Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-11-20
Elder John N. Mills Points Out
Incidents Of American History
At the Tabernacle.
INDIANS EXPECTED THE BOOK.
Elder Joseph L. Taylor Bears Record
OF the Divinity of the Mission
OF Joseph Smith.

An interesting review or the contents
OF the Book OF Mormon was given at
the Tabernacle Sunday afternoon by
Elder John NJ. Mills. who spoke at some
length on the coming forth OF the book
and gave history of the incidents
leading up to the great battle at the
Hell Ramah, Elder Mills was followed
BY Elder Joseph Z. Taylor who testi-
fed of the mission of Joseph Smith
and that the work he was the instru-
rnent IN bringing forth, was true Pres
ident John H. Winder presided
The choir sang the hymn;
Zion stands with hills surrounded,
Zion kept by power divine.
Prayer was offered by President
William MoLachlan.
The choir further sang
Glory to God on high,
Let heaven and earth reply,
Praise ye His name.
Elder John NJ. Mills was the first
speaker. He said that the Latter-day
Saints had a message to bear TO the
world, and this should be borne with
out undue loss Of time. The message
referred TO was contained in the books
delivered unto US which should be
carefully studied In order that men
might prepare themselves FOR respon-
slbilities.
1t Is not enough for men to be pas
sively good, they should be aggressive
~ good all the days of their lives. In
King Benjamin's day the Lord required
undivided attention TO His work. He
made a similar requirement of the peo-
pie today. 1t should not be said of
Latter-day Saints as Rousseau had de-
clared that some lived to be 100 years
old and yet died at their birth. Joseph
Smith set a splendid example in this
respect His whole life though COM
paratively short one, was one fraught
with activity from the day he received
his first vision at the age OF ia years,
till he was cruelty assassinated IN Car
thage jail. The appeal, therefore, was
urgent that they who had been recip-
tents of the message he had TO bear,
show equal diligence IN proclaiming Il
10 their fellow man.
Elder Mills reviewed portion Of the
contents of the Book Of Mormon and
said that the Latter-day Saints were
greatly blessed. for in addition to the
Holy Bible they had been given a his
tory of Gods dealings with His people
on this continent. The speaker related
portion of the history of Alma. and
told the story of the plates which were
deposited in the hill Ramah and came
forth IN this day as an additional evil
denoe OF the hand-aealings of God with
His people,
Ihat such book was expected by the
indians Is the testimony of Il number
Of early writer's of American history,
among them CCulton, who in his "Ori-
gin OF the American Indians" published
IN 1898. declares that they were con-
stantly looking for some record written
by their forefathers and which had
Leen deposited In the earth for safe
keeping
The choir sang the anthem Light
and Truth the World is waking" after
which Elder Joseph f.. Taylor addressed
the meeting. He referred to the i'm
portance Of the coming forth of the
Book OF Mormon, and said that when
its divinity was clearly understood by
the world generally. one OF the books
most important predictions would be
fulfilled, viz, that a nation would be
born In a day. The coming forth of
the. Bible, the discovery of America,
and the restoration Of the Gospel Of
Jesus Christ were foretold over 050
years ago. This was contained in tho
q
ton of which the speaker read. Through
the goodness of God the record Of the
Book Of Mormon was preserved till the
latter days to bear witness of the truth
and to clear up many so-called mysten-
Gus problems Of the present age
Elder Taylor spoke of the fall Of our
first parents IN the Garden OF Eden, and
its effect upon the work Of the latt r
days In this as in all other respects
the wisdom Of God was fully establ sh-
ed and men were better for its hav-
Ing became so. "Mormonism" was d IS
tlnct and separate from other religious
denominations IN this: It came through
the channel OF modern revelation and
Joseph Smith was perhaps the best
fitted person on earth to receive the
message He did so with remarkab bic
oredulity and had the courage to de-
clare the message to the world, thus