The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-09-20
ELDER ROBERTS IN DARKNESS.

ELDER ROBERTS IN DARKNESS.
Whenever the Mormon hierarchs have
upon their hands the difficult task Of
explaining awav, evading, or retract-
ing certain old teachings of the church.
they usually set Elder Brigham Fl Rob
erts forward to do the work for them
The practice has been to do this when
ever outside criticism has rendered
some particular doctrine or teaching
ridiculous, even to their own perverted
when Mr.. Roberts spoke in the taber.
nacle on Sunday last when he, in part,
said;
Great as we believe Joseph Smith to
be-and he was great-5s between him
the the ioohs so oe e es
above any other man. and to Him we
give our honor,
1t is g well.kuown fact that the old
teaching has been contrary to this, as
may be demonstrated by many quota
tions from sermons contained in the
Journal of Discourses. IT has been
taught that in the history of the world
the Savior was the head of one dis
pensation, and that Joseph Smith was
the head of the "last dispensation of
the fulness of times, intimating that
this being the more important dispen-
sation, Joseph Smith was by so much
superior to the Christ Brigham Young
and Heber G.. Kimball as we now re-
call. have said that the people of this
world, belonging TO this dispensation,
would be unable to enter into heavenly
glory without passing inspection and
receiving the appreciation of Joseph
Smith. thus setting him above the
Savior.
But apprehending that some persons
may object that we are going too far
back into history for our proof, we
come mp to a later rime-a little over
year ago-when Apostle Anthony ".
WINS preached the doctrine of equality
between the Christ and Joseph Smith,
at a quarterly conference of the Lib
erty stake. Mr.. WINS is enthusiastically
of higher authority than Elder Rob
erts, and therefore his utterance must
be the more inspired and the more
authoritative. Following are the re-
ports of three local papers upon this
particular point In the WINS sermon:
The coming and life of the prophet Jo
seph Smith and that OF Jesus Christ were
likened in no uncertain terms by Apostle
Anthony w. WINS in n lengthy address
at the quarterly conference OF Liberty
stake. held at the Mormon tabernacle
g, d<.s nft kn HNrAh
We believe the Book of Mormon to be
the word OF God that Joseph Smith was
a prophet and that his coming was as
as that 'tfTf OF christgsat Lake. SSpI Herald o'o
Anthony w. WINS compared Joseph
Smith with Jesus Chrlst-Inter- Mountain
And the Deseret News report was in
the same vein, except that the verbiage
was more extended. Not only has the
teaching been to revere Joseph Smith
equally with the Christ, but the chill
dren have been taught that Christmas
day should be celebrated on December
23rd, the birth anniversary of Joseph
Smith!
When Brigham Young first advanced
his Adam-god doctrine he coupled Jo-
seph Smith with the Savior in such n
way as to show that Joseph was enti-
tied to equal recognition, and hundreds
Of times Mormon pulpiteers have de
clarcd that in the next world Joseph
Smith would "sit at the right hand of
God. with Jesus Christ
1t would be altogether different if
Mormon proponents admitted that Nor
monism was a man-made system, and |
that as such it necessarily would un-
1ergo changes to keep pace with the
natural advancement of humanity But |
they claim that it was the "work of |
Sod, revealed from heaven, and there
fore further blaspheme the Deity by |
that the Almighty does not
know His own mind five minutes at
line, SO to speak
Ii would appear to be clear case
that Elder Roberts is going counter
20 the spirit of the gospel, and the first
hing he knows, he will be denounced
is on the downward path, the "road to