The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-15
MORMON ELDERS LECTURE.
He Has Come to BuiId Up tho Church Of
the Latter Day Saints Here.

the Latter Day Saints Here.
The Now York branch OF the Church OF Latter
Day Saints. better known rs Mormons, held n
meeting In Hartman Hall. Fifth avenue and
Nineteenth street, last evening. The Church
east OF the Mississippi is not so vigorous as IL
should be; that was decided some time ago. In
order to infuse new life and spirit into the
langulshing body. Elder =. w. Richards. as
primo mover in the Eastern branch. decided TO
import n member OF the Church direct from tho
homo OF the faith, Salt Lake City.
An urgent invitation was sent to Elder Il. II.
Roberts, who arrived last week with many
recommendations both from within and with-
out tho Church. He is said to have preached
in nearly every state in tho Union. and ha. come
here to deliver . series of lectures explaining
the nature OF Mormonlsm.
The lecture last evening was upon "Tho Re-
lation OF Mormonisn to Christianity" Two
hundred people. about half Of them women. as
sembled In the hail. Many so-called Christians
are only nominslly So" said the Mormon
elder. "Church membership is one thing; real
Christianity another. 1t Ia tho misfortune Of
tho Church TO have members nocking In who
give lip service and nothing more. There is q
vast deal OF unwashed mud TO DO found among
these members. Tho Church does not consist
Of one body agreed In opinion. but. on the con-
trary, IL is composed OF a great number OF
The Roman Catholic Church claims that
since the Christian era tho integrity of doctrine
and the authority ofthe Church have been main
tained in continuous succession from Peter TO
Pope Leo XIII. They say they are the lincai
descendants and heirs OF the Church which
Christ founded. The Protestants contend that
during the early centuries abuses crept In until
tho pure stream OF teaching grew muddy with
superstition and false doctrine. This departure
from primitive Christianity made necessary
the reformation. which. as they supposed,
with the Professionals We believe that abuses
did creep In and that tho Church became cor
rupted In form and spirit But, unlike them,
we hold that the only way to restore the faith
heavens and by reordcring tho dispensation TO
men. The question is. who IL riRhtI Perhaps
the Catholic. perhaps the Protestant. | am
hore to contend that the position of the Latter
message 10 redeem tho world, to bring back the
ola aispensation. was sent to Joseph smith.
For ~rixty-six years we have been trying to
deliver this message To mankind, and how have
ridiculed US. No force. no violence. known to
men has not been employed against US. In Mis-
souri, more than 400 laid do WI their lives. We
have been driven from State to state trying in
tempt to ind rect among the so-called
civilized communities of the nineteenth
century. we fed into the wilderness among
tho savages. ana there found q home.
We found there Ia that great desert nothing but
arid soil, but by irrigation We have made II into
n garden. But even there we were not FREQ.
With the incoming of that same civilization all
down our churches. Yet misrepresentation and
fraud stanu impotent to remove them. So NO
have survived. and to day nGnb~r over 100000
and are stronger than ever before"
II was announced that tho lecture next sun
day would b. IN some OF the main beliefs In the
faith OF the Latter Day Saints.