrary practices, of which there are abundant examples in history, that the course of the Master was wise ex- pediency, that in the action he was but exemplifiying the in- junction, "to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves," and that with Rome not to be reckoned with, his answer would have — been one more compatible with his spiritual station that, hav- ing the inherent rigth to rule, he would use that right with de- cision. Inconsistent as such an argument is, it would appear to have been the course of thought of a false priesthood, but it never can be the attitude of Christ's authorized servants. Christ came to prove the world. He came to offer it redemption from sin. He could, then, if he had desired, as at a later date, have brought to his assistance twelve legions of heavenly warriors to enforce his authority, but he was now putting into effect the principle of spiritual liberty for which he had contended in the heavens. (Doc. and Cov. 104:17; Pearl of Great Price). With him, one unarmed man, unconvinced in the issue of the soul's salvation, offered more resistance than a legion of Roman soldiers with swords and spears, for his is not a conquest of arms but of saving principles of righteousness. The strength of the Church does not lie in physical dominion, nor wholly in the acquisition of numbers, but in the perfection of its unity. As the Savior neared the end of his earthly mission, his heart's desire, and the ruling purposes of his life, were summed up and ex- pressed in the simple request made of the Father, concerning his apostles and all those who were believers in his word, "That they may be one as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." The Church has its bonds and restraints, they are not of a physical character. Its bonds are the ties of faith, the assurance in the heart of the rewards of the future; the knowledge that we are accepted of God, and the present hap- piness that comes from the approval of the Spirit. Our re- straints are negative, rather than positive. We cannot compel, but we can deny. The priesthood "may seal up the unbelieving and the rebellious until the day when the wrath of God shall come upon them," but the sealing or judgment does not in any way interfere with the liberty of conscience of men, it is merely the recognition by the priesthood of the status of the individual whose descision as shown by his action has been that he prefers his own will to the will of a superior power. The severest pun- ishment that the priesthood as the instrument of the Church THE CHARTER OF THE PRIESTHOOD 1045 can inflict, is to sever the relations existing between the Church and the individual, cutting him off, not from the privileges of repentance, but from the rights his actual connection with the Church gave to him. That there might be no mistaken opinion by the priesthood as to the sphere in which they might legally operate, the Lord in this day, has by revelation most clearly defined their limita- tions in the punishment and discipline of the members of the Church (Doc. and Cov. 42). He who breaks the law of the land shall be delivered up to the civil authority, and he who breaks the law of the Church is subject to the penalties that the Church may impose. We might continue and arrive at this conclusion, that the decision of the Church, when the law of the land also has been broken by the individual, should not be rendered in such a time or in such a way as to hamper or interfere with the procedure of the civil courts, and that no decision should be given by the Church courts attempting to decree land or its appurtenances, for these things are matters of civil record, and purely within the jurisdiction of civil authority. It may be readily seen that contrary action to this would precipitate issues between the church and the state, and this must not be, for we "must render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's." An organized priesthood is an institution of God designed for his service in different ages and under very different condi- tions, it would be apparent that a charter of its rights and privi- leges must be very general and comprehensive in its terms. It must apply alike to the days of Abraham, to the Children of Israel, to the Church as organized under Christ's personal min- istry, and to us in this day. We get a key to it in the Scripture (II Peter 1:21) "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." The Savior declared that he "came to do the will of the Father," and that will no doubt was communicated from time to time. The apostles declared the Holy Ghost to be the fountain (John 16:13: I Cor. 2). It was the power by which Peter might seal on earth, and it should be sealed in heaven. This manner of God's dealing with his children in the past is proved to be of universal application by his statement in this day: "But notwithstanding those things which are written, it always has been given to the elders of my Church from the be- ginning, and ever shall be, to conduct all meetings as they are directed and guided by the Holy Spirit" (Doc. and Cov. 46:2). Further, the heart of the matter is found fully expressed in Doctrine and Covenants 68:4: "And 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 1046 IMPROVEMENT ERA be the word