Show THE BETTER civilization i A CLERGYMAN writing from the east makes inquiry respecting a contrast which he had seen in an eastern paper and which was war said to have been drawn by toy president young between the civilization which exists here and that which prevails elsewhere else where he says he wants to know the truth au if you have a better civilization than ours hesayo he says you must have a better religion we ought to adopt it for civilization is modulated by ligion religion ie and so on the other hand band if ours is better bettey th than an yours youra why not adopt ours oura I 1 confess that our civilization is far from what it ought to be and that our religion does not affect directly one fourth of our population this confession is a candid one and though truthful is one that preachers will rarely make but dut it embodies many strong points and points which should never be lost sight of nor shunned by remt reft reflecting eting efing melq melt tiie found nid rid er of the christinn christian religion titter td a ampie ample but great truth which the exlie experience of ages has corroborated where aher e he sald said a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit A good religion will bring forth a good civilization a corrupt religion will produce a base and an inferior civilization this gentleman states correctly that if we have a better civilization here hero than exists elsewhere we must have a better religion man uan many y will readily admit this in the abstract but bring them to the point and they argue that our civilization is not better than theirs or if we have features in ours superior to theirs that they are not the fruits of our rell reli religion gln gin they are the results of the circumstances which surround us when men bien can acknowledge that their civilization is far from what it ought to be and that their religion does not affect one fourth of their population Vs on they are in a good condition to rak aak around them and examine with care and without prejudice any system that promises better results such a civilization needs purifying 0 and the alx lx is correct which makes its improvement dependent upon an im moved religion one of the great obee eions afons to the religions which christendom acknowledges as orthodox is that they are content to sit ait side by side with everything that is vile tile contact with ith wickedness of the most abandoned ab character they do not shun nor shrink from on the contrary all their teachings recognize it as necessary and even indispensable their ministers instead of battling fearlessly persistently and with giant strength against wickedness in very acry every form andin and in every class discourse in silvery accents in such a mild placid manner upon its ita heinousness that men are lulled into the sleep af security instead of being aroused to a sense of their peril the orthodox religions of the day are popular religions lons their ministers court popularity they cannot afford to forfeit the thie good opinion of the wicked the result is wickedness thrives and flourishes under their auspices it permeates their civilization and they are powerless to prevent its development this is illustrated in the towns which kiark the progress of the great continental tin railroad men of god servants of f jesus christ would soon finish their ebors labors among such people as throng the line of the pacific railroad T they ey would either bring abo ut a change in theaon duet duct of those folks or they would like lot rot at sodom and gomorrah leave them to their fate no true servant of god could long labor among the corruption with which the very at atmosphere nao sphere reeks iii in those places if they did not change he would be compelled to shake the dust off his feet as a testimony against such people and to take his departure but popular ministers can cam dwell among them and sanction by presence these foul blots upon their civilization and in the midst of orgies the most disgusting gueting gutting talk about Je susand the blood lood that washes away all sin SIDI who can mn reflect upon these things and not entertain a feeling of contempt for men who thus profane so holy a name in such a connection and who degrade degraa e themselves while professing to have so sacred a calling by dwelling amid such surroundings the system believed in by the latter day saints faints is perfect but its ita believers agrenot the aim of its ministers la is to 6 ma make il ke themselves and the people as perfect as the reli religion glon gion of course when this is accomplished sin will be subdued contrast what has been done under the civilization which it has produced with what exists elsewhere two facts alone speak volumes in favor of its superior ly one is young men grow to manhood and when they marry thein their brides find them pure and virtuous the other is a case of secret disease is not known among the latter day saints in utah these alone are proofs sufficient clent to satisfy every reasonable thinking person of what our religion has done here without mentioning the entire absence of I 1 intemperance temperance and other evils |