Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-07-24

greatness OF the people OF their ages
and live enough beyond their age to
ste into The future, then when the time
is ripe q leader more bold and positive
than the rest breaks out and makes a
great commotion lu his world We
move on, out OF darkness into light.
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS.
Christopher Columbus was such
one. He had scientific
brain combined with a dreamy vision
AIRY temperament He believed he was
divinely called TO carry Christianity
into India His very name symbolize1
10 him that he was a modern Christ
Chris!o meaning Christ or Savior. and
Colombo signifying pigeon carrier. thus
made TO convey the meaning Of mes
scnger Of Christ Yes. we may safely
ray, IL was the religious sentiment that
gave US new world for nothing short
a a belief IN supernatural aid could
lave helped him 10 triumph over diff
Guilty added unto difficulty and 10 final
IS overcome the dark fears rife among
the masses az that period concerning
the unknown deep peopled with all the
accumulated horrors Of superstitlous
ages. and IN spite Of them. NJ out yes-
sells 10 sail thereon, and finally gain.
not his purpose but new world. This
preparation for a new nation by dis
covering a new country. came into ex-
istence al a time when Europe was in
contest between Catholic and Protest
ami powers when free thought was rife,
and the people were beginning 10 de-
mand more religious freedom. out OF
this demand and IT, refusal came the
n igratlons OF the pilgrim fathers, the
Huguenots, the ACadians and others,
seeking that emancipation Of thought
wl ich Induced them TO break away
from the old home and seek a new one.
Then they IN turn sought to restrict
thought and 70 Cypress their brethren.
until there were other outbreaks ana
other colonies were established and nm
ally two long wars. one with the mother
country 10 secure political freedom or
liberty. and the other a civil war FOR
abolition Of human slavery, we came 10
the fair condition OF liberal civilization
we today enjoy.
TRUTH IN ALL
This preamble has been made that we
may see that truth IS embodied 10 near
Is an radical changes. no matter how
mixed with error they may be. Also
10 lay the way for a fuller understand
ing and more tolerant view OF the
much misrepresented Mormon Ques-
ton
GROWTH or MORMONISM.
Now 20 back with me and let us
stop the great clock Of time. let us
command the huge pendulum 10 cease
its sWaying. and let US turn back the
mighty hands Of the years Tor about
three quarters OF a century and view
with our own eyes the beginning and
growth OF this religion dubbed Nor
monism, propcr,. termed. The Church
Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints,
Seventy-Gye years ago New York
was comparatively new country.
Ohio and Illinois were for the most
part wilderness. The Missouri
bounded the limit Of the United states.
The land Of Titan beyond though eX-
plored several centuries before by the
Spanish, followed $50 years later by
the friars Domlnguez and Escalante,
and 20 years later. l77S. bv trsppers.
then IN 1888 by Fremont. At this time
the country was being held by the
aborigines and was net peopled except
by savage tribes ana still more saw
age beasts. besides being cut of from
the east BY 4 trackless desert In that
far east, there began 10 evolve a new
phase Of society, and a new religion,
that this uninnabited wilderness full
OF wonderful untamed resources.
might be claimed ana taken possession
OF For the home OF the Utes was 10
be subdued. not by the love Of things
material but by that mysterious
agency which Is ever AT work within
the souls of man. causing them TO
court exposure cold. hunger. ignominy
and death-it was that something We
an question OF. reason about suffer for
and know little or nothing about
called Immortality This incompre-
hensible dream OF spirituality that
consumes the hearts Of mortals was
the instrument OF power that caused a
new Israel 20 arise a new exodus Of
the human family 10 be conducted. and
new Canaan 10 be attained.
BIRTH OF JOSEPH SMITH.
In the wear 1905 was born. IN sharon.
Windsor CO.. Vermont a blue eyed
fair baby boy. Joseph Smith. who was
destined 10 be the founder OF new
form Of religion
Tie was Of a poetic temperament
from babyhood. and though bis father
was a farmer he would often leave the
pillow. and like Joan OF Arr. listen 10
the voices The fanaticism Of the time.
the atmosphere Of superstition. the
unchristlanlike conduct and hatred OF
each so-called Christian against his
believing brother. all these
must DE taken into account In study
Ing the birth and growth Of Mormon
ism.
The people OF our time cannot deal
Justice 10 the people " another time.
without measuring the advance that
thought has made ana Geducting that
advance
AL the preachers laughed az Joseph
him siliy said his vision
was Of the devil, 81 he really had one
They said signs and revelations were
Of by gone days etc Nevertheless. |
have had vision persisted the
Young man Joseph smith ODposi- /
ton. villincatlon and mobs grew apace,
Joseph Smith was prosecuted and
threatened hy The mohs composed Of
his brethren IN Christ for daring 20
say that he WIS urouhct 70 God
ORGANIZATION or CHURCH.
Time passed on. and eventually the
Church was organized with six menu I
bers
on the isi day Of June 1881. the first /
conference was held. and the Church /
Of 81 members
Then came Fred Dubois and Thomas /
Kearns and u. Mostyu OWenl ] mean I
then came q series OF arrests and trial /
~ Joseph Smith charging him with I
averything that was bad. on an cases I
he was acquitted. says Bancroft the I
historian
The Mormons now organized into /
and began 90 preach I