,the ,vitality of ,mormonism    ,an     
,address      ,,by    ,,james ,e4       
,,talmage    ,,of ,,the ,,council ,,of  
,,the ,,twelve1 ,,church ,,of ,,jesus   
,,christ ,,of ,,latter-,,day  ,,saints  
,,published ,,by ,,the ,,church         
,salt ,lake ,city  #aiag                
,,prefatory ,,note    ,the following    
pages embody an address delivered by    
invitation at a  meeting of the ,denver 
,philosophical ,society1 at ,denver1    
,colorado1  ,december #adth1 #aiaf1 by  
,dr4 ,james ,e4 ,talmage4    ,the       
address has already been printed through
 the daily press and in  magazine pages2
 and it is presented herewith in        
convenient form1  suitable for          
preservation4    ,the conciseness1      
clearness1 and accuracy with which the  
subject is  treated commend it to the   
attention of interested and studious    
readers4    ,,the ,,publishers4    ,salt
 ,lake ,city1 ,utah1 ,january1 #aiag4   
,the ,vitality of ,mormonism    ,why    
does ,mormonism persist8 ,determined    

attempts were made both  openly and by  
stealth to strangle the system at its   
birth1 to destroy  the mustard seed at  
the time of the planting2 and1 as the   
fact of its  survival has become        
prominent the certainty of its impending
 demise has  been announced time and    
again2 the fall of the umbrageous tree1 
amidst  whose branches the birds of     
search continue to find food and        
shelter1  has been often predicted4     
,on the #fth of ,april1 #ahcj1 the      
,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day
  ,saints was organized as a body       
corporate at ,fayette in the ,state of  
,new ,york2 and the names of but six    
persons are of record as those of       
actual participants4 ,true1 by that time
 a few times six had identified         
themselves with the new and             
unprecedented movement2 but1 as the laws
 of  the ,state specified six as the    
required number of incorporators1 only  
that number took part in the legal      
procedure4 ,and they1 save one1 were    

relatively unknown and in fact obscure4 
,the name of ,joseph ,smith had already 
been heard beyond his home  district4   
,he was at the time a subject of rapidly
 spreading notoriety  if not of enviable
 fame4 ,the ,book of ,mormon1 purporting
 to be a record  of the aboriginal      
peoples of the ,western ,continent1     
particularly  an account of the dealings
 of ,god with those peoples1 in short   
the  ,scriptures of what came afterward 
to be called the ,new ,world1 had       
already been published4 ,it was in      
reference to the title page of this     
work that the appellation ,mormon1 first
 given in derision as a  nickname1 was  
fastened upon the members of the        
,church4    ,such a beginning as that of
 the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of       
,latter-day  ,saints may seem to afford 
little ground of either hope or fear as 
to  future developments2 nevertheless1  
the newly established ,church was  made 
the subject of assault from its         
inception4 ,what was there to cause     

hostile concern over the voluntary      
association of six men and a few of     
their friends in an organization of     
openly expressed purpose1 and that      
purpose the peaceful promulgation of    
what they verily believed to be4  the   
uplifting religion of life1 the ,gospel 
of ,jesus ,christ8    ,whatever may be  
the answer to the query1 the fact that  
the ,church  met determined opposition1 
increasingly severe from the beginning1 
is abundantly attested by history4      
,while active persecutors and  openly   
avowed assailants were comparatively    
few1 the majority of  those who gave any
 attention to the matter treated        
,mormonism with  aggressive disdain2 and
 contempt in the affairs of human       
endeavor has  not infrequently proved   
itself a more effective weapon than     
physical  assault4 ,in this instance    
violence and outrage resulted4    ,i    
invite your attention to ,the ,vitality 
of ',mormonism' under a  convenient     
classification1 though1 as will be seen1

 the divisions are  inter-related and   
merge intimately together4 ,let us      
consider3    #a4 ,facts attesting the   
vitality and virility of the ,church4   
#b4 ,some causes thereof4    #c4 ,some  
of the results4        #a4 ,facts       
attesting the ,vitality and ,virility of
 the ,church4    ,today the ,mormon     
,church is known by name at least       
throughout the  civilized world as well 
as amongst most of the semi-cultured    
peoples  in the remoter parts of the    
earth and on the islands of the sea4    
,since #ahcj every year has witnessed an
 increase in membership and an          
extension of ,mormon propaganda4 ,the   
six have increased to over half a       
million adherents4 ,in ,utah and        
adjacent ,states1 in ,canada and        
,mexico1  between seventy and eighty    
,stakes of ,zion have been established1 
each ,stake comprising several ,wards1  
of which there are now over seven       
hundred and fifty2 and the greater part 
of ,north ,america outside the          

established ,stakes1 as also many       
foreign countries1 are covered by well  
organized ,missions1 each with its      
component ,conferences and ,branches4   
,the growth of the ,church is apparent  
to even the poorly informed4 ,but  the  
,church has not only grown2 it has      
developed4 ,between growth and          
development there is a difference of the
 most essential kind2 and not  a few of 
the grave mistakes of men1 even in every
 day affairs1 in  business1 in politics1
 in statesmanship are traceable to our  
confusing  and confounding the two4     
,growth alone is the result of          
accretion1 the  accumulation of         
material1 the amassing of stuff4        
,development involves  an extension of  
function1 a gradation of efficiency1 a  
passing from  immaturity to maturity1   
from infancy to manhood4    ,growth     
produces big things1 and not only things
 of this sort but men4  ,between bigness
 and greatness1 however1 there is a     
distinction of  kind1 not alone of      

