Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-04-06
Apostle Moses Thatcher


was the next speaker. He said In sub
stance:
l have listened with great pleasure
TO the remarks made by the speakers ut
this conference and have been highly
edited by the remarks Of our President
and the testimonies that have been
borne. II does not appear that the
Church OF Jesus Christ Of Latter.day
Saints Is at the point Of decay. lie.
lieve the presence OF this vast audi.
ence Il n testimony that the work Of
GOi u not going 10 decline. Tho great
distinction between the work OF God
hnd that Of man IL, that His works
never decay. while mortal mans work
bcars IN u the elements Of destruction.
Godis works arc eternal.
] have been rejecting lately, upon
the accusation which liii saints have
been subjected 10 by thosu who know
them not, with reference 10 their
loyalty n citizens. We are told In
public print that We advocate the union
OF church aud state; that our Gocirlnes
tend 10 form ia. Idea that tile Church
must lie dominant, and that the allie.
glance OF Us members 4 given 10 the
Church. Now ITO not rec how nm In
diviJual can feel loyal 10 any govern.
mcnt unless he IL loyal a. tho maker Of
that government. He h most ready 10
defend the constitution Of the land.
who IL ready 10 conform " the laws OF
the Maker Of the world.
We should not be Judged by those
who know as not and whose object IL
"A NlltfN lau M lf.faa
Of our prosperity can be a
Just Judge. ] recently Rad IN an anti.
Catholic paper q serious charge made
by an hpostato from the Catholic
church, intcndingto prove that Presi-
dent Linccln was assa-sinated by
Catholics, aud that the deed was sane.
toned by the Pope. I merely refer u
these statemenis, but have long since
learned that assertions from npostatcs
must be- received with great allowance.
] am not prepared 10 believe that the
Catholics would have u priesthood
guilty % crime 80 unmnablc. do
not wish 10 dwell upon this except 10
show that there u tendency among
apostates TO speak evil against their Tor.
mcr associates.
! now wish TO refer 10 the doctrines
Of the Church, and 10 show that the
revelations do not teach union be.
tween Church anu state. We should
he Judged by our own writings, aud
not by those whoafr preJudlced against
uH.
The speaker quoted from the Doe
trinc aud Covenants, section will, -
aud following, and alsO Sec, 81, 20,
50. There IL not space at command for
the insertion OF the quotations.
Here the Lord says distinctly that
lie established the constitution OF the
land, In order that liberty aud FREEDOM
should 10 extended 10 all. Ills com.
mand 30 the people In to obey the laws Of
the land. God has clearly drawn the
line between the boundaries of civil
government and freedom Of worship.
The speaker proved this fIom Jer.
~, where II II stated that God had
made the king Of Babylon the ruler
over the kingdoms OF the world. Now
there were among the rulers OF the ON.
pirc, three young Hebrews. These,
we must presume, knew that the king
held his authority from God. And
yet, when the monarch commanded
them b worship the image he had
erected, they refused, and the event
has been recorded In order 10 show lis
that there WINS u clear distinction he.
twocn the freedom Of worship and
civil government. The king was told
by these young men that they did not
know whether God would protect
them or not, but this they knew, that
they would not worship the Image.
They felt that the king In commanding
them 10 do 10 had overstepped his
bounds. Well, the heat OF Tie fiery
furnace was intensified, but the three
young heroes were delivered aud the
result WINS that the naughty king
praised and gloriilod God, who was able
10 deliver Ills faithful servants from
the greatest peril.
Daniel, too, was cast Into n Hons
deD, having been cnirappcd by those
who were jealous Of his prosperity, but
this king was soon led 10 recognize the
true facts Ia the case, and he decreed
that the vile plotters should receive the
penalty which they had Intended Tor
Daniel. They were, therefore, with
their whole families, cast before the
lions, aud the bones Of the wicked We're
crushed between the teeth OF the wild
beasts.
our Savior, also, when his enemies
sought to entnp ii I'm In order b put
HIM lnto the clutches Of the law, dis.
tlnctly defined the difference between
that which belongs 10 God aud the civil
government lie was asked II II vas
right 10 pay trlouto 10 the emperor. aud
his answer was, "Render unto Cirsqr
tho things which II Caesars and unto
God the things which be- God"
When Ia the fourth century Con.
stantine attempted, by imperial decree,
10 unite church and state by making
the Christian religion the State re-
llgiOn, the evil effects of the nnnuthor.
ICED alliance commenced nj once 10
appear, aud finally eliminated In the
bloody lnquisition, In which, II IL said,
sixty millions OF people fell victims 10
religious persecution. The history OF
the Paulines, Waldensee, Huguenois,
Covennnters nnd others, show how
tragic and cruel that persecution was.
In the establishment OF this govern
ment, With It's Inspired national charter,
God put check TO the trait Of that
a