Earlier text: A New-Year's HymnAlthough this nation has not been in existence a century and a half, it has yet passed through an experience which has often filled the history of many centuries in the case of some other nations. The transformation which has been wrought in the comparatively brief period of time since the founding of the nation has been well stated in this paragraph:— The America of to-day is no more the America of Washington and Franklin “which so forcibly impressed all Europe with its marvelous simplicity and strength,” than the Rome of the three losses, which Ferrero’s third volume on “The Greatness and Decline of Rome” describes, was the Rome of Cincinnatus. It is true that we have created an extreme concentration of wealth, and with it much poverty and a highly differentiated social structure. We have “acquired an unbounded taste for luxuries,” and “the luxuries necessary to satisfy that taste.” This view of the present condition of things in this country, which will appeal to every one familiar with the facts, is of much significance in its bearing upon the fulfilment of prophecy and the events of the near future. In its declining days the Roman republic sought the aid of the church to insure its stability, and the union brought ruin upon both the state and the church. The same course on the part of the American republic will bring the same result. HISTORY is being made rapidly. Events which formerly occupied decades are now crowded into a single year. The following paragraph testifies to this:— This is an annus mirabilis [a wonderful year]. Persia gets a constitution; then Turkey; Russia maintains a Douma; Bulgaria and Crete become independent; and Germany puts a bit in her emperor's mouth; and the year is not over yet, and the death of the rulers of China may confirm a beneficent revolution. These marked changes are most significant when considered in the light of prophecy, and in their relation to the proclamation of the gospel in all the world in the present generation. Certain bills now pending in Congress are enumerated by the Christian Advocate (Methodist), with the statement that “the moral sentiment of the country will force their enactment if they can be brought to vote.” Among these bills the Advocate mentions “the Johnston bill, to give the national capital such protection against Sunday toil and traffic as State legislatures have given to all the States save one.” Why should a New York paper be interested in the passage of a Sunday bill for the District of Columbia?—The answer is plain. It is expected that such legislation, although technically local in its character, will yet have a wide influence, and will be the first step toward a national Sunday law. AND now a representative of the Roman Catholic Church comes forward with the claim that what is known as the Emmanuel Movement is really nothing new, but that the same principles and methods have been employed for centuries in the Church of Rome. No less an authority than Rev. Thomas E. Sherman, son of Gen. William T. Sherman, states this matter thus:— There is nothing new to Catholics in the Emmanuel Movement, for our church has had, and used, the same method of healing through the mind for hundreds of years. Our confessional takes the place of suggestion. . . . For years and years the Catholic Church has used suggestion to ease the mind and mental troubles of our church-members.
If this analysis and estimate of the Emmanuel Movement is correct, it is sufficient to condemn it in the minds of all those who have any clear understanding of the place which the confessional occupies in the Roman Catholic Church, and of its fruits. There can be no justification of a Protestant confessional. Perfect Through Suffering
God never would send you the darkness,
If he thought you could bear the light;
But you would not cling to his guiding
hand,
If the way were always bright;
And you would not care to walk by faith,
Could you always walk by sight. 'Tis true he has many an anguish
For the sorrowful hearts to bear,
And many a cruel thorn-crown
For your tired head to wear;
He knows how few would reach heaven
at all,
If pain did not guide them there. So he sends you blinding darkness,
And the furnace of sevenfold heat;
'Tis the only way, believe me,
To keep you close to his feet—
For 'tis always so easy to wander,
When our lives are glad and sweet. Then nestle your hand in your Father's,
And sing, if you can, as you go;
Your song may cheer some one behind
you,
Whose courage is sinking low.
