The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1907-03-07

Even his stoop had Strengthened for
the moment. For, as he had listened
to Brigham's last words, the picture
Of his vision in the desert had come
back,-the cross in the sky, the cruel
fed Savior upon it, the head In death
agony fallen yer upon the shoulder.
And then before his eyes had come
page after page of the New Testament
with a wash Of blood across two of
them. He felt the new life he had
prayed for pouring into his veins, and
with it a fierce anger. The one on the
cross who had been more than man,
who had shirked no sacrifice and loved
infinitely, was not thus to be assailed.
y panorama Of wrong-wrong think
ing and wrong doing-extended before
his clearing gaze. For once he seemed
to see truth In . vision and to feel
the power to utter 1t.
There was silence again as he stood
in front of the little table, the faces
before him frozen into wonder that
he should have either the power of
the temerity to answer Brigham. He
spoke. and his voice was again rough
with force, and high and fearless, a
voice many of them recalled from the
days when he had not been weak.
Nov I e what we have done. Lis
ten, brethren. for God has not before
so plainly said it to any man, and I
know my time is short among you.
We have gone back to the ages of He
brew barbarism for our God-to the
God of Battles worshipped by a heath
en- people-a GOD who loved the reek
of blood and the smell Of burning
1ssh. But you shall not"
He turned squarely and f1ercely to
the face Of Brigham.
you shall not confuse that bloody
God Of Battles with the true Christ,
nor yet with the true God Of Love that
this Christ came to tell us of. Once
l believed in Him. I wat taught to by
your priests. War seemed a righteous
thing, for we had been %grievously put
upon, and I believed the God of Israel
should avenge our wrongs as He had
avenged those of His older Zion. And
hear me now-so long as I believed
this, I was no coward; while you,
sir"
A long forefnger was pointed
straight at the amazed Brigham.
while you, sir, were a craven,
contemplate in your cowardice. Il
would have fought in Echo canyon to
the end, because I believed. But you
did not believe, and so you were afraid
to fight. And for your cowardice and
your wretched lusts your name among
all but your ignorant dupes shall be-
come q Kissing and a scorn. For mark
1t well, unless you forsake that heath.
en- God of Battles and preach the di.
vine Christ Of the New Testament,
you shall come to hold only the ignor.
ant, and them only by keeping them
ignorant"
The commotion among the people in
front was now all but a panic. On the
platform the sires of Israel whispered
one to another, while Brigham gazed
Is If fascinated, driven to admiration
for the speakers power and audacity.
For the feverish, fleeting moment,
Joel Rae was that veritable Lion of
the Lord he had prayed to be, putting
upon the people his spell of the old
days. Heads were again strained up
and forward, and amazed horror was
on most of the faces. Far back, Pru-
dence trembled, feeling that she must
be away at once, until she felt the
firm grasp Of Fpllett's hand. The
speaker went on, having turned again
to the front.
Instead Of a church you shall be-
come Justly hated and despised as a
people who foul their homes and dis
honor beyond forgiveness the names
of wife and mother. Then your pun
ishment shall come upon you as it has
already come for, this and for other
sins. Even now the Gentle is upon
us; and mark this truth that God has
but now given me to know: we have
never been prosecuted as q church,
but always a a political body hostile
to the government of this nation.
Even SO, you had no faith. Believing
as I believed, I would have fought
that nation and died a thousand bloody
deaths rather than submit. But you
had no faith, and you were SO low that
you let yourselves be ruled by a COW
ard-and I tell you God hates a
coward"
He stopped, waiting as If he were
not done, but the spell was broken.
The life, indeed, had in the later mo-
ments been slowly dying from his
words; and. as they lost their fire,
scattered voices of protest had been
heard; then voices in warning from
behind him, and the sound OF two or
three rising and pushing back their
chairs.
The little bent man tried again to
smile, hoping for q friendly glance,
perhaps a hand-clasp without words
from some one of them. Seeing that
he was ehunned, he stepped down of
the platform at the side. twisting his
hat in his long, thin hands in embar-
rassment. A moment he stood so,
turning to look back at the group of
priests and Elders around the Prophet,
seeking for any sign, even for a glance
that should be not unkind. The little