’ THE LATTER- DAY SAINTS

M I L L E N N I A L S T A R .

'E STAB LISH ED

H ark ' the herald angels sing , in Glory to the new born K g , ld Peace on earth , and mercy mi , ”

God and sinners reco nciled.

d m 1 Pri n nn No. 51 ol. L'' . Thurs a Dece b r 4 08. ce O e Pe . , ' y, e 2 , 9 y

T H E BOOK OF MOR MON .

(Continu ed from page

JOSEPH S MI T H , S R .

Joseph Smith , Sr . , was the next Witness , in the order in which

‘ the names appear . I need not say anything about him except that ’ he was the prophet s father , and was faithful and true in every re — ’ . 1 4 th spect one of God s noblemen He died on the of September, n h ff 1 840 , as a result of the persecutio s he ad su ered in the State of

Missouri .

HYR' M SM IT H .

Hyrum Smith , a brother of the Prophet Joseph and the father of

’ our present esteemed president of the Church , was martyred in 2 h 1 44 n Carthage j ail , June 7t , 8 , for the testimo y he bore in regard

- to the Book of Mormon and the truth of the great latter day work .

He was another of the eight witnesses . We need only say here n that he sealed his testimony with his blood , a d that no one can possibly give greater proof of sincerity than this : that he is will ing to die for his testimony .

M H R O SA ' EL AR IS N SMITH . m The same may be said of Samuel Harrison S ith , another brother of the prophet and one of the eight witnesses . He , also , was perse ou ted to death ; and I may say that while his blood was not shed ou tright like that of his brothers, Joseph and Hyrum , yet within ’ - 834 LATTER D A Y SAINTS M ILLENN IAL STAR .

n six weeks of the time that these two martyrs fell i Carthage j ail , 30 th he himself fell a victim to persecution . He died on the of

July, 1 844 , in consequence of exposure while being chased by a mob .

I have given you these data and these facts , my brethren and sisters and friends , that you may know that of all the men who bore testimony to the divinity of the Book of Mormon , and who saw the plates , heard the voice of God declare that the Book was a true , and who s w the holy angels , not one of them ever went back on that testimony .

PR O BY ' EN IND IAN TR AD ITIONS .

n dis Soon after the Spa iards had discovered America , a most graceful warfare was waged against the Indians in Mexico and elsewhere . We have , perhaps , all read the lamentable story of

Montezuma , and how Cortez destroyed all he possibly could in the way of relics and records that he found among Montezuma’ s peo ple . The conquerors of Mexico did not look upon records in the light that we do now . It was apparently their obj ect to destroy n anything and everything that could t estify of the past, everythi g that could perpetuate knowledge of the Toltecs and Aztecs , whom n the Spa iards called heathens . It seems a great calamity that these conquerors should thus wan

' touly destroy that which to li s historians is valuable beyond all n price ; yet , notwithstandi g this destruction , some knowledge , based mostly upon the traditions of American natives , has come to us ; and both Spanish and E nglish writers have gathered and pre served for us information of very great importance . From this source we learn that the Aztecs of Mexico and the aborigines of South and Central America were acquainted with the early history of the world . There were found among them many different traits , customs and characteristics which seemed identical with Jewish civilization . Thus these early Americans practised the ceremonial w law of Moses most faithfully . They used a great many Hebre words in their speech , and there was everything to induce the Spaniards (who came among them to investigate their traditions and customs' to conclude that they perchance were a branch of the house of Israel . In fact , several books have been w ritten by different authors who believe the American Indians are the ten lost tribes of Israel . Of course we cannot accept this as a whole , w as n but there certainly and is such a resembla ce between these. pe0 p1e and the Jews that the early Spanish explorers could not close their eyes to the fact that they were Jewish in their traditions ,

Jewish in their Jehovah or Great Spirit worship, Jewish in their n i h ceremonial laws , and Jewish , i part, in their language . N o t w t standing the destruction wrought by Cortez and others , there are such remains of an o ld civilization and such other evidences as to

- prove to us , as Latter day Saints , that the historical part of the k Boo of Mormo n is true , so far as it speaks of a highly civili' ed ’ A R - D A Y L TTE S A I N T s M ILLENNIAL STAR . 5

people once occupying this land . And all who accept this book as being true can easily understand why these people were so

thoroughly trained in Hebrew ceremonies and customs . Certainly they belonged to the house of Israel ; they could hardly be called Je ws ; the term Hebrew or Israel would perhaps be better ; we n n o ly use the term to desig ate them . I no w desire to draw your att ention to a work published in n in 1 833 . h Lo don , written by C Colton , on the origin of t e American T Indians . his book was published in London before any of our t h e elders trod soil of Great Britain . In this book it is stated that the Indians in Mexico asserted that a book was once in the posses sion of their ancestors which told them that the Great S pirit

used to foretell fu ture events to their ancestors , that angels had

talked with them , that all the Indian tribes had descended from o ne man who had twelve sons . T hese Indian tribes also believed t n e u hat the spirit of pro phecy and miraculous i terposition , once n j oyed by their a cestors , would yet be restored to them , and they

r o al n . would recove the b ok , l of which had so lo g been lost

PP R P CHRIST A EA S T O T H E NE HITES .

