A Young Folks History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | Page 2

The Presidency of Lorenzo Snow

CHAPTER XXXIX.
The Presidency of Joseph F. Smith
APPENDIX.
First Presidencies of the Church List of Twelve Apostles
MAPS. Fayette and Kirtland Missouri and Illinois Routes of Mormon
Battalion and Pioneers
ILLUSTRATIONS. Joseph Smith, the Prophet Hyrum Smith the
Patriarch Brigham Young The Hill Cumorah The Three Witnesses
Sidney Rigdon President Brigham Young The Kirtland Temple
President Heber C. Kimball Haun's Mill The Nauvoo House The
Nauvoo Mansion Carthage Jail A Pioneer Train Salt Lake Valley in
1847 The Old Fort Salt Lake Tabernacle (Interior) Salt Lake
Tabernacle (Exterior) President John Taylor President Wilford
Woodruff The Pioneer Monument Salt Lake Temple and Grounds
President Lorenzo Snow The First Presidency, 1916 Joseph Smith
Monument and Memorial Cottage Church Office Building

A YOUNG FOLKS' HISTORY
OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.
CHAPTER I.
A PARABLE.
Once upon a time the owner of a very large garden planted therein a
tree, the fruit of which was very precious and of great value to all who
ate of it. For a time, the tree grew and bore much good fruit. But the
owner of the garden had an enemy who went about secretly sowing
seeds of weeds and all manner of briers and brush, that they might
spread all over the garden and kill out the good tree which the master

had planted. The enemy also persuaded many of the workmen in the
garden to neglect the good tree, and let the briers and weeds grow up
around it and so prevent its growth. Thus in time the once precious fruit
of the good tree became wild and scrubby, no better than the enemy's
trees which grew around it.
Years passed, and the master, grieving that the precious fruit should
have become so worthless, determined to plant the good tree once more
in the garden. He did not try to clear away a spot for it amid the old,
overgrown parts of the land, but he called upon certain workers to go to
a distant part of the garden where nothing had been planted for a long
time, and there prepare the ground for the planting of the tree.
These workers were faithful to their master and did as they were told.
Very few of the enemy's noxious weeds were growing in the new soil,
so it was not such hard work to clear the ground and prepare a place for
the master to plant his tree.
To be better protected against the enemy, the master told his workmen
to build a high, strong wall about that part of the garden. This was all
done; and then one beautiful spring day the owner came with his
servants. They had with them the precious tree taken from some other
garden where it had grown without hindrance from weeds. The tree was
planted and put in charge of other servants to tend it. The warm sun
shone on it, the rains came from heaven to water it, and the tree took
firm root and grew.
Now all the boys and girls who read this book will understand that the
little story I have just told is what is called a Parable, meant to make
plainer some facts and truths. I can not tell you all about that tree here,
how it grew and bore fruit, and how many people came and ate of its
delicious fruit, notwithstanding the enemy came again and tried to
check its growth. I say, I cannot tell it to you in the form of a parable,
but will tell it as it actually happened. You may, if you like, imagine in
your own minds the rest of the parable, but the real story you will find
more interesting than any made-up tale can be.
First, let me explain to you the meaning of the parable.

The garden means the earth, and the owner is the Lord, who came to
the earth about nineteen hundred years ago to die for the sins of the
world. He also planted the good tree, that is, He brought the gospel and
taught it to his followers. The enemy is the evil one, the devil, who
stirred up men to work against the gospel and to kill those who obeyed
it. He also mixed his lies with Christ's truths, until in time the pure
gospel was not to be found on the earth.
This was the condition of the world for hundreds of years. Then the
Lord wished to restore the true gospel and again establish his Church
on the earth. He therefore chose a place where all would have the right
to believe the truth and be protected in that liberty. The Lord, therefore,
moved upon Columbus to discover this land of America.
The servants spoken of, whom the