of the Lord, shall the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation: behold this is the promise of the Lord to you, O ye my servants." Here is an authority and a privilege so vast as to be appalling. Here is given an un- limited spiritual right, far transcending any authority which men might confer. Here is the enabling clause in the char- ter of the priesthood. Reduced to its minimum of words it is, "to do all and no more than God would have us do." Here is a scope for man's activities, broad as the earth, bound- less as the heavens, as all-embracing as the universe. By it, man may reach into every avenue of mortal existence, and stand- ing at the boundary of the limits of his mortal powers he can clasp hands with infinitude. No freemen ever had greater lib- erty of action than these men in bonds. It is as if the feet were manacled in chains, and receiving the command to fly the bonds become Jupiter's wings, and we soar to the heavens. The spirit is not subject to the limitations of earth, and no man ever entered upon lofty enterprises with greater hope or assurance than he who embarks under the spirit of his priesthood in the service of the Master. Before him lies the world, to be per- suaded, to be reformed, to be spiritually regenerated. Numer- ous guides for his activity are to be found in the written word, and, furthermore, it is his right in his calling to speak under the very influence that indicted that written word, even the Holy Ghost, and this is to be the law within his rightful sphere. Herein is the highest form of initiative; and that initiative in the servants of the Lord is a virtue of high order may be known by the Scripture: (Doc. and Cov. 58:27) "Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteous- ness." There is work to do, gird up your loins! From your spiritual elevation, scan the field; "it is white and ready for the harvest," "thrust in your sickle and reap!" We emerge from the order of servants, in the sense of menials merely, and become co-partners. From the rich treasury of heaven, talents are placed in our hands, and we are commanded to invest. The nar- row range of our vision is broadened and the opportunities of the earth and sky are ours. In the midst of our exultation let us pause here, for it is easy to see that an ardent enthusiast, laying hold upon the promise merely of the possession of divine powers, might be made the captive of civil influences, and, degenerating into a fanatic, might become a shouter of empty and deceptive words. Man must contribute his portion in a co-partnership so potent. The priesthood must prepare themselves. They are to be the vehicle, the instrument. As such they must be efficient and pol- ished. With the Church established and the avenues of ac- THE CHARTER OF THE PRIESTHOOD 1047 tivity opened up, there is given to man the task to develop and apply the truths revealed by God; and to this task he must bring not only humility, desire and ambition, but intelligence and learning also, so the Lord has said (Doc. and Cov. 88:118) "And as all have not faith, seek ye dilli gently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom: seek learning by study, and also by faith." In God's plan of education, every possible avenue for error to creep into the Church is guarded. "Seek learning by study, and also by faith." The ordinary sources of instruction, teach- ers and books, are not sufficient; there is to be a heavenly pre- ceptor whose influence must direct our studies so, hand in hand, ; the mental and spiritual walk together the path of progress, and the servant who wisely uses his time, emerges from this mortal school, well rounded in the things that are most useful and honorable. In olden times, the Master said to his ministry, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." That commandment should be interpreted as conveying authority rather than mere permission. It was given only to the few. It is a great calling to deliver his "word." That they might be qualified to do it acceptably, they must needs wait until the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, should come. They were to speak by a higher gift and influence than that of their own wisdom and learning, for the Holy Ghost, whose chief mission is to test- ify of the Christ, was to be their companion. The words of the ancient apostles, which have been a guide to the world for gen- erations, are virile and strong today, because they were indicted by the Spirit of Truth. The mission of a teacher is a sacred, on authoritative one, not to be lightly assumed or superficially practiced. It has two great functions, to convert and to warn. Side by side in God's word run the injunction, "Repent ye," and the warning, "come ye out of Babylon, lest ye partake of her sins and receive of her plagues." He who goes from house lo house with the humble testimony of Jesus, supplementing it with the warning message, while not so prominent before the world as he who delivers an eloquent sermon before the public, is yet performing a no less important part, for, his work being completed, he has brought out from Babylon those who are willing to listen or, "has sealed up the unbelieving and rebellious until the day of God's wrath." It has been his right and his mission to prove