,bytheway1 ,hilton ,campbell1 ,ben ,crowder1 ,meridith ,crowder1 ,cameron ,dixon1 ,tod ,robbins1 ,david ,van ,leeuwen4 ,frontispiece4 ,fly--fly--these thoughts on the lightning car1 ,with the speed of light to the realms afar6 ,mount--mount the car with the horse of fire2 ,outstrip the wind1 he will never tire1 ,let the wild bird scream as he lags behind1 ,and the hurricane a champion find4 ,search the darkest spot where mortals dwell3 ,with a voice of thunder the tidings tell1 ,proclaim the dawn of a brighter day1 ,when the ,king of kings shall his sceptre sway4 ,bid pain1 and anguish1 and sorrow cease1 ,and open the way for the ,prince of ,peace4 ,he will conquer death1 bid mourning flee1 ,and give to the nations a ,jubilee4 ,,key ,,to ,,the ,,science ,,of ,,theology3 ,,designed ,,as ,an ,introduction ,,to ,,the ,,first ,,principles ,,of ,,spiritual ,,philosophy2 ,,religion2 ,,law ,,and ,,government2 ,,as ,,delivered ,,by ,,the ,,ancients1 ,,and ,,as ,,restored ,,in ,,this ,,age1 ,,for ,,the ,,final ,,development ,,of ,,universal ,,peace1 ,,truth ,,and ,,knowledge4 ,,by ,,parley ,p4 ,,pratt4 ,o ,truth divine6 what treasures unrevealed1 ,in thine exhaustless fountains are concealed6 ,words multiplied2 how powerless to tell1 ,the infinitude with which our bosoms swell4 ,liverpool3 ,f4 ,d4 ,,richards1 #ae1 ,,wilton ,,street4 ,london3 ,l4,d ,,saints' ,,book ,,depot1 #ce1 ,,jewin ,,st41 ,,city1 ,,and ,,all ,,booksellers4 #ahee4 ,,entered ,,at ,,stationers' ,,hall4 ,j4 ,sadler1 ,printer1 #a1 ,moorfields1 ,liverpool4 ,,contents4 ,preface ,,chapter ,i4 ,theology--its definition--historical illustrations ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,decline and loss of this science among the ,jews ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,progress1 decline and final loss of the science of ,theology among the ,gentiles--foreshadowings of its restoration for the ushering in of the ,millennium ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,rise1 progress1 decline and loss of the science of ,theology on the ,western ,hemisphere1 as brought to light by the late discovery of ,ancient ,american ,records ,,chapter ,v4 ,keys of the mysteries of the ,godhead ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,origin of the ,universe ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,destiny of the ,universe ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,key of ,knowledge1 ,power and ,government ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,revival1 or restoration of the science of ,theology1 in the present age ,,chapter ,x4 ,keys of initiation in practical ,theology ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,philosophy of ,miracles ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,angels and ,spirits ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,dreams ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,the world of ,spirits ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,resurrection1 its times and degrees--first1 second and third heavens2 or1 the ,telestial1 ,terrestrial and ,celestial kingdoms ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,further remarks on man's physical and intellectual progress--,philosophy of will1 as originating1 directing and controlling all voluntary animal motion--astounding facts1 in relation to the speed1 or velocity of motion1 as attainable by physical man--intercommunication of the inhabitants of different and distant planets ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,laws of marriage and procreation ,,preface4 ,the present is an age of progress1 of change1 of rapid advance1 and of wonderful revolutions4 ,the very foundations of society--social1 political1 commercial1 moral and religious1 seem to be shaken as with a mighty earthquake1 from centre to circumference4 ,all things tremble2 creation groans2 the world is in travail1 and pains to be delivered4 ,a new era has dawned upon our planet1 and is advancing with accelerated force--with giant strides4 ,the rail-roads and the steam-boats1 with their progressive improvements in speed1 safety and convenience1 are extending and multiplying the means of travel1 of trade1 of association1 and intercommunication between countries whose inhabitants have been comparatively unknown to1 or estranged from1 each other4 ,but1 as if even these means were too slow for the ,god-like aspirations1 the mighty throes of human thought1 and its struggles for light and expansion1 man seizes the lightning1 tames and subdues it1 and makes it the bearer of his thoughts and despatches4 ,while these things are in progress by one portion of mankind1 another learns to seize and control a sunbeam1 in a manner subservient to the progress of the fine arts3 and by which means a man performs in a minute1 the work which a short time since would have employed the most active years of a lifetime4 ,while every science1 every art is being developed2 while the mind is awakened to new thought2 while the windows of heaven are opened1 as it were1 and the profound depths of human intellect are stirred--moved from the foundation on all other subjects1 religious knowledge seems at a stand still4 ,the creeds of the ,fathers seem to have been cast in the mould of other ages1 to be adapted to a more narrow sphere of intellectual development1 and to be composed of material too much resembling cast iron2 or1 at least1 not sufficiently elastic to expand with the expansion of mind1 to grow with the growth1 and advance with the progressive principles of the age4 ,for these reasons1 perhaps more than any other1 the master spirits of the age are breaking loose from the old moorings1 and withdrawing from established and venerated systems1 by which means society is distracted1 divided1 broken up1 thrown1 as it were1 into a chaos of confused1 disorganized individualization1 without a standard or rallying point1 without a nucleus by which to concentrate or re-organise this chaotic mass1 these atoms of thought4 ,one thing is certain--according to ancient prophecy1 and agreeable to the general expectation of this and other ages1 the day approaches which will flood the earth with the pure principles of religious knowledge2 a day when none will have to teach his neighbour1 saying1 ,know ye the ,lord2 for all persons shall know ,him1 from the least to the greatest4 ,it should be a matter of serious thought and investigation--without respect to party1 sect1 or creed1 whether there should not1 in the very nature of present circumstances1 and future ,millennial hopes1 be an entire remodelling1 or re-organization of religious society1 upon the broad basis of revealed knowledge1 tangible fact1 and philosophical1 scientific and spiritual ,truth--a universal standard1 of immutable ,truth1 instead of numberless systems founded on uncertainty1 opinion1 mere human impression1 or conjecture4 ,can anything short of such a standard unite society1 enlighten the world1 establish real peace1 brotherhood and fellowship1 and put a final end to all religious ignorance1 superstition1 jargon1 or discord8 ,is not a difference of opinion1 or a disagreement on any given subject1 a proof positive of existing ignorance1 or want of light or information1 on the part of the parties disagreeing8 ,if so1 the present age is certainly in the dark1 or1 in a great measure1 ignorant on religious subjects4 ,a knowledge of the ,truth can alone bring the desired union1 and bid discord cease4 ,if the ,scriptures be true1 it is not religious opinion which will cover the earth1 and universally pervade every bosom1 but it is1 a ,,knowledge1 ,the knowledge of ,god4 ,god is ,truth4 ,to know ,him1 is to know the ,truth4 ,the present ,volume aims to embody1 in a concise and somewhat original manner and style1 a general view of the ,science of ,theology1 as gathered from revelation1 history1 prophecy1 reason and analogy4 ,if the ,work proves an introductory key to some of the first principles of the divine science of which it treats2 if it serves to open the eyes of any of his fellowmen1 on the facts of the past1 the present1 and the future2 if it leads to investigation and inquiry1 and calls public attention to the greater and more particular truths which have been1 or are about to be1 revealed as a standard by which to unite the people of all nations and of all religions upon the rock1 the sure foundation of divine1 eternal1 uncreated1 infinite and exhaustless ,truth1 it will have accomplished the end aimed at by ,,the ,,author4 ,key to ,theology4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,theology--,,its ,,definition--,,historical ,,illustrations4 ,eternal ,science6 who would fathom thee ,must launch his bark upon a shoreless sea4 ,thy knowledge yet shall overwhelm the earth1 ,thy truth to immortality to give birth2 ,thy dawn shall kindle to eternal day1 ,and man1 immortal1 still shall own thy sway4 ,first4 ,,theology is the science of communication1 or of correspondence1 between ,god1 angels1 spirits1 and men1 by means of visions1 dreams1 interpretations1 conversations1 inspirations1 or the spirit of prophecy and revelation4 ,second4 ,it is the science by which worlds are organized1 sustained1 and directed1 and the elements controlled4 ,third4 ,it is the science of knowledge1 and the key and power thereof1 by which the heavens are opened1 and lawful access is obtained to the treasures of wisdom and intelligence--inexhaustible1 infinite1 embracing the past1 the present1 and the future4 ,fourth4 ,it is the science of life--endless and eternal1 by which the living are changed or translated1 and the dead raised4 ,fifth4 ,it is the science of faith1 reformation1 and remission of sins1 whereby a fallen race of mortals may be justified1 cleansed1 and restored to the communion and fellowship of that ,holy ,spirit which is the light of the world1 and of every intelligence therein4 ,sixth4 ,it is the science of spiritual gifts1 by which the blind see1 the deaf hear1 the lame walk1 the sick are healed1 and demons are expelled from the human system4 ,seventh4 ,it is the science of all other sciences and useful arts1 being in fact the very fountain from which they emanate4 ,it includes philosophy1 astronomy1 history1 mathematics1 geography1 languages1 the science of letters2 and blends the knowledge of all matters of fact1 in every branch of art1 or of research4 ,it includes1 also1 all the scientific discoveries and inventions--agriculture1 the mechanical arts1 architecture1 shipbuilding1 the properties and applications of the mariner's compass1 navigation1 and music4 ,all that is useful1 great1 and good2 all that is calculated to sustain1 comfort1 instruct1 edify1 purify1 refine1 or exalt intelligences2 originated by this science1 and this science alone1 all other sciences being but branches growing out of this--root4 ,some of the facts stated in the foregoing1 are beautifully illustrated in ,theological history1 of which the following is an imperfect summary-- ,god spake1 and the worlds were framed by ,his word4 ,he spake1 darkness dispersed1 and light prevailed4 ,he commanded1 and the elements--water and earth1 separated1 and assumed their proper bounds4 ,he commanded1 and the earth brought forth vegetable and animal life in countless variety4 ,he commanded1 and man1 male and female1 took upon them a tabernacle of flesh1 and prepared to multiply and perpetuate their species in the new creation4 ,the ,lord ,god planted a garden1 and thus introduced agriculture4 ,he made coats of skins1 hence the tailor's art4 ,the ,lord ,god commanded and gave pattern for ,noah's ,ark1 thus introducing the art of shipbuilding4 ,he revealed the patterns for the ,tabernacle in the wilderness1 with all its arrangements and furniture2 and afterwards developed the entire plan and all the designs of that most stupendous of all works of art--the great ,temple of ,solomon1 with all its furniture2 thus developing and improving the art of architecture4 ,the ,lord ,god wrote with ,his own finger on the tables of stone1 on ,mount ,sinai2 thus showing that the science of letters was cultivated and used by the highest ,intelligence of the eternal heavens4 ,the ,lord ,god has revealed by ,ezekiel the ,prophet1 a plan for the survey and division of ,palestine to the ,twelve ,tribes of ,israel1 on their return to the land of their fathers2 also for laying out the new city of ,jerusalem1 with its squares1 blocks1 public grounds1 and suburbs1 and its temple4 ,thus ,theology includes the surveyor's art1 and the planning of cities1 as well as temples1 and shows that these arts are cultivated in heaven1 and that the very highest ,intelligence of the ,heaven of heavens1 stoops1 or condescends1 to grace these arts by ,his own particular attention and example4 ,in the ,revelation of ,john the ,apostle1 on the ,isle of ,patmos1 we have a specimen1 a masterpiece1 a climax of all that is great and grand in design1 and splendid and glorious in execution1 in cities1 thrones1 palaces1 streets1 pavements1 outgrounds1 gates1 walks1 squares1 fountains1 rivulets1 gardens1 fruits1 groves1 specimens of dress1 poetry1 song1 music1 marriage1 bridal dress1 feasting1 books1 literature1 public worship1 prophesying1 prayer1 and praise1 as existing in and around the palaces of the ,new ,jerusalem1 the capital of heaven1 the seat of government of the ,eternal ,king4 ,the very gates of the city are numbered and named1 together with the particular names of the precious stones forming the foundations thereof2 the gold which composed the pavement of the streets--all are portrayed in the description4 ,and what is still more marvellous1 all this surpassing grandeur of design1 and stupendous wisdom and display in execution1 were explored1 comprehended1 and described by a poor1 illiterate fisherman1 by the aid of the science and arts of ,theology4 ,having reviewed some of the works of the great ,head--the ,president or ,first ,teacher in the school of ,theology1 we will still continue the historic illustrations of this wonderful science1 as developed and exemplified by the most eminent students and professors of the same4 ,by this science ,adam obtained from his ,father1 the promise of the eternal dominion over the planet on which he was placed4 ,by this science ,enoch overcame death1 and ascended to a higher sphere of immortality and eternal life1 without even being separated from his fleshly tabernacle4 ,by this science ,noah foretold the flood1 prepared to meet the event1 and1 with his family1 survived the same1 and became the greatest landed proprietor since ,adam4 ,by the perversion and unlawful use of this science king ,nimrod built the stupendous ,tower of ,babel1 but was frustrated1 and his works were destroyed before their completion4 ,by this science various tongues and languages were instituted1 and colonies--the germs of nations1 planted beyond the seas and in all the earth4 ,by this science ,abraham escaped the idolatry and priestcraft of the ,egyptians1 and of the world around him2 obtained a good land secured to him and his seed by an immutable oath1 covenant1 and an everlasting1 unchangeable title4 ,by this science he conversed with angels1 and was favoured with a personal interview with the ,great ,head and ,founder of the science1 who became his guest1 and1 after eating and drinking with him1 blessed him and his wife1 promised them an heir in their old age1 and finally1 on parting1 told him ,his design on ,sodom and its neighbourhood4 ,by this science ,lot escaped the flames of ,sodom1 the knowledge being communicated by two angels4 ,by this science ,isaac and ,jacob also obtained promises1 and conversed with angels4 ,by it ,joseph was exalted from a dungeon to a palace1 for the salvation1 from famine1 of a nation and of his father's house4 ,by this science ,moses performed his wonders in ,egypt1 in the ,red ,sea1 and in the wilderness4 ,by the perversion and unlawful use of this science the magicians of ,egypt withstood ,moses for a time1 and performed their enchantments4 ,by this science ,joshua controlled the motions of the earth1 and lengthened out the day by a simple command4 ,by this science the walls of ,jericho were levelled with the earth1 and the city was taken4 ,by this science the ,jordan river was divided1 while a nation crossed dry shod1 to take possession of the promised land4 ,by this science ,elijah controlled the heavens1 that it rained not for three years and six months in ,palestine4 ,and by it he called forth and restored rain4 ,by it he overthrew the priests of ,baal1 and the kingdom of ,ahab2 put an end to the royal family of this idolatrous king2 and placed ,jehu on the throne4 ,by it he rose1 like ,enoch1 to a higher sphere1 without returning to dust4 ,by this science ,samuel prophesied1 raised up a mighty king and nation1 and afterwards dethroned ,saul1 and exalted an obscure shepherd boy to the throne of ,israel4 ,by this science ,isaiah1 ,jeremiah1 ,ezekiel1 ,daniel1 and others1 foretold the fate of ,babylon1 ,egypt1 ,tyre1 ,jerusalem1 and other cities and nations2 and the exact career and final doom of ,nebuchadnezzar1 ,belteshazzar1 ,cyrus1 and other great and important personages1 who were destined in turn to influence and decide the fate of nations4 ,by this science the furnace of fire was overcome1 and the months of lions were closed1 that no harm should befall the holy men of ,god4 ,by this science ,zachariah1 ,elizabeth1 ,john the ,baptist1 ,simeon1 ,anna1 ,joseph1 ,mary1 the wise men from the east1 and the shepherds of ,judea1 enjoyed visions1 communion with angels1 and the spirit of prophecy1 so as to understand and welcome with joy the events of the birth and approaching ministry of ,jesus ,christ1 when1 as yet1 all those not versed in this science1 were in darkness on the subject1 and as liable to reject the ,saviour as to receive him4 ,dreams and visions1 enjoyed by means of this science1 led and protected the ,son of ,god in all his career of mortal life4 ,finally--,by this same power a mighty angel descended1 shook the earth1 frightened the ,roman guards1 rolled away the great stone1 broke the seal of the tomb1 and called to life the sleeping body of ,jesus ,christ4 ,by this power the risen ,jesus1 eating1 drinking1 and conversing with his disciples1 after his resurrection1 commissioned and instructed them in the same science1 ordained them to act in the same1 and to impart its power to others1 in all the world1 with signs following them that believed4 ,by this science he ascended to the ,father1 and lives for ever in the flesh1 to shed forth the gifts and powers of the same science1 according to his own will1 and the will of his ,father1 to reign henceforth until he descends to the earth1 conquers death in a last great conflict1 and puts all enemies under his feet4 ,by this same power his ,apostles1 being clothed with the full powers of the same on the day of ,pentecost1 ministered the powers and knowledge of this science to others1 both ,jew and ,gentile1 insomuch that the sick were healed1 the blind saw1 the dumb spake1 the deaf heard1 the lame walked1 devils were cast out1 and the dead were raised1 while everywhere1 dreams1 visions1 the ministering of angels1 and the gift of prophecy were enjoyed4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,decline ,,and ,,loss ,,of ,,this ,,science ,,among ,,the ,,jews4 ,o horrid6 awful6 melancholy sight6 ,a nation1 wont to soar 'mid realms of light1 ,degraded1 fallen1 sunk in dark despair1 ,the hiss1 the scorn1 the bye-word everywhere2 ,no eye to pity1 and no arm to save1 ,till wearied nature finds an exile's grave4 ,it now becomes our painful task to trace the decline of the science of ,theology and its powers among the nations1 and to review the awful consequences of such decline4 ,we will commence with the ,jewish nation4 ,the science of ,theology1 as we have just reviewed1 was enjoyed1 and its powers were wonderfully developed1 under the several dispensations called ,patriarchal1 ,mosaic1 and ,jewish4 ,there had1 however1 been a great decline1 a retrogression of the powers and knowledge of the same1 previous to their restoration by ,john the ,baptist and ,jesus ,christ4 ,this was owing to the general prevalence of sectarian principles1 divisions1 precepts1 commandments1 and doctrines of men1 by which the ,law and the ,prophets were made void1 and a veil was thrown over them1 or over the hearts of men1 by which means they were misunderstood1 or rather1 not understood at all4 ,it therefore became the duty of ,jesus ,christ and his ,apostles and ,elders1 as well as of his forerunner1 to reprove those sects1 denounce their doctrines and traditions1 and restore that which was lost in this great science4 ,this restoration was at first confined strictly to the nation of the ,jews4 ,but seeing they turned from it1 and judged themselves unworthy of eternal life1 preferring their own powerless forms and doctrines1 to the science of revelation1 miracles1 visions1 and prophecy1 which had ever illuminated the pathway of their more ancient fathers1 the ,apostles turned from them1 by the commandment of the ,lord1 and translated this science1 with its keys and legitimate powers1 to the ,gentiles4 ,the nation had rejected and slain the ,messiah1 stoned the ,prophets1 and imprisoned and even murdered many of the ,apostles and ,elders2 and ,jesus had already1 in tears of anguish1 announced their doom-- ,o ,jerusalem1 ,jerusalem1 thou that killest the ,prophets1 and stonest them which are sent unto thee1 how often would ,i have gathered thy children together1 even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings1 and ye would not6 ,behold1 your house is left unto you desolate4 ,for ,i say unto you1 ye shall not see me henceforth till ye shall say1 ,blessed is ,he that cometh in the name of the ,lord4 ,again1 on another occasion1 the ,messiah uttered his voice1 saying--,there shall be great distress in the land1 and wrath upon this people4 ,and they shall fall by the edge of the sword1 and shall be led away captive into all nations3 and ,jerusalem shall be trodden down of the ,gentiles1 until the times of the ,gentiles be fulfilled4 ,again he spake1 concerning the ,temple1 saying--,there shall net be left here one stone upon another1 that shall not be thrown down4 ,all these things1 foretold by the science of ,theology1 were fulfilled in that generation4 ,and ,jerusalem has been destroyed1 trodden down by the ,gentiles1 and the ,jews have remained in captivity among the nations until now4 ,our readers will readily discern the entire loss of the science and powers of ,theology among this nation2 the time1 circumstances1 and reasons of its decline2 and the time or circumstances which will restore it unto them4 ,they lost it when1 by the hand of the ,apostles1 it was taken from them and given to the ,gentiles4 ,the result was1 the destruction of their city and temple1 and of their national existence4 ,their temple1 priesthood1 and offerings were no longer attended by divine power4 ,its outward forms were1 therefore1 of no possible use4 ,from that very time to the present--,one thousand eight hundred and fifty-one of the ,christian era1 the voice of a ,prophet has not been heard among the ,jews4 ,angels have not ministered unto them4 ,there has been no vision from the ,lord4 ,no dream or interpretation4 ,no answer by ,urim or ,thummim4 ,no ,prophet4 ,no voice4 ,no sound4 ,no reproof4 ,no comforting whisper4 ,all is silence--stillness--solemn blackness of despair4 ,all is as the similitude and shadow of death4 ,oh the weariness1 the painful suspense1 the watchings1 the wanderings1 the anxieties1 the pains and sorrows of eighteen centuries6 ,oh the mist of ages which has shrouded a nation as it were in the gloom of an endless night6 ,when--,o when1 will their day dawn1 and the day star of their ancient science appear above the horizon1 disperse the cloud1 and usher in the morning of a brighter day8 ,when the times of the ,gentiles are fulfilled4 ,when they shall welcome a messenger in the name of the ,lord4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,progress1 ,,decline1 ,,and ,,final ,,loss ,,of ,,the ,,science ,,of ,,theology ,,among ,,the ,,gentiles--,,foreshadowings ,,of ,,its ,,restoration ,,for ,,the ,,ushering ,,in ,,of ,,the ,,millennium4 ,oh ,mystic ,babel1 long has been thy reign6 ,what direful evils follow in thy train6 ,the veil is rent--thy mystery revealed1 ,angels cry wo6 and ,god thy doom has sealed4 ,the nations1 from thy long and dreary night1 ,are waking now to everlasting light4 ,returning to the ,gentile ,church1 we find the science of ,theology1 with all its miraculous powers of visions1 dreams1 angels1 revelations1 prophecy1 healings1 c41 everywhere enjoyed4 ,it had abated none of its powers1 in its transition from ,jew to ,gentile4 ,the wild branches1 being engrafted into the good old stock1 immediately partook of the root and fatness of the tame olive tree1 and thus was produced the natural fruit4 ,but ,paul1 the great ,apostle of the ,gentiles1 in his writings to the ,romans1 cautioned them to beware lest they should fall away after the same example as the ,jews had done before them4 ,said he--,if ,god spared not the natural branches1 take heed lest he also spare not thee4 ,john the ,apostle also predicted the rise and universal sway of a certain mystical power1 a ,babel of spiritual or religious confusion1 in short--,mystery1 ,babylon the great1 the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth4 ,this power should bear rule among all nations4 ,the kings and rulers of the earth should be drunken with the wine of her fornication4 ,the merchants of the earth should become rich through the abundance of her delicacies4 ,this power should1 according to the ,prophet ,daniel and the ,apostle ,john1 wear out the ,saints of the ,most ,high2 change times and laws2 be drunken with the blood of the ,saints1 and with the blood of the martyrs of ,jesus2 destroy the mighty and the holy people2 make war with the ,saints1 and overcome them until a set time4 ,all these predictions1 and many others1 foretell the doom of the ,gentile ,church--its destruction from the earth1 and the consequent decline and cessation of the science of ,theology1 and of its powers and blessings in the ,gentile world4 ,connected with these predictions1 we have the most positive prophetic declarations of ,holy ,writ concerning the overthrow and entire destruction of this same mystical power1 which had made war with the ,saints4 ,its judgments are set forth as far more terrible than those which befell ,jerusalem4 ,plague1 pestilence1 sword1 earthquake1 and the flame of devouring fire will cause her to cease to be4 ,then will usher in the kingdom of our ,god1 and the power of ,his ,christ4 ,then will the ,saints of the ,most ,high take the kingdom1 and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven4 ,thus are to be revived the ancient powers and blessings1 the knowledge and wisdom1 of the science of ,theology4 ,in the fulfilment of the foregoing predictions1 the science of ,theology declined1 and passed away from among the ,gentiles1 just in proportion as the ,church1 or the ,saints of the ,most ,high1 were warred against and overcome4 ,for years1 centuries1 ages1 there has been no voice from heaven among the ,gentiles1 any more than among the ,jews4 ,they have fallen after the same example of unbelief1 notwithstanding the caution of their great ,apostle4 ,no ,gentile ,prophet has arisen and uttered his voice4 ,no kind angel has ministered to them4 ,no vision from the ,lord4 ,no answer4 ,no inspired dream4 ,no voice4 ,no sound from the heavens4 ,no revelation has burst upon the silence of midnight darkness which has brooded over the nations4 ,or1 if such voice1 such vision1 such ,prophet has occasionally burst forth with the testimony of ,jesus1 the spirit of prophecy1 his testimony has been unheeded by the mass of the people called ,christians1 his voice silenced in death1 or himself and his followers have been banished from society1 to wander in the mountains1 forests1 caves1 or deserts of the earth2 or1 on the other hand1 compelled to drag out an existence in the solitude of the dungeon4 ,ages1 centuries have passed1 and ,oh6 what suffering6 what torture6 what rivers of tears6 what oceans of blood6 what groanings6 what strong crying and tears on the earth6 what prayers in heaven6 ,how long1 ,o ,lord1 holy and true1 dost thou not judge and avenge our blood1 on them that dwell on the earth8 ,the fire consumed4 ,the sword devoured4 ,hell's artillery bellowed4 ,devils hugely grinned4 ,widows and orphans mourned4 ,heaven wept4 ,saints prayed4 ,justice stood aghast4 ,mercy1 retiring1 dropped a tear of blood4 ,angels1 starting1 half-drew their glittering swords4 ,and the ,gods1 in solemn council1 decreed a just vengeance4 ,protest upon protest6 reforms and re-reforms2 revolutions1 struggles1 exertions of every kind1 of mere human invention1 have been tried1 and tried in vain4 ,the science of ,theology1 with all its keys and powers1 once lost1 could never1 consistent with the ancient ,prophetic testimony1 be restored to either ,jew or ,gentile1 until the full time should arrive--,the times of restitution of all things1 which ,god hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets1 since the world began4 ,the time for a mighty angel to fly in the midst of heaven1 having the everlasting ,gospel to preach to them who dwell on the earth2 to every nation1 kindred1 tongue1 and people4 7,see ,john's revelation47 ,the time of judgment for ,mystery ,babylon4 ,the times of the fulness of the ,gentiles4 ,the times for the grafting in again of the ,jews1 and all the natural branches of ,israel4 ,then1 and not till then1 could the science1 the keys1 the powers of ,theology1 be restored to man4 ,no individual or combined human action could obtain or restore again these keys--this science4 ,a mighty angel held the keys of this science for the last days4 ,a mighty angel was to restore the keys of the ancient ,priesthood1 ,apostleship1 power and blessings4 ,a voice from heaven was to reveal the time1 and send forth the cry--,come out of her my people1 that ye be not partakers of her sins1 and that ye receive not of her plagues4 ,for her sins have reached unto heaven1 and ,god hath remembered her iniquities4 ,all the darkness of the middle ages2 all the priestcraft or kingcraft of every age1 since the slaughter of the ,apostles2 all the oppressions1 persecutions1 or abuses of power2 all the extravagancies and idleness on the one hand1 and all the sufferings and miseries of the toiling millions for want of the comforts of life1 on the other2 all the ignorance1 superstitions1 errors1 divisions and contentions which have transpired in the name of ,christianity down to the present time2 have been the results of the decline1 and loss of the keys and powers1 of the science of ,theology1 or for want of attention to them when existing on the earth4 ,nor will the ,christian world ever attain to any considerable degree of knowledge1 power1 or union in religious progress1 until they discover their loss of this science1 become sensible of the need of its restoration1 and humble themselves as in the dust1 and welcome a messenger who comes in the name of the ,lord1 with a commission from heaven1 and with keys committed by the ,angels of ,god--a new ,apostolic commission1 a restoration of the ,kingdom and ,church1 and power and gifts of ,god2 a new dispensation1 universally proclaimed in all the world1 with power and signs following2 and the whole consummated by the glorious restoration of ,israel and ,judah to their own land and nationality1 and to the true fold of ,god2 together with the second advent of ,messiah and all his ,saints with him1 to overthrow ,mystery ,babylon1 and reign on the earth4 ,such are the events1 such is the remedy for the past and present evils4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,rise1 ,,progress1 ,,decline1 ,,and ,,loss ,,of ,,the ,,science ,,of ,,theology ,,on ,,the ,,western ,,hemisphere1 ,,as ,,brought ,,to ,,light ,,by ,,the ,,late ,,discovery ,,of ,,ancient ,,american ,,records4 ,the spirit world is moved1 the silence broken1 ,the ancient ,seers from out the ground have spoken4 ,the appointed years on time's fleet wings have fled4 ,and voices whisper from the ancient dead4 ,volumes of truth the sacred archives yield4 ,the past1 the glorious future1 stand revealed4 ,we are now1 of necessity1 carried back in our research to the cradle of nations1 the ,tower of ,babel1 in order to trace the history of this wonderful science1 from the first emigration of a colony to the western hemisphere1 till its final decline and overthrow1 for the knowledge of which we are indebted to many ancient records1 written by the fathers1 or ancient students and professors of this science1 on the western hemisphere4 ,among these we will make honourable mention of the ,prophets ,jared1 ,ether1 ,lehi1 ,nephi1 ,mosiah1 ,alma1 ,abinadi1 ,mormon1 and ,moroni1 who wrote and prophesied in the western hemisphere1 during the several ages intervening between the time of the dispersion at ,babel1 and the fifth century of the ,christian era4 ,by the science of ,theology ,jared and his brother led a colony from the great tower to the sea coast1 conversing with the ,lord1 and walking by the light of ,his revelations on the way4 ,by this science they were instructed in the building of eight barges similar to the ark of ,noah4 ,by this science their leader saw ,god1 face to face1 and talked with ,him in plain humility1 as one man talks with another1 thus obtaining a knowledge of ,his future coming and ,kingdom1 and of the great events of all ages and generations4 ,by this science they were preserved on the great waters three hundred and forty-four days1 and were then landed1 with their eight barges1 in the western hemisphere1 together with their women1 children1 cattle1 and seeds of every kind4 ,by this science they became a great nation1 peopling the entire continent1 and enjoying all the blessings of civilization and heavenly light4 ,by the abuse and neglect of it they were at length exterminated1 in the days of their ,prophet ,ether1 who lived about six hundred years before ,christ came in the flesh4 ,by this science the ,prophets ,lehi and ,nephi came out with a colony from ,jerusalem1 in the days of ,jeremiah the ,prophet1 and after wandering for eight years in the wilderness of ,arabia1 came to the sea coast1 built a vessel1 obtained from the ,lord a compass to guide them on the way1 and finally landed in safety on the coast of what is now called ,chili1 in ,south ,america4 ,by this science they also became a great nation1 enjoyed many visions1 had the ministering of angels1 and of many ,prophets1 by which means they knew of the coming1 birth1 ministry1 death1 resurrection1 and ascension of ,jesus ,christ4 ,by this science they also enjoyed a personal visit of the risen ,redeemer1 who descended from heaven in their presence1 taught them his ,gospel1 chose and ordained twelve of their number as ,apostles1 and prophesied many things4 ,by this science these twelve and others established the ,gospel1 ,church1 and ordinances of ,god throughout the entire western hemisphere4 ,by this science their sick were healed1 demons were expelled1 the lame walked1 the blind saw1 the dumb spake1 the deaf heard1 and their dead were raised4 ,by this science three of those ,apostles1 having a change wrought upon them1 tarried in the flesh upon the earth1 ministered the ,gospel and its blessings nearly four hundred years1 and then withdrew from the people because of their iniquity1 took away the keys of ,apostleship and of the ,gospel1 and its powers1 sealed up the records1 and caused the work of healing1 and of gifts and miracles1 to cease from among the people1 because of iniquity1 bloodshed1 and persecution4 ,by this science they yet live in the flesh upon the earth1 holding keys of ,apostleship and power upon the western hemisphere1 being now about one thousand eight hundred years old4 ,by this science 7being held in reserve above the powers of mystery ,babylon17 they will soon go forth1 prophesying1 preaching the ,gospel1 and doing mighty signs and wonders in the midst of all nations1 in order to complete and mature the ,gentile fulness1 and restore the tribes of ,israel4 ,nor is this all--,john1 the beloved disciple among the ,jews1 is yet alive in the flesh1 and is held in reserve1 to prophesy again before many peoples1 and nations1 and tongues1 and kings as it is written4 ,but to return to our history of the western hemisphere4 ,after the science of ,theology had ceased to be cultivated and enjoyed among this branch of ,israel1 terrible wars and bloodshed ensued4 ,governments and civilization were broken up1 cities and countries were overthrown1 all records and vestiges of truth were diligently sought and destroyed1 as far as obtained4 ,and1 finally1 the whole face of the country was soaked1 as it were1 in blood1 and strewed with the dead and dying4 ,the wild beasts of the forest and fowls of heaven devoured their flesh1 and their bones were left to moulder unburied4 ,in other instances bodies were heaped up1 and covered with mounds of earth4 ,all government became extinct1 and the countries overrun by tribes and bands of robbers at war with each other4 ,in this situation the records of ,moroni leave them1 in the fifth century of the ,christian era1 and much in the same situation1 with some exceptions1 the ,europeans found them after the lapse of another thousand years4 ,oh6 who can contemplate the disgusting deformity1 the dark features1 the filthy habits1 the idleness1 the cruelty1 the nakedness1 the poverty1 the misery1 the sufferings1 the ignorance of the descendants of this once favoured branch of the royal blood of ,abraham and ,joseph1 and not weep for very anguish1 while his bosom yearns1 and the fountains--the depths of his inmost soul1 are stirred and moved within him6 ,reader1 all these things have come upon them1 on account of the abuses1 the consequent decline1 and final loss of the keys and powers1 of the science of ,theology4 ,but comfort your heart1 their redemption is at the door4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,keys ,,of ,,the ,,mysteries ,,of ,,the ,,godhead4 ,eternal ,father1 ,being without end6 ,thy glorious fulness who can comprehend6 ,thine own infinitude alone is fraught ,with attributes to swell a human thought1 ,to grasp thy knowledge1 or thy nature scan4 ,as ,father of the endless race of man4 ,this is life eternal3 to know the only true and living ,god1 and ,jesus ,christ whom he hath sent4 ,since the decline of the science of ,theology1 a mystery1 dark and deep1 has shrouded the human mind1 in regard to the person and nature of the ,eternal ,father1 and of ,jesus ,christ1 ,his son4 ,councils of the fathers1 and wise men of ,christendom1 have assembled again and again1 in order to solve the mystery of ,godliness1 and fix some standard or creed upon which all parties might rest and be agreed4 ,this1 however1 was not in their power4 ,it is impossible for the world by its wisdom to find out ,god4 ,neither knoweth any man the ,father save the son1 and he to whomsoever the son will reveal him4 ,the key to the science of ,theology1 is the key of divine revelation4 ,without this key1 no man1 no assemblage of men1 ever did1 or ever will know the ,eternal ,father1 or ,jesus ,christ4 ,when the key of revelation was lost to man1 the knowledge of ,god was lost4 ,and as life eternal depended on the knowledge of ,god1 of course the key of eternal life was also lost4 ,oh the mysteries1 the absurdities1 the contentions1 the quarrels1 the bloodshed1 the infidelity1 the senseless and conflicting theories1 which have grown and multiplied among sectaries on this subject6 ,among these theories1 we will notice one1 which is1 perhaps1 more extensively received by different sects than any other4 ,the language runs thus--,there is one only living and true ,god1 without body1 parts1 or passions2 consisting of three persons--the ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,ghost4 ,it is painful to the human mind to be compelled to admit1 that such wonderful inconsistencies of language or ideas1 have ever found place in any human creed4 ,yet1 so it is4 ,it is but another way of saying1 that there is a ,god who does not exist1 a ,god who is composed of nonentity1 who is the negative of all existence1 who occupies no space1 who exists in no time1 who is composed of no substance1 known or unknown1 and who has no powers or properties in common with any thing or being known to exist1 or which can possibly be conceived of1 as existing either in the heavens or on the earth4 ,such a ,god could never be seen1 heard1 or felt1 by any being in the universe4 ,there never has been a visible idol worshipped among men1 which was so powerless as this ,god without body1 parts1 or passions4 ,the god of ,egypt1 the crocodile1 could destroy4 ,the images of different nations could be felt and seen4 ,the ,peruvian god1 the ,sun1 could diffuse its genial warmth1 light1 and influence4 ,but not so with the ,god without body1 parts1 or passions4 ,that which has no parts1 has no whole4 ,beings which have no passions1 have no soul4 ,before we can introduce the keys and powers of practical ,theology to the understanding of men in this age1 we must1 of necessity1 place within their comprehension some correct ideas of the true ,god4 ,it is written that1 without faith it is impossible to please ,him4 ,those who do not please ,him1 can never partake of the powers and gifts of the science of ,theology1 because the keys and powers of this science emanate from ,him as a free gift1 but they are never given to those with whom ,he is not well pleased4 ,the individual who would partake of this power1 must therefore have faith in ,him4 ,but how can he believe in a being of whom he has no correct idea8 ,so vague1 so foreign from the simple1 plain truth1 are the ideas of the present age1 so beclouded is the modern mind with mysticism1 spiritual nonentity1 or immateriality in nearly all of its ideas of the person or persons of the ,deity1 that we are constrained to use the language of an ancient ,apostle1 as addressed to the learned of ,athens--,whom therefore ye ignorantly worship4 ,him declare ,i unto you4 ,although there are facts in our own existence1 which are beyond our present comprehension or capacity1 which is true1 in a higher sense1 in relation to the ,godhead1 still the limited knowledge we are able to comprehend in relation to ourselves1 may at least be rational1 and be as clearly conveyed and understood as any other subject4 ,so with our knowledge of ,deity4 ,although there are facts beyond our reach in relation to ,his existence1 attributes1 and power1 yet that which we may know and comprehend or express of ,him1 should be divested of all mystery1 and should be as clearly conceived1 expressed1 and conveyed as any other item of truth or of science4 ,jesus ,christ1 a little babe like all the rest of us have been1 grew to be a man1 was filled with a divine substance or fluid1 called the ,holy ,spirit1 by which he comprehended and spake the truth in power and authority2 and by which he controlled the elements1 and imparted health and life to those who were prepared to partake of the same4 ,this man died1 being put to death by wicked men4 ,he arose from the dead the third day1 and appeared to his disciples4 ,these disciples1 on seeing him1 supposed him to be a spirit only4 ,they may have possessed some of the vague ideas of men in more modern times1 in regard to an immaterial existence beyond the grave3 an existence unconnected with any real or tangible matter1 or substance4 ,but their risen ,lord adopted the most simple means of dispersing their mysticism1 their spiritual vagaries or immateriality4 ,he called upon them to handle him and see1 ,for said he1 a spirit hath not flesh and bones1 as ye see me have4 ,they accordingly handled him1 examined the prints of the nails in his hands and feet1 and the mark of the spear in his side4 ,but1 as if this was not enough in order to familiarize them still more with the facts of a material or tangible immortality1 he ate and drank with them--partaking of a broiled fish and an honey-comb4 ,in short1 he was with them for forty days1 in which he walked1 talked1 ate1 drank1 taught1 prophesied1 commanded1 commissioned1 reasoned with and blessed them1 thus familiarizing to them that immortality and eternal life which he wished them to teach in all the world4 ,he then ascended up in their presence1 toward that planet where dwelt his ,father and their ,father1 his ,god and their ,god4 ,while he was yet in sight in the open firmament1 and they stood gazing upward1 behold6 two men stood by them in white raiment1 and said-- ,ye men of ,galilee why stand ye gazing up into heaven8 ,this same ,jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven4 ,here1 then1 we have a sample of an immortal ,god--a ,god who is often declared in the ,scriptures to be like his father1 being the brightness of his glory1 and the express image of his person1 and possessing the same attributes as his ,father1 in all their fulness2 a ,god not only possessing body and parts1 but flesh and bones1 and sinews1 and all the attributes1 organs1 senses1 and affections of a perfect man4 ,he differs in nothing from his ,father1 except in age and authority1 the ,father having the seniority1 and1 consequently1 the right1 according to the ,patriarchal laws of eternal ,priesthood1 to preside over him1 and over all his dominions1 for ever and ever4 ,while on the one hand1 this ,god claims affinity and equality1 as it were1 with his ,father1 he claims1 on the other hand1 affinity and equality with his brethren1 on the earth1 with this difference1 however1 that his person is a specimen of ,divine1 eternal ,humanity1 immortalized1 and with attributes perfected2 while his brethren who dwell in mortal flesh1 although children of the same royal ,parent in the heavens1 are not yet immortalized1 as it regards their fleshly tabernacles1 and are not perfected in their attributes2 and although joint heirs1 are younger1 he being the first born among many brethren in the spiritual world4 ,they are therefore subject to him4 ,but every man who is eventually made perfect--raised from the dead1 and filled1 or quickened1 with a fulness of celestial glory1 will become like them in every respect1 physically1 and in intellect1 attributes or powers4 ,the very germs of these ,godlike attributes1 being engendered in man1 the offspring of ,deity1 only need cultivating1 improving1 developing1 and advancing by means of a series of progressive changes1 in order to arrive at the fountain ,head1 the standard1 the climax of ,divine ,humanity4 ,the difference between ,jesus ,christ and his ,father is this--one is subordinate to the other1 does nothing of himself1 independently of the ,father1 but does all things in the name and by the authority of the ,father1 being of the same mind in all things4 ,the difference between ,jesus ,christ and another immortal and celestial man is this--the man is subordinate to ,jesus ,christ1 does nothing in and of himself1 but does all things in the name of ,christ1 and by his authority1 being of the same mind1 and ascribing all the glory to him and his ,father4 ,on account of the double relationship of ,jesus ,christ--with ,god the ,father on one hand1 and with man on the other1 many have adopted the creed1 that ,two whole and perfect natures were blended in the person of ,jesus ,christ2 that he was every way a ,god1 and every way a man2 as if ,god and man were two distinct species4 ,this error came by reason of not knowing ourselves4 ,for just in proportion as we comprehend ourselves in our true light1 and our relationships and affinities with the past1 present and future1 with time and eternity1 with ,gods1 angels1 spirits and men1 who have gone before us1 and who will come after us1 so1 in proportion1 we may be able to benefit by the keys of the mysteries of the ,godhead1 or1 in other words1 to know and comprehend ,jesus ,christ and his ,father4 ,gods1 angels and men1 are all of one species1 one race1 one great family widely diffused among the planetary systems1 as colonies1 kingdoms1 nations1 c4 ,the great distinguishing difference between one portion of this race and another1 consists in the varied grades of intelligence and purity1 and also in the variety of spheres occupied by each1 in the series of progressive being4 ,an immortal man1 possessing a perfect organization of spirit1 flesh1 and bones1 and perfected in his attributes1 in all the fulness of celestial glory1 is called a ,god4 ,an immortal man1 in progress of perfection1 or quickened with a lesser degree of glory1 is called an angel4 ,an immortal spirit of man1 not united with a fleshly tabernacle1 is called a spirit4 ,an immortal man1 clothed with a mortal tabernacle1 is called a man4 ,it may then consistently enough be said1 that there are1 in a subordinate sense1 a plurality of ,gods1 or rather of the sons of ,god2 although there is one ,supreme ,head1 who is over all1 and through all1 and in all ,his sons1 by the power of ,his ,spirit4 ,jesus ,christ and his ,father are two persons1 in the same sense as ,john and ,peter are two persons4 ,each of them has an organized1 individual tabernacle1 embodied in material form1 and composed of material substance1 in the likeness of man1 and possessing every organ1 limb1 and physical part that man possesses4 ,there is no more mystery connected with their oneness1 than there is in the oneness of ,enoch and ,elijah1 or of ,paul and ,silas4 ,their oneness consists of a oneness of spirit1 intelligence1 attributes1 knowledge1 or power4 ,if ,enoch1 ,elijah1 ,abraham1 ,peter1 ,paul1 and millions of others ever attain to the immortal life1 and their fleshly tabernacles be quickened by a fulness of celestial life and light1 intelligence and power1 then it can be said of them1 they are one1 as the ,father and ,son are one4 ,it could then be said of each of them1 in him dwells all the fulness of the powers and attributes of the ,eternal ,god1 or1 in other words1 he possesses endless life1 together with all intelligence1 knowledge1 light1 and power4 ,he therefore has the same mind as all the others--is in communication and in perfect union with each and all of them4 ,all these are ,gods1 or sons of ,god--they are the ,kings1 ,princes1 ,priests1 and ,nobles of ,eternity4 ,but over them all there is a ,presidency or ,grand ,head1 who is the ,father of all4 ,and next unto him is ,jesus ,christ1 the eldest born1 and first heir of all the realms of light4 ,every person knows1 by reflection1 that intelligence may be imparted without diminishing the store possessed by the giver4 ,therefore it follows1 that millions of individual beings may each receive all the attributes of eternal life1 and light1 and power4 ,again it follows1 that in the use of this power1 by consent and authority of the head1 any one of these ,gods may create1 organize1 people1 govern1 control1 exalt1 glorify and enjoy worlds on worlds1 and the inhabitants thereof2 or1 in other words1 each of them can find room in the infinitude of space1 and unoccupied chaotic elements in the boundless storehouse of eternal riches1 with which to erect for himself thrones1 principalities1 and powers1 over which to reign in still increasing might1 majesty and dominion1 for ever and ever4 ,all these are kingdoms which1 together with their ,kings1 are in subordination to the great ,head and ,father of all1 and to ,jesus ,christ the first born1 and first heir1 among the sons of ,god4 ,all these kingdoms1 with all their intelligences1 are so many acquisitions to ,his dominion who is ,lord of lords1 and ,king of kings1 and of whom it is written1 by the ,prophet ,isaiah1 ,of the increase of his kingdom there shall be no end4 ,all these are so many colonies of our race1 multiplied1 extended1 transplanted1 and existing for ever and ever1 as occupants of the numberless planetary systems which do now exist1 or which will roll into order1 and be peopled by the operations of the ,holy ,spirit1 in obedience to the mandates of the sons of ,god4 ,these kingdoms present every variety and degree in the progress of the great science of life1 from the lowest degradation amid the realms of death1 or the rudimental stages of elementary existence1 upward through all the ascending scale1 or all the degrees of progress in the science of eternal life and light1 until some of them in turn arise to thrones of eternal power4 ,each of these ,gods1 including ,jesus ,christ and his ,father1 being in possession of not merely an organized spirit1 but a glorious immortal body of flesh and bones1 is subject to the laws which govern1 of necessity1 even the most refined order of physical existence4 ,all physical element1 however embodied1 quickened1 or refined1 is subject to the general laws necessary to all existence4 ,some of these laws are as follows-- ,first4 ,each atom1 or embodiment of atoms1 necessarily occupies a certain amount of space4 ,second4 ,no atom1 or embodiment of atoms1 can occupy the identical space occupied by other atoms or bodies4 ,third4 ,each individual organized intelligence must possess the power of self motion to a greater or less degree4 ,fourth4 ,all voluntary motion implies an inherent will1 to originate and direct such motion4 ,fifth4 ,motion1 of necessity1 implies that a certain amount of time is necessary1 in passing from one portion of space to another4 ,these laws are absolute and unchangeable in their nature1 and apply to all intelligent agencies which do or can exist4 ,they1 therefore1 apply with equal force to the great1 supreme1 eternal ,father of the heavens and of the earth1 and to ,his meanest subjects4 ,it is1 therefore1 an absolute impossibility for ,god the ,father1 or ,jesus ,christ1 to be everywhere personally present4 ,the omnipresence of ,god must therefore be understood in some other way than of ,his bodily or personal presence4 ,this leads to the investigation of that substance called the ,holy ,spirit4 ,as the mind passes the boundaries of the visible world1 and enters upon the confines of the more refined and subtle elements1 it finds itself associated with certain substances in themselves invisible to our gross organs1 but clearly manifested to our intellect by their tangible operations and effects4 ,the very air we breathe1 although invisible to our sight1 is clearly manifested to our sense of feeling4 ,its component parts may be analyzed4 ,nay more1 the human system itself is an apparatus which performs a chemical process upon that element4 ,it is received into the system by the act of respiration1 and there immediately undergoes the separation of its component parts4 ,the one part1 retained and incorporated in the animal system1 diffuses life and animation1 by supplying the necessary animal heat1 c41 while the other part1 not adapted to the system1 is discharged from the lungs to mingle with its native element4 ,there are several of these subtle1 invisible substances but little understood as yet by man1 and their existence is only demonstrated by their effects4 ,some of them are recognized under the several terms1 electricity1 galvanism1 magnetism1 animal magnetism1 spiritual magnetism1 essence1 spirit1 c4 ,the purest1 most refined and subtle of all these substances1 and the one least understood1 or even recognized1 by the less informed among mankind1 is that substance called the ,holy ,spirit4 ,this substance1 like all others1 is one of the elements of material or physical existence1 and therefore subject to the necessary laws which govern all matter1 as before enumerated4 ,like the other elements1 its whole is composed of individual particles4 ,like them1 each particle occupies space1 possesses the power of motion1 requires time to move from one part of space to another1 and can in no wise occupy two spaces at once4 ,in all these respects it differs nothing from all other matter4 ,this substance is widely diffused among the elements of space4 ,this ,holy ,spirit1 under the control of the ,great ,eloheim1 is the grand moving cause of all intelligences1 and by which they act4 ,this is the great1 positive1 controlling element of all other elements4 ,it is omnipresent by reason of the infinitude of its particles1 and it comprehends all things4 ,it is the controlling agent or executive1 which organizes and puts in motion all worlds1 and which1 by the mandate of the ,almighty1 or of any of ,his commissioned agents1 performs all the mighty wonders1 signs and miracles1 ever manifested in the name of the ,lord--the turning of the earth backward on its axis1 the dividing of the sea1 the removing of a mountain1 the raising of the dead1 or the healing of the sick4 ,it penetrates the pores of the most solid substances1 pierces the human system to its most inward recesses1 discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart4 ,it has power to move through space with an inconceivable velocity1 far exceeding the tardy motions of electricity1 or of physical light4 ,it comprehends the past1 present1 and future1 in all their fulness4 ,its inherent properties embrace all the attributes of intelligence and affection4 ,it is endowed with knowledge1 wisdom1 truth1 love1 charity1 justice1 and mercy1 in all their ramifications4 ,in short1 it is the attributes of the eternal power and ,godhead4 ,those beings who receive of its fulness are called sons of ,god1 because they are perfected in all its attributes and powers1 and being in communication with it1 can1 by its use1 perform all things4 ,those beings who receive not a fulness1 but a measure of it1 can know and perform some things1 but not all4 ,this is the true light1 which in some measure illuminates all men4 ,it is1 in its less refined particles1 the physical light which reflects from the sun1 moon1 and stars1 and other substances2 and by reflection on the eye1 makes visible the truths of the outward world4 ,it is1 also1 in its higher degrees1 the intellectual light of our inward and spiritual organs1 by which we reason1 discern1 judge1 compare1 comprehend and remember the subjects within our reach4 ,its inspiration constitutes instinct in animal life1 reason in man1 vision in the ,prophets1 and is continually flowing from the ,godhead throughout all ,his creatures4 ,such is the ,godhead1 as manifested in ,his words1 and in ,his works4 ,he dwells in ,his own eternal palaces of precious stones and gold1 in the ,royal ,city of the heavenly ,jerusalem4 ,he sits enthroned in the midst of all ,his creations1 and is filled and encircled with light unapproachable by those of the lower spheres4 ,he associates with myriads of ,his own begotten sons and daughters who1 by translation or resurrection1 have triumphed over death4 ,his ministers are sent forth from ,his presence to all parts of ,his dominions4 ,his ,holy ,spirit centres in ,his presence1 and communicates with1 and extends to the utmost verge of ,his dominions1 comprehending and controlling all things under the immediate direction of ,his own will1 and the will of all those in communication with ,him1 in worlds without end6 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,origin ,,of ,,the ,,universe4 ,boundless infinitude of time1 and space1 ,and elements eternal6 ,who can trace ,earth with its treasures1 ,heaven with its spheres1 ,time's revolutions1 eternity's years8 ,but what are all these1 when measured by thee1 ,but marks on thy dial1 or motes on thy sea6 ,the idea of a ,god without body1 parts1 or passions1 is not more absurd or inconsistent than that modern popular doctrine1 that all things were created from nonentity1 or in other words1 that something originated from nothing4 ,it is a self-evident truth1 which will not admit of argument1 that nothing remains nothing4 ,nonentity is the negative of all existence4 ,this negative possesses no property or element upon which the energies of creative power can operate4 ,this mysticism must1 therefore1 share the fate of the other mysteries of false ,theology and philosophy1 which have for ages shrouded the world in the sable curtains of a long and dreary night4 ,it must evaporate and disappear as a mere creation of fancy1 while1 in its place1 are introduced the following self-evident and incontrovertible facts-- ,first4 ,there has always existed a boundless infinitude of space4 ,second4 ,intermingled with this space there exists all the varieties of the elements1 properties1 or things of which intelligence takes cognizance2 which elements or things taken altogether compose what is called the ,universe4 ,third4 ,the elements of all these properties or things are eternal1 uncreated1 self-existing4 ,not one particle can be added to them by creative power4 ,neither can one particle be diminished or annihilated4 ,fourth4 ,these eternal1 self-existing elements possess in themselves certain inherent properties or attributes1 in a greater or less degree2 or1 in other words1 they possess intelligence1 adapted to their several spheres4 ,these elements have been separated1 by philosophers1 into two grand divisions1 viz4-- ,,physical ,,and ,,spiritual4 ,to a mind matured1 or quickened with a fulness of intelligence1 so as to be conversant with all the elements of nature1 there is no use for the distinction implied in such terms4 ,to speak more philosophically1 all the elements are spiritual1 all are physical1 all are material1 tangible realities4 ,spirit is matter1 and matter is full of spirit4 ,because all things which do exist are eternal realities1 in their elementary existence4 ,who then can define the precise point1 in the scale of elementary existence1 which divides between the physical and spiritual kingdoms8 ,there are eyes which can discern the most refined particles of elementary existence4 ,there are hands and fingers to whose refined touch all things are tangible4 ,in the capacity of mortals1 however1 some of the elements are tangible1 or visible1 and others invisible4 ,those which are tangible to our senses1 we call physical2 those which are more subtle and refined1 we call spiritual4 ,spirit is intelligence1 or the light of truth1 which filleth all things4 ,its several emotions or affections1 such as love1 joy1 c41 are but so many actions or motions of these elements1 as they operate in their several spheres4 ,by these actions or emotions the elements manifest their eternal energies1 attributes1 or inherent powers4 ,in contemplating the works of creation1 then1 the student must not conceive the idea that space1 or time1 or element1 or intelligence1 was originated1 but rather1 that these are eternal1 and that they constitute the energies which act1 and the things acted upon1 including the place and time of action4 ,the whole vast structure of universal organized existence1 presents undeniable evidence of three facts1 viz4-- ,first4 ,the eternal existence of the elements of which it is composed4 ,second4 ,the eternal existence of the attributes of intelligence1 and wisdom to design4 ,third4 ,the eternal existence of power1 to operate upon and control these eternal elements1 so as to carry out the plans of the designer4 ,it will be recollected that the last chapter recognizes a family of ,gods1 or1 in other words1 a species of beings1 who have physical tabernacles of flesh and bones1 in the form of man1 but so constructed as to be capable of eternal life2 that these tabernacles are quickened1 or animated by a fulness of that holiest of all elements1 which is called the ,holy ,spirit1 which element or spirit1 when organized1 in individual form1 and clothed upon with flesh and bones in the highest possible refinement1 contains1 in itself1 a fulness of the attributes of light1 intelligence1 wisdom1 love1 and power2 also that there are vast quantities of this spirit or element not organized in bodily forms1 but widely diffused among the other elements of space4 ,a ,general ,assembly1 ,quorum1 or ,grand ,council of the ,gods1 with their ,president at their head1 constitute the designing and creating power4 ,the motive power1 which moves to action this grand creative power1 is wisdom1 which discovers a use for all these riches1 and inspires the carrying out of all the designs in an infinite variety of utility and adaptation4 ,wisdom inspires the ,gods to multiply their species and to lay the foundation for all the forms of life1 to increase in numbers1 and for each to enjoy himself in the sphere to which he is adapted1 and in the possession and use of that portion of the elements necessary to his existence and happiness4 ,in order to multiply organized bodies1 composed of spiritual element1 worlds and mansions composed of spiritual element would be necessary as a home1 adapted to their existence and enjoyment4 ,as these spiritual bodies increased in numbers1 other spiritual worlds would be necessary1 on which to transplant them4 ,again4 ,in order to enable these organized spirits to take upon them a fleshly tabernacle1 physical worlds1 with all their variety and fulness1 would be necessary for their homes1 food1 clothing1 c41 that they might be begotten1 sustained1 and born1 that they might live1 die1 and rise again to receive their inheritances on their respective earths4 ,hence the great work of regeneration of worlds1 or the renovation and adaptation of the elements to the resurrection and eternal state of man1 would also be endless1 or eternally progressive4 ,through every form of life1 and birth1 and change1 and resurrection1 and every form of progress in knowledge and experience1 the candidates for eternal life must look upon the elements as their home2 hence the elements1 upon the principle of adaptation1 must keep pace with the possessors who use them1 in all the degrees of progressive refinement4 ,while room is found in infinite space3 ,while there are particles of unorganized element in ,nature's storehouse3 ,while the trees of ,paradise yield their fruits1 or the ,fountain of ,life its river3 ,while the bosoms of the ,gods glow with affection3 ,while eternal charity endures1 or eternity itself rolls its successive ages1 the heavens will multiply1 and new worlds and more people be added to the kingdoms of the ,fathers4 ,thus1 in the progress of events1 unnumbered millions of worlds1 and of systems of worlds1 will necessarily be called into requisition1 and be filled by man1 and beast1 and fowl1 and tree1 and all the vast varieties of beings1 and things which ever budded and blossomed in ,eden1 or thronged the hills and valleys of the celestial ,paradise4 ,when1 in the endless progression of events1 the full time had arrived for infinite wisdom to organize and people this globe which we inhabit1 the chaotic elements were arranged in order4 ,it appears at the commencement of this grand work1 that the elements1 which are now so beautifully arranged and adapted to vegetable and animal life1 were found in a state of chaos1 entirely unadapted to the uses they now serve4 ,there was one vast mixture of elements4 ,earth1 water1 soil1 atmosphere--in short1 the entire elements of which this mass was composed1 seem to have been completely compounded1 or mingled into one vast chaos1 and the whole overwhelmed with a darkness so dense as to obscure the light of heaven4 ,let us turn from the contemplation of scenes so sublimely fearful4 ,suffice it to say1 the mandate came1 darkness fled1 the veil was lifted1 light pierced the gloom1 and chaos was made visible4 ,oh what a scene6 ,a world without landscape1 without vegetation1 without animal life1 without man1 or animated beings4 ,no sound broke on the stillness1 save the voice of the moaning winds1 and of dashing1 foaming waters4 ,again1 a voice comes booming over the abyss1 and echoing amid the wastes1 the mass of matter hears and trembles1 and lo6 the sea retires1 the muddy shapeless mass lifts its head above the waters4 ,molehills to mountains grow4 ,huge islands next appear1 and continents at length expand to view1 with hill and vale1 in one wide dreary waste1 unmeasured and untrodden4 ,the surface1 warmed and dried by the cheering rays of the now resplendent sun1 is prepared for the first seeds of vegetation4 ,a ,royal ,planter now descends from yonder world of older date1 and bearing in his hand the choice seeds of the older ,paradise1 he plants them in the virgin soil of our new born earth4 ,they grow and flourish there1 and1 bearing seed1 replant themselves1 and thus clothe the naked earth with scenes of beauty1 and the air with fragrant incense4 ,ripening fruits and herbs at length abound4 ,when1 lo6 from yonder world is transferred every species of animal life4 ,male and female1 they come1 with blessings on their heads2 and a voice is heard again1 ,be fruitful and multiply4 ,earth--its mineral1 vegetable and animal wealth--its ,paradise1 prepared1 down comes from yonder world on high1 a son of ,god1 with his beloved spouse4 ,and thus a colony from heaven1 it may be from the sun1 is transplanted on our soil4 ,the blessings of their ,father are upon them1 and the first great law of heaven and earth is again repeated1 ,be fruitful and multiply4 ,hence1 the nations which have swarmed our earth4 ,in after years1 when ,paradise was lost by sin2 when man was driven from the face of his heavenly ,father1 to toil1 and droop1 and die2 when heaven was veiled from view2 and1 with few exceptions1 man was no longer counted worthy to retain the knowledge of his heavenly origin2 then1 darkness veiled the past and future from the heathen mind2 man neither knew himself1 from whence he came1 nor whither he was bound4 ,at length a ,moses came1 who knew his ,god1 and would fain have led mankind to know ,him too1 and see ,him face to face4 ,but they could not receive ,his heavenly laws1 or bide ,his presence4 ,thus the holy man was forced again to veil the past in mystery1 and1 in the beginning of his history1 assign to man an earthly origin4 ,man1 moulded from the earth1 as a brick6 ,a ,woman1 manufactured from a rib6 ,thus1 parents still would fain conceal from budding manhood1 the mysteries of procreation1 or the sources of life's ever flowing river1 by relating some childish tale of new born life1 engendered in the hollow trunk of some old tree1 or springing with spontaneous growth1 like mushrooms1 from out the heaps of rubbish4 ,o man6 ,when wilt thou cease to be a child in knowledge8 ,man1 as we have said1 is the offspring of ,deity4 ,the entire mystery of the past and future1 with regard to his existence1 is not yet solved by mortals4 ,we first recognise him1 as an organized individual or intelligence1 dwelling with his ,father in the eternal mansions4 ,this organized spirit we call a body1 because1 although composed of the spiritual elements1 it possesses every organ after the pattern1 and in the likeness or similitude of the outward or fleshly tabernacle it is destined eventually to inhabit4 ,its organs of thought1 speech1 sight1 hearing1 tasting1 smelling1 feeling1 c41 all exist in their order1 as in the physical body2 the one being the exact similitude of the other4 ,this individual1 spiritual body1 was begotten by the heavenly ,father1 in ,his own likeness and image1 and by the laws of procreation4 ,it was born and matured in the heavenly mansions1 trained in the school of love in the family circle1 and amid the most tender embraces of parental and fraternal affection4 ,in this primeval probation1 in its heavenly home1 it lived and moved as a free and rational intelligence1 acting upon its own agency1 and1 like all intelligence1 independent in its own sphere4 ,it was placed under certain laws1 and was responsible to its great ,patriarchal ,head4 ,this has been called a ,first ,estate4 ,and it is intimated that1 of the spirits thus placed upon their agency1 one-third failed to keep their first estate1 and were thrust down1 and reserved in chains of darkness1 for future judgment4 ,as these are not permitted to multiply their species1 or to move forward in the scale of progressive being1 while in this state of bondage and condemnation1 we will trace them no further1 as their final destiny is not revealed to mortals4 ,the spirits which kept their first estate1 were permitted to descend below1 and to obtain a tabernacle of flesh in the rudimental existence in which we find them in our present world1 and which we will call a second estate4 ,in passing the veil which separates between the first and second estates1 man becomes unconscious1 and1 on awakening in his second estate1 a veil is wisely thrown over all the past4 ,in his mortal tabernacle he remembers not the scenes1 the endearing associations1 of his first1 primeval childhood in the heavenly mansions4 ,he therefore commences anew in the lessons of experience1 in order to start on a level with the new born tabernacle1 and to re-develope his intellectual faculties in a progressive series1 which keep pace with the development of the organs and faculties of the outward tabernacle4 ,during his progress in the flesh1 the ,holy ,spirit may gradually awaken his faculties2 and in a dream1 or vision1 or by the spirit of prophecy1 reveal1 or rather awaken the memory to1 a partial vision1 or to a dim and half defined recollection of the intelligence of the past4 ,he sees in part1 and he knows in part2 but never while tabernacled in mortal flesh will he fully awake to the intelligence of his former estate4 ,it surpasses his comprehension1 is unspeakable1 and even unlawful to be uttered4 ,having kept his second estate1 and filled the measure of his responsibilities in the flesh1 he passes the veil of death1 and enters a third estate1 or probationary sphere4 ,this is called the world of spirits1 and will be treated on more fully under its appropriate head4 ,filling the measure of his responsibilities in the world of spirits1 he passes1 by means of the resurrection of the body1 into his fourth estate1 or sphere of human existence4 ,in this sphere he finds himself clothed upon with an eternal body of flesh and bones1 with every sense1 and every organ1 restored and adapted to their proper use4 ,he is thus prepared with organs and faculties adapted to the possession and enjoyment of every element of the physical or spiritual worlds1 which can gratify the senses1 or conduce to the happiness of intelligences4 ,he associates1 converses1 loves1 thinks1 acts1 moves1 sees1 hears1 tastes1 smells1 eats1 drinks and possesses4 ,in short1 all the elements necessary to his happiness being purified1 exalted1 and adapted to the sphere in which he exists1 are placed within his lawful reach1 and made subservient to his use4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,destiny ,,of ,,the ,,universe4 ,the mystic future1 with its depths profound1 ,for ages counted as forbidden ground1 ,now lifts its veil1 that man may penetrate ,the secret springs1 the mysteries of fate2 ,know whence he is1 and whither he is bound1 ,and why the spheres perform their ample round4 ,the ,grand ,council having developed the vast structure of the heavens and the earth1 with all their fulness1 with the evident design of utility and adaptation to certain definite uses1 it well becomes us to watch their progress1 and to study with diligence their future and final destiny4 ,from a general traditional belief in an immaterial hereafter1 many have concluded that the earth and all material things would be annihilated as mere temporary structures2 that the material body1 and the planets it occupies1 make no part of eternal life and being2 in short1 that ,god1 angels1 and men1 become at last so lost1 dissolved1 or merged in spirituality1 or immateriality1 as to lose all adaptation to the uses of the physical elements2 that they will absolutely need no footstool1 habitation1 possession1 mansion1 home1 furniture1 food1 or clothing2 that the whole vast works and beautiful designs of the visible creation are a kind of necessary evil or clog on the spiritual life1 and are of no possible use except to serve for the time being1 for the home and sustenance of beings in their grosser1 or rudimental state4 ,what a doleful picture6 ,with what gloom and melancholy must intelligences contemplate the vast structure1 as viewed in this light6 ,what a vastness of design6 ,what a display of wisdom6 ,what a field of labour in execution1 do the works of creation present to the contemplative mind6 ,yet all this wisdom of design1 all this labour of execution1 after serving a momentary purpose1 to be thrown away as an incumbrance to real existence and happiness4 ,all these spiritual1 immaterial vagaries have no foundation in truth4 ,the earth and other systems are to undergo a variety of changes1 in their progress towards perfection4 ,water1 fire1 and other elements are the agents of these changes4 ,but it is an eternal1 unchangeable fact1 a fixed law of nature1 easily demonstrated and illustrated by chemical experiment1 that neither fire nor any other element can annihilate a particle of matter1 to say nothing of a whole globe4 ,a new heaven and a new earth are promised by the sacred writers4 ,or1 in other words1 the planetary systems are to be changed1 purified1 refined1 exalted and glorified1 in the similitude of the resurrection1 by which means all physical evil or imperfection will be done away4 ,in their present state they are adapted to the rudimental state of man4 ,they are1 as it were1 the nurseries for man's physical embryo formation4 ,their elements afford the means of nourishing and sustaining the tabernacle1 and of engendering and strengthening the organ of thought and mind1 wherein are conceived and generated thoughts and affections which can only be matured and consummated in a higher sphere--thoughts pregnant with eternal life and love4 ,as the mind enlarges1 the aspirations of an eternal being1 once ennobled and honoured in the councils of heaven1 among the sons of ,god1 reach forth too high1 and broad1 and deep1 to be longer adapted to the narrow sphere of mortal life4 ,his body is imprisoned1 chained to the earth1 while his mind would soar aloft1 and grasp the intelligence1 wisdom and riches of the boundless infinite4 ,his rudimental body must therefore pass away1 and be changed1 so as to be adapted to a wider and more glorious sphere of locomotion1 research1 action and enjoyment4 ,when the planet on which he dwells has conceived1 brought forth1 and nourished the number of tabernacles assigned to it in its rudimental state1 by infinite wisdom1 it must needs be acted upon by a chemical process4 ,the purifying elements2 for instance1 fire1 must needs be employed to bring it through an ordeal1 a refinement1 a purification1 a change commensurate with that which had before taken place in the physical tabernacle of its inhabitants4 ,thus renovated1 it is adapted to resurrected man4 ,when man1 and the planet on which he lives1 with all its fulness1 shall have completed all their series of progressive changes1 so as to be adapted to the highest glories of which their several characters and species are capable1 then1 the whole will be annexed to1 or numbered with the eternal heavens1 and will there fulfil their eternal rounds1 being another acquisition to the mansions1 or eternally increasing dominions of the great ,creator and ,redeemer4 ,worlds are mansions for the home of intelligences4 ,intelligences exist in order to enjoy4 ,joy1 in its fulness1 depends on certain principles1 viz4-- ,life ,eternal4 ,love ,eternal4 ,peace ,eternal4 ,wealth ,eternal4 c4 ,without the first1 enjoyment lacks durability4 ,without the second1 it can hardly be said to exist4 ,without the third1 it would not be secure4 ,without the fourth1 it must be limited1 c4 ,eternal life1 in its fulness1 implies a spiritual intelligence1 embodied in the likeness of its own species and clothed upon with an outward tabernacle of eternal1 incorruptible flesh and bones4 ,this state of existence can only be attained by the resurrection of the body1 and its eternal re-union with the spirit4 ,eternal life thus attained1 and endowed with the eternal attributes of intelligence and love1 could never exercise1 or derive enjoyment from the affections of the latter1 unless associated with other beings endowed with the same attributes4 ,hence the object1 or necessity of eternal kindred ties1 associations1 and affections1 exercised as the attributes of that charity which never ends4 ,the third proposition1 viz4-- ,eternal ,peace1 could never be secured without the development of ,eternal ,law and government1 which would possess in itself the attributes of infinite truth1 goodness and power4 ,any government short of this1 could never guarantee ,eternal ,peace4 ,it would be liable to be overthrown1 by the lack of truth to discern1 disposition to execute1 or power to enforce1 the measures necessary to insure peace4 ,the fourth proposition1 viz4-- ,eternal ,wealth1 must1 of necessity1 consist of an everlasting inheritance or title1 defined and secured by this eternal government1 to portions of the organized elements1 in their pure1 incorruptible and eternal state4 ,in order to be wealthy1 eternal man must possess a certain portion of the surface of some eternal planet1 adapted to his order or sphere of existence4 ,this inheritance1 incorruptible1 eternal in the heavens1 must be sufficiently extensive for his accommodation1 with all his family dependencies4 ,it must also comprise a variety of elements1 adapted to his use and convenience4 ,eternal gold1 silver1 precious stones1 and other precious materials would be useful in the erection and furnishing of mansions1 and of public and private dwellings or edifices4 ,these edifices combined1 or arranged in wisdom1 would constitute eternal cities4 ,gardens1 groves1 walks1 rivulets1 fountains1 flowers and fruits1 would beautify and adorn the landscape1 please the eye1 the taste1 the smell2 and thus contribute gladness to the heart of man4 ,silks1 linens1 or other suitable materials would be necessary to adorn his person1 and to furnish and beautify his mansions4 ,in short1 eternal man1 in possession of eternal worlds1 in all their variety and fulness1 will eat1 drink1 think1 converse1 associate1 assemble1 disperse1 go1 come1 possess1 improve1 love and enjoy4 ,he will increase in riches1 knowledge1 power1 might1 majesty and dominion1 in worlds without end4 ,every species of the animal creation ever organized by creative goodness1 or that ever felt the pangs of death1 or uttered a groan while subject to the king of terrors1 or exulted in the joys of life and sympathy1 and longed for the redemption of the body1 will have part in the resurrection1 and will live for ever in their own spheres1 in the possession of peace1 and a fulness of joy1 adapted to their several capacities4 ,o ,child of earth1 conceived in corruption6 ,brought forth in pain and sorrow6 sojourning ,in a world of mourning1 mid sighs and tears1 ,and groans1 and awaiting in sadness thy home ,in the gloomy grave1 as food for worms2 ,lift up thy head1 cast thine eyes around thee1 ,behold yon countless hosts of shining orbs1 ,yon worlds of light and life4 ,then turn to earth1 ,survey the solid globe1 its mineral wealth1 ,its gems1 its precious stones1 its gold1 its springs2 ,its gardens1 forests1 fruits1 and flowers2 ,its countless myriads of breathing life1 ,from ,mote to ,man1 through all the varied scale ,of animated being4 ,visit the gloomy caverns of the dead1 ,the ancient sepulchre1 where e'en the worm ,of death himself1 has died for want of food1 ,and bones disjointed are crumbled fine1 and ,mingled with the dust4 ,nay1 deeper still1 descend the fathomless ,abyss of souls condemned1 in darkness chained1 ,or thrust in gloomy dungeons of despair-- ,where the very names of ,mercy1 of ,hope1 ,and of death's conqueror remain unknown4 ,observe with care the whole1 indulge in tears1 ,but hope1 believe1 and clothed with charity ,which never fails1 thine eyes enlightened1 ,thy person clad in light ethereal4 ,time fades1 and opens on eternity4 ,again review the scene beheld before4 ,you startle1 seem surprised6 confused6 o'erwhelmed6 ,death is conquered1 corruption is no more1 ,all is life1 and the word ,,eternity ,is inscribed in characters indelible1 ,on every particle and form of life4 ,socrates1 ,plato1 ,confucius1 and many other philosophers and divines have written largely on the immortality of the soul or spirit of man4 ,some of these have suffered1 with joy and cheerfulness1 imprisonment1 torture1 and even death1 with only this limited view of eternal existence4 ,could these martyrs to a portion of truth so limited1 and yet so full of hope and consolation1 have handled immortal flesh and bones in the persons of ,enoch or ,elijah translated1 or of ,jesus raised from the dead2 could they have learned from their sacred lips1 and realized the full import of that joyful sentence-- ,behold6 ,i make all things new2 could they have contemplated eternal worlds1 of matter in all its elements and forms of animal life1 indissoluble and everlasting2 could they have beheld eternal man1 moving in the majesty of a ,god1 amid the planetary systems1 grasping the knowledge of universal nature1 and with an intellect enlightened by the experience and observations of thousands and even millions of years2 could they have had a glimpse of all this1 and heard the promise-- ,there shall be no more death1 issuing from the fountain of truth1 prompted by infinite benevolence and charity1 re-echoing amid the starry worlds1 reaching down to earth1 vibrating1 with a thrill of joy1 all the myriads of animated nature1 penetrating the gloomy vaults of death1 and the prisons of the spirit world1 with a ray of hope1 and causing to spring afresh1 the well-springs of life1 and joy1 and love1 even in the lonely dungeons of despair6 ,o6 how would their bosoms have reverberated with unutterable joy and triumph1 in view of changing worlds4 ,could the rulers of this world have beheld1 or even formed a conception of1 such riches1 such nobility1 such an eternal and exceeding weight of glory1 they would have accounted the wealth1 pleasures1 honours1 titles1 dignities1 glories1 thrones1 principalities and crowns of this world as mere toys--the play-things of a day1 dross1 not worth the strife and toil of acquiring1 or the trouble of maintaining1 except as a duty1 or troublesome responsibility4 ,with this view of the subject1 what man so base1 so grovelling1 so blind to his own interests1 as to neglect those duties1 self-denials1 sacrifices1 which are necessary in order to secure a part in the first resurrection1 and a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory in that life which never ends8 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,key ,,of ,,knowledge1 ,,power1 ,,and ,,government4 ,heaven's ,nobility1 whom worlds obey1 ,clad in the brightness of eternal day1 ,enthroned in majesty1 as ,priests and ,kings1 ,to whom the universe its incense brings6 ,angels1 its ministers6 ,heaven is its throne6 ,the stores of infinitude are all its own6 ,having given a general view of the powers1 operations and effects of ,theology1 as developed amongst the nations of antiquity1 the mysteries of the ,godhead1 the law of nature1 and the origin and destiny of the universe1 the subject next in order is the ,,key of knowledge1 power and government1 as developed in the heavens and on the earth1 for the organization1 order1 peace1 happiness1 education1 improvement1 and exaltation of intelligences in the image of ,god--,his sons and daughters4 ,the great family of man1 comprising the inhabitants of unnumbered millions of worlds1 in every variety and degree of progress1 consists of five principal spheres1 or grand divisions1 in the scale of progressive being1 viz4-- ,first4 ,the ,gods1 composed of embodied spirits1 who inhabit tabernacles of immortal flesh and bones in their most refined state1 and who are perfected in all the attributes of intelligence and power4 ,second4 ,the ,angels1 who are also composed of spirits and immortal flesh and bones1 less refined1 and endowed with vast intelligence and power1 but not a fulness4 ,third4 ,embodied ,spirits1 without a tabernacle of flesh and bones4 ,these are they who hate passed the veil of death1 and are awaiting a resurrection4 ,fourth4 ,embodied ,spirits1 with mortal tabernacles1 as in the present world4 ,fifth4 ,embodied ,spirits1 who have not yet descended to be clothed upon with mortality1 but who are candidates for the same4 ,there is also a sixth division1 but of those we need not speak1 as they are not1 as yet1 included in the scale of progressive being1 not having kept their first estate4 ,the spirits of all men in their primeval states1 were intelligent4 ,but among