Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-04-14
THE LOGAN CONFERENCE.
Some of the Observations Called
Forth From q Conservative
Minister of This city.

u,
the sessions of the Logan conference
and was an attentive listener and close
observer of what transpired there. Last
Sunday evening he delivered lecture en-
titled Practical Reflections on the
Logan Conference" The Baptist church
was crowded to it's utmost capacity, and
many adherents to Mormonism were
present. DR.. Dewitt is conservative in his
views, and judges nothing with harshness
or bitterness. We give a portion of his
address below, eliminating certain por-
tons relating to doctrinal questions
Having been present as reporter, l
wish to acknowledge the courtesy and
kindness extended to me from the be-
! ginning to the close of the session.
For % years before moving to this city
| was settled almost in sight of the birth
place of the Mormon Church, and for
years conversed Familiarity with men, and
women, too, who were acquainted with
the earliest dawn of the life OF this insti-
tuition.
In 1874 | came to this city, on my way
across the continent, that l might study
the teachings and practices of this people.
In 1880 l repeated the visit for the same
purpose, but it was not until | had lived
among them, breathing the same air, and
came under their personal magnetism,
that began to understand the true spirit
and letter of their commercial, political,
and religious system / do not think it
strange that tourists, who visit Salt Lake,
ride for two hours about the city, and
then think themselves ready to graduate
from the new and strange school of
prophecy and revelation, and flood the
eastern county, with "what know about
Mormonism," should get sadly twisted
and greatly confused in their attempted
solution of the mountain problem.
1t was with a sincere desire to give
fair and unbiased report of the teachings
OF the annual Conference, recently in
session at Logan, especially as the present
time is portentious, and promises great
and important changes in the near fu-
ture.
The first thought that impressed itself
upon my mind was the fact that we were
gathered as an annual Conference of the |
only true Church of Latter-day Saints |
now living upon the earth. This gave
unusual dignity and grandeur to the oc-
casion, and led to inquire diligently how
many there were of us, who could thus
represent the conquering king: l was told |
that there were 150, 900, including mem
bers and adherents of this faith. | then
saw. if this was indeed the only Church
OF Jesus Christ of the Saints who live in
this latter-day, that the gospel, with all
Its multiplied agencies, vigorously at
work for the last nineteen centuries, had
but little toward the con-
version of fifteen hundred million people:
and that it looked like the deadest sepul-
chre that the name of religion was ever
written on; and l was still more i'm
pressed with the justice of this conclu-
sion when told by the Apostle John
Henry Smith, president of the European
that practically the door of
every nation throughout the length and
breadth of Christendom was closed
against them, and that all they could
hope to do was to gather the gleanings
and warn the people. Surely these err
ng sects show better record in their.
'o-called, gospel preaching.
The Baptist and Methodist churches
nave gathered into their membership in
his country alone, including the adher- l
'nts, not less than twelve millions each.
md the evangelical churches have Sc
ured as members and adherents within
he United States and Territories
lfty-three millions five hundred thous-
nd, leaving but one million three hun
red and fifty thousand to pronounced in 9
delity, and the balance to the Mormon
hurch. Surely prophesy foretelling the l
peedy triumph of the gospel throughout
ne world, and "that the heather are to C
e given to Christ for His inheritance.
nd the uttermost part of the earth for v
ossesslon," must be fixed at a remote
er1od IN the future, and if Christ DELAYS d
LIS coming until the final conquest of the
arth, at this rate of progress we shall s
ecure the eternity of matter and have
he old earth live forever. |:
The Conference gave me much infor-
latlon IN respect to modern revelation. "
y which this Church has been restored
nd was being guided in all matters. 6
,clal, domestic, financial, political and
'hglous, but why should a new revela- C,
on be given, since the revelation given
the New Testament lies unstudied and n
lused? There is a depth of meaning .
I'd wealth of knowledge lying hidden d.
BON Its page, which under the divine
umlnatlon might be brought forth to W
axe men wise unto salvation, but it is
u as an undeveloped mine, containing m
dden treasures that would enrich the
rth II 1t could only be worked, and its
e OF precious metal given to the world.
Would 1t not dlsrobe the attributes of !,
e Eternal If He should add revelation liz
revelation, only to be treated by mis- so
and neglect? Many of the people tn
We been advised by the missionaries. Ju
Tile preparing to be gathered to Zion. on
sell or give away their Bibles, as thew Ir,
'uld have no use for them in Utah. on off
count OF direct revelation, and | OBJ nv
we'd that the Bible was never omen. ce
ring the session of the Conference. and DE-
nave never known it to be used in any
'rmon meeting, though have attended wi
quently. Perhaps our friends think hi
1t they have all the knowledge that tn,
be gathered out of the old word The CIR
VINO mas gathered a handful OF bly,
Wers In the spring may think he has
'reby secured an inexhaustable knowI-
&c OF botany, or the man who has
nd few fossils in the mountains bss
ured thereby perfect KNOWLEDGE OF POI
,logy, but both would be astonished to sol
! how much there was in the science for
botany and geology which they have ant
yet learned; but much more aston tan
ed would the Mormon priest and peo- Lift
be II told how many revelations the
N heaven there were in the New Tesla the
Mt which they have not attemntad 70 wol
rch out. " Hy
Is selt=evident that a supposed revela- ElC
from heaven that is immoral and
nicious in its fruits, supersedes the
esslty of formal investigation. We
e told at Conference, by an Apostle b
ne church, that polygamy was the Me-
anrfs,, Il -