And—well, if your lips do quiver—
God will love you better so. A Habitation for the Spirit
By Ellen G. White
CHRIST is represented as dwelling by his Spirit in his people; and believers as “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone, in whom all the building fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord; in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord,” Paul says, “beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace. There is one body, and one spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” From eternal ages it was God’s purpose that every created being, from the bright and holy seraph to man, should be a temple for the indwelling of the Creator. Because of sin, humanity ceased to be a temple for God. Darkened and defiled by evil, the heart of man no longer revealed the glory of the divine One. But by the incarnation of the Son of God, the purpose of heaven is fulfilled. God dwells in humanity, and through saving grace the heart of man becomes again his temple. God designed that the temple at Jerusalem should be a continual witness to the high destiny open to every soul. But the Jews had not understood the significance of the building they regarded with so much pride. They did not yield themselves as temples for the divine Spirit. The courts of the temple at Jerusalem, filled with the tumult of unholy traffic, represented all too truly the temple of the heart, defiled by the presence of sensual passion and unholy thoughts. In cleansing the temple from the world’s buyers and sellers, Jesus announced his mission to cleanse the heart from the defilement of sin,—from the earthly desires, the selfish lusts, the evil habits that corrupt the soul. “The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fuller’s soap: and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver.” “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” No man can of himself cast out the evil throng that have taken possession of the heart. Only Christ can cleanse the soul-temple. But he will not force an entrance. He comes not into the heart as to the temple of old; but he says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him.” He will come, not for one day merely; for he says, “I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and . . . they shall be my people.” “He will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” His presence will cleanse and sanctify the soul, so that it may be a holy temple unto the Lord, and “an habitation of God through the Spirit.” By this beautiful and impressive figure, God’s Word shows the regard he places on our physical organism, and the responsibility resting upon us to preserve it in the best condition. Our bodies are Christ’s purchased possession, and we are not at liberty to do with them as we please. Man has done this. He has treated his body as if its laws had no penalty. Through perverted appetite its organs and powers have become enfeebled, diseased, crippled. And these results which Satan has brought about by his own specious temptations, he uses to taunt God with. He presents before God the human body that Christ has purchased as his property; and what an unsightly representation of his Maker man is! Because man has sinned against his body, and corrupted his ways, God is dishonored. When men and women are truly converted, they will conscientiously regard the laws of life that God has established in their being, thus seeking to avoid physical, mental, and moral feebleness. Obedience to these laws must be made a matter of personal duty. We ourselves must suffer the ills of violated law. We must answer to God for our habits and practises. Therefore the question for us is not, “What will the world say?” but, “How shall I, claiming to be a Christian, treat the habitation God has given me? Shall I work for my highest temporal and spiritual good by keeping my body as a temple for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, or shall I sacrifice myself to the world’s ideas and practises?” “Know ye not . . . that ye are not your own? for ye are bought with a price.” What a price has been paid for us! Behold the cross and the victim uplifted upon it. Look at those hands, pierced with cruel nails. Look at his feet, fastened with spikes to the tree. Christ bore our sins in his own body. That suffering, that agony, is the price of your redemption. Know you not that he loved us, and gave himself for us, that we in return should give ourselves to him? Why should not love to Christ be expressed by all who receive him by faith, as verily as his love has been expressed for us for whom he died? “Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” “There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Christ the Word, the revelation of God,—the manifestation of his character, his law, his love, his life,—is the only foundation upon which we can build a character that will endure. We build on Christ by obeying his word. It is not he who merely enjoys righteousness, that is righteous, but he who does righteousness. Holiness is not rapture; it is the result of surrendering all to God; it is doing the will of our Heavenly Father. Religion consists in doing the words of Christ; not doing to earn God’s favor, but because, all undeserving, we have received the gift of his love. Christ places the salvation of man, not upon profession merely, but upon faith that is made manifest in works of righteousness. “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Not those whose hearts are touched by the Spirit, not those who now and then yield to its power, but they that are led by the Spirit, are the sons of God. To live by the word of God means the surrender