Dedication of Kirtland Temple (Continued)
Hymn: Ere Long the Vail (Continued)
Our hearts and tongues all joined in one,
A loud hosanna to proclaim,
While all the heav'ns shall shout again,
And all creation say, Amen.
President Rigdon then in an able, devout and appropriate manner, addressed the throne of Grace. The following Hymn was then sung:
Hymn: O Happy Souls Who Pray
- TUNE—Weymouth.
O happy souls who pray
- Where God appoints to hear?
O happy saints who pay
- Their constant service there!
- We praise him still;
- And happy we;
- We love the way
- To Zion's hill.
No burning heats by day,
- Nor blasts of evening air,
Shall take our health away,
- If God be with us there:
- He is our sun,
- And he our shade,
- To guard the head
- By night or noon.
God is the only Lord,
- Our shield and our defence;
With gifts his hand is stor'd:
- We draw our blessings thence.
- He will bestow
- On Jacobs race,
- Pecu[l]iar grace,
- And glory too-
Sidney Rigdon's Sermon
The speaker (S. Rigdon,) selected the 8th chapter of Matthew, the 18, 19 and 20th verses from which, he proposed to address the congregation, continuing himself more closely to the 20th verse—He spoke two hours and a half in his usual, forcible and logical manner. At one time in the course of his remarks he was rather pathetic, than otherwise, which drew tears from many eyes. He was then taking a retrospective view of the toils, privations and anxieties of those who had labored upon the walls of the house to erect them. And added, there were those who had wet them with their tears, in the silent shades of night, while they were praying to the God of Heaven, to protect them, and stay the unhallowed hands of ruthless spoilers, who had uttered a prophecy when the foundation was laid, that the walls would never be reared. This was only a short digression from the main thread of his discourse, which he soon resumed.
Here it may not be improper to give a synopsis of the discourse for the satisfaction of our readers who were not privileged as we were with hearing it. The speaker assumed as a postulate, what we presume no one was disposed to deny, (viz:) that in the days of the Savior there were Synagogues, where the Jews worshipped God, and in addition to them, the splendid Temple at Jerusalem. Yet, when on a certain occasion, one proposed to follow him whithersoever he went, He though heir of all things cried out like one in the bitterness of his soul in abject poverty, The Foxes have holes, &c.—This, said the speaker, was evidence to his mind, that the Most High did not put his name there, and that he did not accept the worship of those who payed [paid] their vows and adorations there. This was evident from the fact that they would not receive him, but thrust him from them, saying, away with him, crucify him! crucify him! It was therefore abundantly evident that his spirit did not dwell in them. They were the degenerate sons of noble sires: but they had long since slain the Prophets and Seers through whom the Lord revealed himself to the children of men. They were not led by revelation, This, said the speaker, was the grand difficulty among them. Their unbelief in present revelation. He further remarked, that, their unbelief in present revelation was the means of dividing that generation into the various sects and parties that existed. They were sincere worshipers, but their worship was not required of them, nor was it acceptable to God.—The Redeemer himself who knew the hearts of all men, called them a generation of vipers. It was proof positive to his mind, that there being Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians and Essens, and all differing from each other, that they were led by the precepts and commandments of men. Each had something peculiar to himself, but all agreed in one point, (viz:) to oppose the Redeemer. So that we discover he could with the utmost propriety, exclaim, notwithstanding their synagogue and Temple worship, The foxes have holes, the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. He took occasion here to remark that such diversity of sentiment ever had, and ever would obtain when people were not led by present revelation. This brought him to the inevitable conclusion that the various sects of the pres-[ent]
