Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-10-07

stole on the throne, says Arnold, the
Christians were philosophical. con-
temptible. politically subverslve and
morally abominabe' They are re-
garded as statesmen looked upon tho
Jcsuits IN the regin Of Louis XIV AZ
we look upon the Mormons-as dam
gerous TO free institutions. Moreover,
| the Christians We're everywhere mis-
| understood and misrepresentcd. 1t
was impossible for Marcus Aurelius &C.
see the Christians except through a
mist OF prejudices. christianity grew
up IN the catacombs, not on the Pala-
tine In allowing the laws TO take
their course against body of men
who were regarded with mistrust and
| aversion as enemies of the state, the
emperor was simply unfortunate. So
wise and good a man. perhaps. ought
60 have known the Christians better;
but. not knowing them, he cannot be
stigmatized as cruel man"
NERO AND sPALDING.
"The emperor OF Rome was not bet
ter informed as TO the real character
Of the Christians. than is Bishop Spal-
ding with the faith and practises OF the
Latter-day Saints remarked Elder
Whitney why do ministers not ac-
quaint themselves with the Mormons
before they attack them? There may
be some excuse for people living at
a distance, whose only Information
concerning this people is sensational
and untrue. but there can be no Justi-
lcation for utilization and abuse on
the part Of persons who live In our
midst, who live in friendly relations
with their Mormon neighbors and then
abuse them. When men are confront
ed with facts, they should abandon
false theories
CHARGES REFRUTED.
The charges made against the Lat
ter-day Saints are precisely the same
as preferred against the early Christ
ians, said the speaker, and he proposed
to briefly consider them seriatim, but
briefly. The dennation OF philosophy
Is fundamental truth. and a philosoph-
er Is seeker after fundamental
truth. Mormonism answers the -des-
cription Of one, and Joseph smith an
swers the description OF the other.
Joseph Smith sought to know the
truth concerning the religion OF Jesus
Christ, and I'm answer to his prayer
Coo made known to him far more than
he asked. The personality Of God and
His Son Jesus Christ was revealed TO
him, and among the other great truths
the principle that man Is divinity IN
embryo and may porgress and rise to
the plane OF God himself. What is
there unphilosophical about Joseph
Smiths teachings relative to the
Creator Of the universe and the work
OF His hands? His thought. expressed
In the following words: God finding
Himself in the midst OF spirits and
glory, because He was more intelligent,
saw proper to institute laws whereby
the rest might have a privilege 70 ad-
vance like Himself" was Identical
with the following saying OF Plato:
NOT A PLAGARIST.
Let us declare the cause which led
the Supreme Ordainer to produce and
compose the universe. He was good
and he who Is good has not kind Of
envy. Exempt from envy, He wished
that all things should be as much as
possible like Himself Whosoevor
taught by wise men. shall admit this
the primal cause Of the origin anu
foundation OF the world, will be in the
truth"
Joseph Smith was not borrowing
from the writings Of Plato. for he
never read him, and wa 200
more a plagarist Of the Greek philos-
opher than was the Savior himself
In expressing afiirmatively the golden
rule as spoken before his time by Con-
fuciOus.
The early Christians we're accused
OF being politically subersive and
enemies Of the state. because. forsooth
agaist the Lattcr-dav Saints are false.
a lie so false that no language can
express IL. The gospel that they preach
Us the perfect law Of liberty. and from
the very beginning OF this Church its
members have been taught that a Is
their bounden duty TO be subject TO
the powers that be until lie shall
come whose right Il is TO reign.
The third acCusation against the Lat
tcrd day Saints. namely. that they are
morally abomlnahle. that their doc
trines strike death TO social progress
and the purity Of the family, Is equally
false as the two previously considered.
The homes Of this people are homes
Of purity His father was chaste
woman, and tho children OF the house
hold We're taught by precept and eI-
ample 20 keep themselves uncontam-
mated Elder Whitney said he spoke
OF his own family because he knew Il
better than any other, and the condi-
lions found therein were the rule and
not the exception In the Church. a
tribute was paid by the speaker TO the
irreproachable characters Of the menu
bers OF President Joseph r. smiths
family as well as those Of other leaders
OF the Church.
In conclusion Elder whitney said:
Il hope that Bishop Spalding did not
know what ho was talking about II
he ala know. and falsely stated the
position OF tn Latter-day Saints, I
would recommend 10 him the sayings
OF the wise one OF old: These six
things doth the Lord hate, yea seven
are an abomlnation unto him "a proud
look a lying tongue, and hands that
shed Innocent blood. A heart that de-
vlseth wicked imaginations, fest that
be swift In running 10 mischief, A
false witness that speaketh lies, and ne
that soweth discord among brethren
III the bishop did not know what
he was talking about ! would cite him
"a read the two admOnitons. with
an thy getting, get understandings
and lie that iudgcth matter before
he hearcth 10 o. not wise.
baritone solo WINS rendered by
Elihu can. after which the congrega-
ton sang "DoXology," and Patriarch
John smith pronounced the benedlc-
ton.
mn fsrrnNH A FnTn ~ nNE nay