At the afternoon service the general authorities of the Church, of the European Mission, and of the Leeds Conference, were presented and unanimously sustained.

The statistical report and the labor report for the six months ending February 10 were read as follows: High Priests 1; Seventies 10; Elders 10; Priests 4; Teachers 5; Deacons 7; members 161; total officers and members 198. Tracts distributed 23,334; houses visited 10,375; Gospel conversations 875; books loaned 274; books given away 41; books sold 40; general meetings 236; cottage meetings 4; out-door meetings 3; Sunday Schools 25. Baptized 25; confirmed 25; emigrated over eight years of age 11; Removed 7; died 2; children blessed 2.

Considering the inclemency of the weather the meetings were well attended, a goodly number of strangers being present, especially in the afternoon and the evening. The instructions on the doctrines of the Church of Christ, made many points of interest plain to the hearers, and should cause a deeper interest to spring up among those who had the privilege of hearing those timely and well directed instructions.

The following morning a Priesthood meeting was held, and reports were given by the Elders. All shared in the general good feeling and the instructions given, and received words of encouragement from Brother Lund. GEORGE A. SEAMAN, Clerk of Conference.

FACTS AND

EVENTS.

A knot is 1.1515 miles or 6080 feet.

President Cleveland has sent a special message to Congress referring to the financial condition of the United States, and asking for legislation to check the draining of the treasury which has taken place lately in a manner unprecedented in the history of that nation.

According to the published statistics of Italy the number of priests in that land is 77,128; in this great army are not included the almost innumerable host of monks belonging to the different orders, nor the legions of young clergymen who are waiting for their ordination and appointment to office.

The hard winter is felt in Denmark. Heavy falls of snow are reported from the northern part. The city of Hjorring is completely isolated from the surrounding world; snowdrifts to the height of 18 feet make all railroad communication impossible. In some of the streets the novel sight is seen of people having to walk through tunnels under the snow. One house had to be dug out of the snow, which had drifted to a height of four feet above the chimneys. In one of the parks the snowdrift has made the trees appear as small bushes. In many houses the inhabitants are under the necessity of using lights all day long as the snow covering the windows obscures the light of day.

The cold weather has brought on a great amount of suffering among the poor and unemployed of Liverpool. Crowds have daily thronged the vicinity of St. George's Hall, for the purpose of obtaining the rations of soup that have been dealt out to them. Through the efforts of charitable people many have thus been supplied with one meal daily, but there has nevertheless been a great deal of suffering. The poor have been almost frantic with hunger and cold. When a person appeared among them who had anything to give he would be immediately surrounded by scores who in their efforts to obtain something would almost overpower him. The change in the weather will assist in bringing on a better state among these wretched ones,

THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS' MILLENNIAL STAR.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1895.

SCRIPTURE DISTORTERS.

THERE are classes of people who seem to take special delight in pointing out apparent discrepancies or contradictions between certain passages in one portion of the Bible and others in another portion. They will quote a verse or a part of a verse which suits their own private idea, being careful to say nothing of the context; for they know that by reading the whole paragraph or chapter the author's meaning becomes plain, and that would overturn the pet theories which they have formulated. Numerous instances might be found, where by reading portions of one verse and only a part of another the ideas contained in the two would be contrary. If these stood alone in the Scriptures, no further explanation of them being given, there would be a contradiction; but when taken in connection with the context there are no irreconcilable passages in the Bible.

The most numerous instances of Scripture distortion occur by making only these partial quotations. There are many people who have a fixed idea that a mere profession of belief is the only requirement essential to their salvation. To sustain this view they quote; "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life," John iii: 16; "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved," Acts xvi: 31; "The just shall live by faith," Rom. i: 17; "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin," 1 John i: 7.

