The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-10
"BoOk of Mormon, Joseph Smith
and Mormenism" Is the Subject
of Sermon by Rev. MIR. Huntington

Seventh Day Adventsts spoke at the
gospel tent on Postoffice place Tues.
day evening on the subject. "The
Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith and
Mormonism. Rev. Mr.. Huntington
said:
When Joseph Smith was but II years
OF age he claims 10 have seen a vision
and that In this vision both God, the
Father. and His Son. Jesus Christ, ap-
pcared 10 him in person. and revealed 10
him that all Christian denominations
were ALI wrong" and their creeds an
"abomination' In His sight (P. g. p, y.
So. he also was informed that he
hands OF God OF laying the foundation
of the only true and living church upon
the face of the whole earth Cd. G., sec.
1900. and that this was all fulfilled In
the organization OF the Mormon church"
April .: 1880. In the language OF Elder
y. H. Roberts. he says; The restored
which Mormonlsm makes for itself" I'VE
Know, he continues, the claim is a bold
one II challenges the position OF all re-
nsions and sects" (Mormonism., p. ID
OF Mormon, claimed by Mormonism TO
have been translated by their prophet
Joseph Smith, from certain gold plates
he found hid In hin called Cumorah.
New, York, and as was said by speaker
in the tabernacle Il little over a week
ago, n work OF greater clarity and au
Is also claimed that the books called
Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl OF
Great Price are authoritative works en-
bracing revelations and translations by
Smith
Now. in view OF these bold claims.
ltcratcd and reiterated times without
church. II can not be thought strange II
occasionally one of that class Smith holds
up AS corrupt professors" should step
aside for a moment now and then TO in
quirc the validity OF Smiths prophetic
gift, his revelation and the church he
founded.
Was Joseph Smith Il prophet OF Cod?
Is the Book OF Mormon the word of God
Arc the other writings Of Smith and the
teachings of Mormonism generally the
truth? These arc questions. not for
statesmen necessarily, az Mr.. Roberts
says, for If so our Mormon friends are
TO be pitied still the more. but for honest
Investigation in the light of divine truth,
The rule, and only infallible rule by
which truth is to be tested. is given
by the prophet Isaiah in these words:
To the law and TO the testimony, If
they speak not according TO this word Il
is because there is no light in them"
Thus the question resolves Itself at once
into very simple one, the merits OF
which are easily tested. Therefore. do
and his teachings agree with the teach
ings OF the Holy Scriptures? The proof
OF the pudding Is the eating Let us
Mormon to begin with 1t is said that
Moroni, an agol, once n man. directed
Smith to the gold plates from which 1t
the unreqsonableness of this is quickly
shown. First-While men may become
equal TO the angels, they never become
sns reats hnge's are an order h,o of beings
Gen. 1924, Col 16. Heb. 2:5-D, Sec
to the Scriptures man
does not receive his eternal reward until
the resurrection In the end of the world.
The angels are the reapcrs, and 9. the
harvest is the end OF the world. Think
Of the Idea OF the angels coming to earth
Nephi l. Morris, an exponent OF Nor
monism. admits that the style OF the
Book Of Mormon is different from that of
section OF the world in which the
book was written and "environment,"
(Deseret News. Aug. I, 1900 Accord
ng to the Bible, all true prophets speak
oy the same spirit, nor is there with God
my 'variableness" or shadow of turn
ng" But here Mormonism virtually de-
,lares that localities and environ
nent may and actually did in this in
stance influence Gods style of address
Sheer nonsense.
dth- That such men as MoronI and
Mormon ever lived we have no record
,nly that of Smith in the Book OF Nor
non and the product Of his own hand,
ons and the Book of Mormon run some
hing like n recently returned mission
iry said 10 me the other day, ''Do you
believe that Joseph Smith was prophet
If God?' l asked this missionary. Yes.
was his reply. ] asked again why he
believed thus. He answered Because
he Book of Mormon Is All inspired vol |
me- l then asked him who wrote the
Sook OF Mormon. and he said Joseph |
smith, Thus il is: one must believe in
Joseph Smith because the Book OF Nor
non is an inspired volume, and one must |
believe that the Book of Mormon is an
inspired volume because Joseph Smith |
wrote IL. Convincing proof, indeed!
5th, But We are confronted with the |
Witnesses 10 the Book OF Mormon, Oliver
,owdery. David Whltmer. and Martin
Harris, and told TO look at them, Very |
veil. let us look at them. and look at
hem. too. as we find their history in
Mormon books. Oliver Cowdery it is said |
m page $50 of New Witnesses for Cod"
nun,cated from the church for his SINS"
he specific charge being. "Ist-Perse-
.utInS the brethren by urging on yeXa-
tous law suits against them. and thus
distressing the innocent 2nd-SeekinS
o destroy the character of Joseph Smith.
r., by falsely insinuatng that he was
;uilty of adultery. Jrd-Treating the
hurch with contempt by not attending
meetings.. 4th-Leaving his calling TO
which God had appointed him by revela-
ion. FOR the sake of filthy lucre and
urning to the practice of law. 5th-
)isgracng the church by being connect
d In the bogus business. as common
cport says Id-p. 253,
Cowdery out OF the church for
bout eleven years and died soon after
icing taken back.
David Whitiner was communicated
rom the church about five years before
oseph Smith was shot and never did
eturn. The sins with which he was
hargcd are as follows: "1st-NOt OBJ
erying the Word OF Wisdom. end
jnchristianiikc conduct in ncglccting to
ttend meetings and uniting with and
possessing the same spirit as the dis
enters. 3rd--W rlting letters TO the dis
enters In Kirkland, unfavorable 10 the
ause and character OF Joseph Smith,
r. 4th-Neglccting the duties of his
nlling. and separating himself from the
hurch. oth-Signing himself president
{ the Church Of Christ In an insulting
nttcr To the high council, after he had
cen cut off from the presidency" Id-p,
IS.
Martin Harris, though never cxcommu-
cated from the church. separated him
elf from il about 1888. and had practi-
ally nothing 10 do with IL for over thirty
cars. Speaking OF Harris, Elder Roberts
ays at Is evident that his mind be-
amc somewhat darlScned: for after the
,.fyr rrfIp Of bn pbnt l,,