The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-09-20

made Hamlet utter TO his liltllu hui dllD
Mr. Whitney referred to an editorial IN
The neutrality-suspicious. of Sept y, en-
titled "a TOpsy Turvy World, Daslng ms
address on the thought in this edltOFiai
asking whether or not there was big
volume of information about this world
that was still sealed
From this editorial Mr. Whitney read;
Some of the professors of Cornell uni
versity are hunting for whatever may
be interesting in Alaska, and have found
that much of the vegetable product OF
the tropics once grew in that sqn-Ior5
saken country. Preserved in rock and
coal, there are palms and ferns and soft
wood grOWths which never grow except
where the torrid heat prevails. They
say il proves that tropical conditions
once prevailed at Nome.
Topsy-Turvy World.
This must be a topsy-turvy world.
have been moved to the Arctic circle?
There is a problem which it will take
Cornell university a long time to eX-
Some men say the whole polar circle
bears evidence of having at one time
been under the immediate and intense
influence of the sun. Some have declared
until very lately that II the north pole
ever were discovered, it would be found
to present conditions favorable to gentle
animal life. And they were educated
men, too.
rs there a big volume of information
about this old world still sealed? Are
we people who inhabit the globe to find
presently that we know little or nothing
of its history Or shall we go through
to the end with these disturbing evidences,
and never get the truth about the very
earth on which we live?'
History insufficient.
Mr. Whitney said he was not prepared
10 enter into any geological discussion re-
gaTding the subject Of the editorial but
he would undertake a spiritual discussion
the r60urrnf nTnEnnTp6 He said ne had
been thinking that if no better record
could have been made Of the history Of
the world than that which man has made
for himself it would be sadly lacking in
accuracy and detail
In this connection the speaker related
instances where human testimony on in
cidents might differ widely, although the
witnesses were honest in their attempts
TO tell what actually happened. He said
II was the same with newspaper reporters,
most of whom he gave credit for ability
and honesty of purpose in their business
of writing events as they happened Most
reporters. he. said sought TO give clear
and truthful accounts, but back of their
efforts was the policy OF the paper, which
brought about the distortion or elimina-
ton of facts which made the accounts I'M
reliable. The same conditions were true
of history, he said, quoting Napoleon as
asking the question. what is history but
what we agree that it shall be?"
He said that Napoleon, after his battles
or campaigns, called his generals together
and their united opinion was what went
down as history. NaDOleOn'S reports to
Paris were not always records of what
really happened. but rather, they We're
accounts which Napoleon wished the pub
Tie to believe had happened. Napoleon.
Inc said. was not above making mis-
takes of that kind in reporting his
triumphs or defeats.
The Bible ITSELF Mr.. Whitney said. was
only a fragment of ancient history and
the Book of Mormon was avowediy only
an abridgment Although these were only
EnTirfgfuFur= q said ATD7-YnDDe
cepted them as the word and work of
God $50 far as correctly translated1, and
well might the able writer of the editorial
referred to ask the question: cor shall
We go through TO the end with these dis
turbing evidences, and never get the truth
about the very earth on which we live?"
Newspapers WiIfuI Error.
Speaking from his personal experience,
Mr. Whitney said the best source of in
formation for historians was the dOcu-
ments published at the time, but even
these We're not infallibIe. Newspapers, he
said. owing to the rush of their publi-
cation and the imDOssibility of confirm
ing every feature, We're sometimes mac
curate, but the only just cause for com
plant of this condition was when the
mistakes were made Wilfully.
As an example, Mr.. Whitney said he
read recently an account of the murder
of Joseph Smith. which said the muir
derers were some of the church leaders
brethren. who disguised themselves by
the account of the affair at the Carthage
!all written by the late John Hay, Nc
klnley's secretary of state, fixing the re-
SpOnSibility on a mob under the gIIise of
militia and led by Col. Levi Williams.
Mr.. Whitney related an instance. while
he was writing the history Of Utah. when
q pioneer asserted that he had brought
the IIrSt cow across the plains. This cow,
the pioneer said, was the only one which
was brought with the original band and
he produced memorandum written some
years later as evidence. Mr.. Whitney said
he consulted the daily journals written bv
the historians Of the party, which showed
there were 143 men, three women. two
cnlldreh and number of animals, in
Guiding 10 COWS.
We do not know enough to Judge each
other, and there is only one Being who
can judge us and who can be just as
Wen as merclIul, and, thank God, it is
st His bar that we must all finally an
pear said Mr. Whitney
The passages in the Book of Revelations
relating to the vision Of John on the Isle
Of PatmOs were read and INTERPRETED ac-
cOrding to the Mormon belief. Mr.. Whit
ney SAID the seven seals on the Book of
Life referred to bv John were meant to
represent the seven ages of the the world
or l,Ut years each, and his belief was
that this world was on the eve of the
daWning Of the last great period or the
millennium, when God should reign in
truth, and peace and righteousness .shOuld
OVerSpTead the world. He said some oP
the things predicted for this era had al
ready taken place
Gospel of Church.
The gospel Of the church was not sin7n1,
a gospel Of salvation, but it was a gOspel
Of eXaltatiOn, and he believed that am ex-
cepunS very few would eventually he
saved, these few being the sons of per-
ditlOn who could not repent of their sins
lu explaining the Mormon belief of tha
plan Of salvation, Mr.. Whitney said the
belief that Oue-half Of the world wouId
be saved and the other half consigned to
eternal damnatiOn was a man-made doc
trine- or, rather, promulgated by the devil
Tor II strikes despair to the hearts of men
70 contemplate that view.
In My Fathers house are many man
sions, and I so to prepare a place for
you that where 7 am there We NAV he
also" quoted Mr. Whitney. This
prophecy. he said. bore out the Mormon
beIef that there were several degrees
OF salvation corresponding in brilliancv
TO that Of the sun. the moon and the
stars. The celestial glory, which meant
admission TO the actual presence of Cod
he said, was reserved for those who COM
piled with Gods plan of salvation. as
understood by the Mormon church here
On earth. The terrestrial glory or heaven
was that attained by those who received
their salvation I'm the life to come. and
the celestial heaven was for those who
had been thrust into he'll and after
wards released.
Heaven and he'll, he said, were condi-
tons Of mans mind, heaven being
where God dwells and he'll where Go
q grrnHH a..T