Some time ago I visited Logan and called upon some of our n s Spanish speaking missionaries . Amo g others that I visited w a ' our old friend James . S tewart , who filled a mission in old Mexico n h in ma y years ago . He as a book his possession , written in the in in 6 Spanish language and published Madrid , Spain , the year 1 74 , ' entitled : Idea De ' na N e u va Historia General De La America n ” Septentrio al . I am sure I did not pronounce all those words

right . However, in this book we read of the traditions of the h a arant n Indians , from whic it is pp that the India s were acqu aint

ed with the history o f the creation of the world , the tower of n Babel , the separation of the people , their wanderi gs after the u division thro gh Asia , and their arrival in the promised land ; n the preachi g of Christianity in America by Christ , etc . All this

was written as Indian tradition , but the author of the work , who, n if I remember right, was a Spa ish friar of the Roman Catholic Christ visitin A m r Church , argues against the Indian theory of g e ica, n and substitutes St . Thomas as the probable perso age who crossed

the great ocean and preached Christianity to the Indians . On

- page , one hundred and thirty nine of said work commences the legend which tells of the wanderings in A siatill the arrival in the ne w M world , which corroborates the Book of ormon story given in the

Book of Jared . When the Spaniards brought the Bible to America, the Indians said that the contents of that book reminded them very much of their o w n ancient Bible or records . n a as T his , my brethre and sisters , is pl in daylight to the Latter n day Sai ts . T he Indians were right ; the author of the work re n ferred to was wrong . It was not Sai t Thomas , it was Christ Him

self who visited the ancient inhabitants o f this land. The Book of ’ ' - 836 LATTER DAY S A I N T s MILLENNIAL STAR .

Mormon tells us of the great de st ru c ticin that occurred at the time of the crucifixion . It tells us th at Christ appeared to the N ephites in the land Bountiful , that Christ Himself spake to them and re f vealed principles o eternal truth , and that He also taught them the gospel the same as He had done on the eastern hemisphere . It was Christ Himself—not Saint Thomas—who descended from hi heaven in the midst of the N e p t e s in the land Bountiful .

By way of digression , I will here simply remind you of the very extensive ruins in Central America described by Stephens and

Catherwood , and later by other explorers , who have written vol ume after volume about the ruins of temples , cities and walls , N e hi such as were built by the p t e s in the days of their power .

Other writers have enlarged upon the religion of the aborigines , which exhibited many Christian features .

Of course this Christian religion of the Indians had , to a certain extent , become corrupt ; but even after the Lamanites had slai n the N ephites there was sufficient truth left among the former to e u o f n able their descendants , the Indians the sixtee th century, to tell the Spaniards a pretty correct story of Christ, His crucifixion and doctrines . On this subj ect we have such authorities as the follow ’ ' ing : Adair s History of the American Indians , published in 1 6 ’ M London in 77 ; Catlin s Illustrations of the anners , Customs ” : and Conditions of the N orth American Indians , published in ’ ' ” an T sch u di s A n i u i e 1 841 ; Rivero and ' Peruvian t q t s, translated into English by Dr . Hawks , published in N e w Y ork in 1 854 ; ’ ' ” Berna' Diaz s History of the Conquest of Mexico , chapter 20 ; ’ ' ’ Professor Short s N orth Americans of Antiquity Go mo ra s ” ’ ' ” History of the Indians ; Rosales History of Chili ; Lord ’ ' King sb o ro u gh s Mexican Antiquities . T hese are a few of the very many works written in regard to the religion , customs , habits and origin of the American Indians , which prove that they were not only of Jewish origin , but that they knew considerable about Christianity—all of which goes far in proving that the Book of Mormon is true . Lord Kingsborough , ' ” the author of the last work I mention , Mexican Antiquities , sums up his findings in this language :

INDIANS OF HEB REW DESCENT .

The first reason for concluding the I ndian tri b es to be of H ebrew descent is in fi a n a a an their belief in the symbolical puri c tio of w ter. The i nhabit nts of Y ucat

a ' gave to water, with which they b pti ed their children, the title of the water of

n T In an Y a an n H i regeneratio . he di s of uc t i voked m whom they believed to be n and m ma no a n ma T n a n the livi g true God , of who they de gr ve i ge . he seco d re so for believing that the religions of the Indians was Judaism is that they used circum

i ion T a a M a F t n c s . hird , th t they expected essi h . our h, that ma y words connected t a n f i i f H a n F i wi h the celebr tio o their rel gious rites were obv ously o ebrew extr ctio . fth , a L as Ca a the C a a had an a th t s s, bishop of hi p , who the best me s of verifying the f ct, was

a n n. S a n of th t opi io ixth, th t the Jews themselves, i cluding some of the most eminent R a as M na Ben I a n n ma n bbis, such e sse sr el a d Montesi os, intai ed it both by verbal ’ - LATTER DAY SAINTS MILLE N NIAL STAR . 837

and in n . venth th m f S an statement writi g S e k e dilemma in which so e o the p ish writers, A a and T ma a a a n such as cost orque d , h ve placed their readers, by le vi g them no alterna

an m i n th H n ' Am i a and a tive, th to co e to the dec sio , whether e ebrews colo i ed er c , est b am n In ian had nt i lished their rites o gst the d s, or whether the devil cou erfeited n the new

d m n I n i an a H . T world , the r tes cere o ies which God g ve to S chose people he eighth is the man m ni an f In an a resemblance which y cere o es d rites o the di be r to those of the Jews. i mi n I n an and H wm a a N nth , the si litude which existed betwee the di s ebre or l l ws . T n n M an and an a n a e th, the k owledge which the exic Peruvi tr ditio s supplied , th t the I th h1 to n n E n ndians possessed e s ry co tai ed in the Pentateuch . leve th , the Mexican tra

- li am f T m xt D n B f T . T m dition o the eo o , or ivi e ook o the oltecs welfth , the f ous igration

m A' an A a . T n a e w1 sh a n a fro tl ( si ' hirtee th , the tr ces of J history, tr ditio s, l ws, customs, f n in M an a n n F n n f mann are . a fi ers, which ou d exic p i ti gs ourtee th the freque cy o s cri ce a n In an and n a n f and fat mo gst the di s, the religious co secr tio o the blood of the victims .

i n a m . S n n F ftee th, the style of the rchitecture of their te ples ixtee th, the fri ges which f S n n a m a the Mexicans wore astened to their garments . eve tee th , si il rity of the manners an m f In an far m f m n a m na M a d custo s o the di tribes, re oved ro the ce tr l o rchies of exico nd i w no t S an a a n — Peru , to those of the Jews , wh ch writers, who ere p i rds, h ve oticed such as ” W iam nn ill Pe .