to him of the whole life. There will be felt a continual sense of need and dependence, a drawing out of the heart after God. Prayer is a necessity; for it is the life of the soul. Family prayer, public prayer, have their place; but it is secret communion with God that sustains the soul-life. It was in the mount with God that Moses beheld the pattern of that wonderful building that was to be the abiding-place of God’s glory. It is in the mount with God,—in the secret place of communion,—that we are to contemplate his glorious ideal for humanity. Thus we shall be able so to fashion our character building that to us may be fulfilled his promise. “I9 will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” What a calm, restful feeling is conveyed to one in the two words, “Sabbath evening.” Never shall I forget one Sabbath evening spent in the home of one of the elders of our church. I was taking a journey from one town to another, and paid him an unexpected visit. This did not seem to give the family any inconvenience. Everything was in readiness for the coming Sabbath. As the sun was going down, the family settled around the table for worship. The children did not need to be called, as they had been taught that the beginning of the Sabbath is just as holy as any other part of it. Several hymns were sung, different ones calling for their favorites, and a holy calmness pervaded the place. The father then read an encouraging chapter from the Bible, after which all took part in prayer. I shall never forget the simple but beautiful prayer offered by the youngest child. Though she was only seven years old, her prayer gave me fresh courage, and inspired me to be more diligent in my work, as she prayed for me. And again, as the sun was going down, we gathered around the family altar, and felt encouraged and strengthened to begin another week, with its trials, conflicts, and victories. How different was this from an experience I had several months later. This time I was away in the country, and felt a longing for Christian fellowship; so, knowing of a Sabbath-keeping family in the district, I hastened my footsteps in that way. The days were short, and it was almost dark before I reached my friend’s house. Here everybody seemed unready. The father had just returned from work, and was having a bath. Some of the children were rushing about looking for articles of clothing; others were drying or combing their hair. Then the evening meal was to be prepared and eaten, and when that was over, it was time for the youngest children to go to bed; and so holy time was entered, and no difference made between it and ordinary time. The same state of confusion existed at the close of the Sabbath; some were in one place and some in another; and the father hurried away to look after his business. Profane time was entered upon, and holy time left, without thanks to God for his blessing through the day. The band of united prayer that gives strength and oneness to a family was wanting. With a little effort on the part of the father and mother, that need not have been, and need not be with other parents. Habits formed in early childhood are binding. Young minds respond readily to the sweet influence of prayer and music; the love of Jesus draws them to himself; and, if converted when young, armed with the sword of the Spirit, they grow up strong in his service. The following is from “Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. VI, pages 355, 356:— “On Friday let the preparation for the Sabbath be completed. See that all the clothing is in readiness, and that all the cooking is done. Let the boots be blacked, and the baths be taken. It is possible to do this. If you make it a rule, you can do it. The Sabbath is not to be given to the repairing of garments, to the cooking of food, to pleasure-seeking, or to any other worldly employment. Before the setting of the sun, let all secular work be laid aside, and all secular papers be put out of sight. Parents, explain your work and its purpose to your children, and let them share in your preparation to keep the Sabbath according to the commandment. “We should jealously guard the edges of the Sabbath. Remember that every moment is consecrated, holy time. Whenever it is possible, employers should give their workers the hours from Friday noon until the beginning of the Sabbath. Give them time for preparation, that they may welcome the Lord’s day with quietness of mind. By such a course you will suffer no loss, even in temporal things.” The Judgment
By George I. Butler
The first message of a series of three proclaims, “The hour [period] of his judgment is come.” Rev. 14:6-12. This threefold message goes “to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,” “with a loud voice.” It terminates with the appearing of the Son of man in mid-heaven, crowned with a golden crown, and having a sharp sickle in his hand, to reap the ripened “harvest of the earth.” Christ himself says, “The harvest is the end of the world.” Matt. 13:39. The hour of his judgment come is the great, the leading point in the first of these three heavenly messages. It becomes, therefore, a very important factor in this proclamation to ascertain what is the nature of this judgment proclaimed with such authority, power, and grandeur. It certainly is an event of vast magnitude and most solemn interest, or it would not be proclaimed to “every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,” really including every person living at the time it goes forth. It must take time to give this message to a world of about fifteen hundred million people. Nothing short of the time of a whole generation could answer for such a work. From the time it