these intelligences some were more noble1 that is to say1 more intelligent than others4 ,and ,god said1 these will ,i make rulers in my kingdoms4,a ,upon this principle was manifested the election1 before the foundation of the world1 of certain individuals to certain offices1 as written in the ,scriptures4 ,footnote ,a3 ,see ,book of ,abraham1 translated from ,papyrus1 lately taken from the ,catacombs of ,thebes in ,egypt4 ,in other words1 certain individuals1 more intelligent than the others1 were chosen by the ,head1 to teach1 instruct1 edify1 improve1 govern1 and minister truth and salvation to others2 and to hold the delegated powers or keys of government1 in the several spheres of progressive being4 ,these were not only chosen1 but set apart1 by a holy ordinance in the eternal worlds1 as ,embassadors1 ,foreign ,ministers1 ,priests1 ,kings1 ,apostles1 c41 to fill the various stations in the vast empire of the ,sovereign of all4 ,jesus ,christ1 being the first ,apostle thus commissioned1 and the ,president of all the powers thus delegated1 is ,lord of lords1 and ,king of kings1 in the heavens and on the earth4 ,hence this ,priesthood is called the ,priesthood after the order of the ,son of ,god4 ,it holds the keys of all the true principles of government in all worlds1 being without beginning of days or end of life4 ,it was held by ,adam1 ,seth1 ,enoch1 ,noah1 ,shem1 ,melchisedec1 and others4 ,abraham obtained this ,priesthood1 and an election of the same in his seed after him to all generations4 ,the decree went forth in an everlasting covenant1 that in ,abraham and his seed1 all the nations and kindreds of the earth should be blessed4 ,of this lineage according to the flesh were the ,prophets1 ,john the ,baptist1 ,jesus ,christ1 and the ,jewish ,apostles4 ,since the covenant and election thus manifested1 the keys of revelation1 government and miraculous powers on earth have been held exclusively by the literal descendants of this noble and royal house4 ,the ,gentiles could partake of a portion of the same blessings1 but this could only be done through their ministry1 and by adoption into the same family4 ,this election or covenant with the house of ,israel will continue for ever4 ,in the great restoration of all things1 this lineage will hold the keys of ,priesthood1 salvation and government1 for all nations4 ,as saith the ,prophet ,isaiah--,the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish2 yea1 those nations shall be utterly wasted4 ,and again--,ye shall be the priests of the ,lord2 men shall call you the ministers of our ,god3 but strangers shall build your walls1 and the sons of the alien shall be your ploughmen and your vine dressers4 ,this ,priesthood1 including that of the ,aaronic1 holds the keys of revelation of the oracles of ,god to man upon the earth2 the power and right to give laws and commandments to individuals1 churches1 rulers1 nations and the world2 to appoint1 ordain1 and establish constitutions and kingdoms2 to appoint kings1 presidents1 governors or judges1 and to ordain or anoint them to their several holy callings1 also to instruct1 warn1 or reprove them by the word of the ,lord4 ,it also holds the keys of the administration of ordinances for the remission of sins1 and for the gift of the ,holy ,spirit2 to heal the sick1 cast out demons1 or work miracles in the name of the ,lord2 in fine1 to bind or loose on earth and in heaven4 ,for the exercise of all which powers the student of ,theology will find abundant precedents in the sacred ,scriptures4 ,man holding the keys of the ,priesthood and ,apostleship after the order of the ,son of ,god1 are his representatives1 or embassadors1 to mankind4 ,to receive them1 to obey their instructions1 to feed1 clothe1 or aid them1 is counted the same1 in the final judgment1 as if all had been done to the ,son of ,god in person4 ,on the other hand1 to reject them1 or their testimony or message1 or the word of ,god through them1 in any matter1 is counted the same as if done to ,jesus ,christ1 in his own person4 ,indeed1 such embassadors will be the final judges of the persons1 rulers1 cities or nations to whom they are sent4 ,although the chosen instruments to hold the keys of this ,priesthood must be the literal lineage of ,israel1 yet that lineage are not all thus commissioned1 nor indeed are any of them ,priests merely because they are of the chosen seed4 ,such an instrument must be revealed1 and his ordination which he had before the world began1 be renewed and confirmed upon his fleshly tabernacle1 or he cannot be a ,priest on earth4 ,one who already holds the authority1 or keys of ,priesthood1 can reveal1 by the word of the ,lord1 and ordain and anoint others to similar callings1 and through these ordinances fill them with the ,holy ,spirit1 as a qualification for their holy calling4 ,by this means ,joshua succeeded ,moses1 ,elisha succeeded ,elijah1 c4 ,and by this means the great ,apostle of the ,father chose and ordained the ,twelve ,apostles of the ,jews1 and gave the keys or presidency of the kingdom to ,peter4 ,there have1 however1 been times when1 by a general martyrdom or apostacy1 the keys of this power have been taken from the earth1 7see chapters #b1 #c1 #d47 ,in such case there would be no longer visions1 revelations or miraculous gifts from the ,lord1 manifested among men1 because the ,priesthood is the channel1 and the ordinances are the means1 through which such blessings are enjoyed by man4 ,in the absence of these offices and powers1 darkness1 ignorance1 superstition1 priestcraft and kingcraft1 idolatry1 and every species of abuse1 would fill the earth1 and usurp the place of the true government of the kingdom of ,god4 ,the most remarkable and long continued instance of this kind1 which perhaps ever transpired in our world1 commenced with the destruction of the ,apostles and ,saints who immediately succeeded the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and continued until the present century1 producing in its consequences all the human butcheries1 wars1 oppressions1 misrule1 ignorance1 superstitions1 kingcraft1 priestcraft1 and misery1 which have visited the world in the false name of ,christianity4 ,on the ,western ,hemisphere1 the ,apostleship1 oracles1 miracles1 and gifts of the ,spirit1 ceased from among the people in the fourth century4 ,the precise time of the discontinuance of these powers on the eastern continents1 or in the ,roman world1 is not known4 ,suffice it to say1 the last of the ,twelve ,apostles predicted1 in his vision on the ,isle of ,patmos1 the reign of a certain power which should make war with the ,saints1 overcome them1 be drunken with their blood1 and hear rule over all nations4 ,and by thy sorceries1 said he1 were all nations deceived4 ,if these predictions have had their fulfilment1 then it is the height of inconsistency for any one to contend1 that ,rome or any nation has perpetuated the ,priesthood1 ,apostleship1 or ,church4 ,this would be the same as to say1 the ,saints were destroyed1 and yet perpetuated2 all nations were deceived1 and yet had the truth4 ,could a universal or catholic power at once destroy the ,saints1 and perpetuate them8 ,could the same power1 at the same time1 be the conservator and promulgator of a system of universal salvation1 and of universal deception8 ,but leaving the prediction1 and the reasoning on this subject1 what are the facts which present themselves for our own inspection1 clearly visible to all men8 ,do we not find the world1 for many ages1 and up to the present time1 destitute of those manifestations1 visions1 powers1 and keys of knowledge and government1 which would enlighten1 purify and exalt the race1 and establish permanent righteousness and peace8 ,in short1 have the powers of the eternal ,priesthood1 as described and exemplified in the ,holy ,scriptures1 and in this work1 been manifested for the government of the ,catholic1 or ,protestant world1 or any nation thereof1 since the destruction of the ancient ,saints and ,apostles8 ,if we answer this last question in the negative1 then1 we verify the truth of the prediction by the last of the ,twelve2 if in the affirmative1 we deny both the truth of the prediction1 and the facts which clearly present themselves in the past history and present circumstances of the world called ,christian4 ,when there is no longer a commissioned ,priesthood perpetuated on the earth1 it becomes necessary1 in order to restore the government of ,god1 for the man or men last holding the keys of such power1 to return to the earth as ministering angels1 and to select1 by the word of the ,lord1 and ordain1 certain individuals of the royal lineage of ,israel1 to hold the keys of such ,priesthood1 and to ordain others1 and thus restore and re-organize the government of ,god1 or ,his kingdom upon the earth4 ,after the destruction of the ,apostles and ,saints1 who succeeded ,jesus ,christ1 there is but one dispensation or restoration predicted by the ,prophets4 ,that dispensation will fulfil the times of the ,gentiles1 complete their fulness1 restore the kingdom to ,israel1 gather home their twelve tribes1 organize them into a theocratic government1 that is1 a government founded and guided by ,prophets1 ,priesthood1 visions and revelations4 ,it will1 in fact1 not only restore to them the ministration of angels1 but receive its final consummation1 by the resurrection of the ancient ,saints1 and their return to the earth1 accompanied by the ,son of ,god1 in his own proper person4 ,to this dispensation1 all nations must submit4 ,all merely human religious or political institutions1 all republics1 states1 kingdoms1 empires1 must be dissolved1 the dross of ignorance and falsehood be separated1 and the golden principles of unalloyed truth be preserved1 and blended for ever in the one consolidated1 universal1 eternal government of the ,saints of the ,most ,high1 and all nations shall serve and obey ,him4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,revival ,,or ,,restoration ,,of ,,the ,,science ,,of ,,theology ,,is ,,the ,,present ,,age4 ,a modern ,prophet6 ,yes1 a mighty ,seer6 ,from ,israel's royal line1 must next appear2 ,clad in the spirit of ,elijah's power1 ,to prune the vineyard in th' eleventh hour2 ,to light the dawn of that effulgent day1 ,when ,king ,messiah shall his sceptre sway4 ,the nineteenth century opened upon the world with far more favourable auspices than any other age since the destruction of the people of the ,saints1 and the reign of universal mystery4 ,that spirit of freedom1 and independence of thought1 of speech1 and of action1 which a few centuries before had germinated in ,europe1 and which1 after a stunted growth amid the thorns and thistles of kingcraft1 the tares of priestcraft1 and the weeds of superstition1 in the old world1 transplanted itself1 and obtained a more vigorous growth in the new world1 had now grown to a degree of maturity1 and become consolidated1 opening resources for all nations1 under the inestimable guarantee of constitutional liberty4 ,to this standard the most enterprising1 intelligent1 and thinking of every nation in ,europe1 had commenced to gather like a flowing stream4 ,here1 far separated from the practical influence1 the false glare1 the empty show1 or even the senseless name and titles of a self-styled or imaginary nobility1 their minds enlarged1 their energies had full scope1 and their intellectual faculties1 unfettered and free1 and surrounded with inexhaustible stores of unoccupied elementary riches1 soon opened and developed new channels of thought1 of action1 of enterprise and improvement1 the results of which have revolutionized the world in regard to geographical knowledge1 commerce1 intercommunication1 transportation1 travel1 transmission of news1 and mutual acquaintance and interchange of thought4 ,the triumphs of steam over earth and sea1 the extension of railroads1 and1 above all1 the lightning powers of the telegraph1 are already1 gradually but rapidly1 developing1 concentrating and consolidating the energies and interests of all nations1 preparatory to the universal development of knowledge1 neighbourly kindness1 and mutual brotherhood4 ,physically speaking1 there seems to need but the consummation of two great enterprises more1 in order to complete the preparations necessary for the fulfilment of ,isaiah and other ,prophets1 in regard to the restoration of ,israel to ,palestine1 from the four quarters of the earth1 and the annual re-union of all nations to the new standards1 holy shrines and temples of ,zion and ,jerusalem1 under the auspices of that great1 universal and permanent theocracy which is to succeed the long reign of mystery4 ,one of these is the ,great ,eastern ,railway from ,europe to ,india and ,china1 with its branches1 and accompanying telegraphic wires1 centering at ,jerusalem4 ,the other is the ,great ,western ,railway1 with its branches and accompanying telegraphic lines1 from the ,atlantic to the ,pacific4 ,politically speaking1 some barriers yet remain to be removed1 and some conquests to be achieved1 such as the subjugation of ,japan1 and the triumph of constitutional liberty among certain nations where mind1 and thought1 and religion are still prescribed by law4 ,these things achieved1 even the most incredulous in regard to the truth of ,scripture ,prophecy will be constrained to acknowledge1 that1 physically and politically speaking1 there is nothing impossible1 or even improbable1 in the belief1 that the twelve tribes of ,israel will be concentrated from all nations in their own land1 that ,jerusalem will become the capitol of political government1 the seat of knowledge1 and the shrine of worship1 for the yearly resort of all the nations and countries included in the world known to the ,prophets of old2 while the ,western ,hemisphere1 separated as it is1 by two great oceans1 from the ,old ,world1 will naturally form its own central capitol1 its ,zion1 or ,new ,jerusalem1 to which all its tribes and nations may perform their annual visits for instruction1 devotion1 and mutual interchange of thought1 of fellowship and affection4 ,can the student of prophecy contemplate all these preparations1 clearly predicted thousands of years ago1 and now bursting upon the world with seemingly preconcerted connexion and exactness1 revolutionizing all things in a single age1 and not be struck with the reflection1 that the hand of ,god must be in all this1 and that moral energy and spiritual light must be forthcoming from the heavens commensurate with the physical and political preparations for a new ,era8 ,the same ,prophets who have contemplated and described the development of national freedom1 universal intercourse1 mutual peace1 knowledge1 union of worship1 reunion of the tribes of ,israel2 that have described highways1 trains of cars flying as it were with a cloud1 ocean steamers1 ships1 litters and swift beasts1 as the instruments of restoration1 have also predicted that1 in connexion with all these preparations1 a new dispensation should be manifested1 a new covenant established1 ,a ,standard for the nation1 ,an ,ensign for the people4 ,in short1 ,swift ,messengers1 ,teachers1 ,prophets would be commissioned1 revelations be manifested1 and a new organization be developed1 fitted to the times1 and with principles and laws adapted to the reorganization1 order1 and government of a renovated world4 ,where and when should we look for the grain of mustard seed1 the germ1 the nucleus of such organization8 ,of course in a land of free institutions1 where such organization could be legally developed1 and claim constitutional protection1 until sufficiently matured to defend itself against the convulsions1 the death struggles1 the agonizing throes1 which precede the dissolution of the long reign of mystic tyranny2 and at a time when modern freedom had been consolidated1 nationalized1 and its standard recognized among the nations4 ,such an organization should also be looked for1 in its first development1 as cotemporary with the first dawn or development of the physical and political means provided for the same result4 ,the beginning of the present century gave birth to those chosen instruments who were destined to hold the keys of restoration for the renovation of the world4 ,the ,united ,states of ,america was the favoured nation raised up1 with institutions adapted to the protection and free development of the necessary truths1 and their practical results4 ,and that ,great ,prophet1 ,apostle1 and ,martyr-- ,,joseph ,,smith1 was the ,elias1 the ,restorer1 the presiding ,messenger1 holding the keys of the ,dispensation of the fulness of times4 ,yes1 that extraordinary man1 whose innocent blood is now dripping fresh1 as it were1 from the hands of assassins and their accessories1 in the ,united ,states1 was the chosen vessel honoured of ,god1 and ordained by angels1 to ordain other ,apostles and ,elders1 to restore the ,church and kingdom of ,god1 the gifts of the ,holy ,spirit1 and to be a messenger in the spirit and power of ,elijah1 to prepare the way of the ,lord4 ,for1 behold1 he will suddenly come to his temple6 ,like ,john1 who filled a similar mission preparatory to the first advent of the ,son of ,god1 he baptized with water unto repentance1 for the remission of sins2 like him1 he was imprisoned2 and like him1 his life was taken from the earth2 and finally1 like all other true messengers1 his message is being demonstrated by its progressive fulfilment--the powers1 gifts1 and signs following the administration of his message in all the world1 and every minute particular of his predictions fulfilling in the order of events1 as the wheels of time bring them due4 ,but in one important point his message differs from all former messages4 ,the science of ,theology revived by him will never decline1 nor its keys be taken from the earth4 ,they are committed to man for the last time4 ,their consummation will restore the tribes of ,israel and ,judah2 overthrow all corrupt institutions2 usher in the reign of universal peace and knowledge2 introduce to the earth her lawful and eternal ,king1 the crucified ,nazarene1 the resurrected ,messiah2 banish darkness and death1 sorrow1 mourning and tears1 from the face of our globe2 and crown our race with the laurels of victory and eternal life4 ,ages yet unborn will rise up and call him blessed4 ,a thousand generations of countless myriads will laud his praise and recount his deeds1 while unnumbered nations bask in the light and enjoy the benefits of the institution founded by his instrumentality4 ,his kindred1 the nation that gave him birth1 and exulted at his death1 nay1 his very murderers and their posterity1 will yet come bending unto him1 and seek his forgiveness1 and the benefits of his labours4 ,but1 ,oh6 the pain6 the dark despair6 the torments of a guilty conscience6 the blackness of darkness1 in the lower hell1 which the guilty wretches will experience before that happy day of deliverance6 ,oh6 the countless myriads of the offspring of innocent and honourable men who will walk the earth1 tread on the ashes1 or plow and reap over the bones and dust of those miserable murderers and their accomplices who have consented to the shedding of innocent blood6 ere the final trump shall sound1 which calls up their sleeping dust from its long slumbers in the tomb1 and their spirits from the prison of the damned4 ,and even when this1 to them almost interminable1 period has rolled away1 and they rise from the dead1 instead of a welcome exaltation to the presence and society of the sons of ,god1 an eternal banishment awaits them4 ,they never can come where ,god and ,christ dwell1 but will be servants in the dominions of the ,saints1 their former victims4 ,this extraordinary personage was born in ,sharon1 ,windsor ,county1 ,vermont1 ,united ,states1 ,december #bcrd1 #ahje4 ,he removed with his father1 during childhood1 and settled near ,palmyra1 in ,wayne ,county1 ,new ,york4 ,amid these forest wilds he was reared a farmer1 and inured to all the hardships1 toils1 and privations of a newly settled country4 ,his education was therefore very limited4 ,when about seventeen years of age1 he had several open visions1 in which a holy angel ministered to him1 admonished him for his sins1 taught him repentance1 and faith in the crucified and risen ,messiah1 opened to him the ,scriptures of the ,prophets1 unfolding the field of prophecy pertaining to the latter-day glory1 and the doctrines of ,christ and his ancient ,apostles4 ,on the #bbnd ,sept41 #ahbg1 the angel directed him to a hill a few miles distant1 called anciently ,cumorah4 ,around this hill1 in the fifth century of the ,christian era1 had rallied the last remnant of a once powerful and highly polished nation called the ,nephites4 ,here1 two hundred and thirty thousand men1 women and children1 marshalled themselves for a last defence1 in legions of ten thousand each1 under their respective commanders1 at whose head was the renowned ,mormon1 the ,general of a hundred battles4 ,and here they received the enemy in untold numbers1 and melted away before them1 till none remained except a few that fled to the southward1 and a few that fell wounded1 and were left by the enemy among the unburied dead4 ,among these latter were ,general ,mormon1 and his son1 and second in command--,general ,moroni4 ,these were the last ,prophets of a nation1 now no more4 ,they held the sacred records1 compiled and transmitted from their fathers1 from the remotest antiquity4 ,they held the ,urim and ,thummim1 and the compass of ,lehi1 which had been prepared by ,providence1 to guide a colony from ,jerusalem to ,america4 ,in the hill ,cumorah1 they deposited all these things4 ,here they lay concealed for fourteen hundred years4 ,and here did the angel ,moroni direct the young ,joseph to behold these sacred things1 in their sacred deposit1 and to receive1 from these long-silent and gloomy archives1 an abridged record of the whole1 and with it the ,urim and ,thummim4 ,the abridged record1 thus obtained1 was engraved in ,egyptian characters1 on gold plates1 by the hands of the two ,prophets and ,generals--,mormon and ,moroni4 ,by the instructions of the angel1 and the use of the ,urim and ,thummim1 the youthful ,joseph1 now a ,prophet and ,seer1 was enabled to translate the abridgment1 or rather the unsealed portion which was destined for the present age4 ,this done1 the angel of the ,lord appeared to three other persons1 called ,martin ,harris1 ,oliver ,cowdery1 and ,david ,whitmer2 showed them the golden plates1 and the engravings thereon2 bore testimony of their correct translation by the ,prophet ,joseph1 and commanded them to bear a faithful testimony of the same4 ,two of these were respectable farmers1 and the other was a school-master4 ,early in #ahcj1 this translation with the accompanying testimony1 was published in ,english1 in the ,united ,states1 under the title of the ,book ,of ,mormon4 ,it is now1 #ahec1 translated and published in nearly all ,european languages4 ,this book more deeply interests the world1 and every intelligent1 accountable being therein1 than any other book1 save the ,jewish ,scriptures1 which is now extant4 ,its history penetrates the otherwise dark oblivion of the past1 as it regards ,america1 through the remote ages of antiquity2 follows up the stream of the generations of man1 till arriving at the great fountain1 the distributor of nations1 tribes and tongues--the ,tower of ,babel1 it ceases1 or is lost in1 and sweetly blended with1 that one great undivided ,adamic river1 whose source is in ,paradise1 the cradle of man2 whose springs issue from beneath the throne of the ,eternal2 and whose secret fountains comprise the infinite expanse1 the boundless ocean of intellect1 fact1 and historic truth1 as recorded in the archives of eternity4 ,its prophetic vision opens the events of unborn time4 ,the fate of nations2 the restoration of ,judah and ,israel2 the downfall of corrupt churches and institutions2 the end of superstition and misrule2 the universal prevalence of peace1 truth1 light and knowledge2 the awful wars which precede those happy times2 the glorious coming of ,jesus ,christ as ,king2 the resurrection of the ,saints1 to reign upon the earth2 the great1 grand rest of a thousand years2 the jubilee of universal nature upon our planet1 are all predicted in that book4 ,the time and means of their fulfilment are pointed out with clearness1 showing the present age more pregnant with events than all the ages of ,adam's race which have gone before it4 ,its doctrines are developed in such plainness and simplicity1 and with such clearness and precision1 that no man can mistake them4 ,they are there as they flowed from the mouth of a risen ,redeemer1 in the liquid eloquence of love1 mingled with immortal tears of joy and compassion1 and were written by men whose tears of overwhelming affection and gratitude bathed his immortal feet4 ,it was ascertained by revelation1 by means of the ,urim and ,thummim1 that the youthful ,prophet ,joseph was of the house of ,israel1 of the tribe of ,joseph4 ,he continued to receive visions1 revelations1 and the ministry of angels1 by whom he was at length ordained to the ,apostleship1 or ,high ,priesthood after the order of ,melchizedec1 to hold the keys of the kingdom of ,god1 the dispensation of the fulness of times4 ,thus qualified1 he proceeded1 on the #fth of ,april1 ,a4,d4 #ahcj1 to organize the ,church of the ,saints1 which then consisted of six members4 ,the gifts of healing1 of prophecy1 of visions and miracles1 began to be manifested among the believers1 thus confirming his testimony with signs following4 ,in this same year1 the principles restored by him were proclaimed1 and ,branches of the ,church were organized in various parts of his own ,state1 in ,pennsylvania1 ,ohio1 and elsewhere2 and the number of his disciples increased from six members1 to upwards of one thousand4 ,during the three following years1 hundreds of ministers1 ordained by him1 were sent out in all directions through the country1 and ,branches of the ,church were organized in most of the ,states of the ,american ,union4 ,in eighteen hundred and thirty five1 he ordained by commandment of the ,lord1 a quorum of ,twelve ,apostles1 and several quorums of seventy1 as a traveling ministry4 ,in 'thirty-six1 a temple was completed and dedicated1 in ,kirtland1 ,ohio2 in which these quorums1 and the ,priesthood in general were assembled in a school of the ,prophets1 and were instructed1 and anointed to their holy calling4 ,in this same year1 some of the ,apostles visited ,upper ,canada1 and spread the fulness of the ,gospel in ,toronto and all the region round1 gathering several ,branches of the ,church4 ,in 'thirty-seven1 a mission was sent to ,england1 which was attended with the same powers1 and with remarkable success4 ,in 'thirty-eight1 the ,state of ,missouri undertook the extermination of the ,church from its borders1 murdered many men1 women and children1 and finally succeeded in the forcible expulsion of about ten thousand people1 and the seizure of their lands and property4 ,in eighteen hundred and forty1 the quorum of the ,twelve ,apostles visited ,england1 gathered great numbers into the ,church1 and published the ,book of ,mormon1 and several other works1 among which was a periodical called the ,millennial ,star1 which now1 in #ahec1 has a circulation of nearly eighteen thousand copies weekly4 ,between the years 'forty1 and 'forty-four1 our youthful ,prophet gathered about him many thousands of his disciples2 erected the great city of ,nauvoo1 on the banks of the ,mississippi2 commenced the erection of one of the most splendid temples in the world2 and organized a legion of citizen soldiers for its defence4 ,this legion comprised nearly six thousand men1 and was commanded by the young ,prophet ,joseph1 who held a government commission1 as ,lieutenant-,general4 ,from this centre of science and heavenly light1 there emanated rays1 by the aid of a foreign ministry1 penetrating afar1 and lighting up the dawn of that effulgent day which is destined to break over all the earth1 and shine for ever4 ,apostles1 ,high ,priests1 ,elders1 ,counsellors and ,ministers of every degree1 here thronged our youthful ,prophet and hero1 and were taught in this great school of ,theology and spiritual philosophy2 while a hundred thousand disciples in the nation and beyond the seas1 looked to this centre for light and instruction4 ,such was the progress of the science of ,theology1 revived in the present age2 such the result of fourteen years of the ministry of an unlettered youth1 crying in the wilderness the proclamation of repentance1 baptizing for the remission of sins1 and holding the keys of this divine1 eternal power4 ,his unparalleled success1 and still increasing influence1 now alarmed his former persecutors1 and raised their jealousy and envy to the highest pitch of frenzy and madness4 ,several counties of ,illinois combined with the former enemies1 who had robbed and destroyed the ,saints in ,missouri1 and1 calling public meetings1 passed resolutions to destroy the city of ,nauvoo1 and to force the ,saints1 once more1 to abandon their homes and farms to the possession of the land pirates4 ,they also entered into covenant1 to take the life of the young ,joseph4 ,to resist this overwhelming storm1 our hero and ,prophet marshalled his legion of six thousand men1 in his beloved city of ,nauvoo1 prepared for the most vigorous defence1 and awaited the onset4 ,the cowardly enemy soon discovered the impropriety of an