Editorial Thoughts Saturday, June 24, 1871

The Methodists have held their Revival meetings , and have broken up and started east with their big tent. They commenced their meetings on Sunday, the 11th, and closed them on Sunday evening, the 18th. The preachers have been very busy all the time, and have done all in their power to make the people acquainted with Methodism. A great many young people have gone and listened to them; but, so far as we know, every one is more satisfied, if possible, with his religion than he was before he heard these men preach. In this respect, their visit will do good; there are hundreds and thousands of our young people who believe the gospel of Jesus as it is taught by his servants, because their fathers and mothers and the Bishops and the Elders and the Twelve and the First Presidency have taught it to them. They are satisfied that it is true; but have not bestowed that thought upon the subject that would be neccessary if they were in the midst of opposition. When a man comes and assails your doctrine and your belief and practices, it makes you think, and you are forced to examine his pretensions and claims. Our people who live in the city have done so in the case of these Methodists, and are satisfied that they "have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof." They can see now the narrowness of their creed, and the total absence of those living principles which fill the souls of the Saints with joy and satisfaction. We have heard many say, who were Methodists before they joined the Church, that in listening to these men it seemed to them that they were more in the dark than Methodist preachers were in former days, and that the Methodist church had gone back, and its members are more ignorant in regard to the scriptures than ever. This is sure to be the case with a people who harden their hearts against the truth.

The tent has been crowded every night, and excellent attention has been paid. If the preachers wanted evidence that the Latter-day Saints were the people of God, they certainly have it now, for no other people but the Latter-day Saints, would treat another religious denomination with the fairness with which they have been treated since they came to this city. Our elders when they go abroad, scarcely ever receive any courtesy or kindness from the sects. Methodist preachers, and other preachers, have been the foremost of their persecutors, and have begged the people to keep away from their meetings, and have done all in their power to prevent the people from hearing the truth. But how different the treatment they received from the Saints! President Young advised all to go and hear them, and to treat them with respect and kindness. Some of them have been very abusive and have even told lies; still, they acknowledge that they have been treated with great kindness. We do not know the number of the converts they have made; but we have not heard of a single Latter-day Saint being in the least affected by them. When they came here, it was said they expected to obtain five hundred converts at least. We understand one of their number said that they expected to convert about one-third of the people; but, before they had been here many days, they saw that they could get no power over the people. Then they said that they were not anxious to make Methodists, or to build up a church here, but they desired to have the people unite upon the work of sanctification and to value God's word. This of course was said to hide their disappointment at not being able to seduce the Saints from the truth.

The devil has tried mobs and violence, cruelty and murder, in the past to destroy the work of God; now, he cannot use these agencies, and he seems desirous of adopting some other plan. The sects are bringing their creeds here, hoping that they will prevail over the people by this means. The devil wants to destroy the Holy Priesthood and its influence, and if he had the power, he would drive it from the midst of man. He will use every means to do this, until the Kingdom and dominion shall be taken from him and given to the Saints. So, children, we may as well prepare ourselves to carry on the warfare; it will not cease until Zion is completely redeemed and Jesus shall come to reign upon the earth.