Audio-Visual Sermons
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This recording contains several excerpts from early RLDS Church leaders, includes George E. Anway singing the hymn Consecration in March 1921, Evan A. Fry from the series Hear Ye Him, Clara A. Smith (Cochran), Elbert A. Smith, Frederick M. Smith, and Israel A. Smith.
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Audio sermon by Oscar Case at The Campus, Independence, Missouri, USA on Monday, July 24, 1972, on his 100th birthday. Brother Case shares several experiences including being spoken to in tongues about his calling to the ministry. He also shares about a vision he received of seeing the surface of the earth change for the Saints in the Millennium and the ushering in of the great Millennium and the Lord coming to the earth, seeing the Temple to be built in the City of Zion and the evidences of the Lord's coming. Brother Case was ordained an Elder June 3, 1894 by J. W. Wight and a Seventy in 1901 by James Caffall, and served under General Church appointment for 13 years beginning in 1894. Brother Case preached annually at the Campus on his birthday starting at the age of 96 and continued each year until he was 103.
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Audio sermon by Seventy Oscar Case at Enoch Hill congregation, in Independence, Missouri, USA on Sunday July 8, 1973 at 11 AM.
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Brother Cheville discusses the great commission and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. He also relates several experiences where he was spoken to in tongues about his ministry and how he was converted to the gospel through endowed witnessing.
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Sermon by Presiding Patriarch Roy A. Cheville, given on August 4, 1974 at the R.L.D.S. World Conference. He states, "Zion is more than utopia. Listen now. This designation of Zion as our living together in community with God is more than a utopian dream. Zion is more than sitting and dreaming and talking about a glorious day that is to come with a wonderful glow, with fulfillment of our golden wishes. There is urgency that we Saints go beyond utopian dreaming, and wishing, and waiting."
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This recording contains several excerpts from early RLDS Church leaders, includes George E. Anway singing the hymn Consecration in March 1921, Evan A. Fry from the series Hear Ye Him, Clara A. Smith (Cochran), Elbert A. Smith, Frederick M. Smith, and Israel A. Smith.
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16 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry on Equality Through Agency, given on October 11, 1953. He states, "The basic problem of the world today is the problem of social and economic equality and justice. The races and nations and individuals who have been denied a proper share in the natural resources, the rights, the freedoms, the privileges, the wealth of the world, are stirring in revolt. They see the wealth which other men have amassed; they see others enjoying the rights and privileges of freemen, and they are demanding a share in those good things for themselves....new and deceptive means of exploitation have been seized upon by ruthless, selfish, godless men, who in the name of justice and equality have fastened the fetters of slavery even more tightly upon great masses of the world's population. Wherever Fascism, Naziism, or Communism have gone, the blight of poverty, misery, slavery, and woe have gone with them, eventually leaving the people who sought for freedom and prosperity and justice many times worse off than they were before."
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First radio sermon in the Hear Ye Him radio series of the RLDS Church. Given on Sunday, January 4, 1953 at 8:30 a.m. on KMBC and KFRM radio at Kansas City, Missouri, USA. Brother Fry states, "There are times when belief matters very much--when it is much more important to be right than to be popular--when correctness is more to be desired even than unity--yes, when such correctness is absolutely essential to continued existence." 13 minutes sermon.
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Radio sermon in the Hear Ye Him radio series of the RLDS Church. Given on Sunday, January 11, 1953 at 8:30 a.m. on KMBC and KFRM radio at Kansas City, Missouri, USA. Brother Fry states, "We have said that God is love, that he is a God of mercy. He is also a God of justice. He could not maintain his laws unless obedience to those laws always brought certain desirable consequences, and disobedience always brought undesirable consequences or punishments. We can rely on his love and mercy only if we obey his laws."
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Radio sermon in the Hear Ye Him radio series of the RLDS Church. Given on Sunday, January 18, 1953 at 8:30 a.m. on KMBC and KFRM radio at Kansas City, Missouri, USA. Brother Fry states, "We believe in a Christ who came to reveal God to men, to show God's love and all the other attributes of his nature in such a way that man could comprehend; to show that God was a God at hand, and not a God afar off; to show that he was actively, personally, lovingly, interested in and concerned about the destiny of man."
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Radio sermon in the Hear Ye Him radio series of the RLDS Church. Given on Sunday, January 25, 1953 at 8:30 a.m. on KMBC and KFRM radio at Kansas City, Missouri, USA. Brother Fry states, "Perhaps the most important function of the Holy Spirit is to bear witness to the divinity and the resurrected and continuing life of Jesus Christ. Paul says that no man speaking by the Spirit of God can call Jesus accursed. John says that the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy. Jesus said that when the Comforter came it would testify of him."
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Radio sermon in the Hear Ye Him radio series of the RLDS Church. Given on Sunday, February 1, 1953 at 8:30 a.m. on KMBC and KFRM radio at Kansas City, Missouri, USA. Brother Fry states, "It was the spirit, and not the body of man that was made in the image of God. Because man is made in God's spiritual image, and contains a spark of the divine; he is akin to God; at his best he is capable of associating with God, talking with him, loving him and being loved by him, and living eternally with him. The spirit of man is the life-giving element. "The body without the spirit is dead," says James. It is the spirit, the intelligence of man, which has dominion over the material elements of the body, and over the earth, and over all lower forms of life on the earth. Spirit is the element which gives unity to the body. It determines that the body shall act as one--that every part shall cooperate with every other part."
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15 minute radio sermon in the Hear Ye Him radio series of the RLDS Church. Given on February 8, 1953 at 8:30 a.m. on KMBC and KFRM radio in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. Brother Fry states, "What was the atonement?...It was man who had to be brought back to the Creator before whom his sin had made him unworthy to stand. It was man who had to be redeemed from the power of death, and reconciled to God, so that he could be restored to God's presence. It was man's heart that had to be softened to repentance, not God's."
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16 minute radio sermon in the Hear Ye Him radio series of the RLDS Church. Given on February 15, 1953 at 8:30 a.m. on KMBC and KFRM radio in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. "Agency requires at least four factors before it can be truly called agency. First, there must be two or more alternatives between which a choice can be made. Second, there must be a knowledge of which alternative is right and which is wrong, or which is better and which is best. Third, agency requires freedom of choice. If there are two or more alternatives, but you are forced or coerced into making one, and forbidden to make any other, there is no agency, and no real choice. And fourth, agency requires accountability. Somewhere, somehow, sometime, the consequences of choice, its rewards or punishments, must be given to those who choose; there must be a judgment and an accounting."
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14 minute radio sermon in the Hear Ye Him radio series of the RLDS Church. Given on February 22, 1953 at 8:30 a.m. on KMBC and KFRM radio in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. "Did Adam know anything about Christ? The Inspired Version of the Bible tells us that he did. We are told that Adam and Eve were commanded to worship God, and to offer the firstlings of their flocks for an offering unto the Lord...The scriptures go on to tell how Adam was commanded that he must be born again, of water and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by the blood of the Only Begotten who was to come in the meridian of time; how he was caught up by the Spirit and baptized in water; how he was then baptized by the Spirit, and told that he was now after the order of priesthood of him who was without beginning of days or end of years, and a newborn son of God. Adam taught this gospel of faith, repentance, and baptism to his sons; and those of them who were obedient handed it down to their sons."
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15 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry on Baptism. "About no other ordinance or doctrine of the Christian church is there so much disagreement, so much argument, or so much scoffing indifference, as there is about the ordinance of baptism...All Christians are agreed on one thing; that man is powerless to save himself, and that salvation is to be had only in and through the atonement of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Man cannot save himself. He is helpless, completely dependent on Christ for his salvation. Therefore he is in no position to dictate the terms on which he will be saved. Christ, the only person who can save him, dictates the terms. To try to change them to suit the individual fancy, or simply to ignore them scornfully and still expect a full salvation, is rebellion. It is an expression of the very attitude which sinful man must repent of and discard if he expects the atonement of Christ to be effective for him."