open attack1 and resolved on stratagem4 ,they caused a magistrate of their own number to issue a writ2 and sent a constable to bring the person of ,joseph into the midst of those who had sworn to kill him4 ,to yield to this mockery would be to lose his life4 ,to resist it would be construed into treason and would bring on him the whole forces of the ,state4 ,this stratagem succeeded--,nauvoo1 its legion and its general1 were declared in rebellion4 ,his ,excellency1 ,thomas ,ford1 ,governor of the ,state of ,illinois1 mustered an army1 marched to the scene of conflict1 took sides with the enemy1 and in fact incorporated their entire forces with his own troops4 ,with this formidable force he marched to ,carthage1 a small town eighteen miles from ,nauvoo4 ,he then sent a captain1 named ,singleton1 to take command of the ,nauvoo legion1 and demanded its ,lieutenant-,general to repair to ,carthage1 and place himself in the hands of those who had publicly combined to take his life4 ,sooner than have submitted to these insults and humiliating demands1 the legion would have joyfully marched to ,carthage1 and cut to pieces this cowardly band of rebels against ,american institutions and all the rights of man4 ,but the ,saints were located between two powerful ,states1 who were now combined against the laws1 constitutions and liberties of their country4 ,to destroy one army1 or even resist its most extravagant demands1 would be to draw upon themselves and families1 the overwhelming forces of the ferocious1 ignorant1 and worse than savage beings1 who had long thirsted for their plunder and their blood4 ,the young ,prophet had no confidence in the ,governor's pledge to protect his person4 ,he felt the hour had come1 when his own blood alone could appease the enemy1 and preserve the lives of his flock4 ,he restrained the ardour of the legion2 called upon them1 by the love they had ever borne to him as a ,prophet and ,apostle2 and conjured them1 by the respect and confidence they had shown him as their ,general1 to submit to the extravagant demands of his ,excellency1 and leave the event with ,god4 ,he now took an affectionate leave of his beloved legion1 who were dissolved in tears2 tore himself from the embraces of his aged and widowed mother1 and frantic wife and children1 and repaired to ,carthage4 ,he was accompanied by his brother ,hyrum1 and the two of the ,twelve1 that were not abroad on foreign missions1 who would not forsake him4 ,on the way he was cheerful but solemn4 ,he spoke little1 but observed to those about him1 ,i am going like a lamb to the slaughter2 but ,i am calm as a summer's morning2 ,i have a conscience void of offence towards ,god1 and towards all men4 ,i shall die innocent3 and it shall yet be said of me--,he was murdered in cold blood4 ,arriving at ,carthage1 he delivered himself to his enemies2 answered to the charge in the original writ1 to enforce which all the ,governor's forces had been mustered1 and was then committed to prison to answer the charge of treason4 ,in this dungeon he was still accompanied by the two ,apostles and his brother ,hyrum1 who were determined to die with him4 ,here as the four friends sat in the upper room1 singing hymns1 on the afternoon of the #bgth day of ,june1 #ahdd1 the prison was suddenly surrounded with demons in the flesh1 armed with muskets and bayonets1 and their faces as black as ,cain--the original murderer4 ,these commenced firing through the doors and windows of the prison1 while a portion assaulted and broke open the door4 ,hyrum suddenly fell1 and died without a groan1 being pierced with four balls4 ,taylor fled1 wounded and bleeding1 to the window1 and was about to throw himself out1 when a ball aimed at his heart1 hit his watch in his vest pocket1 and threw him back into the room4 ,the other ,apostle1 ,willard ,richards1 stood and parried the guns with his hand staff1 receiving slight injury4 ,in the midst of all this scene1 the ,prophet's presence of mind did not forsake him4 ,he saw his brother ,hyrum fall1 stiffen and die4 ,he then exclaimed1 in the anguish of his soul--,o my brother6 and sprang for the window1 amid showers of ball as thick as hail4 ,he instantly threw himself from the upper story into the midst of the bristling bayonets of the enemy1 and1 on alighting1 was pierced with a shower of balls1 and instantly died without a struggle or a groan4 ,his presence of mind1 and prompt action1 in thus throwing himself among the enemy1 drew them from the prison in time to save the lives of the two ,apostles1 which was1 no doubt1 the object of this1 the last glorious act of his life4 ,thus ended the mortal career of a youth who had revealed the ancient history of a continent2 restored to man the keys and powers of the divine science of ,theology2 organized the ,church and kingdom of ,god1 and revealed1 and re-established those principles1 which will eventually prevail1 and govern the sons of earth1 in countless ages yet unborn4 ,the good shepherd1 said ,jesus1 layeth down his life for the sheep4 ,when the news of this horrid tragedy spread abroad1 the fear of vengeance from the ,nauvoo legion seized the ,governor1 his troops1 and the whole gang of pirates2 all fled1 and even the inhabitants of the guilty villages in the vicinity1 vacated their habitations1 and fled in terror and dismay4 ,as the news reached ,nauvoo1 a thrill of horror and of anguish unutterable ran1 as with electricity1 through every pulse4 ,the legion sprang to arms1 and would have desolated the whole rebel counties1 now left unprotected1 had not their judgments balanced the burning attribute of justice which swelled their bosoms4 ,as it was1 they smothered their resentment1 and prepared for the burial of the illustrious dead4 ,the bodies of the two martyrs were borne to the city2 being met by the entire populace1 bowed with sorrow1 bathed in tears1 and their bosoms upheaved with a sense of sorrow and outraged humanity1 such as1 perhaps1 an entire populace at once never felt1 since man was doomed to mourn4 ,the ,twelve1 who were abroad1 soon returned1 soothed and comforted the sheep1 and exhorted them to union and perseverance4 ,the work on the temple was resumed1 and finally completed1 at an expense of many hundred thousand dollars4 ,in this holy edifice1 after its dedication to the ,lord1 a portion of the ,priesthood received those holy washings1 anointings1 keys1 ordinances1 oracles and instructions1 which were yet wanting to perfect them in the fulness of the ,priesthood4 ,in the autumn of #ahde1 the enemy again rallied1 and commenced to desolate the borders of the ,nauvoo settlements by fire and sword4 ,wearied with long continued vexation and persecution1 the council of the ,apostles now determined to seek peace for the ,saints1 amid the far-off and almost unexplored deserts and mountains of the interior4 ,in ,february1 #ahdf1 this emigration was commenced1 headed by the ,apostles and their families4 ,on the #bdth of ,july1 #ahdg1 the first pioneers of this vast emigration1 headed by the ,president of the whole ,church1 ,brigham ,young1 entered the ,valley of ,great ,salt ,lake4 ,in the meantime1 the beautiful ,nauvoo1 and its surrounding farms and villas fell a prey to the enemy1 after a vigorous defence4 ,its temple1 the pride and glory of ,america1 was laid in ashes4 ,its last remnant plundered1 robbed of their all1 sick1 destitute1 wounded1 bleeding1 dying1 at length disappeared beyond the horizon of the illimitable plains of the west1 and1 for a moment1 the curtain of oblivion closed over this strange drama1 and the kingdom of ,god seemed lost to mortal view4 ,again it rises1 and what do we behold6 ,the banner of freedom unfurled a thousand miles from the frontiers of the persecuting foe2 its waving folds1 amid the snow-clad peaks of the ,rocky mountains1 inviting to liberty and light1 the oppressed of every clime2 and a free and sovereign ,state rising1 in majesty and smiling splendour1 amid the fastnesses of nature's eternal ramparts2 while the exhaustless treasures of the golden mountains of ,california1 revealed by the providence-guiding keys of modern ,theology1 are poured like a flowing stream into the treasury of the ,lord1 to aid in the gathering and subsistence of the ,saints4 ,can the student of ,theology contemplate all these grand events and their results1 all verging to one focus1 all combining to prepare the way for the consummation of the entire volume of unfulfilled prophecy1 and still be so much at a loss as to query1 like one of old1 ,art thou he that should come2 or1 look we for another8 ,if so1 we can only recommend1 to one so slow of heart1 to search the ,scriptures1 and all good books extant on the subject4 ,and1 while he searches1 let him turn from his sins1 and live in newness of life1 and call upon ,god1 the ,father of all1 in the name of ,messiah1 that his understanding may be enlightened1 and his stubborn heart subdued1 and constrained to yield to the force of ,truth4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,keys ,,of ,,initiation ,,in ,,practical ,,theology4 ,is't possible6 ,a sinful man like me1 ,a candidate for heaven's mystery6 ,may ,i approach the gate and enter in1 ,be wash'd and cleans'd from all my former sin1 ,renew'd in spirit1 and partake the power ,of bless'd ,theology from this good hour4 ,the student of this deeply interesting science1 who has traced1 with us1 the thrilling incidents of its history on earth1 till he finds it restored in all its beauties1 and its powers taking root in the earth1 to bear eternal fruit1 will1 doubtless1 feel a desire to be instructed in the first principles--the ordinances or means by which he may personally partake of its benefits1 and exercise its gifts4 ,there are certain qualifications1 or personal preparations indispensably necessary1 without which1 no person can be a proper candidate for blessings so divine4 ,first4 ,he must believe in ,jesus ,christ1 and in the testimony of the ,apostle1 or commissioned officer1 to whom he looks for the administration of these blessings4 ,secondly4 ,he must forsake a sinful course of life2 must deny himself of every impure or unlawful indulgence2 must do right with his fellow creatures1 and determine to keep the commandments of ,jesus ,christ4 ,with these qualifications he comes to the ,apostle1 ,elder1 or ,priest of the ,church of the ,saints1 who1 after a covenant on the part of the candidate to forsake his sins1 and keep the commandments of ,jesus ,christ1 goes down into the water with him1 and there buries him1 in the name of the ,father1 ,son and ,holy ,spirit1 for remission of sins1 and then raises him from his watery grave4 ,this ordinance is to represent the death1 burial and resurrection of ,jesus ,christ1 and is called ,baptism4 ,having passed through this ordinance1 the hands of some one1 or more1 of the authorised ,priesthood1 are next laid upon the head of the candidate1 in the same sacred names1 and the gift of the ,holy ,spirit is confirmed upon him4 ,this baptism of water and of the ,spirit is called a new birth2 and it is in reality a repetition of the natural birth1 or entrance into the elements of a new existence4 ,to realise this1 the student must be indoctrinated in the philosophy of his natural birth1 which involves three principles2 viz4--,the spirit1 the water and the blood4 ,the embryo formation of the human body1 is commenced and sustained by blood and spirit1 in the womb of nature1 where1 until the period of birth1 it floats in the element of water4 ,at birth1 then1 it is literally born of water1 that is1 it emerges from that element in which it has been so long immersed1 into a different element1 called the atmosphere1 which then becomes a necessary element of existence4 ,to be born again1 then1 is to enter into the same element1 suspend the breath in the watery womb1 and emerge from that element into the atmosphere1 and again gasp the first breath in the new creation2 while1 at the same time1 the blood of ,atonement is applied to the individual1 for remission of sins1 and is followed by the outpouring of the ,holy ,spirit of promise4 ,as it is written--,there are three that bear record on the earth2 the spirit1 the water1 and the blood4 ,the things of this visible creation1 are the patterns of things in the invisible world2 and are so arranged as to exactly correspond--the one answering to the other1 as face to face in a mirror4 ,the immersion in water1 in the name of the ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,spirit1 for remission of sins2 and the baptism of the ,holy ,spirit1 which follows according to promise1 by the laying on of the hands of the holy ,priesthood2 were instituted from before the foundation of the world1 as a pattern of the birth1 death1 resurrection and new life of man4 ,the candidate is now initiated into the first principles of the science of ,divine ,theology4 ,his mind is quickened1 his intellectual faculties are aroused to intense activity4 ,he is1 as it were1 illuminated4 ,he learns more of divine truth in a few days1 than he could have learned in a life time in the best merely human institutions in the world4 ,his affections are also purified1 exalted1 and increased in proportion4 ,he loves his heavenly ,father1 and ,jesus ,christ1 with a perfect love4 ,he also loves the members of the ,church1 or the body of ,christ1 as he loves his own soul2 while his bosom swells with the tenderest sympathies1 and emotions of good will and benevolence1 for all mankind4 ,he would make any sacrifice which might be expedient1 to do good4 ,he would lay down his life most cheerfully1 without one moment's hesitation1 or regret1 if required of him by the cause of truth4 ,he also feels the spirit of prayer and watchfulness continually1 and pours out his soul in the same1 and finds he is answered in all things which are expedient4 ,he is now in a fit capacity to exercise some one or more of the spiritual gifts4 ,he may perhaps speak in power1 in the word of wisdom1 in the word of knowledge1 in prophecy1 or in other tongues4 ,he may see a vision1 dream an inspired dream1 or possess the gift to be healed1 or to heal others1 by the laying on of hands in the name of ,jesus ,christ4 ,to impart a portion of the ,holy ,spirit by the touch1 or by the laying on of hands2 or to impart a portion of the element of life1 from one animal body to another1 by an authorized agent who acts in the name of ,god1 and who is filled therewith1 is as much in accordance with the laws of nature1 as for water to seek its own level2 air1 its equilibrium2 or heat1 and electricity1 their own mediums of conveyance4 ,this law of spiritual fluid1 its communicative properties1 and the channel by which it is imparted from one person to another1 bear some resemblance1 or analogy1 to the laws and operations of electricity4 ,like electricity1 it is imparted by the contact of two bodies1 through the channel of the nerves4 ,but the two fluids differ very widely4 ,the one is a property nearly allied to the grosser elements of matter2 not extensively endowed with the attributes of intelligence1 wisdom1 affection1 or moral discrimination4 ,it can therefore be imparted from one animal body to another1 irrespective of the intellectual or moral qualities of the subject or recipient4 ,the other is a substance endowed with the attributes of intelligence1 affection1 moral discrimination1 love1 charity1 and benevolence pure as the emotions which swell the bosom1 thrill the nerves1 or vibrate the pulse of the ,father of all4 ,an agent filled with this heavenly fluid cannot impart of the same to another1 unless that other is justified1 washed1 cleansed from all his impurities of heart1 affections1 habits or practices1 by the blood of atonement1 which is generally applied in connexion with the baptism of remission4 ,a man who continues in his sins1 and who has no living faith in the ,son of ,god1 cannot receive the gift of the ,holy ,spirit through the ministration of any agent1 however holy he may be4 ,the impure spirit of such a one will repulse the pure element1 upon the natural laws of sympathetic affinity1 or of attraction and repulsion4 ,an intelligent being1 in the image of ,god1 possesses every organ1 attribute1 sense1 sympathy1 affection1 of will1 wisdom1 love1 power and gift1 which is possessed by ,god ,himself4 ,but these are possessed by man1 in his rudimental state1 in a subordinate sense of the word4 ,or1 in other words1 these attributes are in embryo2 and are to be gradually developed4 ,they resemble a bud--a germ1 which gradually developes into bloom1 and then1 by progress1 produces the mature fruit1 after its own kind4 ,the gift of the ,holy ,spirit adapts itself to all these organs or attributes4 ,it quickens all the intellectual faculties1 increases1 enlarges1 expands and purifies all the natural passions and affections2 and adapts them1 by the gift of wisdom1 to their lawful use4 ,it inspires1 developes1 cultivates and matures all the fine toned sympathies1 joys1 tastes1 kindred feelings and affections of our nature4 ,it inspires virtue1 kindness1 goodness1 tenderness1 gentleness and charity4 ,it developes beauty of person1 form and features4 ,it tends to health1 vigour1 animation and social feeling4 ,it developes and invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man4 ,it strengthens1 invigorates1 and gives tone to the nerves4 ,in short1 it is1 as it were1 marrow to the bone1 joy to the heart1 light to the eyes1 music to the ears1 and life to the whole being4 ,in the presence of such persons1 one feels to enjoy the light of their countenances1 as the genial rays of a sunbeam4 ,their very atmosphere diffuses a thrill1 a warm glow of pure gladness and sympathy1 to the heart and nerves of others who have kindred feelings1 er sympathy of spirit4 ,no matter if the parties are strangers1 entirely unknown to each other in person or character2 no matter if they have never spoken to each other1 each will be apt to remark in his own mind1 and perhaps exclaim1 when referring to the interview--,o what an atmosphere encircles that stranger6 ,how my heart thrilled with pure and holy feelings in his presence6 ,what confidence and sympathy he inspired6 ,his countenance and spirit gave me more assurance1 than a thousand written recommendations1 or introductory letters4 ,such is the gift of the ,holy ,spirit1 and such are its operations1 when received through the lawful channel--the divine1 eternal ,priesthood4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,philosophy ,,of ,,miracles4 ,trembling with awe and fear1 the mind inquires-- ,what master spirit1 now1 the bard inspires2 ,what bold philosophy shall dare assign ,a law to govern miracles divine-- ,tell how effects transpire without a cause1 ,and how kind nature breaks kind nature's laws8 ,among the popular errors of modern times1 an opinion prevails that miracles are events which transpire contrary to the laws of nature1 that they are effects without a cause4 ,if such is the fact1 then1 there never has been a miracle1 and there never will be one4 ,the laws of nature are the laws of truth4 ,truth is unchangeable1 and independent in its own sphere4 ,a law of nature never has been broken4 ,and it is an absolute impossibility that such law ever should be broken4 ,that which1 at first sight1 appears to be contrary to the known laws of nature1 will always be found1 on investigation1 to be in perfect accordance with those laws4 ,for instance1 had a sailor of the last century been running before the wind1 and met with a vessel running at a good rate of speed1 directly in opposition to the wind and current1 this sight would have presented1 to his understanding1 a miracle in the highest possible sense of the term1 that is1 an event entirely contrary to the laws of nature1 as known to him4 ,or if a train of cars1 loaded with hundreds of passengers1 or scores of tons of freight1 had been seen passing over the surface of the earth1 at the rate of sixty miles per hour1 and propelled1 seemingly1 by its own inherent powers of locomotion1 our fathers would have beheld a miracle--an event which would have appeared1 to them1 to break those very laws of nature with which they were the most familiar4 ,if the last generation had witnessed the conveyance of news from ,london to ,paris1 in an instant1 while they knew nothing of the late invention of the electric telegraph1 they would have testified1 in all candour1 and with the utmost assurance1 that a miracle had been performed1 in open violation of the well known laws of nature1 and contrary to all human knowledge of cause and effect4 ,but1 once familiar with the arts of the living age1 all those miracles cease to be such1 and the laws of nature1 and of cause and effect1 are found to be still moving1 unimpaired1 in all the harmony of primeval existence and operation4 ,the same views will apply1 with equal force1 to all the spiritual phenomena of the universe4 ,the terms miracle and mystery must become obsolete1 and finally disappear from the vocabulary of intelligences1 as they advance in the higher spheres of intellectual consistency4 ,even now they should be used only in a relative or limited sense1 as applicable to those things which are not yet within reach of our powers1 or means of comprehension4 ,we will here remind the student of two principles1 or laws of existence1 developed in a former chapter of this work1 which will account for all the miraculous powers of the universe--all the mighty works ever manifested by ,god1 or by ,his servants4 ,first4 ,all the elements of the material universe are eternal4 ,second4 ,there is a divine substance1 fluid or essence1 called ,spirit1 widely diffused among these eternal elements4 ,this spiritual substance is the most refined1 subtle1 and powerful element in the universe4 ,it is endowed with all wisdom1 all knowledge1 all intelligence and power4 ,in short1 it is the light1 life1 power and principle of all things1 by which they move2 and of all intelligences1 by which they think4 ,this divine element1 or ,spirit1 is the immediate1 active1 or controlling agent1 in all holy1 miraculous powers4 ,angels1 and all holy men1 perform all their miracles1 simply1 to use a modern magnetic term1 by being in communication with this divine substance4 ,two beings1 or two millions--any number thus placed in communication--all possess one mind4 ,the mind of the one is the mind of the other1 the will of the one is the will of the other1 the word of the one is the word of the other4 ,and the holy fluid1 or ,spirit1 being in communication with them all1 goes forth to control the elements1 and to execute all their mandates which are legally issued1 and in accordance with the mind and wisdom of the ,great ,eloheim4 ,god the ,father is the ,head4 ,the mandates of ,jesus ,christ must be in the name of the ,father4 ,the mandates of angels1 or of holy men1 in order to be legal1 or of due force and power1 must be issued in the name of ,jesus ,christ1 or of the three who compose the ,head ,council2 and must be in accordance with their united mind and will4 ,the ,holy ,spirit then goes forth and executes their mandates4 ,this agency being invisible1 and the effect visible1 the act performed appears to those who are unacquainted with spiritual agency1 as a miracle1 or an effect without a cause4 ,when ,jesus ,christ was clothed upon with a mortal tabernacle1 he had not the fulness of this divine substance at the first1 but grew and increased in the same1 till1 being raised from the dead1 he received a fulness and1 therefore1 had all power1 in heaven and on earth4 ,his ,apostles received a portion of this ,spirit1 but not a fulness1 while they were mortal2 therefore1 they could know and perform some things1 but not all4 ,the members of the ,church also partook of this ,spirit1 through the ministry of the ,apostles1 by which miraculous gifts were imparted unto them1 some to one1 and some to another3 some to speak in tongues2 some to interpret1 or translate from one language into another2 some to prophesy1 see visions1 or converse with angels2 and others to control1 or cast out devils1 or heal the sick2 and others1 again1 to teach and edify the ,church1 or the world1 by the word of wisdom1 and by the word of knowledge4 ,all these gifts and miracles were the workings of that one1 and the self same ,spirit given to the members of the ,church of the ,saints1 while the world did not partake of a sufficient measure of the ,spirit to possess these gifts4 ,the reason of this is1 that they did not repent1 and believe in ,jesus ,christ1 and be baptized in his name1 and receive the gift of the ,holy ,spirit1 by the laying on of the hands of the ,priesthood--these duties and ordinances1 being the legal or appointed channel by which the gift of the ,holy ,spirit was imparted4 ,the reason why these gifts of the ,spirit have not been enjoyed in all ages of the so called ,christian ,church is because it is not the true ,church2 nor1 is the true ministry or ,apostleship to be found among the ,church1 or ,churches1 where these gifts are denied4 ,every minister and member of such institutions have need to repent1 and be baptized1 in the name of ,jesus ,christ1 for remission of sins2 and to receive the gift of the ,holy ,spirit1 by the laying on of hands of those who have authority1 in order to enter into the kingdom of ,god4 ,these ordinances1 ministered by a legal ,priesthood1 being divinely appointed1 are the only legitimate means by which man may receive and exercise these divine powers2 or1 in other words1 they are the means ordained of ,god1 by which one being may communicate or impart a portion of this divine substance to another1 so as to place that other in communication with the ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,spirit1 and with angels1 and the spirits of just men in the world of spirits1 and with the members of the true ,church on the earth4 ,to heal a person by the touch1 or by the laying on of hands in the name of ,jesus ,christ1 or to impart the ,holy ,spirit by the laying on of hands1 is as much in accordance with the laws of nature1 as for water to seek its own level1 an apple to fall to the ground when loosened from the tree where it grew1 quicksilver to attract its own affinities1 or the magnet to obey its own laws4 ,as the electric fluid obeys its own laws upon the wire1 so1 also1 does the spiritual or holy fluid convey itself1 through certain channels1 from one body to another1 in accordance with certain legitimate laws4 ,the usual channel for all spiritual fluids1 whether holy or impure1 in their operations upon the human system1 or in their passage from one animal body to another1 is the nerves4 ,a person commissioned of ,jesus ,christ1 and filled with this spiritual substance1 can impart of the same to another1 provided there is a preparation of heart1 and faith on the part of the receiver4 ,or if1 as in cases of healing1 casting out devils1 c41 it happens that the receiver has no command of his own mind--as in cases of little children1 persons swooned1 fainted1 deranged1 or dead1 then the faith of the administrator alone1 or in connexion with other friends and agents1 in his behalf1 is sufficient1 in many cases1 to perform the work4 ,however1 the touch1 or laying on of hands1 is not the only means of communicating the gift of healing4 ,a word spoken1 a mandate issued1 or even a handkerchief1 apron1 or other garment1 worn or touched by a person full of this ,spirit1 and conveyed to another1 has1 according to sacred history1 and also the experience of the present age1 proved sufficient to communicate the spiritual fluid1 between minds of strong and mutual faith4 ,so well acquainted was the ,prophet ,elisha with this principle1 that he sent his servant to lay his staff upon a dead child1 in order to raise it from the dead2 but1 in this instance1 the undertaking failed4 ,the ,prophet could only resuscitate the child by placing face on face1 eye to eye1 mouth to mouth1 hand to hand1 c41 so as to give the greatest possible effect to the imparting of the spirit of life4 ,for the holy and divine fluid1 or spiritual element1 to control all other elements1 agreeable to its own will1 and the will of others1 who are in communication or in perfect unison with itself1 is just as natural as for the greater to control the less1 or the strong the weak4 ,it is upon the same principle that a higher intelligence is able to comprehend1 circumscribe1 and instruct that which is less4 ,hence1 when the worlds were framed1 ,god spake1 and this divine fluid went forth and executed the mandate1 by controlling the elements1 in accordance with the will1 pattern1 or design1 formed in the mind of ,him that spake1 and it that executed4 ,wisdom pondered the pattern of all created things1 weighed their properties1 attributes and uses in the balance of mature intellect4 ,every minute portion and member of the several departments of life and being1 every adaptation to their natural use1 was clearly conceived1 formed in the mind1 and matured1 ere the mandate was issued4 ,and the whole was executed in exact accordance with the pattern matured in the ,divine ,mind4 ,by this divine ,spirit all things were designed and formed4 ,by this divine ,substance all things live1 move1 and have a being4 ,by this agency ,moses controlled the sea2 ,joshua1 the motions of the earth2 ,daniel1 the mouths of the lions2 and his brethren1 the flames4 ,by this1 the heavens were opened1 and were shut2 the rain or the dearth prevailed2 armies were subdued2 the sick healed1 or the dead raised2 and all in accordance with the laws of