Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-08-11
John the Baptist.
Did lie Ever Doubt the Divine Mission of
the Savorp

OF Jesus himself TO the divinity OF
johns mission Tine Lord says con.
! CerUiug huns "Nruy Z Say unto you.
| anon. them that ate born OF women
! there has not arisen q greater THAN John
{ the BAPTIST"
Jesus declared TO the people that
| Jum was more thn prophet To-
| what particular The text does NOT state.
/ The Prophet Joseph Smith Boo DIS.
| course delivered May A.ISft touches
/ upon this subject Alter uamuE his
text Che Prophet said, someone bad
| asked him the meaning OF lha expires.
sion Of Jesus. Among them born Ol
women there has not arisen "a greater
than John the Baptist, and he said bee
had promised TO answer % 100 public.
and would do ID then "It could not
have been" be said ION account OF the
miracles he performed for John did no
miracle, but u was, hr5t, because he
was entrusted with divine mission OF
preparing the way before the lace Of
the Lord. VINO was entrusted with
such = mission, before or smcc' No
NAM Second, lie was trusted and 10
was required at his hands ~ bapuks the
son Of Man. Whoever did thaR VINO.
glOrW Whoever led the Son Of God
INTO the waters Of baptism. beholding
the Hoy Ghost descending upon Him
IN the sign Of dover No man. Third.
John, at that time was the only legal
administrator holding all the Kcys OF
power there was ON the earth. The
keys. the kingdom, the power and
the glory had departed from the lews,
NaHU .aN b
authority aud decree OF Heaven held
the Keys Of power at that time"
Jesus in alludrng to the prophecies.
that a messenger should be sent bciur.
the face of the Lord To- prepare lis
way positively says, this Is he. Luke,
the evangelist, says that they ithc pco.
plc) iusuued Cod, being bapuzcd with
the baptism oi lOnn; also that the
Pnarisues and lawyers rejected the
counsel Of God against themselves not
being baptized OF lonn
From the foregoing we infer that God
had counsclcd tue people 10 be bdp-
uked win tue baptism Of John. other.
wise they could not have rejected the
counsel The announcement OF the
Angci Gabriel, 90 Lichauas was that
Tie shall be great IN the sight OF the
Lord, and he shall be filled with the
Holy Ghost even from his mothers
womb. Ana many Of the children OF
israel shall he turn TO the Lord, their
God And he shall go before Him in
inc spint and power OF Elias 10 turn
the hearts Of the fathers TO the children
and he disobedient TO the wisdom OF the
usl, TO make ready people prepared
'9I the LORI. Ihc prophecy Of
lichafias was And thou child shall De
called the Prophet OF the Highest, Tor
.hOu shall 30 before the lace ol the
Lord to prepare Ills way
All testify to the greatness OF lohn
ana there ~ not one sentence which
affords the slightest reason 10 believe
mat he became darkcncd in his mind.
or lost the knowledge that le.us was
the Christ Ga the day that ne was
beheaded he held the keys oi hts Priest
hood, lie held It behind the veil from
the day OF his mariyrdOm. which Is be-
heved to have occurred about the year
~ a. d., and conferred II on May "a,
1879 eighteen hundred years later
upon Joseph smith aud Diver COwdcry.
See Doctrine and Covenants, Section /.
Altef what has been produced N
iayor OF John the Blpust, aud to weaken
the uniayoHble impression regarding
ms hdeiiiy the writer can only appeal
To reason and sound Judgment. and
kindly ASS those who differ with him la
Theory 10 give the subject the candid
ana pHyUful attention aud should any
lignt have been thrown upon the sul.
J &C., lci ihu honor thereof be ascubed
10 the great fountain OF intelligence.
Ions SIAKS