Show A CHRISTIAN organization IN one of the articles prepared for christmas reading by a professed prof eseed minister of the gospel and published in a daily paper it is asserted that in 1864 there was not a christian organization in utah a this is such a broad end and swe sweeping eIng declaration and is made in suad such positive terms that it calls fot for some gome inquiry as to its truth and as the latte cattar rd day saints a religious body had inhabited these valleys ever since 1847 the state ment carries the declaration that these ervy early settlers either were not christians or that they had no church organization it is nut the first tims time that an attempt has been made to exclude the latte rd Saint sor mormons cormons Mor mons from the pale of christianity coming at this season of the year and on the day daj of good will to all men it crays a lack of the true christian spirit which Is particularly striking the people who first planted civilization on that portion of mexican soil which was afterwards called utah were not only citizens of the united states and believers in the mission and divinity of jesus ch christ rist but they were organized as the Church of jesus christ of latte rd saints which had existed under that hat title for many years in 1864 there were a large number of meeting houses which were used and had been dedicated forC burch which god the eternal father was wor shipped every sabbath day at least in ID the name of jesus christ this is beyond dispute so that settles thesues the question as to whether there was a religious organization in utah previous to 1864 but was it a christian organization let us see what constitutes a christian organizations organization i that might ba be answered in a different way by each professing christian denomination it would not do to let each ach e sect determine as to whether other sects claiming to be christian were really christian or not there must be some general geneal definition which would fairly cover the ground f inquiry Is not that a christian organization in a general sense which to Is formed for the purpose of promoting christian doctrine and worship ana obo observance sirvance according to the best understanding of its members if so how can the church of jesus christ of latter day saints be excluded from the category of christian Caristi skim organizations the very name of it to Is suggestive of its character its existence Is in dependent on the fact of alleged revelations from god through jesus christ to joseph smith and the purported direction 4 of the son of god in all the affairs of the church it claims to hive have been set up and organized and governed under christs immediate instructions does not this give it a right to at least the name of I 1 christian organization 92 but it may be objected we do al not believe there was any such revelation as pretended but that the whole matter was either a delusion or ora a fraud 11 what of that the belief bellef or disbelief of any number of opponents will not alter the truth and if they are right the fact remains that the members of the church in question do verily believe it is the true church of christ that the they y have joined it a as 0 such that they have proven the sincerity of their faith beyond controversy and viat fiat they do all things in their church in his holy name so whether they are mistaken or not they belong to a christian church as an much at least as the members of ny other body professing to be christian in a general sense then they cannot be justly denied tj the title of a christian organization j when in w wo come to the question of what is tru truly e christian in doctrine or organization we sister enter upon a wide field of controversy what has the catholic to say of the protestant the various contending sects of each other on this point we need not go to jerusalem where the soldiery havi have to guard the holy sepulchre and 17 W force of arms prevent christians of opposing sects from tearing each other to pieces on the spot sacred to the prince of peace P bace for an answer to this question it can be illustrated much nearer to home and receive reply in some of the articles written from a see sectarian ta rl a n standpoint for home christmas reading but the latter day saints believe in tz Z jesus christ as aa the son of god and the savior of mankind in his divine earthly birth in his sacrifice for sin in his hip resurrection from the dead and lp ip his hie ascension into heaven as the great they have living faith in his personal second ad vent in the near futile future they are baptized in his name they partake of the lords supper as a sacrament every sunday they have their children blessed in infancy under his ordinance they pray in their f families morning and evening and in all their public religious services through jesus christ as their Re redeemer doemer they believe that all people must believe in and obey christ in id order to be saved and that even those who are dead must accept his gospel wad and the ordinances and spirit thereof er they cannot be exulted exalted it to is because or of this faith in id christ that they build temples where ordinances may be performed for both the living and the dead as part of his plan of salvation it is because of this faith that their ministers travel over the earth without purse puree and scrip I 1 without salary or other earthly reward to publish his gospel A nd it is because of it that they spend time and means in going to the places where ordinances can be performed by H his Is agatho authority rity for their departed kindred every tenet of their creed can be substantiated by the sayings of jesus christ and his apostles as recorded in the christian new testament and there to is not a sectarian preacher to in all christendom who haa baa been successful in an endeavor to show to the contrary if there to is an organization on the earth today that bears bearo critical comparison with the organization called christian in the first century of the christian era it is the church of jesus christ of latter day saints with its apostles prophets elders bishops evangelists teachers deacons etc and its ite doctrinal and ceremonial institutions and it was in this territory k seventeen feve oteen years before the time when we are gravely J inform ed by a professing christian minister in a chris mas article the first christian orga was formed in utah and now we cannot forbear remarking that up to the time he mentions as the period when the first fira christian organization was formed in utah the territory Terri tAry was also without the first house of ill fame fame drinking saloon gambling den and confidence trap it was without fraudulent elections and the union of professing christians christiana with professional political wire pullers bullers and the viler elements of society and we must say pay that although utah was lacking in many of the so called refinements of a higher civilization in her simplicity and purity and freedom from what has followed she was infinitely better off and we believe whiter before god and the angels than since the coming in of what we regard as an counterfeit christianity and all its concomitants still we would not take the ground that there is nothing christian in the sects of the age nor would wo say a word to hinder binder or impede their usefulness or disparage the efforts of any sincere person to spread wh what rt he be believes to be for the welfare of mankind we are pleased at the prosperity of everything christian and we are sure that there Is no church in the world that more than that of the latter day saints is deserving of the name of a christian organization |