The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-12-27
CHRISTMAS AT TABERNACLE.
Apostle Orson F. Whitney Was the
Speaker at the Services.

! In the Tabernacle, decorated for n
| Christmas service in the National col
ors and white cheesecloth, Apostle Or
son F. Whitney, Christmas morning
! spoke TO an audience that packed the
| lower floor and crowded into the gal
lery. upon "Christmas Thoughts
In the Tabernacle there was no pro-
candles, nothing TO mark the coming of
the great day that in Christian churches
means such a scene of beauty. High
above lowered the gigantic picture of
Joseph Smith. and for all the signs it
might have been an ordinary Sunday
service.
The concluding portion of Apostle
Whitney's address was the most start.
ling: "We celebrate he finished,
''the birthday of the Son of God, just
as, two days ago, we celebrated the
birthday of the prophet of God, Joseph
Smith Before this he had stated that
''We do not worship Joseph Smith, but
revere him as prophet standing at the
head of the last dispensation. y Then
he went on to make his statement of
the two birthday observances.
"The greatest of Christmas thoughts
is the Saviour Of the world,' began
Mr. Whitney, "My Christmas thoughts
are twofold Of the coming of Christ
in the meridian of time and his second
advent at the end of the world, the two
supreme events in the world g history.
Paul says, God so loved the world that
He gave it His only begotten Son, that
whosoever should believe on Him should
not perish, but have everlasting life. ,
Is not that the greatest of all Christ
mas giftsf'
Leaving for a moment his sublime
subject. Mr.. Whitney gave q short dis
sertation on the giving of gifts at this
season. They should answer. he de-
clared. three conditions: They should
not impoverish the giver; they should
given erudgingly. Mr.. Whitney de-
clared that if the first condition is
complied with, the third is most easily
arranged.
Returning to his subject, he showed
the great Christmas gift Of God In
giving His Son to the world. The gift
did not impoverish the Lord, but added
to His glory and greatness. for IL was
given out Of the depths of His love for
appropriate one, the speaker went on
TO prove. The world, at the time of
the coming Of Christ, lay under the
bondage of sin and death. and it re-
quired the life of god to break the
bondage. The world had been placed
in pawn by the fall of Adam and Eve.
and death was the pawnbroker, both
in a spiritual and temporal sense, Moth
ing resting under the curse could be
used as a means of redemption. and
it needed being from another world,
Christ, to redeem IT from the effects
of Adam S transgression.
A short dissertation on obedience
then followed, and then the statement
made Of the giving of the gospel in
the different dispensations, leading up,
of course, 10 the declaratio that the
greatest dispensauion had been the last
one. under Joseph Smith
An extra fine MUSICAL treat was the
organ manipulation of j. P. Mcclellan,
| but a disappointment to large mum
Der of visitors was the accidental omis"
sion of the glorious Largo of Han
DEL which had been set down on the
programme and had been eagerly anti
cipated. Fred Graham and John Rob
inson were the soloists of the day, the
ouartette not singing owing TO the IN
disposition of one of its members.