Show RECONCILES SERMON ON IN I N THE TH E TESTIMONY R W Young Asserts Assorts That Confusion Between Words Inspiration tion and Revelation is Responsible For Supposed Variance 9 S To The he Salt laIt alt Lake Herald In your Issue of this morning you say SR editorially referring to President Joseph Jooeph F IT Smiths testimony and ser sermon sermon mon revelations The head of the Mormon church testifyIng un under un Under der del oath told the Smoot committee one t thing 1 if and now tells his own peo people pIe another r because some one in was trying to trap him You further stale state that unless President Smith Sean can reconcile the apparently ir irr r H f must remain impaled on the horns of a dilemma of his 11 8 own creation Let us investigate this matter In the light of or the he record and free tree from froin pre prevailing allIng passion pas lon The sermon delivered by President Smith in the tabernacle last Sunday is published in last evenings News I am assured that the report was wan made from the notes of a stenographer who was prent and that they remain reman un unchanged changed chane This will wi probably be con conceded coded ceded inasmuch as the report rep differs very slightly from that tat published in inthe inthe the morning papers President nl Smith said sid Now with wih reference to t the principle and and doctrine of or revelation it i may be b proper for me inc to say a few words on this subject I am on my feet feet For Fo mo inc to say sy which was the tle very ver end that that my critics and my inquisitors were e to get me to say s in order that I might be led le into that trap which they had ha made for me to say suy that God Go Imd given to me a revelation upon some me new doctrine or theory ther or principle or precept or anything to be written to be observed or handed down I as a guide to the church would have hae haen been n untrue I could not have said that that for he lie has 1155 la not done this But has God revealed to me his mind and his will wl Has he made me manifest to tome tome tome me 11 u knowledge of f his truth by and through the spirit of pf ef Did DidOU you OU ever hear of my denying that tt No no man has ever eer heard herd me deny den that that Had Many Revelations After making that tt statement the speaker said sid that that upon un being baptized God revealed to JIm Im approval of ot the he heat act at that tt God revealed to him that Joseph Josph Smith was wa a prophet that Brigham Tourig YOu succeeded lawfully and ad divinely to the presidency of or the te church that tat John Jo Taylor was an in inspired inspired spie prophet that Wilford Woodruff and Lorenzo Lornzo Snow in turn lawfully and divinely succeeded to the te presidency presidency dency o the church that the te Lord Lr had ha revealed reeled to him many things ting for his own guidance to assist him in the dis discharge di discharge charge of ot his duties dutes and that he fer fervently fervently vently venty believed that God had mani manifested mai manifested to t him him in his present capacity many glorious things many principles and oftentimes much more Ire wisdom than ta Is Inherent in himself The substance of the th foregoing rp re remarks marks may may be fairly stated I believe beleve ac as a follows That God Gd has ha not given gien him hima a revelation upon Un some new doctrine to be written w tte observed obe or handed down as a guidance to t the church Ch that God Gd has made manifest to him hima a a knowl knowledge knowledge edge of his truth by and through trough the spirit 5 of revelation and that tat the te sev several severa several eral era and ad successive presidents of ot the church have hye been ben divinely and ad lawfully called caled to the presidency r Now let us examine the te proceedings before the ie senate committee to ascer ascertain tain tin tam what hat he there said sd and ad claimed I shall not attempt to quote the te test testimony test mony in its It entirety since e that tnt woul would make too t greatt requisition upon your spare space but g shall content myself with stating stUng the substance thereof citing the tho pages in order ode that my statements may be verified Doctrine of Revelation It I appears appe on page 95 of the proceed proceedings ings that tat President Smiths attention was directed direce to a passage ge In the tOie te Doe Doc Do trine and Covenants in which it is stated stae That Tot whatsoever you shall shaH speak a when hn hen moved moe upon by the Holy Ghost S shall be the will wi of the Lord C C the word wod of ot the Lord and the te power of God Go unto salvation In answer a er to Sir lI fr Taylors questions Mr lr Smith explained that tat the quotation applied not only to himself but with wih equal force fOle to t every ever elder In the te church Mr Taylor Tayler asked ake whether that applied only when moved move upon by the Holy Ghost