Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-07-08

II
~ written or in plain hand. on \
IL one side Of Tive paper. and
~ SIGNED. n
We are prompted to ask ourselves
the question II 1t be really true. that
we are living In an enlightened, .
humane and civilized age, In an age
and quarter Of the world boasting OF
its progress in everything good. and
great, and honorable, and virtuous--in
. country Of which as American citi.
zens, we should be proud.
Are we living under constitution
that guarantees us freedom of thought
and action 30 long as 1t does not con.
flict with the laws OF the land?
lam writing this in behalf of much
misunderstood and mistreated people,
and mistreatment seems still to con-
tinue, although they have done nothing
wrong, they have committed no crime,
nor engaged In any dastardly deed,
but all this persecution is heaped up.
on them, because they insist upon
worshiping God, according to the die
tates Of their own conscience.
They are excluded from associating
in Sunday school picnic with the rest
Of the Christian churches, because of
their belief in divine revelation In mod
ern times.
! We should be heard in our own de-
! fence, because the constitution of our
country grants to every one, even the
most hardened criminal the right to
enter plea OF guilty or not guilty,
why should not good respectable citi-
zens have the same rights Of self de-
Tense? We are not above our master,
II we are really Christian, we must
accept this Misrepresentation with the
best possible grace, because of this
misrepresentation, many refuse to
avail themselves OF the opportunity to
learn the truth concerning this people,
but prefer to take the statements OF
some speaker or writer who like
themselves may be either ignorant of
or prejudiced against the faith.
1T is not American to pursue such q
course. We implore Americans to be
truly American. One ought to have
pride enough about him, to want to
know the facts.
But let us give few reasons why
we believe In modern revelation: be-
cause God is Interchangeable, Malachi
$50 He is the same yesterday, today
and forever, Heb. 1873, because In him
there Is no variableness neither shaC-
ow OF turning. James 1T, and where
there is no vision the people perish,
Proverbs 29:1S. II the foregoing pas
sages are true God will still speak as
he did anciently, II he does not he Is
not the same, he Is changeable But
God Is not dumb, he is always willing
and ready to recognize and speak to
those who fully obey his command.
ments. What kind of father would he
be that had twelve sons and to those
that were the first born. he had spoken
as father should speak to his chill
dren, but to those that were last born
he would not speak, saying Il have
spoken to your older brothers, and
they have written it in book, just
read what have said to the other
boys, that will be sufficient for you.
ls this father q respecter Of persons?
He certainly is, yet this is the way
God is portrayed to us through modern
theology They say that God ceased
to speak. as soon as that respected
few, known as the apostles had passed
away to their eternal rewards. that
the cannon Of scripture was full when
John had finished receiving his revela
lions on the Isle Of Patmos. say
they make this assertion without one
single passage of scripture to uphold
them In 1t.
1t may be that by this time that our
reader is wondering what church we
ore speaking about. It Ia the reorgan-
lied church Of Jesus Christ Of Later
Day Saints. This people has suffered
much, from Misrepresentation, being
often conficted with the class COM
monty called "Mormons" with head
quarters at Salt Lake City, Utah. It
was also insinuated that their moral
standing was not c0mmendable and
that they were not worthy the associa-
ton Of other Christian people. Christ
says in Math. 1920, by their fruits ye
shall know them" Chats how know
the picnic committee) but what do
those that know say about this Sect
let us SEE In speech delivered
Dec. 10, 1906, by Senator Dubois In
the United States senate he says the
following: 1T Is only fair, think,
to- me to say and am glad the dis
tinguished senator from Michigan (Mr.
Burrows), treated upon it the other
day-that there is branch Of the
Mormons, called the Josephites, who
ought to be separated clearly in the
minds OF all the senator's from the
Brighamite Mormons. The Josephites
who ought to be separated clearly inI
the minds Of all the senator's from the
Brighamite Mormons. The Josephites
claim that they are the custodians Of
the church as 1t was founded. They