Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-12-25

manner OF the world. In order to enlist
the worlds attention. Let u man come
forth declaring that God has spoken
again, reopened the heavens and re-
vealed Himself anew, and men Will
shut their ears and turn from eternal
truth to fables OF their own imagining.
That God had spoken TO an humble, IL
llterate farmers boy. at the opening of
the nineteenth century. was altogether
too marvellous for human belief. And
yet was II not a marvellous work and a
wonder that Isaiah had foretold? Had
"Mormonism" not been u work OF that
character Il would not have answered
the description and fulfilled the Proph-
cts words.
ORIGIN OF MORMONISM.
The speaker then gave graphic ac-
count OF how "Molmonlsll' had It's
origin. He related the story OF the boy
prophet-~fo Jrteen years OF age--and
his first yisiion. the personal appearing
TO him of the Father and the son. d.
iating upon the great revelation then
and there vouch3aied. There was much
more to 1t. the speaker said. than the
information conveyed to Joseph that
he should join none of the oontenoins
Christian churches. when had all de-
parted from the ancient faith. then
about TO be restored Inc greater part
of the revelation embodied In that
mighty vision was the part which he
saw, but did not hear. He saw two
glorious beings IN the form of men. one
OF whom. pointing to the other, SAID,
This Is my beloved Son. hear him."
The Father OF - AL was there restoring
to earth the knowledge OF the true and
living God, whom TO know is life eler-
nal. Moses had declared In Genesis
that Goa made man In His own Image.
Jesus had said TO Philip. he that hath
seen me hath seen the Father and
Paul the Apostle was authority for the
statement that the son is the express
image of the Fathers person. But the
world had lost this knowledge. and tie
Christian church believed in a God
without body. parts or passions. His
center everywhere and his circumfer-
ence nowhere. Joseph Smith re-
affirmed the personality of God. and 1t
was the first principle restored In the
restoration of the Gospel In latter days.
MIRACULOUS MANIFESTATION.
Three and half years later "Old
Joe smith, as he was lied. Though
he was never Old In the flesh. being
dead at the age OF 3S;--three ana a
half years later. Joseph received an.
other mirac liols manifestation.
The spea ker now described the COM
Ing OF the Angel Moroni. WAC revealed
the golden plates of the Book OF Nor
mon. with the Trim and Thummim by
means OF which Joseph the Seer trans
lated the Nephite record. lie gave an
account of what the book contained
the personal appearance of the SAVIOR
In NnnNifng nI
the white ancestors of the dIsky and
degenerate American Indians, and the
setting up OF the Church OF Christ
among them. He showed how the Book
of mormon recognized tAe work of
Columbus, Of Washington. OF Jefferson,
as forerunners of the Prcphet Joseph.
In preparing the way before the advent
of the work OF Cog In latter days, hoW
the Gentiles had been made the guar
dams of this land of liberty. where the
Zion Of God, New Jerusalem. would yet
be built. that the house of Israel might
be gathered In from their long disper.
sion. preparatory TO the glorious COM
ing of the savior. This was the sig
nilicance. the Bishop said OF the COM
Ing forth of the Book Of Mormon, the
Bible of the western hemisphere. even
as the Hebrew Scripture is the Bible of
both OF them the word of God to all
the world, the two Joining as the stick
of Ephraim and the stick of Judah 10
the itting down of false doctrine aud
the introduction OF the marvellous work
and wonder foretold,
DOING OF THE WORK.
In what way was this work TO be
done2 the Bisnop asked. Books alone
could not accomplish 1t, nos ,oaiu nIen
perform II. simply by seeing Visions auu
receiving angelic vistations. Joseph
smith. though he had looked upon the
Father and the Son, and by the vista
ton or Moronl had learned OF the past
and future OF this Contine nt. mad be-
come, In word, the real discoNeter OF
America was not qualified to take one
step further In the building
up OF the Church and kingdom of
God until further power had been COLI
ferred upon him. Spiritual manliesta-
tions, such as visions, dreams, and the
various gifts of the Holy Ghost, do not
necessarily empower men to act in the
name of the Lord and administer sacred
ordinances for the salvation OF men,
any more than the placing OF men in
positions In the Church, and sustaining
them there, constitutes them Prophets.
Seers and Revelators. When we vote
at conference time to sustain the Lead
ers of our Church. We do not bestow any
gifts upon them, nor any knowledge.
They are Prophets, Seers and REVEAL
tors already, and we simply consent, BY
voting for them, that they shall act as
such towards US and towards this peo-
pie. Let us not confound these two
great principles. Gifts and knowledge
from God are one thing and the hold
ing of authority from God Is another.
one Is not qualified to lead this people
because he has had dream or vision
or even a revelation. That manifesto
ton may be merely for his personel
guidance and individual comfort. Upon
the other hand, q man may be a SER
want OF God. qualified to preside and
actually called to preside over His
people, though he may never have hal
a vision, or any other spiritual mani
festation, beyond that which came with
the calling God chooses HI own
Prophets. and the people sustain their
own President This was shown at the
very inception OF this work, when Jo-
seph Smith and oliver Cowdery were
sustained TO preside as first and secons
Elders of the Church by the men ami
women composing II; and this, too, aft
er they had received the Priesthood
direct from God. 1t was that Priest
hood, that delegated divine authority.
and not the visions and manifestations
that had preceded Il, which empowered
Joseph and Oliver to ofiiciate In sacred
ordinances and build up the kingdom Of
God. Il Is only by means Of that PRIEST
hood that any nan can truly and valid
~ represent God Nevertheless, there
has never been time when the leader
OF Gods people did not possess the gifts
OF the Spirit along with the authority
OF the Priesthood.
Bishop Whitney then showed how the