degree4 ,growth is a measure of bulk1 of
 quantity2  it is defined as so many or 
so much4 ,development is a gradation  of
 quality2 its terms are so good or so   
bad4 ,america boasts of a  constantly   
increasing host of big men2 the great   
men of the land may be  more easily     
counted4 ,and as with men so with       
institutions4    ,dead things may grow1 
as witness the tiny salt crystal in its 
mother-brine at first a microscopic     
cube1 then a huge hexahedron  limited   
only by the size of the container or    
other external conditions4              
,development1 however1 is the           
characteristic of life to which mere    
growth is essentially secondary and     
subordinate4 ,the acorn holds in        
potential reserve all the possibilities 
of the stately oak2 within the  tiny egg
 of the butterfly lies the future       
caterpillar and the hidden  glory of the
 mature imago4    ,the vital character  
of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of     
,latter-day ,saints  was evident from   

the first4 ,in masterly parable1 superb 
in conception  and application1 the     
kingdom of heaven has been likened unto 
leaven1  which a woman took and hid in  
three measures of meal2 and1 behold1    
from  it the mass became leavened4 ,i   
make bold to affirm that the leaven of  
,mormonism is leavening the world and   
its theology4    ,the most objectionable
 feature of ,mormonism today appears to 
be its  name4 ,the fundamental          
principles of the system1 its revealed  
truths1  are more readily accepted when 
unlabeled4 ,every studious reader  of   
recent commentaries on the ,holy        
,scriptures1 and of theological         
treatises in general1 is aware of a     
surprising progressiveness in  modern   
views of things spiritual1 amounting in 
many instances to an  abandonment of    
what were once regarded as the          
fundamentals of orthodoxy4    ,in the   
new theology ,mormonism has pioneered   
the way4 ,i admit that  so radical an   
assertion calls for evidence2 and in its

 support ,i shall  ask your unbiased    
consideration of a few illustrative     
instances4 ,as the  examples to be      
cited1 however1 must have place in any  
exposition of  the causes to which the  
vitality of the ,mormon system of       
religion is  to be ascribed1 and as ,i  
assume that the actuality of the growth 
and  vitality of ,mormonism will not be 
contested1 ,i pass in the interest  of  
brevity to the second division4         
#b4,some ,causes to which the ,vitality 
of ,mormonism is due4    ,mormonism is  
definite and incisive in its claims4 ,it
 speaks to the  world in no uncertain   
tone4 ,its voice is virile2 its         
activities are  strong4 ,it presents an 
unbroken front1 and is unafraid4 ,its   
attitude is  not tile1 nevertheless it  
is strongly aggressive4 ,its methods of 
work  are those of reason and           
persuasion1 coupled with a fearless     
affirmation  of testimony as to the     
surpassing importance of its message1   
which  message it labors to convey to   

every nation1 kindred1 tongue and       
people4    ,mormonism lives because it  
is healthy1 normal and undeformed4 ,in  
general1 a healthy organism is assured  
of life1 barring destruction  from      
external violence or deprivation of     
physical necessities2 whereas  one that 
is abnormal and sickly is doomed to     
decline4 ,opposition to  the ,church1   
the pitiless maltreatment to which its  
people have been  subjected1 comprising 
mobbings1 drivings1 spoliation1         
scourgings1  assassination1 and murder  
marked by every conceivable             
accompaniment of  barbarity1 have       
operated to strengthen the ,church1 body
 and soul4 ,true1  the heat of          
persecution has scorched and withered a 
few of the sickly  plants such as had no
 depth of sincerity2 but the general    
effect has  been to promote a fuller    
growth1 and to make richer and more     
fertile  the ,garden of the ,lord4      
,mormonism thrives and is extending its 
influence1 leavening the  thoughts of   

men1 because its distinctive doctrines  
are those of  progression1 in accord    
with the better manifestations of the   
spirit  of the times1 best adapted to   
meet the vital needs of the age4 ,the   
timeliness of its establishment is      
significant and largely explanatory  of 
its success4    ,the seed of the        
restored ,gospel was planted by the     
,divine ,husbandman  only after due     
preparation of the soil4 ,the place of  
planting was  no less carefully selected
 than the time of seeding4 ,in the      
economy  of ,god1 ,america1 which is    
veritably the land of ,zion1 was        
aforetime  consecrated as the home of a 
free and independent nation4 ,only in   
such  soil could the germ of the ,gospel
 of true liberty sprout and thrive4     
,mormonism lives because its claims are 
consistent and its position             
impregnable4 ,it affirms the literal    
fulfilment of scriptural  predictions of
 a great falling away from the truth1 a 
cessation of  spiritual gifts and       

,divine authority1 in short a world-wide
 apostasy  from the ,church established 
by the ,lord ,jesus ,christ in the      
meridian of  time4 ,this condition of   
apostasy is that pictured by ,isaiah3   
,the earth also is defiled under the    
inhabitants thereof2 because      they  
have transgressed the laws1 changed the 
ordinance1 broken the      everlasting  
covenant4 7,isaiah #bd3e47    ,and by   
,amos1 in his fateful utterance3        
,behold1 the days come1 saith the ,lord 
,god1 that ,i will send a      famine in
 the land1 not a famine of bread1 nor a 
thirst for water1      but of hearing   
the words of the ,lord3 ,and they shall 
wander from      sea to sea1 and from   
the north even to the east1 they shall  
run to      and fro to seek the word of 
the ,lord1 and shall not find it4 7,amos
      #h3aa1 #ab47    ,the certainty of 
a general declension in spirituality    
among men1 the  rise of false ,christs  
and false prophets1 of mystic and       
deceiving  voices from the desert and   