’ TONGAN ISLANDERS LEG ENDS .

A fe w years ago I made a trip around the world , and among the in islands that I visited the Pacific Ocean was the Tongan group . That group of Islands lies about as far away from America as one can get and still be in the Polynesian part of the great Pacific .

We had missionaries in Tonga a few years ago, trying to intro d u ce the gospel , but they were not successful . When I visited this people in 1 895 , I read the experience of a certain missionary, the Rev . Thomas West , who had spent several years among the

Tongans . After he left the group he published a book entitled, ” T e n Y ears in South Central Polynesia , in which he w rites as follo ws :

There can be no dou bt that the T o ngu ese religion bore in several par ticulars n m n u a and n m the m n a a s trik i g rese bla ce to the rit l eco o y of Jewish cere o i l law . In m m in a f n deed , this si ilarity prev ails ore or less the v riou s groups o Poly esia. N or can it be denied th at many of the inhabitants h ave strongly marked Jewish ” a u fe t res . A few of these points of resemblance may here be specified as a matter of interest n 1 . There obtain , among the T o gans , regular divisions of time into months and years , these divisions being marked by the recur rence of sacred seasons and public feasts , which were observed n m with religious ceremo y, and were under the sanction of the os t T rigorous laws . It is also remarkable that the ongans have some knowledge of an intercalary month , the use and disuse of which have led to many discussions among themselves .

2 . The entire system of tabu , by which times , persons , places or things are made sacred , and the many religious restrictions and n prohibitions connected therewith , may be easily i terpreted as a relic , much changed and corrupted , of the ceremonial Observances of the Jews . ’ - T R 838 LAT T ER DAY S A IN T s MILLENNIAL S A .

fi rst - d 3 . The great feast of the offering of the fruits to the go s every year seems a custom of religious ceremony of purely Jewish origin . a u was 4 . The same may be s id of the rite of circ mcision , which regularly practised by them . An uncircumcised person was con n side re d mea and despicable , and the custom has only disappeared in recent years . d d c o n 5 . Every person and thing that touched a ea body was r n t n side e d unclean , and remained so u til af er the lapse of a certai d i number of days . D u ring that allotted time those whose ut es compelled them to do the rites of the burial were not all o wed t o T feed themselves , or touch the food prepared by others . hey ere therefore carefully fed by attendants .

6 . Females after childbirth , and after other periods of infirmity , were enj oined strict separation ; and were subj ected t o ceremonial n pu rifi cat io s . nd n h ih 7 . T h e Tongans had cities of refuge correspo i g to t ose nd n d stituted among the Je ws ; their uses a fu ctions resemble , in

‘ e M a law t h . some of their features , those of os ic T hese conditions prevailed in Tonga w hen Captain Cook first w v n . N o discovered the group , and still pre ail to a certai extent , how do w e trace Jewish origin so far away from America as that ' n n Listen . The Book of Mormon gives us the key ote . We fi d t he

- following recorded in the sixty third chapter of Alma , fifth and eighth verses

NEPHITE SHIPB ' ILDERS .

nd am a a H a ath in an i n i man A it c e to p ss th t g , he be g exceed g cur ous built

i an in a i on th an B n i l the an D a h m exceed g l rge sh p, e borders of the l d ou t fu , by l d esol

n and a n i in se a na n an in tio , l u ched t forth to the west , by the rrow eck of l d which led to

an a A nd man N i n the l d northw rd. behold there were y of the eph tes who did e ter n and i a f m i n and a man m n and n and therei , d d s il orth with uch prov sio s lso y wo e childre , n a T man i T fi they took their course orthw rd . his bu lt other ships . he rst ship a n and man m i n n an a did lso retur , y ore people d d e ter i to it ; d they lso took much pro

' i n n a a n an n t a n a sio s a d set out g i to the l d or hw rd . A d it c me to pass t hat they were m A nd a never heard of ore . it c me to pass that o ne other ship also did sail ” n n no t forth a d whither she did go , we k ow .

But in the light of our present knowledge we can easilysurmise n where they we t . When I left America on a missionary tour around the world , twelve years ago , I took passage on a steamer a at ' ancouver , British Columbi , bound for the Sandwich Islands : n n and on this voyage an i cide t occurred which I shall mentio n , as it has a bearing on this question . We had been on the water for n five days without seeing a ything to attract our attention, except n sea a d sky . On the w hole trip w e had not seen a single ship or boat, or anything else , until the last day , when we observed , to h a n a n the right of the s ip , a tree , or a l rge tru k of tree , ' oati g in a n ’ the water . On m ki g inquiries of the ship s officers as t o w hat it ' was , when we first saw it at a distance , we were told : This tree ’ A - S A iN T L TTER DAY s MILLENNIAL STAR . 39

has come from the mouth of the Columbia river . Every season , as we pass through these waters , we see a great many such trees ' n oating in the ocea ; they come from the rivers of America , and h ” many of them are was ed ashore on the islands of the sea .

