Show GROWTH OF TILE THE T CHURCH CUCH Tho The Church Curch of ot Jesus eus Christ of ot Lat Lt Saints was wa founded In 11 1830 Fourteen Foren years ye afterwards the tho to Prophet and ad Patriarch wore were cruelly murdered Tho Tito Saints wore driven from their homos homes home and settlements and forced out Into the tho barren barn wilderness to perish To human humal eye ey it i looked Joked as a If J the career of ot the Church was wa ended But behold But Ho who iho watched over Hagar In the tho th thirsty thirty desert deser He by whoso whose o word cord tho the Church was wa organized to last for tor ever He led His Is people with powerful arm to the chambers cambers of the time mountains AS ASit AsIt Asit it Is said sad of oC tho woman In II the tho Apocalypse Apocalypse so 80 it can be said of ot the cn b purse perse persecuted p ro cute Church Cuch she was given gen the of ot tho te great groat eagle ele that she might fly Into tho wilderness Into her place where she is nourished for tor a a time from tho to face tac of ot the te serpent Tho The Church has grown Today it has ha In I the neigh neighborhood of half hat a n million milon members They hey are aro ao scattered over the tc face to of oC the tho globe Their doctrines are aro ae heard around arund tho the world How floss does Ioe the tho to numerical growth of ot tho the Church compare to that of the first frt Apostolic church chu At the te teda day da of ot Pentecost three thousand souls soult SUId were aided added ude to that church Seventy Senty years later there theme were according lo to lotho lotho tho the best authorities about abut Go Chris Christians in time the world The Tho To Church in the ili latter later days das was q founded with wih Elx members ond the tho Increase has been ben about abt in the annie sama proportion as a that that of ot the church founded on the tho day of Pentecost May lra wo we carry cy tho th comparison still further At the time of oC Constantine Constantino thero there were ten and ad a half halt millions cf ef professed Christians in the world In Into Inthe the tho to middle middie ages age at the time of ot the tho separation between the tho East Eat and West Vest Y lt there were about abut thirty millions At Atthe Atthe Atthe the time of 01 the tho Reformation there wore wor a hundred millions and today toay the tho professed followers of or tho the Nazareno are aro ar estimated at a If I the growth of ot the Church proceeds anything In this proportion the Saints will 1 number millions milons before tho the end of ot the present century The first half bt of or t Nineteenth can cen oeD f tury tur tur saw R several religious movements take to form ton Where Ver are ae thoy they today In th England a really rel remarkable organization lion tion was WD headed hoed by Edward Irving IrIng n a Presbyterian clergyman clo H He was waa Wn a at gifted preacher and mid people flocked to his hJ church to t listen to him He e taught tho restoration of oC the spiritual gifts including time the gift of ot prophecy In 1831 men and women woman of or tho church of ot Irving IrInI claimed to havo have received all al tho the gifts said Bald to to follow tol w faith They Thoy claimed lo to speak by Inspiration In 1333 Irving IrIne built bui a for hid his flock fook Ho no died tho the next year but his hla adherents multIplied multi multiplied plied pled for a short short time They Thoy Toy had Md apes apos apostles aps tics te prophets evangelists elders elders dea deet deacons de cons cn etc They The sent Bent out missionaries to other countries and found many ad adherents A adherents abroad notably not ly at Berlin But where Is tho organization today today Who has ha heard hed anything of ot tho the followers of oC Irving Take To another illustration In the month ot of March 1830 1810 the tho followers rs ot 01 St Simon In Franco France commenced their work for tho the gathering of ot proselytes They They proclaimed among men They denounced denounce tho the condition of ot so society society cloty under which they tey said Id one class cla clais Is made mae to work for another They taught tu ht it I was wrong to own property It I was wa the time duty dut of or society scoty to assign each one to his work and to t reward all al according to t merit merJ salon selon sion ea sa 8 capacite chaque capacito scion salon sea cs was wa their motto They Thoy taught the supremacy of or tho the priesthood and ad promised the tho coming of or a golden ago ao when the tho priests were given the tho leader leadership lener leadership ship of ot the state They hey taught that all al science sence is tho the knowledge of ot God all ni Industry is worship and ad art a Is I religion They found a number of ot adherents in France but bt soon sn the leaders leer became in involved involved in dispute and ad the disciples were weN scattered Who Wo today toda knows anything about St St Simon and and his Cal fol followers lowers lower It I is different with the Church It I has ha grown gown and antI developed from tho the be beginning beginning ginning gl Thousands have left it It un unable unable unable able to stand the tho trials of ot persecution or o unable to control their desires des rs and conform to the laws ot of God l Thousands have left in open rebellion as Lucifer anti and an his hosts rebelled and were cast out of or heaven heaven but by this process the tho Church has grown and become ocomo stronger for only tho the men and women of ot real rel worth have havo been ben able to t remain faith faithful falth faithful ful ful Only On tho tile gold has ha stood sto the tha th tests of the fiery fer furnace And the growth of ot tho the Church must mut bo be b measured not net only by Its Is numerical strength but by the acceptance of ot the world of tho the truth proclaimed by the tho Prophet Joseph Josoph and ad his associates In Inthis this respect more mor has ha been ben accomplish accomplished ed by tho the messengers messenger of ot tho the Gospel Go l than anyone aono is aware of or can fully appreciate elate clate Tho world is beginning to be believe b behove hove lieve in healing by b faith in the Word of ot Wisdom In tho time doctrine of ot salva salvation salvation tion ton for the dead ded in the law of ot tithing th thing tithing ing in eternal progression and ad in many may other oter doctrines of ot The Tho truth is leavening the religious and amid phil philosophic phi philosophic systems stems of ot the tho to world and it is but a question of ot time when the Prophet et it Josoph Joseph will wi be acknowledged as a one on of ot the great Seat men in the world trend a a re me reformer former forer and a mighty factor in Its de do development |