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Show (2f? uvc ft CWcVvS EDITORIAL PAGE Life and (3ne this Ri ;S is rrects on of tin greatest truths ever utteied is am the resurrection and the life." And Martha v.ho heard it said to Him who thus spoke: "Thou art the Christ, the Son ot God, which should come into the world." (John Hi There were doubters in those days as there are doubters today, but the fact still remains: Christ is the resurrection and the lilt. He restored life, even as in the first place He gave it. for He is the Creator, the Redeemer, the Savior and the Messiah. WHO CAN LOOK UPON the death of a loed one and fail to feel a sense of Tmmortality ? Who can truly think that there I hereafter? Arthur Compton, world renowned scientist and Nobel prize winner, w riting for is no )r. the I, os Angeles Times, said: "If we were to use our own best judgment what would we say is the most important thing about a noble man? Would we not place first the beauty of his character? It takes a whole lifetime to build the character of a noble man. "Having been thus perfected, what shall nature do with him? Annihilate him? What intinite waste! "I PREFER TO believe that he lives on alter death, continuing in a larger sphere, in cooperation with his Maker, the work he has here begun." nearly every one. But who provides that immortality of which even the scientists speak? Certainly not the scientists, and not the politicians, nor the educators nor the businessmen. They are all shocked and appalled at death. They stand before it helplessly. May most of them allow a spark of hope, if not of faith, to rise in their hearts and persuade them to believe in God! And so it is with BIRTH IS unexplainable without God. So is death. And certainly is this true of immortality! But to bring the dead back to life only an infinite power can do that. And an infinite power did. the divine Christ, who had w ithin Himself control of life and death and the ability to live again. Jesus is the life of all. It is His Spirit w hie h gi es life and light to every creature. As He survived the grave, so shall we. As He lives now in His heavenly glory, so may we if we will but follow Him. RESURRECTION WILL come to all, good and evil, believers and unbelievers. But there are grades of resurrection as Paul told the Corinthians. (1 Cor. 15). To receive the highest we must follow Christ in devoted obedience. That alone will qualify us for such a blessing. Christ lives. As lie came back from the grave, so shall we. It will be only by His power, however, for He alone is the resurrection and the life. Prophecy Fulfilled UK OFTKN SPEAK of prophecies concerning the latter days, and their fulfillment. Some are being fulfilled at this present time. One of the most remarkable instances is Ibe unfolding of Book of Mormon predictions concerning the Lamanites and their emergence as recipients of God's great blessings in latter days. Many art the scriptural references to their development, and remarkable is the fulfillment that is now taking place. TIIK SCRIPTURES spoke of the manner in which the Lamanites would first be driven and scattered, but that afterward, they would begin to believe in Christ, and be numbered w ith His Church. Note just a few facts concerning them as presented in the December issue of Ensign Magazine: At the present time there are 30 stakes in the Church with predominantly Lamanite membership. It is estimated that there are currently 350.000 members of the Church who are of Lamanite descent. This is about 10 percent of the total membership. THE CHURCH HAS established excel lent schools for people of Lamanite blood in the Pacific islands, in Mexico, Central .America, and South America. Some 10,000 t $6 Sr CHURCH " WEEK ENDING APRIL - . i .', 1 7, 1 976 students are enrolled in them, mostly of Lamanite descent. Another 13.000 arc enrolled in seminary classes near public and federal schools in the United States and Canada. kindergarten seminary system serves still another 12,500 from 40 tribes in 20 states of the American Union and five Canadian provinces. A Fifteen hundred attend Brigham Young University at its Provo and Hawaiian canq Rises. Lamanite students have earned 2bO baccalaureate and advanced degrees from RYU in 51 different fields of study. A REMARKABLE DEVELOPMENT has been the effort of the Church to teach illiterate Indians, particularly of South America, to read and write. Reading is taught phonetically, and to 1.000 such Indians have learned to re. id. thus opening a whole new life to them. date The Book of Mormon prophecies are lieing fulfilled among those peoples. Advancement will continue. The day of the Lamanite has dawned, and they are responding to the opportunities given them. HISTORICAL VIGNETTES Samuel Chambers the spring of 1870 a small group of blacks arrived Lake City from Mississippi. For Samuel Chambers, the leader of the group, being among the Saints fulfilled a dream. When Mormon missionaries preached in eastern Mississippi in early 1844, they converted and baptized a old slave boy, Samuel Davidson Chambers. But unlike other converts who migrated to Nauvoo, Samuel's status as a slave forced him to stay behind. Until he reached Utah nearly three decades later Samuel had no further contact with the Church, "never heard another word of the gospel. He told his new Utah friends that despite "not having kind parents" to encourage him, and even tho lacking age and experience, still "the spirit of God remained within In in Salt 26-ye- me." Maturing into manhood he married, but later his wife and two children were sold into Texas. He married again in 1858 to Amanda Leggroan. As years went by he "greatly longed to join the Saints but "I never could see how it would be brought about. Finally fteed from slavery hy the Civil War, he went to work to save means to gather (to Utah); this took me four years. Arriving in Utah with him was wife Amanda, son Peter, Amandas brother Edward Leggroan, Edward's w ife Susan, and three small children. Samuel from then on functioned faithfully in the Church. He soon received a patriarchal blessing which promised him that if faithful he would live to an old age, prosper, and be well regarded by the Saints. He lived to he 98 and faithfully tithed, paid donations, kept the Word of Wisdom and the Sabbath day, attended meetings, bore his testimony, and served in wards. His skill as a grower of small fruit brought him state fair prizes and some wealth. His prosperity and strange religion made Samuel a legend among relatives in the South whom he visited in 1911. He was a friend to hundreds of Saints and to many General Authorities Shortly after their 65th wedding anniversary, his beloved Amanda passed away. Samuel followed her five ears later, dying in 1929 William Hartley Part ol a erie produce bv the Church Historical Department I |