| Show sunday services religious Belig ious services were bold la in the tabernacle tabea cle at salt lake city so sunday july 2 1893 co ai at 2 p in bluer angus M cannon president ot of the stake gro presiding siding the choir sang the hymn how are thy servants blessed 0 lord I 1 how sure is their defense I 1 prayer by elder george reynolds the choir sang aang were not ashamed to own our lord and wor worship hip him on earth the priesthood of the twenty second ward officiated in the administration of the sacrament Bac F was the speaker he had bad always esteemed it itan an honor to stand up in defense of the truth however much it might be scorned by the world mormonism is a much misunderstood der stood religion A gentleman a vi visitor bitor said in his hearing a few days ago that the real mormonism was not that dis ported ideas concerning it is almost universally prevailed able was trust true as aa the speaker k ew from experience it was waa therefore a source ot of gratification to find men man who wore were willing to look tit at both sides of tile the question in controversy and not judge unheard this thin much maligned people it is a prevalent notion that mormonism is a narrow and exclusive faith that its votaries vot aries hold bold that they alone can lay claim to eternal salvation this is but one of the fables which have gone A ZA out concerning this people it to is hard bard to understand how such ideas can obtain unless union upon trio toe principle of tle proverb that a lie will wih travel many leagues while truth is getting its boots one on many think for instance that the sainte do not believe in jesus christ as aa the savior of the world some borne say that our religion is ia a mixture and medley of all religion judaism mohammedanism chriatian ity and heathenism we claim that ours la is the oldest religion in existence it did not originate with man but came down from heaven being rooted la in eternity and bearing fruit through all the ages lor for the salvation ot of man mormonism to is but a nickname fur for eternal truth it is 19 more nor less than ancient christianity restored after an apostasy of many centuries as christianity itself was a jest le stored oreti religion we can trace it back to adam through the various dis dispensa penea tibbs how false and narrow the idea bies that we mormons cormons think that god is ie only interested in the salvation of this little handful of people no true latter day saint holds such a view the word dispensation means s giving forth what we call dispensations oi u the gospel are the givings forth of gods truth his plan of the very morning of time lime to this the evening ut of history joseph smith has taught us that mormonism or to call it by another nickname christianity was instituted in the heavens before the world was itis I 1 to truths were never created for truth or intelligence is in self existent but it can be coulden and arrau arranged ged into a system god to iu the beginning surrounded by devised means whereby they might advance to perfection hence they were permitted to come to the earth and be tried in various ways that they might develop and expand he is interested in the salvation of all men anu provides indans means for its accomplishment ment hence the various despen bastions of the gospel from adam to christ and even down to our day whenever our father had bad a chosen people on earth it to is not merely to save them but through them to save ave all mankind abraham had bad a dispensation 0 ot the gospel gospe and so BO had adam hooch enoca noah moses and others and they taught it to their children and descendants and portions port louB oi 01 it have thus remained upon earth mixed with the errors of men toe book of mormon gives us the history of a colony the Jared ites that came to this land from the tower of babel they had bad the gospel and spread and multiplied and flourished until the they y apostatized and were out off fur for their crimes through stiem shem ham and japheth by whom the earth was a after the flood traditions ot of the truth as preached by noah were doubtless carried to every part of the globe hence the multi pherty or of all outlining outa ining some truth which have existed from the earliest ages even re as pools of water left in the hollows or of a rook or in depressions pres press lons of the ground after a rainstorm or a flood many think that mormonism is a plagiarism and a medley the mistake is natural wherever truth exists exl its in christendom or heathendom mormonism claims it for its it own holding that it was its origin A R e there to Is but one source of light the sun so go there Is in but one source of truth god and but one perfect plan of salvation call it what you will mormonism Mormon lam today christianity yea berday or something else at some other time and place if all history were known here as aa it la Is known in heaven it would be found that from the beginning god haa bas been working out a grand plan fur for the salvation of burrace our race that human lives and human events have fitted into and impelled each other like sections of machinery turned by the th enginery of omnipotence god wits was with the patriarchs and prophets from adam to christ they were all among the noble and great ones oboe chosen ell before they were born to play their parts laris in the great drama of time he was also with confucius the chinese sage with socrates the greek philosopher with cicero the roman orator re he was also aho with calvin knox wycliffe and wesley those state stars that lit the firmament after the su sun a went down in blood behind judea judeah d hills hille lighting up the night until the sun should rise rise again what we claim for joseph smith is that he was oue one of god gods as great spi spirl rites te sent to stand at the head of the list last and greatest dispensation to lift a standard for the gathering of israel preparatory to the coming of the son of god and the advent of the millennium the speaker showed that the book ol of mormon fore told the discovery ry of america and the founding of the united states govern ment and illustrated the folly of accusing or suspecting the of insidious designs against this government which they believed was built upon principles divine and imperishable joseph Josep smith hSmith and brig tiam liam young both predicted that the latter day saints sainte would save eave the cou con ution when its life would be hanging by a thread gd was with columbus with washington and Jt fferson with lincoln and grant and he was with grover cleveland anti ana all who honestly labored for the welfare of mankind for the con gross of the united states which would meet next month the saintes could sincerely and ana earnestly pray god goa bless them that they may legislate in wisdom maud and righteousness for the best good of all the citizens of this broad land this was the Mormon lem lm that the speaker had bad been taught from his mothers knee he was wals born a mormon and he k knew new whereof he epure e judge yo ye whether such a religion be narrow and exclusive in its spirit anu and aims As for salvation mormonism taught that all men except an evil few the sons ot of perdition who sinned ed against too much light would be earea many would be saved after passi tig through hell an aej 1 being purged of their sins and moral filthiness filth inese i but all would be saved in different degrees decrees ol of glory upon just and righteous p principle kinei every soul receiving itis ita just deserto and finding its proper place in iiii the many mansions of tb the a father a salvation as great as it could appreciate and was fitted to re rece colove the choir sang the anthem god of israel benediction by elder abraham H cannon |
