The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-04-29

to what had been SAID by the pre-
ceding speaker, saying the people OF
the Church of Jesus Christ of Lat
ter day Saints were fulfilling the
prophesies of former days recorded
in the Bible. The Apostle Paul
foresaw the taking from the earth
of the church, and predicted the
apostasy which followed his death.
John, on the Isle of Patmos, saw
the same apostasy and falling OFF,
and in one of his visions saw the
fall of Babylon, the mother OF har-
lots, with cup in her hand, from
which the world was made drunk
by partaking of her foundations.
When Jesus re-established the gos-
pel-.he old gospel-that truth,
gospel and church remained only
for time; apostasy crept In and
darkness covered the earth and
gross darkness the minds Of the
people after his death and resur-
rection. In the interim between
that period and the present some
good men had lived, but direct
communication had not been kept
up between the earth and heaven;
they preached what they believed
to be true; but they had not the
authority and power to act and
work in Gods name. The revelations
were Oprophecies of the things
(which must be hereafter" John
saw the Angel "ssying with q loud
voice, Fear God and give glory to
Him for the hour of His Judgment
is come; and worship Him that
made Heaven and earth, and the
sea, and the fountains Of waters
And there followed another angel,
saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen,
that great city, because she made
all nations drink of the wine Of the
wrath of her fernications.'" This
angel was to go to every nation
not to this continent alone-but to
every one on the earth. What was
he to have? "The everlasting
gospel to preach unto them that
dwell on the earth" This
showed that there was need
of sending this angel, as there was
no gospel on the earth when He
should come; the nations were all
drunk with fornication. That an.
gel was to bring the gospel in all
its primitive purity, from Heaven,
that all might have the opportunity
to embrace it. The elders bear
their testimony that that angel has
come; he himself had not seen it,
bat he knew it had come; he knew
1t as hundreds and thousands
throughout the Territory knew 1t,
by inspiration. Joseph Smith was
visited by John the Baptist, as also
by Peter and James, who ordained
him to the apostleship, and the peo-
pie believed his word when he
made this fact known; they
realized the same spirit,
enjoyed the same gifts and
blessings which followed obedience
to the requirements of the gospel,
and which were promised by the
Apostles of ancient-days. He re-
citet his early experience in search
ing for and obtaining knowledge
about the gospel as preached by the
Latter-day Saints he had examined
the doctrines of all the existing
churches and found there was some
thing lacking to make their beliefs
conform to what Jesus and his dis
ciples had preached and which we're
of record in the New Testament, he
continued his search and inquiry
until he heard of Mormonism, which
he thoroughly sitted and weighed
and found to be the only true Cos
pei; was bspt,zed and received the
laying on of hands; received divine
light, showing him that the gifts,
powers and blessings followed those
who obeyed the principles of the
gospel. He had witnessed many
manifestations Of the power of the
gospel; the Holy Ghost had given
him his testimony of the truth of |
the gospel. When he left his early |
home, went out to preach and ad.
minister the ordinances, whenever |
be baptized his subjects received |
I'll g Holy Ghost and bore ties imony
to the gifts they enjoyed through it.
He said thai all could receive and |
keep the same testimony if they
would live correctly. Many |
had come to Utah with q
view to lettering their con-
1ition, but the majority had |
come 10 be tested and tried in the |
keeping Of the commandments of |
God; this was an evidence of the
power and influence of the gospel
On the hearts and wills Of the great
masses of Mormons. What power
Is it that gives the Lstter.day
Saints their testimony? he asked |
those who had not given the SUBJ
ject much consideration, and told |
them to investigate it, promising
them that if they did they wonld |
learn what he knew about it. He
bore strong testimony concerning |
the good, the knowledge, the truth |
and the virtues that were embraced |
in the gospel as taught, through the |
power Of the Holy Spirit, by the
elders Of the Mormon church, and
concluded by exhorting those who
wi-hea to know anything concern
Ing it to mako searching and
tn rough inquiry. These were the
latter times looked forward to by |
the ancient prophets, and the Nor |
mon church wss like unto the little
stone cut out Of the mountains |