Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-10-14
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1.-THE MORMON PROPHET"
Congressman b. H. Roberto Review OF Miss Doueairs
Novel OF Name.
We

without amy connection with material
objects, as was the case with Emanuel
Swccdonborg, then there would have
been room FOR Miss buugnlH thouryi
but the facts In which Mormoniain had
It's origin had to do with quite diner
cnt order OF things. Tho ancient re-
cord OF America, revealed 10 Joseph
smith by an angel and which was mn
ally given into his keeping to translate.
was no visionary book-uu mere crca-
tion on an avcr,vrourht braln-but act
uai substance. sensible To- touch no %
sight, consisting OF golden plates, Win
length. breadth. ana thickness. EAch
plate was about seven by eight inches
In dimension. and romgwhat thinner
than common TIM the whole bound To-
gether by rings made volume some six
Inches In thickness. These plates jos
eph Smith claimed Co have handled.
and during the time they were IN his
possession come two ycura-he tre-
qucnily removed them from place to
place In the most uuttor-of-fact way.
Dthorn saw and handled them also, not
only the three men TO whom the angel
Moronl exhibited them, ana whose teA-
timOny accompanies every Book or
Mormon published. but eight other
men. whose testimony 10 also publish
ed in every Book of Mormon. TESTIFY that
Joseph Smith showed the plates 10
them. that they saw ana handled them.
ana examined the characters cngfnvcn
NNNNNNNNlH ~ NNNINNN ~ "NAAA NNANAN Ht'N'N -
Smith and those men were aclt-de-
ccivcd In such things. not even tho
automatic freaks Of "A vigorous but
| undinciplincd brain" could dolude Itself
| In such matters. The Book NJ Mormon
plates had an existence, and Joseph
/ smith and others who testified TO the
| fact saw and handled them, or they
| were conscious frauds ana He'd ana con-
| Hpircd TO deceive.
So with many other manIfcsilons
/ which the prophet claims 90 have re-
| celysd. Many ~ them consisted Of WIS.,
Ions and conversations with rcsurrected
| perHoungeH=mon OF flesh and houc-Whp
! laid their hands upon the head 81
| Joseph Smith and others who were with
| him. There was no chance tor aolf-
| dciuslon or mistake 10 enter into such
| transactions. and no theory based upon
the Idea " Joseph Smith being couhrm-
"a in tho hyHterlCal temperament
can explain away these stubborn facts.
however well intcntoued or akillfully
worked out.
Itist to be regretted that Miss DouRail
has not extended her studies OF Nor
monlam" beyond the Nnuvou pcrludi
| had she done 10 she would have Vs.
capped some errors that now appear Ia
her work. such no treating seriously the
/ story OF tho DANTE organization. which
never had any existence by reason Of
any sanction given Il by Church author
ltioa. Nor would she have assumed 20
largely the Ignorance Of the early con-
vcftH of "Mormouism" upon which sue
dependH 20 strongly Tor the working out
Of her theory concerning Joseph smlih'H
character. Here In Utah In the past We
have had with us very many Of thohr
| early converts To "hormunlams some
! OF them arr sim with us, and could Mlh'
Y ! DouEnu have mrt them she would htNs
. | found them people ~ rather superior IN
p teiigencc aud character, and not at NJ
q the Ignorant and auperHtitious person
. they are generally supposed 60 nav.
: been. Nor would she have committed
, the blundcr Of saying that "Morm9ns
d rvvcred but one prophet. While II !,
true that Joseph Smith viii always hold
i "a prc-cminenco In the Church, yet th'
g 'Mormons" believe that all the NOR
| who have succeeded him Ia the Presi'
= dency OF the Church have held IN,
! same keys OF authority ana exercised
. the came prophetic powers that were
10 exercised by him.
= In conclusion let me say II has beer
b suggested that certain claims made ~
u the early followers OF Joseph snilu
n were later rrpudinted by members o
l. the sect" That o. not true, 20 far ~
u / the Church d. concerned. what lndlNld
10 / uni members scattered over the cnun
r. Try formerly occupied by the saints, nu
| over whom the church has no iurlsdlc
IL tion-what they may have rcpudlate'
. ~ Joseph Smiths early or even late
teachings we cannot Of course say hu
\ | for the church 10 can BE- Hnid mat no
d one u the early claims or teachings o
n the Prophet Joseph smith has ever neel
n r0pudiated. nor IL there any INSTITUTION
Il or doctrine of tho church. which Ia
y not sprung from his teachings ana 70
, which BE- ~ not morally Responsible
!, such changes a. have taken place ar
|, hut the natural developments OF ina
n which he founded. ,
- H. u. ROBERTS,
1. Congreasmnn-oleo from Utah.
i. Salt Lake city. Utah. Sept .. lsss