Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-29

rising to the setting Of the sun; dream
ing as they do OF q heaven beyond
the bounds Of time and space" they be-
come callous to their responsibilities In
the social world, the world Of men and
brave deeds--the only ti6nven man is
yet fitted to know. IT is thus that men
are blinded to the majesty and glory
VI Gods creations here below; neither
enjoying the bliss to be felt In this
present heaven, nor helping to In
crease that bliss for themselves In the
orly way It can be done--by trying to
Increase the bliss OF the here and now
for others.
Let the mind travel for q moment
over the make-beIieves that have been
contrived through the ages to blind
man to his only heaven, the here and
row, and make him shirk his duties
In II. First. the notion that bliss is an
ETHEREAL something located in still
more ETHEREAL somewhere; second, that
TO attain II, man can do nothing for
himself. the blessed Savior must do II
ALI" third, the consequent degeneration
OF the virile worship of doing" into
maudlin worship of merely singing and
praying; fourth. the mechanical con-
oeption that salvation, instead of being
an organic---that Is to say--a living.
growing state of the soul, is an external
relatfon-a coming-out- Of some place
or goining-into-s ome- place state OF the
soul, that can be affected by the pray
ers and irnportunlngs OF other men, by
the absolution of priests, or by the per-
forming OF pilgrimages, the building OF
churches, and things Of like nature;
sixth, the consequent thousand. fold
variety Of pltful subterfuges designed
to bride Peter and cheat Lucifer--piti-
ful because OF their bare faced trans
parency; the result OF It all being, that
the really vital relations affecting the
destiny Of mankind-the relations which
ministers Of the gospel call secular az
fairs--are left, In the language of these
same called and chosen Cd to the de
VIZ that Ia to say, I'm the hands OF
men and women who have not got re-
ligion,"
Latter-day Saints, realizing as they
do that salvation is progressive com
ing into harmony with law. that
heaven, the expression of that har-
mony, Is a state OF the soul which In
evitably causes gravitation towards a
place; that both state and place are
now, and ever win be, on this earth
realizing, repeat. these fundamental
truths, their religion finds no place for
the pious artificialities above enumer-
ated,
That is to say, in theory. In practise
they are far from being free from them.
Although II 10 preached every Sunday
that the gospel involves the sur total |
of mans activities, secular or other
wise-no one principle OF truth being
holier than another-yet they go on |
looking skyward toward hypothetical |
heaven, TO the shameful neglect OF the |
here and now; all the time knowing.
but not realizing. that the heaven TO |
,ome can be entered only by him who |
has seen and felt and lived the heaven |
hat Is here.
What IL the matter? They are still
n Babylon. They are still struggling
With the tide OF heredity Their heads
re above water, truly enough--which |
to say, they see the better way, but
heir bodies are swept onward by the
imost resistless current az tradition
nd convention. Or, to return 10 NV
lrst figure their ideals, like. SNOW.
anks, lie unmeited high In the blue
OF theory. When confronted
y some desperate condition OF society
hey VIII all say, and say truly. That
I'll never be settled until Il IA settled
ccordng to the Gospel" But when
sked to point out the definite remedy
or II In the Gospel. they return a
ague answer. They see the snow nm
he mountain top, and they know its
fe-giving virtues; but how to make
reach the arid social spot. they are
ute content to leave solely 10 the
ord; the while they go on living n
respectable" life: that IL TO say. the
arrow. self-seeklng life which custom
nd convention have saddled upon
hem,
Let me not be too severe, however;
atter.day Saints have done something
,ward cutting loose from Babylon
, much indeed. that the doing" side
their religion IL made the occasion
CONTINUED on page two.)