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This the last General Conference address delivered by President Ivins prior to his death some five moths later.
Before commencing my remarks, my brethren and sisters, I desire as President Clark has done to express the gratitude I feel that the Lord has lengthened out my days to be present at this general conference of the Church. The things which have occurred here could not have occurred in any other place in the world. The music to which we have listened, the mothers' chorus which so splendidly rendered their parts, and the young men and young women representing the Mutual Improvement Associations of the Church, could not have been found in any other place. This Tabernacle choir, and this organ cannot be found in any other place in the world.
The doctrines which have been expounded here you would not hear in any other congregation of people outside of the Church. These are the things which have impressed me, the things for which I feel grateful to my Father which is in heaven.
During the sessions of the conference, various of those who have addressed us have referred to a convention of Protestant ministers recently held in Chicago. The report of that meeting indicates that a majority of them are said to have not believed in a heaven or a hell or a devil. That may sound extremely Godless to us, but after all I fancy I see in it a ray of hope. These men speak of heaven and of hell and of the devil as they have been taught to understand those things, a heaven inhabited by ethereal beings, wafting their way from place to place, without knowledge of the past or hope of the future, who surround the throne of a God without body, parts or passions, and sing anthems and play harps throughout eternity; a hell which is a lake of burning brimstone and of a devil who goes around with a pitchfork looking for victims to pitch into it, where they are to remain forever burning, but never consumed. This doctrine never has appealed to me. It seems rather hopeful to me that men professing to be teachers of the doctrine of Christ are getting away from those things.
As an introduction to what I would like to say I want to read from the twelfth chapter of the Revelation of St. John, seventh verse:
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought again the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels.
And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
In the Bible the word devil is used interchangeably with Satan, the tempter, Beelzebub, the prince of this world, the old serpent, all of which appellations refer to the same personage.
The word devil is a contraction from the Greek word "diabolus" which interpreted means a malicious accuser, or demon, and is equivalent to the Hebrew word Satan, an enemy or adversary.
The scripture which I quoted at the beginning of my remarks, and the context to which your attention is called, teach us that this personage to whom we commonly refer as the devil was Lucifer, a son of the morning, an angel in authority, who rebelled against the Father and the Son, because of which he was cast down to earth with those who followed after him, and became Perdition, the lost one over whom the heavens wept. Jesus, referring to his fall, says: "I saw Satan as lightning fall from heaven."
Wherever mentioned in the scriptures the devil is referred to as the tempter, the deceiver, the author of lies, the enemy of God, and the opposer of all that is good, but at the same time so adroit that the falsehoods which he utters appear to be truth. He may even appear as an angel of light.
Shakespeare understood this characteristic of the Evil One when he makes Banquo say to Macbeth: "The earth hath bubbles as the water has and these are of them, but 'tis strange, and ofttimes to win us to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles to betray us in deepest consequence."
How similar are these words of Shakespeare to the scripture which tells us that some of us he bribes with profit, and others he allures with pleasures which appear innocent in themselves, but lead us on to transgression, which is his sole desire. His great effort is to rob God of his glory and men of their souls.
More than three hundred years ago, John Milton, referring to Satan, said: "He it was whose guile, stirred up with envy and revenge, deceived the mother of mankind."
Milton pictures Satan in human form with a serpent with dripping fangs and forked tongue coiled about his feet.
The scriptures contain many references to his subtle power. His malice is deadly. His activity and diligence are equal to his malice. He has a legion of those who fell with him, and have sold their souls to him to assist in carrying out his designs.
In his parable of the sower, explaining its meaning, Jesus says that the seed sown is the word of God. Those by the wayside are they who hear. Then cometh the devil and taketh away the word from their hearts lest they believe and are saved.
The devil entered into the heart of Judas and prompted him to betray the Son of God to those who were responsible for his death.
The Apostle Peter warns us to be constantly vigilant because, he says, our enemy the devil, as a roaring lion is seeking whom he may devour.
From the time of his fall Lucifer has sought to establish and maintain dominion over the earth and those who dwell upon it, and with few exceptions, and then for brief periods only, he has been successful.
It was his power that interrupted and temporarily prevented the full fruition of the mission of the Savior in the meridian of time. His triumph, however, was only temporary. Knowing that his dominion over the people of the earth is to be broken, and that certain defeat awaits him, he arrays himself in the livery of Christ, and masquerading as his representative, in the words of Shakespeare, wins the hearts of men by honest trifles which are true, while he betrays them, and leads them away to deepest consequences.
The character and mission of Satan is illustrated in the story in which he appears to our mother Eve, and by flattery and deception persuades her to disregard the command of God and partake of the forbidden fruit, declaring to her that she should not die, but become wise. She partakes and brings the heritage of death to her posterity. He thus proves that he is a deceiver and falsifier.
The character of Satan has been so powerfully manifested among men that in many countries he has been made an object of worship. It was through the serpent that he appeared to our mother Eve, and from that time to the present the serpent has been the symbol of the devil among those who worship him.
Zoroaster, who is referred to in history as a great philosopher or legislator, who some students say lived 6000 B. C. while others place his death 500 B. C., was of Bactrian extraction, an ancient people of Asia. He was the founder of the Zoroastran or Zarathustrian religion.
According to Edward B. Taylor, L.L.D., F.R.S., in his book, "Ancient Faiths and Modern Religions," the predominant idea in the teachings of Zoroaster was the existence of two spirits or governing powers. one of which constantly seeks to accomplish good, while the other strives to accomplish evil. The first of these powers is represented as light, life, law, order, and truth--all that is good and pure.
The other power is his antithesis--he is darkness, filth, lawlessness, all that is evil in the world, he is Satan, he is death. Taylor says of this people: "While recognizing the good spirit, give their chief reverence to Satan, chief of the angelic hosts, who now has power to afflict mankind. Will not Satan then after death reward the Izedis, who have served him during their mortal lives?"
Only a few days ago a dispatch was published in the Salt Lake Tribune from Kurdistan, in Asia, referring to worship of the devil by these people.
Where devil worship is practiced the serpent is always his symbol, and exorcism is resorted to in order that he may be placated and his anger abated.
At the time of the discovery of America by Columbus two great empires or kingdoms existed, one the Aztec empire in Mexico, the other the kingdom of the Incas, in Peru, South America. The vast ruins which exist in both North and South America bear undeniable evidence of a once intelligent and mighty people. At one time, living under the code of ethics taught by Christ, their life had been happy and prosperous, as the following excerpts from their history show:
And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.
And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.
There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God.
What a change had come to these people when they were discovered by Columbus fourteen hundred years later! Satan had sown tares with the wheat, the result being, as it had been many times before, that the good seed had been choked out and destroyed.
In every City and village the image of the serpent raised his head, with his forked tongue and dripping fangs exposed. Human sacrifices by thousands were offered to these idolatrous gods of stone, to which the people bowed down in worship.
Dr. August LePlongeon in his book, "Sacred Mysteries Among the Mayas and Quiches," says:
Chichen Itza may be termed the serpent city par excellence. The serpent may be found everywhere. It guards the stairways leading up to their temples and the doors of their homes. In a single structure recently uncovered near the City of Mexico at Xochitl the heads of 66 serpents protrude from the walls, guarding approach from all points of the compass.
Pedro de Cieza de Leon, a Spanish soldier, who served under Francisco Pizarro, in the conquest of Peru, kept a careful record of the things which he saw and heard. His book is one of the most prized by scholars, of all the histories of the conquest. He says:
All over Peru they call the devil Supay. I have been told that he has been seen by them many times. Very great is the dominion that the devil, the enemy of mankind, is allowed to have over these people. These people hold it to be certain that the devil is false and wicked, and that they obey him more from fear than love.
The condition of degradation to which devil worship has reduced the people of both Mexico and Peru is in many respects too shocking to be repeated.
The malice and jealousy of Satan toward Christ our Lord and his mission are deadly. Failing in his plan to dethrone God and deprive Christ of his birthright, cast down to the earth with those who followed after him, forever banished from the presence of the Father, he loses no opportunity to thwart the redemption of man from death, the penalty which came to us through his wicked design. He sought the destruction of the infant Christ when he prompted Herod the Great to destroy the children of Bethlehem. He sought to destroy the purpose of the mission of Christ by bribery when he offered to surrender to him dominion over the earth on condition that the Redeemer would worship at his shrine. Failing in this he inspired the minds of men with malice and hatred, which led to the crucifixion.
The crucifixion of Christ, instead of accomplishing the purpose which Lucifer designed, had precisely the contrary effect. Endowed with power over death, Jesus, on the third day, rose from the tomb, thus robbing the grave of its victory and making possible redemption from the captivity in which Satan held the spirits of men.
To realize that Satan still lives and is busily engaged in his opposition to that which is good, one needs only to pause for a moment and contemplate conditions in this troubled world of ours. Long ago he declared that with gold and silver and armies and navies he would control the world. Any person who is familiar with the words of the prophets as they are contained in the scriptures knows that holy men in ages past, moved upon by the spirit of prophecy, foresaw and declared events which were to occur long after the age in which they lived.
