Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-02-02

OF the Catholic church, VINO nom tIuc
immemoral have held masses for the
dead, believing that through Their pray.
ers some irdcscribable working could
be had upon the spirits Of men aud
women who had passed away.
In travelling in Europe found
In one OF the Cantons OF swift.
zerla1d, a place almost removed
from civilization, this idea prevailing to
very marked extent, and was Nus
trated in an incident which was deg.
cubcd by family who afterwards
Joined the Church a man who was
considered an infdcl, and upon whom
the priest had operated for many years
previous 20 bis death. happened 90 pass
away lie lef behind him q widow,
with several grown up daughters. Some
httIc means was lcll - them, and after
the death aud burial of this man, the
priest came around to visit the family.
He told the woman, Who was d,vlut
Catholic, that the night before he had
been visited boy the spirit OF her dead
hush md. lie had en- h g husband
clothed In black rain NJ, bis counter
ance lowering because Of his misery
and SAID he, Your husband told me
that / should come to you and ask that
/ be paid 20 say mass for his soul.' The
poor widow accepted the statement Of
the priest and gave OF her means so
that her husband might be redeemed, as
she believed. from the great misery 10
which he was placed because Of his I'M
belief while iu the flesh. Aitcr two weeks
The pr est again came, and said he had
had another visit from her husband. lie
said his couutcnauCc had frightened
somewhat, and he had noticed that one
half Of his body was white and the
other half was black; that he wa only
half redeemed, and with the gXpcnd.
lure OF little more money he could be
fully redeemed So she gave him some
more money. The third time he came
with the same excuse and extracted
from the widow a little more means.
His fourth appeal, however, so disgust
ed the lady that she told him her hus.
band would have 10 suffer % the pay.
meut OF money was necessary to his
redemption. This Is an extreme in
stance, and / believe very few such
occurrences can be found Ia the world.
But this came to my personal knowl'
edge.
Some idea Of this doctrine OF salvation
for the dead ] A. prevailed, IN vague
and midst nc way. m the minds uf many
people; yet !. IS but the gIimmering II
the light which undoubtedly was shed
upon the EARN, especially in the hearts
ui the saints, Ia the days oi Jesus; Tor
they without question understood this
doctrine Of salvation for tbe dead. True,
| there are very few passages IN scripture
to produce in proof OF this; but one very
! pointed remark OF Paul gives evidence
that the saints TO whom he was writing
understood this principle, for he said
unto them In the course OF an epistle
| on the resurrection and the gloues Of
the future, ELSE what shall they
do which are baptized for the dead,
II the dead rise not at ALL" Then We
read Ia Peter OF Jesus Himself having
gone, while His body lay in the tomb,
to visit the spirits in prison. What tori
To fulfill the prophecies Of ancient men.
that lie should 30 aud throw open the
prison doors and say TO the captive, Come
forth. This was the mission Jesus had
to fulfill. Only part Of His work was
done when lie was cruciicd on Mount
| Calvary. II was necessary for Him, the
Redeemer, the only person whose name
will bring salvation to mankind upon
the earth, to throw open the prison
doors Of those who were captive and
who had been suffering since the days
| Of Noah because Of their sins. You
scriptorians know that when Noah was
upon the earth Il was necessary IN order
TO check the evil which prevailed, that
| the Lord should send q food to destroy
the human family. What could that
Al-MercIlul Being whom we worship
destroy His children Yes, because
death meant salvation to them. They
were SHINING away the day Of grace;
| they were going to those limits where
the saving power OF the Redeemef' s
blood could not reach them, and in
mercy and love for those children the
| Lord sent q food to destroy them, that
/ there might come q day IN the future
/ when redemption and salvation should
| come 10 them. Jesus, as the Savior OF
| the world, had this mission 10 perform
| OF going to these spirits In prison and
| throwing open the doors, that they
| might come forth and receive the bless.
| ings which their brethren and sisters In
| the flesh were receiving under the ad
minisiraIions OF the Apostles Of the
Lord.
When Jesus said TO the thief, in answer
/ TO his request, To-day thou shalt be
| with me Ia paradise, lie did not mean
that the thief vile and corrupt, would 20
| instantly Into the presence OF God; but
| he should go TO paradise, whlfe lesus
| Himself went. Even al the last moment.
| when the breath vas leaving his body.
as he showed true repentance so did he
| 20 into place OF rest and peace. The
beathen do not go to hell because they
have not heard the name of Jesus.
| They are not thrust into darkness be-
Cause the sound of the Gospel has never
reached their ears. No, God forbid
that this should be the easel Il Is not
one OF the attributes Of the Lord to be
unjust or unmercilul to His children,
and would It not be Injustice, would Il
not be the height OF uncharilablcness to
thrust out from hope and from salvation
men and women who through no fault
Of their own had never heard the Gospel
or the name OF lesus2 II certainly
would be. But this is not the case.
All men, as is told us by the ancient
Prophet, who have lived righteous lives
upon the earth, though they have not
received the Gospel IN It's fullness, when
they die 90 to a state Of rest and peace.
and there they remain and gradually adj.
| vance In the way the Lord has provided
until they receive their exaltaiion and
glory in the presence Of God.i
Joseph Smith, just after receiving the
revelation OF this Gospel, was concerned
about his brother who had died without
the truth, and the Lord opened the hea.
ycns to him that he might see hls
brother in state Of JOY aud peace. and
OF eXaltation TO a certain degree. So n
the veil could be withdrawn TODAY W.,