Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-10-18
CAUSE OF DECLINE.

The editor Of the Missionary Review
fthe World, quoted in Public opin'
ion. believes that there at present IL a
backward tendency lin foreign mis-
sions. There has" he says. been
serious decline in the practical suprem-
acy Of Christianity
II attempting to account for this de-
cline in missionary zeal he ascribes 1t
to several cause one is, In his View
the prevalence Of the belief in q pro
baton" after death Another cause Is
what he calls "the eclectic views OF
religion" that prevail. that is, the view
that all religions are good-or bad and
that truth must be extracted from all.
In former days, It Is argued mission
airy zeal was kndled by the belief that
the heathens must be saved In this lie
or eteynally perish Then again 1t was
thought that outside Christianity there
was no salvation. Now these views are
changed. II is said that all religions are
parts Of q great historic evolution to-
ward the final ideal, christianity may
be the last and best product Of this
growth, thus far. but it VIII in turn
give way to something better, or at
least drop or excrescences and develop
new accretlons ana additIons,until some
parts become like the superduous relies
Of former ana dsused members, and
new or improved organs take their
place" Medieval notions Of hell and OF
theology, It Is said. were mighty incen-
tiyes to missionary efforts.
This reasoning may appear plausible,
but the fact is that missionary zeal was
never more ardent than in the first
apostolic era, and then the doctrine Of
the preaching OF the Gospel after death
was taught with greater force and
palnnoss than by any Of the
sects Of today The Latter-day
Saints, too believe in that mercy Of
the Eternal Father that "endureth for
ever" and not only to the grave; they
have by revelation been taught TO per-
form yicarous work for the departed
ones, and thus link together the hearts
OF the children and the fathers; and yet
their missionary zeal Is not abated.
There Is no church whore members
willingly sacrifice more for missionary
work than do the Latter.day Saints.
Their young men, and women too, 90
out 10 every land without pay, sup
porting themselves as best they can for
years, while proclaimlng the Gospel.
Many Of them have gone out alone,
leaving their business interests, friends
and families, for the time being, and
devotng themselves exclusively TO the
ministry This fact speaks against the
explanation offered.
The trouble with the worlds churches
Is, that they have no special message
to offer. They are becoming conscious
OF this, and therefore missionary inter-
est Is burning out. When the gospel Of
Jesus was first proclaimed, the mis-
slonarles went out convinced that the
world had been prepared for the special
message they had TO deliver, And they
met with success, It is the same with
the Church in this age. she feels that
she has been raised up. TO do a special
work, and her members are quickened
TO a realization Of their obligations and
responsibility. The absence OF a special,
dlvlnely inspired message and authority
to deliver #, from God 20 man, is the
chief cause Of the decline Of the mis-
slonary spirit. and Of many other all
ments OF the present day.