Show BY ELDER JUNIUS JUNIRS F eili ELLS DELIVERED in the tabernacle salt lake otty city sunday afternoon july 1885 2885 REPORTED BY JOHN IRVINE it is with pleasure that I 1 arise to speak to you yon lor tor a few in moments ments gents and to bear my testimony to the truth of the work in which we are engaged I 1 desire while I 1 am before you that I 1 may mat have the support of your faith and prayers that what I 1 may say may be dictated by the spirit of truth I 1 rejoice in assembling with the lat ter day saints in leoung looking upon their faces laces in mingling with them in the exercises of devotion which we are accustomed cus tomed to pay our father and god I 1 rejoice in the society of latter day saints because in their society I 1 recognize a spirit of purity of holiness and virtue that in contrast with the state of things that predominates in the world is as the heavens to the earth I 1 love to be with our people in tim times es when the wicked assail them for I 1 feel among them a sense of safety a feeling of security security I 1 of contentment of ha happiness p p id that id e not believe can be rea realized 1 i e toso great an extent among other people we have among us our differences and evils we have causes to mourn occasions that make us feel sad but I 1 know of nothing that produces this feeling to so great a degree among the saints as the growing consciousness among them that what is called the christian world has concluded not to receive christianity as it was revealed in the tile ministry of jesus christ we know that god has revealed in the day in which we live the principles of truth as they were in the beg beginning ining as they ever have been as they ever must be in an fn time and all eternity we know that that which he has revealed in our day and generation is identical with the truths that fell from the lips of our savior in the meridian of time and challenge the world to a comparison of the doctrines to convince themselves this challen challenge challene e has been sent abroad to almost every natio nand kindred and tongue ana and and ana people of th the whole earth it is open today to day we ask the investigation of mankind we ask our fel brethren and sisters sons and daughters of the same god to listen to the truths of heaven eternal truths that god has revealed but B u t mankind t blyeven in this enlightened age the truth that men by their own wisdom are enabled to discover to the truths which god by his infinite wisdom reveals this is true to so great an extent that the foremost thinkers even amon among what Is called the religious world have concluded to lay aside the old truths of christianity the old doctrines doctrine of christianity as unfitted to the age in which we live I 1 had the Nl pleasure I 1 think eight weeks ago today ay to listen to first of a series of sermons by perhaps the foremost clergyman of this age certainly of the country in which in his inimitable manne rhe said he had lad conclude dafter the profoundest thought and research that people should wipe out mandof many of the old oid ideas of religion that have prevailed in christendom for 1800 years so asto maintain harmony harmody with the modem discoveries of science with the darwinian theory and philosophy philos phy he has also sacrificed the book upon which their faiths and their beliefs are founded and as the surest possible evidence thau thai faith in that sacred record the holy bible is a thing of the past rev henry ward beecker beecher declares that if it is true then I 1 mormon asmis true I 1 we are exactly of the same opinion as rev kev beecher in that respect but it does not prove alto aito altogether 11 ether the falsity of that which has been accepted in the world as christianity the bible contains the doctrines that the latter day saints preach that the latter day saints have the courage in the face of all the world to practice they are doctrines of truth ef of holiness of progress and advancement designed to save men to build them up to devel detel developed dev elope ope the best thoughts in them and prepare them for greater light and greater knowledge and understanding der standing than dawned upon mankind in ages past to prepare a people ehtle by their intelligence by their fury fully developed e characters for that gl glorious orlou day when the son of god shall come among them and dwell with them it is true that it is impossible for the christian world to harmonize many of the doctrines that are growing in avor with them today to dav day with the holy scriptures and for that reason the latter day saints mourn that their brethren and sisters of the world hough probes professing an christianity should shoula e averse to receiving the principles f christianity as they were revealed b bv the savior himself today to day with ail art afi ail the christianity that prevails in the world where dodou do you find men who are willing to receive the very first the fundamental principles of the doctrine of christ where are those who will receive the mist alst ministry y of such as conveyed christian pr principles nei net pa es in the meridian of time to the understanding of men what I 1 the administration of angels in our day and age of the world A greater absurdity could not be pro proposed posea what faith laith as the first