O AB REAS N LE CONCL' SIONS .

N o w . I reason like this . If a dead tree , floating in t he water, can be carried by the current and winds to the Hawaiian group or other islands in the great Pacific , how much easier it would be i n d r for a sh p, properly ma ned and supplied with rud e and sails , to be carried before the trade winds and by the ocean currents to these distant islands ' T he Polynesians undoub tedly belong to the e n sam race of people as the American I dians , and are , like these , in Jewish their appearance , to a remarkable extent . We do not find much trace of Christianity on these islands of the sea , but we can easily account for that , as H agath built the ships that j ourneyed to these islands before the gospel was preached to the inhabitants in America. Hence we find the Mosai c n n H h ’ law , and not Christianity , practised by the Poly esia s . agat s ships left the American shores nearly a hundred y ears before Christ appeared to the N e phit e s in the land Bountiful . Is not this still ’ more corroborative evidence that the theory of H agath s ships is correct '

We have still other proofs . As we associate with the Hawaiians , n fi nd Maoris , or other Pacific Isla ders , we that they have traditions going way back to very early days— traditions which have been handed down by them for fifty or sixty generations - to the effec t a that their forefathers came from a great land to the e stward , w here they lived before they came to Hawaii; and that before that time they came from a great country still farther away . All of these traditions , in our estimation , corroborate the Book of Mor m n o history .

( T o be continu ed . '

PEACE A N D GOOD WIL L .

” ” n M a i m m an m ' What means this glory rou d our feet, the g used, ore bright th orn ' ” a and - da n a n ' A nd voices chanted cle r sweet, to y the Pri ce of Pe ce is bor ' ” ' ” a a a n ' Wh at means this st r, the shepherds s id , th t brighte s through the rocky glen ' ” A nd an an w n a an a o n a men ' gels s eri g , overhe d , s g, Pe ce e rth, good will to

’ T n a and m mce a m is eighteen hu dred ye rs, ore , s those sweet or cles were du b ; m W e wait for H im like them of yore ; alas ' H e seems so slow to co e, ’ t w a in no m a dim B u it as s id , words of gold ti e or sorrow e er sh ll , m H i T n m in m. hat little childre ight be bold , perfect trust to co e to

men saw A ll round about our feet shall shine a light like that the wise , w If we our loving Wills incline to that sweet life which is the la . a n So shall we learn to understand the simple f ith of shepherds the , ' ” d n a n an i n an n a on a men ' A n , ki dly cl spi g h d h d , si g, Pe ce e rth , good will to A ME S R ' S S E L L OWE L J L L . ’ TH E L A T T E R - D A Y S A I N T S MI L L E N N IA L S T A R .

24 TH' RSDAY , DECEMBER , 1 908 .

WH A T CH R I ST M A S M E AN S T O T H E SA I N T S .

THIS issue of the MILLENNIAL STAR shines forth at an important nnive r period. It comes between two of the most notable a

- sarie s in the history of the world . To morrow we commemorate the birthday of the greatest Being who ever graced this lower i sphere . Y esterday was the b rthday of one of His illustrious ser e r 25 h vants . On D cembe t all Christendom celebrates the entrance u pon the earth of Jesus of N azareth , who was and is the Christ , the Messiah , the Son of the Living God . ' pon this event and the life of this greatest of all earth’ s sons depend the future welfare of the whole human family . The full significance of this momen tous matter had been lost to mankind for many centuries until the w s coming of the great Prophet of the nineteenth century, who a raised up by the Almighty to be the Restorer of t h e glad tidings proclaimed by the angels to the shepherds in Palestine when they ’ d sang the natal anthem of the world s Re eemer . This is , therefore ,

n - ho a time for great rej oici g among the Latter day Saints , w have faith in the Divine personality and mission of Jesus , the Christ, and who believe also in the prophetic calling and ministry of the

Seer and Revelator, Joseph Smith .

Although we regard the date , settled upon in Christendom as d N the b irth ay of Jesus of azareth , as a mistake in chronology , we unite with all sects and parties therein on the inestimable value to the entire race of Adam of the advent of the grandest figure in ’ the panorama of this world s history . The event is more import I ant than the date . t means to this globe and its inhabitants rescue from the grasp of death and of him who hath the power of death , even the devil . In the light of modern revelation , which n unfolds the full meani g of former revelation on this subj ect , we discern , through the mists of past centuries created by the creeds of men , the glory surrounding the wonderful work of the

Son of God for the redemption of the world . ' Through the transgression of Adam , generally kno wn as T he ” d h Fall , eat came by natural process upon all his posterity . This effect would have been perpetual , remaining through all eternity, but for the ransom provided by Eternal Wisdom to be brought about through the vicarious offering , sacrifice and atonement of ’ - LATTER DAY SAINTS MILLENNIAL STAR . 84 1

the sinless S o n of God . He who kept every law and commandment and precept of the Eternal Father, and upon whom therefore death d had no vali claim , voluntarily gave Himself up to the death of the cross to satisfy j us tice and thereby become the Savior of ’ A dam s race . He laid down His life and took it up again . Thus ' ” He became the Resurrection and the Life to all His brethren and sisters . d If He had not performe this work , the gloom of death would r have remained upon this globe permanently . T he dissolution e su lting from violated laws would have continued without change . The spirits of men would have been separated from their bodies eternally, and thus one essential constituent to everlasting pro gress and a fulness of j oy and power and glory would have been absent . Also that spiritual death which is banishment from the presence of God , would have remained , and so death in its full signification would have to be endured without redemption . But

