Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-03-21

t."hN', " AtNn hE Wofuf NtAt m Wis
dom, nli That he soeth NJ thatihey should
havoithereioro wc see mat Tho lord duth
counsel To- wisdom, according 40 that
winch j. Just and true. Alma xsiX, ~.
The speaker said be believed In that
doctrine aud 20 did the i.Attef-iny
saints, vino believed H. the book 0i
Mormon. To him II WAS u most
| glorious truth aud swept away the
charge Of aarrow-mind,dnois pgaiust
I thcm, ~ well ns being destructive 10
the theory Of hgotry. suppose thcy
/ tested this by reference to the men
VINO had arisen In the various nlliOus
OF the world WHO had been teachers of
their icilows--tho founders Of religion
aud systems OF philosophy. In their
] lives would then he discovered M
oxempliflcatiun Of those great doctrines
contained Ia the Book Oi Mormon.
Elder Roberts first took up the course
! Of CUnfucius, the Chircse philOi 0pher,
| who he said succs edcd In fOunIiuga sys.
TEN Of philosophy rather than religion.
| This great teacher OF the Chinese race
described the relationship existing
among men under three hunds-the
relation ietween sovereign anu sub
] ject, between husband ami Wifi, aud
between parents AMI children. ray
what We would about the WELDON OF
/ Cinnamon, II transpifed that China
/ had had fewer civil strifcA than any
| western nation. lie taught that the
virtues might be crystali1td into five
fret, universal charity, second i'm.
/ partial Justice. third, adherence to auu
respect for ancient customs and
usages; fourth, fectitutc VI heart
/ and mind; n q last, but not least, pune
sincerity. 1t was not admitted that
/ this philOsophy " COniucius was q re-
ligion, because It said nothing about
the relationship between God and man;
but he the speaker maintained that
an adherence 10 those five cardinal Wiz.
tues stood In very good stead Of n ta-
ligion anu incorporated nearly all
tho virtues that religion enjoined. A
man VINO could arise six hundred
years before Christ and give such a
syatem OF philosophy 10 ~ great n PEG.
pie had q mind OF no ordinary oharac-
ter. lie believed II wns "a work alto.
gother incompetent for natural in
telligence 10 perform, and his religion
led him TO recognize COufuclus
us one Of the prophets, or wise
men, spoken Of by Alma who
taught TO his people the decree
Of CODE laws. They might call
this man heather " they
pleased, but his religion taught
him 10 recognize In him brother and
a beneiacior OF his race, one Inspired
Of God to lead men to greater light
rather than 10 drug them down 10
lower depths.
What Coniuoius was to the Chinese
Ly,urgus was to the state Of Sparta.
He, too, was remarkable character. and
one who impressed his race for age
with the doctrines which he taught
Scion Of Athens created reforms very
much after the pattern OF those esiab-
llshei by Lycurgus and very much
improved the condition Of his
people. SO wise were his laws, 10
equitable the Justice he established
thereby, that we today, indirectly NJ
any rate, honored his NAME by term
ing all Legislators our solons. Socrates,
the great philosopher, was said TO have
brought philosophy from heaven down
10 earth; that was TO sny, philosophers
previous to his day had been content
with vain speculatiOns concerning
Deity, His nature aud attributes.
Socrates began 10 teach men
"scet not Thy God to scam
Tie proper study for mansnd Il man."
He taught, like Conf,icius, the dutle-
aud obligations that existed between
man and man; at the same time, he
did not forget TO iuculcate ideas In
relation to the Deity that could stand
second only to those taught by the Son
OF God Himself. While he and his
people continued IA bow down 20
images Of wood and stone, he taught
his followers that they were not their
gods, but that back OF them was n
Power that ruled In the universe Of
which those Images were hut the rep.
rrsentatlve- reduced 10 material forms,
70 that the conception Of the simple
mind might grasp an ihua Of God-giv.
Ing almost an excuse for the use OF
this medium between God aud the
gfovelling minds Of men.
Ills disciple Plato was not far be-
hind his master In bold conception and
In the truths he taught kls fcllOwmen.
These philosophers, heather though
our Christian friends considered them,
taught that true philosophy did not
consist alone In knowledge, hut Ia wiso
action aud virtue; and II there was
anything yirtuous and good among the
ancient heather nations-and only
the most bigoted could deny the ex.
istence OF good among them-they
owed II 10 those vast minds which
taught them TINT portion 0f the truth
which they were able 10 receive.
Another great character the name
OF whom II would be improper to omit
In this enumeration was Mahomet,
called the "ialse prophet;" but he him.
self had not yet found the evidence OF
this. on tile other hand, he found
very much to convince bis mind that
there was some truth In him, and that
there was inspiration behind his life,
Who were his people? Principally the
Inhabitants Of Arabia, who were tn,
descendants OF Abraham, the chosen
friend Of God; ard In raising up Ma
homet he believed that the Lord hi
part fulfilled His promise 10 Abraham,
He granted there was much error In
Mahomeps teachings, much that
seemed false; hut the system OF religion
that would incLlcate the doctrine Of
blindness To strangers, OF obedience
from children 10 parents, and protec-
ton on the part Of parents 10 th.ir
children must OF necessity have some.
thing good in It. That which was good,
who would question the source from
whence II came2 IL came from God.
II would be well for them TO con.
slider fora mOmen Mt the inaunerin which
! they looked upon their fellow CHRIS.
/ | ,t..,ss toe flnnuh tha lnrd lnt aid