from secret chambers was foretold by the
  ,christ ,himself 7,matt4 #bd3d-e1 #aj1
 #ac1 #be-bf74 ,so avowed also the      
,apostles ,peter 7#b ,peter #b3a-c71 and
 ,paul 7,acts #bj3bi-cj1 #a ,tim4       
#d3a-c1  #b ,tim4 #d3a-d1 #b ,thess4    
#b3c-d71 ,jude 7#ag1 #ah71 and ,john    
7,rev4 #ac3d1 #f-i74    ,the apostate   
condition of ,christendom has been      
recognized and affirmed  by high        
ecclesiastical authority ,let a single  
citation suffice4 ,the  ,church of      
,england thus proclaims the fact of     
degeneracy1 as set forth  in her ,homily
 against ,peril of ,idolatry1 published 
about the middle  of the sixteenth      
century and retained to this day as an  
official  declaration3        ,so that  
laity and clergy1 learned and unlearned1
 all ages1 sects1      and degrees of   
men1 women1 and children of whole       
,christendom an      horrible and most  
dreadful thing to think have been at    
once drowned      in abominable         
idolatry2 of all other vices most       

detested of ,god1      and most damnable
 to man2 and that by the space of eight 
hundred      years and more4    ,no less
 definite than the prophecy of apostasy 
is the scriptural  prediction of a      
restoration in the last days3           
,and ,i saw another angel fly in the    
midst of heaven1 having the             
everlasting gospel to preach unto them  
that dwell on the earth1 and      to    
every nation1 and kindred1 and tongue1  
and people1 ,saying with a      loud    
voice1 ,fear ,god1 and give1 glory to   
him2 for the hour of his      judgment  
is come3 and worship him that made      
heaven1 and earth1 and      the sea1 and
 the fountains of waters4 7,rev4        
#ad3f-g47    ,mormonism affirms that the
 everlasting ,gospel has been restored  
to  earth in the manner specified1 that 
is by angelic ministration4 ,the        
necessity of a restoration postulates   
the prior removal of the thing          
restored2 and the restoration of the    
,gospel is proof of the precedent       

apostasy of mankind4 ,but1 it may be    
asked1 had not we the ,holy ,bible1  the
 scriptural repository of the ,gospel   
record8 ,the letter1 yes4 ,but  surely  
the ,gospel is more than a book4 ,the   
,holy ,bible prescribes  administrative 
ordinances as essential to salvation    
baptism by water  and the bestowal of   
the ,holy ,ghost by the authoritative   
imposition  of hands1 the rebirth of    
water and of the ,spirit1 without which1
  unless the ,lord ,christ spoke to     
,nicodemus falsely1 no man can enter    
the kingdom of ,god4 ,who will venture  
to affirm that a possession of  a copy  
of the ,holy ,bible1 or even a          
letter-perfect memorization of  the     
contents thereof1 can give to men the   
right to administer in the  ordinances  
therein prescribed8    ,the angel seen  
by the ,revelator while on ,patmos was  
to restore not the  letter of           
requirement as to baptism and other     
essentials1 for this  the world had2 but
 he was to bring again to earth the     

commission to  officiate in those saving
 ordinances1 that is1 to restore the    
authority  of the ,holy ,priesthood4    
,mormonism affirms that on the #aeth of 
,may1 #ahbi1 a heavenly messenger       
descended in light and glory1 and1      
laying his hands upon ,joseph ,smith    
and his companion in the ministry1      
,oliver ,cowdery1 bestowed upon them    
the ,lesser or ,aaronic ,priesthood1    
saying3        ,upon you my fellow      
servants1 in the name of ,messiah1 ,i   
confer      the ,priesthood of ,aaron1  
which holds the keys of the ministering 
of angels1 and of the gospel of         
repentance1 and of baptism by           
immersion for the remission of sins4    
,the angelic personage announced himself
 as ,john1 known of old as the          
,baptist1 and declared that he acted    
under instructions from ,peter1  ,james1
 and ,john1 who held the presidency of  
the ,higher or ,melchizedek  ,priesthood
 in the apostolic dispensation of old4  
,at a later date ,joseph  ,smith and his

 fellow laborer were visited by ,peter1 
,james1 and ,john1  who ordained the two
 to the ,priesthood after the order of  
,melchizedek1  which comprises all the  
authority operative in the ,church of   
,jesus  ,christ4    ,whatever criticism 
may be offered1 exception taken1 or     
denial asserted  against these solemn   
declarations1 the consistency of the    
claims  themselves must be admitted4    
,authority to officiate in the          
ordinances  of the ,gospel was brought  
by angel messengers1 and they the very  
ones  in whom were vested the powers of 
the respective order of ,priesthood in  
the earlier ,gospel dispensation4 ,this 
same strict consistency appears  in     
subsequent manifestations4 ,thus ,moses 
appeared in the ,temple at  ,kirtland1  
,ohio1 and conferred the keys of the    
gathering of the tribes  of ,israel     
after their long dispersion1 which work 
is abundantly  predicted in ancient     
scripture as a characteristic feature of
 the  latter days the time immediately  

precedent to the glorious advent of  the
 ,son of ,man4 ,elijah the prophet1 in  
literal fulfilment of ,malachi's        
prediction 7,mai4 #d3e-f7 has brought   
and committed to the modern prophet  the
 authority of vicarious labor in behalf 
of the dead1 by which the  hearts of the
 departed fathers are turned to their   
living posterity1  and the hearts of the
 yet mortal children drawn to their     
progenitors  in the spirit world4 ,true 
to this particular commission1 the      
restored  ,church rears temples to the  
name and service of the living ,god1 and
  in those sacred structures carries    
forward vicarious service for the       
redemption of the uncounted dead who    
have passed away in ignorance as  to the
 necessity of compliance with the laws  
and ordinances of the  ,gospel1 without 
which compliance no man may see the     
kingdom of ,god4    ,such facts as those
 cited attest the consistency of the    
distinctive  claims of ,mormonism2 and  
consistency goes far to establish       