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16 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry on Baptism. Brother Fry states, "Ye must be born again! It takes a new man, a new creature in Christ Jesus, to live a new life. If we are ever to have that brave new world about which prophets and seers and statesmen have dreamed, we can have it, not by changing the world but by changing ourselves. Men who are unregenerate, who live by their carnal, sinful nature, simply take all the wealth, the science, the invention, and the education which we have devised in this enlightened age and turn it to hellish and destructive purposes, or use it as a means of exploiting each other? Things in themselves are neither good or bad. They become good or bad only as they are used for good or evil purposes by good or evil men. A race of reborn men, who had repented of their sin, covenanted in baptism to serve Christ, and then received of his life, his Spirit, could take the same materials, the same inventions, the same scientific achievements which are making our world a hell today, and make the world a heaven almost overnight. The responsibility for today's world lies not in the things which surround us, but in ourselves, in the character of men everywhere who need to be born again from above."
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15 minute radio sermon in the Hear Ye Him radio series of the RLDS Church. Given on March 29, 1953 at 8:30 a.m. on KMBC and KFRM radio in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. "When a man is 'born again of water and of the Spirit,' his life in God's kingdom is not complete, nor mature, nor perfect; it is not finished; it is only just begun. He has not arrived; he has only started his journey...One of the misconceptions of the spiritually infantile mind is that when we are 'born again', we have arrived, that henceforth we have reached the goal, and that we never more need to strive or struggle or grow or repent."
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16 minute radio sermon in the Hear Ye Him radio series of the RLDS Church. Given on April 5, 1953 at 8:30 a.m. on KMBC and KFRM radio in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. "The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central fact of the Christian religion -- the most important article of the gospel -- the demonstration and proof of all the rest. If the resurrection is not true, if Jesus does not live now in a glorified, but tangible, physical body, then he was no better than any other good man; he possessed no power by which we may overcome sin and death, and we have no hope of anything beyond the grave.
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16 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry about The Body of Christ. "It is one of the tasks of the church, as the body of Christ, to take men of a lower or earthly kingdom, and by means of the new birth, through the saving ordinances of the church to transmute that lower life to the life of Christ's kingdom....Because the church of Christ is his body, it is more than an organization. It is an organism. It must have life, or it is a dead body which can do none of the work which a body is supposed to do. If a group of men neet together and effect an organization which they call a church; it may be a good organization, but it cannot be an organism; it cannot be the body of Christ. Like produces like. Men can put into a church only the life which is within themselves --which is no life at all except a fleeting mortality. The body of Christ is formed only as the life of Christ, the intelligence of Christ, the will of Christ moves to call out, select, and organize the constituent human elements needed to make a church, and then endows them with his life, and sets them in proper organizational relationship with each other, and commissions them to perform his work on earth."
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15 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry on These Signs Shall Follow, given on April 26, 1953. He states, "Signs are the result of Christian life and growth -- not the cause of it. Signs are granted only to those who can be trusted to use them for the good of all -- to those who 'abide in the vine.' The promise is that if ye abide in the vine ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Faith comes not by signs, but signs come by faith. When a man is born again, when he receives the new life which is resident within the body of Christ -- his church -- and when he becomes a living, functioning, cooperating part of that body, receiving its benefits and making his contribution to the general welfare, he may rightfully expect signs to follow -- just as when a body is properly constituted and organized and functioning under the direction of the life that is in it, certain signs of life must ensue. A body that had no pulse, no heartbeat, no respiration, no speech, no motion, no warmth, no reflexes, no intelligence manifested, could be nothing but a dead body. Any body or organization which purports to be the body of Christ, but which fails to manifest any of the signs of spiritual life which Jesus promised to the body, the church, is a dead church. When a man becomes a part of the body of Christ, he may rightfully expect to receive the life of that body, and to have that life attested by the signs which follow the believer."
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15 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry on the Gifts of Wisdom and Knowledge. "In previous sermons we have discussed the church as the body of Christ, and have stated it as our belief that if the body of Christ is truly alive and functioning as it should be, there will be certain signs of life. These will be the signs which Jesus promised should follow the believer; they will be the spiritual gifts which Paul enumerates and discusses in the 12th, 13th, and 14th chapters of I Corinthians. Near the head of his list of spiritual gifts, immediately following the gift of a testimony that Jesus is the Christ, Paul places the gifts of wisdom and knowledge. Although we cannot be certain, we may infer from this placement that Paul considered wisdom and knowledge to be the most important signs of life which could be manifested by the body of Christ."
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15 Minutes sermon by Evan A. Fry on the Gift of Miracles. He states, "Christianity is a religion of miracles. Christianity begins with the appearance of angels to a betrothed virgin and her husband-to-be, announcing the birth of the Son of God, who is to be the Savior of the world, the promised Messiah. His birth was a miracle. Miracles marked the ministry of this Messiah from beginning to end, and his resurrection from the dead (which we have discussed in a previous sermon) is the greatest miracle of all time. Miracles continued in the ministry of the apostles who followed him, and were promised to men of faith to the end of time. Christianity is also a religion of salvation. If there are no miracles, there can be no salvation. If Christ was not the miraculously conceived Son of God, if he did not demonstrate by means of saving miracles his power to save, if he did not miraculously overcome death, and if his miraculous power is not still available to overcome sin and death, then there is no salvation. Yes, Christianity is a miraculous religion. Take the miraculous out of it, and there would be little or nothing left."
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16 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry on The Gift Of Healing, given on May 31, 1953. He states, "Why should the Church of Christ be concerned with healing? First, because, as we have seen, Christ set the example by setting gifts of healing in the church, and commanding his ministry to heal the sick. Second, because a ministry of mental and spiritual healing is needed to supplement and complement the treatments prescribed by men of medical science."
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16 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry. He states, "There is a startling unanimity of opinion among church historians that before three centuries had passed, the church which still claimed to be the church of Christ bore slight resemblance to the original. The conversion of the Emperor Constantine lifted Christianity from the status of a persecuted or tolerated religion to the status of a popular, court-favored, state religion?Paganism took over the Christian church. Henceforth, it was only a matter of time until church and state combined into one entity. Then the offices in the church, which had once been filled by the Spirit of God speaking through godly men set in the church, began to be filled by political maneuverings and secular appointments. Priesthood began to seek after the titles, the dress, and the emoluments of worldly princes and to forget their earlier ideals of service, humility, and unswerving morality. To put it bluntly, and yet as kindly as we may, we believe that the church went into apostasy."
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Discusses who has authority to represent God. "I have not been able to discover a single case in the New Testament where the minister for Christ simply felt his personal call and went to work." And, "Jesus sought the will of his Father, and delegated that authority only as God revealed his will to him after a night of prayer. Notice again that it was not the men who decided on the basis of an inner call that they were to be the twelve. Jesus said, 'Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you' (John 15:16)."
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15 minute Audio sermon by Evan A. Fry on the Bible. He states, "Latter Day Saints believe the Bible more fully, more completely than many other peoples who conveniently ignore or overlook whatever does not agree with their hereditary doctrine and teaching." And, "The Bible is, and will continue to be, our standard of belief, against which we check all doctrine, all church organization, all ritual, all morality and ethics. The Bible is and will continue to be the compass that points us to God, the manual which we follow in our striving and seeking for eternal life."
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17 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry on The Bible Promises Other Scriptures, given on July 5, 1953. Brother Fry states, "The history of the Jews who dwelt in Jerusalem has always been an open book -- the Bible. But there was a colony of Jerusalem's inhabitants who came to America, developed a great civilization, and later fell into destruction. This is the civilization pointed out in verse 2 [Isaiah 29], which says 'It (or other translations read "she") shall be unto me as Ariel.' The record of these people, the Nephite colony from Jerusalem, is contained in the Book of Mormon, which for centuries was buried in tho ground, and which now speaks low out of the dust, out of the ground."
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16 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry on Christ's Other Sheep, given on July 12, 1953. He states, "Last week we reviewed for you some of the Bible prophecies which we believe point definitely and positively to the Book of Mormon. Today we want to examine at some length another Bible prophecy -- one in the words of Jesus himself -- which we believe points definitely and unequivocally in the same direction. It is the statement we have just read about Jesus' 'other sheep.' We believe that these 'other sheep' -- or at least some of them -- were descendants of Joseph of Egypt, who had migrated from Jerusalem to ancient America in 600 B.C."
