Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-10-12
SERVICES AT
THE TABERNACLE.
Bishop 0rson F. Whitney Delivers
A Comprehensive Gospel
Sermon.
WHAT MORMONISM REALLY is.
Is Simply the Old Plan Of Salvation
Restored to Earth in Latter
Days.
WHAT MORMONISM REALLY IS.

who dwelt upon the permanently,
breadth and saving powers OF the Cos
oel of Jesus Christ
The choir sang the hymn;
rhoneh IN the outward Church below,
The wheat and tares together grow.
Prayer was offered by Elder Charles
W Penrose.
The choir further sang
n my Father Thou that dwellest.
In the high and glorious place.
nlshop Orson f. whitney was the
,neaker He began by stating that 1t
WAS not customary with the Latter
dov Saints for those called upon TO
sneak TO choose n text for treatment,
oplv upon very rare occasions. lie sald
q vas expected by them that the Holy
shirt which searcheth all Things, ana
knows what Is needed by the congre-
cation would furnish that which Is best
suitod TO every man. Indeed, SAID the
sneaker. II would be presum ptuous on
,be part of the Latter-day saints 70
attempt TO forestal the operations OF
the spirit by preparing beiorehanu
some particular subject upon when 10
sneak He, therefore, trusted that thls
Spirit would guide and dictate ms Ut
.1ra,ces that all assembled would be
edited and built up through having
come together this afternoon,
pishop whitney said there was no
subject more interesting TO the Lat
torday Saints or which could be dis
cussed with greater profit than the
Cospel OF Jesus Christ, or Mormon
ism . ms IL is sometimes called. This
was no new thing, rs was very otteh
supposed, but was the Identical mes
sage which Jesus Christ Himself gave
Ia The children of men. 1t was the OLD
come back again, the original restored
10 earth, and though some or lts
phases were somewhat new, historl-
caliy considered. and some OF It's doc
trlnes apparently new, as viewed from
Tho standpoint Of established ortho-
doxv still II was the old, old story, the
truth OF heaven brought back again 10
HESS and benefit mankind, The very
fact that II was true, told OF It's eter,,
nal character OF its permanency anu
Of MS value TO those who would endeaV-
or TO live by It. .,
Tho sneaker argued from this that the
c;osnel must of necessity be the same
10 all, Interchangeable, the one plan 10
guide men IN whatever dispensatlon
they lived. The sermon delivered upon
the Mount was new, yet old. because
II was true. It's teachings were aS
binding upon men today as they ever
were for they were true ana stherelore
eternal and everlasting. They taugnt
mankind the way of life and were a law
unto Them in all ages and dispensations
Of the world.
Blshop whitney referred TO the law or
Moses and the fact that the coming OF
thn GOSPEL of Jesus Christ was but
fuflment OF that law. The savior
sad think not that I have come 10
destroy the law, ! have not come 20
destroy. but to fulfill" The promise
made 10 Father Abraham that through
him and his seed should all the ma
tons of the earth be blessed. was stu
IN effect among the children OF the
human race and would benefit ana press
all who would live Alright. rms promise
was mainly fulfilled In Christ, Dut aiso
In the scattering ana gathering Vi
Israel oa
"Mormonism" taught that Moses had
the fullness OF the Gospel OF Jesus
Christ while IN the wilderness ~
taught that he held the higher or Mel
chisedek Priesthood, and that this Cos
bel and this Priesthood were only TAX
en- away because of the inability OF the
people to live and respect them' ~
says that the law OF Moses was the
schoomaster TO bring US unto christ
even as John the Baptist was the fore-
runner of Him who should Introduce
the higher or more perfect law. rms
law was a system OF advancement that
men, step by step, might be led up 70
that greater knowledge necessary TO
enable them TO become even as Goa
Himself.
This. said the speaker, was the
scheme of "Mormonism," and II was
perfectly philosophical, despite conclu-
sions formed by many to the contrary.
Plato, whose name stands for philoso-
ply, taught such scheme himself, q
scheme Of advancement, a plan where
by mankind would be led and guided
TO q higher plane, eventually reaching
the eternal summit OF the Father. No
man could be good enough to save hls
own soul. yet II he lived g0dly his good
ness would count much when called
before the judgment bar of God. II on
the other hand his deeds were evil, they
would count against him In the day OF
the great summing up when men
would be Judged according to the deeds
done In the body
Paul the Apostle declared in his day
that God so loved the world that He
gave His only Begotten Son, that who
soeyer belleYeth on Him should not
perish but have everlasting life. This,
said Bishop Whitney, was regarded by
many In the world as the key TO the
mission of Jesus Christ. From 1t was
argued that no acts OF ours would In
anywisc assist us in securing the great
reward of salvation. But Christ did not
make IT so, FOR He specifically declared
TO Ills disciples that men must be doors
OF the word, and not hearers only, for
u they heard the word and did II not
they would be counted as the foolish
man who built his house upon tho
sand; ON the other hand IL they did the
works necessary they would be count
ed as the wise man who built his house
upon the rock.
rms scheme OF salvation extended "a
~ ahke. 1t comprehended not only the
INlhg but reached also to the dead
Ewing all, either IN this life, or In the
hpirlt world, the privilege Of accepting
OF rejecting the word OF God The
speaker dealt with the doctrine of sal
walton for the dead and showed that
WINE II was a new doctrine to many
y Was part and parcel OF the Gospel OF
Jesus christ He touched upon tn,
prihclpie OF baptism for the dead and
pointed out the justice OF God In max.
IsB such provisions for those deprived
oL accepting the Gospel In this life. THAI
ms principle was a part of the genera
Seneme was made clear by the Apostl,
eaul when, addressing the CorlnthIar
stunts ne asked them, why then arc
baptized for the dead. II the dead
Use not at all, why are we then hap.
WSvu ior the dead9' The whole plan
Vas conprehended In the statement oi
reter Who on the day OF Pentecost
9aumonished the assembled multitude tc
repent and>be baptized for the remis
ION OF their sins" telling them tha
w so doing they would receive tho
~ ~ Of me Holy Ghost. The promise