genuineness4 ,mormonism would long since
 have gone the way of  all false creeds 
and systems had its precepts been       
inconsistent1  incongruous1 or          
unscriptural4    ,mormon doctrines are  
characteristically advanced and         
progressive1 and  herein lies a further 
explanation of the virility of the      
system4 ,while  in no respect at        
variance with earlier scriptures1       
,mormonism carries  principles forward1 
and many of the obscure passages of     
ancient writ  are illumined by the rays 
of modern revelation4 ,as stated1       
,mormonism  leads the way to higher     
truths4 ,now1 by way of a few examples  
as  promised3    7,a7 ,the unscriptural 
and repellent dogma of inherent         
degeneracy and  the contaminating effect
 of original sin1 by which every child  
is  born vile in the sight and judgment 
of ,god1 long cast its dark shadow  over
 the minds of men4 ,from this conception
 sprang the practise of  infant baptism 
and the perverted doctrine of assured   

damnation for  all innocent babes who   
die unbaptized4 ,even the ,catholic     
church has  modified its teaching on    
this subject and today permits its      
members  to believe that children who   
die without baptism pass to a state of  
partial happiness and content1 though   
forever denied the supreme  blessing of 
the beatific vision of ,god4 ,it is     
conceded1 of course1 that  no dictum1   
dogma1 or doctrine of men can determine 
the fate of souls1  infant or adult1 in 
the hereafter2 nevertheless1 theological
 teachings  have direct effect upon the 
thoughts and lives of mankind4 ,it is   
cheering to know that practically all   
,christendom today repudiates the       
frightful heresy of the eternal         
condemnation of babes who die without   
baptism4    ,hear now the word of       
,mormonism on the matter and note the   
time of its  enunciation4 ,in #ahcj the 
,book of ,mormon was given to the world4
 ,therein  we read1 in an epistle of the
 ancient prophet ,mormon to his son     

,moroni3        ,listen to the words of 
,christ1 your ,redeemer1 your ,lord and 
your      ,god4 ,behold1 ,i came into   
the world not to call the righteous1 but
      sinners to repentance3 the whole  
need no physician1 but they that        
are sick2 wherefore little children are 
whole1 for they are not      capable of 
committing sin2 wherefore the curse of  
,adam is taken      from them in me1    
that it hath no power over them2 and the
 law of      circumcision is done away  
in me4 ,and after this manner did the   
,holy      ,ghost manifest the word of  
,god unto me2 wherefore my beloved son1 
,i      know that it is solemn mockery  
before ,god1 that ye should baptize     
little children4 ,behold ,i say unto    
you1 ,that this thing shall ye          
teach1 repentance and baptism unto those
 who are accountable and      capable of
 committing sin2 yea1 teach parents that
 they must repent      and be baptized1 
and humble themselves as their little   
children1      and they shall all be    

saved with their little children4 ,and  
their      little children need no      
repentance1 neither baptism4 ,behold1   
baptism is unto repentance to the       
fulfilling the commandments unto        
the remission of sins4 ,but little      
children are alive in ,christ1      even
 from the foundation of the world4      
7,moroni #h3h-ab47    ,in the           
revelations of the current dispensation 
we read that children  are accounted    
innocent before ,god until they come to 
the age of  understanding and           
accountability1 and that baptism is     
required of all  who have attained that 
condition4 ,thus we read3        ,all   
those who humble themselves before ,god1
 and desire to be      baptized and come
 forth with broken hearts and contrite  
spirits1      and witness before the    
church that they have truly repented of 
all      their sins1 and are willing to 
take upon them the name of ,jesus       
,christ1 having a determination to serve
 him to the end1 and truly      manifest

 by their works that they have received 
of the ,spirit of      ,christ unto the 
remission of their sins1 shall be       
received by      baptism into his       
church4 7,doctrine and ,covenants       
#bj3cg47    7,b7 ,the one-time general  
conception of heaven and hell is        
regarded  today as antiquated1          
unreasonable1 unscriptural and untrue4  
,i speak  of the heaven and the hell    
once thought of as the only places or   
conditions prepared for the souls of    
men1 to one or the other of which       
states every being that has or shall    
have tabernacled in the flesh is  to be 
consigned1 perhaps on a very narrow     
margin of merit or desert4  ,true1 the  
support of scriptural warrant was       
lacking for the churchly  dogma2 but    
many centuries were required for the    
world to discover the  fact4 ,paul1     
writing to the ,corinthians in the long 
ago1 said3        ,there are also       
celestial bodies1 and bodies            
terrestrial3 but the      glory of the  

celestial is one1 and the glory of the  
terrestrial is      another4 ,there is  
one glory of the sun1 and another glory 
of the      moon1 and another glory of  
the stars3 for one star differeth from  
another star in glory4 ,so also is the  
resurrection of the dead4 7,i      ,cor4
 #ae3dj-db47    ,to this portentous     
scripture a very narrow exposition was  
accorded  in the dogmatic exegesis of   
the earlier commentaries1 and the dictum
  of a heaven and a hell was scarcely   
shaken thereby4 ,belief in graded       
conditions in the hereafter is          
widespread today1 and in this rational  
substitution of ennobling truth for     
degrading error1 ,mormonism is  again   
the world's teacher4 ,joseph ,smith     
avowed that in ,february #ahcb  he      
received a ,divine revelation1 in which 
conditions in the hereafter  were shown 
to be the direct result of the          
individual life in mortality1  and by   
which the existence of distinct kingdoms
 of glory1 each with its  own numerous  