to Mr Ir Smith replied That is correct coro Mr 11 Tayler Tyler further furer asked understand that that thatis Do ke you OU tat tat is intended intene to cover the case c of inspiration inspiration tion or revelation 1 Mr Smith Yes Ye It J I t was wag further further explained by President Smith that revelations for the th govern ment and of the church guidance te come only through the head hed of the church churchOn cur J On page 99 the chairman chann of the te com corn committee asked ake You have hae revelations have you ou not To 10 which Mr Smith replied relUe 01 I have never pretended to nor nordo nordo do I profess to have received r lve ton I never said Sd I had a a revelation except so tar far 11 as God Go has haq shown to me that Mormonism is Gods Gos di divine divine vine truth that hat is all l len tut Then en occurred the following ques questions que tons and ad answers The rhe i You say Sy y that that was nas shown show to you u by God Mr Smith By inspiration The Chairman How by inspiration does it if come in iii il the Map shape of a avi vision on Mr Ml Ir Smith The things thing of o God know oth no man nu but the te spirit of God and andI 1 I toll toil tol you OU any un more than that tat I received that thai t knowledge and that ton tes testimony by the Ute spirit s of God tinlY Mr lr Tayler You do not mean men that you reached It i by b any process of reasoning or by any other method by which you reach reah other conclusions in your our mind do you Mr 11 Smith Well el I 1 have reached I principles that is il I have been con COI confirmed firmed In my acceptance and knowl knowledge edge P p of principles that have been re revealed vele to me hown shown to me on which I T Iwas Iwas was ignorant before by reason and farts factS fR L LOn On page pac 10 Mr Ir Tayler Tayler asked whether er Joseph Smith contended that always alwan there was a visible appearance of o the Almighty or of an angel angel to which Mr Smith replied that he did not not Mr 11 Tayler asks ak How otherwise did he lt to receive revelations Mr Smith replied By the spirit of the Lord Mr 11 Tayler then asked ake And in that way such mch revelations as us you ou have received you have had hl them Mr Mi lh Smith answered Yes Ye sir Senator Hoars Hoars Inquiry On page of the record the follow following following ing colloquy occurred Senator Hoar I would like hike to ask ak one tilie ole question which Is flatly curiosity for this is a most mot Interesting matter Did I understand you correctly cOnet that thit t ther there has ha been ben no revelation since this revelation of Woodruffs for the gen general general general eral government of or the church Mr Worthington He said said there have hoo hooben been ben none for years es except that that That is the only one in twenty one years er Senator Hoar HOrNow Now if this question queston is in the least leat trespassing on any deli delicacy del delicacy cacy in your mind mid I do not avant at to press it I ask it solely for curiosity If It a a revelation were to come to you ou or orif orif orIf if you have a a belief belef It would come to you ou in what way does it I come By B an inward light by an audible voice by a writing or in what way Have you anything anythIng you can c tell tel us about that Mr Smith It might come by b an audi audible audible audible ble voice or it might t come by an In hi tn self known and heard hear only by my myself myself myself Senator Senator HOT Hor Or b h hy I T sup suppose supPO pose poe PO E as an in ln the case of Joseph Smith Mr MT Smith In the case c e of the Book ook of Mormon yes sir The only further reference to tp the sub subject subject subject that I have been able ble to find or or that I have seen Been referred to during this thi i I controversy occurs occur on page where the following questions and answers are ar I stated Senator Dubois Have you ou received receive f any revelation from God which has been submitted by you and the apostles to the body of the church in their semi semiannual semiannual semiannual annual conference which revelation has been sustained by that conference through the upholding of their hands Mr r Smith Since when Senator Dubois Since you ou became president of the church Mr Smith No sir none whatever Senator Dubois Individual members of ot the church can ca receive individual revelations can they not Language Vaguely Employed Mr Smith If I may be permitted the word revelation is used very use vaguely here hor all aU the time No man ma can cn get revelations at his will wI If l a man manis ma is prayerful and ad earnest earnest in his bis li desire and lives a a righteous life and he le de desires desires sires information and intelligence he will wi Inquire of the te Lord and an the Lord will wI manifest to him through the pres pros presence presence ence and influence ene of his spirit siri his mind and ad his will wi