The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-06-05
B. h. Roberts PronOunceS High
er Criticism to Be Only
Higher Nonsense"
WOULD ROB MANKIND
OF THE ETERNAL HOPE
Declares Substitute of In
terpreting Bible as Allegory
Does Not Satisfy.

| Dcnominating the Higher Criticism as
Higher Nonsense" that carried 10 its
ultimate conclusion would rob man of his
hope of eternal life Brngham II. Rob
erts at the tabernacle last night made an
extended. forccful and eloquent defense
OF the Christian religion. as eHempHfied
by the teachings and philosophy of Nor
monism. President Joseph +. Smith also
spoke briefly along the same lines. hold
Ing that those philosophers who set up
their views as superior TO The revealed
stroycd In their own sin and ignorance.
This address Of Mr.. Roberts on the
Higher Criticism was delivered at the
closing session OF The conjoint confer,
ence OF !he Mutual improvement and
Primary associations. and closely
listened to by moro than 1900 persons
Expounds Advanced Views.
Mr.. Roberts. quoting at length from
one OF the ablest eXponents OF the Higher
Criticism. showed that the advocates of
this advanced religious thought had 10
their own satisfaction, destroyed the lit
erai and historical accuracy OF virtually
every recorded event in the life OF Christ,
had disproved the authenticity and cor
rectness oil the recorded miracles OF the
Savior, and had undermined the faith
in the immaculate conception the
resurrection, and the ascension OF Jesus.
ences between gospels of Matthew.
Mark and Luke Chc synoptical Sospels).
and that of John the Baptist. explaining
that the fourth gospel was probably writ
ten when john was an aged man, after
he had studied the philosophy OF the
Greeks. and also when he had the writ,
ings of the other disciples al his hand
for comparison. Johns gospel, he held.
was written With the certain. definite
end in view-that OF bearing witness to
the great truth that Jesus was the Son
ran all through the message, Hike the
ever-recurring motif In some great piece
OF music.
What Does 1t ofer2
Returning 10 the exposition presented
by Dr. Anderson. Mr.. Roberts showed
after II had destroyed the historical ac-
curary OF the New Testament. II had
forced the Christian world to interpret
spiritually instead Of literally. the state
Of Christ TO take as allesorical all lead
Ing features in the gospel story. The
Garden of Eden was in the SOUL where
the peace symbolized animal contentment.
The fall was no fail. but an awake eninS.
beginning OF the struggle that brought
progress. Man could not be saved by Il
material Christ. but by the birth of Christ
within him. The ultimate result must be
the absorption OF the finite into the In
finite. the dewdrop passing into the sea,
union with the passionless. emotionless
one.
Sets Out the Contrast.
Ana against TINS plea, Salu MT. hOD-
erts, II place with confidence the Nor
mon conception or religion. We believe
that certain things are eternal; matter.
uncreatable and indestructible; space.
without bounds: intelligence that acts
upon matter and has produced the uni
verse of God with a purpose We believe
In eternal entities who counselled together
and made the worlds. for eternal prog
ress. In the earth life the fall was nee
cssary, but was only stopping TO rise
again that the harmony might be re-
stored. We learn through sympathy
that it is possible to suffer for those we
lose. and so il Is possible for a divine
being TO suffer for the whole world. And
We believe In the truth and reality OF
both the Old and New Testaments-they
are allcgories not dreams, and we do not
higher criticism that would rob the world
of its hope"
Test Of the Doctrine,
AS the test between two views of life.
Mr.. Roberts asked his hearers which was
the most satisfying to the inmost soul
the thought OF final nothingncss. ever
or an eternity Of individual progress with
all faculties and powers that we have
here on earth purified and trengthcned.
Al the conclusion OF Mr.. Roberts ad-
dress. Miss Mary Il. IIalgh sang Fear
Not Yc. Israel with fine expression.
Then President Smith spoke briefly on
the danger OF placing confidence in the
could only know what God had revealed.
No man. he declared. had the right or
power to say what God could or could
not do.
The choir sang the Soldiers Chorus"
and the conference adjourned.