By Joseph Musser
This is an excerpt from the first two pages of the first edition of Truth Magazine, published in 1935.
ANNOUNCEMENT
WITH this issue TRUTH begins its life journey. There is need
for the message its columns will bear. The world is sick. It
gropes in darkness. Complete dissolution threatens the
established governments. The situation can be saved only by
quick and heroic action. God is the great Physician. Man must
turn unto him. It will be our aim to help blaze the way leading
through the maze of perplexity, prejudice, hatred and ignorance,
up toward the "great white throne". We approach this delicate
but all important task with a deep sense of dependence on the
Lord. We shall work hard to discharge our duty.
As we view it, the fundamentals governing man's existence
on earth and his efforts to achieve salvation in the life to
come, may be grouped under four general headings: POLITICAL,
SOCIAL, ECONOMIC and SPIRITUAL. These four must be fully
coordinated in the lives and actions of man kind before a
complete success is possible. To the extent that this
co-ordination is perfect, just to that extent may man hope to
achieve. Growing out of these four governing principles are, of
course, countless shoots and branches, all designed to
strengthen and beautify the parent tree. But it is to the four
principles mentioned that special attention is now directed.
The POLITICAL part of the world mechanism is sadly out of
order. All governments are feverishly restless, continuously
engaged in talking peace while pre paring for war, and the whole
earth is in commotion, and men's hearts are failing them. This
situation can be corrected only when Jesus Christ shall set up
his reign under the form of government known as the Kingdom of
God, which is destined to subvert all other kingdoms and
governments and sweep them from the earth.
TRUTH will endeavor to teach "this gospel of the Kingdom"
as Christ has outlined it, to the end that mankind may receive
full protection in civil and religious rights, finally arriving
at a state of righteousness and universal peace.
The SOCIAL structure of modern Christendom is toppling to
ruin. A complete breakdown threatens. The monogamic order of
marriage, the boast of modern civilization, has failed. Gnawing
at its very vitals, to which the glorious principle of marriage
is slowly but surely succumbing, are the death dealing agencies
of infidelity, birth control and divorce. The remedy is
comprehended in God's order of marriage known today as Celestial
or Patriarchal marriage. It was revealed to Abraham by the
Lord, and in the present dispensation was restored through the
"Mormon" Prophet, Joseph Smith.
TRUTH will champion the cause of this great social law and
will endeavor to lead men to a clearer light.
The world has fallen into an ECONOMIC maelstrom, which
threatens commercial destruction. It struggles seemingly to no
purpose, each effort taking it deeper into the quagmire of
failure. God, through his Prophet, has said: "The wisdom of
their wise men shall perish and the understanding of their
prudent men shall he hid." This prophetic edict is fulfilled in
the present [2] state of world economic bankruptcy. God alone
can correct the evil. His cure involves acceptance of what is
known as the "Order of Enoch" or the "United Order", as
instituted during the Apostolic age:
And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart
and of one soul: neither said any of them that aught of the
things which he possessed was his own; but they had all
shines common. (Acts 4:32)
TRUTH adopts this plan as God's method of bringing men to a
common level, and will advocate its practical adoption in
accordance with latter-day revelation on the subject.
SPIRITUAL life is palsied. The death rattle in the throat
is heard. "Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, He is there", is being
thundered from the house tops by those who have no rational
conception of either Christ or his mission. The modern pharisee
has outdone his ancient brother in hypocrisy and ignorance.
God's remedy for this bedlam of conflicting creeds and
philosophies is that men shall accept the principle of present
and continuous revelation. A constant communion between heaven
and earth is the cure. Without this communion man cannot
succeed; for "Where there is no vision, the people perish."
TRUTH accepts this hypothesis as a self evident fact. Its
columns will seek to clarify those of God's revelations which
are meant for the guidance of his children in this day, whether
these revelations come through the ancient Jewish scriptures or
through modern sources; whether they are voiced by the mouth of
a Moses, a Confucius, a Swedenborg, a Luther, an Ingersol, or
through our modern Prophets, of which Joseph Smith was the
leader.
The four great pillars of light and progress classified as
POLITICAL, SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, and SPIRITUAL, with all their
devious branches and ramifications will be elucidated on and
championed by TRUTH in accordance with the wisdom and
understanding of its contributors. We know the task to be a
difficult one. We approach it in meekness. In the defense of
truth or in battling error, we will neither court fear nor
favor. In the words of the late Theodore Roosevelt, "Our spear
knows no brother." Our guide shall be light and truth. We
shall always welcome constructive criticism and wholesome
comments. The columns of TRUTH will teem with the best thoughts
of the great minds of the past as well as those of the present,
upon the subjects treated.
It will be noted that TRUTH begins its career on a very
important date--June 1st--the one hundred and thirty fourth
anniversary of the Birth of Brigham Young. It is fitting that
this enterprise should be thus launched. Brigham Young, though
a greatly abused character, and much misunderstood, yet is known
the world over as one of America's greatest colonizers. He was
clean, wise and courageous a true Christian. Perhaps no other
man in this dispensation contributed more towards establishing
the truth as revealed through the "Mormon" Prophet, Joseph
Smith, than this great leader.
TRUTH will endeavor to maintain the high standard of faith
and essential works reflected by the life of this great leader,
whose birth is celebrated by our first issue.
A STATESMAN'S FAITH
The religious views of statesmen are seldom known, except
to their intimates, until after their biographies are written,
and therefore a letter written by Lord Grey to Mrs. Asquith on
the approaching death of one of her friends is "remarkable
enough" for the London TIMES to quote at length. Lord Grey was
British Foreign Secretary at the outbreak of the World war. He
writes:
There is a suffering which purifies, raises and strengthens
and in which one can see the Crown as well as the Cross,
but where there is no Crown visible it is terrible even to
see suffering and must be intolerable to undergo it. My
own belief is that if we could know all we should
understand everything, but there is much in the world that
cannot be explained without knowing what came before life
and what is to come after it, and of that we know nothing,
for faith is not knowledge. All that we can do is to take
refuge in reverence and submission. "God is in Heaven and
thou upon earth, therefore let thy words be few" is one way
of expressing the reverence, and: "I was dumb and opened
not my mouth for it was Thy doing" is an expression of
submission. They are hard things to say, but I don't know
what else is to be said, and it is better to say them than
to rail against what we cannot understand, or to attempt to
belittle it, and put a gloss upon it. * * * The abyss is
unfathomable to those who stand upon the brink, and I fear
each of us who has to descend into it must find for himself
or herself on what ledges a foot can be placed, and the
path by which one can find his way is not always that which
is practicable for another. I have been through that which
would make it very easy for me to die, but that path is no
use for anyone who has to die and wants live.
We can be reached at fundamentalistmag@gmail.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please leave a comment!