Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-01-15
Elders lanes E. Talmage and
Charles W. Penrose Discuss
Mission OF MOrmonism.
DIVINE CALLING or JOSEPH.
Work Il New Only IN That Il Has Been
Ke-establlshei Upon the Earth
--Signs of the Times.


There was large attendance, and the
singing, as Is customary at such meet
ings, was pleasing feature. President
John II. Wlnder presided.
The choir sang the hymn
High on the mountain top
A banner Is unturled.'
Prayer was offered by Elder Andrew
Jenson
The choir further sang
20 my Father, Thou that dwellest.
In the high and glorious place"
ELDER JAMES l.. TALMAGE.
DR., James r. Talmage was the first
speaker. He began by stating that he
stood before the people ready to give
utterance TO the impressions Of the
Holy Spirit. His mind, he said, had
been led to reflect on the hymn just
sung which to many people was known
as the Mormon hymn" The speaker
read the hymn and proceeded to COM
ment upon IT, The Latter-day Saints,
said Elder Talmage, believed in God,
the eternal Father. They believed Him
TO be the Father OF our spirits and that
by His grace we had been permitted 10
come TO earth and dwell in the flesh.
The Gospel was Gospel OF simplicity.
1t taught that men had relationship
with God which was eternal; and tina.
according to their desires. exempllfed
by their conduct here on earth, they
would reap reward In the mansions
prepared for them. The Church OF
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was
the Church OF ancient times come
again. II was new only In that 1t had
been reestablshed upon the earth, 1t
came rs had been predicted and would
now continue until the purposes OF God
had been brought 70 pass IL compre-
hended the truths OF primitive Chris
tianlty and reiterated the declaration
that the kingdom Of God was about 10
be established In the earth. II claimed
no earthly dominion or secular rule, for
this was no, part Of its mission; rath-
er did II aim to prepare men for the
Kingdom OF heaven which would be es-
tablished when Christ Himself made
His appearance among men.
The Gospel, said the speaker, was
something more than a mere system OF
morals While 1t required the highest
standard OF moral conduct, there was
a certain law TO be lived up TO. n cer-
tain code OF principles to be obeyed.
The speaker read Christ's predictions
concerning HIS second coming and
the signs preceding 1t. He held that
the description agreed well with eX-
listing conditions, and proved conclu-
sively that the second coming of our
Lord was near
The doctrines Of the Mormon
church were slowly yet surely oeing
absorbed by the denominations OF the
day. Only recently a pamphlet had
appeared entitled. The Church of
Christ" In which doctrines heralded
by this church half century ago. and
then pronounced heresies by unbeliev-
ers, We're freely accepted and incor-
porated in their code OF belief. This.
too, was an important sign Of the times
and would result In bringing men TO
knowledge IF the truth until every
knee should bow and every tongue con-
TESS that Jesus was indeed the Christ.
Elder Talmage contrasted conditions
anciently With those existing today and
paid special attention to the tendency
among men to seek after signs and
wonders. OF such he said no signs were
stupendous enough. or wonders nllracu-
lous enough to convince them of the
revealed truth Such men had an APP
petite for stimulants-they required
bigger doses every day.
In conclusion the speaker referred
to the nature of the final Judgment and
said that God would deal Justly with
al, rewarding men according to their
deeds and the varied conditions sur
rounding them IN this life. A mere
church membership would avail nothing
We're such membership not properly
lived up to. The church did not con-
done sin. While IL was inclined to be
charitable. its charity was not OF the
sort To wink at wrong-doing among
those who should know better. While
membership In the Church of Christ
ala not necessarily guarantee eNalta-
ton there was no celestial exaltatlon
outside OF II for 1t had been established
that men might have an opportunity
10 embrace It's principles and attain to
the highest glory.
The Choir sang the anthem Awake
My Sour with Mrs. Lizzie Thomas
Edward and Thomas Ashworth az the
soloists
ELDER CHARLES w. PENRosE.
Elder Charles w. Penrose Of the
council OF the Apostles endorsed hearth
~ the remarks OF Elder Talmage, stat.
ing that he knew the doctrines adj
NtlnCed to be true and In conformity
with the Gospel of Jesus Christ There
was nothing really new I'm the doe
trlnes of the Latter-day Saints, al
though many of them were new to this
generation. They were the truths OF
primitive Christianity restored again
In the latter days God had spoken from
the heavens He had reesta bished His
work upon the earth. and the GOSPEL
was now being preached to all ma
tious as witness" before the end
shall.eome, Elder Penrose bore fer
vent testimony TO the truth Of Nor
monism," and invited those who were
not familiar with its teachings, To in
vestlgate for themselves and the truth
would be made known TO them The
Gospel WIS n natural, consistent sys-
tenn or theology There was nothing
mythical about II. IL appealed to roa-
son. II was system OF religion that
had In IL al the elements Of eternal
life, II gave men liberty, taught them
the true way. and II lived up to would
lead them back into the presence OF
God. Joseph Smith WAS the Prophet
OF the latter-days. His name was
revered aud his memory respected by
his followers. But they did not wor.
ship him. They forshinped no man.
but they did worship God. the Eternal
Father, In the name Of His son Jesus
Christ.
Elder Penrose made passing mention
OF his recent visit TO Sharon. Windsor
county, VT, where a handsome monu-
ment had been erected to the memory
Of the Prophet Joseph.
The choir and congregation sang the