Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-06-19
IS ALL REVELATION A FRAUD

tNiNiNt.l' do
IS ALL REVELATION A FRAUD
We publish today an extended re-
mort Of a sermon delivered on sunday
IN the First Unitarian church by Rev
Frank Fay Eddy, which was crowded
out Of our Monday edition We pay
special attention to 20 ON this page
because The speaker made reference
10 the position occupied by the NOR
mon" Church. and to ana editorial in
the Deseret News on the Mormon
conception OF the origin " religion.
The gentleman also alluded 90 some
remarks OF another paper which
seem 10 have Initiated him into a de-
nunciation. which wc do not endorse
although We give it place In the re-
tort Of hts remarks
The Unitarian minister Is very frank
IN expressing the position he takes IN
regard TO religion Itisa direct denial
n the declarations OF the Bible He
says. 81 firmly believe that religion
came out Of the heart of man. 7 be-
lieyc the gods are an man-made I
believe the sanctlty OF our Bible and all
HibIts Is artificial" He takes from
the dictionary one NJ the definitions
NJ the meaning OF the word religion.
but ignores the others and uses II
rs meaning "a belief which binds the
spiritual nature Of man to a super
natural being" other definitions.
which appear 90 ne more 10 the point
nro. "Thc recognition ~ God as an
object ~ worship, love and obedience"
'any system Of faith and worship"
This does not matter very much, how
ever the great question at issue is
whether true religion originates in the
mind Of man. or is revealed 10 man
from God,
The Unitarian minister Iu effect de-
MES divine revelation. he does not
believe in anything Of the kind, at any
period or IN any place. On his theory
the Bible d not only a congories u
errors but "a collection Of falls hoods
md frauds The testimonies given by
'holy mon Of old of communications
directly from Deity, or by the vista
lion 81 angels, or bv other remarkable
and visible manifestations from God.
nre untrue and in the very nature or
their disclosure are fabrlcations With
oui foundation On fact
For instance. Mr. Eddy says ho does
not believe chat verse in Genesis
which details the dealings Of God TO
Moses" aud which says lie gave unto
Moses when lie had made an end of
communication with him on Mount 81
mai two tables Of testimony tables
~ stone. written with the finger of
God" Also That ho does not believe
In what he CALLS "A parallel example
In the asserted finding of the plates 81
The Book Of Mormon by Joseph Smith.
'Ho thinks the latter moro credible
than the former because "nearer our
own time" but De believes "no moro
IN one than iu the other"
To begin with the gentleman does
rot appear TO be familiar with the
Scripiures which he rapldatss There
Is nothing in the Book of Genesis that
makes any reference 20 Moses or tho
tables Of stone. or any communication
from God 20 that prophet His name
Is not mentioned iu the book But n
what is recorded hy Moses concerning
his intercourse with Deity is not true
Moses was % fraud The greatest
statesman and IaUgiy,r OF the Hebrew
race must have Ned iD 600 bis a.scr-
lions concerning hIs personal Duuypr-
satious with cod On the mount ana
elsewhere Ho ga MOI have ary 1-
blcs of stone oa which ha Ten Com-
mandmoU,s wore uH,t0n r.r d.H hr
with nathan Abbu and seventy of
The Elders ~ Israel. %, up m 90,
mount and t.. .na divine rosI.a-.
whose appearance .s definitely describe
"a IN The Boob .f Exodus
ST. with the statements of 100 Che
Prophets who f.t,s.eI 'o have cone
ysrsoi with plu $50 with Jesus er
Nazareth aud lis Apostles a-I tlc
same with Joseph Smith, hs uarhe,
efths nineteenth century rfsrt.Hl-
monies with frrse FOL. mary others
rou'i no possibly I. ny more fanu..
nations Joseph Smith could H.. t-ts
imsrrsl taat Dr.. bad tto.. mean,
pinto. f0n ea.h dlr by las Boo read
lhe characters Inscribed thereon and
'ra'HDI frs translation
Tho details give. both ot arc.sut and
modern revelations arc of Zoo positive
and definite o. character 20 class them
fairly with decisions or second
sights" w zoe arsries ~ excited
fanatics Th.5 were either what they
were claimed Co be-. or the individuals
narraiIug them were liars and charla.
ians. and imrostors. and frauds This
classes 40 the prophets and sesrs. and
feveiators % an the ages Including
Christ Himself together rs a band n
wilful dscelvers. n Moses was a GOOD
nan. be GA not ten falsehood about