Excerpt from The Latter-Day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 71: January 14, 1909

For nigh unto seventy years the voices of the servants of God have been heard declaring these things unto the people. Tens of thousands of missionaries and hundreds of thousands of lay mem bers of the Church have borne testimony to the world that God had manifested to them by the power of the Holy Ghost that these things are true.

Now, the testimony of these thousands of witnesses must be either true or false. If it be true, then all those who reject it will come under the condemnation of the righteous Judge. But if the testimony of these witnesses be false, then condemnation will come upon all those who have borne it, and they will be denounced as deceivers and impostors. It will, therefore, be seen that the testimonies of the Latter-day Saints carry with them either sal° vation or condemnation. This is a very serious matter, and we are pleased to know that it. Is beginning to be so considered by many people. A writer in a local paper a short time ago said that Mormonism had ceased to be considered a joke in this country.

In the following we shall endeavor to prove that the testi mony of these witnesses is true. Why, the very nature of the testimony, it seems to us, is sufficient to do that. In the first place, why should Joseph Smith come out and declare to the world that, in answer to a fervent prayer which he sent up to the Father on high to point out to him the way of eternal life, the heavens were opened to him, and that in a glorious vision he beheld the Father and the Son; that the Lord conversed with him, and revealed unto him many great and important things pertaining to the salvation of the human family? This young man also declared with the greatest solemnity and soberness that angels ministered unto him from time to time; that they committed unto him a dispensation of the gospel, with authority to officiate in all its ordinances, and that he received from the Lord a commission to re-organize again upon the earth the Church of Christ. In testimony of the truth of these things the prophet sacrificed his life, as did also many of his devoted followers. What object could Joseph Smith have in telling such stories as these if they were not true? He could not expect to bring honor and glory to God by circulating falsehoods concerning Him; nor could he hope to gain the favor of heaven by deceiving his fellows. He could not fail to realize that his state ments, had they been false, would at the last day bring upon him the condemnation of God, who abhors lies and deception.

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