Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-06-02
ORIGIN OF TRUE RELIGION.


"All religion probably begins In son
der and In the mental questioning
which rises out OF l.. And as wonder
was nurse al the cradle Of religion. Il
( has likewise been a companion through
I all the course ~ religious growth. Man
I with his unite. limited faculties. ha'
I over felt himself engulfed In the meas
ufeless spaces n the unknown. and "a
| him unknowable Stupidity Is his only
escape from mystery,
Tha, is the leading paragraph OF d
sermon delivered Ia this city on Sun
day last, as reported In the Monday
morning papers Those remarks we're
made by an eloquent and able public
speaker. whose dissourses run along
lines out 81 me usdsl channels Of sec
tartan sermons. b tn. ideas conveyed
In those sentences, while they may
contain some shadow or truth In relation
90 q portion of the human family. are
entirely at variance with the funds-
mental doctrines Of both the Hebrew
and the Christian religions.
The idea hat religion. using the
word In Sc Biblical and correct sense.
begins WITH man. D. the eNsc, opposite
% the Mormon conceptions True
religion. as understood by the Church
of Jesus christ Of Latter-day saints.
comes from God 10 man, Instead "
from man 10 God. That IL to say. cor
rect IDEAS concerning God. Hts works
His ways and llis viii. are revealed
from Him 70 morials. MAN by search.
ing cannot dni ont God Is a truth 30
expressed many cetturies ago, but
Deity can manifest Himself % Hi
creatures. The Infinite may condescend
10 the finite.
The notion conveyed IN the paragraph
quoted above is Coz consonance with The
theory Of evolution which has obtained
great prevalence % The world Of SCI
encs and In the sphere Of human the
olcgy. Il presupposes the growth OF
nan from the lotest forms Of ami
mated matter, and views religion a.
merely a gradual reaching out % the
mind q man 10 the unknown. Religion.
therefore. on ,ha, hypothesis is entirely
Of human origin. and there Is no such
thing as actual revelation from God to
mankind, II is merely a matter OF IN
teliectual speculation.
All the great religious systems OF
the world claim 70 be founded on d.
vine communications. actual reyela-
lions from superior beings. The Bible.
which is received by the most advanced
peoples Of the world as their religious
guide is a book Of fables OF the mos,
Elusive nature and un,ruthnul charac-
ter n God has not actually spoken
with His own voice from OIL high, and
sent angelic beings TO communicate
with chosen men on earth. and by the
power Of the divine Spirit proceeding
from His presence. revealed truths of
the hiehes, importance. as definitely
az Hight from the sun makes plain a.
natural eyes the material things with
in our vision Every correct idea con
corning Cod ana that which He 70.
quires Of man has como from above
to earth. instead Of being evolved by
mental process from mortals upward
II that IL not 50, the Bible is collec-
tion OF myths, or rather a series OF
positive falsehoods.
The religion called "Mormonism"
stands for the great principle Of d.
vine revelation. II does not attempt
to put a quietus upon human thought
and reflection. or to throw anything IN
the way OF intellectual and spiritual
research. But It gives 10 all who re-
celye II in faith definite conceptions
Of Deity. 50 far as they can be grasped
by the finite mind. II also formulates
commandments and ordinances Cor
compliance BY belieyert.that have come
from the same source. The truth and
virtue OF them are OF divine origin and
are witnesses IN the souls OF the re-
clpients that this religion Is OF Cod
and not OF man. The spirit that &C.
companies II Il substantial reality,
TO the influence Of which they are
susceptible and the operations Of which
are a. palpable TO them az the effects
OF heat and cold are TO their physical
bodies
Among the lower races Of humanity
wonder may have had much 10 do IN
their reaching out after the unknown.
But close Investigation shows that they
are descendants Of people who once had
correct ideas 81 Deity. hut who trans
gressed the laws of God revealed "a
them and they fell into decay, but lin
gerlng fragments Of the faith remained
and constitute all that their rosterity
have In the way 81 true religion. The
unknown is still a vast and wonderful
field for exploration but We do not
believe In the notion Of the "uuknow-
able Revelation viii surely make
manifest that which is nov apparently
lncomprehensble ana solve the mys-
tsrles that puzzle the most enlightened.
stupidity IS no escape from mys-
terry u e rather rs prisoner The
light Of God dispsls mystery. and viii
eventually Danish II fom the lower
spheres
The error that religion begins In man
and i not sent down from above. Is
one cause Of tho religious strife which
exists even among the mos, devout in
the so-cslled Christian world. as well
As among the heather Each individual
bis 'Nn creed or adopts
that which other human beings have
conceived and framed. and expects he
Almighty 20 accept q thtse nlan.msds