| Show LARGE ATTENDANCE ATM AT THE TABERNACLE President A H Lund and Elder Heber J i Grant the Speakers Yesterday tHE MUSIC WAS EXCELLENT Mission of oC Sin lor tim tho Res nes Restoration of oC Gospel DUll and Life Lire of oC Joseph Smith Spoken Of Yesterdays services In tho the tabernacle In commemoration commemoration of or the tho birth of at the prophet Joseph Smith tho the anniversary f of at which occurred lost last Thursday were wera by ty a largo large attendance which nearly filled the large auditorium l A larger number than usual of or the gen gen authorities of or tho Church Chur h were present on the tho stand and Interesting I addresses cs were given slen iron by President Anthon H Lund and Elder Hober Heber J Grant of at the council of twelve A feature of at the tho musical exercises was tho the excellent quartet 0 O GIve me mo Jack flack My h Prophet Dear suns sung by James Hyrum H rum J Christen Christensen Ben sen David Kirk Hirt I Irl and Andrew Peter Poter Eon son The other hymns were nero Praise to tho Man by b the choir and congregation tion Sing Slag 0 O sing the Wondrous ondrous Story by tho choir and The Restore tion of or tho the Gospel sung sunS by b the choir at tho the close John M Knight of at tho the Ensign stake presidency offered tho the opening prayer and President Joseph F Smith pro pronounced pronounced the benediction President Lunds address dealt with the mission of at the Savior the apostasy which was as predicted by b the Apostle Paul the thc restoration In the last days which was also predicted by John the Revelator and the birth and labors of at Joseph Smith the man chosen to fulfill Johns prediction In Elder Grants address addre were ad nd advanced I a number of at Impressive Impre rea rca reasons sons for tor believing In and accepting 4 j Joseph Smith as the prophet of at tho the nineteenth century There were present of at the general genera authorities Presidents Joseph F FSmith FSmith FSmith Smith John R It Winder and Anthon H Hi i Lund Iund Also Mso Elders John Henry Honry Smith c b Rehor T f Grant Rudger Rud cr Clawson r George Gc rge S s Richards Orson Orion F Whitney y yand and Anthony W Inns Ivins ot of tho the council r of ot twelve I A synopsis of oC both addresses addre cs follows PREST A H LUND LU D President Lund said we wo celebrated the birth of ot the tho Savior yesterday and If It the exact day Is 19 unknown It matters motters f little so that wo we know that he came and made reconciliation between God Godi Godl i and find man l I Although his coming was wa announced 5 and he came cae to his own yet they re reI received I him not but for tor all that the tho glorious words said In connection with his coming Peace Pence on earth good will to man have havo been since repeated by succeeding ages to the present time He Be grew up like men and at the age of at 30 years ho began his ministry His doctrines were vastly different from those taught by others around him He summarized the law of ot God Gid Gi d as fol tal follows 01 lows Love Loe God with all thy heart hearL hearLand and thy th neighbor as ns thyself He HeS H was betrayed by one ono of ot his close friends and gave aye his life Ute on the cross for tor his brethren Death could not hold him and he ho was WIlS resurrected and sat down at nt the right hand of at God It was test testified fled fied at his ascension that he would come In like manner as ns ho he had ascend ascended ed When ho left leU the earth the care cans of at tho the Church rested upon men whom ho holett left lett to direct Its Us affairs Tho The Church of at Christ and Its authorized ministers were then on tho the earth and they the car carried carried ried ned tho the word to tho the nations They however looked forward to a general apostasy President Lund here read r from rom Pauls epistle to the Thessalonians where he stated that tho the second coming of ot Christ would not como come until thero there had first been a falling failing away Paul also warned Timothy saying that In the last days das perilous times would come John on Patmos was ws also shown that a n certain power would arise make war with the Saints and overcome them Ho was wasI I also shown as recorded In the tho i chapter that an angel should fly i through tho the midst of or heaven having tho everlasting gospel to preach pr h to those who dwell on the tho earth This was for all people and for tor every overy na nation nation tion What John predicted above has been fulfilled In tho the birth of at Joseph Smith which occurred years ago last Thursday Ho He was made an Instrument Instrument instrument ment In the hands of at God to accomplish accomplish his purposes In the last days Ho He was born In Vermont of ot goodly parents An examination of the tho records shows this In spite of at statements to the contrary His ancestors were pros prosperous prosperous though Josephs father rather through confidence In men had lost means moans and at Josephs birth tho family wore were poor At the ago age of at 14 Joseph found himself surrounded by a great religious revival by which he was led to go and ask God which of at all the churches were true A glorious vision Islon of or the tho Father and Son was given him and he was waa told to Join none of ot tho the churches Later he was given other visions vision Including ono one of at the prophet Moroni Moron who quoted various passages of ot Scrip ture to him Including Iza Isa II 1 and ana 2 and also passages P 08 In regard to salva salvation salvation tion to the dead Last of at all ho told him about the plates on which was en engraved graved a L record of at the ancient of or America means of or translating th them m being furnished by b God In III addition to the testimony of at Joseph Smith In re record regard cord gard ard to this record wo o have hae 11 other othor witnesses who testify In clear language that they know It Is true President Lund Lurid hero read d the testimony of ot the th three thre witnesses Some Somo of ot the tho wit witnesses nesses ne afterwards left the tho Church and were dealt with by b Joseph Smith which If It there thele had Ivon l een