Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-29

May God increase the gifts among
them for his Sons sake"
On the 10Th the prophets party start
ed for home. May the Lord prosper
our Journey Anon" page l7)
Friday. Nov IL left Buffalo, New
York, at o'clock a. m.. and arrived at
my house In Kirkland on Monday, the
4th, 10 a. m, and found my family we'll.
according to the promise of the Lord in
the revelation of October II. for which
l felt to thank my heavenly Father"
Now. my friends. this is but a few
days with the prophet You may fol-
low him throughout his career-in free
dom and in bonds, in the midst Of his
joys and in the darkness of his sor-
rows; you shall find this same prayer
full attitude towards God-always
Thanksgiving for blessings, cries for
help In his hour of need, and always
prayers for divine guidance when un-
forlding the great organization of the
Church of Christ. Tell me-iS the spirit
in which this man labored, evil or
good? Is this the course OF n libertine
and liar? Or. is 1t the course OF a
righteous man? To me there draw
tremendous consequences in connection
with this course OF our prophet; and
the importance of these consequences
will appeal to you. l think. when 1 call
your attention to them. When you see
this man so constantly seeking COM
munion with God. seeking for guidance
and help-if God came not to his help,
and did not guide him. then what hope
may men entertain that God will hear
prayer at all? or give divine guidance
to those who seek it? II l could be per-
Suaded that God did not hear and an
Swer the prayers OF this man-begin-
ming In his innocent boyhood. and con-
tinuing to his martyr. crv. 20 Lord,
my God!"-if God, l say, did not hear
him, and did not walk beside him and
guide his footsteps. / would say To all
the world; Your prayers are but mock
cries, your heaven above you is brass;
tho earth under your feet Is iron,
Cease prayer; become self reliant, and
do the best you can by your own In
herent strength; develop such human
wisdom as you may. and walk In its
light for 1t Is all there iS-your cries
for help and guidance cannot penetrate
the heavens, and there Is no God TO
hear or help you.
But of course, believing, as I do. that
God responded to the heart-cries of the
prophet, to his prayers. say to all men
Behold the result of Joseph Smiths
praying in the achievements of his
llfes work, In this circumstance we
may find encouragement to believe
that God will both hear and answer
prayers. and help all to know the
truth and walk in It's light.
But Notwithstanding the fact that
this great latter-day work called Nor
monism had its inception in this pray
erful spirit-this manifest hungermg
ard thIrstlng after righteousness not
withstandng all who sought to be help
full in It, and identified with its de-
velopment were Sternly hidden TO Keep
the commandments of God, that faith,
hope charity, temperance. chastity and
patience were required qualities; that
they must seek for wisdom not for
riches-"the laborcrs in Zion shall labor
for Zion: for If they labor for money
they shall perish III Nephi 26. 3D; not
Withstanding the stream called Nor
monism arises from so noble and pure
a fountain, how greatly has 1t beer
DETAINED either through misconception
of IL. or through malice. and the mo-
tives of its founders misrepresented!
Only q short time ago. no later in
fact than last Thanksgiving day.
minister in preaching what / think, in
the main. must have been a very ex-
cellent DISCOURSE took occasion TO
glance In our direction. and say what
/ think was one of the unkindeSt
things that could be said OF the Lat
ter-day Saints / VIII read TO you
what the press reported the gentleman
as saying. You know the local press
OF our city. now and then, becomes
wonderfully agitatcd about our pay
ing tithes and offerings to the Church
and. really, II you read those reports
and did not know better you
would really think the Latter-day
Saints were n community that were
impoVerishng themselves by carrying
on the work OF the Lord. This min
ister referred to that. and what lie
says on that particular point Is rath
er refreshing and / commend 1t to the
attention of the local paper in ques-
ton:
zone of our local papers has as
signed as one of the reasons of the
so-called poverty and handicap of the
Mormon people. the collection of tithes.
We think the paper in error in this. for
we ourselves are In favor of the tIthes
and have practised 1t for the last 20
years The children OF Israel were
never 50 prosperous as when they
brought the tithes and offeringe t.
treasury of the Lord: and every
body that is acquainted with the his
tory OF Israel knows that TO be true.
"The true cause-of this so called pow
erty and handicap. OF course. Is
not In reference to the tithes. but the
low ideals In the homes and the lack or
respect for woman. AS the earthly
home is lifted IL becomes nearest like
the home beyond the skies. the final
home OF the soul"
wOMANS PLACE IN MORMONISM.
I say that is the unklndcst thing
that could be said OF the Latter-day
Saints, or, really of any people. IT
would be the saddest commentary
that could be made on any system. II
IL were true. but l resent II as a
charge against my people. and say
that II Is untrue: and on the contrary
affirm that the gospel of Jesus
Christ, the new dispensation OF
II committed to this world through the
ministry OF the Prophet Joseph Smith.
teaches the highest respect for wom-
On that may be described by human