Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-06-16

es OF protesting Christians Though
it eth remains n the written creods Of
some OF the churches. II IS not believed
except by a few dogmousts who refuse
90 bend to the force Of modern senti-
mont a great demand has recently
been made for the revision OF the enc
tire creed that embodies the awful
declaration, and even many OF the most
prominent opponents OF Presbyterian.
csm openly rcpudIate It and deuounce
lt as q libel upon Deity This change
Is notable and a striking sign Of the
progress OF religious thought.
Fifty years ago the popular idea
abou, heaven was that It IS n perpetual,
repetition Of a religious sabbath. That
the redeemed Occupied their time In
sacred singing playing on haps and
bowling before the eternal throne That
they are lmmaterlal ETHEREAL beings.
with nothing substantial In their forms
and nothing material IN their existence
or enioyments. "M0rmonism' taught
that heaven would be established on
the earth, after its pur.hcauon and
renewal that the redeemed win be
resurrected, immortal, substantial I'M
diyIduals, engaged I'm various pursuits
10 an advanced and perfected state OF
society families associated, To their orr
der exercising an their powers spirit
ual and physical On a refined. sinless
and ever progressing state OF oxaltaton
and happiness. This was ridicuied
and rejected as materiallstic, gross and
unscriptural
Today the harp.and-song idea Of
heaven IS rapidly fading from the
thoughtful mind, The truth is grad
ually dawnins upon the religious world
that the future state viii De q perfected
social condition Of real men and wo-
men, immortalIzed and glorIhcd, haE-
Ing pursuits and pleasures adapted
TO their advanced position, and
surroundings, separated from all things
that are evil annoying and degrading.
and basklng in the sunshine Of the
Eternal Presence.
Fifty years ago the generally accept
ed theory OF the origin Of the Book OF
Mormon was. that a clergyman named
Solomon spaulding wrote a religious
novel called the Manuscript Found"
which. by some means not fully eN-
planned came into the possession Of
Sidney RIgdon who conveyed It In
some mysterious manner 10 the youth
Joseph Smith who fabricated Il into
the Book of Mormon and palmed 1t up
on the world as a divine revelation.
Testimony that could not De impeached
was given that Sidney Rigdon knew
nothing about the Book Of Mormon un-
I'm It was shown 10 him by Farley p.
Pratt many months after Us publica-
ton, Also that the alleged particulars
concerning The Manuscript Found
bore no resemblance 20 those Of the
coming forth Of the Book u Mormon.
But the religious world accepted the
spauldlng story with all rs contTadlc-
lions and absurdties, and II was adopt
ed by learned compilers Of encyclop@-
dias and historical volumes.
Today the spauldlng story lies prone,
utterly shattered and without a par
ticle Of support. THE Manuscript
Found has been brought 10 light after
long concealment. II is preserved in
the library OF Oberlin College. Ohio. II
bears no resemblance whatever 10 the
I Book OF Mormon. That Is conceded by
every person who has compared the
! Two works. Scientific and theological
experts have examined them both, and
/ have given their testimony that there
is no likeness Of any kind between
/ them. Explorers and antiquarians
have brought 10 light ruins and relics,
which give evidence Of the truth Of the
historical portions Of tie Book Of Nor
mon and aid In placing 1t In its proper
| light before the world. Prejudice con-
corning II is breaking down, and though
some religious ministers still repeat the
silly story Of half a century ago to
account for It's origin the Book Of Nor
mon stands today as a divine record
believed In by hundreds OF thousands
and marvel 20 the world.
Fifty years ago persecution ragged
against the Latter-day Saints. They
| had fled before It's murderous attacks
and the fury Of mObs led by religious
ministers and fanatics. They had
founded commonwealth in the Wilder
ness, where they could be free 20 wor-
shop God according to the dictates Of
| their consclences unmolested by Chris
ton violence. But abroad, In many
/ places. hostility 20 their faith was ex-
h.blted IN rufan form, and a disposi-
/ ton was still manifest 70 destroy them
and their creed They were small
/ community IN the midst Of these noun
talns. and it was late In the year 1850
/ that the territorial form OF government
extended 20 them by the nation COM
menced 60 take shape. Yet the Church
| sent forth IT'S missionaries TO foreign
lands, and several European nations
for the first time heard the sound Of the
everlasting Gospel restored to earth in
the latter days.
Today Utah is a fiourishing state Of
the Union ITS influence is increasing.
It's value is becoming recognized
throughout the world. The Church oc-
cuples q strong position as a religious
power. with an organization admired
IL sometimes feared by the great eccie-
slastlcal systems that oppose il. but
the rifle and the cannon, the torch and
the hre-braud, the dungeon and thu
chain, are no longer the weapons used
wherewith 10 fight the Mormon
church. More civilized and Christian
methods are now adopted, and though
Misrepresentation is rife, physical force