Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-10-05
FRIDAY OCTOBER

i"lluiy' We also visited the grove
where the first childhood prayer OF the
Prophet Joseph Smith was offered up,
ana where the first manifestations Of
the approval Of Heaven were made to
man IN these latter days, with reference
to the opening Of the dIspensatIon in
which the fulness OF the Gospel Of Je-
sus should be restored to the world ana
the authority of the holy priesthood
again conferred upon man. To say that
me visiting Of such places as these does
not inspire serious thought and pecu-
mar feelings, at least in my breast,
would not be true.
There is something hallowed about
thoSe places, To me and TO all, |
thlnk, who have accepted the divine
mission Of Joseph Smith the prophet.
and who are imbued with the spirit
of the gospel that he was Instrument
a. IN the hands of the Lord, i'm restor-
ing to the earth. TO me il Is pleasing,
TO me II Is inspiring TO visit the haunts
OF that great and good man and his
associates in the early days OF the
Chmch, aud even before the Church
was organized We visited Palmyra,
near the hill where the plates of the
Book of Mormon were found and
shown TO the Prophet Joseph by the
angel Moroni, and where they were
gwen 10 Joseph by him, which Is u
truth that all Latter-day Saints will
nave 10 accept IN order 10 ackonwl-
cage the divine authority Of the man
VINO has horne this testimony TO the
world, and who was instrumental In
revealing The fulucss Of the gospel To
the children OF men.
GOES TO OHIO.
From Palmyra we visited Kirkland.
Ohio. and looked again over the
ground orco occupied as a dwelling
place Of the Latter-day Saints, whore
many many years ago prosperous,
thrifty people dwelt I'm somewhat
larger numbers than today We now
find little scattered village. The
country is almost deserted. The popu-
lation at present approXimates about
1900 or l500 people The temple
still stands as a monument Of the
sacrifice Of this poor but hardy and
faithful people. who in that early
day sacrificed not only their means
and their time and their comfort and
the comfort of their families, for
NE purpose OF building that house
IN obedience to the command OF God
Those who possess it now comprehend
little OF the objects and purposes for
which the temples Of God are built.
They little understand the main princi-
pie, the main doctrine, the main reason
and cause making II necessary to erect
temples unto God. Those principles
are rejected by those who are today In
possession Of the building. 1t is sim
ply used today as an ordinary meeting-
house and Il place for Sunday school.
So long as e Is used for even this pur-
pose, we have no reason to complain,
an1 we do rot complain; we have gone
. beyond 1t: we have outgrown It. To-
day we have no use for 1t, as the Lord
has shown us even a better and Il
greater way, and so far as [ am con-
cerned, those who possess It are per-
fectly welcome to it, although the man
ner In which they became in possession
OF It, to my mind. is exceedingly ques-
tionable
SCENE OF MARTYRDOM.
From Ohio we did not follow down
the course of the Church into Missouri
and from Missouri into the state of H.
Enois, We passed over that part Of
the migrations of the saints, going d.
rect to Carthage, the scene OF the mar
tyrdom. | had a desire to see that
place as had never seen IL before; and
| felt that ! would like to see the spot
where the blood Of those innocent men
was shed for the testimony they bore to
the world of the divine mission TO
which they were caled-a command
from God TO restore the fulness Of the
gospel and the way Of life and salvation
to the world. / win not attempt to tell
you or to express to you in the least de-
gree how felt on that ground We did
not remain there long, but came TO
Nauvoo. the last resting place of the
Latterday Saints in the eastern part
OF our land. At that time this was the
western frontier OF the United States.
SCENES OF CHILDHOOD
1T was a source of great delight
and pleasure TO visit the scenes
Of my childhood and to 20 around
and see the various houses which
| remembered from my childhood. We
visited the place that was once called
the mission" the home Of the Prophet
Joseph Smith. so altered and changed
today, internally at least, and so old and
dilapdated outside that one familiar
with it in the early days could scarcely
recognize 1t as the same place. The old
homestead that was first built on the
bank of the river. occupied by the Pa
triarch Joseph (the father Of the Proph-
et Joseph and his family in the early
days, still stands, but In a most neg
lected condition, almost ready to crum-
Bile to the earth,
WHERE BODIES WERE BURIED.
I'VE visited the spot where the bodies
of the Prophet Joseph and his brother
were buried after their martyrdom, and
also their brothers, Don Carlos and
Samuel. We recognized as nearly as
might be the spot IN which their sacred
remains were deposited after their
death, the bodies of the prophet and the
patriarch having been removed two or
three times In order to satisfy a fancy
Of somebody, in order to prevent their
whereabouts being known-the history
of which | am thankful to have, as
received It from an eyewitness.
I'VE also visited the Nauvoo House,
the place where the original manuscript
OF the Book of Mormon was placed by
the hand Of the Prophet Joseph Smith,
together with the bound copy of me
Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Cow
enants and other church publications
extant at that time, and with peti ions
to the governors of the various states,
on the part of the Latter-day Saints,
for redress for the wrongs they had
sustained at the hands OF Missouri.
These and other relies were deposited
there and in after years exhumed and
rmoved by Mr.. Bideman. who was then
IN possession OF the property,
I'VE likewise visited the spot where
the first revelation was given to the
Prophet Joseph Smith on the COM
mandments and we went to the place,
which we knew, where the revelation
on plural marriage, given through the
Prophet Joseph Smith, was first read Ia
the high council Of the stake OF Zion
at Nauvoo. We visited that and
we did not forget the historical
facts that occurred within those walls
| pointed out to my friends the spot on
the shore Of the Mississippi river where
the prophet landed with his brother
from a skiff when they gave themselves
up into the hands OF the mob to 60 tc
their martyrdom at Carthage. We Wis.