gradations1 was made plain4 ,these are  
called in descending  order the         
,celestial1 the ,terrestrial and the    
,telestial4 ,far below the  lowest of   
these is the state prepared for the     
hopelessly unregenerate1  those who have
 sinned against light and knowledge1    
those who1 having  learned the laws of  
righteousness and having received the   
testimony  of the ,christ have          
ruthlessly trodden the priceless pearls 
into the  mire1 those few who are fit   
companions for the devil and his angels 
throughout eternity1 those who are known
 by the awful name sons of  perdition4  
,of them the revelation last referred to
 avers3        ,thus saith the ,lord1   
concerning all those who know my power1 
and      have been made partakers       
thereof1 and suffered themselves1       
through      the power of the devil1 to 
be overcome1 and to deny the truth and  
defy my power ,they are they who are the
 sons of perdition1 of whom      ,i say 
that it had been better for them never  

to have been born1      ,for they are   
vessels of wrath1 doomed to suffer the  
wrath of ,god1      with the devil and  
his angels in eternity2 ,concerning whom
 ,i have      said there is no          
forgiveness in this world nor in the    
world to      come1 ,having denied the  
,holy ,spirit after having received it1 
and      having denied the ,only        
,begotten ,son of the ,father having    
crucified      him unto themselves1 and 
put him to an open shame4 ,these are    
they      who shall go away into the    
lake of fire and brimstone1 with the    
devil and his angels1 ,and the only ones
 on whom the second death      shall    
have any power2 ,yea1 verily1 the only  
ones who shall not be      redeemed in  
the due time of the ,lord1 after the    
sufferings of his      wrath4 7,doctrine
 and ,covenants #gf3ca-ch47    ,in      
immeasurable contrast is the state of   
those who attain not only  salvation but
 exaltation in the ,celestial kingdom4  
,we read3        ,they are they who     

received the testimony of ,jesus1 and   
believed      on his name and were      
baptized after the manner of his burial1
      being buried in the water in his  
name1 and this according to the         
commandment which he has given1 ,that by
 keeping the commandments      they     
might be washed and cleansed from all   
their sins1 and receive      the ,holy  
,spirit by the laying on of the hands of
 him who is      ordained and sealed    
unto this power4 ,and who overcome by   
faith1 and      are sealed by the ,holy 
,spirit of promise1 which the ,father   
sheds      forth upon all those who are 
just and true4 ,they are they who are   
the church of the ,first ,born4 ,they   
are they into whose hands the           
,father has given all things--,they are 
they who are ,priests and      ,kings1  
who have received of his fullness1 arid 
of his glory1 ,and      are ,priests of 
the ,most ,high1 after the order of     
,melchizedek1 which      was after the  
order of ,enoch1 which was after the    

order of the ,only      ,begotten ,son2 
,wherefore1 as it is written1 they are  
,gods1 even the      sons of ,god       
,wherefore all things are theirs1       
whether life or death1      or things   
present1 or things to come1 all are     
theirs and they are      ,christ's and  
,christ is ,god's4 ,and they shall      
overcome all things2      ,wherefore let
 no man glory in man1 but rather let him
 glory in ,god1      who shall subdue   
all enemies under his feet--,these shall
 dwell in      the presence of ,god and 
his ,christ for ever and ever4 ,these   
are      they whom he shall bring with  
him1 when he shall come in the clouds   
of heaven1 to reign on the earth over   
his people4 ,these are they      who    
shall have part in the first            
resurrection4 ,these are they who       
shall come forth in the resurrection of 
the just4 7,verses #ea-fe47    ,of those
 who attain the lesser glory of the     
,terrestrial it is written3        ,and 
again1 we saw the terrestrial world1 and

 behold and lo1 these      are they who 
are of the terrestrial1 whose glory     
differs from that      of the church of 
the ,first ,born1 who have received the 
fullness      of the ,father1 even as   
that of the moon differs from the sun in
      the firmament4 ,behold1 these are 
they who died without law1 ,and         
also they who are the spirits of men    
kept in prison1 whom the      ,son      
visited1 and preached the gospel unto   
them1 that they might      be judged    
according to men in the flesh1 ,who     
received not the      testimony of      
,jesus in the flesh1 but afterwards     
received it4 ,these      are they who   
are honorable men of the earth1 who were
 blinded by      the craftiness of men4 
,these are they who receive of his      
glory1 but      not of his fullness4 99 
99 99 ,these are they who are not       
valiant in      the testimony of ,jesus2
 wherefore they obtain not the crown    
over      the kingdom of our ,god4      
7,verses #ga-gf1 #gi47    ,and of the   

inhabitants of the ,telestial3          
,and again1 we saw the glory of the     
telestial1 which glory is that      of  
the lesser1 even as the glory of the    
stars differs from that of      the     
glory of the moon in the firmament4     
,these are they who received      not   
the gospel of ,christ1 neither the      
testimony of ,jesus4 ,these are         
they who deny not the ,holy ,spirit4    
,these are they who are thrust      down
 to hell4 ,these are they who shall not 
be redeemed from the      devil1 until  
the last resurrection1 until the ,lord1 
even ,christ      the ,lamb shall have  
finished his work4 99 99 99 ,and the    
glory of the      telestial is one1 even
 as the glory of the stars is one1 for  
as one      star differs from another   
star in glory1 even so differs one from 
another in glory in the telestial world2
 ,for these are they who      are of    
,paul1 and of ,apollos1 and of ,cephas4 
,these are they who say      they are   
some of one and some of another some of 

