I. Obedience to Authority Required by Scripture.

1. Old Testament instances. (a) Note the case of Hagar, the bond woman who was required by the angel to submit herself to her mistress (Genesis 16: 1-9). (b) Under theocratic government (Exodus 22: 28; Deut. 16: 18; 1: 16; I. Chron. 23: 4; 26: 29). (c) Under kingly rule. Observe David's penitence for having lifted his hand against Saul, the king (I. Sam. 24: 5, 6, 10; 26: 9-12, 16). Further counsels (Proverbs 24: 21; Eccles. 8: 2; 10: 20).

2. Teachings of Christ and His apostles. (a) The tribute money paid (Matt. 17: 24-27). (b) Render unto Caesar (Matt. 22: 15-21; see also Mark 12: 13-17; Luke 20: 20-25). (c) Paul's apology when before the high priest (Acts 23: 1-15); his instructions to others (Titus 3: 1; see especially Romans 13: 1-7; I. Timothy 2: 1-3). (d) Peter's teachings (I. Peter 2: 13-17, 18, 20; II. Peter 2: 10).

3. Book of Mormon teachings. Observe that the duty of the people as subjects of the law of the land is fully taught throughout the volume; though, as civil and ecclesiastical authority were usually vested together, there are few instances of admonition to obey the secular law distinctively. Sanctity of the law is illustrated by Alma's judgment on Nehor (Alma 1: 14).

4. Modern revelation. (a) "Be subject to the powers that be" (Doc. and Cov. 58: 21, 22). (b) Laws supporting freedom acceptable to the Lord (Doc. and Cov. 98: 4-6). (c) Divine requirements may be waived under exceptional circumstances (Doc. and Cov. 124: 49, 50). As an illustration note the discontinuance of the practice of plural marriage in compliance with the requirements of special enactments (see The Articles of Faith, p. 435, par. 23, and page 440, note 4).

II. Official declaration of the Church in this dispensation. Study in detail Doc. and Cov. 134, “Of governments and laws in general."

General reference: "The Articles of Faith," Lecture XXIII.

EDITED, PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY CHARLES W. PENROSE, 295 EDGE LANE,

LIVERPOOL:

FOR SALE IN ALL THE CONFERENCES OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF

LATTER-DAY SAINTS IN GREAT BRITAIN.

THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS'

MILLENNIAL STAR.

[ESTABLISHED 1840.]

"I would rather live on the most desolate crag-shivering, with all the warm wraps of falsehood stripped off, gazing after unfound truth, than sit comfortably on more inhabited spots, where others are warm in a faith which is true to them, but which is false to me."-F. W. ROBERTSON.

No. 42, Vol. LXX.

Thursday, October 15, 1908.

Price One Penny.

WHY LATTER-DAY SAINTS GATHER TO ZION.

FOR half a century converts to "Mormonism" in different parts of Europe have-thousands of them at the sacrifice of the comforts of home, of good positions, and the loving associations of parents, relatives and friends-been emigrating to Zion. This has caused considerable comment among those who do not know the object which the saints have in going to that land. Notwithstanding the fact that the Bible contains numerous prophecies pertaining to the gathering of Israel in the latter days, and that the purpose of the gathering is set forth in them, this important feature of "Mormonism" is looked upon as a scheme devised by wicked men for the accomplishment of their evil designs.

If such were the case, an end would have been put to the gathering long ago. If, after making such sacrifices, the tens of thousands of "Mormon" converts that have left these shores and emigrated to Utah had found after their arrival there that they had been deceived, that the object of their gathering had been devised for a different purpose to that which they understood, a cry would have been raised that would have re-echoed around the world, and the Government of the United States would have rendered the governments of Europe all the assistance needed in rescuing their subjects from the toils of those who had plotted their ruin.

United States Government officials have made diligent enquiries and searching investigations concerning the object of "Mormon" emigration, and the result has been a complete exoneration of

the Church from the base and unfounded accusations of her enemies; and the gathering still goes on.

And now we come to the question often asked by people who have not been informed of the true object of the gathering of the saints, "For what purpose do your people emigrate to America?" We auswer, that they may be free to worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences; that, after being born again, cleansed from their sins and made new creatures in Christ Jesus, they may gather out from the midst of the wicked, lest they become partakers of their sins and receive of their plagues; that they may enter into possession of and redeem the land which God gave to their forefathers; that they may erect holy temples in which sacred ordinances can be administered for the salvation of the living and the redemption of the dead; that they may build up and beautify Zion, that a place and a people may be prepared for the Lord when He shall appear the second time.

These are the objects which every true-hearted Latter-day Saint has in going to the land which God has appointed as a gatheringplace for His people in this last dispensation.

Now, let us look into this matter more closely. If we were to ask the question, "Why did the Pilgrim Fathers emigrate to America?" the answer we would receive would be this: "That they might be free from the persecutions of their enemies and have the privilege of worshiping God according to the dictates of their cousciences." Exactly, and that, as we have said, is one of the reasons why converts to "Mormonism" have for over half a century been gathering with their brethren and sisters in the midst of the Rocky Mountains.

