Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-11-25
SPECIAL SERVICES
At TABERNACLE
Seven Hundred People Attend
Thanksgiving Service at
Noon Today.
ADDRESS BY ELDER THOMAS
Musical Selections by Organist Me-
Cicllan aud Mrs. Lizzie
Thomas Edward.

The special thanksgiving service in
the tabernacle at noon today was at
tended by about 700 people who en-
joNed the music furnished By Orgnnist
Mcclellan and Mrs Lizzie Thomas Ed
ward, as wen as the excellent though
brief address delivered by Mathonihah
Thomas on the subject Of THANKSGIVING
day
The services which were In charge
Of Benjamin Goddard. opened with a
selection from Lohengrln. which was
followed by prayer offered by Elder
Goddard. The organist then rendered
the Communion IN c." by Batste. and
Need Thee Every Hour, arranged
by the performer.
MIS- Lizzie Thomas Edward sang
Angels Ever Bright and Fair" I'm her
usual excellent styie. after which "a
snort address was given by Elder
THOMAS. This Was followed by the solo
Beyond the Gates OF Paradise" bv
Mrs. Edward. the closing selection be-
Ing the Pilgrims Chorus" rendered on
the organ.
ELDER THOMAs's ADDRESS.
In his address Elder Thomas said
IN part. 1t is a long time since the
FIRST thanksgiving was celebrated ir
1911, and Il needs no prophetic eye To-
see What we as "A nation. have to feel
thdhktul for today We should feel
thankful that we are at peace with
al the world. The nation has had "a
phenomenal growth. i'm which there is
also cause for thankfulness Then
there Is also peace In the world. ana
AENI a Of
growing. Things are not altogether as
We would like them. but prOgressi ~
along the lines Of peace is noted Tn
spirit OF peace Is permeating the world
and controlling the thoughts OF th-
great men Of this ana other nations
We have cause 10 be thankful be-
cause OF the progress that has been
made by this nation ia arbitrating diff
hculues instead of resOrtng to war
In the beginning. when id was an
nounced that no religious test would
be permitted In the United States under
the Constitution. il was thought by
some that the nation was irreVerent
but the spirit underneath that pro-
vision was one Of freedom aud NOT
iireverence or inhdelity The Shifted
states Is not an irreVerent nation. IN
spite OF the fact that all may not recoe-
nize Christ as the Redeemer OF the
world. All acknowledge him as a
great teacher. and the United states
has established its name and power in
the world as a Christian nation There
are very few who do not believe that
God has cared for the Aitiou from It's
infancy.
RIGHT OF FREE SPEECH
I'VE should feel thankful that we
have the right OF free speech. and
that The right 10 gather together and
petition regarding our grievances is
not denied US, No people in the world
have had such a guarantee OF liberty.
ana when the chief executive Of the
nation proclaims a day OF Thanksglv-
ing the people welcome il. Their
thoughts turn TO the early days when
the small body Of colonists met in
1921, and the spirit OF thanksgiving
continues TO grow. We also have the
right OF free press. and more has
been done i'm this direction in this
country than in any other nation
Another thing which the people OF
the nation feel thankful for is the
growth Of education, Compulsory edu-
cation has been established never
more to be taken away, because the
people are assured that the perpetuity
OF American institutions depends on
the education OF the children For this
reason the property of the people
is taxed to provide education for the
poor as well as the rich The state
desires all the children 10 have like
opportunities regarding education. We
are living in an age when the light
OF God has entered the souls Of men,
and they are demonstrating that they
are holding these opportunities as
stewards.
SPIRIT OF THANKSGIVING
'rhe nation has advanced in power
during the year that has gone Great
crops have been harvested, and the
executive of the nation did the right
thing In declaring a day of thanksgiv-
ing. In the beginning the people Of
fered their thanksgiving after they
had gone through great trials The
spirit OF thanksgiving has grown since
that time and the nation that does
not forget to thank God for its bless
ings Is a Christian nation. We should
be thankful that God continues TO
hear our prayers. and that as a ma
ton We have grown stronger and bet
ter. and as individuals We are grow
ing to feel that all men are our
brothers"