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15 minutes sermon by Evan A. Fry on Our American Scriptures, given on July 19, 1953. He states, "The Book of Mormon is not intended to displace the Bible, but to establish it more firmly and securely as the word of God. The Book of Mormon brings an added witness to the divinity of Jesus, in a time when many modern philosophies are doubting his divinity, and watering down his deity to make him just a great man who was many centuries ahead of his time. The Book of Mormon is an added witness to the impartiality and unchangeability of God, whose Only Begotten Son came as the Savior of all men, and whose message of salvation is for all nations."
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16 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry on Why Believe The Book Of Mormon, given on July 26, 1953. He states, "We should believe in the Book of Mormon because it has a special witness and promise for the scattered peoples of Israel. There is no more pathetic people in the world today than the Jews, who for 4000 years have been enslaved, oppressed, afflicted, persecuted, tortured, robbed, massacred, and driven from place to place, with no home, and no country they could call their own. It is well to remember, however, that the Jews are only one tribe of Israel--the tribe of Judah--and that since 586 B.C. ten and a half tribes of Israel have been sifted among all nations, 'scattered, peeled,' lost to history. God has not forgotten his covenant with his people, Israel. The Bible bears witness in prophecy time and time again that all Israel shall be gathered together again and brought to a knowledge of her Redeemer--that the breach between Israel and Judah shall be repaired. The Book of Mormon is one of the means provided by an all-wise Father to assist in bringing about this happy result. The gathering of a few Jews back to Palestine is wonderful, but at best, it is only a partial fulfillment of prophecy, for the promise is that ALL ISRAEL shall come to a knowledge of her Redeemer, and be gathered in one."
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16 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry on Book Of Mormon Evidences, given on August 2, 1953. He states, "One of the mysteries which never ceased to puzzle the early Spanish fathers, was the seeming familiarity of the native Americans with Christian doctrines and ordinances. They practiced baptism; they had something very closely resembling the Lord's Supper; they venerated the cross; they had a higher and lower priesthood; they worshipped a bearded white God whose features were depicted in carvings as semitic in cast. This God, who was known under a variety of names such as Quetcalcoatl, KulKulKan, and Wiracocha, was always described in the same terms. He was white in contrast to the darker Indians; he was bearded, while the Indians were beardless; he had not been born among them, but suddenly appeared out of the east; he required no blood sacrifices of either animals or men; he had been slain on a cross but rose to life again; he was the giver and originator of much of their religion and culture; he left without dying, 'promising to return again.' These traditions agree most remarkably with the Book of Mormon story of Christ's visit to America, and make a fascinating and inexhaustible study for those who have time and inclination to follow it."
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16 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry on Book Of Mormon Witnesses, given on August 9, 1953. He states, "It will surprise you, if you will think a moment, to discover how much of what you know is dependent on the testimony of someone else. We rely on the record of witnesses to establish the facts of history which we have not experienced, the existence of persons and places we have never seen. We rely on witnesses to convict or acquit those charged with crimes or misdemeanors in a court of law. We depend on witnesses to establish the signatures on wills and other legal documents. When Jesus wanted to establish the fact of his resurrection, he committed that testimony to twelve faithful witnesses. To some it is given to know, and to others it is given to believe on the testimony of others."
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15 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry on Book Of Mormon Doctrines, given on August 16, 1953. He states, "The Book of Mormon teaches that there is one God, who is omnipotent, supreme over heavens and earth, God above all. This God is eternal, everlasting, the same yesterday, today, and forever, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. He is perfect, just, merciful. He is all-wise; he knoweth all things. He is a God who is still at work, whose work will never be finished, for he is eternal, and his course is one eternal round. This God is the creator of all things, both the heavens and the earth; he is the Father and Creator of man. This creation was accomplished through the instrumentality of his Son, Jesus Christ, who for this reason is also called a Creator, and the Father of heaven and earth. God is unchangeable; his decrees are unalterable. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever; in him there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. His power is undiminished, and always will be; he is still a God of miracles, of might, of wonder, of power. He is impartial; he remembers one nation like unto another; he is mindful of every people, and every man is precious in his sight. "God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being, but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity."
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15 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry on Spiritual And Ethical Levels Of The Book Of Mormon, given on August 23, 1953. He states, "In our scripture lesson we have already laid down a principle which will be the text or thesis of this sermon -- that whatever persuades, exhorts, and entices men to do good, and to love God, and to serve him and fellow man, is of God. Perhaps this principle needs some qualification or limitation, but it is essentially true. Sometimes a perfectly good act, done from evil motivation, and for evil purposes, is evil. The devil may entice man to do what seems to be good, and what if done by any other man under any other circumstances would be good, but if the ultimate purpose of that good act is evil, the act itself is evil, and the enticement to do it for that end or purpose was evil. The truth still remains, then; whatsoever enticeth men to do good, AND to love and serve God, is of God. I have yet to hear of the devil or any of his cohorts striving to persuade men to love and serve God."
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16 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry on Who Closed The Canon Of Scripture?, given on August 30, 1953. He states, "One of the most popular and widespread of all beliefs among Christian people is the belief that the Bible is a closed book, complete in itself, undisputed as to authority, never to be added to or taken away from; or in other words, that the canon of scripture is closed for all time; that in the Bible is contained everything which is essential or desirable or necessary for man's salvation. The fact that this is a widespread and popular belief does not necessarily make it true. There was a time when everybody not only believed, but KNEW that the world was flat; but the world was round just the same. Who closed the canon of scripture? Perhaps it would be wise to begin our discussion with a brief examination of how the Bible came to us -- how the 66 books now comprising it came to be selected and approved as sacred literature."
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15 minute sermon by Evan A Fry on Contemporary Scriptures, given on September 6, 1953. He states, "The Book of Doctrine an d Covenants can teach any open minded man marvelous truths concerning the nature, will, and purpose of Deity; can teach him of the mysteries that lie beyond death and the grave, of judgment, of reward and punishment, or resurrection and eternal life. More important perhaps than any of these is the knowledge that whenever the church has need, whenever it is confronted by a problem which human wisdom cannot solve, we have an officer in the church whose duty and function it is to receive the will of God when God chooses to speak, to supply our need, and to help in solving our problems. The gift of prophecy, which may be diffused throughout the membership as each individual has need, is implemented through a prophetic office to bring instruction, edification, and counsel to the church. We invite you to read, to study, to investigate our contemporary scriptures, and to share with us in the benefits which flow from them to those who are willing to receive."
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16 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry about The Christian Ethics of Marriage. "Man and woman are two parts of one unity. Man alone, or woman alone, is only half a personality. Each one complements and supplements the other, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Each one finds in tho other his fullest opportunity for self fulfillment. Ideally, as they grow together in the family, they become one in thought, in purpose, in ideals, in motives, in actions. They find fruition in their children, in whom they truly become one flesh."
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15 minutes sermon by Evan A. Fry on the topic of government. He states, "Because God is ruler over all, every earthly ruler and every earthly government exists by his sufferance; and each one is judged as to the way worldly government is administered and executed. Nations and their rulers rise and stand, or crumble and fall according to whether or not they rule wisely, righteously, and well -- in keeping with the laws of the great overseeing Ruler, God. Why do governments exist? There are three principal theories which we want to examine briefly. The first is that governments exist for the benefit of the rulers, who because God gave them their strength, their cunning, and their wealth assume that God meant them to rule, and use their gifts and their position to enrich themselves and entrench themselves in power for their own selfish aggrandizement. A second theory of government is that the state is the all-important thing, that the citizen exists only to serve, to support, to defend, and to enrich the state -- that the state is the end and aim and purpose of all human existence. And the third theory of government, which is the theory upon which all democracy is based, is that governments are instituted among men for the sole purpose of preserving, protecting, and defending the rights, privileges, liberties, freedoms, and prerogatives which are an inherent part of every man's birthright."
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14 minute sermon by Evan A Fry on The Glory Of God Is Intelligence, given on September 27, 1953. He states, "If the glory of God is intelligence; if God is the source of all intelligence, which is eternal and uncreated even as God himself is eternal and uncreated, then all of our efforts to gain intelligence, wisdom, or knowledge must be God-centered. 'The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.' Any man who would be God-like must become intelligent as God is intelligent -- must partake of his creative, intelligent Spirit -- the Spirit which teaches men all things, and guides them into all truth. Man cannot be ignorant, and be truly religious."
