Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-12-23
THE PROPHET JOSEPH.

On December g. 1906, at Sharon
Windsor county. Vermont a chlld
came into this world, destined to take
leading part in the battle against
the powers Of error and darkness II
was Joseph Smith, the Prophet No
man, during the past century WELDED
tho sword Of righteousness more val
,antly than ne No one held higher
the light Of truth. No one became
the mark of the adversary. as he did'
rJpon no one ala the archers Of satan
concentrate their arrows as upon him
Brief was hls career upon this earth
ne history measures time, but though
he fell. as hosts Of martyrs have fallen
before him. his work WAS not retarded
II was continued both on earth ana on
the othcr side Of the veil and VIII con-
tlnue until completed In the final re-
dempilon Of the human race when
"MnIons shall know Brother Joseph
again
For those who have faithfully fought
for n noble cause. win finally be Vlndi'
catod before heaven and earth, and the
lowest regions Of Gods universe
In the first grand vision given to the
future prophet at the age Of ifteen' the
basic truth Of the Gospel was revealed
VIZ. that the Church OF Christ had
nj that time. no existence on earth but
that all the churches had gone aslray'
Every dlspensation Of the Almighty
has had lts initlatory revelation OF
truth from which further development
has naturally followed Abraham was
first commanded to leave the land OF
his fathers. That was the beginning
az series OF grand revelations that
constituted the very center Of the pa
,riarchal dispensation The exodus
from Egypt was in obedience to the
first revelation OF the Mosaic dispehsa-
ton. with an It's wonderful manifesto
tons Of divine power for centuries
"Thou shalt call his name Jesus Tor
no shall save his people from their
sins" was the revelation around when
the gospel dispensatlon was erected II
VAS the basic truth without
which there could have been
No church no preaching, no
martyrdom. And m the same
vay. the vision OF Joseph contained the
essence. the center the foundation ana
the framework OF the entire present
dlspcnsatlon. with the truth Of that
revelation. "Mormonlsm" must stand
or fall.
Some have taken ofense because OF
the announcement that none OF the
scots was the true church. But without
cause. The revelation does not say mat
there was no truth no righteousness
no good men and women on earth, II
does not say that all who lived then
were condemned to everlasting torment
II says that there was no true church
organization with the Priesthood and
ITS gifts aud graces upon the earth.
The old divine organization had been
abandoned, and a new one was about To-
be effected, The condition was similar
TO that which prevailed at The advent
N the Redeemer The Mosaic form Of
government, once given by God. was
merely an empty she'll New reyela-
tons were necessary. II was so Ia this
age. We might conceive OF the
IAN OF republic before the onslaught
of monarchy There might be a change
N the government form " country
but that would not mean that there
would be no law, no truth, no patriot
ism.no honesty In that country Il would
merely mean the complete change OF
form Of government Some such change
had occurred IN the world The church
organization. as established by The
Apostles Of the Master had been abol.
ished and numerous substitutes intro
dueed instead. That ia the opening rev.
elatlon OF this dspensatlon.
Is It true? The testimony OF the New
Testament writer's Is that error IN doc
,rne came into the churches gradually
especially under the influence OF the
Gnostic philosophy that very early be-
came a menace TO the churches IN Lao
dcea and the valley OF the Lycus. AL
so that moral corruption set In with
irresistible force. AntIchrists were al
work openely and secretly A couple
Of hundred years after the Apostles,
the so.caled fathers complain Ioui'y
N the worIdllness OF the professed
Christians, and the apostasy that
threatened TO become general
Gradually the original orgsnlza.
ton vas lost, New offices wero
created and old ones lost their
nrst powers. The church formally
dehroned the divine Head. and paid
homage TO the pagan Emperor Con-
siantine when a question OF doctrine
was submitted 10 his appreciation. aud
heresy was punished by the secular
rover This was actually accomplished
at the council Of Nice, A. D. 3g5. From