--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Richards, L. L. Greene collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 5 number: 12 published: 1902-10 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'L. L. Greene Richards, "Recollections of the Prophet Joseph," *Improvement Era* 5, no. 12 (October 1902): 943–944.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0512unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera0512unse start_page: 943 end_page: 944 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1902-10) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0512unse publication_year: 1902 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1902, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Recollections of the Prophet Joseph THE GREA1 CONFLICT. 941 crimination between Satanic suggestion and the Spirit of God? An apostolic philosopher who understood the essential nature of and products of spiritual action working upon the soul of man, said, "the purity of the Spirit (of God) is joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance," all glorifying traits and worthy of generous culture and Godlike ambition; against them there is no law. Rebellion against supreme authority is the crowning sin of Satan, and the motto of all his legions; they untiringly seek for recreants among mankind, and they fully understand the weakness of the flesh and the results of unregenerate agency; their pur- pose is to thwart, if possible, the designs of God, and, while directly their actions can never over-reach his wisdom nor frus- trate his aim, the malignity of spirits and their use of spirit force is always on the side of disloyalty and destruction. Yet, "No man can say, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man, but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed" (James 1 : 13, 14,) "and the works of the flesh are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasci piousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murder, drunkenness, revelings, and such like of the which I have told you before, as I have also told you (like a faithful minister of God) in times past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."— (Paul). No man can claim exemption from the penalty of unrighteous- ness; none can be lauded or prayed or preached into heaven; none can excuse themselves because of spiritual agencies or because of the power of fascination or temptation, for great authority said, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you," but a greater, set- ting us an example, said, "Get thee behind me Satan, for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve." "The beginning of sin is as the letting in of water," said the old sage, and an apostle wrote, "When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death." Another said, "The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law." In other words, disobedience, rebellion, treason are the arch-enemies of many, instigated, encouraged, by the emis- saries of evil, whether in the flesh or of the spirit. The unusual carnival of crime hereabouts establishes the philosophy of spiritual force and activity; it demonstrates that the heat of the contest is not in the world, New York, London, Paris, these are already in the arms of the wicked one; the fight will in due time spread no doubt; for the prophet declared that "The Lord would hold a controversy with the nations" that "he — will plead with all flesh," and the cry now is, "If the Lord be God> serve him, but if Baal, then serve him," but the nations are al- ready forewarned that those who will not serve him shall perish, "nay shall be utterly wasted away." It was prophesied in the early days of Jesus, "This child is set for the rise and fall of many in Israel;" it was predicted of the latter-day prophet that "his name should be known for good or evil in all the world;" both have been fulfilled; the first said, "How often would I have gathered you together," the latter filled the dicta of an older prophet, "Gather my sons together, ye who have made covenant with me by sacrifice." Said we not truly, "this covenant people are here; here is the battle-ground, the con- test is being waged, the powers of good, the authority of God, leads the forces of true spiritual life, progress and success; the alien forces of Satan are led by demagogues, politicians, designing men, lovers of evil, enemies of truth and righteousness; in every garb, they have declared themselves, and they have laid seige to "the kingdom;" all the batteries of temptation, and all alluring sin are here; men have become possessed of evil spirits; they are charmed by spurious liberty; they "call evil good, and good evil;" and the results of subservience to those powers of darkness are seen in the calendars, while "secret sins" are ravaging and over- turning the foundations of social security, honesty, honor, virtue; regard for life and property, financial delinquency, official prosti- tution, the encouragement of saloons, whoredoms, pleasure and excessive expenditure, bear continuous testimony of the Gentiles and forgetfulness of God! Spiritual bondage is inevitable where "perilous times are come," for then men are "lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful,