Show THE STRENGTH OF THE SAINTS THE FAILURE OP OF THEIR FOES THE presidency of the church in the comprehensive epistle recently issued point out the fact that no man made system could have successfully withstood the combined aad determined warfare that has been waged against this church and that the strength of this system is the promise and its fulfillment fill ment of the testimony of its truth to every honest and obedient soul engaged in iii it the failure of all the varied assaults upon mormonism as it is called by the tae egild must strike reflecting minds as remarkable trace the history of this work back to its earthly beginning and it will be found a or succession of condei ful manifestations of strength and endurance it has been warred against from its birth by forces that naturally seemed so powerful that they could not be res resisted sted the talent of the age and the wealth of the world were arrayed against the unlearned and men engaged in its establishment tradition prejudice authority custom and settled theory were all against their doctrine ridicule misrepresentation and vile abuse were freely used to oppose them mob V violence 01 atice military force imprisonment and confiscation were tried for their destruction wholesale expatriation and the destruction of their homes and property followed with the martyrdom of their prophet and patriarch after burnings tillage pillage the violation of women and t the e murdering of old men and little children the armies of the nation were sent for their annihilation when this much tried people had colonized the barren wastes of the rocky mountain region hostile legislation was the next step and now all the machinery of the courts is applied for their oppression and sectarian preace preachers hers schools and ana missionary influence and cash mingled with the power of legal penalties and disabilities are brought to bear in a still more determined effort to break down the system and divide and subjugate its supporters disfranchisement imprisonment expatriation injustice oppression and usurpation are the latest weapons but all has been in vain consolidation is produced instead of division devotion instead of fear faith in place of doubt confidence in the place of hesitation mormonism goes forward and not backward there is no dismay in its ranks no surrender eur sur runder or compromise in its champions it maintains its integrity and is a living active impregnable power that is aided instead of impeded by the doings of its ts foes the ahe absence of their leaders makes no impression of weakness u upon on c the latter day saints this shoud should teach i a lesson to their enemies killing every prominent man would not stop the progress of the work in the least it is not dependent upon man and the people do not put their trust trust in flesh they chev have bowed to principles not to persons dersons they are guided by a divine 9 spirit p 1 r it not b bv mere human wisdom or a authority u th arity this hi spirit is the common h heritage er I 1 tage it is not v vested ested in the heads of t the h e church as a special favor it is diffused throughout the body it is a present potent inspiring force every man and woman every boy and girl alil who has been baptized with repentant faith is entitled to its whisperings and gifts it is promised to all who obey the truth the promise I 1 is inva invariably fulfilled that promise and its fulfilment fulfillment are the internal strength of the system its devotees know they were promised this heavenly gift as a personal testimony if athey would render obedience in faith to the gospel they obeyed they received the blessing it was a reality and not a myth that gift the faithful have retained by it they know that they have embraced the truth it has brou brought ht them near to god it has placed lem them en rapport with the heavens they are the sons and daughters of god and have received the spirit of adoption no dubiety distracts them or hinders their progress they know in whom they nave have believed courts cannot take away their knowledge prisons cannot affect their testimony disfranchisement cannot rob them of the heavenly gift confiscation cannot deprive theny them of the inward and eternal riches let the world war on let satan rage and the wicked gnash their teeth demagogues may multiply laws feen bends ends may extort money from hel helpless victims chains may mav bind the dinits limbs of the faithful death with its greatest terrors may stare them in the face but it will be all in vain against the church and kingdom of the living god it is established on earth to stay it cannot be removed the lessons of the past ought to teach sane men as to the future mormonism cannot be put down neither can its adherents be destroyed the slaughter of few will but put new determination into the many and others will come into their places placed with renewed energy that springs from unshrinking fortitude and unshaken faith the spirit of god is burning like a fire in the hearts and bones of the latter day saints and is lighting up their souls and brains with an unfading lustre that manifests h heavenly things therein is strength and coni comfort tort and a testimony of the truth against which every human force will prove impotent this is as sure as god lives and as certain as that the sun shines |