fraud and de do deception ho hB would have been to do for fear that the fraud might ml ht he e exposed It Is a strange thing that all cli of tho the three witnesses fell tell away from the Church Oliver Cowdery asked a ked to t como come back Into tho Church and lie ho had IUd to do tho the same ramo as any other othor member r would have to do What could Induce Oliver Cowdery to come back If it he knew Joseph Smith was Ya a 1 pro prophet prophet prophet phet Ho HB was WIlS with the In inthe the tho revelations of at those early erl days day in incident to the establishment of at hc tho Church If It there was anything wrong I In the tho statements regarding Ulf Josph Smiths Smith life lito and Inborn those tholo nim would not seek neck Martin 1 n Harris also ulao came back bacic and ane David Dald did not do to eo ho nover wavered In his testimony rO u the tho Book Dook of oz Mormon lormon President Lund road read extracts from tram Humes argument against tho ro ur wherein that writer stated staled that It U was less difficult to bellove that thu IV 12 1 men were In error then than to believe that thata a man rose from tram the dead contrary to oil nil human humans experience Hence Humo Hunio accepted the tho easiest thing to behove ve Still It is hardly credible that 12 such as the apostles of at old would con coil conspire spire together to deceive decele when It wee waa not to their Interest to do so to They hid had nothing to gain by It and therefore the iho world assumes the tho testimony to to be betrue c true truer r want to uso use the same rome argument In favor of at tho the 12 mon men who testify regard regardIng reg nl Ing the tho truth of at tile the Book Dook of at Mormon Even when they had nothing to gain fain they tho adhered to their testimony und this In spite of at the fact tact that seine of at them thorn were excommunicated Tho The pro dictions of at Joseph Smith and their ful tul fulfilment were ere spoken of ot especially those concerning tho the Civil war and anti tho th gathering of or tho the Saints tu to the Rocky His life lite also bears evidence of at his hIli calling Ho was loved loed by those closest closes to him him many man of at whom revered him a aa an as asa a n man mon of at God His death also showed tho the character of at tho the man his hla last act net In Jumping out of ot the window end and thus saving tho the lives lIes of ot two brethren who vho ho were ere in the tho Jail being characteristic of at tho the man whose life lito was spent sp nt in working for the good Oed of at others R H J GRANT Elder Eider Heber J 3 Grant said sald he had al always always ways been blessed with a peaceful In Influence influence fluence In speaking of ot the life lito of at Joseph Smith When a boy attending Sunday school he rood road that on a certain voyage some of ot Napoleons generals were dis discussing cussing cus Jesus Christ when the great general said that he ho had no doubt that Christ was the Son of at God because bemuse of at athis his influence after alter the lapse of at 1800 years when men are willing to die for tor his name today without having any earthly hone hOD of reward The same argument may may be used re regarding regarding regarding garding the life of at Joseph Smith His followers meet with no earthly reward yet In spite of all this men are willing willingto to make the samo same sacrifices to obey the thc principles he lie taught after ho has been dead over half a 0 century Elder Grant said tho the fact tact that Joseph Smiths teachings were scriptural was wasa a proof of his divine mission Ho He also enlarged on the fact tact that men will not combine together to work deception and fraud without It Is to their thelT Interest to todo todo todo do so io which was not the case roso with Joseph Smith and his associates The Tho lives of at the Saints were referred to as proving that the re religion religion ligion established by Joseph Josoph Smith was divine and his authority Gi The Tho experience of at Col Thomas Th mas who wrote te teI My I Reasons for Leaving Le tho the Church of at England was also spoken of He Joined tho the Church of Jesus Christ of at Saints after he had bad thor thoroughly thoroughly Investigated the same being led to do It U because of at tho the practical re results suits Bulla flowing from tho establishment of ot the th gospel In the last days Elder Eldor Grant referred In a very ef of effective manner to tho fact tact that Joseph Smith gathered around him some of ot the he purest and most men mon menat of at his time If It birds of ot a feather gath gather er Cr together the character of ot the tho men drawn around Joseph Smith proves him hima a good man The love of at Rich Richards Richards Richards ards and John Taylor for Joseph Smith at the time of at his martyrdom waa was also mentioned as well as ns the sacrifices made by converts to his teachings as proof of at tho the divinity of at his mission Tho The testimony of at Parley P Pratt Ellsa Ellza El R Snow and others regarding the tho char character character character acter disposition and talents of at Joseph Smith also spoken of at to show that the slurs of at his enemies are aro with without cut out foundation In fact tact Rileys work was also referred to wherein that writer weakly tries to tomake tomake make a case caS against Joseph Smith on the grounds rounds of ot hereditary epilepsy aft after after er or which Elder Grant read copiously from roni tho the writings of Josiah Quincy regarding Joseph Smiths work and his forecast of at the tile position he will wll occupy In ip tho the future Joseph Smiths advice regarding slavery which had It been beon followed foll mcd would have havo saved millions of at dollars and many lives was also re referred referred erred to The practical working of ot tho the religion established by b Joseph Smith was also spoken of at and tho the lives of at the Latter I day Saints were referred to as UI support supportInG log InG ng their claims that they have the truth In conclusion Elder Grant bore borea boren a n strong tr ng testimony to tho the divinity of or Joseph Smiths mission |