That That would uld be b a revelation to the individual The Chairman What is i the te answer to the question queston Senator Is not that an an answer answer answer Senator Sentor Foraker 1 think it is an in intelligent answer and a a very ver satisfactory satisfactory tory one Senator McComas It seems to me it itIs itis itIs Is full fl The Chairman I want to t hear what the question was wa Mr Reporter will Avill wi you OU please read it rea The reporter read as a follows Senator Sentor Dubois Individual members member of ot the church chuh can ca receive individual revelation can cn they not that Mr Smith I think tink I have answered The Chairman Very well wel if i you think that is an answer anver Senator Dubois Have you U received any individual revelations yourself since you OU became president of the church chuch under your lour our own definition even of a revelation Mr 11 Smith I cannot say sy that that I have Senator Dubois Dubols Can you ou u say sy that tat you have not S Mr Smith No I can cn not say that I have not noL Senator Dubois Then you ou do not know whether you ou have hac received any such revelation as a you have described or whether you have not Mr Smith Well I I can cn say sar this That if I live lve as a I should in the line lne of my m duties dutes I am susceptible I think of the impressions of the spirit of the Lord upon my mind at any time just as a any ay good goo Methodist or any any other good god church hurh member might be And so tar far faras fr fra taras as a that is concerned I say sa yes ye I have had hd Impressions of the spirit upon my mind very ver frequently freQuent but they are not in the sense revelations Mr Youngs Summary The Te foregoing testimony may be b fair fairly far fairly ly h summarized as follows That Tt any individual member of the te church chuc for far himself individually and the president of the church for fOl the church as a a body Is entitled to 10 Inspiration tion ton or revelation using the words synonymously sn that that President Smith has ha never professed to have received receive a a revelation except to t the divine truth of I Mormonism came ce by inspiration by b the spirit of God Go that a revelation might come to him he h believed through trough an art audible voice by b inspiration known kown and heard herd only ony by himself or by writ writing wrt writing ing as a in the case ce of the Ue Book Bk of Mor Mormon 11 Mormon mon that tt he had ha received no revelation revelation tion during his hi presidency pres d enc that tt had been ben submitted to a conference of the the righteous and ad prayer prayerful prayerful ful man ma may inquire of the Lord and that tot the Lord Ld would manifest to him his h mind and ad will wil through tough the te influence of or his spirit which would be b a a a evela revelation tion ton to that that Individual that so far far as individual revelations to himself are are concerned he dyad thad it had Impressions of the rhe spirit upon his mind very frequent Iv lv In 11 the three the chief points point covered by b bh his ls h sermon seron March M 1 19 and antI in n his hiis testimony test testimony mony before the committee there thee is absolute conformity namely That God Go od has ha revealed to him kim a knowledge of or the truth of Mormonism that during his lila presidency he has not revealed reveled to him any revelation l to be handed hande down as a guide gide to the church churo and that regarding individual revelations lions tons he believes beleve that he has hag h had im tin impressions of the spirit upon his mind very frequently frequent The different concep conceptions Concep tons of the words revelation and and inspiration between President Smith and his Ills questioners qu and the confusion with nith which these thee words were employed both bot by him and them are responsible for the only variances variances and they are obvious bloU and easily explained between bewen sermon seron and testimony The statement t in your our editorial that President Smith had b explained that he luu had testified as a h did di because beu his critics were w re trying to get him liim into a trap does doe not appear to Lo be b justified instilled jm tiie pp by anything staged by b President P Smith as a oi lr in The Te the Tribune or in 11 the te News News Your You state statement ment SP seeing MT S to be an a entirely unwar unwarranted unwarranted ranted rated deduction douton from the assertion erton made by b President Smith th his crit erit critics rL irs ics and ad Inquisitors wore woe endeavoring to lead him into a trap to say sy something not ot true but he 1 did not assert a rt nor I respectfully submit hoes does the he record justify the assumption that he either concealed or distorted the truth by rea rca reason reason son of such attempt Respectfully RICHARD W V YOUNG Stilt Salt Sal Lake Lak March Marc 21 1 |