Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-25

no such thing rs immaterial sub
stance. caused profound commotion-
Just then the modern religious world
was entering upon q controversy be-
tween religion and science In relation
TO spirit and matter For tho scientists
Of the day were just beginning to
maintain that all manifestation OF
action may be reduced to modes OF
material motion. and that the SOCIAL
ed immaterial spirit. II It oxists. has
nothing In common with what Ia
known, unknowable. and inaccessible to
can not manifest itself In this sphere,
and must therefore remain forever un-
konwn, unknowabIc, and inaccessible to
human sensation. Such Il spirit was. of
course. not cognizable by the pro-
cesscs OF human thought. At tho samo
time that scientists were dealing these
trenchant blows at narrow-minded er-
rors, 'the theologians, that Is. tho
orthodox ones. were feebly maintain
ing that belief in the immatcr1ality
! of the spirit is synonymous with n
real belief In the Immortality Of the
soul. and that materialists are atheists.
Joseph Smiths doctrine was that all
force is manifested by matter. some of
which is too fine to be known by our
human modes OF cognition. while the
makes him an intelligent person. is
from eternity. from this It
seems plainly to follow that the mind
of man can not be destroyed: that 1t
fore can not be destroyed: that 1t
would survive the dissolution of tho
material body: and. IL that be pos
sible. the destruction of the spiritual
body would not affect its existence and
powers, but would serve only to cur
tnil Its expression of them. This view
mot yet grasped even by the psycholo-
gists. will no doubt prevail in place
of all the guesses of the learned and
unlearned about the origin of mans
Intelligent personality.
The mere statement by the Prophet
of mans pre-existence with God. rails
ed a worldwide storm of donunciation,
ridicule, and argument against It;
to was OF course totally beyond the
mental horizon of current religious
conceptions, and was but little ex-
planned to the world at large. These
finer and more sweeping deductions
from the Prophets teachings were not
greatly developed in the preaching Of
the Elders since they were
not necessary to an understand
ing of the Gospel plan of salvation; but
they have stood for the edification Of
earnest seekers after truth, and have
been priceless treasure to those who
sincerely appreciate a glimpse of
things which "the Angels desire to
look into"
And then we must consider the prac-
tical sociology of the Prophet. For he
was eminent not only in the subtleties
Of metaphysical doctrine or In the
mastery and fearless logic which
was embodied. without ostentatlon. in
the plain truths enunciated by him.
but also In other fields. In the sphere
of sociology we call attention to the
alton in industry, as to unity in public
action, concerning the special work to
be performed by the Latter day Saints
and such works as the establishment
of Relief societies, Sunday schools,
and other similar Organizations. All
these and manly other units of sociol-
ogy clearly discerned by Joseph as
matters auxiliary to practical religion
and as helpers and handmaids there
to. must mark him as a genius in the
sphere of the new science that has
had Its birth since the
Prophets day.
Last and greatest of all his works,
we may note his call upon the world
to repent and believe tho Gospel and
his repeated declarations and revela-
tions to the effect that the time is
at hand, even at tie doors" For while
the world has proflted and perhaps
every one has been benefited by the
application OF the Prophets teachings
In some form. the greatest and most
lasting good to all men will come by
hearkening to his statement that the
Lord shall come quickly''-"go ye out
to meet Him" Because the time Is
surely at hand and the day draws nigh |
when God shall judge the secrets Of |
men" according to the Gospel" and |
happy Is that servant whom the Lord, |
when he cometh, shall find so doing"