Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-08-17

| was THE image on the lUNlalUle Pou
the nrst-born Of every creature" (Col
1. 49, lie was 'the brightness Of His
glory and the express Image Of His
person." (Heb. /, 81 Jesus said "The
Son can do nothing u himself but what
he seeth the Father do; for what things
soeyer he doeth these also doeth the
Son likewise" Also, 81 came forth
from the Father and am come into the
world again leave the world, and go
to the Father" (Jno, Y. 10; XVI, 2S)
II Jesus was in the form Of God"
then the Father has shape, extension
and limits to His personality When
the Son assembled to the Father and sat
at His right hand, He had His body
that was raised from the dead, and
Stephen the martyr beheld both the
Father and the Son, being full OF the
Holy Ghost, when he was uffering
death" (Acts. vii 55.) All the declara-
lions in holy writ Of persons who,
when In the same condition as Stephen,
gazed upon God and bore witness Of
this manifestation. show that he Is an
individual and that, es He Himself has
revealed man Is made In His image and
after His likeness. That this Is no
mere figurative expression is clear to
every reader Of the scriptures, whose
mind has not been warped by the ira
ditions and notions Of uninspired men.
II Is true that imagery was INDUCED
in by scripture writers in speaking Of
the power and attributes and glory Of
Cod for the language IN which they
wrote abounded In metaphor. But
the statement In Genesis concerning
the creation, is as plain and simple a
narration Of facts as can be given In
words So is the account Of the con-
versation between God and Moses in
| Exodus xxxiil, and the interview be-
tween the Lord and Nadab, Abihu and
seventy Elders Of Israel in Exo-
dus xiv, 9-ll. They went Up
into the mount They saw the Goa
of Israel, and there was under His feet
as It were paved work Of sapphire
stone" He aid not lay His hand on
the mobiles Of Israel, but they saw God
and did eat and drink" There is moth
ing figuratiye in the entire chapter II
they actually went up into the mount,
they actually saw The God of Israel
and He had hands and feet.
II may be argued that what they and
Moses saw was not the Identical per
son OF the Father, because II is stated
In another place concerning Moses that
the slmilitude Of the Lord shall he
behold" But this win not help the
cause Of the immaterialists. According
TO their notion, there cannot be any
"similitude' Of God, Cor He has no ex-
tension, no limits. no FORM no shape
He occupies no space and has no d.
mensions.
II is wrong 10 assert that the Latter
Day Saints have fashioned a Deity ac-
cording 70 their own ideas. They have
done nothing Of the kind. Their con-
ception Of the Father and the Son are
such as have been planted in their
souls, by the revelations Of God In this
age as well as In former times. Those
divine beings appeared to the Prophet
Joseph Smith, and our belief concerning
them is founded upon the manifesto,
tons that have been made by them tC
mortals.
II we were to state that the Presby
terrain notion about Deity is OF human
conception and entirely and fatty con
tradicts everything that God has re
yealed concerning himself we shoul,
not exaggerate in the smallest degree
That which Is immaterial has no sub
stance Love may be called immater
ial, but It is not substantial, II Is
property or attribute Of some being o
substance. Truth IN the abstract 4
immaterlal but It is conveyed and 4
comprchended by substantial indlyid
uals Motion is immaterial but Their
is no such thing apart from something
that is substantial.
God Is a spirit" but spirit itself {
n substance. Man Is O spirit also. II
win live when the body which Is
covering FOR the spirit ana In its shap
and likeness. dissolves into dust. !
prepared by obedience to God 10 com
into His divine presence and abii
there IN celestial glory. he viii bchol
his Fathers face and be- Ike Him a
one Of the "hclrs Of God and join
heirs with Christ
The Father like the son. dwells q
heaven The spirit Of truth proceed
ug from Him is omnlpresent Tina
Spirit Is Cod The Father. the So
and the Holy Ghoct are one; not 6
personality but In essence. Whereve
the Holy Spirit Is there is God. IN
Father and the Son are everywher
present by that spirit which Us the llgh
and the NE Of all things.
our opponents who talk about "th
idea Of God becoming more spiritua
In the dominant church should care
fully read the revelations Of God 10 ih
church iu It's very beginning Every
thing that We believe concerning God
His attributes His presence. His pur
ity. His spirituality His infinite good
ness. mercy and justice. and he neces
sity Of obeying Him In an things AM
being led and governed hy His eiema
Spirit and thus becoming sanctihed am
prepared for His society. is 90 b. ioun0
IN the revelations given 20 The Church
which form the foundation Of all ID