was first announced to the world, in the great advent movement of 1836-44, its proclamation must continue till Christ is seen coming in his glory. In previous articles we have seen that the great prophetic period of twenty-three hundred year-days brings us to this proclamation. That period began in 457 B. C., the time of the going forth of the decree of Artaxerxes to restore and build Jerusalem, and therefore must terminate in 1844 A. D. What, then, is the judgment here brought to view? “Because he [God] hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained,” that is, Jesus Christ. Acts 17:31. To appoint is to fix the time and place of by a decree, command, or order of some competent authority. This statement, therefore, demonstrates that, before the time of the apostle Paul, God had already fixed the time of that judgment period; for Paul speaks of that appointment in the past tense. This appointed time for the beginning of the judgment must be at the close of the twenty-three year-day period. There is no other judgment period designated in the Bible. “I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.” Eccl. 3:17. This scripture clearly states that the judgment occupies a period of time. It is not a momentary affair, and it must cover considerable time if it is to take into consideration “every purpose” and “every work,” as the wise man declares. Would you desire to take a glimpse of that grand scene, the supreme court of the universe in session? “I beheld till the thrones were cast down [“were placed,” A. R. V.], and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.” Dan. 7:9, 10. Ten thousand times ten thousand are one hundred million. In Heb. 12:22, Paul calls them an “innumerable company of angels,” that is, so many that it is impossible to number them. These are God’s messengers, engaged with him in the grand work of salvation. In the scripture quoted above, concerning the judgment, the prophet declares that thrones of judgment were placed, and “the books were opened;” that is, the record of men’s lives which have been preserved for this grand assize, are now brought forth from heaven’s archives for their final examination. They have all been kept in the temple of God in heaven. It is in this critical, skeptical age, when vast multitudes are trying to make themselves believe there is no personal God anywhere in the universe, that this grand scene of the final judgment is taking place in the glorious heavenly temple above. “And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.” Rev. 11:19. This is the second apartment of “the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” Heb. 8:1, 2. The ark of God is seen in it. In that10 ark was the original copy of the law of God, the ten commandments, which are brought forcibly to view in the last message of the three: “Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Rev. 14:12. When the temple of God was opened in heaven, revealing the ark of God, the most positive evidence is given that the cleansing of the sanctuary spoken of in the prophecy,—“Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed” (“justified,” margin),—had begun. Dan. 8:14. On every day in the year, with the exception of one, the services in the earthly type were in the first apartment. On that day the service was transferred to the most holy place. It was the day of atonement, the day of the removal of sins from the sanctuary, to which they had been transferred in figure in the previous days of the year. Through the ministration of Aaron and his descendants, they were transferred from the sanctuary to the scapegoat, “Azazel,” a type of the devil, according to some of the best authorities. At the close of the great prophetic period in 1844, when the temple of God is opened in heaven, revealing the ark of his testament, the closing work of Jesus Christ, “a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek,” begins. His work is the removal of sins recorded in the books of record in the archives of heaven. These will be examined, and the final decision made in the case of each person. This is the same work as recorded in Daniel 7, where the Ancient of days, God the Father, sits, the Judge of all, and the books are examined with the ten thousand holy angels in attendance. Every judgment has two important features: the examination of the evidence, and the execution of the sentence. So it is in every court of law on earth. It is so in the great judgment above. In the books are the record of men’s lives, kept by the angels of God. Two books are brought to view: the book of remembrance, and the book of life. “Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord harkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.” Mal. 3:16. The next verse is very precious: “And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels.” “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” Rev. 20:11, 12. Comment could not make plainer these wonderful facts. Much additional testimony might be given. There is, then, a period of time called “the hour of his judgment,” immediately preceding Christ’s second coming, in which the records of men’s lives are examined in the courts of heaven. The sins of the righteous, who have truly repented and have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, are removed forever from the book of God’s remembrance, their record thus standing as clean as though they never had sinned. These sins of the righteous are placed upon Azazel, that is, Satan, who, in the lake of fire at the end of the thousand years, receives the punishment for the sins he instigated. The sins of the wicked remain upon their own heads. Such receive in their own person the punishment their sins deserve. Thus the sins recorded in the book of God’s remembrance are disposed of, and the destiny of each person is fixed. Then at the close of this period of the investigative judgment Christ’s office as high priest closes, with the solemn words: “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Rev. 22:11-14. This closes the scheme of human redemption through the priesthood of Jesus Christ. There is no change of character after that. The investigative judgment is closed. Then comes the execution of the decisions of the judgment. Christ comes in his glory. His people are caught up to meet him in the air. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thess. 4:16-18. At this point comes the eternal separation between the righteous and the wicked. When the righteous go up with Christ to the New Jerusalem above, the wicked remain on the earth to be destroyed by the brightness of his coming and the terrible judgments of the last days. Then the earth lies desolate during the thousand years when the saved are in heaven, sitting in judgment with Christ, judging the wicked dead, preparatory to the second resurrection, when all the unrepentant wicked of earth will receive their final doom in the lake of fire. 1 Cor. 6:1-4; Rev. 20:1-10. Every thoughtful person must see that it is an absolute necessity for the investigative judgment to precede the second coming of Christ. Before he comes, it must be decided who are righteous, and who are wicked. When he comes, the righteous, both dead and living, are caught up to meet Christ in the air, and go up to heaven with him. All the wicked remain on the earth, and are slain by the glory of his coming. The decision fixing their doom precedes Christ’s coming. The beginning of the investigative judgment takes place at the close of the twenty-three hundred years, which is in the autumn of 1844, when the great announcement went forth with mighty power to the ends of the earth. How solemn the thought that we are living in the very period of the investigative judgment! D. A. PARSONS
By D. A. PARSONS
WITH all this array of unscriptural teachings and practise before us, we are urged by the Mormon Church to have implicit faith in the truthfulness, holiness, and purity of her prophets, because, it is claimed, some of their predictions have proved true. But it is a fallacy to argue that a successful prophecy is positive proof of divine inspiration. This important fact has evidently been overlooked by our Mormon friends, although it is so clearly stated in the following words of Scripture:— “If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods . . . thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet.” “There shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders.” “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? . . . Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Deut. 13: 1, 2, 3; Matt. 24: 24; 7: 22, 23. In these scriptures we are warned not to accept a “sign,” nor even the fulfilment of a prophecy, as final proof of a true prophet. We are counseled to take into consideration his life and the general trend of his teachings. If they are not in harmony with the Word of God, it is because the seer is not an ambassador of Christ. Were the doctrines taught by Joseph Smith and Brigham Young in accord with the Holy Bible? Did the lives of these men reveal the sweet and tender influences of the spirit of Jesus? Their own statements, quoted verbatim in former articles, have answered these questions in a positive manner, and have certainly borne witness against them. “Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord,” is the counsel given in his Word. And in the light of this counsel, we ask you to read the following boast made in public by Brigham Young, and published in his church literature for the uplifting and edification of his followers:— “The teasers who come all the time after women, and soon get tired of them and want to divorce them, I make pay ten dollars for each divorce; and that is11 my individual bank.”—Journal of Discourses, Vol. VIII, page 202. Thus this leader, this “prophet,” this champion of Mormon righteousness, encouraged the lust of vile men, and bartered with Satan the virtue and happiness of women, for the paltry sum of ten dollars each to supply his “individual bank”! Was he a servant of God? Will he stand the Bible test of a true prophet? If it be asked, What are the Bible tests of a holy prophet? let it be answered: “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isa. 8: 20. The application of this test alone is fatal to the proud and boastful claims of the Mormon seers, for upon the confession of their own “Compendium of Doctrines” they disobey the sacred law of God. We quote from the last-mentioned work:— “The Sabbath was to be a perpetual covenant between the Lord and the children of Israel. ‘Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.’ Verse 16. In verse 17 they are commanded to observe it as a sign that they remember that the Lord made heaven and earth, and rested on the seventh day. “In these quotations from Exodus 31. and in the decalogue, the most positive and weighty reasons are given by the Lord to the fathers of the house of Israel for keeping the Sabbath day. The obligation is evidently as binding upon the Latter-day Saints as it was upon their fathers, and they, in like manner, will reap the reward of obedience.”