Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-05-20

mission upon earth was that ne came
tu baptizt the sur " Cod No other
prophet ever had such privilege No
other prophet WA cFcf chlsen 10
cume ~ the iorurunncf uf Jesus christ
aud 10 hupti1e him. II was this that
Jesus referred 10 when lie said OF John
that no greater prophet was ever born
VI woman.
niothef Teafiaie has boon showing
us how this authority aad priesthood
has been restored 10 tnc earth ~ this DIS
ponsatinn nrst By the coming In porsln
~ the Father and S0n. Can we com.
prehpud this great fuctl-fur this must
be- n fact or elsa We have NJ foundation
for our fniih.npr ~ the claim We make
90 the authority ~ the holy Priesthood.
The Father nnd the Son. In person.
came 10 Joseph smith when he was
boy " fourteen yeHffi Thcy did not
come to u grown man who had been
educated IN the schools, and who hud
hla Ideas at IN his mind, but they came
10 mere boy. una1phlailcated. I'M
taught, plastic. ready 60 receive inspi-
ration. and ready 10 believe In that
which h. saw and heard. lie was a
child Indeed whom God chose 10 rails"
up unto manhood and who had the
privilege 10 see with his own eyes and
hear with his own ears the Father and
the Son. Joseph smlth-n child-waa
called TO this great miaHiun' Did h.
comprehend what God had In store for
hing Did he know what he went out
10 sect Did he forcsec what would be.
fall him. None Of these things were
made manifest unto him, only NJ God
revealed line upon llne prcccpt upon
rrocept. here a little and there a little
Ne he developed In mind and body ana
was able 10 understand what the Lord
revealed unto him. The Lord raised
up Joseph smith literally from q child.
lie Instructed him. and taught him all
h. knew. lie chose him IN his child
hood and made % him the man that
lie required,
Mcn aay that Joseph Smith was an
lmuuat0r, Wei, lac started young to be
IN imnustnr. ala he notf hut let "a
admit Tor a moment that he was an I'm.
puator. and that therefore the Church
h. established in AN lmpuHturc. What
has this "imposture" done for man.
hndg What has Il done for you and
mcf
OH u has opened the hcavcus unto
the world. II has revealed Uod In His
own proper person. II has revealed
Jesus by the slide of the Father. the
Father declaring that u was nu who
had been oruoincd aud raised from the
dead. u has revealed tho doctrine 0f
repentance, and baptism Tor the remls-
sion Of sins. Just ~ taught BY Jesus
christ and Ills apostles. II has rrs-
tored the perfect form ~ baptism. u
has brought into the world the grand
and glorious principle uf baptism for
the dead and the doctrine OF turning
the hearts " the children 10 the fathers
and the hearts Of the fathers to the
children. u has revealed TO ua the
most plorioua principles that were ever
revealed To- the children OF men since
the days Of Adam. II takes men and
women and u Joins them together In an
eternal covenant Of matfimony. holy
and pure. given Of God. which supplies
the necessities and meets the purest
aud strongest desires of the soul. II
makes men ana women complcte--hua-
bands and wives for time ana Tor all
eternity. What a glorious thought this
~ Can We comprehend u. IL brings
20 un knowledge that our children
are given 10 "a ns n heritage from God.
that they are 10 be- our postcrity for
ever and forever. under the new and
everlasting covenant. II reveals TO ua
tho Rrari truth that We are hesuttcn
aud formed IN the Image and likeness
~ tho Father snd ~ the Son. n reveals
10 ~ the glorious fact that We shall BE-
raised from the dead 10 cnmc 90 lie
again. even 90 lie everlasting. II has
taught us and teaches W 10 be- good. 10
BE- meek and iovly. 10 be submissive
10 the requirements ~ Almighty God.
I, teaches ~ IN be good nelghbors. good
husbands good wives, good brothers.
good sisters. good men and women. II
teaches NJ 10 BE- forehearinE ana pa
tlent, and Ia even love those that hate
ua ana dcrpitefuiiy use ~ and say all
manner OF evil against ~ falsely.
THANK Ond for this "impnature' Of
Joseph SMITH No man before him, cx-
cept the Son N Tod himself, ever re-
yealed Ho complete. ~ perfect "a plan
OF redemption and salvation as ala this
little boy, Joseph smith, HAD n not
been Tor Joseph Smith the restored
Gospel and priesthood God has given
uH through him. where would We be- to-
day We would be- scattered abroad
In tho world, perhaps barely able 10
make a living. I bear IN mind now a
romnfk made by one % our prominent
brethren few years nrn. whose face
was SCARED by the wounds he had re-
ceivcd In the coal pits ~ scniland. iie
was a coal digEcr, and waf scarcely
permitted 60 see the Hight ~ day, In
the bowels ~ the earth he iaborod and
tollrd from year 10 year uutll the Cos
pei reached him nnd brought him tn
this country, fnId he, ~ u had not
been Tor Joseph Smith and Tor this Cos
pei, ! should perhaps have hecn In my
crave ere Tits at an events | should
be working thonHanda ~ feet below the
earth Tor my living" Hut he became
wealthy man, and highly respected IN
his day. Ana now from his home above
he looks upon hia wives and children,
ana rrlolrcr exceedingly that Nv Was
hruurht from the coal pits Ia his ma
tive land unto this iand NJ liberty and
light where he received the blessings
~ tho Gospel and the ordinances 90 the
house 81 u0d. Hut Tor Joseph Smith
and this Gospel. some ~ you would
have been IN old ENGLAND, some In old
scotland, some Ia Scandinavia. some
IN Germany, some Ia switzerland,
some ln different parts OF the United
states ANA some 90 rs would have been
very inslgnlnocnt, too. compared Ca
"a hat We Nro today The possibility ~
that I would have been without a chick
or child. while today my family NUM-
hcra over forty, directly the Gifts 81
God a. me. II " through this restored
Gospel ana Gods favor and merry that
I have received these hleaalngH and
rlulrr IN them, Do You not think that
! ought TO be thankful Tor this "lmpnH.
turo' OF Joseph RmlthY I um thankful
fur u with an my heart and soul.
thank dni fm this holy Gospel. I
thank God Tor ny wives ana Tor my
children, and l propose 90 clcnve 10
chem ~ long az they VIII clenve 10 me.
M time aud throughout eternity, Ana
ln doing this | wrong no man, ! do not
however propose 20 break the law, be-
cause ! am under covenant that I viii
observe the law, 80 FAR as plural mar
rlnuuH arc concerned, I have not
broken that covenant, ana do not OK
prrt lu do So Hut ! propose TO take
caro- or my family. 4 should conceive