principle of salvation no reason is the first principle of salvation in the day and age in which we live but it 9 not written in the doctrine of christ believe and thou be saved is the doctrine of the saylor savior it is belief it is faith that underlies that knowledge which secures mankind an entrance into the kin kingdom dom of god we teach and have been taught that we must have faith in the lord jesus christ that we must believe in the words of truth that have been revealed from him that we must put our trust in god who has delivered ills ilia people in times that are past and gone that we must rely upon his direction and walk in the path that ile he shall lead us in fearing only him fearing not man who can destroy the body but fearing god who can destroy both body and soul in our endeavor to keep the commandments mand ments of god to practice them to heed the teachings of angels sent from the throne of grace to put away our sins to live pure lives boliand righteous ia the sight of god and our fellow men to enter into sacred places and administer the ordinances of everlasting lif for ourselves auditor our dead in endeavoring to do these things we have incurred the displeasure of an unbelieving world of those who have substitute substituted i something else as the first principles les ies of life anz anS and aud salvation for those which whicK were given 1800 years ago by the savior of the world the world has assumed to sit in judgment upon us as for this belief the world has assumed to say 0 that we have done wrong in accepting these truths and living according to the law which god has revealed for our guidance and our government overn ment now for one I 1 do not believe believe belleve that the judgment in this re of the world will materially affect us in practicing and carrying out the purposes of jehovah certainly it cannot change the truth if mormonism is truth the adverse criticism and judgement jud gement of mankind cannot materially affect its practice they certai certainly certainly nl cannot stand against that power w illich which ever accompanies the promulgation of truth because of this latter latte dav rd saints have no fears of the future we vve are dauntless in our advocacy of these principles because we know that they are true and must therefore prevail there is very little endeavor I 1 may here remark on the part cart of those who seek to abusland abu seand misrepresent us and 40 0 bring down upon us evils there is among them verv very vert very little disposition to examine the principles that we profess and teach there is very little disposition among them or desire to ascertain if these things are not true or to find anything in the way of argument against that which we teach and practice 6 before the world they have sent up the strong religious men of the nation to show us tiie the error of our ways we have gladly met them we have met them in this building in discussion for the purpose of havin having them bring forth their reasons to show that we are in error and that t the he j judgment ud of the world is right what hla has s been the result the faith of the lat ter day saint saints has been increased they have been confirmed and strengthened in their belief and we have geard heard very little boasting of the success of those who were sent to show us the error of our ways I 1 imagine that if there had been success we would never have heard the last of it this judgment of the world against us assuming that we are wrong assuming that there is something up here in utah that is not right that is not consistent with christianity or the enlightenment of the age has caused perhaps some distress caused us to witness scenes that have a tendency to try the faith of bf the latter day sag saints gits fits to prove their integrity for one viewing the matter in that light licht i I 1 thank god for iti thank god that we are permitted to live in a dagand age of the world when he has not forgotten ills his people and has demonstrated to them and to mankind as well that they are in possession of the truth if we were of the world the world would love its own but we have come out of the world therefore the world hate us they have in various ways manifested their evil disposition towards us since the commencement of the church and kingdom of god upon the earth in this generation since the day that joseph smith received the revelations of god through the administration of angels fro from M heaven there has been a hu hue e and cry raised against our people an endeavor endea to blot out the work that the saints have been engaged in but let me tell you on my faith and belief and testimony Is Is ilat that the world has lost its opportunity to destroy that which is called mormonism that gods eternal truth as received and practiced by the latter day saints in these mountains is rooted and grounded so deep and aud firm that it will never while time and eternity lasts be uprooted or destroyed I 1 cannot conceive my brethren and sisters of the destruction of a truth if mankind will assume that there is an error here that needs to be rooted out if their assumption were correct I 1 would not deny dent their power to succeed in the effort they have said that which they say most is that our homes are not pure that our homes are not constructed