Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-01-01


teenth century, laying the foundations
for a still greater work In centuries yet
TO come.
Obe Church.
A future historian, surveying from his
point Of view the nineteenth century 10
oyler 70 determine ia most prominent
feature, will find no difficulty In recog-
mixing as such the rise Of the Church
of Jesus Christ OF Latter-day Saints.
Just as the PRONUNCIATION OF Christian
lty has become the central fact Of ciyil-
lied history or as the Reformation Is
the prominent feature Of the sixteenth
century, so the establishment OF the
Church upon this continent Is beyond
comparison the great event OF the
nineteenth century.
The division Of time Just closed has
been one OF religious conflicts involving
not only ceremonies and outward or
dlnances, but the very foundation of
faith The contest between churches.
that once ragged around theological def
nitions concerning the divine presence
On the Sacrament for instance; or the
subject Of baptism; or SUGGESTIONS or
about the meaning OF sin has worked
from the circumference 10 the center,
and the very basis OF divine authority
is now In dispute What Is final au-
thouty in matters Of faith and prac.
tice2 Is Il divine revelation? or Is Il
a creed fixed by some council In the
dim past? Is It a hierarchy 70 inter
pref both scripture and creed2 or IS
It history which reveals the consensus
OF the Christian ages? or is It nature
with its science? Coming to man what
Is the hnal appeal within him-reason,
feeling, VIII or conscience2
And meanwhile, the churches. fight
Ing internally about this fundamental
point, have been assailed by the radical
criticism OF the age, which has left
hardly a page Of the Bible untouched.
The last position to which many have
fed FOR refuge Is the supposltlon that
when creeds have crumbled, and thrones
OF pontlfts pershed, and when even the
Bible has been torn by the ruthless
hand OF criticism, the Christ remains.
and the doctrine Of personal faith In
Him rs as potent as ever. But what
after am is Christ, IL the history. by
which He Is known to mankind Is
largely forged or colored by the super
stitlons OF the age OF is authors? What
means Is there OF knowing Him, II
there Is no reliable history and no new
revelation concerning His character or
work Of salvatlon2 The religious con-
lict Of the age has been brought very
near a point where Christendom must
face this problem fearlessly and intelIi-
gently II cannot be avoided much
longer Romanlsm has an infalllble
referee, the infalliblllty Of which Pro-
testantism has shown to be q myth,
Professionalism substituted an infalll-
bic Bible, the infallibnty OF which
Higher Criticism persstently disputes
And that Is the position at the turning
point Of the centuries.
The Lord. we may state, foresaw the
impending shipwreck Of faith. and
prepared. in His own way the means
Of escape from spiritual destruction As
Of yore, He remembered His promises,
ana sent His messenger with the ever
lasting Gospel He has re-establlshed
communication between heaven and
earth. The question Of final authority
is thereby settled 1t is the same as in
the days OF the PatrIarchs, the Pro-
phcts, and the Apostles Is ii, then, a
too sanguine an expression Of faith, 10
affirm that the time win come when the
foundation Of the Church OF Jesus
Christ OF Latter-day Saints win be re-
ferred TO in history as the most mo-
mentous event OF the past century?
The wonderful rise Of the church
should be carefully studied It was or
ganized In 1880, on the 9Th dav of April
lone Of Goa own days Boo hist0ry-af.
ter one of the most glorious manifesto.
lions Of the Father ana the Son. ever
youchsafed TO mortal man. The PRIV.
phet Joseph, am obscure youth. WAS
raised up 20 do this work. From less
than half a hundred members In 1880
the Church has grown 20 hundreds Of
thousands, with deyOut followers In
many parts OF the world It's members
have been driven, scattered, imprs-
oned, slain, maligned misrepresented,
but nevertheless sustained by miracul-
Gus power today they are the mar
row and the bone OF one Of the most
prosperous States To the greatest Re
public on earth. Their homes villages.
cities schools. places OF worship and |
Temples are the admiration Of AN who |
have seen them, while the principles |
they teach are an influential power In /
the religious realm OF thought of the |
age. Us IL rational TO doubt the divine 1
origin OF that work, or the fostering i
care of The omnipUlent hands How Is /
this growth tO Doe accounted FOR on |
natural principles Whence the /
power by which human beings have |
have been healed demons cast out and |
the dead recalled 90 life2 II this is not |
the work Of God. the church with It's |
Organization, It's power OF |
the Priesthood its victory over adver-
sarlos. and It's influence IN the world u.s. |
considering IT'S humble origin. stiu the |
greatest marvel of the century. II |
seems % us, as we look back uu0n the |
pages OF the past one hundred years |
That we can read therein the great |
truth plainly written that the Lord |
raised up such men ass Jefferson, Jack |
son, Lincoln, Grant sherman. or-to1
speak ot another class-Daniel Boone. |
Fremont KIT Carson Bridger, and a |
host OF others. 90 build this Republic. |
"a second garden of Eden. On order that /
he might place therein His Church. Tor /
the organization or which He raised up |