the world. There is perhaps nothing more clearly established by the scriptures than that men in ancient times performed acts that were in their nature mediatory between God and man. An 1048 IMPROVEMENT ERA Abraham offered sacrifices, a Moses laid his hands upon men in conferring authority, a John the Baptist performed the act that washed away the sins of the repentant believer; to a Peter was given the right to "bind and seal," and these are all forms or ordinances that are the visible and concrete manifestations of — the obedient spirit the "outward sign" that is required of and executed for the humble believer. So in this day, God has given to men the right to so offici- ate. The law of sacrifice being fulfilled in Christ, men are not required to observe it now in form and ceremony, but the priesthood has been instructed in other forms of ordinances and authorized to officiate in them. They are to bless, to bap- tize, to confirm by the laying on of hands. They are to seal on earth that it may be sealed in heaven. They are to ordain men to authority. All this and more for the living, and vicari- ously for those dead who have not had the earthly privilege of thus receiving spiritual blessings and making covenant with the Almighty in very act and deed. A pre-requisite to the usefulness and to the high authority of the priesthood, so patent as scarcely to need mention, is that it shall be morally worthy to act. Inasmuch as the operations of the priesthood to be authoritative, must be under the direction of the Holy Ghost (I Peter 4), and inasmuch as the Holy Ghost will not dwell in unclean tabernacles, it follows that a sinful, immoral man, though he may nominally have the authority, may not have the full functions of his calling, and that in pro- portion to the purity of his soul, will his power for good be in- creased. It will scarcely be denied that a formal ordinance, performed for a deserving person, in the order of the Church, will be valid, even though he who executes it may to a degree be unworthy, but to such servants will never come in their unre- pentant state the high initiative that takes hold of the hidden things of God and brings them unto man. The priesthood may not be required to be immaculate in order that their official acts may be authoritative, but it is commanded of them that they touch sacred things with clean hands, and that underneath their current of little weaknesses and temporary failings, to which all men are more or less subject, shall be found the strong flow of determined repentance and sincere motives. No man has been sinless, but that man may be worthy to be a servant who has not been scarred and blighted by vital sins, if the heart is right. This injunction must be applied to themselves by the priesthood in a very literal way: "Be ye clean who bear the vessels of the Lord." Because men are often unrepentant and rebellious, it is therefore not only necessary that man should cleanse himself, THE CHARTER OF THE PRIESTHOOD 1049 but that the organized priesthood shall have power to purge itself of the sinful and iniquitous among its members, and this has been commanded of the priesthood in a definite and certain way. The courts of the Church have all the power necessary to enforce the law of the Church, and the extreme penalty of ex- communication. As the concluding clause of a civil enactment or law, there comes the recital of the penalty for its violation. This custom is wisely followed for the discipline of men that they may be subject to authority, so likewise, the Lord, after putting rich privileges into the hands of his servants, has warned them against their unrighteous use. Says the Lord, by the warning voice of his servant, at the close of an impressive statement in which he calls atention to the tendency among men to take advantage of authority given them for their own selfish ends: Doc. and Cov. 121:37-38. "When we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratifyour pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control, or dominion, or compulsion, upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of un- righteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood, or authority of that man. Behold! ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks; to persecute the Saints, and to fight against God." The blessings following the wise, earnest and grateful use of the powers of the priesthood are not to be measured by mortal standards. In the language of our modern law giver: "the doc- trines of the priesthood are distilled upon our souls" (Doc. and Cov. 121:45). Out of the vast ocean of truth, there are to come to us imperceptibly, but nevertheless potently and generously, pure intelligence from the Divine source, which shall quicken and enliven our minds and spirits even as the thirsty plants are enlivened by the dews of heaven. On the other hand, when men use their high callings for God, and theirs selfish ends, they shall be cut off from access to will be the most poignant of all punishment, that can be de- scribed only by him who has tasted the sweets of life and hope and has now turned to the gall of despair. In confiding to the Church his great work, God has thus guarded it from attacks from within. In the ministry of the priesthood, presidency