Sermon of John Y. Barlow, 2 July 1944: We Are Accused of Immorality Because We Claim Our Wives and Children; Indignation Against Wickedness in the Church and the World; The Parable of the Ten Virgins Was Describing…
Home · 1944 · Sermons of John Y. Barlow · John Y. Barlow
2 July 1944
Sermon of John Y. Barlow, 2 July 1944: We Are Accused of Immorality Because We Claim Our Wives and Children; Indignation Against Wickedness in the Church and the World; The Parable of the Ten Virgins Was Describing…
A dated talk by John Y. Barlow from the compiled volume Sermons of John Y. Barlow. The wording has not been changed. Reported by Leona Jeffs.
Salt Lake City, Utah, Testimony Meeting at Lincoln Street
My brothers and sisters, I thought in looking over the picture of Brother Allred?s family that went out, and this picture of Lyman Jessop?s family, has done more good than we could have done in sending out preachers for ten years. People look upon us as though we were sexual and they say, ?How can you live this law without being sexual?? By seeing these pictures, they begin to think we mean what we are doing. Now just think, all we have to do is turn away our wives and live with them as mistresses and all would be well. The law only prohibits having ?wives? and where men are willing to go to jail for them. If they were sexual, they wouldn?t have to take wives. Anybody knows if they were sexual, they wouldn?t have to take wives and raise children. Common sense would tell you that, the way the world is today, everywhere you go. (Related an experience of going to a hotel and being asked ?with or without?.) Then have them tell you you are sexual by having wives and raising children, and honoring those wives, ready to go to jail! I want to tell you, these people in Utah ought to be ashamed of themselves, turning from the very laws that would give them eternal increase for a paltry sum of an office. No wonder Brigham Young said they ought to go back to the East. He told them if they would live the laws of God they wouldn?t have to live under anything but the Kingdom of God. Would they do it? No, and they wouldn?t let those who wanted to do it! Sometimes indignation arouses my soul so I can hardly contain myself. Let me tell you, to assure you that are here and under the sound of my voice, that God is going to take a hand?and not very long before He does. Are we going to be ready? Are we going to be living the laws of God? When the Savior comes and there will be two in the field, one will be taken and the other left. Are we going to be left here? Let me tell you, He was speaking of the Church when He spoke of the ten virgins?five foolish and five wise. The wise had been keeping oil in their lamps, but while the five foolish ones went for oil the door was closed. That wasn?t speaking of the world, but the people of the Kingdom of God. When they returned and found the door closed, they said, ?Lord, Lord, open unto us.? And He said, ?Verily, no.? Why? Because they had turned and not lived the laws of God. He said, ?Depart from Me, I never knew you.? That is speaking of apostates who have turned from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Apostates have turned from a principle. What a terrible lesson Joseph got on that line when he listened to Martin Harris. The Lord told him he had listened to the persuasions of men, and we are shown what will happen to us if we do. A man asked me the other day, ?Do you really believe the Gospel and plural marriage are true?? I said, ?I don?t believe it, I know it.? But I want to tell you that if we reject any law that God has laid down, we will be the loser. We will never be able to have eternal increase and have an earth as Adam did. We have got to live the laws that were established for that purpose. Now, I don?t wish to take up much of your time, but I want to tell you, and prophesy in the name of Israel?s God, it will only be a short time before the One Mighty and Strong comes. Are we ready, brothers and sisters? Are we ready? What are we going to do? Are we going to live as we ought to, or are we going on as we are doing? Think it over. God bless you, amen.