Christ came and made the needful atonement, and so the glorious tidings of salvation , spiritual and temporal , can be proclaimed throughout the earth . This is lucidly and specifically pointed

hi 9 6- 1 3 out and made plain in the Book of Mormon , II . N e p : , as follows :

F o r a a a n all men f fi m an a C ea as de th h th p ssed upo , to ul l the erciful pl of the gre t r tor, m n a n and n m n m n there ust eeds be power of resurrectio , the resurrectio ust eeds co e u to man by reason of the fall ; and the fall came by reason of transgression ; andbecause man a a n o ff m n bec me f lle , they were cut fro the prese ce of the Lord ; Wherefore it must needs be an infinite atonement ; save it should be an infinite atone m n n no t on n n W fi n e t, this corruptio could put i corruptio . herefore, the rst 'udgme t n an m n a ma n an n a n n which came upo m , ust eeds h ve re i ed to e dless dur tio . A d if so, a n an n this 'esh must have l id dow to rot d to crumble to its mother earth , to rise o more . m f ' m r and a ' o r f ' no 0 the wisdo o God his e cy gr ce F behold , i the esh should rise m m a an m f t h n more, our spirits ust beco e sub'ect to th t gel who fell fro be ore e prese ce of na and am no m the eter l God, bec e the devil, to rise ore . m a m i n i and an a A nd our spirits ust h ve beco e l ke u to h m, we become devils, gels to m n f and ma n th a devil, to be shut out fro the prese ce o our God , to re i with e f ther of lies, n m ea a n fi a nt an in misery, like u to hi self ; y , to th t bei g who beguiled our rst p re s ; who tr s m n n an an and n m n n formeth hi self igh u to gel of light, stirreth up the childre of e u to m ina n f m and all mann f a n secret co b tio s o urder, er o secret works of d rk ess . the n a a wa a m 0 how great good ess of our God , who prep reth y for our esc pe fro the a f m n a a m n n I a a grasp of this w ul o ster ; ye , th t o ster, death a d hell, which c ll the de th and a a f of the body , lso the de th o the spirit .

a wa i an H o n I a a A nd bec use of the y of del ver ce of our God , the oly e of sr el, this de th , I n m a hall a of which have spoke , which is the te por l, s deliver up its dead ; which de th is the grave . A nd a f I n i this de th o which have spoke , which is the spiritual death , shall del ver a a a a and m up its de d ; which spiritu l de th is hell ; wherefore, de t h hell ust deliver up and m i a and a m their dead , hell ust del ver up its c ptive spirits, the gr ve ust deliver up

a i and and i men o n its c ptive bod es, the bodies the spir ts of will be restored e to the other ; and n n I a it is by the power of the resurrectio of the H oly O e of sr el .

a an F r an a a o f od m 0 how gre t the pl of our God ' o on the other h d , the p r dise G ust S i r and a the deliver up the p rits of the ighteous, the gr ve deliver up the body of and and a a n and all men m righteous ; the spirit the body is restored to itself g i , beco e ’ - 842 LATTER DAY SAINTS M I LLENNIAL STAR .

t and m a and a n a incorrup ible , im ort l, they are living souls, h vi g perfect knowledge like ” in f a a a unto us the lesh ; s ve it be th t our knowledge sh ll be perfect . n w These wo rds from the Bo ok of Mormo sho , to some extent , the mag nitude and s plendor of the work that was to be and afterwards n n was performed by the S o of God , whose coming i to the world T n v n we celebrate . hey explai , too , the necessity for His ad e t , and bring to our attention the great blessing to all humanity in volved in that birth at Bethlehem . It is , therefore , pre per that all who believe in Jesus Christ as the Savior of mankind should unite in suitable commemoration of that momentous e vent , and n that this should be do e wit h rej oicing and praise . Festivities are proper on such occasions , providing , of course , that they are con ducted in moderation . Excesses of any kind are disple asing to the Lord and inj urious to those who indulge in them . n Mirth , music , recreatio , amusement are all germane to the o c n casio , but it should never be forgott en , in the midst of it all , that our gladness is over the coming down into this lower world of Him who was with the Father in its creation It is a fitting time for n family reunions , for the settlement of all o fi e se s, the stamping out of all feuds , the exercise of real charity , the practice of true c i benevolence , the endeavor to make all people happy . It is e spe ’ ally the children s holiday . He who loved the little ones and welcomed and blessed them delights in the innocence and welfare of the children . He deeply sympathized with the poor and made their relief part of His essential doctrine . They should also be made partakers of the Christmas cheer and warmed and fed and l c othed as circumstances require . T here is plenty in the land for

n n n n . everyone , and no e should lack while this abu da ce is e j oyed

C hristmas should mean universal j oy and general satisfaction .

n - n Believers i the latter day dispe sation , as we have intimated , On have a double cause for rej oicing at this festive season . the r 1 5 ' n 23 d day of December , 80 , a child was born at Windsor , ermo t , n n s o i the ' ited States of America , who wa destined t become one of the mos t prominent re presentatives and ministers of the Lord

