Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-22
In Honor of the
Prophet Joseph Smith
Memorial Services Held in the Tabernacle, Sunday.
Dec. 26, 1909, Address by
ELDER HEBER J. GRANT
CReported by D. II. Roberts

NAV be blessed In the REMARKS "nich
make ,, 49,
md lfe work OF the Prophet Jo-
~, smith that 1 have not been blessed
Scp W q seweet and peaceful influence. l
,wl'. heard hundreds and thousands OF
- 7 .atter-day Saints bear witness to
,'t.snr had similar experience l can
''D. nd mink of the mission of our Lord
NJ Master, Jesus Christ, can never
,.I,u ua the Sermon upon tho Mount, with
H.1 feelings OF deep gratitude and
s,ohtss to our heavenly Father for his
,is. and his labor, and the mission that
~. ncrformed, among men. would not
10 r1,llty for one moment OF comparing
n9ortal with the Savior of the world.
Vot 60 far as the missions OF the two
orc concerned, the Prophet Joseph
smith being the representative of the
Sa,,ior and of our heavenly Father upon
+hs,rearth, am always pleased to
,noke comparisons, because they are
,-aIc,.lated in their nature to strengthen
INV faith. l believe that these compari-
sons must of necessity strengthen the
faith of all who think upon the labors
of our Savior and of the prophet
remember as a boy, while attending
the Thirteenth ward Sabbath school,
N havo read a book from tho school
narte; also to have read q statement by
Tho celebrated DR.. Paley which made
a profound impression upon my mind.
Ae Napoleon was sailing to Egypt, his
generals were arguing OH the life of
The, Savior and Eome of them ex-
messed g. doubt regarding the divinity
~ the-miSSion of Jesus Christ Napo-
Icon, who had been passing back and
forth. stopped and said to them. Gen
t1ll rl,N
ySas- UIc was in very deed tho Son or
Gods He has been dead about 1900
yetfs, and yet his Influence and power
,,65n tho hearts men is greater to-
diy than at the time no was nailed to
tEccroSs. Men ere ready and willing
,o1ay for the testimony of Jesus Christ,
to go TO their death. Men follow me
today because they hope for reward,
they hope for victory to follow my
arms They hope for place and position
among their fellows; they hope for
glorv. but when I am dead no man
Till offer his life for love of Napoleon
ponaparte. Yet for love of this
man Jesus Christ men are as
ready and as willing to go to
their death today for the testimony
of him as when he was upon the
earth. and they follow him with no
fropf of earthly reward. There are no
WORLDLY advantages offered TO them be-
,caiuse of following the Savior. tel
you, he was Cod My qlotation Is
correct although not in the exact Ian
ruaee OF the book. ] remember as dis
tfnctly as if,it were yesterday that the
ipnrSslson came to me, IL this were
considered a strong argument Tor the
divinity Of the Savior'S mission, ana IL
was so considered no doubt by Napo-
Icon or he would not have made IL,
ficither would 1T have been put IN ms
history, like actions on the part OF inc
followers of the prophet oil our dispeh-
sation would be equally as strong an
canzIllilenr- for the divinity OF his mis-
sion. When I thought that the prophet
made no promises to his followers OF
comfort or case, or of TINS world
goods but on the contrary prophesleu
tl1lt thew should be driven from CITY TO
acIty. from county to county from state
ITO etatc and finally be driven to the
,RofIa " -11ountains; and that men COLI
3t{nDc5 following him through perSecu-
tiorS ard driVinCS because of the teS-
t.,nony OF tho divinity of his mission.
with no earthly hope of reward, l 1elt
that tfrrsr facts constituted strong
Iarrunept for n divinity Of the mis-
sion Of the Prophei Joseph Smith. l re-
tmembcr that practically the same argu-
-ment was used IN DIR. Paley's book as in
NnpoIeon'S history. Paley SAID that
the strongest argument that men could
give OF the divinity of the mission OF
stbn Savior was that his followers vol
UNFAIRLY suffered pains and penalties
and even death sooner than renounce
,thoir testimony of his divinity Men
and women have likewise voluntarily
undergone pains and penalties drlV-
.sinps. prosecutions and even death Tor
,thc.stestirnony of the gospel of Jesus
sChTtst, taught by the Prophet Joseph
sSmith.
tsHIFTING ATTITUDE OF ENDMf
Now. one thing that has made a very
,profound impression upon my mlnu IL
the study of the history Of this people lS
ii,a1 the enemy is constantly oDlleIu
To sniff his point of attack our enc
mics attack first one point. thoh an
other 1t was the SpauldinS story loi
many years. and then they hau :, ~
abandon that and so il has peen WIZ
noo claim after another against th'
work of Cod because they nave peei
pIoyen false: but We have never ndt
TO change the Gospel foundation lalt
by the Prophet Joseph Snntn, pu
Where mistakes have been MADE III
vafably these mistakes can be trace.
10 the errors OF men, and because o.
their not fully comp 'ehendlnS I'M
breadth and depth and tn strength o.
the foundation that the Prophet JOSEPH
laid for us to build upon, and pecaus'
OF departing therefrom. Today all mel
realize the grandeur and maSnlllSehc'
OF the teachings OF the gospel oil Jesu
Christ as he and his apostles pro
claimed them. Now that the prophet o
the Lord has been dead nearly tnIe
quarters of q century. men arc Jus
beginning to realize the absolute mar
mony of the principles which he tauen