Show r ROERTs TO THE FRONT l i WRgjected Polygamist Defies f j the Presbyterians II IE j POSES AS A MARTYR p j 0 Charges Churchmen With Trying Try-ing to Incite a Riot i k Address in the Tabernacle Which Will Be Taken by AntiMor IT I mons as a Challenge 0 r I 1 1 A new chapter was added tp the Pre 1 bjtcrlnnMormon controversy yeiterdiy 1 afternoon Tho Mutual Improvement conference afforded tho opportunity and Brigham H Roberts was the medium f through which thn Rev Dr Thompson I nnd the Prcabyt6rian I assembly wero dressed down > I Elder Roberta charged that the evcrenJ nentlomons address was an Incitation to mob violence and brute force nnd he directed di-rected his sharpest arrows of wit and Ionic at the revision of the Presbyterian creed by the assembly President Joseph I Jo-seph F Smith was down oil the pro gramme for the address ol tho day but he evidently decided that Elder Roberts was better equipped to smite the Philistines I L Phil-istines for he yielded his place to the oncllmo Congressman r 4 Mr Rob > rtss text was the one word How lie read a portion of a icvc r Intion handed down at KIrtland OLo In 1S32 promising worldly Knowledge to the F BalntR and said It was tho duty of the Latterday Saints to keep wellInformed on current history It Is only a llttlo while he said since tho nilnlatcin of the Presbyterian church assembled In solemn conclave to consider their own church work and Incidentally In-cidentally to IQok a little after ours One of the propositions advanced at that meeting Involves nothing more and nothing noth-ing less than to crush Mormonlsm If they aro really going to crush us I think we are a little Interested In knowing how they aro going to do it Ono of tho speakers who tho dispatches dis-patches say was most applauded said that Mormonlsm won not to be educated not to be civilized not to be reformed but must bo ciushed I say we aro Interested In-terested In knowing < how thin Is to lie done Fortunately or unfortunately thlH gentleman set forth his Ideas as to how It wan to bo done He compared the church to an octopus And quoted from Victor Hugo telling how the octopus put forth flrst one tentacle and then another wrapping the victim In Its slimy colIs And he adds There Is one moment In which tp sleze it Bays Victor Hugo It Is 1 when It thrusts forth Itt Jiend It has I dono It Its high priest clfrims < a Senators Sena-tors chair In Washington Now Is tho time to strike Perhaps to miss It now Is to be lost Vondorful wisdom worthy of a great divine A most lame and1 Impotent conclusion con-clusion like tho labor of the mountain that brought forth a mouse If my voice could reach tho gentleman I would tell him that away doyn In tho Inner recesses ot my eoul I have a faint recollection of a tlmo In IKtS when a certain gentleman gentle-man waa elected to Conjjrcss They nald then that that wan tho time to strike I o nnd I have a faint recollection that they I struck In response to the sentiment cro SIted by men like those at the Presbyterian t Presbyte-rian assembly Congress refused to re celvo the gentleman from Utah But what effect did that have on Mar I monism About as much as a mosquito I alighting on the moon would have on that celestial orb nnd I havent heard that the gentleman on whom they de f livered tho blow has had his shadow f grow perceptibly less In consequence of r H I do not relate thcse things with any bitterness 1 understand tho law of tho gospel that wo are not to answer rail ing with railing and that we are not to smite those who smite us The Church of Jesus Christ occupies a position so exalted that it may smile on the efforts of men to destroy It Their senseless resolutions res-olutions and their Impotent Culminations fall harmless at Its fool When you arc dealing with a thing that Is not to be corrected by education or by cIlllzo lou and which cannot be jvfpuned what agency will you Invoke Thero IB nothing left but force Force means mob and nrmloj Can It be that In tho nineteenth century in tho midst of Christian civilization a body of religious ministers propose as wo aro led to be have J to cist aside education civiliza tion nnd reform nil thoju enlightened methods and that brute force must standout stand-out as a religious Institution And tho mnn who voices that Hcntlment receives the most applause from tho assembly of tho dlvlnoH In the snmo spirit In which these anti aiormon resolutions > > were cast In tho Presbyterian assembly In Los Angeles they declared that the law could not reach Joseph Smith but powder and ball couldand they finally rlld They struck down tho prophet who was then tho head of the church but It Ud not hurt Mor monIsm The blood of the martyr was the seed of the church His death be came n holy recollection to tho church and his teachings an Inspiration to tho Saints In th6 time of trial When tho church Mjrvlvcil this blow at its head they Raid It was the genius of f Brlglmin Young that kept the church alive that when he died there uould bo a con test for his portion that wuukl disrupt tho church In the providence of God ho passed away yet we now have an Insti tution more powerful lid 1 tel organized than any other earthly institution except perhaps the German nrmy The church luis mirvlvcd because the work IK Infinite ly greater than any man or any set of men Elder Roberts then rchenrscd tho fa miliar Gtory ot Gods assurance to tho Prophet Joseph that all creeds were an Domination to him and wont on nut would you believe thnt this very flP14eIflll by the action they nro taking on their creed nro confirmlnrr the teachings loun onism and proving the Juatlco of tho Lords JUdgmcnt I Hero ho road the doctrine of prctl Htlna lon which ho said was not yt reformed and the part thLt was reformed concern I ng the damnation of all but elect infants Ho referred to the confession of Rev Mr Thompson that seolarlrin rhurchen In Utah w < ro a protest and little more soc arlan schools an Invitation and little more and exclaimed I rojolce In their failure and I rejoice and cm thankful for their acknowledgement acknowledge-ment of It I hopo they will go on reform lug their creed adding a little lIght and a little more and a little more until when I their eyes become accustomed to It they max look upon tho fullness of the truth The enlnff prayer yesterday afternoon nan by Judge II S Tanner Mrs Ellza beth C McCuno told of her experiences and missionary work In Peru and little Minnie Williams sang The Holy City very creditably Indeed At the morning session of the conference the following pro ammo was rendered Singing Temple choir Prayer Singing Temple choir Opening remarks President Joseph F Smith and Presi dent ISImlna S Taylor Solo Lottie Owen M I achievements for the yirs l023 Thomas Hull and Sarah Eddington Presentation of officers reports Brief addresses Singing Tcrnplo choir Ron rllnf Inn nnnn Thn following programme was ren errd in tho evening Singing Tabernacle Choir Prarcr Anthem Tibcrnaclo Choir Brief Talks on Timely Topics 1 What Shall Our Young People Read Edward H Anderson Donnotta S Kessler Organ Solo Pro J J McClellan 2 Economics for Young People A O Woodruff Aclella AV Eardloy Duel God Bless our Mountain Home Wood Pratt and Noel Pratt 3 The Source of Moral ana Spiritual Life What Is It J G Kimball Ruth M Fox 4 I A Word of Exhortation F Grant Anthem Tabornaclo Choir Benediction |