,christ and some      of ,john1 and some
 of ,moses1 and some of ,elias1 and some
 of ,esaias1      and some of ,isaiah1  
and some of ,enoch2 ,but received not   
the gospel1      neither the testimony  
of ,jesus1 neither the prophets1 neither
 the      everlasting covenant4 ,last of
 all1 these all are they who will       
not be gathered with the saints1 to be  
caught up unto the church      of the   
,first ,born1 and received into the     
cloud4 ,these are they      who are     
liars1 and sorcerers1 and adulterers1   
and whoremongers1      and whosoever    
loves and makes a lie4 99 99 99 ,these  
are they who are      cast down to hell 
and suffer the wrath of ,almighty ,god1 
until the      fullness of times when   
,christ shall have subdued all enemies  
under      his feet1 and shall have     
perfected his work1 99 99 99 ,but       
behold1 and      lo1 we saw the glory   
and the inhabitants of the telestial    
world1      that they were as           
innumerable as the stars in the         

firmament of      heaven1 or as the sand
 upon the sea shore1 ,and heard the     
voice of      the ,lord1 saying these   
all shall bow the knee1 and every tongue
      shall confess to him who sits upon
 the throne for ever and ever2      ,for
 they shall be judged according to their
 works1 and every man      shall receive
 according to his own works1 his own    
dominion1 in the      mansions which are
 prepared1 ,and they shall be servants  
of the      ,most ,high1 but where ,god 
and ,christ dwell they cannot come1     
worlds      without end4 7,verses       
#ha-he1 #ih-ajc1 #ajf1 #aji-aab47       
,mormonism proclaims the possibility of 
eternal advancement within  the several 
kingdoms provided in the hereafter and  
teaches that even  repentance is        
possible beyond the grave4 ,it utters   
solemn warning1  however1 against       
procrastination and wilful neglect here1
 holding  that this life is strictly a  
probationary period given unto men for  
repentance and valiant service1 and that

 to neglect is to lose the  ability to  
repent4 ,it repudiates what it regards  
as a strained and  irrelevant exposition
 of a certain isolated passage from the 
,preacher  of old3 ,if the tree fall    
toward the south1 or toward the north1  
in the  place where the tree falleth1   
there it shall be4 7,eccles4 #aa3c47    
,this  we do not believe was ever       
intended to mean that as the man is when
 he  dies so shall he be eternally2 nor 
do we admit that the tenor of ,holy     
,writ supports any such inference4      
,neglect1 wilful procrastination1 evil  
life here shall surely be a handicap to 
eternal progress2 but however  far      
behind his more faithful fellows a      
sinner may fall1 he shall yet  advance  
if he will but repent and try4 ,is it   
empty assumption to say  that such      
doctrine as this1 given to the world    
through the ,book of  ,mormon in #ahcj1 
is more vital than the dogmas of        
neverending torment  and eternal        
damnation8    7,c7 ,it was long taught  

that the body is a hindrance and a      
burden to  the spirit1 a thing to be    
contemned and despised4 ,carried to its 
inevitable extreme this belief led to   
the abnormalities of asceticism1        
monastic isolation1 celibacy1 and       
resultant evils4 ,the spirit of this    
age impels to healthful living1 to the  
preservation of the body and the        
conservation of its ,god-given          
functions1 to the prudent observances of
  sanitation and hygiene1 to abstinence 
from intoxicants1 narcotics and         
stimulants generally4 ,as early as      
,february the ,lord gave a revelation   
to the ,church touching matters of      
hygiene and diet4 ,the ,word of  ,wisdom
 it has been rightly called2 and its    
precepts are now proclaimed  by the     
teachers of men4 ,hear it3        ,that 
inasmuch as any man drinketh wine or    
strong drink among you1      behold it  
is not good1 neither meet in the sight  
of your ,father1      only in assembling
 yourselves together to offer up your   

sacraments      before him4 ,and1       
behold1 this should be wine1 yea1 pure  
wine of the      grape of the vine1 of  
your own make4 ,and1 again1 strong      
drinks are      not for the belly1 but  
for the washing of your bodies4 ,and    
again1      tobacco is not for the body1
 neither for the belly1 and is not good 
for man1 but is an herb for bruises and 
all sick cattle1 to be used      with   
judgment and skill4 ,and again1 hot     
drinks are not for the body      or     
belly4 ,and again1 verily ,i say unto   
you1 all wholesome herbs      ,god hath 
ordained for the constitution1 nature1  
and use of man4      ,every herb in the 
season thereof1 and every fruit in the  
season      thereof2 all these to be    
used with prudence and thanksgiving4    
,yea1      flesh also of beasts and of  
the fowls of the air1 ,i1 the ,lord1    
have      ordained for the use of man   
with thanksgiving2 nevertheless they    
are to be used sparingly2 ,and it is    
pleasing unto me that they      should  

not be used only in times of winter1 or 
of cold1 or famine4      ,all grain is  
ordained for the use of man and of      
beasts1 to be the      staff of life1   
not only for man but for the beasts of  
the field1      and the fowls of heaven1
 and all wild animals that run or creep 
on      the earth2 ,and these hath ,god 
made for the use of man only in times   
of famine and excess of hunger4 ,all    
grain is good for the food of      man1 
as also the fruit of the vine1 that     
which yieldeth fruit1      whether in   
the ground or above the ground4         
,nevertheless1 wheat for      man1 and  
corn for the ox1 and oats for the horse1
 and rye for the      fowls and for     
swine1 and for all beasts of the field1 
and barley      for all useful animals1 
and for mild drinks1 as also other      
grain4      ,and all saints who remember
 to keep and do these sayings1 walking  
in obedience to the commandments1 shall 
receive health in their      navel1 and 
marrow to their bones2 ,and shall find  

