Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-03-05

"S hVibs tnht 1nrist VIII
not come this year, as Va
.ner Miller has ptophe.iei,
and ! also prophecy that Christ will mol
come In forty year.; and II God ev.l
SPOKE by mouth, he will not come In
,hat length Of time. Brethren, whey
you 20 home, write this down that il
may he remembered.
More than forty years have passed
have Joseph proven 10 be n trie
Prophet, while Father Miller mis,ei i,
very much.
the TIrnRE WITNESSES.
When Joseph Smith was translatlng
the Book " Mormon, with Oliver Cow.
derry a. scribe, the following words of
Mofoni directed 10 the translator, were
rendered IA follows In the translation:
"llehold Ne may be privileged that Va
may show The plate. unto those who shall
assist 10 bring forth this work Oneanluy
[ the Book Of MormOn) Aud unto thra9
shall they DO shown by the power of God,
wherefore they shall know Of a suro.y
that thcse thing, are tru0. Aud IN tho
mouth of three witnesses shall these
tni i,.. DC established, and the testimony
I = tiA'N ANl ANlN MNNA
shnll stand ~ testimony against tho
world ut tho last day."-E.hor \. "a.
lice Il n positive pr)mlsc that the
plates OF the Book OF Mormon ssould
DC shown 10 thres "by the power VI
Cod" ! will now read the testimony
OF three men who, ne soon a. this
promise was made known desired Of
tile Lord 10 lie chosen M these three
special witnesses. aud their desires
being grauted, they prepared aud
signed The following
'rhc Testimony or Three witn.-scs.
ne u known unto all nations, kim
dfeds, tongues aud people unto whom
this work shall como, that we, through
the grnce II Uod the Father, and our
Lord Jesus Christ. have seen the plates
which contain this record-.which y tho
record Of the people Of Nephi. aud also of
/ the Lninnnitcs, their hrethron, and also
OF The people ~ Jard, who came nom the
tower Of which had been spoken; aud wo
also know that they have been trans
lated by the gift aud power OF God, Tor
Ills voice hath declared Il unto ~. whore
ioru ~ know " u surety that tho work h
true. And we also testify that We have
aeon the onRravings which arc upon the
plhtos, aud they have boon shown unto ~
lNhNA VI ANNlf NitA NOT NI filNNa
aud we declare with words Of r0bcrnes-.
that an angel " God came down from
heaven, aud hc brough aud laid before
our eyes, that We beheld aud saw tho
plates aud ihu cngrayings thoreuni and
We know that L IL by tho grace OF God
the Father. and our Lord Jesu. Christ.
thai We behold and bear Tocord that those
things arc true; and II N marvellous In our
eye, nevertheless, tho voice oi tho Lord
commanded ~ a 80
ord 81 w. wherefore, ~ bo obodlcut un'o
tho commandments " God. we bear tl.,.
tilnony " these things. Aud we Know
that Two arc faithful in Christ, wo shall
rid our garments OF tho blood ~ an mon.
aud be found spoilosa before tho lndg.
ment scat Of Christ, aud shall dwell with
him ciorfpAily Ia tho heavens. And tho
honor BE- TO The Father, and n the Son.
and TO tho Holy Ghost, which II ono God.
Amen. OLivIH CuwnInY,
DAVID WutrMEn,
MNRrfS iiAnnis."
Thle is plain,ttrong testimony. Joseph
Smith or any other man could easily
enough have made n promise like tho
one made In the 9th chapter OF Ether,
but lie could not have called down an
angel from heaven, nor caused the |
voice OF God 10 be- heard, IN order 10 |
have the promise fulfilled. Tho Lord |
only could fulfll this prediction, and lac |
did II, Ia his own way, time and place.
But, says the skeptic, the three wit.
nesses subsequently left the Church
AMI deserted Joseph Smith. Yes, that
ls true, aud this IL what makes their
testimony Of t.n-fold more weight. II
their testimonies were not true, n any
fraud or deception Ind been prnctisod
In regard "a the coming forth OF the
Book Of Mormon they would und0ubt.
cdly have exposed the same as soon as
the break occurred between Joseph
smith and themselves. Hut the ficts
ate these They always remained true
10 their testimony even Ia their dark
Get hours. Then why did they leave
the Churchg They fell into trausgres.
sion; they slnned hgains, God anu had
TO be dealt with the same as other trans
greEors; for although n man may have
seen angels aud had glorious visions,
etc., that gives him no license TO sin
any more than those less favored.
We viii now briefly allude 10 the
individual witnesses:
Oliver Cowdery, after hls excommu.
uication Ia Far West April n, is3s,
engaged In law business and prnctieei
for some years as lawyer In NIichl.
gan, but lie never denied the truth of
the Book Of Mormon. On the contrary,
ho seems tO have used every oppor.
tunlty he had 10 hear testimony Of its
divine origin. While In Michigan, n
gentleman, on certain occasion, nd.
dreiBed him a. follows; "Mr. Cowdery.
see your name attached 10 this book.
IL you believe II 10 be true, why are
you In Mlchigang"rheg gentleman then
read the names NJ the Three Witnesses
aud asked; Mr.. Cowdery, doyou believe
this book?" NO, sir,D was the reply.
every WE'LL" continued the gentle.
man, shut your name IL attached to IL.
and you declare here (polnting 10 the
book that you saw an angel, and also
the plates, from which the book pur.
ports 10 DO translated; aud now you say
you don't believe n. Which time did
you tell the TRUTH" Oliver COwdery
replied with emphasis, "My name Il
TO that book, and what ther.
have said II true. did see this; 1 !
know saw II, aud faith has nothing
TO do with II, as a perfect knowledge
has swallowed up the faith which 1 !
had In the work, knowing M | do, that
II IL true"
At a special conference held ut
Iowa, October "a, 1913,
oliver Cowdery wns present aud made
the following remarks;
"lsrlonds mud Bfclhren.-My name Is
1owdery, oliver Cowdery In tho early ,
history of this Church / stood Identified
with her, and one 10 hor councils. True
b i that tho gifts aud callings OF God are
Without repentance; not because | was q
ictlor than tho rest Of mankind was | n
lalledj hut 10 iilhl the purposes of tod, v