Other passages could be referred to, which, read separately from all the rest of the Bible, would lead a person unacquainted with that sacred book to conclude that mere belief in Christ, and nothing more, is all sufficient for salvation. But how different is the result in his mind when he reads more extensively. Instead of a passive belief being declared all that is necessary, he finds that an active and living faith is required-one that leads men to perform good works and obey the ordinances of the Gospel. John iii: 5, contains the positive injunction: "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven." Jesus further says: "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also. If ye love me, keep my commandments," John xiv: 12, 15. Acts xvi, relates that the jailor to whom it was said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved," was required to obey the ordinances of the Gospel. In Romans ii: 13, the same Apostle who quoted, "The just shall live by faith" writes still further: "Not the hearers of the law are

just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." The passage in 1 John i: 7, reads as follows: "If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." So we might continue; it would be found in all instances that something further than a mere assent of the mind is meant when the Savior and His Apostles mention faith or belief. This method of cutting up passages so as to distort their real meaning was taken advantage of on one occasion by an infidel. He had listened to an argument between two persons on the subject of religion, wherein one of them quoted the passages we have referred to in the manner stated. After the discussion was over the infidel went to this person and said: "I can prove from the Bible that there is no God." His friend was astonished and asked him where such a statement was found. The Bible was opened and the infidel read from Ps. xiv: 1: "There is no God." His opponent took the Bible and found that the verse really reads: "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God." While the result in this case was a little more ridiculous than it had been in the discussion mentioned, the principle involved was exactly similar. Applied to any book on any subject, contradictions of this nature could be found, and no author would be safe in placing his writings before the public.

Another class of distortion is that in which people try to disprove one part of the Scriptures by quoting another. Although professing to believe the Scriptures, these persons seem to think that their methods are perfectly legitimate; if there is a doctrine which they do not wish to believe in, and one passage can be brought forth which apparently sustains them, they accept that in preference to all others which uphold the doctrine. Some profess not to believe in a literal resurrection of the body; they refer to the instance where the Savior appeared to His disciples while they were sitting in a room with the door shut. To their minds it would be an utter impossibility for a material being to do this. They evidently forget that Christ's body after His resurrection was an immortal body. They refuse to believe that God can accomplish things. of which men have not the slightest conception. No man can explain all of the principles connected with this circumstance, but faith in an omnipotent Father should lead a man to admit of its possibility. Thomas, one of the Apostles, refused to believe that Christ had risen. However, he saw with his eyes, heard with his ears, and was invited to feel with his hands, the resurrected body of the Redeemer. All he could do was to exclaim: "My Lord and my God." Had Thomas been asked to explain to an unbeliever how the Savior had risen, and how He appeared in the room without opening the door, he could not have done so, but he nevertheless knew that it was a fact.

Concerning the personality of God it is plainly stated in Genesis i: 26, Heb. i: 23, and many other places that man is formed in the image of God. Scripture-distorters try to show a contradiction of this by quoting: "God is a Spirit." John iv: 24. Searchers after truth, enlightened by the Holy Spirit see no contradition in this. God is a Spirit; He has also a body. If He were a spirit without a body, or a body without a spirit,

man could not possibly be in His image, for man is made of spirit and body. There is no real conflict between these passages, nor between any others in the Scriptures when a reasonable and complete-not a privateinterpretation is given. God could not contradict Himself.

The important question is, or should be, what is the truth? Not, what would I have it to be, nor what does uninspired man say it is; but what does God by His inspired writers say to His children? To one making such an inquiry, the Scriptures themselves give the answer: "Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me." John v: 39. Let him seek for the Spirit which inspired those who wrote the Scriptures, and difficulties will disappear from his mind. He will find that the Bible does not conflict with itself. It will teach him that faith is essential, that works are necessary, and that both are sanctified by the grace of our Heavenly Father. This is the kind of an interpretation that Peter wished the Saints to make when he wrote: "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. For prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Peter i: 20, 21. B.

SHEFFIELD CONFERENCE NOTICE.-The Sheffield Conference will be held at Dolphin Chambers Assembly Rooms, Market Place, Doncaster, on Sunday, March 24, 1895. Meetings will commence at 10:30 a.m., 2:30 and 6:30 p.m.