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15 minute sermon by Evan A Fry on What Is Christian Stewardship?, given on October 4, 1953. He states, "A good steward is obligated to work, to be diligent in improving, enlarging, and expanding his stewardship to the limit of his capacity, by every legitimate means. God has created the potentialities of wealth, but man has wealth only as he joins his efforts with God's efforts, and works to improve and enlarge his stewardship. The Lord has a right to expect that the good steward will have an increase to show on the investment which is made in him when the final accounting is called for. The good steward will earn his own bread by the sweat of his own brow. He will make his own way, insofar as that is physically possible; he will refuse to be a complete burden on someone else....The good steward will be progressive, willing to venture, to experiment, to study, to search out new ways of improving his stewardship and serving his fellow man more efficiently, more economically, more productively. He will be unwilling to tolerate waste of time or money or material wealth in any form. He will know how to control his own wants, so that he does not spend money needlessly or profligately, on frivolous, foolish, wasteful, harmful, or unnecessary things. The good steward will know how to budget his expenditures of both time and money, so that he will know where and how his assets are used. The good steward will refuse to allow his properties or his talents to be used in any way which will degrade or debauch or exploit or harm another of God's stewards. The production of things which destroy men's bodies, enslave their minds
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14 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry on Implementing Social Righteousness, given on October 18, 1953. He states, "We come now to a consideration of how man's desire for social righteousness is to be implemented. If men are to share as stewards over the good things of earth which God has placed within our reach, there must be some machinery, some organization, some implementation set up or established whereby men can accomplish these ends together in an orderly, reasonable, equitable fashion. If a good steward owes an accounting to God and fellow man, and if he owes a debt to God as tangible acknowledgement of his stewardship, there must be some authoritative means established whereby the accounting can be received in the name of God, and the tithe paid to God's representative and used for the purposes of God and his kingdom. If there is to be a voluntary sharing of the proceeds of labor, so that some men are not forced to live in poverty in spite of all their best efforts, while others live in idle ease by the sweat of another's toil, there must be some sort of organization or framework or mechanism established by which men can combine their efforts as stewards to insure the well-being of all."
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15 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry on Thy Kingdom Come (Zion), given on October 25, 1953. He states, "It is significant that when John the Baptist came preaching, he did not say that the kingdom of heaven was going to be available in some far off, distant day and time; it was available then. 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Jesus expressed the same idea somewhat later when he said, 'The kingdom of God is within you.' Some people have interpreted this verse to mean that the kingdom is in the individual heart. Since Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees, it is not plausible to believe that the kingdom of which he was speaking was within them, or in their hearts. A marginal note in the King James version reads, 'Or among you.' Another version says 'The kingdom of heaven is in the midst of you.' Still another says, 'The kingdom of God has already come unto you.'....Whichever of these renditions you prefer, the idea runs through them all that the kingdom of God is not some far-off, impossible-to-be-achieved ideal, but a reality which exists now. On another occasion Jesus himself said, 'The Kingdom of God is come unto you.' Christ is the King of this Kingdom, His laws are the laws of the Kingdom. His subjects will obey his will and his commandments. We can be citizens of his kingdom NOW, at this very moment, or any time we choose to accept him as King, and obey his laws completely, unreservedly, sincerely, instead of half-heartedly, fearfully, with reservations and backward looks at the kingdoms of this world in which we have heretofore trusted. The kingdom is available NOW; is at hand, is among you, has already come unto
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15 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry on Judgment Is Eternal, given on November 1, 1953. He states, "We may hide our sins from the eyes of man. We may commit crimes and seemingly get away undiscovered and unpunished. But every act, good or bad -- every thought and wish -- leaves its impress to judge us. Every act, every thought, every wish either conforms to and obeys law, or defies and flouts it. It therefore follows that every act, thought, and wish leaves its impress upon us, has its inevitable effect and influence upon our total character. We are what we do; we become the kind of people that our actions make us. God's laws are eternal; the consequences of obedience or disobedience to those laws are eternal; therefore God's judgment is eternal, or in other words, is eternal judgment. It is judgment which shall endure through all eternity, for never can we escape from the consequences of our many choices -- the sum-total of which make up our character."
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16 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry on The Resurrection Of The Body, given on November 8, 1953. He states, "Are there any logical reasons why we should believe in a resurrection of the body? Yes! Nature teaches us that nothing can be lost or destroyed, that there is a natural conservation of energy and matter. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Matter can be chanced into energy, but matter can never be completely destroyed, no matter how it is changed in form....Another argument for a resurrection is the continuity of personality in a constantly changing stream of body cells. Old body cells are constantly dying and being replaced by new materials, and yet the real life and personality which reside in and find expression through the body remain unchanged through three score years and ten! Is it not reasonable to suppose that the life and personality that called together, organized, enlivened, and for many years directed and governed all this constantly changing stream of material will have power through Christ and his resurrection to call together, organize, and govern the material of a perfected, glorified body in the resurrection?...The deeds of this life are done by body and spirit in union and in cooperation with each other. If there is to be a judgment, it is necessary to justice that spirit and body be judged together for the deeds done together in this life. This then runs through all of scripture. The rewards and punishments meted out by the righteous judge at the great day of final judgment will be meted out in accordance with the deeds done in the body, and will be received by the redee
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15 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry on Jesus Is Coming Soon, given on November 15, 1953. He states, "Is Jesus coming again? Twenty of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament teach the second coming of Christ, and the authors of those books which do not expressly mention it (Paul for instance) teach it in their other writings. It can therefore be truthfully said that every writer who contributed to the New Testament believed in and taught the second coming. It is mentioned, according to one student, three hundred eighteen times in two hundred sixty chapters. And in addition, there are many references in the Old Testament to a Messiah who should come to gather the dispersed remnants of Israel, and the believing Gentiles, and to reign over them in glory -- promises which were never fulfilled by Christ's first advent as a babe. There are several glib but unscriptural and unsatisfactory explanations offered by those who do not believe in a personal, physical, literal second advent for Christ. One is that his return is to be only a spiritual return; that his second coming is the coming of his Holy Spirit to the believer. The recital of one simple historical fact disproves that theory. Every word of the New Testament was written after the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given to the Christian Church; and yet that New Testament, as we have said, promises in three hundred eighteen verses and in two hundred sixty chapters that Jesus will come again. Why keep renewing the promise, if the promise was already fulfilled on the day of Pentecost?"
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15 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry on The Millenial Reign, given on November 22, 1953. He states, "Men have no power within themselves to overcome wickedness and sin and evil, alone and unaided, and bring about the golden age. Even if we grant that a group of very good men and women could perfect themselves as a group, there would always be those outside the group, if not within, who would make peace impossible and righteousness most difficult. Human wickedness must be restrained and judged in all its forms and in all places before we can have the golden age, This is a task for Deity. Man can help in many ways, through organized religion, through education, through various social and philanthropic organizations, through the efforts of government. Nevertheless history does not record the story of a single nation or group of people who alone and unaided have been able to build and maintain a golden age. On the contrary, Toynbee, one of the greatest of modern historians, says that sixteen out of the twenty-six great world civilizations known to history have already perished, that there is little hope for nine of the ten remaining, and grave danger even for the tenth one -- our own Western civilization. When men do reach the heights through their own efforts, leaving out God, they become lifted up in their pride and self-sufficiency, which inevitably lead them down to destruction. Jesus taught that his coming would usher in the millenial reign -- not follow it."
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15 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry called Was Joseph Smith A Prophet?, given on November 29, 1953. He states, "Was Joseph Smith a prophet? The world says "No;" but many people who have investigated his work and his message would answer "Yes!" We ask you to listen for a few moments to some of the affirmative reasons why we believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that he accomplished God's work. As a theme text at the beginning of this sermon we read for you the words of Amos, who declared that God would do nothing without revealing his secret unto his servants, the prophets, It is a rule which can be traced through the Bible from beginning to end, that whenever God has been about to move to accomplish some great purpose, he has raised up prophets -- one or more -- has revealed to them that purpose, and commanded them to tell forth that purpose to the people. Whether his purpose was the destruction of wickedness, as in the days of Lot or of Noah, or Nebuchadnezzar or Titus, or the release of his people from captivity, as in the days of Moses; or the sending of his Son into the world as it was foretold by many Old Testament Prophets and announced by John the Baptist -- God has always revealed his secret unto his servants, the prophets. There is no reason to believe that he has ever rescinded that policy."
