Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-07-20
THE DIFFERENCE.

In the Worcester Spy Of last Sunday
appears temperate editorial In ref
erence to the faith Of the Latter-day
Saints which the writer couples With
that Of the Christian Scientists The
only reason for this that appears In the
article is that. Both Of these have re-
ylved the miraculous healing Of biblical
stories. for the purpose Of proving the
divine origin Of their religion and the
Importance Of faith In It,
There are two errors In the state
ment; one is that the doctrine Of heal
ing believed In by the Latter-day
Saints Is the same as that advanced boy
Christian Scientists the other Is that
this doctrine Is revived Tor the pur-
pose Of proving the divine origin Of
their religion There is a great dii-
ference between the two theories. The
Iatter-day Saints hold to the doctrine
taught BY Jesus Christ and HIS apos-
ties, that the sick may be healed by
faith. They follow the same method
pursued by the Elders Of the primitive
Christian Church. namely amounting
the sick with OH accompanied by the
laying on Of hands and prayer They
profess no occult or miraculous power,
but simply exercise faith in God for the
benefit Of the afflicted, and give the
glory 10 Him who Is the source Of all
authority and power and gifts and
blessings People who are acquainted
with the method employed by Christian
Scientists will perceive the difference
between the two.
The Elders Of this Church do not eX-
hlbt the numerous cases Of healing by
faith that have occurred In this dispen-
sation. as proof Of the divine origin Of
their religion. That Is evidenced IN the
truth OF the principles which II em-
bodies. and their identity with those
enunciated by Jesus Christ and His
Apostles in the first century OF the
Christian Era. The gifts and manlfes-
tations Of the spirit OF God in the
Church are not given specially to induce
faith, but are rather It's products
Faith Is the moving cause; the headings
and other blessings resultant are It's
effects. Thousands Of instances Of what
some people call miracles in answer
10 prayer, misht be cited which have
never been offered for public consider
alton. They were not given for that
purpose. Occasionally some person In
excess Of gratitude desires to give pub
licity to an extraordinary manifestation
Of the goodness OF God in his or her
case, and cannot be satisfied without
bearing witness of 1t in a public man
ner; but usually II is received as
confirmation Of faith instead Of being
offered by way of its creation.
The use OF the words biblical stories"
by the Spy, indicates incredibly as to
the accounts given in the Old scriptures
OF remarkable restorations to lie and
health. through the exercise OF the
principle Of faith. That springs from
the notion that those manifestations
were In violation Of the laws OF nature;
that Is, that they were supernatural
1t Is mistake 20 suppose that either
the Latter-day Saints or the former
day Saints went about as miracle
mongers, protesting supernatural pow
ers 20 startle and oyerawe people who
have the love Of the marvellous.
We believe that the operation Of
faith is just as natural as that OF the
law OF grayitatlon or OF repulslon. The
force which propels ban up from the
ground is as natural as that which at
tracts matter towards the earth's cen.
ter. Faith is a spiritual force. gov
erened by law, which has It's effects on
material things as mind does in COM
mon experience. 1t IL not at present
fully comprehended, but Is known by
its visible effects, and we recognize
them as strictly natural and therefore
do not accept the word miracle In It's
ordinarily adopted sense
"Mormonsim" is a revival" Of prim-
tive Christianity with an its teachings,
ordinances. authority and power. But
II is not OF human origin. II has been
revealed directly from heaven. II has
not evolved from the brain of any man
or woman. Ii Is not construed from
scripture. ancient or modern. While
accepting the Bible and the Book Of
Mormon as containing accounts OF the
dealings Of God with His people on the
two hemispheres. II has not drawn its
doctrines or authority from books, but
has received all that Is in it as sys.
TEN OF religion from divine sources. d.
rectly manifested. In this respect IT is
different from every creed and church
extant.
We are pleased 10 see that the Spy
does not endorse the kind Of opposition
which Is raised against either Nor.
monisnn" OF Christian Science Il
has this to say concerning them.
These sects are growing and they
are bound TO grow enormously In the
next decade Ridicule ana persecution
will not avail in the least Some Of the
best people Of the country are bound
10 flock TO the standards of these new
faiths. They are entitled 20 the same
religious freedom given any other per
son and they can still remain excellent
citizens we believe side by side win
the men and women Of other beliefs
We agree with that paper in its ex-
pressions concerning religious freedom.
That greater 'liberality Of thought
which ID advocates, both for the free