stands para- mount, but even that, with all its delegated power cannot pre- vent the voice of the people from being heard. Here is to be found no hierarchy that assumes all inspiration. The member- ship of the Church, a great proportion of which holds a greater or less degree of the priesthood, are called upon to think, and 1050 IMPROVEMENT ERA upon them is placed the responsibility of knowing, and of ac- cepting or rejecting the acts of those whose right it is to take the initiative. On this principle is founded the rule of "common consent" in the Church, which makes the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a great Theo-Democracy. The law is tersely stated in Doctrine and Covenants 26:2: "All things shall be done by common consent in the Church, by much prayer and faith, for all things you shall receive by faith." By what we have heretofore observed, and by what we have here revealed to us, we may deduct this rule: The word of those who preside, inspired by the Holy Ghost, and being accepted by the action of the membership of the Church, becomes law to the Church. At first thought this deduction might seem to grant to the body of the Church extraordinary powers. It would seem to make the mass of humanity embraced in the organi- zation, the ruling power, independent of appeal, but at this point let it be asserted clearly that this Church is either founded and directed by God or it is insincere and farcial in motive and operation. Being of God, he must direct it, and the simple phrase "for all things ye shall receive by faith" is the bulwark behind which God maintains his directing power. The preroga- tive of presidency is that it may initiate under the guidance of inspiration. Thus God makes known his will in the matters that pertain to the work of his priesthood. To give the moving power to the presidency does not take from the liberty of the member. To grant the contention that it does would be to ad- mit at once the spurious character of a pretended authority. To maintain liberty of mind in the mass is to affirm the unity of the Church, for which high reward the Redeemer sought the Father under the shadow of the Cross. The consent of the Church is not the mere drifting or blind following of the masses, it is a corroborative decision wherein is manifest the collective judg- ment and inspiration. The marvel is not that the Church could be united under such liberties, but that it could be otherwise, for there can be no monopolization of inspiration, wisdom or learn- ing in spiritual things by a few, for to the Church is given the right to know. If the time should ever come in the history of the Church when the power that proposes should be set up in opposition to the power that affirms on some issue of right, either the priesthood would merit and receive the punishment foreshadowed in the Lord's warning, and other shepherds would be appointed, or the people would be ripe for the chastisement that inevitably follows in the wake of rebellion. Examples are to be found in history where men have ceased to lead by inspira- tion, and have been brought low; and examples are many where the organized people have overruled their divinely appointed THE CHARTER OF THE PRIESTHOOD 1051 leaders, only to find in time that they had wrought their own overthrow. One of the chief bulwarks of the civil law is that in which provision is made to protect the rights of the accused. A wise rule prevails in advanced governments that "the accused shall be con- sidered innocent until he is proven guilty;" for, great as is the necessity of preserving society, with equal care must the rights of the individual be protected. The rule stated is elemental, for it is recognized of God. The priesthood is governed by it, for by a code of procedure, simple but sufficient, all serious infractions of law are to be investigated. Sin is not to be looked upon "with the least degree of allowance," but always Mercy must have speech at the bar of Justice. The grace of forgiveness is founded upon repentance, proved by confession, and neither the clamor of the world nor the per- suasion of friends must influence judgment to swerve from its righteous course. This, that man may have open to him the sav- ing principles and ordinances of the gospel, and that the Church shall stand clean and guiltless from the offenses of men. So, quorums of the priesthood have the power to purge themselves, the Church may prune and cast into the fire the dead branches, and remove the rebellious and wicked members. In the use of the powers of the priesthood, perhaps the highest quality that man may show in his attitude toward his fellowman is that he shall be just and merciful. "God is no respecter of persons" and he who sits in the seat of authority must divest himself of all selfishness, whether born of love, friendship, hate or ambi- tion, and measure men and motives by the law of righteousness and with the desire to save. But while the scope of the jurisdiction of the priesthood in matters of government and discipline is purely spiritual, the Church is subject to earthly conditions, and is housed in earthly elements. The work of the Church is therefore primarily ma- terial, and must be dealt with by material man in a practical way. In all that can be found in sacred writings