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15 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry called The Voice Of Warning, given on December 6, 1953. He states, "If Joseph Smith was a prophet of God (and we confidently believe that he was) then we of this generation are in peril, as individuals, as a nation, and as a world, Our lives, our wealth, our freedoms, our government, our civilization itself are all in jeopardy. Many other men -- good and wise and studious men who claim no particular prophetic insight, but who base their conclusions on fact of history -- are telling us the same things. There have been so many calamity-howlers in the past twenty years or so that people have shut their ears against them in self-defense. We have lived under the tensions of fear for so long that we have become wearied, and have calmly gone to sleep, only to be awakened by another rumor of war, or the hue and cry of another witch hunt, or the announcement of a new kind of bomb many times more destructive than the last. But remember that the people of Noah's day got a little weary of warnings too and as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the coming of the Son of Man."
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14 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry called The Fullness Of The Gospel, given on December 13, 1953. He states, "You are entitled to a fullness of the gospel today. No condensation or simplification of it will do. All of it is necessary to a complete and full and satisfactory salvation. Many churches today offer the gospel in part. Like the incomplete book which I bought, their doctrine is all right as far as it goes; their organization to implement that doctrine is all right as far as it goes. But something is always lacking, or the emphasis is too much on one aspect of the gospel, while other equally essential parts are soft-pedalled or omitted entirely. Some preachers will tell you that all you have to do is to believe on Christ, and be saved. That is partly true, but it is not all the truth. Some churches place most of their emphasis on ritual, ceremony, and ordinance. That is good, but it is not all. Some churches base almost their whole philosophy on a belief in and practice of spiritual and divine healing. Some emphasize diet; some Sabbath observance; some authoritarian government; some democracy in church government; some social service; some foreign missions; some education; some a belief in the survival of spirits. None of us would quarrel with any of these beliefs; but we might safely dispute with any man or any church which stresses one to the exclusion of others, or omits even one essential portion of the gospel of Christ, and then purports to sell it as the fullness of the gospel."
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15 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry called Good Will To Men, given on December 20, 1953. He states, "...men have sought a peace which they supposed would come through some magic formula, mysteriously, providentially, suddenly. We have sought a peace in which all our enemies shall be forced to quit fighting us, but in which we shall be free to continue business as usual; a peace which will keep others from bothering us as we continue in our age-old sins, without repentance, without sacrifice, without effort. If Jesus would just do that for us, there would be countless millions of the peoples of earth who would gladly build him a church or make a substantial cash offering out of their prosperity, so that they could be let alone to enjoy themselves in sin and idleness and selfishness and lust and greed as before. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, is not going to do it all. Neither will he coerce unwilling subjects. He has shown men the way of peace; he leaves it with them whether or not they will follow the ways of peace. The world today is still following the ways of strife and discord and hatred and war, and wondering why Jesus does not establish his reign of peace so that no one will make war any more."
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13 minute sermon by Evan A. Fry called And Now, Why Tarriest Thou?, given on December 27, 1953. He states, "This morning we complete a year of HEAR YE HIM broadcasts, in which we have invited you to hear the words of Jesus Christ as recorded in his scriptures, and as they are brought to you by his apostles, prophets, and servants, both ancient and modern. We have presented the history and claims of the Restoration Movement, as represented by the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We have described the prophetic mission and ministry of Joseph Smith, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, the history of the rise of the church. We have tried to bring you the fullness of Christ's gospel -- to explain its doctrines, sacraments, and ordinances, to give you some understanding of what we believe as a church, and why. We have tried to bring you an explanation of the purposes, goals and ideals towards which we are striving as individuals and as a church."
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40 minute sermon by President of the Twelve Apostles, Paul M. Hanson given at the RLDS World Conference, April 9, 1956 at the Stone Church, Independence, Missouri, at 7:30 p.m. Brother Hanson states, "The Church that we have the honor to represent is very fortunate in having three volumes wonderfully inspired of God; The Bible, The Book of Mormon and the Book of Doctrine and Covenants. The Bible is a treasury of religious truths. It teaches how to live nobly and to die with the bright hope of the hereafter. It leads to revolt against tyranny and proclaims liberty. It teaches the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man and in the new testament do we find writings by four different distinguished ministers of the Church established by Christ giving a record of his ministry on earth. Of his death and his rising triumphant and gloriously from the grave...And I turn to the Book of Mormon, a record of God's dealings with great nations that flourished in pre-Columbian times in America, to the record of three colonies divinely led from Asia, tells of their development into nations here in America; the forces that led to their prosperity and happiness and greatness, and the causes of their deterioration and decline. This record was inscribed on metal plates by the ancient prophets and historians and translated by the young prophet Joseph Smith from metal plates by the gift and power of God."
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Sermon by Elder Morris J. Heide on 10/1/23. The fall of man, agency to choose, God's plan of redemption, antiquity of the gospel, the atonement, scriptures are the instruction manual for our life.
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Sermon by Elder Morris J. Heide on 6/4/23. The Three Rs of the Covenant: Repentance, Remembrance, Renewal. The sacrament of the Lord's supper. The plan of redemption, the demands of justice vs the great and last sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins. The gate by which we enter into the kingdom of God.
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Sermon by Elder Frederick F. Helvie on 6/25/23. What do the scriptures mean by "Endure to the End"? The refiner's fire. Becoming a usable instrument in the Lord's hands. Patience through tribulations; the hope that maketh not ashamed. Persecution and the cares of the world.
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Sermon by Elder Frederick F Helvie 01-26-2019. Expounding of scripture in Sec 83:8a regarding the darkness that has been upon the church and the restoration movement, and how to overcome it; minds darked because of unbelief and treating lightly the things which we have received; the fullness of the gospel; the covenants of the Lord; the fruit we have produced; Jesus is the way, the truth, and the light.
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Sermon by Elder Frederick F Helvie 01-26-2019, audio plus slides. Expounding of scripture in Sec 83:8a regarding the darkness that has been upon the church and the restoration movement, and how to overcome it; minds darked because of unbelief and treating lightly the things which we have received; the fullness of the gospel; the covenants of the Lord; the fruit we have produced; Jesus is the way, the truth, and the light.
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Sermon by Elder Frederick F. Helvie, Resurrection Sunday 2020, audio plus slides. The good tidings of the gospel and the kingdom of God, as prophesied in Isaiah 52:6-12; the antiquity of the gospel - the plan of redemption was prophesied from the very beginning, and spoken of by all the prophets; Jesus Christ is the pattern by which all things were made; the nature of the Father and the Only Begotten Son; we are created with spirtual and temporal bodies; the rebellion of man; the city of Zion; the everlasting covenant; the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
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Sermon by Elder Frederick F. Helvie, Resurrection Sunday 2020. The good tidings of the gospel and the kingdom of God, as prophesied in Isaiah 52:6-12; the antiquity of the gospel - the plan of redemption was prophesied from the very beginning, and spoken of by all the prophets; Jesus Christ is the pattern by which all things were made; the nature of the Father and the Only Begotten Son; we are created with spirtual and temporal bodies; the rebellion of man; the city of Zion; the everlasting covenant; the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
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Sermon by Elder Frederick F. Helvie on 8/13/23. Judgment of the Gentiles and To WHOM Do You Belong? The attributes of God. The purpose of judgment. The two sides of judgment. The pattern of God's judgment. The importance of walking in a covenant relationship with the Lord to abide through the judgments of God. Bearing witness of who Jesus Christ is.
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Sermon by Elder Frederick F Helvie, Resurrection Day Service 04-09-23, audio with scriptures. The purpose of the crucifixion and resurrection. The plan of redemption from the beginning. Do we believe the witnesses? Our covenant relationship with God. Taking upon us the name of Jesus Christ, beginning with baptism. Remembering to daily surrender our own will to Christ so that he might live within us.
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Sermon by Elder Frederick F. Helvie 1/28/24. The witness of the prophets about who is Jesus Christ. The nature of God and the pattern by which all things are created – spiritual first, then temporal. A call to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
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Sermon by Elder Frederick F Helvie 09-22-2019. Expounding of scripture, explaining why there was a need for the restoration. Defines the key points of the fullness of the gospel that are contained in the Book of Mormon and Inspired Version of the Holy Scriptures: To show unto the house of Israel what great things the Lord has done for their fathers; that they may know the covenants of the Lord; that they are not cast off forever; to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God; manifesting himself unto all nations.
