Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-09-03
FAITH IN THE OPERATIONS OF
GOD.

MANY Intelligent people throughout
the world regard the present disturbed
condition Of human affairs ~ mani
festation Of divine displeasute because
OF the wlckeiness Of this generation.
The cholera has boon spken Of In this
connection by persons who have faith
Ia God. We have shown that such
views are not inconsistent and that
current events IRE IN exact harmony
with tho prophecies OF Joseph Smith,
the theme Of whose predictions deals
largely with events Of the times.
There ~ also class Of cynics In the
world who are always ready 10 sneer at
people who express any belief In divine
interference with human concerns.
They treat with ridioulc any evidence
Of fnith In Omnipolence with respect to
the present phenomenal situation OF
earthly matters.
Thosc people who exclude God from
exhibiting his hand In connection with
tho inmily OF man have recourse TO
the worn out argument, II such 1t can
be properly called, that diseases like
cholera have swept the earth nj differ
emf periods Of the worlds history, and
Il IL therefore absurd TO regard the
present visitation as a Judgment OF
God because OF wickedness, and that II
Ia specially ridicu lous TO claim II TO be-
q lalter-day divine scourge. II Ia not
claimed by any intelligent Christian
that the Almighty creates new force
or condition by which to accomplish
His purposes. II Ia only held that the
existing elements arc used for tbis
object, aud that they are merely shaped
and operated by divine intelligence SO
az to attain the end In view. Because
those conditions have existed in differ
snt ages does not support the theory
OF the non-interference Of Deity.
I II ia asserted by those who combat
tho views OF people W ho are enabled,
by faith, TO see the hand Of God upon
the nations, that the cholera scourge
ia merely caused by ignorance and
neglect OF proper sanitation, and by
peculiar atmospheric conditions. Ii II
true, however, that the world Ia retro.
grading In an understanding Of sani-
tary science and lis application, while
advancing In every other department
Of learning AID Its use for the benefit
OF man? Such an assumption Is not
creditable to the age WI live in. And
with regard TO atmospheric conditions,
are they or are they not direc ted by
divine intelligence? Who Is prepared
to assert aud maintain the negative oil
this question: Such position might
be assumed, but its intelligent main
tensn CO would DO attended with
horculean difficulty.
Who, for instance, has discovered the
primary cause Of cholera? IL is easy
TO answer lippantly that the cause,
consi OF imperfect sanitation anu
peculiar atmospheric conditions, bu
these woulu only operate as dependent
causes, produceable by others. Then,
it is easy to ray that the primal cause
is bacteria Of IA specific and peculiar
kind, known as cholera germs. Tues,
again are not the primary cause OF thu
, disease. 70 discover 1t one must Il
behind the germ. 50 far IA known nj
! person has been able to do this. IL 1
werr possible to do this then, theacion
tifc production OF these bacteria woul,
, be- possible. II this manufacture wer,
, within reach, then the eradication o
the germs would b. practicable by tn,
. extinguishment OF the causes OF pro
! duction. And oven n these discover
. les should be made, that would no
prove that divine intelligence did no
make use OF such means in order L
3 accomplish providential purposes.
There are some pecullaritics abou
4 cholera which do not appear to hay,
q been explained in harmony with tn,
D theory OF unbelicvers In divine inter
! ference with human concerns. II, 70
, instance, the visitatlous of this diseas,
are merely due to the absence Of In