EXPERIENCE WITH A COUPLE OF MORMON ELDERS

One evening as I was holding meeting in our new church, at Good Thunder, I noticed two strangers. I soon learned that for days they had been staying with our brethren, talking Mormonism to them privately, and in this way were exerting quite an influence. The next evening the elders and myself were invited to lodge at Brother Graf's. As we went to his house after meeting, a good share of the congregation followed, and we had a real interesting time, until the elder that was doing most of the talking, was silenced by the Scriptures, then his comrade wanted to ask a question. "Well, what is it? "I asked.

"Who gave you the authority to preach the gospel?" he replied.

"There are two classes of preachers," I answered; "one class receive authority from the Lord, and the other class receive their credentials from Satan. We will consider from what source you get your authority to preach. Joseph Smith taught that all of God's true people had perished from the earth, and that for a long time there was not a Christian in the world, even until the time of Joseph. Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him, and bestowed on him the lost priesthood; and thus again the church, through him, was instituted among men; and by and through him you get authority to preach gospel. Is it not so?"

"Yes," they said, "that is correct."

"If Joseph should turn out to be a false prophet, then your credentials will be of Satan?"

"Yes."

"Well, the Lord said, 'On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.' Matt. 16: 18. What did Joseph teach?

That the power of hell prevailed over the church to the uttermost, until it was entirely swept from the face of the earth. If the Lord told the truth when He declared that the gates of hell should not prevail against the church, what does Joseph tell when he teaches that the gates of hell did prevail? It is evident that Joseph prevaricated.

"Again, Christ says to His people, 'Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.' Matt. 28: 20. What did Joseph teach?