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Sermon by Elder Frederick F Helvie 09-22-2019, audio plus slides. Expounding of scripture, explaining why there was a need for the restoration. Defines the key points of the fullness of the gospel that are contained in the Book of Mormon and Inspired Version of the Holy Scriptures: To show unto the house of Israel what great things the Lord has done for their fathers; that they may know the covenants of the Lord; that they are not cast off forever; to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God; manifesting himself unto all nations.
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48 minute sermon by Apostle Charles R. Hield called Co-Laborers with Christ. Brother Hield states, "The Book of Mormon tells us that all people will be resurrected whether they're good or bad, whether they're old or young, whether they're wicked or whether they're sinful, whether they believe in Christ or whether they don't. You get your body back someday. Not that that gives you salvation. Unfortunately sometimes we speak of the resurrection, as synonymous with celestial glory, which it is not! You get your body back and must stand before God to be judged because of your works. But to me this Christ, is a wonderful individual, because he did come to the cross, because our bodies were NOT to be allowed to remain in the earth and rot and never come forth again and our spirits which are endless and eternal were to be handed over to Satan. Christ is the only one who has demonstrated in the world the power to lay his body down and take it up. You don't have that power. That power can only be granted to you by the Lord Jesus Christ and his Father. The Christ said remember he that taketh not his cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me."
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This electronic file was made from an old recording from 1952; the quality of the recording is not very good in some areas of the recording.
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42 minute sermon by Elder George A. Njeim. In this sermon Elder Njeim talks about his understanding of the scriptures. Brother Njeim was born in Christchurch, New Zealand. He served as an appointee minister of the RLDS Church from 1930 to 1970 and served as a President Of Seventy starting in 1947.
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49 minute sermon by Apostle Arthur Oakman. He talks about Jesus Christ and the last supper. He also talks about agency and states, "We are free, for the origin of our actions is ourselves, but we are bound hand and foot because from ourselves there is no deliverance, unless it be through the mercy and the merits and the grace of Jesus Christ, who declares the love of God to us in those terms by which he is able to come to us and take us and lift us off of ourselves as center and re-center us in God."
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55 minute sermon by Apostle Arthur Oakman of the RLDS Church. He states, "I think it is foolish of us to close our eyes to our adversary, and I think if we are to combat sin we must study its manifestations, recognize it for what it is. And we cannot do this in our own strength either, because it's in the very nature of sin to deceive the sinner."
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Given on December 5, 1971 at 11 AM at the Enoch Hill RLDS Congregation, in Independence, MO, USA.
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41 minute lecture by Patriarch Arthur Oakman called The Genius of Zion. This was Lecture No. 1 for the Elders Quorum of Center Stake and was given at the Stone Church, Independence, Missouri, USA on January 31, 1974. Brother Oakman states, "The genius of Zion, origin I suppose, rests in the Word of God, and the Word of God let me say is not marks on paper or sounds in the air, the Word of God is the Lord Jesus Christ, His Spirit. It is that which makes us hear, it is that which we hear. And one word spoken from him, has the power to recreate his character in the lives of those who hear it. Because we’re incapable of hearing the Word of God by ourselves, it’s only the action of the Good Spirit, to break down our obtuseness, to break down our deafness, so that our ears are open by him to hear what he has to say…The only thing that we can contribute to our salvation is the sin from which we need to be redeemed, and of course, we are very reluctant to do that."
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58 minute sermon by Evangelist Arthur Oakman of the RLDS Church given June 27, 1968. Discusses the prophetic ministry of Joseph Smith, Jr.
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62 minute sermon by Apostle Arthur Oakman. "My friends, tonight, I bid you to come with me to Calvary in the power of the Spirit. It won't be a pleasant sight; it'll hurt you. But if you're brave enough to stay you'll never be the same again. The center and the meaning of the universe rests in a figure on a cross so dreadful in his solitude and spiritual loneliness, so marvelous in his willing submission to those who killed him and for whom in his agony he prayed and so altogether glorious in his utter dependence upon his Father who did not leave his soul in hell, but delivered him. Can the Church in this day bear the site?"
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46 minute sermon by Evangelist Arthur Oakman of the RLDS Church, given at the RLDS Stone Church in Independence, Missouri, USA in 1972. He states, "I was given to understand of the Holy Spirit, that our Heavenly Father has softened the hearts of the leaders of the nations for a season in order that we in his church may have the opportunity to strengthen ourselves in zionic endeavor."
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53 minute sermon by Apostle Arthur Oakman, given at the 1958 RLDS General Conference. He states, "He is our light, indwelt by the glory of the divine love. For all of us share a common humanity, just as every continent is secretly joined beneath the depths of the sea, joined to every island of the sea, is related to and joined to every other part of the earth; so every man in the depths of his personality is joined to every other man."
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41 minute sermon given at the RLDS Stone Church, Independence, Missouri, USA. Discusses the struggle between good and evil. He states that there are only two churches, the church of the Lamb of God and the church of the devil. One is dominated by the spirit of pride and the other is dominated by the spirit of love. Recording is poor quality at the beginning.
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47 minute sermon by Patriarch Arthur Oakman on The Sin of Man, given in 1968 at The Campus outdoor amphitheater in Independence, Missouri, USA. Due to being recorded outside it has poor audio quality. He states, "We do not like the word sin so we have committed the additional sin of calling sin something else other than sin. All sorts of words have been introduced as surrogates and substitutes, some of them have come even from the realm of science, which illustrate rather the affects of sin in describing sin itself....It still has the same affect as always and what sin does to us is dire and immediate; it hardens our hearts. We do not have to wait until the day of judgement to see the affects of our wickedness. They are about us everywhere. And the one thing sin does to people is make them unconcerned about other people. It centers our minds and our hearts upon ourselves...Have you ever noticed a man who is in transgression, how kind he is to himself? How he seeks to find excuses and reasons for doing what he did? Conscience of the fact that he has done wrong, he will not judge himself harshly but make all kinds of excuses justifying himself for his conduct, and in the justification confirming himself in his wickedness."
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53 minute sermon by Patriarch Arthur Oakman on The Power To Achieve Over Ourselves, given in 1968 at The Campus outdoor amphitheater in Independence, Missouri, USA. "Whatever may be the truth about the various theories of evolution it is a fact that we have reached the stage in our church endeavor, I suppose a stage which is always present with us, that without God we cannot build Zion, and without us he will not. In fact he cannot do so. If he is to have his way with us he has to be obedient to the law of our own being. He is made to serve with our sins, as Isaiah has said. And because he has created us as he has, he has imposed upon himself certain limitations, and these he struggles with. A man's consent to serve the Almighty may be engendered by the revelation of his love, but such consent may be and very often is indefinitely withheld and there's nothing God can do about it. He is helpless, utterly helpless. And in this regard he has delivered himself into our hands to do with as seemeth him good....The words of the New Testament have been sifted and resifted millions of times in an endeavor to gain some fresh angle of vision. And we must be grateful for the insights that come to us from these men. But let us not forget that God is his own interpreter. Let us not forget that only Christ himself can tell us who he is; only Christ himself can tell us who we are and only Christ himself can tell us what he would have us do and it is by and through and of the power of the Holy Spirit."
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49 minutes sermon by Patriarch Arthur Oakman called Men Find Life Only In The Word Of God. It was given at The Campus outdoor amphitheater in Independence, Missouri, USA in 1968. Brother Oakman states, "I'm reminded tonight that the first words ever uttered to Joseph Smith was this is my beloved son, hear him. And as you know this experience had a tremendous impact upon the lad and was the first of a number of such experiences which culminated in the organization of the Church. But hear ye him was not simply the answer to the boy's question, it was the statement of an eternal principal which applies to all mankind. It is a principle of life for all who listen and obey find life, and those who fail to listen and obey are destroyed. Only in the Word of Christ can men find life...The first revelation given before any specific commandment, in other words before ever our Heavenly Father tells us what to do, he tells us who he is! This declaration is first in emergence of time and also in order of purpose...I am the Lord thy God."
