SUMMARY OF NEWS. path, through which: zones the earth in its annual course successively passes. But although this explains the returns of meteors every year, it does not explain the 33 years period of the November shower. A simple modification, however, will suffice; for imagine that, instead of the meteors being uniformly distributed throughout the ring, they are gathered together more towards particular parts of the ring; and suppose that the time of revolution of the ring differs from that of the earth, then in some year the earth will pass through that part of the ring containing many meteors; in the next year it will pass through a part in which there are fewer, and may continue to pass through a thin part of the ring, until 31 the difference between the times of the revolution of the earth and ring amounting to a whole revolution, will bring the earth and thick part of the ring again together, and the display of some years previous will be again repeated. Now, this supposed case is the fact, as Professor Newton has found from investigation of the phenomena of the November meteors; and he baving ascertained the precise period between the successive returns of maximum intensity of the November display, was enabled with confidence to predict for the morning of November 14th, 1866, and accurately within a few hours, the return of a period of maximum intensity.-Chambers's Jour nal. The number of wrecks reported during the week ending the year 1866, amounted to 48, making for the year, a total of 2396. The governor of the State of Missouri has called for 34 companies of volunteers to aid in suppressing the marauders and robbers of that region. The exact number of persons assembled in the convent at Arcadium when it blew up, was 325 men, 250 of whom were fit to carry arms, and 641 women and children, 966 persons in all, of whom 33 men and 61 women and children alone survived the explosion. The women threw themselves into the flames with their children, so that they might not fall into the hands of the Turks. The bodies of the Christians remain unburied. Granada has been visited by a terrible storm, which has done great damage to property. The cane fields and cocoa fields in some districts have been laid waste. The yellow fever and smallpox still prevailed at St. Thomas, which, although not to the extent reported by the last mail, are nevertheless very bad. Cholera raged fearfully, carrying off the inhabitants at the rate of 35 to 40 daily. A wonderful tale is told from Kansas, concerning a plague of grasshoppers, the number actually darkening immense tracts of country, and destroying every vestige of vegetation along their route. The creatures took three weeks to pass Lauenworth, in a stream about twelve miles wide and 300 miles long. They got on the railway track of the Union Pacific road in such numbers, as to cause the wheels to slip on the rails, and the freight train at Wyandotte was detained several hours beyond its time, by the impossibility of penetrating the massive crowd of insects. In 1820 France had a population of 30 millions; in 1861-that is, after 40 years-it was only 36 millions. During the same time Prussia, now the rival of France, showed 19, instead of 10 millions; Russia 80, instead of 40; and England 30, instead of 20. In other words, the increase of population, which during 40 years was in France only 25 per cent., was in England 50, in Prussia 82, and in Russia 100 per cent. There are 39,827 lunatic paupers in England and Wales; 29,617 being classed as lunatics, 10,210 as idiots. DUCKWORTH,-November 24th, 1866, at Bury, Lancashire, Thomas Duckworth, of dropsy, in the 41st year of his age.-DESERET NEWS, please copy. PARRY.-January 2nd, 1866, at Redmarley, Dabitol, Worcester, William Parry, of the Cheltenham Conference, aged 54 years, 6 months and 4 days.-DESERET NEWS, please copy. POETRY. ODE TO THE NEW YEAR. Through the chill and wintry midnight Weep O heavens o'er all the sadness Hide O night in blackest darkness Nor the hours of joyous gladness When forgetting care and pain, With dark sorrow's bitter tear. New Year's day, 1867. Bid the care and want and sorrow Of the heart and homestead cease. Brightly bloom the fragrant flowers Brighter still thy unborn youth; O let truth go forth victorious Lo the song of Zion riseth Like the billows of the sea Christ the long desir'd of nations G. de la P. B. CONTENTS. EDITED, PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY BRIGHAM YOUNG, JUN., 42, ISLINGTON. LONDON: FOR SALE AT THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS' BOOK DEPOT, 30, FLORENCE STREET, ISLINGTON, AND BY ALL BOOKSELLERS. THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS' MILLENNIAL STAR. “Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion, unto the Lord our God.”