Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-02-12
THEIR WORK SPIRITUAL.

a contributor TO Gunton's Magazine
undertakes 10 enlIghten the readers Of
thot periodical upon the question Of
"Mormonlsm" lie claims TO have an.
thorty for the statement that the mem.
bors % the Church now number in Ali
$4,000 Of which 225o0O live In Utah,
$1,000 IN Idaho. 10000 In Arizona: 6 600
ln colorado. 1000 in Wyoming; 1900 in
Nav Mexico; 1000 In Nevada; 1000 In
California; 1000 In Montana; 5000 in
the eastern and southern states and
others IN foreign countries.
After having given these statistics.
the writer IN Gunton's says the Saints
think % win only be a short time before
they win prevail" over the United
states. and that IN the "fulness Of time
they will dominate the world"
"The saints, he goes on TO say. firm.
~ believe that they viii ultimately
rule the United States, not only spirit
uany but politically also; that all other
croeas In the world viii be swept away
and that the Mormon religion, {.
viii finally be accepted by universal
mankind. The Mormon creed teaches
union of Church and state"
We notice that the author Of the ar
tlcle from which this Is brief extract
fails 10 give any reference whatever to
the article Of the creed, or the Church
standards Of faith. that would substan-
tate this allegation he simply makes
an assertion and expects an intelligent
public 10 accept his word as authority.
But II that be the rule any religious
body can be represented as believing
whatever absurdity may enter the i'm
aglnaton OF rs traducers.
Il Is somewhat Of a mystery that fair
ness IS so conspicuous for its absence
in the dealings Of most people with
"Mormonlsm." The Church has It's
standards OF falth--the Bible, Book OF
Mormon. Doctrine and Covenants. and
Pearl Of Great Price'-but the faith Is
seldom judged by the contents OF these
books, but by something else. and chief
ly by the representations Of enemies.
The writer IN Guntons is no exception
70 the rule.
The statement that the Saints expect
to prevail over the United states and
finally control the world is made In or
der to create prejudice against them in
the minds OF those ignorant OF the
Scriptures. It Is on par with the old
falsehoods that the first Christians were
traitors to the Roman rulers,
The Saints believe with nearly all
Bible students that their Lord and
Savior viii finally control not only the
United states but the entire world.
They believe that to Him has been CIV
en- all power in heaven and on earth,
and that Il is only question OF time
until all His enemies shall be reduced
TO subjugatlon. They believe that fin
ally "all nations shall come and wor-
ship before the Lord" and that the
glorious work In which they are en-
gagged will help to bring about this
triumph Of the Lamb. But their work
is n spiritual one. lis aim Is the sal
walton" Of both living and dead.
In this respect the Saints do not diff
fer from other believers In the Scrip
lures, who expect the final triumph OF
truth, and the coming Of the Son OF God
to reign In Mlllennial peace upon this
earth Through the Church, Il Is true,
the belief In this doctrine has been re-
viyed In this century, and the light OF
revelation has been shed upon II az new
er before, not even in the first Apostolic
age, but II Is no treason to a state to
hold that It finally viii be governed by
the Son OF God. and In accordance with
His laws II that were treason, the
Bible itself would be the most danger
Gus book in existence.