NOTTINGHAM CONFERENCE NOTICE.-The Nottingham Conference will be held in Temperance Hall, St. Ann Street, Nottingham, on Sunday, April 7, 1895. Meetings will begin at 10:30 a.m., 2:30 and 6 p.m.

FROM VARIOUS MISSIONARY FIELDS.

ELDER JAMES C. FROST writes from Aalborg, Denmark, under date of February 6, 1895, as follows: "I am happy to say that I feel well in body and enjoy the spirit of the Gospel. My testimony was many times strengthened by that same spirit while I was laboring in Norway. I left the branch of Drammen with good feelings among the Saints and the friends we made. In a letter from Brother C. Iverson, who was appointed to preside over the branch, he states that everything is moving along nicely; he had lately baptized two persons. I left for Copenhagen on November 23. Before sailing far we came in collision with another large steamer, which made a hole in the side of our vessel and caused a great commotion for a few moments. The injury was repaired in a short time sufficiently for us to proceed and we arrived in Copenhagen all right. I stayed there for a few days and then moved on to Aarhus where we had the pleasure of baptizing a Mrs. Möller. I then came to Aalborg. President Hansen and the Saints here say they have not for a long time seen so many people interesting themselves in the Gospel as there are at present. Our meet

ings are well attended and the prospects are good for several baptisms before long. Two families will join the Church this week. I have baptized three persons lately. One of them said she had seen you in her mother's home several times. President Hansen and the Saints join in kind regards to you."

The Deseret News publishes a letter from Elder Samuel G. Spencer, written at Pulley's Mills, Illinois, U. S. A., from which we extract the following:

"There is such a manifest change of feeling among the people not of the faith of the Saints since I left my two years' mission to the Southern States, seven years ago, that I felt it would be only a matter of justice and perhaps interest to mention my pleasant experience among them up to the present. I came by the historic Nauvoo and Carthage, as I always have had a great desire to see these places of sorrow and spoliation.

The Mississippi river was frozen over sufficiently to afford the passage of pedestrians. Two gentlemen are running opposition hand sleighs, on which they carry what little express, passengers or luggage there may be for Nauvoo. I rode on Mr. Reimboldt's sleigh, himself skating and pushing the sleigh.

In about ten minutes we were across the river. We then took his conveyance and rode up the rising hill where the once beautiful town of Nauvoo stood. I could not help the feeling of awe that crept over me, as house after house was pointed out to me where the down-trodden, robbed, driven, and murdered servants of God once lived, among them being the house of the great latter-day Prophet, Joseph Smith. The houses that are remaining, which the Saints built, are among the best average buildings of to-day.

I registered at the Arlington hotel, from Salt Lake City, and I soon made my business known, and was introduced to an old gentleman who lived here in the times of trouble, by the name of Thomas E. Kelley, who received me very kindly and spared no pains in giving me all the information he could command. We visited all the houses of note now standing, and I carefully made a note of the history of each, as given by him. He condemned with the most severe emphasis the way the Mormons had been treated. He said he was only a boy then, but was eye witness to 'JackMormons stealing from parties and hiding it upon the places of Mormon leaders, and then going to the parties whom they had stolen from and telling them they'd bet the Mormon leaders had them.'

I next called at the Nauvoo Rustler printing office, and gained what information I could of the present feeling toward the Mormons. The people here universally acknowledge the mistake of those who drove the Mormons, and agree that it was one of the most wicked things that ever happened. With an expressive sigh they tell of the time when Nauvoo had about 22,000 inhabitants, while Chicago at that time had 12,000 inhabitants. Nauvoo then, they are careful to remark, had no saloons; now with about 1,200 inhabitants it has several saloons.

Leaving these people with a kind, interesting feeling towards the Mormons, I departed for Carthage, having to recross the river and take