Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-08

| resurrection of Christ nor In his MIR
acles. Let me read a little of what
John Abcrcromble says in his Intellect
ual Philosophy: 'Humc's celebrated
argument against the resurrection OF
Christ. and of course against the Chris
tian religion stated little more fully
| is this: Twelve witnesses. he says,
though not exactly in these words. /
admit. agrec in testifying that man
rose from the dead l am consequent
! ly compelled to believe one oil TWO
things. either that twelve men agreed
| to tell a lie or that q man rose from
the dead. Either of these suppositlons
| Is. l confess. very extraordinary, but
| as one or the other must be true
must admit the one that Is least extra
ordinary. Now II seems to me more
probable that men should lie than that
one who had been several days dead
should return to life again. for 1t ~
a very common thing in this world Tor
men to testify falsely, but 1t Is con-
trary to all experience that man
should rise from the dead" To this
Christian writer's reply In substance as
follows I'VE admit the alternative
namely, that we must believe that
twelve men have testified falsely or
that one man rose from the dead, and
we also admit that we must believe
the least improbable OF the two; but
we ueny lIldl tne IOIIncT is Nl' fd7l
improbable, for IL is not very improb-
able that a Creator should wish to
make communication to mankind.
and. if so, restoring to life the Mes
scngcr who brought it, would be
very suitable and very probable mode
of authenticating il; but IL Is contrary
to all experience and all probability
that twelve men. without motive should
consplrc to fabricate and disseminate
lie. In respect to the mode by
which the Creator would authenticate
n message to men, we have no expert
ence; and there is certainly no pre-
sumption against the one In question.
In regard TO mems falsifying their
word In the cause of virtue and against
their own interests we have a great
deal of experience. and 1t is all against
it." I also hold that the latter is
correct that the twelve who bore Wit
ness of the resurrection of Christ and
went out to all nations and proclaimed
II had no motive to lie, and why should
they lie. when that lie would bring
them no personal gain? All that they
saw before them was imprisonment and
death The Master himself had told
them that men should take their lives
thinking that they were doing God
service. But they had seen him They
were witnesses of his reSurrectlon. they
could not deny it, and though they had
to give their lives for their testimony
they bore II unto death. and it is not
probable that twelve men would con-
spire together to deceive, with such
probable consequences to follow
] believe this, and now l want to
use this same argument In regard to the
Book of Mormon. If this argument is
valid and true In regard to the resurrec-
tion, / consider that it holds just the
same in regard to the Book of Mormon,
Here We have II men, men whom we
could go and see and speak TO while
they were alive. and hear what they
had to say. These II men. I'm spite OF
persecution. in spite of the shame that
attached to them as members of a de-
spiscd Church. bore the testimony that
they had seen the plates: and after
wards. when some of them fell away
from the Church. they still bore their
strong testimony to what they had
seen. What could induce these Il mon
to bear this testimony If 1t was a lie
Would they do this to have persecu-
tom Do you think them so depraved
that they wanted To deceive men? II
there had been glory In 1t and gain
TO them, there might have been an
argument against believing their tes-
tlmony. but just as IL was with the
lpTlllcT l. men WHO pore lSSlllnDnS OF
the resurrection. so with these men;
they had to face an unbelieYlpg world,
and face men who were ready to take
their lives. but they did not deny their
testimony, and | consider that the ar
gument In favor OF the resurrection can
be used with equal force I'm regard to
the Book Of Mormon This book itself
bears testimony to its truth; both its
internal as well as Its external evil
dences prove that Ii Is an inspired
work Prophecies I'm it have been full
filled since 1t was published to the
world. and many prophecies are there
that will yet be fulfilled.
Now, as to Joseph Smith to judge
of him whether he was Il true prophet
or not. we take up the doctrines which
he gave to the world They were not
received by the world. they were
scoffed at. but they are gradually gain
Ing in favor. They are consistent with
and they do not contradict the Scrip
lures, but in many cases make clear
what is merely alluded To In the Scrip
lures In regard to his prophecies. We
find that many OF them have been full
filed | shall not read the prophecy of
the Civil war but in 1892, on Christmas
day, the prophet received Il revelation
in which was foretod that great ma
tlonal calamity. the Civil war. and the
very place where it should begin. |
read the prophecy way off in Denmark
in 1856. four years before the com
mencement OF its fulnlment, and 1
wondered when this should take place.
and marycllcd that it mentioned tho
very place. You know that II com
mcnced in South Carolina: you have
seen this prophecy fulfilled. In 1872 he
foretold about the saints going to the
Rocky mountains. and that they should
there become a prosperous people. He
forcsaw that Illinois was not the place
where the saints would remain. but
that they would go to the Rocky noun
tains Thus he showed by prophecy
and by doctrine that he was inspired
OF the Lord.
GRAND AND BRILLIANT CAREER.
AS to his life. those who knew him.
who lived in the same house with him,
lived In his family. saw him every day
(and you know 1t Is hard to be seen
every day and have people look up to
you), but those that were most familiar
with him loved him the most. PrcSl-
dent John Taylor sings his praise in
that beautiful hymn. THE Seer" He
was with the prophet more than most
any other man. He knew him, knew
his feelings, heard his conversations.
and he looked up to him. and after the
prophet had been taken and slain. ho
composed this song. and who can read
1t without feeling that John Taylor
felt every word of ~ How he loved
the prophet Joseph's life was an eX-