The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-28
AT THE TABERNACLE.
THREE SPEAKERS AT THE SERV-
ICES IN THE AFTERNOON.
Discourses by President Joseph f.
Smith, Elder Howard Coray and
Elder John c. Cutler Jr.

President Joseph F. Smith, Elder
Howard Coray and Elder John c. Cut
Ter, jr.. preached the sermons yester-
day afternoon at the tabernacle.
Elder Coray, who came to Utah with
the pioneers, spoke of experiences in
that early day. and the divinity of the
Prophet Smiths mission. Fifty-six
years ago, he said, he obtained divine
assurance of the truth of MormOnism-
Since then he had never doubted it,
No man, unaided of God, could have
performed the deeds of Joseph Smith
or obtained the wisdom that he pos
sessed.
II saw Joseph Smith, said Elder CO.
ray, dictate one of his revelations to
Brother Thomson. When he had fin
ished, he said to Brother Thomson:
Read the revelation, and if there are
any grammatical errors L Will correct
them by the power of God L know
then, as I have always known since,
that he was of God.
He knew all the Bible and knew it
we'll. He seemed to have committed
it, for he was never unable to answer
a question. l bear testimony to the
truth of this work. I do not know
that 1 shall ever have the opportunity
10 90 so again. w nat nave SdlQ re-
member, for.it is true"
Elder Cutler, who returned recently
from a mission in Kentucky, spoke of
his labOrs in that part of the south.
The elders travel there, he said. as did
the apostles of old. They are without
purse and without scrip. Their whole
reliance is in the Lord, and they go
Systematically from village to village,
bearing testimony to his name and
warning the people against his judg-
ments which are to come.
Elder H. S. Ensign, who will leave
shortly for a mission to Colorado, sang
The Holy City, with his usual power
and talent.
President Joseph F. Smith preached
the next sermon. He said he could
bear the same testimony as Elder Co
ray had respecting the divinity of Jo-
Seph Smiths mission. Elder Coray was
intimately associated with Joseph
Smith, and therefore his testimony was
of things whereof he knew, and his
words should have a deep effect upon
the hearts of the people.
President Smith read extensively
from the Doctrine and Covenants, re-
lating TO the first visions of Joseph
Smith.
This statement of Joseph Smith, he
said, that he literally saw the Father
and the Son, is either true or false. If
lQlS De true, IuGH II Is u Vast import
ance TO all men of intelligence. If it
is false. someone will say it is a damn
nable delusion. Surprising it be adj
mitted, ne continued, that it is false.
am I any the worse for that belief2
In believing it. I believe in the Father
and the Son, in the teachings of Script
ure and in Gods goodness in revealing
himself to the world in this day
Though Christianity itself We're a myth
the world is better for it. If I believe
in Joseph Smiths word, and it is false.
1 am as we'll off as those who disbe-
lieve, for l have all that they have L
believe that God is no respecter of per-
sons, and that he is the same yester-
day, today and forever. 1t takes moth
ing from me, if L believe in this and
it is false.
If Joseph Smith deceived the world,
the world is the better for the decep-
ton.
President Smith then read the proph-
cts account of the appearance to him
of the Angel Moroni- On account of
this statement, he said, Joseph Smith
was traduced and his family slandered.
That testimony was true. 1t was no
hallucination or wilful fabrication, but
a faithful and tangible vision.