| Show OUR MISSION impartial historians who have fol towed bowed the rise and progress of the church of jesus christ of latter day I 1 saints have been struck wit with h the fact y that this religious body though born bom and fostered in a land of liberty and composed eom oom posed of men and women noted for la a god fearing disposition industry thrift and a nd honesty yet has been the object of vilification and persecution above all other christian de nomina L lions eions no na sooner had the prophet joseph announced that the lord had i spoken to him hi m than the arrows of the I 1 adversary dipped in poison were aimed at him and a all 11 who followed him became partakers par takers of a similar fate p they were mobbed and plundered f hunted and driven from place to place their enemies were always ready with fe charges against them to justify the persecutions though proofs to sustain the charges to latter day saints it is riot mot strange that they should have such experiences they know that the world in our day i is subject to principles that governed the world centuries ago when the son of god himself was killed as a blas bias phemer and a traitor and when hia hda followers were were cast irato into prison tors aured and martyred marty red as malefactors they understand to some extent the nature of the warfare between truth sad and error light and dark in which 1 men and women must take sides a warfare that must be carried un on until the reign of the son of god shall have been beani established upon earth as it to ie in heaven As a matter of fact the disciple pl Is not nolt above the master and both m must at stand in a similar position tian rela reba tive co the world to the observer however who views the events from a different from that of a r latter day saint the fabits referred to must appear inexplicable another fact Is hardly less wonderful 1 tt LB Is this that the latter day saints notwithstanding all opposition have kasen to an eminence that today to la a matter of envy to some other churches they are today more numerous than ever better prepared V to oo advocate the principles of the gospel gosa apel a and set met forth their di divina armity ty aad as f aming as ais at any period of their ex istance to make sacrifices tor for the faith delivered to them through the servants of this Is indeed a maivel mas vel and can be accounted co for r onno on no other ground than this that the work in n which they are enga engaged Aged is divine we point to the presentation of ancient israel during their period of servitude to in egypt their miraculous experiences in the wilderness and to their thedr subsequent national history as a proof that they were the objects of divinie divine care we see in the marvelous marv ellous progress of early christianity to in the face of the opposition of a world power an evidence of the truth of the message dell delivered vered the history of mormonism furnishes equally convincing proofs of its origin the latter day saints as a church have a great mission to fulfill to the world this was perhaps never hotter better expressed than in the words of the doctrine and covenants the voice of vv warning shall be unto all people by the mouths of my disciples whom I 1 have chosen in these last days wherefore the voice of the lord dord Is unto the ends of the earth that all that will hear may hear prepare ye prepare yo ye tor for that which as to come for the lord is nigh the weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones that man should not counsel his fellow man neither trust in the arm of flesh but that every man might speak tn in the name of god the lord even the savior of the world that faith also might increase in the earth that mine everlasting covenant might be established that the fullness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple simpie unto the ends of the world and before kings and rulers this then is the mission of the latter day saints this is their calling they can afford to remain faithful in the accomplishment of this work in view of the glorious s results that are assured |