both ancient and modern, there is nothing that would indicate that the Church assumes anything but spiritual prerogatives, and this truth is kept in view in all its relations with the civil authority as here- tofore shown. Internally there is no division into temporal and spiritual. Again we may repeat in substance, that if the Church is the instrument of God in carrying out his will, it would be a denial of our sincerity to admit that there could be in it two elements. In matters that pertain to the conduct of the Church and its growth and extension we do not recognize the temporal as distinct from the spiritual. Material men must of necessity work with material things, but the aim is spiritual, God would 1052 IMPROVEMENT ERA not make any distinction, because all things with him are spir- itual. Forces, materials, instruments, all alike enter into the plan with him, and whether he work by a prophet, by an an- gel, by the power of the Holy Ghost, by thunderings and light- nings, or by men, these are his mediums and none can question their use. Shall I be condemned as an irreverent materialist if I shall say that the Church may be literally likened to the body of Christ— that the physical part is sacred in that its pur- — pose is to house the spiritual that it shall perform its func- tions until it gives way to a higher order of things, when "we shall all come to a unity of the faith?" The work of the Church must therefore be practical, for it pertains to the affairs of time, as well as to those of eternity. There are temples, churches, and schools to be built and main- tained; proselyting expenses to be met; the poor to be assisted; worthy enterprises that employ the people are to be fostered, and these all ministering to life and progress must be directed wisely. The growth of the Church is the growth of its parts, of its institutions. This growth constitutes the lengthening of the cords and the strengthening of the stakes of Zion. To the accomplishment of the guiding of the Church of Christ men are to lend their wisdom and industry, and it is one of the rights of a regularly appointed priesthood to govern in these matters as in the days of old of which the scriptures plainly attest. From this condition arises the cry of commercialism, ut- tered against the Church, for therein men profess to see a men- ace to the State. Their fears are groundless, for this system is such as to stand the tests that may be imposed upon it. Its or- ganization and methods are logical, they could not be otherwise, and still be true; indeed, it is one of the highest proofs of the sincerity of our aims and the legitimacy of our enterprises that this is so. Thus is the Church to be brought "out of obscurity and out of darkness," and the preparation made for the coming of him who is to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. In all these things the priesthood is to "seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness." To sum the matter up There is no written constitution by : the letter of which men shall govern the Church under any and all conditions. Men are to speak and preside under the influence of the Holy Ghost. The constitution of the Church lies in the mind and heart of God, and is expressed in law, as it shall be voiced by the Spirit through his servants. The charter of the priesthood is the privilege and power of interpreting for the Church the will of God, as revealed by his Spirit, and of executing that will by the consent of the Church; the right under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost to preach the THE CHARTER OF THE PRIESTHOOD 1053 gospel of Jesus, and to warn the nations of the judgments of God; to execute, for the Church, the laws and ordinances insti- tuted for its perfection; to discipline its members, and to cast out iniquity from the Church, bearing in mind that the guiding law of the priesthood, which is as immutable as the heavens, is the law of love, which finds its expression in charity and long- suffering patience. All this that God's will may be done in the earth in our day and time, and that the gift of his Son for our redemption and final exaltation may not have been made in vain. Pocatello, Idaho When I Go Thus would I be remembered when I go, As one who helped. Iseek not for the fame that comes of killing men, Or glory that might follow wisdom's power, Nor for the plaudits of the crowd that listens when A brilliant entertainer speeds the hour. Would that I might leave friends in every humble clime, Where e'er prompt duty calls my work to be, To think of me beyond the vail dividing time From all the rest of great eternity. Such friends as smile, remembering some kindly phrase That I have spoken when the day was hard, Some helpful smile that I have sent to smoothe the ways Grown difficult when life was trouble-marred. Friends that shall say with tear-dew shining in their eyes, "This one of us who left was willing still To lend a helping hand when problems would arise That, solved, led upward; unsolved, down the hill." Though others win great glory, praise, and wide renown, Content am I with service just for love. To miss no opportunity for good, the crown Of all my life, that I would seek above. Thus would I be remembered when I go, As one who helped. Heloiae Day.