The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-03-08
SUNDAY SERVICES.

afternoon, many strangers in the
city being in the congregation. The
services were opened by the choir
singing the hymn beginning:
Softly beams the sacred dswning
OF the great Millennial morn,
And to saints gives welcome warning
That the day is hssting on.
Prayer by Elder William w.
Taylor. The choir sang the hymn
commencing:
While these emblemS we psrtske
In JESUS name and for his sake,
Let US remember and besure
Our hearts and hands are clean and
pure.
President a. NJ. Cannon intro
duced the Rev. DR.. Fisher, district
SUPERINTENDENT of the American
Bible Society for the district o.
Utah. Idaho and Montana.
DIR. FISHER said it always afforded
him pleasure to be introduced as
district superintendent of the Bible
society. All Christian people re-
.ceived the Bible as the foundation
of their religious and moral belief.
He had listened to discOurseS from
this stand and the one IN the
Tabernacle from which he had
gathered, as well as from the,histOry
of the church and church books,
that the Mormon people believe
with the common run of people that
The Bible was Gods work that there
were holy men of old to whom God
mad spoken in ancient days and that
~ modern times he had spoken to
us by his Son, whom he had ap-
pointed his heir, by whom he had
made this world, and in whom we
nave the light and the hope of
eternal salvation; that the truths
contained in this book were made
known by special revelation. The
Bible had been remarkably well pre-
served. The American Bible Society,
prompted by the Holy Ghost, felt a
desire to disseminate the Bible, to
put it within the reach of all the
people, and make it so cheap that
every one might possess a copy.
| The doctor was not ignorant of the
fact that men differed on points of
religion, but us the representative
of the society it was not within his
IprOyInce to discuss other subjects
but to furnish the Bible by the bes.
methods. This book was the oldest
in the world. Some thought that lii
India. China, or other old countries
books might be found to ante-date
lit, but the opening up of those
] ~, ,,,,+-,-;,, 90 o., C,,raI bat tho Rih1a xUaC
lover 500 years older than any other
book. He had no time now to give
1.-The reasons why the society desired
Ito put a copy into every hand.
/ he American Bible Society had
leXisted siXty-fOur years. Since
looming into this hall he had seen
lby legend on the wall that the
! Mormon church was organized 80
wears agO.OT IA We us after the Bible
lsOciety. The society had issued
tnearly 40,000,I 90 copies of the Bible,
distributing them in America, India,
Africa, China, and the islands OF
the sea, so that there was scarcely a
people on the face of the earth who
had not received some knowledge OF
1.-THE good book. The greatest posi-
bic care had been taken in its trans
lation. FOrUy-nine of England S
imost learned mn had spent seven
consecutive years at institutions OF
learning, carefully comparing each
book. chapter. and verse before CIV
ing it to the printer. There may be
some errors, but recent efforts III
England prove that the text is COM
paratiYely correct. The reviSers
had made a few verbal changes, bul
Inc changes of the sense. Some sal0
1.-THE Bible was but a history of the
lJeWs. but if so, the Jewish people
were the chosen of the Lord through
whom the Messiah was to come
The Savior was the central figure OF
the inspired scriptures which teach
of his works and the final eXaltation
IOf mankind. The doctor might say
as President Peterson in Sanpete
lCounty had said to him What
would l know If 1t had not been for
the Bible? What would the world
be if it were not for the holy scrip
ltures ?"
The American Bible Society is
lengaged in the noble cause of
spreading this book over the earth
for the benefit of mankind. The
lsociety is sustained by charitable
christian people. There were over
100000 contributors to the work.
| The country was divided into eight
teen large dis riots, each under a
Superintendent. 1t was the duty OF
superintendent to organize branch
societies. DR.. Fisher was happy to
say that in this hall, yesterday, he
had organized an auxiliary society
for this stake, which proposed to
obtain an ample supply of Bibles,
and put them on sale at the Juvenile
! Instructor Office and perhaps at the
Deseret NeIOS Office. He had organ
lied branch societies at Logan,
Manti, Beaver, Provo, and other
lcities where he had met
hearty cooperation in the work.
! He had to assist him three
ljudiciOus cOlpOrteuTs who had been
Instructed to attend strictly to their
duties. He had requested them not
20 enter into debates and asked t e
people not to engage with them in
discussions. Their business was
simply to distribute the Scriptures,
and not carry tracts or other publ
cations of churches. The society
was non-sectarian; it did not ask
whether a man was a Methodist, a
| Baptist or LatteT-day Saint; but
simply, Have you Bible? Do you
want one? We seek to bring to-
gether represent alive men of all
| Gu iStian denominations. We be
Ilieve our enlightenment comes
through the holy spirit; that if any
lacks wisdom let them ask of God
who giveth literally to all. DR..
Fisher said he regarded the hours
most pTOftably spent by him were
when with his brother in a shop h
sought an education that he might
become useful to his fellow man
There by the dim light of a candle
he read the Bible to learn the will of
God. He now looked back with
pleasure to those hours. He believed
ii man would read the holy scrip
lures and ask for the spirit of God,
the Lord would give him light, and
direct him in the path of right. The
nation needed a most clear under
standing of the Bible. 1t would be
outside of his duty to say that the
careful reading of the Bible would
Head any one into any branch of the
church, but if all would read the
Scriptures and obey them wars