Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-01-10
lived aud died. The Spirit rested upon
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.
had the ntAt manifestations. ne
received irstric,Iop.. rontrptv In
everything that was hell Ia lie, ttti,
by the world. Two opinions regard
ing the chu-eb wer. then. es they are
now, held hy men. t4om. thought
That one pahlcuitr church was the
digit one. exclusive ofeilothcr rccl,ai.
n.lltal Institutions. OILERS held that
no particular church wa. tae church,
but that al taken together would con
tain an element which, they hoped.
cpuld H. designated the "luylsible
chur,h." Joseph himself was not nee
from the arst Of these ideas. He was
very much incline towards Method.
Ism nnd sought his friends aMong the
rcpre., n'atlv,s OF that .ystem. Now.
the probability IL, that young by,
who--wesr such n thiug Conceivable
would build system Of hls own, and
by his own wisdom, would build ON Inc
foundation already laid. Had Joseph
Smith been Influenced only by his own
vladom, he might have started n new
branch Of the Methodist Church,
deprlving II Of few objection.
ablc features and ornamen,iug II
With some now Embellishments. This
has been done again anil again la the
world. For what are all the popular
churches but branches of the great
Roman trunk, one IN nature, although
diverse In forms7 No man cat by his
own wisdom form an original church.
He IL child OF education and clrcum.
stances aud bis most original work
consists Of notifications Of wha, al.
ready exists. Further than that mans
wisdom does not 20.
Now, Joseph Smith Is all n, once
made aware Of the fact that all the
churches were wrong. Neither one
particular church, nor all together
we're right. This is the offensive doc.
trine that he was told 10 announce 10
the world. much TO his own wonder.
whete did he learn that new doctrine,
which at once placed him, a young
boy, In opposition 10 the whole worldp
Only onc answer to thl. question IL
reasonable. He got II ne did Saul who
through n vision from heaven was
convinced Of the fact that every sys.
ten Of the Jewish theology was wrong
aud tina, the crucified Galliican was
the Son Of God.
Futih.r.lt was n promlse In the New
Testament, tina, led Joscp h to the IN,
.l.p on the road h, entered. with
child like faith, sublime In IT, simple.
| It's, he .nbrac "a this promise, "ff any
man lack vision, le, him ask Of God,
aud II shall be given him"
He felt his lack Of wisdom; he suffered
mental agony In the darkness that sur
rounded him. But he took this prom
leo TO be true aud put II 10 the test. This
results were tho opening Of his under.
standing 10 the condition Of the world
and the calling 10 be the messenger ol
heaven.
Shall We now say that be was dc
ccive5g That ILLS mind became dark
eued by the prayer? Then, We mus
say that tho Bible mlsled him. II
Joseph was deceived, he must have
been 10 by the power o.
darkness. We must suppose, theni
that In answer TO his confident rrayci
To God, he was delivered up TO the
Influences Of Satan. But II there Il
any truth 10 the promises OF the word
OF our Heavenly Father, we must admit
tina, the prayer of the young hoy was
answered by Him 10 whom his fervenl
supplicatlons were devoted.
II mus. not be forgotten IN this con,
nectlon that there are many wltnes,o.
WIN. bpsldes Joseph, tostl fled TO Ga,
truth of his statements, aud notably q
IA. diylu, assistance In the finding OF
the book Of Mormon. 1t has been re-
p,ateily pol uted out that these wit
nesses never denied their testimonies.
som,of them -ntereL other ns.ocin
tlonsaud were even bitter against the
Prophet aud his friends, but they
never denied their testimony. on
the contrary, ~ long as they lived,
and on their death beds, facing
e.rnIty, they still testified. The fore,
Of this arxlnent Ia, never been sue
c,,..fully met, nor can 1, DO overcome