nature1 it being perfectly natural for the subordinate elements to obey the supreme1 all controlling1 all pervading element1 which contains in itself the innate1 and inalienable1 controlling power4 ,the modern world1 called ,christian claims to have perpetuated the system called ,christianity1 while1 at the same time1 it declares1 that the miraculous gifts of the ,spirit have ceased4 ,with as much propriety it might be contended1 that the magnet had been perpetuated1 but had lost its magnetic properties2 that water was perpetuated with all its virtues1 but had lost its power to quench thirst1 or seek its own level2 that fire was still fire1 but had lost its heat4 ,how1 we inquire1 can ,christianity have been perpetuated1 while its virtues1 its legitimate powers1 its distinguishing features1 its very life and essence have ceased from among men8 ,or1 of what possible use is it if it does exist8 ,is a compass of use when its needle has lost its magnetic attraction8 ,is water of use when it no longer seeks its level1 or quenches thirst8 ,is fire of use when it loses its heat8 ,is a sun dial of use in a dark and cloudy day2 or1 a watch without a mainspring8 ,or1 are the mere forms and ceremonies of any system of use1 when the divine1 or legitimate powers1 for which such forms were instituted1 are withdrawn8 ,o man6 be no longer deceived by solemn mockeries of things sacred1 or by great and holy names applied to corrupt and degenerate systems4 ,when the miracles and gifts of the divine ,spirit ceased from among men1 ,christianity ceased1 the ,christian ministry ceased1 the ,church of ,christ ceased4 ,that ministry which sets aside modern inspiration1 revelation1 prophecy1 angels1 visions1 healings1 c41 is not ordained of ,god2 but is ,anti-,christian in spirit4 ,in short1 it is that spirit of priestcraft and kingcraft1 by which the world1 for many ages1 has been ruled as with a rod of iron4 ,the sooner the present generation lose all reverence and respect for modern ,christianity1 with all its powerless forms and solemn mockeries1 the sooner they will be prepared to receive the kingdom of ,god4 ,the sooner the treasuries of nations1 and the purses of individuals1 are relieved from the support of priestcraft and superstitions1 so much sooner will they be able and willing to devote their means and influence to print and publish the glad tidings of the fulness of the ,gospel1 restored in this age1 to assist in the gathering of the house of ,israel1 and in the building of the cities and temples of ,zion and ,jerusalem4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,angels ,,and ,,spirits4 ,boast not your lightning wires to bear the news1 ,such tardy means the ,saints would never choose2 ,too slow your fluid1 and too short your wires ,for heavenly converse1 such as love inspires4 ,if man would fain commune with worlds above1 ,angels transport the news on wings of love4 ,are they not all ministering spirits1 sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation8 ,heb4 i4 #ad4 ,angels are of the same race as men4 ,they are1 in fact1 men who have passed from the rudimental state to the higher spheres of progressive being4 ,they have died and risen again to life1 and are consequently possessed of a divine1 human body of flesh and bones1 immortal and eternal4 ,they eat1 drink1 sing and converse like other men4 ,some of them hold the keys of ,apostleship and ,priesthood1 by which they teach1 instruct1 bless1 and perform miracles and many mighty works4 ,translated men1 like ,enoch1 ,elijah1 ,john the ,apostle1 and three of the ,apostles of the ,western ,hemisphere1 are also like the angels4 ,angels are ministers1 both to men upon the earth1 and to the world of spirits4 ,they pass from one world to another with more ease1 and in less time than we pass from one city to another4 ,they have not a single attribute which man has not4 ,but their attributes are more matured1 or more developed1 than the attributes of men in this present sphere of existence4 ,whenever the keys of ,priesthood1 or1 in other words1 the keys of the science of ,theology1 are enjoyed by man on the earth1 the people thus privileged1 are entitled to the ministering of angels1 whose business with men on the earth1 is to restore the keys of the ,apostleship1 when lost2 to ordain men to the ,apostleship1 when there has been no ,apostolic succession2 to commit the keys of a new dispensation2 to reveal the mysteries of history2 the facts of present or past times2 and to unfold the events of a future time4 ,they are1 sometimes1 commissioned also to execute judgments upon individuals1 cities or nations4 ,they can be present in their glory1 or1 they can come in the form and appearance of other men4 ,they can also be present without being visible to mortals4 ,when they come as other men1 they will perhaps eat and drink1 and wash their feet2 and lodge with their friends4 ,hence1 it is written--,be not forgetful to entertain strangers3 for thereby some have entertained angels unawares4 ,their business is1 also1 to comfort and instruct individual members of the ,church of the ,saints2 to heal them by the laying on of hands in the name of ,jesus ,christ1 or to tell them what means to use in order to get well2 to teach them good things1 to sing them a good song1 to warn them of approaching danger1 or1 to deliver them from prison1 or from death4 ,these blessings have always been enjoyed by the people1 or ,church of the ,saints1 whenever such ,church has existed on our planet4 ,they are not peculiar to one dispensation more than another4 ,they were busy in the ,patriarchal dispensation1 in the ,mosaic1 and in the ,gospel dispensations4 ,they delivered ,lot and destroyed ,sodom4 ,they were busy with ,moses and the ,prophets4 ,they foretold to ,zechariah the birth of ,john4 ,they predicted to ,mary her conception1 and the birth of ,jesus ,christ4 ,they informed ,joseph1 her husband1 of her situation4 ,they announced the birth of ,jesus to the shepherds of ,judea1 and sang an anthem of peace on earth and good will to man1 to hail him welcome4 ,they attended on his footsteps1 in all his sojourn on the earth4 ,in fact1 an angel was the instrument to open the gloomy prison of the sepulchre1 and to call forth the sleeping body of the ,messiah1 the first to exclaim1 ,he is not here1 but is risen4 ,two angels in white raiment1 were the first to announce his second advent1 while he ascended up in the presence of his disciples4 ,thus1 being delivered from the personal attendance on their ,master on the earth1 they turned their attention to the ,apostles1 opened the way for their ministry among ,jew and ,gentile1 delivering them from prison and from danger1 and revealing the mysteries which ,god saw fit to make known to the ,saints of that age4 ,and when all the other ,apostles had fallen asleep1 and the ,apostle ,john had been banished1 to dig in the coal mines of the lone isle of ,patmos1 they still were faithful to their charge4 ,they followed him there1 and there unfolded to him the events of all ages and generations4 ,the darkness of the middle ages2 the corruptions of ,anti-,christ1 under the name of ,christianity2 the rivers of blood1 and the oceans of tears1 which would flow during eighteen centuries of error2 the mighty angel who should again commit the ,gospel to the earth1 for every nation1 kindred1 tongue1 and people2 the judgments of ,god1 in the downfall of error and mystery2 the restitution or restoration of the ,church of the ,saints2 their final triumph and dominion over the earth2 the descent of ,jesus ,christ to reign over all kingdoms2 the resurrection of the ,saints1 and their reign over the earth2 the end of death1 and sorrow1 and tears1 and weeping2 were all1 all foretold by the angel to the last of the ,twelve4 ,again1 in the present age1 have angels restored the ,gospel4 ,again have they committed the keys of ,apostleship4 ,again have they opened some of the events of the past1 present1 and future4 ,again have they attended upon the footsteps of ,apostles1 ,prophets1 and holy ,martyrs1 from the cradle to the grave4 ,again have they aided in the ministry1 and assisted to deliver from prisons1 and from persecutions and death1 the ,saints of the ,most ,high4 ,and again are they about to execute vengeance on great and notable cities and nations of the earth4 ,o what an unspeakable blessing is the ministry of angels to mortal man6 ,what a pleasing thought1 that many who minister to us1 and watch over us1 are our near kindred--our fathers who have died and risen again in former ages1 and who watch over their descendants with all the parental care and solicitude which characterize affectionate fathers and mothers on the earth4 ,thrice happy are they who have lawful claim on their guardianship1 and whose conduct does not grieve them1 and constrain them to depart from their precious charge4 ,,spirits are those who have departed this life1 and have not yet been raised from the dead4 ,these are of two kinds1 viz4--,good and evil4 ,these two kinds also include many grades of good and evil4 ,the good spirits1 in the superlative sense of the word1 are they who1 in this life1 partook of the ,holy ,priesthood1 and of the fulness of the ,gospel4 ,this class of spirits minister to the heirs of salvation1 both in this world and in the world of spirits4 ,they can appear unto men1 when permitted2 but not having a fleshly tabernacle1 they cannot hide their glory4 ,hence1 an unembodied spirit1 if it be a holy personage1 will be surrounded with a halo of resplendent glory1 or brightness1 above the brightness of the sun4 ,whereas1 spirits not worthy to be glorified will appear without this brilliant halo2 and1 although they often attempt to pass as angels of light1 there is more or less of darkness about them4 ,many spirits of the departed1 who are unhappy1 linger in lonely wretchedness about the earth1 and in the air1 and especially about their ancient homesteads1 and the places rendered dear to them by the memory of former scenes4 ,the more wicked of these are the kind spoken of in ,scripture1 as foul spirits1 unclean spirits1 spirits who afflict persons in the flesh1 and engender various diseases in the human system4 ,they will sometimes enter human bodies1 and will distract them1 throw them into fits1 cast them into the water1 into the fire1 c4 ,they will trouble them with dreams1 nightmare1 hysterics1 fever1 c4 ,they will also deform them in body and in features1 by convulsions1 cramps1 contortions1 c41 and will sometimes compel them to utter blasphemies1 horrible curses1 and even words of other languages4 ,if permitted1 they will often cause death4 ,some of these spirits are adulterous1 and suggest to the mind all manner of lasciviousness1 all kinds of evil thoughts and temptations4 ,a person1 on looking another in the eye1 who is possessed of an evil spirit1 will feel a shock--a nervous feeling1 which will1 as it were1 make his hair stand on end2 in short1 a shock resembling that produced in a nervous system by the sight of a serpent4 ,some of these foul spirits1 when possessing a person1 will cause a disagreeable smell about the person thus possessed1 which will be plainly manifest to the senses of those about him1 even though the person thus afflicted should be washed and change his clothes every few minutes4 ,there are1 in fact1 most awful instances of the spirit of lust1 and of bawdy and abominable words and actions1 inspired and uttered by persons possessed of such spirits1 even though the persons were virtuous and modest so long as they possessed their own agency4 ,some of these spirits cause deafness1 others dumbness1 c4 ,we can suggest no remedy for these multiplied evils1 to which poor human nature is subject1 except a good life1 while we are in possession of our faculties1 prayers and fastings of good and holy men1 and the ministry of those who have power given them to rebuke evil spirits1 and cast out devils1 in the name of ,jesus ,christ4 ,among the diversified spirits abroad in the world here are many religious spirits1 which are not of ,god1 but which deceive those who have not the keys of ,apostleship and ,priesthood1 or1 in other words1 the keys of the science of ,theology to guide them4 ,some of these spirits are manifested in the camp-meetings of certain sects1 and in nearly all the excitements and confusions in religious meetings falsely called revivals4 ,all the strange extacies1 swoonings1 screamings1 shoutings1 dancings1 jumpings1 and a thousand other ridiculous and unseemly manifestations1 which neither edify nor instruct1 are the fruits of these deceptive spirits4 ,we must1 however1 pity1 rather than ridicule1 or despise1 the subjects or advocates of these deceptions4 ,many of them are honest1 but they have no ,apostles1 nor other officers1 nor gifts to detect evil1 or to keep them from being led by every delusive spirit4 ,real visions1 or inspirations which would edify and instruct1 they are taught to deny4 ,should ,peter or ,paul1 or an angel from heaven1 come among them1 they would denounce him as an impostor1 with the assertion that ,apostles and angels were no longer needed4 ,there is still another class of unholy spirits at work in the world--spirits diverse from all these1 far more intelligent1 and1 if possible1 still more dangerous4 ,these are1 the spirit of divination1 vision1 foretelling1 familiar spirits1 ,animal ,magnetism1 ,mesmerism1 c41 which reveal many and great truths mixed with the greatest errors1 and also display much intelligence1 but have not the keys of the science of ,theology--the ,holy ,priesthood4 ,these spirits1 generally1 deny the divinity of ,christ1 and the great truths of the atonement1 and of the resurrection of the body4 ,of such are the ,shakers of the ,united ,states1 and their revelations4 ,they deny the resurrection of the body4 ,from this source are the revelations of ,emmanuel ,swedenborg1 which also deny the resurrection4 ,from this source1 also1 are the revelations of ,andrew ,jackson ,davis1 of ,poughkeepsie1 ,new ,york1 which deny the resurrection and the atonement4 ,from this source are all the revelations which deny the ordinances of the ,gospel1 and the keys and gifts of the ,holy ,apostleship4 ,last of all1 these are they who climb up in some other way1 besides the door1 into the sheepfold2 and who prophesy or work in their own name1 and not in the name of ,jesus ,christ4 ,no man can do a miracle in the name and by the authority of ,jesus ,christ1 except he be a good man1 and authorized by him4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,dreams4 ,mysterious power1 whence hope ethereal springs6 ,sweet heavenly relic of eternal things6 ,inspiring oft deep thoughts of things divine3 ,the past1 the present1 and the future thine4 ,thy reminiscences transport the soul ,to memory's ,paradise--its future goal4 ,for ,god speaketh once1 yea twice1 yet man perceiveth it not4 ,in a dream1 in a vision of the night1 when deep sleep falleth upon men1 in slumberings upon the bed3 then he openeth the ears of men1 and sealeth their instruction4 ,job xxxiii4 #ad1 #ae1 #af4 ,in all ages and dispensations ,god has revealed many important instructions and warnings to men by means of dreams4 ,when the outward organs of thought and perception are released from their activity1 the nerves unstrung1 and the whole of mortal humanity lies hushed in quiet slumbers1 in order to renew its strength and vigour1 it is then that the spiritual organs are at liberty1 in a certain degree1 to assume their wonted functions1 to recall some faint outlines1 some confused and half defined recollections1 of that heavenly world1 and those endearing scenes of their former estate1 from which they have descended in order to obtain and mature a tabernacle of flesh4 ,their kindred spirits1 their guardian angels then hover about them with the fondest affection1 the most anxious solicitude4 ,spirit communes with spirit1 thought meets thought1 soul blends with soul1 in all the raptures of mutual1 pure1 and eternal love4 ,in this situation1 the spiritual organs are susceptible of converse with ,deity1 or of communion with angels1 and the spirits of just men made perfect4 ,in this situation1 we frequently hold communication with our departed father1 mother1 brother1 sister1 son or daughter2 or with the former husband or wife of our bosom1 whose affection for us1 being rooted and grounded in the eternal elements1 or issuing from under the sanctuary of ,love's eternal fountain1 can never be lessened or diminished by death1 distance of space1 or length of years4 ,we may1 perhaps1 have had a friend of the other sex1 whose pulse beat in unison with our own2 whose every thought was big with the aspirations1 the hopes of a bright future in union with our own2 whose happiness in time or in eternity1 would never be fully consummated without that union4 ,such a one1 snatched from time in the very bloom of youth1 lives in the other sphere1 with the same bright hope1 watching our every footstep1 in our meanderings through the rugged path of life1 with longing desires for our eternal happiness1 and eager for our safe arrival in the same sphere4 ,with what tenderness of love1 with what solicitude of affection will they watch over our slumbers1 hang about our pillow1 and seek1 by means of the spiritual fluid1 to communicate with our spirits1 to warn us of dangers or temptation1 to comfort and soothe our sorrow1 or to ward off the ills which might befall us1 or perchance to give us some kind token of remembrance or undying love6 ,it is the pure in heart1 the lovers of truth and virtue1 that will appreciate these remarks1 for they know1 by at least a small degree of experience1 that these things are so4 ,those who are habitually given to vice1 immorality and abomination2 those who walk in the daily indulgence of unlawful lust2 those who neither believe in ,jesus ,christ1 nor seek to pray to him1 and keep his commandments2 those who do not cultivate the pure1 refined and holy joys of innocent and heavenly affection1 but who would sacrifice every finer feeling at the shrine of lawless pleasure and brutal desires--those persons will not understand and appreciate these views1 because their good angels1 their kindred spirits have long since departed1 and ceased to attend them1 being grieved and disgusted with their conduct4 ,the ,spirit of the ,lord has also been grieved1 and has left them to themselves1 to struggle alone amid the dangers and sorrows of life2 or to be the associates of demons and impure spirits4 ,such persons dream of adultery1 gluttony1 debauchery1 and crimes of every kind4 ,such persons have the foreshadowings of a doleful death1 and of darkness1 and the buffetings of fiends and malicious spirits4 ,but1 blessed are they who forfeit not their claims to the watchful care and protection of1 and communion with1 the heavenly powers1 and pure and lovely spirits4 ,we can only advise the other classes of mankind1 and entreat them1 by the joys of love1 by all the desires of life1 by all the dread of death1 darkness1 and a dreary hereafter1 yea1 by the blood of ,him who died1 by the victory of him who rose in triumph from the grave1 by their regard for those kindred spirits which would gladly love them in worlds without end1 to turn from their sinful course of life1 to obey the ordinances and commandments of ,jesus ,christ1 that the ,spirit of ,god may return to them1 and their good angels and spirits again return to their sacred charge4 ,o what a comfort it is1 in this dreary world1 to be loved and cared for by all-powerful1 warm-hearted1 and lovely friends6 ,a ,dream6 ,what have not dreams accomplished8 ,dreams and their interpretation brought the beloved son of ,jacob from his dungeon1 made him prime minister of ,egypt1 and the saviour of a nation1 and of his father's house4 ,dreams1 and the interpretation of dreams1 raised a ,daniel from slavery or degrading captivity in ,babylon1 to wear a royal chain of gold1 and to teach royalty how to rule1 whilst himself presided over the governors and presidents of more than a hundred provinces4 ,dreams1 and the interpretation of dreams1 have opened the future1 pointed out the course of empire through all the troublous times of successive ages1 till ,saints alone shall rule1 and immortality alone endure4 ,oh1 what a doleful situation was ,saul the king of ,israel placed in1 when the army of the ,philistines stood in battle array against him1 and the ,lord answered him not1 either by dream1 by ,prophet1 by vision1 or by ,urim and ,thummim6 ,he sought the unlawful gift of familiar spirits1 or ,magnetism4 ,he there learned his doom1 and rushed to battle with the desperation of hopeless despair4 ,himself1 his sons1 and the hosts of ,israel1 fell in battle in that awful day2 while ,david1 to whom these gifts had been transferred by the ordination and holy anointing of ,samuel1 arose by their use to the throne of ,israel4 ,a dream announced to ,joseph that his virgin wife should have a son4 ,a dream forewarned him to flee into ,egypt with the young child and his mother4 ,a dream announced to him in ,egypt the death of ,herod1 and warned him to return to his native land4 ,a dream warned the wise men from the east to return home another way1 and not return to ,herod to betray the young child4 ,dreams and visions warned ,paul1 and the ,apostles1 and the ,saints of his day1 of various dangers1 shipwrecks1 persecutions and deaths1 and pointed out the means of escape4 ,dreams and visions attended and guided them1 more or less1 in their whole ministry and sojourn on the earth4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,world ,,of ,,spirits4 ,ye worlds of light and life1 beyond our sphere2 ,mysterious country6 let your light appear4 ,ye angels1 lift the vail1 the truth unfold1 ,and give our ,seers a glimpse of that bright world2 ,tell where ye live1 and what are your employ1 ,your present blessing1 and your future joy4 ,say1 have you learn'd the name1 and tun'd the lyre1 ,and hymn'd the praise of him--the great ,messiah8 ,have love's emotions kindl'd in your breast1 ,and hope enraptur'd seiz'd the promis'd rest8 ,or wait ye still the resurrection day1 ,that higher promise of ,millennial sway8 ,when ,saints and angels come to earth again1 ,and in the ,mesh with ,king ,messiah reign8 ,the spirits answer'd as they soar'd away-- ,we're happy now1 but wait a greater day1 ,when sin and death1 and hell1 shall conquer'd be1 ,and earth1 with heaven1 enjoy the victory4 ,the spirit of man consists of an organization1 or embodiment of the elements of spiritual matter1 in the likeness and after the pattern of the fleshly tabernacle4 ,it possesses1 in fact1 all the organs and parts exactly corresponding to the outward tabernacle4 ,the entrance of this spirit into its embryo tabernacle of flesh1 is called quickening4 ,the infallible evidence of its presence is voluntary motion1 which implies a degree of independent agency1 or inherent will1 which individual identity alone possesses4 ,when this spirit departs1 the outward tabernacle is said to be dead1 that is1 the individual who quickened and imparted voluntary motion to the said tabernacle is no longer there4 ,this individual1 on departing from its earthly house1 repasses the dark vale of forgetfulness1 and awakes in the spirit world4 ,the spirit world is not the heaven where ,jesus ,christ1 his ,father1 and other beings dwell1 who have1 by resurrection or translation1 ascended to eternal mansions1 and been crowned and seated on thrones of power2 but it is an intermediate state1 a probation1 a place of preparation1 improvement1 instruction1 or education1 where spirits are chastened and improved1 and where1 if found worthy1 they may be taught a knowledge of the ,gospel4 ,in short1 it is a place where the ,gospel is preached1 and where faith1 repentance1 hope and charity may be exercised2 a place of waiting for the resurrection or redemption of the body2 while1 to those who deserve it1 it is a place of punishment1 a purgatory or hell1 where spirits are buffetted till the day of redemption4 ,as to its location1 it is here on the very planet where we were born2 or1 in other words1 the earth and other planets of a like sphere1 have their inward or spiritual spheres1 as well as their outward1 or temporal4 ,the one is peopled by temporal tabernacles1 and the other by spirits4 ,a vail is drawn between the one sphere and the other1 whereby all the objects in the spiritual sphere are rendered invisible to those in the temporal4 ,to discern beings or things in the spirit world1 a person in the flesh must be quickened by spiritual element1 the vail must be withdrawn1 or the organs of sight1 or of hearing1 must be transformed1 so as to be adapted to the spiritual sphere4 ,this state is called vision1 trance1 second sight1 clairvoyance1 c4 ,the elements and beings in the spirit world are as real and tangible to spiritual organs1 as things and beings of the temporal world are to beings of a temporal state4 ,in this spirit world there are all the varieties and grades of intellectual being1 which exist in the present world4 ,for instance1 ,jesus ,christ and the thief on the cross1 both went to the same place1 and found themselves associated in the spirit world4 ,but the one was there in all the intelligence1 happiness1 benevolence1 and charity1 which characterized a teacher1 a messenger1 anointed to preach glad tidings to the meek1 to bind up the broken-hearted1 to comfort those who mourned1 to preach deliverance to the captive1 and open the prison to those who were bound2 or1 in other words1 ,to preach the ,gospel to the spirits in prison1 that they might he judged according to men in the flesh2 while the other was there as a thief1 who had expired on the cross for crime1 and who was guilty1 ignorant1 uncultivated1 and unprepared for resurrection1 having need of remission of sins1 and to be instructed in the science of salvation4 ,the former bid farewell to the world of spirits on the third day1 and returned to his tabernacle of flesh1 in which he ascended to thrones1 principalities1 and powers1 while the latter is1 no doubt1 improving in the spirit world1 and waiting1 believing1 hoping for the redemption of the body4 ,in the world of spirits there are ,apostles1 ,prophets1 ,elders1 and members of the ,church of the ,saints1 holding keys of ,priesthood1 and power to teach1 comfort1 instruct1 and proclaim the ,gospel to1 their fellow-spirits1 after the pattern of ,jesus ,christ4 ,in the same world there are also the spirits of ,catholics1 and ,protestants of every sect1 who have all need to be taught1 and to come to the knowledge of the true1 unchangeable ,gospel1 in its fulness and simplicity1 that they may be judged the same as if they had been privileged with the same in the flesh4 ,there is also the ,jew1 the ,mahometan1 the infidel1 who did not believe in ,christ while in the flesh4 ,all these must be taught1 must come to the knowledge of the crucified and risen ,redeemer1 and hear the glad tidings of the ,gospel4 ,there are also all the varieties of the heathen spirits2 the noble and refined philosopher1 poet1 patriot1 or statesman of ,rome or ,greece2 the enlightened ,socrates1 ,plato1 and their like2 together with every grade of spirits1 down to the most uncultivated of the savage world4 ,all these must be taught1 enlightened1 and must bow the knee to the eternal king1 for the decree hath gone forth1 that unto him every knee shall bow and every tongue confess4 ,o what a field of labour1 of benevolence1 of missionary enterprise now opens to the ,apostles and ,elders of the ,church of the ,saints6 ,as this field opens they will begin to realize more fully the extent of their divine mission1 and the meaning of the great command to ,preach the ,gospel to every creature4 ,in this vast field of labour1 the ,priesthood are1 in a great measure1 occupied1 during their sojourn in the world of spirits while awaiting the resurrection of the body2 and at the same time they themselves are edified1 improved1 and greatly advanced and matured in the science of divine ,theology4 ,in the use of the keys of this science1 by them administered1 and in connexion with the ministration of certain ordinances1 by the ,priesthood in this mortal life1 for1 and in behalf of1 those who are dead1 the doors of the prisons of the spirit world are opened1 and their gloomy dungeons made radiant with light4 ,hope then springs afresh4 ,joy and gladness swell the bosom accustomed to anguish1 and smiles assume the place of tears1 while songs of triumph1 and the voice of melody and thanksgiving occupy the hearts1 and flow from the lips1 of those who have long dwelt in darkness1 and in the region and shadow of death4 ,the times of sojourn of a spirit in the world of spirits1 and also its privileges and degrees of enjoyment1 or of suffering1 while there1 depend much on its preparations while in the flesh4 ,for instance1 the people swept off by the flood of ,noah1 were imprisoned in the world of spirits1 in a kind of hell2 without justification1 without ,priesthood or ,gospel1 without the true knowledge of ,god1 or a hope of resurrection1 during those long ages which intervened between the flood and the death of ,christ4 ,it was only by the personal ministry of the spirit of ,jesus ,christ1 during his sojourn in the spirit world1 that they were at length privileged to hear the ,gospel1 and to act upon their own agency1 the same as men in the flesh2 whereas1 if they had repented at the preaching of ,noah1 they might have been justified1 and filled with the hope and knowledge of the resurrection