Testimony Derived from the Balkan War

BY FERDINAND F. HINTZE, FORMER MISSIONARY TO TURKEY

There are two classes of testimonies concerning the truthfulness of latter-day revelations. One is individual, the other, general. The testimony I wish to speak of is of the latter kind. General testimonies are derived from such sources as are plainly discernible to all who are enlightened by the spirit of truth from God. This spirit reveals the purposes and plans of God's dealing with man, and assures men that the word of God spoken by his holy prophets, ancient and modern, are true, are being fulfilled, or will surely be fulfilled. The Balkan War is such a one. From a scriptural poine of view, it is quite possible, to show that the Turkish power was ordained of God to do a great and mighty work to his honor and glory, even as were Pharaoh and Cyrus, and other historical characters. They were raised up to do a certain work for the benefit and advancement of God's mighty purposes, and when they passed away, left their histories as warnings and testimonies to future generations. The writer, having spent many years among the various peoples inhabiting Turkey, is prepared to fully substantiate that the Ottoman Turks are at least no worse than the average other peoples inhabiting Turkey, in Europe, and Asia Minor. Whatever is done by the Turks is generally considered wrong, in any event, because they differ from us Christians in both religion and civil government; whatever outrages the Christians commit are, as a rule, minimized, or entirely hushed, because they are Christians, and because our sympathies are strongly Christian. But the _

Latter-day Saints should not be biased our speakers and writers ;

should not be so entirely blinded by religious prejudices, that they can not speak fairly of all of God's children. Personally, I wish to bear testimony to the many virtues of the Turks. They are morally a clean people. They are sober virtuous, and as a rule, very truthful, far beyond the measure of them or living in their midst. They the Christians surrounding God's chosen are extremely pious, and are taught that they are people, that they must be good, pure and upright, in order to gain the paradise of the righteous. that make These are all good qualities. They have others their arrogant, despotic natures de- them hated one of these is :

from their form of government, by which they arrogate to rived

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themselves the right to plunder the wicked infidels who will not serve Allah, or God, in their fashion. Therefore, when they war, they believe that their fight is for Allah. They feel that anyone who raises his hand against them, raises it against their God and their religion. So, in their ignorant fanaticism, they do exactly as many other nations and peoples have done in times of war they :

commit all manner of outrages and abominations in the heat of their murderous passions. Having said this much of them as men, let us consider them for a moment as messengers of God, sent to do a special work for humanity in delivering them from the corrupting influences of a — bogus and fallen theocracy, a work which could not have been done only by a people such as they are. Looking back into historical scripture, we find that the predictions concerning Ishmael were, that his hand should be against every man, and every man's hand against him, yet he should become a mighty nation, for he was of Abraham. These sons of the desert could never form a stable, united government until God raised up the Prophet Mohammed. He energetically cleansed the Arabian tribes of their worst crimes, for they had already become an idolatrous people. They robbed and plundered one another, oppressed their wives whom they married, and divorced and abused without hindrance. They married wives in unreasonable numbers, and overran almost all moral lines. Mohammed rectified all of these abuses, regulated their marriages, and gave them a sound central government. But even this did not last, because of the characteristic disposition of the people to disagree. So, in the course of time, God sent the Turks from across the Euphrates to conquer them, and in turn to be converted by Ishmael, and then to assume the reins of government to which they were especially adapted. After that the Turks became the battle ax of Mohammedanism, or Islamism. From that day to this, the Turks have been a perfect shield of protection to that branch of Abraham's seed, protecting them from being overrun and subdued by an and bogus Christianity. This idolatrous, adulterous, abominable, was one of their callings. God also promised Abraham that his seed should possess the land of promise forever, and that the heathen should not rule in the land of Israel. This has been maintained, in that the children of Ishmael have succeeded the Jews in prolonged possession of that goodly land. They are there, and have been there for many generations and Israel and Ishmael have not been dislodged, ex- ;

cepting temporarily, by other nations. But the Ishmaelites — Mohammedan Arabs could not of themselves have formed a strong and lasting government to protect the holy land of God, hence he called the Turkomans, from beyond the Euphrates, to be its guardians. This is another of their callings.

