Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-12-02
CHANGE NOT RErREAr.

We have already noticed 90 lcneth
an attack upon The Church and
church leaders by local weekly. and
rcfuted tho charges made. We again
revert Co that article Tor the purpose
Of considering briefly, question
asked by tho author u "a. who by the
way. is regular question mark. Tho
question ls hIs favorite form of sophie
ism. because it Is ono under which
Il is easy TO hide an kinds Of fallacics.
III asks.
"pld not an apostle az the last con-
ference proclaim that INC church had
not rolinuui she'd one principle since its
foundation What aid he mean Boy
that7 Why simply that polyEamv
and the absolute rule. OF the people
hy the priesthood are as much tenct5
of the faith aR ever That accounts
for the fact shat the manifesto ol
President Woodruff is suppressed Don
ail the books which state the Mormon
faith while the original brutal CONE
mnud To- accept polygamy BE- printed
in fun. while the divine right Go rule
this people in an things was publ y
Get forth hv Joseph ~ Smith only two
years ago in the out West Magazine,
The reply is; 10 an Apostle at the
last conference proclaimed that the
Church has not rclinquished one priu-
cinle since It's foundation. ne proc
claimed @ great and Important truth.
The principles upon which the Church
Is founded faith. repentance. baptism.
revelation. etc, etc. remain as the
Rock of Ages Tho church has never
retreated. 10 has never been defeated.
Even ir martyrdom and exile, the
Lord has held His protecting hand
over His people. and their work has
Progressed undo an circumstances.
There was probably no darker hour
IN the history OF the Church than
when interruptions antagonists had
succeeded by misrepresentation to
induce the government to send an
army against the peoplc here; that
was the hour ~ apparent triumph n
the hosts OF darkness, but even that
proved a blessing to the Saints.
We are aware that an anti-"Ior-
mon" with more brillioncy OF genius
than genuine wisdom has underworld
Go make 80 appear that the Church
has boosted that u viii soon have arr
rived at STA "lost ditch.' But thi.
Is the mistake the anu-Catfolics have
for centuries committed in their APP
probation OF the Roman church
They have pronounced il defeated and
dead. so often chat Il has become
monotonous. And on the while the
Catholic church has grown and be-
ccme more and more consolidated,
while the Protestant forces have dis
inteRrated ana become the prey Of
modern tendencies. tt Is so with tho
Church of christ. too Its progress
has reen steady while its assailsnts
generally have fallen by the way side
and sunk into oblivion.
And this Is true Notwithstanding the
fact that on the question Of polygamy
the attitude OF the Church Is different
from what it was few years ago.
There is mo- contradiction in this
change. The great general principle
which the members of the Church have
acceutcd is this. that obedience 20 the
revealed win Of God is a duty that
every human being owes 90 the Author
Of his existence Row, 81 the Lord ar
one time commands His people 90 do
a certain thug 80 is their duty TO do a.
IT, at another timo He commands them
not Co do IT, Do is again their duty 70
obey a striking illustration OF this
truth is found In the ancient doctrine
~ circumcision. This rite was iustl-
tuted 90 he an everlasting covenant
CGcn n: l0. and yet It was officially
abolished as "a yoke (which neither our
fathers nor we were able 10 bear"
acts 10: l0). and Paul declares; III
ye be circumclsod Christ shall profit
Won nothing lGaL B. % But this
was no retreat from the principles OF
truth The church took its stand upon
the principle OF obedience. And there
ls whore the Lauer-day Saints today
stand. They were willing Co obey tho
revelations on the eternity OF the mare
riage covenants. including plurality of
wives when that command was given
through the proper channels. but they
were equally willing 90 obey the Mani
testof of President Woodruff
There ga another fact n IFS couuoe-
Non. The Lattcr-day saints ore law.
abiding citizens The Gospel t.lcha.
chem 90 obey the law of the land
Whom plural marriages were entered
INTO hero hsrc Was u0 law aealuH
that form of family lIfg. and the Saints
honestly believed chat u1 valid Jaw
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