| Show RELIGIOUS QUESTIONS IN CALIFORNIA Addre by ELDER JOSEPH JOSEfH E ROBINSON President Pic of tKo Mission fI lon At Ih t SemiAnnual Conference of the tho Church Chulch Of nf J Jal vis Christ of La Saints in n tho the Tabernacle Salt L Lal h City Sunday Sundy October 8 1905 brethren and sisters my nil henrt la I i vy ry y ln In und and td OP up U the tho testimony ot Of mY Iny breth ui I bw brar In in relation to the growth and anil aU ad at the he Church ot of IB In IBe If In the e earth carth With of ot Ci ca I j feel tt to MX hay How goodly are thy t t o 0 Jacob nod and thy th tabernacles 0 A tS As th the IhO valleys are nrc ar they M lIS gardens by the tho rivers side 1 forth tie t the t row tre of oC which the Lord 51 hath planted plante nd us ns cedar cellar trees the Ut n Dle el Is la ho he that thee the and turned Is he Unit that thee th The T million mISI that I hive have the honor Is la not so large as Borner Born of If er n i lons In the tho United States Slates but I t believe It has Ms na as a varied Interests of oC them thern Varied as Is Ii I the state lilY I of U California In IR Its flora and fauna to so fOIt fi It Ii it it and relIgiously Jit tt It Shasta it at thC north end CUd ot of t the state Is b I nearly miles above the sea Bea It Is I crown crowned td ed WIth glaciers of oC everlasting tee lee Tha Th hJ only lire lIfo the snow line lino IB Is I Th o nd the moss mo Then we have havee I In the thC e imperial valley lit it the tho south southend end of the state DOO OO feet below sea sealevel level 71 the palm and ond oranges and dates if of the warmer countries Just na 1111 t 1 ns DB 5 Is the growth of oC eg and ind the te character of life Ufa be he bethere beten ten there these two extremes of altitude I art the religious beliefs of ot that people meone eone has said Mid that there thero are 1410 IHO odd ea In the United State ud n of oC nobodies and that California hn has hns one thIrd or more snore of oC Sue thus lles Though I have havu t n there ft II few years I 1 have not com conw to knO much about tho tb kit but I hive have learned that the some bdIe an nobodies that tha taro are there thero ki save a greit grut many different Ideas of at During the last summer It MI nl II my privilege to attend some lec lee lectures I lutes tures were delivered before the a society resort near Lc Argel Argelee I came away n Wa from with a I and aM firm de to 10 preach Christ and Ind Him melded whenever opportunity offered to lor t I found there that the men who vho DP VP as ns social reformers ns as cr ce e leaders as a philosophers of ot ill all the s and Isms Isma of at the tho day IHm ern ra to have c lost sight of ot the fact tact that j JeSUS leluS us Is 15 the very ery Son of oC God Many f them mouthed tho the same sentiment as a aLiman Liman Abbot had expressed wherein be U isid ald ily My IY God clod Is 15 an on ir ewrY ergy rn manifesting Itself In all the of ot human life lICe and In nil all the tha of nature na ture I believe bell ave fald said Faldt It tt t In a 1 God led that Is In all things s and through all eli things thine and of all things wholly In Its Us nature I ont one On of oC the most eminent clergy r II n otTer offer a n prayer just before the jat 1 lIt Baba Saba delivered his ad nd upon tho the mission of ot tho the old to the tha mission IIII slon of ot the theE E of at the eastern world to the Cb of the western wp tern world and andin In to his bis prayer he said something like Ilka till tu 0 Thou Great and Infinite One torn from nhom nhon we 1 emanate and from Crom all things come who Is IB of oC nil Ill kings and through nil all things and by Il 11 1 thing let Thy Spirit rest down tro n these thue Thy children day that th r the message be b from Moses toses ir If Job of ot Christ or nr of or of that thal All RII shall know that It from Thee rhee the tho Fount of at Love Loe one aOne I h heard rd soma nomo of oC o them say Ba In of the Master that although Jt lIe He was sas 18 one of ot the tho greatest leaders and morally that the this world la e ever r produced Chat that lIe He was en Intel with miraculous gifts that lIe He HeM liethe M he the greatest Prophet the tho world orId has hart hasit it Ivet knon yet they th could not regard to as 19 the Son SOli of God Clod GO as us do da orthodox C Two weeks ago no n o today lit In l Ls i s one olle of ot our little Sunday boy boys a 11 asked hr they the did not make a picture of oC oCO ofa O a H II I said ald I 1 have he seen pictures of I and nd pictures pl of Je Christ but why by dent dont they ke A n t picture of ot ww It 11 brought to my mind the ad I had heard h In III the th Venice as liS It HIS as brought to my mind by the editorial In tho the News N Is In relation to what Jo JOe rh Hamilton hid hd said at nt Wilson VIlson New tw York YOlk to the effect that God is a it 1 and nf al s the tho seine same time he tried hard brI to mak it out that Ho lie Is a per being b ln as well tell statinG that lIe He at ot Hla Ili pleasure assume a per perti perl ti l form torm formIn In California Christian Science has hns a am I Ireat m reat t In fact the religious religions of ct that great state Is ib nb romul ronnal Thi Th Thee a who ar nr religious seem hb q be abnormally abnormal so SI Ct They have hav built buill visa span tp an ethereal sphere