Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-03-01


neither have they any more reward,
for the nielnry Of them Is forgotten.
Also their love and their hatred,
and their envy IL now persisted neither
have they any more a portion forever
IN anything that In done uudOr the sun.
For there IL no work, nor device nor
knowledge, nor wisdom IN the grave,
whittier thou goest'
They understand that the writer was
reasoning about things under the
sun" that he was referring to the body
end the grave to which II would at
some time be consigned Ho was not
making reference TO spiritual existence
or conditions But when the same
writer, after describing the dissolution
which Is the common lot speaks OF both
constituents Of our personality they
perceive that he understood the origin
and existence Of the higher pnrt OF
mans being In chapter yii, Z he says
"Then shall the dust return 10 the
earth as 1t was and the spirit shall
return unto God who gave t."
There are scores Of passages that can
be picked out VI the old Testament,
rimiar IN purport to those we have
quoted But their context shows, when
fairly compared, that the writer's, like
Solomon in this case, were speaking OF
this world, and the state Of man under
the sun without reference to his past
or his future, 1t viii also be found
that the sentiments OF the writer are
in some places lmperfectly expressed,
and his entire book must be examined
to fully understand his meaning. Take
for instance job vii, o.
"As .lN COCA Is consumed and van
isheth away, 80 he that goeth down
10 the grave shall come up no more.
He shall return no more TO his house
neither shall his place know him any
more
II Job had said nothing further on
this point, this would have furnished "A
fine opportunity for the orgu-
ments Of those who do not be-
lieyo In the resurrection, But take
job xiv l1-l5 and the matter Is
made clear, Stop at the twelfth verse,
and the reader Is left In the same po-
sitlon as In reading the quotation
above. But in verses "A and IS Jobs
faith in the resurrection from the dead
Is made paramount, And II Is ad-
yanced into knowledge in chapter xix,
20, ~.
All through the Old Testament ex-
prosslens may be found conveying the
impression that the writer's believed
that the end of man was at the grave,
while other remarks indicate their UNI
derstandlng Of future existence, both
to the spirit OF man after death and
the resurrection of the body and re-
union In immortality To understand
any treatise or discourse, II is neces-
sary to know what particular subject is
treated upon, and the selection OF some
verse or sentence, or phrase thereof
to comment upon, Is the very poorest
kind Of way to learn what an author
means, whether he is touching upon
either secular or sacred things.
IL would not matter to the Latter.day
Saints If there was not a syllable of
reference In ancient scripture, to the
spiritual entity which Is the intelligent
and eyer.existent part OF man. The
fact that God has revealed II now and
that His Holy Spirit bears witness Of
the truth which harmonlzes with their
own consciousness and experience
would be sufficient for God has prom
ised that He would reveal things kent
hid from the foundations OF the world
TO His Saints and even to babes and
sucklings,' to use an expression OF the
saviors,