Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-12-15


and wicked thing for man 10 say
that he had heard the voice OF an an-
gel ami that an angel had iold him
beautiful things. that he must have
faith In Gcd, that he must have faith
In the prophets, and that he must
obey the Gospel OF Jesus Christ. lsnt
II an nwfully wicked thing for a man
to receive message like that from
heaven? Isn't II terrible for a man to
receive a message from heaven. informs
ing him that the Church of God the
true Church, the true Gospel OF Jesus
Christ, and the holy priesthood were
again &C. be restored to the earth2
What terrible offense that was. And
yet that was the offense that Joseph
Smith committed. He was charged wiki
the "s'n" u communicating with the
heGYens Why don't they denounce Mo-
SEES for having communicated with the
hea ycns and for having seen God and
having met with Him and talked with
His on Mount Sinai until his face so
shone with the glory OF God that his
Fellow creatures could not look upon
him? They condemn Joseph Smith for
/ doing precisely the same thing that
Moses did and for receiving messages
| from the heavens, And they sought
his destruction. They sought TO hedge
up his ways. They framed and trumped
| up false charges AGAINST him--charges
| Of treason and murder and Of every
thing that they could lay their tongues
TO or that they could invent in their
I imagination, and he was brought be-
fore the courts IN the land 80 times on
/ false ana trumped up charges OF crime
| Each time the court was his enemy
| and the witnesses were al his enemies
and he had none 20 sympathize with
him, none to plead his cause. none 20
plead his justice and innocence; but
they could not convict him, because he
was Innocent; he had not committed the
crimes, the charges were false, there
fore they could not convict him. and
30 times he was discharged And the
10Th time, when he was brought before
the Judge they said we cannot con-
Wet him because he Is innocent and we
cannot reach him with the law, but we
will reach him with powder and ball"
1t was in this way that they sought
to destroy on innocent man, whose only
offense before heaven and earth was
that ne had received more light I'm the
short space OF existence. and had had
more communicated 10 him, than had
been communicated to the world for
centuries He received more truth
than the world could receive. He has
given that truth TO the world and we
have 1t here. and his predictions and
promises are contained In a history Of
the work that he accomplished They
could not destroy him till he had fin
ished his work, They shot at him. he
was prosecuted by mobs and secret en-
emies, by those who sought his destruc-
ton, but God preserved him until he
finished his work. And when at last
they took his life they sent gifts to
each other, and they got up sociables,
feasts, parties and gatherings of rejoice
ing. / read not long ago a card that
was sent out by one Of the mob inviting
his friends 70 come to house and have
a feast and dance and royal good
time because the prophet was dead.
And so they rejoiced because Mormon
ism" as they thought. was at an end,
because they had killed the prophet.
But they We're reckoning without their
hosts. They made the mistake Of their
lives, The blood of the martyrs was
the seed OF the church. and from that
moment the Church began TO grow and
spread more than It had ever done be-
fore; and Il has grown from that day
TO this. and today II reaches across the
broad possessions of the United States
and reaches out into Canada i'm the
north and into Mexico IN the south. and
we are fllling up the inter- mountain re-
| gi0n with honest, healthy people. with
I SlIbUB. healthy tnltUItn ana ldlnlllpS,
and an educated people. Utah stands
second in educational matters In the
United States. The Mormon people
stand next to the very first i'm education
In the United States, and they are
building up cities, they are building up
communities, they are spreading abroad
and are taking possession OF the land
as the lord designed that they should.
The mustard seed or rather the mus
tard tree, has been kicked, and 1t has
spread more and more. Every time
they kick the mustard tree Il sheds
its seeds, which take root and grow up
NOT AFTER NEWSPAPER MOTTO
RIETY.
We are today about the most noted
. people IN the world. If my presence
here were known, | presume that
would be beset by reporters. | do not
care to be known. | am not seeking
, newspaper notoriety. Newspapers cam
not tell the truth about US, because
the prejudice Of the world Is against US,
, and they have TO cater to the world,
, and therefore | do not want to have
: anything to do with them, for the pres
ent at least. Now, the Church Of
: Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints has
spread over the land so far thar the
devil finds 1t a pretty hard organiza-
, ton to wrestle with, He is finding
| II more difficult every day. We are
growing, We are multiplying, we are
! increasing, and we are rejoicing more
, and more in the truth. Every day We
{ have fresh convictions of the truth;
, every day we nave fresh proofs of the
, divinity Of this work. and that God l.
over It., He has guarded 1t from thC
, beginning until now and we know lie
4 will carry 1t through VIGOROUSLY
4 They may take our lives If they wish
/ or we may pass away one Otter the
! other. but others will be raised up. Lee
I me say to you that God will raise III
. those who will be stronger, who will b,
. broader greater, and better able I,
= carry on the work than those who hav,
! labored in the past. This the Lore
l. will do for His work until II spreads
n over the land and covers 1t as the wa
d ters cover the mighty deep. No powe
: on earth can hinder IL. | did not eX
d pect to speak in this strain when go
q up. | had something on my mind tina
/. | thought | would speak about and
r. do not know but what, II the time vii
Il permit. | will say a few words In re
o lation TO 1t now.
y TESTIMONY OF JESUS SPIRIT o.
u PROPHECY.
l. We talk about prophets and seer
n and revolators, etc Joseph Smith was
a indeed, prophet of God; and what
lie want 60 impress upon the minds Of tn
% elders here and upon the Latter-da
p Saints: more especially upon the elder
a who are labpring here, Is that ever
10 man who possesses the Spirit OF Go
II | and the testimony OF Jesus Christ
- a prophet for Il he speaks under IN
a. influence Of the Spirit OF the Lord wit
IS reference to the present or the futur
le IL viii cone to pass. Whatever q ma
I'd speaks by the influence of Gods Splr
lie win come to pass, because when IA
~ moves upon n man 60 speak, He
- hou,l ca fu1nli a. The Inrd has gni