Show THEIR VS IN CHRISTS DAY AND IX IN THESE oats DATS we found this thia fellow perverting the nation and forbidding to give tribute to caesar saying that he be himself la is christ a king tang he hup the people 2 teaching throughout all jewry beginning from galilee to this place SUCH were the accusations brought against jesus by the scribes and ahari sees when they took him before pilate in the above accusation there is not one word about the religious doctrines that jesus taught though from the account of his hia trial given us by the evangelists there can be no doubt but that the principles of the everlasting gospel the glad message of salvation that he bore was the true cause of their hatred to himself and his disciples yet if we may believe the words of these self righteous teachers of israel the of fences of jesus were entirely of a political nature he was seditious his teachings were treasonable ile he stirred up the people he defrauded the internal revenue department by forbidding to give tribute to caesar cassar he attempted to establish an independent monarchy within the limits of the roman empire by declaring himself christ a king and from dan to beersheba from galilee to jerusalem throughout the length and breadth 0 of f all jewry he journeyed filling the minds of the people with withe his seditious teachings and treasonable ideas the worthy scribes and their co laborers who were so zealous in defense of csezar and his tribute would no doubt have repelled with scorn the imputation that they were gettin getting up a religious persecution against jesus jesus and this associates and would loudly assert that their loyalty to the great roman empire and their love for its institutions were the all important causes of their hostility to his teachings and practices and the outraged feelings of the thousands of judah and galilee galileo which could not be jg ignored n ored nor passed by were their on only ly incentives to action was tried and condemned for his hia supposed political crimes and over his head was nailed as he be hung bung on the cross I 1 the inscription jesua jesus of nazareth the king of the jews today to day the same gospel of jesus jesua is tau taught lit the same bame spirit of persecution fol foi follows aws and the same subterfuge is had bad recourse to it is not to your religion we object cry the op opponents faith of the priesthood not to your faith falth nor your zeal nor good works but our enmity has arisen and i 13 s even even ever and anon increased hy by yo i opposition to the laws and our glorious land of freedom you may talk of religious persecutions but llis itis absurd you may refer to your hiAt hlat history bry but it is vanity the genius of the nineteenth century is opposed to all persecutions for conscience sake sakei and in this thia cherished home of liberty beneath the broad folds of the Constitution it can have never been Is not now nor in the nature of thin things as can be that a people are called to suffer exile expatriation and death for the cause of religion then wherein where irn lri have we wo offended As did jesus and those who obeyed his words nearly two hun huni i dred years ago it il was treason then and it is treason now to maintain the right of jehovah to rule in the world he has so wondrously organized and so marvelously sustains this is fhe the head and front of our of rending offending this is the quintessence of our crime jesus was charged with sedition and treason how often has the same been charged against the latter day saints he was wag charged with defrauding caesar cresar of his tribute we know how falsely how often has the like false charge been thrown in the face of the people of utah he was waa accused of ji striving to establish an independent monarchy in the midst of the roman em empire ire lre how often have we been charged with striving to build up a separate government in the centre og 0 the united states of disobeying its laws and dishonoring its officers the historical parallel is so apparent that even the hernds and juanse of today to day must fain acknowledge th the truth the record of all the persecutions bufi sufi by the saints in these days demonstrates o mon strates beyond all it was the organization of the church with its apostles and inspired priesthood its claims to direct communication with the heavens its gathering of the people the true causes of thel the atred hatred and opposition of those who persecuted the people of god in 10 the early days of the history of the church her enemies did not urge the flimsy argument of political of fences ag against dinst the latter day saints they openly avowed that their opposition eros aros arose efrom from the religious teachings of joseph and his followers it has remained for those who now fight against the truth to make the discovery that the troubles of the church in new york ohio missouri and illinois arose from our opposition to the execution of the laws of the land but some bome excuse palatable to the pride of the people has been required to ease their consciences and nothing could possibly go down so well in these times of political excitement as charging the saints with disloyalty sedition and kindred sins from time to time the prophet joseph sep and his brethren were charged with almost every crime from petty larceny to treason that it was possible for the malice of their enemies to invent pr or for men mea to commit yet their record Is clear again and again did the courts declare them not guilty when if they had had the slightest shadow of a chance they would have been beell only too pleased to convict them and arid such hassone has gone on until today to day with wita every action of the saints demonstrating their fidelity to the constitution of their country and their love for its institutions and the cry has been raised of disloyalty and treason it is 14 true that the spirit and ge genius lus ius of the nineteenth century is V vastly t y liberal to all except the holy priesthood but bat the thet spirit and genius of every age from the beginning until now has been opposed to the work of god and it is none the less so today to day that spirit of opposition to god and truth that reigns in in the hearts of the disobedient is stronger than the passing sentiment of wy age our own not excepted and the enmity between truth and and error right and wrong vice and virtue light and darkness will remain until the work of jehovah is accomplished and all his enemies are bound until then we shall expect to suffer persecution no matter to what cause our enemies may assign it sye lye we know full well that it is but the ev evidences 11 ances of the never ceasing hatred of those who love darkness because their deeds are evil to those who bring the light to bear on their sins and expose their corruptions corrupt ions to the eyes of all the world |