while in the flesh4 ,when ,jesus ,christ had returned from his mission in the spirit world1 had triumphed over the grave1 and re-entered his fleshly tabernacle1 then the ,saints who had obeyed the ,gospel while in the flesh1 and had slept in death1 or finished their sojourn in the spirit world1 were called forth to re-enter their bodies1 and to ascend with him to mansions and thrones of eternal power1 while the residue of the spirits remained in the world of spirits to await another call4 ,those who obeyed the ,gospel on the earth1 after this first resurrection1 will also be called from their sojourn in the spirit world1 and re-united with their tabernacles of flesh1 at the sounding of the next trump1 and will reign on the earth in the flesh1 one thousand years1 while those who rejected the ,gospel will remain in the spirit world without a resurrection1 till after the thousand years4 ,again1 those who obey the ,gospel in the present age will rise from the spirit world1 and from the grave1 and reign on the earth during the great thousand years2 while those who reject it will remain in condemnation in the spirit world1 without a resurrection1 till the last trump shall sound1 and death and hell deliver up their dead4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,resurrection1 ,,its ,,times ,,and ,,degrees--,,first1 ,,second ,,and ,,third ,,heavens1 ,,or ,,the ,,telestial1 ,,terrestrial ,,and ,,celestial ,,kingdoms4 ,the grave and death and hell no more retain ,their lawful captives4 ,earth yields its slain4 ,the raging ocean1 from its lowly bed1 ,at ,michael's call1 delivers up its dead4 ,then comes the judgment1 and the final doom ,of man--his destiny beyond the tomb4 ,there are three general resurrections revealed to man on the earth2 one of these is past1 and the other two are future4 ,the first general resurrection took place in connexion with the resurrection of ,jesus ,christ4 ,this included the ,saints and ,prophets of both hemispheres1 from ,adam down to ,john the ,baptist2 or1 in other words1 all those who died in ,christ before his resurrection4 ,the second will take place in a few years from the present time1 and will be immediately succeeded by the coming of ,jesus ,christ1 in power and great glory1 with all his ,saints and ,angels4 ,this resurrection will include the ,former and ,latter-day ,saints--all those who have received the ,gospel since the former resurrection4 ,the third and last resurrection will take place more than a thousand years afterwards1 and will embrace all the human family not included in the former resurrections or translations4 ,after man is raised from the dead he will be judged according to his works1 and will receive the reward1 and be consigned to the sphere1 exactly corresponding to his former deeds1 and the preparations or qualifications which he possesses4 ,in the former resurrection1 those raised left the earth and ascended1 or1 were transplanted far on high1 with the risen ,jesus1 to the glorified mansions of his ,father1 or to some planetary system already redeemed and glorified4 ,the reasons for thus leaving the earth are obvious4 ,our planet was still in its rudimental state1 and therefore subject to the rule of sin and death4 ,it was necessary that it should continue thus1 until the full time of redemption should arrive2 it was1 therefore1 entirely unfitted for the residence of immortal man4 ,but in the resurrection which now approaches1 and in connexion with the glorious coming of ,jesus ,christ1 the earth will undergo a change in its physical features1 climate1 soil1 productions2 and in its political1 moral1 and spiritual government4 ,its mountains will be levelled1 its valleys exalted1 its swamps and sickly places will be drained and become healthy1 while its burning deserts1 and its frigid polar regions1 will be redeemed and become temperate and fruitful4 ,kingcraft and priestcraft1 tyranny1 oppression and idolatry will be at an end1 darkness and ignorance will pass away1 war will cease1 and the rule of sin1 and sorrow1 and death will give place to the reign of peace1 and truth1 and righteousness4 ,for this reason1 and to fulfil certain promises made to the ,fathers1 the ,former and ,latter-day ,saints included in the two resurrections1 and all those translated1 will then receive an inheritance on the earth1 and will build upon and improve the same for a thousand years4 ,the heathen nations1 also1 will then be redeemed1 and will be exalted to the privilege of serving the ,saints of the ,most ,high4 ,they will be the ploughmen1 the vine-dressers1 the gardeners1 builders1 etc4 ,but the ,saints will be the owners of the soil1 the proprietors of all real estate1 and other precious things2 and the kings1 governors1 and judges of the earth4 ,as the children of man multiply in those peaceful times1 a careful and wise system of agriculture will be rapidly developed1 and extended over the face of the whole earth2 its entire surface will at length become like the garden of ,eden1 the trees of life being cultivated1 and their fruits enjoyed4 ,science1 and the useful and ornamental arts1 will also be greatly extended and cultivated4 ,the fine toned instrument of many strings1 the melodious organs of the human voice1 will then be tuned to poetry and sentiments equally pure and refined1 and will pour forth melodies and strains of holy joy1 calculated to purify and melt every heart in love1 and fill every soul with mutual sympathy and extasy of heavenly union4 ,geographical knowledge1 history1 astronomy1 mathematics and navigation1 will be greatly extended and matured4 ,railroads and telegraphic lines of communication1 will be universally extended1 and the powers of steam1 or other means of locomotion brought to the highest state of perfection4 ,thus all nations will be associated in one great brotherhood4 ,a universal ,theocracy will cement the whole body politic4 ,one king will rule4 ,one holy city will compose the capitol4 ,one temple will be the centre of worship4 ,in short1 there will be one ,lord1 one ,faith1 one ,baptism1 and one ,spirit4 ,one equable1 just and useful commercial interest1 founded on the necessity and convenience of mutual exchange of products1 will also form another important bond of union4 ,mineralogy will also be greatly improved1 and its knowledge extended4 ,its hidden treasures will be developed1 and gold1 silver and the most precious and beautiful stones will be the building materials in most common use1 and will compose the utensils and furniture of the habitations of man4 ,the earth and man thus restored and exalted1 will not yet be perfect in the celestial sense of the word1 but will be considered1 in the light of eternity1 as occupying an intermediate and still progressive position amid the varieties of nature4 ,the flesh1 bones1 sinews1 nerves--all the organs--all the particles of the celestial body1 must be quickened1 filled1 surrounded with that divine and holy element1 which is purer1 more intelligent1 more refined and active1 fuller of light and life1 than any other substance in the universe4 ,every organ must be restored1 and adapted to its natural and perfect use in the celestial body4 ,the ,greek ,philosopher's immortal mind1 ,again with flesh and bone and nerve combined2 ,immortal brain and heart--immortal whole1 ,will make1 as at the first1 a living soul4 ,man1 thus adapted to all the enjoyments of life and love1 will possess the means of gratifying his organs of sight1 hearing1 taste1 c41 and will possess1 improve and enjoy the riches of the eternal elements4 ,the palace1 the city1 the garden1 the vineyard1 the fruits of the earth1 the gold1 the silver1 the precious stones1 the servants1 the chariots1 horses and horsemen are for his use2 also thrones and dominions1 principalities and powers1 might1 majesty1 and an eternal increase of riches1 honours1 immortality and eternal life are his4 ,he is1 in a subordinate sense1 a god2 or1 in other words1 one of the sons of ,god4 ,all things are his1 and he is ,christ's1 and ,christ is ,god's4 ,such is the great ,millennium4 ,and such is celestial man1 in his progress towards perfection4 ,besides the peculiar glory of the celestial1 there are in the resurrection and final reward of man1 many subordinate spheres1 many degrees of reward adapted to an almost infinite variety of circumstances1 conditions1 degrees of improvement1 knowledge1 accountability and conduct4 ,the final state of man1 though varying in almost infinite gradations and rewards1 adapted to his qualifications and deserts1 and meted out in the scale of exact justice and mercy1 may be conceived or expressed under three grand heads1 or principal spheres1 viz4-- ,first4 ,the ,telestial1 or least heaven1 typified by the stars of the firmament4 ,secondly4 ,the ,terrestrial1 or intermediate heaven1 typified by the moon4 ,thirdly4 ,the ,celestial1 or third heaven1 of which the sun of the firmament is typical4 ,the qualifications which fit and prepare intelligences1 for these different spheres or rewards1 are an all important consideration1 and well worthy of the sincere attention of all people4 ,these several kingdoms or degrees1 and their comparative happiness1 and what characters are candidates for each degree1 are revealed in a most concise1 clear1 lucid and beautiful manner1 in one of the visions of our great ,prophet and founder4 ,we will therefore complete this chapter by the insertion of said ,,vision4 ,hear1 ,o ye heavens1 and give ear1 ,o earth1 and rejoice1 ye inhabitants thereof1 for the ,lord is ,god1 and beside him there is no ,saviour3 great is ,his wisdom1 marvellous are ,his ways1 and the extent of ,his doings none can find out2 ,his purposes fail not1 neither are there any who can stay ,his hand2 from eternity to eternity ,he is the same1 and ,his years never fail4 ,for thus saith the ,lord1 ,i1 the ,lord1 am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me1 and delight to honour those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end4 ,great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory2 and to them will ,i reveal all mysteries1 yea1 all the hidden mysteries of my kingdom from days of old1 and for ages to come will ,i make known unto them the good pleasure of my will concerning all things pertaining to my kingdom2 yea1 even the wonders of eternity shall they know1 and things to come will ,i show them1 even the things of many generations2 and their wisdom shall be great1 and their understanding reach to heaven3 and before them the wisdom of the wise shall perish1 and the understanding of the prudent shall come to naught1 for by my ,spirit will ,i enlighten them1 and by my power will ,i make known unto them the secrets of my will2 yea1 even those things which eye has not seen1 nor ear heard1 nor yet entered into the heart of man4 ,we1 ,joseph ,smith1 jun41 and ,sidney ,rigdon1 being in the ,spirit on the sixteenth of ,february1 in the year of our ,lord1 one thousand eight hundred and thirty-two1 by the power of the ,spirit our eyes were opened and our understandings were enlightened1 so as to see and understand the things of ,god--even those things which were from the beginning1 before the world was1 which were ordained of the ,father1 through ,his only begotten ,son1 who was in the bosom of the ,father1 even from the beginning1 of whom we bear record1 and the record which we bear is the fulness of the ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ1 who is the ,son1 whom we saw and with whom we conversed in the heavenly vision2 for while we were doing the work of translation1 which the ,lord had appointed unto us1 we came to the twenty-ninth verse of the fifth chapter of ,john1 which was given unto us as follows4 ,speaking of the resurrection of the dead1 concerning those who shall hear the voice of the ,son of man1 and shall come forth2 they who have done good in the resurrection of the just1 and they who have done evil in the resurrection of the unjust4 ,now this caused us to marvel1 for it was given unto us of the ,spirit2 and while we meditated upon these things1 the ,lord touched the eyes of our understandings and they were opened1 and the glory of the ,lord shone round about2 and we beheld the glory of the ,son1 on the right hand of the ,father1 and received of his fulness2 and saw the holy angels1 and they who are sanctified before ,his throne1 worshipping ,god and the ,lamb1 who worship ,him for ever and ever4 ,and now1 after the many testimonies which have been given of him1 this is the testimony last of all1 which we give of him1 that he lives2 for we saw him1 even on the right hand of ,god1 and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the only begotten of the ,father--that by him and through him1 and of him the worlds are and were created1 and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto ,god4 ,and this we saw also1 and bear record1 that an angel of ,god who was in authority in the presence of ,god1 who rebelled against the only begotten ,son1 whom the ,father loved1 and who was in the bosom of the ,father1 was thrust down from the presence of ,god and the ,son1 and was called ,perdition1 for the heavens wept over him--he was ,lucifer1 a son of the morning4 ,and we beheld1 and lo1 he is fallen6 is fallen6 even a son of the morning4 ,and while we were yet in the ,spirit1 the ,lord commanded us that we should write the vision1 for we beheld ,satan1 that old serpent--even the devil1 who rebelled against ,god1 and sought to take the kingdom of our ,god1 and ,his ,christ1 wherefore he maketh war with the ,saints of ,god1 and encompasses them round about4 ,and we saw a vision of the sufferings of those with whom he made war and overcame1 for thus came the voice of the ,lord unto us4 ,thus saith the ,lord1 concerning all those who know my power1 and have been made partakers thereof1 and suffered themselves1 through the power of the devil1 to be overcome1 and to deny the truth and defy my power--they are they who are the sons of perdition1 of whom ,i say that it had been better for them never to have been born1 for they are vessels of wrath1 doomed to suffer the wrath of ,god1 with the devil and his angels in eternity2 concerning whom ,i have said there is no forgiveness in this world nor in the world to come1 having denied the ,holy ,spirit after having received it1 and having denied the only begotten ,son of the ,father--having crucified him unto themselves1 and put him to an open shame4 ,these are they who shall go away into the lake of fire and brimstone1 with the devil and his angels1 and the only ones on whom the second death shall have any power2 yea1 verily1 the only ones who shall not be redeemed in the due time of the ,lord1 after the sufferings of his wrath2 for all the rest shall be brought forth by the resurrection of the dead1 through the triumph and the glory of the ,lamb1 who was slain1 who was in the bosom of the ,father before the worlds were made4 ,and this is the ,gospel1 the glad tidings which the voice out of the heavens bore record unto us1 that he came into the world1 even ,jesus1 to be crucified for the world1 and to bear the sins of the world1 and to sanctify the world1 and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness2 that through him all might be saved whom the ,father had put into his power and made by him1 who glorifies the ,father1 and saves all the works of his hands1 except those sons of perdition1 who deny the ,son after the ,father has revealed him2 wherefore1 he saves all except them2 they shall go away into everlasting punishment1 which is endless punishment1 which is eternal punishment1 to reign with the devil and his angels in eternity1 where their worm dieth not1 and the fire is not quenched1 which is their torment2 and the end thereof1 neither the place thereof1 nor their torment1 no man knows1 neither was it revealed1 neither is1 neither will be revealed unto man1 except to them who are made partakers thereof3 nevertheless ,i1 the ,lord1 show it by vision unto many1 but straightway shut it up again2 wherefore the end1 the width1 the height1 the depth1 and the misery thereof1 they understand not1 neither any man except them who are ordained unto this condemnation4 ,and we heard the voice1 saying1 ,write the vision1 for lo6 this is the end of the vision of the sufferings of the ungodly6 ,and again we bear record1 for we saw and heard1 and this is the testimony of the ,gospel of ,christ1 concerning them who come forth in the resurrection of the just2 they are they who received the testimony of ,jesus1 and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial1 being buried in the water in his name1 and this according to the commandment1 which he has given1 that by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins1 and receive the ,holy ,spirit by the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power1 and who overcome by faith1 and are sealed by the ,holy ,spirit of promise1 which the ,father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true4 ,they are they who are the ,church of the first born4 ,they are they into whose hands the ,father has given all things4 ,they are they who are priests and kings1 who have received of ,his fulness1 and of ,his glory1 and are priests of the ,most ,high1 after the order of ,melchisedek1 which was after the order of ,enoch1 which was after the order of the only begotten ,son2 wherefore1 as it is written1 they are gods1 even the sons of ,god2 wherefore all things are theirs1 whether life or death1 or things present1 or things to come1 all are theirs and they are ,christ's and ,christ is ,god's2 and they shall overcome all things2 wherefore let no man glory in man1 but rather let him glory in ,god1 who shall subdue all enemies under ,his feet--these shall dwell in the presence of ,god and ,his ,christ for ever and ever4 ,these are they whom he shall bring with him1 when he shall come in the clouds of heaven1 to reign on the earth over his people4 ,these are they who shall have part in the first resurrection4 ,these are they who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just4 ,these are they who are come unto ,mount ,zion1 and unto the city of the living ,god1 the heavenly place1 the holiest of all4 ,these are they who have come to an innumerable company of angels1 to the general assembly and ,church of ,enoch1 and of the first born4 ,these are they whose names are written in heaven1 where ,god and ,christ are the judge of all4 ,these are they who are just men made perfect through ,jesus the mediator of the new covenant1 who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood4 ,these are they whose bodies are celestial whose glory is that of the sun1 even the glory of ,god1 the highest of all1 whose glory the sun of the firmament is written of as being typical4 ,and again1 we saw the terrestrial world1 and behold and lo1 these are they who are of the terrestrial1 whose glory differs from that of the ,church of the first-born1 who have received the fulness of the ,father1 even as that of the moon differs from the sun in the firmament-- behold1 these are they who died without law1 and also they who are the spirits of men kept in prison1 whom the ,son visited1 and preached the ,gospel unto1 that they might be judged according to men in the flesh1 who received not the testimony of ,jesus in the flesh1 but afterwards received it4 ,these are they who are honourable men of the earth1 who were blinded by the craftiness of men4 ,these are they who receive of his glory1 but not of his fulness4 ,these are they who receive of the presence of the ,son1 but not of the fulness of the ,father2 wherefore1 they are bodies terrestrial1 and not bodies celestial1 and differ in glory as the moon differs from the sun4 ,these are they who are not valiant in the testimony of ,jesus2 wherefore they obtained not the crown over the kingdom of our ,god4 ,and now this is the end of the vision which we saw of the terrestrial1 that the ,lord commanded us to write while we were yet in the ,spirit4 ,and again1 we saw the glory of the telestial1 which glory is that of the lesser1 even as the glory of the stars differs from that of the moon in the firmament4 ,these are they who received not the ,gospel of ,christ1 neither the testimony of ,jesus4 ,these are they who deny not the ,holy ,spirit4 ,these are they who are thrust down to hell4 ,these are they who shall not be redeemed from the devil1 until the last resurrection1 until the ,lord1 even ,christ the ,lamb1 shall have finished his work4 ,these are they who receive not of his fulness in the eternal world1 but of the ,holy ,spirit1 through the ministration of the terrestrial2 and the terrestrial through the ministration of the celestial2 and also the telestial receive it of the administering of angels who are appointed to minister for them1 or who are appointed to be ministering spirits for them1 for they shall be heirs of salvation4 ,and thus we saw in the heavenly vision1 the glory of the telestial1 which surpasses all understanding1 and no man knows it except him to whom ,god has revealed it4 ,and thus we saw the glory of the terrestrial1 which excels in all things the glory of the telestial1 even in glory1 and in power1 and in might1 and in dominion4 ,and thus we saw the glory of the celestial which excels in all things--where ,god1 even the ,father1 reigns upon ,his throne for ever and ever2 before whose throne all things bow in humble reverence and give ,him glory for ever and ever4 ,they who dwell in ,his presence are the ,church of the first-born1 and they see as they are seen1 and know as they are known1 having received of ,his fulness and of ,his grace2 and ,he makes them equal in power1 and in might1 and in dominion4 ,and the glory of the celestial is one1 even as the glory of the sun is one4 ,and the glory of the terrestrial is one1 even as the glory of the moon is one4 ,and the glory of the telestial is one1 even as the glory of the stars is one1 for as one star differs from another star in glory1 even so differs one from another in glory in the telestial world2 for these are they who are of ,paul1 and of ,apollos1 and of ,cephas4 ,these are they who say they are some of one and some of another--some of ,christ1 and some of ,john1 and some of ,moses1 and some of ,elias1 and some of ,esaias1 and some of ,isaiah1 and some of ,enoch2 but received not the ,gospel1 neither the testimony of ,jesus1 neither the ,prophets1 neither the ,everlasting ,covenant4 ,last of all1 these all are they who will not be gathered with the ,saints1 to be caught up unto the ,church of the firstborn1 and received into the cloud4 ,these are they who are liars1 and sorcerers1 and adulterers1 and whoremongers1 and whosoever loves and makes a lie4 ,these are they who suffer the wrath of ,god on the earth4 ,these are they who suffer the vengeance of eternal fire4 ,these are they who are cast down to hell and suffer the wrath of ,almighty ,god1 until the fulness of times when ,christ shall have subdued all enemies under his feet1 and shall have perfected his work1 when he shall deliver up the ,kingdom1 and present it unto the ,father spotless1 saying--,i have overcome and have trodden the wine-press alone1 even the wine-press of the fierceness of the wrath of ,almighty ,god4 ,then shall he be crowned with the crown of ,his glory1 to sit on the throne of his power to reign for ever and ever4 ,but behold1 and lo1 we saw the glory and the inhabitants of the telestial world1 that they were as innumerable as the stars in the firmament of heaven1 or as the sand upon the sea shore1 and heard the voice of the ,lord saying--these all shall bow the knee1 and every tongue shall confess to him who sits upon the throne for ever and ever2 for they shall be judged according to their works1 and every man shall receive according to his own works1 his own dominion1 in the mansions which are prepared1 and they shall be servants of the ,most ,high1 but where ,god and ,christ dwell they cannot come1 worlds without end4 ,this is the end of the vision which we saw1 which we were commanded to write while we were yet in the ,spirit4 ,but great and marvellous are the works of the ,lord1 and the mysteries of ,his kingdom which ,he showed unto us1 which surpasses all understanding in glory1 and in might1 and in dominion1 which ,he commanded us we should not write while we were yet in the ,spirit1 and are not lawful for man to utter2 neither is man capable to make them known1 for they are only to be seen and understood by the power of the ,holy ,spirit1 which ,god bestows on those who love ,him1 and purify themselves before ,him2 to whom ,he grants this privilege of seeing and knowing for themselves2 that through the power and manifestation of the ,spirit1 while in the flesh1 they may be able to bear ,his presence in the world of glory4 ,and to ,god and the ,lamb be glory1 and honour1 and dominion for ever and ever4 ,amen4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,further ,,remarks ,,on ,,man',s ,,physical ,,and ,,intellectual ,,progress--,,philosophy ,,of ,,will1 ,,as ,,originating1 ,,directing1 ,,and ,,controlling ,,all ,,voluntary ,,animal ,,motion--,,astounding ,,facts ,,in ,,relation ,,to ,,the ,,speed1 ,,or ,,velocity ,,of ,,motion1 ,,as ,,attainable ,,by ,,physical ,,man--,,intercommunication ,,of ,,the ,,inhabitants ,,of ,,different ,,and ,,distant ,,planets4 ,wide1 and more wide1 the kindling bosom swells1 ,as love inspires1 and truth its wonders tells4 ,the soul enraptured tunes the sacred lyre4 ,and bids a worm of earth to heaven aspire1 ,mid solar systems numberless1 to soar1 ,the depths of love and science to explore4 ,as ,i have before remarked1 man is a candidate for a series of progressive changes1 all tending to develop his intellectual and physical faculties1 to expand his mind1 and to enlarge his sphere of action1 and consequent usefulness and happiness4 ,he begins his physical1 or rudimental1 fleshly career by descending below all things4 ,he has at his birth less power of locomotion1 or even instinct1 than other animals4 ,his powers of motion are so very limited1 that for several months he is entirely unable to change his locality4 ,wherever he is placed1 there he must remain until removed by the agency of others4 ,he can hardly be said to have a will1 or1 at least1 it is so undeveloped1 as scarcely to manifest itself by any effort beyond the movement of some portion of his members4 ,while he remains in this state of mental inability and physical helplessness1 a casual observer1 entirely unacquainted with his progress and destiny1 might very naturally conclude that this was the climax of his maturity1 the natural sphere of his eternal existence4 ,a few months1 however1 develop a marked change--he begins to learn the use1 and put forth the powers of his will4 ,the body1 developed in a commensurate degree1 is able to obey that will4 ,thus commences locomotion4 ,the child crawls or creeps about the floor2 explores the little world--that is to say1 the room where he resides1 or the adjoining apartment--becomes familiar with its dimensions1 bearings and contents1 and recognizes his associates or fellow citizens of the same little world4 ,then he becomes familiar with the science of geography and of history1 if ,i may so call it1 in his little world4 ,prompted by curiosity1 he may1 perhaps1 cast an occasional glance beyond the limits of his own abode4 ,he may contemplate a building or landscape on the other side of the street or field1 but with much of the same feeling as a man1 more matured1 casts his eyes to the distant planets4 ,he concludes that these distant objects are entirely beyond the reach of his powers of locomotion4 ,in a short time1 however1 his faculties1 still expanding1 develop new and increasing energies4 ,he conceives big thoughts4 ,he even thinks of dispensing with his plodding1 creeping manner of locomotion1 and of trying to stand upright1 and even make a first step towards walking4 ,it is a great undertaking4 ,he hesitates1 doubts1 fears1 hopes1 till finally1 being cheered onward in his career by his parents or his nurse1 he makes the attempt4 ,after several falls1 failures1 and disappointments1 he at length succeeds in walking two or three steps4 ,o what a triumph in his powers of locomotion6 ,he is cheered1 embraced1 overwhelmed1 by those who have been watching his progress and encouraging him1 until1 overcome and carried away by an extasy of transport1 he falls1 blushing1 smiling and exulting into the arms held out for his reception4 ,he dreams not of a higher attainment4 ,he is now1 in his own estimation1 at the very highest pinnacle of human development4 ,improving in his new mode of locomotion1 he soon runs about the yard1 along the street1 through the field1 makes new discoveries1 sees new habitations1 enlarges his geographical knowledge1 and begins to conceive the probability that his views have been too narrow1 and that there may be a bigger world1 more people1 and more buildings than were dreamed of in his philosophy4 ,in a few years he may become familiar with the geography and history of the island or continent on which he lives4 ,he may even begin to aspire after the knowledge of other climes1 and to conceive or conjecture that beyond the limits of the almost infinite expanse of waters1 things and beings may exist after the similitude of his own sphere4 ,he longs to overcome the physical barriers1 which confine him in so limited a sphere1 and thus enlarge his acquaintance1 his social feelings1 his friendship1 his affections and his scientific knowledge4 ,so boundless and