Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-05-17

! - AAAN lNAAANAH
Sometimes a knowledge Of history
isrequired for the -s-ht understand
ing Of passages. Acts 9, 81: 'The
churches had rest throughout al
Judea and fiali,ee'' has been mis-
understood as a consequence Of the
conversion OF Paul, whereas the real
cause Of this temporary rest was that
at this time Caiigula attempted 10
raise Z statue Of him--h in the
'sHOly Of HOLES" in the temple.
The CONSERVATION " hich this caused
among the bicCithirsty Jews made
them for time TO forget the Chris
tian Churches.
Nor less important is n knowledge
0f ancient chronology, geography,
Of botany, Of minerIlogy, zoology,
and archaeology in is various
branches. But we cannot here null
tipiy instances.
To understand the Bible, even the
plainest tEauslaticii, all these things
are necessary rs helps, aud yet,
without the spirit Of God % lead into
ali truth. noS all OF these helps are
sufficient, 80 numerous and 90 vast
are the difficulties 10 be encountered
/ in asceTtaining the true meauing Of
I the Bible.
Nor need We Re surprised at this.
The various books are written in
7 the remote aatldCit-. Language
changes, like all that Is human.
Words 90 not remain stationary in
their Specifications. Every word
has its own history, and antique
literature always requires n knOYl-
edge og the history Cf the words.
The author Of tine Bible write each
I from his own standpoint Some
are lawyers, as Moses Others
are humble shepherds, ss Amos.
Some are learned men, rs Paul
and Luke. Others are unedu-
Gated fishermen, a. Peter and John.
I Some are statesmen Ike Daniel.
l lions Of life, rs Iertmiah. Some
write poetry, others history, oiheH
letters and Others visions. Some
write in the deserts Of Arabia, some
by the banks of the rivers in
Babylon, some IN the palace in
/ Jerusalem, some In prisons in
/ Rome. Each h1s his own IgcJli-
2TiIy Of style, and 10 Understand II
all. you would have 20 be ConveTs5nt
with almost every branch II human
I learning. Il is no figure Of speech
when Luke says that theology Is
the direction Ufall knowledge 10 It.
true end. or when Farley l.. Pratt
says; at Is the science Cf MI other
/ sciences and useful arts, being I'm
. fact the very fountain from which
they emanatc. 10 includes phil0s-
ophy, astronomy, history, Mathc-
MATES, geography, languages, the
science q letters, and blends the
knowledge o. an matters II fact in
every branch of art or fJze--ch."
Key 90 Theology, p. =
Seeing now that such require
mcnts are mase upon IL in order 10
understand the Bible, and that lack
Of knowledge necessarily involve
misunderstanding II many Of the
Sacred passages, We ask every rea-
souabic being, Can &c be SUPPOSED
that the Bible ever was intended %
lie n substitute FOR immeIiatsIivine
* NaaAAHAHa II 10 81 Us a..aa." NaF-.N AtA
this purpose it has siguaily failed IN
its purpose; AMI II the Bible
alone Ie Intended 20 he the
guide 10 heaven. Il Is o re felrcd
that a majority Of people viii be led
to he'll for the simple reason that
they never had an opportunity az
mastering the difficulties ltterdiu.
their attempts NJ understanding
what the Bible doctrines really are.
.'CHRIsTIAN'' sECIs An EVIDENCE.
II further proofs Tor the necessity
Of continuous revelation were need
Ell, the CCp!Ur8blc state Of the Chris
uan world, where leach goes his
own way" FURNISHES those proofs I'm
abundance.
The object God had i'm view in
giving 70 His people men through
whom He could reveal His plans
ami puric=Us was To perfect the
Saints" and preserve unity Of iaithy
lEph. /: lI-lil. As long as tie
Church bad Apostles and Prophets.
there was TO necessity for the I
churches breaking up !u,o factions I
or secis. Differences could arise. .
and did arise, but when referred 90 I
the inspired men. Col. through His
Holy Spirit always settled the diff .
culties, preserving the unity.
Some instances, Illustrating this.
have been recorded FOR Oug iufUrm1-
ton.
In the church az Jerusalem rs the 1.
members increased, a feeling of I
jealousy grew up between the differ
ent uafiuual!ticS. fine "tireCilus''
thought that their widows did not I
receive a fair portion Of the aims .
daily distributed among the POOR. I
the Hebrews" keeping all for their I.
widows. Among tie Jews, the I
"tiTeCiaus, that j. D. say. such /
Jews that were not born in Pale |
slime, were held in contempt like I
everything that originated outside /.
the confines Of the HCly Land. I'll
was thought that the Jewish con- !
verts 10 Christianity had retained /
this feeliug-auL SO neglected. thtir I
foreign brethren. Now, here w1s "A l
secret power Of evil e. work. I
strong enough 10 break the .
irst church up in factions. I
For evil grows, II not conquered. !
aud what n iirstJpIears like a cloud. /
the size Of n mans hand, devcl1nes |
into 4 terrible storm with thunder /
and lightning. Small rs the matter /
10 bc, il was an attempt nj /
destroying the unity Of the Church I
II Christ. But the Church was
equal 10 tbs occasion. lis flundl- \
ii0ns were solid aud its guardians
awake. The whole matter was laid !.
before the Apostles, and these found /.
the proper remedy. look VI on! !
among YOU" they say 10 the Church
members, seven men OF hon
est report, fun Of the Holy GEos!
and wisdom, whom we may apr0iut
over this business. - The peorie. on
having this wise counsel. made their
choice, and the Apostles set the
chosen apart for this Office. And it
may le noted rs a Characteristic fca-
turg Of Gods way OF managing elcc-
lions, in contrast 10 the fsrcical fro
ceedings o. the iriqui.1Us world.
That the seven men elected on this
occasion were all "Greciaus,v judg-
ing from their names. The mai0ri-
~, prompted by the love u God,
gave 20 the min0Tity-the cumplain-
ing plrty-the whole control OF the
The Church was saved !
rom the spirit Of destruction. Uni
" was preserved. But 10 took in
ipire1 men TO solve the difficulty in [
lfiS way, 50 contrary 10 all rules.
'vcuguized- among men isCe AZ. &.
~.
The next instance is n difference
doctrine.
As soon n the Gospel principles J
pread and were embraced 10y the
ieutDes, \ struggle necessarily fol-
owed between the Jewish aud the .
iontile element. Both hai much
o give up ami much 10 learn ff0m
iach other, before n complete unity (.
'Uuld be secured. In this struggle,
-arious questions were brought ~