—JEREMIAH. No. 3, Vol. XXIX. Saturday, January 19, 1867. Price One Penny. WHAT HAS RELIGION DONE FOR MANKIND? BY ELDER N. H. FELT. When pausing in the midst of the cares and duties of life, we reflect upon the various and diversified creeds and religions of mankind, more especially upon that portion denominated Christendom, and are led seriously to inquire, What have these sects and parties done, during a thousand years or more, towards regenerating the world, ennobling the human race, and securing the rights of mankind, or in concentrating, combining, and organising their physical and mental powers to one great and glorious purpose, for which the Gospel of salvation was evidently sent to earth? Can any one point out, in any part of the known world, any definite, substantial manifestation of even the commencement of the coming of that kingdom, for which we were taught, from childhood, to pray; or any place where the will of our Father is done on earth as it is in heaven? We learn in the Scriptures of divine truth, that the Son of God came to bring the Gospel to the Jews; hence the command to the disciples was, "Go not into the cities of the Gentiles, but rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." The Jews would not receive it, though he "would have gathered them as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings." As the Jews would not receive the Gospel, then the command went forth, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel," thus fulfilling his words, "The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." Is this the meaning of Paul, when he said to the Jews, "It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you; but seeing ye put it away from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles." If so, who are the Gentiles, to whom the kingdom was to be given; and where are the fruits that were to be brought forth? We read of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the toil, sufferings, and death of the Apostles, and subsequently, the persecutions, torture, and death inflicted upon almost all of their disciples and followers. We are led to look around us, to see if we can discover, after so many years, any results commensurate to the magnitude of the sacrifice; and though we search the 34 WHAT HAS RELIGION DONE FOR MANKIND? history of the world since the days of Jesus, we cannot find an account of any well concerted plan, in any part of the earth, to inaugurate that per fect system of order, truth, and justice, embodied in the teachings of the Savior, and expressed in the remarkable prayer, "I pray thee that they may be one, even as we are one." It is not surprising then, if we again ask, What have the Gentile nations, or those who assume to be the followers of Jesus, done towards accomplishing the great and glorious object intended, in the introduction of the Gospel of salvation to man? Have those professing to teach that Gospel, for the last thousand years, adhered to its precepts, taught and practiced its principles in purity? If so, why is it, after so many centuries of experiment upon mankind, that we cannot place our finger upon a spot on earth where the beauty, order, and glory of that Gospel of the kingdom have been developed? We learn, historically, that for one or two hundred years, there were men who went forth into the darkness of heathenism, with their lives in their hands, to promulgate the doctrines of Jesus, with all the powers of darkness to oppose them; and we learn they were persecuted, sawn as under, crucified, stoned to death, destroyed. Following this history, we learn that a certain church arose, claiming the only true connection with those early martyrs, and assuming to hold the same divine authority, with direct succession of Apostolic power. All who are acquainted with the history of the Roman Catholic Church, will admit that it has been sustained, from century to century, by the highest human intellect, combined with the power, wealth, and influence of entire kingdoms and empires; and yet, where can she point to results that accord with that perfect law of liberty afforded by the Gospel? church, pretending to be the Church of God, been the medium through which the benign influence of the Gospel has been transmitted down to the present time? If so, its history for ages past would show forth some of the fruits of that Gospel that was designed to bring peace and good will to man. That history, contrary to the precepts of our divine Master, is replete with the most sanguinary evidences of the power of that church, which with the sword, fagot, and torture, has deluged nations in blood, to attain its unholy ascendency. If we refer to the Reformation, and to the scenes of blood through which for years it passed, and admitting the purity of motive, zeal, and devotion of its advocates, still the question arises, what did they accomplish by the sacrifice of all they held dear upon the earth? We find to-day the Greek, Catholic, and Protestant, with all their varied sects and creeds, completely merged in the world, and only to be distinguished as Christendom. But where is the kingdom of God? It no doubt was a blessing to mankind, that Constantine employed his power and influence to overthrow the time honored idol worship, that prevailed throughout the Roman empire; but we are aware that all he could do, in so praiseworthy a cause, was but to compromise with old traditions and barbarism, yet it opened the way then for many of the pure in heart to obtain some light and hope from the promises of the Gospel, though the clouds of error and superstition still hung heavily over the world. It was also good that Luther, Huss, Calvin, and hosts of