—Compendium, page 244. The essay from which this quotation is taken contains no hint of a change of day. It begins by showing that the seventh-day Sabbath was hallowed at creation, and given to the human race as a memorial of that event. The hallowed day is then skilfully traced through the patriarchal age to prove that it was not a new institution given Israel when they left Egypt; and much stress is laid on those verses which affirm that the seventh-day Sabbath was a sign between God and his people. Then follows the above statement, that it “is evidently as binding upon the Latter-day Saints as it was upon their fathers.” But the Mormon Church does not obey the fourth commandment. On the contrary, she teaches men to violate this portion of the sacred decalogue. It therefore follows that, tested by their own publications, the Latter-day Saints are either guilty of rebellion against God, or guilty of the deliberate intention to appropriate to Sunday his positive command to observe Saturday, the seventh day. It matters not to us which horn of this dilemma the Mormon Church hangs upon. The one acknowledges rebellion; the other, the handling of God’s Word deceitfully. It seems almost unnecessary to add proof to that already given of the spirituality and consecration of the Mormon prophets. However, the following confessions of “apostle” Lyman are so much to the point that we venture to give them. They were made on oath before the United States Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections, which convened in 1905 to consider the vigorous protest entered against permitting the Mormon senator, Mr. Reed Smoot, to retain his seat in the Senate. We do not call attention to these confessions to unveil to public view the standing of one man before his Maker, but to show the spiritual attainment necessary to be an apostle of the Mormon religion, and heir to the title of Prophet, Seer, and Revelator in the Mormon Church. The testimony mentioned was, in part, as follows:— “Senator Hoar: I am not asking you about that. You have said, more than once, that in living in polygamous relations with your wives, which you do and intend to do, you knew that you were disobeying this revelation? [that is, the manifesto of 1890].” “Senator Hoar: And that in disobeying this revelation you were disobeying the law of God?” “Senator Hoar: Very well. So you say that you, an apostle of your church, expecting to succeed, if you survive Mr. Smith, to the office in which you will be the person to be the medium of divine revelations, are living, and are known to your people to live, in disobedience of the law of the land and of the law of God?” “Senator Hoar: And that in disobeying this revelation you were disobeying the law of God?” “Senator Hoar: He says ‘Yes.’ That is all.” The above is taken from “The sworn Testimony Given in the Reed Smoot Case,” page 219. On page 231 the following questions and answers are found:— “Senator Hoar: I would like to ask one more question. Have you communicated to your associate apostles, or any of them, what you have stated to me, namely, that you disobeyed the commands of the Lord, and that you have not yet repented?” “Mr. Lyman: No; I have not told them.” “Senator Hoar: Any of them?” “Mr. Lyman: No; I have not told them.” “Senator Hoar: So far as you know and believe, is not the fact of your disobedience, which has been spoken of, well known in that community?” From these confessions, taken on oath, it is evident that the standard of Mormon righteousness will permit men to act as highest officials who are known to be living in violation of what they claim are the laws of God. Therefore Mormonism is not the faith of Jesus our Saviour, nor is that church the true church of Christ. The Robes of Righteousness
A BELOVED pastor once made use of a beautiful illustration. A naturalist one day was studying a cocoon, in which a butterfly was struggling to be free. He heard it beating against the sides of its little prison, and his heart went out in pity for the helpless creature. Taking a tiny lancet he cut away the fragile walls and released the little captive. But to his amazement it was not the beautiful creature that he had expected to see. It lay struggling upon the table, unable to walk, unable to fly, a helpless, unlovely object. In place of the gorgeously colored wings that he had expected to see, there were only weak, shriveled members. What was the matter with this creature that should have been so fair?—The prison gates had been opened too soon, the obstacle had been removed before the struggler had developed sufficiently through the struggling to be ready for its glorious flight into the sunshiny skies and among the perfumed flowers. O God! when the walls seem to close about us, when we struggle and agonize to be free, when thou dost not cut away the barriers, is it not because, in thine infinite wisdom, thou dost see that we are weak and dost want us to become strong? Then, at last, when the struggle is finished, like the butterfly, we may come forth, not perhaps in glorious robes of splendid colors as it is, but in the everlasting robes of righteousness.—Selected. THERE was once a princess who had a string of pearls. One end had loosened, and every so often a pearl slipped from the string and was lost. A friend spoke to her of the loss of the pearls. “O, the string is a long one!” she answered, carelessly. “Do you know how many pearls it has?” “Can you get any more when these are gone?” “You bear your loss well; these jewels are priceless.” “I am going to believe that the string is a very long one,” answered the princess; “besides, I do not use them.” This is a parable of the way we waste precious time. It is precious if invested wisely. If not, it just slips away, lost forever. We know not how much will be granted to us. Queen Elizabeth is said to have cried, when dying, “Millions of money for a minute of time!” But “time” was not on the market. It could not be bought at any price.—Exchange.