Mormonism on Sunday-Keeping.
One of the clearest evidences that the whole system of Mormonism is only a human device, is that on the important subjects of the nature and destiny of man, and the day to be observed as the Sabbath of the Lord, its revelations follow the false teachings of popular theology, instead of the true teachings of the Bible. It has been denied that the revelations of Mormonism sustained Sunday-keeping; but that denial is overthrown by their “Doctrines and Covenants.” A friend has sent us a copy of “The True Latter Day Saints’ Herald” (we believe we have it all) in which a writer argues for Sunday-keeping, and enforces it upon all good Mormons in the following manner:— “And we further see, that Sunday, ‘the first day of the week,’ the day upon which our Saviour was resurrected, was unanimously called by the early Christians, ‘the Lord’s day.’ “This last fact is of especial importance to the Latter Day Saints, for they have a commandment given to them making it obligatory upon them to keep the Lord’s ‘holy day,’ as their rest day, and for the celebration of public worship. “This revelation was given in Zion, Missouri, on Sunday, August 7th, 1831, as we learn by an examination of church history. It reads: “‘And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacrament upon my holy day; for verily, this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High; nevertheless thy vows shall be offered up in righteousness on all days, and at all times; but remember that on this, the Lord’s day, thou shalt offer thine oblations, and thy sacraments unto the Most High, confessing thy sins unto thy brethren, and before the Lord. And on this day thou shalt do none other things, only let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart, that thy fasting may be perfect, or in other words, that thy joy may be full.’—Doc. & Cov. 59, [19]: 2. “Here is the commandment. ‘The Lord’s day,’ is the one the saints are directed to keep. That the saints knew which was the Lord’s day, is evident from the command itself, for the Lord would not command them to do what they did not know how to do. That Sunday was the day intended by the Lord, is understood at once, for Sunday is and always has been called ‘the Lord’s day,’ by all enlightened, or Christian nations. “And as a further, and conclusive evidence that Sunday was intended by the command, we quote D. & C. 1: 5. “‘These commandments are of me [God] and were given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding: and inasmuch as they erred, it might be made known.’ “‘From this we learn that the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants, were given unto the ministry ‘after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding.’ Now, the ‘manner of their language’ was such, that it pointed to Sunday as ‘the Lord’s day,’ and this day they kept. They understood, in common with nearly all professed Christians, that Sunday was ‘the Lord’s day.’ This was the “understanding” they had of the matter, as seen both by their precepts and practice. The revelations were given to point out such errors as they might have in doctrine or practice, and we see that the revelation on keeping the Lord’s day confirmed them in keeping Sunday; so that if keeping Sunday is an error, then they were confirmed in that error instead of having the error made known, as promised. So we see, the New Testament, history, and the Doctrine and Covenants favors keeping Sunday, but they furnish nothing in the least against it.” This is enough. Mormonism is a system that follows the traditions of men instead of the word of God.