Show THE LOGAN CONFERENCE Some of the Observation Called Forth From a Conservative Minister of ThIS City Rev Dr DeWitt of this city attended the sessions of the Logan conference and was an attentive listener and close observer of what transpired there Las Sunday evening he delivered a lecture entitled en-titled Practical Reflections on the Logan Conference The Baptist church was crowded to its utmost capacity and many adherents to Mormonism were present Dr DeWitt is conservative in his views and judges nothing with harshness or bitterness We give a portion of his address below eliminating certain portions por-tions relating to doctrinal questions Having been present as a reporter I wisfi to acknowledge the courtesy and kindness extended to me from the beginning be-ginning to the close of the session For 22 years before moving to this city I was settled almost in sight of the birthplace birth-place of the Mormon Church and for years conversed familiarly with men and women too who were acquainted with the earliest dawn of the life ot this institution In 18741 came to this city on myway across the continent that I might study the teachings and practices of this people In 1880 I repeated the visit for the fame purpose but it was not until I hacHivec among them breathing the same ah and came under their personal magnetism that I began to understand the true spirit and letter of their commercial political and religious system I do not think it i strange that tourists who visit Salt Lake ride for two hours about the city and then think themselves ready to graduate from the new and strange school of prophecy and revelation and flood the eastern county with what I know about Mormonism should get sadly twisted and greatly confused in their attempted solution of the mountain problem I was with a sincere desire to orive i a fair and unbiased report of the teachings of the annual Conference recently in session at Logan especially as the present time is portentious and promises great and important changes in the near future fu-ture The first thought that impressed itself upon my mind was the fact that we were gathered a an annual Conference of the only true Church of Latterday Saints now living upon the earth This gave unusual dignity and grandeur to the occasion oc-casion and led to inquire diligently how many there were of us who could thus rSpresent the conquering king I was told jthat there were J50000 including mem bers and adherents of this faith I then I saw if this was indeed the only Church of Jesus Christ of the Saint who live in this latterday that the gospel with al its multiplied agencies vigorously at work for the last nineteen centuries had accomplished but little toward the conversion con-version of fifteen hundred million people and that it looked like the deadest sepul chre that the name of religion was ever written on and I was still more impressed im-pressed with the justice of this conclusion conclu-sion when told by the Apostle John Henry Smith president of the European mission that practically the door of every nation throughout the length and breadth of Christendom was closed against them and that all they could hope to do was to gather the gleanings and warn the people Surely these err in show a i 1 Ur TAnTll in thn socalled gospel preaching A unu The Baptist and Methodist churches have gathered into their membership in this country aldne including the adherents adher-ents not less than twelve millions each and the evangelical churches have secured se-cured as members and adherents within the United States and Territories fiftythree millions five hundred thousand thous-and leaving but one million three hun dred and fifty thousand to pronounced in fidelity and the balance to the Mormon church Surely prophesy foretelling the speedy triumph of the gospel throughout the world and that the heathen are to be given to Christ for His inhmeritanc and the uttermost part of the earth for possession must be fixed at a remote period in the future and if Christ delays His coming until the final conquest of the I earth at this rate of progress we shan secure the eternity of matter and have the old earth live forever The Conference gave me much information infor-mation in respect to modern revelation by which this Church has been restored and was being guided in all matters m2ters social domestic financial political and religious but why should a new revela tion be given since the revelation given in the New Testament lies unstudied and unused There is a depth of meaning and wealth of knowledge lying hidden upon its page which under the divine illumination might be brought forth to make men wise unto salvation but it is left as an undeveloped mine containing hidden treasures that would enrich the earth if it could only be worked and its ore of precious metal given to the world Would it not disrobe the attributes of the Eternal if TTo alinnlrl nir TAtAloHnn to revelation only to be treated by misuse vu mis-use and neglect Many of the people 11e have been advised by the missionaries missionares while preparing to be gathered to Zion to sell or give away their Bibles as they i would have no use for them in Utah on account of direct revelation and I observed ob-served that the Bible was never open luring the session of the Conference and I have never known it to be used in any Mormon meeting though I have attended frequently Perhaps our friends think I that they have all the knowledge that can be gathered out of the old word The boy who has gathered a handful of flowers in the spring may think he has thereby secured an inexhaustable knowlt edge of botany or the man who has found a few fossils in the mountains has secured thereby a perfect knowledge of E geology but both would be astonished to find how much there was in the science not of ot1nyand geology 11 nn which h they have L I J UU U1Vn on shed would the Mormon UUUI nl woul priest and pee ple be i told how many revelations peo from heaven there were in the New Testa ment which they have not attempted to search out It is selfevident that a supposed revela tion from heaven that is immoral and pernicious in it fruits supersedes the necessity of a formal investigation We were told at Conference by an Apostle of the church that polygamy was the most important revelation yet given and that obedience to many other revelations revelatons depended upon it But fiTtyfive millions popl in the United States and the highest legislative and judicial bodies of his countrydeclare it a gross immorality and a high crime against Christian civil ization In this position they are civi dorsed and sustained by the civilized na tions of the earth Can any man believe hat the righteous judge of the universe domestic would appoint and regulate a social and r clpmestic revelation that was so odious to odous he sense of holiness te and obnoxious to I he sense of justice held by the best and purest inhabitants of the earth and that I I te earh in its iPCTlfimofl V01l1r nr fn n 1 L inst malignant passions and v niU cultivate I Ule the culiYate most depraved human nature appetites of depraved Last of aU we were urged by the Con ference te erence to believe that beleve every nation should to rejoice welcome among them were members clothed of the holy priesthood who with authority to adminis I L ter ordinances for the salvation of the living and the dead But the query arose in my mind how could these ordinances save from error and sin either the ling or the dead I the error and sin was to I be found only in ordinances then other ordinances holding the principles of truth and righteousness might correct and cure I the first But the principles of error and sin are interwoven into the very woof and warp of life into every fibre nerve and muscle of our being how can mere form or ceremony hope to revolutionize or regenerate re-generate such a depraved life what but a living spirit can meet my spirit and change the inclination and disposition of my soul i is not uy nugni nor uy power but by my spirit said the Lord We are saved by the washing of regeneration regen-eration and renewing by the Holy Ghost What form or ordinance did Peter use that flashed conviction to 3000 souls and caused them to cry out llen and brethren what shall we do to be saved I enjoyed the Conference and was grateful for the kindness shown me but I could not restrain any dissent from the teachings of my brethren nor withhold my protest against the doctrine of the Church of L D Saints It is not against these men that I am sneakimr but against error in doctrine and practice I would not wrangle or contend with any brethren about sects or parties I only want to uphqld the grand principle of truth righteousness and peace I am told when the tide goes out along the shore of the sea that little pools remain over which quarrelsome boys contend one claiming that his pond is larger than all the rest that the water is purer that the fish are prettier while a counterclaim counter-claim is sustained by each of the others until the great beating heart of the sea sends back the tide and covers the whole beach then each little pool and pond is lost in the death of the majestic sea So may God grant that all the little pools and ponds over which we contend and we ourselves may be lost in the bound less depth of the ocean of His infinite love but let us cling sacredly to all the truths that have been revealed to us though we loose all else may we not not loose the favor of heaven or sacrifice sacrifce the treasure which He has put into our hands |