The Washington herald., 1917-09-30

The sixth of April is a day of
days to members of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
On April 9Th, 1880, the Church was
organized as a body corporate at
Fayette in the State of New York,
with a membership of six persons.
True, at that time a few times six
had associated themselves more or
less firmly with the new religious
movement; but, as the laws OF the
State specified six as the minimum
required to form a religious corpora
ton, only that number took part in
the legal procedure Such a begin
ming may seem to afford little ground
of either hope or fear as to future
developments; nevertheless, tho newly
established Church was vigorously
opposed even from its inception.
Today the Mormon" Church Is
known by name at least throughout
the civilized world as we'll as amongst
most of the semi-cultured peoples in
the remoter parts of the earth and
on the islands of the sea. Since 1890
every year has witnessed an increase
in its membership and an extension
of propaganda. The six have in
herents. The tiny mustard seed has
become a spreading tree. whose
branches furnish food and shelter
to the earnest seeker after truth. The
growth of the Church is apparent to
even the poorly informed. But the
Church has not only grown; it has
developed. Between growth and de-
velopment there is a difference of the
most essential kind. Development is
n characteristic of life, to which mere
growth is essentially secondary and
subordinate.
The vital character of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
was evident from the first. In mas
terly parable, the kingdom of heav-
en- has been likened unto leaven,
which a woman took and hid in
three measure of meal: and. behold.
from it the mass became leaVened.
1t is not too much to affirm that the
leaven of "Mormonism' Is Ieavening
the world and its theology. Every
Studious reader of recent Commen-
taries on the Holy Scriptures, and
of theological treatiseS in general,
is aware of a surprising progress
siveness in modern views of things
spiritual. amounting in many in
stances to an abandonment of what
were once regarded as the funda-
mentals of orthodoxy. IN THE NEW
THEOLOGY "MORMONISM' HAS
PIONEERED THE WAY. A few in
stances may be cited as illustrative.
G) The unscriptural and repel-
liant dogma of inherent degeneracy
and the communicating effect of
original sin, by which every child
&c In fhA sol,f I,,J
ment of God, long cast its dark
shadow over the minds of men.
From this conception sprang the
practice of infant baptism and the
perverted doctrine of assured dam
nation for all innocent babes who
die unbaptized. 1t is cheering to
know that practically all Christen-
dom today repudiates belief in the
eternal condemnation of babes who
die without baptism. Hear now the
word of "Mormonism" on the mat
ter and note the time of its enun-
citation. In 1880 the Book of Nor
mon was given to the world. There
in we read:
Listen to the words of Christ,
your Redeemer, your Lord and your
God. Behold 1 came into the world
not to call the righteous, but sinners
to repentance; the whole need no ply
sician, but they that are sick; where
fore little children are whole. for
they are not capable Of committing
sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is
taken from them in me, that 1t hath
no power over them. Behold,
l say unto you, That this thing shall
ye teach, repentance and baptism
unto those who are accountable and
capable of committing sin; yea, teach
parents that they must repent and
be baptized. and humble themselves
as their little children. and they shall
all be saved with their little chill
dren. And their little children need
no repentance. neither baptism. Be-
hold. baptism is unto repentance to
the fulfilling the commandments unto
the remission of sins. But little
children are alive in Christ. even from
the foundation of the world" (Moroni
SIS. 1O-12).
(2) The one-time general conception
OF heaven and hell is regarded today
as unreasonable, unscriptural and un-
true. Belief In graded conditions in
the hereafter is widespread. and in
this rational Substitution Of ennobling