The Washington herald., 1918-01-20

The Inauguration Of the last or
current dispensation OF the Gospel
Of Jesus Christ, which is verify the
Dispensation of the Fulness of
Times. was In this wise.
In the year 1890 there lived at
Manchester. n. Y. Joseph Smith, jr.,
then in his 18th year. the third son
in q respected and pious family. At
the time OF which we speak great
excitement with much sectarian ri
valry was manifest in religious
matters. and the boy Joseph was
seriously concerned as to which of
the contending sects was the true
Church of Christ; for It was plain
that all could not be right. Let us
read the account written by him
self:
During this time OF great ex-
citement. my mind was called up to
serious reflection and great uneasi-
ness; but though my feelings were
deep and often poignant, still j
kept myself aloof from all these
parties. though attended their
several meetings as often as occa-
sion would permit In process OF
time my mind became somewhat
partial to the Methodist sect and
/ felt some desire to be united with
them; but so great were the con-
fusion and strife among the differ
ent denominations, that IL was i'm
possible for a person young as
was, and so unacquainted with men
and things, to come to any certain
conclusion who was right and who
was wrong.
MY mind at times was greatly ex-
cited, the cry and tumult were sc
great and incessant The Presby-
terians were most decided against the
Baptists and Methodists, and used all
the powers OF either reason or sophis-
try to prove their errors. or at least.
to make the people think they were
In error. On the other hand, the
Baptists and Methodists in their turn
were equally jealous In endeavoring
to establish their own tenets and
disprove all others.
Tn the midst OF this war Of words
and tumult OF opinions, I often said
10 myself, What is TO be done? Who
OF all these parties are right; or.
are they all wrong together? II any
one Of them be right, which is IL,
and how shall / know IT?
while was laboring under the ex-
treme difficulties caused by the con-
tests Of these parties OF religion
lists, was one day reading the Epis-
tie of James. first chapter and fifth
verse, which reads: IF ANY OF
YOU LACK WISDOM, LET HIM
ASK OF GOD. THAT GIvETH TO
ALL MEN LITERALLY, AND up
BRAIDETH NOT; AND IT SHALL
BE GIVEN HIM.
Never did any passage OF Scripture
come with more power to the heart
of man than this did at this time
to mine. 1t seemed to enter with
great force into every feeling Of my
heart i reflected on II again and
again, knowing that IL any person
needed wisdom from God, i did; for
how to act I did not know, and un-
less I could get more wisdom than
then had, would never know; for
the teachers Of religion of the Diff
ferent sects understood the same pas
sages OF Scripture so differently as
to destroy all confidence in settling
the question by an appeal to the
Bible.
AT length 1 came to the conclu-
sion that I must either remain in
darkness and confusion, or else I
must do as James directs, that is.
ask of God. / at length came to
the determination to ask of God.
concluding that IL He gave wisdom
to them that lacked wisdom. and
would give literally, and not up
braid, might venture.
so. in accordance with this, my
determination to ask of God re-
tired to the woods to make the at