phero through Id M Imagination or fancy that thai Is untenable to In tIe the Wn tsa t n Science friends and rs i that State havo fructIfIed t is that extent that there thero ore nrc many branch of f Home Homo Love Iove of at Faith Heal Ueal r and of oC Faith Cure and It Is their M reo so o e I 1 have hll 0 been heen told by some of at t lr aier that Ilat It II will not be bo be bo boOl fot Ol they te shall live and never of rath through their knowledge of Science Out nut people tey Jesus as ns the tho Christ the tho Son of at wi Oed it II It Is 1 a land also for Spiritual I urn ra m any mon men m n antI women there J rudy tUdy What ht they the call tho the occult sd have gathered from all nil alli i i tIt too c H dUle dens tJ oid ThIs Chis class I of oC people en that Jesus Is s the Son gon u of Gol Goit We e hae there thoro also nHo al o of 1 I with whim Ith tx n temple of Isis Tula for tor the tho very purpose o ot of i 1 reeling the old theosophy of ot Egypt They TIme too loa deny den that Jesus Jesuit ls thc Christ tho the Son SOil ot oC God Goll Then X hen there Is tho the Unitarian church which has bus II n large following In fact foci this assembly that I have been speaking of ot was Will conducted and presided over by byn n II Unitarian although ho and his fol 01 lowers do not call themselves Unitarians ans all but they are oro nevertheless They believe In one God Love an essence a force and they thoy accept Jesus not as ns the Son of ot God Coil but as III the ex lon ot Love In human form This has hUB made It difficult for tor us to proselyte aWl after the manner pi pC the Apos Apostles ties tlell of old and to use the Scriptures for they thoy have to be converted first of or nil all to tha the thought that the BIble may he bc the word of God before they the will listen to the scriptural passages passage we can quote quota to prove NOVO the divinity III oC or Jesus J In addition to those there I have mentioned there arc nrc many nany who are called Inde lade Independent Independent pendent Christians They claim with the late Secretary John Hay that they cannot find fimI within the narrow creed ot of any of the tha orthodox churches a It pure flure and full expression of oC their Ideas of ot religion Among this class ot of people we have greater freedom and are ar able to do the tho most good 1001 because their minds are healthy find and they have not the vain lIln Imaginations that others have They listen to our testimonies encourage encourage encourage age us liS anti give siva us the to hand of ot fel tel fellowship In toino Forno of their organizations or organizations we ve are privileged to speak and In others we do the praying while In oth others othera ers era we hae have done lone the singing and con conducted conducted conducted ducted burial services over their dead because they th do not attend to these things themselves their organizations era are merely for tM the cultivation of oC so 80 social socia cia cial virtues and for beneficent pur PUN purposes purposes poses Not n a 1 great grat while ago ngo I believe bellee I mentioned It U here hert once but tut It will not hurt to tn tell It again n aln a it I Catholic priest came to me arid after he was assured that I was the representative of oC oui ou people for he lie had expected to see set someone with a n long white heard veil ven venerable erable crable and dignified In appearance he disclosed to mo me Ills his Identity ns liS u a Cath Catholic I Quo olic priest and told mo me that he had I come to the conclusion that no man could coull live lIvo a 1 correct life lite In III celibacy lie He had heard of at tho the growth and progress s of oC our people their Institutions Institutions Institutions and their social economy and he hI desired to cast his lot with us that hu la 1 might have hae a home and arid a c family of oC his own Hut But said he ho there here Is II onu ola crucial point I want wont to 10 be satisfied upon before I can cnn accept your our Gospel do you ou believe bellee that Je Is I the tho Christ tho the Sot Sou of at God r When I answered Verily we do he ht remarked Well Veil I I expect we wo are all nil in n a I measure men ure the tho sons son and anel daughters ot or God but do you believe bellevo that He lie IB Is any different from the rest ot of us because I cannot think that he ho heIs Ii Is 1 more than the tho natural son ot of Joseph or 01 some Homo other mann man manTo To my mind It Is just such doc doe doctrines doctrines trines as ns those put forth bj by b Jos h Hamilton and Lyman Abbott that art ar responsible for or much o ot of the tho Infidelity In the world today and ond of the tile Indifference enco ence towards religion Men lIen feel fee so 10 they express It that hey tiey can see seo as all asfar asfar far Into the time future n as an any allY other man manThey manThey manThey They do not care they say for n a are re religion ligion that deals with the dead past alone end that has hns dead forms they the want something that la is alive that Is tangible that appeals to their material minds as QS well as ns to their emotions and that can cnn offer them something to do that Is reasonable and tangi tangible tangible ble Such Stich are aro the questions that we are ate I confronted with In III that lend land There Thero