The great majority of those that have accepted the doctrines of the Latter-day Saints in this and other lands have had to suffer persecution for their adopted faith. In many cases their parents, brothers and sisters have turned against them and they have been driven from their homes; the ministers and members of the churches to which they formerly belonged have denounced them and have sought to blacken their characters; on hearing that some of their workers had joined the "Mormon" Church, employers have promptly dismissed the converts, and others have been threatened with dismissal if it were found that they had attended a "Mormon" service. These are but a few of the trying ordeals that Latter-day Saints have had to pass through for the sake of their religion. Is it any wonder that ancient Israel longed and prayed for deliverance from the oppression of Egyptian taskmasters? No, it is not; nor is it to be wondered at that the saints have longed and prayed and worked for their deliverance from the persecution of their "Christian" relatives and friends. And just as the Almighty heard the cries of His people in former days and delivered them out of the hands of their oppressors, so He has heard the prayers of latter-day Israel and delivered thousands of them

from both spiritual and temporal bondage and established them in the promised land.

The gathering of Israel in the latter-days was a favorite theme with the ancient prophets. Concerning it Jeremiah prophesied: "Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you; and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: and I will give you pastors according to my own heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. (Jer. 3: 14, 15.)

In this prophecy the object of the gathering is explained. Those who would be gathered by the Lord would be people who had repented of their sins, who had abandoned the foolish doctrines that had been taught them by uninspired men, and who were desirous of being taught by true servants of God. These were the people-one of a city and two of a family-whom the Lord said He would gather to Zion, where they would be taught wisdom and understanding by men according to His own heart. After being taught the sublime principles of the everlasting gospel, and seeing the great contrast between them and the false doctrines which they and their fathers had believed for years, the saints have become possessed of an irresistible desire to go to Zion, in order that they might be under the inspired teaching of the apostles and prophets, men after God's own heart.

In his prophecy concerning the gathering of Israel in the last days Micah clearly set forth the object which the covenant people of God would have in going up to Zion. It was, according to the words of the prophet, in order to work in the House of the Lord, which would be established in the top of mountains, and to learn of the ways of the Lord and walk in His paths. We quote the prophecy:

"But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." (Micah 4: 1, 2.)

By what people, we ask, has this prophecy been fulfilled? By the saints of the latter days. It is they who have erected the House of the Lord in the top of the mountains; it is they who are going to Zion in order to learn of the ways of the Lord that they may walk in His paths. Ask all other emigrants that sail for America for what purpose they are going up to that land and the answer will be, "In order to better our condition financially." Ask of the saints the same question and what would be the answer? It would be just as the prophets foretold-in order to learn of the ways of the Lord and to walk in His paths.

This is the prime object which the saints have in going up to the land of Zion. The magnificent temples which they have erected

there, and the work which has been carried on in them since their dedication, bear testimony that this is true. The elders of the Church do not preach gathering to the saints. It is not necessary for them to do so; the Holy Spirit does that, and notwithstanding the fact that at present the Church is not encouraging the saints to emigrate, it is with difficulty that many of them are prevented from doing so, so strong is their desire to be with the body of the Church, to hear the glorious truths of the everlasting gospel expounded by the apostles and prophets of God, and to perform work in the holy temples which is necessary to their salvation and the redemption of their kindred dead. But as it was in the days of the Savior so it is at the present time-the people "err in not understanding the scriptures," and also the workings of Providence. If they understood these things they would know why the Latterday Saints gather to Zion.-W. A. M.

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE GREAT AMERICAN DESERT.

THE following extracts are from an excellent article, bearing the above title, which appears in the current number of The Munsey Magazine. It is from the pen of William Hard, and will be read with interest by Latter-day Saints:

"The American people are to-day witnessing the accomplishment of a national enterprise more difficult than the war with Spain, more important than the Panama Canal. They are standing on the very verge of the consummation of one of the most heroic and spectacular victories ever won by civilized man over the forces of

nature.

"In the course of a battle of sixty years, the Great American Desert, which once stretched its huge bulk all the way from Arkansas to Oregon and from southern California to North Dakota, has been attacked, defeated, routed, dispersed into fragments. It has become a myth. It has gone to the limbo of forgotten things, along with the sea-serpents which the old geographers used to depict sunning themselves on the bosom of the Atlantic Ocean. All that is left to-day of what our ancestors called the Great American Desert is a series of scattered pieces widely distributed and widely seperated, which show on the map like the severed limbs of a slain dragon.

"It is difficult to-day to realize that when our ancestors looked west across the Mississippi and the Missouri, they thought they were looking at a desert. It is difficult to realize that where we see, on our present-day maps, such words as 'Nebraska,' 'Oklahoma,' 'Denver,' 'Lalt Lake City,' 'Spokane,' and 'Fargo,' our ancestors saw, on their maps, in big forbidding type, the words

'Great American Desert.'