varied is the field1 so complicated are the obstacles to be surmounted1 so vast the preparations1 improvements and inventions to be brought into requisition1 that1 after ages and generations have exhausted their energies1 much is still left to be done--much which can only be done by the progress and extension of those modern triumphs of art1 by which the elements--the fire1 the wind1 the water1 the lightning1 submit to the control of man1 and become his chariot1 his bearer of despatches4 ,by these means the globe we occupy will soon be explored1 the limits1 boundaries and resources of every dark corner be clearly defined and understood4 ,man already moves over the surface of the earth at the rate of fifty1 sixty1 and even ninety miles per hour1 and still he aspires4 ,he contemplates making the air his chariot1 and wafting himself through the open firmament at the rate of1 perhaps1 a thousand miles per hour4 ,suppose he attains to this1 what then8 ,will the great1 the infinite principle within him be satisfied8 ,no4 ,he lifts his eyes to the contemplation of those myriads of shining orbs on high4 ,he knows by actual admeasurement that some of them are much larger than the planet he occupies4 ,he also knows by analogy that eternal riches are there2 that a boundless store of element and resources is there2 that they are treasured there for the use1 comfort1 convenience1 and enjoyment1 of intellectual and physical beings--beings1 for aught he knows1 of his own species1 and connected with him by kindred ties1 or by the law of universal sympathy and affection4 ,he has reason to believe that there is gold and silver1 that there are precious stones1 and houses1 and cities1 and gardens4 ,that there are walks of pleasure1 and fountains1 forests1 brooks1 and rivers of delight2 that there are bosoms fraught with life and joy1 and swelling with all the tender sensibilities of a pure1 holy and never-ending affection4 ,why1 then1 should his aspirations not reach forth1 his mind expand1 his bosom swell with love1 and his heart beat with the boundless1 fathomless infinitude of thought1 of feeling1 and of love8 ,why not be noble and boundless in charity1 like the ,god whom he calls his father8 ,why does he not rise from his groveling sphere in this small island1 which floats in the ocean of space1 as a small black speck1 amid the numberless shining orbs8 ,the reason is obvious2 it is not for the want of noble aspirations2 it is not for the want of grand conceptions2 it is not for the lack of will4 ,it is because the body is chained1 imprisoned1 confined here1 by the operation or attraction of surrounding elements1 which man has not yet discovered the means to control4 ,it may be said that the powers of earth enslave him1 and chain him down1 beyond the possibility or hope of escape4 ,reader1 in order to illustrate this subject try an experiment on your own physical and mental powers4 ,for instance2 will your arm to move1 and it will instantly obey you4 ,will your body to go three miles1 and it will obey you as fast as it can2 perhaps in one hour it will have accomplished the journey assigned to it by your will4 ,but tie your hand behind you1 and then will it to move up and down1 forward and backward1 and it will make the effort to obey you1 but cannot1 because it is confined4 ,chain your body in a dungeon1 bolt and bar the door1 and will it to go to a certain place1 and it will not obey you1 because it is physically incapable4 ,unchain this body1 provide the means of conveyance at the rate of a mile per minute1 the body1 at the bidding of the will1 will then go the three miles in three minutes4 ,now1 if it were possible to overcome the resisting elements1 so as to increase the speed of conveyance for your body--that is1 if there were no resisting element to be overcome1 your will might dictate1 and your body would move through actual space with the speed of light1 or electricity4 ,there is no apparent limit to the speed attainable by the body when unchained1 set free from the elements which now enslave it1 and dictated by the will4 ,the lightning on its wiry way would lag behind4 ,the sun-ray drag its slow length along4 ,this immense velocity of locomotion1 as applied to a body of flesh and bones1 or of material elements1 may at first thought1 strike the mind as being contrary to the known laws of physical motion4 ,but let it be recollected that the vast earth on which we dwell1 with all its weight and bulk1 its cities1 animals and intelligences1 moves through actual space1 at the astonishing velocity of eighteen miles per second1 one thousand and eighty miles per minute1 or sixty-four thousand eight hundred miles per hour4 ,if so vast a bulk of gross1 and in a great measure inanimate matter1 can move through space1 at a rate of speed so inconceivably great1 how easily we can conceive the probability of vastly increased powers of locomotion on the part of animate bodies released from their earthly prison1 quickened by superior and celestial element1 dictated by an independent1 inherent principle called the will1 and urged onward by the promptings of the eternal1 infinite mind and affections1 in their aspirations for knowledge and enjoyment4 ,a corporeal1 human body1 raised from the dead1 and quickened by elements so refined1 so full of life and motion1 so pure1 and so free from the influences control1 or attractions of more gross elements1 will1 like the risen ,jesus1 ascend and descend at will1 and with a speed nearly instantaneous4 ,let us pause1 and contemplate1 for a moment1 such a being taking leave of the confines of the earth1 and sea1 and clouds1 and air1 with all their dark and gloomy shadows4 ,behold him as he speeds his way on the upper deep1 and launches forth in the clear and boundless expanse bespangled with millions of resplendent orbs4 ,he calculates his distance1 and regulates his course by observing the relative position of those most familiar to him1 and soaring upwards still1 his bosom swells with an unutterable and overwhelming sensation of the infinitude of his own eternal being1 and of all around1 above1 below him1 till unable to contain his gratitude1 and joy1 and exultation1 he breaks forth in the language of a celebrated ,british poet1 and sings as he flies-- ,heavens broad day hath o'er me broken1 ,far above earth's span of sky6 ,am ,i dead8 ,nay1 by this token1 ,know that ,i have ceased to die6 ,planets will be visited1 messages communicated1 acquaintances and friendships formed1 and the sciences vastly extended and cultivated4 ,the science of geography will then be extended to millions of worlds1 and will embrace a knowledge of their physical features and boundaries1 their resources1 mineral and vegetable2 their rivers1 lakes1 seas1 continents and islands2 the attainments of their inhabitants in the science of government2 their progress in revealed religion2 their employments1 dress1 manners1 customs1 c4 ,the science of astronomy will also be enlarged in proportion to the means of knowledge4 ,system after system will rise to view in the vast field of research and exploration6 ,vast systems of suns and their attendant worlds1 on which the eyes of ,adam's race1 in their rudimental sphere1 have never gazed1 will then be contemplated1 circumscribed1 weighed in the balance of human thought1 their circumference and diameter be ascertained1 their relative distances understood4 ,their motions and revolutions1 their times and laws1 their hours1 days1 weeks1 sabbaths1 months1 years1 jubilees1 centuries1 millenniums and eternities1 will all be told in the volumes of science4 ,the science of history will embrace the vast univercoelum of the past and present4 ,it will in its vast compilations1 embrace and include all nations1 all ages1 and all generations2 all the planetary systems in all their varied progress and changes1 in all their productions and attributes4 ,it will trace our race in all its successive emigrations1 colonies1 states1 kingdoms and empires2 from their first existence on the great1 central1 governing planet1 or sun1 called ,kolob1 until they are increased without number1 and widely dispersed and transplanted from one planet to another1 until1 occupying the very confines of infinitude1 the mind of immortal1 eternal man1 is absorbed1 overwhelmed1 wearied with the vastness1 the boundless expanse of historic fact1 and compelled to return and retire within itself for refreshment1 rest and renewed vigour4 ,next in order1 will be the field of prophetic science4 ,the spirit of prophecy will be poured upon the immortal mind1 till1 from seeing in part1 and knowing in part1 man will be able to gaze upon a boundless prospective1 a future of still increasing glory1 knowledge1 light1 love1 might1 majesty1 power and dominion1 in which the sons of ,god-the kings and priests of heaven and earth1 and of the heaven of heavens1 and all their retinue of kingdoms and subjects1 will find ample room for boundless increase and improvement1 worlds without end4 ,amen4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,laws ,,of ,,marriage ,,and ,,procreation4 ,ye kindred spirits1 filled with mutual love1 ,pure as the dews descending from above1 ,all hail6 for you the sacred ,keys are given1 ,to make you one on earth1 and one in heaven4 ,be fruitful then1 and let your race extend2 ,fill ,earth1 the stars1 and worlds that never end4 ,the great science of life consists in the knowledge of ourselves1 the laws of our existence1 the relations we sustain to each other1 to things and beings around us1 to our ancestry1 to our posterity1 to time1 to eternity1 to our heavenly ,father1 and to the universe4 ,to understand these laws1 and regulate our actions by them1 is the whole duty of intelligences4 ,it should therefore comprise our whole study4 ,this science comprises the fountain of wisdom1 the well-springs of life1 the boundless ocean of knowledge1 the infinitude of light1 and truth1 and love4 ,it penetrates the depths1 soars to the heights1 and circumscribes the broad expanse of eternity4 ,its pursuit leads to exaltation1 glory1 immortality1 and to an eternity of life1 light1 purity1 and unity of fellowship with kindred spirits4 ,to contemplate man in his true light1 we must1 as it were1 forget that death is in his path2 we must look upon him as an eternal1 ever living being1 possessing spirit1 flesh and bones1 with all the mental and physical organs1 and all the affections and sympathies which characterise him in this world4 ,or rather1 all his natural affections and sympathies will be purified1 exalted1 and immeasurably increased4 ,let the candidate for celestial glory forget1 for a moment1 the groveling sphere of his present existence1 and make the effort to contemplate himself in the light of eternity1 in the higher spheres of his progressive existence1 beyond the grave--a pure spirit1 free from sin and guile1 enlightened in the school of heaven1 by observation and experience1 and association with the highest order of intelligences1 for thousands of years2 and clothed with immortal flesh1 in all the vigour1 freshness and beauty of eternal youth2 alike free from pain1 disease1 death1 and the corroding effects of time2 looking back through the vista of far distant years1 and contemplating his former sojourn amid the sorrows and pains of mortal life1 his passage through the dark valley of death1 and his sojourn in the spirit world1 as we now contemplate a transient dream1 or a night of sleep1 from which we have awakened1 renewed and refreshed1 to enter again upon the realities of life4 ,let us contemplate1 for a moment1 such a being1 clothed in the finest robes of linen1 pure and white1 adorned with precious stones and gold2 a countenance radiant with the effulgence of light1 intelligence and love2 a bosom glowing with all the confidence of conscious innocence dwelling in palaces of precious stones and gold2 bathing in the crystal waters of life2 promenading or sitting 'neath the evergreen bowers and trees of ,eden2 inhaling the healthful breezes1 perfumed with odours1 wafted from the roses and pinks of paradise1 or assembled with the countless myriads of heaven's nobility1 to join in songs of praise and adoration to the ,great ,parent of every good1 to tune the immortal lyre in strains celestial2 or move with grace immortal to the soul-inspiring measure of music flowing from a thousand instruments1 blending1 in harmonious numbers1 with celestial voices1 in heavenly song1 or mingling in graceful circles with joyous thousands1 immersed in the same spirit1 and moving in unison and harmony of motion1 as if one heart1 one pulse1 one thrill of heavenly melody inspired the whole4 ,o candidates for celestial glory6 ,would your joys be full in the countless years of eternity without forming the connexions1 the relationship1 the kindred ties which concentrate in the domestic circle1 and branch forth1 and bud and blossom1 and bear the fruits of eternal increase8 ,would that eternal emotion of charity and benevolence which swells your bosoms be satisfied to enjoy in1 single blessedness1 without an increase of posterity1 those exhaustless stores of never-ending riches and enjoyments8 ,or1 would you1 like your heavenly ,father1 prompted by eternal benevolence and charity1 wish to fill countless millions of worlds1 with your begotten sons and daughters1 and to bring them through all the gradations of progressive being1 to inherit immortal bodies1 and eternal mansions in your several dominions8 ,if such be your aspirations1 remember that this present probation is the world of preparation for joys eternal4 ,this is the place where family organization is first formed for eternity2 and where the kindred sympathies1 relationships1 and affections take root1 spring forth1 shoot upward1 bud1 blossom1 and bear fruit to ripen and mature in eternal ages4 ,here1 in the holy temples and sanctuaries of our ,god1 must the everlasting covenants be revealed1 ratified1 sealed1 bound and recorded in the holy records1 and guarded and preserved in the archives of ,god's kingdom1 by those who hold the keys of eternal ,apostleship1 who have power to bind on earth that which shall be bound in heaven1 and to record on earth that which shall be recorded in the archives of heaven1 in the ,lamb's book of life4 ,here1 in the holy sanctuary1 must be revealed1 ordained and anointed the kings and queens of eternity4 ,all vows1 covenants1 contracts1 marriages1 of unions1 not formed by revelation1 and sealed for time and all eternity1 and recorded in the holy archives of earth and heaven1 by the ministration of the holy and eternal ,priesthood1 will be dissolved by death1 and will not be recognised by the eternal authorities1 after the parties have entered through the vail into the eternal world4 ,this is heaven's eternal law1 as revealed to the ancients of all ages1 who held the keys of eternal priesthood1 after the order of the ,son of ,god2 and1 as restored with the priesthood of the ,saints of this age4 ,again1 it was a law of the ancient ,priesthood1 and is again restored1 that a man who is faithful in all things1 may1 by the word of the ,lord1 through the administration of one holding the keys to bind on earth and heaven1 receive and secure to himself1 for time and all eternity1 ,,more ,,than ,,one ,,wife4 ,thus did ,abraham1 ,isaac1 ,jacob1 ,moses1 the ,patriarchs and ,prophets of old4 ,the principal object contemplated by this law1 is the multiplication of the children of good and worthy fathers1 who will teach them the truth1 and train them in the holy principles of salvation4 ,this is far preferable to sending them into the world in the lineage of an unworthy or ignorant parentage1 to be educated in error1 folly1 ignorance and crime4 ,the peculiar characteristics of the blessings included in the ,everlasting ,covenant made with ,abraham1 ,isaac1 ,jacob and their lineage1 was the multiplicity of their seed2 and the perpetuity of the royal1 priestly and kingly power in their lineage4 ,to assist in carrying out and fulfilling this covenant1 good and virtuous women were given to their faithful ,prophets1 rulers1 and wise and virtuous men2 and1 as it was said of the four wives of ,jacob1 ,these did build the house of ,israel4 ,while peculiar blessings and encouragements were given to a good and faithful man1 and to his wives and children2 while they were honoured of ,god1 and respected by all who knew them2 while the father of a hundred children was had in greater honour than the hero of a hundred battles1 adultery1 fornication1 and all unlawful intercourse was strictly prohibited1 and even punished by the strictest laws--the penalty of which was death4 ,a daughter of ,israel1 who1 by prostitution1 was rendered unworthy1 or unqualified for the duties of a virtuous wife and mother1 was considered unfit to live4 ,while the male who would thus trifle with the fountain of life1 and contribute to render a female unworthy to answer the end of her creation1 was also condemned to death4 ,strict laws were also given and diligently taught to both sexes1 regulating the intercourse between husband and wife4 ,all intercourse peculiar to the sexes was strictly prohibited at certain seasons which were untimely4 ,nor were the bonds of wedlock and shield from condemnation1 where the parties1 by untimely union1 excess1 or voluntary act1 prevented propagation1 or injured the life or health of themselves or their offspring4 ,the object of the union of the sexes is the propagation of their species1 or procreation2 also for mutual affection1 and the cultivation of those eternal principles of never-ending charity and benevolence1 which are inspired by the ,eternal ,spirit2 also for mutual comfort and assistance in this world of toil and sorrow1 and for mutual duties towards their offspring4 ,marriage1 and its duties1 are therefore1 not a mere matter of choice1 or of convenience1 or of pleasure to the parties2 but to marry and multiply is a positive command of ,almighty ,god1 binding on all persons of both sexes1 who are circumstanced and conditioned to fulfil the same4 ,to marry1 propagate our species1 do our duty to them1 and to educate them in the light of truth1 are among the chief objects of our existence on the earth4 ,to neglect these duties1 is to fail to answer the end of our creation1 and is a a very great sin4 ,while to pervert our natures1 and to prostitute ourselves1 and our strength to mere pleasures1 or to unlawful communion of the sexes1 is alike subversive of health1 of pure1 holy and lasting affection2 of moral and social order2 and of the laws of ,god and nature4 ,if we except murder1 there is scarcely a more damning sin on the earth than the prostitution of female virtue or chastity at the shrine of pleasure1 or brutal lust2 or that promiscuous and lawless intercourse which chills and corrodes the heart1 perverts and destroys the pure affections1 cankers and destroys1 as it were1 the well-springs1 the fountains1 or issues of life4 ,a man who obeys the ordinances of ,god1 and is without blemish or deformity1 who has sound health and mature age1 and enjoys liberty and access to the elements of life2 is designed to be the head of a woman1 a father1 and a guide of the weaker sex1 and of those of tender age1 to mansions of eternal life and salvation4 ,a woman1 under similar circumstances1 is designed to be the glory of some man in the ,lord2 to be led and governed by him1 as her head in all things1 even as ,christ is the head of the man2 to honour1 obey1 love1 serve1 comfort and help him in all things2 to be a happy wife1 and if blessed with offspring1 a faithful and affectionate mother1 devoting her life to the joys1 cares and duties of her domestic sphere4 ,it frequently happens1 in the course of human events1 that there is1 in a community1 a majority of females4 ,in such cases1 human laws have no right to interfere with the divine eternal laws of nature1 or of nature's ,god1 by suffering females to be prostituted to minister to the wanton pleasures of the lawless1 to become the unlawful1 dishonoured mistress1 the illegitimate mother1 or the wretched outcast of shame1 disease and crime4 ,nor yet1 on the other hand1 have human laws the right to doom a portion of heaven's fair daughters1 to single wretchedness1 loneliness and gloom1 without the lawful privilege of becoming honoured wives and mothers4 ,a wise legislation1 or the law of ,god1 would punish1 with just severity1 the crimes of adultery or fornication1 and would not suffer the idiot1 the confirmed1 irreclaimable drunkard1 the man of hereditary disease1 or of vicious habits1 to possess or retain a wife2 while1 at the same time1 it would provide for a good and capable man1 to honourably receive and maintain more wives than one4 ,indeed1 it should be the privilege of every virtuous female1 who has the requisite capacity and qualifications for matrimony2 to demand either of individuals or government1 the privilege of becoming an honoured and legal wife and mother2 even if it were necessary for her to be married to a man who has several wives2 or1 as ,jesus said in the parable1 to take the one talent from the place where it remains neglected or unimproved1 and give it to him who has ten talents4 ,the false and corrupt institutions1 and still more corrupt practices of ,christendom have had a downward tendency in the generations of man for many centuries4 ,our physical organization1 health1 vigour1 strength of body1 intellectual faculties1 inclinations1 c41 are influenced very much by parentage4 ,hereditary disease1 idiocy1 weakness of mind1 or of constitution1 deformity1 tendency to violent and ungovernable passions1 vicious appetites and desires1 are engendered by parents2 and are bequeathed as a heritage from generation to generation4 ,man becomes a murderer1 a thief1 an adulterer1 a drunkard1 a lover of tobacco1 opium1 or other nauseous or poisonous drugs1 by means of the predisposition1 and inclinations engendered by parentage4 ,the people before the flood1 and also the ,sodomites and ,canaanites1 had carried these corruptions and degeneracies so far1 that ,god1 in mercy1 destroyed them1 and thus put an end to the procreation of races so degenerate and abominable2 while ,noah1 ,abraham1 ,melchesidech1 and others1 who were taught in the true laws of procreation1 were perfect in their generation1 and trained their children in the same laws4 ,the overthrow of those ancient degenerate races is a type of that which now awaits the nations called ,christian1 or in other words1 ,the great whore of all the earth1 for her sins have reached unto heaven1 and ,god hath remembered her iniquities4 ,where is the nation called ,christian1 that does not uphold or permit prostitution1 fornication and adultery with all their debasing1 demoralizing1 degenerating and corroding effects1 with all their tendencies to disease and crime1 to operate unchecked1 and to leaven and corrode all classes of society8 ,where is the ,christian nation that does not prohibit the law of ,god1 as given to ,abraham and the ancients in relation to marriage8 ,where is the ,christian nation that punishes the crime of adultery and fornication with death1 or other heavy penalties8 ,where are the institutions which prohibit the marriage of all persons disqualified by nature1 or by vicious habits and practices1 to answer the ends of an institution so holy and pure8 ,where are the institutions which would protect1 encourage1 and honour the patriarch ,jacob1 with his four wives and their children8 ,where is the community who would feel themselves honoured in associating with such a family--although1 all corrupt practices would be frowned down1 and all persons discountenanced1 who1 under the name of gentility1 nobility1 or royalty1 glory in their conquests and victories over the principles and practices of virtue and innocence8 ,echo answers1 ,where8--unless we look to the far off mountains and distant vales of ,deseret1 a land peopled by the ,latter-day ,saints1 and governed by the law of ,god1 the keys of the eternal ,priesthood1 and organized in the ,new and ,everlasting ,covenant4 ,amid these eternal mountains shall be reared the holy temple of our ,god1 and all nations shall flow unto it1 in order to be taught in ,his ways1 and to walk in ,his paths1 for out of ,zion has gone forth the law1 as predicted by the ,prophet ,isaiah4,a ,footnote ,a3 ,see the law of ,god on ,marriage1 revealed for the government of the ,saints4 ,first published at ,great ,salt ,city1 ,deseret1 #aheb4 ,by this law those distant communities live4 ,there the patriarch of a hundred children is had in reverence and honour4 ,his virtuous and honourable wives are considered as mothers in ,israel1 the daughters of ,abraham and ,sarah1 and worthy to be numbered with the holy women of old4 ,and there the daughters of ,israel are not prostituted with impunity4 ,there1 the crimes of adultery and fornication are seldom mentioned1 or known to exist4 ,there1 no virtuous female is doomed by law1 or custom1 to drag out a useless life in the loneliness of the cloister2 the monotonous and sinful pleasures of the ,harem2 the haunts of vice and crime2 or in the lonely and heartrending gloom and solitude of a single life4 ,there1 in the holy chambers of the sanctuary1 are revealed and ministered those sacred ordinances1 covenants1 and sealings1 which lay the foundation of kindred sympathies1 associations1 and family ties1 indissoluble and eternal4 ,ties which are stronger than death1 more durable than the ramparts of their snow-clad mountains1 and which will never be dissolved-- ,while life1 or thought1 or being lasts2 ,or immortality endures4 ,the restoration of these pure laws and practices has commenced to improve or regenerate a race4 ,a holy and temperate life2 pure morals and manners2 faith1 hope1 charity2 cheerfulness1 gentleness1 integrity2 intellectual development1 pure truth1 and knowledge2 and above all1 the operations of the ,divine ,spirit1 will produce a race more beautiful in form and features1 stronger1 and more vigorous in constitution1 happier in temperament and disposition1 more intellectual1 less vicious1 and better prepared for long life and good days in their mortal sojourn4 ,each succeeding generation1 governed by the same principles1 will still improve1 till male and female may live and multiply for a hundred years upon the earth--- ,and after death in distant spheres1 ,the union still renew4 ,the eternal union of the sexes1 in and after the resurrection1 is mainly for the purpose of renewing and continuing the work of procreation4 ,in our present or rudimental state1 our offspring are in our own image1 and partake of our natures1 in which are the seeds of death4 ,in like manner1 will the offspring of immortal and celestial beings1 be in the likeness and partake of the nature of their divine parentage4 ,hence1 such offspring will be pure1 holy1 incorruptible and eternal4 ,they will in no wise be subject unto death1 except by descending to partake of the grosser elements1 in which are the inherent properties of dissolution or death4 ,to descend thus1 and to be made subject to sorrow1 pain and death1 is the only road to the resurrection1 and to the higher degrees of immortality and eternal life4 ,it is by contrast that intelligences appreciate and enjoy4 ,how shall the sweet be known without the bitter8 ,how shall joy be appreciated without sorrow8 ,or1 how shall life be valued1 or its eternal duration appreciated without a contact with its mortal antagonist--death8 ,hence1 the highest degrees of eternal felicity are approached by the straight gate1 and the narrow path which leads through the dark valley of death1 to eternal mansions in the realms of endless life4 ,this path has been trodden by the eternal ,father1 by ,his son ,jesus ,christ1--and by all the sons and daughters of ,god1 who are exalted to a fulness of joys celestial4 ,as has been before remarked1 the union of the sexes1 in the eternal world1 in the holy covenant of celestial matrimony1 is peculiar to the ordinances and ministrations of the ,apostleship1 or ,priesthood after the order of the ,son of ,god1 or after the order of ,melchisedec4 ,the ,aaronic ,priesthood1 or the institutions peculiar to the law of ,moses1 seemed to have recognized no such ordinances or eternal covenants1 hence1 the ,jewish ordinances of matrimony come to end by death4 ,nor did the sects of the ,pharisees1 ,sadducees1 or others of that nation1 conceive of anything more lasting than this life1 in the covenants of matrimony4 ,hence1 the ,son of ,god1 in answer to the ,sadducees1 referred to the order of the angels1 in the resurrection1 instead of the order of the gods4 ,but1 the ,apostles1 holding the keys of the eternal mysteries of ,god's kingdom1 to seal both on earth and in heaven1 understood and testified1 that1 ,the man is not without the woman1 nor the woman without the man in the ,lord4 ,all persons who attain to the resurrection1 and to salvation1 without these eternal ordinances1 or sealing covenants1 will remain in a single state1 in their saved condition1 to all eternity1 without the joys of eternal union with the other sex1 and consequently without a crown1 without a kingdom1 without the power to increase4 ,hence1 they are angels1 and are not gods2 and are ministering spirits1 or servants1 in the employ and under the direction of ,,the ,,royal ,,family ,,of ,,heaven--,,the ,,princes1 ,,kings1 ,,and ,,priests ,,of ,,eternity4 ,,errata4 ,page #ac1 first line1 for ,one thousand eight hundred and fifty one1 read ,one thousand eight hundred and fifty three4 #aaf1 last line1 for here1 read there4