Therefore Therefore fore tore we have to learn something be besides besIdes besIdes sides tho the Scripture anti be enabled to bring forth strong reasons upon matters before we can satisfy them that we wo have a n religion that Is la better than other churches of ot the tho land have havo something that within the very geni genius us of ot It answers an the of Kotil that Is 11 and that thai brings brines to men the benediction that al always always always ways accompanies the truth I note that Mr Hamilton speaks of oC the fact that God Clod created nina man In Ills own Image Imag male that Hi Ih It spoke to Adam In the tho Garden of ot Eden that Ho lie II reported to the council connell IN lit heaven that Adam Alam and Eve O had be become become come like Ilka unto them knowing good from evil that afterwards Ho Ito visited Abram that He lie ate and drank with him hint on the tho plains pin Ins of at Mature and after aCter the time custom of the country had his hl feet bathed that lie ire told Abram that He hat hail come comae down own to nee see If It the reports In relation to Sodom and Gomorrah weme wele correct that afterwards Ho lie wrestled with Ith Jacob and that Jacob constrained Him In tn fact would not let Him go 10 until lie He had 1101 blessed him that hM He lie changed the tho name of ot Jacob at nt that Urns titus to Israel Isrnel because He ne said sal l you have prevailed with the Lord and Jacob re Juiced because said he I have hlo seen sew the Lord face to face and still live II Hi quotes lie he fact too that God spoke to Moses faco face to face na as I one man to another and not In vision nor In dark sentences that God re rebuked rebuked Miriam and Aaron for their jealousy and reminded them that Ho lie spoke to Moses Mosea as ns one man speaks to another mouth to mouth month lie He cites tile the filet fact also that Stephen beheld the Christ after the sitting upon the right hand of ot the Father clothed with the Iho glory that Ho He had hall prayed for before tho the dread night nl ht of ot when Ho that the Father should restore unto Him nil all the glory that Ho lie had with Him before tho the world wa the time fact too that Jesus Jesuit the Christ was born of woman ns os we fO weare are and that He Ito crew gres up tip as ns n a child other children If Jt we IV credit the tha writings of the early fathers wo we learn that Ho lie used to fashion uhlon animals animal birds sic etc of clay that In Ills His fathers work chop He learned to fashion ta the yok o for tor th cattle and ond make tools ana build otter of tel the manner of that day tto Wo learn that afterwards when John hat hail become converted because of the Holy Hoh Ghost dp upon Him In the sign sIgnI I of a n dove lIoe the tho limo Fume bore witness to hH his hi fI J thAt hut He lie Mi th the of or o God Gild who away awn the Bins alas of oC tho 1110 world yet ot this thin satan Jesus suffered uttered hunger thirst and the adversary strove to tempt Him and lend Him astray from the tho path of ot because o of Hi hunger fatigue and thirst Wo e 0 He lie went to In Nn a 0 the horn home of Hl bile HIli youth and took up UT the Scripture f ns nil was wn Ills HI wont vont up upon upon upon on the time Sabbath day to tenth tench them th m Clad wIth lIh newer never and greater authority hav hay havIns lag Ins come comp Into the tho fatness of at manhood 1 ami under tinder th the Uw low to take up time the th ministry mn tr He Ito taught ns as one OM hiv hV Ing authority and they the It and cn cast t Him out saying Is III He lie not Jos Joseph Joseph eph tho carpenters son antI hn R wo wm not HH His brothers and sisters with u us till 1111 this very veu day lay How ml sad the words of ot the th Master Mailer as ns He UP turns from them thema n a I prophet In is not without honor save In his bin nan country and among hl his hh own They know how lie He was waR mock moek I cd od hy by the Ph nail the Sadducees when mind III Ill 11 with Ith privation and with the wondrous labors he per ncr performed performed formed they tried riel unto him Physician hei lf Th They x watch Ulm through His Ills cour course cOline e of nt life lito They Thov can reid of at It II n OR do we fn How H un HI wept over owr the tho death of ot Lazarus how HB Ifs seemed as nl I a n man among men aside from His Ills ml powers of healing and divina divination tion At the same sante time lie He promised that those who believed on Him Ulm should do the works which Ho lIe did and greater works work and that the same lame signs should follow the true believer unto the end of the world We len a IV too that tho the early Apostles did raise the tha t hI dead to life performed miracles cast out evil spirits opened the eyes of at the blind unstopped the th cars ears of the tho deaf deat and caused the tho lame to leap like the hart They rend read of oC tho the Master ns os He went to Golgotha breaking down flown like a weak man under antler the heavy heny cros cro They Thc read how He lie died lied as a 1 man Hc dice Notwithstanding standing nil these there things they feel that Ho was no more than man They lose sight of ot the fact that He lIe was a II perfect man mann enjoying the full mill capabilities ties of oC man and ond that because been use of ot Ills His Ho hem had more than manhood that lie He had |