Jesus Christ who at any time breathed the breath of mortal life . He was chosen from the foundation of the world to come forth at ’ n t he appointed time , to usher in the grandest of all God s dispe sa — tions unto man the dis pensation of the fulness of times . When scarcely fifteen years of age , the Father and the Son appeared to him in glorious vision and instructed him not to follow after the religions of the world , but to wait for the revelation of the fulness of the everlasting gospel . n n d While still a youth , he was visited by a holy a gel a d calle to ' ” o the perf rmance of a marvelous work and a wonder, in the bringing forth and translation into English of the writings o f n n n s a cient prophets on the American Conti e t . This he accompli hed to the approval of the Almighty , as declared by His own voice out of heaven . ' nder the hands of John the Baptist and subsequently ’ A - A L TTER DAY SAINTS MILLENNIAL ST R . 843

n of Peter, James and John , he received the keys of Divi e authority i o f n to organ ze the Church Christ on earth , i every particular as it was set up by the Savior and His apostles at the first . From time r n n to time , he eceived Divi e revelations unfoldi g the purposes of God in the formation of t his earth ; its pe Opling with the sons and daughters of the Most High ; the obj ect and work of redemption accomplished through the Savior ; the destiny of the human race ; n the varied positions which ma kind will occupy in worlds to come , and the principles , ordinances and requirements appointed by which mankind may re ceive power to attain to exaltation and n eternal glory in the Divi e Presence . H e unfolded the glories of the celestial kingdom ; he expou nded hidden mysteries ; he revealed grand scientific truths ; he solved long disputed religious problems ; he explained principles of social and political economy ; he j oined th e theoretical and the practical ; he opened the way for the redemption of the poor from penury and want ; he directed mankind to the highest pinnacle of im n m n k mortal existe ce ; he completed the work assigned to hi , a d li e the prophets of old and the Savior of mankind he sealed his testi n u mo y with his blood . In all this he was aided , supported and e couraged by his noble brother Hyrum , who was with him in death n n as i life , a d entered Paradise in his com pany .

The saints , therefore , should rej oice above all other people at this time of gladness and recreation. We c an praise God with all

- our souls , intelligently, whole heartedly , supremely . We have learned of His wondrous plan of human redemption ; we thank Him for the gift of His Only Begotten S o n ; for the salvation wrought out by the Redeemer ; for the restoration of the gospel in its fulness in these latter days ; for the voice of prophets and apostles and other inspired ministers to guide us in the narrow way ; for the means of redemption for the living and the de ad ; for holy temples in which can be administered the sacred ordin n n a ce s that reach withi the veil and bring together the past , the n h present , and the future , and prepare us for the S ple dor and ap n n pine ss that are impe di g in the second coming of our Lord , at tended by the prophets and martyrs of former and of latter days . in So , let the bells ring , and the music sound , and voices unite

c h /h r nd all n m n loud acclaim , while j oy thrills e a e a t a u ite to ag ify n and praise the Lord . Hail , happy Christmas , and may it bri g nearer and nearer the j oyful time of peace o n earth , good will to man '

C . W . P .

’ KIND words produce their own image on men s souls ; and a and t h e beautiful image it is . T hey smooth , and quiet , comfort n b e are r. They shame him out of his sour , and morose , and u kind u se feelings . We have not yet begun —to kind words in such abundance as they ought to be used. PASCHAL . ’ - 844 LATTER DAY SAINTS MILLENNIAL STAR .

M M N S M ' I H OR O I N T E EM E RAL D IS L E .

' NDER the able presidency of Elder T . J . Bennett , the gospel as taught in the publications of the Church is being published very n exte sively among the people of Ireland . The number of tracts and books that have been circulated by President Bennett and his associates is truly remarkable , and all the more so considering the difiic u l ie s t under which the brethren have labored . The following n extract , take from a letter written by President Bennett on the

1 8 th inst . , will give our readers an idea of the conditions under which proselyting is carried on by our missionaries in the Emerald Isle ' — Dear President Penrose , Six weeks ago I sent two elders to the n city of Dundalk , a stro g Catholic town of about thirteen thousand inhabitants—eleven thousand Catholics and two thousand Protes tants . I advised the elders to tract the country first, and then start in the town . Everything went along all right for some time . They got into several homes , among them those of two

Catholic families , who became interested in our doctrines . On seeing the progress the elders were making , the cry went up that ’ ‘ n da the Mormons were in town and must be looked after . O e y one of the elders was standing at a door giving a lady a tract,

- when a well dressed man j umped on to him , and tried to push him n ffl into the house . The other elder seei g them scu e , went across the street and called a policeman . The man made the charge to the offi cer that the elder had insulted the lady . The policeman asked the lady if the charge were true , and she said it was not . In a few moments several other men came up and with them a body of eight police officers . The elders were escorted back to their lodge by the police , the crowd following . T he chief of police came down and had a talk with the brethren and advised them to leave the town as soon as possible . They showed him their passports m T and claimed protection from hi . hey told him they had broken no law and were going to stay there until they were ordered to leave by their president . He left eight policemen to guard them , and went to the barracks and ordered every officer on the force to n read the books we were selli g , that he might know what we are teaching . So each set of eight , when placed on duty, went to ’ T ‘ the elders lodge for books and tracts . hey were given Rays of ’ - Living Light . In the police force there are thirty four men

- thirty two Catholics and two Protestants . The elders were guarded two days and nights . Meanwhile the Hibernian Society met and decided to carry out its threat to drive the missionaries out of town . On Saturday a piece came out in the paper, and the people it m got worked up to a high pitch . The society saw had ade a mistake in agitating the people , and the members were told by the police they would be held responsible if there was any damage done . So on Monday morning the society took the place of the ’ - LATTER DAY SAINTS MILLENNIAL STAR . 845

n police (the society is far stro ger than the police , it has the people under its control', and they had men guard the elders night and T wo day . of the guards who were hi red told the elders not to b e d afrai , that they would not be hurt, that the society had bound itself by an oath that the missionaries would not be molested, that they knew they were American citizens . But the elders were not afraid , and gave them to understand when they talked to the leaders that they were going to stay until they were ready to leave . I finally advised the brethren to leave Dundalk and go to