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But the Turks had a still greater, and far different task to perform, for which they have as yet received only very little credit. They were also called to confine a corrupted Christianity to Europe, thus giving form to the beast spoken of in holy writ as having seven heads and ten horns. Briefly explained, the conditions are about like this When the apostles of the Lord had been removed, and the church had drifted into dire and dark apostasy, the opposing factions, church history relates, would excommunicate one another, and banish those who could not gather numerical strength enough to maintain their pretentions. In those days, Asia Minor and Arabia, as also Egypt and North Africa, were overrun by the worst forms of pretending priests. These taught for the gospel their own imaginations and inventions, thus filling the land with a cloud of thought that was not Jewish, Christian nor Pagan. But they associated together in sin and idolatry under the Christian banner. At the proper time, God raised up the prophet Moham- med, as an Arabian prophet. He was of Abraham, through the seed of Ishmael. He was perhaps entitled to the spirit of prophecy, but not to the priesthood. He taught faith in the only true and living God, and regulated the Arabian tribes by law and order and by ;

the fervency of his religion, he cleared the land of all renegade apostolic preachers, and confined all religious sentiment among the Christians to such as could show material worthy of consideration. That left the seven main Catholic churches, or seven heads of the beast— the Roman, the Greek, the Ethiopian, the Syrian in Chaldea, the Maronites of Lebanon, and the Armenian. But that was not all. He not only cleared Asia Minor, Palestine, Egypt, and the northern coast of Africa, of renegades, but went on valiantly conquering until he had formed a perfect cordon, in crescent form, around Christian Europe. The Mohammedans ruled on the African side, from the straits of Gibraltar, on the west, through Caucasian Russia, on the northeast. They planted themselves on the Bosphorus, and compelled the Greeks and Armenians to be moral, by their strict social customs, wherein they kept the sexes apart until after marriage. They enforced temperance, and gave home-rule government. And they were very genthese people a distant naerous to their subjects, so long as they could conquer called tribute. 1 hus tions and bring home their plunder which they did the Turks stem the tide of corruption coming out for centuries until better social conditions of Babylon, set upon the seven hills, could be brought about by the new light of God sent to earth Turks and again. This was the final grand achievement of the the fulfilment of another of their callings. power should The scriptures make it plain that this wonderful where the Latter-day hold out until the latter times, and here is

from the Balkan war. Saints get new inspiration

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When the Turkish onward march had been checked they 1

naturally began to yield and recede until today we see them in their humiliating position, begging on their knees for peace. But they cannot have prolonged peace, because their mission is fulfiled. They came not to be converted, nor to improve the world by progressive laws, or industrial or commercial pursuits, but to hold things as they were, until the time of the end, when they will go back to the place whence they came. Their mission will be ended, and on their retreat they are now suffering a full measure, even running over, of atrocities and oppression at the hands of those whom they themselves have formerly oppressed. The Turks who came last must be the first to go. When they are gone, the Arab will in time also yield, and that goodly and holy land, dedicated by the prophets of God to the use and benefit of the house of Israel, and sanctified by the blood of the Son of God, will be restored to its rightful owners who will be gathered out of all nations, and from the north countries, to possess the land forever and ever. That this long-looked for time is drawing near is what we conclude from the Balkan War. Every step that the Turk is driven back is a step nearer the return of the Jews to the land of Judea. Every movement made toward the renovation of that land, which tends to drive away the filthy Bedouin, the fanatical Arab, and the oppressive Turk, is a movement that must increase the testimony of every faithful Latter-day Saint. It proves the divinity of Joseph Smith's mission, of the Bible, of the Book of Mormon, and of modern revelation. It proves to us that the end is near. It proves that the Jews will surely soon return to their land of promise. It proves a great many more things clustered about and connected with the gathering of Israel out of all lands to Zion and to Jerusalem. In conclusion, the work of the Turks may be summarized as follows They assumed the leadership of Ishmael, and protected them from mixing with the outside world. They have protected the land of Palestine from being occupied except by the seed of Abraham, and thus have held it open for Jewish possession when the time of the Gentiles shall be fulfiled. They stopped the apostalic Christian churches from further spreading and multiplying, thereby giving them new life and better and more established forms. They practically surrounded Europe, and held it. firmly until the time for the restoration of the Gospel and the keys of the gathering of the house of Israel to their promised lands since which time ;

they have gradually given way, permitting Gog and Magog to form and arrange their armies for their final slaughter, in the valley of Jehosaphat, near Jerusalem. The mission of the Turk is performed ; his usefulness is nearly at an end. He has been released by the same power that sent him, and as he shall step out

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of the Holy Land, the Jews shall step in. The Turk came unheralded he will pass away, and be forgotten as a world power, ;

but in his stead will arise the Church of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God. The Church of Christ will fill the earth with light and knowledge and salvation ; the Kingdom of God will establish a reign of peace upon the whole earth.

HOLLIDAY, UTAH