From the many declarations which refer to the activities of the Evil One at the time in which we live, I quote the following:
For the kingdom of the devil must shake; and they which belong to it must needs be stirred up unto repentance, or the devil will grasp them with his everlasting chains, and they be stirred up to anger, and perish;
For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good.
And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well . . . . .
And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none--and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.
While Satan thus seeks to destroy the peace and happiness of mankind, Christ strives to draw them to him. The same controversy which resulted in the fall of Lucifer persists until the present moment. It is the question of the redemption of man from the fall, and the penalty of death which resulted from it.
Lucifer offers redemption to man on condition that the recipient give him the honor and credit for that which he receives, and in return promises redemption regardless of the character of the applicant, the life he has lived, or the example set before others.
Christ adheres to the word of the Lord, spoken to Adam in the Garden of Eden: "This man has become one of us, knowing good and evil." He thus becomes an agent unto himself, to choose between good and evil, between right and wrong. If he has been a sinner, and repents of his evil way, and does that which is evil no more, he may be forgiven and inherit the blessings of the righteous when he stands before the bar of God, to be judged according to his works. If he wilfully turns to wickedness and repents not he shall receive the reward of the wicked and will go away with Lucifer and his hosts into everlasting condemnation, which will be remorse of conscience that he has allowed the day of his repentance to pass.
The battle is being waged today as never before. It is the battle of right against might, of justice and mercy against greed, oppression, between armies and navies and the gold and the silver of the prince of this world and the lowly Nazarene, with the doctrine of his fraternity, equality and justice. And this time the Son of God will triumph.
The one encouraging thing to which men of faith and confidence in this day of uncertainty and trial look forward is the fact that there are certain limits beyond which the power of the Evil One cannot pass. This power comes to us through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and obedience to the law of righteousness which he taught, and the example of his life.
First, he promises that if any one of us who may be in doubt will go to him he will manifest the truth to us by the power of the Holy Ghost. John the Baptist, who was the chosen agent of the Lord to administer the ordinance of baptism to Jesus Christ, said to those who accepted his teachings:
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.
Among other promises made by Christ to those whom he sent out to preach his Gospel was that in his name they should cast out devils. Upon their return they testified that this promise had been realized. They said to Jesus: "Even the devils are subject unto us through thy name."
This precious and indispensable gift, the Holy Ghost, comes to us bv the laying on of hands by those who have authority to confer it. When the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John, and they laid their hands upon them and they received the Holy Ghost. Again Paul, finding certain converts at Ephesus, asked them if they had received the Holy Ghost. They answered that they had not so much as heard that there was such a gift, that they had been baptized unto John's baptism. Paul explained to them that John baptized with water unto repentance for the remission of their sins only. They were then baptized in the name of Christ, and as Paul laid his hands upon them and conferred the Holy Ghost they spake in tongues and prophesied.
Authority to confer this precious gift is in the Church today. Every baptized member of the Church receives it, after which he is entitled to receive and forever retain a fulness of the Spirit of the Lord, and a fulness of the Spirit of the Lord leads us into all truth and provides an armor which the shafts of Satan cannot penetrate.
While the Holy Ghost may be conferred upon us, and is designed to be our guide and support, it is only restrained and manifested in its fulness in our guidance and defense in proportion to the degree to which we cultivate it and listen to its promptings. We may lose it entirely through indifference or transgression, and once deprived of its presence we are left in darkness more dense than before its reception. Cultivate it, my brethren and sisters, and it will become in reality the iron rod, which is the word of God, and will lead us back to him.
This brief and very incomplete review is the answer of the scriptures to one of the questions raised at the Chicago convention. Another question raised is answered in the 20th chapter of the revelation to St. John. John says:
I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the bocks were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Now, brethren and sisters, I come to my concluding thought that I wish to leave with you. First I want you to understand that the influence of Lucifer is not broken, that he is here to lead us astray, that he is the same wily deceiver that he has always been; that he tells us simple truths in order to lead us into error; that he clothes himself in the livery of Christ, and pretending to speak in his name, tells as simple truths to lead us to most serious consequences.
Do not go away with the idea that Lucifer does not still live, this fallen angel who was a spirit of power. Do not forget that he was cast out from heaven. So there must be such a place. Do not forget that the pangs of hell will be the remorse of conscience which you will feel because of walking contrary to the light which you have had after having received it. Cultivate it. It is to you and to me the iron rod which is the word of God. Every man and woman that seizes upon it and holds steadfastly to it will find themselves back in that place which we call heaven, a very different heaven from what these men who renounce their faith in heaven have any conception of.
God bless you, my brethren and sisters, Amen.
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