wisdom and great      treasures of      
knowledge1 even hidden treasures2 ,and  
shall run and      not be weary1 and    
shall walk and not faint2 ,and ,i1 the  
,lord1 give      unto them a promise1   
that the destroying angel shall pass by 
them1      as the children of ,israel1  
and not slay them4 ,amen4 7,doctrine and
      ,covenants #hi3e-ba47    ,hot     
drinks against which the people are     
warned have been and are  understood to 
include tea and coffee1 and the         
inhibition was preached  and published  
prior to the discovery by chemists that 
theine1 caffeine  and kindred alkaloids 
are of pronounced deleterious and       
actually  poisonous effect4 ,here again 
has ,mormonism1 as a living teacher1 led
  the way to the paths of a better life1
 not for the hereafter alone1 but  for  
this world4    ,the most potent of all  
forces operating to maintain the        
vitality of  ,mormonism is found in the 
,divine source of its powers and        
authority4  ,it teaches the actuality of

 present day revelation as the needs of 
the  ,church require4 ,the system lives 
and shall never die because it is       
imbued with the spirit of eternal life4 
,men cannot destroy the ,divine2  the   
mortal is impotent in assault upon the  
immortal2 the finite is  powerless to   
prevail against the infinite4        #c4
 ,some of the ,practical ,results4      
,had ,mormonism died in its infancy the 
splendid results of its effects  upon   
mankind would be unknown even as        
history4 ,to the vitality of the        
system1 to its inherent virility1 is due
 the development at which today  the    
world marvels4 ,among the practical     
results of ,mormonism are the           
following4    7,a7 ,a system of church  
organization unknown1 since the         
disintegration  of the ,primitive       
,church through apostasy4 ,this         
organization comprises  all the         
essential offices and officers of the   
olden ,church-apostles1  high priests1  
seventies1 elders1 bishops1 priests1    

teachers1 deacons4  ,the religion of    
,mormonism is practical1 dealing with   
the spiritual it  is true1 but also in a
 prominent degree with the essentials of
 every  day life4    7,b7 ,an effective 
missionary system1 by which the ,gospel 
message is  proclaimed throughout the   
world1 and that message of salvation is 
delivered without money or price4       
,elders and missionary women are sent   
out into the several fields1 bearing    
their own expenses except so far  as    
they may receive assistance through the 
generosity of the people  amongst whom  
they labor4    7,c7 ,a coherent and     
mutually helpful body1 in which the ties
 and  prejudices of diverse nationality 
and of varied tradition are swallowed   
up in the common love for the ,gospel   
and in the individual testimony  of its 
genuineness4 ,when one of the early     
presiding officers of the  ,church was  
asked by an earnest investigator wherein
 lay the secret of  the marvelous       
influence by which so great an          

aggregation of foreign and  otherwise   
diverse people were governed1 the answer
 was3 ,we teach them  correct principles
 and they govern themselves4    ,this   
effect of the ,gospel is apparent in the
 happiness and satisfaction  manifest   
among those who have become members of  
the ,church after  real repentance4     
,apostasy from the ,church is a rare    
phenomenon4 ,even  excommunication for  
failure to live aright is more common2  
and1 be  it known1 that the ,lord's     
revelations to the ,church provide that 
transgression1 if not followed by       
sincere contrition and earnest effort   
to make amends1 is to be visited by     
disfellowshipment4    ,every ,latter-day
 ,saint is expected to be true to the   
sanctity of his  individual testimony4  
,he is directly answerable to his ,god4 
,as to his  conviction that the ,gospel 
taught by the ,church is genuine1 he is 
held  to have undergone the test        
prescribed by the ,christ that of doing 
the  will of ,god and thus learning for 

himself that the doctrine is true4  ,the
 peace and satisfaction evinced by      
converts to ,mormonism well nigh        
surpasses human belief4    7,d7 ,a      
self-supporting organization1 not       
dependent upon the gifts of a  wealthy  
few1 but upon the proportionate giving  
of all4 ,in the material  support of the
 ,church as a human institution the     
widow's penny is as  acceptable as are  
the goldpieces of the millionaire4 ,the 
system of  tithepaying has been a       
success in the ,church from the first4  
,every  member should consider it a duty
 to pay a tenth of his income1 whether  
that tenth for any given period be a    
dime or a thousand dollars2 but  no     
payment is arbitrarily exacted1 for     
compliance with the law of the  tithe1  
to be acceptable before ,god1 must be   
voluntary and willing4 ,the  people are 
taught that while the ,lord needs their 
tithes and offerings1  their need to be 
tithed is many times greater4 ,besides  
the tithing  other free-will offerings  

are made4 ,on the monthly fast day each 
family  is asked to contribute the      
cost-equivalent of the meals from which 
the  members have fasted2 and the means 
so obtained is administered by the      
bishops for the relief of the deserving 
poor4 ,special offerings are  called for
 and willingly given as occasion        
requires4 ,a recent request  for aid to 
the war sufferers resulted in the       
voluntary and eager giving  of over     
#cj1jjj in a single day2 and this amount
 was forwarded and  distributed without 
diminution for commission or other      
administrative  expense1 the ,church    
organization proving ample for the      
purpose4    7,e7 ,a series of auxiliary 
associations which operate as helps in  
government4 ,these include the ,relief  
,society1 the ,sunday ,school ,union1   
the ,young ,men's and the ,young        
,ladies' ,mutual ,improvement           
,associations1  the ,primary            
,association1 and the ,religion         
,classes4 ,the purpose of these  is in  

general indicated by the names4 ,church 
schools are maintained for  such members
 as prefer denominational to secular    
education2 and these  institutions range
 from the kindergarten to the normal    
school and the  college4 ,we believe    
that true education comprises the       
development of  body1 mind1 and spirit2 
and facilities for this symmetrical     
training  are provided4 ,to ,mormon     
pupils in the public schools of both    
common  and secondary grades instruction
 in religion and ethics is given        
through the ,religion ,classes1 which   
are conducted outside the regular       
school hours and as a supplement to the 
secular curriculum4 ,this  instructional
 feature1 now advocated by eminent      
educators for all  public schools1 has  
been in successful operation among the  
,latter-day  ,saints for over a quarter 
of a century4    7,f7 ,a community whose
 vital statistics tell of prolonged     
life1 high  birth and low death rates1  
high marriage rate1 few divorces1 and   

