Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-11-18
RECONSTRUCTION NEEDED.


At the Unitarian conference hcid at
Washington not long ago. many timely
topics wcro brought up. one OF the
delegates. Roy. Paul rockingham. Of
Now Bedford. declared that the great
ncci o. the time. now that the work
% criticism has gone thus far h relig-
ious reconstruction. I'VE need" he
said In substance. "a now theology and
now worship. II ls the duty OF uni
inrians TO bring order out of the chaos
&, which crcCdl have boon reduced"
Another thought was earnestly cx-
pressed hy Rev. James Erlia, OF nos
tom who said, "Back % Joauai 10 the
cry 10 the orthodox churches, but 20 re-
allzc that is 90 take hold % Jcsus'a
CONSEQUENCES Of aonahip TO God. tlil u
ia ns real TO us as Il was TO Him"
We note those expressions as touch
Ing the very hoy notes Of the Wonder
ful message dcllvcfod to inc world
through the Prophet Ioscphi The need
Of a now theology. new worship, and
the necessity Of "a cicatcr understanding
OF tho relationship between God and
man. ar revealed In the Son.
There 10 n striking similarity between
the process by which the doctrines OF
Christianity In the beginning ralncd
recognition in the civnlsc1 world. and
the advancement Of tho principles OF
so-callrd "MormouIsm' in this ngc. At
nut the followers Of the NaEarcnc were
few and dcspiscd. Their proclamation
Of salvation through Him who expired
on cross in the midst or malofactorH.
condemned By civil and ecclesiastical
courts. was rdlcuiod 40 Insanity or
condemned a. bihHphcmy Philosophy
laughed az their belief ln a resurrection
ana theology was furious at tho sup
posed disregard Of authority and de-
parturc from traditional paths. nut
gradually tho new thought invaded
clear minds. Men and women tralncd 10
thinking and searching for truth could
see and correctly Interpret the new
llEhi. as once the mnFl OF the east. and
they were invariably led to Him from
whom that glory radlatcd. In a CONF
paratlvoly short time the most promi.
ncnt scholars. rhctorloians. lawyers. tho
world then had. Joined the humble fah-
crmen from ohiiloc IN the proclamation
Of tho once deaglaed truth and II be-
came world-conauorinK force.
II Ia something similar to this that r.
taking place In our own day. Truth
h never confined within the limits OF a
religious denomination. or the phrases
of a creed. These may be- the contora
from which Il proceeds. but H. rays
are nent forth to tho uttcrmost parts
Of the universe.
The need of tho religious world today
iH "rccunatructlon." II H. plainly writ
ton In tho history " mankind. that
whenever belief grows uncertain, NOR
ais become unaound. and errors, In
Justice. and misery multiply. Then
comes the need Of reconstruction, as
tho only salvation. The world has
passed through lta pngnnlsm. it, Cath
oliolrm, and protcstanlsm when the
ideal becomes an idol. and no more. Il
ia time Tor the appearance Of q Prophet
Of the omnipotcnt 60 smash that idol.
no matter what may have been its orl-
sin. hut the great point 10 b. noted n,
that such reconstruction cannot be
brought about by the councils Of mon.
Il Is tho work OF the Almighty. Teach
ere and preachers mny argue. cshori.
reason. but unless tholr ilpa he touched
by the nv from the altar or the sane
tuary. there Will be no consuming power
In their words. no llfe-gIvinR spirit In
their Efforts. II takes the divine
Spirit q prophecy TO bring together the
scattered bones IN tho valley whom
viii Christian ministers realize the fact
that what IL needed 10 frat of all dl-
root communication with hoavon1
Back to Jcuusi" l. the true battle cry,
but that means, 10 receive OF tho
Spirit through which tie was enabled 20
become tho Savior Of mankind and
20 obtain power and glory aud dominion
fof ever