Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-05-09
LREpoErEp ny ARTHUR wisrERl

OF destruction. This has been the
characteristic OF the people from the
beginning OF the Church. notwiih-
standing the assaults OF their enemies
upon them; and yet every now and
again the Church is charged with wrongs
by the people OF the world, because the
Church passes regulations to govern It's
members, gives counsel for their guild.
ance, issues addresses for their iniorma.
toni What would church be II Il
were not alive TO the conditions that
Prevailed II would become dead
branch IN the earth, a tree without force.
without benefit, worthy only to be dcs.
uoyed. II would reach the condition Of
other churches among men that have a
form OF goodness, but deny the power
thereof IL IS a fact that this Church is
alive, through the revelations that God
gives to IL, 10 existing conditions,
which makes II force among men aud
gives II power TO attract the good OF the
earth to is standard. | hope never to
live to see the day when this Church Is
TO be controlled alone by that which Is
written IN the sacred scriptures. I
hope that this Church will be guild i
continually by the living spirit OF the
Almighty, and that there will never be "A
condition OF things arise among this
people wherein the face OF God will be
shut out from them. ! know that men
would like TO see Zion In the condition
OF other secis. because they know their
Graf, is In danger with the growth Of
this Church ana with the spread OF lis
principles. Only within q lew days we
have heard things from minister In
this community concerning this people
which he knows well are untrue. and
which some OF his own congregation
nave themselves denounced 10 me with.
Ia the last lew days.
This reverend divine declared that
inns people came TO these mountains
because they would not be tolerated in
the States where they desired to locate.
We know, and Il is easy for him to
ascefiain-not from our records alone,
but from the indisputablc evidence oil
those who were unlncndly to us-ihe
causes OF our removal and the manner
IN which that removal was accomplished.
Mobs were allowed to carry out their
wicked designs against an innocent PEG.
pie Law had no influence upon the
community In which they lived to re
strain men from acts OF violence against
the Latier-day Saints. Pure, innocent
blood was shed because men in office
did not have the courage TO stand up in
defense OF an oppressed people. And
therefore did this people leave their
hOmes-homes which God will again
restore to them as surely as lie lives,
and IN a way. too, that will convice the
world, u they will but open their eyes,
that God IS with this people.
Then Il is claimed that when the peo-
pie came here and looked down from
thete mountain heights, they saw spread
before them a beautiful and fertile
country, rich IN gold, silver, copper,
lead and other minerals; the soil SO
fruitful that Il only needed the pillow 10
turn It's surface and the seed to be sown
therein, and In few months a bounu.
iul harvest would reward the laborer.
No wonder, says our slanderer. that the
people Ia looking down from these
heights. said with one voice, This Is our
promised landl
suppose there are aged men and
women m this congregation who know
what TINS country was when the Pion.
eers entered II, So far as the eye could
reach there was no verdure. executing
the little strip that bordered the few
streams that found their way through
thls pafched country. Nothing inVit.
ing! q land which seemed TO have
been deserted even by the wild animals,
as Il was by the Indians, excepting a
lew Dlggets who sustained themselves
by eating lizards and cfickets, and the
roots which they could dig from the soil
n country so unptomsng that Bridger
offered a thousand dollars for the iifsi
bushel OF grain that could be raised
herel II needs not our testimony alone
TO convince the world that this was the
condition OF Utah-or OF California. as
u was then called; for General Iohn c.
Fremont IN his report to the govern
ment, published la the year iSss. two
years before the Pioneers entered this
valley tells OF the hardships OF himself
anu companions IN traverslng this land.
lhey came upon few Indians located
~ some OF the rushes along the lake
shore or the river bank, and they were
ready TO Trade anything they had TO OBJ
tain from these Indians a few roots
which they had gathered, so near
starving were these men; and horse
meat, ne said IN his report, was
luxury. Ills report was OF such a char.
acIer that 1t would not encourage any.
one TO come here with prospect OF
living. Indeed, he said. those who
yentured into these desolate wilds
should carry sufficient provisions and
have so careful guide that they would
not be lost. That was what the Pion.
GERS found. When they came to turn
with the pillow the soil, which, IL is now
stated, was so fruitful, II seemed as
though rain had not touched .the sur.
face ior ages; Il was like an immense
ash.heap; andnothing but faith enabled
these men and those who followed them
to believe that God had indeed chosen
this land for His people. 1t was only
when Brigham Young said this was the
place that God had designed that the
people became contented to live here
After they had settled in salt Lake
valley, President Young sent out parties
in every direction, telling them to search
out the county, but they would all re-
turn with the Information that this was
the place where the great city OF the
latter days was to be built-and they did
so report. Well enough for people to
say now that this was a glorious coun.
trll Well enough for men who came
years afterwards, and who have lived
here through the industry and the bless
ing Of this people, TO talk Of the fertility
OF the soil, the richness OF the landl
But how was II with these poor men
and women who Tor months and months
were upon the verge OF starvation, their
flour Tationed out to them almost by the
so precious was IN They
know what God hath wrought, They |