general material prosperity4 ,i present 
to you a few comparisons of  data       
obtained from the ,presiding ,bishopric 
of the ,church1 showing the  condition  
of ,latter-day ,saints in the organized 
stakes of ,zion1 for  the six-year      
period ending with the year #aiae1 as   
contrasted with the  latest reports for 
such ,states of the ,union as maintain  
statistical  bureaus and are classed in 
official reports as the registration    
area4    ,among the ,latter-day ,saints 
resident in the ,stakes4 ,in the country
 at  large so far as reported    ,birth 
rate per                                
#a1jjj4444444444444444ci4444444444444444
444444444be    ,death rate per          
#a1jjj444444444444444                   
#h4g444444444444444444444444ad4a        
,marriage rate per                      
#a1jjj4444444444444af4444444444444444444
444444ac    ,divorces per               
#aj1jjj444444444444444444d44444444444444
44444444444aj    ,average age at        
death44444444444444444#ch444444444444444

444444444cb    ,the statistics of infant
 mortality are strikingly significant4  
,deaths  from all causes among children 
under one year of age averaged for  the 
three years ending with #aiae fewer than
 #ei per thousand births  in ,mormon    
families1 while the latest report from  
the ,united ,states  registration area  
shows #bdi deaths per thousand4 ,deaths 
of children  under five years of age1   
including those who die under one year1 
separately reported1 average #hb per    
thousand births among ,mormons and  #cdi
 for the country at large4    ,a letter 
from the ,presiding ,bishopric to the   
author1 accompanying the  statistical   
report from which the foregoing items   
have been culled1  contains the         
following statement3 ,a detailed record 
is kept of all the  causes of death     
among ,latter-day ,saints in the        
intermountain region4  ,this is         
carefully supervised by local officers  
and compiled1 and we  think it is even  
more accurate than are the average      

statistics of the  best regulated       
,states of the ,union4 ,details         
concerning any group of  causes of death
 under the international classification 
are on file  subject to examination by  
any who may be interested4    ,one of   
the certified causes of death in which  
,mormons lead the  country is old age4  
,in ,latter-day ,saint communities the  
families owning  their own homes        
constitute #ge per cent of the whole    
number of families4  ,think what this   
means the absence of rent-collector or  
landlord1 whose  shadow too often       
converts the home into a dreary house4  
,yes1 ,mormonism is alive4 ,the world is
 better for its presence4  ,it extends  
to all peoples the invitation to come1  
to drink at its  fountains1 to partake  
of its fruits1 and to rejoice in the    
countless  blessings offered by the     
restored ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ our  
,lord4        ,,articles ,,of ,,faith   
,,of ,,the ,,church ,,of ,,jesus        
,,christ ,,of ,,latter-,,day ,,saints4  

#a4 ,we believe in ,god1 the ,eternal   
,father1 and in ,his ,son1 ,jesus       
,christ1  and in the ,holy ,ghost4      
#b4 ,we believe that men will be        
punished for their own sins1 and not for
  ,adam's transgression4    #c4 ,we     
believe that1 through the atonement of  
,christ1 all mankind may be  saved1 by  
obedience to the laws and ordinances of 
the ,gospel4    #d4 ,we believe that the
 first principles and ordinances of the 
,gospel  are3 ,first1 ,faith in the     
,lord ,jesus ,christ2 second1           
,repentance2 third1  ,baptism by        
immersion for the remission of sins2    
fourth1 ,laying on of  ,hands for the   
,gift of the ,holy ,ghost4    #e4 ,we   
believe that a man must be called of    
,god1 by prophecy1 and by  the laying on
 of bauds1 by those who are in          
authority1 to preach the  gospel and    
administer in the ordinances thereof4   
#f4 ,we believe in the same organization
 that existed in the primitive  church1 
namely1 apostles1 prophets1 pastors1    

teachers1 evangelists1 etc4    #g4 ,we  
believe in the gift of tongues1         
prophecy1 revelation1 visions1  healing1
 interpretation of tongues1 etc4    #h4 
,we believe the ,bible to be the word of
 ,god1 as far as it is  translated      
correctly2 we also believe the ,book of 
,mormon to be the word  of ,god4    #i4 
,we believe all that ,god has revealed1 
all that ,he does now reveal1  and we   
believe that ,he will yet reveal many   
great and important things  pertaining  
to the ,kingdom of ,god4    #aj4 ,we    
believe in the literal gathering of     
,israel and in the  restoration of the  
,ten ,tribes4 ,that ,zion will be built 
upon this  continent4 ,that ,christ will
 reign personally upon the earth1 and   
that  the earth will be renewed and     
receive its paradisical glory4    #aa4  
,we claim the privilege of worshiping   
,almighty ,god according to the         
dictates of our own conscience1 and     
allow all men the same privilege1  let  
them worship how1 where or what they    

may4    #ab4 ,we believe in being       
subject to kings1 presidents1 rulers and
  magistrates1 in obeying1 honoring and 
sustaining the law4    #ac4 ,we believe 
in being honest1 true1 chaste1          
benevolent1 virtuous1  and in doing good
 to ,,all ,,men2 indeed we may say that 
we follow the  admonition of ,paul1 ,we 
believe all things1 we hope all things1 
we  have endured many things1 and hope  
to be able to endure all things4 ,if    
there is anything virtuous1 lovely1 or  
of good report or praiseworthy  we seek 
after these things4 ,,joseph ,,smith4