N e wry . It was certainly laughable to see the elders leading a h bunc of men all through the town and out into the country . For t wo m days they walked them al ost to death , visiting friends out in the country . They would not allow them to distribute a tract or book to anyone . They would go up to the doors with them , and when they would hand a tract to the inmates they would grab it out o f their hands and tear it up . Every time the elders would go out they would have from two to three hundred people n following them . It was certai ly a great advertisement . Every ‘ ’ man , woman and child in that section k ne w there were Mormons there . We succeeded in tracting the country twice and the town k once , and got out a great manyEb o o s . The elders are feeling well , and are laboring faithfully to get the gospel before the people of this land , that they may be left without excuse at the last — ” da T . y J . BENNETT .

FR OM T H E M I S S ION FI E L D .

— n R e le ase s and D e partu res . Elders William A . Jo es and Roger

W . Creer of the British mission have been honorably released and

- sail for home to day per s . s . Cedric .

— A rrivals . The follo wing missionaries for the European mission arrived Decem ber 20 th , 1 908 , per s . s . D ominion : D e lse l G . Selman ,

Alb ert H . Powell , Raymond , Canada ; Edgar M . Wright, Matthew

w . n n r. H . Sha , John E Hill , Loga ; Joh H . Eccles , J , Hyrum H . Salis a bu ry, Baker City, Oregon ; John E . L yne , Cardston , Alberta , n Canada ; Andrew Amu dsen , Salt Lake City ; Thomas W . Duce , Jr W illiam W . Howard , Rockland , Idaho ; Isaac Read , . , Smith n field ; Joseph T . Jones , Bybee , Idaho ; Robert W . Brow , Grants ville ; William E . Gailey , George L . Blamire s, Jesse B . Flint , Kays ville ; Richard L . Pre ato r, Burlington , Wyoming ; James C . Peter so n, Boulder ; Albert A . Smith , ' ictor , Idaho ; Abram M . Hatch ,

Moreland , Idaho ; John P . Kunzler , Willard ; Doyle S . Jensen ,

n . Basalt, Idaho ; Ellis A . He inger, S tavely, Canada — Appointme nts The missionaries for Great Britain who arrived

December 20 th , 1 908 , have been appointed to labor in the following ’ 846 - LATTER DAY SAINTS MILLENNIAL STAR .

r n D e lse . n : l . confe e ces G Selman , Robert W Brow , Birmingham ;

m . d t t . i Hyru H Salisbury , Bris ol ; Alber H Powell , Ir sh ; E gar M .

h e nd n T . n Wright , Jo n H . Eccl s , Jr Lo o ; homas W Duce , Joh E .

Man h . n s i . Pr a r Layne , c ester ; Jose ph T Jo e , R chard L e t o , N e w Ma w w d a castle ; tthe H . Sha , William W . Howar , Is ac Read, Jr. ,

N ottingham . — R e lie f S o cie ty Ba' aar. The Relief Society of the Bradford b ranch

- 1 2 th 1 908 . h e ld a sale of work in Westgate Hall , on December , nd After singing a prayer , Sister J . F . C u tler made a few remarks and declared the bazaar open . The hall was decorated for the T e n n occasion . h four stalls were prettily arranged ; they co tai ed useful and fancy articles , fruits and plants , refreshments , etc .

T here was also a fish pond , which caused much amusement . T he ” Post Office displayed a good assortment of picture post cards ; w n m it as well patro ized . Refresh ents were served from 5 till 7 m p . An interesting program of vocal and instrumental music n was rendered at intervals duri g the e vening . The proceeds 8 n amounted to £ . The society d o ated £2 to the branch to help to o d e fray the c st of new seats for the hall , which were recently nt p u rchased at a cost of £22 . An enj oyable evening was spe , — v . and a good feeling pre ailed througho u t . MARY E SANDERS ,

Secretary . — - Baptis ms . A largely attended and well conducted baptismal w as 6 1 908 service held Wednesday evening , December 1 th , , at N Ipswich ( orwich conference'. A n interesting address on the m mode and obj ect of baptism was delivered by Elder C . E . Mc Co b S , n n after which two converts were baptized by Elder L . ' er Toolso .

T he ordinance was performed in the river Gipping , and the con i n fi rmat o s took place immediately after . n O Friday evening , December 1 8 th , 1 908 , a baptismal service was n held in the Westgate Baths , N ewcastle , when nine co verts were baptized into the Church . Elde rs Stayner Richards and Mark F . f S trong o ficiated in the ordinance . Co nfi rmatio ns took place at ’ the water s edge . Eight of the ne w members belong to the Gates n head branch and o e to Jarro w branch .

A baptismal service was held in the Turkish Baths , George 20 th S treet , Hull (Grimsby conference', on S u nday , December ,

w . 1 908 , when t o converts received t h e ordinance of baptism Presi

. T . J f d . dent Willard E Stoddard and Elder Charles _ ones o ficiate n and I nteresti g remarks were made by Elders James L . Shepard r Richard H . Smith . Co nfi matio ns took place at the afternoon meeting . One of the converts was from D riffi e ld, the other from

Hull . n M d 2 O on ay evening , the 0 th inst . , there were three members added to the N elson branch of the Church (Liverpool conference'.

They were baptized in the Burnley Baths by Elder L . Garrick .

