Gospel Doctrine: Selections from the Sermons and Writings of Joseph F. SmithSmith, Joseph F. (Joseph Fielding)
Religion
Gospel Doctrine: Selections from the Sermons and Writings of Joseph F. Smith
Smith, Joseph F. (Joseph Fielding)
Latter Day Saint churches
Let us estimate our brethren by their best desires and noblest
aspirations, not by their trifling shortcomings and failures.
We estimate the majesty of the Wasatch by Monte Christo, Baldy,
Observatory, the mighty Cottonwoods, Clayton, Timpanogos, and Nebo--its
loftiest peaks--not by its rolling elevations or hillocky spurs, rocky
ravines or trifling {320} canyons. So also let us judge our fellows,
and so the Church. It is the better way.--_Improvement Era,_ March,
1902, Vol. 5, p. 388.
LET US SUSTAIN ONE ANOTHER. Let us sustain Christ, his people, and his
cause of righteousness and redemption; let us sustain one another in
the right, and kindly admonish one another in regard to wrongdoing,
that we may be friends and saviors on Mount Zion, one for another, and
that we may help the weak and strengthen them, encourage the doubtful
and bring light to their right understanding as far as it is possible,
that we may be instrumental in the hands of God of being saviors among
men. Not that we have power to save men. We have not; but we have power
to show them how they can obtain salvation through obedience to the
laws of God. We can show them how to walk in order to be saved, for we
have the right to do that, we have knowledge and understanding as to
how to do it, and it is our privilege to teach it and to enforce it by
example as well as by precept among our associates wherever we are in
the world.--_Oct. C. R.,_ 1907, pp. 9, 10.
DO NOT BEAR MALICE AGAINST ONE ANOTHER. Brethren and sisters, we
want you to be united. We hope and pray that you will go from this
conference to your homes feeling in your hearts and from the depths
of your souls to forgive one another, and never from this time forth
to bear malice toward another fellow creature. I do not care whether
he is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or
not, whether he is a friend or a foe, whether he is good or bad. It
is extremely hurtful for any man holding the priesthood, and enjoying
the gift of the Holy Ghost, to harbor a spirit of envy, or malice, or
retaliation, or intolerance toward or against his fellowmen. We ought
to say in our hearts, let God judge between me and thee, but as for
me, I will forgive. I want to say to you that Latter-day Saints who
harbor a feeling of unforgiveness {321} in their souls are more guilty
and more censurable than the one who has sinned against them. Go home
and dismiss envy and hatred from your hearts; dismiss the feeling of
unforgiveness; and cultivate in your souls that spirit of Christ which
cried out upon the cross, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what
they do." This is the spirit that Latter-day Saints ought to possess
all the day long. The man who has that spirit in his heart and keeps it
there will never have any trouble with his neighbor; he will never have
any difficulties to bring before the bishop, nor high council; but he
will always be at peace with himself, at peace with his neighbors, and
at peace with God.
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