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First in a series of six lectures given to the Melchisedec Priesthood at the RLDS Stone Church in Independence, Missouri, USA from October 3 to 13, 1966. Brother Oakman states, "Brethren, there is an outer, external world which is designed to minister the life of God to us. And there is also an invisible, interior, inner world, and it is this invisible interior world, the world that is within us, with which we have to do, so terribly important. And, all of the apparatus known to us as the universe, the whole flux of things created, the presence of our fellow men, our heritage, history, all things, are designed that we may take them inside us. And that there may be created in us, in each one of us a universe of discourse, which shall be truly in harmony with the Spirit, and the mind, and the will of our Heavenly Father."
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Second in a series of six lectures given to the Melchisedec Priesthood at the RLDS Stone Church in Independence, Missouri, USA from October 3 to 13, 1966. Brother Oakman states, "Brethren, there is an outer, external world which is designed to minister the life of God to us. And there is also an invisible, interior, inner world, and it is this invisible interior world, the world that is within us, with which we have to do, so terribly important. And, all of the apparatus known to us as the universe, the whole flux of things created, the presence of our fellow men, our heritage, history, all things, are designed that we may take them inside us. And that there may be created in us, in each one of us a universe of discourse, which shall be truly in harmony with the Spirit, and the mind, and the will of our Heavenly Father."
This electronic publication copyright © 2013 LatterDayTruth.org; All Rights Reserved.
Third in a series of six lectures given to the Melchisedec Priesthood at the RLDS Stone Church in Independence, Missouri, USA from October 3 to 13, 1966. Brother Oakman states, "Brethren, there is an outer, external world which is designed to minister the life of God to us. And there is also an invisible, interior, inner world, and it is this invisible interior world, the world that is within us, with which we have to do, so terribly important. And, all of the apparatus known to us as the universe, the whole flux of things created, the presence of our fellow men, our heritage, history, all things, are designed that we may take them inside us. And that there may be created in us, in each one of us a universe of discourse, which shall be truly in harmony with the Spirit, and the mind, and the will of our Heavenly Father."
This electronic publication copyright © 2013 LatterDayTruth.org; All Rights Reserved.
Fourth in a series of six lectures given to the Melchisedec Priesthood at the RLDS Stone Church in Independence, Missouri, USA from October 3 to 13, 1966. Brother Oakman states, "Brethren, there is an outer, external world which is designed to minister the life of God to us. And there is also an invisible, interior, inner world, and it is this invisible interior world, the world that is within us, with which we have to do, so terribly important. And, all of the apparatus known to us as the universe, the whole flux of things created, the presence of our fellow men, our heritage, history, all things, are designed that we may take them inside us. And that there may be created in us, in each one of us a universe of discourse, which shall be truly in harmony with the Spirit, and the mind, and the will of our Heavenly Father."
This electronic publication copyright © 2013 LatterDayTruth.org; All Rights Reserved.
Fifth in a series of six lectures given to the Melchisedec Priesthood at the RLDS Stone Church in Independence, Missouri, USA from October 3 to 13, 1966. Brother Oakman states, "Brethren, there is an outer, external world which is designed to minister the life of God to us. And there is also an invisible, interior, inner world, and it is this invisible interior world, the world that is within us, with which we have to do, so terribly important. And, all of the apparatus known to us as the universe, the whole flux of things created, the presence of our fellow men, our heritage, history, all things, are designed that we may take them inside us. And that there may be created in us, in each one of us a universe of discourse, which shall be truly in harmony with the Spirit, and the mind, and the will of our Heavenly Father."
This electronic publication copyright © 2013 LatterDayTruth.org; All Rights Reserved.
Sixth in a series of six lectures given to the Melchisedec Priesthood at the RLDS Stone Church in Independence, Missouri, USA from October 3 to 13, 1966. Brother Oakman states, "Brethren, there is an outer, external world which is designed to minister the life of God to us. And there is also an invisible, interior, inner world, and it is this invisible interior world, the world that is within us, with which we have to do, so terribly important. And, all of the apparatus known to us as the universe, the whole flux of things created, the presence of our fellow men, our heritage, history, all things, are designed that we may take them inside us. And that there may be created in us, in each one of us a universe of discourse, which shall be truly in harmony with the Spirit, and the mind, and the will of our Heavenly Father."
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45 minute sermon by Arthur Oakman. He states, "The work of delivery the people of God from bondage and planting them in Zion requires that they have some knowledge of the Divine purpose. That we come to know that the whole of life is purposeless and that nothing ever walks with aimless feet as the poet has said. We live in a day of course when we're blessed by and cursed by the spirit of science. One of the great tragedies of our age is that its chief glory is also its main stumbling block. We have come to believe that nothing that we can imagine can be restrained from us. And as the spirit of inquiry and research goes on and on and on and mankind's more and more about the universe around him, he brings back to us marvelous things. And as he is learning more about the world of course he is learning more about God. But even this glory of ours is our chief stumbling block as I said because it is assumed by so many that the scientific approach to reality is the only valid way that the universe could reveal its' secrets to us."
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44 minute sermon by Arthur Oakman. Brother Oakman states, "We're told in modern day revelation that one of the functions of the restoration is that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world. Have you ever thought about that? That every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world. In order that faith might increase in the earth, that mine everlasting covenant might be established, and that my gospel might be preached, that the fullness of my gospel might be preached in all the world by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers. Can you speak in the name of God the Lord?"
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41 minute sermon by Evangelist Arthur Oakman. Brother Oakman shares an experience of Apostle D. T. Williams who lost his 18 year old son in an auto accident. Brother Williams struggled to continue his ministry until he had an experience with God. Oakman states, "At the foundation of every effective ministry there is always sacrifice." Brother Oakman also shares about two ladies in St. Louis; one was healed, one was not. Brother Oakman states, "Never forget, God Is, and God is Almighty!"
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43 minute sermon by Evangelist Arthur Oakman. He shares an experience of Albert Carmichael, when he was a young pastor in Garden Grove, California, who was concerned about the children of his congregation receiving ministry. Brother Carmichael fasted and prayed for many months. He then had an experience where he was taken by an angel on a journey where he saw beautiful flowers, grass, and birds, and then a temple where the children were being taught. Brother Oakman also shares an experience of Dr. Gustav Platz of Graceland College at the 1946 Lamoni reunion where he shares his testimony. Also, Guy P. Levitt of Berkley California who prophesied in a priesthood prayer service that, "the Lord loved them so much that if necessary, he would take away their possessions until they stood naked before him". 30 years later a friend who lost $250,000 wanted to meet with Arthur. He showed Arthur a diagrammatic representation of the nature of Zion, which had cost him $250,000.
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52 minute sermon by Evangelist Arthur Oakman. Brother Oakman shares about Christopher Columbus, how the Spirit of God wrought upon him, and that everything about the discovery of America was appointed by God. He shares a testimony of Apostle Paul Hanson who was sitting in a General Conference in the later 1950's, when, "Something still came into my soul, and I was exalted and lifted up; and there was born in upon my consciousness the knowledge that Zion shall be!" He asks, "Why does this Church exists? It doesn't exist for what it is now alone. It exists for the potential, what might develop, what must develop and what shall develop as a result of our fellowship together." Brother Oakman also shares about ministering in Europe during World War II and being arrested by the Gestapo in Germany. He also shares an experience about mailing a letter to President F.M. Smith stating he would stay in England during the war. Two celestial beings walked on either side of him as he waited for the train to arrive. "I was given to know that because of their kindness to his ancient covenant people the Jews, God would not permit Great Britain to be invaded by their enemies; and conversely, because of their unspeakable cruelty to his ancient covenant people, the Lord would utterly destroy Germany as a power or influence in Europe." He is also told, "How can the Gospel of the Kingdom be preached in all the world for a witness, unless and until there is a visible kingdom on the earth for which witness can be born? I shall not so far permit the forces of destruction to engulf the world as to make impossible the redemption of my Zion!"
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45 minute sermon by Evangelist Arthur Oakman. Brother Oakman tells the story about John Worth in England. John was an orphan and never knew his parents. He was baptized when he was 17, ordained a Priest and then an Elder. When John was 67 years old and on his deathbed, he was called through Brother Oakman to the office of Patriarch. His health was restored and he was ordained a Patriarch during an air raid on London in May, 1940. Other experiences about Brother Worth are also shared. Oakman also shares about President F. M. Smith visiting England in 1920 and giving a sermon. He asked, "How many plumbers in this group?" He talked about every trade represented in that group. He talked about timbers for the Temple. That they had a chance of being fashioned by the Spirit by the way they did their daily work so that they could be fit to be assembled in the great Temple of God. President Smith also stated, "That every rise in the quality of a man's work is the rise in the quality of the man."
