A Baptist Minister and the “Mormons”

A Baptist Minister and the "Mormons" BY WM. A. MORTON. A Baptist minister of Salt Lake City, some time ago preached a sermon, in which he said: "Here we have the Latter-day Saints. They proclaim themselves peculiarly chosen men of God, who have re-established a lost religion. Would to God it had stayed lost. I have seen Latter-day Saints cursing, swearing, violating God's holy day. But they are saved because they are baptized into God's Church. All the ceremonial in the world won't wash away one sin." Every Latter-day Saint who reads this extract will be astonished at the saying of this minister, and will wonder where he got authority for making such a declaration. From the day of its organization up to the present time, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has never taught that people can be saved in the way in which this minister has described — by simply being baptized into the Church. We are personally acquainted with thousands of Latter-day Saints, and we do not believe there is one among them who entertains such an erroneous idea. If any Latter-day Saint believes that he will be saved in the kindgom of God just because he has been baptized, he is deceiving himself as badly as this minister is deceiving himself by believing that he can be saved in the kindgom of God without being baptized for the remission of his sins by an authorized servant of the Lord. We do not believe that any member of the Church ever told this minister that Latter-day Saints believe they are saved because they have been baptized into the "Mormon" Church. We know the reverend gentleman never read such doctrine in "Mormon" literature. Where, then, did he get his authority for making such a statement ? Nowhere. He simply said it in order to get a fling at the "Mormons." This minister said he had seen Latter-day Saints cursing, swearing and violating God's holy day. Well, we have heard Baptists curse, swear, and have seen them violate God's holy day, too ; and we would have just as good grounds for saying that these men believed they were saved because they had been baptized in the Baptist church as the minister referred to had for saying that Latter-day Saints who curse and swear and break the Sabbath believe they are saved because they have been baptized into the "Mormon" Church. No good, true, faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-dav Saints, much less one who curses and swears

A BAPTIST MINISTER AND THE '-MORMONS" 679 and breaks the Sabbath, believes that he is saved simply because he has been baptized. We have been taught better things. We know full well that the only way by which we, as well as the rest of mankind, can be saved is by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ ; by accepting him as our Lord and Savior; by obeying all his commandments, including baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; by conforming our lives to his divine will; and by enduring to the en'd. If our friend knows of anything else that is necessary to salvation let him tell us, and we will gladly accept it; for eternal salvation and exaltation in the kindgom of God is the one thing above all others that we most earnestly desire. "You might as well baptize a bag of sand as baptize a man who has not repented of his sins." This is the doctrine advocated by the Prophet Joseph Smith and published to the world. Are we to infer that such doctrine has led Latter-day Saints to believe that all they have to do to be saved is simply to be baptized? Enough. There is another part of the minister's sermon to which we wish to devote a little attention. It is the wish he expressed that the religion taught by the Latter-day Saints, and which we maintain had been lost to the world for ages, "had stayed lost." No doubt there are many ministers in the world who wish the same thing. We are not at all surprised at such an expression, for we know of 'nothing that has troubled the ministers of Christendom more than "Mormonism." It has revealed the falsity of their creeds and the absurdity of their claim to divine authority, as nothing else has done. It is recorded in the scriptures that when, the birth of the Messiah was announced, "Herod and all Jerusalem were troubled." People in those days were as sorely troubled over the announcement of the birth of the Savior as were sectarian ministers in these days at the announcement of the birth of "Mormonism." The same spirit troubled both. But notwithstanding the efforts that were put forth to destroy the Messiah. his life was preserved, and he grew up and fulfiled the great mission his Father had assigned him. It has been the same with "Mormonism." Notwithstanding all Christendom has been arrayed against it; notwithstandingall that has been done to exterminate it, it has been miraculously preserved ; has spread abroad into the nations of the earth ; has delivered tens of thousands of people from error and superstition; has liberated thousands from oppression and poverty, and brought them to a land of liberty and plenty, yea, "a choice land above all other lands ;" it has established in the desert commonwealths which have called forth the wonder and admiration of even its bitterest enemies. All this our ministerial friend wishes had never taken place. In his wish, that the religion restored by Joseph the prophet had stayed lost, he virtually wishes :

680 IMPROVEMENT ERA 1st. That the heavens had remained sealed, and that there had been no more revelation. 2nd. That the Father and Son had remained in the heavens, that men might continue to doubt the existence of God, and remain in ignorance concerning his personality, his character, etc. 3rd. That the Book of Mormon had never come forth, so that the world might have remained in ignorance of the origin and history of the great and mighty people who once inhabited this land. 4th. That John the Baptist had not appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, revealing to them the true mode and object of baptism, and restoring the authority necessary to officiate in that sacred ordinance. 5th. That the angels Peter, James and John, had not come to these men, restoring the higher priesthood and the authority to reorganize the true Church of Christ on earth. 6th. That Moses had not come with the keys of the gathering of Israel from the nations of the earth ; that the thousands of people who have gathered to Zion might have remained in Babylon, partaken of her sins, and received of her plagues. 7th. That Elijah the prophet had not come, in fulfilment of the prophecy of Malachi, to turn the heart of the fathers to tlu children and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest the earth be smitten with a curse. All these, as we have said, our Baptist friend wishes had not taken place. But, thank God, they have taken place, and His name be praised that the power of mortal man could not prevent it. She Smiled She smiled as only angels can, As sweet, without a guile ; Where'er I've been in all the land. Ne'er saw I such a smile. Her eyes were blue, just like the sky, So good, and true, and mild, That angels jealously would vie With this most lovely child. Oli ! sweetest child, where'er you go May holy angels guard your feet, May God in heaven keep you so Forever, pure and sweet. LOGAN. UTAH A J. HANSEN.