Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-04-11

taken again from the cath, until the
sons Of Lew do oder again an Offering
unto the Lord In righteousness. d"
THIS event took place ON May 10
1879, while JOSEPH wss engaged iu
irnnslaiing tho NephiiU record. ny
vittne %, this ordination they haI
power to preach the gospel Of iaith Hni
repentance, and baptism by lmmr ZION
for the remission OF ins. but they had
not the authority 10 lay on hands ami
brstow the Holy Ghost. To give this
power another Priesthood, the Nielchl-
sedek, should iu uuc Tine, they were
told, be conferred upon them. This
was given 10 them when the time came,
under the hnud, NJ Peter, James and
John, who held tile Keys Of this 'fiCst-
hood.
AS soon as they had received thc
Anronic Priesthood, Joseph and Oliver
were told 10 haptize each other hy inn.
mefsi0u,this being the only true mode
Of baptism, typiiying the burial and fe-
surtectiun VI Christ, the Rude,mCr.
They were given 10 understand that
spfinkling Or pouring water upon the
head, or the baptism u infants were
rites unauthoriEed oi Cod. Joseph aud
oliver therefore baptized each other by
immersion, after having received
authority from God IN do 10.
On the 9th VI April, 1880, these two
men aud u few Others met In the house
OF Peter Whitmet ut Fayctte, Seneca
county, New York, aud organized the
Church Of Jesus Christ VI Lat.
ter.dsy Saints. Six members
participated IN the organization.
Many have had uu impression
that tie total number Of Saints at that
time Was only six. But there had beeu
probably sevonty.fiyu persons baptized
by Joseph anu Oiiver prior 10 the for
NAL organization Of the Church. IL was
In order 10 comply with the law Of the
State " New York, whlsh required 1T
least six mcmbsn TO- ucorpOratc u
religious society, thnt this numtur
participates, but there were othufs
present al the meeting 10 whom tbs
matter WINS prcaontedi VINO consented
To the Organization and declared thom.
selves willing 10 receive Joseph and
Oliver as their spiritual tearherp. This
fact should be u sufficient reply 20
those who imagine that "Mormunlsm"
IL system 0f coercion, that the
Priesthood indulgvin hlgh-handtd pro-
cedurc, regardless Of the rights Of tho
people. From the fret the doctrine u
common consent has prevailed with
theLattor.day Saint.
The Book OF Mormon was now pub
lished and scattered abroad. The work
Of God progressed. AttNu close oi tho
year, the Church was commanded by
revelation TO move westward, 10 the
state uf Ohio. One hundred aud TWEEN.
ty.sovcu souls had been baptized there
q L. h. 4. a
1 war, on a mission 70 the indians,
Or as the Book OF Mormon Style
/ them, I.amapiteH. These Elders
had then proceeded ON 10 Jack
tnn County, Missouri. The Chuich
followed aud located at kidland,
Ohio. IN 1881 they numbered about
1000 souls, inct which give some
/ idea Of the progress Oi tue work M IT,
/ INT year. Later confidence was
held In jackson county, Missouri,
! where the Saints hal been directed ~
/ build up Zion. Joseph smith declared
/ that the whole American continent
] v az the land - Zion, hut that Jackson
county was the particular place where
4 Zion should he huiit up. There
| should bs reared by the tribe VI Joseph
n great city called the New Jetu-
/ be rebuilt on the eastern continent by
the other tribes Of Israel. The word Of
| Micah should then lie fulfilled. at
shall come to pas that the mountain Of
/ the house OF the LORI shall be cstsh.
lisLed In the top otthe mountains, and
| IL shall he exalted above the hills; aud
! people shnll How unto IL. AMI many
| nations snail COME AMI my, 'Comc anu
| let W gu up to TUE mOu tain VI the
| Lord, aud TO the house " the God Of
/ Iacoh; aud lie will teach US ul his
/ ways, aud We will walk la his patht;
| 'Or the law shall 80 forth NJ
/ Zion, and the word Of the Lord
! from Jerusnlrm." Joseph SVilh
| d,bigua,ci tue spot where the city and
| Temple OF Zion should be built, AMI IN
the summer Of 1881 the land was con.
tccrlted for that purpose and for tue
gathering OF he Saints.
Ia isSS our po0plo were driven out u
Jackson county. The Saints were
misundcp.11d and misropresenlrJ,
lhou u. now. II was snii that they
had comu 10 Missouri 10 igrcibly dis.
posses the eRJlitr tttlluH u their
hOme-, aud the Tuinur was circulated
that their intention was 10 unite with
the Indians In Indian Territory (now
| Kansas for the purpose VI carrying
uut this design. The truth was, how
over, that the Saints had been com.
manded to purchase the land AMI 10
Cypress no one.
They were 10 commit no overt act.
Their mission was one VI peace. They
were 10 mt upA standard ~ peace 10
all nations. They taught the Indians
to cease their wars aud bloodsheu aud
to lecomo civilized. The Book Of
Mormon taught them that the Indians
were their brethren, descendants OF
Joseph, 10 whom God had given this
land M m inheritance; that those lu'
dams, today 70 lOathsOmo ana degrad'
ed, would yet become n white and de-
lightsOme people nnd take psrt In the
building up Of Zion. This was the
message the "AiOrmOn" Eldcrs con.
ysyed 10 he Indiana. There was not
the slightest thought of stirring them
up 10 war against the Gentiles.
| Another charge was that the Ssiuts
believed In the abolition o. negro
slavery. This was sufficient to hlackeu
their characters in tho eyes Of the Mis-
sourlans, most OF whom were from
the South. They were also accused VI
communism, which was falsely said Ia
include not only their property, but
their wives. They were also charged
with being poor, and the Missourlnns
Of that period bad no use for poor peo'
pie. The consequence was that IN the
iall OF 1898, the Saipis, numbering
from twelve 10 fifteen hundred sOulrl
were driven, with fire AMI sword, from
Jackson County. They nave never
since been perm tied to return and pos
| "a l. L l 1 - La. L