Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-12-19
fConimned from Page ~

think that they woulu want 70 h,hi ~
message, because knowing wen ihht
men OF God have been msriyreh, they
would hesitate about rejecting com.
municatiOn from such n source. bu,
how different Is the experience wa,
Jatter-1ay Saints have gained IN thls
rcspvcti Joseph Smith, boy. un'
trained In the schools OF dlVinity-suoh
a one In some respects ne were the
ancient servants OF G0d-chnc LOT
ward at time when there was no
voice heard from heaven and nobody
knew anything about tho mind anu
viii Of God; when confusion concern.
ing doctrine prevailed, and protested
minIstorp Of Jesus Christ quarrelcd
over Important and essential points OF
doctrine, there being no man on the
earth who had this authority TO decide
which was correct. In the midst OF
This confusion Joseph Smith APP
peared and said; "God has spoken
10 ME from tho heavens.
He has revealed His mind aud VIII.
lie has told me that all the churches
have gone astray; that the Priesthood
which was once on the earth had been
Withdrawn, and that He will restore Il
again 10 man, With the ancient gus
and blcssInge.0 Now, one would
Imagine that, there being such con-
fusion In religious matters, anu win
the experience OF the past, humble, un-
lettered men having been chosen by
God 20 frequently as His messenger,
men would say, "lut us listen TO this
Young mans words and res whether
he Is Indeed what he pro esses to be-
But how different was the procedure!
No sooner dld lac make this announce
mcnt than he wns hRted and per-o-
cuted. llcnknew, he said, that God
had spoken 90 him, and that angels
had minIstered to him. lilo knew IL
lust ~ well as Paul knew that ON his
way u Damascus he had heard n voice
from heaven. Until 1t was dlsproved,
his testimony was as good Paul'-, and
he was entitled to he listened 10, ut
least. hut the lessons Of the pnst were
lost upon them, and the ministers Of re-
lizion did exactly what their pfe1e-
cessors had done among the Jews; for
we all know that Il was the religious
element among the Jews - the men
who observed most strictly the law OF
Moses, who were the teachers OF The
people, aud who SGT Themselves up as
patterns VI proprloty-- thai prosecuted
the son OF God. Joseph Smith'A sole
crime consisted In saying that God h1l
again spoken from the heavens, ana
that He had revealed HIS mind anu
will 10 man once more. He was an
ihofIeupive person. Ho was not in-
fluenlIal. lie wa. not In position 10
do amy harm 10 anybody. But II IL oX-
traoriinary now ~ look back and zoe
the storm thnt was aroused by hia
declarations. lie afterwards testified
that lie and Oliver COvdefy had 70.
ceived angelic ministra,iops, and had
had the pTlcstnp1d conferred upon
them--the authority by which God EN-
powers His setvsnts 10 adminlatef
holy ordinances.
Now, there are large numberl Of
prpple who call themselves ministers
~ Jesus Christ; but 20 be n minitter
81 the Lord Jesus Christ man must
have tower and authority from Hin To
act ia His name. When Petertaid 10 tho
assembled multitude on the day Of Pen
tecosI, "relent and &c laptiIed every
one Of you, for tho remission Of your
.ius,n he made promise unto them
us TO what the effect would be- " they
would obey his words. When they
were baptized, there h not u doub, that
their sins were TOnittcd, because the
fnau who made the promise spoke la
the name Of heaven, anu heaven CON
firmed his words by femitting the sins
of those who oheyud his words. The
Holy Ghost was also bestowed upon
them. IL IL n remarkable thing that
Notwithstanding the thousands VI pro-
frased ministers throughout the land,
there were none nj tho time OF which !
speak who could make this promise.
The Lord told Joseph Smith that that
authority hnd been Withdrawn from
the earth. The evidences Of this were
TO be seen In the Absence Of power, Of
heavenly blessiugs and gifts, OF uliDu,
aud Of all thOse great characteristics
which accompanied the work Of God
In the days OF Jesus and His Apostles.
lie testified TINT this authority had
been restored and that he had received
thu administration Of holy angels. Why
ahoald this testimony siaytlc anyb0dyg
know that at the time he made the
declaration II was u most startling
thing; for people were not familiar
then, as they arc somewhat
now, with spiritual manifesto
tons. Spirtualism had not been
heard Of II required the true
church 10 come before au initiation 0I
u bogus was necessary TO deceive thu
people. But II should not starile any
body that angels should come 10 TO
store that which was lost. How else
could II he obtained, " there was No
Inau on the earth who had the authori'
"? There was consistency In the state
ment that Joseph Smith made. HS
said that John the Baptist came and
ordained him and his companion
They both testified to this. why wa
81 necessary that John tho Baptist
should come? Because he had authori
tyfrom God TO baptlze people In watoi
for tue remission Of their sins. lilo held
the keys OF that authority. Fl greR
"A prophet waa lie, and held IN such
high esteem by heaven, that he Wal
telected out Of all the children OF men
to bsptize the Son Of God. No greater
prophet was ever born OF woman. Ye
II Ia said OF him that he did no mir
scles. Why was he such q grea
propheiP Because bs had thi
distinguished honor of leading the Sor
Of God himself into the waters o
baptism ana immefsing Him IN tn,
waters Of Jordan, 10 fulfill all righteous
mess. lie was beheade1, hut he held
this authority, ami he was sent /,
Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery
and they eolemnly declared that hl
laid his hands upon them aud ordaine,
them to the same authority that N
held. No one else ON tue earth held |
at the time.
But John the Baptist said, after h,
baptized the Jews, 81 indeed bapti1
YOU with water; hut one mightier thai
! cOmeth, the latchel OF whose shoes