A baptismal service was held at Fordwich , near Canterbury ’ - LAT TER DAY SAINTS MILLE N NIAL STAR . 847

’

o r 1 2 1 908 (L éndo n confe ence', on December th , , when one convert f d in . . . was baptize the River Storn , Elder A B Case o ficiating

Confirmation took place immediately after . A baptismal service was held at the F e ve rshain S tree t School d o n 1 9 th Baths , Bradford (Lee s conference', Saturday , December , n n n 1 908 . Eight candidates received the ordi a ce at the ha ds of

ha fi ld . C t e . Elder A . Kelsey A good s pirit was felt by all Elder Thomas ‘ Kershaw spoke upon the ordinance of w ater baptism and n e exhorted the ne w members to walk in ewn ss of life . Co nfi r m in mations took place i mediately after, the West Gate N e w Hall , and an hour was spent in testimony bearing by the many sai nts assembled .

— S S ice s at Ch o rle . O u n 20 pe cial e rv y Su day last , December th , t n w in u 1 9 08 , two special and interes i g services ere held the P blic n nd m a . . Hall , Chorley (Liverpool co ference', at two six p Presi n n dent C harles W . Penrose was prese t , a d the elders and a nu m ber of saints from Wigan came over to hear the excellent disc o nrc e s of the President of the European Mission . At the afternoon ser Y and Go aslind n v ice , Elders J . . Card Earl spoke i telligently u pon

- n t the pre existence of spirits and other gospel pri ciples . Sis er ” n n ' Ellen Butler sang in a pleasi g man er Beautiful ion for Me , n n r n after which Preside t Pe rose add essed the co gregation . He pointed out to the saints the privileges which they enj oy over their brethren and sisters in other parts of Europe , and exhorted them to be grateful to the Lo rd and to manifest their appreciatio n of n the blessings which they receive from Him . Explai ed in a clear n ’ and impressive manner the sacrame t of the Lord s Supper, its nd s e se r signification , a the bles ings which accrue from a prop r o b T he n n vance of t h e same . attenda ce at the evening meeti g was

n v - very gratifyi g , there being o er eighty non members of the

Church present . Elder E . C . Davies spoke for a short time on th e

- m and n essentiality of water baptis , bore testimo y to the re st o ra

l . M r tion of the gospel in these atter days s . Brooks contrib u ted a ' ”

T he . beautiful solo entitled , Holy City President Penrose o c c u pie d the remainder of t he time delivering a powerful and highly ' T h T ‘ edifying discourse on the subj ect, e ruth About Mormo n The origin of the great latter- day work was set for th in a

concise and logical manner . It was clearly proven that the w 0 i k ” which the world has nick named ' Mormonism was foreseen and

foretold by many of the ancient prophets . President Penrose de

scribed the apostasy from the primitive Christian Church , which

rendered necessary the restoration of the gospel , together with n in Divine authority to admi ister its ordinances . D welt upon the mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith and spoke feelingly concern T ing his martyrdom , as also that of his brother Hyrum . owards n the close of his address , the Preside t referred t o the salacious

n - falsehoods that had been told respecti g the Latter day Saints . ’ R - 848 LATTE DAY SAINTS MILLENNIAL STAR .

He did not blame the people w hb believed the falsehoods as he did m n those who anufactured a d circulated them . For all these things men shall have to give an account at the last day . Some non - members present attempted to interrupt the service by asking questions , but they were promptly reproved by President Penrose , who informed them that the meeting had not convened for theo d u logical iscussions , but for the p rpose of worshiping the Lord .

Some of the disturbers left the hall , feeling very much chagrined, m while their co panions kept their seats in silence . Some of the strangers present sought interviews with the elders at the close of T t he meeting . hey expressed their satisfaction with what they had heard and extended invitations to the missionaries to visit them at their homes .

JOS EPH S MIT H , O' R PR OPH ET .

H e am to a ou r t a c e e rth , Prophe de r, The H oly Gospel to restore ; H e am and an n a c e , gels hovered e r , n ’ n ’ Appeari g to him o er a d o er . The Lord had sent him from the sk ies A heavenly mission to f u lfil ; H e came to fi nd the sacred pri' e ’ H id in Cu morah s lonely hill .

H e am and sa nt r o a c e , i s ose up t he r The heavenly mes sage he had bro u ght ; T w w t nam r he orld ill ye his e reve e , A nd h a w ill accept t e tru ths he t ught. ’ H e str s w to t a boldly ove God ord e ch , A nd to his fu mma obey ll co nd , T nat n it a l a o every io sh l re ch , A nd fi rm n a d migh t y it shall stand .

Then le t the saints of latter days nfu hi an a o ' rl s st d rd t the world , The highest tribu te to him raise

Till hate and envy down are h u rled . T Sa a w e m he vior died th t ight live , The Prophet died to prove his worth

B oth love and reverence we will give , n ’ A d bless the day o f Joseph s birth . 1 ' A in D m r J u venile I nstru ctor. NNI E MAL IN, ece be

CONTENTS ' ” ’ T B k f M m n m n m in the E m a I 844 he oo o or o . 833 M or o is er ld sle f‘ 845 E a i i n F ield . ditorial . Wh t Christmas Means From the M ss o to the Sa nt 40 Sm t Ou r r et 848 i s . 8 Poetry : Joseph i h , P oph

LI' E R POOL

, F OR S A L E IN A L L T H E CONF E R ENCES OF T H E CH ' R CH OF JES ' S CH R IS T OF

- A L ATTER D Y S AINTS IN GR EA T BR ITAIN .