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Show NORMAL INSTITUTE LECTURES. The lectures delivered during the present session of the Normal Institute and under its auspices, have been very interesting and profitable, and on each occasion, good audiences have been present. On Thursday evening the 12th inst., Mr. B. F. Cummings Jr., delivered a lecture in the City Hall to a full house upon the subject: "Present Political Condition of the Leading Nations." The speaker described the forms of the governments of Russia, the Prussian empire, Austria, France and England, and gave some account of their present political condition. He spoke of the social and political forces, that were operating in them respectively, as Nihilism in Russia, Socialism in Prussia and Communism in France, and forecasted some of the results that seem likely to be produced by these things. He also touched briefly upon the state of several nations in South America, that are having such frequent revolutions as to almost constitute continuous civil war, and deduced from the present condition of the nations mentioned, the belief that the prophecies respecting the pouring out of war upon all nations, were in a fair way to be fulfilled. <br><br> On Monday evening, the 16th inst., Elder Moses Thatcher delivered a most interesting and instructive lecture on "Mexico," in the basement of the Tabernacle. During the discourse, the speaker described his recent visit to to that country, its people, scenery, products &c. The state of society is rude and unsettled, so much so that the government cannot give due protection to life and property, and the adult made population almost universally go armed to protect themselves. The population of Mexico was about 9,000,000, of whom the majority were Indians the rest consisting of Spanish, negroes and mixed races. The Indians did nearly all the work, and were very honest and industrious, and possessed of fine physiques and great physical strength. He spoke of the religion and traditions of the aboriginal race, and drew therefrom many evidences of the truth of the book of Mormon. He also gave a brief sketch of the conquest of Mexico by Cortez, and of that general's cruelty and perfidy. The speaker occupied about ninety minutes in the delivery of his lecture, to which we cannot do anything approaching justice in so brief a notice as the present. <br><br> On Tuesday evening F. J. Cannon, Esq., delivered a lecture in the City Hall entitled "Half a Life and a Half Life." "Half a Life" was that of a man who lived out not more than half his days, but who notwithstanding, did something to make his name famous, while the man who lived to be aged, but who never accomplished anything noteworthy, lived but "A Half Life." The lecturer selected from history covered examples of men whose lives furnished illustrations of his meaning. <br><br> On Wednesday evening the 18th inst., Mr. B. F. Cummings Jr. delivered the 6th and inst. lecture of the Normal Institute course, in the basement of the Tabernacle. His subject was "Modern Spiritualism." He believed that the phenomena of modern spiritualism were produced by the power of Lucifer and the angels, by the course they took, forfeited the privilege of taking bodies upon the earth, and they were so eager to do this that they would gladly enter into the body of any persons who would yield their tabernacles up to them. In the year 1841, the year of the prophet Joseph's death, two young girls named Fox, residing in the city of Rochester, New York, heard rappings on the furniture of the apartment, when there seemed to be no one in the room except themselves. These rapping were produced by spirits, and a communication was soon established between them and the girls. This attracted wide attention and many came to visit the two mediums. During their meetings, other mediums were rapidly disclosed, until Spiritualism had spread with great rapidity. The speaker described the proceedings at two seances which he had attended, and stated that, at these meetings, the spirits teach the people doctrines that are calculated to destroy the soul, such as the doing away of marriage as an institution, the utter disregard of the principles of virtue and chastity, &c. These are some of the teachings of modern spiritualism, and its effects on society are to destroy all sense of purity in the relations of the sexes. He spoke of the power of these mediums to work miracles, and quoted the scriptures which say that, in the last days, certain unclean spirits should have power to even call down fire from heaven that they might deceive the very elect if that were possible. It required the light of the Holy Spirit to distinguish between the power and doctrines of God and those of Satan, and we should seek for this light. |