Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-11-21
PRESIDENT GEORGE Q. CANNON.
LREroRTED by ARTHUR WINTER

,,us, that the Latter-day Saints Will
.,ercise faith in behalf OF those who adj
d,.ss them. A congregation OF people
like those present, who have come to-
os,her to worship the Lord have come
doubtless with great desire that they
nav be fed the bread OF life, and one
would naturally be appalled, at attempt
ing to address gathering of this size
and character, unless he had the assur-
.rcs that the Lord would help him.
This HYMN that we have just sung 60.
NV Father thou that dwellest," etc, is
mll Of meaning and inspires solemn
thoughts. 1t seems to be almost a reve-
la,ion Of itself; lin fact, the grand truths
which it contains were revealed through
The Prophet Joseph and while it was
being sung, i thought how little mankind
know OF the truths which are embodied
in those four verses OF poetry. The
Lord has been very kind and merciiul
unto His children in these latter days,
in revealing the relationship which ex-
lists between Himself and the children
Of men, and in communicating some OF
His purposes in placing man here upon
the earth. In this respect the Latter-day
Saints, or those who have received the
Gospel, have the advantage OF the rest
OF mankind. While the scientific world
and a large portion Of the religious
world are cropping in dense darkness
concerning the origin OF man and the
purpose of the Creator in placing him
here, and while they are striving to ar
rive at some conclusion that will prove
satisfactory, the Latter-day Saints pos
sess knowledge concerning their origin.
They do not believe that they have been
evolved from some lower order Of crea-
ton, ror that they have come on the
earth by chance. II the Gospel did no
more for us than this, what great boon
it would be. dispelling darkness and I'M
certainty and mems theories concerning
the origin OF man. Aud we could go on
and touch upon great many principles
in like manner, concerning which the
revelations of Jesus have given us
knowledge and understanding.
The Latter.day Saints are in a position
TO progress and to become informed in
every direction without having to stop
TO investigate the theories and views OF
men. The Lord has revealed with
plainness and simplicity, accompanied
by the testimony OF the Holy Ghost,
many things about which the world is in
doubt Books have been written and
years OF time spent by learned men to
establish what is called the Darwinian
theory, while others have endeavored to
combat that theory. 1t has disturbed
the whole religious world. Many
preachers of the Gospel have adopted
this theory. The result is, infidelity has
spread. Doubt has been thrown upon
the Mosaic account Of creation, the
whole religious world has been agilated,
and in many instances faith in the
scriptures has been destroyed by this
theory of the eminent philosopher,
Charles Darwin. suppose the majority
OF theologians who have been trained
in the universities during the last quarter
OF century, are inclined TO look upon
the Mosaic account OF the creation as
mythical in character. Men will try to
show you--and apparently succeed
that this earth and lis inhabitants have
existed for far longer period than the
Bible warrants us in believing. Only
week or two ago it was published that
some scientific man, in digging in the
ruins OF one OF the ancient cities, found,
as he claims, evidences that that city
tt,.. x,Tta, al Il azNt J.
lore the biblical time OF the creation OF
man. According to the chronology in
the Bible, the Savior came about four
thousand years after the placing OF
Adam on the earth; but this man of
science says this city must have been in
existence seven or eight thousand years
before the birth oil the Savior. He pro-
duces evidence OF this in the form of
pottery upon which the records OF those
days were kept, and which he has sue.
ceeded in deciphering. Other scientific
men attempt 10 prove in different ways
that the earth has been in existence long
periods anterior to the time that those
who believe in the Bible accept. They
talk OF the flint age, OF the bronze age,
OF the iron age, etc, and try 10 prove
from these things that the antiquity OF
man is far greater than the Bible
chronology gives evidence Of.
Had not the Lord given US revelation,
confirmed by the gift OF the Holy Ghost,
what condNion we would have been
IN as well as the rest OF mankind! How
we would have been sgitated and left
prey to doubt and uncertainty concern
ing these vital truthsl But the Lord has
given unto US evidences that are indis-
putable. He has given unto us the
BIBLE, which has come down from the
Jews. He has corroborated that by the
revelation OF the Book Of Mormon.
one, though translated by the learning
oil man, contains many precious truths;
ana the other has been translated by the
power OF God. There is no other book
mat 1t is Claimed has been translated by
tue power oil God, but the Book OF Nor
mon. This has come to us pure and
authentic, and we can rely upon its
testimony. In addition to these books,
we have the revelations OF the Lord TO
ms Church contained in the Book OF
doctrine and Covenants. These three
witnesses agree. President Woodruff
used a very happy and expressive
phrase this morning when he said that
thls dlspensation doveiailed into the
FORMER dlspensations. So with these
books. They dovetail into each other,
ana they form combination that can
nor be broken, because they agree
exactly. Every truth harmonizes with
ever other truth, and there is no con.
filCt between than,