By
Chas. W. Penrose
of the
Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints
1904
There are so many different religious systems in the world, eachclaiming not only to be right but to be divine, that a rationalmind, unwarped by sect or creed, is likely to become bewildered anddisgusted in its efforts to reach and embrace religious truth. Theclaim frequently put forth that all the Christian sects are right isa palpable absurdity. Truth is always consistent with itself. It iserror that causes confusion. Two opposing systems cannot both becorrect. They may both be wrong, but it is impossible for both to beright. There may be some truth in every religion that has beenfoisted upon the world. Indeed, without that no system could havecontinued existence. It is that portion of each religion which istrue that keeps it alive and makes its errors plausible.
To say that God is the author of the conflicting religions whichdistract mankind, is to charge him with inconsistency and folly.That which comes from God must of necessity be true. This needs noargument; it is so self-evident that many thinking people, beholdingthe contention and strife of ages over religious affairs, haveformed the opinion that all religions are human, conceived in theminds of men and promulgated for selfish purposes. Yet, admittingthat there is a Supreme Being, the Creator of all things, who is theembodiment of truth, justice, mercy, wisdom and love, it seemsunreasonable to think that he would leave his intelligent creatureswithout a guide on the road to the eternal future.
As there is but one Supreme God, there can be but one true religion.That religion must be of divine origin. It must come from God toman. Religions invented by men would necessarily vary. Man cannot byhis own searching find out God, or the ways of God, but Deity canenlighten man and reveal himself and his will to mortals. Theinfinite can condescend to the finite, while the finite of itselfcannot grasp or comprehend the infinite. It is of utmost importancethat mankind should learn what God requires, in order that men andwomen may be fitted for his presence and be in harmony with him intime and in eternity. The true religion, therefore, that which Godreveals, that which he has revealed, and that which he may yetreveal, should be considered of greater value than anything else.Nothing that is perishable can be compared with it. That whichendures forever is immeasurably above that which only lasts for atime. He that gains this "pearl of great price" is rich above allcomputation.
One of the great errors into which people have fallen in referenceto religion is that God must accept any mode of worship, any sort ofordinances, and any kind of church that men may establish, so longas they are sincere in their intentions and devout in their desires.God must be worshipped not only in spirit but in truth. His word istruth. His Spirit is the spirit of truth. God's religion, then, willbe the truth, and nothing but the truth, and he will accept ofnothing short of this. The inventions of men, whatever may be theirmotives, are not of God and therefore are vain. The precepts andopinions and vagaries of man-appointed preachers and teachers, notbeing authorized or inspired of God, cannot be relied upon and arenot acknowledged in heaven. Christendom as well as heathendom is ina ferment with human conceptions and conflicting theories inrelation to God, his will, his purposes, and his requirements. Theresult is spiritual Babylon, which is confusion. God is not with it,for he is the author of peace, and order and harmony.
"Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way,