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44 minute sermon by Evangelist Arthur Oakman. He states, "Men are anxiously looking for some sign of peace. Men are kidding themselves, as is our President at this time, that we are nearer to peace then we've ever been. There will be no peace on earth until Zion begins her mild reign, under the blessing and the providence of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us look. The night was dark after Jesus had ascended, as you well know, men apostatized from his teachings. It wasn't a deliberate thing. The apostacy never took place at ten o'clock in the afternoon of August the 15th, when was it, 570. It was a gradual process in which men with the best of intentions in the world, sought to do the will of God in their own strength. And there were many, many wonderful men, even during the dark ages, we call the dark ages." Brother Oakman goes on to talk about the dark ages, the discover of America, and light and truth coming forth in this land.
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41 minute sermon by Evangelist Arthur Oakman. Brother Oakman shares his experience of growing up in England as a boy. His family was very poor. The family lived on a cul-de-sac on Garfield Rd in England. The family would watch each evening for their father to come home to see if he had made any money that day at work. One day there stepped into the street an elderly gentleman with a long white beard. He began to sing, "Begone unbelief, my Savior is near, and for my relief will shortly appear, A prayer let me wrestle and He will perform, with Christ in the vessel I smile at the storm." He asked for some food and Sister Oakman gave him a piece of bread (she only had two slices in the house). He said, "Sister because of this sacrifice you have made, the Lord has set his hand this day to bless your household. And from this day forth you shall never want in basket and store. This young man (Arthur) shall grow to manhood and preach the gospel in many lands." Arthur's father came home that day and said that he had just landed a contract that would keep him in work for six months. Brother Oakman goes on to share many more experiences.
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44 minute sermon by Evangelist Arthur Oakman. Brother Oakman shares about the triumph of men of vision. He talks about the building of St. Paul's Cathedral in London, England. "Vision makes all the difference. The vision of the Kingdom takes the mundane, ordinary things of life and transforms them into things of beauty." Brother Oakman also shares F. Henry Edwards testimony of preparing for some lectures on the atonement at Graceland College in 1925 after a long, exhausting missionary trip. Their next door neighbor's daughter Susie had leukemia and was in the hospital needing a blood transfusion. Brother Edwards ended up being an exact match and they took 3 pints of blood from him. Three days later, after struggling to prepare for the lectures, he went to the hospital to see Susie and he received the inspiration he needed to prepare for the lectures. "Vision changes the aspect of everything."
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33 minute sermon by Evangelist Arthur Oakman. Brother Oakman makes several key statements, including, "Have you people ever become aware of what you have already done in Jesus Christ? That's our difficulty, we don't realize it. What we have already done in Jesus Christ." and, "No man is ever qualified to be his own critic. And unless there shall be given unto him a pattern of a perfect life, how can he gauge or evaluate his own?" and, "We look ourselves over and we're OK, but the fact is that unless the testimony of Jesus resides within us, we have no inward monitor to give us a true evaluation of ourselves. That's why the Holy Spirit was promised to the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ." He then shares an experience about when he was a young pastor in Berkley, California. He had a vision where he saw Jesus teaching his disciples. Arthur was then told that his ministry was accepted and that he would be called to be an Apostle. Later, Brother Guy P. Levitt also spoke under the influence of the Spirit to Brother Oakman with the same words, except for the calling to the Twelve, which was confirmation of his experience.
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April 6, 1964 7:30 p.m. R.L.D.S. World Conference worship service at the Auditorium, Independence, Missouri. The speaker was Apostle Charles R. Hield and his theme was "Co-Laborers with Christ." This is the audio from the entire service and lasts 60 minutes.
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42 minute audio sermon given Sunday June 21, 1970 at 11 a.m. at the RLDS Liberty Street Church, Independence, MO, USA. He states, "We're not doing too much about the purpose of Zion today, are we? Not very much. In fact we are not the people as of now to accomplish the purpose of Zion. There are several things that have crept in that we better as a people know that is crept in, and we better know it too that we're going to have to get rid of it before we ever become God's people. Because the God we're here worshiping together this morning has never changed, and never will change. His purposes are not to be defeated or changed. And if we are to experience disaster as the scriptures portrays that we will, after we have paid that price, then shall come the fulfillment of the word of God, 'And it shall come to pass afterwards'."
This electronic publication copyright © 2018 LatterDayTruth.org; All Rights Reserved.This recording contains several excerpts from early RLDS Church leaders, includes George E. Anway singing the hymn Consecration in March 1921, Evan A. Fry from the series Hear Ye Him, Clara A. Smith (Cochran), Elbert A. Smith, Frederick M. Smith, and Israel A. Smith.
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8 minute talk by Presiding Patriarch Elbert A. Smith given around January 5, 1948. He states, "And thus after the long apostasy the Church began to come forth out of the wilderness and was restored in its original organic form with apostles and prophets. It was restored with all the gifts and blessings, the doctrines, ordinances, and sacraments of the old Jerusalem church. It comes to us bearing in its hands the three witnesses of the written word; the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, the last named representing the still open canon of scripture, unique and unlike anything else in the modern religious world. These three books agree in one. In the beginning of the Restoration then one voice was heard in prayer and then in testimony, but the voice behind the veil from time to time called others. And so they came one by one saying here am I Lord, send me. The voice is still calling, calling your name, and mine, and others in many lands."
This electronic publication copyright © 2023 LatterDayTruth.org; All Rights Reserved.This recording contains several excerpts from early RLDS Church leaders, includes George E. Anway singing the hymn Consecration in March 1921, Evan A. Fry from the series Hear Ye Him, Clara A. Smith (Cochran), Elbert A. Smith, Frederick M. Smith, and Israel A. Smith.
This electronic publication copyright © 2016 LatterDayTruth.org; All Rights Reserved.This recording contains several excerpts from early RLDS Church leaders, includes George E. Anway singing the hymn Consecration in March 1921, Evan A. Fry from the series Hear Ye Him, Clara A. Smith (Cochran), Elbert A. Smith, Frederick M. Smith, and Israel A. Smith.
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This electronic file was made from vinyl records and the quality of the recording is not very good in some areas.
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35 minute sermon by President Israel A. Smith on The Work of the Prophet Joseph Smith. It was given on June 26, 1955 at 11 a.m. at the Stone Church, Independence, Missouri, USA. He states, "Now John [the Baptist], as a prophet of God, ushered in one of the principle dispensations, and that was the dispensation of the Messiah. And we believe that Joseph Smith [jr.] ushered in another dispensation, and in that respect, they are equal to each other. But I would not attempt to compare them becuase comparisons are, they say, invidious. But I believe that we have a right to assume that from this little story, this little account, in the 11th chapter of Matthew, that the Lord was indicating at least three things in respect to a prophet that probably were esential, to a prophet."
This electronic publication copyright © 2022 LatterDayTruth.org; All Rights Reserved.This recording contains several excerpts from early RLDS Church leaders, includes George E. Anway singing the hymn Consecration in March 1921, Evan A. Fry from the series Hear Ye Him, Clara A. Smith (Cochran), Elbert A. Smith, Frederick M. Smith, and Israel A. Smith.
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55 minute sermon by Dr. Ray Zinser on the Relevance of the Gospel. It was given at the Gudgell Park congregation on Sunday morning April 7, 1967. Brother Zinser states, "And the call to Zion is now and it is before us and it is possible. But it is not possible if 1 out of 40 has read the scriptures and it is not possible when we're spending 3 hours a day in personal grooming; it is not possible when TV possess us; it is not possible when jealousy, and greed and envy possess us! We should be possessed by the love of the Spirit of our Heavenly Father!...This thing called Zion was not merely an economic experiment on the western frontier as some would want us to believe; the call of Zion was from the foundation of the earth, that there might be gathered together somewhere on the face of the world a group of people so righteous and so obedient that each person has equal opportunity to fulfill his probationary state on earth. What is holding us back?"
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