others, struggled manfully against the tide of corruption, folly, and wickedness, that appeared to flood, and almost overwhelm all Christendom; but, after all their virtues and heroism, what kind of a legacy did they leave to the world? Alas! There cannot be a shadow of a Jesus says, "A kingdom divided doubt, but what the purifying influ- against itself cannot stand." ence of the spirit and power of the instead of being one, even as he and Gospel, radiating from Christ and the the Father are one, division, contenTwelve Apostles, penetrated the thick tion, confusion, and dismay exist darkness of heathenism, mellowing among the followers of the Reformand inspiring with intelligence the ation, each party claiming to be the human mind, even down to the pre- true Church of Christ, each pretendsent age. But let us inquire, has thating to have the "form of godliness," WHAT HAS RELIGION DONE FOR MANFIND and all "denying the power thereof." If they possessed the kingdom, would not they bring forth the fruits of the kingdom? Could they deny the utility of the very organization that God set in the Church, of Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, Teachers, and Evangelists? Would they deny the necessity of obtaining that faith "once delivered to the Saints," with all the miracles, helps, governments, so necessary, formerly, to perfect the Saints? or are they already perfect? Again we will ask, What have the Christian churches done towards attaining the object for which the Gospel was offered to man ? Let us cast a glance at things as they have been in the past, and as they are at present. We see in Christendom a great variety of churches, each one claiming to be the true Church of Christ. They have numbers, influence, and wealth; they send missionaries to the uttermost parts of the earth, to almost every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. With what success? Do they send the "olive branch ?" Do they send that which brings life and immortality to light, causing those that sit in darkness to break forth in songs of gladness and praises to the Most High? Let us see. Missionaries carry the Gospel to the benighted inhabitants of the Sandwich Islands. The history of those islands, for the last century, shows that instead of godliness, purity, and salvation, being established among them, they never were so filthy and degraded while in their heathenism, as they have been since the Christians went among them, and the poor islanders are fading away, polluted, debauched, dying, until the native population are nearly extinct. Some may say that this is not the result of Christianity. No, not of true Christianity; but who can deny that it was caused by association with the civilization of Christendom? Again, the Christian minister goes to the American Indians: the fate of the poor aboriginese is the same: they fade away upon the introduction of Christianity, backed by fire and sword. But worst of all, behold, with horror, the loathsome corruption that follows in the train of civilization, that never appeared while in their ignorance, ១ they worshipped the Great Spirit. Therefore the Indian turns away with disgust and hatred from his white, Christian brothers. Other ministers of the Gospel go to carry salvation to the African, and the ignorant black man shrinks from his white brothers who enslave him he turns a deaf ear to the Gospel, and chooses rather to rush into the solitude of the desert. The Japanese trample upon the cross; the Australasians are slaughtered, to give place to their Christian brothers; the Sepoys must bite the greased cartridge or die; the Jew turns in scorn from the pretended expounder of the Law and the Prophets, and spurns the ignorance of those sent to teach him of a Gospel his fathers refused, and of a Messiah long expected by his people. But let us look a moment nearer home, directly in our own midst, where the blaze of Gospel light sheds forth its greatest lustre. Where may we expect to find the clearest proofs of the existence of the pure Gospel? Shall we find it in the records of those grand cathedrals, erected for the worship of the true and living God? in the sumptuous Bishops' palaces? or in the luxurious temples of either Protestants or Catholics? Alas! how could we expect to hear the sublime teachings of Him who said, "love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them who hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you," among those who have long displayed a disposition to defame and vilify each other, and whose contentions, for years, have caused devastation, misery, and bloodshed, upon every occasion of outbreak, and in every country wherever they are located? Shall we seek for the fruits of the kingdom in the cities, towns, and hamlets of this, the brightest field of Christian labors, England? Let us take up the daily records of its fruits, and it is but a sample of every city in Christendom. Do they report, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth?" Look at the lists. Alas! they are but the reflex of the public mind, and then, only, so far as appear upon the surface. Read the catalogue of crime murder, arson, robbery, perjury, blasphemy, adultery, seduction, destitution, infanticide, despair, |