upon the right plan they forget that the homes teat god most honored in ages that are gone n by were constructed upon the fo plan pian iare lare that the latter day saints advocate and holdout hold hoid out to the world as the plan of god they forg forget et that jesus christ the son of god delighted in tracing ills earthly lineage through the tho homes horneg of polygamists they have havu undertaken to destroy uch homes I 1 feel in my heart sorry for the mau man who conceives that ile he has tha the power to succeed in such au an unholy but they say lifty millions have declared against us I 1 do not take any stock in this assumption on the part of a few that fifty millions have condemned us have said that we are wrong and that we must go there are those who have been throwing dust in the eyes of the fifty millions who say so bus but iel leu lel let me tell you how it can very readily be discovered whether we are arc wrong or not we have petitioned we gave rave have plead with the powers power of this government to send among us a commission of honorable men to investigate the situation here and to let all the tre world know what the great error and crime is that we are accused of the kind of commission we want Is this we want the government if it Is possible in all this land of enlightenment 11 among all these people that are offended at the immorality of the mormons Mormon Mor mons sl to select a comm commission isMon of men who are perfectly true to their marital relations who are virtuous and we challenge challen ge that commission com of men to prove us an immoral people let them go into our homes and whai what will we show them there we will show them respect of husbands for wives wives for husbands parents for children children for parents and for each other we will show them faith we vve will show them virtue and we vb challenge them to deny the truth of our showing tu the american people then if we are not immoral why this hue and cry raised against a usi us can you answer who have passed laws to send men whose lives are above reproach into prison and to scatter their families can you who have passed such wicked laws answer if we p prave rov e that we are a moral peorl they may say gay that we are independent well I 1 thank god for one that I 1 trace my lineage back through a race of independent men who had the courage over 2 years ago to stand up in the face of inimical laws against their religion and say my conscience is my own if need be I 1 will leave my native land that I 1 may serve my god 1 and they did so and helped to form a government upon this land that god in his ills infinite mercy and wisdom had held in reserve for many ages for a people that would accord to his bis sons and daughters the right to worship and honour him acco according to the light tuat was in them we do not see unless there is something rotten in denmark why the american people should fear the taie independence of the mormons cormons Mor mons 11 I 1 do not see why there should be any dread at giving us our equal states rights the privilege to elect our off omm meers officers and administer the laws according to the wisdom that is in us god knows our fellow men know these hypocrites and liars who are misrepresenting us to the world know we are capable of self govern ment and of instituting and preserving the securest sechrest secure st and safest government and the most economical of any people in this land I 1 say that without boasting but we would not hae have ha e that reputation if we elected our villi flers to the of offices flees and I 1 do not think we will do it I 1 cannot see my heart cannot conceive my understanding is not broad enough to fathom the reason why we should not because of our religion be accorded equal rights with ou our r fellow citizens of this country we have the stability of commerce and society we have the wealth we have the population we have every requisite qualification for self government and in the light of freedom I 1 have nt yet to hear kear a reason assigned for with withholding from us our rights righta the nearest thing to a reason I 1 have heard is that we are an unpopular people with the rest of the citizens of this country and then the next reason is and that which I 1 really believe is deeply felt the jealousy of the east with respect to the west the feeling that the great commercial interests of the east should have greater representation in the halls of congress than the sparsely settled regions of the west but I 1 look forward my brethren and sisters to the time w when len hen the truth will dawn upon this nation with respect to this people I 1 look forward to the day when they will discover that there has been a great bugaboo raised over this question of mormonism 77 which they will be ashamed to think they have paid much attention to or taken much notice of I 1 may say in a word that I 1 look forward to the time when the powers power that be in washington having raked and scraped the country as with a tine fine tooth comb will perhaps find half a dozen men of the character I 1 have referred d to who will look into this question 0 out u t here in the mountains and when t that h at time shall come perhaps we shall b be e vindicated in the eyes of our fellow men perhaps there will be a blush of shame |