Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-12-26

-----------------------
took up the history Of Joseph Smith,
giving the testimony o. his friends ne
to hls character and general makeup,
and, quoting from Farley p, Pratt, who
said OF HIM
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPHET
president Joseph Smith was In per-
son tall and well bullt strong and ao-
tlve' OF light complexion, light hair,
blue eyes very little beard, and OF an
expression peculiar to himself, on which
ihe eye naturally rested with interest,
and was never weary Of beholdlng HIS
cOUntenance was ever mild affable,
beamng with intelligence and benevo-
lence, mingled with a look Of interest
and an unconscious smile or cheerful
ness. and entirely free from all restraint
or oftectaton OF gravity; and there was
something connected with the serene
and steady penetrating glance OF his
eye, as II he would penetrate the deep
est abyss OF the human heart, gaze in
10 eternity, penetrate the heavens, and
comprehend all worlds,
"He possessed a noble boldness and
independence Of character his manner
was easy and familiar his rebuke terri
bic as the lion his benevolence I'M
bounded as the ocean, his intelligence
universal. ma his language Astounding
IN original eloQuence peculiar to him
self-not pollshed-not studled-n0t
smo0thed and softened by education
and refined by art, but flowing forth
IN rs own native simplicity, and pro-
fusely Astounding I'm variety Of subject
and manner. He interested and edi-
fed, while, AZ the same time, he
amused and entertained his audiences
and none listened to him that were
ever weary with his discourse. ! have
even known him 10 retain a congrega-
ton OF willing and anxious listeners for
many hours together, In the midst Of
cold or sunshine, rain or wind, while
they were Laughing al one moment and
weeping the next Even his most bitter
enemies were generally overcome, II he
could once get their ears,
81 hav known him when chained and
surrounded with armed murderers and
assassins who were heaping upon him
every possible insult and abuse, rise
up In the majesty Of a son OF God and
rebuke them, IN the name OF Jesus
Christ, TN they quailed before him,
dropped their weapons, and, on their
knees, begged his pardon, and ceased
their abuse,
In short, in him the characters OF a
Daniel and a Cyrus were wonderfully
blended The gifts, wisdom and de-
votlon of a Daniel were united with the
holiness, courage, temperance, per-
severance and generosity Of a Cyrus.
And had he been spared q martyrs
fate till mature manhood and age, he
was certainly endued with powers and
ability to have reyolutlonlaed the
world I'm many respects. and to have
transmitted 10 posterlty a name assoc
clnted with more brilliant and glorious
acts than has yet fallen TO the lot OF
n mortal. As II is his works will live
10 endless ages, and unnumbered mil
lions vet unborn will mention his name
with honor as a noble instrument In
the hands Of God, who, during his short
and youthful career, laid the foundation
on that kingdom spoken OF by Daniel
the prophet, which should break In
pieces all other Kingdoms and stand
forever"
such continued the speaker, is the
testimony OF Farley p. Pratt concern.
ing the life, character and ABILITY OF
the Prophet Joseph Smith, True ne
was a friend Of the Prophet and as such
his testimony would not avail much
with unbelieyers. Directors would ar
que that perhaps he was oo-eonspira-
Tor with Joseph Smith. and therefore
would do everything possible TO assist
him In his alleged Imposture, Granting
that such might be the case, the speak
or summoned as witness Josiah
Quincy, a non-"M Mormon" who, speak,
ing of the Prophet Joseph, bore record
Of his greatness In the following Ian
guage:
TESTIMONY OF JOSIAH QUINCY.
ct is by no means improbable that
some future textbook, for the use OF
generations yet unborn, VIII contain u
question something like this. what
historical American OF the nineteenth
century has exerted the most powerful
influence upon the destinles OF his
ountrymeng And II Is by no means
impossible that the answer to that IN
terrogatory may be thus written:
Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet
And the reply, absurd as II doubtless
seems 10 most men now living, may be
an obvious commonplace 10 their de-
scendants. History deals In surprises
and paradoXes quite as startling as
this. The man who established re-
llgion I'm this age OF free debate, who
was and is today accepted by hundreds
OF thousands as a direct emissary from
the Most High, such rare human
being Is not 10 be disposed OF by pelt-
ing his memory with unsavory eplthets,
Fanatic, lmpostor, charlatan, he may
have been: but these hard names fur
nlsh no solution to the problem he pre-
SCENTS 10 US. Fanatics and impostors are
living and dying every day, and their
memory IL buried with them; but the
wonderful influence which this founder
OF "A religion exerted and still eXerts
throws him into relief before US, not
AS a rogue TO be eliminated, but Us a
phenomenon 10 be explained.
"a fine looking man. continues Mr..
Quincy, us what the passer-by would
lnstlnctiyely have murmured. But
Smith was more than this, and one
could not resist the Impression that
capacity and resource were natural In
his stalwart person
Commenting on this estimate OF the
Prophet. the speaker quoted the words
Of Napoleon IN his estimate OF the Son
of God. who, he explained TO his sol
diers, was one Whose influence was
not alone felt during life. but actuated
men long after He was dead. This,
thought the speaker was the central
thought IN Quiuoy's estimate Of the