The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-10-09

in the Tabernacle on Sunday last.
Apostle Lorenzo Snow presid ed.
The choir sang:
When earth in bondage long had lain.
Apostle Franklin u. Richards offered
prayer.
The choir then sang:
How great the JOY, the promised day
When the dlscip. es met to pray.
APOSTLE MOSES THATCHER,
who arose to address the congregation.
desired to speak upon the systems of
government that have prevailed
amongst the most intelligent of Gods
creatures from the beginning. The
great key of power in divine and human
government is not force but persuasion,
not coercion but love.
The systems of human government
have greatly changed as the ages have
rolled by; and where God has not
spoken to the people, and revealed to
them that which is perfect, because
all things are perfect that come from
Him, the tendency of human govern.
ments have been to tine monarchial
oruer-governments of Capitalization
and not governments Of diffusion
kingly governments as in opposition to
democratic or republican govern
ments.
IeInaps the graudest system of
monarchlal government of which we
have account was that represent by
King NebuchadneZzar TO this great
monarch the Almighty had given su-
premacy and rule wher, yer the chill
dren OF men dwelt. He felt. as is nat
ural to the human heart, that he &C
complIsbed great WORK. When we
remem Der the extent of his dominions it
is not matter of surprise to US that he
became proud. Bat the Lord humbled
him by taking away his intelligence,
and caused him to live as beast of the
field, without rule and without power
to ever comprehend the extent of his
work. Then comes the government OF
the Modes and Persians. Following the
rule of the Medes and Persians came
that of the Macedonian or AleXandrian
power, a government that was very
strong and extended its supremacy
throughout the habitable globe. Sue
ceeding the. Alexaudrian power fol-
lowed that of the Roman Empire, rep
resented in the legs of iron, out of
which grew the ten toes or king
doms mixed with iron and clay,
partly strong and partly weak. And
in the days Of these ten kingdoms, &C
great prophet Daniel, there was to be
Eir10Hnr1 ncfQ hIichoA TO no
thrown down.
Some claim that the Church of Jesus
Christ is theocratic form of govern
ment. The speaker endeavored to
show that this is not the case in the
sense IN which the world generally look
upon it. He also proceeded to show
how the human forms of government
in past ages have ultim ately failed in
bringing about the ends sought after,
the reason being that they were not
founded on divine plan. He made
special mention of the three forms of
government which exist and which are
embodied in the British constitution.
There are the monarchical, ar,s ocratic,
and republican systems. The tendency
of the British subjects to enlarge
their own liberty has had
tendency to weaken the power of
the two former forms of government
and consequently the government of
Great Britain is more republican in its
character than that of the United
States.
Apostle Thatcher dwelt largely upon
the Constitution of the United States,
the government of which has been
formed by the people, and hence demo-
cratic in its character. Its laws, which
are enacted by the representatives and
not by the direct will of the people, are
republican. The Supreme Court is
another feature. Its members are
selected by the President and Senate,
and not by the people. 1t is not, there
fore, controlled 5y public opinion.
1t is claimed by the Latter-day Saints
| that those who signed the Declaration of
Independence and those who framed
the Constitution did so under the intlu-
ence of inspiration from God. But the
broadest and most liberal form OF
government was that revealed
from The Lord to an untutored
boy, and Its organization is
recognized to day as the Chur.h OF
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. TEE
sp aker dwelt bri fly upon the powers
and restrictions of the priesthood and
| tnS III ulS VI Gu0 peOplo III giving IDelr
sanction or rejection 10 those who may
be called upon to act in any position
in the priesthood.
The church has also got its courts
of jurisdiction. If a case is taken into
consideration, the first means of settle
ment is that of reconciliation. The
spirit of reconciliation should char
acterlse all true Latter day Saints.
should this means fail in settling a
dispute, third party is called upon to
act by arbitration. Should this fail
then the case is taken to the bishops.
The next higher court is the Stake
High Council. Should either of the con
tendin1 parties still remain dissatisfied
another appeal can be made. This sys-
tenn entends to all members of the
church so that none are exempted. This
form of Church government has beer
founded on divine principles and a per-
feet system Of government.
Towards the close of his remarks the
speaker read the following, which treat.
closely on the above subject.
behold, there are many called, bu
few are chosen. And why are they no
chosen?"
Because their hearts are set so much
upon the things of this world, anc